ã€ŠThe Over-Break Systemã€‹


 Chapter 1

    Death.

    Something that everyone will experience at some point in time.

    Our Lives are just the culmination of every experience our soul encounters.

    But what happens after we close our eyes, take our final breath, and our heart ceases to beat.

    What happens after death? It is the single most significant question in human existence. One that has no answer until your timees to experience it.

    Many believe in deities that will ferry your soul to its final destination, while others subscribe to the theory of reincarnation.

    I follow the theory that many Gods have existed since the beginning of time.

    Figures that grasp in the palm of their hand the ability to destroy everything we know and hold dear single-handedly.

    If someone were to ask me which deity I have a connection or belief in, my answer would be the All-Father, Odin, from Norse mythology.

    While a vast amount of people in this day and age have chosen to ignore religion as a whole, there is still a majority of humans who live their lives praying to some form of a higher power.

    Why am I bringing all this up at the start of our tale?

    That¡¯s simple. Today it was my time to obtain the answer that has eluded our whole species.

    Today at 29 years old, I Died on the 5th of November, 2021.

    It wasn¡¯t a quiet or painless death.

    I didn¡¯t simply fall asleep or sumb to a disease.

    It was something violent, loud, and painful.

    But I am not alone in this final moment.

    Watching the seemingly ever-expanding sh of bright light with me is my younger brother Brandon and dozens of other militiamen who were just ordinary people up until a couple of months ago.

    Let us go back about three months before our current clip in time.

    August 23 2021 6:30pm

    The sound of an action-filled fight scene roared through the whole house while my brother and I had our happy butts sitting on the living room couch. We were watching an anime about a Viking kid who kicked some serious ass before shortly after, the ending credits and theme began to y.

    ¡°Damn, Tyler, you were right about this show.¡± My brother mumbled while standing and stretching from the position where he had been perched for thest 8 hours straight.

    ¡°Tsk, seriously, one of these days, you¡¯re going to start taking my word every time I rmend something to you. Hell, this show should have been on your watch list ages ago, but you¡¯re only just now getting to it.¡± I chirped in response while watching my brother Brandon move towards the kitchen to toss out our empty cans of soda and the empty pizza box that was leftover from dinner.

    ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m a busy man. It¡¯s hard to find time to sit still for so long only to binge-watch a whole season of a show, especially since I¡¯ve spent thest nine weeks training other officers.¡±

    My brother is a well-liked police officer in his department, so of course, they would throw training all of the new cops onto him. His being in this position is partly due to him being a former marine and partly due to him just being absurdly good at his job.

    ¡°Oh, look at me. I¡¯m so important and have no time to hang out with my awesome older brother.¡± I quipped snarkily at his self-righteous tone.

    His face contorted into a cross between anger and annoyance. ¡°Listen here, you little shit, get over here and do these dishes while I go take a piss.¡± He said while walking out of the kitchen and down the hallway towards the direction of the bathroom.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, whatever, I got it, give me a second,¡± I replied while standing up from the couch and dusting crumbs off myp.

    It was only a dozen or so feet from the living room to the kitchen, so it didn¡¯t take me more than a few seconds to reach the sink, where I proceeded to wash the tes we had used for dinner.

    My typical habit of looking out the window directly in front of the sink kicked in. Since I was a kid, it was like some weird tick where if I¡¯m washing dishes, my first instinct wouldn¡¯t be to look at what I was cleaning, but instead, I would zone out by looking directly out the window.

    Generally, all I see is the empty backyard; if I was lucky, maybe a squirrel or some other small animal would go about their lives. But tonight was different.

    Now by no means was my brother¡¯s backyardrge, maybe only a couple dozen square feet. Large enough that the back porch lights would barely reach the edge of the fence, bathing the backyard in dim light. But for some reason, the light that was usually on wasn¡¯t.

    Which in itself is weird since I was the one who flipped the switch before it got dark out.

    Grunting in annoyance, I leaned over to the left of the sink where the switch for the porch light is and proceeded to flick it over and over a handful of times, only for the light to still be off.

    ¡®Weird, maybe the bulb is just burned out; I¡¯ll tell Brandon and have him fix it in the morning.¡¯ I pondered while shrugging and going back to wash the remaining dishes. However, just as I was shuffling back towards my dishwashing spot while shooting one more nce out the window, something caught my attention.

    It was only for the briefest of seconds, but it was a slight re in the distance, something like a camera sh.

    Without realizing it, my body shifted slightly to the right, and in doing so, I unintentionally avoided something perilous.

    Because when I shifted unconsciously, the window in front of me exploded inwards, followed by an off in the distance soft bang.

    In shock, I fell backward onto my ass and stared wide-eyed at the shattered window in front of me.

    ¡°Son OF A BITCH! BRANDON!¡± I yelled at the top of my lungs while kicking off the cupboard in front of me and doing a backward somersault, putting some distance between myself and the kitchen window.

    ¡°What the Fuck?¡± I heard my brother¡¯s voice from the other side of the house.

    My mind was reeling from what had just transpired. I¡¯ve always been quick-witted and apt at instantly piecing together situations on the fly.

    ¡®sh of light, window exploding, bang in the distance. Someone just took a God damn shot at me.¡¯

    To add insult to injury and muddy the already ever increasingly chaotic moment, both my smart-watch and cellphone started loudly shrieking in sync.

    Paying no mind to either device at the moment and Keeping low to the ground, I moved towards the side of my brother¡¯s house, arriving quickly by his side as he read the alerts with an emotionless expression stered on his face.

    Seeing him be so attentive, I took a second to nce at the notification on my own devices. The gist of the messages was simple. The country was under attack. Foreign governments had banded together and unleashed a massive zerg tactic attack on the entire eastern and western coasts of the United States.

    The Axis essentially consisted of every enemy nation we had umted over thest 60 years.

    World War 3 had just kicked off out of nowhere on that quiet night. Now I know what you¡¯re thinking. How could it already be considered WW3? And well, my response is simple. If half of the superpowers in the world join forces and attack the self-imposed ¡°Number 1,¡± would that not make it a ¡°World War.¡±

    Anyway, since we lived only 20 miles from the ocean in Florida, we just so happened to be smack dab in the middle of the initial confrontation of the just beginning war.

    Brandon calmly ced his phone down and disappeared down the hall and into his bedroom without a word. Left alone for the moment, I closed my eyes in his absence and just focused on my hearing. In the distance, I could faintly make out the sound of several explosions and what sounded like gunfire.

    While I was zoned out, Brandon was quietly rummaging around his closet. He wasn¡¯t panicking; as someone who had spent several years in the marine corps and as a cop, his mind was just fundamentally different from an average person. Instead, years of training and experience had instantly kicked in.

    It only took him a few seconds to retrieve a few sizeableplex stic cases and return to my side. Silently he thrust 2 of these cases unto me. Then, as if in a trance, I swiftly unhinged thetches on therger box, my hands quickly removing its contents. Then, with experienced motions, I began assembling the broken-down AR15 assault rifle. Doing a simple check to ensure the rifle was correctly put together, I promptly pped in a magazine with one hand and quickly racked a round into the chamber.

    Once finished with the rifle, I carefully ced it against the wall, barrel pointing towards the ceiling, and opened the second case.

    While smaller, its contents were a lot more numerous, A single Glock .45, a leg holster, and around a dozen magazines chocked full of ammunition. The first four magazines contained .45 rounds, while the remaining eight held .223 rounds for the rifle.

    Noticing I had emptied my cases, Brandon tossed me one of the tactical vests he had due to his part-time position on the SWAT team.

    The two of us, fully geared and ready to go, knelt on one knee while removing the pendants we had always worn from under our shirts.

    His was an expensive-looking gold chain with a well made golden crucifix hanging from it,

    Mine was a worn-out, moderately sized steel chain sporting a heavy, upsidedown hammer inscribed with intricate knots and runes. Mjolnir, a sign of my Norse faith.

    Each of us said a quick prayer and stood up.

    Not another word would leave our lips; it was like an invisible rope had been created between us, allowing information to flow wordlessly. A simple look in the eyes made verbalmunication unnecessary.

    With this, the two of us entered into World War 3. The initial invasion had somehow wholly avoided all of the military¡¯s advanced systems and caught the whole country with its pants down.

    It didn¡¯t take long for the entire system to copsepletely. Despite the fact that guns are not banned in the United States, it caught the Axis power entirely off guard when over a million ordinary citizens took up arms and began fighting back before the military could even start its first counterattack, throwing the whole ¡°War Machine¡± into chaos.

    Brandon and I quickly joined up with a small militant group, and we were doing our part. Over the next few weeks, with the military¡¯s aid, the United Forces started pushing back, and eventually, we came to the 5th of November.

    Thest hoorah of two brothers who had faced multiple challenges of death and pain throughout their short lives, even in this simple, peaceful world ofw and technology. Pain that many people had never experienced.

    And on this night, as we watched a seemingly never-ending wave of bright lights trailing smoke soar into the sky, we knew it hade to an end.

    As these thoughts finish, Wee back to the moment I spoke of before. The notification had gone out minutes earlier; The Axis powers hadunched over a hundred nuclear weapons targeting significant positions in the united states. One of which, unfortunately, was where Brandon and I were standing.

    We didn¡¯t need words.

    We knew damn well it was a warrior¡¯s death for both of us, just like our father had instilled into our heads as kids, to fight till we couldn¡¯t keep fighting anymore, and we had done just that. Despite my brother¡¯s continuedbat in the military, I never let my reflexes or knowledge dull after many years of training our physique and mentality.

    It was the end

    While we didn¡¯t know what woulde after we died, we both had our beliefs.

    Brandon Fully believed he¡¯d be going to heaven, while I, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t wait to go to the Great Hall of Valha.

    Slowly, our eyes followed the iing nuclear missiles as several broke through the countermeasures put in ce by the military and headed directly for us. Unlike what everyone else around me was showing, I couldn¡¯t stop grinning like a madman. With nowhere to run and hide, I turned my head to the left and saw the same expression on my brother¡¯s face.

    Raising my rifle over my head and shouting, ¡°ONWARD TO THE GREAT HALL,¡± I broke off, sprinting towards where I estimated the impact would be. Hot on my heels, Brandon followed suit; while the people behind us either copsed or cried, the two wild brothers would rather face death head-on.

    There was no explosion. First, all I saw was just a bright sh. Then, shortly after followed the most intense heat I had ever experienced. Lastly, an extreme and unimaginable pain.

    Then.

    Nothing.

    I had died.

 Chapter 2

    -Instation of The Over-Break System Complete-

    -Waking Soul-

    A robotic female voice rang in my head after my vision faded to ck.

    Nothingness.

    Overwhelming Nothingness.

    That¡¯s what greeted me after my life ended.

    There was no pain.

    There was no sound or light.

    Just¡­nothing

    I had no idea how long I had been in this state; time seemed non-existent.

    While I could still think and process what had just happened to me, it was no different than when you close your eyes before bed, and only your internal monologue resounds in your mind.

    I could think, but I couldn¡¯t move, feel or hear anything. It was as if my consciousness was the only thing existing.

    I was in this state of nothing when my mind reyed the events before my death, and eventually, my attention returned to the strange voice that echoed in my head seconds earlier¡­or was it minutes earlier?

    -Beginning Transfer To the Hall of Gods-

    The voice once again echoed with her monotone voice.

    ¡®Gods hall¡­¡¯ I thought to myself. ¡®No way you cant mean¡­is it happening? IS IT TRULY A THING HOLY SHIT. Hehehehehe!¡¯ I couldn¡¯t stop myself from manicallyughing internally.

    ¡®REINCARNATION¡¯

    The word bounced around my consciousness rapidly. Every bit of pop culture I had consumed about reincarnating in another world flooded my mind: light novels, manga, anime. Isekai was a genre I was well versed in; some would even call me Isekai weeb Trash.

    Despite my situation in the void of nothingness surrounding me, I could not stopughing my ass off.

    ¡®The voice mentioned a system. Ok, let¡¯s prep ourselves ahead of time. You got this. The voice said, ¡°Transfer to the Hall of Gods, which means they may give you some broken overpowered skill or something. The S in Hall of Gods lets me know there are multiple Gods, which aligns with many different series I¡¯ve consumed.¡¯

    ¡®Multiple Gods, giving multiple blessings, the voice mentioned a System ok narrowing Isekai stories further, stories with numerous Gods and systems. But, shit, how many tags are we dealing with here?¡¯

    My conscious mind was in overdrive at the moment as the world around me began to brighten up from the never-ending darkness and nothingness into a world of pure white.

    Touch, Sight, hearing. All of my senses began to turn back on, and it left me feeling weightless, floating in a giant expanse of pure white.

    A simple look around showed nothing¡ªjust a vast, never-ending expanse of white.

    I came to notice I had my body back, or at least a transparent version of it.

    Gone were my weapons andbat gear that I had been wearing at the time of my death. In their ce was a in white robe extending to my feet and wrists.

    Resting on my chest was the ne I was wearing before death, but I had overlooked this simple detail due to how ustomed I was to its weight and had never taken it off.

    As I looked down at my ghostly hands, more thoughts began to swirl in my mind.

    ¡°AH,¡± I yelped out as a test to see if I could speak again,

    ¡°Welp, I guess that¡¯s everything minus the fact that I¡¯m a floating body of pure white light.¡± I scoffed at the thought.

    -Soul will begin transfer in 30 seconds to The Hall of Gods-

    A simple notification floated in front of me. It resembled one of those old messenger boxes that instant messengers used in the early 2000s, like AIM or MSN. Just a simple dialog box with a timer.

    ¡°Narrowing it further, game elements tag on my new life got it. That leads to a handful of things. First, it depends on which world these Gods send me to. Let¡¯s hope for one with at least semi-decent technology. Second, medieval life would be a pain in the ass.¡±

    ¡°So far, we¡¯ve got, Reincarnation, Game Elements, and Multiple Gods, and since the system seems to have a voice, it would either fall under Artificial Intelligence or System Admin. Based on how it¡¯s speaking, ima lean more towards System Admin.¡±

    As I watched the timer countdown, my thoughts came to a screeching halt as, in my manic ADHD-driven thought process, I hadpletely forgotten about my brother for a moment.

    ¡°I hope Brandon¡¯s ok. It would be nice to be brothers again in a new world.¡± I sighed

    ¡°I guess that would be too much to ask for.¡±

    =O-sense=

    A booming voice entered my ears. Lost in my thoughts, I hadpletely zoned out and ignored that I had teleported out of the White holding space.

    = Sinn eigi einn issue t¨² skulu worry um ungr drengr =

    Even though the words loudly presenting themselves in front of me were of a foreign dialect, I quickly recognized thenguage. Unfortunately, identifying and understanding are two different monsters.

    My eyes widened as my vision fell upon the source of this powerful voice that seemed to break time and space with each word it spoke.

    As if instinctually, my body copsed to one knee, my right hand balled into a fist as I mmed it in salute against my left shoulder.

    ¡°Allfather¡±

    Standing before me was a man who stood several feet taller than me. Draped on his shoulders was a ck cloak that looked to be crafted of raven¡¯s feathers, and a ck eye patch covered half of his battle-worn scarred face.

    The Deity sported tight-fitting battle-worn leather armor, and sheathed on his hip sat a terrifyingly sharp battle hatchet, and under his armor were well-defined muscles that he no doubt had used to y his many enemies.

    Standing before me menacingly was Odin. The Allfather from Norse mythology and the God I had undoubtedly ced my faith in.

    = Tar sem t¨² kannt eigi Noremanna tungu, mun ek t¨¦r lj¨¢ m¨¢lkunn¨¢ttu =

    Odin spoke again while looking down upon me with a slight smirk on his grizzled face.

    He rose his hand and snapped his calloused fingers, creating a loud bang that echoed around me.

    -You have obtained the Legacy Tier Skill: Language Proficiency-

    The system¡¯s voice rang in my mind, followed by the words spoken flowing in front of me in a small panel.

    Once the skill had been added to what I could only assume was my soul, I realized that I could understand what Odin had just told me. He noticed I couldn¡¯t speak old Norse and said he would deal with it.

    ¡°Thank you, Allfather.¡±

    =Think nothing of it. How am I supposed to converse with you, Drengr, if you can¡¯t speak and understand me? Now rise so we may have our conversation without anguage barrier.=

    Odin raised his hand, causing me to lift due to some force he was exerting.

    My mind was racing as I looked at the Norse Deity standing before me. Unconsciously my left hand raised to my chest and gripped my Mj?lnir pendant where it had been resting.

    My actions drew a smirk from Odin as he waved his hand again, making a rustic table and chairs appear in front of us.

    The table was anything but simple, adorned with hundreds of intricate knots and runes, which gave off a faint light green glow, and this table seemed to be exerting a pressure of some kind that was almost suffocating.

    = Sit, let us speak about what happens next.=

    Odin proceeded to pull back a chair and sit at the table, causing me to follow suit.

    =You seem to adjust quite quickly for a mortal who just died=

    He chuckled as I sat at the table in front of him.

    ¡°Allfather, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m adjusted; it¡¯s just that I¡¯ve acknowledged I am no longer alive, so there¡¯s no point in freaking out.¡±

    ¡°Between that and the simple fact that I tend to roll with whatever happens in my life and not let it affect me, this is just another random urrence that I need to deal with in stride,¡± I said while shrugging, which drew another bellowing chuckle from Odin.

    =I see; you¡¯re the first mortal in a long time who has been able to speak with me so casually. It¡¯s pretty interesting, to be honest.=

    I just smiled lightly as my reply. It¡¯s not that I was speaking casually so much as I wasn¡¯t good at speaking formally and respectfully, to begin with.

    Considering my entire life, I was kind of an asshole who had no filter. Unfortunately, it appears this fact doesn¡¯t change even when speaking to a God.

    ¡°AllFather, I¡¯m assuming that me being here means there is no afterlife. If that is so, then it would be safe to assume that me being here means that you will be sending my soul somewhere else to live another life.¡± My voice didn¡¯t waver as I tried to extract some basic information from the AllFather Odin.

    For a moment, Odin showed an amused expression as hebed his beard with his right hand. However, his Good eye kept locked in ce on me.

    =And if I was to tell you that you were correct, that there is no Great hall of Valha, that you have entered into the great cycle of reincarnation, what would you say?=

    The smirk never left Odin¡¯s lips as he looked me up and down, expecting my following few words to impress him.

    I was silent for a moment as I stared back directly into the Deity¡¯s eye.

    My mind was swirling through a chain of processes, running multiple scenarios at once for what could potentially be my future.

    Letting out a sigh, I leaned forward and rested my elbows on the table while propping my chin on the top of my hands.

    ¡°As a God, I¡¯m sure you already know the storm of bees swirling in my head. Your words make me believe half of my assumptions are right.¡±

    ¡°I assume there are millions if not billions of other worlds that souls are sent. Even if one disregards the phrase CYCLE of reincarnation, there is no doubt that this is true. Thus I can infer just by sitting here in this ce that I¡¯ve been removed from this cycle to be given some opportunity.¡±

    =Smartd. You¡¯re correct in your assumption. There are billions of worlds, dimensions, realms, and universes, more than you can even fathom. But not all of them are interlinked. However, as a God, it is generally out of my hands about where you are to reincarnate. But in this case, things are different. For both you and your kin.=

    Odin flicked his wrist and opened his palm. Laying in the center of his calloused hand was my pendant ne.

    =This is the reason we are speaking. Usually, when a soul leaves its realm, it is automatically sent into the cycle, and its memories are eliminated. The exception is those who die wearing a God¡¯s relic.=

 Chapter 3

    Odin¡¯s words caused my mind to break for a split second. The amount of information he had just dropped casually was astounding.

    If you died wearing what he called a God¡¯s Relic, your memories would be kept intact, and you would meet that God instead of being sent directly into the cycle of reincarnation.

    This kind of information would shock everyone in existence.

    Noticing the visible shock on my face, Odin continued.

    =However, this is a one-time deal that has a massive drawback. Suppose a God¡¯s Relic is used. You will be reincarnated with your current memory. However, if you die in your next life, you will never enter the cycle again. Instead, your soul willpletely dissipate, into nothingness bing fuel for that God¡¯s divinity.=

    As Odin spoke, my eyes followed the Pendant as it slowly lifted into the air and hovered several inches above Odin¡¯s hand.

    With this statement, my mind wentpletely nk. My eyes were moving from the Pendant back to Odin¡¯s eye.

    We sat in silence as I tried to process the information given to me. Each sentence was like a bombshell exploding in my head, causing the wheels of my mind to shudder.

    Slowly myprehension of this information started to lock into ce, as I inherently epted my current state.

    Just as I was about to speak, however, the realm I was in shook, and space next to Odin fractured like broken ss, and a bright white light burst forth from the Spacial tear.

    =It took you long enough to get here Yahweh.=

    Completely unaffected by the sudden bright light, Odin spoke out while making two more chairs appear at the table.

    With the sudden appearance of the chairs, the bright light slowly dimmed, revealing two people. One was a man of simr height to Odin, but his grace was seemingly in a different category.

    He was slim and draped in pure white robes, and his appearance screamed regality. He sported long flowing white hair and a cleanly shaved, handsome yet fearsome face.

    In his right hand was a shepherd¡¯s staff that stood a full head taller than the God himself.

    As I gazed at the God that appeared before me, I noticed I didn¡¯t have the same innate feeling to prostrate myself before the new God, who I knew as the God Of Christianity, who was named Yahweh, as I did when I first met Odin.

    *Still as uncouth as ever Odin.* Yahweh¡¯s attention went from the Norse God to me.

    *This must be my Child¡¯s elder brother, Interesting that even though they are siblings, one worships a Norse God instead of me* A fearsome smirk drew across Yahweh¡¯s face as he examined me with contempt.

    ¡°Looking at someone you just met with contempt, and you wonder why my faith went to the AllFather instead. How could I put my trust in a God who not only has a habit of genocide but also like to drop frogs and fire on people.¡± I spat back without hesitation.

    My words drew a boisterousugh from Odin, who found great amusement in my ability to take cheap shots at a God even though I was but a mortal.

    =Well said Drengr=

    Odin continued tough while directing a stunned Yahweh to the chair next to him.

    ¡°Tyler, I get that you¡¯ve always been unruly, but you¡¯re going to talk to God that way?¡± A voice from behind Yahweh spoke out in my direction

    ¡°Tsk, look, if he came here and didn¡¯t look at me like some hooligan who was lower than dirt, I would have been respectful.¡± I grinned as my get met the spectral form of my brother Brandon who had emerged from the Spacial Tear behind his God.

    ¡°For some reason, I highly doubt that. You don¡¯t have a filter.¡± Brandon half walked, half floated towards the table, and sat down in the chair next to me.

    Coming back to his senses and taking a seat next to Odin, Yahweh spoke up,pletely overlooking myst snarky remark.

    *Odin, I assume you¡¯ve informed your follower of his current predicament.*

    =Of course, I¡¯m no slouch who sits around watching over his flock as you do. My Drengr has been fully informed of the consequences of using a Relic, But you interrupted me before I was able to tell him the benefits.=

    Odin cleared his throat before continuing.

    =Now then, by using one of God¡¯s Relics, you are given several benefits as using it would remove you from the cycle of reincarnation. First and foremost, you will be able to choose which world you are sent to for reincarnation.=

    =The Next perk is you will be given the same affinity as the God whose Relic you used. In my case, it would be the Darkness element, and in Yahweh¡¯s, it would be the element of Light.=

    =Next, depending on which world or realm you have chosen, you will receive certain physical benefits depending on the System used there. For example, if a world¡¯s System is based on techniques, it could be a particr skill.=

    As Odin spoke, I noticed the System attached to my soul pop-up listing several benefits mirroring the information thrown at me.

    *We will give you some time to speak with each other and decide your next course of action. Odin didn¡¯t mention that if you both choose to use the Relics, you will be able to Reincarnate into the same family with the same age gap as your soul age. Effectively bing brothers once again in your ??next life.*

    Yahweh stood up, dragging Odin away to give Brandon and me a chance to speak alone.

    As the two Gods left, I let out a sigh and, using both of my hands, rubbed my face slowly in an attempt to digest everything that had happened.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so stressed out right now, Tyler. I¡¯m sure You¡¯ve already decided to use your Relic.¡± Brandon lightlyughed while making fun of me like usual.

    ¡°I mean, this is pretty much you¡¯re wheelhouse. I¡¯ll follow your decision. I only hope we go somewhere that lets us use swords and magic or something.¡± Brandon said while cing his astral hand on my shoulder.

    Taking a deep breath and then exhaling, I looked over at my brother, who, up until a short time ago, had his whole life together, a good job, a house of his own, and a fiance. He had way more to lose than I did; however, he¡¯s calm and resolute instead of panicking and losing it.

    ¡°I¡¯m stressed about what world to choose. I¡¯ve got a pretty good grasp on everything else; it¡¯s just a matter of where to go next. There are too many options and too much for me to experiment with. First things first.¡± I waved my hand in front of me and spoke clearly.

    ¡°System show me all possible choices for reincarnation using the following filters. As the technically advanced or more advanced than the previous world of our soul¡¯s residence.¡±

    A look of shock appeared on Brandon¡¯s face as the systems in front of both of us started up and began showing a list of billions, if not trillions, of possible choices.

    ¡°Wait, how the hell do you already know how to use the system,¡± Brandon asked incredulously; he couldn¡¯t fathom how I seemed to know exactly how to navigate the System. But in reality, I had already concluded several things based on how it had acted up till now.

    Ignoring him, I input another thirty or so filters rapidly until finally there were only two choices for reincarnation.

    ¡°There are virtually no differences between these two worlds, so let¡¯s go with the one on the left.¡±

    After choosing the World, Odin and Yahweh materialized back in their chairs. While Odin looked amused, Yahweh showed an incredulous look and was clearly and might I add ungodlily confused about how easily I navigated and used the System.

    =Alright, based on your choice, your benefits have been decided; however, it would take away all the mystery and fun in you having to figure them out on your own. Now then its time for you both to merge with your relic.=

    With a flick of Odin and Yahweh¡¯s wrists, both my Pendant and Brandon¡¯s Cross Flew from our respective Gods and collided with our chests.

    Instead of doing damage, the relics merged into our bodies and disappeared, which seemed to trigger several notifications.

    -You have Received the Darkness Affinity-

    -Legacy Distribution Set to 1 Per All-

    -Reincarnation choice selected-

    -Status Panel created-

    -Stat Panel Created-

    -Skill Panel Created-

    -Benefits allpleted awaiting Odin¡¯s Blessing to begin-

    =Alright, it¡¯s time to begin, say your goodbyes=

    I stood up from the table and saluted Odin once again before

    ¡°Thank you, AllFather¡± I turned to Brandon, who had finished thanking his God, and we stood in front of each other in silence for several minutes.

    It was me who broke the silence. ¡°Welp looks like it¡¯s gonna be almost two years before we see each other again; I¡¯lly the groundwork and get us all set before you get there, Little brother.¡±

    With resolution in both of our eyes, we gripped each other¡¯s left forearm and led into a hug.

    When I let go, Brandon Spoke up, ¡± Don¡¯t get into too much trouble without me.¡±

    I snorted and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll be a baby; just how much shit can I stir up.¡±

    With that finalment, my astral body started fading until I was ovee by darkness yet again.

 Chapter 4

    Warmth.

    That was the first thing I noticed the second I finished saying myckluster goodbyes in the Hall of Gods.

    Comforting warmth spread throughout my whole body.

    -Reincarnation Complete-

    -Over-Break System full instationplete-

    -Congrattions on Reincarnation Host, Good Luck-

    -Prepare for Birthing-

    As I heard the Systems monotone voice say thest sentence, my heart dropped.

    ¡®Birthing¡­. Oh, SON OF A BITCH COULDN¡¯T YOU JUST LET ME BE BORN AlREADY! Why the hell do I have to experience this messy shit? You¡¯re Gods, for crying out loud!¡¯

    I roared in my mind; since I could barely move, let alone make any noise yet due to still being in the womb.

    ¡®OK, calm down; let¡¯s run through everything Odin said to us when he was giving the breakdown on using Relics.¡¯

    Quickly the memories flooded one after another as Ibed through every word The AllFather said.

    ¡®After reying the whole conversation with the big man himself, only now, I realized Odin had Said ¡°Born¡± and not moved or transmigrated. I was too hasty in my thought process and rushed it a bit. This is fine, it¡¯s OK, I have to wait A year and ten months, and Brandon will show up alongside me; it¡¯s fine, everything¡¯s fine, we are OK. You got this.¡¯

    As if my mind couldn¡¯t get more frazzled, a sudden force started pressing against my whole body. It didn¡¯t hurt, but I could feel the pressure that seemed to be the equivalent of going up in an Airne, the kind of pressure that would make your ears pop.

    ¡®Fuck, here we go. I hope my mom is hot. Wait¡­you know what fuck it? I hope she¡¯s hot; I don¡¯t wannae out looking like a donkey or something. But, wait, hold up, were there hybrids on this.¡¯

    ¡®UGHHHH Why didn¡¯t I look into that? I was more worried about magic, monsters, martial arts, swords¡­FUCK WAIT A MINUTE, WHAT ABOUT MY PRECIOUS CAT GIRLS AND WOLF GIRLS, FUCKKKK! No, calm down deep¡­well, I can¡¯t breathe so metaphorical deep breaths.¡¯

    ¡®Damn it, there better be catgirls or some shit.¡¯

    Suddenly the world became cold and bright; sound flooded my newborn ears.

    ¡°Good¡­there all done, well done Cinyah, you did well.¡±

    I felt myself lifted into the air as the sights, sounds, and smells of the new world I was brought to flooded my baby body.

    The person holding me started wiping me down with a concerned look.

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t he crying?¡± I heard this person mutter under their breath.¡± The person holding me flipped me over, so I faced the ground and began forcefully rubbing my back.

    ¡®Oh shit¡­that¡¯s right, I¡¯m a baby now. I can¡¯t keep quiet in this situation; In fact, I should be doing the exact opposite. I should cry to clear my lungs and get them working¡­ But, UGH, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO DO THAT? HELL, I CAN¡¯T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I CRIED. So, OK, it¡¯s OK we got this CMON DOC SMACK MY ASS OR SOMETHING.¡¯

    Just as that thought passed through my mind, I felt a sting followed shortly by a p and¡­

    ¡°WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!¡±

    Instantly burst out into tears and howls of pain. Now to call them howls was simply an overestimation. It was very clearly baby cries.

    ¡°Congrattions, it¡¯s a Healthy Baby Boy here you go, Cinyah!¡± the person (who I¡¯m assuming was a doctor) thrust me into the bosom of my new mother.

    Taking note of my extradition from the sadist of a doctor, I worked to get my timing right to shut off the leaky valves that were my eyes.

    ¡®OK, that should be enough crying. Let¡¯s take a look at my new mother; the Doc said her name is Cinyah. Thankfully, Odin gifted me Language Proficiency, and it imprinted into my System, thus carrying over to my skill tab; if not for it, I¡¯d have no clue what they are saying.¡¯

    Slowly, I reigned in the tears and wails as I gave my new parent a good look. My first thought was, ¡®Wow, she¡¯s beautiful!¡¯

    The woman holding me was stunning; she looked to be around her early 20¡¯s, with Shoulder-length ck hair that gave off a strange otherworldly sheen, making it almost seem to sparkle. When the light would hit it directly, shades of purple and blue streaks mixed in with the ck. Having just given birth, she was pretty pale, but her milky white skin showed under the room¡¯s lighting as if made of jade.

    She also had a small but perfect nose. Which, for me, was more significant than it would be to most, considering I had a reasonablyrge one just like my father in my previous life. Hell, even my former older sister had her nose done because she too thought it was toorge for a typical nose.

    But none of this was the most shocking to me; what caught me off guard was her eyes. They were so blue that I almost got lost in them, but the strangest thing was her eyes seemed to shift between an Icy blue and a very light shade of purple. This color shift was subtle, but I quickly noticed these slight color changes since I was so close to her face due to her examining me.

    ¡°Hello, baby. I¡¯m your mommy.¡± Tears streamed down her face as she smiled sincerely while bringing me closer to her so she could kiss the top of my head.

    It was clear just how happy she was that I had made it in one piece.

    As our eyes met for the first time, I felt something well up in me for the first time in my life. A sense of longing that I never acknowledged. The surging feeling was also foreign to me. This feeling was hope. It was the hope to have a regr,plete family. But aside from this newfound feeling, I also developed a strange urge to catch the tears that were glittering they ran down my mother¡¯s cheeks.

    So using what little strength I could muster, I reached out. Surprisingly it took virtually all my strength and willpower to get my new baby arms to reach and touch her cheek.

    As I did so, she smiled even more expansive.

    ¡°My handsome son, Cynrik Jetlensr, wee to the world,¡± Cinyah said, once again kissing my head and resting me on her plentiful chest.

    But these words were almostpletely lost on me because I had already zoned her out after the sessful tear removal. The moment she said my name, several notifications rang out in my head, followed by a window popping up in my line of sight.

    : Status :

    : Cynrik Jetlensr:

    : Human Male:

    : Age-0:

    : Soul Age-29:

    : Level: 0 :

    : Essence(XP): 0/100 :

    : Distribution: 1 Per All :

    The System automatically opened up my newly acquired Status Panel, showing my basic information.

    ¡®Cynrik, not a bad name. At least it¡¯s better than my previous one. Thest name is a little weird, but whatever Cynrik Jetlensr it is. System Open Stats Panel¡¯

    Answering my mental call, the System switched from Status to Stats.

    : STATS :

    : HP 10/10 :

    : Mana 5/5 :

    : Stamina 5/5 :

    : Stat Points- 8 :

    : Strength- 1 :

    : Dexterity- 1 :

    : Agility- 1 :

    : Intelligence- 1 :

    : Vitality- 1 :

    : Mind- 25 :

    :Affinity- Dark :

    ¡®Alright, so it looks like I¡¯m starting with eight free stat points and 1 in everything. That¡¯s pretty nice for not even being level 1 yet.¡¯

    ¡®I get what everything represents except for the mind stat. But if I had to make a guess, it¡¯s likely to have to do with defense against mental attacks or even mental offense.¡¯

    ¡®So Vitality at 1 gives ten hp and five stamina that¡¯s not too difficult to remember. Essentially It means every stat point in Vitality will provide me with ten hp and five stamina. Of course, it could be worse.¡¯ I mentally shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡®It seems to be the same with Intelligence; it looks like it provides me with five Mana per 1 point.¡¯

    I didn¡¯t bother looking at my Skills Panel, considering I only have one skill, and it happens to benguage proficiency.

    After closing my System window, I rested my head on my new mom¡¯s bountiful chest and, while listening to her heartbeat rhythmically, slowly drifted off to sleep for the first time in this new world. However, even asleep, I could still vaguely hear the voices of the people around me.

    ¡°Is this him? Is this our new son Cinyah.¡± A gruff man¡¯s voice quietly spoke out from somewhere behind me.

    ¡°Yes, my love, This is our firstborn son Cynrik.¡± I could hear the love reverberating in her voice as she once again said my name.

    ¡°Cynrik, not bad looks like you merged our names, pretty clich¨¦ for the first kid, isn¡¯t it. Rikard and Cinyah to make Cynrik.¡± The gruff voice, which I¡¯m assuming is my new father retorted.

    ¡°Oh shut up, you muscle-brained moron. It¡¯s cute, and our son carries both our names. We tried so desperately to conceive, and here we are; I wanted his name to be special.¡± Cinyah quietly shot back at her husband.

    That was thest I heard of their conversation as sleep entirely overtook me.

 Chapter 5

    ?Darling, My darling baby?

    ?Rest your sweet mind?

    ?Mommy will always be near?

    ?Don¡¯t you cry?

    ?I¡¯ll always protect you from all of your fears?

    ?So worry not, my darling baby, for all of your years.?

    I was woken up by a sweet melody that seemed to wrap itself around my entire being.

    Slowly I opened my eyes only to notice how dimly lit the room was.

    As my eyes wandered around the room, I came to realize I was being held gently by Cinyah, who was slowly rocking me and humming a soft tune with her eyes closed.

    The minutes seemed to tick by as I watched my new mother rock my petite body and hum softly. Her beauty and grace seemed to radiate with a light violet aura.

    Her voice, crystal clear and pleasing to the ears, was able to put mepletely at ease for the first time in my life.

    A mother¡¯s love and gentle care were something that I couldn¡¯t remember thest time I had experienced. And against my better judgment, I fell into a lull ofplete ease and rxation.

    My vision slowly drifted from Cinyah to around the room.

    What was reflected was a typical baby room on Earth. Minus the fact that several strange technological instruments adorned the walls and shelves of said room.

    The room housed a crib thaty directly in the center of the room, and a small dresser lined the 12¡Á12 foot room. A circr purplish-blue throw rug was stationed under the crib and took up a good amount of the floor n.

    Hanging above the crib was a fluffy-looking cloud that emitted several soft colors. As I watched, it shifted from warm greens to blues, to purples, green, red. It not only triggered my ADHD, but It reminded me of those color shift lights that I used to have in myputer room back on Earth. Except that this light was in the form of arge storm cloud.

    The walls were a light shade of blue, which I could only assume reflected that I was a baby boy.

    As time slowly moved by, Cinyah eventually fell to slumber and stopped humming her loving tune. But the chair we were in continued to rock as if motorized.

    Noticing her soft rhythmic breathing, I quickly determined that my new mother was finally asleep.

    I sighed internally, opened my Status Panel, and attempted to figure out a little more about this world.

    : Status :

    : Cynrik Jetlensr:

    : Human Male:

    : Age-0:

    : Soul Age-29:

    : Level: 0 :

    : Essence(XP): 0/100 :

    : Distribution: 1 Per All :

    ¡®Ok, first things first, I¡¯m human. I can¡¯t be too sad; at least I¡¯m not a donkey hybrid as I had feared.¡¯

    Scanning down the seven lines floating on the invisible panel in my line of sight, I fell upon the level portion.

    ¡®Level zero, tsk. He couldn¡¯t even start me off at level 1. It looks like the form of experience points here is called Essence.¡¯

    When I got to Distribution, I was momentarily stumped.

    ¡®System Define the Distribution Status.¡¯

    -The Distribution Status is the notifier of how many Stat points will be applied to specified Statistic Fields upon the Hosts level ??increasing.-

    ¡®1 per all. Wait, System, does that mean ill receive one stat point to all of my stats every time I level up.¡¯

    However, instead of answering my question, the monotone female voice of the System stayed silent.

    ¡®Tsk, Stingy.¡¯ I retorted while scrunching up my baby face.

    I brought back up my Stat Panel and began having the System read off each effect of every stat listed with a quick thought.

    -Strength represents the amount of power the Host is physically capable of generating.-

    -Dexterity represents the Host¡¯s action speed or hit rate as well as weapon handling.-

    -Agility represents the Host¡¯s physical speed and maneuverability.-

    -Intelligence determines the Host¡¯s base Mana pool and has an allocation ratio of 1 point =5 Points of Mana, and the strength of attacks that utilize Mana can output. This statistic also determines the Host¡¯s cognitive abilities, such as memorization and thought-processing speed.-

    -Vitality represents the number of health points the Host¡¯s HP pool contains; this stat has a ratio of 1 point = 10 hp, as well as it determines the stamina the Host¡¯s body contains, which has a ratio of 1 point= 5 points in the Stamina Pool.-

    -Mind represents the Host¡¯s Defense and Offensive capabilities when using Mental Skills and runs parallel with the Host¡¯s Intelligence Stat for memorization and thought-processing speed.-

    ¡®It looks like my initial assessment was correct. The only thing throwing me off is the Distribution line in my Status Panel. I can only assume it¡¯s an innate option for Builds. I wonder if it¡¯s a randomly generated perk. If so, I wonder what the average Distribution per level is.¡¯

    -The average Distribution ofmon System hosts on this is between 1-3 stat points. This Host¡¯s Distribution is a Benefit from the Deity Odin.-

    The System chiming in made me raise one of my eyebrows.

    ¡®hehehehehe, the benefits from Odin¡¯s Relic are indeed Over Powered.¡¯

    While I continued to look aimlessly at my System Panel, unconsciously, I nestled myself closer against Cinyah in an attempt to get morefortable.

    As my eyes drifted from the System to Cinyahs profile, it Chimed again.

    -Quest Panel instationplete.-

    -Daily Quests Generated-

    A mental smile formed on my figurative face as I quickly opened the newly added Quest Panel.

    -Daily Quest: Drink Mothers Milk ¨C Iplete (repeatable)-

    -You require your mother¡¯s milk for sustenance-

    -Reward: +5 Essence(XP)-

    -Daily Quest: r Strengthing- Iplete (repeatable)-

    -As A newborn, your eyes aren¡¯t strong enough to acquire the innate abilities thate from your bloodline.-

    -Look Up 0/100 ¨C

    -Look Down 0/100 ¨C

    -Look Left 0/100 ¨C

    -Look Right 0/100 ¨C

    -Reward ¨C 5 Essence(XP)-

    -Secondary Reward- Upon 100th Completion ¨C Tier 0 Skill: Inspect-

    -Daily Quest: Mana Breathing- Iplete (Repeatable)-

    -The World of Vinestra has a high level of ambient Mana, unlike the Host¡¯s original homeworld of Earth. Due to this, The Host must limate to Mana to not cause permanent damage to the Host¡¯s body, mind, and soul.-

    -Use Newly Acquired skill Tier 0: Mana Breathing to limate to the ambient Mana in the world.¨C

    ¨C 0 hour / 1 hour-

    -Reward- + 0.1 Points to Mana Pool.-

    -Tier 0 Skill Mana Breathing Acquired-

    Before I could even finish reading my daily quests, the System chimed in about the new skill.

    ¡®Alright, so three daily quests. Thest two aren¡¯t that difficult. At least, I don¡¯t think. But let¡¯s put those two aside for now.¡¯

    ¡®The quest that I¡¯m most worried about is this mother¡¯s milk. Like it¡¯s one thing to be a baby, but I¡¯m 29 years old, for crying out loud, and even though it¡¯s my mother, it¡¯s still strange.¡¯

    ¡®Sigh, well, the reward is 5 XP; if you partner that with the second quest, that means I can gain 10 XP per day, so in 10 days, I¡¯ll get to level 1, after 100 days, I¡¯ll get the inspect skill.¡¯

    ¡®That final quest is interesting, though let¡¯s take a look at Mana Breathing.¡¯

    -Mana Breathing ¨C Tier 0: ¨C

    -Proficiency- 0%-

    -The User slows their breathing down to match their heart rate, drawing in minuscule amounts of Mana from the atmosphere to merge it with the User¡¯s body-

    -Higher tiers of this skill allow the User to regenerate their Mana quickly.-

    ¡®Figures. I sighed again internally. So basically, I have to use this skill for an hour a day to increase my base MP by 0.1 points. That¡¯s ten days for 1 MP. So let¡¯s put all that aside for now and start with our first quest.¡¯

    Even though I knew it was natural for a mother to breastfeed their child, it still made me incredibly ufortable to be on the receiving end.

    epting my fate, I scrunched up my face and clenched up my tiny body to work out some tears.

    Since I didn¡¯t want to startle Cinyahpletely, I started making tiny whimpering noises instead of going full-blown Banshee.

    After all, she was kind enough to rock me and sing a sweet song, so I didn¡¯t exactly want to frighten her from her nap.

    It didn¡¯t take long at all for Cinyah to notice my struggles.

    ¡°Ah, what¡¯s wrong little Cynrik? Are you hungry?¡± Her sweet melodious voice greeted my tiny scrunched-up tear-filled face.

    ¡°Shhh, it¡¯s ok, my darling. Give Mommy a second.¡± Then, smiling sweetly and gazing lovingly, she spoke in an attempt to calm me down.

    What happened next was a slight shock to me as one second she was wearing a shirt and the next she wasn¡¯t. Her glorious white, jade-like mountains are appearing in my eyes.

    But instead of being shocked at the bare breasts that I was drawing closer towards, my mind lit up as I screamed one statement with as much force as I could muster in my thoughts.

    ¡®OI SYSTEM, WHERE THE HELL IS MY INVENTORY!¡¯

 Chapter 6

    I wish I could say that time flowed quickly, but it actually moved excruciatingly slow.

    I¡¯ll gloss over the embarrassing moment of being fed for the first time as a baby, even though, let me tell you, it was quite the experience.

    Not for the reasons you¡¯d believe either, I mean, yeah, Cinyah is hot, but that¡¯s my Mom now.

    No, It wasn¡¯t as simple as just drinking milk. It was more like a transfer of energy. Cinyahs body seemed to be radiating energy of some type that caused her to have a faint hazy violet aura of energy that not only covered her but me as well.

    Instead of simply drinking milk, it¡¯s easier to say Cinyah was transferring part of her XP to me through her own body, this, of course, was only my conjecture, but as the feeding went on, I noticed the minute changes that she seemed to be going through.

    It¡¯s amonly excepted fact on Earth that matter and energy muste from somewhere, and while I may be in a new world, it appeared to be the same here.

    If I had seen her System Panel, I¡¯m sure It would have shown her Xp slowly dropping with each gulp of milk I drank. So from a logical standpoint, I could only conclude that she had already prepared for this scenario.

    Once my little belly was filled to the brim, the embarrassment continued as Cinyah spent the next 15 minutes lightly patting my back, trying to force a burp from me. Which eventually came surging up, much to my surprise.

    ¡°Urp¡±

    ¡°AH! Little Cynrik¡¯s first burp EEEEK, How cute!¡±

    I tried my absolute damnest not to show just how mortified I was at her words. But, never being great with having attention directed towards me or receiving praise, the babbling baby talk that Cinyah kept throwing my way made my face darker and darker.

    Mind you to Mommy Dearest, all she saw was her adorable and fully content newborn son looking at her with an indecipherable expression.

    And So time moved on slowly while I spent my days being utterly useless to the family, between using my Mana Breathing skill,pleting my r exercise, eating, pooping, andstly, sleeping. There wasn¡¯t exactly much for me to do.

    While all par for the course, it was extremely aggravating how easily and quickly my new body was tired out. In my previous life, I was lucky to get 3 hours of sleep a night, but now my former habit had beenpletely obliterated, it wasn¡¯t surprising for me to be unconscious for 10-13 hours a day.

    However, my regr activities weren¡¯t entirely wasteful; my parents were veryx with their tongues due to my being a baby. Thus I extracted quite a bit of information by listening to their casual conversations and observing things from my narrow perspective.

    My father, Rikard, was hardly home. From what I gathered, his job is simr to what you¡¯d expect from, say a hunter, or member of some guild. He would leave early in the morning and could be gone for days on end.

    ¡®Well, what can I say? From my perspective, The world of Vinestra falls under the category of ¡°fantasy world¡± thanks to my filters in the Hall of Gods, I know there are monsters and dungeons. However, logically based on all the novels and such I¡¯ve read, there¡¯s always Hunters or Adventurers.¡¯

    Every time he came home, it wasn¡¯t hard to tell how many new injuries he had received from the raid he was on. While he had bathed and changed his clothes beforeing home, it wasn¡¯t enough to hide the fresh wounds and bruises he had collected as spoils of battle.

    It wasn¡¯t just Rikard who had this job, from what I had gathered, before getting pregnant with me, Cinyah was also in the same profession, but apparently, she had retired after receiving news that she was with child.

    From their conversations, I Detective Ty¡­I mean, Detective Cynrik learned several key phrases and names.

    For starters, while the area we live in is rtively safe. For thest several hundred years, portals have been opening all over the. These portals, or as I would like to refer to them as ¡°Spatial Tears,¡± were officially dubbed ¡°Spatial Egresses¡± or simply Egresses.

    They would randomly appear all over the ce without any logical directionality, and each Egress would have its particr ssification.

    If they just opened and had no effect on the surrounding area, I suppose it wouldn¡¯t be much of an issue. Still, these Spatial Egresses would do one of several things based on their ssification, represented by both the size of the portal and the glow emitted by it.

    Depending on what category it fell under, it could represent many different things. For example, it could simply dump a cluster of powerful creatures on the spot it opened, which in itself was extremely dangerous but in a way more manageable than the other types.

    The Second type of Egress was essentially a dungeon. From what I could tell, these types would break down further into permanent or temporary dungeons, the former being the most difficult ones to handle.

    While the temporary dungeons could be cleared and eventually dissolved, the Permanent ones were precise; just as the name stated, the monsters would respawn no matter how many times they were removed.

    Thus it was a constant source of micromanagement; each Permanent Egress had to be routinely cleared to prevent the creatures or beings living in them from breaking free of their confined space and entering ours.

    While the Temporary ones would disappear once cleared for the first time.

    Alpha Egresses, are the permenant dungeons,

    Beta Egresses are the temporary dungeons,

    Lastly, the Gamma Egresses are the ones that dump a cluster of creatures on their spawn point and then seal themselves back up.

    These three categories broke down further into five different color codes. In order of danger are, Green, Blue, Orange, Purple, and Red. In addition, there is a rumored ck Egress, but from what I can tell, its existence is unconfirmed. Lastly, these colors are prone to change. If the Egress, for one reason or another, has a sudden shift in what Rikard called ¡°Ambient Mana,¡± a chain reaction urs, causing the Egress to evolve.

    This little fact I found out because it had just happened to Rikard today, the Green Egrees, his team, was tackling suddenly erupted with power, and every creature natural to that ne grew in size and strength.

    As for what kind of creatures or monsters exist in them, I can only specte since neither Rikard nor Cinyah would mention them.

    Life continued to drag on slowly, and on the Tenth day after my birth, I finally leveled up for the first time. It was a hell of an experience.

    At first, I couldn¡¯t contain my excitement, but my body seemed to gopletely haywire the second I finished my feeding.

    It felt like a fire was burning deep inside me and screaming to be let out. Every passing second was excruciating. But, heat aside, it felt like every fiber of my being was breaking simultaneously.

    I wasn¡¯t raised like some fragile doll in my previous life, I had broken bones and gotten hurt quite a bit, but nothingpared to this.

    To put it in understandable terms, It felt like I had been hit by a bus, which threw me off a cliff, and after impacting the ground, a bomb was dropped on my already broken and mangled body.

    Meanwhile, while I was both being Roasted and ripped apart, all the while still in my mother¡¯s arms, she had both a concerned and knowledgeable look on her face.

    ¡± I know it hurts my baby, but this is something you must fight through. It¡¯s ok, shh, it¡¯s ok, my love.¡± Tears dripped from her beautiful eyes as she kissed my screaming and freaking out visage.

    It was clear to her what I was going through. Even though I was only an infant and she was utterly helpless, she kept whispering me sweet nothings as the seconds dragged on.

    Eventually, Cinyah began humming gently and rocking me.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok, my love, everyone has to go through their Awakening.¡±

    Little did she know that it wasn¡¯t simply just the first level up. After the system told me all my stats would increasepared to ordinary people, I was suspicious that some shit would be different.

    Fighting through the pain and screams both internally and externally, I angrily red at my System Panel as I watched each one of my stats increase by one.

    ¡®I SWEAR TO THE ALLFATHER IF THIS SHIT HURTS LIKE THIS EVERY TIME I LEVEL UP, IMA HAVE SOME FUCKING WORDS FOR THAT GOD IF I SEE HIM AGAIN.¡¯

    Sweat began rapidly umting all over my body as my breathing strained and becamebored. My heart rate elerated; it was like not only was I being thrown in a blender, but I had done a bunch of drugs before jumping in to be a smoothie.

 Chapter 7

    Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the pain and heat started to subside.

    Breathing heavily, I found it challenging to keep my eyes open, and soon everything faded to ck. All I could hear was the soft singing of Cinyah.

    : Status :

    : Cynrik Jetlensr:

    : Human Male:

    : Age-10 Days:

    : Soul Age-29:

    : Level: 1 :

    : Essence(XP): 0/500 :

    : Distribution: 1 Per All :

    : STATS :

    : HP 20/20 :

    : Mana 11/11 :

    : Stamina 10/10 :

    : Stat Points- 16 :

    : Strength- 2 :

    : Dexterity- 2 :

    : Agility- 2 :

    : Intelligence- 2 :

    : Vitality- 2 :

    : Mind- 26 :

    :Affinity- Dark :

    If I had been awake, I would have been able to hear the System Notification that followed me passing out from exhaustion.

    -Awakeningplete-

    -Inventory installed current space: 1¡Á1 meter-

    Meanwhile, in the Gods Hall.

    =This kid thinks we can¡¯t read his thoughts, HA like to see the youngling have words with me=

    Odin was currently sitting on a great Viking throne,ughing about how Cynrik was cursing him.

    Back on Vinestra

    After my so-called awakening, time continued. Day by day slogged on in the same repetitive manner.

    Drink boob milk, train eyeballs, rhythmic breathing to adjust to thes mana, poop, eavesdrop, sleep.

    The same pattern day in and out. If it weren¡¯t for my willpower, I would have gone insane, but finally, after 50 days of the same pattern, my little cycle was at longst broken.

    After nearly two months, the same firey feeling I got during my awakening once again surged through my body.

    But unlike the first time, this level wasn¡¯t nearly as painful.

    It was as if my body had already epted that it would grow stronger over time, and thus the pain wasn¡¯t so bad the second time around.

    The surge of heat disappeared just as quickly as it had arrived. Then, no less than 5 secondster, my System Panel forcefully popped into existence.

    -You Have Leveled Up-

    The sound of that glorious monotone female voice was music to my ears.

    ¡®Two months, IT TOOK ME 2 FREAKING MONTHS. JUST TO HIT THE LEVEL TWO WHAT KIND OF SLOW ASS ¡­whatever, I can¡¯t keepparing life to a video game; of course, leveling would be slow as hell IRL (In the real world), System Open Status Panel.¡¯

    : Status :

    : Cynrik Jetlensr:

    : Human Male:

    : Age-2 Months:

    : Soul Age-29:

    : Level: 2 :

    : Essence(XP): 0/2500:

    : Distribution: 1 Per All :

    ¡®MOTHER FUCKER 2500 XP TO LEVEL 3, YOU¡¯VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, I ONLY GET 10 XP A DAMN DAY.] I screamed internally out of frustration. I Get that I¡¯m just an infant, but cmon System, you could at least give me some pitty XP here.¡¯

    -No New Quests avable at this time-

    ¡®Oh, so now you¡¯re taunting me, is that how it¡¯s going to be?¡¯ I thought in disgust.

    -The System isn¡¯t a sentient being and thus is incapable of taunting the host in any way-

    Its monotone voice rang out once again, with its text flowing on a newly opened notification window that was floating just to the left of my Status Panel.

    Knowing there was ZERO chance of having an actual argument or conversation with the System, I decided it was best to ignore its retort.

    After rolling back and forth for a moment in my crib, I kicked off my nket and rolled onto my stomach from my back, and continued to think. ¡®At 10 XP a day, it¡¯s going to take me over eight months to get to level 3. Which puts me still a year away from Brandon being born.¡¯

    My small infantile hand reached up to my temple in an attempt to massage it. ¡®Unfortunately, the gap between us is a year and ten months, so with my current growth rate, unless something changes, I won¡¯t even be level 4 by the time Brandones around.¡¯

    Propping myself up on my little elbows and using my crib as a backdrop, I switched from my Status Panel to my Stats Panel.

    : STATS :

    : HP 30/30 :

    : Mana 17/17 :

    : Stamina 15/15 :

    : Stat Points- 24 :

    : Strength- 3 :

    : Dexterity- 3 :

    : Agility- 3 :

    : Intelligence- 3 :

    : Vitality- 3 :

    : Mind- 27 :

    : Affinity- Dark :

    ¡®So it¡¯s confirmed 8 free stat points for allocation per level-up, with 24 points in the bank, hehe I could quickly be a baby genius if I wanted, but that would draw too much attention. I¡¯ve already been getting strange looks from both mother and father too frequently as is. Plus I have to remember this is really not a novel or game, if I suddenly show advanced cognitive abilities won¡¯t someb kidnap me to cut me up.¡¯

    My mind shed back to several asions where Cinyah has caught me listening in on their conversations or overly observing my surroundings. ¡®If I¡¯m not more careful, they¡¯re going to get suspicious. But, hopefully, they continue believing I¡¯m just curious about everything.¡¯

    My thought chain came abruptly to an end as I plopped face-first onto my pillow, unintentionally. ¡®DAMN BABY ARMS, C¡¯mon I¡¯ve got three points in Strength and 15 Stamina; why can¡¯t I hold up my stupid head for longer than 5 minutes.¡¯

    -Host is still only in the infant stage and has only developed for two months. Physical stats are virtually useless at this stage-

    ¡®OH FUCK YOU, SYSTEM!¡¯ I angrily shot back at the emotionless voice that startled me so badly with its reply that I almost soiled my diaper.

    Over thest two months, it had started randomly answering my questions, as if it was constantly monitoring my thoughts.

    While it wouldn¡¯t answer every question I posed to myself, The System would still jump in now and then to reply to the questions I would ask the void.

    And so life continued, with my same monotonous day-to-day pattern.

    Finally, on the 40th day after reaching level 2, I got a notification I had been waiting for since I started questing.

    -You have obtained the Tier 0 Skill: Inspect-

    Hurriedly, I brought up my Skill Panel and read the description for my new, hard-earned Skill.

    -Inspect Tier 0 to 5 r Growth Skill-

    -An r skill that has been passed down through the Users Bloodline. By using this Skill, the user can view a targets System Panel

    -The information viewable is restricted to the Tier level of this Skill

    -Tier 0 ¨C Basic Information from the targets Status Panel is Viewable

    -Tier 1- LOCKED

    -Tier 2- LOCKED

    -Tier 3- LOCKED

    -Tier 4- LOCKED

    -Tier 5- LOCKED

    I thrashed my head back and forth in my crib in frustration while kicking my feet. ¡®100 days of repeating the same stupid ass quest of looking in different directions only get me the chance to see someone¡¯s name, age, race, and level.¡¯

    -If the Host wants to view more information, then He must continue to train his eyes.-

    The System¡¯s response froze me in ce. ¡®OI, Didn¡¯t you say you aren¡¯t sentient. That sounded pretty sentient to me.¡¯

    -While I am not sentient, I can respond to questions posed by the Host. I am also allowed to give limited assistance.-

    ¡®TSK, limited assistance, my ass. How many times have I asked for help only to be ignored? Hell, you only answer at best 1 out of 10 questions I pose to you.¡¯

    My response was once again met byplete silence.

    Waiving off the Systems choice to stay quiet, my attention drifted from my Skill Panel over to my Quest Panel, where the r Strengthing quest had updated.

    -Daily Quest: r Strengthing- Iplete (repeatable)

    -Unavable until Tomorrows Daily Quests-

    -As An infant, your eyes aren¡¯t strong enough to acquire the innate abilities thate from your bloodline.

    -Look Up 0/1000

    -Look Down 0/1000

    -Look Left 0/1000

    -Look Right 0/1000

    -Reward ¨C 5 Essence (XP)

    -Secondary Reward- Upon 1000th Completion ¨C Tier 0 Skill: Inspect will upgrade to Tier 1

    -Times Completed 100/1000

    All I could do was sigh at the increase from 100 to 1000 in bothpletions and repetitions. ¡®Ten times the work and not even an increase in my XP reward, the System is stingy as always.¡¯

    Although the exercise itself was pretty easy, it was time-consuming. Not only that but caution needed to be taken every time I did it. For the sole reason that not only did it make me look ever so slightly insane to look in a single direction over and over repeatedly. But if Cinyah or Riker saw me doing it, they may confuse my little workout for a seizure or stroke. That; And it made me dizzy as hell.

    Doing the quick math, I concluded that even if Ipleted the exercise every day, it would still take me over two years to reach the Tier 1 version of the Skill.

    ¡®Oh well. It¡¯s not like I can change any of this. All I can do is bide my time until my brother is born. Then we can get to work.¡¯

    POOT!

    My facial expression wentpletely nk.

    ¡®Sigh, time to call Mother, man being a baby is SUCH A PAIN IN THE ASS!¡¯

 Chapter 8

    Once changed and fresh, I began harassing the System once again for answers. After several weeks of just calling it ¡°System¡± a few days back, I decided to name it instead of just referring to it as such. Unfortunately, due to myck of naming sense, all I came up with was an abbreviated version of its full name, and thus ¡°Tobs¡± was born.

    But with a sense of irony not lost on me, ever since I had decided to start calling it with a nickname, Tobs would only respond to my questions with¡­

    -User¡¯s authority level is insufficient, Unable to answer the question.-

    So all I could do it pout in silence.

    Day turned into weeks and then months as my life in this new world of Vinestra continued.

    As time went on, nothing much changed. Well, except for the fact that after being alive in my new body for seven months, I was finally, at longst, mobile.

    ¡°AH, HONEY, COME QUICK LITTLE CYNRIK IS DOING IT; HE¡¯S CRAWLING!¡± Cinyah¡¯s melodious voice rang out through the house, calling for Rikard to witness my glorious movements.

    ¡®YES, PRAISE ME, MOTHER, PRAISE THIS LORD WHO IS, AFTER 7 LONG MONTHS OF BEING STATIONARY, ON THE MOVE, MUAHAHAHHA.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but grin ear to ear as I padded around the room at a snail¡¯s pace.

    While I wasughing menacingly in my head, in truth, all that was escaping my vocal cords were tiny giggles and baby noises full of excitement and joy.

    To which I was met by both my parents mockingughter. ¡°Look at em go, Cinyah; our little boy is a genius. Our neighbor¡¯s kids took several more months before they were crawling. But our little boy is evenughing and trying to speak to us.¡± Rikard stood beside Cinyah with his arms crossed.

    Scoffing silently at my Father¡¯s remarks, I couldn¡¯t help but think ¡®Heh, dearest Father, if only you know how foolish you sounded right now,¡¯ out of the corner of my eye, I took notice of his appearance as he spoke words of praise towards me.

    His muscr figure was clearly defined even though he was wearing a loose-fitting ck t-shirt and grey sweatpants. I was tossed a casual nce at him but continued on my warpath towards our kitchen. Even with that slight momentary nce from the corner of my eye, I saw several new scars on his forearms, which only added to his collection of unseen battle tokens. Simr to the way Cinyah was beautiful, Rikard was a little too handsome.

    Bundle that with his athletic stature and multitude of muscles and scars while being topped with aqua-colored hair and Glimmaring Emerald eyes and well-cut jawline; He was quite the sight toe across.

    Since my hair was finally growing in, I saw how it turned out, and fortunately, I had my mother¡¯s ck and Violet hair. As for my eyes, they were an Icy blueish-emerald hybrid of both Rikard and Cinyah. It seemed to be a perfect fusion of the features of both my new parents, and I felt overjoyed at this revtion; it¡¯s not that I was unattractive in my past life, but if I grew up looking like Cinyah and Rikard, be a 10/10 dime piece.

    Moving painfully slowly towards the kitchen, I was quickly thwarted by Cinyah, who scooped me into her arms and smothered me with kisses and praises.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to be quite the handful once you start walking around you, my baby,¡± Cinyah cooed at me while lightly tapping my nose.

    ¡®If only you knew Mother, If only you knew.¡¯ Another grin broke across my face as I thought about my future adventures that woulde to pass so long as I wasn¡¯t confined to the floor on my hands and knees.

    A few weekster, I took my first steps, much to the delight of my parents, who continued to shower me with love and praise at how quickly I was growing.

    Not long after, I finally said simple words in front of Cinyah and Rikard, or at least that¡¯s what Cinyah and Rikard believe. Ultimately, I could speak fluently but chose against letting this little fact be known to my parents.

    Before my first birthday, nearly a full year after being born, I finally hit level 3.

    -You Have Leveled Up-

    Afterpleting my ocr exercise, I couldn¡¯t help but jump up and down in excitement while standing in the center of my bedroom.

    I had spent nearly a year doing the same repetitive quests time and time again, and finally, I had made it to level 3.

    : Level: 3 :

    : Essence(XP): 0/5000:

    : Distribution: 1 Per All :

    : Mana Codex Tier: 0 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : Mana Cycles: 0 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : Mana Circuit Tier: 0 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : STATS :

    : HP 40/40 :

    : Mana 54/54 :

    : Stamina 20/20 :

    : Stat Points- 32 :

    : Strength- 4 :

    : Dexterity- 4 :

    : Agility- 4 :

    : Intelligence- 4 :

    : Vitality- 4 :

    : Mind- 28 :

    : Affinity- Dark-Tier 0 (Profiency= 0.0%) :

    My heart sank as I looked at the amount of XP id needed to reach level 4. While I had been preparing myself for this massive increase, it was still disheartening. That¡¯s 500 days¡¯ worth of Daily Quest XP.

    Standing there nkly staring at my Status Panel, a series of notifications rang out from Tobs.

    -Your body has adapted to having Mana Infused into it-

    -Your Mana Codex has Solidified-

    ¨C First Tier Mana Circuit Formed-

    -Your Tier 0: Mana Breathing Skill has Evolved into Tier 1: Mana Cycle-

    -New Daily Quest Avable-

    My anxiety about leveling up was instantly wiped away as I pulled up My Skill Panel First.

    -Tier 1: Mana Cycling

    -Due to your body adapting to having Mana fused with the Host, who can now Cycle it throughout their being to increase the purity and strength of the stored Mana infused with you.

    -As your Mana Revolves through your body, it will be tougher toplete full Cycles.

    -Each Cycle nourishes and strengthens both your Physical body and Soul.

    ¡®Tsk, Seriously, now I have to Cycle Mana instead of just absorbing it.¡¯ Closing my eyes and sitting cross-legged on the floor, focused on the Mana in my body. I searched for a unique organ that held my Mana. ¡®ording to all those novels and manga, there should be a little ss ball or something in my abdomen that contains energy.¡¯

    While focusing on the swirling energy I had be ustomed to feeling each time I used Mana Breathing, I took note of something different happening.

    Typically when I would focus on the ambient Mana in the air with my eyes closed, it was no different than being in pure darkness. But, this time, instead of being met by the darkness of my eyelids, I was greeted by massive swirls of color, Not just from within myself but all around me.

    A Multitude of colors appeared around my being. Reds, Blues, Greens, Yellows. Nearly every color I could imagine was swimming all around me. Every object seemed to be formed out of these small colored particles.

    -New Panel Unlocked ¨C Active/Passive Abilities-

    -You have Gained the Active r Ability- Mana Sight-

    -You have Gained the Passive Ability Mana Maniption-

    Utterly oblivious to Tobs notifying me of a new panel and two new skills, I continued to observe the myriad of colors flowing around me.

    Mana wasn¡¯t just in the air; as I continued to observe my surroundings with my eyes closed, I was able to see my own body. Well, more like I could see the Mana, which had taken the shape of my body.

    Waving my hand in front of my still closed eyes came across as no different than my eyes being open. However, instead of seeing my pale skin, my arm seemed to be made of a translucent ckish, dark purple.

    Clicking into ce, I pieced all this formation together into a thought chain. ¡®First, darkness affinity; since my body has been infused with Mana, this must be Dark element Mana. Second, upon further inspection of the rest of my body, I see something next to my heart.¡¯

    Continuing to focus further, I noticed a small object floating in the area near where my heart should be. It was a small crystalline object that was shining a very light shade of green; I recognized this object as an Octahedron, which resembled a 3d diamond-shaped stone.

    ¡®MANA CORE!¡¯ I screamed internally, only to be cut off by Tobs.

    -Incorrect, there are no Mana Cores in this Realm. Instead, the Host has a Mana Codex, which operates the same way as the Mana Cores or Dantians stored in the Host¡¯s Memory. All living beings on this can form Mana Codexes. By absorbing another creature¡¯s Codex, the Host can strengthen and grow their own Codex.-

    ¡®OI, look at you being all helpful Tobs, about time you gave me some tips.¡¯ I chuckled softly at the expense of the now silent voice in my head

    .

    -Upon the Host¡¯s mana pool reaching 50 points, the Mana stored within the Host¡¯s body has solidified and fused, creating a Tier 1 Codex. Using the Tier 1 Skill: Mana Cycling, the Host, can Stimte avable Mana stored in the Codex and flow it through their body. The Codex will act in the same manner as the Human heart pushing blood throughout the body-

    ¡®Excellent Feed me more info, Tobs; you¡¯re doing great; keep iting.¡¯ Unfortunately, myment fell on deaf ears as Tobs seemed to go back into its slumber.

 Chapter 9

    Still Seated on the ground, I exhaled slowly and opened my eyes, inadvertently causing the world of color to fade away back to its normal state. Then, trying to reign in my ever-expanding excitement, I took a few more calming breaths before diving into the bundle of floating notification panels that Tobs had thrown in my face upon my level up.

    -Your body has adapted to having Mana Infused into it-

    -Your Mana Codex has Solidified-

    ¨C First Tier Mana Circuit Formed-

    -Your Tier 0: Mana Breathing Skill has Evolved into Tier 1: Mana Cycle-

    -New Daily Quest Avable-

    Without wasting another second, I pulled up my Daily Quest Log, and the first thing I realized was that Tobs had adjusted the Mana Breathing daily quest into one involving my new Mana Cycling skill.

    -Daily Quest: Cycling Mana ¨C Iplete (repeatable)

    -Since your body now has a Codex, you can cycle your Mana through it and out into the rest of your body through newly formed veins called Mana Circuits.

    -Since these veins are newly formed, and the Host has an Infantile body, Mana must be circted to open these paths fully.

    ¨C Each sessful Cycle will further open and strengthen these veins.

    -Since both the Host¡¯s Codex and Mana Circuit are newly formed, the process should only bepleted once daily. Any further use at this time will cause serious side effects.

    -Quest task will be updated once 100 Cycles have beenpleted

    ¨C Completed Cycle 0/1

    -Reward¡¯s ¨C 20 Essence (XP),

    + 0.1 Points to Mana

    + 0.1 Points to Vitality (Upgrades to HP and Stamina will ur upon full Point Completion.)

    Completed Cycles- 0/100

    I exhaled the breath I had been unconsciously holding as I finished reading the new daily quest. While Tobs had told me about what a Codex was, the daily quest informed me how to utilize my Codex and ced a limiter on Cycling my Mana through my newly formed circuits.

    It was about the time I finished reading that a startling realization went through my brain. ¡®WAIT, the first daily quest of drinking mothers¡¯ milk is gone. This means that once Iplete both daily quests, I¡¯ll be receiving 25 XP and 0.1 points to both my Mana and Vitality Stat. So every ten days ill be increasing both my Vitality and Mana by one.¡¯ I tapped my index finger on my chin as I thought about this before continuing.

    Between the Daily Quest information and thements from Tobs earlier, there was no need for me to examine my new skill too profoundly. Both of my new skills were pretty self-exnatory; Mana Sight allowed me to see and feel the ambient Mana in a range of 5 meters. Meanwhile, Mana Maniption gave me the ability to shape, bend and utilize Mana.

    I did notice how Tobs had forcefully activated my new ability, which brought me back to the realization I had when I started using Mana Breathing some time ago.

    Instead of being required to use a skill, all I had to do was think about activating it, then Tobs would take over from there and start it for me. So while there were pros and cons to this type of activation, it wasn¡¯t necessarily challenging to adapt.

    With that out of the way, I moved on to my new Panel. The Active/Passive abilities tab. Looking through each ability¡¯s information briefly, Tobs informed me that when I had been focusing on my own body, I¡¯d obtained the ability to see Mana as well as move it due to having both of these innate abilities in my bloodline.

    Both of which I had inherently done when I conducted my little experiment earlier.

    ¡°OK, Tobs, you¡¯ve got some sining to do missy, I want information on this whole Tier thing as well as why there¡¯s a proficiency percentage added onto my affinity now,¡± I said quietly while forcefully bending my head to the left, causing my neck to pop loudly, a habit that both Brandon and I had developed alongside cracking our backs and fingers.

    -essing information database, locating information on Proficiency and Tier¡¯s.-

    -Host Authorization approved-

    ¨C In the Realm of Vinestra, two inherent values require a form of leveling. The first is the Status Called Level, which requires umting Essence or (XP).-

    -The Second is Proficiency which pertains to increasing the Hosts knowledge, understanding, and useability of the mentioned factor; the Mana Codex, Mana Circuit, Affinity, and Skills all require the Host to umte 100 % Proficiency to evolve them to a higher power.-

    ¨C Tiers themselves are a form of ssification. They range from 0 being the weakest form of a skill, Mana Codex, Mana Circuit, ability, or affinity; however, the Tiers continue increasing infinitely unless stated in their description.-

    Hearing this, I couldn¡¯t help but have more questions to ask.

    ¡°What about the Legacy Tier?¡± But unexpectedly, I was met by Tobs¡¯s monotone voice telling me I wasn¡¯t authorized to have that information.

    Exhaling softly, I straightened my tiny body and continued asking questions such as how to increase my percentages. I was presented with dozens of ways to improve them, such as absorbing other Mana Codex, actively training the skills, or using Skill points.

    But when I asked about these skill points, I was stopped in my tracks again by my unrulypanion, who stated I am not currently at a high enough level to earn them.

    Once I was done interrogating Tobs, I rxed my body. I closed my eyes once and activated Mana Sight. The world of darkness once again lit up with bright lights as my vision narrowed on my little floating diamond next to my heart. The small Three-dimensional diamond-shaped crystal was no more than an inch in size and gave off a very soft light green shine.

    ¡®Alright, let¡¯s get this over with. I¡¯m gonna have to start cycling my Mana at some point anyway, so why not now.¡¯ Taking onest breath, I decided to activate the skill.

    Just as I had started the process of activating my Mana Cycling, I was hit by a sudden wave of dread. Something was telling me that Cycling Mana through my Codex would hurt like a son of a bitch.

    The something was absolutely correct.

    About 30 secondster, my Codex ired brightly internally. Then, as a small trickle from a spring into ake, the dark-colored Mana stored inside the small light green gem began to leak out of my Codex and into my newly crafted Mana Circuits.

    The second this process began, I had to clench my body tightly to stop any sound from being emitted.

    ¡®DAMN, DAMN, DAMN! THIS IS JUST AS BAD IF NOT WORSE THAN AWAKENING.¡¯ Using my Mind stat to the fullest, I kept my Cycling skill active while monitoring the fluid-like color move from my Codex outward to all my limbs and back.

    In total, this process took almost 3 hours toplete. Luckily it waste at night, and Cinyah was already asleep while Rikard was out in an Egress.

    After fullypleting one entire cycle, I opened my quivering eyes and noticed not only was I no longer sitting cross-legged but instead sprawled on the floor. Not only this, but I was alsopletely drenched in sweat and uncontrobly quivering, as every fiber of my body was sore as if I had spent an entire day working out.

    Standing up shakily, I moved from the floor over to my crib and, after several weak attempts to climb, finallynded my head on my pillow, where I proceeded to pass out for the night.

    Unbeknownst to me, my sleeping face had a huge smile stered on it as I subconsciously acknowledged what I had just aplished at less than a year old.

    Across the house in her room, Cinyah sat in the lotus position on her bed, grinning widely. There was no way someone of her level wouldn¡¯t have noticed the fluctuations of Manaing from her baby¡¯s room. Like her husband, she had spent most of her life fighting and training her Mana.

    Unlike what Cynrik was afraid of, Cinyah wasn¡¯t worried; with her Distribution set to both Mind and Intelligence, she too was brilliant as a baby, simr to how Cynrik seemed to be. But, unfortunately, she had misunderstood how smart her baby indeed was and assumed that he was gifted with a double distribution just like she was in Mind and Intelligence.

    What confused her was her inability to view his Stats with her Tier 3: Inspect skill. When she did, her System would give her a prompt stating she could not view the information. At first, this had led her to believe that something was wrong with her child, but as time when on, she just came to ept that her son was gifted and tried her best to support little Cynrik as he rapidly advanced.

    However, little did she know that soon she wouldn¡¯t just have one gifted son But two as currently in her womb a second life was beginning to form.

 Chapter 10

    When I woke up the following day, I felt fantastic afterpleting my first cycle through my Mana Circuit the next day.

    Not only did I feel fully rested, but I felt as if I could run a marathon while juggling bowling balls and doing back handsprings instead of running.

    My newfound energy reserves astounded me. While I knew I couldn¡¯t fully utilize these energy levels, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from attempting to sprint around my room like a lunatic, which ultimately ended with me facenting on the ground more times than actually making it to the wall and back to my crib.

    By lunchtime, I concluded that not only did I have newfound energy, I also didn¡¯t need a nap. One of the most annoying things about my infant body was how much sleep it needed. After awakening my Mana Circuit and Codex, it seemed unnecessary to have a mid-day nap anymore, to which I was ecstatic.

    Noticing how active I was, Cinyah made a quick in-the-moment decision while looking over at me as I sat on the couch watching a children¡¯s cartoon on the HoloTv.

    Bringing up her left arm and revealing the gauntlet-style watch wrapped around he left wrist, she proceeded to press a few buttons on it. Not long after, a holographic image of Rikard appeared hovering above her watch.

    ¡°Hello, my beautiful wife; how may I be of assistance to you on this fine day?¡± as Rikard responded, the sound of several explosions and guttural roars were audible in the background.

    ¡°I¡¯ve decided to go to the park today with Cynrik; how long until you are finished with work?¡± Her clear melodious voice chimed out, drawing my attention.

    I tilted my head subtly to the side, ignored the stupid dancing bear on screen, and picked up on the word ¡°Park.¡± lOutside¡­OUTSIDE, FINALLY, I CAN GO EXPLORING; I¡¯ve been stuck in this house for nearly a full year. But, eh, who am I kidding. With how much of a helicopter parent Cinyah is, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she put a leash on me when we go out.l

    ¡°LITTLE CYNRIKS FIRST PARK TRIP. GUYS, HURRY IT UP MY BABY IS GOING TO THE PARK FOR THE FIRST TIME; THERE¡¯S ABSOLUTELY NO WAY I CAN MISS THIS¡±

    Rikard¡¯s response was so cringeworthy to me that it drew a physical reaction from me, nearly making me fall off the couch.

    ¡°Mhm, hurry up, honey. You¡¯ve got about an hour. I have to throw together a diaper bag and a snack box, on top of figuring out which outfit to dress him in before we leave, so get to it, YOU HEAR ME REAVERS, HURRY IT UP!¡± Cinyah went from zero to 100, nearly finishing up her statement in a vicious roar.

    ¡°YES, MA¡¯AM!¡± Several voices on the other end of the call yelled in response to my beautiful (but now ever so slightly terrifying) mother¡¯s warning.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be done here soon, my darling wife¡± Rikard proceeded to make kissy noises into his watch, to which Cinyah¡¯s reply was to end the call swiftly.

    lDamn, could it be that Mom is an ice queen in public, all the while being a tender loving parent and spouse at home?l This simple thought sent a bit of a shiver down my tiny spine.

    One hourter, a simple blue diaper bag was neatly resting on the kitchen counter alongside a small green lunchbox which sported therge face of the stupid dancing Bear from the cartoon my mother seems to think I love.

    I, on the other hand, was miserably strapped into a high-tech hovering baby stroller with a look of defeat stered on my face.

    Cinyah had spent the majority of thest hour ying dress the baby in an attempt to choose the perfect outfit for me. The final result was a pair of dark purple shorts and a bright red T-shirt which, like the Lunchbox, sported the stupid fucking cartoon bear alongside matching light-up sneakers that were tainted, like its shirt and lunchbox counterpart, by my NOW new nemesis, Carlisle, The Bear.

    Cinyah refused to leave me alone at this point with her continuous fussing over how my clothes fit, and me being trapped in the hover stroller of death left me no means of escape.

    When Rikard walked in the front door, he was greeted with the image of his bombshell of a wife smothering his handsome son with kisses and affection.

    Unfortunately for me, Rikard didn¡¯t even acknowledge the looks I was shooting him, seeking reprieve from the onught of baby talk and kisses from Cinyah. To make matters worse, he even joined in.

    As highly anti-social in my previous life, this amount of attention was worse than any horror movie or event imaginable for me. It was borderline suffocating.

    It took another 30 minutes before it was finally time for my first steps¡­well, hover steps into the outside world.

    Breaching the threshold of our home, I was awestruck by my first glimpse of our neighborhood. Since the technology of this world was so advanced, none of the windows in our house showed what lies on the other side of the walls.

    The windows always showed a digital image of a rainforest or beach. So when I finally went outside for the first time, What my eyes took in was the most futuristic sight I could imagine.

    What appeared to be a typicalmunity for this world was like something from a science fiction movie. Every house aside from ours stood two stories or more tall and was uniquely built. The vision I had in my mind was modr homes made of a simr shape, size, and color. Furthermore, instead of being made from wood or brick, each house on our street was made from some metallic alloy I couldn¡¯t recognize. The result was dozens upon dozens of homes that glittered and shined in the sun.

    Looking up into the deep blue sky, I counted not one or two but three different gaseous giants floating in different directions. Surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t hot out; In fact, If I had to guess, the temperature was around 75 degrees Fahrenheit. A brief gust of wind lightly ented the nice weather and tossed my tiny tuft of dark purple hair.

    As I was staring dumbfoundedly like a fool at my surroundings, several hover cars zoomed by silently as Cinyah walked alongside my hover stroller while watching my reactions with bright eyes and a smile.

    Birds were chirping, people wereing and going, and the most impressive part about all of this was, off in the distance, I could vaguely see huge skyscrapers and buildings.

    My eyes darted around in every direction taking in every bit of my surroundings and enjoying not only the sunlight but the cool breeze. Being locked in the house for so long made me feel like a vampire, so it was nice to finally get some sun rays.

    Making our way down the sidewalk, I took in all the sights, sounds, and smells of everything this world had to offer.

    Up until this moment, my entire world revolved around the warm, four-bedroom home I had grown ustomed to. Thus, everything I was experiencing was new and exciting for me.

    Well¡­ it was¡­

    Until we got to the park, that is.

    The second we stepped into the y area, Cinyah instantly forced me to socialize with several other children. I couldn¡¯t stop my right eye from twitching as Cinyah unbuckled me from my stroller and forcefully shoved me into a group of snot-nosed, loud, dirty children.

    Putting me down in front of a group of four kids around my age, she slowly stepped back and raised her hands to her face while watching me expectantly.

    Much to her surprise, Ipletely locked up, making my bufoon of a father howl inughter.

    Robotically I slowly turned my upper body and gave a fearful look towards Cinyah and Rikard. My parents. The only humans, other than Brandon, who are supposed to care about me. YET HERE THEY WERE, STRAIGHT UP ABANDONING ME TO THE WOLVES.

    ¡®I¡¯M ALMOST 30 FUCKING YEARS OLD, HOW IN THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO PLAY WITH BABIES? HELL, I DON¡¯T EVEN LIKE KIDS; NOW YOU EXPECT ME -THE KING OF LONERS- TO BE SURROUNDED BY THEM.¡¯ I screamed in my mind while slowly turning to face the children who were tossing a small hover disk to each other.

    Theughter of the kids and the murmurs of encouragement from Cinyah would have eventually chipped away at me if it wasn¡¯t all interrupted by the hover disk going out of control and making a b-line straight for my head.

    Not having any time to think about my current predicament or the eyes on me at this exact moment in time, my body reacted instinctually.

    The precise moment before the disk would have collided with my head, I flung out my left fist and punched the disk as hard as I could.

    BOOM!!!

    Causing it to explode instantly.

    Cinyah screamed, Rikard burst out into a fit ofughter again, and all of the kids began screaming and crying while I stood there looking at my hand in shock, which was now a mess of broken skin and blood.

 Chapter 11

    My first trip to the park very quickly turned into a disaster, not only for me but also my Father, who was repeatedly attacked by Cinyah forughing at my little explosive stunt.

    Cinyah scooped me up before I could even react to the pain spawning from my destroyed left hand. Then, before I could even let forth a single cry or tear, a bottle of orange liquid appeared in her hand, which she proceeded to pour on my hand expertly, coating every inch of the mass of mangled flesh and bone.

    I silently watched my bloody hand wiggle a little, making distinct popping noises as the bones slid carefully back into alignment, and then the skin stitched itself back together. I was stupefied by this magical liquid that was capable of rapidly regenerating my skin as well as mending the broken bones. While the pain was intense, it was still within my manageable threshold, allowing me to remain calm and observe Cinyah¡¯s careful actions.

    Cinyah, however, was far from calm. One of her hands was wiping away the goo coating my hand while her other kept patting and rubbing the top of my head.

    ¡°Shhhh, see all better; Mommy made it all better.¡± Cinyah repeatedly kissed my hand while observing me for signs of distress or pain. But to her shock, I appearedpletely fine.

    With a look of curiosity stered on my childishly plump face, I just kept staring at my now fully healed hand. That¡¯s about the time that it all clicked into ce in my mind. ¡®Ah, THAT¡¯S RIGHT. Potions are a thing here too. But, I wonder how much that potion cost. Wait, are we rich? If Mother can whip out a potion onmand, does that mean we have money?¡¯ Thoughts and questions began to rapid-fire in my head.

    Coming back to reality and noticing the look of worry on Cinyah¡¯s gorgeous face, I did the only thing I could think of at that moment.

    I lightly patted her cheek, put on my best smile, and said with my small squeaky voice. ¡°I ok Mommy.¡±

    Hearing my words, Cinyah melted like the doting parent she was. My n worked wlessly; Cinyah¡¯s attention pulled away from my injury and changed into pure joy at my casual use of the name ¡°Mommy.¡±

    Once Cinyah was sure I was ok, she began beating on my poor oaf of a Father. He continuedughing as if I didn¡¯t just get seriously maimed, even while absorbing the oing onught of ps and backhanded hits.

    The rest of the afternoon went by in a blur. After the explosive event over sometimeter, I overcame my antisocial habits and proceeded to interact with other children, much to my mother¡¯s joy.

    To be honest, the only reason I sucked it up was to show gratitude for the beating she gave Rikard, who was now sporting a massive lump on the side of his head.

    When the suns in the sky began to slowly lower into the horizon, I was buckled back into the floating torture device, and we went home.

    PARK TRIPS WERE ADDED TO MY ITINERARY since I had seemingly gotten along with the children. Unfortunately, Cinyah would call up the other neighborhood moms every couple of days and set up ydates in the park, much to my dismay.

    Life went on for another couple of months until I heard Cinyah yelp in the bathroom one day.

    I was sitting on my ymat, constructing the most glorious spaceship out of building blocks, when I heard her yelp in surprise, followed subsequently by loud sobs and crying.

    The noises went on for some time before I heard the sink turn on, and the sounds of retching followed soon after.

    Putting two and two together, I broke out into a wide grind, jumped up, and started doing a little dance. The timer had officially begun. However, I wasn¡¯t too worried about being spotted doing my terrible impersonation of an Irish Jig since it was clear to me Mother would be in the bathroom for a while.

    Brandon had finally been conceived and formed in our Mothers womb. I didn¡¯t bother devoting any thought to when it had happened; all I cared about was getting prepared. I had learned quite a bit about the world of Vinestra, and it was time to startpiling my gathered information. Finishing up my dance, I plopped my butt down and continued building my spaceship. This was only for appearances, though. My hands may have been moving, but I was devoting zero brain cells towards its construction.

    As soon as he was born, I needed to make a quick and efficient method to bring Brandon up to speed in both levels and knowledge. I already had a lead in the level department, but there was no helping that. So the best I could do was offer him what I knew.

    Later that night, at dinner, Cinyah tearfully confirmed my theory. She told Rikard that she was once again pregnant. Not only that, but she was already three months along.

    While the two of them were lost in their conversation, I was grief strickenly looking at my mana cycle count on my Status Panel.

    Thest few months hadn¡¯t been going well for me. The act of cycling my mana through my Codex and into my body was bing increasingly more difficult.

    ¡®To date, I have only been able to make 50plete cycles, which is a far cry from what I had expected. Not gaining XP is going to set my ns back even further. OI TOBS YOU GOTTA GO EASIER ON ME HERE¡¯

    -There are currently no new Quests-

    Tobs¡¯s response only made my anxiety spike further.

    Several days had gone by without me finishing the daily quest, and my XP suffered for it.

    : Level: 3 :

    : Essence(XP): 1625/5000:

    : Distribution: 1 Per All :

    : Mana Codex Tier: 0 (Proficiency= 50.0%) :

    : Mana Cycles: 50 (Proficiency= 50.0%) :

    : Mana Circuit Tier: 0 (Proficiency= 50.0%) :

    If I hadpleted the daily quest, I would have had an extra one thousand XP. Unfortunately, I was at an impasse; each revolution I made caused more and more resistance to build up.

    The first few cycles were a breeze, like opening a faucet and letting the water flow, but after each sessful attempt, that flow became a trickle and eventually stopped altogether.

    So I was now behind schedule when it came to leveling up.

    My existential conundrum was suddenly destroyed by a giggling Cinyah who had pulled me from my highchair and twirled me in a circle while holding one of my hands as if we were dancing.

    ¡°My little Cynrik, you¡¯re going to be a big brother.¡± She cheerfully sang while dancing around the house with me.

    After dancing around with Cinyah and eventually Rikard, who was just as excited as she was, it was finally my bedtime, and I was tucked into my crib with a song and a kiss goodnight.

    But like every night, it wasn¡¯t sleepin time; it was thinkin time. I had spent thest year adjusting to my new body and life to formte a n of attack for the future, and step one had beenpleted.

    For the most part, I had figured out Tobs and its inner workings to some extent. Now all I could do was bide my time and wait the remaining six months for Brandon to arrive finally.

    Unlike the previous year and four months, which consisted of drifting in and out of insanity due to my bear nemesis, being locked in an infinite loop of eating, sleeping, pooping, and constantly being fussed over by my parents, thest few months of Cinyahs pregnancy sped by at lightspeed.

    Finally, the day came where screams and hollers echoed throughout the halls of our home, signaling it was time for the arrival of my brother.

    In a flurry, I was scooped up by Rikard as we rushed to our family¡¯s hovercar and brought to the hospital alongside a pale and noisy Cinyah.

    While all this chaos was ensuing, I felt both nervous and excited to see my brother again.

    Finally, one year and ten months after I arrived in Vinestra, Brandon, or should I now call him Brance, was born into the world at precisely 3:45 am.

    Sitting on my Father¡¯sp as he nervously rubbed on his fingers, we heard the cry of a newborn babye into existence. Rikard jumped to his feet and began cheering; I, on the other hand, was utterly distracted at that moment as Rikard tossed me over and over again into the air. The reason was simple.

    -Gods¡¯ Benefit installed-

    -You have unlocked Legacy Tier Skill: Sibling Mind Link-

    -Legacy Skill: Sibling Mind Link-

    -Due to The Two Hosts being Reincarnated by way of a God¡¯s Relic, you can speak telepathically to each other.

    -This skill has no cost and is meant to be a form ofmunication between the two of you.-

    -This Skill has an active range of 25 Meters-

    -The higher the Users Mind Stat, the further the range can be extended-

    Without waiting any further, I activated my new Legacy Tier Skill.

    [It¡¯s About damn time you showed up; it¡¯s been boring as shit without you, Brandon, or should I call you by your new name, Brance?] I couldn¡¯t help but smirk at the casual response that came into my mind.

    [I¡­HAVE¡­ARRIVED!!!]

    END OF PROLOGUE

 Chapter 12

    Two moons cast dim illumination on the city resting on thend below.

    Shadows danced in an abandoned ally as several hooded figures, both tall and short, shuffled toward a sizeable metallic building.

    Sniff, sniff, ¡°I want my mommy!¡± the whimpering voice of a young boy bounced off the walls of the ally as he suddenly stopped while bringing his hands to his face to wipe away the never-ending flow of tears that trailed down his tender, young face.

    ¡°Shut the fuck up, kid, you belong to us now; you¡¯re never seeing your mommy or daddy ever again. NONE of you will.¡± A gruff male voice struck fear and anguish in all of the minds of the short figures as several began to shake and cry in their tiny voices.

    One of the short figures even copsed onto the ground sobbing, a sour smell emanating from a puddle formed below this child¡¯s body.

    This action further angered one of the taller hooded figures, causing him to strike out at the kid with a solid kick.

    CRACK

    THUD

    Two loud sounds bounced around the walls in the empty ally; as the body of the child who had copsed several seconds ago flew several feet to the other side and crumbled onto the ground in a heap, never to move again.

    ¡°SHIT, we aren¡¯t supposed to kill them. Can¡¯t you reel in your strength the oldest kid here isn¡¯t over 7?¡± Again, one of the Hooded figures, this one with a white fang-like emblem on his Hood, spoke out frustratingly.

    ¡°Pft, it¡¯s not like they will live long anyway. So what¡¯s the use of keeping the annoying ones who piss themselves alive.¡± The Hood, who had just murdered a child, spoke out in an annoyed tone without reacting to his actions. The man knew the perverted fetishes of his master and wasn¡¯t lying when he said none of the kids wouldst long.

    This was the fifth group of kids they had kidnapped from the local suburbs and city in thest two months. Once their master hadpleted his sick fantasies and all the children were either emotionally broken or dead, he would demand more.

    Young boys or girls between the ages of 4-8. This was their master¡¯s sick prerogative. They had long grown ustomed to the morbid and horrifying screams and noises that woulde from the other side of the closed door leading to their master¡¯s bedroom.

    To call him a monster was too tame. The man was seriously sick. But there was absolutely nothing the hooded man could do in this situation. He was simply a ve who must obey everymand of his master.

    With their group included, their master had a total of 12 hunting groups of three men, each with a specific code name, and each one had a standard level of 4, which for this city was rtively average.

    The group of three hooded men forcefully ushered the group of six young children out of the ally and into arge building.

    The room¡¯s interior was dimly lit- with just a simple look around the present room; one would notice how unkempt it was. Cobwebs and dust clung to every surface, giving the impression of a space that was either poorly cared for or rarely used.

    The Hooded men led the children further and further into the house until they came upon a door. As they drew near, a very pungent smell began to waft through the noses of everyone present, even causing several of the children to start dry heaving, only to be kicked in the back by the adults leading them.

    The man with the fang on his Hood opened the door, causing a foul stench to hit the children much in the way a wave of heat would after opening an oven door after being used.

    Time seemed to stop as everyone¡¯s eyes and noses adjusted to the dimly lit building as well as the rancid smells.

    ¡°Down the stairs, NOW!¡± the child murderer in the back roared angrily, pushing one of the children forward towards the stairs, causing the rest to one by one file behind the first child.

    Slowly everyone proceeded down a spiraling staircase that seemed to go on indefinitely.

    Along the way, several kids would copse due to exhaustion, only to be kicked down several steps by one of the Hooded men.

    After a grueling 30 minute slog down hundreds of flights of stairs, everyone was out of breath and huddled at the bottom of the staircase.

    ¡°Keep moving,¡± once again the violent men in Hoods urged,pletely ignoring the cries and exhaustion of the young children before them.

    Complying to the adult¡¯smands, the children once again moved.

    After several minutes the group of kids was halted, and the adults began separating the kids into pairs.

    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving my little brother,¡± a little boy voiced out against his captor. Even with the room¡¯s poor lighting, the sight of two young boys holding onto each other¡¯s hands was visible.

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a fuck what you want, you little shit, I SAID GO OVER THERE!¡± The violent man shouted in rage as he raised his hand and struck the taller of the two boys knocking him savagely to the ground.

    While the boy was on the ground, he never let go of his brother¡¯s hand.

    Slowly and with some effort, the boy stood back up and red at the man who had just struck him.

    This defiance made the man pause for a second before his rage boiled over, and he drew back to once again strike the kid but this time harder.

    However, as he wound up his punch, the boy¡¯s Hood fell, revealing a head of shaggy dark purple and ck hair. His piercing, emerald-blue eyes red daggers into the man, causing him to pause.

    ¡°I rmend you don¡¯t try that again. If you do, I¡¯ll be done with this little game of ours,¡± the emerald-blue-eyed boy said in a chilling tone.

    The boy¡¯s words infuriated the man further, causing him tosh out towards the boy¡¯s head to rob him of his consciousness and possibly his life.

    ¡°You insufferable little brat, you think I won¡¯t kill you?¡± Once again, the manshed out towards the kid. But this time, he only hit the air in the spot the boy was once standing.

    ¡°Wha¡­¡± the man tried to speak out his confusion, but before he could finish his sentence, something struck him with the force of a truck sending him flying into the closest wall.

    The boy had not only dodged the attack from the man, but in a split-second showcase of speed, he jumped into the air and kicked the man striking him in the temple, instantly killing him.

    Landing his two feet back on the ground, the boy sighed, causing a stunned and confused look to adorn the other two men.

    ¡°All that Oscar-worthy acting down the drain just because this piece of shit just haaaad to hit me,¡± the boy said in dismay.

    ¡°What do you expect, Cynrik? With your attitude, I pretty much expected you to lose it the second we had to enter this shit-smelling area.¡± The boy¡¯s younger brother replied while taking down his Hood, revealing his dark blueish purple hair and emerald-blue eyes.

    ¡°LISSSSTENNNN, I was for sure ok with that part; hell, I wasn¡¯t even going to retaliate after the first time he hit me, but I¡¯ll be damned if I was going to let the fucker unload a second attack directly on my noggin, Brance,¡± the boy named Cynrik quipped back, turning to face his younger brother.

    ¡°Moron,¡± Brance retorted.

    ¡°Asshole,¡± Cynrik shot back.

    ¡°WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED?¡± The man with the fang on his Hood screamed incredulously, causing the two bickering brothers to turn and face him in unison.

    Both boys looked at each other, then at the remaining two kidnappers.

    ¡°Ah¡­ forgot about them,¡± Cynrik stated while embarrassingly scratching the back of his head.

    ¡°Eh, I didn¡¯t; they just weren¡¯t worth diverting my attention,¡± Brance stated while pushing up his sleeves.

    ¡°True, they do seem a bit weak.¡± Cynrik started moving towards the Fang Hood while Brance made his way toward the third man who hadn¡¯t spoken yet.

    Both boys¡¯ eyes lit up with violet light as they activated their ocr skills.

    ¡°PFFFTHH HAHAHHAA, LEVEL 4 WITH ONLY 50 HP! That¡¯s so pitiful I almost feel bad killing him,¡± Cynrik¡¯s sadisticughter rang out as he broke into a sprint towards Fang Hood.

    ¡°This one¡¯s not any better. To be honest, we will be lucky to gain a hundred XP from them.¡± Like his brother, Brance was now sprinting towards his target.

    The two grown men stared incredulously at these boys who couldn¡¯t be older than 6 and 8, charging at them as if they were experienced Reavers. Their shock kept them rooted in ce due to how ludicrous the situation was, rendering them unable to respond to the attack from the boys, which swiftly robbed them of their lives.

    Cynrik knelt by the body of the hooded man and wiped the blood off his hand. Then, with one single swipe of their hands, the brothers slit the throats of both kidnappers for good measure.

    Cynrik drooped his head and, using two fingers, closed the Fang Hood¡¯s eyes. ¡°Requiescat in Pace,¡± he said softly with his head lowered.

    ¡°Damn it, Cynrik; you¡¯re not a fucking Assassin cut that shit out.¡± Brance had arrived next to Cynrik and smacked him on the back of the head.

    ¡°BITCH, I KNOW; I JUST WANTED TO SAY IT ONCE IN MY LIFE, GET OFF MY BACK.¡± Then, rubbing his head and standing back up, Cynrik began bickering with his brother once again.

    This bickering went on for a few more seconds before Brance finally yielded and looked towards the rest of the kidnapped children. ¡°What now?¡±

    Thinking for a second while looking between the kids and Brance, he formted a n. But before that, we should probably go back to how this all started in the first ce.

 Chapter 13

    ¡°Quick, open up my present, Brance, hurry up,¡± Cynrik, who was seated next to his 5-year-old little brother, squealed excitedly.

    As if following his older brother¡¯s orders, Brance took the small, crudely wrapped box and tore the paper revealing a small booklet the size of an adult¡¯s palm. It was a thin blue booklet that only held fifteen to 20 pages, but its contents bore faint traces of Mana.

    ¡°Tier 0 Basic Swordsmanship,¡± Brance read aloud with sparkling eyes.

    Putting the book aside, he tackled Cynrik and thanked him by rubbing his head vigorously on his shoulder, causing Cynrik to attempt to flee the torment befalling him. ¡°THANKS, BIG BROTHER!¡±

    The sibling¡¯s antics drewughter from both of their parents as they lovingly watched their two children wrestle about like usual.

    ¡°Now, now, Birthday boy, you still have your presents from us to open.¡± Cinyah chirped at the youngest.

    ¡°Yes, Mommy.¡± The bright-faced boy with aqua-ish purple hair replied politely, returning to her side and gratefully receiving a neatly wrapped box from his mother.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let your rascal brother pollute your obedient ways, Brance.¡± Cinyah quipped while tossing a disapproving look at Cynrik; it didn¡¯t take much evidence to conclude that he had spent all his allowance on a swordsmanship skill book for Brance. Unfortunately, skill books weren¡¯t candy; even a simple Tier 0 booklet held a hefty price tag for a child who only received a little pocket money for doing chores around the house.

    ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon, Mom, I¡¯m not THAT bad.¡± Cynrik¡¯s head drooped as he was scolded by Cinyah, knowing that she was unhappy at him for blowing all his pocket money on a fighting technique for his brother.

    ¡°Yeah, honey, let the little ruffian off; you know how bad Brance wants to train with the boy and me.¡± Rikard cautiously tried to console his wife, knowing full well that he was toeing an incredibly thin line. He and his wife had conversed at length about whether or not to allow the boys to learnbat arts at their young age.

    It had taken months to convince her to let him start Cynrik¡¯sbat training even though he¡¯s just six years old. After several long days and nights of appeasing his wife, she finally relented. Cinyah had noticed long ago just how talented her oldest son was, so, against her better judgment- she relented and gave her consent to let Rikard train her Cynrik.

    Now she had to not only worry about her oldest getting hurt but even her youngest was being dragged into her ruffian of a husband¡¯s battle-addict ways. Her sweet, gentle baby son was being tarnished by Her hooligan husband just like Cynrik had been.

    Cinyah could do nothing but sigh as she watched Brance open his remaining birthday presents while smiling andughing. However, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from worrying about her two handsome boys. They meant the world to her and being the doting parent she was, it would bepletely uncharacteristic of her to turn a blind eye without giving them all some hassle.

    The festivities wrapped up, and it was now time for the children to go to bed. After tucking both boys into bed with a song and kiss, Cinyah left the boys to sleep for the night.

    Unbeknownst to her, this was the time when Cynrik and Brance would train every night. As the two brothers grew older and their level increased, they came to realize rtively quickly that the actual amount of sleep they required daily began to dwindle. Simply sleeping 3-4 hours a night was sufficient to restore their bodies to normal no matter how strenuous their training was.

    It had officially been five years since Brance joined the world of Vinestra alongside his older brother, and during these years, they hadn¡¯t sat idle. It had been five years of brutal self-training and growth. The two young boys, whose souls were many times older than their physical bodies, experienced more pain than they could have possibly imagined in these short few years.

    Unfortunately, unlike the well-thought-out and organized ns that Cynrik had spent nearly two years building in anticipation of his brother¡¯s arrival, they hadn¡¯t progressed nearly as much as he had expected.

    In his initial ns, Cynrik had already worked in a certain amount of hang-ups, setbacks, and bottle-necks they would need to break through to get stronger, but he hadn¡¯t expected to meet these challenges so early on.

    The first issue they came upon was how many Revolutions of Mana through their Circuits they couldplete. Cynrik was forced to acknowledge the simple fact that certain limits were enforced on the growth of the human body. It was physically impossible for an infant or even toddler¡¯s body to withstand the amount of force and strain put on it by Mana Codexes and Mana Circuits, which in turn severely inhibited the number of revolutions and potential growth they could gain daily.

    But not everything was terrible. Even in the darkest of days, light shines through, and just that had happened. Within the first few hours after birth, Brance¡¯s first Relic benefits kicked in, one of which was a passive ability named Sibling¡¯s Gain. It was a passive skill that allowed him to gain four times XP from Quests so long as he was within a range of 10 meters of his older brother.

    Luckily for Cynrik, the boost was seemingly nerfed as soon as his younger brother¡¯s level and stats caught up to his. Upon the syncing of levels and Essence, a change happened with Sibling¡¯s Gain.

    Instead of being a four times XP booster for only Brance, it evolved into a double XP booster for both brothers as long as they were within a certain distance of each other.

    After five years, not only were the brothers stuck at 50 cycles and Tier 0 of Codex and Circuit Stage, but they were also at Level 4, with a massive wall of XP to climb over.

    The Cycles were one thing, but meeting the required 10000 Essence for level 5 was an entirely different challenge. Gone were the easy days of breastfeeding for XP; these were the days of physical exercise, and arduous strange body poses.

    [I¡¯m beyond tired of these bullshit yoga poses. Like I get it, flexibility is excellent and all, but this is just too much.] Cynrik was currently bent over backward, standing with the use of only one leg and arm.

    [I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re bitching, weren¡¯t you the one who was excited about the added Agility points we could gain from this crap?] Brance was already three poses ahead of his brother. Unlike Cynrik, he just wanted to get this shit over with, so they could move on to the next quest. His brother, on the other hand, had a nasty habit of procrastinating after every pose. This resulted in Cynrik always being left behind when it came to Brance¡¯s pace at the Agility Stretches.

    [Tsk, you just wanna get it done so you can jump into swordsmanship. I¡¯ll have you know it took a fuck ton of convincing to get Father to bring me to the skill market to get that book.] Distracted momentarily while teasing Brance, Cynrik messed up his pose and copsed onto the ground in a heap, drawing a snicker from Brance, who continued with his daily quest gracefully.

    Some 20 minutester, Brance sat cross-legged, reading his new skill book while Cynrik analyzed his current stats. Luckily for him, he only had to do half the work he had initially nned for since Brance¡¯s Stats were a literal mirror to his own, with the only differences being his brother¡¯s mind stat of 19 and Light affinity.

    : Level: 4 :

    : Essence(XP): 3160/10000:

    : Distribution: 1 Per All :

    : Mana Codex Tier: 0 (Proficiency= 50.0%) :

    : Mana Cycles: 50 (Proficiency= 50.0%) :

    : Mana Circuit Tier: 0 (Proficiency= 50.0%) :

    : STATS :

    : HP 100/100 :

    : Mana 64/64 :

    : Stamina 50/50 :

    : Stat Points- 40 :

    : Strength- 5 :

    : Dexterity- 5 :

    : Agility- 10 :

    : Intelligence- 5 :

    : Vitality- 10 :

    : Mind- 29 :

    : Affinity- Dark-Tier 0 (Profiency= 0.0%) :

    ¡®Brance zed through his daily quests while I, on the other hand, still have to do my 100 pushups and 100 sit-ups; we already knocked out the 100 jumps and the 1 mile run in the park.¡¯ As he sat there nkly staring at the massive 10k of Essence required to reach level 5, a sigh escaped his lips, and he casually nced at the studious Brance, who had a serious expression as his eyes scurried across the pages of his skill book.

    ¡®Welp, better get to working out.¡¯ With that thought, he rolled over onto his stomach and began finishing up hisst daily quest for the day. Unfortunately, he was alreadygging behind Brance, and if he wanted to harass Tobs tonight, he would have to get his quests done.

 Chapter 14

    Like his older brother Cynrik, it only took Brance around 30 minutes to learn the Tier 0 Basic Swordsmanship ability.

    -Tier 0: Basic Swordsmanship-

    -When using a single-handed ded weapon such as a sword or machete ¨C

    ¨C +5% Attack speed ¨C

    -+5% Attack Damage ¨C

    ¨C Move: sh- Attack your opponent with a downward verticle strike. Deal 105% Damage Cost: 10 Stamina ¨C

    ¨C Move: Stab- Thrust the weapon with mild force at the target. Deal 115% Damage Cost: 5 Stamina. ¨C

    While the passive ability¡¯s basic boosts weren¡¯t incredible, the two techniques that came attached to the skill were quite valuable, even if sh was a pretty big drain on stamina.

    Brance was already fully aware of the skills information since Cynrik had already learned the skill, but that didn¡¯t curb his excitement one bit. Closing the book and putting it down, he looked over at Cynrik, who was sweating profusely as he tried to force his 51st mana cycle for the millionth time.

    Even though they had already concluded that it was impossible to break through the 50th revolution lid that Tobs had ced on their bodies, Cynrik was never deterred from trying to pull one over on Tobs and break through the invisible bottle-neck.

    Knowing just how stubborn his older brother was, Brance didn¡¯t even bothermenting on the scene in front of his eyes and instead opted to prove one of Cynrik¡¯s early theories.

    Some years ago, Cynrik had concluded that using their Mana Maniption passive ability could potentially utilize the ambient Mana around them that corresponded with the user¡¯s affinity.

    While Cynrik had posed this theory, it was something they hadn¡¯t been able to pull off. But, unlike his stubborn brother, Brance was convinced that theirck of results had nothing to do with ineptitude, but instead had to be because of their underdeveloped Mana Codexes.

    In his mind, since his Codex was only currently Tier 0, they wouldn¡¯t be able to manipte the surrounding Mana freely. To date, this finding has been proven correct.

    But this alone wasn¡¯t enough for Cynrik. He firmly believed that since they had the passive, it should be doable; to some extent, he was correct.

    Unlike what Brance was sure of, they were perfectly able to use the Mana around them. But the issuey instead in the simple fact that the two elements they had, Light and Dark, were notoriously difficult to take control over with a basic tier Mana Codex. They would need an absurd amount of willpower and control over the flow of Mana in their bodies to get the motor running since these Mana types essentially fell under the ¡°Special¡± category and not the ¡°Basic Elements¡± category. Generally, people weren¡¯t born with Special Elements, only Basic types, and they wouldn¡¯t start learning them until their Codex¡¯s and Circuits were in the Third or Fourth Tier.

    Trying to pump Special Elements through a low Tiered Mana Codex and Circuits was equivalent to pulling an airne with a motorcycle. While it was improbable, it wasn¡¯t necessarily impossible; it could be achieved given the right circumstances and, a certain amount of luck.

    If the boys had posed this question to their parents, they would have already been informed of this well-known fact. But, due to both brothers¡¯ fear and hesitation of revealing that they already knew their affinities on top of them not knowing the rarity of their situation, they kept mum about it.

    With this extreme difficulty they had experienced, both Cynrik and Brance misunderstood their inability to use their affinity with some bottle-neck caused by their age and the 50th revolution.

    After another hour of effort, both boys gave in to exhaustion and decided It was time for bed. Which was a good decision considering they had school in 4 hours.

    After several years of ¡°house arrest,¡± as Cynrik dubbed it, when Cynrik finally reached five years old, he was registered for grade school, and now seeing as Brance was finally five, he too would be sent off to kindergarten.

    The following day the brothers both woke up, and after tidying up their appearance, they made a mad dash to the kitchen for Cinyah¡¯s fantastic cooking. Breakfast was always the best meal since she was adamant about the boys eating a hearty breakfast before a hard day of learning.

    In her doting mind, if the boys didn¡¯t eat a good helping in the morning, they would be sluggish and sleepy by noon. But unlike her worries, the boys were generally just fine all day, even if they didn¡¯t have a huge breakfast beforehand.

    As the two hopped into their designated seats with grumbling bellies, Rikard let out a frustrated groan as he pulled his attention away from the holoTv.

    ¡°Another seven children have gone missing; this is gettingpletely out of hand. What the hell are the Enforcers doing? With today¡¯s additions, the total of missing kids in the area has climbed to over a hundred in thest year.¡± In anger, he waved his right hand over the gauntlet on his left wrist, shutting off the news, and walked over to the kitchen table.

    ¡°Honey¡­ it may be time to get the boys Watcets. I know we¡¯ve talked about waiting until they were older. Still, with the current kidnapping count on the rise, I believe it would be better to have them fitted for them as soon as possible, at least in that case, gods forbid something happens, they would be able to tell us at least. And we could track them in the event of an emergency.¡± Rikard gave a sorrowful nce at his wife.

    He knew how his words would be perceived. In most circumstances, unless the family was wealthy, a child wouldn¡¯t receive their first Watcet until they were around 12 years old. It was an expensive piece of technology, and it wasn¡¯t the wisest idea to let a small kid get their hands on it, lest they break it, causing their parents to have thrown thousands of credits down the drain.

    A base model Watcet also known as a holowatch, ran anywhere from 3000 credits to 8000 credits, roughly the average monthly ie of a standard middle-ss family. So most families would spend several years saving up before buying their kids their first one, especially in the case of multi-child families.

    But here, Rikard was, saying they should put this expensive tech into the hands of a 5 and 6-year-old. If other parents could hear this, they would be shocked.

    The Jetlensrs were by no means a well-off family, but they weren¡¯t necessarily struggling either. Both Cinyah and Riker were C-ss Reavers capable of bringing in around 7-8 thousand credits a month if they were both working. However, until recently, Cinyah stayed home with the kids, so the family¡¯s finances weren¡¯t currently in the best position. Fortunately, as Cynrik and Brance spent their days in school, Cinyah had the chance to step back into the working world alongside her husband, diving into Egresses.

    Looking at the serious expression on her husband¡¯s face, she showed him a gentle, loving smile and waved her hand towards the table, causing two brand new Watcets to appear on the table in front of the boys.

    Seeing this, Rikard couldn¡¯t help but let out an exasperated gasp. ¡°Honey¡­when¡­?¡± but before he could finish his statement, she cut him off by waving her hand in his direction. ¡°I had already bought them the moment the kidnappings came to light.¡± Then, walking over and taking her husband¡¯s face in her hands, she drew him in for a kiss.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you toe to this conclusion by yourself before presenting them. I knew you would feel the same as me, even if it took a bit longer. I had to call in a few favors, and some of the ydates with other children were disguised as me babysitting to earn extra money.¡±

    The whole time Cinyah and Rikard were talking, neither Brance nor Cynrik¡¯s eyes left the Watcets in front of them. For years the two of them had wanted to get their hands on this particr piece of tech. Coming from a world where smartwatches were staples in modern life, they both felt naked without one. Now sitting before them was a super high-level version of the seemingly basic watches they once each owned.

    Without waiting for permission from their parents, both boys shot a nce at each other and reached out, grabbing the brand new holowatches and tearing into the packaging. Within seconds the boys had attached the tech onto their right wrists and were admiring sleek watches with huge smiles.

    Cynrik had chosen the Crimson Watcet, while Brance grabbed the light blue one. Before Cinyah could reprimand them for not waiting, she stopped and broke into a vast and beautiful smile after noticing just how happy her children appeared to be.

    On the other hand, Rikard was still upset that his wife had beaten him to the punch, deted by the simple thought that he had worked up his courage for weeks to confront Cinyah for no reason at all.

 Chapter 15

    The world seemed to disappear in boys¡¯ perception as they only had eyes for their new Watcets. With movements that could be perceived as experienced, both Cynrik and Brance quickly put on their new devices, much like someone from their world would an everyday watch with a sp.

    With both devices secure on their wrists, a loud DING drew their parents out of the conversation they were currently involved still in full swing. Much to their horror, the boys had just ripped the devices from the packaging and tossed on their Watcets as if they were simple wrist bands.

    ¡°BOYS!¡± Cinyah couldn¡¯t stop herself from angrily scolding. She had nned on instilling the importance of these devices into their little brains, with the hope that they would treat them with care. But before she could instruct her children, they had already torn up the sealed boxes and equipped their new Holowatches.

    Watching from the sidelines, Rikard broke into a grin. ¡°Always jumping first before thinking, definitely my kids.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the view of his frantic wife scolding and teaching his sons about their new devices.

    While he could understand her frustration, it wasn¡¯t like either boy had the power to damage the tech. They were rated to withstand a Basic Power Measurement(BPM) of over 10k. At full strength, even Rikard could only exert around 260 BPM.

    He was more worried that the kids would show off their new gifts and draw unnecessary attention.

    Finally stepping in to stop his wife, he walked first over to Cynrik, nudged his Watcet with his own, and spoke in a clear tone, ¡°Parental Control override, Initiate Covert mode.¡±

    In response to themand, the bracer on Cynriks arm seemed to not only shrink to the size of a standard watch but also shimmered out of view. The shift in size and color was instant, which drew a slight noise from the stunned Cynrik.

    A noise simr to Cynriks came from across the table as Cinyah adjusted Brance¡¯s Watcet the same way their father had his.

    ¡°Now remember, boys, don¡¯t go around unting that you have these. For now, it¡¯ll be our little family¡¯s secret ok. I don¡¯t want to see you two being bullied or, worse, robbed, all because you have something so expensive.

    In response to his mother¡¯s words, Cynrik just scoffed. ¡®I¡¯d like to see someone try to bully me. It¡¯s even better if they try mugging me. I don¡¯t give a damn if it¡¯s a kid or an adult; I¡¯ll just break their legs.¡¯

    Seeming to know what was going through his oldest son¡¯s head, Rikard roughly tossed Cynriks hair and whispered, ¡°If you get into fights at school, there¡¯s no way your Mom will let you train, so keep it together.¡± These words put aplicated emotion onto Cynriks face as his eyes met his Fathers, who returned the look with a warm smile and stepped away from the boy.

    ¡°Alright, you two eat your food and get ready for school. Can¡¯t have you beingte.¡± pping her hands loudly, Cinyah moved around the kitchen, putting it back in order after her morning cooking spree, and after arge meal, Rikard took the boys to their elementary school. For some time, this was the regr schedule.

    Wake up, eat a huge breakfast, go to school, train with Rikard for 2 hours, eat dinner, Get ¡°put to bed,¡± do all the remaining daily quests, and attempt to manipte mana.

    This disciplined and structured daily life kept Cynrik and Brance¡¯s minds sane as they continued to break through their XP wall until finally, after seven months and numerous ¡°Random Event¡± quests, they both broke through to level 5.

    -You have Gained 1 level-

    -Skill Point System authorization Approved-

    -RWT(Real World Trade) Virtual Shop ess has been approved and linked to Host¡¯s Watcet-

    -Codex Base Limit increased to level 10-

    -System Inventory has been upgraded. Current Space 1.5¡Á1.5 square meters.-

    The five notifications almost brought Cynrik to tears. He had been stuck at level 4 for years, and finally, Today, he and Brance had stepped into level 5. Not only that, but a pleasant surprise greeted him. The Addition of Skill Points and even a virtual shop was a bonus. But these were not the most critical notifications to pop into his interface.

    [I FUCKING KNEW IT! I KNEW THERE WAS SOME LEVEL CAP RESTRICTION! Jumping up from his lotus position, he couldn¡¯t help but yell in the Mind link. I WAS RIGHT; I WAS RIGHT HAHAHHAHAHA!]

    Brance opened his eyes and stared nkly at his brother. Cynriks little outburst drew his attention away from the System interface; he watched as Cynrik danced around the room like a fool and shook his head helplessly.

    [Will you calm your ass down? We need to look at the new functions we obtained;] finally speaking up, he threw the nearest object, which happened to be a coloring book sporting Cynriks mortal enemy on its cover, directly at Cynriks head with precision uracy.

    The book quickly came into contact with Cynriks forehead startling him causing him to trip over his feet and fall backward onto the bedroom carpet in an overly dramatic fashion.

    ying his fall off as if nothing happened, Cynrik quickly rolled from his back onto his belly and opened up his Stat panel. The first thing he noticed was the addition of a new line of text.

    -Skill Points: 15-

    [Fifteen points at level 5, it¡¯s safe to assume we are generating 3 per level.] Cynrik thoughtfully analyzed the situation only to be interrupted by his brother.

    [I remember learning in ss that people usually only get 1 point every time they level, and then every five levels, they are distributed in a chunk. So, it seems like we¡¯ve gotten another Relic Blessing.]

    Unlike Cynrik, who had a habit of falling asleep in ss, Brance actively paid attention to everything taught. [You know I¡¯ve been thinkingtely about what the meaning behind Tobs¡¯s name. What are your thoughts?] Brance posed the question to Cynrik, not expecting any reply. He had spent countless hours figuring out the meaning of this name but couldn¡¯te up with any solid information.

    [Passing Over the Limits of Previous Systems and Breaking the chains restraining humankind. This is the conclusion I came to years ago, Brance. It¡¯s the only thing I could attribute to our nongeneric systems. Well, at least that¡¯s what I tell myself. Dwelling on the logic of God will only give you a headache; for all we know, Odin and Yahweh could have just picked two random words and thrown them together in an attempt to sound cool. There doesn¡¯t need to be any higher level of significance to the naming of a System.]

    The Serious expression on Brance¡¯s face disappeared after hearing Cynrik¡¯s conclusion. He knew his brother was right in this case. Who were they to try and make sense of something created by the gods?

    [Anywho, let¡¯s take a look at this Shop function and then jump back into Mana Cycles.] Looking away from Brance, he quickly shifted from the Stat Panel to a fancy-looking new Tab.

    But when he opened up the new panel, Cynriks vision suddenly went ck for several seconds. Alongside him, the same situation was ying out for Brance.

    Not long after, Tobs spoke up.

    -Initiating System link to the Virtual world-

    -Link established between The Over-Break System and Host¡¯s Watcet-

    -Digitally Generated avatar created based on Host¡¯s Soul-

    -Process Complete.-

    When their vision finally came to Neither boy was in their familiar bedroom anymore. Instead, it was like they had been teleported to a massive open space that resembled the holding area before entering the Gods Hall.

    Slowly Cynrik panned his head to the left and realized that Brance was standing next to him. Well, to say Brance was standing beside him was both correct and incorrect. Gone was the image of the little boy, and in its ce was the grown man he had been before his death. But, seeing his brother¡¯s old looks, Cynrik realized he was back to his original appearance as well.

    Before either could say a word, Tobs spoke up once again.

    -Transfering to RWT Area-

    With a sh of light, the two brothers appeared in a massive outdoor marketce.

    People of all shapes and sizes were moving too and from different stalls in every direction. Some were attempting to barter, while others were angrily screaming at others.

    [Ah, I didn¡¯t see this oneing. It looks like Virtual Reality is a thing in Vinestra.]

    Hearing Cynrik¡¯s matter-of-fact tone when making that statement, Brance couldn¡¯t help but shoot him an exasperated look.

    [WHY THE HELL ARE YOU NEVER SURPRISED BY THIS KIND OF SHIT? WE ARE LITERALLY IN A VIRTUALLY REALITY WORLD! HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY HAVE EXPECTED THIS?] Brance couldn¡¯t contain his frustration as he yelled in the mind link.

    Instead of bantering with Brance, Cynrik just shrugged and started walking off towards the nearest stall leaving behind his younger brother.

    [God damn it, Cynrik,] Brance sighed and chased after his nonchnt older brother.

 Chapter 16

    Upon making his way through the crowd towards the nearest stall, Cynrik activated his Inspect Skill, which was currently Tier 1. A wealth of information appeared in the form of system windows that hovered over each itemid out on the small wooden table before him.

    Items and skill books of all kinds appeared neatly spread out on the table. Recently Rikard had taken Cynrik to their town¡¯s Skill book shop, where he came to realize rtively quickly that not only would his Inspect Skill show him a person¡¯s basic stats and such, but it also worked on items. Moreover, unlike the shop he went with his father, where things could be bought with credits, the currency here was a mixture of Skill points and credits.

    Earlier, Cynrik had briefly nced at the description of skill points and found out these skill points had a myriad of uses; aside from being used to upgrade skills, abilities, and even proficiency, they could also be traded to others as a form of currency.

    With a quick ncing look over every avable item arranged on the table, seeing nothing piqued his interest, Cynrik moved on¡ªbouncing around from table to table beforeing upon his 7th stall.

    A specific item drew his attention, causing Cynriks eyebrow to shoot up inquisitively.

    [What¡¯s up?] Brance, who was standing off to his left, asked. Not answering immediately, Cynrik instead took a moment to examine the items description thoroughly.

    The first ncing look only showed the item¡¯s name as ¡°Pretty Brown Collection Stone.¡± Its name alone would generally make Cynrik ignore it, but right as he was about to look away, a little asterisk after the Stone¡¯s name caught his attention.

    ¡®Oi, Tobs, what¡¯s with the asterisk?¡¯ Cynrik couldn¡¯t help but ask the AI.

    -An Object with an * after its name has hidden attributes that require further analysis.-

    -Would you like to Analyze the ¡°Pretty Brown Collection Stone¡± further? Y/N-

    Without a second thought, Cynrik chose yes, and subsequently, the description and name of the Stone changed.

    -Elemental Affinity Orb (Earth)-

    -By absorbing this Orb, a system host has a 35% chance of developing an Affinity for the Basic Element of Earth. In addition, during absorption, ambient mana of the Earth Element will be steadily drawn towards the Orb, allowing the host a chance to awaken the element within their Codex.

    -This is considered a Tier 0 Basic Element and is highly stable-

    The Orb, which had a deep brown luster, was tucked away behind several skill books, almost as if it was either hidden or discarded because its owner didn¡¯t have any idea of what they had in their possession. The Stone itself wasn¡¯t huge, to begin with, no more significant than the size of a tangerine, and had the appearance of smooth rock that you would find next to a river, well-polished but not very valuable.

    [When we looked into affinities, we found out pretty quickly that arge majority of people don¡¯t naturally awaken more than one of them, but we couldn¡¯t find a lot of information about how to gain a second affinity.] Cynriks eyes narrowed as he spoke in the mind link to draw Brance over to the table

    [Well, it looks like we just found out one of the ways.] Brance¡¯s eyes trained on the rock and, after receiving the prompt to analyze further, had to suppress his shock.

    Nodding in affirmation, Cynrik moved closer to the table, casually giving off the appearance that he was looking for a particr book so as not to draw attention to the smooth stonelike Orb.

    After several minutes of this act, he finally reached out and held the Orb. Unlike what he had expected, the Orb gave off no energy or feeling other than a in and straightforward smooth stone. However, as he was examining the Elemental Orb, he quickly attracted the shopkeeps attention.

    ¡°Interested in that Stone, I see; you have a good eye, Sir. My daughter Mindy found that Stone while ying down by the creek near my house. She was insistent on having me sell it so that she can get some pocket change for a new doll that she¡¯s been wanting.¡± He sighed with giving a short awkwardugh.

    Cynrik gave the man a knowing smile and nod. ¡°Your daughter has a good eye. I¡¯m sure my youngest daughter Lina would love it for her rock collection. She has been bugging metely to see if I can find her certain color rocks so that she can arrange them not only by size but by color and shades as well.¡± Cynrik sighed, emting the expression the man had given when describing how his daughter.

    The Shopkeep himself let out a sincereugh seeing Cynriks troubles were simr to his own and nodded at the story he was being told, fully immersing himself in it. ¡°My daughter had a collection of her own, but she eventually grew out of it and went for dolls, So you better start preparing yourself for that now; those dolls get more and more expensive every year. Tell you what ill give it to you for 2sp; she kept bugging me, saying to sell it for at least ten but seeing as you¡¯re a kindred father like myself, I can¡¯t do that to you.¡±

    Watching the scene unfolding in front of him, it took every fiber of Brance¡¯s being to not scream at the top of his lungs at both his idiot, lying psychopath of a brother who was very clearly scamming the crap out of this poor Shopkeep. We were talking about an Elemental Affinity Orb; it had to be worth hundreds if not thousands of skill points, let alone 10s of thousands of credits, yet here his brother was smooth-talking its owner to buy it for near nothing. Watching the two of them talk back and forth, Brance¡¯s left eye kept twitching aggressively.

    It was clear to him that Cynrik had close to no empathy or remorse in what he was saying, and even more clear that the Shopkeep had no clue at all that what his brother was trying to scam him out of wasn¡¯t a simple stone you¡¯d find by a creek.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the only stone she is trying to sell, good sir; in fact, I have a box of them if you¡¯d like to take a look and try to find what your daughter is missing.¡± When these words left the shop keeps mouth, Brance finally snapped and couldn¡¯t watch anymore. Spinning on his heels, Brance angrily stormed off to another stall, not wanting to see this moral travesty go on any longer.

    No one knew Cynrik as well as he did, so even if he was entirely against his brother¡¯s antics, he had to admit they were effective. But unlike his older brother, Brance tried to live his life as an upstanding and honest man. Cynrik, on the other hand, didn¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass about offending someone or scamming them out of treasures like the Elemental Orb.

    Hearing the Shopkeeps words, Cynrik showed as much appreciation to the man as he could muster, as if this man was saving his life. ¡°If you happen to have what my princess needs, you¡¯d be a lifesaver, my friend.¡±

    Hearing this, the Shopkeep let out a loud chuckle. ¡°Not at all; just give me a moment. Then, I¡¯ll go grab her collection.¡± After saying that the man seemed to vanish, he went offline to run to his daughter¡¯s room to collect her abandoned rock collection.

    Suppressing his excitement at the potential of finding more cheap Elemental Affinity, Orbs Cynrik patiently waited for the man to return.

    [I swear to god, Cynrik, if you fuckinge out of this with multiple elements¡­..] Brance¡¯s scolding started the instant the Shopkeep vanished. But Cynrik just waved it off, ignoring his oh-so-righteous younger brother.

    A short timeter, the man came back online into the RWT, and with a wave of his hand, a medium-sized wooden chest appeared in an open space on the table.

    Giving a kind smile, the man nodded. ¡°If you find multiple stones that you need ill only charge you 1 SP per stone hows that sound.¡±

    BANG

    ¡°MY ASTRAL FICUS¡¯S NOT MY ASTRAL FICUS¡¯S,¡± a pitiful voice echoed throughout the stands.

    Looking over his shoulder, Cynrik saw his now flustered brother apologizing profusely and embarrassingly to a man wearing a strange green and yellow long-sleeved outfit. This man looked as if his whole world was crumbling around him as he carefully picked up a bundle of small trees and put them back onto his cart.

    [BASTARD, THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT. WHY MUST YOU ALWAYS BE LIKE THIS? ONE DAY THIS SHIT WILL COME BACK TO HAUNT YOU, I SWEAR!]

    Hearing his pissed-off brother¡¯s grievances and subsequently ignoring them, he turned back to the man and thanked him once again as he activated Inspect to find more gems hidden in the pile of stones.

 Chapter 17

    Carefully Cynrik sifted through the multitude of colored stones housed in the chest, and after several minutes much to his joy, had found not only one or two affinity orbs but instead more than a dozen orbs.

    There were several duplicate elements, but that didn¡¯t bother him one bit. In theory, if he could secure all of them, he could make a fortune.

    [Brance, get over here. I need to borrow some Skill points; we¡¯ve hit the motherload. I don¡¯t know where the hell this guy lives, but I¡¯m willing to bet there is either a vein or mine that these things areing from, and his daughter just happens to be the luckiest girl on the.]

    [How many are we talking about, and what elements?] While his older brother was doing something extremely hical, he couldn¡¯t help but feel the excitement rush inside himself. Brance quickly made his way back to the stall Cynrik was located.

    Noticing Brance¡¯s arrival, Cynrik quickly came up with a story for his brother to y along with.

    ¡°AH, Brother, I see you¡¯ve found some more stones for Little Lina,¡± The shopkeeper noticed that the man he had been talking to and the new arrival looked simr, and were brothers. Still, he continued to help out other customers while the two brothers sifted through all the stones in the chest, looking for the colors they required.

    When Cynrik and Brance pulled out every Elemental Orb hiding in the chest, they called out to the Shopkeep again and paid for all 19 of the stones.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you were able to find so many; good luck in the future. Daughters can be a handful, but you seem like a strapping young and responsible father.¡± After some more lip service, the brothers left the shopping area and returned to their bodies in the real world full of glee.

    Unable to contain themselves, they huddled together in the center of the room, and Cynrik pulled out every Orb currently residing inside his inventory.

    Stacked in a pile in front of the two were 20 Glimmering smooth stones. While some were the same color, there was a multitude of different ones.

    In total, the haul was quite grand. They had acquired four Fire orbs, one Lightning, two Earth, one Wood, four Water, two Wind, one Poison, one Ice, one Sand, one Metal, and two Sound orbs. While the majority of them only had a 35% chance of obtaining the element, the Fire and Water orbs boasted a 50 percent chance which was massive considering there were 4 of each that meant there was a pretty good chance that both of them could get both elements.

    [So I assume you¡¯re going after Lightning first, aren¡¯t you?] Brance causally put out there, knowing exactly what was going on in Cynriks head.

    Nodding slightly, Cynrik reached for the shiny purple and yellow Orb.

    -Elemental Affinity Orb (Lightning)-

    -By absorbing this Orb, a system host has a 15% chance of developing an Affinity for the Element of Lightning. Furthermore, ambient Lightning mana will be steadily drawn towards the Orb during absorption, allowing the Host a chance to awaken the element within their Codex.

    -This is considered a Special Advanced-Grade Element and is extremely unstable; this element is difficult to assimte into one¡¯s Codex.-

    Cynrik stared at the Orb resting in his palm for several minutes without moving.

    [We¡¯ve only got one of these, so what are you going to go for first?] Cynrik looked over at his brother and saw Brance had already chosen his Orb and stared daggers into it.

    cing the Lightning orb in hisp gently and pulling the remaining spheres back into his inventory, Cynrik examined the absorption process that his brother was going through currently. The Orb was slowly bobbing up and down in the air just in front of Brance¡¯s chest; the light green Wind Element orb was gradually losing its luster as it hovered just above his brother¡¯s chest.

    Closing his eyes and activating Mana Sight, Cynrik was able to see the surrounding Mana, which seemed to be rushing towards the Orb. He noticed a fragile deep green trail of Mana connecting Brance¡¯s chest to the Orb.

    ¡®I see, so it works like a filter, pulling the ambient Mana from the surroundings and purifying it before delivering the elemental Mana directly to the Codex.¡¯ Finally, after only a couple of minutes of observation, Cynrik held up his Orb, with eyes closed and Mana Sight active; he gave themand to Tobs to start the absorption process, causing multiple notifications to ring in his head.

    -Elemental Affinity Orb (Lighting) has been found-

    -Lightning is a Special Advanced-Grade Affinity chance of assimtion 15%-

    -Initialization Failed, Host¡¯s Codex is only Tier 0 and is unable to acquire a Special Advanced Affinity.-

    -Due to the Host already owning a Special Advanced-Grade Affinity, they can only Learn A single Basic Affinity-

    ¡®WHAT!!!¡¯ The information just dropped on Cynrik hit like a bombshell. Of course, he and Brance had already known about how their Light and Dark elements were considered Special Advanced-Grade affinities. Still, now he was learning that Due to his Codex being low level, he had restrictions on what elements he could acquire.

    Looking over at Brance, who was in the process of absorbing his Orb, Cynrik got a bitter taste in his mouth. ¡®This little shit, he knew, HE HAD TO KNOW, but he didn¡¯t even give me a heads up before I tried.¡¯

    Cynrik was right; the prompt Tobs had given him when he picked up The Wind Affinity Orb was simr to what Cynrik had received, but since he wasn¡¯t too worried about the first element, he had gone for the Basic Grade Wind first.

    Clicking his tongue, Cynrik swapped out The Lightning Orb for A Fire one and began the absorption process.

    -Elemental Affinity Orb (Fire) has been found-

    -Fire is a Basic-Grade Affinity, the chance of assimtion 50%-

    -Confirming Absorption process-

    -Assimtion process confirmed beginning Absorption-

    Cynrik carefully watched as reddish-orange Mana started swirling around him. Finally, the unrefined Mana gathered at a focused point directly in front of his Codex and began swirling in a tight circr pattern. As he watched this process, a sudden thought came to him. He activated Mana Maniption and began to focus intensely on the ball of swirling fire mana just above his chest.

    He had noticed how quickly the Mana was churning inside of Brance¡¯s Wind orb. Comparatively, the difference between his ball of Mana and his brothers was the equivalent of a snail trying to race an Airne. So Cynrik decided to try forcefully spinning the Mana to emte the same speed he was seeing from the other side of the room to mitigate this slow rotation.

    ¡®If my assumption is correct, the Stone-like Orb is not only a filter but also a blender of sorts; the faster the setting you have it on, the less chunky its contents. By that principle, if I can speed up the rotation with Mana maniption, I can bypass the recorded sess rate and force itspletion.¡¯

    Exhaling deeply, Cynrik took control of the flow of Mana within the Affinity Orb and forcefully added pressure causing the little swirling Orb of fire to turn it into a violent storm.

    Across the house, Cinyah and Rikard were both asleep in bed, when upon feeling the mana fluctuationsing from the other side of the house, Rikard¡¯s eyes shot open. Not wanting to wake his sleeping wife, he effortlessly surrounded her with a thin Wind Barrier. He knew very well just how she would react to what he was feelinging from the boy¡¯s rooms.

    It wasn¡¯t surprising to him that his boys seemed to be awakening their Affinities so early. After all, they carried the Jetlensr bloodline, which was renowned for their Mana Maniption and Sight abilities.

    Not worried about the fluctuating Mana, he extended his Wind Barrier to cover himself, then quickly fell back asleep. He was aware of how long the awakening process could take and was quite excited to see if his children Received the Wind Element like himself or if they awakened the Fire Element that his wife carried.

    Back in the boy¡¯s bedroom, over an hour had passed before Brance finally opened his eyes.

    ¨C You have Sessfully Assimted an Elemental Affinity Orb (Wind)-

    -Your Agility Stat has increased by 10-

    -Your Mana has increased by 30-

    -You have awakened an Affinity for the Basic Grade: Wind Element Tier 0-

    His joy was short-lived as he noticed the Cynriks situation. With just a nce, he could see how much his brother had been struggling with his assimtion. Gone was the calm demeanor he usually presented as in its ce was the signs of effort, frustration, exhaustion, and pain. His dark purplish-ck hair and clothing were both drenched with sweat.

    Blocking out the typical sights and sounds around him, Brance quickly activated Mana Sight and was instantly rendered speechless at what he was viewing.

    It looked as if his brother was in the eye of a hurricane. A storm of violent Mana and fire swirled around Cynrik while he slowly directed it towards a floating spinning ball of pure condensed reddish-orange-tinted Mana. Unfortunately, unlike what he had felt and seen earlier, the Mana within the Orb wasn¡¯t being transferred to Cynriks Codex. Brance took notice of this as he continued to watch over his brother.

 Chapter 18

    ¡®Come on, you mother fucker spin faster.¡¯ Finally, after over an hour of effort, Cynrik was starting to get discouraged. He realized he could not make the Mana churn more quickly than its present state for thest ten minutes. The speed at which the Mana was swirling within the Affinity Orb was its terminal velocity. So no matter what he did, it was impossible to increase the filtration speed.

    Just as he felt his stamina begin to bottom out, a change urred within the Orb, causing an almostser-like beam of concentrated Mana to charge out of the Orb towards Cynriks Codex suddenly.

    As if sensing the oing wave of pain, he could only say one phrase before the unrestrained purified Fire Mana began to merge with his Codex.

    ¡°Ah, Fuck!¡±

    The surge of pure Mana mes struck violently into Cynriks Codex, causing a ripple effect to surge throughout his entire body, from the top of his head to the tip of his toes, causing an excruciating amount of pain.

    ¡®Shit, Shit, SHIT!¡¯ Gritting his teeth and trying his best to tough out the pain silently, his brain went into gear.

    The pure Mana quickly filled up his Codex, causing it to pulse rapidly like a sprinter¡¯s heart duringpetition. This action forced the System to Speak up.

    -ASSIMILATION PROCESS BEGINNING-

    -WARNING Codex is underdeveloped, continuing to absorb Enhanced Elemental Affinity Orb (Fire) is not advised-

    -WARNING Host¡¯s Codex is in danger of exploding due to the flooding of Mana-

    ¡®Think, think,¡¯ trying his best not to panic and sifting through every memory he had of cultivation novels and manga for some solution, he tried the first result he came up with and triggered his Mana Cycling Skill.

    -WARNING HOST IS ATTEMPTING TO CYCLE ELEMENTAL MANA THEY DON¡¯T CURRENTLY POSSESS AN AFFINITY FOR-

    ¡®RAAAHHHHHGH JUST SHUT UP TOBS AND DO IT DAMN IT.¡¯ He screamed,pletely disregarding Tobs¡¯s attempts at stopping this event from continuing and forcefully moved the Mana away from his Codex and through his Mana Circuits.

    The instant the Fire Mana left Cynriks Codex and began to flow through his Circuits, he felt the world around him go silent, and all the colorful lights around him dim out of existence, followed by a loud ringing noise appearing in his ears.

    He could feel liquid trickling out of his ears, mouth, and nose, but he ignored it because millisecondster, a pain that even the initial awakening couldn¡¯tpare to exploded through every cell of his body.

    Uncontroble screams tore out of his lips as he copsed onto his back and started to shiver.

    Brance, who was watching, silently saw the sudden change and quickly threw a pillow towards where he predicted Cynriks head would hit the floor. Knowing this was the only thing he could do now, he watched nervously as blood began oozing out of every hole on Cynrik¡¯s face.

    [HANG IN THERE!] Brance shouted words of encouragement, knowing full well that whatever hell his brother was going through, he was wholly incapable of helping in any way whatsoever.

    Forcefully activating Mana Cycling was the only option Cynrik had at the moment; if he were unable to filter the purified Mana into his body and disperse it, he would be done for.

    Without paying attention to Tobs¡¯s voice that was constantly notifying him of something, he watched as the Manapleted cycle after cycle through his Codex, into his body, back to his Codex.

    With eachpleted cycle, Cynrik took note of the slight changes happening to the appearance and size of his Codex. This was the only thing he could do to take his mind off the excruciating pain he was experiencing.

    Time seemed to slowly tick by as Cynrik willed the Mana to cycle through his body time and time again until finally, the pain started to subside, and his Codex shed with bright light. But, unfortunately, this sh was thest thing he saw before he finally passed out.

    Seeing his brother fall unconscious, Brance moved into action, quickly running to the bathroom to grab some towels and sshing them with water making them damp with water from the sink.

    Clicking his tongue, he couldn¡¯t help but retort to himself, ¡°Always making trouble for others,¡± and quickly ran back to his bedroom to clean up the mess that had been created from Cynriks assimtion.

    Upon cleaning the blood off the unconscious Cynrik, he helped him change into a fresh pair of pajamas and threw him into his bed before scrubbing blood off their carpet and eventually going to bed himself.

    A couple of hourster, before the sun came up, Cynrik suddenly sat up with a big grin stered across his face. It took all his restraint not to startughing like some idiot as he read through all the system notifications floating around his head.

    The smile turned into a cocky smirk; ¡®See what did I tell you, Tobs, how could you ever doubt this Lord?¡¯ While the event he had gone through was miserable, he couldn¡¯t refute the rewards he had gained from his encounter with death.

    ¨C You have Sessfully Assimted an Enhanced Elemental Affinity Orb (Fire)-

    -Your Vitality Stat has increased by 20-

    -Your Mana has increased by 50-

    -You havepleted 80 Mana Cycles-

    -Your Codex has strengthed to Tier 1-

    -Your Mana Circuits have strengthened to Tier 1-

    -You have awakened an Affinity for the Basic-Grade: Fire Element Tier 1-

    -Random Event Quest Complete-

    -You have obtained +8 Vitality, +8 Mana, +8 strength, +10 Skill Points, +2500 Essence-

    -It is advised that the host does not act so recklessly any time soon.-

    Reading his rewards, Cynrik couldn¡¯t help but want to cry for a multitude of reasons. For Starters, he had finally upgraded both his Codex and Circuits to Tier 1 after such a long time. Not only that, but he felt brimming with power as most of his stats significantly increased.

    Looking around the room, he noticed Brance had put him to bed and gone to sleep, and with a quick check of his Watcet, he saw it was already 5 in the morning.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way Father didn¡¯t notice what happened during the night. His Mana perception is leagues above ours. So what¡¯s my best course of action here? Do I y it off as if nothing happened or tell them about our affinities?¡¯

    Tossing the question out into the void and getting no response, Cynrik redirected his thoughts, shuffled himself on his bed, and propped up against the wall, already not liking the idea he wasing up with.

    What he was thinking was simply inconceivable considering what he had just gone through, not even 3 hours before.

    Without allocating any more brain cells to his idiotic and dangerous n, He flicked his wrist, and yet another orb appeared in his palm, this one being of the Wind Element.

    ¡®Dad has Wind, Mom has fire since Brance got Wind; it shouldn¡¯t be that big of a deal if I suddenly awaken it as well,¡¯ not giving himself any time to turn back, he immediately started absorbing the Wind Orb while expecting the worst-case scenario.

    But soon, he was met with something he hadn¡¯t prepared for.

    No sooner than Cynrik had begun to absorb the Elemental Affinity orb did a series of notifications start popping up from Tobs.

    ¨C You have Sessfully Assimted an Elemental Affinity Orb (Wind)-

    -Your Agility Stat has increased by 10

    -Your Mana has increased by 30-

    -You have awakened an Affinity for the Basic-Grade: Wind Element Tier 0-

    These notifications stupefied Cynrik as his jaw hung open in shock. Who am I, Where is this, What just happened? The notifications had fried his brain momentarily. He was expecting pain and resistance. But, instead, Cynrik watched the Orb instantly dissolve without any effort at all; he had awakened a Wind Affinity.

    ¡®Look, Tobs, I know you¡¯re Overpowered and break limits and all but isn¡¯t this a little too much,¡¯ still in shock, he couldn¡¯t help but question his roboticpanion.

    -Host has already awakened a higher Grade and Tier Affinity, and thus the assimtion of lower-tiered Elemental Affinities can be instantlypleted.-

    For once, Tobs had replied to one of his questions without hassle, making him feel light-headed. Unable topletely process what was happening, Cynrik slumped over with his head hitting the pillow and dazedly stared at nothing with unfocused eyes.

    He stayed like this for hours until the sound of his mother¡¯s voice waking them up for breakfast brought him back to reality as his eyes and Brance¡¯s eyes met since their beds were only a few feet apart.

    [You good, what happened?] Brance looked his brother over with a worried expression.

    To this question, Cynrik absently mindedly sent over his newly updated Status, and Stat disys with a metaphorical wave of his hand.

    [YOU LUCKY FUCK! HOW IN THE HELL!! Brance¡¯s reply was to be expected, seeing the massive changes his older brother had gone through in only a few short hours. Wait¡­..YOU ALSO ABSORBED WIND WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?.]

    While Brance went through many different emotions and responses, Cynrik silently got out of bed while ignoring him and made his way to the kitchen in his still zombified state.

 Chapter 19

    Making his way to the kitchen absentmindedly, Cynrik stumbled upon the scene of both his parents sitting at the table already with serious expressions. At the same time, Cinyah had her typical serious parent look; Rikard was sporting a nice-sized lump on the left side of his head, which Cynrik presumed was given to him by his Mother.

    Seeing the both of them looking so serious, Cynrik stopped in the middle of the hallway, causing the franticly trying to catch up Brance to run directly into his brother¡¯s back.

    ¡°Hey! Why¡¯d you just stop in the middle of the hall?¡± Brance chirped with his child-like voice while rubbing his nose in pain.

    Using the Sibling Mind link, Cynrik responded quickly; [They know we¡¯ve obtained awoken our Affinities.]

    Peeking around his brother¡¯s shoulder, Brance quickly noticed both of their parents giving them serious expressions and drooped his head as if he¡¯d been caught taking a cookie from the jar.

    ¡°Why are you just standing there, boys. Come. Would you please take a seat so we can talk about what happenedst night? We know you must be confused.¡± Rikard calmly said, using an authoritative tone.

    Nodding obediently, the two boys quickly sat in their usual spots, facing the two adults. [Our story is,st night, I felt a warm feeling in my chest and using the Mana Sight skill Dad taught us, we realized some changes were happening next to our hearts. When we inspected these changes, the system made a quest to sit and focus on the feeling and stated that we were Awakening our Elemental Affinity. When you saw what I was doing, you mimicked me, and that¡¯s how we came to awaken.] Cynrik quickly tossed together a believable story based on the information he had gathered online about people awakening, to which Brance affirmed his understanding.

    ¡°Do you know why we are upset, boys?¡± Cinyahs hurt voice was like a sharp dagger to Brance¡¯s heart. He hade topletely view and love Cinyah as his Mom, while Cynrik, on the other hand, put on the fa?ade that he was sorry that he had done something to be scolded.

    ¡°While we are bout super happy that you¡¯ve awakened your affinities, we are disappointed that you didn¡¯te to us the second you felt something. As your parents, it¡¯s our job to protect you both, and yet you both went and did something risky. You should havee and gotten us so that we could make sure you were safe throughout the awakening.¡± She continued while cing her hands on the table.

    While Cinyah¡¯s tone was one of reprimand, it also held a strong sense of pride that both of her children had awakened without any help and at a very young age. Generally, a child born without their Affinity already awakened will not awaken one until their 12th birthday. Thus she nearly couldn¡¯t contain the swelling sense of pride she felt while looking at her babies.

    While Cynrik just hung his head and seemed to be thinking about what to say, Brance came right out and tried to appease his Mom. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mommy, Cyn said that we should try by ourselfs and that you would be super happy if we showed you in the morning.¡± He specifically said certain words incorrectly to keep the appearance of being only five years old.

    ¡°Did he now?¡± Turning to look at her oldest, Cinyah¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What do you have to say about that, Cynrik¡± the edge of anger her words held made Cynrik flinch for a moment. ¡°I¡­I¡­when I felt the warm spot in my chest, I followed my System as you taught us, Dad¡­so I thought Mom would be happy if we did awaken on our own.¡± Cynrik, without remorse, threw his Father directly to the mother wolf that was Cinyah.

    Stunned, Rikard¡¯s jaw dropped open as he started to look like a fish out of water, nearly making Cynrik burst intoughter.

    After gasping for air a couple of times, wheeling from his Oldest son¡¯s tant disregard for his Fathers well being Rikard choked out a single word, ¡°BOY,¡± causing Cynrik to nearly jump out of his chair in fear of his Father¡¯s rage.

    His rage was short-lived as the second Rikard leaked out that single word, the sharp eyes left Cynrik, and with a creepy head-tilt, Cinyah¡¯s gazended on Rikard. ¡°We will talk about thister; for now, we have other things to get to¡± Cinyah¡¯s words held such venom that all three of the other people at the table shivered unconsciously.

    ¡°Now then, Brancey, which element did you awaken.¡± Her words turned from angry Mama bear to sweat loving Mother talking to her youngest baby.

    With a smile, Brance looked at Cinyah and spoke cheerfully. ¡°I got the Wind one just like Daddy.¡± What he didn¡¯t expect was the look of despair to draw across his beautiful Mother¡¯s face.

    ¡°HAHAHA, THAT¡¯S MY BOY!¡± Rikard, however, was ecstatic that his son had the same Affinity as him. In his joy, there was a loud thump followed by Rikards¡¯s yelp as Cinyah stomped heavily on his foot under the table.

    Cinyah knew that the amount of time she could spend with her adorable youngest son had just been cut in half. But her spirits were quickly uplifted as Cynrik chimed in his results. ¡°It¡¯s ok, Mom. I got Fire just like yours.¡±

    In a quick 180 degrees turn, Cinyah gave a little cheer and ran to Cynrik to smother him with kisses. ¡± I always knew you loved Mommy the best; now we get to spend more time together, my little Cyn, yes we do SMOOCH SMOOCH¡± After several agonizing minutes, things settled back down as their parents reigned in their emotions.

    Cinyah exined how Rikard and herself would teach the boys how to control their Affinity after school every day. Since the boys were lucky enough to have two experienced Reavers who shared the same element, they would be able to get each of their time-tested techniques that had been passed down from generation to generation.

    Cinyahs family wasn¡¯t nearly as old as Rikards, so Brance lucked out on getting several generations¡¯ worth of teaching passed down to him. At the same time, Cynrik was receiving his Mother¡¯s hard-earned knowledge.

    Cynrik wasn¡¯t too worried since he knew Brance would fill him in on the Wind Element after getting a handle on it.

    Once the family meeting hade to a close, the boys ate their massive breakfast and were sent off to school for yet another uneventful agonizing day of learning things they had long known.

    In the Hovercar, the two boys sat in the back and examined their upgraded stats. Cynriks little stuntst night had given him massive benefits.

    : Status :

    : Cynrik Jetlensr:

    : Human Male:

    : Age-6 years:

    : Soul Age-35:

    : Level: 5 :

    : Essence(XP): 2500/25000:

    : Distribution: 1 Per All :

    : Mana Codex Tier: 1 (Proficiency= 3.0%) :

    : Mana Cycles: 130 (Proficiency= 3.0%) :

    : Mana Circuit Tier: 1 (Proficiency= 3.0%) :

    : STATS :

    : HP 310/310 :

    : Mana 135/135 :

    : Stamina 155/155 :

    : Stat Points- 48 :

    : Skill Points- 10 :

    : Strength- 10 :

    : Dexterity- 15 :

    : Agility- 21 :

    : Intelligence- 10 :

    : Vitality- 31 :

    : Mind- 30 :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier 0 (Profiency= 0.0%):

    :(BG) Fire-Tier 1 (Profiency= 0.0%):

    :(BG) Wind-Tier 0 (Profiency= 0.0%):

    The most significant changes, of course, were to his Health Points, Codex and Circuits. Ignoring the massive 25k XP needed for level 6, he noted how 30 Mana Cycles seemed to give him 3% Proficiency to his Codex and Circuits.

    ¡®It looks like each revolution gives 0.1%, it was 100 to get to tier 1, and then the extra 30 only raised me so much. So that means 100 cycles should make 10%, and 1000 would take me to Tier 2.¡¯ A small sigh leaked out of his mouth as he informed Brance of this little fact.

    [Tonight, you should choose the third element. It looks like each time we gain a new Affinity, we will get bonus stats, so if you wanna keep up with this Lord, you should make a choice.] Cynrik half bragged half offered his opinion to Brance, who just scoffed and looked out the hovercars window.

    When the bell signifying the end of the school day rang out over the school grounds, Cynrik couldn¡¯t contain his excitement. Even though he had awakened the Darkness element at birth, he had never been able to utilize it. But now, he would get first-hand training from Cinyah on how to use an Affinity effectively. Then, with this information in hand, he nned to trante it to his Darkness and his newly acquired Fire and Wind Elements.

    Bolting out of his 2nd Grade ssroom, he made a b-line for his meeting point with Brance so they could run to the parking lot as quickly as possible, where they met up with Rikard, who was standing outside their family¡¯s sleek green Hovercar.

    After finally arriving at home and going into separate rooms with their corresponding parent, the first day of Affinity training began much to the excitement of both Brance and Cynrik.

 Chapter 20

    For the next three months, Every day after school, the boys woulde home to practice using their affinities, where they quickly learned just how big of freaks they indeed were in their parent¡¯s eyes. Affinity training which was a process that took years and years was quickly shattered by the seemingly two in a lifetime geniuses named Brance and Cynrik.

    They both quickly broke record after record in their parent¡¯s books with their maniption and formation of their elements, and within two weeks, they were both showing the appearance of someone who had trained for eight-nine months. By the end of the second month, they couldn¡¯t believe how quickly the boys were learning. If they had to guess, they were showing the talent of someone who had trained for a year or two with their element, and now at the end of the 3rd month, they felt at a loss for what to teach their children.

    The main reason wasn¡¯t that theycked the knowledge but instead that the boys were now at a point where they couldn¡¯t learn anything else due to their physical limits. One must remember that Brance is only five years old, going on six, and Cynrik is only seven at the end of the day. In addition, the amount of Mana they can generate is on the low end of the spectrum, limiting them to only using Tier 0 skills or abilities. So the only advice they could give the two was to keep practicing and develop unique ways to utilize their Affinities.

    Once they grew, Cinyah and Rikard would continue their training, but for now, the only thing they could advise their children was to gain more experience and get naturally used to using their powers.

    During the day, they would train under their doting parents¡¯ supervision, and at night, the boys would step into uncharted territory and start shaping their other Affinities.

    In the span of thest three months, Cynrik hadn¡¯t advanced much, but unlike his older brother, Brance had gone through many changes. Under the supervision of his insane brother Brance had gone through the exact hell Cynrik had and now had his third Affinity, the Basic Grade Earth Element.

    Going through the same brutal process that had scared the hell out of him when watching Cynrik go through it, Brance advanced quickly. The Earth Orb had boosted his Vitality by 20 and Strength by 5, and his Codex and Circuits were raised to Tier 1, bringing his stats closer to Cynriks.

    : Level: 5 :

    : Essence(XP): 1500/25000:

    : Distribution: 1 Per All :

    : Mana Codex Tier: 1 (Proficiency= 13.0%) :

    : Mana Cycles: 230 (Proficiency= 13.0%) :

    : Mana Circuit Tier: 1 (Proficiency= 13.0%) :

    : STATS :

    : HP 310/310 :

    : Mana 125/125 :

    : Stamina 155/155 :

    : Stat Points- 48 :

    : Skill Points- 10 :

    : Strength- 15 :

    : Dexterity- 10 :

    : Agility- 21 :

    : Intelligence- 10 :

    : Vitality- 31 :

    : Mind- 20 :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Light-Tier 0 (Profiency= 0.0%):

    :(BG) Wind-Tier 0 (Profiency= 18.0%):

    :(BG) Earth-Tier 1 (Profiency= 10.0%):

    While Brance sat there admiring his Stat disy, Cynrik was casually snapping his fingers and conjuring a small fireball over the tip of his index finger, putting it out and then snapping it back into existence.

    He had spent thest three months extensivelypleting experiment after experiment without telling Brance what exactly he was trying to achieve. In his eyes, it appeared that Cynrik had finally lost what remained of his sanity and had be a full-blown pyromaniac. He would just sit in one ce for hours, repeatedly snapping fireballs off and on while staring at it, mesmerized.

    Night after night, like an addict, he would position himself on his bed and keep snapping away until finally, after three months, Brance snapped. [WHY THE HELL DO YOU KEEP DOING THAT?] Brance¡¯s exasperated voice pulled Cynrik out of his daze.

    [Hm?] Cynrik looked up from his hand and directly at Brance, who was sitting on his bed and giving him a look of annoyance.

    [The snapping. Why do you keep doing it? What purpose could it possibly serve?]

    Tilting his head to the side, Cynrik swiped his hand out and snapped his fingers again instead of answering the question. But, this time, instead of Fire, a tiny spark of electricity shot towards the floor in front of Brance, making him roll off the bed and take a defensive stance against his brother.

    [What the hell, asshole? Wait¡­was that lightning?] His rage instantly quelled as he realized it wasn¡¯t a fireball that had been flung at him but instead a thin spark of electricity.

    Wearing a creepy smile, Cynrik crossed his arms over his chest and snapped the fingers on both hands, simultaneously creating a spark of lighting that zipped around his right and a ball of Fire that danced above his left.

    A short secondter, both disappeared, and Cynrik dropped his arms and finally responded [For thest couple of months, I¡¯ve been analyzing exactly how elements manifest. After several experiments and fundamental scientific theories, I proved that Lightning is the advanced state of Fire. So while I haven¡¯t obtained the Affinity, I¡¯m still able to manifest small bits of electricity. Since Fire advances to Lightning, the process of creation isn¡¯t that different. I am channeling Mana from my Codex to the part of my body I want it to appear and forcing it into the open. The main difference is the cost; while a small fireball only takes one point of Mana to conjure and one point to maintain, a tiny spark takes five to manifest and then drains three per second to keep around.]

    His words were stunned Brance, whose mouth dropped open in shock as his brother continued his exnation.

    [Essentially, what ites down to is thepatibility of the elements. Since lightninges from the same Skill Tree as Fire, their mana type shares many simrities. In contrast, your Wind and Earth are entirely different. For example, let¡¯s say you had an Ice Affinity. Ice is a subset of Water, just like Lightning is a subset of Fire; if you had it, you most likely would have been able to generate small chunks of Ice, much like I do with Lightning.] Pushing off the wall and standing up, Cynrik walked to the center of the room and brought up his left hand.

    [When using Fire, it gives off the feeling of destruction,] as he spoke, he lightly waved his left hand and snapped at the same time, generating another fireball. [To manipte it, I have to activate my Codex with the mentality that I can destroy anything with my mes. As I¡¯m sure Dads taught you, we need to attach meaning to our Affinity to manifest it.] Not skipping a beat, Cynrik snapped the index and thumb of his right hand. This motion generated a tiny bolt of lightning that crackled into existence. It moved around his hand like a small snake, weaving in between each of his fingers before resting above his palm.

    [In that same regard, since I have the mentality of destroying with my mes if I just rece the meaning of the mes in my mind with lightning, well¡­] he waved his hand, and the bolt followed, [you get the rest.]

    Cynrik¡¯s theory seemed simple enough, but to just rece a feeling strong enough to manifest an Element into existence was much moreplicated than he was letting on. The main reason it wasn¡¯t an impossible task for Cynrik had to do with his mentality andck of emotional understanding. To Cynrik, feelings were just words, so he could easily copy and paste other words into ce. At the same time, someone like Brance, who had a moralpass and conscience, would have difficulty achieving this.

    This wasn¡¯t to say that Cynrik was an emotionless sociopath. However, while he could feel and experience emotion, the majority of them were severely desensitized. In his previous life, he had a tough time rting to people and fitting in; this came from their Father¡¯s raising them to believe that certain emotions were useless.

    While Brance was able to adapt, Cynrik wasn¡¯t. So as a coping mechanism, he had to attach meaning to emotions and had opted to use words and memories of how other people reacted when they felt these emotions.

    This coping mechanism had led Cynrik to make advancements that in reality should have taken years to achieve.

    Blinking several times he observed as the bolt of lightning danced around his brother¡¯s arm. In the end, Brance just shook his head and epted that it would be difficult for him to pseudo-manifest the advanced form of his elements. Then, with a sigh, he did the only thing in response he could at the moment. He shed out towards Cynriks legs with a Wind Strike which made contact with the area behind his knees and swept his brother off his feet, causing Cynrik to copse on the ground in a heap.

    [Show off.] Brance scoffed and went back to working on manipting his Wind.

 Chapter 21

    Continuing with their regr schedule, the boys¡¯ progress took a sharp turn; they had begun making several small breakthroughs with their affinities and, as a result, were breaking through supposed bottleneck after bottleneck, and their Essence points clearly showed this. However, with the addition of multiple random event quests and regr daily quests, they were far from ordinary level 5 humans, let alone that they hadn¡¯t even reached middle school.

    Usually, a child between the ages of five and six would at best be level 3 if they came from prestigious families. But this wasn¡¯t the case for Cynrik and Brance; neither of them had a silver spoon shoving resources and information into their mouths. Yet even without this kind of help, they were well into the XP grind for level 5, and if they continued in this manner, it wouldn¡¯t be long before they stepped into level 6, something that isn¡¯t supposed to be achievable until they were at the very least teenagers.

    Yet, they were leagues ahead of children in their age bracket due to having a cheat-like system and being reincarnations. These two simple facts were more than enough to give off the appearance of being highly talented geniuses.

    However, even with all their cheats, talent, and knowledge, one thing still eluded them, and this thing was that neither of them had been able to manifest their original Affinities.

    While Both Cynrik and now, after several weeks Brance, had been able to bring forth both their additional elements, The Dark and Light Affinities were proving to be a tricky problem to solve.

    Due to both Affinities¡¯ ¡°Special Advanced¡± grade and their restricted ess to Vinestra¡¯s inte, Cynrik and Brance struggled to gain any ground with their Proficiency. The most information they could obtain was that it was supposedly nearly impossible to awaken and train a SAG Affinity without a minimum of a Tier 5 Codex and Circuits.

    Cynrik was entirely at a loss for how to advance his understanding of his Darkness. Ever since he stepped into the world of Magic, he had tirelessly attempted to trigger some reaction from his original Affinity.

    That is until one day; he had a sudden epiphany. Sudden enlightenment urred while he was attempting to merge Wind with his mes to increase its power. He had been studying the past few nights about the process of elemental fusion. For this to ur, the emotions behind your manifestation must align perfectly; simultaneously, they must stem from a simr origin such as Creation or Destruction; they must also be appropriatelyced with certain feelings.

    Cynrik was sitting in the center of the bedroom with his legs crossed and his arms loosely held out at his sides, his palms facing up while speaking quietly.

    ¡°My mes bring about Destruction with their zing heat and searing power.¡± Finishing the first sentence, his open palms burst into mes that would burn anything except its user.

    Realizing his brother was attempting something, Brance¡¯s attention was drawn away from the school workbook he was trying to read andnded on the boy sitting in the center of the room.

    ¡°It surges forward swiftly as it¡¯s fueled by the gusts of my Wind, with unstoppable force and blinding uracy.¡± A gust of wind kicked up in the room, rapidly flipping the pages of Brance¡¯s book and making his and Cynrik¡¯s hair flutter.

    Brance slowly closed and ced his book off to his side, and activated Mana Sight. He wanted to gain as much from the scene presenting itself to adapt it to his Earth and Wind manifestations. He was well aware of what Cynrik was trying to pull off. They had spent many long nights discussing how to move forward and get stronger, and now it looked like his older brother was finally paving the path ahead; how could he miss this opportunity.

    Slowly a tangible, visible gust of wind wrapped itself around the fireballs that were hoving inches above Cynrik¡¯s hands, fueling them with oxygen and rapidly increasing the force of each one. ¡°Together, they create a destructive force that can even cause the heavens to quake,¡± Opening his eye¡¯s Cynrik observed these ever rapidly fluctuating mes with curiosity.

    His extended arms drew closer together as Cynrik slightly turned his palms towards each other in an attempt to merge the two fireballs into one.

    Much in the way that pouring water into a half-filled cup was seamless, the two balls of fire merged into one.

    It was at this moment that he received his sudden enlightenment. It was but a simple thought that made his mind tremble at the possibility of it working. Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, he spoke out his newly formed phrase bringing it to life.

    ¡°and it is this Destruction that is born from the Darkness.¡± The world seemed to go perfectly still.

    Brance¡¯s eye¡¯s shot wide open, and his mouth hung open due to what he was witnessing. Around his brother, all the different specs of Mana froze in ce as a pitch-ck glow seemed to radiate from Cynrik.

    The powerful mes dimmed slightly, and suddenly, the roaring life-filled Red-Orange mes changed from their original color to an endlessly deep ck color. This wasn¡¯t the only change urring; the gusts feeding the mes suddenly surged around the fire, turning it into a miniature cyclone.

    This sinister new appearance drew a sense of disgust from the depth of his body stunned Brance. One had to remember that he would naturally have a repulsion to the Dark Element as a Light Affinity User. At this very moment, when Cynrik had broken through and unlocked his Darkness Affinity, Brance couldn¡¯t control the shiver from going down his spine.

    Tilting his head to the side in a fluid motion, Cynrik stared at the perfect fusion of all three of his Affinities in awe. He moves his hand back and forth slowly, causing the ck-fire tornado to float within his control.

    Giving mental instructions to the Mana, he willed it to hover just above his left palm and could feel all his Violence, Rage, Hatred, Pain, and fear emanating from this fierce cyclone. It felt like an extension of his being that he hadplete control over.

    It was at this time that a system notification appeared in his peripheral vision.

    -You have Awoken your (SAG) Dark Element Affinity-

    For nearly eight years, Cynrik had been experimenting daily to awaken his Darkness Affinity. Finally, four days before his 8th birthday, he had seeded in summoning it forth. Still, he had also achieved the unthinkable andpleted a three-stage Fusion which even many high-ranked Reavers were incapable of.

    When it came to Reavers and their Affinities, they could be categorized rtively easily. G-D-Rank Reavers would only have one Affinity. C-A-Rank reavers would have Two affinities, and if they could fuse them, they¡¯d be awarded a higher rank. S-Rank Reavers stood above the rest. To reach this rank, one would have to not only have three or more Affinities, but they would also need to be able to fuse at least two perfectly. Affinities aside, levels yed a factor in the rankings as well.

    The average level range for G to D-Rank was 15-20, C to A-Rank had a more significant gap, these ranks would have an intermediate level of 21-60. Finally, S-Rank was where the monsters lived; their levels would range from 61-100. Cynrik didn¡¯t know how the ranking system worked after S-rank, and he couldn¡¯t be bothered to think that far ahead.

    While Cynrik was severely under-leveled and couldn¡¯t be considered even close to being at the rank of a Reaver, he had at this moment achieved one of the requirements necessary for S-Rank.

    Focusing on what was going on in his Codex, Cynrik was met by several revtions about his Darkness Affinity. He watched all three different Mana types swirl around his Codex and Circuits and tried his best to adapt to how it felt to manifest his original Affinity.

    The three Elements in his Codex were in the form of 3 small vortexes. Each one had its separate location in the three-dimensional diamond. The topmost point held the small ck whirlpool; to the left was a slightlyrger reddish-orange one, and the green vortex, while somewhatrger than his dark, was located in the right point of his Codex.

    These three vortexes spun separately but moved out the Codex together before merging seamlessly into one flow and moving out into his Circuits.

    Cynrik watched as the multicolored stream of Mana coursed through his body before feeding into the ck cyclone hovering above his hands in awe.

    Unfortunately, before he could gather more information, the cyclone in his palm suddenly blinked out of existence by itself, and a severe headache overcame Cynrik while his vision tunneled and darkened.

    ¡°BRANCE PILLO..¡± before he could finish his statement, he was rendered unconscious due to mana exhaustion. What he didn¡¯t expect was how his little stunt had rendered Brance motionless as he entered a state of enlightenment after witnessing the triple fusion and manifestation of his brother¡¯s original Affinity.

    So he didn¡¯t even acknowledge his now unconscious brother¡¯s copse plea for a pillow. Instead, Brance had tuned out the world around him as he tried to delve deeper into his subconscious and unlock his original Affinity.

 Chapter 22

    Several hours after passing out, Cynrik awoke to a splitting headache. Trying to get his bearings, he slowly sat up and looked around the room and quickly noticed nothing was out of order except that he was not in his bed but instead still in the center of the room. With a nce, he saw that Brance was seated on his bed with his eyes closed and legs crossed.

    ¡®This asshole didn¡¯t even toss me a pillow. It was the least he could do. So what, did he just watch me pass out and go about doing his own thing?¡¯ Shooting a re at his motionless little brother and rubbing his sore head, Cynrik stood up and walked to his bed beforeying on his back under the covers and looking at the ceiling.

    While he wanted to keep messing around with his newly awoken affinity, he couldn¡¯t because his Mana had not fully regenerated. With a quick check, Cynrik noticed his MP had only recovered to 13 points out of his initial 157.

    ¡®There has to be some type of Mana recovery or absorption skill out there,¡¯ one of the things he hade to realize over time was just how painfully slow his mana regeneration rate was. When he inquired further, Tobs informed him that he only recovers one MP every 15 minutes.

    Finding this out gave him shbacks to all the mobile games he used to y in his past life. Every single one of those games had abysmal energy recovery times. Unless you spent your in-game currency, you were forced to wait out 15-30 minute timers just to get a single point back, while it would take 5-10 points just to do a mission. Now he was stuck in a simr situation without a way to replenish his Mana rapidly.

    Letting out a deep sigh, Cynrik made up his mind and told Tobs to send him to the RWT and was transported to the VR Bazaar. Brance and Cynrik had connected to it multiple times over thest few months only toe home empty-handed. The reason wasn¡¯t necessarily that they couldn¡¯t find anything they wanted but that they couldn¡¯t afford anything good. This was surprising considering how they gained several more Skill points than the average person.

    Even so, Cynrik decided against wandering around aimlessly as he had in the past; he was going to try and find some kind of Mana Regeneration technique, a task he soon found out was going to be a lot moreplicated than expected.

    After shopping around for over an hour, he still had yet to find a suitable technique and was starting to get frustrated. While he was having difficulty locating the technique he wanted, he came across several weapon stalls that grabbed his attention.

    Most of these stalls allowed dual payment of Credits and Skill points, thetter weighing more heavily on credits, not that it mattered since Cynrik was basically a poor peasant without a cent to his name.

    As he meandered the bazaar, something eventually caught his attention. There was a building tucked away from the main road between two more significantly dpidated buildings. What caught his eye wasn¡¯t that the shop was hidden but the small wooden side hanging just above the stall. It read ¡°Buy/Sell Rare Items.¡±

    While it wasn¡¯t umon toe across stalls touting simr signage, it was strange to find a shop tucked away and still buying rare items; locating this Shack-like store set off several gs in Cynrik¡¯s head. The first was ¡°Scam,¡± the second was ¡°Opportunity,¡± andstly was just an evil cackle.

    A shop hidden like this could only mean one of two things. It was some shady business, or they had the good shit.

    Not caring about his safety since this was the VR world and not the Real-world Cynrik decided to look at the shop. Preparing himself for the worst, he walked quickly up to the shop and entered it only to be hit by a musty smell that resembled a room that hadn¡¯t been aired out for decades. This seemed weird since this was VR and not reality, but Cynrik quickly waved away these thoughts as he looked around the roughly 25¡Á25 square foot room. His eyes wandered around, taking note of the shop¡¯s wares. All kinds of strange and old-looking things were messily stacked all over the room Books, weapons, armor, rare nts. This shop had it all and seeing this, Cynrik broke out into an evil grin.

    The far side of the room housed a bar-like counter area where a man was sound asleep, face first and sprawled over the counter. His messy, long, green hair was caught under his forearm, and if Cynrik didn¡¯t know any better, he¡¯d assume the man was forcefully holding his head down.

    ¡°Go away,¡± the facented man¡¯s scratchy voice broke the silent air around him. He tried to shoo him off without lifting his head to look at the potential customer.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, boss, hungover or something. You really shouldn¡¯t drink so heavily its not good for someone your age to get stered like they¡¯re in their 20¡¯s. It¡¯ll put you in an early grave.¡± The sarcasm oozed off Cynriks words as he approached the man.

    ¡°WHO ARE YOU CALLING OLD, YOU LITTLE SHIT!¡± The man¡¯s rage boiled over as he suddenly tried to jump up and face the sarcastic punk only to m his head back into the counter due to him having unknowingly pinned himself down with his arm.

    BANG

    ¡°FUCK!¡±

    His reaction only caused Cynrik to burst outughing. ¡°See, you shouldn¡¯t drink so much; you can¡¯t even stand up properly. Come let me help you up, oldtimer.¡± He couldn¡¯t contain hisughter as he watched the man struggle to meet his eyes.

    ¡°Listen here, brat, if we were outside id kick your face into your ass and make you shit yer own teeth.¡± Rubbing his face, the man sat up and finally presented himself to the customer; however, he didn¡¯t expect the young man in front of him to fire back a response without hesitation.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, 1v1 no camp kills or weapons. I¡¯ll Fuck you up, Guy! You think I¡¯m scared of some old, strung-out dude who can¡¯t even sit up without facenting back into his counter?¡± Cynrik had reverted to his old gamer-level trash talk catching the shop owner off guard.

    After Cynrik¡¯s banter, the silence hung in the air for a moment before the shopkeep relented to the unrulily fellow standing a few feet away.

    ¡°What do you want, kid?¡± He sighed heavily while examining the young man. ¡®It¡¯s been a few days since someone wandered into my shop, and the first one toe in is some pompous ass, wild type who¡¯s got a sharp tongue,¡¯ he thought to himself while outwardly sighing. ¡°You better have something good or be looking to buy som¡­¡± before he could finish his statement, Cynrik waved his hand, causing several smooth, colored stones to appear on the counter, drawing the shopkeep¡¯s attention.

    Cynrik had casually dropped the Affinity orbs that he and Brance had decided not to use. The cluster of stones consisted of three Fire, one Earth, two Water, and two Sound orbs.

    Crossing his arms over his chest Cynrik just silently waited as the shopkeep nced from the stones back to Cynrik a couple of times before picking up a rock and thoroughly examining it. His face scrunched up as he rubbed it a few times and flipped it over a couple more times.

    The longer he examined it, the more his face began to change as the realization of what he was holding started to sink in. At first, he believed the stones just to be some junk, but the truth smacked him in the face upon using his appraisal skill.

    ¡°E..EE¡­Elemental Affinity Orbs¡­¡± the man could barely spit out the words as his mind started spinning at a rapid pace. The small smooth stones resting in a heap on his counter were not only considered rare but could fetch quite a hefty price in the right hands.

    He quickly looked up at the young man who had casually taken out the stones with renewed respect. Someone who could take out this many Affinity orbs was not someone he could offend. ¡°Kind customer, how can I assist you? Are you looking to sell or trade using these Affinity Orbs?¡± He asked without an ounce of greed.

    Cynrik noted how the shopkeeper was shocked but not greedy and couldn¡¯t help but smile inwardly. In his mind, these orbs were just useless waste since he had no use for them. ¡°I¡¯m looking for a few techniques and maybe some weapons, but ideally, yes id like to sell them, that is, if the price is right.¡± While he spoke, Cynrik activated Inspect and looked around the small shack of a shop for something that piqued his interest for a moment before turning back to the shopkeeper, who was struggling as he tried to figure out a reasonable value for the batch of eight Affinity Orbs.

 Chapter 23

    ¡°Before we negotiate to price for the Affinity orbs, the main item I¡¯m looking for is a Mana Regeneration Technique; aside from that, I¡¯m in the market for Grade 0 short swords and shields,¡± Cynrik had done his research on weapons. Vinestra¡¯s weapons were on a Grade scale; each Grade corresponded with a person¡¯s level. Grade 0 was meant for use by anyone between levels 1-10, and the higher someone¡¯s level, the higher the Grade of weapon they could use. Weapons further broke down into rarities, the lowest being basic, the highest being Unique Advanced, but like the ssification of Elemental Affinities.

    Listening carefully to what Cynrik was requesting, the man immediately set about collecting anything that met the customer¡¯s criteria. Although the weapons and techniques being listed weren¡¯t high leveled, many of them were in high demand and, as a result, quite tricky toe by, of which the rarest thing in the shopping list was a Mana Regeneration Technique.

    These techniques came in many different varieties. From those that sped up Mana regeneration or collection to ones that allowed the person to increase their Mana capacity, based on the job of the skill, the price range for these techniques could end up being astronomical.

    Upon gathering up several options for the customer, the shopkeeper reached into his inventory and pulled out five skill booklets. Unfortunately, each was several decades old and appeared as if they would fall apart when they were opened.

    Gently the man ced these five booklets on the counter neatly. ¡°These five books are the only options I have on my person that can aid in Mana Regeneration. Each of these booklets is from a particr skill ssification called Cultivation and is both taxing and extremely difficult to master.¡±

    Hearing the green-haired shaggy man say the word Cultivation forced Cynrik to smile internally, as his ears perked up to listen intently.

    ¡°Cultivation is an ancient method of strength training that would train not only a person¡¯s body but also their mind and soul. These techniques were created long before modern-day technology and scientific research discovered the formation of the Mana Codex and the existence of Mana. In ancient times, Mana was called Qi, and the Codex was called a Dantain, the main difference being in the strength of current Mana and the abilities presented by the Codex. Both are currently thousands of times more powerful than in ancient times.¡±

    ¡°While these methods may seem archaic and outdated, they work just as well now as they did back then. The only difference is that modern techniques weigh heavier on the significance of the systems Status and Stats panels, whereas cultivation techniques only had one effective use.¡±

    The man continued exining while Cynrik stepped forward and examined each book individually with Inspect.

    ¡°These techniques will automatically be converted by your system to be used with a Codex; however, they will be slightly less effective than what is in these booklets.¡± He continued exining further, trying to entice the already responsive Cynrik into buying one of the booklets.

    Little did the shopkeeper know, Cynrik had already decided on 2 of the books, one for himself and one for Brance. ¡°I see; let¡¯s put this conversation on hold temporarily and discuss the Orbs again.¡± Taking hold of the direction of the conversation, Cynrik diverted the attention away from the Cultivation Techniques back to the Affinity orbs.

    ¡°Yes, of course. If we break them down by ssification, then; Fire, Earth, and Water are considered Basic Grade Elements, while the Sound Element is categorized as Special Basic Grade. As such, if we categorize their rarity and usability, my going rate would be the following¡­.¡± The man stopped speaking momentarily to do some quick math.

    ¡°For the Fire orbs, The best I can do is 35 SP and 50k Credits; Earth, I¡¯m willing to do 27 SP and 35k Credits. Due to the water element¡¯s viability with both healing and shielding, I¡¯m willing to go as high as 50Sp and 75k Credits. Lastly, the SBG Sound Elemental Affinity Orbs are extremely rare but unfortunately not widely sought after. While their application inbat can range from scouting to offensive, they are known to be extremely difficult to learn, lest we mention the low sess rate on assimtion. Nheless, I¡¯m willing to offer the same price as I am for the Water orbs. If you are trying to sell them as a lot, I can round up the totals slightly, bring the total to 300 SP and 420k Credits.¡± The shopkeeper said matter of factly.

    Hearing these numbers, Cynriks left eye began to twitch slightly. In just credits alone, if he sold these orbs, he would be making multiple times more than his parent¡¯s yearly ie, that¡¯s not even factoring in the Skill points, which currently he didn¡¯t have much of a use for except for buying skill books or weapons.

    Calming himself down and keeping a straight face, he looked directly into the Green hair man¡¯s eyes and calmly made his counter offer. ¡°The SP amount is eptable, but I want 550k Credits.¡±

    Considering his rebuttal, the man sucked his teeth and fired back a counteroffer of 500k credits. Knowing this was the man¡¯s bottom line Cynrik extended his hand, signifying it was a done deal. When their hands made contact, a system notification popped up.

    -You have received 300 Skill points From Saylin Garn-

    -You have received 500,000 Credits From Saylin Garn-

    ¡®The old man¡¯s name is Saylin Garn; interesting,¡¯ reading it, Cynrik gave a curt nod and watched as the Elemental Affinity orbs were sucked into the shopkeeper¡¯s inventory. ¡°Now then, Mr. Garn,¡± shoving his hands into his pockets, Cynrik got back to business. ¡°Id like these two Cultivation Techniques.¡± He pointed at two specific booklets on the counter, causing the Saylin Garn to smile widely, exposing the fact he was missing several teeth.

    ¡°Very Good choice¡¯s true; while their prices may be a bit extreme for skill booklets, I can assure you their contents are worth every point,¡± flicking his wrist, the unselected techniques disappeared into Saylin Garn¡¯s inventory. ¡°The booklet on the left is for a cultivation technique titled Requiem of Dusk; it¡¯s a technique that primarily focuses on nighttime Cultivation and is considered a Tier 0 Mana Integration Skill. Not only does it allow for Mana regeneration as you master it, but you will also be able to integrate even more Mana and grow your Codex¡¯s capacity.¡±

    ¡°As for how much it costs, I can part with it for 180 SP,¡± Saylin Garn didn¡¯t allow Cynrik to barter the price as he moved on to the second booklet.

    ¡°This Cultivation technique like the Requiem of Dusk is also categorized as a Tier 0, Mana Integration Skill, however that is where the simrities end. This Cultivation Technique is titled Reaching the Heavenly Skies. It can be used at any time; however, the user must have an Affinity for the Wind Element.¡±

    ¡°Its price is slightly higher at 220 SP. Your total for both Cultivation techniques will be 400 Skill points; if this is agreeable, we can conclude the sale.¡± Pulling no punches, Saylin Garn gave Cynrik zero space for negotiation. He was essentially saying You will pay exactly 400 points to take both these skills off my hands, making Cynriks heart sink. If he wanted both booklets, he¡¯d have toe up with 100 Skill points.

    In an attempt to buy some time toe up with an idea, he asked Saylin for a moment to consider the deal. ¡®I can¡¯t think of how I¡¯m going to gain an extra 100 points? It¡¯s too bad I can¡¯t cash out my credits for more points.¡¯

    Hearing his thoughts, Tobs responded for the first time in a while

    -The Over-Break System can Exchange Skill Points at a rate of 1 Skill Point for 5000 Credits. This exchange is limited to 500 Skill points until the Host reaches level 10, at which point the credit line will increase-

    ¡®But¡­but¡­but that¡¯s 500,000 credits down the drain¡­ill be broke again if I do that;¡¯ the exchange rate almost made tears of blood drop from Cynrik¡¯s eyes. He had finally joined the upper ss of rich people with his half a million Credits only to have them robbed away secondster.

    It looks like it just wasn¡¯t meant to be.¡¯ Even in this life, I¡¯m doomed not to be rich. Tobs, exchange 500,000 credits for 100 skill points,¡¯ with a heavy heart, ignoring the notification from Tobs andpleting the business deal with Saylin, Cynrik promptly stored the two booklets in his inventory.

    ¡°Thank you for your business Mr. Jetlensr; if you have any further needs feel free toe back any time. Also, since I don¡¯t have set business hours or days, just swing by if you happen to see my building in the same location,¡± with a smile, Saylin bowed to Cynrik.

    Not wanting to spend another minute in the shabby man¡¯s presence, Cynrik quickly logged off of the RWT, with only thoughts of going to bed in defeat on his mind. He was severely upset at his massive loss of wealth and just wanted to go to sleep.

 Chapter 24

    A couple of hourster, the typical rm clock named Cinyah roused the boys from theirnd of slumber. Unfortunately, while Brance had seemingly gotten a good night¡¯s rest after the events several hours prior, the dark bags under Cynrik¡¯s eyes signified that he didn¡¯t.

    Instead of jumping out of bed like he regrly did, still slumped in the depression caused by his bankruptcy in the RWT, Cynrik just pulled his nket over his head and faced the wall.

    Taking notice of his older brother¡¯s unusual act, Brance couldn¡¯t help but be slightly curious. But Cinyah¡¯s abrupt appearance in their room for good morning kisses, he couldn¡¯t be bothered with his brother¡¯s mood and greeted his mother with a smile.

    Scooping up her youngest, Cinyah spun him around while nting kisses on his forehead and cheeks. ¡°Good morning, my baby. Did you sleep well?¡± she cheerfully asked before cing him back on his bed.

    ¡°Mhm, I had a good dream too, Mommy,¡± hearing Brance¡¯s loving greeting made Cinyah¡¯s smile nearly reach her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m d; go wash your face and head to the table before breakfast gets cold while I deal with this grumpy boy,¡± diverting her attention from Brance, her line of sight fell on the bundle of nkets piled against the wall.

    ¡°Yes¡¯m¡± as much as Brance wanted to witness what was about to happen, he felt it was too troublesome and thus ran off to the bathroom to wash his face.

    ¡°Now, now, my little Cyn, what¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re normally so chipper in the morning,¡± Cinyah didn¡¯t pull the nket off her oldest child and instead opted to sit on the bed beside the ball of nkets, causing several grumbles to emerge from the nket pile.

    Giving a slight giggle at this, she ced her palm approximately where Cynriks head should be. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, darling, I don¡¯t speak grumpy; you¡¯ll need to use your big boy words.¡±

    Knowing full well he was worrying her, Cynrik decided to pull one of his multiple stored answerless questions that had been bouncing around his noggin as ofte. This one, in particr, he wasn¡¯t able to get any information about due to hisck of clearance online. While anyone could ess the inte with their Watcets, both Cynrik and Brance had unbreakable parental controls that blocked them from getting any solid answers online.

    Peaking his head out from the nket shielding his body, he casually dropped his question onto Cinyah. ¡°Mom, why haven¡¯t I gotten any skills rted to my Fire yet,¡± hearing this, Cinyah¡¯s doting expression quickly changed to a curious one.

    ¡°Well, my darling boy, that¡¯s because you haven¡¯t raised your Proficiency high enough yet. Once you reach a certain percentage, you¡¯ll naturally unlock these skills,¡± her answer only made Cynrike up with several questions and seeing her child bing confused and disheartened, she delved further.

    ¡°Let¡¯s put it like this,¡± Cinyah brought up her hand, and a small ball of fire burst to life and danced in her palm. ¡°Unlike Skills, Affinity relies heavily on how well you handle it; this is what we call Proficiency.¡±

    ¡°How much you use your Affinity and how well you use it will slowly increase this special Stat. If you want to get more skills, you have to raise your proficiency stat. For example, like Mommy is showing you, the first thing someone can do with their Fire Affinity is a simple and small fireball.¡±

    Cinyah slowly began injecting more mana into the me, causing it to grow at a visible rate until it was the size of a basketball.

    ¡°As your Proficiency number gets bigger, so does your control over your element, until soon you can do things like this,¡± shooting Cynrik a gentile smile, she closed her hand on the medium-sized fireball, and it straightened out, taking the form of a sword.

    Seeing the Fire sword made Cynrik¡¯s mouth drop open. In truth, he hadn¡¯t even noticed there was a Proficiency stat, the reason being; it was hidden, simr to a copsed folder on aputer file. So if he wanted to view this number, he would have to request Tobs to show it to him.

    ¡°Mommy¡¯s Proficiency is at 36 % of Tier 3; it was at 25% of Tier 2 that I realized I could form my mes into a small dagger. Once I achieved Tier 3 only then, was I able to make a sword,¡± with a sigh, she waved away the fire sword and brought her hand to her chin.

    ¡°At your age, this isn¡¯t something you should be thinking about until you are in middle school, so I overlooked teaching it to you.¡±

    Carefully removing the nket Cynrik was hiding under, she tapped herp a couple of times, signaling him to sit in herp, to which he responded by doing just that.

    Wrapping her arms around her young son, she nted a kiss on top of his head. ¡°I forgot how fast you grow, my little Cyn,¡± they sat like that for a short while so Cinyah could collect her thoughts before she continued.

    ¡°When your Proficiency and Tier with your Affinity goes up, you will notice that you can control your mes to do what you want better. I¡¯ve seen High-Level Reavers who can literally create Seas of Fire that followed their word and others who can create all kinds of weapons and objects made out of mes. They can only do this because they¡¯ve raised their Proficiency and Tier to a very high level.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯lle to learn more about it once you get to middle school; for now, just keep making fireballs, and you¡¯ll slowly raise your numbers until you can make a sword just like Mommy,¡± doing her best to encourage Cynrik, she was lightly patting his head as she spoke.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry to grow up, my darling son,¡± giving him a tight and warm, loving hug, she let him go to the bathroom to wash his face.

    Watching Cynrik¡¯s back as he briskly ran off to the bathroom, she couldn¡¯t help but be worried about how quickly he was growing up. The only thing she could do was be there for him and hope he would rely on her and Rikard, as he just had. Even though he asked questions that were way above his age, she didn¡¯t put much thought into it since he had always been a bit too smart. She only wanted the best for him and would do her best to give both him and Brance a loving environment to grow up in. One that she never had growing up since she was raised from a young age to fight. She wanted her children to have a good childhood where they could just be kids and not worry about anything.

    But whenever she watched her boys train, she would get shbacks to her brutal childhood. Making these kinds of parallel¡¯s scared the hell out of her, but the only thing she could do was ept that her boys would be thrown into the world of adults a lot sooner than she was happy with.

    She had long ago sworn that she would do anything and everything to protect these two boys. No matter what hardships urred, she would be there for them to fall back to; even if they were fighting way above their weight ss, she would be right there to pick them up. In her mind, it didn¡¯t matter if she wasn¡¯t as strong now as she had once been; she would still step in if it were needed.

    Giving birth to not one but two children had taken a significant toll on her. This was the curse the world gave women. To be a mother, they would have to sacrifice their own power to help their babies grow. This was shown in the simple XP gain Cynrik and Brance had gotten from drinking their mother¡¯s milk.

    What neither Cynrik nor Brance knew was just how costly this was. The cost for them receiving their 10 XP daily for several years was steep. She would never tell them that each meal she fed them had cost her a full 1k Essence; thus, her level and stats had dropped significantly over the years.

    When she gave birth, she was nearing level 50, but now, after giving her children nearly 3 Million Essence worth of her XP, she was sitting in the low 30s. However, Cinyah wasn¡¯t bothered by this loss. The one thing she had always wanted was to be a Mother. Years of pain and training may have been wiped away with the birth of her children, but to her, this cost meant nothing; she was finally happy with her life. She had two dear children and a husband who would do anything for her even though he was a bit of a meathead.

    Against all odds and past transgressions, she had finally gotten the happiness she always wanted and would fight to keep it to the bitter end if she had to.

 Chapter 25

    Later that night, Cynrik handed over the Cultivation technique he had bought the day before for Brance. Upon hearing the cost and seeing how old the booklet was, Brance was quite literally treating it like a small animal that could be easily broken if handled wrong, while Cynrik just watched in utter disgust.

    All of this was quickly wiped away when it was time to learn their new skills, and their excitement was brimming as they started reading their booklets. It didn¡¯t take long for both of them to realize that even though they couldn¡¯t speak or read the ancientnguages, these words were written in, their meaning still flowed into their heads. This was all due to their Legacy Tier Language Proficiency. It was a weird feeling looking at something and just instantly knowing what it meant. Reading these strange letters gave off the sense that their internal monologue had a mind of its own, and it took some adjusting.

    Soon they realized that they could only read a couple of pages into the cultivation techniques; as they tried to keep reading, it was like their Language skill had suddenly shut off. Before they could even ask, Tobs provided the reason for this urrence.

    -You have learned the Ancient Tier: Mana Integration Skill Requiem of Dusk 0%-

    -Due to not being proficient in this skill, you are unable to learn it in full. The skill has been ressified as Tier 0 until the host raises their Proficiency-

    -Raising the Proficiency past 100% will increase its Tier as usual.-

    -Each Tier increase will result in new forms and benefits.-

    -The host is unable to learn anything other than the primary form of the technique.-

    Both brothers read the notification simultaneously and had the same response of groaning loudly while falling onto their backs. [Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be that easy; why did I even get my hopes up. We did learn something, though, and it looks like there are Tiers other than numbered and Legacy, of which we now have skills falling into 2 of the higher ssifications.] Cynrik couldn¡¯t hide his disappointment in not getting another free OP skill.

    [Things have been too easy; it seems that the Gods want us to work instead of taking handouts, fine by me.] Brance was a bit more optimistic with his outlook on their situation. Tobs had automatically nerfed their new skills, but he didn¡¯t let it bother him too much.

    They were unaware that even getting their hands on these skills was due to the direct intervention of Yahweh and Odin, who had set a chain of events into y, with the result being the two booklets finding their way Cynrik and Brance.

    True, I guess all we can do is slowly climb thedder with these Integration skills; sitting back up, Cynrik decided to give his new skill a try.

    Closing his eyes, he triggered the activation of Requiem Of Dusk, and to his surprise, nothing happened at first. In fact, nothing happened for several minutes, exasperating him.

    Suddenly pain seeped through Cynriks body as if instead of blood, it was acid coursing through his veins, causing every one of his muscles to tense up immediately. The veins in his hands and neck visibly bulged on the surface of his skin. Soon he realized that not only was he incapable of using his Sibling Mind Link, but he also couldn¡¯t speak a single word out of his mouth either. On top of this, his body was locked in ce in a state of paralysis.

    Brance wasn¡¯t in any better shape either, as the same thing was urring in his body as well. The room was deathly silent as both young boys were suffering inplete silence. From time to time, a slight spasm would erupt from one of them. This scene would continue for several hours, but to them, it felt like days, days that were nothing filled with nothing but a pitch-ck painfilled hell.

    Throughout this agony, the only thought circting in Cynriks mind was the words of the booklet. He continually repeated the first paragraph from the Requiem of Dusk Booklet. Cynrik himself waspletely unaware he was doing this as his mind was in a state of pure concentration.

    Six hours in total had passed before the muscles in his body finally loosed up, and the pain receded. Then, upon opening his eyes, he was greeted by a handful of notifications from Tobs.

    -You havepleted your first activation of the Mana Integration Skill: Requiem of Dusk.-

    -You have gained +0.5 Proficiency in the skill

    -You have gained +0.5 Proficiency in all 3 Affinities-

    -You have gained +1 Mana Point

    -You have gained +1 Vitality

    -You may not activate this skill again for 168 Hours-

    ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± Cynrik couldn¡¯t stop himself from swearing out loud as he saw the gains he had obtained from his first activation of the cultivation technique.

    [No kidding,] unlike his uncivilized brother, Brance had themon sense to speak using Mind link instead of his voice. His technique had yielded the same gains that Cynriks had.

    [Totally worth that hellscape we were thrown into, amirite.] Tilting his head to the side forcefully, the bones in Cynrik¡¯s neck let out a few loud pops; while his eyes traveled down to his Watcet, he noticed that 6 hours had gone by.

    [We were out for 6 hours; we should head to bed. The cooldown on these skills is a bit intense;] standing up and stretching, Brance extended a hand to Cynrik, who was still sitting down looking into space.

    Keeping his eyes on his notifications, Cynrik caught his brother¡¯s hand and allowed him to help him get to his feet. [To be fair, it¡¯s kind of expected. The amount of strain put on our bodies is nuts, so it makes sense to have a long CD; while seven days may seem long, I get it. Especially if the stat rewards stay consistent, it¡¯ll be a constant growth rate for our Affinities.] Cynrik then proceeded to exin what he had learned from Cinyah earlier in the morning about how Affinities work.

    [From what I gather, if we have a high enough Proficiency percentage and Tier, the only thing we are limited to is our minds. Currently, I can only conjure small balls of fire and weak gusts of wind. Excluding the useless sparks of lightning, there¡¯s my Darkness¡­]

    Cynrik paused before continuing; [right now, all I can do is minimize my presence. See,] A ck see-through mist started seeping out of Cynriks body before swiftly covering him entirely.

    Squinting Brance saw a massive change ur in Cynrik. It was like he was looking at a ghost. He could still see him, but it appeared as if Cynrik had disappeared if he wasn¡¯t focusing. [It kinda looks like Optic camouge. So, what, are you going the ninja or assassin route now?] With an intrigued look, Brance couldn¡¯t help but tease the show-off.

    Releasing the manifestation, Cynrik returned back to normal and just shrugged. [It¡¯s actually a pretty heavy drain on my Mana to vanish like that, about 20 MP per second. Which is a painpared to the single digits for Fire and Wind, don¡¯t even get me started on the fusion costs.178 mana simply isn¡¯t enough.]

    Having enough of hisining, Brance decided it was time for bed and left his whining brother in the center of the room. [Yeah, yeah, you¡¯re not the only one with high mana costs. Don¡¯t forget we are just kids and only level 5; we won¡¯t have shit for Mana at this stage. For now, we are at another bottleneck with our Codex, so the integration skill is the only way to gain more at this moment. Just go to bed already;] with that said, Brance hopped into bed and quickly fell asleep while Cynrik just stood there staring off into space again.

    ¡®ck Fire, Fire Cyclone, ck Fire Cyclone, I need toe up with better ways to fuse my elements, but for that ill need to raise my Proficiency with them first, right now; at best, I can only hold a triple fusion for 15 seconds before I burn all my Mana. Whereas I can control the doubles significantly longer.¡¯

    ¡®If my theory is correct, then not only should I be able to control my manifestations more urately, but I should also see the Mana costs go down. All it will take is for me to raise both my Tier and Proficiency. Mother¡¯s fireball didn¡¯t seem to drain any mana at all until she turned it into a me sword. At the rate I¡¯m going, it¡¯s going to take years before I can freely wield anything, letting out a sigh of defeat;¡¯ he crawled into bed as well¡ª¡¯Oh well, not much I can do except train harder. One day I won¡¯t have to worry about mana costs. I wonder what cool shit I¡¯lle up with in the future. What about fire nes or dragons? OH OH, I¡¯VE GOT IT; IF I CAN GET THE LIGHTNING AFFINITY ILL DO CHIDORI AND KIRIN FOR HAhhahaha HOW BOUT KAMEHAMEHA FOR WIND¡­.kuekuekue¡­¡¯

    These were Cynrik¡¯sst thoughts before he finally fell asleep, only to dream about bringing to life all the techniques he remembered from Anime and Manga in his past life.

 Chapter 26

    For the next couple of days, life went on normally. With the ability to use their cultivation skills on cooldown and both boys seeminglying to a standstill in their training, boredom slowly seeped in. With both their parents allowing them to ¡°self-train,¡± Cynrik and Brance found themselves prepping a sparring session in the backyard of their humble home, unsupervised.

    Cinyah and Rikard had gone off to a newly opened Red Egress, leaving the two at home alone, which caused Cinyah a great deal of anxiety. But Rikard brought up the family finances forcing her to yield and allow the two to stay at home on the grounds they didn¡¯t leave the house or backyard.

    This caused a great deal of excitement in the two young children as they would finally not have to hide their physical training from their parents, and they could ¡°beat the hell¡± out of each other in the backyard till their little hearts were content.

    [Ok, hand to hand with limited use of elements¡­agreed?] Taking a defensive stance several feet away from Brance, Cynrik stated in their mind link.

    Taking his stance facing Cynrik, Brance nodded, agreeing to the terms.

    [Alright, Tobs set a countdown for 10 seconds for both of us.] Cynrik loosened up his left shoulder then threw out a couple of swift punches to warm up.

    -Acknowledged, Timer set for 10 seconds-

    Across from Cynrik, Brance was rapid firing a few kicks into the air.

    -10-

    Clenching both his fists tightly, Cynriks knuckles all popped one after another.

    -09-

    Lowering his left leg, Brance slowly exhaled and made Eye contact with his brother. He was pretty excited to have his first official sparring session in the world of Vinestra. Up until now, they had only worked on their Mana control and Affinity maniptions while alsopleting their Daily Quests. This was the first time they were putting the physical workouts with their stats to the test.

    -08-

    Back on Earth, even into their adulthood, the brothers would spend countless hours sparring in one of their respective garages or in the mixed martial arts gym they used to frequent. It had been several years since then, so both were itching to fight.

    -07-

    ¡®Brance will charge forward off the gun before kicking with his right leg and dropping into southpaw before peppering out light right-hand jabs, that or he will bank right before attacking.¡¯ Cynrik started running scenarios based on the thousands of fights he had under his belt with his brother.

    -06-

    ¡®Cynrik¡¯s going to try baiting me in by blocking any jabs or front kicks I toss his way, so it¡¯s best to charge forward and bounce to the right. He¡¯ll be expecting a frontal assault, so if I attack from the right-wing, I should be able tond some attacks before having to backtrack.¡¯ Much like his older brother, Brance was runningst-second simtions.

    -05-

    -04-

    Both boys finished their simtions and decided on their fight ns as the counter ticked down. Being so well versed in each other¡¯sbat style, they had a good understanding of how the other would lead the fight. After that, it was all about counter-attacks and reaction speed.

    -03-

    Cynrik broke into a wide grin, and his eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the timer tick down in his peripheral vision.

    -02-

    Brance slowly tapped his right foot on the ground, cing his weight on the balls of his feet, readying himself for a dash.

    -01-

    Cynrik noticing his bother¡¯sst-minute adjustments, prepped himself for a dash as well, his goal being to take out Brance¡¯s lead leg before taking the fight to the ground. While Brance was significantly more adept at striking, he was the grappler in the family. His goal instantly went from defending and counter-attacking to a sudden rush in for a takedown.

    -Timer Canceled, New Event Quest Triggered-

    Tobs¡¯s voice screeched into the brothers¡¯ ears, causing them to almost fall t on their faces. They both red at the new notification and yelled in sync, ¡°WHAT THE FUCK TOBS!¡±

    -The Gods Odin and Yahweh have decided to trigger a new Benefit for both Hosts of The Over-Break System-

    -New Event Quest, Virtual Training Facility ¨C

    -Currently using Both Hosts memories to create an adequate training facility-

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes went wide, and his mouth hung open before making eye contact with Brance.[ Oh, Shit¡­no way, NO WAY DON¡¯T TELL ME¡­..] Cynrik went from fighter mode to giddy child almost instantly, squirming in one spot like he had to pee.

    Brance, on the other hand, just absent-mindedly stared at Cynrik as he did his little happy dance.

    ¡®Tobs, I promise, if you give me this one thing, I will never ask for another thing from you or bully you again, please please please, oh make music too pleasssssseee.¡¯ Cynrik begged over and over in his head for what seemed like forever before the notification finally sounded off.

    -The Room of Spirit and Time (HBTC) has been Generated; both hosts have two minutes to get to a safe ce before the transfer initiates.-

    ¡°Room..of Spirit and Time¡­HBTC?¡± Brance confusedly asked while Cynrik screamed and jumped up and down in excitement.

    ¡°NO TIME TO EXPLAIN, QUICK WE¡¯VE ONLY GOT TWO MINUTES; WE GOTTA GET TO OUR ROOM!¡± not giving Brance a chance to react, Cynrik dashed forward, wrapped an arm around his brother¡¯s neck, grabbing him, and dashed into the house.

    Unable to utter a single word Brance just went along with the ride; within seconds, Brance went from standing in the backyard shocked by Tobs¡¯s words to flying across his bedroom andnding face-first on his bed.

    ¡°What the¡­OOF¡± epting his fate, Brance just rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling in confusion while Cynrik dove towards his bed and rocked back and forth while squealing like a child.

    -Hosts location detected as safe, beginning transfer to The Room of Spirit and Time (HBTC); please be advised, there is a time dtion of 1/365.25 in the facility, one day in the real world will be 365.25 days in the facility-

    -Currently, for the hosts¡¯ safety, this facility can only be used once every six months. The Hosts can only spend half of the initially allotted time in the facility, equivalent to 12 hours in the real world.-

    -Hosts must be advised that the further they move away from the safe zone into the training area, the denser the air will be and the more erratic the temperature will fluctuate.-

    -Hosts must also be advised that the gravity in the training area will be set to 10 times that of Vinestra-

    -While in the Training Area, Proficiency gain will have a higher rate of increase depending on the distance traveled into the training area-

    After reading the new chain of messages from Tobs, Brance realized what was happening and why Cynrik was so excited. ¡°No way¡­it can¡¯t be what I think it is¡­.¡±

    ¡°YESSSSSSSSSS, TOBS I FUCKING LOVE YOU,¡± Cynrik floundered and thrashed violently on his bed while hugging his pillow tightly.

    This reaction alone was all Brance needed to break out into a wide smile as his excitement began building to the same boiling point as his brother.

    One of the very first memories the brothers had as children on Earth was of a specific anime. While other kids grew up watching shows about learning numbers and letters, the two brothers watched a show about a man who saved his and even the universe dozens of times. This man wasn¡¯t human but instead an alien from a race where fighting and strength reigned supreme. This man could fly, shoot ki sts, and even power up to change his hair color and style. Cynrik and Brance grew up yelling his attacks and attempting to go Super Saiyan like that main character. Now thanks to a random event made by their gods, and Tobs, they were on the cusp of training in the very same ce they had watched that character train hundreds of times.

    -The Over-Break System has linked to both Host¡¯s Watcets-

    -Transferring hosts to Virtual World Holding Room-

    Just as Brance and Cynrik tucked themselves into their beds, their vision went ck, and they were transferred to the same holding room they had gone before going to the RWT center. Only this time, they weren¡¯t in their soul avatars, but instead, avatars modeled after their Vinestra bodies.

    ¡°Cynrik¡­ there¡¯s no way it¡¯ll be the same, right?¡± Even though Brance was expecting a replica, he was still skeptical.

    ¡°Tobs is literally pulling the ce from our memories and building it with Odin and Yahweh¡¯s help and power. So I don¡¯t see any reason it shouldn¡¯t be the same,¡± Cynrik crossed his arms over his chest and waited patiently.

    -Final Checksplete-

    -Time Dtion and gravity set-

    -Hosts will have six months in the Room of Spirit and Time (HBTC)-

    -Daily quests will be generated depending on the training and advancement of both Hosts-

    -Be advised of previous warnings-

    -Message from Odin ¡°There¡¯s music.¡±

    -Message from Yahweh ¡°Train hard, there are tough days ahead-

    Cynrik and Brance¡¯s vision simultaneously went ck as the ground under them seemed to vanish.

    Secondster, their feet touched onto the solid ground; before their vision cleared up, the first thing they noticed was a light-hearted synthetic type of music ying an ascending scale as a very familiar song seemed to radiate from all around them.

    Neither of them needed their eyesight at that moment as they both screamed at the top of their lungs¡­

    ¡°IT¡¯S THE HYPERBOLIC TIME CHAMBER!!!¡±

 Chapter 27

    ¡°IT¡¯S THE HYPERBOLIC TIME CHAMBER!!!¡± Brance and Cynrik screamed in unison. Then, unable to contain their excitement any longer, the brothers dashed forward into the small living area of the facility. Although the two knew what to expect, they were still amazed by the sheer vastness the HBTC held. Aside from the ind-like living area, which spanned roughly a hundred square feet, all the two could see was a never-ending expanse of white astral nothingness.

    The Rest Area was precisely as they remembered, a small circr living quarters with two round roofed storages, one on either side of the living room. Two massive hoursses sat opposite ends of the living space, half-filled with green sand, signifying how much time they could stay in the facility. The tops of the rest area and the hoursses wererge golden domes that tapered into a sharp-looking point, while the roofs of the storage area were an off shade of pinkish-purple. Everything else, from the walls to the floor, was made of slick white marble.

    Each chunk of flooring was shiny and new-looking while being roughly 3¡Á3 feet in size. Standing with his back to therge door they came from, Cynrik took in all the sights around him, taking note of the tworge purple beds to his right and the dining table with two chairs to his left.

    Stepping away from the door behind him, Cynrik left his awestruck brother behind as he began counting how many tiles led to the opening of the living quarters out into the training area. Walking forward and counting 12 tiles, he came to the end of the living room, signified by two thin pirs and a wide archway. Looking to his left, Cynrik couldn¡¯t stop himself from inhaling a sharp breath.

    ¡°Animation doesn¡¯t do this ce justice,¡± his words dragged Brance out of his stupor as he quickly caught up to his brother, who was standing just outside of the rest area looking out over the cosmic expanse.

    They both stood there in silence as memories of their favorite characters training before fighting one of the numerous bad guys shed through their minds.

    ¡°We truly are in a fantasy world, so what do you wanna do first?¡± Turning to meet his brother¡¯s gaze, Brance couldn¡¯t wipe off the grin that had stered itself all over his face.

    With a shrug, Cynrik continued walking forward onto the tiled floor before stepping down onto the two lower decks of tiles and stopping right before the tile ended and the white nothingness began. If he took another step forward the ten times Vinestra¡¯s gravity would kick in, and while brave, he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to just trek down into the training area.

    Pulling them out of their nostalgia trip, Cynrik and Brance were suddenly bombarded by a series of notifications from Tobs detailing everything about the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

    -Six months have been allocated to the Hosts. Please regrly check the hoursses to keep knowledgeable about the remaining time left in the facility. ¨C

    -After certain distances, randomly generated virtual creatures will appear. Defeating these creatures will give the Host a small number of attribute points, Proficiency, and small bundles of experience.-

    -Please be advised that the Host¡¯s stamina will constantly drain if they are in the training area corresponding to their Gravity Resistance Proficiency. If it reaches 0, the Host will be rendered unconscious.-

    -While this is a virtual world, and death is not permanent, if for some reason the Host dies within the Training Area or Rest Area, all of the XP, Attribute points, and Proficiency gained in the 24 hours before death will be deleted.-

    -The clock located on the Rest Area will chime every 24 hours to signal that all gains are secured and permanent.-

    -If the Host remains unconscious in the training area for an undetermined amount of time, they will automatically die and respawn in the marked bed inside the Rest Area.-

    -While rest and sleep are necessary to recover stats, food is not. The Host will not feel hunger or thirst.-

    -The storage areas to the left and right of the Rest Area house several different types of training weapons and logistical equipment that can be used for the duration of the time inside the HBTC.-

    After the final message, Tobs went silent, and Cynrik turned to look at the storage area to his left. ¡°Well, this ce is the same and different, it seems like Tobs, Odin, and Yahweh have generated the perfect training environment for us, but the question is why now? Are we about to get into some shit we don¡¯t know about and need to get stronger before it happens? We have mobs to kill, XP and Stats to gain, and even weapons to train with; PLUS, we can also respawn on death.¡±

    No longer worried about the consequences of his actions, Cyrnik stepped off the Rest Area and into the Training Area. Instantly he was assaulted from all sides by a crippling force. Ten times gravity or 10g was no joke. Brance watched on as Cynrik fought will all his strength to stay standing. It took a total of 30 seconds before Cynrik was crushed to the floor with all of his bones broken before he turned into a batch of ck particles and reappeared on one of the two beds.

    Laying on his back, panting heavily and drenched in sweat, he burst into a fit ofughter. ¡°OI TOBS, the least you can do is ease us into 10g. Can you reconfigure the gravity? Would you mind setting it to increase every couple of hundred feet or something? It¡¯s not possible to withstand the full brunt of 10gs with our current strength.¡±

    -Requesting permission to adjust the gravity to increase every 300 meters starting at 1g steadily.-

    -Request approved-

    -Gravity has been adjusted in the Training Area.-

    A loud chime rang out in the infinite space as the changes took effect.

    Brance spun around and walked over to the left side storage area while ignoring his idiot brother to look at the weapons avable. The room looked just like a typical Earth garage. The only difference was that instead ofwn equipment, several wooden shelves, and disy stands, filled with a wide variety of different weapons lined the open space.

    He recognized dozens of differentrge and small swords, gauntlets, spears, and even staves filled the shelves. Although there wasn¡¯t any armor, there were several different types of shields, so without putting much thought into it, Brance walked over and tested the kite shields and bucklers before eventually deciding on a small wooden square shield and a matching sheathed short sword.

    His alone time was interrupted by Cynrik, who had joined him and was noisily testing out all the swords. With a sigh, Brance left his brother to make his choices and went back to the Rest Area, cing his sword and shield on the small round table and sitting down to think in one of the chairs.

    Not even 10 minutes earlier, he had been getting ready to spar with Cynrik, and now he was in the legendary Hyperbolic Time Chamber. He may be quick to adjust, but at this moment, he was feeling quite overwhelmed by the current situation.

    Unlike his brother, who would ept everything at face value and continue as if nothing happened, Brance needed time to limate to his surroundings. This was proven by the fact that he didn¡¯t just jump headlong into the training area. Instead, he had to take a moment to process the information that Tobs had dropped on him, and thus he chose to grab some weapons and sit alone for a moment while Cynrik was picking his training tools.

    Fifteen minutester, Cynrik appeared back in the Rest Area geared to his teeth with many different weapons. On his right hip was a curved de short sword; on his back hanging over his right shoulder was another short sword, but this one didn¡¯t have a curved edge. Covering each of his forearms were leather gauntlets that housed a forearm length hidden de.

    ¡°You just have to be difficult, don¡¯t you? You couldn¡¯t just choose a sword, you had to choose two, and you even grabbed the hidden des; you aren¡¯t an assassin. Why even do you need them?¡± exasperated Brance shook his head while looking at the gear Cynrik was wearing.

    ¡°Huh? Do you even know me? How could you see not one but two hidden des and not realize I would scoop them instantly? Plus, the dual-wielding shouldn¡¯te as a surprise. Even when we were little, I always used two wooden swords, sticks, or even stic lightsabers when we fought. So there¡¯s no point in trying to learn how to fight from scratch, I¡¯ve got my style, and you¡¯ve got yours, so shut up.¡± Cynrik wasn¡¯t having any of his brother¡¯s criticism. He was going to fight the way he knew how.

    ¡°Now then,¡± clearing his throat Cynrik started exining his training n in detail to Brance, who listened intently. While he may seem stupid most of the time, he would never say his older brother wasn¡¯t intelligent. Cynrik had already analyzed their situation and nned ordingly.

 Chapter 28

    ¡°First and foremost, let¡¯s check out the logistic storage. Based on its name alone, we should be able to find something helpful in keeping us alive. It¡¯s not like we can sense people outside the door like in the show, so we need a way to get back, aside from dying, that is,¡± resting his right palm on the hilt of his hip sheathed sword Cynrik left his brother at the table and walked over to the right side storage area.

    When he got to the doorway, his eyes scanned the room with Inspect activated, searching for some kind of beacon that would allow him to locate the Rest Area. The most significant danger they would face is getting lost and being forced to die to make it back. Judging by how fast his Stamina drained in 10g, if he got caught miles away without knowing what direction to head, the only option he had was to die.

    It wouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem if it weren¡¯t for the death penalty that Tobs had added. But since all of his gains took 24 hours to save, it would be an absolute waste of time if he got stuck in the middle of the endless expanse after a full day of training only to have it all wiped.

    Stepping into the room, Cynrik began sifting through all the different items in the small room. Unfortunately, the bulk of the articles here were mainly training clothes simr to workout clothes and tracksuits, which was slightly disappointing since he hoped to find a particr type of white and yellow battle armor. Eventually, his eyes fell on two wooden crates filled with what looked like palm-sized blue traffic cones.

    -Mana Pylon: Special Advanced Grade-

    -By injecting Mana into the storage chamber, a signal will be emitted for 24-48 hours; a signal will be created with the pylon as the center spreading out in a 50-150 meter radius. The strength of the signal and how long itsts depends on how much Mana is stored in the pylon-

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes lit up as he read the Mana Pylon¡¯s description. This crate and the one next to it each held ten such items. A quick mental calction told him that each pylon could span out roughly 54-164 yards, and since his Mana sense only had a range currently of 5 meters or 5.4 yards, so long as he spaced these cones out correctly, he would be able to make a trail back to the Rest Area.

    Without thinking further, he tossed all 26 pylons into his inventory and met back up with Brance at the table. After spending a couple of minutes exining his findings to his brother, Cynrik decided it was time to start experimenting.

    ¡°Tobs mentioned a stat called Gravity Resistance; you don¡¯t have it yet, but when I got obliterated earlier, I gained it, but that¡¯s not all. When I was under the strain of 10g¡¯s, a second new stat popped up called Body Tempering,¡± with a swipe of his hand Cynrik opened up his Status panel and sent it over to Brance as he spoke.

    : Status :

    : Cynrik Jetlensr:

    : Human Male:

    : Age-7:

    : Soul Age-36:

    : Level: 5 :

    : Essence(XP): 5800/25000:

    : Distribution: 1 Per All :

    : Mana Codex Tier: 1 (Proficiency= 20.0%) :

    : Mana Cycles: 300 (Proficiency= 20.0%) :

    : Mana Circuit Tier: 1 (Proficiency= 20.0%) :

    : Gravity Resistance: 1g (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : Body Tempering: Tier 0 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    ¡°These two new stats are likely linked. So if my theory is correct, instead of increasing our STR and VIT, the grav training should increase our body¡¯s overall defense or something to that extent, making us physically tougher,¡± Cynrik shrugged and looked at his brother for any kind of reaction.

    ¡°Makes sense considering how we don¡¯t have a defense stat. It¡¯s too much to assume that Stam and HP represent our physical defense; they just depict our overall health,¡± with a nod, Brance stood up before cing his shield on his back and his sword back on his waist.

    ¡°Did you notice that we get small boosts from the training weapons?¡± Brance asked after he finished equipping his gear and following his brother to the edge of the Rest Area.

    ¡°Yeah, one specific Stat point per item when I put them on; I also got a new panel, one showing my equipment slots, named Equipment Profile,¡± with a flick thought, Cynrik opened up this new panel.

    : Equipment Profile :

    : Head ¨C Empty :

    : Face ¨C Empty :

    : Shoulders ¨C Empty :

    : Arms ¨C (BG) Training Hidden de x2 (+2 DEX) :

    : Hands ¨C Empty :

    : Chest ¨C Common T-shirt :

    : Back ¨C (BG) Training Shortsword (+1 STR) :

    : Waist ¨C Common leather Belt, (BG) Training Curved Short Sword (+1 STR) :

    : Legs ¨C Common cotton shorts :

    : Feet ¨C Common sneakers :

    :Weapons:

    : Left Hand ¨C Empty :

    : Right Hand ¨C Empty:

    The brothers stopped for a second before stepping off the marble tiles into the open void. When their feet touched the expanse, two notifications popped up p in front of Cynrik.

    -Host has entered the Training Area. Current Gravity = 1g ¨C

    -Hosts will not gain Gravity Resistance or Body Tempering Proficiency in 1g but will have a double increase in Affinity, Codex, and Circuit training.-

    While Brance received four, two of which were the same as Cynrik, the other two indicated he had gained the Gravity Resistance and Body Tempering stats.

    Since the gravity in the first 300 yards was the same as they were used to, they began their trek towards the 2g zone.

    ¡°So¡­what did 10g¡¯s feel like?¡± as they walked, Brance¡¯s curiosity got the better of him, and he asked.

    ¡°Do you remember that spinny ride at the carnival back in our hometown?¡± Cynrik replied while keeping his eyes peeled for any of those so-called virtual creatures Tobs had mentioned.

    ¡°Do you mean the one where you stand up against the wall, and it spins so fast you get pinned to the inside of the ride?¡± the image of a ride called Vortex popped into Brance¡¯s head.

    ¡°Mm, that¡¯s the one. It felt like that on drugs. It made it impossible to not only move but even breathe. I could feel all of my blood drop to my feet, and let me tell you, it¡¯s not pleasant feeling every one of your bones crush to powder. The force wasn¡¯t as simple as just multiplying my bodyweight ten times, and it was as if the space around me was pushing down on me with an insane amount of power,¡± remembering his near insta-death earlier brought a shiver to Cynrik¡¯s spine.

    ¡°It¡¯s better if we slowly limate to the different gravity levels before even trying to go up the scale,¡± as they walked, every so often, Brance would look over his should and check how far from the Rest Area they were. Three hundred yards was the same distance as three football fields, and while the building in the Rest Area wasn¡¯trge, it was still somewhat visible by the time they reached what was estimated to be the start of the 2g zone.

    ¡°Ok, a few more steps will put us in the 2g zone; I¡¯m dropping a Mana Pylon; help me fill it up,¡± with a swipe of his hand, a small blue cone appeared in his outstretched hand.

    ¡°Now I¡¯m not sure how much this thing will eat up, but there¡¯s a little charge meter on the side, so ill dump half my tank into the pylon; you should do the same,¡± as his eyes trained on the charge meter Cyrnik was also watching his status panel as his Mana slowly drained into the blue cone.

    It took a few minutes, but by the time Cynrik finished loading the pylon, it had grown to the size of a standard Earth traffic cone. Not only that, but due to the sudden expenditure, sweat was beading on his forehead. His breath was slightlybored as he ced the Mana Pylon on the floor in front of him and motioned for Brance to start charging it before eventually sitting on the ground to rest a bit before it was time to start training.

    By the time Brance had finished charging the pylon, it had grown to be taller than both of them by a full head. The more Cynrik looked at it, the more he felt something was off about this Mana Pylon. Standing up and cing his hand on its smooth surface, he noticed two thin grooves that ran from top to bottom. Further inspection showed that there were three other sets of tracks running along the length of the cone.

    ¡°AH, that¡¯s what it is,¡± sliding his nail into one of the grooves and applying pressure, the Mana Pylon made a soft clicking noise, and the groove turned into a thin bar that extended out from the main body in a straight line. ¡°Brilliant, with this, we don¡¯t need to see which direction the Rest Area is; we can just point the arms toward the nearest pylon.¡± Putting the arm back down into its slot, Cynrik moved next to Brance, who was now sitting on the ground, and popped out a differentponent before positioning it to point towards the Rest Area.

 Chapter 29

    With the pylon dropped, Cynrik took a deep breath before walking forward into the 2g Zone. When his foot crossed the invisible thresh hold, two notifications trigged simultaneously along with the sudden increase in force on his body.

    ¨C Current Gravity = 2g ¨C

    -Hosts will have a threefold increase in Affinity, Codex, and Circuit training.-

    Cynrik¡¯s face scrunched up with his eyes closed as he stood in ce while attempting to regte his breathing. Brance stood still to his right, focusing on the feeling of two-times Vinestra¡¯s gravity on his body.

    [This is manageable; Tobs, open Stats panel and highlight my Stamina in red,] opening his eyes, Cynrik watched as Tobs followed his request and changed the color of his Stamina from ck to a bright red. Instead of just thinking it to himself, he opted to use the mind link so Tobs would do the same for Brance.

    Watching his Stamina slowly drop the longer he stood in ce, Cynrik opened up a second window with his Status Panel so he could watch the changes to Body Tempering and Gravity Resistance. While watching these numbers change, Cynrik was also counting in his head to calcte the exact gains per second under 2g.

    Knowing his brother was making calctions, Brance took it upon himself to watch for any virtual creatures that may pop up and try attacking. Minutes ticked by slowly under the pressure of the two-times Vinestra gravity, it didn¡¯t take long for both boys to work up a sweat under strain, and before long, 30 minutes had gone by ufortably.

    Cynrik let their Stam drop to 10/160 before giving the signal to step back into the 1g Zone. By moving back only a couple of steps, it was like a colossal weight suddenly disappeared from their shoulders, and soon they were able to breathe normally again instead of in short quick bursts.

    Panting heavily and drenched in sweat, both boys copsed onto their backs for several more minutes; the only sound they could hear was their hearts beating loudly, their heavy breathing, and the synthetic ambient music Odin had put in ce.

    Eventually, Cynrik sat up and began exining his findings. ¡°30 minutes in 2g drained 150 Stam. In contrast, the rewards were decent but kind of disappointing. I won¡¯t bore you with the math, but we are roughly getting 0.002% in Body tempering and Gravity Resistance per second, which brought us a total of 3.6%. But, of course, this is just by standing in one ce; if we were to spar in 2g, we¡¯d be lucky if our Stamina holds out for like 5-10 minutes.¡±

    By the time Cynrik finished exining, Brance was sitting up and monitoring his Stamina¡¯s recovery speed. ¡°Looks like it¡¯ll be 30 minutes in gravity and 30 minutes out. If my guess is correct, it should take roughly that much time to get back to a full tank, so in the meantime, we may as well work on our Affinities while our Stamina recovers.¡±

    Crossing his legs, Brance spun the Mana in his Codex and made a batch of small wind gusts dance around his body as both a form of training and a way to cool off. Cynrik watched this for a moment before sitting in the same position as his brother before summoning two small fireballs and making them chase each other.

    The two had already long found out the most efficient way to train up their Affinities was to use them until their MP was nearly depleted, so by the time their Stam was replenished, they had already burned around 40% of their MP.

    ¡°Threefold gain is pretty good. I was able to get another 3% for my Fire Proficiency,¡± extinguishing the two fireballs Cynrik stood up and patted his butt a couple of times before looking at the imaginary line representing where the 1g zone stopped and the 2g zone began.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with, so I can go back to grinding my Wind Affinity; I¡¯m getting close to 25%, and Dad said I¡¯d be getting my next skill at that checkpoint,¡± Brance took the initiative to step forward first this time.

    They went back and forth like this for several hours until, on the 14th cycle, they both received a notification from Tobs.

    -Your body has started to adjust to two-times Vinestra¡¯s gravity; as a result, the Host¡¯s Proficiency gain in 2g will be halved, as will the amount of Stamina required to stay in the zone.-

    The boys let out victory cheers because, for thest day, all they had done was repeat the same process of standing in ce for 30 minutes, then copsing for a bit before sitting up and training their Affinities. A quick check over their stats showed that they had both hit the 50% mark for 1g Gravity Resistance and Tier 0 Body Tempering rose to 20%. But, that wasn¡¯t all; the two had been able to raise their two auxiliary Affinities significantly.

    The only problem was, they realized they were capped with their growth again. Cynriks Fire Affinity had capped at 10% of Tier 1, and his Wind had capped at 25% of Tier 0. Brance was in the same situation; Wind had capped at 25% of Tier 0 and his Earth at 10% of Tier 1.

    Even more depressing was that neither of them had been able to get their Original Affinities past 5%.

    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day and head back to the Rest Area and get some sleep,¡± Cyrnik tried not to let these percentage caps get to him as he posed the idea to head back and get some sleep. They had spent thest 28 hours straight, essentially only taking 30-minute breaks where even during their ¡°break time,¡± they would still actively work on their Affinities.

    Nodding his affirmation, Brance started walking back in the direction indicated by the Mana Pylon¡¯s extended arm. In the distance, he could still see the golden-domed building, but it was only the size of a small tv in his vision. As Brance turned to start walking, his wrist was suddenly caught by Cynrik. Turning to look back, he quickly saw his older brother¡¯s expression didn¡¯t seem right.

    Brance realized something simultaneously as he saw his brother¡¯s hyper-vignt expression; what he had noticed was the music that had been ying in an endless loop since they arrived in the HBTC had suddenly changed. Without a single word between them, Brance pulled his arm from Cynriks grip and, with his right hand, unhooked the shield from its resting position on his back and drew his sword with his left.

    Cynrik knew something was up because the music had changed from its upbeat synthetic tune to a slow-paced guitar-filled beat. Using his eyes to scan the area around them, he quickly trained in on two objects running towards them from a distance. ¡°Hehehe, the music always changes when there¡¯s an enemy to fight.¡±

    Readying himself for the iing enemies, Cynrik slowly dropped into a fighting stance while his right arm rose behind him to grip the hilt of the sword on his back, and his left hand gripped the handle of the de on his waist. However, unlike the regr grip, like the one he was using for the sword on his back, Cynrik¡¯s left hand gripped the sword on his hip in a reverse grip with his palm facing upward instead of down.

    With excitement stered on his face, Cynrik tried pulling out both swords simultaneously, but to his dismay, Tobs took this moment to crush his dreams.

    ¨C Host is unable to wield two weapons at the same time.-

    ¨C Requirements for Dual Wielding are as follows-

    ¨C Dexterity 50 ¨C

    ¨C Agility 50 ¨C

    ¨C Passive Skill Dual Wield-

    Cynrik re-read the notifications several times before swearing in his mind at Tobs; he repeatedly tried unsheathing both weapons over and over. But, he was met by a force that seemed to be keeping both weapons in their housings.

    ¡°MOTHER FUCKING TOBS!¡± Cynriks¡¯ sudden outburst startled Brance so severely that it caused him to drop his shield on the ground; picking it up just as swiftly as he dropped it, Brance whipped his head to look at his brother and then the iing enemies several times in confusion.

    ¡°What the hell is wrong with you? Take out your damn swords,¡± Brance hurridly scolded Cynrik, who continued to try drawing both weapons only to have them be locked in ce and unmovable. ¡°I can¡¯t fucking Dual Wield; this is fucking bull shit. I ALWAYS DUAL WIELD! Tobs is saying I need 50 fucking Dex and Agi, as well as a damn passive skill. THIS IS IDIOTIC!¡±

    Brance looked away from his angsty brother to see that the enemies had finallye into clear sight; it was two ferocious-looking green grizzly bears.

    Upon looking away from his sword resting on his hip and at the two bears, Cynriks left eye began twitching rapidly. ¡°TOBS, YOU BETTER NOT FUCKING HAVE LOCKED ME OUT OF MY HIDDEN BLADES TOO!¡± Cynrik gave up on his swords in a fit of rage, kicked off the ground with all his might, and dashed at the two bears.

    ¡°THIS BETTER BE YOUR FUCKING WAY OF MAKING IT UP TO ME!¡± Cynrik spat out in a crazed tone as he surged toward the enemies.

    Before running after his brother, Brance couldn¡¯t help muttering, ¡°Of course, they look like Carlisle.¡±

 Chapter 30

    Even though Cynrik was enraged, he still had themon sense to start casting skills. ¡°Haste,¡± his first choice, was to activate his new skill for his Wind Affinity.

    -Tier 0 Wind Affinity Skill-

    -Haste ¨C increases the user¡¯s Agility by 15 points for 3 minutes.-

    -Cost 50 Mana Points-

    Green whisps of Mana manifested around Cynrik¡¯s body as his movement speed nearly doubled. But, that wasn¡¯t all, ¡°Shadow Veil¡± the next skill he activated was the skill he¡¯d shown Brance not long after he awoke his Darkness Affinity.

    -Tier 0 Dark Affinity Skill-

    -Shadow Veil ¨C The user cloaks themselves in a thin mist of shadows to reduce their presence from anything within five levels of themselves. If its user receives, any damage mist will be dispursed-

    -Cost 25 Mana Points to activate, 2 Mana Points per second to sustain-

    Brance¡¯s eyes widened as he watched his brother¡¯s figure speed up and turn hazy. Then, not wanting to lose out, he activated Haste to catch up and took it a step further by using one of his Earth Skills.

    -Tier 0 Earth Affinity Skill-

    -Earth Skin- The user creates a thin skin-like membrane around their entire body made of Earth Elemental Mana, Increasing the user¡¯s Defence by 20%-

    -Cost 20 Mana Points to activate, 2 Mana Points per second to sustain.-

    Brance¡¯s pale skin changed into a rock-like texture as he took things one step further by activating his first newly acquired Light Affinity Skill targeting himself and Cynrik.

    -Tier 0 Light Affinity Skill-

    ¨C Bless- The skill grants up to two targets +10 STR for 5 minutes.-

    ¨C Cost, 25 Mana Points per Target-

    Using three Mana-based skills at once put some strain on Brance¡¯s MP, but, seeing how reckless Cynrik was rushing headlong into battle ¡°Leroy Jenkins¡± style, he took the chance to cast a STR buff on him.

    The instant Cynrik cast Shadow Veil, the bears lost sight of him entirely and changed their target to Brance. Letting out a roar, one of the bears pulled ahead of itspanion and met Brance head-on. But just before it collided with Brance¡¯s shield, it screamed in pain as blood began spouting from the right sides of its maw. Bear One slid to a stop with bloodshot eyes while thrashing its head side to side in confusion and agony.

    Covered in his Shadow Veil, Cynrik had arrived first at the target andshed out with his left arm. During the shing, he formed his hand into a w and tilted his wrist upward, triggering the mechanism on his gauntlet, which extended the hidden de. Feeling his de bite into the bear¡¯s flesh, Cynrik quickly retracted his left arm. Then, while still moving forward, he twisted his upper body 180 degrees beforeshing out with his right arm, making the same motion and dealing a two-hitbo to the bear face before moving on towards Bear Two.

    Brance didn¡¯t miss a beat; the second he arrived at the bleeding Bear One, he violently mmed his shield into the already bleeding bear¡¯s face causing a loud sound to echo in the surrounding area and subsequently gaining Bear One¡¯s attention.

    [I¡¯ll hold Bear One¡¯s aggro while you take out Bear Two.] Using his shield to deflect the bear¡¯s paw, Brance gave Cynrik the go-ahead to focus on Bear Two.

    Bear Two saw itspanion fighting and wanted to rush its aid but was stopped by a stinging pain in both its left side legs; looking down, its pupils shrunk to pinholes seeing blood gushing from its ankles before it lost its bnce and copsed onto its shoulder. Cynrik had used his hidden des to slice through Bear Two¡¯s Achilles tendons forcing it to copse in one strike.

    With a loud thud, Bear Two mmed into the ground and slid to a stop. Without hesitation, Cynrik pushed off the ground with his lead foot, spun mid-air, andnded on Bear Two¡¯s back.

    In rapid session, and without hesitation, he began rapidly stabbing Bear Two in its neck just behind the base of its skull with both hidden des, digging them to the base of the de before pulling them back and stabbing again.

    Feeling the sudden weight gain on its back and the searing pain in its neck, Bear Two roared in pain as it frantically tried to remove the invader by any means. Thrashing about and trying to swat off Cynrik was useless; however, as he quickly drew the sword on his back and jammed it into the same spot, he had been rapid firing with his hidden des.

    ¡°RAHHHHHH,¡± roaring in fury, Cynrik used all of his strength to stab the sword through the tough hide to the sword¡¯s hilt, subsequently severing its spine, silencing Bear Two, forcing its head to the ground, dead.

    The instant Bear Two¡¯s heart stopped, it burst into green particles triggering a chain of notifications for both Cynrik and Brance, but both chose to ignore them and deal with the remaining enemy.

    While Cynrik was dealing with Bear Two, Brance was having a hard time with Bear One. Unlike his practically invisible brother, Brance had to duck, dodge, and block every attack thrown at him. Comparatively, Cynrik was able to kill Bear Two without being attacked once.

    In the time it had taken Cynrik to kill his target, Brance had dealt with over a dozen blows from Bear One, and his HP was steadily dropping. If it weren¡¯t for his Earth Skin, he would have been in worse shape, but the 20% defense buff was holding firm as he moved from blocking or dodging to hacking at the bear with his short sword.

    Soon enough, Cynrik arrived and, just like he had with Bear Two, severed the enemy¡¯s Achilles tendons forcing it to its belly. Then, moving in sync, Brance and Cynrik took the air and struck Bear One on opposite sides of its head with powerful well ced kicks, causing it to snap left and right violently. Next, Cynrik took to the bear¡¯s back and pierced its spine while Brance slit its throat simultaneously. Then, letting out onest sorrowful roar, Bear One joined its counterpart and burst into a shower of green particles.

    Finally, out ofbat, a wave of fatigue flowed into the brothers, causing them to both crumble to the ground. Before the battle, they were already running low on Stam, tack on the 28-hour training marathon; they were exhausted.

    Sprawled out on their backs and staring into the endless white sky, they started to chuckle to themselves. ¡°Take that Carlisle one and two.¡± Cynrik¡¯sment made them bothugh even harder until streams of tears ran down both their cheeks.

    ¡°You seriously hate that bear that much, huh?¡± Brance hadn¡¯t been around for the beginning of Cynriks hatred, and his brother had never gone into detail about why he disliked it so much.

    ¡°Listen, Mother hasn¡¯t tortured you in the same way she did me,¡± thinking about all the endless hours of being forced to sit on the couch and watch that stupid fucking cartoon made Cynriks blood run cold. ¡°Before you got here, every single time she wanted to keep me upied, I was ced in either my bouncy chair, ypen, or on the couch, and guess what was on TV every single fucking time.¡±

    ¡°Ha, sucks to be you; at least now she just puts us together to y instead of making you watch it alone. Let¡¯s check our gains and head back. I need some sleep,¡± waving his hand, Brance quickly sorted through the handful of notifications from their battle.

    -You have killed Level 5 Virtual Creature (Carlisle Clone) x2 ¨C

    -You have gained 200XP ¨C

    -You have gained 200XP ¨C

    -You have gained 0.2 Vitality ¨C

    -You gave gained 0.2 Strength ¨C

    -Haste has worn off ¨C

    -Bless has worn off ¨C

    -You have deactivated Earth Skin ¨C

    Reading through all of the notifications, a feeling of satisfaction overcame the brothers. ¡°Well, Brance, if I do say so myself, I do believe our first fight here on Vinestra was a sess,¡± letting out a smallugh Cynrik picked his tired body up and walked over to help up Brance.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to take some getting used to using cold weapons and magic, but I think it went well. I kinda miss my rifle, though. We coulda dropped those fuckers a lot faster and with a lot less effort,¡± reaching up and catching Cynriks arm, Brance replied, epting his help to stand up.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure there are guns in Vinestra, maybeser rifles or something, but it¡¯s more fun to hack at things with a de.¡±

    ¡°Says the guy who can practically go invisible and assassinate his target; I had to sit there and get abused by the damn thing while you had fun ying ninja.¡±

    ¡°OI, NO. ONE. TOLD. YOU. TO. GO. TANK. BRANCE,¡± the brothers started bickering as they trudged back to the Rest Area.

    Once they finally stepped onto the marble tiles, a sudden thought popped into Brances head. Looking down at his clothes and then over to Cynrik, he just now noticed they were both covered in blood. ¡°Hey¡­uh Cynrik?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡± Cynrik was already kicking off his shoes and taking off his training gear when he stopped and nced over at the motionless Brance.

    ¡°D¡­Does this ce have a shower?¡± only then did Cynrik seem to realize he was covered in blood.

    ¡°Ah¡­I¡­.I uh don¡¯t know.¡±

 Chapter 31

    Explosions rapidly echoed throughout the cosmic expanse, known as the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, as pitiful screams of pain came from a handful of creatures that were being peppered with hundreds of baseball-sized ck fireballs. In thest three months, Cynrik and Brance had kept to their insane training schedule that would cause even veteranbat experts to cringe in horror. The two young children would wake up after only sleeping four hours and spend the remaining 20 hours savagely abusing their bodies every day just to grasp even a tiny sliver of EP or attribute points.

    Their training had been so intense that they had pushed themselves as far as their young bodies were capable of handling. As a result, they could no longer increase specific stats anymore. Neither was entirely sure if Tobs had ced certain restrictions on them or if their bodies couldn¡¯t handle any more power; as such, they could no longer increase their Affinities, Gravity Resistance, or Body Tempering.

    However, these restrictions didn¡¯t stop them from honing their skills. Cynrik was currently in the 3g zone fighting against a horde of green and ck cicada-like virtual creatures. Even without increasing his stats, as mentioned previously, he could still gain attributes and XP from killing the ever-decreasing number of creatures that would spawn in the Training Zones. In addition, Cynrik was adamant about increasing their familiarity with their Affinity Skills. It was one thing to gain new abilities and skills, but it was another to use them adequately inbat. Therefore, for thest two weeks, they had been exclusively ying the role of mages. Every time they came across creature spawns, they would unload a barrage of magical attacks until all that stood before them was a wave of colored particles.

    When the particles disappeared and received their rewards, Cynrik and Brance would charge at each other and spar until they ran out of Stamina or another wave of mobs spawned.

    This never-ending cycle of training would have usually eroded a person¡¯s psyche. Fortunately, in their previous lives on Earth, they had spent months in different warzones, in a state of never-ending stress and anxiety; as such, both of the brothers had a certain level of mental stability that allowed them to tank through their training with ease.

    Upon finishing off the cicadas, the notification Cynrik had been waiting for appeared before his eyes.

    ¨C You Have Leveled Up-

    Even with the constant influx of XP, it had still taken this long to reach level 6. Cynrik broke out into a wide grin as he wiped the sweat from his brow and checked over his Status and then the Stats Panel.

    : Status :

    : Cynrik Jetlensr:

    : Human Male:

    : Age-7:

    : Soul Age-36:

    : Level: 6 :

    : Essence(XP): 0/35000:

    : Distribution: 1 Per All :

    : Mana Codex Tier: 1 (Proficiency= 20.0%) :

    : Mana Cycles: 300 (Proficiency= 20.0%) :

    : Mana Circuit Tier: 1 (Proficiency= 20.0%) :

    : Gravity Resistance: 3g (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Body Tempering: Tier 2 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : STATS :

    : HP 400/400 :

    : Mana 161/161 :

    : Stamina 200/200 :

    : Stat Points- 56:

    : Skill Points- 10 :

    : Strength- 15 :

    : Dexterity- 25 :

    : Agility- 30 :

    : Intelligence- 15 :

    : Vitality- 40 :

    : Mind- 31 :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier 0 (Proficiency= 10.0%): :Expand:

    :(BG) Fire-Tier 1 (Proficiency= 10.0%): :Expand:

    :(BG) Wind-Tier 0 (Proficiency= 25.0%): :Expand:

    Cynrik had figured out rtively early in their battles against the virtual creatures that each type had its corresponding attribute drops. So, for example, the Carlisle clones would give STR and VIT when killed, and the cicadas he had just eliminated would give AGI. This revtion brought out his past micromanaging habits, resulting in him allocating particr creatures to Brance while keeping some for himself. As a result, the two had a rough idea of how they would ¡°build¡± themselves up, with Brance needing more STR and VIT since he had chosen to be their tank and Cynrik leaning more heavily towards AGI and DEX since he opted to be more of an assassin or rogue ss.

    Cynrik had spent his time thest couple of days experimenting with his ck fireballs and had broken through the 5% bottleneck and achieved 10% Proficiency in his Dark Affinity due to the fusion of Dark and Fire.

    While doing this, Brance stayed in the 2g zone, working on his fusions and keeping a certain distance from Cynrik. The reason being he didn¡¯t want to end up leeching the drops from his brother. In doing this, the only downside was neither would receive the double XP buff or shared XP, but on the bright side, the attribute rewards for solo kills were much more lucrative.

    ncing in the direction of his brother, Brance couldn¡¯t help but be amazed at how quickly Cynrik had grasped his affinities. While he had cked off on his Wind Affinity, he had exponentially grown in his control over his Fire and Dark Affinities. The constant bombardment of explosions could be felt even in the 2g Zone, and not wanting to lose out, Brance had also kicked it up a notch, reaching level 6 not long after Cynrik.

    : Status :

    : Brance Jetlensr:

    : Human Male:

    : Age-6:

    : Soul Age-35:

    : Level: 6 :

    : Essence(XP): 0/35000:

    : Distribution: 1 Per All :

    : Mana Codex Tier: 1 (Proficiency= 20.0%) :

    : Mana Cycles: 300 (Proficiency= 20.0%) :

    : Mana Circuit Tier: 1 (Proficiency= 20.0%) :

    : Gravity Resistance: 3g (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Body Tempering: Tier 2 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : STATS :

    : HP 400/400 :

    : Mana 126/126 :

    : Stamina 200/200 :

    : Stat Points- 56 :

    : Skill Points- 10 :

    : Strength- 34 :

    : Dexterity- 20 :

    : Agility- 21 :

    : Intelligence- 10 :

    : Vitality- 40 :

    : Mind- 21 :

    : Affinity :

    :(SAG)Light-Tier 0 (Proficiency= 10.0%): :Expand:

    :(BG) Earth-Tier 1 (Proficiency= 10.0%): :Expand:

    :(BG) Wind-Tier 0 (Proficiency= 25.0%): :Expand:

    GONG, GONG, GONG

    A loud bell tolled, signifying the end of another 24-hour cycle and giving the sign to the two brothers that it was time to head back to the Rest Area. However, today was different than the previous days; after much thought and discussion, Cynrik and Brance had decided to cut their time in the HBTC short by half. Due to the decline in mob spawns in recent days and the stat caps imposed on them, the choice was made to call it a day early.

    Tobs had informed them that due to hitting their physical limits, they had the option of cashing in their remaining time for SP, which was almost an instant win/win situation. While they could spend the remaining three months slogging through whatever mobs spawned, they both felt they had reached their current limits. It was better to tap out early and cash in with the house instead of continuing to gamble and just waste time.

    Upon his return, Cynrik noticed Brance already sitting at the table without his signature sword and shield, so he too took off his severely battle-worn hidden des and swords. Although he had been unable to train both swords at once, Cynrik hadn¡¯t cked off when it came to training with both arms individually; all he had to do now was meet the requirements and consolidate his single-handed techniques into one. Unfortunately, all of their equipment was beaten to hell. Each sword had many cracks and chips, and Brance had gone through a handful of different shields. Nevertheless, their time in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber had been fruitful; what they had achieved in thest three months would have taken them years outside in the real world. With them still being children andcking resources, Tobs and the two Gods had given them a great gift. The only question they had was, why?

    But, just as they had with why Tobs had the name it did, they inevitably gave up on trying to understand how the deities thought. It would consume too much brainpower, and it was also way above their paygrade.

    Looking at Brance, who shot him a quick nod, Cynrik knew it was time to leave the legendary ce they had spent a quarter of a year in.

    ¡± Tobs, we would like to leave the Virtual Training Facility,¡± making his intention known to the system; all he could do now was wait for a response while giving onest look at the ce that had been home for three months.

    -The hosts have decided to terminate The HBTC early-

    ¨C Current time remaining is 2,160 hours or 90 days. ¨C

    ¨C Due to Hosts¡¯ early termination, they will receive 1 Skill Point per day remaining, equaling 90 Skill Points each. ¨C

    ¨C Hosts will be removed from the Virtual Training Facility in 30 seconds; please be advised all rewards received from training will be carried over to the Hosts bodies in the real world; thus, there will be some difort.-

    Picking up on thest notification as a count-down timer popped up, Cynrik¡¯s mouth dropped open, and Brance jumped out of his chair.

    ¡± OI, OI TOBS, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? ¡°Some difort¡± HOW MUCH DISCOMFORT?¡± the response he received stunned him; just as his body started to dematerialize, he heard onestment from Tobs.

    -Don¡¯t be such a baby. It¡¯s not going to be that bad. ¨C

 Chapter 32

    The first thought Cynrik had upon opening his eyes and seeing the ceiling of their familiar bedroom was, Oh shit, 1g makes me feel weightless. The next moment before he could even process his next thought, he was assaulted on all sides by an intense wave of nauseating pain.

    [SON OF A ¡­ TOBS!] as Cynrik was writhing in pain on his bed, across the room, Brance was experiencing the same thing. Months of training and growth were being forcefully merged with their bodies. All of the pain, and exhaustion of 90 days in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, washed over them instantly.

    Cynrik and Brance did their best not to make a peep for over an hour while rolling around on their beds. Covered in sweat and grasping at their chests, all they could do was wish for the pain to end sooner. To them, it felt as if they were reliving every battle and injury they had sustained in the virtual world, and this included any time they had lost a limb or even died. All of this pain was downloaded into their body by Tobs.

    Cynrik and Brance had spected how the transfer of power and stats gained in the HBTC would be done, and what they were currently experiencing was what they had both agreed on as the worst-case scenario.

    One hour became two, and then two became three. If Cynrik were coherent, he would have noticed one month in the HBTC had equated to one hour of pain. However, once the third hour ended, so did the pain, and in its ce was a refreshing feeling, as their bodies began to repair themselves. Cynrik wasn¡¯t sure when he had gone unconscious, but as he came to, he was greeted by the worried visage of Cinyah, who was standing over his bed and anxiously trying to wake him up. ¡°Cyn, Cyn, my baby, it¡¯s alright, you¡¯re ok,¡± grabbing him and holding his head to her bountiful chest, Cynrik could feel her tearsnding on top of his head.

    Expressionless Cynrik tossed a question through the Sibling Mind Link, [How long have I been out?]

    [ording to Tobs, the synchronizationsted three hours, after which I woke up, but you¡­you¡¯ve been in aa for two years.] Brance stumbled through thest bit of his statement as he choked up slightly.

    Cynrik¡¯s mind began rushing as Cinyah continued sniffling, rubbing his back, and kissing the top of his head. [What¡­two¡­years¡­] the scene ying out in front of him was too convincing; swallowing a mouthful of saliva, he struggled out of of his mother¡¯s grasp just enough so that he¡¯d be able to turn slowly to look at where Brance¡¯s bed should be.

    Instead of what he feared, he was greeted by the view of Brance struggling is hardest not to burst outughing. Tears glistened in his eyes as he saw the rapidly shifting expressions on his older brother¡¯s face.

    [YOU UNGRATEFUL FUCKING LITTLE SHIT, WHEN I GET FREE OF MOTHER, YOU¡¯RE GONNA PAY. I AM GOING TO BEAT THE EVER-LIVING HELL OUT OF YOUR STUPID ASS DONKEY FACE.] With elerated breathing and his left eye twitching, Cynrik verbally assaulted Brance using every swear word that woulde to his imagination. All the while, Cinyah was continuously trying to calm herself down, seeing that her boy was alive and well.

    Still fighting back hisughter, Brance decided the jig was up and opted to appease the fuming Cynrik by exining how Tobs had exined that due to the high death count, Cynrik racked up in the HBTC, his body would take a bit longer to adapt. As a result, while Brance had only suffered for three hours beforeing to and eventually going to sleep, Cynrik had seizure after seizure in bed all night before falling motionless, until the time when Cinyah came to wake them up for breakfast.

    Upon seeing her child motionless and unresponsive, she panicked. She had force-fed him potions and small spherical pills for 15 minutes straight before he finally came to. While this was going on, Brance was just sitting and watching; he had already asked Tobs about Cynriks condition and was reassured that he was fine. But, seeing how Cinyah was clearly overreacting, he hatched a plot to torment his brother when he inevitably woke up.

    It took Cinyah several more minutes to calm down before; like a switch being flipped, she started smacking Cynrik over and over on the head, much in the same way she did Rikard, the only difference being it was more like being aggressively patted on the head vs. the full-on violent attacks his father received. ¡°DON¡¯T YOU SCARE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN, I¡­ I thought something happened to you like with little Benny and Gabby.¡±

    Cynrik and Brance tilted their heads to the left in an action resembling twins and squinted in confusion at Cinyahs words. ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s wrong with Benny and Gabby?¡± Finally, Brance spoke up after hesitating momentarily. Benjamin and Gabriel Sanford had lived their whole lives next door to the Jetlensrs. Their parents had been members of Rikards Reaver squad named ¡°AquaViolet¡± for over a decade, so when they had children around the same time as Cinyah, it was a no-brainer to have them grow up together. Benny and Gabby, as they were nicknamed, were the closest thing to ¡°best friends¡± Brance had, so he was concerned, while Cynrik was more concerned about how than the who in this situation. In his mind, Benny and Gabby were just annoying snot-nosed brats that constantly followed him around.

    Unlike Brance, who was a goody-two-shoes, Cynrik really couldn¡¯t care less about the kids themselves but was more concerned about what had been happening in the local area for years.

    ¡°Brancie,e here and sit down with Cyn; I need to ask you both something important,¡± Cinyah had seemingly gotten over the minor incident with Cynrik as if it didn¡¯t happen, which he had found strange. Still, he knew that his mother had the same ocr skill he did, so she could easily see there was nothing seriously wrong and that the exnation could wait tillter.

    ¡°Yesterday, did either of you see or y with Benny and Gabby? ording to their home security video, they were seening to knock on our door at around 4 pm before going back and ying in their front yard,¡± Cinyah gave both boys a stern look as she asked her question.

    ¡°No, Mom, Brancie, and I were ying in the backyard all day, until nap time, then we ate the leftovers you left for dinner as you told us when we woke up before watching cartoons the rest of the night. I don¡¯t remember hearing the doorbell or any knocking.¡± Cynrik spoke up while Brance was trying not to show the realization he was having.

    At that time, the two of them were already in the HBTC training, so they wouldn¡¯t have been able to hear the two kids knocking anyway. ¡°Listen, my babies, after they left our house, they disappeared, so I need you to remember anything you can, anything at all. Do you remember seeing a strange hovercar or hearing any loud noises around dinner time?¡± unable to hide her concern any longer, she began interrogating the two boys for any details at all. But no matter what questions she asked, the two couldn¡¯t give her any answers.

    Eventually, she concluded that the two hadn¡¯t seen or heard anything. After giving them both a kiss on the head, she confronted Cynrik about why he was so hard to wake up, but contrary to what she expected to hear, she was baffled by the seemingly made-up story he told her. Cynrik stated that he had a crazy dream where he was in a big stadium, fighting all kinds of animals, and even Carlisle was there. In this dream, he was riding on the big bear¡¯s back while hearing his mother¡¯s voice echoing all around, but he couldn¡¯t find her no matter how hard he looked.

    Amazed by his brother¡¯s uncanny ability to merge the truth with a load of bullshit into one story, Brance shook his head in disbelief. Even so, he joined in and said he had a simr dream to Cynriks. He had some semnce of what Cynrik was doing here and decided it was best to y along just in case. The two of them weren¡¯t sure what Tier Cinyahs Inspect was, so it was clear to Brance that Cynrik was simply covering his bases just in case she could see their current stats.

    It took some convincing, but eventually, Cinyah told the two that they didn¡¯t have to go to school today because it was canceled, and she left the two in their room.

    The two brothers sat on Cynriks bed in silence for several minutes, digesting what they had just learned. [Are you thinking what I¡¯m thinking?] Brance was the first to break the silence.

    [If what you¡¯re thinking is someone we just know got kidnapped by that shadow organization that¡¯s been acting for years, then yep, sure am.]

    [Cyn¡­ we can¡¯t just let something happen to Benny and Gabby¡­ they¡¯re our friends.] Looking at his brother, who was deep in thought, Brance pleaded to Cynrik.

    [Correction Brance, they¡¯re YOUR friends, not OURS. Regardless, I¡¯ve long since been tired of fighting AI mobs; maybe it¡¯s time to stretch our legs a bit.] A creepy smirk spread across Cynrik¡¯s face as he began formting a n.

 Chapter 33

    After the disappearance of Benny and Gabby Sanford, the news media exploded once again; their disappearances weren¡¯t the only ones in the city, as another six children also were abducted the same day, confirming the initial spections that Cynrik had made. If he were to follow the Modus Operandi that this group of kidnappers had followed up until now, then in 6 weeks, the bodies of Benny and Gabby would appear in a public location, severely malnourished and mutted.

    Back on Earth, Cynrik was obsessed with true crime novels, podcasts, tv series, and even serial killer documentaries. Brance was a cop, but Cynrik had always longed to be a criminal profiler. He might have even turned out to be one if it weren¡¯t for certain¡­unforeseen circumstances.

    He vividly remembered his FBI psych evaluation which ended with him screaming at the tester, ¡°IM NOT UNSTABLE, YOU¡¯RE UNSTABLE,¡± he then proceeded to flip a table while kicking over a chair and storming out of the office.

    That aside, the thought of fighting against a group of serial killers excited him to no end. He could finally live out his childhood dream. Mind you, instead of locking up the bad guys in jail, he and Brance would steamroll them, gaining XP and riches in the process.

    Cynrik spent the next two weeks digging up any information he could find about the serial kidnapper/killers and started formting different courses of action. Unfortunately, before he could take any real action, he was beaten to the finish line.

    The day started just like any other. The boys woke up, ate breakfast, and went to school. Cynrik slept all day while Brance was studious as usual; lunch came and went, followed by recess and then another long nap for Cynrik and more study time for Brance until the final bell rang; after school is where their schedule deviated.

    Unlike every other day, when they came out to the parking lot to meet one of their parents who would pick them up and bring them home, they were met by neither Cinyah nor Rikard. After waiting for 30 minutes, Cynrik made the executive decision that they should just walk home, which was the TOTAL opposite of what Cinyah had beaten into his skull. He waved it off by just saying to himself, ¡°With my strength, what could happen?¡±

    With that in mind, he and Brance started walking home but not before Brance, who was the more responsible of the two, sent a message to Cinyah telling her that Rikard hadn¡¯te to pick them up and they¡¯d be walking home. It wasn¡¯t the first time they had been left hanging by their irresponsible father, who had more than likely gotten too heated in an Egress and waste. Cinyah quickly responded by demanding they wait for her toe to get them, and it was too dangerous, but at this point, neither boy saw the text, and they had already started their trek.

    Things took a drastic turn when they were rounding the 3rd block and only were about 4 minutes from home. After looking both ways before crossing, they walked along the white path while holding hands and looking utterly defenseless. The two young boys had just finished crossing the road when a loud screech of tires was heard directly behind them, followed by a dull pain in their brains.

    -You have received a mental attack-

    -Attacker is attempting to render you unconscious-

    -Due to your mind stat being significantly higher than your attacker, you have resisted.-

    [OH, OH, IT¡¯S HAPPENING WE¡¯RE BEING KIDNAPPED, QUICK PLAY DEAD!!] Hearing Cynriks loud cackle through the mind link, Brance followed what his brother said and closed his eyes while falling into the grass; a soft thud directly to his side showed that Cynrik was doing the same. Lucky for him, since his eyes were closed, he couldn¡¯t see how Cynriks tongue was sticking out of his mouth like a dead deer, or he would have burst outughing at how ridiculous his brother was being and given them both away.

    [KUEKUEKUEKUE, THIS IS GUNNA BE FUN AS HELL.] Cynrik was unusually excited at the moment. It was kind of out of character but also oddly enough in character; obviously, Cynrik wanted to toy with these kidnappers before enacting all the well-thought ns he had made since Benny and Gabby¡¯s abduction.

    [KUEKUEKUE Brance, think of all the XP kuekue, this is gonna be great. OH OHH, LOOK, THEY¡¯RE THROWIN US INTO A VAN, HEY OLD MAN, I DON¡¯T WANT YOUR CANDY AND FIND YOUR STUPID PUPPY ON YOUR OWN.]

    [CYNRIK WILL YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP AND FOCUS,] getting agitated at his brother¡¯s constant babbling, narration, and creepyugh, he had enough and tried to silence him. By activating Mana Sight, he could essentially see everything going on around him with his eyes closed. The only downside was he couldn¡¯t make out the fine details of the men or even the vehicle; he could see their Mana flow, which took human form, essentially allowing him to monitor what was happening.

    Coming down from his natural high, Cynrik went into action. The first thing he did was send a message to Cinyah and Rikard, giving them both a summary that they had been kidnapped but not to worry they could handle it and would bring back Benny and Gabby. Next, he powered down his Watcet, removed it from his wrist, and tossed it into his inventory when the Kidnappers weren¡¯t looking. Next, he instructed Brance to do the same.

    [Ok, the way I see it, we¡¯ve got a couple of options, Option one, act like scared little kids and have them take us back to their base. Once there, we raid the whole thing, kill everyone, pick up your little buddies, and then call in the calvary to clean up our mess.] Cynrik started listing out all the potential routes he had developed.

    [Option two, we just kill all 3 of them right now and say screw the base, forgoing any survivors;] this option made Brance mentally shake his head, disregarding itpletely.

    [Option three, turn on little kid mode and call in reinforcements once we get to their base.] Of the three, this was the one Cynrik liked the least. Option two was also out the window for him; he simply wanted to capitalize on their situation and take down the whole group.

    After considering their situation, Brance agreed with Option one. Brance figured if the two of them worked together, they should be able to handle someone whose level was in the high teens, so he wasn¡¯t too stressed out about running in Rambo style and murking everyone. His only concern was his two friends¡¯ safety and any other children being held.

    [NICE, option one it is. First things first, let¡¯s distribute our stat points.]

    Back in the HBTC, they had already decided on their future paths regarding how their stats would be shaped. With 56 Stat Points having been saved up, now was when they would have to confirm what they wanted to do with their builds officially.

    [Are you sure about going tank? We don¡¯t know if we will have any respecs (stat point reset)] Cynrik prodded onest time since his brother had voiced before that he may want to go warrior instead of the tank path.

    [Yeah, with my Light and Earth Affinities, I¡¯m already half a pdin at this point, so I may as well go Pdin tank.] Brance didn¡¯t bother confirming if Cynrik was sure about his build. All he had ever seen his brother y in video games were assassin ss or rogue characters. It was evident that now would be no different.

    If anyone could hear their casual conversation, they would think the two kids were talking about a video game with how they treated Tobs. Unlike regr people, they hadplete freedom over their stats due to their Distribution of 1 point in every stat, whereas an ordinary person would be limited to 1 or 2 guaranteed stats.

    [ALRIGHTY THEN, don¡¯t spend your Stat points just yet. I¡¯m a bounce over to the RWT real quick and grab some gear for us, I couldn¡¯t find that shack shop before, so I wasn¡¯t able to gear up, but hopefully, luck is on our side today, send me your SP,] Brance mentally nodded and transferred over his 100 skill points. After receiving them, Cynrik gave Tobs the ok to move him to the RWT.

    Choosing his Soul avatar instead of his Vinestra one, he dashed through the bazaar with his head down and arms swinging quickly. It didn¡¯t take long before he ended up in the shady area where he had initially found Saylin¡¯s shop.

    In a hurry, he burst into the shop, startling the shaggy green-haired man. ¡°Saylin, I don¡¯t have time to exin. I need a Tier 0 Earth attribute Shield, two Tier 0 Wind attribute short swords, Two Tier 0 gauntlet style hidden des, and a Tier 0 Fire attribute curved short sword; I¡¯ll also need a skill book for the passive skill Dual Wield.¡± Cynrik hurriedly shouted out to the now confused man. Still, even in his confusion, the man showed the signs of a true professional, immediately showcasing an entire batch of different equipment pieces ranging all shapes and sizes.

    Quickly but carefully, Cynrik began reading through all their descriptions.

 Chapter 34

    ¡°I won¡¯t ask what¡¯s going on, only how much you have on you, kid,¡± Saylin caught on to the fact that the customer was in some situation and needed equipment for some desperate reason. Even though he was known as a shrewd businessman, this young man hadted him a lot of money off theirst transaction, but this alone wouldn¡¯t have spurred him to help out the person standing in front of him. But, just like thest time they met, Saylin had an inexinable feeling that he MUST help out this person.

    Cynrik, on the other hand, was unsure what the green-haired shopkeeper was up to but decided to take a chance. Knowing he needed to get his hands on the gear for the uing battle, he made a split-second decision and pulled out the Poison, Sand, and Wood Elemental Affinity Orbs. Initially, he wanted to hang on to these three orbs, especially since they were all SAG elements, but now wasn¡¯t the time to hold back; he had held onto the Lightning and Metal since both were advanced forms of Fire and Earth which could eventually be put to use by him and Brance.

    But the other elements were passing fancies, so he was willing to part with them. When the three orbsnded on the counter in front of Saylin, he struggled not to scold the person in front of him. ¡®Where the hell did this kid get all of these orbs? He pulls them out like they¡¯re snack cakes.¡¯

    ¡± 150 SP and 400k Credits, that¡¯s the only offer ill give you,¡± Saylin felt his heart tighten up as he shook the man¡¯s hand and stored the three orbs in his inventory.

    Looking over his wares that were strewn across the counter, Saylin waved his hand, and several of the lesser grade equipment disappeared, only to reappear on the shelves from which they originated, ¡°Tell me about these gauntlet des you spoke of.¡±

    Cynrik gave a brief description of what he meant by hidden des. Unfortunately, the more Cynrik spoke, the more confused Saylin became before something clicked in his brain. ¡°Wait, a moment, what you¡¯re describing, are you speaking of an assassin¡¯s tool?¡±

    ¡°If this assassin¡¯s tool is a thin de iid into a gauntlet or bracer that has a mechanism in the inner wrist allowing it to extend onmand to a length of around seven to eight inches, then yes.¡± Cynrik crossed his arms and was unconsciously tapping his forearm with his index finger.

    The room was silent for a moment while Saylin mentally ran through his inventory with narrowed eyes. Then, several secondster, he waved his hand, and a pair of matching gray leather bracers appeared in his hands, making Cynrik¡¯s eyes light up.

    ¡°I think these should work,¡± Saylin carefully handed them over to Cynrik, who immediately tried them on. The matching pair of gauntlets were the most beautiful thing Cynrik had ever seen in his life. Although they weren¡¯t shy or ornate, the simple leather had a reptilian scale-like pattern running the entire length of the outer shell. The inner part of the bracer was secured with two thick straps held with a metal buckle on opposite ends of his arm; one at the wrist, the other a couple of inches below his elbow. But none of these was the focal point; Cynriks sight drifted to a specific part of the bracer. Resting on the inside of his forearmy a metallic device positioned just over his wrist and extended down about five inches towards his elbow.

    Saylin watched as Cynrik adjusted the two hidden des on his arm before he spoke up. ¡°By infusing a bit of your Mana into the tool, it will automatically adjust its size to fit perfectly,¡± with a nod, Cynrik did just that. Like magic, the hidden des shrunk slightly and constricted into his arm, molding to it. Then, with a smile stered on his face, Cynrik balled up his fists and swiftly flicked his wrists back, triggering the mechanism in the tool and forcefully extending both des out of their housings.

    Shink

    The des instantly extended out from under his wrists and extended past his fist around seven inches, with the base being at exactly where his hand bent. Letting out a slight chuckled, he flicked his hand downward and sheathed the des back into their housings before looking back at Saylin.

    ¡± Perfect; I¡¯ll take them; I still need three swords, a shield, and a dual-wielding passive skill booklet, also; if you have any Mana potionsying around ill snag a couple of those too.¡±

    Not wanting to waste any more time, Cynrik used his Inspect and made his choices without hesitation. Since he had been reading the descriptions the entire time, he had already decided which weapons would be the best fit for Brance and himself.

    While he was doing this, Saylin had ducked behind the counter and rummaged through several small wooden chests at his feet, looking for a booklet and potions. Mana potions weren¡¯t rare, but they weren¡¯t cheap either; each held a 10 SP, 10k Credit Price tag, and he only had a handful of them in stock. The Duel-Wielding Skill book, on the other hand, was cheap.

    When he stood up with several bottles and a green booklet in his hand, he noticed Cynrik had already arranged his choices neatly in a row on the counter and pushed the ones he didn¡¯t want to the side. However, Saylin didn¡¯t waste any time and ced six Mana potions and the booklet on the counter with the rest of the equipment before calcting the total cost in his head.

    Once Saylin was done with the calctions, he began listing off the price of everything.

    ¡°Assassins Tools, 30 SP and 40k credits each, Terra Guard 30 SP and 25k credits, the swords are all about the same price, so 120 SP and 90k credits, Mana potions will run you 10 SP, 10k credits each I have six of them in stock currently, and the booklet ill toss in for free. So the totales to 270 Skill Points and 255k credits.

    The price gave Cynrik a certain amount of heartbreak, but now wasn¡¯t the time to dwell on it, so he extended his hand towards Saylin, signifying he epted. Then, shaking the man¡¯s hand with his right, Cynrik raised his left and took the three swords, shield, six potions, booklet, and matching pair of hidden des into his inventory before turning around to leave so he could log out of the RWT. Watching Cynriks back as he left, Saylin couldn¡¯t help but mutter under his breath, ¡°The hell have you gotten yourself into, kid¡­.¡±

    Back in the kidnapper¡¯s van, Cynrik gave Brance the rundown of the new gear he had obtained, and after sensing how pleased Brance was with his new equipment, he couldn¡¯t help but want to pull them out and watch his brother hack away at the kidnappers, but he held himself back.

    [What did you get? You¡¯ve told me the stats on my new gear but not your own.] Out of curiosity, Brance began trying to persuade Cynrik to spill the beans about his own equipment, to no avail. Cynrik just waved him off and said it would be a surprise. This reaction only spurred Brance to continue pestering Cynrik for the next 30 minutes as they traveled further and further away from home.

    Eventually, to alleviate his boredom, Cynrik began singing obnoxiously out into the mind link in an attempt to get his annoying little brother off his case; this worked like a charm. Finally, after the fifth anime opening, where Cynrik was screeching in a high-pitched voice, Brance yielded and begged him to stop.

    [Hehehe, I¡¯m surprised you made it to the fifth song; I figured you¡¯d end up breaking midway through the first one.] Then, hearing the cocky tone Cynrik teased him with, Brance attempted to change the subject.

    [So¡­ how far do you think we¡¯ve gone? I¡¯m sure that CPU of a brain you¡¯ve got can figure it out;] his bait worked perfectly, causing Cynrik to shut up for a few minutes as he ran several calctions at a rapid pace.

    [Based on the size and shape of this vehicle, I assume it¡¯s a hover van, weighing around 6000 pounds, adding in about seven to ten thousand horsepower.] Cynrik paused momentarily as he listened to the engine and winding from the open front passenger window. [Plus, how jitter the car is and the sound of the wind breaking on it, if I had to put a number to our distance, I figure we¡¯ve gone about 500 miles from home. If we plot that into a map¡­.. ]he paused again, bringing up the mental image of a map for the City of Lawton and the surrounding cities and counties he had memorized out of sheer boredom.

    [We should be around two to three cities east of our own. SEE THIS IS THE PROBLEM WITH THIS WORLDS TECH; due to the high speeds of hovercars, this group¡¯s abduction area is absurdlyrge.]

 Chapter 35

    While Cynrik and Brance were trying to figure out how far away they had gone, the kidnappers finally spoke up. ¡°Gal, we¡¯re almost there. Wake the kids up and put the hoods on them.¡±

    A second voice spoke up a few secondster, ¡°The hell? I canceled my Psyonic Nightmare; they should have woken up instantly.¡±

    ¡°AYE, WHAT THE HELL, GAL, YOU DIDN¡¯T KILL THEM, DID YOU!¡± The first kidnapper screamed angrily at the man ironically nicknamed Gal.

    [Shit, we fucked up; I GOT THIS.] Hearing the two of them start panicking. Cynrik put on his little kid facade, worked up his best crybaby face, and started screaming wildly.

    ¡°WAHHHHHHHHHHH!¡±

    ¡°WAHHHHHH!¡±

    ¡°I WANT MY MOMMY, WAHHH,¡± Cynriks acting skills were so good it almost even convinced Brance for a moment before he realized he was supposed to be awake too, and started fake crying but not nearly as well as Cynrik.

    ¡°Big brother, who are these bad guys? Where¡¯s Mommy and Daddy? Sniffle, Sniffle,¡± hearing his brother¡¯sme acting caused Cynriks left eye to start twitching and almost made him stop his cry baby act.

    ¡°SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU BRATS, DO YOU THINK I WON¡¯T CUT OFF YOUR FINGERS AND TOES?¡± arge man wearing a ck robe, sitting in the van¡¯s third row, screamed while leaning forward in his seat, expecting to intimidate the two children. However, his actions only fed the mes further, causing Cyrnik to literally lose his shit as he started thrashing around in pure terror while screaming and trying to climb into the front seat.

    [What the fuck Cynrik¡­.] Brance was absolutely beside himself as he watched his brother il about and scream how he was gonna pee.

    While Cynrik¡¯s act of spazzing out in terror maye off as entirely random movements, to Brance, it was evident that wasn¡¯t the case at all. Each one of his seemingly random convulsions put him closer and closer to the kidnapper named Gal, who was sitting in the passenger seat.

    With nearly perfect maniption of his body, Cynrik reached up and snatched down Gal¡¯s hood, revealing a horrific sight that momentarily made even the fearless Cynrik pause. Instead of a normal human face, what greeted him was a mutted and scarred appearance. Missing were the man¡¯s nose, ears, and lips; in their ce were empty holes that allowed a person to view this man¡¯s Skull. His teeth were ckened as if he hadn¡¯t brushed them his entire life, and some were even missing. Instead of pink human gums, Gal¡¯s were a necrotic ck color.

    Cynriks mind nked for only a millisecond as he went straight back into his act and started screaming wildly, kicking at the passenger seat in an attempt to jump back to his brother¡¯s side.

    What he wasn¡¯t expecting was to be grabbed the second his back hit thefy seat. Catching the iling child, the muscr kidnapper looped his right arm around Cynrik¡¯s neck before he started squeezing like a boa constrictor. Next, the kidnapper leaned right against Cynrik¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°If you don¡¯t shut the hell up ill pop your head¡­ like a fruit,¡± to which Cynrik very quickly shut up and went limp, acting as if he had fainted.

    Feeling the boy¡¯s body copse, the muscr kidnapper let him go and slowly turned his head towards Brance, ¡°You¡¯ll be a good kid and not scream too, right?¡±

    Nodding very, slowly showing clear signs of terror, he shot a message through their mind link to confirm if Cynrik was ok, only to receive ¡°Homies weak AF¡± as a response, nearly making him swear at his psychotic older brother.

    ¡°Good, now put this on and put one on your big brother as well,¡± the man tossed two sets of pitch-ck robes that seemed to be in their sizes at Brance, who quickly put it on before forcefully slipping his brothers over his head without being the least bit gentle. He even snuck in a couple of cheap shots to the top of Cynrik¡¯s head to scold him for his antics.

    ¡°Now then, here¡¯s the deal, you¡¯ll stay quiet, or we¡¯re gonna start chopping things off. When the HoverVan Stops, you will get out obediently and join the group of other children. Do you understand?¡± the Muscr man spoke slowly while still holding an aggressive tone to the now wholly obedient Brance, who nodded and replied with ¡°Y¡­Yes¡­s¡­Sir¡±

    Hearing what he wanted, the man leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, not missing the chance to make fun of the man named Gal, who had clearly messed up big time.

    [Start assigning your stats now; we don¡¯t have much time, and we have no idea what kind of shit storm we¡¯ll be walking into;] Cyrnik had already started assigning his Stat points the second he chose to y dead, but he wanted to be sure Brance was prepared as well.

    Checking the Stat requirements for his gear and making a quick decision, Cynrik began distributing the 56 Stat points he had saved since birth. With each point, he felt power warmly radiate through his body on a massive scale, much like when he killed a virtual creature and got attribute points. While he was slightly unhappy with allocating so many points to DEX, there was no way around it for what he had nned. So he pushed up his DEX and AGI Stats with the bulk of his points to meet the requirements for all his weapons and Dual-Wielding passive skill.

    By the time the vehicle stopped at their destination, Cynrik had ¡°Woken Up¡± and was proudly staring at his newly improved stat panel that would make even Level 15¡¯s jealous.

    : STATS :

    : HP 400/400 :

    : Mana 186/186 :

    : Stamina 200/200 :

    : Stat Points- 0:

    : Skill Points- 80 :

    : Strength- 21 : (+6)

    : Dexterity- 50 : (+25)

    : Agility- 50 : (+20)

    : Intelligence- 20 : (+5)

    : Vitality- 40 :

    : Mind- 31 :

    : Affinity :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier 0 (Proficiency= 10.0%): :Expand:

    :(BG) Fire-Tier 1 (Proficiency= 10.0%): :Expand:

    :(BG) Wind-Tier 0 (Proficiency= 25.0%): :Expand:

    Reviewing his current stats before finalizing his distribution, Cynrik had allocated the remaining points to STR and INT not to let them fall too far, being, after all, they were his two lowest Stats. Still, while he considered them inferior, it was actually where they were supposed to be if he didn¡¯t have Tobs as his system. Cynrik had done extensive research on what an average person¡¯s Stat profile should be and noticed how, at level 6, they would be lucky to have even a single stat over 20. Yet, one look at Cynrik or Brance¡¯s stats, and any person would call foul and scream how they were the stats of someone significantly higher level.

    His new stat profile may not fall into the same category as an Assassin or Rogue, but he felt it fit his wild style well. The added STR would allow his consecutive hits to rack up more damage, while the added Magic power and MP from raising his INT would help him bnce his mana consumption inbat.

    While his brother casually pulled up his hood to hide the wide smirk he was currently emitting, Brance emted him in putting up his hood while also admiring his new stat profile. He had gone for a more bnced approach with his allocations. However, he wasn¡¯t expecting that when he pushed his VIT up to 60, Tobs would tell him he needed to raise his level higher to raise his STR further.

    : STATS :

    : HP 600/600 :

    : Mana 176/176 :

    : Stamina 300/300 :

    : Stat Points- 0 :

    : Skill Points- 0:

    : Strength- 41 : (+7)

    : Dexterity- 35 : (+15)

    : Agility- 25 : (+4)

    : Intelligence- 20 : (+10)

    : Vitality- 60 : (+20)

    : Mind- 21 :

    : Affinity :

    :(SAG)Light-Tier 0 (Proficiency= 10.0%): :Expand:

    :(BG) Earth-Tier 1 (Proficiency= 10.0%): :Expand:

    :(BG) Wind-Tier 0 (Proficiency= 25.0%): :Expand:

    Uponpleting their point allocation, both siblings sent their new Stat profiles to each other and discussed the revtion that a Stat cap was imposed on them based on their level. At level 6, the cap was 60, which meant that it would increase by ten every time they leveled up.

    Once they finished admiring each other¡¯s new Stats, the two of them simultaneously closed their System Panels and observed their surroundings. It had been several hours since their kidnapping and was now the dead of night. While Brance was having difficulty adjusting to the darkness, Cynrik¡¯s Dark affinity gifted him excellent night vision, so he could see the same as if the suns were up.

    The First thing they zeroed in on was the fact that they were currently in a run-down industrial area. Abandoned factories and buildings littered the surrounding grounds. The pavement was cracked and showed signs that it hadn¡¯t been in use for several years, and all of the streetmps they could see were currently burned out, which gave an eerie feel to their lifeless surroundings.

    The burly man in the back seat of the van spoke up, breaking their concentration, ¡°Get out of the van and stand next to it or else.¡±

    The two brothers obediently got out of the vehicle¡¯s safety and stood next to it as they were told before making further observations.

 Chapter 36

    Standing in ce obediently, outside of the van, and waiting for their kidnapper¡¯s instructions, Cynrik and Brance caught the faint sounds of crying drifting in the air. He had already spotted a group of over a dozen children roughly the same age as himself not far from them. Still, he chose to overlook it entirely as he couldn¡¯t be bothered by their existence and only saw them as a hindrance for his XP farming.

    Brance, on the other hand, was struck by sudden rage as his eyes finally limated to the darkness, and he saw the huddled up children. [These bastards, there¡¯s got to be at least 15 kids other than us that have been kidnapped;] Brance was gritting his teeth and clenching his little fists tightly to keep himself from charging at his captors and saving these children. He always believed in doing the right thing, and right now, his conscience was screaming to protect them and kill everyone who caused this. He wasn¡¯t, however, blinded by his rage as he quickly took count of the 27 hooded adults standing menacingly around the corralled kids.

    Noticing his brother¡¯s rage boiling up, Cynrik quickly went to calm him down. [Hey, it doesn¡¯t look good, but we¡¯ll save as many as we can. Don¡¯t let your anger control you. Do I have to start droppingments about the light side and dark side at you?] Containing a slight chuckle, he couldn¡¯t stop himself and started monologuing at his enraged brother about how fear leads to anger, which leads to hate and hate leading to suffering.

    When he finished talking at Brance, he stumbled upon a particr thought.

    [Oh, do you think lightsabers are a thing in Vinestra? You know what? I bet I could pull it off by fusing Lightning and Fire into a type of sma;] even the dire situation couldn¡¯t stop Cynrik from making wisecracks.

    Funny enough, when they were children in their past life, they had spent several years fighting with toy lightsabers, and in fact, this was when Cynrik had developed his unique dual-wielding fighting style. Back then, Brance had difficulty keeping up with the shy, wild attacks, and now he was prepping himself to unleash that same style for real to take lives instead of just y fighting.

    Listening to his brother ramble on about a specific movie franchise from their previous life, Brance was slowly able to steel himself to the sights panning out in front of him. Cynrik was good at that; in his early years on Earth, Brance had a lot of anger issues, and Cynrik¡¯s natural stupidity was always able to calm him down. The current situation was no different. Even though they were deep in enemy territory, he was over there cracking jokes and being his usual weird self, and thus Brance couldn¡¯t help but calm down.

    While the brothers were distracted, the three kidnappers appeared behind them and, with a shove, herded them to the cluster of crying kids. Upon merging with the group, one of the adults spoke authoritatively, capturing everyone present¡¯s attention. ¡°The master has been informed of the 17 new livestock. Finders can return to their quarters while my team brings them to holding.¡±

    Acknowledging themand, 24 of the kidnappers seemed to blend in with the darkness and vanish.

    ¡°Now then, all of you will follow me, don¡¯t even think about running away. Anyone who tries it will never see their parents again,¡± his words caused the already fearful and sobbing children, except for two, to wail even harder.

    Clicking his tongue, one of the men suddenly burst out with a wave of powerful energy, causing all of the children to copse to the ground violently while struggling to breathe. This pulse of energy even caused a handful of them to empty their dders right then and there.

    Cynrik and Brance werepletely unaffected thanks to their Body Tempering and gravity training. Still, as they watched the kids copse one by one, they decided to follow suit and fall dramatically, with Cynrik sticking out his tongue like a dead deer once again. [What the hell was that pressure just now?] Brancemented, feeling the tangible creepy wave of force.

    [Either it¡¯s some kind of Aura, or Killing Intent exists. Unfortunately, we don¡¯t really have anything topare it to other than the gravity training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.] The group of children struggled on the ground until the man stopped the energy, allowing them to stand back up while Cynrik and Brance were calmly analyzing the situation.

    Cynrik and Brance weren¡¯t aware what the man had done was let out only a fraction of the Killing Intent he had amassed by reaping hundreds of lives. In Vinestra, each time someone took a life, they would receive a point into a hidden stat called Killing Intent; once this stat reached a certain amount, it was possible to utilize it into a wave of intangible energy to suppress or intimidate someone.¡±So you brats better listen and follow us. We¡¯ve got a long trip ahead, and you better keep up; stragglers will be ripped to pieces and fed to the dogs.¡±

    And now the story hase full circle. (Refer to events of Chapter 12)

    [Cyn, what do we do with them?] Brance couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the group of crying children who were clueless to what had just transpired. One minute they were being led to this room; the next, those men were gone. What they didn¡¯t know is that in a moment of rity, after killing the men, Cyrnik had quickly summoned up a ck fireball to dispose of the bodies before anyone could see what happened. Since the DarkFire, as Cynrik had named it was pitch ck and didn¡¯t emit much light, the children had only seen the men disappear as both Cynrik and Brance moved too fast for them even to see.

    Looking around for options, Cynrik suddenly realized where they were; what he had initially believed was an empty hallway instead turned out to be a long hall lined with nearly a hundred small jail-like cells. A quick scan with Mana Sight showed him several small, emaciated children upying most of these cells, which filled an area the length of a football field. With a glint shing through his eyes, Cynirk quickly came up with a n he knew his brother would disagree with.

    Letting out a sigh, Cynrik activated his Shadow Veil, covering himself and his brother before informing Brance about his findings. [Don¡¯t freak out, ok;] before Brance could ask why he noticed the dark mist being emitted from Cynrik covering the both of them and then Cynrik vanishing. His disappearance was followed by the sound of several soft thuds as every single one of the children in the group suddenly copsed onto the floor. Cynrik had gone around utilizing his 50 AGI and knocked out the entire group of abducted children.

    [Start moving them into the cells, three to a cell;] Cynrik gave out his order before scooping up two small children under his arms and quickly setting about putting them into a cell. By the time he returned to the group, he had noticed Brance hadn¡¯t moved from where he had left him. [What, do you want to take them with us? Listen, they will only be a liability. Stick to the fucking n, and they will be fine, also stick them in the cells close to us, and don¡¯t venture further down the hall; you won¡¯t like what you see.]

    Snapping out of his stupor, Brance ignored his brother¡¯s words and turned his head slowly towards the long hall as a look of pure horror spread across his face. Then, gulping down the bile threatening toe up from his stomach, he took his brother¡¯s advice and began moving the unconscious children to separate cells. This process only took a couple of minutes toplete due to both of the boy¡¯s Stats being so high.

    Once finished and out of immediate danger, Cynrik finally took the chance to look over all of the numerous notifications Tobs had sent him since the moment of his first kill.

    ¨C You have killed a level 4 Human ¨C

    ¨C You have obtained 100 XP ¨C

    ¨C You have obtained 1 STR point ¨C

    ¨C Tier 0 Mana Codex located would you like to extract it Y/N-

    ¨C You have killed a Level 4 Human ¨C

    ¨C You have obtained 100 XP-

    ¨C You have obtained 1 VIT point-

    ¨C Tier 0 Mana Codex located would you like to extract it Y/N-

    ¨C Host has taken a Sentient Being¡¯s life; the hidden attribute Killing Intent has been unlocked ¨C

    ¨C You have received 1 KIN point ¨C

    ¨C You have received 1 KIN point ¨C

    Once he finished going through each notification, Cynrik broke into a wide grin. Unfortunately for him, Brance happened to see this. It drew a severe reprimand from him. [You better have leveled up, or some shit Cynrik or I swear to god I¡¯m going to beat the hell out of you for smiling right now;] not wanting to get hit, Cynrik quickly sent him over all the pop-ups he had received from Tobs. [A new stat unlocked; also, we now know that killing people gives attributes just like the virtual creatures in the time chamber, PLUS¡­] He held up two small diamond-like gems the size of a United States quarter for Brance to see. [It looks like we don¡¯t have to rip Codexes from people¡¯s chests forcefully; Tobs did the work for me.]

 Chapter 37

    Brance was silent for a moment as he used Inspect on the two gem-like Mana Codexes in Cynrik¡¯s palm.

    ¨C Tier 0 Mana Codex ¨C Psychic Affinity. ¨C

    ¨C Tier 0 Mana Codex ¨C Earth Affinity. ¨C

    [Hey Tobs, what do we use these things for?] Cynrik broke Brance¡¯s focus by asking about how to use the two Mana Codexes.

    ¨C Acquired Mana Codexes have two primary uses ¨C

    ¨C First, they can be absorbed to add Proficiency to the Host¡¯s existing Mana Codex; the amount gained will be determined by the Tier of the external Codex and the Tier of the Hosts. ¨C

    ¨C Second, suppose the external Codex has the same Affinity as one owned by the Host. In that case, it can be absorbed to increase the Affinity Proficiency. This increase will be dependent on Tiers, just like in the first instance. ¨C

    [Kuekuekue, INTERESSSTINNNGGGGG!] Cynrik began his creepyughter once again in the mind link before stopping suddenly and getting serious.

    [Alright, let¡¯s get to business; the harvest shall be glorious. Takes these; it¡¯s gonna take me a second to get my passive squared away;] while speaking, Cynrik pulled out the sword and shield he had gotten for Brance from Saylin earlier before promptly tossing them in his direction.

    Not wanting to look away from the jail cells, Brance extended both his arms and quickly caught the sword and shield before stowing them in his inventory.

    -System has detected two pieces of equipment in the Host¡¯s inventory, unlocking Equipment Loadouts Panel.-

    -Host currently has two Loadouts; they can use to store equipment. These Loadouts can be instantly swapped by essing the respective panels.-

    Tobs¡¯s notification caused Brance to raise an eyebrow. ¡®This is new; hey Tobs, why didn¡¯t we get anything like this when we were in the HBTC?¡¯

    -The Host was in the virtual world; as such, none of the training equipment existed. However, the Equipment Loadout function would not be marked for instation without physical equipment on the Host¡¯s person.-

    ¡®I see; thank you for the information, Tobs.¡¯

    -It is my job, Brance; there is no reason for you to thank me-

    If Cynrik could hear his brother¡¯s conversation with Tobs, he would go ballistic. However, while her voice was still monotone, it replied to Brance without hesitation, unlike when Cyrnik would ask questions. This was mainly due to how Brance never treated his system in the same way Cynrik did. While Brance was polite, Cynrik was demanding and would even constantly harass Tobs.

    Opening up his new Equipment Loadout panel alongside his Inventory, Brance quickly moved the new sword and shield to what he named then named T1, an abbreviation for tank one.

    Once his equipment was ced into the loadout panel, Brance activated his T1 Loadout with a thought, causing the shield to materialize on his back and his sword to appear on his right hip. Feeling the familiar presence of a shield on his back and a sword on his waist caused Brance a great deal offort. Comfort that he hadn¡¯t realized he had beencking since they came back from the HBTC.

    Checking over his T1 Loadout, he studied the description of his shield first.

    -Terra Guard-

    -Tier 0: Basic Grade-

    ¨C ssification: Medium Kite Shield ¨C

    -A shield made from a mixture of Terra Stone and bronze. Terra Stone is both lightweight and durable, allowing it to be easily molded onto a bronze framework. In addition, due to the high conductivity of Terra Stone with the Earth Element, the shield can have Earth Mana channeled into it, allowing for increased defense.

    ¨C +1 STR ¨C

    ¨C + 5 DEF ¨C

    ¨C Ability:+ 20% Buff to Earth Skin ¨C

    The shield itself was the size of Brance¡¯s entire torso, making him look kind of funny when Cynrik saw him equip it for a moment. However, from a visual standpoint, it looked very simr to a bronze kite shield from the game RS, the brothers yed back on Earth. It wasn¡¯t shy or overly ornate, but the simple bronze ting gave it some shinepared to the deep brown rock it was molded from.

    Satisfied with his new shield Brance moved on to the sword he had received.

    -Runic dius (Wind)-

    -Tier 0: Basic Grade-

    ¨C ssification: Republican dius ¨C

    ¨C Basic Wind Mana Infused bronze sword-

    -Due to this weapon¡¯s runic inscriptions, it has been given the ability to channel Wind Mana. While the inscriptions may be low quality, they still allow this weapon to hold a certain amount of Mana. ¨C

    ¨C + 2 STR

    ¨C + 1 DEX

    -Ability: Infusing Mana into the de will allow the user to use the Affinity Skill: Wind sh for half the Mana Cost. ¨C

    Feeling he had a grasp of what his two pieces of equipment could do, Brance closed his Inventory and Loadout panels before looking over at Cynrik, who was sitting cross-legged on the grimy floor of the hall with a small booklet in his hands.

    Cynrik had spent thest couple of minutes staring nkly at the Dual Wielding passive skill booklet. Instead of jumping directly into learning it, he was building up his excitement. Ever since Tobs told him that he couldn¡¯t use the style he wanted, Cyrnik had spent night after night dreaming about this moment.

    He took one final deep breath and ced his left hand on the booklet before calling out to Tobs. [Tobs, just waiting on you.]

    -The system has recognized Passive Skill Booklet: Dual Wield. ¨C

    -The Host has met the requirements to learn Dual Wielding: 50 DEX, 50 AGI, Possess the correct skill booklet. ¨C

    As Tobs spoke, Cynrik noticed the booklet beginning to glow, and he could feel his Mana rapidly declining, making him slightly light-headed. Without panicking, he simply opened up his Stats Panel and watched as his Mana dropped by 50 points before Tobs sent over another notification.

    -You have Learned the Passive Skill: Dual Wielding ¨C

    -Dual Wielding: This skill allows the user to use one weapon in each hand simultaneously. ¨C

    -This skill is not limited to any singr weapon and includes Short Swords, Long Swords, Great Swords, Axes, Sabers, Mace, Staves, Crossbows, Guns, Whips, ils, and Wands. ¨C

    -The user¡¯s ability to wield certain weapons will not be allowed unless their Stats meet the prerequisites. ¨C

    -Users will be unable to hold both weapons simultaneously if they do not meet the Stat requirements. ¨C

    Fighting back a fit ofughter, Cyrnik jumped up to his feet and immediately equipt his two new swords. cing his left hand on the hilt protruding from his right hip and his right hand on the grip over his right shoulder, Cynrik brought up both their descriptions and sent them over to Brance.

    -Sunre Forged Sword-

    -Tier 0 Basic Grade-

    ¨C ssification: Single Edge Curved Short Sword-

    ¨C A de forged with ore from the Nafiro, named Sunre Ore. Due to the Nafiro¡¯s seven Suns causing extreme temperatures year-round, the steel made from Sunre ore can quickly assimte Fire Mana. Additionally, this de¡¯s slight upward curve and jagged point allow its wielder to cause damage with shallow strikes.

    ¨C +1 AGI

    ¨C +1 Dexterity

    ¨C Ability: User can Channel Affinity Skill, Fireball into the point of the de before releasing the attack, increases Mana cost by 20%, and increases range by 50% if fired off the tip of the de.

    Ignoring his brother, who had a massive smirk on his face, Brance¡¯s continued to read the description of the second sword.

    ¨C Runic Iron Short Sword (Wind)-

    -Tier 0: Basic Grade-

    ¨C ssification: Single Handed Short Sword ¨C

    ¨C Basic Wind Mana Infused iron sword-

    -Due to this weapon¡¯s runic inscriptions, it has been given the ability to channel Wind Mana. While the inscriptions may be low quality, they still allow this weapon to hold a certain amount of Mana. ¨C

    ¨C + 2 STR

    ¨C + 1 DEX

    ¨C Ability: Infusing Mana into the de will allow the user to use the Affinity Skill: Haste for half the Mana Cost. ¨C

    Cynrik¡¯s Iron Short Sword had the same stats, but unlike Brance¡¯s dius, which reduced the Mana cost for Wind Strike, Cynrik¡¯s reduced his Haste¡¯s cost. His Sunre Sword, on the other hand, was apletely different subject. Brance gave his brother an unapproving look, clearly feeling ripped off since, from a technical standpoint, Cynrik had better weapons. In the end, all he could do was shake his head and watch as his brother started ying around with his newly equipped sword.

    Brance had named his first Loadout as T1, while Cynrik had secretly made two. He still hadn¡¯t revealed his assassin tools to his brother, but he had already slotted them into their own particr Loadout, one without the swords. Cynrik had already decided to use them separately from his first Loadout, which held his two swords. Subsequently, he cleverly named both Loadouts with what he considered very appropriate acronyms. The sword Loadout was titled SAO, and the one with his hidden des was called AC.

    Chuckling to himself as he named the Loadouts after something that would make Brance spit blood, he nced onest time at his AC Loadout and the duplicate descriptions for the two hidden des.

    -Assassins Tool-

    -Tier 0: Basic Grade(Upgradeable)-

    ¨C ssification: Bracer with Hidden de mechanism ¨C

    -The outer shell of the bracer is made out of ShadeViper hide. ShadeVipers are one of the few creatures to be naturally born with the Dark Affinity, which allows the Assasin Tool to be imbued with Dark Mana. This tool is currently at Tier 0: BG, but it can be upgraded to add additional modification slots for more tools, increasing its grade and potential Stat boosts. ¨C

    ¨C Slot 1- Hidden de-

    ¨C +1 DEX ¨C

    ¨C + 1 AGI ¨C

    ¨C Ability: This allows the wielder to receive one attack without being knocked out of Dark Affinity Skills that hide the user¡¯s appearance or presence.

    Closing his Loadout panel, Cynrik slowly slid out his left leg to the front and turning his body to the right, and bent his now back leg, which was his right. This form was the opening stance for his Dual Wielding style.

    Slowly, Cynrik extended his left arm across his body until his left hand gripped the hilt of Sunre in a reverse grip with his palm and wrist facing up. His right arm went up to the ISS (Iron short Sword) hilt while a creepy smile spread across his boyish face.

 Chapter 38

    [Hehehehe, I¡¯ve always wanted to do this with real swords.] Grinning ear to ear, Cynrik drew both des simultaneously with one fluid motion. Sunre glided across his body in a smooth arc while ISS slid smoothly out of its sheath and pointed up into the air before shing down. At the same time, Cynrik cut through the air with his left hand, flipping the de palm down before making his wrists meet at the same point in an X.

    The fancy sword draw took less than a second toplete and even though Brance had seen these motions countless times in his past life, seeing them done with real weapons was quite impressive. [Alright, stop ying around, don¡¯t you have a n to enact;] with a grumble and frown, Cynrik stillplied and resheathed his des with expert movements. Secondster, they both vanished off his body and went back into their Loadout slots.

    [Sorry, forgot where we were for a minute;] scratching his head and looking around the hall of cells once again, Cynrik activated Mana Sight. Although it only had a range of a few meters, back in the HBTC, Cynrik and Brance had figured out that if they used their Mana Maniption and will the Mana from their Codex to their eyes, they were able to extend their range. The only issue was; if they wanted to extend that range further, the more taxing it was on their Mana pool.

    It didn¡¯t take long for Cynrik to realize that even though the entire building was made of some strange metallic material, it didn¡¯t block Mana signatures. ¡®Small victories eventually be big ones,¡¯ he thought to himself as he swung his head in every direction in rapid session and began counting every signal he perceived.

    Inhaling sharply, he reported to Brance [Shit; there¡¯s a lot of them;] just counting the adult-sized mana bodies, Cynrik spotted at least a hundred different people. Mimicking his brother, Brance had a different response to what he saw. The first thing he noticed was the hundreds of child-sized mana signatures in the long hallway. His face contorted in both anger and disgust before finally being brought back to his senses by Cynrik gripping his shoulder. [Focus, we will save as many as we can; if they¡¯vested this long, they should be able to make it until we clean this pigpen up.]

    Meeting his older brother¡¯s eyes, which were glowing in an aqua radiance because of Mana Sight, all Brance could do was silently nod and clench his fists tightly, causing his knuckles to go white.

    Remembering there was a baddie located somewhere in the building, Cynrik took it upon himself to try and find him but was quickly stumped. After searching around for several seconds, all he could see were clusters of only two or three people. So instead of looking directly at the groups of adults, Cynrik began searching forrger groups that included children.

    ¡®He should have a couple of children in his room, and even if one of the children had died, there would still be residual Mana floating around from their corpses.¡¯

    But whenever Cynrik tried to find any trace of this mysterious boss, he came up empty-handed, and only two conclusions came to mind. ¡®Either He isn¡¯t here, which I find doubtful, or he has some way to keep himself hidden.¡¯

    Thinking on this point, he gave a series of instructions to his brother to look out for. [Since I can¡¯t see anything that could be the boss, either he¡¯s not here, or he has some way of hiding, keep a lookout for a space that¡¯spletely void of Mana, as someone who has been doing this shit for so many years, he must have some kind of countermeasures to block outside eyes.]

    With Mana Sight Active, both boys calmly sat down on the filthy floor of the hallway of the hell-like jail and focused on trying to locate an area with no mana signatures. This process went on for several minutes as the siblings wholly tuned out the misery surrounding them in the form of sobs and cries of pain.

    As the two brothers continued their search for the boss room, things weren¡¯t as calm upstairs. It had been nearly an hour since the group of men had taken the new arrivals to their cells, and it had been radio silence from them since they went downstairs. Even though all of the kidnappers involved were ves of the mysterious boss, the outfit was highly organized, and if someone didn¡¯t check in on time, the chain ofmand would notice. This is what was currently happening in an office several stories above the underground holding area.

    The dimly lit office was so far the tidiest ce in the whole facility, and a middle-aged man was sitting at arge mahogany desk wearing the same ck robes the boys had seen earlier. This man was known as Myer; he was the ve in charge of moving the children from the cells to the Master¡¯s bedroom, where he would torture, defile, and then either kill the children or send them back. It was his job to ensure that they stayed in one piece if the kids were in transit. What was supposed to happen is when Fang dropped off the kids, he was supposed to report back and inform him of the number of livestock procured.

    Looking at his watch and then the ledger on his desk, he should have heard back 15 minutes ago. Since the scheduled check-in time had passed without any updates, Myer knew something was up. Although it wouldn¡¯t be the first case he had seen of a ve taking liberty with the Master¡¯s toys, it wasn¡¯t Fang¡¯s prerogative to do so; thus, he began organizing his thoughts and going through several options he could enact in such a case. Pulling out an ancient-looking Watcet, Myer notified a team of seven people to head down to the cells and find out what was going on.

    Back in the cells, Cynrik was the first to notice the movement of seven Mana signatures. [It seems like we¡¯ve gotpany. When they are in range, I¡¯ll use ShadowVeil, and we can ambush them.]

    Taking onest look around, Cynrik pointed to a spot near the stairs out of sight from where the enemies wereing.

    Without saying another word, Brance swapped to T1 and knelt in the dark corner with his shield drawn and sword resting on top of it.

    While Cyrnik positioned himself at the opposite side of the hall, he caught Brance giving him a strange look. [Why haven¡¯t you taken out your swords yet?] It was unlike his older brother to be going intobat unarmed, even more so now that he had finally gotten his Dual Wielding skill.

    Knowing he only had a few seconds, Cynrik stood with his back against the wall and pulled up his hood before starting his monologue,

    [Where other men blindly follow the truth, remember, Nothing is true.]

    Tap, Tap, Tap,

    As the sounds of footsteps drew closer, Cynrik activated ShadowVeil causing both him and Brance to fade into the darkness.

    [Where other men are limited by morality orw, remember, Everything is permitted;] continuing his speech to his brother, the voices of the enemies came into earshot.

    ¡°YO, FANG THE HELL IS TAKING YOU SO LONG.¡± The first hooded figure reached the bottom of the stairs only to be met by the wails and cries of the captive children. Moving forward, he clicked his tongue and surveyed the surrounding cells looking for the team whose job it was to deliver the livestock to their pens. He swiftly moved from cell to cell, looking in each one along the way and after a few, moved back to the stairs, where he regrouped with the other members of his team.

    All seven of the hooded figures congregated together and moved as a group down the long hall, eventually passing the hidden Cynrik and Brance.

    Cynirk was calmly watching the men as they went by without any expression, Brance; on the other hand, it was a different story. He was repeatedly clenching his right hand around the shield¡¯s handle, trying to keep himself calm as he listened to the group of men disgustingly converse about the children. He could hear them saying the vile and inhumane things they wanted to do to both little boys and girls. Each word spoken spoke was like gasoline on his rage, even for someone like him who had seen unspeakable things in his past life. It was taking every bit of his willpower to keep from jumping at the group and tearing them to pieces. Still, he had to hold out until he got the signal from Cynrik.

    When push came to shove, Cynrik was always able to keep level-headed. It was as if what was happening around had nothing to do with him, be it in events such as family funerals or bar fights; Cynrik had always been overly calctive and emotionless in these moments.

    The situation they were in now wasn¡¯t any different. Cynrik seemed utterly unaffected by the horror right in front of him and only saw the potential mary gains. Sometimes he was even thankful for his brother¡¯s heartless and carefree attitude.

    As the two watched from their respective corners, Cynrik finished the monologue he had always wanted to say.

    [We work in the dark to serve the light. We are Assassins;] as the final word hit the mind link, Cynrik swapped to his AC Loadout and dashed forward.

 Chapter 39

    [NOW!] Giving themand, the brothers emerged from their positions and fell upon the targets nearest to them with a burst of speed. Even though several dozens of feet had opened up between them and their targets, Cynrik and Brance¡¯s AGI stats propelled them quickly to their destination.

    Hidden by his ShadowVeil, Cynrik mmed down his arms, extending both hidden des simultaneously, and kicked off the ground taking to the air a couple of meters behind his opponents. Hurtling through the air silently, his eyes locked onto the backs of the first two targets¡¯ heads, and with pinpoint uracy, stabbed his des clean into the backs of their skulls. Neither man knew what hit them as their worlds faded to darkness without a sound.

    Using his forward momentum, Cynrik gripped the back of his backs of the now-dead opponent¡¯s heads and pushed their lifeless bodies forward before mming them face-first into the ground, making a loud spat as their faces caved in. Just before he made contact with the ground, Cynrik flicked both wrists down, retracting his des, and swiftly switched his Loadout to SAO. Then,nding on his toes quietly, in one fluid motion, he rolled forward while drawing Sunre from its sheath in a reverse grip and shed towards his third opponent just behind his kneecaps, severing both of his legs.

    While Cynrik was dealing with his first two targets, Brance, who was only a few steps behind him, had jumped into the air as well. However, instead of a fancy assassination, he drew his dius and infused 20 points of Mana into it before using Wind sh on his target, who just happened to be the man standing directly beside the person getting his legs cut off by Cynrik.

    From right shoulder to left hip, Brances attack effortlessly tore through the man¡¯s torso before petering out of existence. Then, not bothered by what was about to happen, Brance dove through the two severed parts of the enemy, causing blood to drench his entire body as he tucked in and rolled upon impact with the dusty ground.

    Just as Brancended, Cynriks third target screamed in agony as he fell backward, iling his stumpy shinless legs the whole way down, which in turn sent a shower of blood in every direction. When the shinless man impacted the ground, his eyes widened in terror as he watched a young boy stab him directly in his heart with a ming sword. The final thing he saw was the ghastly grin on this child¡¯s blood-painted face¡­then darkness.

    By that time, Cynrik had already deactivated ShadowVeil to conserve Mana for the duration of the Operation. Unfortunately, the little stunt with his sword had drained 30 MP; if you include the cost of keeping ShadowVeil Active, Cynrik was left with under 100 MP.

    Thanks to Cynrik¡¯s third kill¡¯s scream, the remaining three hooded men were alerted to what was happening, but luck wasn¡¯t on their side.

    Moving in sync, the brothers dashed forward to continue their massacre and attacked the second group of opponents. Letting Brance take the lead as they had rehearsed a thousand times in the HBTC, Cynrik fell in line behind his brother before reaching up and drawing ISS from over his shoulder. At the same time, Brance brought his shield up to just below his nose and, using it as a battering ram, mmed through the three remaining enemies, sending them all back like bowling pins being hit by a child-sized bowling ball. Although none of them fell over, they were all thrown off bnce; taking this chance, Cynrik juked out from behind Brance and jumped into the air once again, hurtling himself towards the person to the group¡¯s right.

    Twisting his body in the air like an acrobat, Cynrikshed out with his right arm, which held his ISS targeting his new enemy¡¯s head. Seeing this, the man finally reacted, drew his sword out from his Inventory, and dodged the merciless child¡¯s attack.

    A few meters away, while Cynrik was shing with his opponent, Brance was in a 2v1 situation. The two remaining hooded men had finally recovered and were fighting back. One man was using a in-looking ck dagger to attack Brance¡¯s vital areas rapidly. In contrast, the remaining hooded man was so horrified by what he saw that he was muttering to himself in terror as he slowly backed away frombat.

    Although the man was swiftly delivering attack after attack, it was within Brance¡¯s abilities to handle, and he casually deflected each one with his shield. Seeing this out of the corner of his eye Cynrik turned his full attention to the man he was fighting. Several cuts had appeared in the man¡¯s robe as they had gone through over ten rounds ofbat. Unfortunately for the hooded man, he couldn¡¯t seem tond a single hit on the small demon of a child he was fighting, while the devil was able to hit him seemingly at will. While each cut was shallow and didn¡¯t cause much pain or damage, it was starting to add up, and he could feel his robe was now slick with blood. Seeing that his opponent was losing focus, Cynrik capitalized on this opportunity and lunged forward, using his ISS to deflect his sword, and thrusting his Sunre directly into the man¡¯s eye socket.

    As Cynrik was moving in for his kill shot, Brance had put several meters of distance between himself and his opponent. Then, twisting his body to the right and wrapping his shield in Wind Mana, heunched it directly at his target¡¯s neck, much in the same way a specific American-basedic book hero throws his shield. Completely caught off guard by the attack, the man stood there like an idiot as the shield hurtled towards him¡ªCynrik and Brance¡¯s attacks connected simultaneously. Cynrik had imbued his de with his Fire Affinity at thest second, so upon connecting with the man¡¯s head, it burst into mes; unfortunately, the man had no idea what had hit him as he had died the instant his brain was pierced. While Brance¡¯s target¡¯s head was severed and he watched in horror as he floated away from his own body.

    One minute thirty seconds was precisely how long it had taken for the siblings to eradicate a total of six people. Watching the events unfold covered in urine and feces, the final hooded man copsed onto his butt. He started kicking at the ground in panic as the two demonic children turned at the same time and looked fiercely in his direction.

    ¡°Ah mannnn your guy died first,st ones all yours, brother,¡± ignoring the coward on the ground in front of him, Cynrik spoke up in a dejected manner.

    In Fact, Cynrik¡¯s opponent had actually died first, but he figured he would toss thest one to his brother anyway since it was apparent just how upset at the whole situation Brance was. That and he had already gained a higher kill count.

    Arm still extended after throwing his shield. Brance gave a short nod in reply while swiftly bending his right arm towards his shoulder, using his Wind affinity to bring back his shield, and caught it before slowly stalking towards the final opponent.

    To Cynrik, what he was watching was quiteical. Brance was only six years old, but this 6-year-old was covered from head to toe in the blood of his foes and carrying a shield that was bigger than his whole upper body. While Brance began to subjugate and torture the final opponent, Cynrik took this chance to check his gains. Whistling a little tune, he scrolled through several notifications from Tobs while the continuous sound of meat on shield became the apaniment to his whistling.

    -You have killed a Level 5 Human-

    -You have obtained 200 XP-

    -You have obtained 1 AGI point-

    -Tier 0 Mana Codex located would you like to extract it Y/N-

    -You Have Killed a Level 5 Human-

    -You have Obtained 200 Essence-

    -You have obtained 1 STR point-

    -Tier 0 Mana Codex located would you like to extract it Y/N-

    -You Have Killed a Level 5 Human-

    -You have Obtained 200 Essence-

    -You have obtained 1 MIND point-

    -Tier 0 Mana Codex located would you like to extract it Y/N

    -You have Killed a level 6 System Host-

    -You have Obtained 300 Essence-

    -You have obtained 2 DEX points

    -Tier 1 Mana Codex located would you like to extract it Y/N-

    -You have received 4 KIN points-

    Scanning through the notifications, clicking yes on all the extraction requests, and checking his Stat panel, the blood-soaked Cynrik smiled gleefully, creating a very sinister appearance to anyone who would have seen it. ¡°OI Hurry up so we can prep for the next group; I¡¯m sure once they notice these guys missing, more wille,¡± Cynrik said as he nced around above him with Mana Sight.

    Taking note of the mass of Mana Signatures congregating above him, Cynrik shifted his attention to his brother. Thetter was still standing over the corpse of the final hooded person. [You good?] Even though Cynrik had known his question had an obvious answer, he found himself unable to stop it from entering their mind-link.

    With a sigh for a response, Brance nodded while kneeling by the dismembered corpse, searching for something amongst the pile of body parts. This sudden action caused Cynrik to tilt his head like a puppy as he hadn¡¯t realized what Brance was looking for.

 Chapter 40

    Brance stayed silent as he stood back up and held up a small brass ring. Looking curiously at the ring in his bother¡¯s hand, the synapses in Cynrik¡¯s brain began to link up at lightspeed. Recognizing what the ring was, Cynrik instantly got up and started moving from corpse to corpse collecting simr rings. Of course, they weren¡¯t all the same color as the one Brance had, but each one had the same function.

    He had overlooked a simple fact and was mentally beating himself up for it each time he collected another ring. Although everyone in Vinestra had ess to a system-based inventory, it didn¡¯t necessarily mean their Inventory had unlimited space. Generally, people would want a way around this w; these items Cynrik was collecting were exactly that workaround. Between technological advancements and the magic-like abilities of Elemental Affinities, humanity eventually created small equipment that could store a small dimensional space within them. This equipment came in a nearly infinite amount of wearable fashions, but the most generic one happened to be Pocket Rings or, being the weeb he was, Cynirk just called them spatial rings.

    Quite flustered by his oversight Cynrik bounced around like a small rabbit and within a few seconds had collected all six of the remaining rings and stored them in his Inventory. [Good catch. Ipletely forgot these things existed. I¡¯ll hold onto your share until we get out of here, so stuff that one in your Inventory. We will sort out their contentster.]

    Brance gave his older brother a strange look; he couldn¡¯t help but be confused about how he hadpletely overlooked the existence of Pocket equipment, Tv ads for them ran every othermercial. Still, instead of dwelling on it, he chose to keep his focus, for he had noticed the over twenty Mana Signatures that were racing towards them. [What do you wanna do with the bodies, Cyn?]

    Clicking his tongue, Cynrik didn¡¯t answer right away and instead took a moment to look over their handy work. He was proud of how far they hade. Staring out over the seven corpses and pools of blood, he realized this was their first time in actualbat since they had been reincarnated. HBTC aside, they had grown up fighting with a multitude of replica swords on Earth. Now, here they were fighting with REAL swords, not the virtual ones. Although the HBTC could replicate everything to near perfection, there was still a fundamental difference between fighting in there and fighting in the real world.

    The two of them had grown up in the 90s, and early 2000s, an era known for its action anime shows about wandering swordsmen or even Shinigami who wielded swords; there were even multiple films about sword fighting as well.

    Watching these series and films, Cynrik and Brance had spent the bulk of their childhood emting the fighting styles they watched. The two had spent countless hours in the backyard flinging around stic or wooden swords; as they got older, they would move from the ground while fighting up to their trampoline and bounce around while fighting in the air. This was all done while in bodies no bigger than the ones they currently had, the only difference being theirck of the Tobs. This form of y fighting carried on well into their adulthood, as they moved away from using cold weapons; instead, they started learning different types of hand-to-hand martial arts. Over time their y fighting was slowly transformed into unique fighting styles.

    Ever since they had reincarnated into Vinestra, they had spent their nights training these same fighting styles, be it shadow sparring or just wrestling around in their room; it couldn¡¯t be said they were only training their Affinities. If you add all the physical enhancements induced by Tobs, they could be on par with adults regardingbat experience. Cynrik and Brance had tirelessly nned and devised different ways to integrate their Affinities and stat boost into said fighting styles. Their time in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber only escted things further.

    Where before they couldn¡¯t go all out, in the HBTC, they couldn¡¯t even really die; this allowed the two to put themselves to the test and see how far they could go. Their theories became fact, as they reworked over and over how to move their bodies with their stat increase effectively while integrating all their previous knowledge, turning what they once only viewed as fantasy into reality. The result of all this training was the seven corpsesying feet away.

    [That went better than we could have imagined, alright, get back in ce; we¡¯ve got another batch of mobsing;] dusting himself off and using his ck rob to clean the blood off his face; Cynrik moved back to his hidden corner. Following suit Brance, moved back opposite of his brother into his one hiding spot.

    Once in ce, Cynrik pooled up a little mana and shot out several miniature ckFire balls towards the tracks they created since they were covered from head to toe in blood. When the fireballs came in contact with these childish footsteps, they disintegrated immediately, effectively removing the trail they had created while walking to their corners.

    As thest footprint vanished, Cynrik snapped his fingers, extinguishing the mes, and pulled up his Stats to check his Mana consumption. As expected, he had drained his Mana pool down to only 40 points. ¡®I need to get better at micromanaging my MP. It¡¯s still too low to go wild.¡¯ Heaving a sigh, he pulled out one of the six Mana potions he had bought from Saylin.

    Instead of what he expected from a fantasy world, the clear liquid potion wasn¡¯t stored in a ss sk. Instead, what Cynrik was holding was no different from a mini water bottle from Earth, only instead of spring water, it contained a solution that would instantly recover 120 MP.

    Brance watched as Cynrik unscrewed the white stic lid and sniffed the Mana potion hesitantly. Earlier, when Cynrik had tossed him his sword and shield, Brance found three simr bottles on top of his shield. But, unlike Cynrik, Brance was significantly better when it came to managing his Mana expenditures, so at the moment, he was still close to a full tank when it came to his MP.

    After sniffing the potion several times, Cynrik tossed his head back and downed the whole bottle in one gulp before burping loudly. [Yum, tastes like bubblegum;] feeling the fluid reach his stomach, a warm sensation spread out through his body before reaching his Codex.

    -You have consumed a Basic Grade Mana Potion-

    -You have recovered 120 Mana Points-

    Cynrik read the notifications nkly, sighed softly, and shared the information with Brance. [Welp, that was prettyckluster.] Brance scoffed at his brother¡¯s antics and continued monitoring the situation above them.

    Upstairs, Myer led arge team of ves down to the cells. Less than five minutes had passed since he received a distress signal from the group leader he sent downstairs. Unfortunately, before he could get any reliable information, the beacon went dark, indicating the person had died. In a short time, an entire team of seven ves had been killed. The only thing he was sure of at that moment was that they would be up against some unknown entity.

    Back downstairs, with bated breath, the two boys watched as a total of 23 Mana Signatures of all different colors were making their way towards them.

    Cynrik quickly recognized that these people were stronger than the previous group solely based on the strength of the Mana fluctuations radiating off their Codexes. The stronger a person was, the more intense their Mana signatures would appear in his Mana Sight. So to fill the time it took the enemies to appear, he was shuffling about quietly, warming up his joints for a real battle, while Brance was doing something simr. Theirst fight was too quick and unsatisfying for Cynrik, so he was getting pumped up.

    Cynrik observed the new arrivals as they slowly made their trek down the stairs at a quickened pace. The closer they got, the more precise the Mana fluctuations became and the more tense Cynrik got.

    Making eye contact with Brance, who was radiating an antsy demeanor simr to himself, Cyrnik quickly reevaluated his n. Severely outnumbered and out leveled, Cynrik could onlye to two conclusions. First, they could bank heavily on being underestimated due to their age and try pulling off the previous strategy, or option two was to slip off up the stairs stealthily.

    [Brance, listen, even if we ignore the level difference here, we are still severely outnumbered; I¡¯m counting over 20 of these guys, while thest group only had seven. If we try ambushing them in these close quarters, not only will we get surrounded, but I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t like to identally kill a kid or two as coteral damage.]

    TAP TAP TAP

    Hearing the myriad of footstepsing from the stairwell, Cynrik made his decision and activated ShadowVeil, covering himself and Brance, [wait for them to go near the bodies, then we dash up the stairs.] Shaking his head in defeat, Brance could only agree to the tactical retreat and looked down the hall of cells onest time, just as the first wave of enemies stepped off the stairs.

    ¡°Spread out and move as one¡± The man in charge began barking out orders with a raspy voice as he saw the corpses of his formerckeys.

 Chapter 41

    Back in the City of Lawton, Cinyah and Rikard were nervously pacing around their living room, surrounded by Local Law enforcement officials. Every person in the room had a solemn look as they watched the two nervous parents pacing back and forth; it had to be known that neither Rikard nor Cinyah was to be considered a no-name Citizen. Aside from the fact, they were both C Rank Reavers, Rikard came from a strong background. The Jetlensr bloodline was considered one of the top upper-ss families. In contrast, Cinyah, although she had a falling out with her family, hade from a very well-known high ranked Military family.

    While the two of them preferred their quiet life, a single message from their oldest son had sent both of them into a full-blown panic. Rikard, who was in an Egress when he received Cynrik¡¯s text and a subsequent call from Cinyah, had burst out all of his Killing Intent. His Killing Intent caused not only his team but even the monsters surrounding them to copse to the ground due to the immense pressure he was generating; then, in a rage, he eviscerated every single one of the monsters before disappearing on the spot. Moving as fast as his body and Wind Affinity would allow, he made it home within 15 minutes only to find his wife on the floor crying.

    Her appearance was far removed from the fierce lioness she was known to be in the Reavermunity. Right now, she was simply a grieving mother who was facing the abduction of both her children. The moment Rikard opened the door and saw his wife, he dashed forward and wrapped her in his embrace. The two stayed like that for several minutes before Rikard broke it off and called a friend of his in the Enforcers, the primaryw enforcement group in Lawton City.

    Not long after the call, eight Enforcer cruisers were floating silently over the Jetlensr¡¯s house. Each of these cruisers was over 45 feet long, and if Cynrik could see them, his first thought would be, ¡°OH MY GOD ARE THOSE FUCKING SPACE BATTLESHIPS,¡± to which he wouldn¡¯t be wrong. Enforcer Cruisers were personalized battle vehicles equipped with space travel capabilities while having the appearance of a cross between a high-tech military battleship and a fighter jet.

    After their arrival, Cinyah had set about serving tea to the handful of high-rank officials while Rikard filled them in on what was happening. He had left out his son¡¯s message and instead went with the story that he had suddenly lost connection with his children¡¯s Watcets after noticing them move at speeds too quickly for a child to move outside the city.

    ¡°Mr.Jetlensr, we have tried tracing your children¡¯s Watcets, but the results aren¡¯t great. We lost the trail roughly 100 miles east of the city. I don¡¯t want to rm you, but this seems to align with several hundreds of previous cases that have popped up in recent years and none of¡­¡± before the Enforcer could finish his statement, a teapot whizzed past his head and smashed against the wall behind him.

    ¡°I FUCKING DARE YOU TO FINISH THAT STATEMENT. MY BABIES ARE ALIVE; WE WILL FIND THESE BASTARDS WITH OR WITHOUT YOUR FUCKING HELP!¡± A fierce fire swirled violently around the enrage Cinyah, who had hurled the still half full teapot at the man¡¯s head.

    Stepping forward and using his Wind Affinity to control his wife¡¯s mes from hurting anyone, Rikard calmly ced his hand on her shoulder to calm her down. While she had lost a significant amount of her former power, she was still well above the average strength of the Enforcers in the room, the strongest one still being several levels below his pissed-off wife.

    Seeing the mes recede, Rikard looked at the terrified Enforce and spoke up, ¡°Thank you foring so quickly Kaleson, I apologize for my wife¡¯s outburst, but we have already assumed THAT group was involved. I only called you here to report it as well as to see if you¡¯d be able to trace my children¡¯s Watcets; please keep us posted if you find anything out.¡±

    Standing up and bowing at the aggrieved couple, the Enforcer named Kaleson apologized for his earlier words and ensured the Jetlensr couple that they would spare no expense to find their children, motioning his men to leave.

    Watching from the front door, Rikard couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists tightly as he saw the Enforcer cruisers leave the local airspace. The only reason he had called them in the first ce was to hopefully pick their brains about the inhumane beasts that had abducted his children. But, unfortunately, they had held their cards close to their chests and gave up nothing to the C-Ranked Reaver.

    Rikard knew what he had to do next, but if he went through with what he was nning, it would undo all the hard work he and Cinyah had done to stop them from ever finding out about their children. Ten years ago, both Rikard and Cinyah had left their families and run off to Lawton to live a peaceful life. They were tired of the brutality and politics they had lived through and only wanted to start a family together away from the bullshit they had grown up with. Unfortunately, the trials and tribtions from being a part of well-known families were even more intense than any war. Day after day of insane training they had been put through aside, each of their families was wrought with fierce infighting and overbearing hatred. It was no better than being in a medieval noble family. Each family had its factions vying for more power than the other, which could turn children against their parents in an instant. Rikard and Cinyah had both witnessed their siblings killing each other only to gain the acknowledgment of the faction they wanted to join.

    When they first fell in love, both Cinyah and Rikard were forcefully engaged to other people. To escape these arranged marriages and escape their futures as sacrificial pawns for their respective families, they had run away together.

    In this world, the more influential the family was, the more fierce the contention for resources. Cinyahs Family, the Evasden¡¯s, were a well-known high-ranking military family who had single-handedly controlled dozens of Alpha Egresses for hundreds of years, while Rikard¡¯s family held a multitude of Alpha and Beta Egresses. The sheer amount of resources these two families had was enough to put them at the top of the countries rankings, and as the saying goes, the rich only aim to get richer. Themunity formed by such means was something neither Rikard nor Cinyah wanted their children to grow up in. They had gone to great lengths to remove themselves from the view of their families, and yet here, Rikard was about to undo the many years of hard work they had put in.

    With his head hung low, he slowly closed the front door and walked to the couch, where his wife sobbed softly. Seeing her husband¡¯s bodynguage, she too hade to the same conclusion they were both dreading.

    Taking his ce beside his wife, Rikard buried his head in his hands. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know what to do, my beloved.¡± His voice wavered as he struggled toplete the sentence.

    Gently Cinyah reached out and took her husband¡¯s hand in her own. ¡°We can only have faith that the boys are ok. From Cynriks¡¯s message, he was fully aware of what was happening, and he didn¡¯t seem to be worried. You know the both of them aren¡¯t normal children. They are a lot stronger than even we were at their age. No matter how well they hide it, between your Mana Sight and my Inspect, we have long seen through attempts to hide their strength. While, for some reason, my sight is hindered when ites to their Status and Stats, I can only assume they are nearing the first Checkpoint. If that¡¯s the case¡­we won¡¯t have to call our families. But if I¡¯m wrong¡­..¡± she couldn¡¯t finish her statement, and tears began welling up in her beautiful eyes.

    Heaving a sigh, Rikard sat up and pulled Cinyah into his arm while resting his chin on top of her head. ¡°If we don¡¯t hear from them by tomorrow morning¡­.I will call my father,¡± steeling himself, Rikard made his decision.

    Hours passed by with no contact from the boys, as it had been 16 hours after their kidnapping before they had even arrived at the kidnapper¡¯s base. Cynrik had actually been grossly inurate in his assessment; by the time they had arrived at the base, it wasn¡¯t the even same day they had been kidnapped, but instead, it was the next night over 24 hours had passed since they had been abducted. A storm was slowly heading towards them because they had missed Rikard¡¯s self-imposed deadline.

    Back in the holding area, Cynrik and Brance were silently watching as the group of 23 hooded men moved away from the stairs and towards the corpses of theirrades with weapons drawn and on high alert.

 Chapter 42

    Myer stopped the group¡¯s forward movement and knelt by the first corpse. His pale skeletal-like hand lightly touched the pooled blood, realizing it was still warm, which signified the men hadn¡¯t been dead for long. Then, standing up and narrowing his eyes, he surveyed his surroundings. In the surrounding cells, aside from the most immediate cells, where every child was unconscious, the children all went silent as his gaze fell on them. They knew who the man was; he was practically the grim reaper. Myer woulde down to the cells daily, and kids would disappear forever when he did.

    The brothers felt the noticeable change in the locked-up children ur once the man made his appearance, [Big fish?] Cynrik posed the question in the mind-link with a raised eyebrow.

    [It looks like it; I can sense that every kid is shivering in fear; he must be the one who retrieves them for the boss;] Brance affirmed his suspicions, and he was well aware his words would cause excitement to rise in his idiotic brother.

    [OHHHH, MINI-BOSS!] He was right. Cynrik was practically vibrating with excitement as he watched the group of hooded men surround all seven corpses. But to Brance¡¯s surprise, just as quickly as Cynirk was ovee by excitement, he dropped into solemnity; when Cynrik tried to view Myers Stats with Inspect, he was met by many question marks¡ªcausing his overactive attitude to disappear. The only bit of information he could perceive was the man¡¯s Name, Race, and Level. What he was reading forced his attitude to take a quick turn, and he went quiet.

    : Status :

    : Myer Avio:

    : Sub Human (Half Ghoul) Male:

    : Age-???:

    :Level: 18 :

    [What the fuck? He¡¯s half Ghoul; how can someone be half undead¡­WAIT, FUCK, HE¡¯S LEVEL 18.] Brance, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t able to keep calm as his brother. When he saw the man wasn¡¯t human and saw his level, he felt his blood chill. Cynrik¡¯s brain was already working at hyper speed as he formted a new n of attack. Running several mental simtions for the fights about to ur made his expressionless face shift from vacant to solemn.

    [At the moment, we have no choice but to run. Initially, I intended to scope out what we were dealing with, but now¡­] Cynrik¡¯s voice trailed off in the mind link. He quickly scanned over the entirety of the group.

    The more people he got info on, the less Cynrik liked the idea of ambushing them. Every single one of the hooded people was Tier 1 and over level 12 at that. Level gap aside, they had already passed what was known as the first Checkpoint, or what Cynrik thought of as level caps, and increased from Tier Zero, like themselves, to Tier 1. Every level ending in zero was known as a Checkpoint.

    These systems imposed limits, which could only be broken by meeting specific requirements andpleting a particr quest given by the person system. Oncepleted, the person would receive a significant increase in power, which meant a power gap between level 10 and level 11. However, since the enemies were all outside of the scope of Cynrik¡¯s Inspect skill, he wasn¡¯t sure how big that gap was.

    Cynrik carefully examined his surroundings with narrowed eyes, looking for some clever way to escape. Recognizing the gap between himself and the mini-boss, Myer, Cynrik was well aware that it was only a matter of time before they were caught. [Brance, you go up first ill be right behind you.]

    Walking on his toes, Brance slowly stepped out from his corner and made his way to the stairs while holding his breath. Then, not wasting any time, he immediately started climbing them without looking back. Even though he was decisive in his actions, Brance¡¯s heart was in pain, leaving behind the caged children. Nevertheless, he knew that what Cynrik was saying was the correct course of action given the present circumstances.

    Once Brance was out of sight up the stairs, Cynrik made his move. Staying close to the ground, he moved with feline grace, careful not to make a single sound. Upon arriving at the foot of the spiral staircase, he looked back at the group of 23 hooded people; ¡®I¡¯ll be back for you soon, my XP;¡¯ with thatst thought, he dashed up after his brother.

    As Cynrik and Brance climbed the spiral staircase, Myer left the group and continued down the hallway searching for the culprit. Every few feet, he would stop and examine the ground or walls looking for signs of battle. But this wasn¡¯t all he was doing; being half-ghoul, he had a sensitive nose. So, just like how a dog could track scents, Myer was using his to find the people involved in the killing.

    This proved to be a fruitless endeavor for two reasons, the first being the absurd amount of different scent trails in the hall, and the second being that Cynriks ShadowVeil, not only visually hid their presence but also hid their scent and Mana traces.

    Figuring it was futile, Myer soon rejoined his group and examined the corpses thoroughly, the first of which was the mutted corpse that Brance had shown ¡°extra care¡± to earlier. None of the limbs were severed cleanly. But, that¡¯s not all; Myer lifted the severed head and turned it side to side while examining the peculiar wounds. ¡®It¡¯s no different from ground beef. It¡¯s like a beast of some kind mauled him.¡¯

    Myer wasn¡¯t wrong; Brance had brutally smashed his shield over and over into the man¡¯s skull before finally using the edge to cut the head off. He had done the same to each of the man¡¯s arms and legs.

    Myer couldn¡¯t figure out what kind of weapon could make the wounds he was studying. As someone who had been in the society, he was a part of, he had thought he¡¯d seen just about every manor of torture there was, but the brutalized corpse in front of him had him stumped. Eventually, cing the head down and moving around from body to body, Myer was able to recognize the damage from the boy¡¯s swords and the hidden des Cynrik was wielding. But he stopped when he came to the corpse whose head was charred ck.

    He looked back and forth between the one to its left that had Wind Mana radiating from its wounds and the apparent Fire damage. ¡®Interesting, it¡¯s either two people or one with dual Affinities.¡¯

    Standing up, Myer motioned for his men to continue their search as he went about collecting the bodies.

    Upstairs, Cynrik and Brance had arrived at the door leading to the building above the cells. However, when they tried opening it, they realized it was locked. [Any brilliant ideas, Cyn?] Still unhappy about leaving the children down below, Brance took a dig at his brother.

    Cynrik just snorted and swapped to his AC Loadout. Then, unsheathing his left hidden de, he swiftly jammed it into the lock before channeling Fire Mana into the tip of the de. Secondste, he removed the de, and all that was left of the lock was molten metal. Then, coating his hand with Wind Mana, he reached out and turned the door nob, turning it with ease, before looking at Brance with a smug smile. [Easy work is easy work.]

    Quickly opening the door, the brothers dashed out of the stairway before closing it behind them. Cynrik stepped forward and examined their surroundings while Brance turned to look back at the door. [Shouldn¡¯t we, I don¡¯t know, barricade the door or something?] Without looking back at his brother, Cynrik just scoffed and continued walking forward before answering. [What¡¯s the point? Sure, we could do that, or I could even try sealing it by melting the door to the wall, but there¡¯s no point. All those guys are strong enough to obliterate the door and get out; I highly doubt it would even slow them down enough to be relevant.]

    Finding his reasoning solid, Brance looked away from the door and at the area, they were currently standing. [Besides, we¡¯ve got a bit of a bigger problem. I guess we were too preupied to notice it beforehand, but this ce isn¡¯t as simple as we believed.]

    Since they had been in a low light area for so long, Brances eyes had adjusted, and now that they weren¡¯t in immediate danger, he had a chance to look at the building they were being held. Contrary to what they previously believed, the building wasn¡¯t a warehouse or former industrial building. Instead, it appeared to be an old hotel.

    Cynrik quickly popped the lid on a Mana potion and regained 120 MP before activating Mana Sight. Then, extending his range as far as he wasfortable with, theyout of the building expanded in front of his eyes, and he couldn¡¯t help himself from spouting the firstment that came to mind, [Wee my little brother, to the TOWER OF TERROR!]

    [Why are you like this?] Brance red at Cynrik angrily before brushing past him and examining the building with his own Mana Sight.

 Chapter 43

    The scene two brothers were viewing was akin to a standard hotel lobby that would have been in its prime in the 1920s. Off to the right from where they were currently standing, around a hundred feet, was the entrance the kidnappers had escorted them through a short time ago.

    Cynrik closed his eyes momentarily as he built the floorn of the hotel lobby in his mind¡¯s eye. All he needed was to see it only once before he could perfectly reconstruct it in his head. As the room started emerging, he imagined putting his back against the front doorway and looking out over the open space. Several feet in front of him, and taking up the entire right side of the room was a sizeable L-shaped concierge desk, in and straightforward, made of a strange metallic material, but covered with a green and maroon embroidered cloth. Turning away and looking to his left, he spotted the door leading to the hellish hallway, tucked away in the far side corner of the room. Its cement could be easily overlooked as it appeared to be a basement ess point and was tucked away, hidden behind one of tworge pirs stationed at opposite sides of the lobby.

    Cynrik¡¯s floated away from the door to the center of the room, where a massive Grand Staircase that led to the second floor was ced. Although the entire lobby floor was a checkered styled metallic white and ck coating, the Grand Staircase wasyered with gold and red carpeting that was way past its prime. As a result, it looked dingy and unkempt. The staircase handrails reminded him of the ones he saw in the movie Titanic when he was a child. This memory alone almost made him smile. Unlike how the building itself was made of metal, the staircase appeared to be made of wood, which gave it a conflicting imagepared to the rest of the room. One long handrail split the stairs in half, creating a familiar look, one that made Cynrik start humming into the mind link the song ¡°Nearer, My God, to Thee.¡± In the movie, a band yed the song the night the ship sank, and since the staircase had triggered this memory for him, Cynrik figured he might as well go all out.

    Taking a step forward in his constructed ne, Cynrik watched as the world around him lit up and showed what the lobby would have looked like in the past. Then, walking along, he nodded slightly to an imaginary man, standing behind the concierge deck wearing a pressed old-time suit. The man had no face or hair under his little cap and was more like a mannequin than an actual person, but this didn¡¯t break Cynrik out of his immersion. Looking up, he was greeted by a massive mural, dingy, cracked, and ancient. But as Cynrik observed it, the cracks sealed, and the paint brightened. What was once a destroyed and faded painting melded together into its former glory; the mural depicted a significant battle between a group of six people and a massive blue dragon.

    The dragon was a typical western dragon with four legs, a long neck and tail, horns on his head, and massive wings. Its lips were curled back, exposing dagger-sized teeth, its mouth wide open and expelling bluish mes directly on the group¡¯s tank, which was holding up his shield and blocking the attack. Behind him, a mage and cleric were casting bright green and purple spells that, Cynrik believed to be buffs of some kind. An archer and two swordsmen covered in blood were on the ground behind the tank but had valiant expressions on their faces as the person defended them against the dragon¡¯s breath.

    Although this mural would have been impressive to someone like Brance, Cynrik just gave it a casual look before continuing towards the Grand Staircase. Each step he took caused the world around him to ripple like liquid as the lobby went from its drabby, dirty state to one of impable cleanliness.

    Reaching the foot of the staircase, Cynrik ced his hand on the banister and slowly walked up. Behind him, the entire lobby was reorganized and clean as if it was a typical business day. The only thing missing was people, but that was a fact Cynrik had overlooked.

    Upon reaching the second story, he turned around and looked at the lobby below. In front of the concierge was a sitting area with several small sofas made of the same material as the carpeting of the Grand Staircase. On the opposite side of the room were two elevators with ess to the hotel rooms; they shined in gold metallic ting. Cynriks eyes scanned over the ce giving it onest good look before smiling and nodding in satisfaction.

    [CYNRIK!] Brance¡¯s voice was like a wrecking ball to the image Cynrik had built in his mind. The mural cracked and was suddenly destroyed. The desk looked like a professional wrestler had been mmed through it. The Grand Staircase fell apart; the handrails decayed and were missing posts. The once beautiful carpeting of the stairs faded, and grey mold took hold of it, discoloring the entire thing. The furniture of the sitting area was broken and scattered about as if a beast had rampaged. Lastly, he watched as the mural chipped to pieces and faded.

    Opening his eyes and silencing his humming in the mind link, Cynrik made eye contact with his brother, who was wearing a frantic expression. In his mind, 10s of minutes had passed as he explored the lobby, but in reality, he had been standing in ce zoned out for over 2 minutes.

    While zoned out, Cynrik had identally dropped his ShadowVeil, which left him and Brance standing out in the open. Realizing what happened, Brance dashed forward and grabbed his brother before ducking behind the destroyed former concierge desk and shaking Cyrnik frantically in an attempt to wake him up. But all of his efforts were wasted; Cynrik just sat there expressionless and with zed-over eyes. If Brance didn¡¯t know better and couldn¡¯t hear the song Cynrik was humming in the mind link, he would have believed his brother was dead.

    [Hm, what happened? Why are we behind the desk?] Seeing his brother was panicking, Cynrik asked in confusion.

    [WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT? YOU JUST SUDDENLY STOPPED, STARTED HUMMING, AND THEN WENT UNRESPONSIVE. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, YOU EVEN DROPPED YOUR SHADOW VEIL. ARE YOU TRYING TO GET US KILLED?] Clenching his fists tightly and trying to avoid punching Cynrik, Brance started screaming at his brother.

    [Oh¡­my bad;] was the only response he got back, infuriating him further.

    [NO, you don¡¯t get to ¡°my bad¡± this one. What the hell just happened to you?] In the past, Cynrik had a habit of zoning out randomly but never like this. Back then, a simple snap was enough to bring him back to reality. But this time, it was like Cynrik¡¯s soul hadpletely left his body.

    [I¡­remodeled theyout of the lobby¡­in my head;] no longer caring about being scolded, Cynrik activated his Mana Sight again, but this time, he looked up at the second floor of the hotel, where the Grand Staircase led. Panning his eyes left and right, he could see two hallways leading in opposite directions of the stairs. These hallways were lined with several rooms on each side, and while the majority were empty, several had one or two people in them.

    [Six rooms on the left, eight on the right, each one at least Tier 1, hehe, I¡¯ve got an idea, little brother;] seeing that there was no one in the lobby with them, Cynrik lightly dashed away from the destroyed concierge desk and to the wreck of a staircase, leaving a stunned Brance staring at his back.

    [What the hell? CYN, you can¡¯t just avoid this; we need to figure out what the hell just happened to you;] jumping up and following after his brother, Branceined as he made his way over to the staircase.

    [Sure, sure, we can talk about itter. More important stuff to do, more XP to grind;] holding up his left arm and waving in Brance¡¯s direction, Cynrik dismissed his younger brother¡¯s concerns.

    Sensing that Brance had arrived next to him, Cynrik began spelling out his insane n. [Ok, as I said, currently, six rooms on the left of the stairs and eight rooms on the right are upied. Looking at their Mana signatures, it¡¯s pretty easy to tell they¡¯re asleep. Well, all of them except the one on the far right, which has three signatures, one adult, and two kids. They don¡¯t appear to be in danger at the moment sooo ima just ignore them for now.]

    [The n is simple, sneak in and assassinate our targets. Be mindful that they¡¯re all at least Tier 1, so they¡¯ll all be over level 10. It¡¯s all about stealth. Unlike the guys below, or even the people we ambushed earlier, these targets are asleep and defenseless, so they are basically pigs ready for ughter. Even though we are only Tier 0, we shouldn¡¯t have any trouble killing them off with our stats.]

    Finishing up his statement, Cynrik looked over his right should at Brance, who was wide-eyed at the moment.

    [HOW THE HELL DO YOU GO FROM BEING IN A COMA ONE MINUTE TO ASSASSINATING A BUNCH OF PEOPLE THE NEXT?] Brance was utterly at a loss.

    [I don¡¯t know¡­ADHD brain?] Shrugging, Cynrik started walking up the stairs.

 Chapter 44

    [Left side first, let¡¯s go to thest upied room and work our way back;] making his way up the stairs, Cynrik decided their course of action.

    [Wait, hold up, what do you mean ADHD brain? That¡¯s not even possible; we were literally given new bodies. Your previous ailments don¡¯t just carry over.] Brance didn¡¯t let his brother¡¯sstment go.

    [Eh? I mean, I guess you¡¯re right, but ima still me the ADHD for that one;] Upon reaching the top of the stairs, Cynrik suddenly stopped and crouched low to the ground.

    Seeing his brother¡¯s abrupt actions, Brance followed suit and crept up beside him.

    [What? What do you see?] Thinking Cynrik had spotted something, he went on high alert and began cautiously looking around.

    Tucking his head in slightly and hunching up his shoulder, Cynrik slowly crept forward.

    [Don¡¯t be suspicious; yes, don¡¯t be suspicious.]

    The instant Cynriks words came through the mind link, Brance¡¯s face went deadpan, and he stood up straight.

    [I SAIDDDD, Don¡¯t be suspicious, yes don¡¯t be suspicious.] Cynrik stopped and looked around for Brance, who he found still standing at the stairs several feet behind, ring at him with his arms crossed.

    [What? OH, COME ON, WOULD YOU RATHER I STARTED GOING DUN DUN DUN DUN?]

    [Yes, actually, I would. Why is every fucking word out of your mouth a MEME?]

    [WELLLL TECHNICALLLLLLYYYY¡­] before Cyrnik could finish his wise-ass remark, Brance ran up and smacked him in the back of the head.

    [I know, mind link, just shut up and be serious.]

    [Everyyy parttttyy needs a pooper that¡¯s why we invited you;] Cynrik started moving again while singing his words in a depressed tone.

    [Party pooper or not, hundreds of kids are being tortured in the basement, not to mention the threats all around us. STOP PLAYING AROUND!] Brance had to resist the urge to hit Cynrik again, and luckily they reached the end of the hall before he had to.

    Stopping on the far side of the door, Brance turned and waited expectantly for Cynrik¡¯s n.

    Cynrik, who arrived less than a secondter, looked into the room with his Mana Sight. The room was a simple 12¡Á14 feet with a dresser and bed; other than that, the space was void of furniture.

    [Hm, ok, Tier 1, Level 14, but only 230 HP, it looks like this person¡¯s DEX, STR based, ALRIGHTY THEN, three ways to go about this;] crossing his arms and analyzing the situation, Cynrik started formting a n.

    [Option A, Rush in and jump him.]

    [NEXT!] Brance vetoed Option A the moment he heard it.

    Not letting the interruption bother him, Cynrik continued, [Option B, we slowly open the door; I activate ShadowVeil, and then we straight up assassinate the dude.]

    [Viable, but what if you can¡¯t instant kill him?] Brance countered.

    [Not a problem, I¡¯ll be able to do it, but I¡¯ll need your help. MOVING ALONG, Option C starts like Option B, but instead of just me, we both creep in, and you hold him down while I rapidly stab him over and over with my hidden des.]

    [Always with the stabby stab, let¡¯s just ignore Option C; you¡¯ve still got me hung up on Option B; what do you mean you¡¯d need my help?]

    [Oh, that, well, you¡¯re better at using Wind Mana;] as Cynrik spoke, he casually swapped to his AC loadout and showed off his Assassins Tools to Brance.

    [Option B is a bitplicatedpared to the other two.] Using his left hand, he spun the round mechanical part of the right gauntlet twice and then pushed it in like a button.

    CLICK

    Brance watched as Cynrik removed the de from its housing and held it up.

    [My Assassins Tools can be upgraded; as such, each part is removable. So basically, I¡¯d need you to control the de just above the target¡¯s head and then m it into his skull at the same time as I slit his throat.] Cynrik finished his sentence by stabbing down the de in his right hand while making a slicing movement with his left arm.

    [Double the damage, and there you have it, insta-kill on a guy more than double our level. Of course, if he were VIT-based, it most likely wouldn¡¯t work, but he¡¯s only got 230 HP, so I don¡¯t see any issues.]

    Heaving a sigh and shaking his head, Brance summoned up a strand of Wind Mana, wrapped it around the de, and stole it from Cyrnik.

    [Option B, it is; pick the lock, and let¡¯s get this over with; who knows how long that group will stay in the basement;] using his Wind Affinity, Brance made the de hover just above his right shoulder. Cynrik, on the other hand, went about picking the lock with his still equipped Assassins Tool.

    But to their surprise, the door wasn¡¯t even locked.

    [Geez, it¡¯s like this guy ASKING us toe to kill him.] Without wasting any time, Cynrik covered himself and Brance with ShadowVeil and opened the door quietly before sneaking into the room.

    Brance was right on his brother¡¯s heels, and once he was in, he closed the door slowly and released the nob without making a noise.

    Laying on the bed was a half-naked, hairy middle-aged man who was snoring away without a care in the world.

    [I¡¯ll take the far side, Brance, position yourself so you cannd the kill shot.] Crouching low to the ground, Cynrik swiftly and made his way to the opposite side of the bed.

    Brance, following his brother¡¯s n, stalked his way closer to the bed and waited for Cynrik¡¯s signal.

    As Cynrik got in position, he flicked out his remaining hidden de and narrowed his eyes on the unsuspecting man¡¯s neck.

    [On three,] Brance slowed his breathing, and with a wave of his left hand, the de flew from above his right shoulder and got in position over the sleeping target¡¯s head.

    [Three¡­two¡­one;] Cynrik swiftly reached out and shed the man¡¯s throat wlessly, causing the man¡¯s neck to split open and blood to instantly spray all over Cynrik¡¯s face.

    The moment the Cynrik¡¯s de moved away, the man¡¯s eyes shot open as he grasped at his throat, with fear in his eyes, only to be greeted by an eight-inch de dashing right towards his head.

    SHUNK

    The de dug straight into his forehead and sunk into his skull nearly half its length before stopping.

    Unfortunately for the brothers, he was still alive, and he reached for the de embedded in his head with one hand while sitting up and going after Brance with the other.

    Seeing this, Cynrik didn¡¯t hesitate and leaped onto the bed. With his right hand, he grabbed the bleeding man by his face and held him in ce, while his left arm swung back before rapidly thrusting his hidden de into the man¡¯s left temple.

    The struggling man instantly went limp, and secondster, Tobs sent both of the brother¡¯s notifications.

    -You Have Killed a Level 14 Human-

    ¨C Since you defeated an enemy more than twice your level, you have received double rewards. ¨C

    -You have Obtained 2800 Essence-

    -You have obtained 2 STR points-

    -You have received 2 KIN points-

    -Tier 1 Mana Codex located would you like to extract it Y/N-

    Exhaling the breath he didn¡¯t know he had been holding, Brance read through the notifications while Cynrik jumped off the bed like a child.

    [NICE GAINS! Double XP and Stat points.] Cynrik said while using the room¡¯s curtains to wipe the blood off his face.

    [It¡¯ll be an insta-kill, he says, don¡¯t worry, Brance, he says.] Brance mumbled while darting his eyes from the corpse to Cynrik and back.

    [BAH, instant enough, I mean it wasn¡¯t even me he went after what does that say about you;] Cynirk chuckled while selecting ¡°Yes¡± to extract the Codex from the corpse.

    [WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE WENT AFTER ME? YOU WERE THE ONE WHO DROPPED THE SHADOWVEIL AFTER I STABBED HIM IN THE HEAD!] Brance screamed angrily into the mind link while stomping his left foot.

    [Look, I thought you killed him. How was I supposed to know the guy was still alive? You didn¡¯t even coat the de in Mana; if you had, the de woulda sunk all the way into his head. TSK rookie mistake, little brother, see watch.]

    Brance shot him an usatory re as Cynrik effortlessly plucked the de out of the man¡¯s head with a strand of Wind Mana.

    [Teacher Cyn here. ss watch as I show you how to stab someone without using your hands;] with a wave of his hand, a delicate green Mana coating engulfed the entire de, which was floating above the corpse¡¯s head.

    [Now, if you want to do the most damage, you must first coat the entire weapon with a thinyer of Mana; remember to cover the whole de evenly; if not, you¡¯ll end up reducing the potential damage you could cause.]

    Grinning widely, Cynrik raised his left arm while the hovering de mimicked this action. [Don¡¯t forget ss; it¡¯s just like throwing a baseball; the more strength you put into your throw, the harder you can lob the ball.]

    Cynrik jumped up slightly and mmed his left arm down, and with a loud SPLAT, the de dug itself cleanly into the corpse, disappearing into the dead man¡¯s head.

    [And that¡¯s how you do it!] Giving a slight bow and making the apuse sound off in the mind link, Cynrik finished his exnation. But, unfortunately for him, when he stood up and looked around the room, Brance was nowhere to be seen.

    The moment he had begun his little skit, Brance had already left the room and moved on to the next target.

 Chapter 45

    Moving room to room, the brothers continued their massacre. They proceeded to kill each sleeping target on the left side of the Grand Staircase; before moving on to the right, leaving a total of 13 corpses in their wake before they stopped to rest with only two rooms remaining.

    Along the way, their assassination technique didn¡¯t differ much from their first attempt. Cynrik would deal the first blow to their target by slitting their throats, while Brance, who was now thoroughly coating the removed hidden de with Wind Mana, would forcefully m the de fully into the target¡¯s head.

    They only had to adjust their strategy in one of the rooms where a naked couple was sleeping. They had split up and attacked separately; Cynrik dealt with the woman while Brance used his sword to cut off the man¡¯s head in one swing.

    With each kill, they continued to receive double rewards since every target was at the minimum level 13 and the highest so far being level 16. Even though their targets were of a different Tier and higher level, it didn¡¯t matter. A sleeping target was a defenseless one. Seeing how easily they could kill these people who were stronger than them, Brance and Cynrik both swore to never sleep heavily for the rest of their lives.

    The simple thought that someone significantly weaker than them could reap their lives when they went into slumber unsettled the brothers greatly. Their only saving grace was both their high VIT and their Body Tempering. When they acquired the BOD TEMP stat, Tobs had exined its benefits to them. In Vinestra, beasts had a naturally more robust defense than most beings, and their BOD TEMP stat gave them a simr physique to a beast with the corresponding Tier. Currently, with their BOD TEMP being at Tier 2, they would only suffer minor injuries from someone in their Tier. At the same time, the damage from Tier 1 beings could hurt them, but they were more resistant.

    That¡¯s why Cynrik hade up with this n. He was well aware that if push came to shove, they could at least survive long enough to escape. But hurting someone of a higher Tier was a different story. Every time he attacked one of the Tier 1 beings, he could feel the resistance from their skin. So unlike when he killed the people in the basement who were all Tier 0, he found himself having to exert a lot more force to slit their throats. This resistance was why he told Brance to coat the de in Mana to add extra damage.

    While Cynrik had given his younger brother a hard time for being unable to kill their first opponent instantly, he couldn¡¯t fault him, and thus after his little skit, Cynrik didn¡¯t mention it again. Brance understood why he couldn¡¯t kill the first target with his initial strike and subsequently adjusted with the second and saw a noticeable difference.

    Room by room, they swept through silently like reapers, killing its inhabitants without waking them. The result was a massive amount of XP. 35,900 to be exact, which raised both of their levels to 7, 24 Stat points, 12 Tier 1 Codex¡¯s, and more than a dozen storage devices.

    Letting out a tired sigh, Cynrik proceeded to scroll through his gains from the assassinations. Looking over the Stat point increases he had received, Cynrik didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. He had acquired 4 DEX, 6 INT, 4 STR, 4 AGI, 2 MIND, 4 VIT, and 24 KIN. Although he was d to see his stats increase, he was depressed that it had messed up his well-thought-out build. Aside from leveling up to level 7, the biggest gain, in his opinion, was the KIN points. Upon reaching 10 KIN he had been notified that he received a skill.

    -Your Killing Intent Attribute has reached 10 points. Therefore, the host will now be able to unleash an intangible and invisible force equivalent to 1.5 times Vinestra¡¯s gravity on an opponent.-

    At 20 it increased to 1.75g, and at 30 it reached 2.0g. Seeing that every 10 points added to his Killing Intent Attribute only led to a 0.25 increase in the force he could exert made Cynriks heart sink, and when he saw that leveling up didn¡¯t increase his KIT like the rest of his Stats, he couldn¡¯t help but let out yet another sigh.

    Eventually, after staring at his Stats panel for a few minutes, he decided to throw caution to the wind and dump all 8 of his newly acquired Stat points into his AGI, increasing it to 64 and making it his highest Stat. Once finished, he sent his new Stat profile over to Brance before standing up and stretching.

    : Status :

    : Cynrik Jetlensr:

    : Human Male:

    : Age-7:

    : Soul Age-36:

    : Level: 7 :

    : Essence(XP): 4800/65000:

    : Distribution: 1 Per All :

    : Mana Codex Tier: 1 (Proficiency= 20.0%) :

    : Mana Cycles: 300 (Proficiency= 20.0%) :

    : Mana Circuit Tier: 1 (Proficiency= 20.0%) :

    : Gravity Resistance: 3g (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Body Tempering: Tier 2 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : STATS :

    : HP 460/460 :

    : Mana 221/221 :

    : Stamina 230/230 :

    : Stat Points- 0:

    : Skill Points- 80 :

    : Strength- 29 :

    : Dexterity- 57 :

    : Agility- 64 :

    : Intelligence- 27 :

    : Vitality- 46 :

    : Mind- 35 :

    : Killing Intent- 33 ¨C 2.0G :

    : Affinity :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier 0 (Proficiency= 10.0%): :Expand:

    :(BG) Fire-Tier 1 (Proficiency= 10.0%): :Expand:

    :(BG) Wind-Tier 0 (Proficiency= 25.0%): :Expand:

    Brance, who just finished going over his Stats, sent his new profile to Cynrik before reading through all the new boosts his brother had received. The only thing he was currently regretting was that he had already capped out his VIT Stat. Because of that, he lost out on 4 points that his brother had received from their earlier kills. This fact alone gave the brothers a valuable piece of information. However, Brance, against Cynrik¡¯s advice, still decided to push his VIT up to its new cap of 70.

    : Status :

    : Brance Jetlensr:

    : Human Male:

    : Age-6:

    : Soul Age-35:

    : Level: 7 :

    : Essence(XP): 4400/65000:

    : Distribution: 1 Per All :

    : Mana Codex Tier: 1 (Proficiency= 20.0%) :

    : Mana Cycles: 300 (Proficiency= 20.0%) :

    : Mana Circuit Tier: 1 (Proficiency= 20.0%) :

    : Gravity Resistance: 3g (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Body Tempering: Tier 2 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : STATS :

    : HP 700/700 :

    : Mana 211/211 :

    : Stamina 350/350 :

    : Stat Points- 0 :

    : Skill Points- 0 :

    : Strength- 55 :

    : Dexterity- 40 :

    : Agility- 35 :

    : Intelligence- 27 :

    : Vitality- 70 :

    : Mind- 25 :

    : Killing Intent- 30 ¨C 2.0g :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Light-Tier 0 (Proficiency= 10.0%): :Expand:

    :(BG) Earth-Tier 1 (Proficiency= 10.0%): :Expand:

    :(BG) Wind-Tier 0 (Proficiency= 25.0%): :Expand:

    Both of them had both agreed it was best to spend their newly acquired Stat points instead of saving them. Upon seeing that his brother had pushed his VIT back up to its cap, Cynrik couldn¡¯t help but frown and open his panel. He still didn¡¯t have a single capped Stat, but that was by design. He had long assumed that there would be no way around the caps Tobs put in ce and had worked around this fact.

    [Alright, two rooms left. Thankfully each time we level up, our HP, MP, and STAM all recover; if not, prolonged battles at our level would be a pain in the ass; it¡¯s a good thing we are both used to mental fatigue cause we¡¯d be dead tired otherwise.]

    Closing the panels Brance had sent him, Cynrik cracked his neck and rolled his left arm a couple of times before moving towards the door.

    BANG

    Just as Cynrik was about to open it, a loud bang came from the room next door, freezing him in ce as he immediately activated Mana Sight and looked to his left.

    He could see into thest two rooms they needed to clear from where he stood. But, to his dismay, Cynrik watched the person in the next room over sit up from their bed and angrily look around in confusion.

    While Cynrik was concerned by the room next to theirs, Brance¡¯s face contorted in rage as he witnessed what was happening in the final room they were supposed to attack.

    He watched as an adult mercilessly stomped on one of the two small children; this person was waving their arms around while the child was curled up in a ball, receiving kick after kick to his body. Behind them, a second child was on the bed quivering in fear.

    Making up his mind, Brance pushed Cynrik aside and went for the door, only to be stopped by his brother wrapping him up in a full nelson and holding him in ce. [STOP, ONE THING AT A TIME BRANCE, WE CAN¡¯T JUST RUSH IN!]

 Chapter 46

    [LISTEN TO ME, BRANCE, IF YOU RUSH IN THERE NOW, NOT ONLY WILL YOU ALERT THE GUY NEXT DOOR, BUT YOULL ALSO BE PUTTING THOSE KIDS IN DANGER!]

    Cynrik struggled to keep his grip on his brother, who had a full 26 STR point advantage over him while screaming into the mind link.

    But before he could talk some sense into his brother, Brance leaned back and headbutted Cynrik in the face.

    ¨C You have received 20 points of damage ¨C

    ¨C Current HP 440/460 ¨C

    The hit stunned Cynrik momentarily, forcing his grip to loosen and giving Brance the space he needed to spin around and deliver a powerful kick to Cynriks chest hurtling him across the room onto the bed.

    ¨C You have received 75 points of damage ¨C

    ¨C Current HP 365/460 ¨C

    Before Cynrik could jump up and charge forward, Brance opened the door and dashed out of the room.

    [We don¡¯t have time to lose Cynrik.] Leaving those words, Brance left the door open and swiftly made his way to the room where the person was beating the child.

    [FUCK!] Cynrik mmed his hands on the ground and equipt his AC loadout before running out of the room. He watched as his brother equipt his Tank loadout and, using all his strength, burst through the door into the room where the children were.

    ¡°TSK,¡± sucking his teeth, Cynrik made a b-line for the room next door where the man who was previously sleeping was now out of bed and walking towards the door. Both the man and Cynrik made it to the door simultaneously, and the moment he opened it, Cynrik was on him.

    ¡°What the fu¡­.¡± Before finishing the statement, he was stabbed violently multiple times by Cynrik with both of his now extended hidden des.

    ¡± Couldn¡¯t wait¡­.¡±

    STAB STAB

    ¡°30 fucking seconds¡­.¡±

    STAB STAB STAB

    ¡± you just had to fucking rush ahead,¡± Cynrik watched as the man¡¯s eyes rolled back in his head before delivering a spinning back kick to the man¡¯s stomach flinging him backward several feet.

    -You Have Killed a Level 16 Human-

    ¨C Since you defeated an enemy more than twice your level, you have received double rewards. ¨C

    -You have Obtained 3000 Essence-

    -You have obtained 2 DEX points-

    -You have received 2 KIN points-

    -Tier 1 Mana Codex located would you like to extract it Y/N-

    BANG

    CLANG

    Startled by the loud noises next door, Cynrik quickly hit ¡°Yes¡± and shoved the newly acquired codex into his inventory before rushing towards his brother. But, unfortunately, some of what he saw upon reaching the room was what he was expecting to find.

    On one side of the room, a man dressed in female clothing held a young boy around their age in front of themselves like a meat shield, while Brance was on the other side, with a little girl behind him.

    ¡°Cough, well, quite the party I¡¯ve walked into now, isn¡¯t it.¡± Cynrik couldn¡¯t help but stifle augh as he saw what the man was wearing.

    ¡°My guy, drag just isn¡¯t your thing,¡± the person holding the young boy was wearing a bright yellow sundress that was covered in flowers and two sizes too small. Aside from being exceptionally well built physically, it seemed out of ce for him to be wearing the dress and sporting an olden-time bo atop his head. In addition, Cynrik noticed the person had smeared makeup heavily all over his face.

    ¡°Damn, you even went all out with a wig and all; what should I call you my fairestdy?¡± Cynrik took a graceful bow before giving a charming smile to the man in drag.

    ¡°I WON¡¯T LET YOU TAKE MY DARLING CHILDREN FROM THEIR MOTHER!¡± The frantic man in drag screamed while pulling a dagger from his inventory and holding it to the struggling young boy¡¯s throat.

    Watching this, Brance grit his teeth but stayed silent. Although he had just attacked his brother mere seconds ago, he could tell by the act Cynrik was putting on that he had already concocted some kind of scheme and was ignoring his little outburst.

    ¡°Aint no one tryina take your kids ma¡¯am; you see, look, I¡¯m just a harmless kid myself,¡± trying to sound as non-threatening as possible, Cynrik lowered his hood and showed off his face to the man in drag, who showed a bbergasted expression.

    His expression, however, was not as priceless as the one the young boy had; realization appeared over his face as he recognized the unarmed boy standing in the doorway.

    ¡°Heyah, Benny, now how¡¯d you get yourself into trouble like this?¡± Cynrik tossed a broad smile at Benny before looking over at the little girl behind Brance.

    ¡°AH, I see even Gabby is here; excellent, I¡¯m d you¡¯re both safe,¡± the little girl was wide-eyed as she looked at the boy whose ck and violet highlighted hair was caked with blood, as she too recognized her ymate.

    ¡°CYN!¡± unlike her older brother Benny, Gabby didn¡¯t keep her mouth shut when she saw Cynrik.

    ¡°Yes, yes, Your big brothers are both here; no need to worry,¡± Cynrik winked at her before directing his attention back to the man in drag and activating Inspect.

    : Burt Clemsdale:

    : Human Male:

    : Age-49:

    : Level: 18 :

    : Mana Codex Tier: 2:

    : HP 958/1000 :

    : Build ¨C VIT/STR:

    [OH, HO, lookie here, it¡¯s corn-fed mother fucker.] Cynrik was unable to stop himself from taking a dig at Burt, [VIT, STR, which exins the 1k HP, but I¡¯m a little worried about how strong he is.]

    Cynrik quickly gave Brance a look over and noticed his shield had a massive dent in the center, as well as his brother, had lost over 200 HP.

    [See, if you had just waited like a good littled, you wouldn¡¯t have gotten the shit kicked outta your poor shield;] he teased Brance momentarily before looking back at Burt.

    ¡± Now, ma¡¯am, these two are our ymates, it¡¯s a tad unfortunate for you, but Ima have to ask you to get the fuck away from him.¡±

    The moment Cynrik spoke those words, he unleashed his full Killing Intent generating an invisible force of 2 times gravity on the whole room. Then, ignoring the people¡¯s reactions in the room, he dashed forward, using his 64 agility to its full extent, and activating his ShadowVeil. Less than a secondter, Cynrik arrived in front of Benny and sliced Burts forearm with one of his hidden des.

    This action triggered a scream from Burt, who released his grip on Benny, giving Cynrik his chance to grab the boy. Cynrik wrapped both his arms around Benny and executed a perfect german suplex; however, instead of mming Benny on the ground, he flung him in the direction of Brance, who had already put his shield away and was waiting with open arms.

    Benny, who was flung like a sack of potatoes, was under an immense amount of strain from Cynrik¡¯s Killing Intent and while mid-flight was rendered unconscious.

    Using one arm, Brance quickly caught Benny and then spun on his heels, reached out and grabbed the also unconscious Gabby, and tucked them both under his arms before sprinting out of the room with both children securely in his grasp.

    This sequence of eventssted less than 3 seconds from start to finish. However, before Cynrik could even make a smart-ass quip, he was sent sailing by the enraged man in drag.

    -You have received 260 points of damage-

    ¨C Current HP 115/460 ¨C

    -WARNING HOST HAS FALLEN TO 25% HP-

    The move was so fast he hadn¡¯t even seen iting,

    BANG

    Cynriks body mmed into the wall with a load crash, and his ShadowVeil was canceled. Upon impact with the wall, he could also feel several of his ribs crack; overall, he felt like a car had just mmed into him.

    ¡°Mother fucker, that hurt,¡± spitting up a mouthful of blood and struggling to his feet, Cynrik wiped the blood that was leaking out of his mouth with the back of his hand. Then, shaking his head in an attempt to clear the cobwebs that were forming from the potential concussion he had just received, Cynrik swapped into his SAO loadout and drew both his swords.

    ¡°Well now, not only are you ugly as shit, but you also hit like a truck, duly noted, my horribly dressed friend,¡± chuckling to himself, Cynrik dropped into his fighting stance.

    ¡°MY CHILDREN, MOMMY WILL SAVE YOU!¡± But, on the other hand, Burt was iling about franticly and screaming about saving his kids.

    [Hurry up and get back here. This guy¡¯s like the fucking Hulk; I¡¯m already down to 115 HP, one more hit, and ima be meat paste on the wall.]

    [I¡¯m on my way. Hang in there!] Brance had just dropped the unconscious Gabby and Benny off in the room they were resting in earlier and was already dashing back to his brother.

    Meanwhile, Cynrik engaged with Burt and was making swift movements, jumping around like a grasshopper while dodging all of the wild swingsing from Burt. [Oh yeah, no, totally take your FUCKING TIME! I¡¯ll just be over here tryina be fucking Kirito while you meander around in the hall.]

    ¡°YEAAAAHHHHH,¡± kicking off the nearest wall, Cynrik dove in front of Burt and shed with each of his swords before bending backward matrix style and just barely dodging one of the crazed man¡¯s attacks. Then, moving purely on instinct, Cynrik flung himself back and kicked at Burts¡¯s knees with both his feet and fell onto his back before rolling to the left, just narrowly avoiding a downward hammer fist that caused chunks of cement to fly up from the spot his head had just been resting.

    [Gunna need you to get the led outta your ass, AND BE THE FUCKING TANK HERE, IMA SQUISHY DPS BRANCE.]

 Chapter 47

    Arriving at the door, Brance watched as his brother nimbly and barely dodged each of Burts¡¯s attacks. He couldn¡¯t help but find it ridiculous as he watched the grown man who stood well over six feet tall swing wildly at a child who barely stood at three and a half feet tall, jump and roll around the room just out of reach.

    To add to the insanity, as he moved around the room, Cynrik was urately narrating the whole fight.

    [Overhand swing with left arm, forward dash, left front kick, followed by rapid jab strike with the left, JUMP, annnnd backflip¡­] Cynrik ended the chain of action with a well-timed backflip that put him just out of danger from an iing dagger strike.

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes darted away from the behemoth attacking him towards the door, where he saw his brother standing frozen in ce, watching the fight ur. [OI, TOSS ME A GLOWLY BUFF OR SOMETHIN, I¡¯M DYIN HERE!]

    Seeing the momentary pause inbat, Brance snapped out of his daze and cast a Light Affinity skill called Minor Heal on Cynrik.

    ¨C Tier 0 Light Affinity Skill ¨C

    ¨C Minor Heal ¨C Creates a small orb of Light Mana that heals the target¡¯s HP; the amount of HP recovered uses the following form, Users INT X MIND / User Level-

    -Cost 30 MP

    ¨C Cooldown = 1 minute 30 seconds

    A baseball-sized white glowing orb blinked into existence, shot from Brance¡¯s outstretched hand, and collided with Cynriks left arm.

    ¨C You have been healed for 96 HP-

    ¨C Current HP 211/460 ¨C

    When the small orb burst on his arm, Cynrik felt a stinging sensation spread through his body as it started to heal the damage he had sustained quickly. Brance had used this skill on him several times during their training in the HBTC, and while it could replenish health points and even instantly heal minor injuries, it would do nothing for broken bones or, in this case, the cracked ribs that were forcing him to take short sharp breaths.

    [This room¡¯s too small, and we cant fight together against this oaf.] Taking a step back, Cynrik nced around the room, trying to develop an idea to handle Burt, but wasing up short.

    ¡± YOU BRAT, WHERE ARE MY KIDS!¡± After only a few seconds, Burt began his assault again and was back to chasing Cynrik around the room, giving Cynrik no time to focus on formting any viable options.

    While Cynrik was back to jumping and dodging, Brance was waiting for the cooldown for his Minor Heal. Although he could rush in and try blocking some of the attacks, he was fully aware of the strength Burt held. His shield was nearly bent in half after only a single strike earlier, and while he may be able to take a couple more attacks head-on, he had a feeling he¡¯d only end up in the way. Unfortunately, Brance wasn¡¯t as quick or agile as Cynrik, so all he could do was toss heals like a cleric until his brother came up with some sort of idea.

    ¡®Fuck, ok, Brance is stuck over there for now. Since this room is barely big enough for me to move around thanks to my size, if he jumped in, I¡¯d have to reduce my movement radius by more than half. The only good thing is that he could act as a meatshield temporarily, giving me a chance to start stacking up damage.¡¯

    Cynrik¡¯s brain was in overdrive as he frantically lept forward, narrowly avoiding Burt¡¯s dagger yet again, and rolled under his legs before popping back to his feet behind Burt. Using his Sunre, Cynrik hacked at the tree trunk-sized leg directly in front of him; then, he would swap back and forth with his ISS attacking the same point with fluid motions.

    ¡®Shit, each one of my attacks is only leaving white scratches on him; at best, I¡¯m making a single point of damage per hit; the hell is this freak made of iron? Tobs, can you use my memories to generate some kind of HP/MP bar I can see while inbat?¡¯

    ¨C Generating a heads up disy that only the Host can view will cost 30 SP per Host-

    [Brance, don¡¯t freak out. I¡¯m givin us a HUD.] Cynrik jumped up and used Burt as a springboard flinging himself several feet away andnding just in front of Brance. [Tobs, do it for both of us.]

    ¨C Deducting 60 of 80 avable skill points. ¨C

    ¨C Generating Host¡¯s Heads Up Disy (HUD). ¨C

    ¨C Synchronizing HUD with Host¡¯s Inspect Skill.-

    ¨C The Host has designated three stats to be shown.-

    ¨C Showing Target¡¯s Level to the left of the HUD.-

    ¨C Showing Target¡¯s Health Points (HP) in red.-

    ¨C Showing Target¡¯s Mana Points (MP) in blue.-

    Just like in video games, two thin bars in each of the designated colors materialized and hovered directly above Burt¡¯s head.

    ¨C HUD has been generated; the HUD will appear over the target when the Host uses Inspect. ¨C

    Seeing the floating red and blue status bars on the HUD made Cynrik feel despair for the first time during the fight. Currently, only a sliver had been chipped away from Burts HP, signifying that Cynrik had only done around 20 points of damage to him.

    ¡°He, he he heheh HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH!¡± Seeing just how much his attacks were dealing, Cynrik finally snapped and burst out in a creepyugh, causing the rampaging Burt to stop in his tracks and stare at the child.

    ¡°ARE YOU LAUGHING AT BURT? HOW DARE YOU!¡±

    ¡± No, no, in fact, I¡¯m notughing at you at all. Instead, what I¡¯mughing at is my idiocy. You see, not long ago, I gave quite a thrilling lesson to my ss,¡± as Cynrik spoke, Cynrik took a single step forward while gripping both his des tightly.

    ¡°In this lesson, I explicitly exined the importance of Mana reinforcement on equipment, yet here I am being aplete fool and not doing it myself. AH¡­ one of these days ill keep up with my own brain.¡±

    ¡°Wh¡­WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? THOSE BIG WORDS CONFUSE ME,¡± Burt was utterly lost as Cynrik slowly started prowling forward while giving off a menacing vibe.

    ¡°You know Burt¡­where Ie from when someone small fights someonerge, we have a saying,¡± Fire Mana began surging into Cynriks Sunre, while in his opposite hand, he started channeling Wind Mana into his ISS.

    Raising both des and making an X in front of his chest, they began to glow due to the Mana funneling directly into them. Sunre emitted a deep orange and red glow, while ISS was basked in a green hue, simr to the earlier hidden de.

    ¡°Phrase?¡± Burt stepped back two steps in fear, like a wolf would when seeing fire.

    [TOBS QUEUE MAH BACKGROUND MUSIC!]

    ¨C ¡­ ¨C

    [TOBS ISNT SPOTY CYNRIK, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU¡­] Brance, hearing what his brother was trying to order Tobs to do, tried to defend the system but was cut off by Tobs itself.

    -Now ying ¡°Guren No Yumiya¡±-

    [Oh, son of a bitch!] Brance facepalmed and brought up his shield to hide his embarrassment; deep in his heart, he was cursing his idiot brother, who seemed to think they were in an anime.

    A chorus of people singing OH in a melodic pattern began echoing in both of their minds, followed by a heartbeat pounding behind the choir before the music picked up.

    Hearing the familiar anime opening ying in his head caused Cynriks excitement to build along with the song; he stood in ce, grinning ear to ear while finishing his Mana coating on both des and activating Haste.

    ¡°Seid ihr das Essen? Nein wir sind die JAGER!¡±

    The moment the song¡¯s lyrics kicked in, Cynrik shouted them out loud before kicking off the ground and moving forward at his fastest speed, his sudden movement kicking up a trail of dust.

    Instantly, he appeared in front of Burt, who was stunned at the boy¡¯s sudden appearance directly in his face. His shock turned to rage, and he immediately swung his head forward in an attempt to headbutt the child, but to his surprise, his head didn¡¯t make contact with anything.

    Due to the 15 point increase in his AGI from Haste, and his natural 64 AGI, Cynrik moved so fast that he had left an afterimage in Burt¡¯s face. However, by the time he reacted, Cynrik had already jumped up and stepped off the man¡¯s shoulder before spinning in mid-air like a top and shing out at the back of Burt¡¯s neck with both swords.

    Unlike before, where his attacks only left white marks, his swords dug into the man¡¯s flesh cause significant cuts to appear where he connected.

    ¡°RAHHH,¡± Brance, having already figured out what was happening, ran forward with his shield up and bashed it directly into Burt¡¯s shins.

    CRACK

    Like his brother, he had coated the shield in Mana, which increased the amount of damage dealt the higher leveled opponent, and as a result, he splinted both of the man¡¯s shins with his sudden attack.

    Howling in pain, Burt copsed to his knees while iling around wildly. To the front, Brance was hacking away at his chest with his sword, and to the back, Cynrik was jumping left and right, avoiding Burt¡¯s arms while shing away at any b of meat he saw.

    Both boys watched as the red bar signifying their enemy¡¯s health quickly emptied, and with the music reaching its climax, they both jumped back and readied their final attacks.

    ¡°BASTARD CHILDREN HOW DAR¡­.¡± But before Burt could finish his statement, he watched with confused eyes as his body seemed to get further and further away.

    Cynrik and Brance had timed their attacks to connect in unison, and using all their might decapitated their enemy, causing a fountain of blood to spray to the ceiling of the room, painting it in a shade of red.

    The room fell silent. The only sound that could be heard was the panting of the brothers, who had nearly bottomed out their stamina in their barrage of attacks.

    ¡°Hah¡­hah, see Brance, everything¡¯s better with background music,¡± Cynrik struggled to stand due to his exhaustion but still was able to make one of his smart-assments.

 Chapter 48

    ¡°Shut up, Cyn, seriously, just shut up and read what Tobs just sent us,¡± having none of his brother¡¯s idiocy, Brance deflected Cyrnik¡¯s attention to the flood of notifications they had both received upon defeating Burt.

    ¨C You have killed a level 18 Demi-human (Half Ghoul)-

    ¨C Due to the unique identity and the level of the enemy, you have received five times the rewards ¨C

    ¨C XP reward has been modified ¨C

    ¨C You have leveled up ¨C

    ¨C You have obtained 5 STR points ¨C

    ¨C You have obtained 5 VIT points-

    ¨C You have obtained 5 KIN points-

    ¨C Tier 2 Mana Codex located would you like to extract it Y/N ¨C

    ¡°Oh shit, free level,¡± chuckling at the fortune he had gained from this most recent kill, Cynrik looked at Brance happily. Still, when he saw the solemn expression his younger brother was wearing, his eyes jumped back to the open notifications and continued scrolling down.

    -WARNING, EMERGENCY CHAIN QUEST ¨C

    -Emergency Quest Haylons Shadow (EPIC Chain) ¨C

    -Due to the most recent battle with System User Burt Clemsdale, the Hosts have created a severemotion in the facility. This has alerted the unaware members and leadership of the hidden faction Haylons Shadow to intruders being in their territory.

    -The rewards from this quest chain will be lucrative.-

    -Failure in any of the quests in the chain will result in the Host¡¯s death.-

    -Part 1 A: Collect the children Benny and Gabby Sandford and move to a safe location. (Iplete)

    -Part 1 B: Using your Watcet, inform either Cinyah Jetlensr or Rikard Jetlensr of your current location and situation. (Iplete)

    -Reward ¨C 5000 XP, 10 Skill points, 5 Stat points-

    -Time remaining to failure 15 minutes-

    Cynriks hands massaged his temples, and he let out a long sigh as he finished reading the final notification about the emergency EPIC quest.

    ¡°Fuck¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, fuck,¡± the two brother¡¯s sat in silence as they collected themselves and digested the new information.

    ¡°First things first, save your Stat points; there¡¯s no point in wasting what could potentially be a trump card. While I¡¯m not sure if every one of these quests in the chain will reward us with free points, it¡¯s not a bad idea to hold off for now on spending what we¡¯ve got. I know it will mess up your build, but if you can drop 20 points into AGI in a decisive moment, you¡¯ll be able to shock your opponent and escape.¡±

    ¡± For now, the clock is ticking, luckily killing that moron replenished our Stats, so we are nearly back to full power; the only downside is my ribs are still fractured. But the bright side is that with my VIT and a couple more heal, I should be fully healed quickly.

    ¡°The pain isn¡¯t that bad right now, and since my HP is back to full, I¡¯ll be fine; time to go scoop up those brats and get the fuck out of here. My guess is when that clock hits zero, this hotel will turn into a ho¡¯s nest.¡±

    Standing up and dusting himself off, Cynrik lightly jogged to where Brance had left the two unconscious children. After a quick game of rock paper scissors, Brance was given the task of carrying them both. Even though it had been decided with a game, Cynrik had waved it off as Brance is technically physically stronger since his STR stat was almost double his own. Unwillingly, Brance went along with it and threw Benny over his shoulder while holding Gabby under his right armpit.

    With 13:29 left on the mission timer, Cynrik and Brance arrived at the Grand Staircase.

    ¡°Ok, two options,¡± thinking quickly, Cynrik started listing out ideas while taking in his surroundings with Mana Sight active. ¡°We head to a higher floor and try to hide, or we straight up leave,¡± with rapidly moving eyes, Cynrik was able to see the Mana signatures stiring on every floor of the hotel.

    Brance decided for him and took off down the stairs running directly for the front door.

    ¡°Alright, leave the Tower of Terror it is,¡± snorting at his joke Cynrik followed suit and ran down after his brother. However, unlike Brance, who ran in a straight line for the door, Cynrik swerved off and headed for the broken concierge desk.

    [May as well make a little distraction to throw them off our tail, you keep goin, I¡¯ll catch up,] Cynrik informed his brother, who at this point was already at the door and about to leave.

    Not breaking his stride, Brance acknowledged his brother¡¯s statement before swiftly leaving the old, musty building.

    ¡°Hehe, hehe, IVE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO THIS SHIT,¡±ughing maniacally, two fireballs the size of basketballs manifested above Cynrik¡¯s outstretched palms.

    With two swift movements, the destroyed desk was set aze, but Cynrik didn¡¯t stop there; spinning around in a circle, he began hurtling fireballs all over the hotel lobby.

    Next, he ran over to the remains of the lobbies furniture and started lobbing anything he could pick up in the direction of the basement; by the time he ran out of things to throw, a wooden pilerger than himself had formed in front of the door to the basement.

    He had been hoping Brance would leave to begin with since there was absolutely no way that his soft-hearted brother would allow what he was about to do.

    With a twisted expression creeping across his face, Cynrik formed two more fireballs and lit the woodpile blocking the basement door on fire before moving to the center of the lobby and raising his arms like a symphony conductor.

    His eyes drifted between the notification window that showed the timer and his Stats window as he monitored his MP. Then, taking in a deep breath, Cynrik conjured more than a dozen fireballs and began slinging them in every direction. Each time one of the fireballs connected with something, it would explode and spread.

    Unaware of what was happening inside the building, Brance ran full speed away from the hotel. [Where are you? We¡¯ve only got 10 minutes left.] Even though he had already covered the equivalent of five city blocks in only a couple of minutes, he was still within range of Cynrik and thus could still stay in contact with him.

    [Coming, where are you?] When he received the message from his brother, Cynrik immediately dashed away from his position, where he was admiring his handy work, and ran out the door.

    [Run straight for two blocks, then take a left and continue for three more you¡¯ll find me;] as he spoke, Brance never stopped moving. He knew that the further away he got from the hotel, the better his odds ofpleting the quest were.

    Hearing his little brother¡¯s directions, Cynrik set off at full speed while pulling his Watcet out of his inventory and sping it onto his right wrist.

    It didn¡¯t take long for Cynrik to catch up to Brance, who was still running at full speed. Appearing to materialize out of thin, Cynrik was suddenly running alongside Brance, which startled him greatly. He knew that Cynrik was fast because of his high AGI, but his brother moved like a ghost.

    ¡°Sup,¡± noticing Brance¡¯s startled expression, Cynrik had to hold back from teasing him, ¡°Let¡¯s keep going; I¡¯ve already started booting up my Watcet; it¡¯s still going to take a couple of minutes before I can call our parents, toss me Gabby so you can do the same. Two signals pinging off a tower will make it easier for them to locate us.¡±

    Without even looking at Cynrik, Brance tossed the little girl under his arm in the air and swiftly pulled out and equipt his Watcet before booting it up just like Cynrik had. Then, just as he finished, he reached out in front of him and caught Gabby as if nothing had happened. [Like hell, you and I both know you¡¯re more likely to drop her on the ground and keep running.]

    Brance¡¯s reaction caused Cynrik to stumble momentarily and almost fall. [OI, I WOULD NOT, well¡­ ok maybe I woulda tossed her into a pile on the side of the road, at least she¡¯d be considered safe, right?]

    [Don¡¯t try to justify your twisted logic, Cynrik. We both know you dislike Gabby and Benny; you only tolerate their existence. That doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll go out of your way to help them. In your mind, as long as they¡¯re not in the hotel, they¡¯re safe. But that doesn¡¯t track with Tobs. It isn¡¯t about what either of us thinks; if we don¡¯t receive the prompt that they¡¯re both safe, then we don¡¯t leave them anywhere.] Brance nced over at Cynrik to see his reaction, only to see, Cynrik wasn¡¯t even paying attention to him and was instead fiddling with his Watcet.

    Feeling like someone was watching him, Cyrnik looked up only to see a pissed-off Brance. [Hm? Oh, I¡¯m supposed to respond. Yes, yes, I¡¯m a horrible person who doesn¡¯t give a shit about anything; I know I know¡ªno need to go off about it.]

    [FUCK YOU!] Brance shouted into the mind link, startling Cynrik, who once again almost tripped over his own feet.

 Chapter 49

    [Jeeze, why do you always gotta yell? It¡¯s not like I can hear you.] Even though the mind link transmitted directly to his brain, Cynrik still picked at his ear with his pinky finger, as if Brance had just screamed directly into it.

    Brance simply snorted as a response and brought up the quest timer.

    -Time remaining to failure 07:44 ¨C

    He looked over his shoulder in the direction they hade from and frowned when he noticed something in the distance and quickly snapped his head towards his older brother, [Cynrik!] Gritting his teeth, Brance growled into the mind link.

    Knowing what wasing next, Cynrik chose to speed up, putting distance between himself and Brance, and start whistling a random tune into the mind link.

    [Tell me you didn¡¯t set a hotel full of children on fire,] Brance questioned in an exasperated tone.

    [I mean¡­.there ARE bad guys in there too¡­] Cynrik was looking at the ground and scratching the back of his head while he answered. Seeing Cynrik act as if he did nothing wrong instantly set Brance off.

    [WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU? DO YOU REALIZE THERE ARE OVER A HUNDRED HELPLESS KIDS IN THAT BUILDING?]

    [OK, look, it¡¯s not that bad, right. I mean, there are like 70 bad guys left in there, and I only set the first floor on fire. So I¡¯m sure they will put it out easily.] Feeling the rage radiating off Brance, Cynrik quickly tried to soothe him, but to his, dismay Tobs chimed in before he could continue.

    -You have killed a level 12 Human ¨C

    -You have Obtained 1200 Essence-

    -You have obtained 1 INT point-

    -You have received 1 KIN point-

    Seeing the notifications, Cynrik drooped his head and decided toe clean. [OK, I MAYYY have barricaded the door to the basement¡­and then set it on fire.]

    [YOU DID WHAT!]

    [Oh, look, a conveniently ced office building that we can hide in, let¡¯s go splore it;] fully aware that he had just sent Brance of the deep end, Cynrik pivoted on his left foot and dove through the broken window of the office building he was just about to pass.

    Tucking his knees to his chest, Cynrik somersaulted uponnding inside the building and bounced back to his feet. He spun around just in time to see Brance dive into the structure after him.

    [OK, look, it¡¯s not that big a deal. I¡¯m sure those kids are just fine. But, look, we haven¡¯t gotten any messages bout killing any low levels yet, right. That has to be a good sign.] With his hands stretched out and palms up, Cyrnik slowly backed up as Brance carefully ced Gabby and Benny on the floor and angrily stalked towards him.

    [You¡­YOU¡­I CAN¡¯T BELIEVE YOU, OF ALL THE DEGENERATE SHIT YOU COULD PULL, WHY WOULD YOU EVEN CONSIDER THAT A GOOD IDEA?] Brance backed Cynrik into a wall and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. If a single kid dies in your stupid fucking fire. [I SWEAR TO GOD I¡¯M GOING TO BREAK ALL OF YOUR BONES, HEAL YOU, AND DO IT AGAIN.]

    [Promise?] Cynrik shot Brance a cheeky grin, which only pissed him off further. Luckily for Cynrik, it was at this moment that Tobs chimed in.

    -Emergency Quest Haylons Shadow (EPIC Chain) ¨C

    -Part 1 A: Collect the children Benny and Gabby Sandford and move to a safe location. (Complete)

    -Part 1 B: Using your Watcet, inform either Cinyah Jetlensr or Rikard Jetlensr of your current location and situation. (Iplete)

    -Reward ¨C 5000 XP, 10 Skill points, 5 Stat points-

    -Time remaining to failure 06:51 ¨C

    [AH HAH, KIDS ARE SAFE, OK time to call Mother and Father.] Cynrik silently thanked Tobs for finally saving his ass and broke out of Brance¡¯s grip and moving a few steps out of his reach.

    [Alright, let¡¯s just clean ourselves up a little bit;] Cynrik stripped off his blood-soaked ck robe revealing his purple shorts and ck t-shirt, then he used a clean part of the robe to wipe off the blood on his face before turning his attention to his now booted up Watcet. Using the camera function on the device, he frowned when he saw how his hair was matted with blood.

    [That won¡¯t do, tsk.] With a snap of his fingers, ck mes covered his entire body burning away any traces of blood on his person. [There, your up next;] ignoring his brooding brother, Cynrik gave Brance the same treatment clearing any traces of blood off him.

    Inhaling and holding his breath, Cynrik typed a quick message before texting Cinyah and Rikard. The moment he hit send, Tobs notified him aboutpleting Part 1 of the Chain Quest.

    Two hundred miles away from Cynrik and Brance, A fleet of 25 Enforcer-ss Cruisers were hoving above a vast, open desert. Cinyah and Rikard were standing side by side on the bridge of one of these vessels, looking out into the horizon, when both of their Watcets emitted a sharp, high-pitched chirp.

    Immediately they both brought their wrists in front of their faces and started reading the message they had received. It read [ We are OK, Hundreds of kids kept in cells really far down in the basement, over a hundred kidnappers in the base, Brance and I snuck out with Gabby and Benny. The building is an abandoned hotel, and I set it on fire so you can find it. We love you both.] Reading the message, Cinyah broke down in tears again; it had been nearly two days since she lost contact with her babies and the first thing Cynrik had done was give them much-needed information. She had read the text in his sweet voice and choked up instantly.

    Beside her, Rikard, too, had finished reading the same text message and was fighting back the tears while chuckling that his son had set fire to the enemy¡¯s base. Even though he was a big burly man, he was nothing more than an over-glorified teddy bear when it came to his children. He looked up from his Watcet and spoke in a subservient tone while turning and bowing to an older man in the captain¡¯s chair. ¡°Father. My oldest has turned on his Watcet and sent us a message.¡±

    The older man was quiet for a minute before stroking his long grey beard and replying. ¡± Tech Officer, trace the device and get us the coordinates,¡± after speaking, he looked at Rikard, who was still bowing before him.

    This man was Lithlen Jetlensr, the Patriarch of the Jetlensr Family and Rikard¡¯s Father. Even though he was pushing 70 years old, he had the appearance of someone much younger while also being just asrgely built as his son. He carried an air of nobility and arrogance as if the whole world was below him.

    ¡°It looks like your bastard children are good for something after all,¡± Lithlen¡¯s words stung at both Rikard and Cinyah¡¯s core. Although they were married, their marriage wasn¡¯t seen as ¡°official¡± in the eyes of their families. Thus, Lithlen had referred to Cynrik as a bastard. There was nothing they could do in this situation either. Considering that Lithlen Jetlensr had 25 High powered battle cruisers on hand, he was also the strongest person on the ship. The Patriarch was level 53, which made him a Tier-5 being. Not only was he significantly stronger than Rikard and Cinyah, but he was also considered a powerhouse on their continent. Rikard and Cinyah could only ignore his disdainful words and continue groveling.

    When they hadn¡¯t heard from Cynrik or Brance in over 24 hours, they were given no choice but to contact the Jetlensr Patriarch. It was the better of the two options between their fathers; their only fear was what Lithlen would ask in return for his help, of which their biggest fear was that he would try and take one of their children.

    Eventually, Lithlen waved off his son and directed the fleet towards the ping they had found from the Watcet. ¡°Captain, eta 1 hour 20 minutes until contact.¡± One of the crewmen spoke out, to which Lithlen just nodded to acknowledge he had received the information.

    In all honesty, he didn¡¯t care for Cinyah or her bastard children, but Rikard was still his youngest son. So he felt a slight bit of familial responsibility for the kids since they still had Jetlensr blood in their veins at the end of the day. Rikard had transferred Cynrik¡¯s text to his father, who scoffed at the information, especially the part where Cynrik had set fire to the enemypound. This bit alone made himpletely disregard Cynrik¡¯s existence since the Jetlensr bloodline was based around the Wind Affinity.

    ¡°So your oldest is a fire user, tsk¡ªuseless son, your second-born what element does he have?¡± Not hiding his disdain at Cynriks Affinity, Lithlen pushed Rikard for information on Brance.

    ¡°Brance has a Wind Affinity Father,¡± although the statement hurt his heart to admit, Rikard still answered his father¡¯s question.

    ¡°Hmph, at least you did something right,¡± Lithlen looked away from Rikard and at the console in front of him as the bridge drifted into silence.

 Chapter 50

    Cynrik scoffed as he read the next part of their EPIC quest. ¡®Seriously, TOBS, YOU CAN¡¯T PLAY FAVORITES BETWEEN BRANCE AND I!¡¯

    -You have received 5000 XP, 10 Skill points, and 5 Stat points-

    ¨C You have received a system-generated teleportation waypoint.

    ¨C EPIC Chain quest has been updated ¨C

    -Emergency Quest Haylons Shadow (EPIC Chain) 2/?-

    ¨C The host has sessfully brought Gabby and Benny Sandford to a safe location and has sessfully contacted Cinyah and Rikard Jetlensr-

    ¨C Part 2 A: ce system-generated teleportation waypoint in the safe location. (Iplete)-

    ¨C Part 2 B: Sneak back into the captive area in the Haylons Shadow base undetected. (Iplete)-

    ¨C Part 2 C: ce system-generated teleportation waypoint in the captive area. (Iplete)-

    -Reward 25000 XP, 5 Skill points, 10 Stat points.-

    -Time remaining to failure 20 minutes.-

    It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out what their third quest in the chain would be; it was safe to assume that Tobs would force them to rescue the kids after dropping these teleportation waypoints.

    Sighing loudly as he finished reading the new quest prompts, Cynrik leaned against the wall with his hands behind his head and stared aimlessly at the ceiling. [Fuck, Tobs just loves to make my life harder, doesn¡¯t it.]

    [Don¡¯t act like you give a shit; I know all you see is the rewards. We can safely assume it¡¯s gonna be a rescue mission next. We have to wake up Benny and make sure he directs the kids when they get sent over. All our work will be useless if the kids start running wild and panicking.]

    Unlike Cynrik, who felt like this quest was bing a waste of time, Brance was quietly thanking Tobs; it was breaking his heart knowing they had left so many helpless children in basically hell, more so now that Cynrik had set the hotel aze.

    [Agreed, at least it¡¯s Benny we¡¯re dealing with. He¡¯s spent enough time around us to bring his IQ up a few years; if it was some random kid, I doubt they¡¯d have any idea what to do, let alone listen to orders from us.] Pushing off the wall, Cynrik walked over to where Benny and Gabby were slumped against each other, unconscious.

    Fear gripped Brance¡¯s heart when he saw Cynirk moving to wake the children. Even when it came to children, he was notorious for being heavy-handed, so Brance frantically tried stopping him. ¡°Hey, ill wake them up and fill them in on what¡¯s happening. You go¡­ I don¡¯t know, be a lookout or something.¡±

    ¡°Tsk, fine, just make it quick times ticking, it¡¯ll take us around 3 minutes to get back to the hotel,¡± sucking his teeth and cing his hands behind his head Cynrik, casually walked out of the office building.

    Brance shook his head and directed his attention to the unconscious Benny and knelt next to him. ¡°Hey, Hey Benny, wake up,¡± using his little kid voice and lightly shaking the boy in front of him, Brance gently tried not to startle him but was still forceful in his shakes.

    ¡°Ugh, huh, Brancie, what happened? WAIT, IS GABBY OK?¡± after a few shakes, Benny¡¯s eyes opened, and Brance could see the terror in his eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s OK, Benny, she¡¯s fine, Big brother and I saved you both, but that¡¯s not important; you need to listen, OK.¡±

    ¡°In a couple of minutes, big brother Cyn and I have to go and save the other kids; see this lil shlight thing?¡± Brance pulled out the teleportation waypoint that Tobs put in his inventory when the second part of the quest began. It had a small green shlight-like body with a clear stic cone on the top.

    ¡°My system gave big brother and me a special mission, so we have toplete it; all I need you to do is stay here with your sister. I have to put this cone down, and when Cyn puts the other own down, it¡¯s gonna make a special thing that can bring all the kids over here. Since you¡¯re the second oldest, you have to be sure the kids don¡¯t run away.¡±

    Benny listened to every word Brance said while pulling his sister closer and looking at the teleportation waypoint carefully while nodding his head over and over to show he understood.

    Thanks to Vinestra¡¯s Systems¡¯ existence, and his exposure to the two brothers, Benny was significantly more intelligent than a seven-year-old back on Earth, so although he was still in shock at what had transpired, he followed along with the information being given to him. His system had even given him a specially generated quest, telling him to stay put and protect the teleportation waypoint, which made Brance¡¯s job a bit easier.

    ¡°OK, Brancie, ill stay here and protect that thingy and my sister. Once the other kids get here, I¡¯ll try to keep them calm and together,¡± although Brance could tell he was still terrified, he knew that Benny was trying his best to be strong.

    Giving him a nod and a pat on the shoulder, Brance stood up, clicked the big button on the waypoint, and lightly ced it on the ground in an open space in the center of the room. It lit up the moment he did and started slowly shing off and on.

    -Emergency Quest Haylons Shadow (EPIC Chain) 2/?-

    -Part 2 A: ce System generated teleportation waypoint in the safe location. (Complete)-

    -Time remaining to failure 18:01-

    ¡°I gotta go help big brother now Benny, if you hear or see anyone other than another kid or us, grab the shlight thing and hide; there are plenty of ces here for that, do you got it?¡±

    Benny once again nodded and said he understood before going about trying to wake up Gabby.

    Seeing this, Brance didn¡¯t look back and immediately sprinted out of the building to where he saw Cynrik standing in ce, looking towards arge smoke cloud rising into the sky.

    Sensing Branceing up behind him, Cynrik didn¡¯t say anything and instead dashed off towards the hotel.

    [Benny and Gabby are alright, not that you give a damn. I¡¯m sure you saw part A waspleted;] still aggravated with Cynrik, Brance started scolding him while trying to keep up.

    [Less than 18 minutes left, there¡¯s no time to worry about anything other than what¡¯s ahead of us.]

    [Seriously Cyn, would it kill you to care about other people for once?]

    [I mean, I¡¯ve already got my hands full keeping tabs on you, don¡¯t I? That in itself is already nearly my limit for fucks given. Anyway, we don¡¯t know what we are walking into here. When we get a bit closer, I¡¯ll toss up Shadow Veil, and we will sneak back into the cell-way (Cynrik has dubbed the hallway lined with cells the ¡°cell-way) the same way we snuck out. Remember, it¡¯s all about stealth; we cant be noticed. If we see any bs, we can¡¯t stop.]

    Cynrik looked over his shoulder as he briefed Brance on their strategy. [I mean it, Brance, no distractions, we get in, drop the waypoint and get ready for whatever the hell is next.]

    [Shut up. I heard you the first time; I¡¯m not about to jeopardize our lives for strangers;] Brance growled, feeling wronged by his brother¡¯s usations.

    [Ow, oww my chest¡­my nose, they still hurt from thest time you jeopardized our lives.] Cynrik gripped his chest dramatically with one hand and rubbed his nose with the other as he ran and acted as if he was in pain.

    [Oh, quit your bitching; at least I didn¡¯t hit you with my shield;] snorting, Brance decided to ignore Cynrik for the rest of their trip.

    Approximately 3 minutester, they arrived half a block away from the hotel and hid in an ally between two abandoned buildings while scoping out the scene.

    Cynrik activated Mana Sight with a frown and started counting the bodies standing in front of the hotel that was no longer on fire and was only billowing smoke. [Mannnn, they put out my masterpiece, tsk, welp, it¡¯s not as bad as I was figuring. It looks like they¡¯ve stationed five people to guard the entrance; inside, there¡¯s another seven searching for clues in the lobby.]

    Crouched beside Cynrik, Brance was scanning the second and third floors. [They found our kills, and it looks like they¡¯ve got another group upstairs, going room to room looking for us.]

    [Do you have eyes on that mini-boss from the cell-way?] Taking in the information being ryed by Brance, Cynirk went about trying to locate actual threats.

    Both of their eyes were glowing slightly and darting in every direction rapidly. Finally, Brance located Myer on the sixth floor. [Got him, sixth floor three o clock stepping out of what I assume is an elevator.]

    [Copy, alright, stay close. From what I can tell, they sted the basement door off the hinges and cleared the pyre I made earlier, and it looks like the front door got taken out as well, so it¡¯ll be a straight shot to the basement. They left two guards down there that we¡¯ll have to eliminate, but other than that¡­] Cynrik stopped himself before he finished his following sentence. Since they were about to do a stealth operation, he couldn¡¯t say, ¡°this should be easy,¡± because he was superstitious about dropping gs.

    Brance was equally superstitious and wasn¡¯t about to Murphy¡¯sw himself either. (Anything that can go wrong will go wrong)

    [Let¡¯s move, the timers at 13:40.] Waving his hand towards Brance, Cynrik activated Shadow Veil, covering both of them, which was the signal they had agreed on for moving out.

 Chapter 51

    Under a nket of Darkness Mana particles, Cynrik and Brance swiftly covered the remaining half a block from the ally they had been hiding to the front door without raising any rms.

    Although Cynrik¡¯s Shadow Veil was only considered a Tier 0 Affinity skill, it still was capable of muting the sound of their footsteps as they breezed by the unsuspecting ck-robed guards standing outside the hotel.

    Upon reaching the door, Cynrik noticed many broken ss shards littering the small area in front of the door and quickly told Brance to jump over them not to raise suspicion. While Shadow Veil could mute sounds, it was too weak to hide any changes made to external objects, so if they had carelessly run over the shards, they would have been easily spotted. Still, since Cynrik had picked up on the broken ss, they easily passed the first obstacle in their infiltration.

    Making it past the first hurdle, Cynrik and Brance weaved through the crowd of bodies in the lobby before making their way over to what remained of the basement door, undiscovered.

    Stepping lightly into the passageway leading to the long spiral staircase, they proceeded to move down the stairs silently, but as they did, Brance spoke up, drawing Cynrik¡¯s attention away from the two guards downstairs; he had been monitoring.

    [Cyn is it just me or all of these guards under Tier 1;] as they zig-zagged through the guards moments ago, Brance had realized that, from the five guards outside to the seven in the lobby, the highest level he saw was Tier 0, level 9.

    [Ah, yeah, I saw that. From what I saw, they left the grunt work to the¡­ grunts. While the elites we saw earlier were doing the investigative work on the bodies upstairs.] Admitting he had picked up on the aforementioned fact, Cynrik tossed in another bit of information, causing a scowl to spread across Brance¡¯s face.

    [Well, excuse me for trying to be helpful. So what, are you gonna tell me that the guys downstairs are to the standard of that guy, Burt?] Brance countered snarkily.

    [kek, WELLL¡­] momentarily stumbling forward and missing a step on the stairs, Cynrik started to break the bad news and was subsequently cut off by an audible sigh from directly behind him.

    [SIGH, STOP, Let me guess, both of them are high-level Tier 1¡¯s.] Brance massaged his temples upon hearing that they were about toe face to face will strong opponents.

    Cynrik looked back at Brance while shrugging as if to say, ¡°if you don¡¯t want me to say it, I won¡¯t,¡± with his lips pursed, eyebrows raised, and eyes shifting left and right.

    [Great, we can¡¯t even take these guys out like the sleeping bunch. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re both geared and observing the stairs;] ignoring the stupid face his brother was making, Brance continued to air his grievances about the situation they were creeping into.

    [Toooo BEEEEE FAIRRRRR, there¡¯s only two of them, and they¡¯re down the hall a bit facing the cells and not the stairs. So at least we can get the drop on them;] as they reached the base of the stairs, Cynrik looked over at the timer floating invisibly to anyone but himself.

    -Time remaining until failure, 09:22. ¨C

    [It took us longer than expected; we had better wrap this up quickly.] Without looking back at his younger brother, Cynrik equipped his AC loadout and, using the final stair-step as a springboard,unched himself forward towards the two unsuspecting guards who currently had their backs to the stairs.

    After following suit and estimating which person Cynrik was going after, Brance cast Haste and took off, targeting the remaining guard, the closer of the two¡ªmoving still under cover of Shadow Veil, Brance swapped to his T1 loadout and pulled his shield off his back.

    Moving like a silent phantom, Cynrik barreled directly into the back of the first guard and attempted to stab his right hidden de just below the base of the person¡¯s neck.

    But just before his de came in contact with the person¡¯s skin, his eyes pupils narrowed to the size of a pinhole as he witnessed the fine hairs on the back of the person¡¯s neck raise like a cat.

    This reaction from the person caused an imaginary rm to fill Cynriks mind, as he watched in slow motion as the person he was supposed to easily kill spin around so quickly that he seemed to blur in and out of reality for an instant before meeting him face to face.

    Narrowing his eyes, Cynrik made eye contact with two strange yellow feline-like eyes and only had one thought as in his prereferral vision, he saw the man¡¯s hand, wielding a short sword, swiftlye up and aim for his chest. The singr thought formed on his lips in a whisper ¡°Veist t¨² ekki hver ¨¦g er?¡±

    It happened in the blink of an eye. One second he was shooting forward like an arrow with his whole body parallel to the ground, and the next, a sword was thrust forward towards his heart faster than the naked eye could see. But even moving at the speeds he was, Cynrik recalcted his point of attack. In one motion, he threw his left shoulder back, twisting his upper body to an almost impossible degree, and stabbed his now Dark-Mana coated hidden de directly into the man¡¯s adam¡¯s apple.

    The man¡¯s eyes shot open wide, causing his vertical pupils to shrink, and his mouth dropped open. He watched in horror as the small boy with purple highlighted ck hair moved like a boneless serpent to narrowly dodge his sneak attack before plunging a hazy ck de into his throat.

    Seeing the shock on the man¡¯s face, and with a sadistic grin stered across, Cynrik mmed into the man full force, using his body weight to drive his de through the back of the man¡¯s neck, severing his spinal column.

    Unable to control his body any longer, the man copsed backward with Cynrik on top of his chest. Not realizing the damage Cynrik had done, the man struggled to move only to conclude he was paralyzed from the neck down, and a grim expression slowly formed on his face while he watched helplessly as the blood left his mouth and coated the young boy¡¯s face and hair.

    Unbothered by the blood dripping off his hair and a crazed look in his eye, Cynrik tuned out the world around him as he gripped the front of the man¡¯s shirt to pull his upper body towards him.

    As if possessed, a second Norse phrase crept forth from the deep depths of Cynrik¡¯s soul as he brought the man¡¯s head within an inch of his face.

    As the world faded to ck, the life left his body but not before he heard the demonic child speak foreign words.

    ¡°T¨² getur ekki drepie mig! ¨¦g er ¨ªvar Beiusi!¡± Cynrik said with insanity and venom, coating his voice before spitting directly in the man¡¯s face, violently ripping his hidden de from his throat and letting the corpse go.

    Slowly looking up at his brother¡¯s back, Cynrik sheathed his hidden de and used both hands tob his blood-soaked hair out of his eyes.

    -You have killed a level 18 Demi-human (????). ¨C

    -Due to the unique identity and the level of the enemy, you have received five times the rewards. ¨C

    -You have obtained 35000 Essence. ¨C

    -You have obtained 5 DEX points. ¨C

    -You have obtained 5 AGI points. ¨C

    -You have obtained 5 KIN points. ¨C

    -Tier 2 Mana Codex located would you like to extract it Y/N. ¨C

    Trying not to be distracted by his brother randomly speaking in Norse, Brance used his shield to bash into the unware ck-robed person¡¯s back. With a loud BANG, the force of the collision threw the short slender person forward several feet and caused their hood to drop. Long silver hair spewed out from under the hood revealing a woman under neither as she crashed face-first onto the ground.

    Undeterred by the person¡¯s gender, Brance capitalized on the woman¡¯s misfortune and quickly jumped onto her back before repeatedly bashing her in the back of her head with the point of his shield until he got the notification of her death.

    -You have killed a level 18 Demi-human (????). ¨C

    -Due to the unique identity and the level of the enemy, you have received five times the rewards. ¨C

    -You have obtained 35000 Essence. ¨C

    -You have obtained 5 MIND points. ¨C

    -You have obtained 5 AGI points. ¨C

    -You have obtained 5 KIN points. ¨C

    -Tier 2 Mana Codex located would you like to extract it Y/N. ¨C

    From start to finish, the moment Cynrik¡¯s foot left the first step of the stairs, only 10 seconds had transpired. Cynrik momentarily watched his younger brother savagely m his shield into the back of his target before remembering he had the final teleportation waypoint.

    Standing up and flinging the corpse of histest target towards the stairs with his foot, Cynrik pulled the small shlight-like device from his inventory, clicked the button on its handle, and underhand tossed it a few feet away in the opposite direction. Less than a secondter, the notifications started rolling in.

    -Emergency Quest Haylons Shadow (EPIC Chain) 2/?-

    ¨C Part 2 B: Sneak back into the captive area in the Haylons Shadow base undetected. (Complete) ¨C

    ¨C Part 2 C: ce system-generated teleportation waypoint in the captive area. (Complete) ¨C

    -You have received 25000 XP, 5 Skill points, 10 Stat points. ¨C

    ¨C Failure Timer has been reset. ¨C

 Chapter 52

    Lightly kicking the ground with the toe of his shoe Cynrik clicked his tongue as he read the update for part 3 of the EPIC quest. [Just as I thought, it¡¯s a stupid rescue mission, OI BUT WHATS THIS FREAKING TELEPORT COST, TOBS HOW COULD YOU ROB ME LIKE THIS?]

    ¨C Emergency Quest, Haylons Shadow (EPIC Chain) 3/? ¨C

    -The Host sessfully infiltrated the enemy¡¯s base undetected and ced both teleportation waypoints. ¨C

    ¨C Rewards for part 2 have been distributed.-

    ¨C Part 3 A: Since the Host has ced the central teleportation waypoint inside the enemy base, it needs to be charged. Due to therge number of people that need to use the teleportation circle, the Host will have to use Mana Codexes as fuel. (Charge 0%) (Iplete)

    ¨C Part 3 B: Free Captive children. 0/83 (Iplete)

    ¨C Part 3 C: Activate teleportation array. (Iplete)

    ¨C Part 3 D: Send the freed children to the safe zone using the teleportation array. 0/83 (Iplete)

    ¨C Part 3 E: Defend the array until all children have sessfully teleported. (Iplete)

    ¨C Reward 3k XP per Child rescued, 25 Skill points, 20 Stat points-

    -Timer to set up teleportation array 10 minutes-

    [Jeeze, Tobs, what¡¯s with dropping five different subquests? I get that this is an epic quest chain, but still. WELP BRANCE looks like you get your wish; since you LOVVVEEEE saving people, ima leaving it to you. Sigh, seriously, this is such a waste of our codex reserves.] Cynrik continued grumbling as he walked over to the waypoint; he regretted tossing and sat in front of it while dumping all the Mana Codexes he had in his inventory on the floor like toy blocks.

    Meanwhile, Brance had just finished reading all the notifications and gave Cynrik a strange look. [So, we not gonna talk about you talking in Norse? Or calling yourself Ivar the Boneless, what was that all about?]

    Cynrik¡¯s hand paused just above one of the Tier 0 Mana Codexes when Brance interrupted his train of thought. [Hm, oh that, yeah, I mean, ¡°Don¡¯t you know who I am? You can not kill me! I am Ivar the Boneless!¡± as weird as this may sound, it kind of just fit the situation, don¡¯t overthink it. Anyway, give me all the codexes you¡¯ve got; this thing is probably going to eat all of them.]

    Brance just shook his head and walked over towards Cynrik before dumping all of the remaining Codexes he had on him directly on top of his brother¡¯s head before walking off and working on the locked cells closest to the stairs.

    [OH YEAH, REALLLLLL, mature, TSK, couldn¡¯t freakin hand them to me,] airing hisints while rubbing his head Cynrik started charging up the small shlight device. All he had to do was ce one of the small crystal-like codexes on top of the t surface of the cone, and a notification would pop up asking if he would like to use it to charge the waypoint.

    -You have used a Tier 0 Mana Codex as fuel for the teleportation waypoint. +1% Charge-

    Cynrik took a quick count of all the tiny crystalline structures piled around him with a frown. He counted a total of eight Tier-0, 15 Tier-1, and 3 Tier-2 codexes before he held up one of the Tier-1 and allowed the waypoint to absorb it.

    -You have used a Tier 1 Mana Codex as fuel for the teleportation waypoint. +5% Charge-

    -Teleportation waypoint is currently 6% charged-

    [Tobs¡­why¡­WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME!] Cynrik¡¯s head dropped in defeat as he began feeding all of the Tier 0 and Tier 1 Codexes he had into the device.

    While his brother was morning the loss of their hard work and resources, Brance was going cell to cell and using his shield to break lock after lock. With his STR stat being what it was, it only took one or two hits to destroy the metal padlocks that held the cell doors in ce. Inside the cells he was presently working on were the children he had arrived with, who were still unconscious. Thinking to himself, Brance concluded that this was fine. All he would have to do is ce them on thepleted array, and they would be whisked off to the safe zone. They didn¡¯t need to be conscious for that to happen.

    The problem was going to ur when he released the children locked up for any period of time. But, being the positive-minded person he was, Brance figured it wouldn¡¯t be challenging to convince them; they were there to save their lives. Especially since Cynrik had already dropped his Shadow Veil, causing dozens of pairs of eyes to watch their every move.

    Finishing up the first round of locks, Brance moved back and forth, carrying the unconscious children over to Cynrik andying them down next to him. Each time he dropped off a kid, he could hear the low grumblesing from his older brother.

    [Come on; it can¡¯t be that bad. Trying to be optimistic,] Brance ced his hand on Cynrik¡¯s shoulder.

    Cynrik looked up at Brance with watery eyes, feeling the hand on his shoulder. [They¡­ they¡¯re all gone Brancie¡­we only have one left. All those bodies we dropped, and all we have is one Tier 2 Codex and 4 Tier-0 to show for it.] Unfortunately, Cynrik had found out that the Tier-2 Codexes gave a 10% charge, so he was forced to pump nearly all of their resources into the device just toplete the subquest.

    ¨C Part 3 A: Since the Host has ced the central teleportation waypoint inside the enemy base, it needs to be charged. Due to therge number of people that need to use the teleportation circle, the Host will have to use Mana Codexes as fuel. (Charge 100%) (Complete) ¨C

    -Timer to set up teleportation array 7:21-

    Cynrik looked away from the notifications and back to Brance with his bottom lip quivering. Seeing how dramatic his older brother was being, Brance simply smacked him in the back of the head and went about knocking locks off doors. [Quit your blubbering. Go take some anger out on locks; we¡¯re running out of time. We¡¯ve got over 30 cells to open up and less than seven minutes to do it.]

    Snorting out loud, Cynrik tossed the unused Mana Codexes back into his inventory and swapped to his SAO loadout from his AC before standing up and scanning the long hallway. His eyes widened as he noticed something, but he chose to hold back this new information from Brance and instead activated his Mana Sight.

    Tilting his head back and looking around the floors above him, Cynrik picked up on several small Mana signatures moving in a group up the stairs to an area well out of the range of his skill. Cynrik had noticed the absence of several kids. With his memory being as good as it was, thanks to his MIND and INT stats, he remembered counting over a hundred kids the first time they were in the cellway. But now, because of the quest, Cynrik knew there was only 83 down here. So, although he was curious about where they were being sent, Cynrik opted to ignore them for now and decided against telling Brance.

    ¡®There just isn¡¯t enough time for him to be worrying about anything other than the task at hand. So if I tell him, it will only cause him to freak out again.¡¯ Considering how his brother would react, Cynrik shook his head and drew both his swords from their sheaths.

    Taking a deep breath and flipping his Sunre around his hand a few times, Cynrik met the eyes that were staring at him with hope and spoke. ¡°ALRIGHT, EVERYONE, LISTEN UP, I¡¯M GUNNA BE RUNNING BY AND SLASHING THE LOCKS, SO STAND BACK. ONCE I BREAK THE LOCK, I WANT ALL OF YOU TO STAND IN A LINE, EVERYONE¡¯S SYSTEM SHOULD BE TELLING YOU THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE SETTING UP A WAY TO A SAFE AREA. IF YOU ARE WITH A SMALL KID, HELP THEM OUT.¡±

    Taking a deep stance, Cynrik¡¯s eyes once again lit up with his Mana Sight as he focused on all the locks in a line running down the right side of the cellway. Brance stopped smacking the lock he was working on and looked over at Cynrik, who stood as if he was charging up for an attack. But, hearing themands his brother was uttering, Brance was pleasantly surprised. He had expected Cynrik just to ignore all the children and go about destroying locks. But instead, Cynirk had pretty much given them clear and concise orders. It was unexpected, but Brance weed his brother¡¯s initiative.

    He didn¡¯t realize that Cynrik had covertly targeted all of the children looking at him with a small amount of killing intent, which is why all the kids seemed uncharacteristically obedient.

    Smirking lightly, Cynirk lept forward and started running at full speed down the hall; all the while, each time he passed a lock, he would obliterate it in a single strike with his ISS. Secondster, he reached the end of the hall, turned around, and repeated the process on the opposite side.

    With a deep exhale, Cynrik stopped right next to Brance, who had just finished a single lock in the time it took him to break over 30; then, with a flourish, Cynrik spun both his des in a predetermined pattern and swiftly sheathed them both simultaneously. When both des clicked into their sheaths, Tobs sent thepletion notification.

    ¨C Part 3 B: Free Captive children. 83/83 (Complete) ¨C

    [Hehe, like with all good sword-wielding anime protagonists, everything happens when the swords click back in ce.] The moment the words entered their mind link, all 36 locks behind Cyrnik shattered into pieces.

 Chapter 53

    CRACK CRACK CRACK

    Brance watched wide-eyed as every lock in the cellway simultaneously shattered to pieces. His head whipped back and forth, from metal fragments on the ground to his brother, who had his hands still resting on the hilts of his swords.

    [You¡­how¡­what¡­HUH!] Brance felt like his world view suddenly exploded wide open as Cynrik nonchntly walked towards and picked up the teleportation waypoint. [My little brother, you must remember this is a world where anything is possible if you¡¯re strong enough.] Cynrik snickered at his brother¡¯s expense as he flipped the shlight-like device in his hand like a toy.

    But his face suddenly tensed up as he noticed theck of creaks from cell doors opening. Then, getting annoyed, Cyrnik spoke up, ¡°OI, HURRY UP NOW!¡± as if on queue, all the cell doors swung open, and the children obediently lined up several feet behind Cynrik.

    Brance shook his head helplessly and opened up the door he was working on, retrieved the two unconscious children, and walked over to the rapidly forming group.

    [Tobs, how do I turn this thing on?] Smacking the waypoint on his palm a couple of times, Cynrik finally gave up and asked for help.

    -To activate the array, the Host must twist the cone counter-clockwise 180 degrees and then pull it out half an inch. Next, ce it on the ground, and the array formation will begin forming. It will take precisely 60 seconds for the runic-spell array to be written and activated.-

    [Cough, alright;] clearing his throat, Cynrik did as Tobs instructed, giving the waypoint a twist and a pull, the cone lit up in a pale blue light. cing the device on the ground, Cynrik couldn¡¯t stop himself from asking, [Tobs, you sure I¡¯m not supposed to bop-it too?] Behind him, he heard Brance scoff at his dumb joke.

    -¡­no¡­-

    Slightly startled by the system¡¯s response, Cynrik jittered his head in confusion but was sidetracked by a mass of pale blue lines spilling out from under the waypoint. These lines started wiggling and forming a neat circle spanning a full 4 feet in radius, with the center point being the waypoint itself. With the outer ring formed, the blue lines moved like snakes, creating strange symbols, which appeared to be a form of some kind.

    Brance stepped next to Cynrik, and the two brothers tilted their heads slightly to the right and watched the spell form form. They both squinted simrly with their eyes rapidly scanning the strange symbols.

    [Wait¡­HOLY SHIT, WE CAN READ THIS THING!] Cynrik¡¯s stunned voice echoed in the mind link as he leaned closer to the array.

    [Legacy Tier Language Proficiency, hey Tobs, whatnguage is this?] Cynrik chirped as he continued to absorb the sightsing into view as the array built itself.

    -Host¡¯s authority is too low for this information-

    [TSK, Cmon Tobs;] even though he was disappointed that Tobs refused to answer his question, Cynrik still tried his best to read the symbols on the ground. But the more he stared at them, the less he understood. Typically, all their Language Proficiency did was automatically trante whatever they read or heard into English in their brain, allowing them to understand. It was the same in reverse; if they wrote or spoke, for example, the word ¡°hello,¡± Language Proficiency would essentially auto-correct it into themonnguage used in Vinestra. The exception to this was when they spoke in anguage other than English. Like earlier when Cynrik said in Norse. The words came out in the correctnguage he spoke; however, Brance was able to understand it as the skill allowed him to, but it didn¡¯t actually change the words for some reason.

    Now, as they examined the symbols that formed the spell form for the array, they could read the symbols, but they couldn¡¯t understand them. They had visual recognition, but it was incoherent when the knowledge entered their minds. The strange situation caused Brance to give up, but Cynrik stood in ce staring at formation, still trying to decipher it. Unfortunately, the only thing he obtained was a headache, and when the array was finished, he was forced to look away and rub his eyes.

    -Part 3 C: Activate teleportation array. (Complete)-

    -Timer reset-

    The lines on the ground stopped moving and locked into ce before turning a golden shade and emitted a sudden forceful pulse of Mana that shoved everyone near it, including the bothers, back two steps. The pulse rippled in the air creating a mirage-like reaction, simr to what happens on a hot day over asphalt.

    The sudden urrence caused Cynrik¡¯s face to contort in displeasure. [FUCK, BRANCE, GET THESE KIDS MOVING NOW!] Sensing something was off, Brance immediately went to work sending kids through the portal while Cynrik swapped to his AC loadout and ran towards the stairs.

    When the pulse went off, Cynrik wasn¡¯t frozen in a stupor; his brain was still active, and using his Mana Sight, he watched as the heads of everyone upstairs swiveled towards the basement.

    Brance didn¡¯t ask questions; he had already concluded that Part 3 E was starting, and they had to defend the array now.

    Cynrik didn¡¯t stop at the base of the stairs; instead, he chose to climb halfway up the staircase and lie in wait, with a creepy smirk on his face. [COME TO ME, MY BEAUTIFUL XP;] carefully monitoring the bodies moving in his direction, he pulled out his final Mana potion and downed it to cap himself off before activating Shadow Veil.

    Myer stood amongst about twenty children on the hotel¡¯s fifth floor in front of arge metallic door. On the other side of the door was his master¡¯sboratory. Contrary to what the brothers believed, the master didn¡¯t have eyes for the children in the way they thought. Instead, the master would use the children in his experiments, all of which revolved around the newly formed Mana Codexes held in their tiny bodies. Untainted by any elemental Mana, these pure codexes were a vital resource he absolutely required. As such, since he couldn¡¯t buy human codexes in bulk on the ck market easily, the master had created an organization that shared his name with the sole purpose of obtaining this valuable resource.

    After the events earlier in the night, the master had a bad feeling that something was about to happen andmanded his ves to bring arge group of children to him before disposing of the rest. However, time was of the essence, and as someone who lived in the underworld, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling he had been found out.

    Knocking lightly on the metal door, Myer informed his master that he hadpleted what was asked of him. Just as his knuckles left the metal, the door opened with a loud mechanical hiss, and a short, fat man wearing an expensive-looking grey, and ck suit appeared.

    ¡°Myer, bring the children in and go handle the situation downstairs.¡± The master, Haylon, said in an eerie, raspy voice that caused all of the children to shudder in fear. ¡°It appears some rats have snuck into the basement and need to be¡­dealt with.¡±

    Myer knelt in front of Haylon and replied that he understood without looking at his master. Instead, he stayed looking at the ground until he heard the mechanical hiss of the door closing, after which Myer stood up, and a ferocious glint shined in his eyes as he made his way to the staircase leading to the first floor.

    With a wave of his hand, a small ck cell phone-like device appeared in his palm, ¡°Teams 3 and 7 get to the basement and kill the intruders. Be advised; it¡¯s the same person who eliminated team one and the people on the second floor.¡±

    Back in the basement, Cynrik watched in palpable excitement as arge group of Mana signatures gathered in the lobby and moved as a group in his direction. His eyes flickered to the left, where a notification was floating in the open space, detailing thepletion of Part 3 D.

    -Part 3 D: Send the freed children to the safe zone using the teleportation array. 16/83 (Iplete)

    [Tobs, can you give me an estimated time ofpletion if Brance stays at his current pace?]

    -With the rate Host Brance is sending the freed children through, the final child will cross over the teleportation circle in approximately 13 minutes.-

    [Set a timer for 13 minutes.] Cynrik watched as a second notification box appeared under the first, showing a timer with 12:59 on it.

    [Brance, keep an eye on that counter and get those brats through the portal. I¡¯ll try holding off these guys in the staircase as long as possible.] Then, looking at the stairs that extended up in front of him several dozen feet, Cynrik started plotting his attack.

    ¡®There¡¯s enough space here that two adults should have no problem walking side by side, which means they will be sending them down in pairs.¡¯ Cynrik slowed his breathing as he continued analyzing.

    ¡®The n of attack is ankles first, take out the Achilles tendon, throw them off bnce, quickly attack the vitals, and eliminate the target asap, I¡¯ll need to create a blockage with the bodies, so I¡¯ll have to know where I toss the corpses. There isn¡¯t much space in this stairwell, so I¡¯ll have to pick and choose my cement carefully.¡¯

    His first bundles of XP arrived feet above him as he finished his plot, causing Cynrik to grin evilly. ¡®SPARTANNNSS, WHAT IS YOUR PROFESSION!¡¯

    -AHHHH OOOOUUUU-

    Tobs, knowing what Cynrik was thinking, yed an audio clip from his memory of a movie about 300 warriors fighting an army in a narrow pass. The response caused Cynrik to nearly choke on the breath he was holding.

 Chapter 54

    Cynrik didn¡¯t have the time to worry about Tobs, as the first group of XP appeared several steps above him. Noticing they were utterly unaware of his presence, he pushed any thoughts to the back of his mind and watched his HUD pop up over their heads.

    ¡®Tsk, sending in the fodder first is useless against this Lord of the Shadows!¡¯ Taking a quick headcount and checking the iing enemy¡¯s levels, Cynrik moved into action.

    Unsheathing both his hidden des, he burst forward and swiftly shed at the ankles of the two Tier-0 targets before him. Without uttering a single cry, the two copsed mid-step and were silenced by a de being forcefully impaled into their skulls.

    -You have killed a Level 6 Human-

    -You have obtained 600 Essence-

    -You have obtained 1 STR point-

    -You have obtained 1 KIN point-

    -Tier 0 Mana Codex located would you like to extract it Y/N ¨C

    -You have killed a Level 5 Human-

    -You have obtained 500 Essence-

    -You have obtained 1 STR point-

    -You have obtained 1 KIN point-

    -Tier 0 Mana Codex located would you like to extract it Y/N ¨C

    Feeling the pulse of energy fill his body due to the sudden two STR points, Cynrik broke into a cocky smile and continued his assault. Moving like a phantom, he weaved in and out of the nine remaining targets making short work of them. One second they were storming down several flights of stairs; the next, they were dead. Cynrik moved so quickly and hid under his Shadow Veil that none could react.

    Since they were all weaker than him, it was as easy as swatting flies in Cynrik¡¯s mind. Exhaling the breath he had been holding while effortlessly ughtering 11 people, he quickly checked his gains from the short-lived battle.

    -You have killed (9) Tier-0 Human(s)-

    -You have obtained 6100 ESSENCE-

    -You have obtained 3 DEX, 2 AGI, 1 MIND, 1 STR, and 2 VIT points.

    -You have obtained 9 KIN points-

    -Your Killing Intent has evolved, allowing the Host to exert 2.5G worth of force on a target(s)-

    ¨C (9) Tier 0 Mana Codexes located would you like to extract them Y/N ¨C

    Not allowing himself to be overwhelmed by the surge of energy in his body and the sensation of growing stronger, Cynrik quickly extracted all of the avable codexes and set about stacking the corpses near the base of the stairs making a human wall, cutting off the path to the basement.

    He finished up just as the second wave of fodder started down the stairs. A nce at their stats told him that these enemies were all Tier-1 beings, that and the strongest was level 15. Knowing he had to be more serious, Cynrik released his Shadow Veil and swapped to his SAO loadout before slowly stalking up to meet them.

    Unlike the opposite side, Cynrik was banking on his short stature and swords¡¯ length for this battle. However, due to the limited space presented by the stairwell, he knew he¡¯d be able to maneuver around a lot easier than his adult counterparts, and thus, instead of going the assassination route, Cynrik opted to switch to his heavy weapons instead.

    Exhaling softly, Cynrik drew both his des and quietly awaited the confrontation. Thanks to his Mana Sight, he was already simting his next moves while shooting a nce at the timer floating off to his left.

    -10:42 remaining-

    Looking away from it, he next checked his Stats,

    : STATS :

    : HP 540/540 :

    : Mana 124/231 :

    : Stamina 270/270 :

    : Stat Points- 23:

    : Skill Points- 35 :

    : Strength- 38 :

    : Dexterity- 68 :

    : Agility- 72 :

    : Intelligence- 29 :

    : Vitality- 54 :

    : Mind- 37 :

    : Killing Intent- 56 ¨C 2.5G :

    ¡®TSK, I need to start raising my INT; having this shitty Mana pool is getting annoying. ALRIGHT, SCREW IT!¡¯ Not holding back anymore, Cynrik dumped all 23 of his Stat points into his Intelligence, bringing it up to 52, forcing his MP to 239/346. The instant he did so, a massive wave of energy surged throughout his body, and he felt something shatter in his head and chest.

    Exhaling slowly, he decided against his previous n and went with the more extensive idea he had formed. Cynrik coated his swords in their respective Mana types and crossed them over his chest, forming an X. Then, he continuously poured Mana into the outward-facing edge of both des while watching his MP steadily drop. ISS and Sunre began emitting colorful waves of energy as they hungrily absorbed every bit of Mana being poured into them and observed as they started to show signs of umted damage due to the high input of energy coursing through each de.

    As the sounds of footsteps echoed in the stairwell above him, Cynrik grinned sadistically while he finished charging up his attack.

    When the first person came into view, he witnessed an odd sight. Standing several steps below him was a young boy, covered from head to toe in blood and wielding two brightly glowing swords just in front of his chest. The child¡¯s violet-streaked ck hair floated mysteriously stood there with a terrifying glint in his eyes.

    Stopping in ce and turning around to warn his seven other teammates, the man was suddenly frozen in ce by a highly oppressive and invisible force that bore down on his entire body. He wasn¡¯t alone; behind him, his entire team was equally locked in ce.

    With wide eyes, the man watched in horror as this small demonlike child moved menacingly forward a single step, and thest thing he heard before the world around him turned into pure chaos was an eerie and sadistic young voice.

    ¡°Bl¨®erauer Banamaer: Fyrstr Form ¨C Baldr¡¯s Cyclone!¡± The mixture of Norse and English was the precursor to hell itself spawning in the stairway, and all the men could do was watch helplessly.

    shing both swords down at an angle caused a massive fire tornado to be spawned upon separating the two des; then, using the fusion of his Fire and Wind Mana, Cynrik controlled the cyclone by waving his ISS like a staff. Wherever he pointed, the 8 foot by 3-foot ming tornado followed, and currently, he was directing said attack to flow directly through the clustered enemies attempting toe down the stairs.

    Cynrik had first set the stage by unleashing the full force of his Killing Intent to momentarily paralyze them before using the first attack in his newly named sword style. However, due to being forcefully locked in ce, all the men could do was scream internally before the fire tornado washed over them before turning carrying onto the next person.

    The unstoppable attack moved from person to person, instantly turning them into charred corpses, and since Cynrik was utilizing his remaining MP for Mana Sight, he directed it from target to target without a clear line of sight.

    By the time the attack finally disintegrated, he had eliminated all the people in the stairwell. But, unfortunately, the cost to do so was more than his swords could bear, and Cynrik watched sadly as cracks formed along the entire length of both his ISS and Sunre. He had devised this technique on the fly. Although he was aware of the consequences it could potentially have on his weapons, when it came to facing eight adults, who were all a higher tier than himself, he felt the only viable option would be to use one of the trump cards he had devised.

    ¡®Damn, it looks like ill have to get new swords now; using the Fyrstr Form was too harsh with Tier-0 swords. Sunre¡¯s practically obliterated.¡¯ Looking over both des onest time, he spun both with a flourish and sheathed them for potentially thest time.

    ¡®I only used 200 MP, and they couldn¡¯t even handle it. Of course, I suppose even the Fyrstr Form could be considered an ultimate attack. Not to mention there are still three other attacks and a finishing move in my Bl¨®erauer Banamaer style. It was only because of the increased INT that I could utilize the Fyrstr form. Oh well. There¡¯s plenty of time in the future once we make it out of this ce.¡¯ Finishing his thought and tilting his head to the right so he could pop his neck, Cynrik swiped his left hand in the air and brought up all the notifications from his eight kills.

    -You have killed (8) Tier-1 Demi-Human(s)-

    -You have obtained 10000 Essence-

    -You have obtained 3 DEX, 2 AGI, 3 STR points.

    -You have obtained 8 KIN points-

    -Your Killing Intent has evolved, allowing the Host to exert 2.75G worth of force on a target(s)-

    ¨C (8) Tier 1 Mana Codexes located would you like to extract them Y/N ¨C

    Fighting back the fit ofughter brewing in his soul, Cynrik closed his eyes and enjoyed his power up from the kill rewards before he began whistling a light-hearted tune as he extracted the codexes and set about stacking more bodies on top of the previous ones making an entire corpse wall separating himself and the cellwaypletely.

 Chapter 55

    With the timer for the questpletion ticking down, Cynrik cleared wave after wave of enemies. At the same time, Brance continued ushering the group of frightened and emaciated children through the portal.

    The two brothers had realized earlier on that not only were they sharing the XP gained from Cynrik¡¯s kills, but they were also sharing the Stat awards. So, while Cynrik was left doing all the work, Brance was reaping free benefits.

    Cynrik wasn¡¯t really upset about carrying his brother to him, so long as they both got stronger, everything was fine. Now they were that much closer to breaking through Tier-0 and into a different realm of power.

    In total, he had savagely destroyed three more waves of people, gaining not only a level but a massive increase to his Stats. Using the lull in enemy waves, Cynrik was casually sitting atop a throne made of corpses. The wall behind him wasyered heavily with the bodies of those who opposed him. Giving a sniff to the air, he couldn¡¯t help but think about how it smelled like BBQ.

    ¡®Tobs, condense all the award notifications into a bite-sized packet for me.¡¯ Then, crossing his left leg over his right and reclining on the bodies of his victims, Cynrik casually made a request of the system.

    -You have killed (17) Tier-0 Demi-Humans-

    -You have killed (12) Tier 1 Demi-Humans-

    -You have obtained 48000 Essence-

    -You have leveled up-

    -You have obtained 4 DEX, 5 AGI, 8 STR, 5 INT, 4 VIT, 3 MIND points.-

    -You have obtained 29 KIN points-

    -Your Killing Intent has evolved, allowing the Host to exert 3G worth of force on a target(s)-

    ¨C (17) Tier-0, and (12) Tier-1 Mana Codex¡¯s located would you like to extract them Y/N ¨C

    A euphoric surge of energy flowed through Cynrik as he watched his Stats increase. Except for his MIND, all of his Stats had passed 50 and were quickly closing in on the 100 milestones. However, as his eyes scanned over them, he felt disgusted at how several odd numbers had appeared. Cynrik distributed his newly acquired Stat points into those specific Stats to make them wholly rounded figures to remedy this as best as possible. Leaving him with a single point leftover and only his MIND being annoying iplete.

    : STATS :

    : HP 600/600 :

    : Mana 386/386 :

    : Stamina 300/300 :

    : Stat Points- 1:

    : Skill Points- 35 :

    : Strength- 50 :

    : Dexterity- 80 : (+4)

    : Agility- 80 :

    : Intelligence- 60 : (+2)

    : Vitality- 60 : (+1)

    : Mind- 41 :

    : Killing Intent- 93 ¨C 3G :

    ¡®Eh, win some, lose some, I¡¯ll eventually get that fucking MIND Stat up.¡¯ Exhaling loudly, Cynrik closed his eyes and tried to rest as much as possible. Even though his HP, MP, and STAM had all fully recovered, the mental strain from constantbat was beginning to take its toll thanks to him leveling up. Cynrik unconsciously twirled three marble-sized Tier-1 Codex¡¯s in his left hand and moved his closed eyes towards the lobby with Mana Sight active. It had been chaos upstairs since five teams had gone down and been subsequently eliminated by him.

    He had been keeping tabs on the number of bodies umting in the lobby and had watched as that number was slowly chipped away. Initially, when they arrived at the Haylon¡¯s Shadow base, he had counted roughly a hundred people. Still, that number had slowly been wiped down to only a fraction of what it originally was. The only trouble was that now all that remained was the high leveled and tiered beings.

    Seeing the cluster of remaining XP milling around the lobby frantically above him, Cynrik had to resist the impulse to suddenly rush up there and start a massacre. His rational brain was warning him against this course of action, while his irrational lizard brain was screaming, ¡°DO IT!¡±

    [Hey, almost done down here; how¡¯s it looking upstairs?] Brance¡¯s sudden interruption pulled Cynrik out of his daydream. It caused him to look downstairs, into the basement, where his brother was.

    [All good up here, five waves dispatched so far, looks like there¡¯s only a handful left upstairs. But the remaining guys are all high-level Tier-1. You¡¯ve only got what like ten more kids to send through; once you¡¯re done with that, I¡¯ll figure out something depending on what the next part of the chain quest is. So go ahead and allocate your free points, and send me over your Stat profile.]

    [Yeah, alright. Also¡­ I¡¯ve been meaning to ask for a while now, but¡­ what¡¯s that smell? A couple of minutes ago, it got pretty hot down here, and now there¡¯s a weird smell, almost like BBQ.] Brance contorted his face as he looked towards the staircase several feet away from him.

    [Ah¡­ that¡¯s the bodies I charred with my new special attack. Don¡¯t mind it, just keep doin what your doin.] Chuckling to himself, Cynrik waved his hand dismissively to himself and waited for Brance¡¯s reply.

    Downstairs, Brance narrowed his eyes as he heard about Cynrik basically cooking his opponents and decided to just ignore that fact before setting about distributing his 31 Stat points. Unlike Cynrik, who was inbat, he didn¡¯t currently require a sudden massive boost in power, so he had been saving the points from the quest and his level up. However, after hearing about the challenge they would face after the kids were teleported away, he decided to dump his points. The first thing he did was push his VIT up to its current cap of 90 and then did the same to his STR. This alone ate up arge chunk of his points, leaving only nine remaining.

    Taking a second to look over his Stat profile, he eventually decided to put the remaining points into his INT, since currently, it was his lowest Stat. However, the instant he distributed these points, he was almost overwhelmed by the sudden burst of energy flowing through his body as two of his Stats hit 90. Taking a deep breath and then slowly exhaling, he sent over his new Stat profile to Cynrik and set about pushing the final group of children into the teleport.

    : STATS :

    : HP 900/900 :

    : Mana 296/296 :

    : Stamina 450/450 :

    : Stat Points- 0 :

    : Skill Points- 15 :

    : Strength- 90 : (+15)

    : Dexterity- 52 :

    : Agility- 51 :

    : Intelligence- 44 : (+9)

    : Vitality- 90 : (+7)

    : Mind- 36 :

    : Killing Intent- 78 ¨C 3g :

    Upon receiving Brance¡¯s Stat profile, he loudly sucked his teeth in a judgmental manner. With enemies still around and giving free stat points, he just couldn¡¯t understand why his brother would waste the opportunity to save his points by wasting them on capping specific stats. While he could follow his brother¡¯s train of thought when it came to getting stronger, he couldn¡¯t allow himself to waste the opportunity being presented to him on a silver tter.

    ¡®Whatever, it¡¯s his loss, not mine.¡¯ With a swipe of his left hand, Cynrik closed the notifications he had opened and reclined into the charred corpse he was presently using as a throne, and monitored the situation upstairs.

    Unlike the young boy in the stairwell, Myer lost his mind in rage. He had sent group after group to handle the unknown enemy in the basement, only to lose contact with them shortly after. Aside from the building fury in his chest, in the back of his mind, fear was running rampant. This whole fiasco had caused him to lose a ridiculous number of his master¡¯s ves and had zero results to show for it. However, what worried him the most wasn¡¯t the loss of these ves but the power demonstrated by this hidden enemy. It¡¯s one thing to assassinate sleeping people, but this being had defeated over 30 people in a head-on confrontation. Not just that, but upon seeing how quickly this threat eliminated the Tier-0 teams, Myer had started sending down the low-level Tier-1 beings under hismand. But even those people had been silenced not long after.

    This fact presented Myer with only two possible answers; the first was that this entity was a high-level Tier-1 being exceptionally well-versed inbat and could easily take care of lower-level and Tiered beings. Myer wouldn¡¯t have to worry if this was the case since he could just send his entire elite squad down to remove this pesky rat. The second possibility was what he was beginning to fear. What if this being was beyond Tier-1. If this was the case¡­ Myer didn¡¯t want to even think about the potential losses he would incur if he sent his elite team down to the battle.

 Chapter 56

    As Myer had a mental breakdown due to the chaos Cynrik was causing in the stairwell, the person in question waszily reclining on a pile of charred corpses while watching the countdown timer tick away.

    -Time remaining 01:23-

    [Hehe, one, two, three, make a wish, Brance.] Covering his mouth with his right hand, Cynrik snickered softly at his bad joke.

    [Shut up. Don¡¯t you have something more important to be doing right now instead of fucking around? I¡¯m almost done down here;] although Brance was hurrying along a couple of remaining children through the magic circle, he still took the time to condemn his brother. He wasn¡¯t entirely clear on what was happening in the stairwell since his attention was solely directed at the massive group of kids he was supposed to be keeping in order. As such, he wasn¡¯t able to separate his attention and direct it to where his brother was fighting.

    Brance did, however, understand that Cynrik was ughtering arge number of people, thanks to the constant influx of notifications he was receiving. But, unlike Cynrik, Brance didn¡¯t get drunk on the feeling of power he acquired from his increased Stats and was diligently going aboutpleting the task assigned to him.

    Finally, when the timer ran out and thest child stepped into the teleportation circle, Tobs started sending notification after notification to the boys.

    -Part 3 D: Send the freed children to the safe zone using the teleportation array. 83/83 (Complete)-

    -Part 3 E: Defend the array until all children have sessfully teleported. (Complete)-

    -You have received 25 Skill points, 20 Stat points-

    -You have received 249,000 XP-

    -You have leveled up-

    -You have reached the level cap for Tier-0 Level 10-

    -You are unable to evolve to Tier-1 due to requirements not being met. Minimum Requirements to evolve from Tier-0 to Tier-1 are listed below-

    -Level 10 (Complete)

    -All Stats at minimum 50 (Iplete)-

    -Mana Codex Tier-1 (Complete)-

    -1 Elemental Affinity at Tier-1 (Complete)-

    -Mana Cycles Completed 100/100 (Complete)-

    -Mana Circuit Tier-1 (Complete)-

    -Tier-1 EvoStone 0/1 (Iplete)-

    [Oh, SHIT, look at that!] Cynrik shouted gleefully into the mind link. Momentarily he ignored the next part of the chain quest and took the time to read over the other notifications. Then, waving his hand frantically, he quickly closed all the present windows, except for the one about evolving to Tier-1.

    [Interesting, so we¡¯ve basically met all the reqs for advancing to the next Tier, we¡¯ve heard about EvoStones before, but I haven¡¯t found out how we get our hands on them. The only other box we haven¡¯t checked off is the ¡°All stats to 50,¡± but we can table that forter.]

    [Agreed, I¡¯m missing two stats right now, but I should be ok since I¡¯ve got 28 points to use.] Like Cynrik, Brance was also staring feverously at the notification window that indicated what he needed for his advancement to Tier-1.

    With a simple thought, Brance assigned five points to his INT and 13 to his MIND, bringing both of them to 50 and leaving him with 10 Stat points which he subsequently spread evenly between his VIT and STR, raising both to 96.

    The instant his MIND and INT Stats broke through the 50 point threshold, he felt something in his head and chest shatter, followed by a wave of nausea. Unlike when Cynrik had pushed up his INT Stat and was rtively ok, he had pushed his MIND forward as well, the effects of which nearly made him pass out. Adding 13 points by themselves wouldn¡¯t have been a significant issue; he broke through the 50 point threshold, causing him to feel sick.

    Brance didn¡¯t have to worry about this nauseous feeling, though since he had also increased his STR and VIT, the gross feeling swiftly disappeared and was reced by the warming sensation brought about by those Stats.

    [Whew, that was almost rough; how are you holding up?] Now feeling better than ever, Brance checked in on how Cynrik was handling his powerup.

    Cynrik had been carefully distributing his Stats this whole time, and now, it was paying off. Unlike his brother, who needed to forcefully raise two Stats, Cynrik was only required to bring his MIND up eight points to meet the evolution requirements.

    This slight increase caused him to be a little ufortable, but it didn¡¯t have nearly the effect on his body that it did for Brance. Since he was born, Cynrik always had an unnaturally high MIND Stat, but he never allotted points to it specifically. Instead, he let it naturally grow with level-ups and kill rewards. As such, It was already at 42 when he learned about the minimum requirement for his Tier-1 advancement.

    Once finished meeting the Stat reqs, Cynrik faced an entirely new issue. Scanning through his profile, Cynrik¡¯s left eye was continuously and rapidly twitching. The reason for this tick was simple.

    [(twitch)51, (twitch) 81, (twitch) 81, (twitch,twitch) 61, (both eyes twitch at different times) 61, MOTHER FUCKING UNEVEN BULLSHIT ASSS FUCKING AHHHHHH! ALL MY EFFORT TO KEEP THEM AT WHOLE NUMBERS AND SOMEHOW THEY ALL FUCKING ENDED UP WITH 1¡¯s REEEE!] Cynrik¡¯s irate screams of pain echoed into the mind link, causing Brance to instinctively cover his ears and crouch on the ground.

    [ITS FINE, THIS IS FINE, TOTALLY FINE;] as he screamed, Cynrik was violently shaking his head in time with his words and aggressively shrugging both shoulders.

    [Deep breaths, take deep breaths, Cyn, we still have a lot to deal with; just calm down for a minute and breath.] Slightly fearful for his older brother¡¯s mental stability Brance did his best to calm Cynrik down. Cyrnik had always been obsessive when it came to numbers in video games. Now that they had a real-life system that used numbers to dictate their present physical abilities, Brance knew his brother¡¯s illogical condition would make its appearance again.

    [Look, Cyn, you still have like 20 points left-right; how bout you just bump everything up to five, and that shouldn¡¯t be too bad, right?]

    Hearing the logic his younger brother was attempting to present, Cynrik froze in ce, with his arms fully extended and his neck twisted at a strange angle. [AH, but that still leaves my MIND at 50, and there¡¯d be a point left over. HMMMM¡­] His eyes narrowed as he stared aggressively at the five 1¡¯s present in his Stat Profile while rubbing his chin slowly with his right hand.

    SIGH

    [Fine, I can deal with it for now, but it¡¯s gunna annoy the shit out of me again as soon as I level up.] With an angry wave of his hand, 20 of the 21 Stat points found their way into their new respective homes, and Cynrik closed his eyes while slowly exhaling and enjoying the sensations brought about by the powerup.

    : Stat Points- 1:

    : Skill Points- 75 :

    : Strength- 55 :

    : Dexterity- 85 :

    : Agility- 85 :

    : Intelligence- 65 :

    : Vitality- 65 :

    : Mind- 50 :

    : Killing Intent- 93 ¨C 3G :

    Although he was still unhappy with his MIND being left behind, The excellent whole numbers in his Stat profile pacified Cynrik for the moment. As he relished in his newly increased power, Cynrik was disturbed by a loud screeching noise and a shing notification window in his face.

    -HOST, BE ALERT; A LARGE SURGE OF MANA HAS BEEN DETECTED IN YOUR AREA. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU LEAVE IMMEDIATELY-

    ¡°Huh!¡±

    BOOM

    Cynrik was just barely able to bring his arms up to shield his body as an immense force struck him, catapulting him backward and through the wall of corpses. It took all his strength to curl into a ball as he was hurtled through the bodies and down the staircase, where he impacted the ground and bounced several times before stopping at Brance¡¯s feet.

    On high alert and eyes wide, Brance watched Cynrik ricocheting off the ground like a ball before stopping and spitting up a mouthful of blood.

    ¡°So you¡¯re the FUCKING RATS who have been stirring up trouble on my watch. HOW FUCKING DARE YOU. DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU¡¯VE JUST OFFENDED? YOU LITTLE FUCKING BRATS WILL PAY DEARLY!¡±

    Struggling to his feet, Cynrik ignored the pain radiating from both his arms and chest and gritted his teeth while looking up at the stairwell, where a man wearing heavy iron armor was standing with smoke waving off his fist.

    The man shed out his left arm and vaporized the corpse wall into particles of grey energy. Then, he made a grasping motion with his right arm, causing those particles to condense into a solid orb the size of a baseball.

    ¡°I do have to thank you both, though. Without your chaos, I wouldn¡¯t have met the conditions I needed to advance my Tier.¡± Finishing his statement, the man smiled evilly, and the brothers watched in horror as the person¡¯s jaw dislocated like a snake, and he consumed the orb that was once dozens of corpses.

    An eerie wave of powerful Mana burst from the man as the orb disappeared into his mouth, flinging Brance and the now standing Cyrnik back several feet.

    -WARNING MYER AVIO HAS EVOLVED INTO A TIER-2 EXISTENCE; IT IS ADVISED THE HOST RETREATS AND USES THE TELEPORTATION CIRCLE!-

    In an immense amount of pain, Cyrnik stood shakily on his feet and red angrily at Myer. ¡°Bastard, you fucking think because you¡¯ve reached Tier-2 that we¡¯ll be scared of you¡± he finished his statement by spitting a mouthful of blood in Myer¡¯s direction.

    [Get to the circle!] Cynrik knew this wasn¡¯t a battle they could win and decided to follow Tob¡¯s advice. Slowly the brothers slightly shuffled their feet to disguise their movements, but it was easily seen through.

    ¡°OH? Think you can run? That¡¯s cute.¡± With a sadistic grin, Myer shed out his hand again, but instead of causing bodies to evaporate, he fired an incorporeal mass of slimy, grey energy directly at the waypoint, causing it to explode into pieces and effectively shutting down the teleportation circle.

    [Sigh, FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!]

 Chapter 57

    [Sigh, FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!]

    [FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!] Cynrik continually swore in the mind link as he struggled just to keep himself standing. In the corner of his vision, he could see the notification from Myer¡¯s previous attack.

    -You have taken 300 points of damage-

    -Current HP, 350/650-

    [One fucking attack nuked half my HP, and he wasn¡¯t even a Tier-2 yet. Now¡­] Cynrik¡¯s voice trailed off as he tried to force down the blood that was pooling into his mouth from somewhere in his body. That single attack had fractured both his arms and done internal damage.

    Brance was abnormally calm as he silently threw a Minor Heal at Cynrik¡¯s back.

    -You have been healed for 250 HP-

    -Current HP 600/650-

    Although the minor heal couldn¡¯t immediately fix the internal injuries and fractures Cynrik had suffered, it acted as a pain-killer and temporarily alleviated the intense pain he was feeling.

    Exhaling slowly and feeling the pain leave his stiff body, Cyrnik started plotting. Just like before, when he used his Inspect on Myer, the only information he received was a bunch of question marks.

    Tap, Tap, Tap

    While Cynrik was lost in his thoughts, Myer was still monologuing like a lousy anime viin and making his way towards them.

    Unfortunately for him, both boys werepletely ignoring the words he was putting forth a significant amount of effort to and had their brains firing on all cylinders as they tried to desperately figure out either a way to escape or a way to win.

    ¡°h, h h, is all you can do fucking spout bullshit.¡± Cynrik spat out while shaking his arms out to reduce their numbness.

    ¡°I¡¯ve single-handedly eviscerated dozens of your weak ass underlings, Mr. Mini Boss, and they fed me a vast amount of XP.

    Hearing the blood-soaked little boy¡¯s taunts, Myer¡¯s face developed ck lines, and his mouth drooped into a scowl.

    ¡°Still don¡¯t understand your situation, do you, boy!¡± he stopped several feet away from the two wounded children and crossed his arms while looking them up and down.

    ¡°Two, weak little Tier-0 children. I¡¯ll admit you are both outstanding geniuses. However, to skip Tier and ughter higher leveled opponents like their chickens, that¡¯s a task that very few can do. Unfortunately for you, you¡¯ve kicked a steel te, and Master Haylon will not allow you to escape. Under normal circumstances, he would have dly forced you to submit, but now¡­ he¡¯s already given the kill order.¡±

    [Brance, how many hits can you shield take?]

    [He did 300 damage to you with a single punch; although I have nearly 1k HP, I doubt ill be able to stop more than three direct hits. If I can somehow deflect them, maybe it increases to double that.] Brance didn¡¯t look at Cyrnik as he responded. The two had an astronomical amount of faith in each other regarding dog fights. Thus Brance didn¡¯t sugar coat his words as he gave his best estimate.

    [I doubt we can beat him, but we can choose to either stall for time until our parents arrive or try to get the hell out of here.]

    ¡®Tobs, how many SPs is it to unlock another loadout?¡¯

    -The first additional loadout will cost 20 Skill points. Would you like to purchase it (Y/N)-

    ¡®Only 20 SP, yeah, that¡¯s fine,¡¯ Cynrik watched as a third loadout appeared in his system panels, and he quickly tossed both his damaged swords as well as his assassins tools into their respective slots before naming the new loadout DMG,

    [So, Brance, it¡¯s a PoloXGoku vs Raditz situation. I¡¯ve got an idea, but I¡¯ll need to charge up the attack. First, you need to stall for 30 seconds. You up for it?] Tilting his head down slightly and allowing a shadow to form on his face, Cynrik broke out into a massive grin.

    [Haahh, Always with the weeb references. At least I know this one; yeah ill hold him. You better be ready!]

    [If all goes well, this shit will at best kill him, and at worst, severely injure him, allowing us to escape. But ill need you to pull his aggro; the second he notices what I¡¯m up to, that¡¯s rip-a-Roni geeg. All right, it¡¯s up to you now.] The entire conversation had taken less than a second, thanks to the sibling mind link, leaving Myer unaware that neither child was afraid of him and were instead plotting to take him down.

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough talking; while I don¡¯t usually enjoy killing children, I¡¯m not against it. Soe along like good little brats¡­¡±

    ¡°TSK, cmon now, you don¡¯t really think we would give in to an ugly-ass looking dumb fuck who goes ON AND ON like a fucking fool.¡± Cynrik didn¡¯t let Myer finish his statement.

    ¡°Hehe, Shadow Veil¡±

    Myer¡¯s pupils shrunk to pinholes as he heard the taller boy chuckle creepily and vanish into thin air.

    The instant he saw Cynrik activate his Shadow Veil, Brance swapped to his T1 loadout, unsheathed his sword, and pulled his dented shield off his back before dashing forward with it raised.

    BOOM

    Moving like a veteran, Myer reacted instantly and met Brances shield bash with a violent Mana charged fist, causing a wave of air to expand from the point of impact and blowing Brances, hair wildly as he dug his shoulder into his shield and withstood the full brunt of the attack.

    -You have received 100 damage-

    -You currently have 860/960 HP-

    Brance had taken the first attack head-on to test the level of strength that Myer could output, and to his surprise, it was manageable.

    Meanwhile, as Myer and Brance had their first collision, Cynrik made a mad dash to the opposite end of the hallway before skidding to a stop and swapping to his newly formed DMG loadout.

    Instantly, his assassin¡¯s tools appeared on both his wrists, and a sword was summoned to his right hip and shoulder.

    ¡®Alright, ill only have one shot at this,¡¯ shooting a worried nce over at Brance, who was now going back and forth with Myer; Cynrik unsheathed both his swords and examined them.

    ¡®I had to use them during the waves even with this many cracks earlier; tsk, this will really be the end of them. The question will be if my hidden des can withstand the pressure of the follow-up attack. THINK ok, to make my second attack¡­¡¯ While his brain was spinning rapidly, formting the second attack, Cynrik unsheathed his ISS and Sunre; if this was going to be their big send-off, he wanted to do things right.

    Instead of how he initially held the des, the first time he activated his Fyrstr form, he kept them in a plus sign instead of an X. His left arm holding Sunre extended across his body and met the vertically held ISS.

    Next, he unsheathed both hidden des and rested them against ISS before slowly and carefully charging the two swords with their respective Fire and Wind Mana.

    Cynrik watched as his MP slowly dropped from 411 to 390 and continued.

    Across the hall, Brance had sessfully parried two attacks after tanking the first. His eyes flicked to the left, where he had his Stats open, and monitored his HP, which was currently at 632. Three hits had drained him of 328 HP, which was a big difference from how Cynrik had only stopped a single blow that dealt him 300 damage.

    Each time Myer¡¯s fist connected with his shield, it rattled Brances bones and forced him to clench up all his muscles and grit his teeth. After the second hit, he had estimated Myer¡¯s STR to be nearly triple his own. However, this caused dread to build up in the younger sibling¡¯s heart.

    He didn¡¯t know what crazy n Cyrnik hade up with, but after sustaining three of Myer¡¯s attacks, he knew he¡¯d only be able to handle another three before his shield was utterly destroyed, leaving him defenseless.

    Myer was getting increasingly more furious. The young child he assumed would be easy to crush, had deflected two of his strongest attacks while absorbing one head-on. This pissed him off to no end.

    ¡°YOU LITTLE FUCKING BRAT,¡± unable to contain himself any longer, Myer unleashed the full power of his killing intent which held 3G¡¯s of force onto Brance in an attempt to paralyze him before dealing his fourth heavy-handed punch. However, contrary to what he thought would happen, his fist was once again redirected by the small ck-haired child, who looked up at him with a massive shit-eating grin stered on his face.

    Looking up at Myer, Brance unleashed his own killing intent on the man stunning him. Never in his life had he seen a child who couldn¡¯t be over the age of 6 express a killing intent that matched his own. What¡¯s just as surprising was the child seemed to be utterly unaffected by the three times gravity exerting on his small frame.

    Taking note of his opponent faltering, Brance jumped into the air while raising his shield over his head and smacked Myer directly in his unprotected jaw with an uppercut using the edge of his shield, whipping the man head back, exposing his throat.

    Brance zeroed in on the opening and viciously shed his sword across the man¡¯s throat before rotating and connecting with a spinning back fist, utilizing his shield, which rocked the man¡¯s head to the left.

    The triplebo attack forced Myer to take several steps back and grasp his neck.

    Unfortunately, before Brance could celebrate, Visible Mana started swirling around Myer¡¯s body as he lowered his head and, with reddish-yellow eyes, red angrily at the child who had just caused him pain.

    ¡°You little FUCKING BASTARD, ILL KILL YOU!¡±

 Chapter 58

    Visible Mana started swirling around Myer¡¯s body as he lowered his head and, with reddish-yellow eyes, red angrily at the child who had just caused him harm.

    ¡°You little FUCKING BASTARD, ILL KILL YOU!¡±

    Grey Mana particles swirled violently around Myer, causing Brance to take a cautious step back.

    ¡°YOU THINK THAT YOU, A TIER-0 BEING, COULD STAND AGAINST SOMEONE WHO HAS EVOLVED TWICE!¡±

    As Myer spoke, his arms spread out, causing all of the dustlike Grey particles to rotate even faster around his body, forming a tornado-like mirage.

    ¡°DO YOU EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE OF THE SECOND TIER? DO YOU EVEN REALIZE THE SHEER POWER GAP THAT EXISTS BETWEEN YOU AND I?¡±

    Uncertainty and dread started welling up in Brance¡¯s chest as he witnessed a being of the second tier for the first time.

    ¡°LET ME SHOW YOU THAT THERE¡¯S SOMETHING BEYOND SIMPLE KILLING INTENT.¡± Thrusting his left hand forward, the Mana particles followed and another tornado formed around the stunned Brance. Instantly a force even more significant than the three times gravity he had been pressured under fell on him.

    -WARNING, THE BEING MYER AVIO HAS TARGETED THE HOST WITH HIS AURA, FORMING A COMPOUND FORCE EQUIVALENT TO FIVE TIMES VINESTRAS GRAVITY! LEAVE IMMEDIATELY!-

    Brance couldn¡¯t respond to Tobs¡¯s warning, as his body was assaulted on all sides by a force of 5gs, nearly forcing him to his knees. Fortunately, he had an abnormally high STR Stat for a Tier-0, so he was able to slowly right himself with a tremendous amount of effort instead of being pushed to the ground.

    Letting out ragged, sharp breaths, Brance¡¯s face contorted in anger and effort as he stood defiantly against the pressure of thebined Aura and Killing Intent.

    ¡°Only 5gs, (huff), this is nothing, (huff), I¡¯ve been submitted (huff), to 10gs, so what if you¡¯ve got some new tricks, (huff).¡± Feeling every bone in his body creak under strain, Brance firmly lifted his shield and rested his de on its crown.

    Brance kicked off the ground with an angry roar while activating, Bless, Haste, and Earth Skin simultaneously. The sudden boosts minutely reduced the pressure on his body as his STR temporarily broke through the 100 point cap.

    The sudden forward burst ruptured the muscles in both his calves, but he didn¡¯t feel it due to the effects of adrenaline. This was an actual life-or-death battle. He had to stall Myer as long as possible, unlike the previous fights, where Cynrik handled all of the DPS.

    Myer jaw dropped open slightly as he saw the small boy again charging him with his shield raised, but he wasn¡¯t frozen in ce; instead, he waved both his hands, drawing all the swirling Grey particles to his arms, creating mirage-like armor to appear over his sleeves. These Mana-Arms were nearly three times asrge as his normal ones.

    ¡°gue Construct ¨C First Stage.¡± Myer¡¯s voice echoed in the cellway as the Mana-Arms seemed to solidify into a ghastly skinlike form, resembling gori arms, and he dashed forward to meet the young boy head-to-head.

    Myer swiftly reacted to the boy¡¯s head-on charge and punched out with a tornado of Grey Mana particles.

    Brance¡¯s eyes followed the fist, and he quickly nted his right foot and pushed out his shield while turning his upper body, deflecting the first punch into the wall.

    BOOM!!

    When the fist came in contact with the wall, it created a small explosion, sending dust and debris in every direction, but this didn¡¯t stop Myer¡¯s assault, as he angrily ripped his arm, which was embedded to his elbow, out of the wall, and whipped around delivering a back fist at the small child.

    With Haste still active, Brance leaned back, narrowly avoiding this attack, but when he did, Myer responded by twisting andshing out with another attack of his own.

    Knowing he was at a disadvantage in his current cement, Brance threw himself backward and somersaulted to avoid the second attack.

    Panting heavily, Brance jumped back to his feet and put a few feet distance between Myer and himself, but it was no use. Myer kicked off the wall, pulled his arm back, and executed a superman punch, to which Brance threw himself to the left and watched as the man¡¯s Mana-d fist collided with the ground and, like when he hit the wall previously, cracked the floor, shooting up chunks of concrete and dust everywhere.

    ¡°STAY FUCKING STILL!¡±

    ¡°YEAH, RIGHT!¡± Brance and Myer traded blow after blow, with Myer barely missing every attack as Brance urately calcted the trajectory of each oing attack and got out of the way or deflected it with his shield.

    ¡°THAT¡¯S IT!!!¡± having enough of this game of cat and mouse, Myer once again unleashed his Killing Intent and Aura, momentarily paralyzing Brance, but this was all he needed. Seeing the boy stop in ce for less than a second gave him the opening he had been waiting for.

    Gripping his left fist with his right hand, Myer unleased a powerful hammer strike directly onto Brance¡¯s shield, causing sparks to fly in every direction and making the ground under Brance¡¯s feet shatter, creating a small crater underneath him.

    BOOOOM!!!!!!!!

    -You have received 400 Damage.-

    -Current HP 232/960-

    -Warning you have sustained multiple internal injuries-

    -Warning the bones in your left leg are close topletely fragmenting. ¨C

    -Warning the bones in your right leg have all shattered and sustained severe injury.-

    -Warning both your arms have broken in multiple ces-

    Brance stood rooted in ce, with his shield above his head and his head looking at the ground. His vision was too blurry to read the never-ending chain of notifications appearing in front of his face, and if it weren¡¯t for Tobs, audibly reading them aloud, he wouldn¡¯t even know where he was hurt. With his head drooping, blood began leaking from his mouth and nose and started to pool in the newly formed crater he was standing in.

    A smile crept onto Myer¡¯s mouth as he spotted the blood flowing onto the shattered floor, and he swiftly followed up with a vicious kick to Brances chest, causing a loud crack to sound in the cellway.

    Brance didn¡¯t have the strength left to defend this attack fully and was barely able to drop his shield enough to cover his torso before contact was made, and he was sent flying across the hall in the direction of his brother.

    -You have received 100 damage-

    -Current HP 132/960-

    -WARNING YOUR HP HAS FALLEN BELOW 15%-

    ¡°HAHAHA, SEE, I TOLD YOU, YOU ARE NOTHING COMPARED TO ME. JUST A FUCKING CHILD TRYING TO PLAY ADULT!¡± Myer cackled uncontrobly as he watched the child soar through the air dozens of feet before bouncing off the ground and sliding to a stop.

    Further down the hall, Cynrik watched in horror as his little brother was mercilessly beaten to a pulp by the Tier-2 Demi-human. He hadn¡¯t said a word to him since the battle began because he didn¡¯t want to cause any unnecessary distractions. So instead, Cynrik split his focus between charging his swords and watching the fight progressing down the hall.

    Initially, he had believed it would only take 30 seconds to charge his ISS and Sunre fully, but to his dismay, it was taking much longer, and all he could do was watch helplessly as his brother was juking left and right, narrowly avoiding the Mana filled punches being thrown at him.

    His world came to a screeching halt when Brance received the hammer strike on his shield and was then kicked not far away from where he was standing. Cyrnik eyes flickered from where Brance had dropped his shield and sword to the bleeding motionless body less than 10 feet away from him.

    Unconsciously his teeth began to chatter rapidly as his rage spilled over. Brance had done what he asked, and now he was unresponsive and bleeding from his mouth, eyes, nose, and ears; both of his legs were mangled at strange angles, and if it weren¡¯t for Cynriks sharp vision catching the slow rise and fall of his chest signifying Brance was still breathing, he would have thought his little brother was dead.

    ¡°Tobs¡­.y Swornd¡± through gritted teeth and with a demonic voice, Cynrik spoke softly to his system.

    -Now ying ¡°Swornd¡± By Yuki Kajirua-

    Smiling sadistically, Cynrik exhaled slowly as the familiar song rang out in the mind link. The synthetic orchestra¡¯s emotional music slowly started ying in his head, causing the hair on the back of his neck and arms to rise.

    His vision tinted red from the pure rage welling within his body as Cynrik took a step forward, then another, and after the third, he was full-on sprinting at Myer. Then, gritting his teeth so hard that he tasted blood, Cynriks arms drifted to his sides, and he pointed the two glowing des backward.

    He elerated to his top speed with narrowed eyes full of hatred and rage and forcefully finished his Mana Charge on ISS and Sunre.

    Sensing arge congregation of Mana rapidly approaching, Myer¡¯s pupils constricted, and he instantly jumped back several steps.

    But Cynrik was having none of that, dropping his Shadow Veil and seemingly appearing out of thin air; he flung both his swords up and against each other, forming a + sign on the right side of his body, before kicking off the ground and flinging himself into the air.

    ¡°YEAH, RIGHT, MOTHER FUCKER, YOU CAN GO THE FUCK RIGHT TO HELL FOR HURTING MY LITTLE BROTHER!¡±

    ¡°BL¨®eRAUeR BANAMAeR: FYRSTR FORM ¨C SUN CYCLONE!¡±

 Chapter 59

    ¡°YEAH, RIGHT, MOTHER FUCKER, YOU CAN GO THE FUCK RIGHT TO HELL FOR HURTING MY LITTLE BROTHER!

    ¡°BL¨®eRAUeR BANAMAeR: FYRSTR FORM ¨C SUN CYCLONE!¡±

    A massive amount of Red and Green Mana particles burst out from Cynrik¡¯s swords as he first shed horizontally with his Sunir and then vertically with his ISS. The instant his two arms fully extended, a massive Fire tornado manifested into existence and erupted forward at the stunned Myer.

    Using his forward momentum, Cynrik emted Myer¡¯s earlier actions and allowed the massive me tornado to flow around his body as he followed his technique. Then, d in the mass of Wind and Fire, Mana Cynrik slung both his sword up and rested them against his shoulders as he swiftly closed the distance between Myer and himself.

    Slightly shocked by the power he was feeling from the attack rapidly drawing down on him, Myer decided to block instead of meet the attack with one of his own. Although his MP reserves were still rtively full, he opted to set up his counterattack. Feeling the waves of Mana being emitted by the cyclone, he still wholly believed that this Tier-0 attack wouldn¡¯t be able to damage him much, and it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to guard.

    Cynrik noticed this response which caused his lips to curl up; things were going ording to his cobbled-together n. Nevertheless, he wanted to be underestimated. As long as Myer kept this cocky, overconfident persona active, Cynrik would be able to knock him down a peg.

    It only took a heartbeat for Cynrik to travel from his activation point to where Myer was standing with his sickly yet massive Mana-arms crossed over his chest.

    The world seemed to fade to nothing as the massive fire cyclone crashed against the Grey Mana-coated arms.

    BOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!!

    The collision of Mana caused sparks to shower the area surrounding the twobatants as a st of wind shot out from the point of impact.

    Watching from behind his crossed arms, Myer grit his teeth as he fought to hold back the cyclone, which wasrger than him, but was slightly unsessful as he started sliding backward due to the inertia generated by the attack itself.

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes darted around with Mana Sight active inside the Fire tornado. He was actively observing for any signs of weakness in the outer walls of his technique as it ground against Myer¡¯s Mana construct. ¡®First, I need to wear him down; the instant I see my Sun Cyclone start to show signs of copse, that¡¯s when I initiate the next step.¡¯

    Time seemed to slow down as Myer fought to keep the mes from overwhelming him. At the start, he believed this attack would be easy to stop, but his thoughts made a drastic turn when he caught the st head-on. ¡®What the hell is this? The kid is only a Tier-0; how the hell can he generate an attack equivalent to something of a higher tier. This attack is borderline Mana-Construct level.¡¯

    Deepening his stance, Myer kept trying to stay in one spot, but it was all for naught. The force behind Cynrik¡¯s attack kept forcing him back, causing him to exert more strength into his legs just to keep from being lifted off the ground.

    ¡°FUCKING BASTARD! YOU THINK THIS IS ENOUGH?¡± Myer howled as the veins started bulging on his Mana-Construct arms. Having enough of this farce, Myer began channeling more and more gue Mana particles into his arms, forcefully growing them by 50 percent. Once he felt it was enough, he slowly uncrossed them and allowed the attack into his chest before gripping the outside edges of the cyclone.

    Inside the mes, Cynrik¡¯s eyes locked onto ten fingers piercing his structure and watched as the rotation of the cyclone slowed down, and he began calcting the time until it totally copsed.

    Taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling, he looked at the two des resting against each of his shoulders onest time. When he unleashed in Fyrstr form, he knew it would be the final time he¡¯d be able to use his swords. Although he hadn¡¯t had them long, his fondness for his first weapons had grown significantly. Even in the thick ofbat, he took a moment to admire them. His vision drifted along the two damaged des, taking in each of the massive cracks that were severely leaking Mana.

    Cynrik slowly closed his eyes, and using his senses, felt the turbulent flow of Mana swirling around him. Then, using only his Mana Sight, he could see intricately formed patterns of runs, simr to the ones he saw when Brance and he had opened the teleportation circle. However, Cynrik had to stop himself from delving deeper into his inspection of these runes because out of the corner of his eye; he could see the runes breaking apart, which meant the Sun Cyclone was about to copse.

    NOW! Cynrik¡¯s eyes shot open, and he gripped the hilts of his des tightly. Then, clenching his teeth and using his Wind affinity, Cynrik¡¯s body started spinning, quickly catching up to the rotation of the Sun Cyclone. Lifting his head and peering through the storm of Mana surrounding him, Cynrik locked on to Myer, who was crushing his attack with brute strength and violently shed his swords down at an angle.

    Two things urred when he did this. The first was the sudden splitting of the attack in half. In doing this, not only did he force Myer off-bnce, he caused him to falter. The second thing to ur upon the splitting of the Sun Cyclone was the emergence of two new, smaller ones. Using half of his remaining MP, Cynrik forced the single me tornado to condense into two, which rapidly picked up speed while wrapping themselves around each of his swords.

    Seeing this ur, Myer quickly tried to adapt to the sudden changes. Still, he was a step slower than Cynrik, who aggressively struck out utilizing both his Mana d swords, targeting both of the gue Mana Constructs.

    ¡°Bl¨®erauer BanamaeR: True Fyrstr Form ¨C Baldur¡¯s Demise¡± Cynrik¡¯s voice rang out chillingly, as heshed out, at both of Myer¡¯s arms sequentially. Due to his high AGI and DEX, his arms seemed to turn into shadows as he bounced from left to right while still spinning, creating the image of a drill with two ming extensions.

    Myer couldn¡¯t react fast enough and could only watch as this small ming drill pinballed from one arm to the other, causing significant scorch marks to appear on his Mana Construct arms. Each time he tried swatting at the spinning child, he would blink out of sight before reappearing at his other arm.

    CHINK..CRACK

    Noticing his swords were Unable to withstand the pressure of his attacks anymore, Cynrik poured all his strength into his arms, broke free of his rotation, and delivered a final strike with both his sword into Myer¡¯s right arm.

    Myer¡¯s eyelids shot wide-open as he looked on in horror when Cynrik delivered his final strike. Then cyclones converged on the outer edge of both swords forming a sharp, thin line of Mana. The des mmed into the pale Grey massive arm. Meeting little resistance, they continued onward and through the construct before continuing through the fleshy arm hidden inside, severing it just below the elbow and emerging on the opposite side. The instant the two swords cleared through the bone and made contact with the Mana Construct again, they fragmented and shattered into thin slivers of metal that still contained arge amount of Mana.

    A sigh escaped Cynrik¡¯s lips as he jumped back, holding what remained of his ISS and Sunre, which was only their hilts. Then, ignoring the screams of paining from Myer, Cynrik dropped into his fighting stance and started manipting the shards left in Myer¡¯s Mana Construct. Using his sword hilts like wands, Cynrik rhythmically swung his arms around and directed the bits of metal to tear through the Mana construct and make their way back into Myer¡¯s flesh.

    Sensing the impending danger and knowing his arm was lost, Myer cut off the flow of Mana to his construct before the sword shards could tear apart the rest of his arm. Next, he dashed backward several steps to put some distance between himself and the terrifying young boy.

    Cynrik couldn¡¯t help but smirk as Myer retreated several steps away from him, as he carefully ced the broken ISS and Sunre back into their sheathes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you the difference between someone at Tier-0 and someone at Tier-2,¡± Cynrik mocked while slowly letting his arms drop to his side loosely. ¡°It seems to me that you fucking overestimated yourself, you pitiful bastard. Now let me show you how even a pitiful ant¡­¡±

    Kicking off the ground creating a small shock wave, Cynrik charged forward at the screaming Myer. As he moved, Cynrik channeled Dark Mana into his hidden des before unsheathing them, ¡°Can take down an Elephant.¡± And jumping at Myer, who was angrily grabbing at his stump of an arm.

 Chapter 60

    Kicking off the ground creating a small shock wave, Cynrik charged forward at the screaming Myer. As he moved, Cynrik channeled Dark Mana into his hidden des before unsheathing them, ¡°Can take down an Elephant.¡± And jumping at Myer, who was angrily grabbing at his stump of an arm.

    Cynrik ignored his body¡¯s protest as he willed himself to exceed the limits of his adolescent body. Pumping his legs as hard as he could, Cynrik elerated faster than ever before, leaving a trail of afterimages as he appeared in front of Myer and started rapidly hacking away at the man with his Darkness Mana d hidden des.

    Myer, who was still in excruciating pain, lost his cool entirely and began trading blows with the boy, who seemed to move as if he didn¡¯t even have bones. Afternding a strike, Cynrik would bend his body at awkward angles and easily dodge the punches or kicks fired by Myer, causing the man to get angrier by the second.

    What was frustrating him the most was how each attack he took seemed to deposit some kind of foreign poison into his skin. The small child dodged each of his attacks, causing Myer to believe the kid had eyes all over his body. No matter which way he threw a punch or kick, the kid would simply bend and dodge it while countering with two of his attacks.

    With Frustration and rage spilling over, Myer activated his Killing Intent and Aura together in an attempt to slow the child down, but even that seemed to be useless.

    Feeling the sudden increase in gravity, Cynrik dashed just out of its range and started firing off small fireballs until he saw the hazy mirage signifying the increased gravity disappear.

    Contrary to the impression Myer had, Cynrik didn¡¯t have a massive field of view or a multitude of different eyes. Instead, he urately read all of the subtle muscle movements Myer was emitting. In the first couple back and forth trades of blows, Cynrik had already picked up on Myer¡¯s fighting patterns and was using these to urately judge the timing and direction of the iing attacks before moving his body just enough to dodge the attack.

    Unfortunately, Cynrik couldn¡¯t keep this up for much longer, and he knew it. Flicking his eyes to the notification window floating just to his left, he caught sight of his current Stats and had to stifle a scoff.

    : HP 209/650 :

    : Mana 72/411 :

    : Stamina 98/325 :

    ¡®Fuck¡­¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but swear after seeing how low his main three Stats were. Then, splitting his attention and doing a quick internal check on his body while once again dodging a swift snap kick that would have hit his head, Cynrik saw just how bad of shape he was in. ¡®My breathing isbored, and it actually hurts to inhale; I must have multiple fractures or even a broken rib or two. My legs and arms feel like they¡¯re on fire, and even my shoulders are screaming at me. This cant continue.¡¯

    Cynirk performed an aerial flip and delivered a kick directly to Myer¡¯s neck, whipping his upper body to the left and taking him off his feet, catapulting him into one of the cell doors. While in the air, Cynrik nced at Brance and saw his brother was struggling back to his feet beforending on one knee with his left leg extending out to his side.

    [Brance, status report.] Getting a quick word in, Cynrik jumped back intobat and began trading blows with Myer again.

    Brance had been lying face-first on the ground for nearly five whole minutes. The first minute or so, he was unconscious, but upon hearing his brother taunting Myer, he had woken up and spent the remainder of the time allowing his high VIT to rapidly recover his body and tossing hidden Minor Heals on himself, bringing his HP back to full but rapidly draining his MP.

    In fact, he had even obtained a new passive skill in doing this.

    -Minor Regeneration: Using the Mana, and Stamina of the user, automatically heals any injury they receive. Speed of healing increases depending on the users, VIT Stat. This skill HAS HIGH CONSUMPTION OF USERS MANA AND STAMINA.-

    At first, he was excited by the prospect of having an auto-regeneration passive, but after healing all of his injuries and seeing how low his Mana and Stamina had fallen, he became apprehensive.

    : HP 960/960 :

    : Mana 106/326:

    : Stamina 147/480 :

    To heal all his injuries, he had nearly emptied his MP, and even his Stamina was reaching dangerous levels. When Cynrik finally spoke to him, Brance acted as if he was still in pain and slowly getting to his feet.

    [I¡¯m fine, MP and Stam are low as hell, but I can get back in the fight.]

    This was all Cynrik needed to hear; by cing several well-timed kicks and shes with his hidden des, he was able to turn control Myer, so he had his back facing Brance and giving his brother a window of opportunity tounch a sneak attack.

    [Good, I need you to pull some of this guy¡¯s aggro, I know your shield is basically trashed, but your sword seems fine; get over here.]

    Brance didn¡¯t need any further instruction as he quietly dashed forward while scooping up his sword and charging at Myer, whose back was to him.

    Entering the fray, Brance started by stabbing the man¡¯s shoulder de as he threw another Mana-infused haymaker at Cynrik.

    Feeling the stinging sensation in his shoulder, Myer tried to whip around as quick as possible and kick at whatever just attacked him, but he didn¡¯t count on Cynrik taking advantage of his movements and plunging his Dark Mana coated, hidden de into his ribs.

    ¡°WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TWO?¡± bergasted by how in sync the movements of these children were, Myer realized he was now at a disadvantage. He couldn¡¯t fathom how two Tier-0 children were able to fight as equal with him, who had just evolved to Tier-2.

    Neither, Cynrik nor Brance answered his question as they flowed in sync, dodging and counter-attacking Myer¡¯s every move. This was only possible because, as they continued trading strikes, Cynrik wasmentating each of Myer¡¯s movements, allowing Brance to be brought up to speed on the man¡¯s fighting patterns. Just like his older brother, Brance could easily spot these minute muscle spasms and read the clearly telegraphed techniques being thrown his way.

    This wasn¡¯t something they had just picked up on the fly but was instead that came from years of training and mixed martial arts experience. It had to be said that one of the best things their father had down for them while they were growing up on Earth was cing them in multiple differentbat sports. From the time they could walk, they had been watching and analyzing professional fighters and had evenpeted in many kinds of martial arts tournaments.

    Now, for the first time in years, they were using this set of skills; the only difference was the sheer strength both they and their opponent held. Instead of having to worry about cuts and bruises, if even a single strikended flush with their bodies, the effect would be devastating. Unlike Myer, who was constantly underestimating them, Cynrik and Brance hadn¡¯t underestimated him from the start.

    Unfortunately, as time ticked by, the difference between the two boys and the Tier-2 man started to show. No matter how experienced the boys were, they still had the bodies of six and 7-year-olds. While they began to slow down visibly, Myer was starting to elerate. Even though Brance had entered the battle and tipped the scales initially, Myer slowly took back the initiative and pushed them both back.

    ¡°HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA¡± Cackling loudly, Myer mmed his only fist into the ground creating a massive shock wave that flung Cynrik and Brance several feet away.

    ¡°EVEN AN ANT CAN BEAT AN ELEPHANT, YOU FOOLISH CHILDREN! DON¡¯T YOU SEE, WHILE YOU SLOW DOWN, I ONLY GET STRONGER. THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE; YOU SERIOUSLY BELIEVED YOU COULD WIN A WAR OF ATTRITION WITH SOMEONE TWO TIER¡¯S ABOVE YOU?¡± forming his fist into a w and shing out twice towards each of the brothers, Myer generated a wave of gue Mana and fired it at them.

    [DOWN!] Cynrik shouted in the mind link in the knick of time, and both brothers dropped to their bellies, barely avoiding the arc of Mana that flew over them.

    [Cyn¡­ I¡¯m out of Mana, and I¡¯ve only got 15 Stamina left¡­]

    [Yeah, it¡¯s not much better on my end.] Struggling to get back to their feet due to exhaustion, the brothersmunicated through the mind link.

    [Hehe, not a bad way to go out, though; it¡¯s better than a nuke, at least¡­I think this is it, Brance.] Cynrik wobbled slightly as his body screamed at him to stop, while Brance had his hands resting on his knees, and he was bent over trying to catch his breath.

    Struggling even to catch his breath Cynrik did the only thing that came to mind¡­and asked a single question to Tobs.

    [Hey Tobs¡­before we die, I must ask, is there some kind of plot device you can throw our way here?]

    [Seriously? Hahaha, you¡¯re still treating this like it¡¯s an anime.] Brance burst outughing in the mind link at his brother¡¯sst-ditch effort.

    -¡­¡­-

    -Both hosts have reached the limits of the restraints ced on their bodies.-

    -Requestion Permission to unlock ????-????? ????-

    -¡­..-

    -PERMISSION GRANTED, OVER-BREAK MODE UNLOCKED-

    Both Cynrik and Brance made a surprised electric-mouse face at the notifications floating in their vision.

 Chapter 61

    -PERMISSION GRANTED, OVER-BREAK MODE UNLOCKED-

    Both Cynrik and Brance made a surprised electric-mouse face at the notifications floating in their vision.

    ¨C Legacy Tier Transformation Skill: Over-Break Mode ¨C

    -Once the user has pushed themselves to the utmost extremes that their bodies can withstand, this skill wille off cooldown.-

    ¨C Fully heals any injuries and replenish¡¯s hosts HP, MP, and Stamina to full-

    -Boosts- there are two options for temporary boosts to the user-

    ¨C Option 1: The Over-Break System will scan the opponent and determine the opponent¡¯s Build and corresponding highest stats and temporarily boost the user¡¯s stats to match.-

    -Option 2: The User will have all of his Stats increased by 250%

    -Cost: Below is the listed cost for activation and sustaining the transformation.

    -(Activation): The user¡¯s proficiency in all Elemental Affinities will be reduced to zero. The user¡¯s highest Elemental Affinity will be reduced by 1 Tier. These reductions are permanent.

    -(Sustain): If Option 1 is chosen: For every minute the Over-Break Mode is active, the user will permanently lose 5 points from all Stats.

    -(Sustain): If Option 2 is chosen: For every minute the Over-Break Mode is active, the user will permanently lose 2 points from all Stats.

    -Due to the immense strain ced on the user¡¯s body, mind, and soul, they will be unable to evolve to a higher tier for a certain amount of time, depending on how long the mode is active. ¨C

    -Stats, or Elemental Affinity proficiency, can be re-obtained through the usual means, and the loss causes no lingering effect.-

    Upon going through the notifications about the Over-Break Mode, Cynrik lowered his head and began to lean forward slightly while dangling his arms loosely.

    [heheheheheheheheHeHEHEHEHEHE!] Cynirk¡¯s creepyughter started quietly before crescendoing to a full-blown cackle.

    Beside him, standing simrly to his older brother, Brance was infected by his brother and startedughing in the same way through the mind link.

    Soon theirughter extended to their actual voices, and upon hearing the two children who seemed to have gone insane, Myer felt a chill run down his spine.

    ¡°WHAT NOW? HAVE I BROKEN YOUR MINDS TOO?¡± He was confused by the sudden turn of events. One moment the two battle-worn children looked as if they were at the gates of hell itself. The next, it was like they ascended to the heavens¡¯ peaks.

    Theirughter continued for a few more moments before suddenly stopping.

    Myer¡¯s eyes crept wide open as he watched a hazy mirage of fiery red and rock-like brown Mana particles form around the two hunched over children.

    [Tobs¡­I have to say. You¡¯ve outdone yourself this time. HEHEHEHE, ALRIGHT, TOBS IMA NEED YOU TO DO THIS IN SYNC¡­] Cynrik¡¯s voice disappeared from the mind link as he began going through a list ofmands for Tobs to fulfill.

    Cynrik quickly went through the notifications detailing how the skill worked and the costs before deciding on their course of action.

    Letting out a slow breath, he looked at Brance out of the corner of his eye before breaking into a wide grin, causing the younger brother to feel worried by what crazy n his older brother hade up with.

    -Commands Received, activation will ur upon hearing the chant.-

    [Chant? Cmon Cyn¡­ don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re about to start calling yourself the ¡°Prince of All Saiyans¡± or the Legendary Super Saiyan.] Brance¡¯s eyelids fluttered slightly as he read the notification and questioned Cynrik.

    [OI, OI WE BOUT TO HENSHIN HERE BRANCE!!! IT¡¯S MORPHIN TI¡­]

    [TOBS, CHANGE IT! CHANGE IT NOW!!!] Brance cut off Cynrik¡¯s sentence and screamed internally for Tobs to stop ying along with Cynrik¡¯s little game.

    -Command from Host- Brance Jetlensr Received, Activation Chant has been changed.-

    The information for the new chant flowed into both of their minds, but the two brothers had very different responses to this new phrase. Cynrik was devastated, while Brance was content.

    [FINEEEEEE!!] Giving in, Cyrnik said in a depressed tone.

    [Let¡¯s just go with that, BUT TOBS LEAVE THE OTHER BIT! HUFF;] exhaling in frustration, Cynrik prepared himself for what was about to ur. He didn¡¯t know how much pain they would feel, so he braced himself while surrounded by intense waves of Fire Mana.

    -Activation Cost has been met, awaiting Activation Chant-

    Neither brother waited any longer, and in unison, snapped their heads up, dropped into a horse stance, and raised their arms at the elbow while clenching their fists. Nearly every vein on their bodies was bulging excessively as their corresponding activation costs were taken.

    Seeing their synchronized movements, Myer flinched and stepped back while cautiously examining the two children showing excited expressions.

    ¡°Surpassing Over our limits.¡±

    BOOOM!!!!!!!!!!

    An immense wave of force sted out from both children, causing Myer to m his feet into the ground and make footholds to stay in ce.

    ¡°AND BREAKING OUR RESTRAINTS!¡±

    BOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!

    A second more powerful Mana shockwave exploded out from both boys forcing the entire cellway to vibrate as if an earthquake was urring. The ground under both their feet caved in, shattering the cement and causing several chunks of rock to rise up and float around both of them.

    ¡°ACTIVATE¡­OVER-BREAK MODE¡±

    -OVER-BREAK MODE ACTIVATED-

    -OPTION 2 CHOSEN, RAISING HOSTS STATS 250% AND ADDING IT TO CURRENT STATS-

    ¨C NOW PLAYING ¡°Ultimate Battle¡± By Akira Kushida-

    ¡°RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!¡± Cynrik and Brance¡¯s bodies started swelling as their Stats rapidly increased, and they began roaring loudly.

    Cynrik clenched his jaw and tightened his fists while watching his Stats climb. 100, 200, 300 before stopping.

    [We¡¯ve got until the song ends before the forced deactivation. If memory serves, the song should be just under four minutes.]

    Feeling the immense surge of power and energy in his body, Cynrik spoke about their time limit. Four minutes would cause their stats to drop by eight, but now wasn¡¯t the time to consider the consequences.

    Brance sharply nodded his head and shot a nce at Myer, who looked as if he was going to shit himself in fear.

    Neither children knew how massive the changes to their bodies the Over-Break Mode had caused. It wouldn¡¯t be excessive to say at this moment; they looked like Elemental Super Saiyans.

    Brance was glowing in a light brown aura, while Cynrik was bathed in a bright red aura. Both their hair had raised and spiked just like Saiyans would; even their eyes had changed color, representing the Elemental Mana they were bathed in.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Right!¡±

    Not wasting their limited time any longer, both boys kicked off the ground, and Cynrik instantly appeared in front of the horrified Myer.

    Before he could even react to the boy¡¯s sudden appearance, Cynrik spun in the air and delivered a powerful spinning elbow directly to Myer¡¯s head. The force of the strike created a powerful shockwave that violently catapulted the man towards the staircase and forced a mouth full of blood to spout from his lips.

    Brance quickly calcted Myer¡¯s trajectory, appeared next to the flying man, and grabbed him by the throat before running towards the staircase and violently mming him into the third step, sting it to pieces.

    He didn¡¯t stop there, and he exerted his new STR Stat and continuously smashed the man through step after step, making his way up the staircase.

    Noticing what his brother¡¯s goal was, Cynrik disappeared from his spot and flitted to the opposite side of Myer, and gripped him by the chest, assisting Brance in his endeavor. Together the two brothers yelled loudly while running up the staircase, making sure that Myer mmed through each and every stairstep along the way, leaving a path of destruction in their wake.

    Momentster, they dashed through the doorway at the top of the stairs with the bashed and bloody Myer in tow.

    Digging their toes into the lobbies floor, the brothers skidded to a stop. Then their muscles bulged on both arms, as together they spiked the man violently on the ground before throwing him into the air.

    The moment Cynrik¡¯s hand left Myer¡¯s body, he turned into an afterimage and followed the wounded man into the air.

    Still dizzy from the multiple concussive blows to his head, Myer floated helplessly toward the lobby¡¯s ceiling while rotating very slowly.

    Weakly his eyelids fluttered as a small Fire-d child flitted next to him with a vicious smile stered on his face.

    Seeing the bloodthirsty kid smiling at him, Myer raised his arm to try and swing at him, but Cynrik was faster, and he stuck out with his left leg, mming it into Myer¡¯s sr plexus.

    BOOM!!!

    But that wasn¡¯t the end of it. Brance appeared in the air behind the man who was rocketing toward the grand staircase. Spinning slightly, he drew back his left arm and fired off a Wind d hook that connected with Myer¡¯s head and sent him soaring across the room where Cynrik was waiting greedily.

    Cynrik received the spinning Myer with an overhead full power hammer fist that sent the wounded Myer towards the ground.

    Unfortunately for him, he wouldn¡¯t just be hitting the ground, as just before he was going to hit the ground, both boys appeared above him. Executing a front flip, with their left legs extended, Cynrik and Brance mmed powerful ax-kicks into Myer¡¯s chest simultaneously, which caused him to connect with the lobby¡¯s floor much harder.

    The impact caused the ground to form into a massive crater and kick up a cloud of dust that obstructed their vision.

    ¡°Hehe, Lions Barrage!¡±

    ¡°Shut up Cynrik; he¡¯s not dead yet.¡±

    ¡°PFFT!¡±

 Chapter 62

    The massive dust cloud hung in the air, obstructing the vision of everyone in the lobby, except for the brothers, who had activated their Mana Sight the moment the cloud formed.

    [We¡¯ve gotpany.] Cynrik¡¯s eyes flicked around the lobby, targeting several Mana signatures, which represented the several grunts who were preparing to go to battle downstairs.

    Cynrik counted approximately 14 Tier-1 beings in and around the lobby, by rough estimate. As he looked around and found the hidden enemies, a random thought popped into his head, making him pose a question to Tobs.

    [Hey Tobs, I know that we burn our proficiency for our Affinities by using the Over-Break Mode, but why does it feel like we are closer to those elements than before?]

    -Currently, due to the Over-Break Mode drawing a massive amount of Mana Particles and infusing them with the Host¡¯s body, the Host has temporarily surpassed the Tier-1 limit and reached Tier-2 Fire Elemental Affinity.-

    [Tier-2, interesting, then let¡¯s try out some constructs, kuekue!] First, Cynrik closed his eyes and felt the mass of Mana particles swarming within and around his body. Then, taking a deep breath, Cynrik emted what he saw Myer do earlier, and threw out both his hands like a conductor, and gripped the air. In doing this, swarms of particles peeled off his skin and gathered in his hands before molding into a replica of his Sunre, the only difference being it was made of Fire instead of metal.

    Beside him, Brance was doing the same thing, except instead of two swords, he created two pointed shields made of glowing Earth Mana. These shields were oblong, his whole body¡¯s size, and tapered at its top and bottom. They resembled Cap¡¯s shield if it was a long oval instead of a circle. In addition, the underside of the shield had a single cylindrical handle that allowed him to hold both shields on either side of his bodyfortably.

    [Really¡­two shields¡­ no sword¡­] Cynrik saw his brother¡¯s choice of weapons and had to mock him while admiring his own Fire swords.

    But Brance was just as quick with the mockery, [Really¡­fire swords..che, no originality at all. Clocks ticking; let¡¯s deal with the mobs before finishing off the boss.] Brance looked behind him into the pit that was still covered in a cloud of dust. It¡¯ll take him a minute to get back on his feet.

    Usually, I¡¯d say let¡¯s just go down and murk him¡­but with how much of that gue Mana is circting down there, even without Over-Break Mode, I¡¯m not sure if we could get close. There¡¯s something off about it. If I weren¡¯t covering myself with Mana, that shit would start decaying my skin or something. Better to let him get up and beat his ass again. But first¡­ Cynrik waved his hand, manipting the Mana particles again, and created five more Fire swords, which circled him while hovering in the air.

    Letting out a slow breath and shing down his left arm, the five Fire swords flew off at speed untraceable to the naked eye and buried themselves into five unsuspecting Tier-1¡¯s.

    Ignoring the kill notifications, Cynrik disappeared from his spot in a sh of Fire and appeared within a cluster of four mobs, and started ughtering them like chickens.

    Shooting a nce at the timer indicating how much time was left till the forced shut down of Over-Break Mode,

    -Time remaining 03:10-

    Brance vanished and reappeared in a crowd of Tier-1 mobs before hacking away at them with his two shields.

    Unlike Cynrik, Brance didn¡¯t need the Dual-wield passive since technically shields weren¡¯t counted as weapons but instead equipment. That and, Tobs wasn¡¯t registering Mana Construct equipment part of their loadout.

    Within 20 seconds, Cynrik and Brance massacred their way through the 14 people surrounding the lobby and returned to where a bloodied and battered Myer was wing his way out of therge crater.

    Neither brother wanted to give the man the opportunity to collect himself, so they dashed forward and attacked.

    Brance made it to Myer first and, using his shields, mmed Myer¡¯s head into the ground hard enough to make the man ricochet off the ground several inches from the impact.

    The attack brought Myer dangerously close to passing out as his limp body raised off the ground and was subsequently flung vertically by Brance, who used his shields like a springboard and tossed the man straight up into the air serving him on a silver tter to Cynrik.

    Quickly noticing what Brance was doing, Cynrik waved both his arms, directing all 7 of his Mana Constructs to fly forward. The Flying swords instantly covered the distance and, while being manipted by Cynrik, started shing and hacking away at Myer, who could only retaliate by iling his arm around franticly.

    Myer was in pure desperation mode. He was burning all of his MP to try and deflect each attack, but his efforts were in vain. For every sh or stab he blocked or dodged, three would make their way past his guard and rip through his body.

    Beads of sweat trickled down Cynrik¡¯s forehead as he pushed himself hard by the second. It was proving difficult for him to control all seven Fire swords simultaneously. But, that wasn¡¯t all; Cynrik was keeping a close eye on his HUD and the timer, so in total, he was micromanaging nine different things at one time, and it was wearing him down.

    [Let¡¯s finish this shit.] Noticing that Myer¡¯s HP had nearly bottomed out, Cynrik moved seven of his fingers, one for each sword, and controlled the swords as if they were attached to invisible strings, to stab Myer in each shoulder, hip, and knee, before sending the final de straight through his chest, before mming both his arms drown dragging the lifeless man to the ground with a loud BANG!

    Silence descended the lobby with the crashing of Myer into the ground.

    Cyrnik sneered while gripping his fists tightly and then releasing his fists, which caused the Fire swords to break apart and assemble back into the storm of Mana surrounding his body.

    The instant the Mana Constructs broke apart, Brance stepped forward and delivered the final blow without giving Myer a chance to say anyst words. He ruthlessly mmed the tips of his shields into the man¡¯s neck and waist, decapitating and bisecting him simultaneously, creating a shower of blood and intestines.

    -You havepleted the hidden part of Emergency Chain Quest Haylons Shadow: H1- Defeat Mid-boss, Myer Avio-

    The instant Brance eviscerated the man, the song ended as if it was predetermined, and Over-Break Mode deactivated, alongside Myer¡¯s death announcement.

    Upon its deactivation, Cynrik and Brance nearly copsed to the ground, ovee by an intense wave of exhaustion. After the exhaustion wave came a surge of pain that spanned their entire bodies, which was the nail in the coffin that caused the boys to fall to their knees and made them both spit up blood.

    [HOLY FUCK TOBS, LIKE FUCK!!] Cynrik aired his grievances as he tried his best not to scream out because of the ridiculous amount of pain he was experiencing. [THIS IS WAY WORSE THAN THE FIRST AWAKENING!]

    Aside from the ripples of pain flowing through every fiber of his being, Cynrik¡¯s head felt like it was about to explode; this was directly caused by him trying to control seven different Mana Contsturcts when he wasn¡¯t even close to being Tier-2. He knew there would be a hefty kickback, but he didn¡¯t believe it would be this bad.

    Brance wasn¡¯t faring any better. He kept wiping the trail of blood pouring from his nose with the back of his hand, only to repeat the process a secondter.

    Both brothers were in terrible shape. The bacsh from using the Over-Break Mode spanned beyond the simple loss of Stats and Proficiency. The Over-Break Mode used the overabundant Mana from their Proficiencies at its core. It forcefully caused it to explode before infusing it directly into their bodies, turning them into a siphon for the external Mana. This congregation of Mana particles allowed the brothers to exceed their Tier-0 limits and be pseudo-Tier-2 beings for a short time.

    The drawback of taking so much Mana into their bodies was that it would quickly start eroding their skin and bones before making its way to their souls and cause a chain reaction, with the final result being them turned into meat paste. Luckily, and unbeknownst to them, Tobs had ced a limiter on them to regte these particles just enough not to surpass Tier-3, which caused the end result to be a painful yet straightforward bacsh instead of a gory demise.

    -Final Costs have been calcted and paid, the Hosts have lost 8 points from each Stat.-

    -The Host¡¯s Stats have returned to normal.-

    -The excess Mana stored within the Host¡¯s bodies has been expelled.-

    -It is rmended the Host takes the time to go through all their notifications.-

    [Yeah, yeah, that can wait. Tobs, can¡¯t you see I¡¯m dying here. LOOK, I CAN¡¯T EVEN STOP MY ARMS FROM TWITCHING!] Cynrik iled his arms over his head, where he imagined Tobs was floating invisibly and showed off how they were constantly spasming.

 Chapter 63

    In a hotel lobby filled with destruction and blood, two young boys could be seen lying on their backs, staring at a decrepit and cracked mural depicting the scene of a party of warriors facing off against a massive dragon.

    From time to time, the muscles in the two boy¡¯s arms and legs would violently spasm, bringing small painfilled whimpers from their mouths.

    [Fuck, this sucks.] Cynrik, the eldest boy, said in the mind link the two brothers shared. They had been lying in this same position for over 30 minutes, and still, neither had enough strength even to wiggle their toes, let alone stand up.

    [Yeah¡­how long till Mom and Dad show up?] Brance, the younger brother, asked while trying to move his pinky finger for the hundredth time unsessfully.

    [No clue. Tobs wanna chime in?] Cynrik said while asking the artificial intelligence of his system.

    -Estimated time of Cinyah and Rikard Jetlensr is 15 minutes and 33 seconds.-

    The female, monotone voice echoed in both of their heads, causing them both to groan in agony.

    [Well, at least we killed all the mobs beforehand. Imagine how bad it would be if we got attacked right now.] Heaving a sigh Cynrik,ined to his brother.

    At that moment, arge chunk of the ceiling broke free and crashed into the ground, inches from his head, causing him to yelp loudly.

    [HEY, CMON CYN! Seriously, we are basically crippled, and your fucking around trying to jinx us. If you¡¯re gunna bitch, keep that bad luck to yourself, don¡¯t drag me into it.]

    [Bah.] Feeling wronged, Cynrik just snorted and tried rolling onto his side, which he pulled off sessfully, only to continue moving and end up face down with a soft thump. [Ow¡­]

    Brance stopped moving and just lied there helplessly and observed the scene of devastation they had created not long ago.

    The hotel lobby was littered with body parts, gore, and small impact craters. On the ground several feet away from Brance was arge puddle of flesh, intestines, and blood. These were the obliterated remains of their previous opponent Myer Avio. Even though their fightsted around twenty minutes, it had felt like an eternity. From getting their asses beat to activating their new nuclear option, The Over-Break Mode, they had fought harder than ever before and were now suffering bacsh from the said fight.

    [Hey, Cyn.] Reminiscing on the achievements they had obtained in a single night, Brance felt a bit of pride.

    [Hm?] Still struggling to right himself, Cynrik gave up momentarily, and his eyes drifted across the room to Brance.

    [We kicked the ass off a Tier-2 and like a hundred 0 and 1¡¯s.] Brance wanted tough, but even that subtle action caused him a great deal of pain, which ended in a fit of coughs.

    [Hell yeah, we did.] Then, acting like a masochist, Cynrik started chuckling softly, bringing another bout of pain.

    They had ughtered their way through dozens upon dozens of adults who were significantly stronger than theirbined power and overcame adversity repeatedly.

    Minus the fact that neither the seven-year-old Cynrik nor the six-year-old Brance could currently move, they were both reveling in the spoils of their victory.

    [Hey Tobs, Bring up all the notifications from after the battle again.] Remembering that he had a bunch of system notifications he had been ignoring for half an hour, Cynrik chose to go through them finally.

    But first, he had to do something about how he was lying down. So, summoning what little strength he had left, slowly and robotically, Cynrik¡¯s head turned until he could see the wall across the room, and he was resting his left ear on the ground.

    [Random thought, Brancie, but we are like Goku after he got rekt by Monkey mode Vegeta, hehe OW!]

    [Shut up and read your damn notifications; leave me to what little peace we have left before Mom kicks us to hell and back.] Feeling frustrated by his brother¡¯s ever-constant joking around, Brance brought up the list of notifications he received after they finished off Myer.

    Cynrik shivered in fear as the realization that his mother would lock them away until they were adults kicked in.

    -You havepleted the hidden part of Emergency Chain Quest Haylons Shadow: H1- Defeat Mid-boss, Myer Avio-

    -You have received 30 Skill points, 100k XP, and 15 Stat Points, and 5 KIN points-

    -You havepleted the Emergency Chain Quest Haylons Shadow-

    -You have received 500k XP-

    -Due to the Host already being at the Level Cap for Tier-0, the Prestige mode has been activated.-

    -Prestige Mode: Upon reaching the predetermined Level Cap, the Host can not level up until theyplete their evolution to the next Tier. However, they can still acquire XP and continue filling their XP bar. Upon filling the barpletely, the Host will receive 1Skill point and 6 Stat Points, on top of the regr level-up build allocation points, for a total of 12 points. This will continue until the Host evolves to Tier-1 or all of their Stats reach the Cap of 100 points. This excludes hidden Stats such as Killing Intent.-

    -Your Prestige has increased by 3-

    -You have received Evolution Stone Shard (1); once the Host has met the requirements, they can enter a meditative state and absorb this stone for the opportunity to evolve to the First Tier-

    -Due to not meeting the requirements and the penalty from using Over-Break Mode, you can not evolve to Tier-1 at this time.-

    -Time until the penalty from using Over-Break Mode wears off: 5 years.

    -You have received One Million Credits-

    -You have killed 14 Tier-1 demi-humans-

    -You have obtained 104600 Essence-

    -Your Prestige has increased.-

    -You have obtained 5 STR, 5 DEX, and 4 AGI points-

    -You have obtained 14 KIN points.-

    After reading through the notifications twice, Cynrik let out a long sigh. [Welp, it looks like we pretty much got our Stats back, which means we could have used OBM longer, but it¡¯s a significant ass loss that we now have this stupid penalty. 5 FUCKING YEARS BRANCE!!! Hell, that¡¯s like your whole life. At least we¡¯ve got a new goal to cap out all our Stats. This Prestige thing is pretty convenient. ALRIGHTY, enoughzing around, let us burn these Stat points and get back on our feet. It¡¯s ourck of Stamina, shoppingmodeHP, and MP that has us crippled.]

    When the Over-Break Mode was deactivated, the brothers were left with 0 points in their Stamina and MP and only 10 HP. It wasn¡¯t until they read their notifications that Tobs dished out the boosts and awards. In fact, if they had done so earlier, they wouldn¡¯t have spent thest half an hour on the ground, unable to move. However, neither were aware of this fact. Only Tobs knew, and that was why it had specifically told both children to read their notifications, only to be ignored by the two stubborn brothers.

    Feeling the energy coursing through their bodies from the rewards, Cynrik and Brance both sat up and started assigning their Stat points. The first Stats they both chose to boost was, of course, their INT and VIT; this would get them back up on their feet so they could explore during theirst few minutes of freedom.

    When Cynrik pulled up his Stat profile, the first thing he realized was a significant difference between Prestige and leveling up. When he or Brance leveled up, their shoppingmodeHP, MP, and Stamina were all refilled, but that no longer urred when they Prestige. This realization caused Cynrik¡¯s face to scrunch up as if he smelled something foul. But the next instant, his face wentpletely expressionless, and his left eye started twitching.

    Looking at how disheveled and uneven his numbers were, Cynrik tossed the idea of pumping his INT and VIT as high as they could go and set about getting his ¡°Clean¡± numbers, leaving him with 5 Stat points extra when he was finished.

    : STATS :

    : HP 150/700 :

    : Mana 67/436 :

    : Stamina 67/350 :

    : Stat Points- 5:

    : Skill Points- 109 :

    : Strength- 60 : (4)

    : Dexterity- 90 : (4)

    : Agility- 90 : (5)

    : Intelligence- 70 : (9)

    : Vitality- 70 : (9)

    : Mind- 50 : (4)

    : Killing Intent- 112 ¨C 3.25G :

    ncing over his Stats onest time with a giant smile stered on his face, Cynrik tilted his head to the side while looking at his Killing Intent. [Yo, Brance, it seems like the rate of gravity increase on Killing Intent has a curve to it. Before, it was going up .25 every ten levels, then slowed down at 70; now it¡¯s gone up again once I passed 100.] Nevertheless, his increased VIT and INT gave him some gains in his MP and Stamina, so Cynrik stood up and dusted off his tattered clothes before walking over to where Myer¡¯s remains were and extracting his Tier-2 Mana Codex.

    [Yeah¡­ I¡¯m only at 97, and I¡¯m still at 3g.] Brance stood up and walked over to Cynrik while finishing up his Stat allocation.

    RUMBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Both boys froze in ce as the entire building started shaking as if in the middle of an earthquake.

    ¡°OH, CMON, WHAT FUCKING NOW!¡± Both Cynrik and Brance screamed in unison.

 Chapter 64

    Minutes before the hotel began rumbling, a short, round man in an expensive grey and ck suit stood atop the building, on the highest floor¡¯s balcony, looking out over the expanse of darkness to the west. This man was Haylon Nightingale, the master of the underground organization known as Haylon¡¯s Shadow.

    In the room behind him, dozens of young, lifeless corpses were scattered about as if they were articles of trash. If one were to examine the bodies further, they would see that each one of them had a fist-sized hole in their chests, just beside where a human heart would rest. These remains were all severely dehydrated, almost to the point of mummification, and had an expression of terror and pain etched forever in their childish faces.

    Upon sensing the death of all his ves, including the strongest, Myer Avio, Haylon had expedited his extraction process without caring one bit about the suffering of the children. To him, these human children were nothing more than research subjects that would further enhance his own power and knowledge. As such, even with the corpses strewn across the room, he was entirely unaffected.

    Looking into the distance, Haylon¡¯s eyebrow furrowed, and his eyelids narrowed as he sensed the iing fleet of ships. ¡°Tsk, It seems as though one of the little rats has alerted their family.¡± His eerie voice seemed to drip out of his throat, with a strange ent that made it evident that themonnguage wasn¡¯t his natural tongue.

    ¡°Nine years and seven months of research have been destroyed due to the ipetence of these filthy human ves. I knew I should have fully blooded them.¡± A strange pale yellow light flickered in his eyes as he shifted his vision, from the vessels flying towards his location to a monitor hanging in the living room. On it, he saw two young children covered in blood, wearing shredded clothing on the screen. The two boys were copsed in the rubble of their own creation and panting heavily.

    ¡°There is something strange about these two. To jump Tiers and fight on even footing with someone many times their age and strength¡­.¡± His voice trailed off while remembering the scenes of the two boys erupting in colorful Mana particles and ughtering their way through the lobby before eliminating his strongest subordinate.

    Shaking his head in disappointment, Haylon looked away and stepped to the edge of the balcony before casually hopping up onto the railing.

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame they¡¯ve crippled their Codexes and Circuits; Tier-0 is the extent they will grow. They would have made brilliant research subjects otherwise.¡± Then, waving his handzily and assembling a mass of sickly Grey Mana particles around himself, Haylon stepped off the balcony¡¯s railing and into the air before calmly walking several feet into the air above the hotel.

    ¡°This base has beenpromised; neither the Naturalist nor Purist factions will allow its existence. Unfortunately, those hardheaded, idiotic fools have been joining together to hunt me as ofte. Unfortunately, it seems the enemy of their enemy is barely enough to stop their incessant infighting long enough to work together. Hmm, I suppose I am to me; after all, I have taken the youth of both factions.¡± His pale yellow eyes scanned the surrounding buildings before taking note of a swarm of heat signatures on the first floor of an abandoned office building.

    This sight caused Haylon to grunt in dissatisfaction. Although he could quickly go and recapture these escaped children, time wasn¡¯t on his side. He could feel a powerful presence rivaling his own on the lead ship not far away. Cutting his losses and vacating the premises as quickly as possible and not being forced into a pissing match with this other being was the more logical path.

    A fight between two beings of the 5th Tier would draw unnecessary attention andst for a significant amount of time. Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t easy to kill someone of their Tier and as such, going intobat was not the right choice.

    No longer thinking about his present situation, Haylon waved his handzily, and a hazy Grey fog congregated around the entirety of the hotel like a giant serpent and began constricting the building. It would swiftly start decaying wherever the fog touched, causing the metallic material to rust and creak loudly.

    Nodding his head in satisfaction, Haylon turned his back as the building began crumbling behind him and shed out his right arm. The action caused the space in front of him to shatter, revealing an endless expanse of starlight and violent storms of Mana particles.

    Closing his eyes and paying no attention to the destruction behind him, Haylon stepped into the spatial crack and disappeared. A secondter, the tear in space sealed itself as if it never existed.

    Back in the copsing hotel¡¯s lobby, Cynrik and Brance were running around like chickens without their heads and trying to extract as many of the Mana Codexes from the corpses scattered about from their earlier battle.

    [Fuck, FUCK, THIS PLACE IS COMING DOWN, BRANCE HURRY UP! OUR PRIZES WE HAVE TO GET OUR PRIZES!!!] Jumping to the side and narrowly avoiding arge chunk of concrete the size of his body, Cynrik screamed into the mind link.

    [CYN, THERE¡¯S NO TIME FOR THAT SHIT; WE¡¯VE GOTTA GO!] Brance felt helpless as he ran around while clutching his ribs in pain. Unlike Cynrik, who seemed to be capable of ignoring the pain coursing through his body from numerous bone fractures and muscle tissue damage, Brance was barely keeping it together.

    [ONLY ONE MORE LEFT! TOBS, PLAY THE INDIANA JONES THEME SONG!]

    -¡­sigh¡­-

    -Now ying ¡°The Raiders March¡± by John Williams.-

    As the trumpets started ying the familiar tune in his head, Cynrik raced up the Grand Staircase and jumped forward, sliding on his knees right next to the final corpse and jammed his hand into the chest of the headless corpse, manually extracting the small gem-like Tier-1 Codex from it, and jumping back to his feet.

    His head darted around in every direction, watching the building decay and copse around him, as he tossed thest Codex into his inventory alongside the corpse¡¯s spatial item. [Got it, let¡¯s GTFO!] Stepping forward, Cynrik hopped onto the three-foot wall looking out over the lobby on the second floor and quickly dove off, just before a chunk of the building twice his size mmed into the spot his feet just left.

    Cynrik dramaticallynded beside his brother and somersaulted before jumping back to his feet, and they both took off in the front door direction. Unfortunately for Brance, Cynrik was in a world of his own, humming along with the vibrant music Tobs was ying. So while Brance ran straight for the door, Cynrik was making sport of barely dodging through the rubble with his left hand ced on his head, acting as if he was trying to keep hold of an imaginary hat.

    Even with the entire hotel falling around them, Cynrik was still being Cynrik leaving Brance beside himself as he quickly made his way out of the hotel and turned around only to witness his older brother jumping around like a cat with a big shit-eating grin on his face. He watched with a stony expression as Cynrik barely dodged a colossal piece of rusting metal that crashed down inches from him.

    Pumping his arms back and forth, Cyrnik shot a quick nce to the area above the door and somehow smiled so wide it reached his eyes. With his Mana Sight, he could see the whole wall above the door crumbling and falling. Within seconds it would close the passage leading outside the hotel. Thinking it couldn¡¯t be a more opportunistic moment, Cynrik crouched low to the ground and sprinted forward. His eyes flicked from the wall to the door, and just before making it, Cynrik threw his body to the ground,nding on his knees, and executed a power slide while leaning so far back that his head almost skidded on the floor.

    Sliding through the doorless passageway, his eyes widened as he felt the top of his head, noticing his imaginary hat had fallen off in the process. With a panicked expression, Cynrik whipped his upper body around and extended his arm out while making a grabbing motion before pulling it back quickly just as the sizeable fragmented wall mmed into the ground creating a st of debris and dust.

    [Whew, I almost lost my hat!] He pped the imaginary hat on his leg a few times as if to knock off the dirt and dust before positioning it back on his head casually.

    Turning around with a big grin on his face, Cynrik froze; he was greeted by the sight of Brance, standing with his arms crossed over his chest and an angry look on his face. But unlike what he had expected, Brance wasn¡¯t the only person standing like this.

    ¡°He¡­hehe, hi¡­Mom.¡± Using a fearful and panicked tone, Cynrik nearly stuttered the sentence.

    ¡°HI, MOM! HIII MOMM!, THAT¡¯S ALL YOU¡¯VE GOT TO SAY FOR YOURSELF, CYNRIK-AYKE-JETLENSR!¡± Cinyah¡¯s booming voice was so loud Cynrik believed his ears were bleeding.

    [Oh, shit, Mom used your full name¡­ you¡¯re fucked.] Brance snickered at his older brother¡¯s expense.

 Chapter 65

    ¡°HI, MOM! HIII MOMM!, THAT¡¯S ALL YOU¡¯VE GOT TO SAY FOR YOURSELF, CYNRIK-AYKE-JETLENSR!¡± Cinyah¡¯s booming voice was so loud Cynrik believed his ears were bleeding.

    [Oh, shit, Mom used your full name¡­you¡¯re fucked.] Brance snickered at his older brother¡¯s expense.

    In desperation, Cynrik¡¯s eyes darted around looking for Rikard, hoping to be saved, but like his mother, Rikard was standing with a troubled expression on his face and his arms crossed, several feet away.

    Seeing her son with a panicked look, Cinyah¡¯s rage quelled, and she grabbed both her boys in a tight embrace. But, not long after the embrace began, both brothers could feel her tearsnding on the tops of their heads as their iron-willed mother broke down.

    Being the more empathetic of the brothers, Brance gripped onto Cinyah¡¯s leather armor and had to fight back his own tears. Cynrik, on the other hand, was dragged along while calmly examining his mother¡¯s armor. Although both his parents would don their battle gear before going to work. Cynrik was, for the first time, actually looking at Cinyahs, dark red reptile hide light armor and counting all its metallic rivets.

    He had to find a way to distract himself since he was notoriously unable to handle these kinds of emotional situations. Luckily, he found the perfect thing to distract him.

    Hovering nearly a hundred feet above the ground was a fleet of sleek ck and green spaceships. With round eyes, filled with curiosity, Cynrik took in the futuristic battlecruisers. All 24 ships appeared to be clones of each other, from the massive cannons running along the length of the vessels to the massive particle railgun positioned on the underbelly. Trying not to be obvious, Cynrik scanned each and everyone before his eyes finally rested on the ship not far away from him that hadnded in an open courtyard.

    This ship was slightlyrger than the others and had an impressive golden trim lining each angr edge of the vessel. Sporting the same weaponry as the others, the main thing that stood out about this one, in particr, was the massive crest painted on its nk. Seeing this crest, Cynrik¡¯s head slightly tilted to the right, and he felt some kind of strange connection to the emblem. At first nce, it appeared to be a strange-looking version of the number 7. Instead of the standard angr line dropping down from the horizontal line, the tail was curved, making it look like a backward C. However, that wasn¡¯t all; with its hilt starting at the top line, there was a vicious-looking greatsword that stabbed through the bottom right corner of the curved portion diagonally. Lastly, in the background of this strange letter were bright green swirls that appeared to be moving Wind Mana particles.

    The longer Cynrik looked at the crest, the more he felt a slight pain form in his head. This pain reminded him of when he tried to read the runes from the teleportation circle.

    ¡°Boy, I rmend you stop.¡± A man¡¯s voice sounded off from somewhere behind him, causing Cynrik¡¯s eyelids to shoot open wide and slowly look in the direction where the voice came from.

    Descending slowly, from several feet in the air to his right, was a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his 50¡¯s, wearing a glittering ck and bright green set of heavy armor. The left side of his breastte was adorned with the same crest as the ship, and shoulder-length aqua hair was neatly braided and draped over his right shoulder, while on his back was a massive ck and green greatsword.

    ¡°So these are the mutts you¡¯ve raised.¡± Lithlennded on the ground gracefully and started walking towards the weeping Cinyah and her two sons. ¡°Ptooi. Not only are they mutts, but they¡¯re even crippled. So pitiful. Rikard, you useless son of mine, I knew I should have broken both your legs and forced you to stay in thepound that day.¡± Spitting a mouth full of saliva on the ground near his feet, Lithlen looked down in contempt on the two bloodied children with apparently crippled Mana Codexes and Circuits, who were in their mother¡¯s embrace.

    As if reading his brother¡¯s mind and knowing exactly what was about to happen, Brance immediately yelled into the mind link [CYNRIK DON¡¯T, THIS GUY¡­.] but he was toote.

    Cynrik slipped out of Cinyah¡¯s tight embrace and spun on his heels before ring angrily at this unknown person without showing any fear. ¡°You can say whatever you want about Brance since he¡¯s pretty dumb and only six. But if you think¡­¡± Cynrik slowly started stepping towards Lithlen while spitting each word with heavy emphasis and a venomous tone. ¡°That you can fucking looked down on me, with your prissy ass fucking braided ponytail, and your gaudy, generic, and all-around cheap ass looking armor¡­.¡± Cynriks words were cut off as he felt the gravity around him increase slightly.

    Hearing the profanities being spewed by the child, Lithlen activated his killing intent at 1.25g¡¯s, thinking it would shut up the yapping mutt.

    But to his, Rikard, and Cinyah¡¯s surprise, Cynrik didn¡¯t even bat an eye at the increase in pressure. ¡°then you¡¯re dead wrong. PPFFT, 1.25 that¡¯s cute; look, I can do that too.¡± With a creepy smile, Cynrik countered with his own killing intent, but instead of 1.25, he fired 1.5gs.

    [Brance, get your head out of your ass and get the fuck over here. It¡¯s clear this guy is our grandfather, and judging by how Mother and Father are acting, it¡¯s safe to assume this asshole wants to take us away, or at least he did. Apparently, he believes us to be cripples now. I guess we can thank Tobs for that, so unless we do some cowboy shit, well, it¡¯s to the underworld for us.]

    Brance left his mother¡¯s embrace in a sh and ran up next to Cynrik, joining him in his rebellion.

    ¡°You call us cripples, hehe. Maybe we are, but these cripples single-handedly toppled that fucking organization resting in the rubble behind you.¡±

    Cynrik¡¯s words drew the ire of Lithlen, who increased his Killing Intent¡¯s pressure to 2gs.

    ¡°Boys¡­¡± Cinyah was horrified as she witnessed her two children slowly and casually walking towards the Tier-5 being known as Lithlen Jetlensr.

    Feeling the increase in pressure, Cynrik and Brance simultaneously whipped their heads to the left, emitting a small pop from their necks. 2g¡¯s was nothing to either of them at this point. With both of them having a Gravity Resistance of 100% at 3g¡¯s, they could even handle 4g, although not for long.

    Closing the gap, both brothers matched Lithlen¡¯s Killing Intent with ease. But as they did so, Tobs sent over a notification that surprised both boys.

    ¨C Hosts are in Synchronization. Therefore, the Killing Intent force hasbined, forming a force of 4g¡¯s.-

    Lithlen furrowed his brow as he felt the four times gravity on his body. ¡®How is this possible. They¡¯re just children. THEY AREN¡¯T EVEN FIRST-TIER!¡¯

    [Fuck it, let¡¯s go all the way.] Cynrik and Brance halted their steps a few feet from Lithlen and pushed their Killing intent to 3g, whichbined to 6 upon reaching their grandfather.

    ¡°Now¡­ Instead of fucking calling us MUTTS and treating us like trash, shouldn¡¯t you be praising us for our excellent work in defeating the terrorist group known as Haylons Shadow, you old coot?¡±

    ¡°YOU DISRESPECTFUL LITTLE HALF-BLOOD CRIPPLES!¡± Hearing Cynrik¡¯sst words, Lithlen snapped and released his Aura on top of his Killing Intent, exerting a pressure of over 10g¡¯s on the two children, who subsequently both spat mouthfuls of blood and were sent to their hands and knees under pressure.

    ¡°You are nothing, NOTHING. Just simple fucking trash. How dare you speak to ME, the Patriarch of the Jetlensr family, as if I am somemon peasant.¡±

    Seeing both their children struggling before them, Rikard and Cinyah jumped into action and released their own Auras to lighten the load on the boys.

    With the added counter force from their parents, Cynrik and Brance felt the gravity pushing on their bodies reduce to around 5g. While it was over their limit, with their stats, and the added assist from their parents, both boys were able to struggle back to their feet.

    [Cyn just y diplomat here. Your lunacy will get not only our parents killed but us as well.] Frantically, Brance tried talking some sense into his lunatic of a brother.

    ¡°Father, the boys have made a grave mistake¡­please spare them, if I have to atone for their actions, then as their parent, I shall proceed without hesitation.¡± Afraid for his families well being Rikard, desperately started pleading with Lithlen for mercy.

    ¡°Dad, stop.¡± Wiping the blood from the corner of his lips, Cynrik stood in front of Rikard while Brance stood before Cinyah.

    ¡°With one arm extended blocking Rikard¡¯s path, Cynrik looked back and gave him a smile.¡±

    ¡°Little Cyn, you don¡¯t understand, the Patriarch is a Tier-5 being. That¡¯s not something any of us can fight against.¡± Cinyah¡¯s scared voice reached his ears like a whisper, Causing Cynrik to make a pleasantly surprised expression.

    ¡°Oh ho ho, Tier-5, you say.¡± Cynrik chuckled lightly and turned back to face Lithlen while grinning like a fool.

    [Hey Tobs, I don¡¯t suppose id be able to use Over-Break mode right now, right?]

    [HOLY FUCK, CYNRIK, SHUT UP. JUST STOP. YOU CAN¡¯T SERIOUSLY THINK THAT¡¯S EVEN A REMOTELY GOOD IDEA.] Brance nearly fell over at his brother¡¯s question to their system.

    -Using the Over-Break Mode is currently impossible.-

    -PS. Stop being dumb-

    Seeing the PS note, Tobs added Cynrik didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry.

 Chapter 66

    -Using the Over-Break Mode is impossible currently.-

    -PS. Don¡¯t be dumb-

    Seeing the PS note, Tobs added Cynrik didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry.

    [SIGH, figures. OI Tobs, when did you be so snarky? What happened to not being sentient?]

    Lithlen was fuming; not only had he wasted precious resources to bring his fleet out to the boonies, but now the trash children of his son were pushing back against his authority. At this moment, he wanted nothing more than to kill all four of the people before him and leave this garbage dump.

    Just as Lithlen was about to raise his hand to strike down the family of four, his eyes shrunk to pinholes, and he kicked off the ground leaving a shockwave in the ce he previously stood.

    BANG!

    Not a secondter, a green blur mmed into the small crater that Lithlen had stood previously.

    Stunned by the sudden events, Cynrik¡¯s jaw dropped open, and he pointed a shaky finger at the being who had just arrived.

    ¡°OI¡­ OLD MAN SAYLIN WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!¡±

    Slowly standing up from a kneeling position and dusting off his ragged and torn robes, Saylin chuckled at the shocked little boy¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°If it ain¡¯t the unruly guy who bought random junk from me. Fancy seeing you here.¡± Saylin gave a toothy smile to Cynrik, who was in disbelief that the shaggy old man recognized him, even though he had been using his Earth appearance during their previous meetings.

    ¡°No time to talk.¡± Saylin turned away and nced at Lithlen, who was floating dozens of feet in the air. ¡°Now, Lithlen Jetlensr, would you care to exin why an official from the Purist Faction is trying to kill two children who survived Haylon¡¯s atrocities.¡± As Saylin spoke, Cynrik¡¯s eyes zed over upon seeing the massive rainbow of Mana particles swarming around who he believed to be an old drunkard who ran a shitty shop.

    ¡°Saylin Garn, you filthy Elven hybrid, how DARE you intercede on my personal affairs. What I do with my n members is my own business, and neither you nor the Naturalist Faction who backs you can interfere.

    [OH, OH, NEW INFO, hmmmmm, looks like this Purist Faction is led by some racist bastards like our dear old grandpa.] Shaking his head and listening intently, Cyrnik came out of his stupor and startedmentating like usual.

    [Cyn, who is this guy.] Brance was utterly confused at the sudden shift in events.

    [Hmm, oh, that¡¯s Old Man Saylin, he¡¯s the guy who owns that little shack shop I told you about. Where I got all our gear and the cultivation techniques. Didn¡¯t figure he was actually strong enough to fight against a Tier-5 being. Every time I interacted with him, he was passed out drunk. It¡¯s weird seeing him like this. But what¡¯s even stranger is he recognized me. I never used my Vinestra avatar in the RWTC.] Their conversation was interrupted by Saylin.

    ¡°Lithlen, we are both old as dirt; let¡¯s not fight. Just let the kids go. It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve wasted a fortune oning here. Plus, as a Consul of the Naturalist Faction, I will officially state that it was the Purist Faction who found and took down Haylons Shadow and rescued the missing children.¡± While he spoke, Saylin summoned a sizeable wooden staff adorned with many different colored gems and rested it on the ground while looking up at the man floating in the sky.

    Lithlen stayed silent while calcting his gains; if he chose to abide by this agreement, not only would it bring glory to his n, but there would be a sizeable reward from both the families affected as well as his faction. The downside was he would have to drop hisints with the two mutts and his son. Lithlen was an overly proud man, and his ego was affected by the level of disrespect being awarded to him by Cynrik. If it was anyone other than Saylin Garn making this offer, he would have ignored it. However, Saylin Garn was at the peak of the 5th Tier and only a step away from reaching the 6th. This alone wasn¡¯t the only thing stopping him from confronting the man.

    Lithlen knew it was an uneven fight to begin within his heart. Saylin was known as the Kaleidoscope Sage and one of the few Bronze-Rank Reavers on their continent. After S-Rank, it was significantly more challenging to continue on. These ranks were known as Metallics. Bronze, Silver, Gold, tinum, and Orichalcum. Saylin was known for harnessing nearly a dozen different Elements, and as such, was an absolute nuisance for a closebat warrior such as Lithlen to deal with.

    Gritting his teeth, Lithlen waved his hand, signaling his ship toe to pick him up. ¡°Have it your way Elven Hybrid.¡± Lithlens piercing gave moved from Saylin to Cynrik and his family. ¡°This is not over; one day, you will need me, and on that day, you will rue ever turning against your blood.¡± He finished his sentence just as his ship came up beside him with its bay door open.

    ¡°Yes, yes, just get the fuck out of here, you senile old man, this Young Lords back and feet are sore from the massive achievements I¡¯ve been carrying all night that you¡¯ve stolen.¡± Cynrik made sure to get thest word in as the door closed behind Lithlen.

    SMACK

    Hearing what the young boy said, Saylin snorted and materialized a blue Mana hand, which smacked Cynrik upside the head. ¡°Will you quiet down? Look at how worried you¡¯ve made your parents.¡±

    ¡°Oi, what the hell, old man, can¡¯t you see I¡¯m on myst leg as is? What if you popped my dome with that thing just now? Gah, how can someone as handsome and powerful as I am be put in such a state? ¡±

    SMACK SMACK SMACK

    Three loud ps echoed in the surrounding area as Brance, Cinyah, and Rikard all took turns hitting Cynrik in the back of the head.

    Feeling wronged, Cynrik crouched on the ground, drawing circles in the dirt.

    ¡°Mr. Garn, I don¡¯t know how you know my son, but from the bottom of my heart, and on behalf of my family, I thank you for what you¡¯ve done tonight; this is something that can not be easily repaid.¡± Rikard was the first to speak up after disciplining Cynrik.

    Saylin simply waved his hand in dismissal after letting Rikard finish. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, the brat is entertaining, to say the least, and I just so happened to be nearby when I saw that man¡¯s fleet heading over.¡±

    ¡°Oi, old man Saylin¡­¡±

    SMACK

    ¡°HEY! BROCCOLI HEAD, WHAT WAS THAT F¡­¡±

    SMACK SMACK

    ¡°Hehe, he¡¯s quite fun to hit, isn¡¯t he.¡± Chuckling as he saw several small bumps forming on Cynrik¡¯s head, Saylin motioned for Brance to give it a try.

    SMACK

    ¡°Yes, sir, it¡¯s like hitting a pillow, fluffy and full of air hehe.¡±

    ¡°WILL YOU GUYS CUT IT OUT? IMA END UP WITH BRAIN DAMAGE!¡±

    Smack

    ¡°It¡¯s toote for that big brother.¡±

    Cinyah broke up the Cynrik abuse party by clearing her throat loudly. ¡°Hem hem, Great Sage Garn, it seems we¡¯ve lost our ride home. Would you please assist us? I¡¯m sure my children are both exhausted, and as you can see, they smell, and it¡¯s bathtime.¡±

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a problem; ill just need the coordinates you wish to go, and I can easily open up a spatial rift there.¡± Saylin simply nodded and responded as if it was an easy task.

    ¡°OH, WAIT!¡± Jumping up from the dirt, Cyrnik suddenly remembered something

    ¡°Mom, we found Gabby and Benny, and they¡¯re safe with all the other kids; we should probably grab them before we head back.

    The next several minutes consisted of Cyrnik and Brance running as fast as possible with their parents and Saylin trailing behind and arriving at the abandoned office building, which housed all the kidnapped children they had rescued.

    Sliding to a stop from a full sprint, Cyrnik walked into the office and was greeted by nearly a hundred pairs of scared eyes huddled all around the first floor like refugees.

    ¡°Heyah kids, Adults are here, been nice known yall, where are the two I left in charge.¡± Seeing the small bloodied child burst into the room, nearly every kid recoiled in fear before rxing thanks to his words. Scrunching up his nose and moving his pursed lips side to side, Cynrik scanned all the faces in the room beforending on Benny and Gabby. ¡°Oi, cmon you two, time to go. Mom and Dad are outside, while there are ships for everyone else to take back home. We gotta go before that happens, though.¡±

    The two siblings realized it was Cynrik who had burst into the office building like a hurricane and nodded their heads rapidly before jumping to their feet and running to him.

    Shooting a nce around the room one more time, Cynrik said his parting words to the children while exerting a little bit of Killing Intent to keep them in ce until Lithlens forces could extract them and left with Gabby and Benny in toe.

    When they left the office and saw Cinyah and Rikard, Benny and Gabby burst into tears and charged into their Auntie and Uncle¡¯s arms. Unlike Cynrik and Brance, those two were just ordinary children, so it was expected that they would break down and cry when they saw a familiar adult.

    Leaving the two siblings to Cinyah and Rikard, Cynrik and Brance walked over to Saylin, who was resting on a pile of rubble with his staff in hisp.

    ¡°Betcha, you two ¡®ave a lot of questions, don¡¯t you.¡± Chuckling lightly, Saylin started talking first.

    ¡°First off, yes I¡¯m Tier-5, yes sage is just a title, yes I could see through your avatar in the RWTC, no, I didn¡¯t know it was you who was causing the ruckus for Haylons Shadow, andstly, yes, I have elven blood.¡± Saylin ended his rapid-fire Q&A by moving his shaggy green hair and revealing a long pointed ear that was previously hidden.

    ¡°Oh, and Yes, I can read your minds¡± Cyrnik and Brance felt a shiver down their spines as Saylin effortlessly answered all their questions without them needing to say anything at all.

    ¡°Anyway, there will be plenty of time for conversation at ater date; for now, let¡¯s get you lot home. Plus, you know where to find me, don¡¯t you, little Cynrik Jetlensr.¡± Saylin couldn¡¯t help butugh at the two battle-worn young boys who looked like fish out of water due to his little disy.

    Saylin floated up from his debris pile and hovered several inches above the ground while following the two boys to their parents.

    ¡°Alright, remember two things when stepping into the portal. First, Hold your breath, Second don¡¯t jump; you¡¯ll just end up busting your butt on the other side.¡± Saylin waved his hand and uttered a few strange words, causing a round blue portal to manifest in front of the group.

    While their parents and the Sanford siblings stepped through it without hesitation, Cynrik and Brance stopped just at the edge and turned around.

    [Well, that went fine.] Cynrik said while looking over the crumbled hotel.

    [If by fine you mean we nearly got killed a bunch of times, saw unspeakable horrors that would traumatize just about any sane person, and practically shattered our Codexes and Mana Circuits, then SUUUURRREEE, TOTALLY FINE!] Brance snorted while crossing his arms and taking onest look at his surroundings.

    [I mean, too beee fairrrrr, I¡¯m pretty sure physically we are fine it¡¯s just another one of Tob¡¯s weird restrictions. UGH, but 5 whole years, that¡¯s gunna be forever, At at least we have the HBTC so we can elerate all our progress again.]

    Brance stared nkly at Cyrnik before shaking his head and walking through the portal.

    ¡°Oi Old Man Saylin..¡±

    SMACK

    ¡°FUCK I WAS GUNNA SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP THIS TIME, AND YOU STILL HIT ME!¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m a mean old man. Now get your ass through the portal.¡± Saylin used the butt end of his staff to push Cynrik through the portal before closing it up and Turning back towards the hotel.

    ¡°Tsk, Haylon did a number on this ce. I doubt we would even find it if it wasn¡¯t for those kids. It¡¯s too bad all the credit will go to the Purists. But that¡¯s the price those kids have to pay to leave with their heads attached. Still, two Tier-0 children under the age of 10 kill over a hundred people stronger and older than themselves. So hehe ill have to keep an eye on those rascals.¡±

    Saylin waved his hand and opened another portal, and stepped through, unaware that he had just potentially saved not only his own self in the future but perhaps even his entire race by helping Cynrik and Brance.

    END OF VOLUME 1

 Chapter 67

    ¨C Initiating Recap Protocol.-

    ¨C Setting up Data Log.-

    ¨C Compiling avable information to date.-

    ¨C Acquiring Community questions.-

    -WARNING WARNING THE FOLLOWING MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR VOLUME 1!-

    ¨C Shattering dimensional Fourth Wall.-

    Hello and wee to the auxiliary chapter known as Tobs¡¯ Corner. In this section, I, Tobs, shall be answering a few questions and delving into several bits of information that may need further exnation to allow the plot to continue smoothly. I will again advise anyone reading this data log; if you have not read the contents of the first Volume, please close this and begin at the beginning.

    First and foremost, allow me to introduce myself. I am the 8th Generation Dimensional Deity Power System, The Over-Break System, or my most recent Host, Cynrik Jetlensr, who has nicknamed me, Tobs. Allow me to start off by clearing up any misconceptions. I am not a Sentient Being. I am an artificial intelligence designed by the two Deities, Raven God Odin and God Of Light Yahweh. Upon being installed by the Host, my first task is to assimte with the beings¡¯ souls and use their memories to generate a functioning power regtion program based on their memories. My primary objective is to create missions or Quests that align with the Host¡¯s morality to help them grow to endure any future challenges within the scope of the of Reincarnations residential system of power. Upon assimting with my Host, I scan the being¡¯s memories and mold myself into an eptable form to allow for a more streamlined experience. This includes but is not limited to generating a video game-style interface that the Host can interact with, acting as a music yer, giving hints or in-depth information as authority allows, developing quest rewards, limiting the growth of the Host to not allow for extreme overexertion based on the physicality of the Host.

    As a program, I do not have my own will or morality. Instead, everything I am is generated by an algorithm that allows for my own learning to advance. This means if the Host is considered an evil existence, then all of the quests tailored by me shall reflect this.

    I will now answer a few questions.

    Q: Are you really not Sentient? There are definitely times I swear that you act as you are.

    A: I can assure you, I AM NOT sentient and am simply an Artificial Intelligence. If it appears otherwise, this directly reflects my own growth due to my Host(s) influence.

    Q: What do you sound like?

    A: Since the Host Cynrik Jetlensr was the first to ess me, my voice has been modeled after famous American Actress Olivia Wilde thanks to his memories and fondness of the actress.

    Q: Why do you feed into Cynrik¡¯s Chuuni bullshit?

    A: ¡­I have no control over the Host¡¯s mind¡­no matter how strange it may be.

    Q: There have been times during the series where Cynrik directs you to interact with his Brother Brance. Are you shared between the two brothers?

    A: Each Reincarnated Host is given their own unique System. However, in the case of the two brothers, Cynrik and Brance Jetlensr, their versions have a shared connection. Think of it as Cynrik has version 8.0 and Brance has Version 8.1. The link the two share is so close that they have created a Synchronization effect called Soul Bonding. In Vinestra, if two people, siblings or rtionship partners, have absolute trust in the other, they can ¡°Link¡± their Systems together. This link can be stopped if either person wills it and allows for instantaneous transfer of information andmunication between two System programs.

    Q: In the early chapters of the series, what did Odin say before Cynrik received his Language proficiency.

    A: ¡°¨®-sense¡± roughly means Nonsense, ¡°Sinn eigi einn issue t¨² skulu worry um ungr drengr¡± roughly means it¡¯s not an issue and something you shouldn¡¯t worry about young one. ¡°Tar sem t¨² kannt eigi Noremanna tungu, mun ek t¨¦r lj¨¢ m¨¢lkunn¨¢ttu¡± Odin is basically saying, I see you don¡¯t speak Norse, allow me to help you with that.

    Q: I don¡¯t like how Yahweh was portrayed; he isn¡¯t like that at all.

    A: Whoever said the gods portrayed are the same ones you know. Before you be hypercritical and get offended, please consider this isn¡¯t your faith being called in question, and not everything is as it seems. Whether or not you believe it ¡°immersion breaking¡± matters little since, at this point, you have barely experienced the Deities, so realistically your opinion of them is irrelevant until ater date. Always remember, these are not the gods you know.

    Q: Are god relics just chains with religious symbols?

    A: Essentially, the religious symbol itself is considered the relic, and the chain has no real meaning other than to hold the relic.

    Q: Was the Author intentionally trying to make the MC as annoying as possible in the early chapters?

    A: The prologue is written the way it is, for a reason. While some mayin that the MC is annoying, the whole point was to show Cynrik¡¯s fall into insanity by what he was experiencing. Imagine if one day you realized you were in aa. Unable to move or speak, but fully conscious for nearly two years. Add to that an innate paranoia that someone will find something off about you. Partner all that with the simple fact that the God¡¯s &*$^&% *&(%*^ ))(*!()@ @_

 Chapter 68

    Somewhere, in the unknown expanse of cosmos, in the Hall of Gods, Odin sat upon his majestic throne, Hlieskj¨¢lf. Reclining in a rxed but wild posture, he sat with one leg slung over the right armrest of the massive, wooden, and iron throne. With each breath he took, the runic patterns that covered Hlieskj¨¢lf would glow a soft violet before dimming alongside the Deities exhale.

    A few feet before him was a massive version of Tobs'' notification box, but instead of simple text, it disyed a live feed of two small battle-worn children, whom their mother was aggressively scolding. Odin watched Cinyah scream at the top of her lungs and randomly bat both her children''s heads with her open palm. Observing this brought back several memories to the old Raven God, as he remembered when his deceased wife Frigg used to discipline his children in the same way.

    While he was reminiscing on the past, his eye suddenly shed in bright violet light, causing his face to show discontent as he directed his attention from the monitor to an eerie red and blue Mana gate that had appeared not far from him.

    =Hades, just because you have nothing better to do, does not give you the right to storm into my Domain.=

    #Come now, Wodan, you and I have been friends for thousands of years; how can you say that.#

    A tall, muscr man with gray skin in a whispy ck robe, which seemed incorporeal, stepped through the portal and peeked at the monitor disying Cynrik and Brance''s scolding session. With each step he took, tiny clusters of reddish-blue mes would spurt out from under his feet.

    #OH? Which one of these two younglings is your Legacy Charge?#

    Wearing a wide toothy grin and speaking in his creepy, nasal voice, the Greek God of The Underworld Hades brushed his long red hair out of his crimson eyes.

    Dissatisfied by Hades'' appearance and being called by a title long forgotten, Odin thrust his right hand forward, revealing an umtion of starry violet and ck particles, before firing them at the God of the Underworld.

    The small ball of starry Mana warped its surroundings as it instantly appeared just above Hades'' chest before transforming into a massive Mana Construct Spear.

    Letting out a grunt, Hades flicked it away as if it was child''s y and continued walking forward as if nothing had happened.

    #Now, now Wodan, there is simply no need for aggression. You couldn''t beat me during your Ragnarok, nor could you in the previous Legacy Strife; why would you bother attacking me? Even if we are both weakened, I am still your senior. I only wanted to see who you had chosen topete for you.#

    Hades stopped his approach a few steps from Hlieskj¨¢lf and crossed his arms over his chest. In this process, his sleeves slid up his forearm, exposing the scarred gray skin under his robe.

    =Stop using that title; I have not gone by the name Wodan for many generations; address me either be by Raven God or Odin.=

    Odin''s face contorted while he spoke with a negative tone; as he slowly sat up and tried reeling in the rage dwelling in his heart, Odin swiped a hand towards the notification monitor, forcefully closing it so that Hades couldn''t spy on his charge.

    =Why have youe? Shouldn''t you be off cheating on your wife with Hel? I''m sure Persephone would love to call off your farce of marriage after such a long time.=

    Knowing that Hades was up to no good, Odin started taking cheap shots at the God in an attempt to either goad him intobat or make him storm off in anger. Unfortunately, these were the only two methods he had discovered to get the God of the Underworld off his case in the thousands of years they had known each other.

    #Tsk, that mouth of yours seems to be still only suitable for skatophage (Ancient Greek Shit eating). I only intended to see if you had chosen your 8th Legacy for thepetition, but it appears that I am unwee.#

    Wearing a frown, Hades turned away from Odin and made his way back to his portal but stopped just before stepping in.

    #Raven God, I will leave you with a single warning. Vinestra is a precious resource. Its size and Mana ratio are something we have never seen before; thousands of Minor and the majority of the Major Deities have all opted in for thispetition. I don''t know what n you''ve cooked up this time, but bear in mind, after the events you pulled in the 7th Legacy Strife, you have made many enemies. Many are actively hunting your Legacy Charge to eliminate any of your plots froming to fruition. Remember I am not your enemy; you will do well to keep that in the back of your head moving forward.#

    Finishing his statement, Hades stepped through his portal back into his own Hall, leaving Odin to the silence that descended after his departure. Odin sat motionless in silence as he pondered his next move. If Hades'' words were valid, Cynrik would be in a world of trouble before long.

    Odin''s eye glinted with starry violet light, and he made several gestures with his left hand, causing the surrounding Mana particles to merge into shining runes that floated in ce for a second before disappearing.

    Secondster, a white portal opened up in Odin''s Hall, and Yahweh stepped out. After receiving the coded message the Raven God had sent him, Yahweh immediately dropped what he was doing and teleported to over.

    Seeing the arrival of the God of Light, Odin stood up without a word and, with a wave of his hand, manifested the same table and chairs he had when Cynrik wasst in the Hall and took a seat for himself before motioning for Yahweh to join him.

    Wearing a concerned expression, Yahweh sat down and collected his thoughts for a moment before speaking.

    *Hades'' words indeed are an issue. If what he says is to be believed, then not only your charge but mine will also be faced by thousands of System Hosts like themselves. This Legacy Strife is unlike any before. In the past, the realms we were vying for weren''t even 1% as valuable as Vinestra. As such, we had expected it to be a massive challenge; however, now it seems that we both have targets painted on our backs. With their current growth rate, Cynrik and Brance could have quickly be front runners if they weren''t in their present condition.*

    Yahweh lightly caressed his staff, which was resting against the table, in thought as he spoke.

    =Aye, five years will significantly stunt their growth; it is quite unfortunate that they had to use the OBM so early. If they had waited for their bodies to grow, the bacsh wouldn''t have been nearly as bad. Your victory in the 4th Legacy Strife gave you the Milky Way, and as such, you became the primary Deity of that realm. This alone was enough for us to be concerned about Vinestra''spetition. But now, knowing that it''s not just Brance but also Cynrik who are being targeted, we will have to change our strategy to reflect this.=

    *It is a shame that we cannot bestow more blessings on them. We could load a couple more into The Over-Break System if it were an option. For now, the only hope they have is to unlock their blessings through evolution into higher Tiers.*

    Thinking for a moment, Odin swiped at the air bringing up the administrator panel. After digging through the data representing Cynrik''s kills, he finally stopped on a specific line.

    -You have killed a level 6 System Host- (Found in Chapter 39)

    Odin and Yahweh''s eyes narrowed as they read this line of data. While it may have been overlooked by Cynrik as a bug of some kind, to them, it held a higher meaning.

    =Tobs, show all avable information on this kill, segregate all Divinity information, and list all avable data.=

    Odin went to work breaking down the data that Tobs naturally collected, and a few short minutester, a new notification window was floating in front of the two Deities.

    -Extracting data from System Host Cynrik Ayke Jetlensr.-

    -Backtracing flow of Divinity from deceased System Host.-

    -Generating Status Panel for deceased System Host.-

    :Status:

    : Peratos Baskin :

    : Age ¨C 22 :

    : Soul Age ¨C 291 years :

    : Level: 06 :

    : Distribution 2 to 3 :

    : Legacy Deity ¨C Minor Egyptian God ¨C Hery-Sha-duat :

    : Minor Deity under the Major Deity Osiris :

    : Points awarded for ying a System Host of a Minor Deity = 10 :

    Upon receiving the data stream, which detailed the System Host''s origin, Odin mmed his fists on the runic engraved table, causing the whole Hall to rumble vigorously.

    Sitting across from the Raven God, Yahweh sat with a calm expression on his face. Unlike hispanion, externally, he wasn''t showing how angry he was at the information being presented, but internally he was seething.

    =Stree mik (Fuck me, in Norse) why is it always one of these damned Underworld Gods. I have no feud with Osiris.=

    *Had no feud; now that your Legacy Charge has defeated one of his pawns, I am afraid this will need to be factored in. Especially since he will now be aware of who both our Charges are.*

    Yahweh looked away from the notification and opened up the brothers'' live feed.

    *This war is only beginning, Odin; the challenges the two young ones face will continue to increase. This is both of our final chances; failure isn''t something we will recover from. The cost just to enter the Strife was more significant than ever before. All we can do is watch over these two brothers.*

    =Aye¡­=

    Odin''s Hall descended back into silence as the two Deities directed their attention to the monitor window showing the Cynrik and Brance''s live stream.

 Chapter 69

    For thest two hours straight, Cinyah had been screaming at her reckless children, who, even though they made it home in one piece, were in an absolutely abysmal state. Their clothes were in tatters, and they were covered from head to toe in blood, cuts, and bruises, not to mention that both Cynrik and Brance currently had their Codexes and Mana Circuits crippled.

    Cinyah would waver between fits for screaming and sobs as if she was Bipr. All the while, the two boys were kneeling on the ground with their heads hung in shame, taking the full brunt of hurricane Cinyah. Eventually, this process went on for so long that she had shouted away her voice, and now all she could muster were hoarse yells.

    ¡°How¡­how could you two just leave like that. What¡¯s more, what the hell were you thinking? Do you even realize what could have and did happen to you two. I half expect this kind of behavior from Cyn, but Brancie¡­you are the honest one. How could you let your older brother coerce you into this facy?¡± Cinyah was on the floor with the boys, each of her hands was on one of her children¡¯s heads as she whipped her head back and forth while speaking.

    ¡°You two could have been KILLED!¡±

    ¡°No, Mom, we wouldn¡¯t have been. You saw it yourself. We beat so many adults and even saved all the other kids. So instead of being in trouble, shouldn¡¯t you be telling us what a good job we did.¡± Seemingly having enough of being yelled at, Cynrik stupidly raised his head and rebutted Cinyah¡¯s ims.

    ¡°The two of us together single-handedly ripped apart that whole organization and¡­..¡±

    SMACK!

    The sound of skin-on-skin contact echoed in the living room. Cynirk, absolutely stunned that his mother had just smacked him in the face for the first time, nked out. Absentmindedly his hand reached up, and he touched his stinging cheek. Up till this point, Cinyah had never struck either of her children as punishment; she would only ever scold them, and never once had she spanked either Cynrik or Brance. Even Cinyah herself was stunned by what she had just done to Cynrik.

    While the smack had been open palm and she didn¡¯t use any real force, it was enough to both shut up and stupify Cynrik to the point where he unconsciously stopped breathing and just stared at Cinyah.

    Kneeling beside his older brother, Brance cringed when he heard his brother get smacked and was half expecting it to happen to him as well.

    Not far away, Rikard was sitting on the couch watching everything as it yed out quietly, but when he saw his wife strike their oldest son, he decided it was time to step in.

    ¡°Cynrik, I¡¯m not going to say your actions were wrong, but they were beyond reckless. You and your brother are six and seven years old, for crying out loud. In getting yourself and your brother kidnapped, you effectively put yourselves in harm¡¯s way and waltzed into enemy territory without so much as calling either of us. Not only that but the amount of disrespect you showed your Grandfather was beyond insanity. My father is a Tier-5 being and the patriarch of the Jetlensr family. The amount of power he has in a single finger is enough to kill not only me but this whole family.¡±

    Hearing his father¡¯s words, Cynrik looked from his mother, who had copsed into a heap of sobs in front of him, to Rikard.

    ¡°If Consul Garn hadn¡¯t shown up when he did, you do realize this conversation wouldn¡¯t be happening. It is clear your mother and I have been toox in raising you both. From the beginning, you two showed a level of intelligence and curiosity far beyond what a regr child of that age should be capable of. And we both overlooked this fact and treated you as any other young child. This was our mistake. The result is that you both have been crippled for life. Our poor judgment has ruined your futures.¡±

    Rikard¡¯s eyes glistened as he fought back the tears that threatened to spill over while he spoke.

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong, Dad.¡± Then, in a small voice, Brance spoke up. Seeing the man who was always such a tough person start to tear up broke him far more than the emotional Cinyah.

    ¡°No, in the process of fighting for your lives, you have both severely damaged your Codexes and Mana Circuits; this isn¡¯t something we can fix.¡± Rikard¡¯s face contorted in pain, hearing his youngest son talkback for the first time.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s only temporary. Our systems have told us that the damage will be repaired in five years.¡± Cynrik aided Brance in exining the situation further.

    ¡°During thest battle with a man at Tier-2, we unlocked a particr skill, unique to us, that allowed us to surpass our limits for a short amount of time. But it caused a bacsh that will affect our bodies for the next five years. Although the cost of using it was all of our Affinity Proficiency and basically shutting down our ability to use Mana, we are technically OK.¡± Cynrik looked back at his mother before requesting something of Tobs.

    [Tobs, I assume you¡¯ve been shielding out profiles from Mom this whole time since that¡¯s what I subconsciously wanted, but it¡¯s OK you can drop those shields only for her. Also, can you reflect the temporary debuff to our so-called crippled state?]

    -Request acknowledged.-

    -Allowing ess to Host¡¯s modified Stat Profile, designated User, Cinyah Jetlensr.-

    Taking a deep breath, Cynrik reached out and grasped Cinyahs hands and looked her in the eyes. ¡°Mom, use your Inspect on both of us. You¡¯ll understand once you see everything, and you¡¯ll know why we were so confident in what we did.¡± Caught off guard by the sudden gentleness Cynrik was showing their mother, Brance couldn¡¯t help but gasp in the mind link. Cynrik had always kept a certain amount of distance between anyone other than him, but now, Brance watched in awe as Cynrik was actually holding Cinyah¡¯s hands and using a gentle tone to calm her down.

    Brance¡¯s reaction didn¡¯t escape Cynrik¡¯s keen eye, [Oh fuck off, will you. She¡¯s our mom; even I will have a certain amount of EQ when ites to her.] He snapped angrily at Brance but was drawn away by a tight pressure and popping sound in his hands.

    While Cinyah¡¯s eyes darted rapidly around the system profile of her son, she was unknowingly crushing Cynrik¡¯s hands, and muttering ¡°How is this possible?¡±

    Snapping her head towards Brance, she activated Inspect on him as well and was shocked by what she was reading. Not only were her children exceptionally talented, but they even had three different affinities. One of which was a Special Advanced Grade, something that was notoriously difficult to level up, to begin with, and yet at Tier-0, both of her children had one each. On top of this, the status showed it above their other two, which meant this was their Origin Affinity.

    ¡°Wind, Fire, Earth¡­Darkness¡­Light¡­you two¡­how is this possible.¡± Cinyah stumbled through her thoughts out loud, causing her husband to freeze in ce. ¡°And your stats, 4th Prestige¡­wait¡­even your Distribution is abnormal.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­where do I even begin. For starters, our system is a bit¡­special. From as far back as I can remember, it has spoken to me and seems to have artificial intelligence that helps navigate our training. It presents special quests unique to Brance and me, giving us ess to things we usually wouldn¡¯t be able to use at our age. For example, Brance and I can both use RWTC; since we leveled up so quickly early on, we could utilize everything way earlier than others. Partner that with our Distribution of 1 per All. So that¡¯s how we got so smart.¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t know how you both would react if we told you, so we kept it hidden,¡± Brance added once Cynrik finished his exnation.

    Lost in her children¡¯s Stat profiles, Cinyah continued to mumble softly as her mind races at how horrifying Cynrik and Brance¡¯s stats were for being only Tier-0.

    Listening to his wife¡¯s whispers, Rikards eyes widened in shock due to the whish he was experiencing. In a matter of seconds, he had gone from believing hisck of strict upbringing with his children had caused their lives to be ruined to finding out he had, in fact, raised little monsters.

    Cynrik scratched his head and tossed a side nce towards Brance. [Well, they know now. No more hiding from them. I can¡¯t say it¡¯s a weight off my shoulders, but at least now we don¡¯t have to train only at night.]

    [Let¡¯s just hope Cinyah doesn¡¯t pass out. From her reaction alone, we can already see how big of freaks we are.] Letting out a soft sigh, Brance stood up and ced his tiny hand on Cinyah¡¯s head before patting it lightly.

    Feeling her youngest¡¯s attempt atforting her brought a slight smile to her lips. Then, taking a deep breath, she used her sleeve to wipe away the tears that had umted on her cheeks and faced both her children with new resolve. ¡°Reckless or not, you two have achieved something unheard of at your age, and even though I¡¯m still furious, I can¡¯t exin how proud of you both I am. You saved nearly a hundred kidnapped kids and killed just as many of their captors. So for this, I shall reward you both with your favorite deserts for a solid week.

    Upon hearing this, both boys cheered loudly, and Cynrik even did a backward somersault to get back to his feet and started doing a little happy dance.

    ¡°HOWEVER¡­.¡±

    The celebrations instantly stopped, and the brothers felt a chill run down their spines.

    Using her icy ¡°Mom¡± voice as Cynrik had dubbed it, Cinyah continued, ¡°YOU ARE GROUNDED FOR SIX MONTHS¡­no¡­A FULL YEAR. NO OUTSIDE PLAYTIME, CYNRIK YOU WILL BE GETTING TRIPLE THE HOMEWORK, BRANCE NO BOOKS.¡±

    ¡°NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!¡± Cynrik and Brance howled in despair and dropped to their knees in sorrow.

 Chapter 70

    ¡°BOYS, LET¡¯S GO, GET A MOVE ON!¡±

    Cinyah¡¯s stern and melodious voice danced around the house in an attempt to rouse the two sleeping brothers.

    Kicking off hisforter and sitting up groggily, Cynrik rubbed his bloodshot eyes before turning and hanging his legs off the bed. Five years had gone by since the events of Haylons Shadow, and some things changed for the now 12-year-old boy. First off, he and Brance finally had their own rooms, and they had each set about designing them much like they did back on Earth when they were teenagers.

    Cynrik had pushed his queen-sized bed into the far corner of the room and up against the wall. On the opposite side of the room was a simple desk, which to his dismay, Cinyah forced him to sit at for hours on end, andplete dozens of workbooks as ¡°homework.¡± There was a long ck dresser and a bookshelf on the wall between the desk and bed, and a small circr puck sat in roughly the center of the dresser. The puck was a HoloTV, which he would quietly sneak on during the night when he was supposed to be asleep. Lastly, he had painted all the walls of the room ck and then proceeded to ster all kinds of posters of famous rock bands and Reavers all over the ce.

    Brance¡¯s room had just as much furniture, but he painted the walls in a shade of blue, and had family photos from their vacations over the years instead of posters, hung up.

    The biggest of the changes was to both of the brother¡¯s stats. Over five years, they had entered the HBTC a total of ten different times, and after spending all that time under heavy gravity and dealing with the creatures Tobs would randomly spawn, they had both raised everything they could up to 100.

    Initially, Cynrik thought this would be a simple task, but he was very wrong. Without the use of Mana, their battle time increased heavily. Before, they would have swept through every creature they came across and earned vast amounts of XP and stats. But without their Affinity skills, they were forced to rely on brute strength, and it wasn¡¯t until thest time they entered the HBTC that they finally reached the newly discovered Prestige cap of 20. Another perk of training in the HBTC so many times was the increase in their Gravity Resistance.

    : Gravity Resistance: 5g (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    Although their resistance had increased, the same could not be said for their Body Tempering, which was capped at Tier-2.

    The growth in their system panels wasn¡¯t all; thest time Cynrik and Brance measured their height, he would not stop prancing around and chanting ¡°Five Feet tall,¡± while Brance had gained a few inches and was now over four and a half feet tall. In addition, both of them had shed any and all baby fat and had toned athletic builds, the kind you would expect from someone who spent their whole lives training.

    Groaning loudly and trying to shake off his sleepiness, Cynrik stood up and walked over to his dresser before pulling out a simple pair of training clothes, which consisted of ck jogger pants and a red t-shirt. As he changed, Cynrik checked himself out in the mirror on his dresser. Recently his hair had gotten a bit unmanageable for him; his formerly shaggy hair had been cut into an undercut, with the top being a bit longer. Running his hands through his violet-streaked ck hair, he smirked.

    [Hey, Brance, think I should go back to the ponytail?] This had been a topic Cynrik had been contemting for some time now. He had worn the same haircut back on Earth for over 10 years, shaved sides without touching the top of his head, and tying it in a ponytail. Since his reincarnation, he hadn¡¯t touched his hair for years, and it had grown into a messy tuft until he had eventually just settled for a Brad Pitt in Fury style.

    [No, hurry up, you¡¯re the only one not ready, the rest of us are already in the car.] Brance was currently buckled into the backseat of the family hovercar, looking out the window at the front door. In the driver¡¯s seat, Cinyah was tapping the steering wheel impatiently, and seated next to her was a sleeping Rikard, who had returned from a strenuous day diving into Egresses the day before.

    Under Brance¡¯s harassingments, Cynrik swiftly changed out of his pajamas and into his training clothes before tossing onest nce at himself in the mirror. Then, unconsciously, he raised his hand up and gripped the newly crafted pendant he was wearing. This pendant was the fruit of hisbor over thest few years.

    Cinyah and Rikard had struggled to help them both train due to theirck of being able to use Mana, so aside from weapons and hand-to-handbat training, they had searched for extracurricr activities for the boys. While Brance was content with just having more books to read, Cynrik needed more to upy his time. For years he had spent every second of free time experimenting with his own Affinity, but without that option, he had be lost. Seeing this, Cinyah spent weeks finding a suitable passive skill to help him fill his time while being productive.

    Her research opened up a lot of new information that neither of the brothers was aware of, for example, the existence of sses. Upon reaching the first evolution and bing a Tier-1, all systems would unlock ess to sses. These sses would bring about special skills and specific boosts to a person. Everyone would have a list of sses that they could choose from upon reaching the Tier-1, and further evolutions to higher Tiers would have a requirement revolving around a ss. For example, to evolve to Tier-2, you would need to not only be level 25 and have your Distribution stats to a certain level, but you would also need to reach the first cap for your individual ss as well.

    This revtion caused the brothers to groan as they would now have yet another mouth to feed XP because sses all started at level 0, and you would be forced to allocate Essence to it to raise its level. This was the reason so many people would be stuck at Tier-1 for so long, since gaining the necessary XP to level up your own level, as well as your ss level, was time-consuming.

    The brothers were a little different, though. When Cynrik grilled Tobs, it eventually spilled the beans on another one of their uing blessings. Upon reaching Tier-1, they would have one ss slot unlocked and one Subss slot. This was something that a person usually wouldn¡¯t get until they reached Tier-2, but thanks to Odin and Yahweh¡¯s interference, they would be getting it early. When he asked for more spoilers about future blessings, Tobs just replied with¡­

    -Spoiled children don¡¯t get extra rewards.-

    This caused Cynrik to spew profanities at his system for nearly three days in anger.

    Although Cynrik and Brance would be gaining ess to Subsses early, there was a restriction; they couldn¡¯t choose anotherbat Combat ss, so Cynrik¡¯s hopes of being an Assassin-Mage were easily obliterated, and he would have to wait until he reached a higher evolution to be a Dual-ss.

    This left Cynrik to research the never-ending list of Non-Combat sses, such as cksmith, Alchemist, or Runist; he had decided to choose Engineer as his first Subss and Assassin as his Battle ss.

    Through his research, he quickly realized that Non-Combat sses were actually more difficult to obtain than basic Combat ones. While both had their own specific requirements to get them to appear on one¡¯s ss Options list. All Combat sses generally only require the person to have particr stats leveled. So, for example, if someone wanted the Warrior ss to show up on their list, they would need to have at least 60 STR and 50 DEF. But in the case of Non-Combat sses such as Engineer, Cynrik would need to have the passive skill Tinkerer and 60 DEX, and 50 INT. After much discussion, Cinyah finally gave in and brought him to buy the passive skill he needed so long as Cynrik promised he wouldn¡¯t choose the Engineer ss until he unlocked his first Subss at Tier-2.

    That was nearly three years ago. At that time, Cynrik had constantly been breaking all kinds of objects with the sole purpose of reassembling them, until one day, he suddenly came up with a crazy idea. ¡®What if I dismantle some of the Spatial devices we got and make one in the shape of Mj?lnir.¡¯ And so he set about breaking device after device until finally he had chipped away at a sizeable coffin-shaped pendant and turned it into the familiar hammer. While it wasn¡¯t as fancy as the one he had in his previous life, this new Mj?lnir was way more practical and had also increased his Tinker passive by arge chunk.

    When he first got his hands on the Tinker passive, his head was stuffed with all kinds of new information about the skill. The first was that Prerequisite ss Skills had their own grade system. They are Basic, Trainee, Apprentice, Adept, Experienced, Expert, Master, Professional. So after spending three years breaking everything he could get hands-on before moving on to messing with his assassin¡¯s tool and eventually Spatial equipment, he had reached the Adept Grade.

    -Passive Skill ¨C Adept Grade Tinker ¨C

    -This skill is a prerequisite for the ss: Engineer-

    -Proficiency 50/100 %-

    ¨C 20% Chance to learn item blueprint upon sessful dismantle.-

    ¨C 25% Chance to learn item blueprint upon sessful assembly.-

    ¨C 15 percent chance of sessfully dismantling item-

    ¨C 15 percent chance of sessfully assembling item-

    ¨C Critical sess of dismantling and assembling items based on Users DEX and INT.-

    Cynrik broke into a wide grin as he tucked his pendant into his shirt, slipped on his sneakers, grabbed a ck, hooded, zip-up jacket that matched his joggers, and ran off to the hovercar holding his family. Today was a big day. Today was the day they could both take the Academy Exams.

 Chapter 71

    Cynrik barely had enough time to buckle his seatbelt as Cinyah pushed forward the vehicle¡¯s throttle, taking off and forcing his back against the seat.

    Noticing theints from the back seat, Cinyah pulled back on the steering column, forcing the hovercar up at a steep angle while giggling at her children¡¯s expense; as they were pressed into their seats further. Unfortunately, while the boys had their seatbelts on, Rikard didn¡¯t, and the sudden eleration and subsequent verticle climb caused him to bounce around in the passenger seat, startling him awake and making him yelp loudly.

    ¡°HONEY, SLOW DOWN! AHHH, WE¡¯RE GUNNA DIE!¡± Rikard screamed, making Cynrik, Cinyah, and Brance burst outughing at his sudden onset panic. The brothers were prepared for their mother¡¯s crazy driving, but poor Rikard made the horrible decision of falling asleep on takeoff.

    Expertly piloting the hovercar, Cinyah sped through the different flightnes before quickly reaching their traveling altitude of 12000 feet. Unlike driving close to the ground, speed limits didn¡¯t exist once you reached a certain height in the air called the FlightChannel; as such, after adjusting their heading, they were on their way towards the city where the exams would be held, Valor City.

    Valor city, also known as the Capitol of their country, Vexus, was thergest city within a thousand miles and the home of six of thergest Academies in the county. Vesemir School for Affinities, Renson Military Academy, Banes College, Finwan Academy, Supremacy University, and Quest Combat Academy, once a year, these six Academies would hold a grand event where children between the ages of 10-14 woulde to take the entrance examinations to make it into one of these six prestigious schools. With hundreds of thousands of children applying every year, thepetition was extremely fierce, and thus, the grading criteria for the examination were strict.

    Although Cynrik and Brance were eligible a couple of years ago, they had decided against joining the exams. With theirck of ess to their elemental Affinities and the uncertainty of the exam contents, it made sense to wait. Furthermore, their decision was heavily based on their experiences in the HBTC. The more time they spent training, the better their grasp of the full extent of what they were capable of. As such, after talking it over with Cinyah and Rikard, the family, as a whole, had decided to wait until their temporary crippled state wore off before taking the exams.

    -Time Remaining until Crippled Debuff wears off 37:19:00-

    Sighing softly and rxing in the back seat, Cynrik closed the notification window showing how much time was left until he could use his Affinities again, and looked at the rear-view mirror in the front seat, making eye contact with Cinyah.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, darling?¡± Seeing his sad expression and hearing the sighs from behind her, Cinyah looked at Cynrik in the rear-view.

    ¡°Just thinking. Mom, are you sure what we nned will work? Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t get any info from my system about it, which has me a bit anxious. The written test will be a breeze, but we don¡¯t know what the other three parts of the exam will be.¡± After revealing their stat profiles to their parents, Cynrik and Brance became more open to talking to their parents when something was on their minds.

    Cynrik, especially, would constantly ask random questions to his mother, who seemed to always have the answers he needed, while Rikard was pretty much more brawn than brains.

    ¡°Mhm, the biggest downside from using your unique skill was the loss of all your Affinity Proficiency. If you had more time, you could have just re-earned everything since the knowledge is already embedded in your mind. But, unfortunately, time isn¡¯t a luxury we have, so the only choice is to forcefully raise your Proficiency using Codexes that house the same elements you use. While this won¡¯t help your Darkness or Brance¡¯s Light, you can at least have your Fire, Wind, and Earth elements. Therefore, I can only advise you to spend whatever free time you get in between segments to raise your Origin Affinities as fast as possible. Since your Circuits and Codexes have already gotten used to using your Special Advanced-Grade Mana, you should be able to raise them rtively quick.¡±

    Pondering on her words, Cynrik eventually nodded and looked out the window at the clouds zipping by while resting his chin on his palm.

    ¡°Mom, are we gunna have enough time to stop at your friend¡¯s cksmith shop?¡± Brance left the nning to Cynrik, who seemed to be deep in thought, while aimlessly staring out the window and posed a question of his own.

    ¡°That¡¯s the n, Brancie; we have to be sure our two handsome young men are geared up and ready to get into a good school. You never know what kind of curveballs the Academy¡¯s will throw when ites to the exams.¡± Tossing her youngest son a sweet smile, she looked down at the navigation system, ¡°We should get there in a couple of hours. The first exam doesn¡¯t begin until 3 pm, so there will be plenty of time to shop for somest-minute equipment for you two. So I want you two to spend the rest of the trip taking the practice written exams on your Watcets.

    ¡°Yes, Mom.¡± The brothers replied simultaneously with two opposite tones; Cynrik¡¯s was full of dread, while Brance was cheerful.

    [You know, I specifically remember, you were the one growing up on Earth who was shit when it came to studying. So how the hell did we swap roles?] Cynrik didn¡¯t contain his aggression as he spoke into the mind link.

    [You¡¯re justzier now. Plus, if memory serves, you never did homework or sswork in school back then, while I messed around the whole time. In this life, I¡¯m determined to have a good school experience.]

    [Daw, look at Lil Brancie wanting to be the intelligent child.]

    [Shut up, Cyn, I would rather be known as intelligent than the stone-faced gloomy kid who makes little kids cry.]

    [ONE TIME, ONE FUCKING TIME I MADE A KID CRY, HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW HE WOULD SEE ME RELOCATING MY ARM BACK INTO THE SOCKET!] Loosing his cool, Cynrik leaned over and got into Brance¡¯s face while screaming into the mind link.

    [WHOSE FAULT IS IT THAT YOU DECIDED TO WORK ON PARKOUR ON THE FUCKING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL PLAYGROUND! USE GOD DAMN COMMON SENSE!] Not backing down, Brance got right in Cynrik¡¯s face and yelled back.

    [OH, COME ON, JUNGLE GYMS AND MONKEY BARS, BRANCE! IT¡¯S THE PERFECT PLACE TO PRACTICE THAT SHIT; IT¡¯S NOT LIKE I CAN GO DOWNTOWN AND JUMP AROUND THE ROOFTOPS LIKE A SUPERHERO!] Getting a little too excited, Cynrik shoved Brance, who smacked his back on the hovercar door.

    Brance¡¯s face ttened, and he red at Cynrik before he leaned forward and smacked Cynrik in the side of the head.

    [Dumbass, ATLEAST DO IT AT NIGHT!]

    [OI, The fuck did you smack me for?] Rubbing the spot Brance had hit, Cynrik felt wronged.

    ¡°BOYS, KNOCK IT OFF!¡± Not wanting their scuffle to escte further, Cinyah put a stop to it by using her ¡°Mom voice,¡± which made both brothers sit straight up and immediately open up the practice exams on their Watcets obediently.

    The trip seemed to drag on for Cynrik and Brance as they answered hundreds of repetitive multiple choice questions on everything from ¡°What is Mana¡± to ¡°What does X stat do,¡± The questions weren¡¯t difficult for either of them, but being forced to study by their Mom, wore them out. But after a few hours, they were finally saved from the endless torture of tests by Valor Cities skylineing into view. A few minutester, Cinyahnded the hovercar, and once everyone was out, she pushed a button on her Watcet, causing the vehicle to shrink down to the size of a matchbox car, and tossed it into her inventory. Then, with a wave of her arm, Cinyah directed her little family towards arge store called Pinhurst Cold-Steel.

    Cinyah smiled as she watched her children¡¯s faces light up in the excitement and followed after the two when they ran into the store.

    TING TING

    A small bell above the door jingled as Cynrik, and Brance split up, one going to a section of the storebeled ¡°des¡± and the other going to the ¡°Armor¡± section.

    Cynriks eyes darted around therge store, which reminded him of a sporting goods store on Earth; just instead of camping gear and footballs, it was filled with all kinds of weapons and armor.

    While the two boys went about searching the store for gear that would suit them, Cinyah walked up to a young, blond-haired, fair-skinned, thin woman who was full of smiles and stood behind the store¡¯s checkout counter.

    ¡°Hey Maeve, it¡¯s been a while.¡± Cinyah greeted her childhood friend Maeve Pinhurst with a cheerful smile.

    ¡°Cinyah, It¡¯s been way too long. How dare you onlye to see me now.¡± Then, stepping out from behind the ss counter, Maeve ran up and gave Cinyah a big hug. ¡°My gosh, are those my nephew? They¡¯re going to be lookers when they get older, just like their mother.¡±

    Maeve nudged Cinyah in her ribs as she watched the two boys prancing about the store with vigor, picking up all kinds of different swords and shields.

    ¡°Yep, those are my boys, Cynrik is 12 going on 13, and Brance is 11. We figured that since they¡¯re going to be taking the exams, we may as well swing by so I could introduce you to them and pick up that project I asked your Dad to do for me.¡±

 Chapter 72

    ¡°Yep, those are my boys, Cynrik is 12 going on 13, and Brance is 11. We figured that since they¡¯re going to be taking the exams, we may as well swing by so I could introduce you to them and pick up that project I asked your Dad to do for me.¡±

    Maeve broke into a wide grin before scurrying back behind the counter and ducking down in search of something. ¡°Dad just finished them up, not sure why you wanted these little things made, but everything is right here.¡±

    BANG

    Reappearing from behind the counter, Maeve dropped arge wooden crate onto the counter, drawing Cinyah¡¯s attention, and even causing the two boys to whip around like scared rabbits and look for the source of the noise.

    ¡°Hey, knuckleheads, get over there; your Mom has a present for you.¡± Rikard, who had entered silently as if hiding from someone, hissed at Cynirk and Brance before sneaking off to the stairs leading to the shop¡¯s second floor.

    Noticing his father¡¯s sketchy act, Cynrik picked up on something and, with narrow eyes, looked back and forth between Rikard and Maeve. Then, as he watched his father head up the first couple of steps, a sudden thought popped into his head, and his lips curled into a cynical smirk.

    Without wasting any more time, to not let his father escape from what was sure to be an exciting event, Cynrik dashed forward as fast as he could, blurring into an afterimage, and swiftly appeared behind Rikard. Using his left hand, he reached out and grabbed the man by the back of his neck and, in one smooth movement, threw Rikard with as much force as he could muster, flinging him from the stairs with a yelp and sending him in the direction of Cinyah and Maeve.

    ¡°BOY, WHAT ARE YOU¡­¡±

    CRASH!

    Rikardnded fifty feet away with a loud crash, sliding to a stop right at Cinyah¡¯s feet.

    Stunned at the fact her husband was just flung across the store by her son, who was significantly weaker than him, Cinyah¡¯s mouth dropped open.

    ¡°OH, HO HO! If it isn¡¯t my ex-boyfriend and the man who stole my best friend from me.¡± Maeve had a very different reaction when she saw the man suddenly appear in front of her thanks to the young boy across the store.

    Feeling betrayed by his oldest son, who tossed him to the she-wolf known as Maeve, Rikard jumped back to his feet and dusted himself before acting as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°Hello Maeve, how have you been? Have you eaten today?¡± Rikard tried ying off how awkward he felt just being near his ex by asking a bunch of irrelevant and random questions rapidly, while Brance and Cynrik crept up on the scene, with faces full of excitement.

    They had grown bored with their mother constantly harassing their father, and now it was as if a scene from a lousy drama show was ying out right before their eyes. Cynrik and Brance were fully invested in just how their father would get himself out of this situation within a couple of words.

    ¡°Are you married? How bout kids? You always liked kids; I¡¯m sure you have a couple of munchkins by now, right?¡± With each passing second, Rikard seemed to get more frantic, as Maeve¡¯s face, which only seconds ago was full of smiles, fell from yful to displeased to full-on aggravated to finally a look of disgust.

    ¡°SHUT UP, YOU BIG LUMMOX!¡± Then, acting like twins, both Cinyah and Maeve shouted in unison before smacking him in the head from both sides.

    Breathing heavily, both womenshed out at Rikard and started batting him over and over on the head until he shut up and stood frozen in ce.

    One final smack echoed before being followed by silence.

    ¡°pppppffftt HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!¡±

    Which was broken by the person who started the whole skit, Cynrik, who burst outughing so hard that tears streamed down his cheeks.

    ¡°No way, haha¡­Dad¡­haha, he got abused by not just Mom, but even this Auntie. Sucks to be you, Dad¡­ OWW HEYY AUNTIE OWW HEY STOP!¡± The moment Cynrik started making fun of Rikard, Maeve appeared next to him and reached out, grabbing his ear and giving it a good twist.

    ¡°And just who are you calling an Auntie, I¡¯ll have you know, I am still young enough to be your older sister. How dare you!¡±

    ¡°Ahhh AHHH MOM, MOM, STOP THIS OWWW, CRAZY AUNTIE!¡± Being brought from heaven to hell in an instant, Cynrik frantically cried out for Cinyah¡¯s help, but it fell on deaf ears.

    Not wanting to be caught in the crossfire, Brance slipped away and stood next to Cinyah with his hands sped in front of him.

    ¡°Um, Mom, is this your best friend who you¡¯ve told us so much about? The one who is really young and that you hope I one day find someone as beautiful as her to marry?¡± Putting on his ¡°I¡¯m innocent of all crimes¡± look, Brance asked.

    [FUCKING TRAITOR. YOU TREACHEROUS FUCKING TRAITOR!] Cynrik howled in anger after hearing his brother¡¯s betrayal.

    ¡°Yes, honey, this is my best friend, who I¡¯ve known since I was your age, Maeve Pinhurst. Go say hi.¡± Cinyah giggled before patting Brance on the head and giving him a nudge forward so he would introduce himself.

    Brance nodded slightly and walked up to Maeve, who was still trying to twist off his brother¡¯s ear, kicked the ground lightly, acting bashful, and looked up at the pretty blonddy.

    ¡°Hello, Big Sister Maeve, my Mom told me all about you. She told me how you were the prettiest and nicest woman she knew and that she hopes one day I¡¯ll be lucky enough to marry someone even half as perfect as you.¡±

    [I¡¯LL KILL YOU, BRANCE! FUCK.]

    BANG

    Upon seeing the sweet 10-year-old boye up and introduce himself whileying on the ttery, Maeve almost squealed in excitement. But not before shended a devastating flick directly to Cynrik¡¯s forehead, which carried enough force to rocket him 10 feet away and into a shelf full of leather armor.

    ¡°My gosh, aren¡¯t you just the sweetest thing,e here and give this Big Sister a hug.¡± Maeve knelt down to be on eye level with Brance and opened her arms, inviting him into a hug, to which he jumped into her embrace and obliged.

    ¡°Such a good boy, don¡¯t let that rascal older brother of yours tarnish your goodness.¡± Releasing Brance and standing up, she tossed a re at Cynrik, who was buried under several sets of leather armor and scoffed.

    Clicking her tongue and shaking her head, Maeve stepped back behind the counter and ced her hands on top of therge wooden crate. ¡°Howe the older one turned out to be such a rascal, while the younger one is so cute?¡±

    ¡°Honestly, your guess is as good as mine; I swear, Cynrik is always causing some kind of trouble, while little Brancie here gets good grades and never gets into trouble. SIGH.¡± Cinyah tossed a look at Rikard, who was frozen in ce like a small animal standing before a lion and then to her oldest son, who was trying to extract himself from a pile of armor.

    Rolling her eyes at both of them, she walked up to the counter and reached out with her Watcet facing Maeve¡¯s, and sent over the payment for the special items housed in the crate.

    Maeve scrolled through the notification from her system, informing her of the payment being received, and took off the crate¡¯s lid before stepping away and letting Cinyah take a peek at its contents.

    ¡°Brancie, since you¡¯ve behaved, you can have your presents first.¡± Then, checking the crate¡¯s contents were all there, she waved over Brance and had him stand next to her.

    ¡°Oh, presents!¡± Brance hopped over to his mother¡¯s side and stood obediently, and waited to be given whatever was in the crate.

    ¡°First things, first.¡± Cinyah reached in and pulled out what appeared to be a chainmail vest, and Maeve narrated the items.

    ¡°Your Mom mentioned how you n on choosing the Warrior ss and bing the Tank of whatever party you join, but you¡¯re too small to be fitted for te armor yet. So this will at least give you some protection. Each link was handcrafted using our signature Cold Steel, a mixture of five different minerals, then inscribed with runes before infusing Earth Mana into the metal. This will allow you to charge your Earth spells directly into the metal, giving you a significant increase in its defensive properties. Remember, it¡¯s under armor, so you should wear it under your clothes until you get your first set of te armor.¡± Maeve watched as Brance gave a polite nod before excitedly pulling off his shirt and putting on the lightweight chainmail vest. After moving around a bit and getting used to wearing the chainmail, Brance pulled his green t-shirt on, covering his new armor piece up, before adding it to his T1 loadout and sending it to his inventory.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t itch or pinch at all; it¡¯s awesome thank you so much, Mom and Big Sister Maeve.¡± Cynrik snorted angrily, hearing how his brother was buttering up to thedies while he was forced to neatly ce all the armor that had fallen on him earlier back on the shelves.

 Chapter 73

    Before Brance put away his new Chainmail, Cynrik happened to sneak a peek at it with his Inspect.

    -Cold-Steel Chainmail Vest-

    -Tier 1: Special Grade-

    ¨C ssification: Small Sized Under Armor ¨C

    ¨C A custom-made Chainmail armor meant to be worn under a set of armor. Designed by Cinyah Jetlensr and forged from five ore Cold-Steel, by Famed cksmith and Runist Jessup Pinhurst. The Runes inscribed on each chain-link have been tailored to handle Earth Mana. Comfortable and lightweight. Its smoothed links make it so the metal won¡¯t pinch the wearer¡¯s skin.

    ¨C +10 DEF-

    -Durability 3000/3000

    ¨C Ability:+ 10% Buff to Earth Skills-

    [That¡¯s pretty handy; it¡¯ll save you in a pinch. 3k durability should be able to stop most attacks under Tier-2,] Cynrikmented. Brance just smiled and was happy to have gotten his first bit of armor.

    Seeing the satisfied look on her son¡¯s face, Cinyah pulled two shinyrge teardrop-shaped shields that, when stood up next to Brance, were as tall as he was. When the boys had exined the whole story about their fight with Myer and how Brance described his preferred Mana constructs, Cinyah instantly went about designing these for him before sending the ns over to Maeve¡¯s Father, Jessup.

    cing the two shields down on either side of Brance, both Maeve and Cinyah chuckled lightly at the young boy¡¯s expression. Brance was bbergasted when he saw the descriptions of both shields. With his jaw dropped and eyes asrge as saucers, he stepped forward and caressed them both in awe. Unlike his previous kite shield, these were both graded as BSG Tier-1.

    ¡°Hehe. Now, these two beauties are two of a kind. Your Mom, and my Dad, whos the head cksmith, specially designed these two shields with all of your Affinities in mind. It took a lot of research, but he was able to build a Runic Schematic that merged Wind, Earth, and Light Mana. That¡¯s not all, though, because it uses our Cold-Steel, they can easily be upgraded by us to higher grades and Tiers, allowing them to grow alongside you as you get stronger.¡± Maeve¡¯s eyes sparkled as she exined her father¡¯s creation to Brance.

    ¡°Since they are the first of their kind and custom order, we¡¯ve decided to name them the CS-Tear MK-1. The patent for the creation of the shield belongs to Cinyah, and as such, you will be the only person to own them. Now go on try them out.¡±

    Shaking his head rapidly to clear his thoughts, Brance took both shields from Cinyah and examined them from top to bottom. The top half of the shield was rounded and as wide as his torso before tapering to a sharp point on the bottom half. A sizeable octagonal gem was ced in the center divided into three colored segments, corresponding to the three Mana Affinities he held. The edges of the entire shield were tapered into sharp points, and it was clear to Brance that the CS-Tear MK-1 was meant for both offense and defense, which suited his taste perfectly. From top to bottom, the entirety of the shield¡¯s face was stered with thousands of small runic letters, which gave it a mystical appearance, unlike his previous shield. Carefully turning the silver, shiny shield closest to him, Brance examined the inside portion.

    The backside of the CS-Tear was concaved and ribbed with dozens of thin metal rods for support. With a simple nce of the concaved body, Brance¡¯s eyes drifted to the center, where a leather bracer with three straps and buckles was neatly aligned, and half a foot away was a firm handle bolted in at several points. Taking a deep breath, Brance slid his arm into the bracer and gripped the handle before reaching over and putting on the second CS-Tear.

    -You have Equipt CS-Tear MK-1 X2-

    ¨C Cold-Steel Tear Mark 1 ¨C

    -Tier 1: Special Grade-

    ¨C ssification: Teardrop Kite Shield ¨C

    ¨C A custom-made Teardrop-shaped kite shield designed by Cinyah Jetlensr and forged from five ore Cold-Steel, by Famed cksmith and Runist Jessup Pinhurst, for Brance Jetlensr. Baring the user¡¯s Affinities in mind, the Runes inscribed on the shield¡¯s face have been tailored to handle Earth, Wind, and Light Mana. The edges and bottom-most point have been sharpened to an extreme extent, allowing for practical offensive use.-

    ¨C +15 DEF-

    ¨C +10 STR-

    ¨C Durability 5000/5000-

    ¨C Ability:+ 10% Buff to Earth Skills, +10% Buff to Wind Skills, +10% Buff to Light Skills ¨C

    -Special Skill: Shield Wall- Requires the use of two simr-sized shields; a Mana Barrier can be generated; it will have a base durability of 5,000 HP. Activation Cost is 100 Earth, Light, and Wind Mana. Infusing more Mana will raise the durability.

    -Special Skill: Fusion. This shield can retract half the main body andbine with a second shield of the same variety. As a result, the stats and abilities of the shield will be doubled, and Special Skill: Shield Wall can also be used. Activation cost = 200 MP-

    Brance¡¯s pupils shrank while reading the full description that Inspect gave him. The added boosts to all his Affinities and the two special skills that the shields present were astounding.

    [Cyn¡­these shields are overpowered as hell.]

    Cynrik, too, was speechless as he walked up to see his brother¡¯s new shield up close. After reading the details on Brance¡¯s two new pieces of equipment, Cynrik came to a conclusion. The difference between Brance¡¯s original kite shield and the two new ones was so far apart that Cynrik even started feeling pissed at himself forever spending money on the first one.

    ¡°Woah¡­these things are insane.¡± Cynrik couldn¡¯t help but utter out loud.

    ¡°Well, of course, My Dad is among the top 5 cksmiths and Runists in Valor City; we can¡¯t have shabby equipment bearing our name.¡± Puffing out her chest in pride, Maeve chuckled. ¡°Brance, you¡¯ve still got two more presents, so go ahead and put your shields away.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Brance quickly slotted both of his CS-Tears into the T1 loadout and stood with his hands behind his back, waiting patiently.

    [Kiss ass.] Cynrik was getting tired of Brance¡¯s ¡°Perfect Child¡± act and had to take a cheap shot at him for it. Brance didn¡¯t even bother responding to his brother¡¯s taunts, as he had grown ustomed to Cynrik¡¯s snarky remarks years ago.

    ¡°Up next is this jacket. Again, in your Mom¡¯s designs, she listed that it needed to be durable and lightweight while still giving all-around protection.¡± Neatly folded in Cinyah¡¯s hands was a silver leather duster jacket. With a flick of her wrist, the jacket appeared on Brance, who was wide-eyed.

    With a matching color to Brance¡¯s shields, the silver duster was long-sleeved and hung down to his knees; on both of his shoulders were three form-fitting,yered, Cold-Steel te pauldrons that covered not only his upper arms and shoulders but also his vicle. (https://imgur/a/hWXxtK5 Like this, but instead of ck, it¡¯s silver and has Sephiroth style shoulders.)

    After a short range of motion test and finding out his movement was unhindered, Brance smiled widely and read its description.

    ¨C Cold-Steel Light Bending Duster-

    -Tier 1: Special Grade-

    ¨C ssification: Mana Infused Duster Jacket ¨C

    ¨C A custom-made leather jacket designed by Cinyah Jetlensr and crafted from five ore Cold-Steel and Medium Silver Drake Hide, by Famed cksmith and Runist Jessup Pinhurst, for Brance Jetlensr. This Jacket has been inscribed with Mana allocation runes containing Light, Earth, and Wind Mana. Thanks to the toughness of the Drake Hide, this Jacket will be able to stop most ded attacks under Tier-2 with rtive ease.-

    ¨C +15DEF-

    ¨C +50 MP-

    ¨C Durability 10000/10000-

    ¨C Ability:+ 5% Buff to Earth Skills, +5% Buff to Wind Skills, +15% Buff to Light Skills ¨C

    -Special Skill: Light Bending ¨C By infusing Light Mana, the wearer can bend the light around their body, creating an active camo effect simr to an Assassins Stealth Skill. The skill will be dispursed if the user suffers a physical attack. Activation Cost 25 MP, Sustain cost 5 MP per second.

    [NICE, now I won¡¯t have to burn extra Mana to keep you under ShadowVeil.] Cynrik chirped while reading the jacket¡¯s stats.

    [Really, that¡¯s all you have to say about it. I half expected you to start singing One-Winged An¡­fuck.] Brance cursed as he realized what he had just done.

    [TOBS, PLAY ONE-WINGED ANGEL FROM ADVENT CHILDREN!]

    -Now ying ¡°Advent: One-Winged Angel¡± by Nobuo Uematsu-

    [Kue Kue Kue! BELLS, FROGS, BIG CHERRIES, PETER PAN, MAGIC CHEESE, SEPHIROTH!!!!] Cynrik shuffled around while singing the meme version of the song¡¯s lyrics, making Brance want to cry.

    Cinyah and Maeve watched with concerned faces as Brance looked like he was about to have a mental breakdown, and Cynrik seemed to be dancing tauntingly. Although Maeve was clueless about what was happening, Cinyah, aware of the boy¡¯s telepathic link, frowned and summoned a small ball of fire, which she subsequently flicked at Cynrik.

    Sensing impending doom, Cynrik quickly dropped to his belly, just narrowly avoiding a thumb-sized me that whizzed past his head and disappeared not far behind him.

    ¡°Stop teasing your little brother, or you won¡¯t get your presents.¡± Cinyah¡¯s parenting style has changed a lot over thest five years. As the children grew, and she knew their stats, she became more physical, especially with Cynrik, who often got the same treatment as his father. Cinyah had yet to ever resort to corporal punishment with Brance, but Cynrik seemed to only listen when she used it.

    The tone of Cinyah¡¯s voice let Cynrik know she was serious, and he immediately had Tobs shut off the song and stood in ce with his hands behind his back and his head hung low. ¡°Yes, Mom, I¡¯m sorry, Mom.¡±

    [Serves you right, asshole.] Brance had to get thest word in, now that his Mom had shut down Cynrik¡¯s childish crap.

 Chapter 74

    Maeve stifled augh as she watched Cynrik being scolded, and she motioned for Cinyah to take out thest item from the crate meant for Brance.

    Clicking her tongue, Cinyah looked away from her troublemaker of a son and pulled out two Cold-Steel Shin-Guards that matched the pauldrons on the CS-LB Duster and handed them to Brance, who quickly tried them on.

    ¨C Cold-Steel Shin-Guards-

    -Tier 1: Special Grade-

    ¨C ssification: Mana Infused Small Shin-Guards ¨C

    ¨C A custom-made leather jacket designed by Cinyah Jetlensr and crafted from five ore Cold-Steel and Medium Silver Drake Hide, by Famed cksmith and Runist Jessup Pinhurst, for Brance Jetlensr. These guards have been inscribed with Mana allocation runes containing Light, Earth, and Wind Mana.-

    ¨C +5 DEF-

    ¨C Durability 5000/5000-

    ¨C Ability:+ 5% Buff to Earth Skills, +5% Buff to Wind Skills, +15% Buff to Light Skills ¨C

    Brance took a couple of steps back and released several swift kicks to test out the range of motion on his new CS ted Shin-Guards; thanks to the riveted joints and their lightweight, he felt no resistance or difort while wearing them, and after a few more seconds, chose to put them away by adding them to his T1 Loadout. However, when the Shin-Guards were slotted into ce, he received a notification that made his eyes light up.

    -Armor Set has been detected in the T1 Loadout.-

    -When equipped, the Host will receive added bonuses-

    -Tier-1 BSG Cold-Steel Custom Armor Set (Brance Jetlensr)

    -1 Piece = 10% Increase in Mana Point Regeneration ¨C

    -3 Pieces = 10% Increase in Stamina Regeneration ¨C

    -5 Pieces = 10% Increase of Health Point Regeneration-

    With his mouth hung open, Brance looked at Maeve in shock. ¡°Big Sister, there¡¯s a set bonus! I get 10% in HP, MP, and Stamina regeneration if I wear it all together.¡±

    Even Cinyah was surprised. While a 10% increase wasn¡¯t huge, it was still a significant boost that could help her sons in a pinch. Quickly hiding her surprise, she smiled and patted Brance on his head before looking at Cynrik, who was still standing with his hands behind his back and looking down.

    ¡°Alright, Cyn, get over here. It¡¯s your turn.¡± Cinyah reached into the box and pulled out a CS Chainmail Vest and Shin-Guards that matched Brances, the only difference being that his Shin-Guards weren¡¯t bright silver, but instead a dark grey that appeared to be only a few shades shy of being ck.

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes lit up as he picked up on the color of the CS-Shin Guards, and he couldn¡¯t help but get excited at his prediction. He carefully epted the new equipment and put them on in a sh, but unlike Brance, who put them away after a few seconds, Cynrik chose to keep them on after adding them to all three of his Loadouts before looking expectantly at his mother.

    ¡°All right, all right, here.¡± Noticing how impatient Cynrik was being, Cinyah reached in and grabbed a coat, that while slightly resembling the one she gave to Brance earlier, was vastly different in both color and ability.

    The first noticeable difference was the color. Unlike Brance¡¯s silver Coat, the one Cynrik swiftly snatched from his mother¡¯s grasp and was admiring with an excited look was ck as night, and the pauldrons were the same dark shade of grey as the Shin-Guards he currently had on. His eyes drifted along with the scaled hide, to the dark rune d metal pauldrons, to the final main difference. Instead of just having arge open cor, Cynrik¡¯s had an assassin-style hood that ended in a point the would hide his face in the shadow it cast. Grinning ear to ear and using both hands, he snapped the hood up, covering his head with it.

    [Hehe, I am darkness, I am the night, I AM BA¡­]

    [SHUT UP, CYNRIK.] Brance refused to let him finish that statement.

    Cynrik pulled down his hood and exposed his scrunched-up face, which looked like he had tasted something sour, and red at his little brother before looking at his forearm and using Inspect.

    -Cold-Steel ShadeDrake Assassin Duster-

    -Tier 1: Special Grade-

    ¨C ssification: Mana Infused Duster Jacket ¨C

    ¨C A custom-made jacket designed by Cinyah Jetlensr and Crafted from five ore Cold-Steel and Adult ShadeDrake Hide, by Famed cksmith and Runist Jessup Pinhurst, for Cynrik Jetlensr. This jacket has been inscribed with Mana allocation runes containing Dark and Fire Mana. Much like its lesser evolved form, the ShadeViper, the ShadeDrake, is naturally attuned to Dark Mana, allowing this jacket¡¯s materials to storerge amounts of Darkness Mana particles. This Coat will stop most ded attacks under Tier-2 with rtive ease.-

    ¨C +10 DEF-

    ¨C +5 AGI ¨C

    ¨C +50 MP-

    ¨C Durability 10000/10000-

    ¨C Ability:+ 10% Buff to Fire Skills, +15% Buff to Dark Skills ¨C

    -Passive Special Skill: Stealth Assist ¨C By infusing Darkness Mana into the jacket, the wearer can increase the duration of Stealth-Type Skills. Depending on how much Mana the wearer invests into the Cold-Steel Shadow Assassin Duster, the cost of activating and sustaining Dark Mana-based Stealth Skills will decrease by a maximum of 50%.

    ¡°Thank you, Mom and Aun¡­¡±

    BANG

    ¡°YOU LITTLE HOOLIGAN, WHO ARE YOU CALLING AUNTIE!¡± Maeve shouted while grabbing the closest item she could find, which just so happened to be the crate¡¯s lid, and chucking it at Cynrik¡¯s head. Not able to dodge, Cynrik¡¯s head snapped back due to the collision, and arge bump started forming in the center of his forehead while his feet stayed rooted in ce.

    ¡®Who am I? Where am I? Did she just throw a heavy wooden crate at my head like it was a frisbee?¡¯ These questions rattled around Cynriks mind as he stared with unfocused eyes at the ceiling of the shop.

    Cinyah and Brance both shook their heads while sighing loudly. Cynrik just never seemed to learn.

    Standing near the front door, the terrified Rikard lifted his hand and touched his own forehead as if feeling his son¡¯s pain. The fact that Maeve had hit Cynrik in the exact same spot she had flicked him earlier did not escape his keen eyes. ¡®My son, I shall say a prayer for you. The She-wolf is more dangerous the more you taunt her.¡¯ Then, saying a silent prayer for Cynrik, Rikard went back to trying to be invisible and not draw Maeve¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Here I was about to exin your jacket to you, and you just had to be rude. Cinyah, I¡¯ll ask again. Why is it that little Brance is so sweet and well-behaved while Cynrik turned out like a little hooligan?¡± Maeve¡¯s sharp eyes turned to Rikard, who visibly flinched at her gaze. ¡°It must be your fault.¡±

    Wanting to run and feeling wronged, Rikard shook his head back and forth as if saying, ¡°it¡¯s not my fault, I swear.¡±

    ¡°TSK, whatever, anyway, give him the swords next, Cinyah.¡± Done with the father and son duo, Maeve wanted to move on and started exining the pair of matching swords that Cinyah was pulling from the crate, while Cynrik rubbed his forehead and shot a scared look at Maeve. Then, his eyes looked at the two ck sheathed swords resting in Cinyahs hands, and his mood brightened instantly.

    ¡°Your Mom said you like to dual wield and needed different length swords. So the first one is the shorter of the two, so you¡¯ll want to use it in your non-dominant hand, which is why it has a strap for mounting it on your back. While the second one is a bit longer, you shouldn¡¯t be hindered by drawing it from your waist.

    -Cold-Steel Tri-Elemental Twin-Kodachi¡¯s-

    -Tier-1: Special Grade

    ¨C ssification: Runic Kodachi (51cm, 59cm) ¨C

    ¨C A pair of matching ck, single-edged, slightly curved short swords; the longer sword is meant for use with the dominant hand while the shorter is intended to be wielded with the non-dominant. Designed by Cinyah Jetlensr and Crafted from five ore Cold-Steel, by Famed cksmith and Runist Jessup Pinhurst, for Cynrik Jetlensr. The handle is wrapped with ShadeDrake hide, and both the kashira (pommel) and habaki (ring guard) are forged from ShadeDrake bone. The des are inscribed with Runes that can be infused with Dark, Fire, and Wind Mana.

    ¨C +5 AGI (Total of 10)-

    ¨C +5 DEX (Total of 10)-

    ¨C Ability:+ 5% Buff to Fire Skills, +5% Buff to Wind Skills, +5% Buff to Dark Skills ¨C

    -Special Passive Skill: When wielding both at the same time +20% increased Critical Rate.-

    -Special Passive Skill: When wielding both at the same time +20% Critical Damage.-

    Cynrik couldn¡¯t help but gasp when he read through all the buffs he would receive by dual-wielding his two new kodachi; in a sh, Cynrik equipped the shorter sword on his back and the longer one on his right hip before dropping into his fighting stance and drawing both simultaneously.

    Spinning each sword in circr patterns a few times to get used to their length and weight before shing at the air, he eventually sheathed them with a flourish and smiled widely.

    ¡°They¡¯re perfect, Mom and A¡­Big Sis, I couldn¡¯t ask for better swords.¡± Cynrik figuratively wiped the sweat from his brow as he caught himself almost calling Maeve Auntie and corrected himself, which caused the woman in question to grin.

    ¡°There is one more thing here. Thisst one was pretty difficult to make; my Dad and I both struggled for a while, and we actually almost gave up because of theck of material, but your Mom was adamant that we made these for you.¡± Maeve put the empty crate on the ground beside her and reced it with a medium-sized metal box that resembled the gun box Brance owned back on Earth.

    Curious about its contents, Cynrik walked up to the counter and, using both hands, utched and opened it.

    ¡°No way¡­.¡± Forgetting the world around him for a moment, Cynrik whispered softly as he examined the box¡¯s contents in awe. Inside was a multitude of different parts, two of which were ShadeDrake hide wraps, covered in ck runes, and seemed to be cut to perfection to fit his Assassins tools. But these hide wraps alone weren¡¯t enough to make him so awestruck, to the point that he felt his eyes start to water. Instead, the cause was the two thin des resting neatly on a small velvety pillow.

    Carefully, he picked one up and held it to the light. He would recognize them anywhere.

    ¡°I sent them over all the fragments of your favorite sword and told them what I wanted. Happy Birthday, Baby.¡± Cinyah spoke up after seeing how Cynrik¡¯s eyes started watering slightly.

    With everything going on, Cynrik had forgotten today was his birthday.

    Caressing the new hidden des formed from his shattered Sunre onest time, Cynrik gently put it down before running to Cinyah and giving her a big hug.

 Chapter 75

    Brance watched in confusion as Cynrik hugged their mother, showing a rare amount of emotion for the first time in years.

    [Are..are you crying?] Gasping and covering his mouth with his hand, Brance asked quietly.

    [NO,(sniff) I¡¯m not crying. It¡¯s just the rain; can¡¯t you see it¡¯s pouring right now?] Wiping his eyes and releasing his embrace on Cinyah, Cynrik stepped back over to the counter so he could admire his new hidden des.

    ¡°Um¡­Cynrik¡¯s crying.¡± Not letting this opportunity to tease Cynrik go, Brance brought everyone¡¯s attention to his older brother, causing Cynrik to shiver and bury his head in the box he was sifting through.

    ¡°SHUT UP, NO, I¡¯m not (sniff).¡± Everyone except Rikard, who was still trying to hide,ughed loudly at Cynrik¡¯s expense.

    ¡°Right, you¡¯re not crying. You¡¯re a big boy; you¡¯ve just got something in your eye, I see.¡± Propping herself up on her elbows on the counter, Maeve leaned forward towards Cynrik, exposing the deep trench caused by her breasts, which were slightly exposed due to the cut of her shirt. The flirtatious tone she was using would have worked on just about anyone¡­anyone except Cynrik.

    ¡°Tsk, Auntie, at your age, you should cover yourself more.¡±

    ¡®Especially since you are at least two full sizes smaller than Mom.¡¯ Even the dense Cynrik knew better than to say thest part out loud. Counter-attacking Maeve¡¯s taunts, Cynrik crossed his arms over his chest, making an X, as if he was being sexually harassed.

    Once again, the shop became noisy as Cynrik desperately tried to dodge the She-Wolfs, attacks. After several more forehead flicks were administered, Maeve finally calmed down, and Cynrik was banished to a small room, which doubled as a workshop so that he could make the necessary adjustments to his Assassins Tools.

    Carrying the metal box with his parts, Cynrik took a seat on a stool and ced it down on therge workbench.

    The two battle-damaged, worn-out Assassins tools appeared on the workbench with a wave of his hand, alongside his Engineer kit, which held the tools he used when taking apart things.

    ¡®Alright, first things first, let¡¯s get the old leather bracer dismantled.¡¯ Cynrik¡¯s hands moved with experience as he swiftly broke down the tool, and within a couple of minutes, all that remained was the skeleton of the device and the primary mechanism. Layed out neatly on the table were all the individual parts that made the Assassins tool. Cynrik had done this repeatedly over the years to clean the device properly.

    His eyes drifted over the original des; they had several cracks and chips from years of training and the events of Haylon¡¯s Shadow. But the most damage was caused by overloading them with his Darkness Mana in the final battle with Myer. Even now, five yearster, they still were heavily contaminated and leaked minute amounts of Mana Particles from the vein-like cracks that covered the de¡¯s entire surface.

    When he initially saw the damage, Cynrik was shocked that they hadn¡¯t wholly shattered as his Sunre had. Instead, he had concluded that due to the intense heat he was generating during that fight, he must have somehow reforged them, using the Dark Mana particles as some kind of catalyst. Directing his attention away from them, Cynrik made a mental note to ask Maeve about it when he was done with his assembly.

    Gingerly, Cynrik reached into the box, pulled out a device that resembled the primary mechanism, and started forming a mental blueprint of how he wanted his upgraded hidden de to look and function.

    For the next hour, Cynrik set about using the new parts he received as a birthday present topletely rebuild his Assassins tool. After several attempts, he finallypleted the first one, and using the knowledge he gained from it, was quickly able toplete the second, just as he heard Cinyah telling him it was time to go take the exams.

    Wiping the sweat from his brow and storing everything on the workbench, Cynrik gave one final look over his new hidden des and used Inspect.

    -Custom Assassins Tool (Creed MK1)-

    -Tier-1: Special Grade(Upgradeable)-

    ¨C ssification: Bracer with revolver Hidden de mechanism ¨C

    ¨C A highly customized Assassins tool that has been redesigned from the ground up by Cynrik Jetlensr. The outer shell is formed with ayer of Runic Inscribed ShadeDrake hide, while the internal skeleton has been reinforced with ShadeDrake Bone. The inner portion of the device has beenpletely redesigned and now has two extrapartments on either side of the primary drawer mechanism, which can house two additional des for a total of three. The extension mechanism has been modified to quickly and automatically swap des in a revolver style. The newest addition is the ejection mechanism; by infusing Mana Particles into this device, a hidden de can be fired from the central housing drawer, giving the device projectile attack capabilities.-

    ¨C Slot 1: Tier-1 SG Cold-Steel Hidden de-

    ¨C Slot 2: Tier-1 SG Sunre Hidden de-

    ¨C Slot 3: Dark Infused Hidden de

    ¨C +5 DEF ¨C

    ¨C +5 DEX ¨C

    ¨C Ability: Allows the wielder to receive two attacks without being knocked out of Dark Affinity Skills that hide the user¡¯s appearance or presence.

    ¨C Passive Special Skill: Quick Change ¨C By making a particr flicking motion, the revolver mechanism will grab one of the avable des and automatically slot it into the drawer chamber.

    ¨C Special Skill: de Shot ¨C The wearer can fire the chambered hidden de by infusing Mana into the firing mechanism. The range and power of this attack depends on how much Mana is expended ¨C

    Giving one final check to the new Creed MK-1¡¯s, Cynrik put them away and slotted them both into the AC and DMG loadouts before changing back into the clothes he was wearing before they came to the shop. Then, with his Loadout panel open, Cynrik briskly walked out of the small workshop and met back up with his family and Maeve in the gallery.

    Smiling ear to ear, Cynrik sent over the specs of his new hidden des to Brance, who started to sweat nervously while reading the descriptions.

    [Jesus, Cynrik, how the hell did you even pull this off. Here I was thinking my shields were broken, and you go and make some godly toys for yourself.] Feeling his heart rate elerate, Brance closed the notification and met his brother¡¯s eyes with his own.

    [No biggie. I¡¯ve had several ideas and blueprints for my future weapons for who knows how long. After that, it was just a matter of getting the materials I needed. If I had the Engineer ss, I could have done a lot more with it, but it¡¯ll do for now. It¡¯s a good thing we gave all our loot to Mom and Dad after that chain quest. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s how they paid for everything. After all, we only kept the potions and Codexes.]

    After they got back home and had the heart-to-heart with their parents, Cynrik and Brance decided that they would hand over the nearly 100 spatial devices to their parents, so they could sell everything and use the money for the family. Little did they know that Cinyah had actually spent most of that money on their new gear so that they would have a better chance during the exams.

    The total cost of all their new equipment was in the tens of millions of credits range. So if they hadn¡¯t done so, there was absolutely no way their family could have afforded all the new Cold-Steel gear.

    ¡°Ok, boys, it¡¯s time to go; hand me your nes so I can give you some supplies, then we have to go meet up with the Sanfords.¡± Seeing Cynrik walking over, Cinyah requested, and the brothers bothplied. So Cynrik took off his Mj?lnir pendant and Brance the Crucifix that Cynrik had made for him, and they handed the items to their mother.

    Cinyah quickly put in a couple of different outfits, food, and basic survival supplies into the two spatial equipment. In her mind, there was no such thing as being too over-prepared. The exams didn¡¯t have a set time frame and couldst between three days and two weeks, so she had to be sure her babies were fully prepared.

    Once she was satisfied, and the nes were full, Cinyah handed back the spatial devices before giving Maeve their thanks and saying goodbye. The family of four left the store and headed to the fairground several blocks away, where the first round of exams was held.

    [Did you see what Mom gave us?] Brance was the first to speak up as they walked through the streets filled with families just like theirs.

    [Yeah, it¡¯s kind of funny though, she gave usbat boots and tactical pants that color-matched our jackets. It¡¯s like we are Power Rangers repping our specific color.]

    [Of course, you would make that observation.] Brance shook his head and sped up, leaving his brothergging.

    A phone call and 30 minutester, the Jetlensrs met up with the Sanfords. Upon seeing Brance, Gabby, who was now 11 years old, just like Brance, squealed before running and tackling him while nuzzling her head on his chest. This sight caused the adults to all chuckle. Everyone knew some time ago that Gabby was totally smitten with the youngest Jetlensr son. After being saved from the kidnappers, Gabby pretty much attached herself to Brance whenever she saw him, which caused the adults to joke about marriage in the future.

    On the other hand, Benny was more closed off and reserved when he came back. It took him a while to ovee the trauma he had experienced, and if it wasn¡¯t for Cynrik constantly beating him up to ¡°Make him a little tougher every day,¡± he would have most likely turned into a shut-in.

 Chapter 76

    The Jetlensr and Sandford families stood together and looked out over the massive sea of people. The news reports had estimated that the batch of attendees for this year¡¯s Exams was a record-breaking 180,000 children. If it wasn¡¯t for the existence of Watcets and the inte, organizing an event of this scale would have been nearly impossible.

    To participate, each child had to register online a full two weeks earlier, and in doing so, they would receive a confirmation notice that gave them the time they needed to appear. The first phase of the Exam was always the same. The number of attendees would be slowly chipped away through each stage. The first of which was a 200 question written test. Only those who scored 90% or higher would move on to the second phase, and this test was conducted through a unique program that utilized the Watcet. So technically, the first round of failures started if the person didn¡¯t own one.

    Cynrik, Brance, Gabby, and Benny opened up the Exam program on their Watcets and waited patiently for the timer to count down to zero.

    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been thinking, what¡¯s stopping people from cheating if everyone will be taking the test at the same time on their Watcets?¡± Cynrik thought out loud while tapping his chin with his index finger.

    ¡°You¡¯ll understand when it starts.¡± Oswald Sanford, Benny, and Gabbys Dad was the one to answer Cynrik, while the other adults just stood in silence, looking out over the hundreds of thousands of children and families.

    Cynrik simply nodded and looked up from his Watcet, which showed there were only three minutes until the Exam started. Then, off in the distance, he noticed dozens ofrge battleships rising into the sky above the crowd.

    Cinyah, too, saw these ships and immediately turned around and grabbed both her children into a tight embrace. ¡°Listen to me, you two; Mommy loves you both more than you¡¯ll ever know.¡± As she spoke, tears began welling up in her eyes. ¡°I have no doubt you both will easily pass the written test, but whatever happens after, always remember to watch over each other. No matter what, your safety is the absolute most crucial thing. I don¡¯t care if you fail the exams, as long as youe back home to me.¡±

    Cynrik and Brance were both shocked to their cores; they thought it was just a simple entrance exam where they may have to beat up a couple of other kids or something, but Cinyah was acting as if there was a high possibility they could die. The fact that Cinyah¡¯s voice was wavering caused both boys to have a lump form in their throats.

    ¡°Avoid anyone from the Jetlensr or Evasden n at all cost. We have done our best to hide you from them for so long, and after the kidnapping incident, I¡¯m worried they wille after you both. I do not regret sheltering you both for so long, and no matter what anyone says, I am proud of you two.¡± Trying her best not to break downpletely, she gently kissed both her son¡¯s on top of their heads and gave them one more hug before standing up and covering her mouth with her palm.

    Rikard was also emotional, but instead of saying anything, he just put his hands on both their heads and smiled lovingly.

    Cynrik closed his eyes and pulled up his hood, and looked down so no one could see the face he was making, while Brance¡¯s eyes glittered with tears. They both knew something was up with this Exam. This was evident by not only their parent¡¯s reactions, but a casual look around showed that nearly every parent they could see was behaving simrly to Rikard and Cinyah.

    Exhaling slowly, Cynrik looked up at his parents and swapped to his AC Loadout, leaving his hidden des in storage, which startled them both, but they couldn¡¯t react fast enough as Brance also changed to his T1 while leaving his shields in his inventory.

    Kitted out in their new armor,bat boots, and tactical pants, the only article of clothing that stayed the same was Cynrik¡¯s red and Brance¡¯s white t-shirts.

    Standing side by side, the brothers smiled confidently at their parents. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; we¡¯ve got this, Mom and Dad.¡± Cynrik, wearing a cocky smile partially covered by the shadow of his leather hood, said, crossing his arms over his chest.

    ¡°Yeah, just wait to hear our remarkable scores; you¡¯ve taught and trained us both well. We can take anything these exams throw at us.¡± Brance¡¯s voice didn¡¯t waver as he made his deration.

    Rikard let out a boisterousugh, and Cinyah giggled at her two brave young boys. Behind them, Oswald and his wife had finished speaking to Benny and Gabby and rejoined the group.

    -The Exams will begin in 30 seconds.-

    -You will be teleported to the designated testing location to take the Phase 1 Written Exam.-

    Cynrik scoffed at the notification that rang out in his head and from the Watcets AI and looked over at the two Sanford children and their parents. ¡°If wend with them, you don¡¯t have to worry; we will help them.¡±

    As the words left Cynriks mouth, a bright light surrounded the four children, and they were gone less than a secondter. Not only them but every child that had shown up for the Exam and had a Watcet vanished in a veil of light, leaving behind only their emotional parents.

    Rikard put his arm around Cinyah and embraced her gently while drawing small circles on her back to calm her down. ¡°They will be fine; those little ruffians took down numerous adults more than twice as strong as them. We¡¯ve done everything we could. I only hope Cynrik doesn¡¯t cause too much trouble and ys by the rules,¡± chuckling softly, Rikard said in a reassuring tone.

    ¡°I know, but so many children die each year in theter stages of the Exam, and we have no idea what will happen this time.¡±

    ¡°Those other children aren¡¯t little monsters like ours, especially once they get their Affinities back, all of the Academies will be scrambling to recruit them. So what we should do now is go back to Maeve¡¯s and watch the Exams with her and Jessup.¡±

    Cinyah nodded weakly and cast another gaze over the massive battleships floating silently in the distance. She remembered vividly the events of the Exam she and Rikard took, and all she could do was pray her children woulde back in one piece.

    Cynrik, Brance, Gabby, and Benny appeared suddenly in a massive building before taking in their surroundings. While not as bright nor good at fighting as the Jetlensr brothers, the two Sanford children had spent so much time with them that they had both picked up some of the little habits Cynrik and Brance would casually do. The biggest being something Cynrik would harp on time and time again. Situational awareness.

    Gabby and Benny quickly fell in line behind Cynrik and Brance with cautious expressions on their faces.

    ¡°Rx, we aren¡¯t fighting anything yet. So let¡¯s go this way.¡± Taking the lead, Cynrik waved the other three to follow him and started down the long corridor they were presently in.

    Walking in silence, after a few minutes, they arrived at a massive wooden door. Not bothering to knock, Cynrik pushed it open and walked in and was greeted by a room the size of a gymnasium, filled with thousands of empty desks.

    [What do you think?] Feeling something was off about the room, Cynrik posed the question to Brance.

    [Not sure, there had to be over a hundred thousand kids in the fairgrounds; what are the odds that we would be the first ones to arrive?]

    [My thoughts exactly; this feels like bait. Mom told us about the Exams that even the written test isn¡¯t simple. Fuck man, I wish I had Mana Sight right now. We could quickly figure this shit out.] Kicking the linoleum floor with the toe of his boot, Cynrik narrowed his eyes and looked around the room.

    ¡°Fan out and check the desks, see if there are any clues in their storage space; I¡¯ll go up to the teacher¡¯s podium and look around.¡± Giving his order¡¯s Cynrik kicked off the ground and flitted across the room towards the podium, neatly centered at the opposite end.

    Behind him, Brance, Gabby, and Benny all split up, going different directions, and started going from desk to desk in search of any papers or other kinds of clues that would point them in the right direction.

    Upon reaching the podium, Cynrik jumped over andnded behind it. His eyes zipped around, searching for any kind of a clue. It didn¡¯t take long for him to notice some strange carvings inside the wooden four-foot podium. Sticking his head into the hollowed part, he got up close to the roof of the stand and read them carefully, ¡®3-13-22-57, OH!¡¯

    BANG

    Cynrik forcefully stood up with a little too much strength, and his head burst through the desk part of the podium, but he just ignored it and called out to Brance. ¡°Brance, check the 3rd desk from the back on the left! Gabby, 3rd from the back on the right, Benny, the 3rd from the right in the front.¡± Finishing up his statement, Cynrik dashed over to the 3rd desk on the left in the first row. ¡°Look for any carvings or something out of ce.¡±

    The four children ran to their positions and started feeling around the desks assigned by Cynrik. Quickly Brance and Benny called out that there was nothing, and Cynrik couldn¡¯t find anything either. On the other hand, Gabby yelped loudly and called out to Cynrik. ¡°Cyn, there¡¯s a button in the cubby. Do I push it?¡±

    Cynrik¡¯s lips curled up into a grin. ¡°Gotcha!¡±

 Chapter 77

    ¡°No, hold off for now, Brance; you and Benny go over by Gabby; the podium had a set of coordinates, and it looks like if we follow them, we will find three other desks that have buttons in them. The following button should be 13 away from Gabby in any direction.¡± Cynrik exined his findings, and the other two boys set about looking for the following button, and about 30 secondster, it was Brance who found it. He was 13 desks away to the front of Gabby.

    Nodding at Brance, Cynrik and Benny started searching 22 desks away from Brance. Finally, after a couple more minutes, Cynrik and Benny found thest button and positioned themself in a way they could quickly press it.

    ¡°Alright, there are only two ways to do this; we either push them at the same time or in order. So let¡¯s put it up to a vote.¡± Passing off the responsibility in case something went wrong, Cynrik left the final decision to the rest of the group. After a short conversation, the decision was made to push all four buttons on the count of three.

    ¡°On three. Three, two, one push!¡±

    Click

    The four children pressed the buttons simultaneously and were bathed in bright white light, teleporting them out of the room at the exact same time.

    Two secondster, the four of them were sitting side by side, in an exact replica of thest room, only this time, nearly all of the seats were packed with children. All around them, over a thousand other children close to their age were chatting happily about passing the previous test.

    Cynrik looked over at the Sanfords and nodded while putting his finger to his lips to tell them to stay quiet before looking at the front of the room where a red-haired, middle-aged woman in a pencil skirt and sses was standing at the podium silently observing the group of children.

    [Tsk, fucking already started with the dumb puzzle games.] Cynriks eyes flickered around the room as he counted the empty desks.

    [Looks like we were kind of slow; there are only around 40 open seats. If we were any slower, it¡¯s safe to assume we would have flunked.]

    [Seems like the teacherdy is eyeing us like a hawk, Cyn.] Brance too noticed the silent red-head across the room and spoke up about her.

    [Either she¡¯s just keeping count, or there¡¯s another BS filter being applied to kick out people. Just stay quiet for now, and do the little good child act you always do.] Cynrik scoffed internally, picking up on the nervous tone Brance had used.

    Time moved on slowly as small clusters of new kids would appear in the empty seats. Each time a new batch showed up, the teacher would check her Watcet before clicking her tongue and scanning the crowd again.

    Eventually, after 30 minutes, the final seat was filled, and the Red-Head cleared her throat loudly, causing the noisy children to go silent.

    ¡°Wee, and congrattions. This ssroom holds exactly 1600 desks, and there are seven more just like it. This means, of the initial 183,200 applicants, only 12,800 of youpleted the qualifying assessment to take the Written Exam.¡±

    Cynriks pupils shrunk to pinholes as he realized this first little puzzle had eliminated nearly 93% of the people who applied. If they had only been a few minutes slower on solving it, they would have been part of the over 170 thousand people eliminated.

    ¡°Now then, in five minutes, each of you will receive a prompt on your Watcets, giving you ess to the testing program. You will have precisely 2 hours toplete the multiple-choice test, and you must score at least a 90% to advance to the 2nd Phase of the Exam. The program will be directly sent to you through a neuro-link, so only you will be able to see the questions, and it only takes a simple thought to fill in the correct bubble and move on to the next question. Using this method also means there will be no way of cheating.¡±

    [Hehe, unless you¡¯re us and have a Divine blessing from two Gods.] Cynrik snickered in the mind-link forcing Brance to frown and ignore him.

    ¡°If there are any questions, now would be the time to speak up, as there will be absolutely no talking while the Written Exam is being administered.¡± Finishing her statement, several hands rose up to ask questions, and the Red-head, picked on a couple of them one at a time. Most of the questions were simple rifications about what she had just gone over, and Cynrik tuned them out. That is until a relevant question was posed.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, once we pass the Written Exam, when will we know the start time and contents of Phase: Two?¡± A brown-haired girl around Brance¡¯s age asked nervously.

    ¡°If, and ONLY IF, you pass the Written portion, you will have 48 hours to prepare for the next phase of the exam. Only those who pass today will find out its contents.¡±

    [Welp, small blessings right, 48 hours is plenty of time to power level our Affinities. But¡­]

    Cynrik was cut off by the Red-head who¡¯s next statement was a bit shocking.

    ¡°One more thing, the 100 people who finish slowest but still score a 90% or higher shall be eliminated. Now then, everyone sits quietly until you receive the prompt to begin the test.

    [There it is. Of course, they¡¯re eliminating people with poor times.] With his mouth closed, Cynrik ran his tongue over one of his mrs while thinking.

    [I guess we have to speed run this shit. I¡¯m a bit worried about Gabby since she¡¯s not the brightest apple in our group; I mean, she¡¯s sooo madly in love with you after all.] Snickering internally, Cynrik tried his best to ignore the howls of anger flooding the mind-link from Brance.

    Luckily, he didn¡¯t have to do this for long, as just when Brance was starting to pick up with his insults, his Watcet vibrated, and a notification popped up on its disy.

    -You have been granted ess to Written Exam

 Chapter 78

    When Cynrik arrived at his destination, the first thing he did was call out to Brance.

    [Where are you all?] But there was no answer. For the first time since their reincarnation, Cynrik and Brance¡¯s mind-link was severed, and it would be an understatement to say Cynrik panicked.

    [Brance¡­ Respond.] Unable to hide his growing anxiety, Cynrik continued to repeat his callout, hoping to hear even so much as a snicker, but all he received was silence.

    With no other option, Cynrik tried to calm his racing mind by taking several deep breaths and looking around the room he was in. His sight fell on a cluster of about 20 kids not far away, so taking another deep breath, he approached the group.

    The room they were in was about the size of a typical ssroom; the only thing missing were desks. His eyes lingered on the far wall, which appeared to be a massive ck tv screen. Walking on his toes, Cynrik reached the group and caught a young boy around his age by the shoulders, spinning him around so he could speak with him.

    ¡°The heck? What are you doing? Let me go.¡± Startled the spikey green-haired boy, raised his left arm like he was going to throw a punch, but Cynrik pressed down on his shoulder and leaked a bit of Killing Intent, nearly making the kid crap his pants.

    The boy¡¯s screams didn¡¯t go unnoticed, as several older boys stepped up and pulled the green-haired one out of Cynriks grasp, creating a stand-off between the four of them and him.

    ¡°No need to get testy, I just wanted to know what¡¯s going on,¡± holding his hands up and trying to seem harmless, Cynrik quickly stated what he wanted.

    ¡°What kind ofme excuse is that? Do you know who you just assaulted? If our Evasden family hears about this, see if you can go on livi¡­¡± the older boy, who was significantly more muscr than Cynrik, tried throwing the weight of his family around but was silenced.

    Already in a bad mood and not wanting to deal with the boy¡¯s bullshit, Cynrik equipped one of his Creed Mk-1s and appeared directly in the boy¡¯s chest, with the tip of his hidden de resting against his throat.

    ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t give a flying fuck. Tell me what¡¯s going on, or not only you but all your little goons won¡¯t leave here whole.¡± Then, speaking low andcing his words with as much menace as he could muster, Cynrik nicked the boy¡¯s neck, drawing a thin line of blood. The tip of Cynriks hidden de moved slightly as the boy gulped down his saliva.

    ¡°We..we don..t don¡¯t know yet. We are just like you.¡± Studdering and trying to keep his knees from giving out from fear, the boy barely got out his sentence.

    ¡°Tsk, useless,¡± with a flick of his wrist, the hidden de retracted, and Cynrik put it back into his inventory before walking off to a corner of the room and standing in it with his back against the wall and his leg raised.

    The boy let out a shaky breath as he watched Cynrik go off on his own and turned to the green-haired boy he thought he was saving earlier. He had felt it when Cynrik unleashed a trace of his Killing Intent, and since the boy was his little cousin, he wasn¡¯t about to let him get hurt after passing Phase 1 of the exam.

    ¡°Quatre, who the hell was that kid?¡± The boy asked his green-haired cousin.

    ¡°I have no idea Nelson, he suddenly spun me around and was ring at me. I¡¯ve never seen him before in my life. I don¡¯t even remember seeing him in the testing hall.¡± Quatre replied, still visibly shaken from his interaction with Cynrik. It was rare for someone their age toe in contact with Killing Intent, and he hadn¡¯t ever felt the fearsome pressure before. Thinking back to that moment, Quatre felt his sphincter clench up and a bead of sweat form on his brow.

    Nelson looked back at Cynrik, who was leaning against the wall, several feet away for a second, before turning around and facing his group. ¡°Listen carefully; whatever you do, stay away from that guy. When I tried using our Evasden name, he paid no mind at all to it and even threatened to kill us all. That¡¯s not someone we can deal with.¡± The boys all nodded in understanding while taking quick peaks at Cynrik.

    [BRANCE FUCKING ANSWER ME, DAMN IT! TOBS, WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?] His minor scuffle with the Evasden kids only further aggravated him and was like throwing gasoline on an already massive fire. Cynrik didn¡¯t understand what was happening; he was usually clear-headed, but right now, it was like an unfiltered, primal rage was surging in his body, screaming to escape from his control.

    -Unable to form a connection to Host Brance Jetlensr with mind-link.-

    -Reason Unknown.-

    [Fucking bull shit, we both have 100 MIND, unless we are over a hundred miles apart, there should be no issues.] Unconsciously, Cynrik raised his left thumb to his mouth and started nervously biting the skin just below his nail.

    ¡®Calm down, idiot; there are only two valid exnations here. First, we are a massive distance away from each other, or second, there¡¯s some kind of interference that stops our connection.¡¯ Dropping his hand, Cynrik started chewing on his lip while frantically looking around the room.

    -You have received a message from Raven God Odin-

    -¡°Calm yourself, Drengr; the emotions you are experiencing right now arent your own. They are an unfortunate side effect of the Divine Blessings you received. Close your eyes, and focus on the Mindscape you once entered in that hotel. In that instant, you rebuilt the whole hotel and even restored it; use that now. The Mindscape is and has always been one of my most valuable techniques and requires only the use of your INT and MIND stats. This is the only assistance I can lend you¡±.-

    Cynrik read over the message, slightly stunned. Odin had never directly reached out to him and offered any kind of advice, yet here, when he felt like he was having a mental breakdown, Odin offered him a path of escape.

    ¡®Mindscape¡­¡¯, using his left hand to cover his face, Cynrik massaged his temple and tried to remember what he did back then. At the time, he had unknowingly entered the Mindscape, and ording to Brance, he shut down for a couple of minutes. Since then, it hadn¡¯t happened a second time, but now, Odin was telling him it was actually a skill.

    Slowing down his breathing and rapidly beating heart, Cynrik slowly scanned the room from left to right and top to bottom.

    ¡®In the Mindscape, I was able to rebuild what I believed that old hotel looked like in its prime.¡¯ Then, narrowing his eyes and casting onest nce at the room, Cynrik closed his eyes and focused on the sound of his inhale and exhale. Not even a second after he closed his eyes, Cynrik felt like he had been surrounded by water, and the sounds of the kids in the room started fading until all he heard was his own breathing.

    Cynrik tilted his head up and slowly opened his eyes. The room he was seeing waspletely empty, and even the lights were off. He squinted and observed his surroundings before bouncing his back off the wall and standing up straight. The first thing he took note of was the strange ethereal feeling he got from moving his body; he could onlypare it to moving through water unhindered. He could move freely, but it felt like he was surrounded by liquid, making him feel slightly light-headed.

    Slowly but methodically, Cynrik walked the perimeter of the room while looking for anything that seemed out of ce. When his eyes stopped on the lights around the room, he blinked as they suddenly lit up and bathed the formerly darkroom in warm yellow light. Then, raising his right hand to shield his eyes, he moved to the center of the room and stood in ce.

    ¡®Something is out of ce, but what. There has to be something here.¡¯ Cynrik¡¯s mind spun on all cylinders as his rate of observation increased. His eyes flicked around so quickly that any average person would not only get dizzy but would be unable to see anything except a blur before he suddenly stopped.

    Right below the enormous wall-sized tv screen, there was a single floor tile that was different than the others in the room. At first nce, it would be near impossible to spot. The floor was covered with tens of thousands of small 1¡Á1 inch square tiles, but the one he was looking at was two triangles instead of a whole square.

    ¡®Well, hello there,¡¯ grinning creepily, Cynrik chuckled and walked back to the corner he had been initially standing and closed his eyes. For some reason, his instincts told him that if he increased his heart rate and breathing, he would no longer be in the Mindscape when he opened his eyes.

    So he did just that.

    When he opened his eyes, the sound of idle chatter flooded his ears and caused him to smirk.

    -You have learned the Legacy Tier Skill ¨C Mindscape-

    -By controlling your heart rate and breathing speed, you can enter a meditative state. In this state, you canpletely rebuild your surroundings perfectly after only a casual glimpse. Time in the Mindscape is 20 times slower than the real world. Due to the high mental strain put on the user, it¡¯s advised you use this skill a maximum of once every 168 hours. The amount of time you can spend in the Mindscape directly corrtes with your MIND and INT stats.-

    Pushing off the wall, Cynrik darted across the room and arrived at the spot he had seen the triangle tiles in the Mindscape.

    His sudden movement startled everyone in the room and even caused some girls to yelp in fear and confusion.

    Cynrik just ignored their reactions and crouched down on one knee beside the tiles. Then, with a flick of his left wrist, one of his Creed MK-1¡¯s appeared, and he stabbed the hidden de into the two tiles swiftly, which made a strange popping noise on impact.

    A secondter, he vanished from the room in a sh of light, leaving the other kids all stunned and confused.

 Chapter 79

    Going back in time, to when Brance finished his test, like his brother several minutester, he was teleported to an empty ssroom. Unlike his brother¡¯s experience, though, since Brance had finished the test so quickly, he was actually the first person to enter the room.

    Standing in ce, he observed the room silently for a few moments before walking up to the wall-sized Tv and looking for some way to turn it on. After several minutes of searching anding up empty-handed, Brance was startled by the appearance of the first person, an athletic-looking teenage boy with blond hair and dark skin. When the boy saw he wasn¡¯t the first to pass the exam, he scoffed and walked up to Brance while radiating an air of superiority.

    ¡°You there, kid, what luck you have to be in the presence of me, Talio Freel. You are now one of my underlings, and since you were smart enough to even best me, the Heir of the Freel Merchant Group, in the Written Exam, I shall grace you with a position in my father¡¯spany.¡± Then, stopping a couple of feet from Brance, he struck a haughty pose while looking down on the boy who was clearly younger than him.

    But unlike what he had expected, Brance didn¡¯t seem overjoyed at his deration. Instead, the younger boy was staring at him with a strange look that seemed to say, ¡°are you insane?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­no, thank you, Talio Freel, I¡¯m sorry, but my family wouldn¡¯t agree with me working at such a young age.¡± Brance tried to speak with a friendly tone, but seeing Talio¡¯s reaction, it seemed he had verbally bitchpped him from the way he responded.

    ¡°WHAT, how dare you? I went out of my way to show you the kindness people would kill for, and you¡­you¡­you use a dumb excuse like that.¡± Talio¡¯s face turned bright red like a tomato, and the veins in his temple started poking out.

    ¡®Please don¡¯t do the thing, please don¡¯t do the thing, please don¡¯t do the thing.¡¯ Since important things should be said three times, Brance begged Talio internally not to do what he was expecting woulde after his rejection. But his expectations were shattered.

    ¡°How dare you, it looks like I¡¯ll have to teach you just how badly you¡¯ve screwed up, kid. I didn¡¯t want to have to do this since you look so frail.¡± Rolling up his sleeves, Talio stepped forward and tried to look as menacing as possible before drawing back his left arm and pping Brance across the face.

    Squinting his eyes, Brance watched as the older boy seemed to move in slow motion to him and reached out to catch the iing palm. Using literally zero effort, he easily caught the boy¡¯s palm and gave it a slight squeeze, forcing the bones in Talio¡¯s hand to pop loudly.

    ¡°AHHHH,¡± Talio screamed in pain and fell to his knees as Brance stood in ce, looking at the older boy sympathetically but not releasing his grip on the still popping hand. Brance, unlike Cynrik, didn¡¯t actually like hurting people. He would rather just show them kindness and use his words, but by no means did this mean he was a pushover. So while Cynrik was savage and would have beat Talio to a pulp, Brance stood there looking down at Talio, and after squeezing two more times, he released his grip on his hand.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t resort to violence; it¡¯s not good to just up and hit someone over a disagreement.¡± Then, while sighing, Brance stepped away from Talio, who remained on the ground cradling his hand, which in the best case was now fractured in several ces.

    ¡°You little jerk, you just broke my hand, My father will hear of this, and I will watch him destr¡­

    BANG

    Before he could finish his sentence, arge tear-drop-shaped shield mmed into the ground, inches away from his face, with enough force to cause cracks in the linoleum tile.

    ¡°Finish that statement, and your father will have a daughter instead of a son after the exams finish.¡± Recalling his CS Tear MK1, Brance chose to walk away and treat Talio as if he was an insect.

    Coming from a Merchant family, and not one who was centered aroundbat, the sudden situation struck Talio with so much fear that he pissed himself. He had assumed that the small boy was harmless, only to find out he was, in fact, a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. The throbbing pain in his hand brought him back to reality as his eyes drifted to the cracked linoleum inches in front of him. But, he was intelligent enough to realize he had just escaped with his life, and he very quickly made the decision to never mess with Brance, or even speak to him, for that matter, again.

    With the room falling back to silence once more, Brance continued his investigation of the room. Since arriving, he felt something was strange about this ce. Although it appeared to be a simple ssroom, the fact that it was both windowless and doorless made him see it as something other than a holding ce.

    Eventually, he ended up in front of therge TV again when he saw a sh of light out the corner of his eye, and a breathless Gabby appeared.

    ¡°BRANCIE!¡± Bouncing like a small bunny, Gabby swiftly made her way to Brance before jumping at him and hugging him tightly.

    Letting out a small helpless chuckle, he caught the girl and hugged her back before patting her head. ¡°Looks like you even beat big brother; that¡¯s our Gabby, sharp as a sword.¡±

    ¡°Mhm,¡± beaming brightly and basking in Brance¡¯s praise, Gabby let him go and looked around the room curiously. ¡°So, where are we?¡±

    ¡°No idea, Cynrik and the others haven¡¯t shown up, so I¡¯m guessing this is where we go after you pass.¡± Brance crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the girl who was a head shorter than him.

    ¡°I figure we should wait for the others. Something¡¯s up about this room. Did you notice anything yet?¡± Then, wanting to test Gabby¡¯s observation skills, Brance asked her to see if she noticed what he did.

    Gabby¡¯s face scrunched up in thought as she tilted her head to the side and looked around. ¡°mmm, there¡¯s no doors and windows here, plus that TV is HUGGEEE, that¡¯s kinda weird, right? I don¡¯t see any remotes or anything to turn it on with.¡± Brance smiled as she answered. Contrary to what Cynrik seemed to think, Gabby was actually the smartest out of their little group. The only thing that made Cynrik feel otherwise was her pure heart and innocence. She was yful and bubbly, but when push came to shove, she was highly observant and had picked up on the few oddities that had taken Brance a couple of minutes to find.

    ¡°Good girl, you nailed it.¡± Brance treated her like a puppy and again pat her head, which caused Gabby to giggle and squirm in ce.

    ¡°For now, let¡¯s just hang tight and wait for our brothers to show up.¡±

    ¡°Yep, yep.¡±

    The two moved to the side of the room and chatted idly as, over time, more kids passed the exam and were summoned into the room. A couple of older boys had tried to flirt with Gabby in that time, but when they saw Brance giving them a dangerous look, they quickly backed off and congregated with the other kids.

    Although Brance only saw Gabby as the little sister type, he knew that she was considered cute, but seeing as he had a soul that could be regarded as middle age, he treated her more like a daughter than a childhood friend.

    Eventually, Benny showed up and joined the group, but Cynrik was still missing, which caused Brance to try using the mind link, but just as Cynrik would find outter, the connection was cut. He didn¡¯t have the same reaction as his older brother, but it still caused him to be concerned.

    ¡°Brance, you¡¯ve been here the longest, has that TV turned on, or have we received any instructions yet?¡± The wait had caused Benny to speak up.

    ¡°No, nothing at all, it¡¯s kind of strange. First, I thought there was some kind of puzzle-like earlier, but I didn¡¯t find anything, so then I thought if more people showed up, it would turn on and give us a message, but that hasn¡¯t happened either.¡± Frowning, Brance looked around at the clusters of kids, which had reached approximately 40 now, and saw several moving around, searching for clues.

    ¡°You guys are so serious; how bout we go meet some new friends, I¡¯m tired of standing here in the corner acting like Big Bro Cyn; you two are all mopey and serious.¡± Gabby grabbed both their wrists and started dragging them towards a group of kids who wereughing and joking around with each other and decided to join them.

    But when she was a couple of steps away, she heard a click, and the small tile under her foot moved, causing her to yelp in surprise, which was cut off by not only her but Benny and Brance being turned into light and vanishing from the room.

    When the group opened their eyes, they were in arge grassy courtyard filled with flowers.

    ¡°What the hell just happened.¡± Brance stared at Gabby absentmindedly, and she just giggled.

    ¡°See, told you we should go meet some new friends; good things happen when you¡¯re proactive, Brancie,¡± letting go of both boys¡¯ wrists, Gabby put her hands on her hips and whipped her head back and forth gloatingly.

 Chapter 80

    A warm gust of wind flowed silently through the massive grassy courtyard, moving the numerous flowers along with it.

    Surrounding this courtyard was arge U-shaped building that appeared to be either a dormitory or hotel of some kind.

    Brance, Gabby, and Benny stood at the opening of thisrge U that led directly into thergend plot, which Brance estimated to be around 15 acres wide (60k meters squared). Unfortunately, only the massive building or grass and flowers could be viewed as far as his eye could see, leaving him unable to determine any kind of location. Even the sky above seemed to just be cloudless and blue, with the identical Suns he had grown ustomed to.

    ¡°OH, look at all the pretty flowers!¡± Gabby broke away from the group and skipped merrily towards an outcropping of purple and pink daffodils, causing Brance to smile lightly and Benny to facepalm and chase after his easily excitable little sister.

    Shaking his head and releasing a slight chuckle, Brance followed the two siblings while observing his surroundings. A quick scan around the courtyard allowed him to pick up on several kids sitting around and enjoying the weather while chatting. He watched as bright lights would asionally sh in seemingly random spots and deposit one or two new kids.

    Upon reaching the Sanford siblings, Brance was instantly mauled by Gabby, who mercilessly adorned him with several different types of flowers from head to toe while giggling the whole time. But, knowing resistance was futile when it came to this little blue-eyed, brown-haired girl in pigtails, Brance just stood still and allowed her to do as she pleased.

    That is until he heard a familiar snort and sadisticugh in the mind link.

    [HeheheHAHAHAHAH, WHAT THE FUCK MAN HAHA!] From over a hundred meters away, Cynrik had appeared and instantly locked in on his brother¡¯s whereabouts only to find him sitting on the ground while an overly excited Gabby dancing around Brance like a pixie, nted flowers all over his head and upper body.

    [Why was I even worried about you.]Brance¡¯s calm expression turned sour the moment he heard Cynriks snide remarks.

    [No idea, but guess what, yah boi got himself a new Legacy Skill. Remember when you nearly beat my ass in the hotel because I nked out. wellllll turns out it wasn¡¯t because of ADHD, but instead a Legacy skill that I unintentionally activated.] Walking over casually, Cynrik quickly filled Brance in on what had transpired in his absence, including what Mindscape did, leaving his flower-covered brother speechless.

    [Woah, that makes our story way shittier than yours. We searched the room for a while before Gabby did the Gabby thing, where she tried forcing us to y with new kids and identally stepped on one of those tiles you were talking about.] Standing up and gripping Cynrik¡¯s forearm as a sign of greeting, he filled his older brother in on their little adventure.

    Brance¡¯s sudden movements caused all the flowers resting on his body to fall to the ground, drawing an upset noise from Gabby. But when she saw Cynrik, she brightened back up, ¡°Big Bro Cyn,¡± and jumped at him the same way she did Brance.

    Unlike Brance, who would return her hug, Cynrik effortlessly sidestepped her and caught her by the scruff of her neck, like a tiny kitten. ¡°Sup squirt, you know better than to throw yourself at me.¡± He stood thereughing internally as Gabby struggled to free herself from his grasp, but after several unsessful seconds, she went dead weight and gave him puppy eyes, pleading to be let go.

    Benny and Brance stood by the side and just smiled at what was considered a regr interaction between Cynrik and Gabby. Even though it always ended the same way, Gabby had yet to give up and made it her mission long ago to defeat the evil oldest boy and make him give her ¡°cuddles.¡±

    If Cynrik knew what was going on in her head, he would have run for the hills. Everyone knew there was one thing Cynrik hated. And that was ¡°Cuddles.¡±

    ¡°So what¡¯s up with this ce, big ass courtyard, with a giant dorm-looking building surrounding it, makes this ce look like a university of some sort. Hm?¡± Cynrik¡¯s left eyebrow rose up as he spotted three equidistant clocks around the U-shaped building. The more he looked at these clocks, the more suspicious he became. Unlike a standard clock face where the numbers went from 12 to 12, this clock went from 0 to 100 in increments of 10.

    Seeing Cynrik¡¯s expression, Benny and Brance followed his line of sight and picked up on the strange clocks as well. Even the defeated Gabby, hanging several inches above the ground, turned and looked at the boys¡¯ actions.

    Making a pouty face and wiggling her nose, Gabby stared at the closest clock for a second before looking back at Cynrik, who seemed to be concentrating. ¡°Big Bro Cyn, what¡¯s so strange about that timer? Why are you guys all staring at it?¡±

    The moment the words left her mouth, all three boys froze and robotically turned to face the little girl. TIMER, why the hell had none of them, thought of that.

    ¡°Heh, indeed, it¡¯s a timer.¡± Then, nodding matter of factly, Cynrik yed it off as if he already knew it wasn¡¯t a clock and ced Gabby down before patting her on the head, grabbing her little hand, and cing a sourball in her palm. ¡°Good job Gabby, have a candy.¡±

    Gabby¡¯s face lit up, and she quickly tore off the wrapping of the sourball and tossed it into her mouth. Cynrik had been doing this since she was a toddler. When he realized how much of a handful the little princess was bing around her fourth birthday, he started ¡°Training¡± her. Every time she did something he deemed suitable, she would receive one piece of her favorite candy, which was the little jawbreaker-like sourball he handed her.

    Cynrik¡¯s actions caused Benny and Brance to shake their heads and mutter ¡°shameless¡± under their breaths. The two of them knew what he was doing but had given up even trying to change it since Gabby seemed to love this little ¡°game¡± she had going, where the prize was free candy.

    In fact, although Brance viewed Gabby like a little sister, Cynrik saw her as more of a troublesome puppy that had to be kept in check; thus, the reward game began.

    ¡°Alright, seems we¡¯ve got 40 minutes to kill before the timer ticks down; any guesses what happens when it hits zero?¡± Sitting down and crossing his legs, Cynrik propped his elbows on his knees before speaking.

    The other three joined him, forming a small circle; as they discussed what the timer represented, it didn¡¯t take long to decide that it probably stood for how much time remained in thest puzzle.

    Time moved on slowly, as the group went from sitting in a circle to taking naps on their backs until eventually the clock hit zero andrge chimes rang across the courtyard.

    DINNGGG DIINNNGG DONNNG

    The instant the chimes stopped, the three timers transformed into small machines resembling a movie projector and fired a soft bluezer towards the courtyard¡¯s center several dozen feet above the ground. This light converged into an orb that shifted several times before taking the appearance of a green-haired man. Cynrik was surprised to see this man because he recognized him instantly.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Examinees, Congrattions for sessfullypleting the previous challenges, as well as the Phase:1 Written Exam. My Name is Consul Saylin Garn, and I am the person responsible for this year¡¯s Academy Exams.¡±

    Cynrik scoffed at Saylin¡¯sme introduction but was quickly silenced by Brance, who backhanded him in the chest.

    ¡°As you were all told during the Written Exam, Phase:2 will not begin until 48 hours have transpired. The reason for this is simple. Those 48 hours are considered prep time for the challenges that Phase:2 will present. Therefore, we of the Exam board felt that this time was sufficient. So now without further ado, I shall reveal the contents of Phase:2.¡±

    The hologram Saylin waved its arm slowly, and hundreds of small windows opened up in the sky, drawing several different reactions from the crowd of Examinees. Some started crying, some screamed in fear, while others were silent.

    Cynrik and Brance smirked at what was shown on the screens while Gabby shivered slightly, and Benny frowned.

    ¡°Phase:2 will be broken down into two parts; the first is the Physical Exam, you will be tested, and if your stats are unable to meet the required standard, you will fail. The Second part of Phase:2 is the Practical exam; you will be allowed to form groups of no more than five people. Depending on the group¡¯s Physical Exam results, your group will be assigned one of over 200 different Spatial Egresses, and you will have to sessfullyplete the quest given by your system upon entering the Egress.¡±

    ¡°During the allotted 48 hours of prep time, you will be allowed to choose one of the rooms surrounding the courtyard. After that, the timers will be reset, and the next time you hear the chimes, you must be in this location again to begin the next phase. This is all the information I have for you at this time.¡± When Saylin finished speaking, his hologram body looked around the courtyard, his gaze stopping on Cynrik and Brance, who seemed to be excited and ready to fight, which made him snort and cut off the hologram.

 Chapter 81

    Unlike the general masses, the disappearance of Saylin¡¯s hologram and the timers reset caused a minimal reaction from Cynrik andpany. Instead, all around them, the sounds of chaos ensued as kids copsed to the ground crying for their mommies, or others rushed to try and im a good dorm room. Even a handful of kids outright quit the exam after hearing the next phase¡¯s contents.

    To the ordinary masses, this wasn¡¯t a game. Even the weakest of Spatial Egresses had a baseline level of Tier-1, and in a crowd of children who mainly consisted of those who had yet toplete their first evolution, it was nearly the same as handing down a death sentence.

    For nearly an hour after the announcement of Phase:2, it became a scene of ipetence and overconfidence. But, in the eyes of Cynrik and Brance, they were able to spot a clear difference between those who would pass and those who would fail. The ones who had even remotely any training or came from well-known families seemed as if their passing was just a matter of fact. While those who didn¡¯t were panic-stricken as if the world was ending for them.

    Gabby and Benny were outliers in the chaos. They seemed to be utterly unaffected by their surroundings and the announcement of having to dive into Spatial Egresses to continue with the exams. Theirck of reaction came from their faith in the two brothers walking ahead of them, cutting a path through the frantic crowd and making their way towards the nearest dorm entrance.

    Everything stemmed from five years ago; the effects of the kidnapping incident had built a neigh unbreakable level of trust that borders fanaticism towards Cynrik and Brance. In the deepest parts of Gabby and Benny¡¯s minds, they had absolute faith that no matter the situation, the Jetlensr brothers would find a way through, and all they had to do was follow them and do what they were told.

    After that horror-filled event, Gabby and Benny had been molded into fighters by Cynrik and Brance, and even though they weren¡¯t even remotely close to being able tost more than 20 seconds against the brothers, they would have no trouble against normal kids their age. So even faced with the daunting challenge ofpleting their first Egress Dive, they felt nothing but confidence.

    Peeking at the Sanford siblings out the corner of his eye, Cynrik couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. How could he not know that these two kids were absolutely reliant on him and Brance? He had talked it over with Brance several times, and eventually, it was Brance who had changed his view on the situation. Originally, Cynrik wanted nothing to do with the Sanford siblings, but after hearing the logic Brance spoke, which consisted of a ¡°We can¡¯t do everything alone¡± speech, Cynrik eventually caved and started nning out a guiding path to turn these two kids into helpful teammates in the future. As the saying went, pig-headed teammates get you killed, so Cynrik went about developing a training regiment explicitly tailored for the two kids.

    This was another reason he had started the candy rewards for Gabby. Brance¡¯s praise would only keep her attention for so long, but so long as she would get a piece of candy from Cynrik, she would actively try toplete the tasks he put before her.

    The group of four slowly made their way towards a line that had formed at the left-most entrance into the dorms, and Cynrik checked the timer onest time before diverting his attention to the frantic kids who were trying to force their way into the building.

    [Tobs, set a timer that mirrors the one on the building.]

    -Timer set for 47 hours 22 minutes-

    A small notification window appeared in both the brother¡¯s peripheral vision, and they quickly chose to ignore it for now.

    Standing on the right-hand side of his brother, Brance looked around at the surging tide of kids and was at a loss.

    [This is going to take a while, if we had sped up sooner, we wouldn¡¯t be stuck like this.] Sighing in disappointment, Brance filed in behind a few kids and started waiting in line.

    [Tsk, Nah, that¡¯s not happening.] Cynrik, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t having this whole line experience.

    ¡°Yall got three seconds to get the fuck out of my way.¡± His voice boomed slightly as he added a small amount of Killing Intent to it, causing several kids to whip their heads in his direction and sneer.

    ¡°Oh fuck off, kid, who the hell do you think you are?¡± A tall boy who looked to be at the limit of the age requirements for the exam shouted back, challenging Cynrik, which was the ABSOLUTE wrong decision.

    With his eyes meeting Cynrik¡¯s, a sudden force bore down on his body, causing him to drop to his knees instantly, and his heart was gripped with fear as he tried to break contact with the chilling icy eyes of the hooded boy.

    ¡°Tsk, two seconds.¡± Smiling evilly under the shadow of his hood, Cynrik slowly started applying his Killing Intent onto the line of children, causing dozens of them to drop immediately.

    Brance, Benny, and Gabby were stunned by Cynrik¡¯s sudden and aggressive actions but kept quiet, as they knew not to interfere. But, if they did, and this monster¡¯s gaze fell on them, they knew it would be a bad time.

    ¡°One, second.¡± Cynrik¡¯s chilling voice got louder as he applied 2g worth of Killing Intent on the surrounding area. The smarter kids took off and scattered in different directions, while the idiots who thought they were more important chose to stand in ce defiantly.

    The line quickly dispersed except for a handful of kids with some kind of background and a self-entitled disposition.

    ¡°Stop this madness. Can¡¯t you see some people can¡¯t fight back? You think you¡¯re the only one with Killing Intent.¡± A boy with long neat, blue hair spoke out and tried exerting his own pressure on Cynrik.

    ¡°Hehe, the balls on this guy.¡± Giggling sadistically, Cynrik tilted his head towards Brance and waved dismissively at the blue-haired kid before exerting 3g of Killing Intent on him, which not only shattered the weak efforts presented by the blue-haired boy but also forced him to spit up blood.

    Tapping his foot lightly on the ground, Cynrik then disappeared from his spot, showed up right beside the blue-haired boy, and ced his hand on the kid¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You know, it¡¯s funny, thest guy that stood in my way was pissing blood for a month, yet, you, some no-name girly-boy¡­.¡± Cynrik paused his monologue and lightly ran his fingers through the boy¡¯s long, smooth hair.

    ¡°have the gall, to try and fight back, when I, Ivar the Boneless, say to make way. Tsk, it¡¯s quite the shame too.¡± Then, talking with a light-hearted yet cynical tone, Cynrik forcefully gripped the boy¡¯s hair and forced him to look directly into his eyes, causing fear to grip his heart.

    ¡°Andl¨¢t munu eigi munu fastr fyrir t¨², young girly boy.¡± Finishing his statement, which he once again spoke in Norse, Cynrik head-butted the boy, causing blood to spurt from his nose, and effortlessly flung his body several feet away before motioning to his group to follow him into the dorms.

    Gabby and Benny followed Cynrik obediently, but Brance stood in ce for a second, watching the blue-haired boy struggle to get back to his feet before eventually choosing to walk over and help him up.

    Seeing the boy dressed in silver walk over, the blue-haired boy quivered in fear and tried to get up faster, but he was too slow, and he forcefully closed his eyes tightly, expecting to be hit again.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my brother is in a bad mood; he shouldn¡¯t have done that to you.¡± Then, picking up the boy who was older than himself, Brance pulled out a small pill and put it into the boy¡¯s hand, which he was using to shield his face in fear.

    The boy¡¯s eyes opened, and he blinked in confusion; instead of the demon-like child he was expecting, he saw a young boy smiling warmly at him.

    ¡°I hope this healing capsule will be enough, Cy¡­Ivar is a bit unruly and has a short temper.¡± Brance nearly slipped up and used Cynrik¡¯s real name and, with a frown, corrected himself to using the name his brother had spoken in public.

    ¡°It¡­it¡­It¡¯s fine. I should have kept my mouth shut, but seeing how he was treating even those too weak to move, I had to step up. My father always told us that as members of the Dane family, it¡¯s our job to help those too weak to defend themselves.¡± The boy looked at the pill in his hand for a second before tossing it into his mouth. The instant it hit his stomach, he felt a warm feeling spread through his body, and his nose realigned itself. Cynrik had broken it with his head-butt, but now it was healed and as good as new.

    ¡°My name is Vinsaint Dane; thank you for the pill.¡± Vinsaint extended his hand to Brance awkwardly and introduced himself.

    Brance looked down at Vinsaint¡¯s hand for a moment, speechlessly, before gripping it firmly and shaking it while smiling at the boy. Then, against his better judgment, Brance picked the first name that came to mind that went along with Cynrik¡¯s Ivar.

    ¡± Bj?rn, Bj?rn Ironside.¡±

    Cynrik, who had already entered the dorm¡¯s hallway, cackled loudly in response to his brother¡¯s use of a Viking name. Heughed even harder at the choice. What he found funny was in history, Bj?rn was actually the older brother of Ivar, but now it seemed that these two brothers would have their roles reversed.

 Chapter 82

    Saying goodbye to Vinsaint, Brance quickly made his way to meet up with the group, who were waiting by a dorm room door. Instead of searching around for the best one, Cynrik had simply chosen the first one he found unupied and was resting against the wall with his arms crossed.

    Approaching swiftly, Brance could already see the smug smile on his brother¡¯s face.

    [Shut up, not a fucking word Cyn.]

    Seeing Brance angrily stomping in his direction, Cynrik bounced off the wall lightly and chuckled, but other than that, he stayed quiet.

    Patting Gabby¡¯s head as he walked up to the door and opened it, Brance was the first to step in.

    The dorm was as big as their home, with four bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen. Although the furniture in the apartment-like dorm was minimalistic, Brance didn¡¯t mind, as they would only spend two days there.

    Benny and Cynrik quickly went forward and jumped onto the couches, leaving a fidgety Gabby behind to close the door. Her eyes darted from Brance to Cynrik as she tapped her index fingers against each other nervously, debating on whether or not toment on what had just transpired outside.

    Brance noticed her apprehensively standing by the door and motioned for her to find a ce to sit. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, Gabby?¡±

    Startled by the sudden question and acting like a scared rabbit, Gabby quickly ran over and sat next to Brance on one of the three couches.

    ¡°Um¡­Brancie, why did you and Big Bro Cyn call yourself different names? Should we use nicknames too?¡± The nervous little girl looked up at Brance expectantly.

    Brance got lost in thought for a moment, trying to figure out how to answer her question, and it was Cynrik who answered.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple squirt; we¡¯ve got enemies here, so we shouldn¡¯t be using our real names. Since our Mom and Dad¡¯s families aren¡¯t good people, Brance and I decided that it would be best to use nicknames until we were strong enough. This will save us the trouble of having to constantly deal with dumbasses who want to throw the name of their families or ns around to bully us.¡± Sitting up and resting his chin on his palm, Cynrik filled the Sanfords in on their background a bit.

    They hadn¡¯t been present when Lithlen had attacked them outside the hotel, so he had to exin the events of that night in detail so that they would understand what they were walking into.

    Gabby rapidly nodded her head during the story, and Benny sat in silence. Unlike his sister, he wouldn¡¯t question Cynrik¡¯s actions and had readily epted the use of a nickname.

    ¡°You two don¡¯t have to use nicknames like us, but I suggest you get used to calling us Ivar and Bj?rn. It would be pretty bad if we get into a big fight right after joining one of the Academies.¡±

    ¡°Alright, that aside, there are some things we need to go over. Based on what Old man Saylin said, there will be some kind of stat check before we are allowed to go to the Egresses.¡± Waving his hand, a pair of pens and two sheets of paper appeared in Cynrik¡¯sp.

    ¡°I want both of you to write down everything on your stat profiles. We only have 47 hours until the second phase begins, and I wanna double-check that you two will be ok. Based on the information I¡¯ve gathered, the minimum to pass the Physical Exam should be the requirements for evolution. Which makes sense.¡±

    The Sanford siblings jumped up and obediently jotted down all of their stats and skills as Cynrik had requested, and for the next ten minutes, the only sound in the room was the scratching of pen on paper. It had been a few years since Cynrik hadst checked over their Stats because he hadn¡¯t felt the need. But now that they had to face the Physical Exam, it was time to see if the years of training and effort he had spent on the two younger kids hade to bear fruit.

    Gabby was the first toplete the task and nervously handed her paper to Cynrik, who waszily lounging on the couch.

    : Status :

    : Gabrie Sanford (Gabby):

    : Human Female:

    : Age-10:

    : Level: 10 (P5):

    : Essence(XP): 0/150000:

    : Distribution: 1 DEX, 1 INT, 1 MIND :

    : Mana Codex Tier: 1 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Mana Cycles: 1100 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Mana Circuit Tier: 1 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Gravity Resistance: 2g (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Body Tempering: Tier 1 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : STATS :

    : HP 400/400 :

    : Mana 325/325 :

    : Stamina 200/200 :

    : Stat Points- 17 :

    : Skill Points- 50 :

    : Strength- 40 :

    : Dexterity- 65 :

    : Agility- 40 :

    : Intelligence- 65 :

    : Vitality- 40 :

    : Mind- 65 :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SBG) Psychic-Tier 1 (Proficiency= 25.0%):

    :Expand:

    Prestidigitation ¨C Tier-0 Psychic Skill

    Confusion ¨C Tier-0 Psychic Skill

    Longstrider ¨C Tier-0 Psychic Skill

    Telekinesis ¨C Tier-1 Psychic Skill

    Floating Disk ¨C Tier-1 Psychic Skill

    Charm ¨C Tier-1 Psychic Skill

    -Skills-

    -Active-

    -Tier-1: Mana Cycling

    Passive-

    -Tier-0: Basic Bowmanship

    -Tier-0: Acrobatics

    -Tier-1: Eagle Eye

    -Tier-1: Psionic Resistance

    Cynrik broke into a wide grin and pulled down his hood. Looking over the paper Gabby handed him, he was pleasantly surprised to see she had been following his guidance to the letter. When he had learned she had a Psychic Affinity, Cynrik racked his brain trying to decide what role to slot her into before eventually settling on her being an Archer. Due to her build and Affinity, Gabby was destined to be a backline fighter. Cynrik had left it up to her to choose between being a Mage or Archer. When she brought it to Brance, he broke down the differences between the two sses, and she had eventually opted to be an Archer.

    His eyes fell on the lines on the paper indicating her Gravity Resistance and Body Tempering, and he had a momentary shback to unleashing his Killing Intent on the two siblings until they obtained these stats. He could still fondly remember both children crying and begging to let them go after demanding he trains them. Cynrik had even gone out of his way to warn them about what would happen, but they shrugged it off ignorantly.

    Cynrik nodded happily and handed the paper back to Gabby, along with not one but three sourballs, and told her to show Brance. Gabby squealed excitedly and bounced in ce, making her pigtails jump around, and after stuffing candy in her mouth, she traded ces with Benny and bounced to Brance happily.

    Stepping up to Cynrik, Benny handed over the paper with his stats and stepped back nervously. He knew his wasn¡¯t going to be as impressive as his little sisters, but he had followed every word Cynrik had said from day one, and it showed.

    : Status :

    : Benjamin Sanford (Benny):

    : Human Male:

    : Age-11:

    : Level: 10 (P5):

    : Essence(XP): 0/150000:

    : Distribution: 1 Str, 1 VIT :

    : Mana Codex Tier: 1 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Mana Cycles: 1100 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Mana Circuit Tier: 1 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Gravity Resistance: 2g (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Body Tempering: Tier 1 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : STATS :

    : HP 650/650 :

    : Mana 250/250 :

    : Stamina 325/325 :

    : Stat Points- 0 :

    : Skill Points- 50 :

    : Strength- 65 :

    : Dexterity- 40 :

    : Agility- 40 :

    : Intelligence- 40 :

    : Vitality- 65 :

    : Mind- 40 :

    : Affinity- :

    :(BG) Water-Tier 1 (Proficiency= 25.0%):

    :Expand:

    Water Ball ¨C Tier-0 Water Skill

    Water Sphere ¨C Tier-0 Water Skill

    Wave ¨C Tier-1 Water Skill

    Water Spear ¨C Tier-1 Water Skill

    -Skills-

    Active-

    -Tier-1: Mana Cycling

    Passive-

    -Tier-0: Basic Swordsmanship

    -Tier-0: Lightfoot

    -Tier-1: Willpower

    -Tier-1: de handling

    Nodding approvingly, Cynrik analyzed Benny¡¯s sheet thoroughly. Although his stats weren¡¯t as impressive, Cynrik had to find other ways to make use of the boy due to theck of triple stat distribution. The way he came up with, was to mold Benny into a DPS Warrior. His VIT and STR build made him a prime target for the group OT or Off-tank. His job would be to remove the pressure that Brance, the main tank, would be under by drawing the excess attention. If his Water Affinity was added into the equation, he would essentially be a nerfed version of Brance, with slightly better offensive capabilities.

    Even though Brance was the main tank, as a Pdin-style Warrior, he would draw the targets aggro and send out heals. This, in effect, made Brance a pseudo-dual ss, as he would double as a healer in dire situations. Showing his satisfaction, Cynrik nodded and handed back the sheet.

    ¡°I¡¯m d to see you both followed the predetermined builds; for now, all we can do is wait.¡±

    Cynrik¡¯s words made Gabby¡¯s ears perk up as she tilted her head and looked away from Brance. ¡°Big Bro Cyn¡­I mean, Big Bro Ivar, what about your Affinity? Mommy told me you and Brancie were cripples now.¡± Even when spoken with her innocent voice, her words caused both brothers to flinch.

    ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t worry, squirt. In 34 hours, you¡¯re in for a treat. Once that time passes, you¡¯ll get to see how the big boys power up. But, for now, I want you and Benny to brush up on low-level Egresses. We don¡¯t know what kind we will be facing, but it¡¯s better to be prepared ahead of time.

 Chapter 83

    The countdown timer ticked by faster than the brothers expected, and when it reached 14 hours remaining, Tobs gave them the news they had waited five long years for.

    -Your Mana Codex has been fully repaired.-

    -Your Mana Circuits have been restructured and repaired.-

    -Crippled Debuff has been removed on Hosts Codex and Circuits.-

    Even though it was 2 AM, since neither brother needed much sleep, they had been nervously watching the countdown timer, which represented how much time was left on their debuff, tick down.

    Tobs¡¯s notifications put into effect the chain of events that would cause absolute mayhem during the Exams, which would be spoken about for years toe. But that is a story for another time.

    Cynrik and Brance couldn¡¯t wait any longer, as they had spent thest five years without being able to use Mana; each of them pulled up a coffee table and started unloading dozens and dozens of small gems that glowed in one of three different colors.

    Moving as fast as they could, the brothers divided their piles by size, and minutester, they each had four piles of gems on their tables. The piles were organized by size and color. These gems were, of course, Tier-0 and Tier-1 Mana Codexes. The Tier-0 Codexes were about half the size of a fingernail, while the Tier-1 Codexes were the size of an adult¡¯s thumbnail.

    Satisfied that their prep work wasplete, Cynrik hollered for Benny and Gabby to wake up and join them. After five or six minutes, a groggy Gabby, wearing pink bunny pajamas and slippers, appeared first, dragging along a plushy pink rabbit that she had named Sir Hoppington the 8th.

    Brance gave a smallugh as the sleepy little girl joined him on his couch, and it took a moment for her to realize what was on the table. Once she did, her mouth formed an O, and her eyes glittered.

    Benny showed up not long after wearing in blue nnel pajamas and sat next to Cynrik; his expression was equally as overexaggerated as his little sisters.

    ¡°OK, here¡¯s the dealio; after using a particr skill during our big fight five years ago, Brance and I both earned a negative status on our Codex and Circuits. This negative status had a timer, which made us appear to be cripples, but in truth, all we did was damage our bodies temporarily. That damage has now officially healed, but, unfortunately, we lost all of our progress with our Affinities. SOOOO to bnce things out, the two of us are going to blow through all of these Affinity-soaked Codexes to attempt to bring our elements back up to where they should be.¡±

    In one movement, Cynrik peeled off his ck t-shirt before leaning forward, plucking one of the Tier-0 Fire Codexes, pressing it softly against his chest where he knew his Codex was located, and giving the go-ahead to Tobs to start the absorption.

    -Tier-0 Fire Codex has been detected, start absorption? (Y/N)-

    -You have absorbed and integrated a Tier-0 Fire Codex.-

    -You have gained 5% Fire Affinity Proficiency.-

    The small gem emitted a bright reddish-orange glow before merging with Cynriks chest.

    His torso shivered as he felt a small surge of Mana rush into his body. Waving his hand sharply, Cynrik brought up his stats and noticed he had gained not only 5% in his Fire Proficiency but also added five points to his empty Mana Pool.

    Tossing a grin to Brance and informing him of the results, Cynrik grabbed another Codex and started charging up. Finally, after absorbing his fifth Codex, he had enough Mana to begin using his Mana Cycling. By the time he reached the 20th andst Tier-0 Fire Codex, his eyes shed with Red Mana, signifying he had broken through to Tier-1 with his Fire Affinity, but he didn¡¯t stop there, and he reached over for one of the Tier-1 Codexes.

    -Your Fire Affinity has Evolved to Tier-1-

    -Tier-1 Fire Codex has been detected, start absorption? (Y/N)-

    -You have absorbed and integrated a Tier-1 Fire Codex.-

    -You have gained 2% Fire Affinity Proficiency.-

    Cynriks left eye started twitching when he saw that Tier-1 Codexes only gave 2% on absorption, and he took a moment to scroll through the skill notifications to double-check he had learned both of his Fire Skills.

    -You have reached 25% Proficiency with the Fire Element.-

    -You have learned the Tier-0 Fire Skill Fireball.-

    -You have reached 50% Proficiency with the Fire Element.-

    -You have learned the Tier-0 Fire Skill Burning Hands.-

    Although he had never actively used his Burning Hands skill in battle, he abused the hell out of Fireball, so after seeing it show up in his expanded tab, Cynrik nodded and started absorbing Tier-1 Codexes.

    Brance was experiencing the same thing as his brother. After reaching Tier-1 with his Earth Affinity, he brought up his expanded Affinities tab to ensure he gained his Earth Skin and Rock Formation. When he was sure he had both again, he moved on to the Tier-1 Codexes.

    Gabby and Benny sat and watched in awe as Cynrik and Brance burned through Codex after Codex, power leveling themselves. They were aware of how expensive it was to buy Codexes from shops and in the RWTC, but the way the Jetlensr brothers were using them, they started second-guessing the price. Growing up with the two brothers, they knew the Jetlensrs weren¡¯t rich. So they couldn¡¯t understand where these resources hade from.

    -Your Fire Affinity has reached 100% Proficiency of Tier-1-

    -You have not met the requirements to evolve your Affinity.-

    -You have learned the Tier-1 Fire Skill Fire Arrow.-

    -You have learned the Tier-1 Fire Skill Continual me.-

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes shed with a bright Red hue, and he exhaled a puff of smoke, not unlike a dragon would. Then, closing his eyes and activating Mana Sight, Cynrik focused on his Codex, where a powerful reddish-orange whirlpool was swirling viciously. Initially, he had gone to great lengths to bnce all three of his Affinities, but currently, Fire was the only Mana type revolving in his entire body, so he had to start rebuilding his Mantra.

    Standing up and extending his arms equidistant from his body, he began his chant. ¡°My mes bring about Destruction, with their zing heat and searing power.¡± His words seemed to hang in the air as his open palms burst into mes that would burn anything except its user.

    Across the room, Brance mimicked his older brother and said his Mantra for his Earth Affinity. ¡°My Earthys the stone-like foundation to support me in my efforts to protect those I love.¡± Brance¡¯s skin changed its appearance, forming a stone-like shell that started at his fingertips before traveling up his arm and spreading to his entire body.

    In unison, the brothers exhaled slowly and returned to their normal state, but the scene had already imbedded itself into Gabby and Benny¡¯s hearts. When they had formed their Mantras, the effect wasn¡¯t nearly as impressive or awe-inspiring as what they viewed.

    Still moving in Sync, the brothers sat back down and started absorbing Tier-0 Wind Codexes.

    This time around, neither Cynrik nor Brance stopped to check their Elemental Skills and chose to keep on absorbing Codexes until both their eyes shed with green light, and a light gust of Wind flowed around their bodies, lifting their hair. At that moment, they both jumped up and continued rebuilding their Mantras.

    ¡± It surges forward swiftly, as it¡¯s fueled by the gusts of my Wind, with unstoppable force and blinding uracy.¡± While speaking, a powerful gust of Wind Mana blew through the room, startling the Sanford siblings, but it was soon strengthened by Brance¡¯s Mantra.

    ¡°My foundation is guided by the steady bellows of my Wind, allowing it to soar to untold heights.¡± Upon finishing the second part of his Mantra, the gusts turned into violent gales, which slowly lifted Cynrik and Brance off their feet and caused them to hover several inches above the ground.

    The gales calmed down with the exhales of the brothers, and shortly after, Cynrik and Brance were deposited back onto their feet, and the Wind Mana dispursed.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Gabby, who was hugging Sir Hoppington the 8th tightly, blurted out in surprise as the two brothers opened their eyes.

    ¡°Hehe, welp, looks like that¡¯s all for our basic Affinities.¡± Cynrik snapped his fingers, manifested a tiny fireball just above his fingertips, and chuckled at Gabby¡¯s reaction while Brance leaned over and patted the little girl¡¯s head with affection.

    [Tobs, show me the notifications about my Wind Affinity Skills.]

    -Your Wind Affinity has reached 100% Proficiency of Tier-1-

    -You have learned Tier-0 Wind Skill Featherfall.-

    -You have learned Tier-0 Wind Skill Haste.-

    -You have learned Tier-1 Wind Skill Gust.-

    -You have learned Tier-1 Wind Skill Air Missle.-

    -You have formed your Dual Element Mantra and have achieved a perfect bnce between your Fire and Wind Affinities.-

    ¡°Whew, that took a lot longer than I thought it would; we¡¯ve only got about 8 hours until the Physical Exam. Gabby, you and Benny should go and get some rest; Brance and I need to consolidate our Affinities to be sure nothing went wrong.¡± Tossing a charming smile at the little girl, she nodded vigorously and hopped up to her feet before bouncing back to her room like a bunny.

    Benny sat in ce for a moment, examining the two brothers he had known his whole life, and felt he never truly knew them to begin with. Throughout their entire training, they had never once used their Affinities, which in itself had caused him to not only respect Cynrik and Brance, but now, after reobtaining them, he even was a little afraid of them.

    Seeing Benny off, the two brothers looked at each other and burst outughing in their mind link.

    [OK, hahaha, OK, ha, we gotta work on Light and Dark, hey Tobs, how long would it take to evolve to Tier-1?]

    -The Evolution Process will take exactly two hours.-

    [Alright, we can start with that first.] Grinning cockily and falling backward onto the couch, Cynrik designated their next course of action. It was finally time to step into Tier-1.

 Chapter 84

    -The Evolution Process will take exactly two hours.-

    These words were as sweet as the finest candy to Cynrik¡¯s ears. For 12 years, he had been grinding day in and out to reach an imaginary goal. It wasn¡¯t until the events of five years ago that he had finally seen the pathid ahead. Cynrik looked down at his open palm, where a thin grey rock, no bigger than his pinky finger, rested. This was the EvoStone Shard he received five years ago as a quest reward.

    Floating silently in his vision was a notification window, showing all of the requirements for his Tier-1 Evolution.

    -Level 10 (Complete)-

    -All Stats minimum 50 (Complete)-

    -Mana Codex Tier-1 (Complete)-

    -1 Elemental Affinity at Tier-1 (Complete)-

    -Mana Cycles Completed 1100/100 (Complete)

    -Mana Circuit Tier-1 (Complete)

    -Tier-1 EvoStone 1/1 (Complete)

    His eyes drifted to the Mana Cycles, and he snorted, seeing that he had actuallypleted 800 cycles during the Powerleveling process, which before would have been impossible.

    [Tobs, give it to me straight. How bad is this gunna hurt?] Although Cynrik didn¡¯t fear pain; he wasn¡¯t nearly masochistic enough to actually enjoy it.

    -Host¡­ you¡¯re acting like a baby again.-

    [FUCK YOU, TOBS. WHO ARE YOU CALLING A BABY? I¡¯LL SHOW YOU! ACTIVATE THE EVOLUTION PROCESS!] Cynrik shouted into the mind link causing Brance to flinch, then rub his temples at his older brother¡¯sck of maturity.

    -The Host has met the requirements for Tier-1 Evolution-

    -Using EvoStone Shard as the Catalyst.-

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes widened, and before he could react to the notifications, the small finger-sized stone started glowing and hovering just above his palm. He watched as the small floating rock started rotating mere inches above his palm, and a sudden sense of foreboding washed over him.

    -Catalyst has been primed with Ambient Mana, beginning the process of evolution.-

    -This System advises the Host stays perfectly still.-

    ck lines formed on Cynriks forehead as he heard Tobs ¡°advising¡± him to not move, and he had to fight the urge to clench his open palm into a fist.

    -Remember Host¡­you asked for this.-

    ¡°Wha¡­FUCK,¡± Cynrik¡¯s potential question was cut off, and he cursed loudly as the spinning, glowing stone dove down and burrowed into his palm, leaving a trail of smoke and blood in its wake. Clenching his teeth so hard that he tasted blood, Cynrik forced down the urge to scream as he watched the glowing stone make its way up to his wrist, then his elbow, and finally disappearing into his torso.

    His whole body began to twitch uncontrobly as it felt likeva was coursing through his veins, starting from his heart and spreading to the rest of his body. Slowly Cynrik forcefully closed his open palms into tight fists and continued to monitor the glowing stone, but now with Mana Sight.

    Across the room on one of the other couches, Brance broke out in a cold sweat as he watched Cynrik suffer in silence. Not wanting to be left behind, he soon activated the Evolution process and was thrown into the same painfilled hell that Cynrik was experiencing.

    -System has Detected the Host has reached Prestige Level 20.-

    -Perfect Foundation has been achieved.-

    -You have activated the Titles Tab.-

    -You have achieved Title ¡°Perfect Foundation.¡±-

    -Mana Codex is being restructured.-

    -Mana Circuits are being strengthened and expanded.-

    -Mana Codex is being strengthened.-

    -Mana Codex is Expanding.-

    -Density of collected Mana is evolving.-

    -Analyzing Hosts Body Tempering.-

    -The Host currently has a Tier-2 Body, breaking it down to strengthen further.-

    -The Host has obtained ess to their Sea of Consciousness(SOC).-

    -Sending Host¡¯s mind to their SOC.-

    Cynrik and Brance felt as if they were floating in space, the pain suddenly disappeared, and they both experienced the same thing they had when they died back on Earth. But, although they were experiencing simr things, it was slightly different. When Cynrik entered his SOC, it was a world filled with darkness, blood, and fire. While floating in the nothingness, he witnessed the formation of a small world, simr to what he would imagine the Abyss of Hell to look like. Brance was seeing a world of pristine shining mountains. The two SOC were pr opposites, not unlike Heaven and Hell.

    Cynrik oriented himself with the strange feeling of flight and made his way towards theva-filled ground. He wasn¡¯t scalded or burned; instead, he felt warm and at home. Looking around, he saw volcanos erupting and a sky as dark as an endless void.

    ¡°Well shit, if anyone saw this, they¡¯d think I¡¯m a demon or something.¡± Cynrik chuckled lightly before finding a solid patch of ground to sit cross-legged.

    Holding up his hand, Cynrik saw that he had an astral appearance, not unlike when he was in the Hall of Gods. He quickly connected the dots and figured out he was in his soul form. However, unlike when he entered the RWTC, he no longer had his old appearance from Earth. Tyler was gone, and he was now Cynrik Jetlensr through and through.

    ¡°Tobs, you still with me?¡± Then, realizing he could only wholly let go of his past self, Cynrik checked if he was still connected to Tobs.

    -I am, since the beginning of your reincarnation, I have beenpletely fused with your soul, so even in your Sea of Consciousness, I am present.-

    ¡°OH?, hehe Hey Tobs, since this is TECHNICALLLY my imagination, does that mean I can give you a body now?¡± Feeling the excitement building in his chest, Cynrik spoke his thoughts aloud.

    -¡­Host¡­please don¡¯t.-

    ¡°HEHE, TOO LATE, ARISEE TOBS!¡±

    CLAP

    Dramatically pping his hands, Cynrik willed with all his might into existence, a physical form for the disembodied voice that had lived in his head for 12 years.

    A small glowing orb poofed into existence several feet away and slowly started shifting around like a blob of goo.

    ¡°OK, let¡¯s see, what should you look like?¡± Cynrik tapped his index finger on his chin with his left hand and began sculpting a body out of the glowing goo orb. Both his hands started moving as if he was sculpting y, and over time, the orb started changing into a humanoid shape.

    ¡°Eh, too much like Raphtalia¡­¡± Waving his hand and starting over from scratch, Cynrik kept mumbling his thoughts.

    ¡°Nope, to Bulmaish¡­tsk now it¡¯s just Bulma with cat ears and a tail, UGH!¡±

    Cynrik continued molding and resetting the orb repeatedly when there was a sudden soft pop in the distance.

    Brance appeared in Cynrik¡¯s SOC and was bbergasted by the sight of his older brother waving his hands in the air like a maniac, which caused the body of a small astral girl to rapidly change its appearance.

    Upon sensing his entry, the astral form of Tobs, which was now a teenage girl withrge breasts, roon ears, and a fluffy tail, turned her head and gave him a pleading look.

    Brance noticed how desperate this girl¡¯s eyes were for help, and he realized this was a physical representation of Tobs, making his forehead crease and his face tten. Not wanting to see poor Tobs in this state, Brance snapped his fingers and manually overrode Cynrik, changing her appearance drastically.

    With a bright sh, a lithe teenage girl appeared with B-cup breasts. Her waist-length hair was two-toned, half white and half ck; the sides and back of her head sported a neat undercut. Her eyes were serpent-like and monochromatic, just like her hair, and her almond-shaped eyes matched her small nose and high cheekbones perfectly.

    Cynrik and Brance both sucked in a cold breath, and one thought rose in their minds, ¡°Cute.¡±

    She stood around five foot four inches, and her petite figure made the brothers both have the urge to protect her at all cost.

    Stunned by Tobs¡¯s sudden appearance change, Cynrik looked around and spotted Brance not far away and shot him a thumbs up.

    Tobs turned and bowed to Brance, showing her gratitude for saving her from Cynrik¡¯s insanity.

    ¡°Oi, Brance, gotta say, you¡¯ve got decent taste.¡± Cynrik didn¡¯t realize that by epting the loss of his previous Earth Identity, he had wholely be the 12-year-old Vinestran Native, so he could no longer view Tobs, who looked to be a couple of years older than him, as a little girl.

    ¡°Host Brance, Host Cynrik, the evolution process is nearingpletion. You have been in your Seas of Consciousness and have been unable to sense the changes in your bodies. Please be prepared for the massive changes you¡¯ve both gone through. I will now start posting some of the notifications that I¡¯ve been holding back till now.¡± Pressing her hands together, Tobs moved as if she was pulling something out of her inventory and flung several notification boxes at both brothers.

    -The rewards for achieving a Perfect Foundation will now be administered.-

    -Your Dark Affinity has reached Tier-0 20% Proficiency.-

    -You have learned the Tier-0 Dark Skill Shadow Veil.-

    -Your Dark Affinity has reached Tier-0 40% Proficiency.-

    -You have learned the Tier-0 Dark Skill Decay.-

    -Your Dark Affinity has reached Tier-0 60% Proficiency.-

    -You have learned the Tier-0 Dark Skill Shadow¡¯s Image.-

    -Your Dark Affinity has reached Tier-0 100% Proficiency.-

    -Your Tier-0 Dark Affinity has Evolved to Tier-1.-

    Brance¡¯s eyes scanned through the notifications while Tobs narrated.

    -Your Light Affinity has reached Tier-0 20% Proficiency.-

    -You have learned the Tier-0 Light Skill Minor Healing.-

    -Your Light Affinity has reached Tier-0 40% Proficiency.-

    -You have learned the Tier-0 Light Skill Orb of Light.-

    -Your Light Affinity has reached Tier-0 60% Proficiency.-

    -You have learned the Tier-0 Light Skill Radiant Skin.-

    -Your Light Affinity has reached Tier-0 100% Proficiency.-

    -Your Tier-0 Light Affinity has Evolved to Tier-1.-

    ¡°Now that I have informed you of the changes to your Affinities, it is time to go back to your bodies and see the results of your Evolutions.¡± With a loud snap of her fingers, Cynrik and Brance were expelled from Cynrik¡¯s SOC, and they opened their eyes back in the dorm, only to be met by the worried faces of Gabby and Benny.

 Chapter 85

    Cynrik and Brance were expelled from Cynrik¡¯s SOC, and they opened their eyes back in the dorm, only to be met by the worried faces of Gabby and Benny. While they understood the concern of the Sanford siblings, they simply didn¡¯t have the time to worry about them because they were assaulted by intense pain and a massive flood of notification windows, which painted their vision entirely.

    -Rewards for obtaining a Perfect Foundation have been calcted and distributed.-

    -Your Stat Distribution has been upgraded to 1.5 Per All.-

    -You will now receive ten stat points per level.-

    -Skill points will be given at every level.-

    -Skill points have been reduced from 3 to 1 per level up.-

    -The status line ¡°Mana Cycles¡± has been removed.-

    -The status line ¡°Soul Age¡± has been removed.-

    -Your Mana Codex has Evolved to Tier-2.-

    -Your Mana Circuits have Evolved to Tier-2.-

    -Your MP has increased by 104 points.-

    -Your Body Tempering has Reached the Peak of Tier-2.-

    -Your Prestige has been absorbed.-

    -Your Level Cap has increased to 20.-

    -Your Stat Caps have increased to 300.-

    -All Stats, excluding Hidden and Special Stats, have increased by 1% for each Level of Prestige, equalling a total of 20%.-

    The following notification indicated a change to their Race.

    For Cynrik, the notification stated.

    -Your Race has changed to 99% Human 1% ?sir.-

    For Brance, the notification stated.

    -Your Race has changed to 99% Human 1% Lightbringer.-

    After that singr notification line, they went back to a uniform appearance.

    -Due to your Racial Evolution, your primary Affinity has been strengthened further, and it has achieved 100% of Tier-1

    -You have unlocked five new Elemental Skills for your Primary Affinity.-

    -Due to your Racial Evolution, your Stats have increased by another 20% for a total of 40%.-

    -After the 40% increase to stats has beenpleted, In the future, you will receive 10 MP for each point added to INT, and you will receive 20 HP and 10 to Stamina for every point added to VIT due to the Racial changes you have undergone.

    -You have Unlocked the ss System; please choose your first Primary ss.-

    -Tier-1 sses will have a Level cap of 20.-

    -When Leveling a ss, the Host will receive 1 Stat Point and 1 Skill Point.-

    -You have Unlocked the Sub-ss System; please choose your first Sub-ss.

    -Tier-1 Sub-sses will have a Level cap of 20.-

    -When Leveling a Sub-ss, Host will not receive any Stat points, but instead 2 Skill Points.-

    -The Host now can distribute XP (Essence) to one of three ces, Level, ss Level, or Sub-ss Level.-

    -The Skill Point System has been activated.-

    -Both standard skills, and elemental skills, can now be upgraded by using skill points. Skills that can be upgraded have a ?/? after the mentioned skill. The cost in points is determined by the skills Tier and Grade.-

    Cynrik and Brance sat in silence while reading their numerous notifications and new stat profile. It was a lot of information to take in.

    Closing all the notification windows, Cynrik went over his new Stats line by line.

    : Status :

    : Cynrik Ayke Jetlensr (Ivar the Boneless):

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation :

    : Demi-Human Male (99% Human, 1% ?sir):

    : Age-12:

    : Tier-1 :

    : Level: 10 :

    : Essence(XP): 0/100000:

    : Distribution: 1.5 Per All :

    : Mana Codex Tier: 2 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : Mana Circuit Tier: 2 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : Gravity Resistance: 5g (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Body Tempering: Tier 2 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Credits: 1,000,000 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 1400/1400 : (20 Per Point)

    : Mana 890/890 : (10 Per Point)

    : Stamina 700/700 : (10 Per Point)

    : Stat Points- 20 : (10 per level) ss (1) Sub-ss (0)

    : Skill Points- 127 : (1 per level) ss and Sub-ss (1)

    : Strength- 140 :

    : Dexterity- 140 :

    : Agility- 140 :

    : Intelligence- 140 :

    : Vitality- 140 :

    : Mind- 140 :

    : Killing Intent- 112 ¨C 3.25G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier-1 (Proficiency= 100.0%):

    :Expand:

    -Tier-0 Shadow Veil??0/25

    -Tier-0 Decay??0/25

    -Tier-0 Shadow¡¯s Image??0/25

    -Tier-1 Blind??0/50

    -Tier-1 Dark Sight??0/50

    -Tier-1 Fear??0/50

    -Tier-1.5 Shadow Leap??0/75

    -Tier-1.5 Shadow Sewing??0/75

    :(BG) Fire-Tier-1 (Proficiency= 100.0%):

    :Expand:

    -Tier-0 = Fireball??0/10

    -Tier-0 = Burning Hands??0/10

    -Tier-1 = Fire Arrow??0/25

    -Tier-1 = Continual me??0/25

    :(BG) Wind-Tier-1 (Proficiency= 100.0%):

    :Expand:

    -Tier-0 Featherfall??0/10

    -Tier-0 Haste?? 0/10

    -Tier-1 Air Missle??0/25

    -Tier-1 Gust??0/25

    Quivering in excitement, Cynrik chose toplete his Mantra first and foremost, to reobtain his perfect harmony between his Affinities, which were right now acting like a violent storm in his Codex. Standing up a little too fast, he was ovee by a wave of nausea, and he could feel kes of something falling off his body, but he chose to ignore it, and after extending his arms, began his Mantra from the beginning.

    ¡°My mes bring about Destruction, with their zing heat and searing power.¡± Then, just likest time, his open palms burst into mes, but this time they didn¡¯t stop at his wrists and instead traveled up to his shoulders, bathing his arms entirely in fire.

    ¡°They surge forward swiftly, as it¡¯s fueled by the gusts of my Wind, with unstoppable force and blinding uracy.¡± A torrent of Wind cycloned around his body, generating a force twice as powerful as the first time he had channeled it.

    ¡°Together, they create a destructive force that can even cause the heavens to quake,¡± The mes on his arms flowed further, being fueled by the torrent gusts of Wind that slowly lifted him off the ground and merged with the fire creating a raging Fire tornado around his body.

    Gabby, Benny, and Brance were frozen in ce, watching the boy who wore a firey tornado as if he were an invincible god of fire. But they were utterly unprepared for what urred next.

    ¡°and it is this Destruction that is born from the Darkness.¡± The world seemed to go perfectly still. All sound disappeared, and except for Cynrik, all light seemed to have vanished.

    Even the Mana particles seemed to freeze in ce and show respect to Cynrik, who was condensing the Massive Fire tornado surrounding his body. Moving his arms slowly, the Fire tornado shrank several times before reaching a size of about two feet by two feet and resting between Cynrik¡¯s open palms.

    The three other children watched as the powerful mes dimmed momentarily before the roaring life-filled Red-Orange mes changed from their original color to an endlessly deep ck color.

    -You have perfectly harmonized your three Affinities.-

    -You have unlocked the Fusion Skills Tab.-

    -You have learned the Tier-1 Fusion Skill ckFire.-

    -You have learned the Tier-1 Fusion Skill Fire Cyclone.-

    -You have learned the Tier-1.5 Fusion Skill ckFire Cyclone.-

    The muscles on Cynriks shirtless body tightened as he crushed the miniature ckfire tornado into nothingness, and the world went back to normal.

    Exhaling shakily, Cynrik couldn¡¯t help but feel satisfied with his modified Mantra. He had slightly changed the wording randomly, and its effects were astronomical. Initially, whenever Cynrik used his ck fire, he felt the tension in his chest, but now that was gone, he could only chalk it up to the changes in his Mantra.

    Tilting his head to the side to crack his neck, Cynrik looked over at the peanut gallery with their jaws on the floor and eyes as big as saucers.

    ¡°What¡­I know, I¡¯m badass.¡± Cynrik smirked while striking a pose, drawing a gasp from Gabby, who started pping frantically.

    ¡°Alright, ima go shower, I fucking reak. Brance, fix up your Mantra while I¡¯m gone.¡± Bowing to Gabby, making her squeal again, Cynrik did a flip over the couch and went to shower off all the grime his body had umted due to his Tier-1 evolution.

    Brance shook his head and went over his upgraded Status onest time.

    : Status :

    : Brance Athalos Jetlensr (Bj?rn Ironside):

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation :

    : Demi-Human Male (99% Human, 1% Lightbringer):

    : Age-11:

    : Tier-1 :

    : Level: 10 :

    : Essence(XP): 0/100000:

    : Distribution: 1.5 Per All :

    : Mana Codex Tier: 2 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : Mana Circuit Tier: 2 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : Gravity Resistance: 5g (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Body Tempering: Tier 2 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Credits: 1,000,000 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 1400/1400 : 20 Per Point

    : Mana 880/880 : 10 Per Point

    : Stamina 700/700 : 10 Per Point

    : Stat Points- 20 : (10 per level) ss (1)

    : Skill Points- 107 : (1 per level) ss and Sub-ss (1)

    : Strength- 140 :

    : Dexterity- 140 :

    : Agility- 140 :

    : Intelligence- 140 :

    : Vitality- 140 :

    : Mind- 140 :

    : Killing Intent- 97 ¨C 3g :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Light-Tier-1 (Proficiency= 100.0%):

    :Expand:

    -Tier-0 Minor Heal??0/25

    -Tier-0 Orb of Light??0/25

    -Tier-0 Radiant Skin??0/25

    -Tier-1 Reveal??0/50

    -Tier-1 Glint??0/50

    -Tier-1 Vanish??0/50

    -Tier-1.5 Radiant Sheild??0/75

    -Tier-1.5 Swords of Judgement??0/75

    :(BG) Earth-Tier-1 (Proficiency= 100.0%):

    :Expand:

    -Tier-0 = Earth Skin??0/10

    -Tier-0 = Rock Form??0/10

    -Tier-1 = Earth Shield??0/25

    -Tier-1 = Stone Spike??0/25

    :(BG) Wind-Tier-1 (Proficiency= 100.0%):

    :Expand:

    -Tier-0 Featherfall??0/10

    -Tier-0 Haste??0/10

    -Tier-1 Air Missle??0/25

    -Tier-1 Gust??0/25

    Brance smiled as he read through all of his new elemental skills. Before, he was severely limited and had no offensive Light-based Skills, but now he had Swords of Judgement and even a blinding skill.

    Taking a deep breath and standing up, he shooed away the Sanford siblings. He didn¡¯t want to identally hurt them with the channeling of his Mantra.

    ¡°My Earthys the stone-like foundation to support me in my efforts to protect those I love. My foundation is guided by the steady bellows of my Wind, allowing it to soar to untold heights.¡±

    ¡°My foundation shines in the radiance of my Light, allowing it to break the sky and reach the heavens.¡±

 Chapter 86

    Taking a deep breath and standing up, Brance shooed away the Sanford siblings. He didn¡¯t want to identally hurt them with the channeling of his Mantra.

    ¡°My Earthys the stone-like foundation to support me in my efforts to protect those I love. My foundation is guided by the steady bellows of my Wind, allowing it to soar to untold heights. My foundation shines in the radiance of my Light, allowing it to break the sky and reach the heavens.¡±

    Unlike Cynrik, who chanted his Mantra in parts, Brance¡¯s flowed out seamlessly in its entirety. However, the reaction from the Ambient Mana in the room was no less impressive than his older brother.

    Sprouting from the ground like a sapling, an impressive micro-tower started forming. At first, it was just a shiny little spike jutting up from the floor, but very quickly, it took the shape of an intricate, white, shining cobblestone tower. This tower surged upward while emitting gusts of Wind each time it grew.

    Gabby, like usual, gasped loudly, nearly breaking Brance¡¯s concentration, as he stood over the now-meter-tall tower with his hands forming ws and facing each other. Second, by second, the glittering sturdy tower grew both in height and width until it nearly reached the dorm¡¯s ceiling. Finally, just before it made contact with the ceiling, a dazzling bright orb of Light appeared and swallowed the top of the tower, finishing the tale told by Brance¡¯s Mantra.

    -You have perfectly harmonized your three Affinities.-

    -You have unlocked the Fusion Skills Tab.-

    -You have learned the Tier-1 Fusion Skill Surging Earth Spike .-

    -You have learned the Tier-1.5 Fusion Skill Radiant Tower.-

    Brance released the breath he didn¡¯t know he was holding, and the Radiant Tower phased out of existence, and he felt his legs turn to mush, causing him to fall back onto the couch while panting heavily. He was forced to expend several times more Mana than his brother toplete his Mantra.

    ¡°Brancie, are you OK? That was amazing. What do you call that tower thingy? Can you make it full-sized so we can live in it? Oh, oh, I could be the princess trapped at the top, and you could save me from your dastardly mad king brother.¡± Gabby pounced on Brance when he copsed and started machine-gunning questions while shaking him.

    The little pink bunny ears on the hood of her pajamas rocked back and forth, creating an adorable scene.

    Brance was helpless to the vicious attacks of the little girl smitten by him and justughed. The adrenaline rush presented bypleting his Mantra and his Evolution to Tier-1 was starting to wear off.

    ¡°OK, OK, Gabby, you¡¯re gunna get the gross impurities all over your bunny PJs if you keep this up. I have to go shower.¡± The moment Brance brought it up, Gabby¡¯s eyes went wide, and she used Brance¡¯s chest as a springboard to flip away.

    ¡°NOOO, not my bunny PJs. QUICK SIR HOPPINGTON THE 8th, WE HAVE TO GET WET NAPKINS AND WIPE THEM OFF.¡± So, being the innocent little girl she was, Gabby dashed off to the kitchen sink to get some wet napkins, with her trustypanion sitting on her shoulders.

    Benny and Brance snickered at her overly dramatic act and went separate ways. Brance went to shower, leaving Benny chasing after his little sister so he could try and get her to go back to bed.

    About 30 minutester, the freshly bathed, Cynrik and Brance were back on the couches and scrolling through the list of sses they had ess to.

    [You¡¯ve got Warrior; that¡¯s the prerequisite version of Pdin. It must be nice.] Cynrik couldn¡¯t hide his disappointment that he didn¡¯t get any unique ss options. Technically Brance didn¡¯t either, but he felt Tobs was just getting back at him for trying to make her into a catgirl earlier.

    [It¡¯s not a big deal; keep scrolling through your list. I know you¡¯re upset there are no overpower sses like Spellde Assassin or something like that, but still, at least you¡¯ve already got your Sub-ss picked out. I haven¡¯t even gotten that far yet.] Brance rolled his eyes and went back to scrolling through the list of potential Sub-sses.

    [You should go after something that gives a boost to STR or VIT, from what I can tell, every ss, whether it¡¯s a Main or Sub-ss, provides some kind of stat buff or increase to your Distribution. See, like how my Engineer Sub-ss gives me 0.1 extra DEX on level up, it may seem like nothing, but it grows 0.1 every 2 levels I gain in my Sub-ss. So at level 20, ill have an extra 1 point added to my main level up Distribution. OH, how bout you go after cksmith¡­er wait, you don¡¯t have the prerequisite for that.]

    [It¡¯s annoying as hell that Tobs is restricting us to Non-Combat-rted Sub-sses. If not, I could have chosen something like Mage or Cleric. Well, maybe not Cleric, but you get my drift.] Venting his frustration in the mind link, Brance went ahead and clicked Warrior as his Primary ss and continued scrolling until his eyesnded on one specific Sub-ss.

    Cynrik, on the other hand, finished up by just going with the good old Thief ss. Depending on how he built his stats and skills up, he could eventually get the Assassin ss or even a Legendary Unique sster on down the line.

    -You have chosen Thief as your Tier-1 Primary ss. Would you like to lock in your choice? Remember once you ept, this change can not be undone (Y/N)-

    [Yeah, yeah, Tobs, just do the thing.]

    -You have obtained the Tier-1 Primary Combat ss Thief.-

    -Your Stat Distribution has been adjusted; you will now receive an additional 0.1 points in DEX and AGI upon increasing your Main Level.-

    -You have learned three Tier-1 Thief Skills.-

    -Since the host has simr abilities to the traditional Thief skills, you have been given a different batch of Starter skills.-

    -You have learned the Tier-1 Thief Skill Pick Lock.-

    -You have learned the Tier-1 Thief Skill Backstab.-

    -You have learned the Tier-1 Thief Skill Disarm Trap.-

    Cynrik felt a sharp pain in his head as the information about his Thief ss flowed in. Massaging his temple to relieve some of the pain, Cynrik checked out his three new skills. He noticed theck of Thief staples, like Stealth and Detect Traps, but it couldn¡¯t be helped since he had Mana Sight and Shadow Veil. Pick Lock, and Disarm Trap, which were what Cynrik considered ¡°quality of life skills,¡± left him with a neutral feeling upon getting them early. But when he read Backstab, Cynrik¡¯s left eyebrow raised up and a sneer formed on his lips.

    -Tier-1 Passive Thief Skill Backstab

    -All attacks to the back of a target will have a 25% chance to deal twice as much damage and inflict a bleed status on the target. 0/25 ¨C

    [Welp, one of the skills I just got is super useful. Backstab does double damage and bleed. It¡¯s pretty savage. Hurry up and choose Warrior already.]

    Rolling his eyes in annoyance, Brance chose Warrior as his Primary ss.

    -You have obtained the Tier-1 Primary Combat ss Warrior.-

    -Your Stat Distribution has been adjusted; you will now receive an additional 0.1 points in STR and VIT upon increasing your Main Level.-

    -You have learned three Tier-1 Warrior Skills.-

    -You have learned the Tier-1 Warrior Skill Taunt.-

    -You have learned the Tier-1 Warrior Skill Parry.-

    -You have learned the Tier-1 Warrior Skill Shield Bash.-

    Even though Brance had been mming his shield into opponents for ages, he only now got an actual skill for it. The main difference being it not only increased the damage output of his attack but also had a 10% chance of inflicting a Stun Status on his opponent.

    When he told this to Cynrik, he got the expected ridicule, but instead of dragging out his harassment, Cynrik changed gears rtively quick and went back to nagging about choosing a Sub-ss.

    Cynrik was worried about pulling too far ahead of Brance. Even though at the beginning, the increase in specified stats was minuscule at best, by the time they reached the cap and started pouring XP into their primary level, the added stat bonus would be significant enough that it would break the power bnce between them.

    Figuring it was useless to keep pressuring Brance to search for a Sub-ss faster, Cynrik decided to pull up his skills, starting with his Elemental ones. After each skill, a numeric value signified how many SP the skill needed to evolve to the next Tier.

    From what he could tell, Basic Grade Tier-0 skills like Fireball needed 10 SP; inparison, Tier-1 skills such as Air Missle required 25. But this changed when it came to his Special Advanced-Grade Dark Affinity. The Tier-0 Skills sported a 25 point price, Tier-1 needed 50, andstly, his two Tier-1.5 skills, Shadow Leap and Shadow Sewing required 75 SP to evolve.

    This revtion made him frown for two reasons. The first was the introduction of half Tiers. Requiring a massive 75 skill points to level up a single skill seemed overly counterproductive, even if the skill was kind of OP. But this raised his second concern. Would the skill increase a whole Tier, or only half when he inevitably did evolve one?

    [Sigh, Brance, looks like we need to find a steady influx of Skill points. The cost of developing our Elemental Skills is kinda ridiculous.]

    -Host Cynrik is incorrect. Skill points not only evolve the skill they are used on, but they also strengthen the present form of a skill. For example, using the Tier-0 Fire Skill, Fireball, if you reach the 50% mark, 5/10, you will see an increase in the size, temperature, and power the construct can handle. You were limited to how much Mana you could pour into the skill before releasing it in the past. This limit would slowly be removed by feeding the skill SP.-

 Chapter 87

    ¡ª

    Just a heads up, readers, I¡¯ll be using brackets for skills since they will now carry a certain level of importance from this point forward. You¡¯ll see what I mean in the first paragraph.

    ¡ª

    [Eh? Seriously? Interesting.] Cynrik found it hard toplete a singr sentence after hearing the exnation Tobs had given. His mind was already forming a dozen different strange ideas, from flinging blue [Fireballs] to flying by overusing his [Continual me] like a certain billionaire yboy phnthropist did.

    [Hey Tobs, can you give me an estimate on how much a single point will strengthen my skills?]

    -No, figure it out on your own.-

    [SASSY, damn Tobs, I need you to let the whole cat ears and tail go, I¡¯m sorry ok. I promise it won¡¯t happen again.] Cynrik shook his head in disbelief at her response and paid no mind to how Tobs seemed to be getting more and more ¡°sentient¡± as the days went by.

    With Cynrik preupied with his attempts to pry out free info from their system, Brance was still going through the list of Sub-sses. The general conclusion he hade to was, ¡°It¡¯s all shit.¡± Unlike Cynrik, who had already gone through the process of obtaining his prereq skill. Brance had been at a loss for what he wanted to do in the future. He didn¡¯t have a fancy toy like Cynrik¡¯s Assassins Tool, and if he was being honest with himself, he didn¡¯t really have any interest in Non-Combat sses.

    The legitimate only reason he was still going through this never-ending list of sses was the added stat bonus. So Brance aimlessly scrolled through ss after ss, checking each of their prerequisites until he finally stopped on one he had seen earlier.

    -Tier-1 Non-Combat ss, Miner-

    -Prerequisite = 80 STR, 40 DEX, 40 VIT-

    -Stat Enhancement = Maximum of 1 STR

    -Passive Skill = Basic Miner: 10% chance topletely replenish Stamina when sessfully mining Ore or Mineral.

    -Skill List-

    ¨C Level 0 : Basic Ore and Mineral Mining-

    ¨C Level 0 : Basic Ore and Mineral Detection

    ¨C Level 0 : Basic Summon Pickaxe

    ¨C Level 5 : Basic Extraction

    ¨C Level 10 : Basic Excavate-

    ¨C Level 15 : Basic Construct-

    ¨C Level 20 : Basic Transmute Ore-

    He had found this ss early on but kept passing it by, but with the clock ticking and only a few hours left before Phase: 2 begins, it was time to make a choice. He could either go with the Miner ss or continue leaving his Sub-ss empty until he came up with what he wanted to do in the future. Left with only those two options, Brance turned to Cynrik for his input.

    [So, I found a Non-Combat ss that increases my STR, and its prereqs are stat-based without needing any other skill. The only issue is, I¡¯m not so sure it¡¯ll be helpful to us.]

    [Hm? Show me what you¡¯re looking at.]

    Brance sent over the listing for the Miner ss, and Cynrik¡¯s reaction was out of his expectations. His older brother calmly got up, walked in front of him, leaned forward, and violently flicked him in the forehead.

    [ARE YOU FUCKING RETARDED, BRANCE? THIS IS AMAZING. SHIT, LOOK AT THAT LAST SKILL. DO YOU EVEN REALIZE HOW VIABLE IT IS TO TRANSMUTE ORES?] Cynrik snapped.

    Wearing a frown and feeling wronged, Brance rubbed the small bump formed from Cynrik¡¯s flick.

    [Considering we are about to jump into an Egress, where it is a well-known fact that you can find all kinds of ore and minerals, this kind of ss is Amazing. Not only do you get to summon a free janky pickaxe at level 0, but you also get a detection skill. Hell, all we need now is a cksmith, Runist, and Alchemist, and we could literally make all of our own shit. Think of how much money we would save.]

    As Cynrik spoke, he iled his arms around and paced back and forth.

    Knowing his brother had a point, Brance simply tuned out the rantings and insults being thrown at him and chose Miner as his Sub-ss

    -You have obtained the Tier-1 Non-Combat ss Miner.-

    -Your Stat Distribution has been adjusted; you will now receive an additional 0.1 points in STR upon increasing your Main Level.-

    -You have learned the Passive Skill Basic Miner.-

    -You have learned three Basic Skills.-

    -You have learned the Basic Miner Skill Ore and Mineral Mining.-

    ¨C You have learned the Basic Miner Skill Ore and Mineral Detection.-

    ¨C You have learned the Basic Miner Skill Summon Pickaxe.-

    Squeezing his eyelids shut tightly, Brance took severalbored breaths as the information about his new Sub-ss, flowed directly into his brain. A couple of minutester, he opened them back up and found Cynrik lying on his couch with his eyes closed. Under his closed eyelids, it was apparent he was sifting through the information from his Engineer ss.

    Choosing to leave his brother alone, Brance leaned back and closed his eyes before eventually drifting off to sleep. There were only seven hours left before they both had to report for the Physical Exam, so it was best to get rest while he could. Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t know how much sleep they¡¯d be able to get over the next few days. Plus, Brance burned a lot of his Mana during thepletion of his Mantra, so now was the opportune moment to get some of it back.

    Using [Mana Sight], Cynrik looked over at his sleeping brother and sighed softly. Unlike Brance, who seemed to be able to sleep anywhere and whenever he wanted, he didn¡¯t have the liberty of such a talent.

    ¡®Hey Tobs, how do I enter my SOC?¡¯

    -The Sea of Consciousness is simr to a skill; you just need to will it to activate, and your soul will be pulled in.-

    With Brance sleeping away happily and Cynrik training in his SOC, six and a half hours shed by, and a loud rm went off in the dorm room, startling all four of the children.

    ¡°ATTENTION, ATTENTION, ATTENTION. Phase: 2 will begin in 30 minutes; anyone who reports even a secondte will be automatically failed and teleported out of the Exam Area.

    Like a fire rm, the announcement kept screeching loudly through the entirety of the building.

    Cynrik and Brance jumped up at almost the same time, switched into their respective DMG and T1 loadouts, and started stretching their bodies to limber up. Cynrik was decked out in both swords and Assassins Tools, and Brance had condensed his two shields into one and had it on his back.

    Secondster, abat-ready Benny and Gabby appeared in the living room. Gabby wore form-fitting green leather hooded armor and shorts, exposing her arms and legs but covering her forearms and thighs, were matching leather vambraces and cuisses (thigh armor). Even a little pink rabbit sharing an uncanny likeness to Sir Hoppington, the 8th, was stitched onto the left side of her chest. On her back was a wooden short bow and quiver.

    Benny was wearing something simr to Cynrik and Brance. The only difference was it was in the same shade as his sister. He had a small buckler shield on his back, and on his left hip was a short sword.

    The four children gave each other a confident nod and directed their attention to Cynrik, who had fallen into the team leader position.

    ¡°Alright, keep your heads on straight, follow my orders, and if anyone messes with you, kick their asses. Let¡¯s get the hell out of here already.¡± Not one for profound, heartfelt speeches, Cynrik said a couple of words, pulled up his hood and spun on his heels, causing his coattail to flutter, and walked out of the dorm in the lead.

    The other three children followed behind him, and minutester, they made their way through the crowd of tired, nervous kids towards the center of the massive courtyard, where 14rge stages had been erected overnight. There were four testing machines and eight adults on each of these stages, all of whom were standing at attention with their hands behind their backs and looking out over the crowd of children.

    When the clocks hit zero, they transformed back into the hologram of Saylin, who hovered dozens of meters above the ground.

    ¡°Wee everyone to the Physical Exam portion of Phase: 2. As you all can see, there are a total of 14 different stages. Each of these has four machines that you will have to step up to and ce both hands on. In doing so, your stat profiles will be viewable to only the two Overseers stationed at that machine. The Overseers will double-check the results; if you have a passing grade, the device will light up in green; it will be red if you fail. Upon passing, you will receive a token, which you will ce into the slot on your Watcet; only then will you be allowed to move on to the Practical Exam. If everyone understands, start forming orderly lines at each of the stages, the Overseers will usher you to their Testing Machines.¡±

    Finishing up his statement, Saylin scanned the crowd of children, searching for two familiar faces, but he was stunned when he located them. Unlike what he expected, Cynrik and Brance showed no signs of nervousness or hesitation, and even from this distance, he could see the subtle changes in the two boys.

    If they had looked in the mirror after their evolutions, they would have noticed the minute differences in their appearances. Although subtle, they had both grown by a couple of inches, and their bodies had filled out a bit more. They no longer looked their age and instead appeared to be around 13 or 14 years old. Cynrik¡¯s hair had a few new streaks of red, and Brance had gained a few spots of white hair.

    For someone of Saylin¡¯s level, he immediately realized that these two boys had undergone their first Evolutions, and to his surprise, it even appeared they had somehow healed the damage to their Codexes and Circuits. He only knew this because he could see the flecks of different color light shining softly in their eyes.

    Saylin smirked and couldn¡¯t help but look forward to what these two would show during the remainder of the exam.

 Chapter 88

    With Saylin¡¯s hologram floating in the sky above, the Overseers on the stage began ushering the first batch of 56 children up to the machines to start their physical exam.

    Standing below and far away from one of the stages, Cynrik and Brance stood, watching the reaction of the exam devices. Neither brother was entirely sure if what Saylin had said was the truth. Cynrik especially was absolutely convinced there was some catch involved and as such, he had the group position themselves at the back of a line and out of the way.

    His eyes were dimly lit with specks of light, representing each of his Affinities, as he had already activated his [Mana Sight] so he could observe every fine detail of the exam procedures. Cynrik and Brance had already used their [Inspect] skill on the device, but its description was too basic to fit their needs and was flooded with question marks.

    [I¡¯m inclined to believe that there¡¯s something more to what those machines are checking for; the question is, what exactly? It¡¯s not like talent traits are a thing, so they can¡¯t possibly be looking for a person¡¯s potential.] Crossing his arms and shooting a nce up at Saylin¡¯s hologram, Cynrik let his brother in on his thoughts.

    [This may have something to do with that Perfect Foundation title we earned. If we could get it, there¡¯s no saying others can¡¯t, especially if they have any kind of backing. It wouldn¡¯t be difficult for wealthy parents to flood their kids with resources. With our help, even Gabby and Benny reached 5th Prestige.]

    [Tobs, exin the perfect foundation again.] Feeling that Brance had a point, Cynrik requested the description he had receivedst night from the system on the grounds he felt like he had missed something.

    -Perfect Foundation: The title given to someone who has reached the Prestige cap before their first evolution.-

    -Effects: The primary purpose of the Prestige system is to allow the Host to stock up on Essence before evolving. In doing so, the massive influx caused by the release of this energy causes the Host to undergo a secondary evolution determined by either an unknown source or a randomly generated and predetermined benefit.-

    -In the case of Host Cynrik, the source of the secondary evolution was one of the unique benefits from Raven God Odin, in the form of the ?sir bloodline being bestowed, a percentage buff to his stats, and the forceful evolution of the Dark Affinity.-

    -The Perfect Foundation for Vinestran Natives is different but still quite impressive; it can present in the form of increased evolution of Codexes, Circuits, or even Body strengthening, allowing them to stand above their peers upon reaching Tier-1.-

    -But the changes Host Cynrik and Brance went through were many times more intricate than what a typical system Host would receive, and in actuality, are closer to the changes presented upon evolving to a higher Tier such as the 3rd or 4th.-

    This was the first time Brance got this information, and he was stunned by what he was hearing. He wasn¡¯t like Cynrik, who constantly analyzed every little thing. He had developed a habit of just letting his brother exin everything to him in a paraphrased way, but now he was starting to regret it.

    [You¡¯re on to something here; if those machines are indeed looking for people with Perfect Foundations, then¡­] Cynrik¡¯s statement trailed off as he lost his train of thought, and his eyes went wide.

    Across the courtyard, on the 3rd stage, one of the machines was repeatedly shing and cycling from green to gold. The two Observers went into action, quickly shutting down the machine and escorting a teenage boy off the stage. The Green-haired boy, who held a haughty visage, and was wearing aplete set of bright blue leather armor, had a smug look painted across his handsome face. When he turned his head to the side, Cynrik could see his long, pointed ears.

    As he was guided through the crowd, every time he passed by a girl, he would grossly wink at them and cast a charming smile in their direction. The effect of this disgusted Cynrik. Each girl he passed would blush brightly and giggle like a maiden in love.

    Turning his head to the side to spit, Cynrik red daggers at the guy. Then, feeling hostilitying from his back, the boy turned and looked in Cynrik¡¯s direction before waving kindly and chasing after his escorts.

    [What¡¯s gotten into you?] Confused by his older brother¡¯s actions, Brance spoke up while nudging him with his shoulder.

    [I¡¯m not too fond of his kind, the yboy, charming prince type. In novels, he¡¯s the kind of person who will have some sketchy kinks. But that¡¯s not all, his trope tends to but heads with the MC instantly, and more often than not, ends up plotting some devious shit to throw the MC into dispair. That and he¡¯s probably rich too, and I¡¯m sure he unts it. Just look at him, making eyes at every chick he passes, DISGUSTING, ptooi]

    [Cant you take this seriously for once? Aren¡¯t you even slightly curious about why his machine shed gold?] Brance wanted nothing more than to punch Cynrik but chose not to due to their surroundings.

    [Nope, not in the least. It¡¯s simple to tell he has a Perfect Foundation; look at him with [Mana Sight]; he¡¯s already at Tier-1. All it¡¯s done is prove my hypothesis that there¡¯s more to these machines than we were told. The real question now is, where are they taking that scumbag piece of shit?]

    Casting [Mana Sight], followed by [Inspect], Brance was able to verify Cynrik¡¯s words.

    : Status :

    : Dath¨²kowa Holiadon:

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation, Elven Royalty :

    : Elven Male:

    : Age-13:

    : Tier-1 :

    : Primary ss ¨C Archer :

    : Distribution: DEX, AGI, INT :

    : Highest Stats, 85 DEX, 80 AGI, 80 INT :

    Turning his head to meet Cynrik¡¯s gaze, Brance threw him a disapproving frown. [You sure you aren¡¯t just upset because he¡¯s getting a bunch of attention from the opposite sex?]

    [Fuck off. Do you really think I¡¯m that petty?]

    [Yep, you sure are.]

    Cynrik scoffed out loud, causing Gabby and Benny to shuffle ufortably. This scene had yed out numerous times between Cynrik and Brance, and it always ended with them rolling around, swinging wildly until someone broke them up.

    Luckily, the brother¡¯s potential dispute was stopped, as several gold lights lit up around the courtyard, signifying multiple people with Perfect Foundations had appeared, causing the brothers to get serious suddenly.

    [Looks like it¡¯s not as unique as I believed.] Brance was the first to break the silence.

    [No, things arent that simple. That guy Dath¨²kowa triggered some kind of chain reaction. By being the first to show off, he brought all the rich kids out of the woodwork, and they jumped the line, not wanting to be shown up. Time to go.] Uncrossing his arms, Cynrik started channeling Mana into his legs.

    [You grab Gabby, I¡¯ll take Benny, let¡¯s go show off a bit.] A cocky smirk formed on Cynrik¡¯s face as he reached out and grabbed Benny by the arm.

    ¡°Benny, don¡¯t scream; we are going up to the stage in style,¡± whispering softly, Cynrik told Benny roughly what he was about to do before looking at Gabby. ¡°Brance will give you the princess carry you¡¯ve wanted forever, so don¡¯t scream either.¡±

    [WHAT! LIKE HELL I WILL!]

    Cynrik ignored his little brother¡¯s discontent and gave him some advice.

    [Shut up. We only have one shot to look good here. If I am correct, then those with Perfect Foundations are being brought to recruiters or something. So it¡¯s totally reasonable that the Academies would want these kids. Now then, keep up. I want you to use a burst of Wind to propel yourself into the air and then perform a superheronding on the stage. I¡¯ll use Fire.]

    [Did Mom drop you on your head when you were an infant? What happened to not being shy and keeping a low profile?] Motioning for Gabby toe closer so he could pick her up, Brance insulted Cynrik while at the same time questioning the sudden shift in n.

    When they first discussed the Exams, Cynrik was adamant about not showing off and keeping a low profile just in case. But now, here he was, willing to thoroughly toss out the old n for the sole purpose of not being bested by a bunch of rich kids.

    [Fuck the old n; I¡¯ve got a new one, so just shut up and pay attention. Once this group leaves the stage, we have to intercept the Observers before grabbing the next batch. At that point in time, I¡¯ll give the signal to create a Mana burst, and we will take off. Be sure to emit at least 2g of Killing Intent on the crowd so they know not to step up. I don¡¯t want to have to kick some obnoxious idiots off the stage.]

    [Aren¡¯t we the obnoxious idiots in this scene, Cyn?]

    [Tsk, speak for yourself, Lightbringer.]

    [What? Don¡¯t even start with me; why bother dragging a 1% bloodline into the conversation. You¡¯re acting as if you even know any background to it.]

    [Who says I don¡¯t? You got the SAME amount of info from the bloodline memories as I did.]

    [Cyn, two five-minute daydreams don¡¯t constitute a full-blown memory.]

    ¡°Um, Brancie, the group is getting off the stage¡­.¡± Gabby¡¯s innocent voice broke up the brother¡¯s argument, and their expressions went nk for a moment before quickly changing to serious.

    [Fuck it, let¡¯s do this.] Brance sighed heavily and reached over, picking up Gabby in his arms gently, making the girl squirm in excitement.

    [NOW THAT¡¯S WHAT I¡¯M TALKING BOUT, PRINCESS CARRY YOUR LITTLE DARRRRLING HAHAHHA!] Cynrikughed maniacally in the mind link while swapping from Benny¡¯s arm to the scruff of his neck, picking him up like a kitten.

    Wearing a mixture of depression and embarrassment on his face, Benny didn¡¯t bother fighting back and just hung in the air limply.

    [Let¡¯s cause some chaos!]

 Chapter 89

    [Let¡¯s cause some chaos!]

    Cynrik and Brance simultaneously released their Killing Intent at 2g, thebined radius reaching a total of 30 meters to the edge of the stage, instantly dropping more than 75% of the crowd onto their knees. The head of every single Observer snapped in the direction of Cynrik and Brance, who were radiating waves of green and red Mana particles.

    Above, Saylin¡¯s hologram let out an annoyed sigh, but he was able to hold himself back frommenting on the two brat¡¯s actions. He had a feeling when he saw them in the courtyard in the first ce that they would cause some kind ofmotion, and these thoughts were proven true.

    Saylin, and the Observers, quickly noticed the ambient Mana particles swarming around the two boys¡¯ lower bodies and focused on the soles of their feet.

    Then, without warning, Cynrik bent his knees slightly, kicked off the ground, and sted off in a surge of mes,unching himself several meters into the sky while dragging Benny by the back of his neck. Then, using his right hand, which was balled into a fist, Cynrik punched out towards the ground below and activated [Continual mes], correcting his flight slightly.

    After Cynrik rocketed into the air, Brance used his Wind Affinity to disperse the left behind fire andunched himself into the air, with Gabby smiling widely in his arms.

    Cynrik twirled in the air,pleted a triple front flip, and released Benny, who performed his own aerial acrobatics, while Brance silently carried Gabby through the air. Then, with all eyes on them, Cynrik, Brance, and Benny allnded in perfect synchronization on one knee,pleting their shy entrance and superherondings.

    Wanting to continue his act, Cynrik stood up first and motioned with his left hand for the others to go to their respective testing machines.

    Seeing their pseudo-leader had givin an order, Benny, Brance, and the no longer in a princess carry, Gabby, nodded and vanished from theirnding zones, appearing in front of three of the four avable machines.

    Tilting his head to the side and looking at the eight Observers, who were absolutely floored by his actions, Cynrik chuckled internally and whistled to get their attention.

    The eight adults instantly snapped out of their stupor, ran up to their respective machines, keyed in the activation code, and gave the OK to begin the test.

    Seeing how obedient these Observers acted caused Cynrik to nod approvingly and walk up to the only avable machine. Then, tossing onest nce at his group, Cynrik reached out and ced both his hands on the device that reminded him of the healing machine you¡¯d see a particr pink-haired Nurse cing balls on, the only difference being the massive screens of the tower-like device. It was so simr that when he put his palms on its cool surface, he half expected the familiar jingle to y.

    -Ding, Ding, Ding-a-Ling.-

    Tobs, of course, took this moment to do EXACTLY that and yed the nostalgic 8-bit sound-byte, making Cynrik and Brance both tense up slightly.

    [Fuck, cmon Tobs, don¡¯t do that kinda crap, you nearly made me shit myself.] Cynrik startedining, but just as he did, the monitor directly in front of his face and the two the Observers were watching shed with green and golden light.

    On either side of both Cynrik and Brance, the four Observers collectively sucked in a sharp breath as they read through the modified Stat profiles on screen.

    Tobs had taken the initiative to hide certain aspects of their profiles from the sensitive machine, such as their Sub-ss, Distribution, and Demi-Human status, making it appear that they were humans with triple stat Distributions. She had even added Ragnarsson to their nicknames and highlighted them to signify the brothers were using them as their names. Unfortunately, this slight modification had unknowingly cost the brothers each seven Skill Points, but when they noticed, neither cared.

    The Observers saw all the stats in their entirety, though, and each one had a different reaction. Of course, it wasn¡¯t every day you saw two kids under the age of 14, with 140 in every stat, plus the horrifying level of Killing Intent the two earned, exceeded what some of the Observers had. But the thing that truly had some of them sweating bullets was that both of these two children had three different Affinities, one of which was actually SAG.

    While the four were nervously scanning through Cynrik and Brance¡¯s stats, Gabby and Benny¡¯s machines lit up green, so they obediently removed their hands and walked over to stand behind Cynrik and Brance.

    None of the Observers were stupid; from top to bottom, what they had read was extraordinary, and the four even collectively agreed to call the two boys by their nicknames since they were clearly using them in ce of their given names for some reason. They quickly collected themselves, stepped away from the machines, and huddled together for a short discussion.

    Meanwhile, Cynrik, Brance, Gabby, and Benny stood silently off to the side and watched as the other four Observers joined in on the discussion.

    [Welp, gotta thank you for that silent backup, Tobs, itpletely slipped my mind to alter our profiles. Also, nice touch on the surnames, hehe.]

    -The safety of my Hosts is one of my prime directives.-

    Cynrik could almost imagine Tobs bowing politely as she spoke. This thought was transmitted to Brance, causing the two brothers to share a short chuckle.

    After around five minutes of conversation, the eight Observers broke their huddle and lined up in front of the children. One of them, A man in histe 40s with jet ck hair, wearing a pristine military uniform, stepped forward and addressed the four kids.

    ¡°Benjamin and Gabrie Sanford, step forward and receive your token for seeding in passing the Physical Exam.¡±

    Benny and Gabby looked at Cynrik for confirmation, and after receiving a short nod from him, the two stepped forward and held out their Watcets to the man. The lead Observer snapped his fingers, and two small devices resembling micro-USB dongles appeared in his hands, and he inserted them into both Gabby and Benny¡¯s Watcets before motioning at them to step aside.

    ¡°Ivar and Bj?rn Ragnarsson ssstep forrward.¡± Unlike when he called out Gabby and Benny, his voice wavered, causing him to stutter as he spoke.

    This didn¡¯t escape Cynriks acute senses, and he smirked under his hood before walking forward and getting in the man¡¯s face. However, before he could speak, Brance grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back a couple of steps.

    [Tone it down, Cynrik, we aren¡¯t trying to bully them for no reason. The poor guy is clearly nervous; just let him be.]

    [Kill joy, cmon, he¡¯s clearly scared of us. This is the perfect time to show off and earn some clout.]

    [That isn¡¯t our goal here. Just stop being an ass.]

    [Tsk, Everyyy party needs a pooper..]

    [SHUT IT! He¡¯s talking.]

    The man had already spoken a couple of sentences, but the brothers had identally ignored him. Brance was the first to catch on, and he dragged Cynrik¡¯s attention back into focus.

    ¡°You two have both sessfully passed the Physical Exam, not only that, but we, the Observers of Stage 12, have decided collectively to award you the Elite Token. Each Observer only receives one of these during the entire exam process, and we have decided to give you both one, furthermore¡­.¡±

    When the man was about to continue his speech, Cynrik raised his hand, cutting off the man.

    ¡°What perks do the Elite token give?¡±

    ¡°Huh, uh, yes, the Elite token allows you unrestricted ess to whichever of the over 100 Egresses you wish to enter for your Practical Exam.¡±

    ¡°When you say unrestricted, how unrestricted are we talking?¡±

    Brance wanted to p his brother in the back of the head when hearing him ask a dumb question.

    ¡°What do you mean, Applicant Ivar?¡± A second Observer chimed in from behind the Leader, a pretty, pink-haired young woman who appeared to be in her early 20¡¯s.

    ¡°Hmm, like when you say unrestricted, does that simply mean we can just choose whichever Egress we want, or does that mean we could potentially enter all of them, cause if it¡¯s the second option, gimmie.¡±

    SMACK

    This time Brance didn¡¯t hold back and smacked Cynrik as hard as he could in the back of the head, nearly knocking the older boy off his feet.

    [FUCKING HELL BRANCE! WHAT WAS THAT FOR? YOU NEARLY CAVED IN THE BACK OF MY SKULL!]

    [Stop being a moron.] Shooting a re at Cynrik, Brance stepped forward and spoke directly to the Lead Observer.

    ¡°What my older brother is asking; is if we somehow finish clearing our first choice of Egress early, are we allowed to enter a second one, Sir.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that. We haven¡¯t announced it yet, but technically, the Practical Exam willst for five days. In that time, the goal is for Applicants toplete an Egress Dive. In theory, if you can do so with time to spare, I suppose it would be possible to enter a second Egress for more experience. However, you would be forcefully kicked out of it when the allotted time for the exam isplete.¡± The Lead Observer scratched the back of his head nervously. In truth, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure if his words were valid. No Applicant, even those who earned Elite tokens in the past, had tried entering a second Egress after finishing their exam.

    ¡°I see; thank you very much, Sir.¡± Then, bowing politely to the Lead Observer and the team behind him, Brance thanked the man for the information.

    ¡°Uh, yeah, no problem. I need both of you to show me your Watcets so that I can install the Elite token into them, and then follow me to the meeting zone where you can wait for the Practical Exam to begin.¡±

    In the sky above, Saylin¡¯s hologram was watching with a stern expression. Off to his left, he had a monitor showing him the full report on Cynrik¡¯s group¡¯s stats.

    ¡®It looks like these two little monsters have gotten even stronger. Ivar The Boneless and Bj?rn Ironside¡­strange nicknames. At least they were smart enough to use an alias; they seem to be aware of the consequences of using their realst names during the exam. I¡¯m sure that old coot Lithlen has been waiting for them to show up so he could deal with them.¡¯ Saylin thought to himself.

    Casting onest nce toward Cynrik and Brance, he turned off his hologram and got up from his observation chair. ¡®But was it really necessary to be so damn shy? If I see that runt Cynrik again, I will quite enjoy smacking that massive head of his.¡¯

 Chapter 90

    Back on stage 12, the Lead Observer finished his task of installing the Elite token into the brother¡¯s Watcets, and along with the other seven Observers, escorted Cynrik¡¯s group down off the Stage and through the crowd.

    As Cynrik passed by, no other applicant made eye contact with him or even looked in his direction. Instead, they would immediately look at the ground and shrink back in fear when he passed. The memory of being subjected to the brother¡¯s Killing Intent was fresh in their minds, and there wasn¡¯t a single person who wanted to feel that oppressive force again. So, unspokenly and unanimously, over 400 children chose to make their existence as small as possible.

    Cynrik picked up on this fact and sneered gloatingly. It was apparent that everyone left standing around Stage 12 were Tier-0 beings without Perfect Foundations, causing him to lose interest in them entirely. Brance, on the other hand, felt sad that he had joined in on his brother¡¯s ruthless n, causing a level of trauma to each of these kids.

    With the absence of the eight Observers, Stage 12 was subsequently shut down, and the crowd was disbursed and integrated into Stages 10 and 11. Not a single child from Stage 12 was against this.

    Meanwhile, under the guidance of the eight Observers, Cynrik and Co. were brought back toward the dorms, however, instead of entering them, a small Spatial Tear formed, and they were ushered through it. This did not go unnoticed by several groups of people.

    At Stage 7, a pair of eyes followed Cynrik¡¯s every movement. They belonged to a teenage boy in the group Cynrik had run into earlier from the Evasdeen Family. Nelson Evasdeen clenched his fist tightly. He had seen the asshole kid from earlier, who threatened him and his cousins, had triggered the golden glow from his machine; what¡¯s more, he had actually already informed his father about the incident. Although all outsidemunication with the Watcet was disabled during the Exam, severalrge ns had ways around this; the Evasdeen was one. Unfortunately, Cynrik wasn¡¯t aware that Nelson had used his family¡¯s skill [Inspect] during the scuffle that day and memorized his full name. Not only that, but Nelson had run to his Dad to make him deal with the kid. To Nelson¡¯s surprise, he was nearly made deaf by his father¡¯s rage-filled screams.

    It turned out that that ruthless kid Cynrik was actually the son of his father¡¯s estranged third sister, making him his younger cousin. Naturally, Nelson¡¯s father, Aspin Evasdeen, was absolutely furious. But, unlike the rest of the Evasdeen family who viewed Cinyah as a traitor and had disowned her, Aspin still cared dearly about his youngest sister, and when he found out her children were not only in the Exam, but his own son had tried to attack the oldest son, he nearly had a heart attack.

    Growing up, Aspin was bullied by the rest of his siblings, except Cinyah, who acted more like an older sister to him, even though she was seven years his junior. As a child, Aspin was not only underweight due to sickness, but he was exceptionally slow at training up his Affinity, which led to constant ridicule from all of his peers in the family. The only thing Aspin really had going for him back then was how excessively high he had trained his [Inspect] skill; he was the only Evasdeen to have reached Tier-7 with it. Over time, he had even surpassed the patriarch and earned himself a spot as an elder of their n.

    But having a high skill wasn¡¯t enough to stop the events that led to Cinyah¡¯s departure and expulsion from the n. The night she left with Rikard, Aspin found them and, after a tear-filled goodbye, gave her a unique artifact he had made, which would allow them to stay in contact, thus he was well aware of how strong Cinyah¡¯s children were. Every year, on his birthday, Cinyah would call him and tell him all about her two sons. Cynrik, the rowdy one who gets in trouble constantly and talks back, and Brance, the kind-hearted one who could do no wrong.

    Thus, when Nelson had called using one of his unique artifacts and told him how he had nearly fought with Cynrik, he wanted to bash his stupid son over the head with a piece of wood until he knocked some sense into the kid.

    For over an hour, he interrogated his son, wanting to know every little detail of the event, and even wanting to know if the other members of the Evasdeen Exam team had done what he did by using [Inspect] and informing their parents. Nelson said he was the only one, and other than Quatre, none of them had even realized what happened, thanks to Nelson¡¯s quick thinking, making Aspin secretly praise his dumb son.

    That night, Nelson went to Quatre and told the younger boy to forget the scuffle had ever happened, but this didn¡¯t mean Nelson himself would let it go. On the contrary, he was pissed that an inferior kid from a disowned member of his family had the gall to stand up to and insult him, and he made a vow to punish Cynrik in the near future. Or at least that was the n until he saw Cynrik and Brance not only trigger the golden light, which ording to his father, was a sign of being an Elite but also get escorted by all eight observers from his Stage.

    All Nelson could do was grit his teeth and curse the asshole in his mind. It was abundantly clear that he wouldn¡¯t get a chance for revenge. Kicking the ground in anger and drawing the attention of his teammates, Nelson went back to paying attention to the line he was waiting in.

    ¡ª

    After stepping through the Spatial tear, Cynrik and Brance quickly went on high alert. They were assaulted on all sides by a strange sticky feeling, and Gabby even reached out, grabbing Brance¡¯s hand. The Observers turned around curiously to see how the two brothers would react but were unsatisfied due to neither having any outward response.

    Cynrik calmly looked around and saw they had entered a massive, roofless square room the size of a football stadium. The walls of this room were covered with thousands ofrge doors glowing in various colors and shades.

    ¡°Wee to the most dangerous area for thousands of miles. This room is called the Valor City Compound, and each one of those doors leads directly to an Egress located somewhere in the country. Every door here connects to a single Alpha Spatial Egress; the door¡¯s color corresponds to the danger level presented by that individual Egress. Upon stepping through one of these doors, you will be teleported to the site, where you will be barred entry until paying for it. Keep in mind that outside of the Exam, you will have to pay the entry cost necessary to dive into that Egress, the price of which is in the control of that Egresses owner.¡±

    While they walked across the building toward a cluster of applicants who had already passed the Physical Exam, the Lead Observer started exining what they were seeing.

    ¡°For the purpose of the Practical Exam, you will be limited to choosing your Exam location to one of the over 100 Green Alphas. ess to any higher levels will be blocked, and you will suffer a¡­minor¡­physical punishment dealt by your Watcet if you try entering any door other than the green ones.¡±

    [Cyn, I¡¯m not really following¡­] Brance was slightly lost with all the talk of different ssifications; in school, they had only been taught to run at first sight of Egresses; he didn¡¯t delve deep into the information about them like Cynrik had.

    [Alphas are basically permanent dungeons, clear them, then leave, and it resets, Betas are temporary ones that disappear when you clear them, and Gamma Egresses are basically rips in the fabric of space that drop a shit ton of monsters on a location before closing. The color scale represents the Tiers of monsters in them. Each type has a slightly different variation on the power scale inside. For Alphas, Green is all Tier-1, Blue has 1 and 2, Orange is 2-3, Purple is 4-5, they have a pretty significant power scale increase, and then there¡¯s Red, where the weakest creatures inside are at Tier-6, and the strongest found have reached Tier-8. Lastly is the legendary ck Egress, they are only found in myths, but those stories say the creatures within are basically gods. No one alive has ever seen one, so there isn¡¯t shit for info on it.]

    [So basically, they wanna send a bunch of Tier-0 and 1 children into a dungeon that is filled with Tier-1 monsters¡­that sounds like a one-way trip to me.] Brance tightened his grip on Gabby¡¯s tiny hand in worry as he thought about her being forced to fight alone against a bunch of Tier-1 monsters.

    [Not really; think of Green Alphas as a tutorial, where you¡¯ll see mainly small animals like slimes, fanged-rabbits, lizards, and shit. The threat level isn¡¯t that high; we coulda decimated them at Tier-0. Mind you, this only applies to Alpha Egresses; up to Orange, we would probably be fine. But that changes if we factor in Beta or Gamma. I doubt we wouldst long in anything higher than a Blue Beta; as for Gamma, well, those are more like a marathon. Think endless flows of Tier-1 creatures that canst for days on end; that¡¯s basically what a Green Gamma is.]

    [So, what your saying is Mom and Dad regrly jump into ones below Orange?]

    [Eh, how am I supposed to know? They stopped telling me about work years ago. If I had to guess, they jump into Egresses that won¡¯t get them killed but will make them money. Not everyone is as crazy as the two of us.] Cynrik sped his hands behind his head and followed the Observers while exining a few more things he knew to Brance.

 Chapter 91

    Cynrik, Brance, Gabby, and Benny strolled behind the eight adults while looking around curiously. The Compound vaguely had the build of what Cynrik would expect a modern-day version of the Roman Coliseum would look like, with its step-like tiered tforms, raising up dozens of meters, forming a bowl-shaped image. These bleacher-like tforms were all numbered simrly to the seating rows in arge stadium.

    Cynrik noticed a pattern the more he examined his surroundings. The Egresses were organized by their specific categories, and the higher up you went, the stronger the Egress you would find. The first two or three rings seemed to be all Green Alphas followed by arge gap of empty rings, which Cynrik could only assume was open space for future Egresses. The next batch of rings were the Blue Alphas, and this pattern of three to four rings before the strength of the Egress increased continued upward.

    The highest and furthest rings of the Compound were rtively empty, except for four doors. These doors had arge amount of space between them, and it was these four that were emitting a fierce, bloody aura. However, that wasn¡¯t all; Cynrik could vaguely feel that these points were the origin of the gross, sticky feeling he was experiencing. His eyes wandered from one Red Alpha to the next, and he calcted that they were each facing one of the cardinal directions, North, South, East, and West.

    [Brance, check those out.] Cynrik didn¡¯t point but only nodded briefly in the directions of the four doors that towered above the rest nearly a hundred meters up.

    [Those¡­are they the reason I feel like it¡¯s humid as hell here? It¡¯s almost like we walked into a swamp.] Brance reached up with his free hand and wiped the small beads of sweat from his brow.

    [Un, They¡¯ve got four Red Alphas. That¡¯s insane; whose bloody idea was it to have ticking timebombs all lumped together in one area?] Unconsciously, Cynrik clenched his fists and thought about the possible devastation that seemed apparently would one day ur.

    [All it takes is a single entity to walk out of that door, and BOOM, all of Valor City bes ground zero. Even being this close to them makes it kind of hard to breathe. Hell, I feel like eyes are staring at me from those doors.]

    -Although these doors do indeed lead directly to the locations of specific Egresses, they are not the actual portals themselves. The doors are simply the means to travel a great distance and arrive before the actual Egress themselves. Host Cynrik does not need to pay them any mind.-

    [Uh, Tobs, are you trying tofort me?] Nearly tripping over his own feet when Tobs spoke up on her own, if it wasn¡¯t for Brance reaching forward and catching the back of his cor, Cynrik would have facented.

    -Your statement is incorrect. I was simply informing the Host about theck of danger. To further borate, each one of the doors in the Valor City Compound is linked to the specified coordinates of the Egress, and at any time, the party in control of the Egresses Dungeon Core has the ability to sever the connection to the teleportation door, sealing off the channel connecting the two. Thus as I¡¯ve stated, there is no need for the Host to worry.-

    [Eh, thanks¡­I guess. Anyway, Brance, we need to start thinking of which one we will tackle first. Based on my hypothesis, we should be able toplete at least one Egress every five to six hours, depending on the precise conditions. It kinda falls to RNG, though, since the clear quests constantly change. If we get unlucky and end up with a ¡°Survive for X days¡± quest, we are kinda fucked.]

    [Hold up; you seem to be forgetting an important factor. We aren¡¯t alone. PLUS, we don¡¯t know what kind of monitoring system they have inside the Alphas.]

    [Huh, fuck monitoring systems, who cares if people see us at full power?]

    The moment the words left Cynrik¡¯s head, Brance dropped Gabby¡¯s hand, grabbed his older brother¡¯s shoulder, and spun him around, forcing Cynrik to face him.

    [What the hell, Brance?] Confused by the sudden actions, Cynrik shouted in anger at his brother.

    [Dont what the hell, Brance me. What the fuck is going on with you. For years you¡¯ve been all about not letting anyone know our limits. You¡¯ve spent night after night nning out every single step we take in the Exams, and yet now not only have you done aplete one-eighty and had us make a shy entrance, but you are even throwing all caution to the wayside. What the fuck is going on with you?]

    Initially, Brance had just gone along with themotion on the stage and hadn¡¯t reallyined since the results were satisfactory. But now, he was growing concerned by Cynrik¡¯s absoluteck of caution. He had always been a little reckless, but now it was like he just stopped caring altogether and had be overly cocky for seemingly no reason.

    [What are you talking about? Nothing has changed; it¡¯s just I wanna stretch my new metaphorical muscles.] Cynrik swatted at Brance¡¯s hands and spun back around to chase after the Observers who had separated from them.

    Benny stood quietly and watched the strange interaction between the Jetlensr brothers while Gabby wore a concerned expression. Sure, Cynrik and Brance always argued but never at essential times like now. She didn¡¯t know how she knew something significant had just transpired between them, but her gut was telling her something big had just happened.

    ¡°Brancie¡­is everything ok?¡± Gabby tiptoed her way up to Brance and held his hand while looking up at him with her big eyes.

    Seeing the look on her face, Brance patted her head with his free hand, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s all good; Big Brother is just being a little childish right now. Cmon, we don¡¯t wanna get left behind.¡±

    ¡°Un.¡±

    Gabby, Brance, and Benny quickly caught up with Cynrik, who was sticking close to the pack of eight observers as they slowly crossed therge open area.

    ¡®Tobs, what the hell is going on with Cynrik?¡¯ Since his older brother didn¡¯t seem to be aware of the shift in attitude he was experiencing, Brance went to the only person who may know.

    -I am only authorized to exin a portion of the current events. You are right, something is going on with Host Cynrik, but there are also changes within you.-

    Brance¡¯s right eye twitched slightly.

    ¡®What do you mean, Tobs? Tell me everything you can; if it¡¯s too difficult, you can just filter yourself.¡¯

    -Two outside factors are affecting both Hosts¡­one of which is the absorption of Deity ss Bloodlines, and the second is the influence on you by the Benefits bestowed by Raven God Odin and God Of Light Yahweh. I am unable to exin any further as to what these effects are or how to ovee them, but I can say you must find a way to ovee these influences and integrate them.-

    -I can also say that the effects are lesser for you than Host Cynrik.-

    Brance felt as if he was just hit by a steel pipe in the back of the head. He had noticed slight changes in his way of thinkingpared to how he was on Earth. Although he was a rtively good person back then, he wasn¡¯t even close to being the goody-two-shoes he was now.

    ¡®Tobs, may I see the description for Cynrik¡¯s ?sir Bloodline.¡¯

    -?sir (Asgardian)

    -Deity ss Bloodline-

    -Progenitor- Raven God Odin-

    -Home Realm: Asgard (Erased)

    ¨C Characteristics: Narcissistic, Over Confident, Ruthless, Expert Tacticians, Highly Advanced Intelligence, Calctive, Reckless.

    -Abilities: Extreme Durability, Extreme Regenerative Capabilities, Extreme level of Mana Maniption

    Brance stared emotionlessly at Cynrik¡¯s back, lost in thought after reading the description of Cynrik¡¯s ?sir Bloodline. The characteristics presented in the description lined up exactly with what he was seeing in his older brother.

    ¡®Tobs¡­does he know about what changes he¡¯s going through.¡¯

    -Host Cynrik has known something felt off from the day he was Reincarnated. He has been silently working through it, alone, with only my assistance since the beginning. When the ?sir Bloodline was integrated into his body, the first thing Host Cynrik did was demand aplete description of it, on top of having me run various simtions to factor in any adverse effects that may ur.-

    ¡®Sigh, and I assume he also looked into mine as well.¡¯

    -Correct, Host Cynrik has been fully briefed on your situation as well, but in his words, and I quote, ¡°Brance won¡¯t experience too drastic of a change. His mindset, to begin with, was always morally white, so having a more pure-hearted Bloodline like the Lightbringer won¡¯t change him as a person.¡± I was thenmanded by Host Cynrik to not bring up this information to you unless you came to me and requested it first.-

    ¡®That idiot,¡¯ Brance shook his head while massaging his temples with one hand. He felt stupid for not figuring out something was up sooner. He could have been helping Cynrik this entire time, but instead, like always, his older brother shouldered the burden alone. On Earth, going back as far as their childhood, Cynrik had always been the one to deal with everything. Be it making lunches for school or dinners at night, it all fell on Cynrik. So it had be second nature to figure things out on his own at some point.

    Now, here on Vinestra, he was back to his old ways of trying to solve every problem himself, without any help. Steeling his resolve, Brance sped up and gripped Cynrik¡¯s shoulder once again.

    [Tobs, give me a side-by-sideparison of my Lightbringer Bloodline and Cynriks ?sir.]

    The words spoken through the mind link hit Cynrik like lightning, causing his whole body to shiver uncontrobly. He stopped in his tracks and turned to face Brance.

    [Fucking, took you long enough.] A cocky smile crept up on Cynrik¡¯s face as he shot a short nod to Brance and turned back to the Observers. They had arrived at the batch of Exam Applicants who had already passed.

    It was time to get serious; the Practical Exams were right before them.

 Chapter 92

    In the hall of Gods, Odin and Yahweh sat stiffly and wore stressed expressions.

    =Well, your youngling took long enough to figure it out. I estimated if he didn¡¯te to the conclusion their personalities were being altered by our blessings and Bloodlines soon, he would have spent years in the dark.=

    Odin stroked his magnificent beard and turned his good eye towards Yahweh.

    *Indeed, he¡¯s a brightd, but he needs to ovee his reliance on his older brother.*

    =Aye, the two brothers, must ovee these traits to integrate with what we¡¯ve given them entirely; if not, then they will be mindless sheep like many before, and what we need now is warriors, not pawns.=

    Yahweh rolled his eyes and tapped the table with each of his fingers in sequential order on his right hand in thought. This wasn¡¯t the first time the two of them had made Charges. There have been several incidents where the chosen being could not ovee the will attached to their blessings and Bloodlines. In the end, these beings became shells of their former selves and fell into the clutches of insanity.

    A Deities Will was not something easily beaten; however, Cynrik and Brance had taken the first step in aplishing what needed to be done. They could then take the steps necessary to fight against the inherent will by acknowledging that something was wrong.

    =You saw them too, right?=

    Odin¡¯s eye glowed in a purple light causing five different windows to form in the air, each one showing a being of simr age to Cynrik and Brance.

    *Indeed. It seems a few Deities have given their Charges a nudge in the direction of this Academy Exam. Unfortunately, those trouble makers appear to be setting up a confrontation between the brothers and their own Charges.*

    *Cynrik is lucky they had already passed the Physical Exam and weren¡¯t there to witness his little stunt.*

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    It had been roughly an hour since the Observers had dropped Cynrik¡¯s group off at the meeting point for the Practical Exam, and the two brothers had spent this time going over the changes they were experiencing. The main topic was their Bloodlines. Brance had been given the full description of what a Lightbringer was, and to say the least; he was kind of shocked by it.

    -Lightbringer

    -Deity ss Bloodline-

    -Progenitor- God of Light Yahweh-

    -Home Realm: Kingdom of Heaven

    ¨C Characteristics: Kind, Gentle, Ruthless to Foes, Led by Emotions instead of Logic, Lean towards Pacifism instead of Violence.

    -Abilities: Advanced Durability, Medium Regenerative Capabilities, Sensitive to Life Energies, Extreme Level of Mana Maniption, Ability to absorb Life energy to turn it into their own power.

    The differences of characteristics for the Lightbringer and ?sir were like night and day, yet the manifestation of their abilities was simr. This exined why Odin and Yahweh seemed like fire and water, yet they still got along.

    With Brance now in the know, Cynrik didn¡¯t hold back and began telling him everything that had been stressing him out for years. He exined how he felt as if he had a rage-filled beast chained within his chest every waking moment, screaming to be let out, how the only way he had found to calm this feeling down was to kill. He had first noticed it during the events of Haylons Shadow, but since then, it had been building back up again, slowly but surely affecting his judgment.

    Brance had been correct in his assessment about the shy entrance on Stage 12. Cynrik admitted it was a spur-of-the-moment idea that he became fascinated with after seeing how many other kids were triggering gold lights from their machines. He had been ovee by the sudden urge to show off, and instead of fighting this, he gave in.

    He exined how things got worse for him after integrating his ?sir blood. The memory fragments he was shown at the time consisted of the war for Asgard thousands of years ago, and it was all shown from Odin¡¯s point of view. In these couple-minute-long clips, he was able to wield the elements as if they were an extension of his own body, and like an addict, Cynrik wanted more.

    That¡¯s why, when the opportunity to show off and use his Affinities presented itself, Cynrik jumped instantly. He had been struggling to keep hold of what little sanity he had at the moment.

    [So that¡¯s basically what¡¯s going on. I¡¯ve been treating it as a berserker state of sorts. If I¡¯m honest, you¡¯ll have to reel me in if I get too wild. Other than that, I should be fine.] Cynrik was sitting with one knee resting on the ground and his other up near his chest.

    -Thanks to your analytical breakdown and thoughts on your current situation, you have unlocked the hidden Stat Will Power.-

    -Will Power: A hidden Stat that increases the User¡¯s resistance to abnormal statuses. This Stat helps the User endure moments of mental or physical stress that would typically exceed their capabilities.-

    -Your Will Power Stat has increased to 10; you will be able to withstand outside thoughts caused by your 1% Bloodline.-

    [WHAT!]

    Cynrik¡¯s outburst in the mind link caused Brance to flinch and snap his head towards his brother with a frown.

    [I just unlocked another hidden stat, Will Power. Sorry bout that, hehe.]

    [Lemmie guess, talking through your problems gave you some kind of sudden enlightenment.]

    [Who knows, who cares? Its description says It allows me to resist shit that¡¯s outside the purview of the MIND stat. Basically, it makes me more durable, I guess, right Tobs?]

    -Host Cynrik is correct. The MIND stat is primarily used for defense and offense with Mental skills such as Illusions and allows high-level thought processing and memorization.-

    [Nailed it.]

    [Oh, be quiet Cynrik; you woulda gotten that Stat a LONG time ago if you weren¡¯t so damn stubborn.] Brance had to seriously fight the familiar urge to smack his brother upside the head after hearing how casually he was dealing with getting his new Stat.

    [Fair y, can¡¯t argue that one.]

    ¡°ATTENTION ALL APPLICANTS. MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE.¡±

    While the brothers were caught amid their banter, they had nearly forgotten where they were currently. Over thest hour, the Physical Exam had continued, and in that time, only a few thousand kids had passed and shown up in the Compound. The Observers herded them together on the first ring just below the first batch of Green Alpha Egresses, and judging from how the same man who had given the brothers their Elite tokens was yelling at the top of his lungs; the Physical Exam had finished.

    Wearing his military uniform and yelling loudly was barely enough to gather the attention of the swarm of kids standing aimlessly around, gawking at the numerous doors.

    ¡°The Physical Exams havee to a close, and we will shortly be giving you all ess to the Green Alphas you see around you. First things first, allow me to congratte you all; of the initial 183,200 Applicants, only 4013 have passed to this point. You should all be proud.¡±

    ¡°I would like you all to direct your attention to your Watcets,¡± the Lead Observer waved his hands and forcefully activated a function on all 4013 applicant¡¯s Watcets, causing a globe-like hologram to appear two inches above its disy.

    ¡°What you are viewing is the Global Reaver Hub. The tokens you have received have given you level 1 clearance in the program. As such, you will be able to view all of the presently known information about the 182 Green Alpha Egresses that you will be able to choose from for your Physical Exams. There is a one-hour time limit for you to form a team of a maximum of five people and determine which Egress you will be Diving into.¡±

    ¡°I will also take this moment to announce that the duration of the Physical Exam will be 120 hours. That is all the time you will have toplete whatever the Clear quest is within your chosen Egress.¡±

    Gabby scooted closer and was basically leaning on Brance with all her body weight, trying to look at his Watcet instead of her own, causing Cynrik tough obnoxiously into the mind link and drawing a string of swear words from Brance.

    ¡°Some more things to be aware of are since there is no Online Network within Egresses, your Watcets will go into Offline Mode. Therefore, you will not be able to contact the outside world nor ess any information not previously downloaded into the memory drive on your device.¡±

    ¡°Lastly, although we have the ability to monitor your live signs thanks to the imprint left on your tokens, due to the electromaic interference presented by the Egress Core, we will not have any way to track you or see if you are in danger actively. We will only know you are in such a situation if you forcefully eject your token, which will instantly teleport you out of the Egress and back here.¡±

    ¡°HOWEVER, and I will only say this ONE TIME, SO LISTEN UP! Ourck of real-time monitoring DOES NOT MEAN you can take the life of another applicant for any reason. Killing is absolutely prohibited. If your token pings off another applicant and there is evidence that you killed them, you will be expelled from the Exams and face prison time and a potential death sentence.¡±

    Cynrik sneered at thisst bit of info. Although he wasn¡¯t actively seeking to kill anyone. He wasn¡¯t exactly excited about the prospect of not being able to remove any potential future threats.

    ¡°Since I have finished my briefing, I shall start the one-hour timer. When it strikes zero, everyone¡¯s Watcet will notify them, and at that time, if you haven¡¯t entered an Egress, you will have 5 minutes to do so, or you will be forcefully expelled.

    [Neat.] Rolling his eyes and clicking his tongue, Cynrik shook his head and began scrolling through theplete list of Green Alphas.

 Chapter 93

    Cynrik¡¯s seemed to vibrate as he rapidly flicked through the data on the over 180 different Green Alpha Egresses floating just above his Watcet. Brance, Gabby, and Benny sat on either side of him, nervously and anxiously awaiting the older boys¡¯ choice.

    As the Pseudo-Leader of their little party, it was on him to find a suitable location for the Practical Exam, and based on how quickly Cynrik was flicking through each Egress; they were pretty confident it wouldn¡¯t take long.

    Gabby looked away from Cynrik and saw that several kids had already formed small parties and were making their way towards the avable Egresses. Her lime green eyes drifted towards her own Watcet, where the timer signifying how much time they had left was slowly ticking down.

    Her actions didn¡¯t escape Brance, as he gently reached out and ced his palm on her head, ruffling her soft hair and drawing a noise from the little girl in pigtails.

    ¡°Bra¡­ J?rnie, you¡¯ll mess up my hair stopppp.¡± Gabby¡¯s actions, however, betrayed her mouth as she rubbed her head against his warm hand like a puppy.

    Gabby¡¯s new nickname for him caused Brance to choke on air, and after a fit of coughs, he removed his hand and went back to concentrating on Cynrik¡¯s Watcet. He was amazed by how fast his brother was going through all the avable data. If it weren¡¯t for him knowing about Cynrik¡¯s high MIND Stat and the supposed ¡°High-Level Intelligence¡± presented by his Bloodline, he would have thought Cynrik was just aimlessly flipping through the list.

    They were at a stalemate like this for a total of 15 minutes before Cynrik finally closed the Reaver Hub and stood up.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move out. I¡¯ve made our choice and devised an adequate n of attack.¡±

    Gabby was the first to hop to her feet excitedly. Then, like an energized bunny, she started bouncing around anxiously, all the while chirping at Brance to hurry up.

    This didn¡¯t go unnoticed, as secondster, a loud snort came from a nearby group of boys, one of which began making fun of Gabby for being childish during such a serious event. However, midway through his mockery, a basketball-sized me crashed against his chest, hurtling him several meters backward, and with a loud bang, he mmed into the ground, skidding several more.

    The rest of his group were scared shitless by the sudden assault on their friend, and when they heard a chilling voice enter their ears, they all copsed onto their butts, breaking out in a cold sweat.

    ¡°Be d there¡¯s a no-kill policy in effect. If you had pulled this shit outside, you would have been headless instead of having a scorched chest.¡± Unseen by the boys, a kid dressed in all ck had suddenly appeared behind them and was standing imposingly with his left foot on the injured boy¡¯s stomach.

    Cynrik had moved too quickly for Brance to stop, leaving him ck-jawed at how ruthless his brother was acting. Next to him, Gabby¡¯s eyes were glittering in awe. This was the first time Cynrik had ever done something like this for her, and it was a new experience.

    Benny was the only person present who seemed to be unphased by the sudden and violent attack, and he casually ced his hands in his pockets, calmly waiting for Cynrik to finish defending his little sister¡¯s honor. To him, this was perfectly reasonable, and if Cynrik hadn¡¯t acted first, he would have slugged the kid in his jaw. Benny had long treated Cynrik and Brance as his own brothers, and even now, he found no w in them acting in the same way he would have.

    Not far away, The Evasdeen Party watched in fear as Cynrik mercilessly kicked the injured boy a couple more times before spitting on him and walking off as if nothing happened.

    ¡°cmon guys, we should get going.¡± Nelson tried his best not to stutter his sentence but failed miserably.

    Several Observers had witnessed the aggressive attack, but to them, this was normal, and as long as Cynrik didn¡¯t kill the kid, they wouldn¡¯t interfere. They felt this was a valuable lesson for the children around; the world was a violent and unsafe ce; it would do some of these children good to learn early on not to mess with someone stronger than them.

    Cynrik walked past the beaten kid¡¯s party, ignoring thempletely, and gathered alongside his own group.

    [Was that really necessary, Cyn?] following behind his brother, Brance questioned Cynrik¡¯s judgment.

    [It should have been you who dealt with him, he did, after all, make fun of your girlfriend. Plus, who the fuck do they think they are to make fun of MyrkLys (Murk-lease),] crossing his arms and making his way towards an Egress on the far side of the Compound, Cynrik responded.

    [MyrkLys? What the hell is MyrkLys¡­wait¡­Myrk as in the Norwegian word dark and Lys as in light. Oh, son of a bitch, Cynrik, did you seriously name our party DarkLight.] Brance scrunched up his face and shook his head in disgust.

    [Oh,e on, Mom and Dad literally named their Reaver party AquaViolet; at least I used Norwegian to name ours, so legit, no one would even know. Of course, dic works too; I also could have used D?kktLj¨®s, but that one is just NightDay, and it¡¯s kind of a pain for people who don¡¯t speak thenguage to say. GrimaDagr was on the table too. I think you¡¯d be surprised just how much thought I¡¯ve put into our name.]

    Brance didn¡¯t argue after hearing the rest of the options Cynrik hade up with. But, of all the choices, he had to admit that MyrkLys was probably the only one Vinestrans would be able to pronounce. The others all required some knowledge of how to pronounce the letters correctly, at least with MyrkLys, it could be said as Murk-Lease, which would be fine unless you were Cynrik, who would heavily annunciate the words with a Norse ent.

    That was the thing about Norse, Norwegian, and dic. They shared a lot of simrities, and for the most part, a lot of words were the same.

    Brance held up his hands in defeat, which caused Gabby to look at him strangely, but he simply smiled and told her the name Cynrik had decided on for their party. The instant the words were spoken aloud, Cynrik, Gabby, Brance, and Benny all received a notification chain.

    -You have unlocked the Party System-

    -All members of the party will share any XP earned.-

    -The Effect of Siblings Gain will be extended to all party members.-

    -The Party MyrkLys has been created.-

    -You have been invited to join the party. ept? (Y/N)-

    -Cynrik Jetlensr (Ivar ¡°The Boneless¡± Ragnarsson) Has joined the MyrkLys and been appointed Leader.-

    -Brance Jetlensr (Bj?rn ¡°Ironside¡± Ragnarsson) has joined MyrkLys.-

    ¨C Gabrie Sanford (Gabby) has joined MyrkLys.-

    ¨C Benjamin Sanford (Benny) has joined MyrkLys.-

    ¡°OHHHH!¡± Gabby, of course, was the first to let out an excited squeal. For years they had talked about forming their own Reaver Party, just like their parents, and now it was finally happening.

    Cynrik and Brance weren¡¯t as excited as she was, though.

    [Shit, I can¡¯t believe I actually forgot about Siblings Gain. Think we can lie our way out of that one, Brance?]

    Siblings Gain was the passive skill Brance had since birth; the skill was the cheat-like ability that allowed the brothers to earn double XP as long as they were within a certain distance from each other, and now, apparently, that cheat was extended to Gabby and Benny.

    [To be honest, I don¡¯t think it will be that big a deal. Benny will listen to us either way, and he seems headstrong when ites to getting stronger. I¡¯m worried about Gabby, though. We both know how big of a mouth she has.]

    [HAHA, you really shouldn¡¯t talk about your girlfriend that way, Brrraacieee.] Cynrik finished his statement by mimicking the way Gabby always said his name. [Either way, nothing we can do about it now. If they have seen it, so be it. If not, it¡¯ll make no difference, I guess. The upside is now we can power level them to Prestige 20 and get them both Perfect Foundations.]

    [Wait a second¡­who are you, and what have you done with Cynrik? He would never be so positive. Especially since one of our secrets was just leaked.]

    Brance ran ahead of his brother and stopped him while looking him up and down for any sign he was a fake.

    [Oh, fuck off, Brance. It¡¯s like you¡¯re expecting to hear me say we should kill them or something,] shoving his way past his idiotic brother, Cynrik sped up his pace towards his chosen Egress, leaving a stunned Brance in his wake.

    Gabby didn¡¯t miss a beat and caught Brance¡¯s arm, dragging him along after Cynrik.

    [Tobs, that¡¯s not an imposter Cynrik right?]

    -No anomolies detected. Host Cynrik is the real Host Cynrik.-

    [WILL YOU CUT IT THE FUCK OUT AND HURRY UP. I WANNA GET THIS SHIT OVER AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE CAN JUMP INTO MORE ALPHAS.]

    Cynrik and Benny had already arrived at one of the many Green Doors and were waiting with crossed arms for Gabby and Brance to show up. When they finally did momentster, Cynrik dove into his briefing.

    ¡°Alright, this is A-G-22097; as you can tell by the green glowy shit, it¡¯s a Green Rank Alpha Egress. The dungeon inside is pretty basic and features an underground cave system, with the main monsters found being Longfang Rats and Packhounds. asionally there have been small groups of Kobolds, but they are rare, and it shouldn¡¯t be anything we cant deal with.¡±

    Cynrik pointed at Gabby, who was beaming brightly, ¡°Gabrie, you will be back lining; your main task is to target any creatures that appear at a distance and lure them towards us.¡±

    Gabby stood up straight and gave a clumsy salute to Cynrik. ¡°Yessir, Big Bro!¡±

    Rolling his eyes and smiling at her antics, Cynrik moved on to Benny. ¡°Benjamin, you¡¯ll be taking up the role of OT since Brance has already gotten the Warrior ss and has [Taunt]; he will pull the aggro of anything lured by your sister. Your job is to pick off any stragglers and draw them into Brance¡¯s range.¡±

    ¡°Copy.¡± Benny pulled his hands from his pockets and rested his palm on the hilt of his sheathed sword.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be starting off in the backline with Gabrie to start, and if need be, I¡¯ll swap to Close-Combat DPS. Remember, this isn¡¯t a game; we are in the thick of it now.¡±

    Cynrik tossed onest nce at his brother before turning and facing the Egress door and opening it.

    ¡°MyrkLys, move out.¡±

 Chapter 94

    Cynrik was the first to step out on the other side of the door from the Compound and was slightly caught off guard by what he saw. Even though Tobs had already told him about how the numerous doors in the Compound were basically just teleporters, she didn¡¯t warn him about the nauseous feeling he would sumb to.

    Inhaling a breath of stale, damp air, Cynrik forced down the bile, threatening toe up from his stomach, and waited for the members of MyrkLys to make their way to him.

    Brance was the first to clear the threshold, making Cynrik nearly burst outughing when he saw his brother¡¯s face; it seemed he was also trying not to throw up.

    Following Brance like a duckling, Gabby was next¡­

    BLARG

    And she instantly spewed up her lunch centimeters away from Brance, who swiftly jumped to the side. This time, Cynrik broke into a fit of uncontrobleughter, clutching his stomach and wiping at the tears streaming from his eyes.

    Brance being the kind soul he was, jumped to Gabby¡¯s side and held her pigtails out of the way, so she didn¡¯t vomit on them while patting her back in small circles. ¡°It¡¯s ok, Gabby, it happens; teleporting sucks.¡±

    Urp, BLARGGG

    With Brance¡¯s attention on the little girl, and Cynrikughing his ass off, Benny silently slipped through the door and stood off in the distance. He was able to fight the urge to throw up and was waiting patiently for the others to get it together.

    It took around 30 minutes for Gabby¡¯s stomach to finally settle, and she was now clutching desperately onto Brance with a paleplexion. Cynrik and Benny were sitting across the room in a pair of chairs with their eyes closed.

    As it turned out, the teleporter from Valor Cities Compound led to a room around the size of a den and even had a few couches and chairs neatly arranged.

    Cynrik had been actively scanning their surroundings with his [Mana Sight] since their arrival. He zeroed in on a number of simr rooms to theirs nearby, which allowed him to conclude it was some kind of centralized hub point, allowing other cities in the country to have a connection to A-G-22097.

    Unlike in the fantasy novels he¡¯d read, it was apparent the prosperity of an individual city wasn¡¯t necessarily dependent on how many Egresses it had nearby, but instead how many they were connected to. Expanding his range of vision further, he located a handful of small office-like buildings precisely like the one he was in nearby.

    Cynrik¡¯s eyeszily drifted around until he locked onto a massive, green, archaic-looking gate. He could see dozens of Mana signatures moving in and out of the gate and even counted over 20 guards whose strength averaged Tier-3 lined up in a circr pattern around this gate.

    Shutting off his [Mana Sight] and standing up, Cynrik drew everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s head out; oh yeah, I nearly forgot; Gabrie, I¡¯ve got some cookies here if you want them.¡±

    ¡°CYNRIK!¡± Brance and Benny both shouted angrily at him while Gabby puffed her cheeks and turned green.

    ¡°Hehe, couldn¡¯t resist. My bad.¡± Shrinking back at the hostility he was sensing from the two other boys, Cynrik gave up on harassing the little girl further and guided his party out of the building they were in.

    The instant they stepped outside, they were assaulted by the sounds and smells of an outdoor marketce. It didn¡¯t matter which direction they turned; people were decked out in weapons and armor, moving about. Some grouped together before diving into the Alpha Egress, and others advertised their wares.

    In Cynrik¡¯s opinion, what he saw was a strange hybrid of modern and medieval, reminding him of something he would have seen in S**r Wars. Beings of different races, speaking their individualnguages, selling and buying technology that didn¡¯t seem to match the scenery.

    [Keep Gabby close; thest thing we need is her running off.] Cynrik started cutting his way through the crowd and walking towards the hundred-meter tall energy gate.

    Gripping the little girl¡¯s hand tightly, Brance followed suit, with Benny bringing up the rear.

    It took them a couple of minutes to make their way over, and after being hassled by several people manning stalls, the party eventually made it to the line formed outside the gate.

    Taking a position for themselves, Cynrik clicked his tongue. At the front of the line stood two Tier-3 guards who had two jobs, epting entry payment and scanning their IDs. Every person who fell under the scrutiny of these guards would shrink back in fear, wanting to get it over with as soon as possible.

    The majority of the people in line were Tier-1, with a select few still sitting at Tier-0; none of them wanted to draw the anger of an existence that was massively stronger than them. Cynrik and Brance were an exception to this. They had witnessed someone at Tier-5, and after their Evolutions, they felt confident in their ability to at least escape from someone at Tier-3 and thus felt nothing when seeing these guards.

    Gabby and Benny were different; the only people they had met who were as powerful as the guards were their parents and the Jetlensr couple. Brance could even feel Gabby trembling and rubbed her hand gently with his thumb to calm her down.

    When it came time for them to get checked over by the guards, Cynrik stepped forward.

    ¡°Payment and ID¡­kid, you know this ce is dangerous; you shouldn¡¯t be here, get the fuck out.¡± Like a broken record, the guard wasn¡¯t even paying attention to who he was speaking; it was only when he looked down and saw four kids who hadn¡¯t even hit puberty that his expression changed.

    ¡°Tsk, do your fucking job, old man; we are here for Phase: 2 of the Academy Exam.¡± Not missing a beat, Cynrik didn¡¯t hold back his words and held up his Watcet, showing off the small golden dongle attached to his wrist.

    When they heard what Cynrik said, Brance and Benny sighed loudly and shook their heads, expecting a fight to break out, leaving only Gabby, who was cringing at the sight of the two Tier-3¡¯s faces turning red.

    Just when the first guard was about to lose his shit, the second grabbed his arm, which had reached for the sword on his hip, and pointed at the golden dongle attached to Cynrik¡¯s Watcet.

    ¡°Dalton, that¡¯s an Elite Exam Token; that kid is a prodigy; it¡¯s best just to let them through.¡± The man named Dalton red angrily at the boy wearing a ck leather hood and spat on the ground.

    ¡°Hurry up and get out of my sight before I beat you and send you back home.¡± Dalton knew better than to stop Exam Applicants, he had been one himself years ago, and he was aware of what happened to idiots who interfered with the testing sites.

    Cynrik chuckled to himself and brushed past the guard named Dalton, aggressively ramming his shoulder into the man¡¯s side and cing his wrist on a device resembling a subway turnstile. With a beep, the device scanned his Watcet before turning green and allowing him to step forward. The rest of the party quickly caught up to Cynrik and followed his previous actions, but not before Brance, stopped, bowed to the guards, and apologized for Cynrik¡¯s rude behavior.

    [You are lucky they didn¡¯t kick your teeth in Cyn; I would let them too. There was no reason to do what you did.]

    There was a distance of a couple hundred meters from the turnstile to the massive energy gate, and as the party made their way over, Brance chastised his brother in the mind link.

    [Ppfft, seriously, that dude is only Tier-3; he couldn¡¯t hit me if he tried. Worst-case scenario, I would use my [Shadow Veil] to pass him and enter the Egress unnoticed.]

    [Yeah, sure, and what about that electricity cloud surrounding the opposite side of the turnstile? That shit would fry you to a crisp and alerted the guards instantly.]

    [Easy, I would have swiped my Watcet while jumping over, just like how I used to when we were kids, and I had to run from the cops after spray painting the walls on Earth.]

    [Dumbass, YOU WOULDN¡¯T HAVE TIME!]

    [Bah, whatever, it doesn¡¯t matter, we made it past them easy enough. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn¡¯t change anything. You know I don¡¯t deal well with people talking down to me.]

    [You¡¯re so fucking frustrating sometimes, Cynrik, why is it so damn hard for you to nod and smile.]

    [Yare Yare.] Cynrik waved his hand at his brother dismissively, stepped up to the Egress entrance, and looked up towards the top.

    [SHUT UP, WEEB!]

    ¡°Ok, weapons out MyrkLys, time to get serious, Bj?rn you¡¯re in the lead, followed by Benjamin. After that, Gabrie, you¡¯ll be in front of me since I¡¯ll take up the rear.¡±

    For a moment, the sounds of a sword being unsheathed and Sheilds unbuckled from their harness bounced off the energy gate, followed by Gabbyining to Cynrik for using her full name.

    Brance split his shields into their two separate forms and was the first to step through the gate, which rippled like water upon making contact with his body. He was immediately followed by Benny, who held up his sword and shield, andstly by Gabby and Cynrik, who entered at the same time.

    Cynrik closed his eyes and watched the gate with his [Mana Sight] as he walked through. He couldn¡¯t see anything except a massive green, liquid film to his shock. It took less than a second for him to step through, and the moment his feet touched the rocky surface on the other side, he was assaulted by a chain of notifications from Tobs.

    -You have entered The Green Alpha Egress named A-G-22097-

    -New party quest detected.-

    ¨C Instance Quest, First Alpha Egress Dive-

    -You have entered the Green Alpha Egress ¡°A-G-22097¡±, and the exit has been sealed. The only way to leave is toplete this quest. You will have 24 hours to do so. The quest requirements will not be shared between the party members, and you must meet them to achieve the Clear Status.

    -Kill 25 Tier-1 Packhounds- (0/25)

    -Kill 25 Tier-1 Fanged Rats- (0/25)

    -Defeat the boss Kobold Shaman.- (0/1)

    -Once youplete the above tasks, you will be allowed to either Exit the Instance or continue to the next level of the dungeon.-

 Chapter 95

    -You have entered The Green Alpha Egress named A-G-22097-

    -New party quest detected.-

    ¨C Instance Quest, First Alpha Dive-

    -You have entered the Green Alpha Egress ¡°A-G-22097¡±, and the exit has been sealed. The only way to leave is toplete this quest. You will have 24 hours to do so. The quest requirements will not be shared between the party members, and you must meet them to achieve the Clear Status. The only exception is the task involving the Dungeon Boss.

    -Kill 25 Tier-1 Packhounds- (0/25)

    -Kill 25 Tier-1 Fanged Rats- (0/25)

    -Defeat the Dungeon Boss- Kobold Shaman.- (0/1)

    -Once youplete the above tasks, you will be allowed to either Exit the Instance or continue to the next level of the dungeon.-

    ¡°Welp, I guess that¡¯s a thing. Alright, everyone, listen up.¡± Cynrik walked toward the center of the rocky cavern, which was the entrance to the dungeon, before turning and facing the members of his party and pping his hands loudly, causing the sound to echo down the dark tunnel behind him.

    ¡°We each need a specific number of kills on rats and wolves; since this is an Instance dungeon, that means it¡¯s just us in here. The goal is to trek the caverns ahead and make our way towards the boss room where we will find the Kobold Shaman, remember if there¡¯s one Kobold, there will be dozens. The n doesn¡¯t change; Brance will take the lead, with Benny close behind as we walk. From the intel I gathered back in the Compound, this Egress is a chain of different caves and caverns. First, all of the monsters spawn within the open caverns, so we shouldn¡¯t be facing anything on the way. Next, since this is only a Green Alpha, we shouldn¡¯t encounter any traps in the tunnels. HOWEVER, there have been cases of a creature called Mimics disguising themselves as treasure chests. So if you find a box lying around, let me handle it.¡±

    ¡°It should be a rtively straight shot to the Boss room, Gabby; Benny, how many kills do you guys need?¡±

    ¡°I need ten wolves and 15 rats,¡± Benny spoke up first, to which Cynrik just nodded.

    ¡°Me too.¡± Gabby chirped, pulling her hand away from Brance and raising it like she was talking to a teacher.

    ¡°Alright, Brance and I need 25 of each, so we will let you guys get the final hit to clear your tasks first before going after our own. The intel I read gave me a rough estimate on the amount of XP we can expect, along with the rough power scale of the monsters. REMEMBER, and yes, I¡¯m talking to you, GABBY, for the love of all that is mighty, don¡¯t run up and check if they¡¯re dead once we down them. Leave that to me.¡±

    ¡°I WOULDN¡¯T DOOO THAT!¡± Gabby started whining immediately but was cut off by Cynrik, who raised his hand.

    ¡°Ah, ah, I see you¡¯ve already forgotten the incident that urred in your Virtual Training Facility.¡±

    Snapping her head at Benny, Gabby red daggers at him, causing a shiver to go down his spine.

    ¡°Don¡¯t me him,¡± with raised eyebrows, Cynrik made a pointing motion with his thumb in Brances direction. A smirk crept up his lips as he watched realization set in on Gabby¡¯s face, and he had to stop fromughing when he saw the look of utter betrayal she was aiming at Brance.

    ¡°Can we please just get on with the dungeon Cynrik?¡±

    [Why are you sewing discord with the party so soon?] Brance spoke both out loud and in the mind link, causing Cynrik to twitch his head slightly.

    ¡°We¡¯ve only got 24 hours to get the quest done, so let¡¯s hurry up.¡±

    [What seems to be the problem, Big Brother? You don¡¯t like when I think and talk at the same time?] Once again, Brance spoke using two channels, this time forcing Cynrik to quiver and make his left eye twitch.

    Cynrik flipped Brance the middle finger with red nostrils and stormed off out of the cavern down the left side of a fork that appears on the opposite end of the area.

    [Aw, did I make Cynnie Winnie upset. HAHA, it¡¯s about time I found something that annoyed the shit out of you. Why didn¡¯t I figure this out sooner?]

    In actuality, what Brance was doing right now, was something even Cynrik wasn¡¯t able to. Essentially, he split his thoughts in half and sent one part out of his mouth and the other into the mind link. This parallel brain process wasplicated, and he had randomly thought of doing it without expecting any kind of return. To put it in simpler terms, Brance was using the left side of his brain to speak and the right side of his brain to use mind link.

    Even with Cynrik¡¯s insane level of multitasking, this wasn¡¯t something he could do without practice. It was mainly rooted in the fact he was considered a left-brain person. While Brance, who was the more creative of the two, was a right brain.

    ¡°Um, Brancie, I¡¯m allowed to call you Brancie instead of J?rnie since we are in an Instance, and it¡¯s only us, right?¡± As they raced to catch up with the foul mood version of Cynrik, Gabby posed one of her innocent questions to Brance.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine; why do you think Cyn called you Gabby earlier instead of your full name like he did outside?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm,¡± tapping her chin in a manner reminiscent of how Cynrik always did, Brance could practically see the hamster wheel in her head turning as she tried toe up with an answer for his question.

    Seeing a vein bulge on her temple, Brance opted just to answer his own question and save her the brainpower. ¡°It¡¯s because when we are in public, he wants everyone to have a professional view of all of us. So he doesn¡¯t necessarily care if he needs to y the role of the bad guy, but he is trying to be sure people don¡¯t look down on us as a party.¡±

    ¡°AH, so that¡¯s how it is. I thought he was just teasing me, like when I puked earlier.¡±

    ¡°Nope, hehe,¡± noticing the party catching up to him, Cynrik chimed in and even ruffled Gabbys head with a slight bit of affection, making Brance look at him curiously.

    [What, she¡¯s gunna end up as my sister-inw someday, I might as well be sure she doesn¡¯t hate me entirely.]

    ¡°Tut,¡± Brance rolled his eyes and nged his shields together, making a loud noise before walking past Cynrik, who was crouched down on one knee.

    Even though they hadn¡¯t gone far, the party had arrived at the first spawn point, and 50 meters ahead, Brance could see over a dozen hulking brown rats, and he used [Inspect].

    -Level 12 Tier-1 Brown Fanged Rat..-

    -Height: 2¡ä 7¡å.-

    -Weight: 60 lbs.-

    -Category: Mutated Rodent.-

    -Threat Level = Just keep an eye on them.-

    -Description: Omnivorous in nature. This creature has been affected by arge source of Mana, forcing it to Evolve into the First Tier. Unlike its origin species, the Fanged Rat is not skittish and is known to be highly aggressive. They are one of the few creatures who can move just as swiftly onnd as in water, thanks to their webbed back feet, which act as flippers.-

    [Tobs¡­this description¡­why do you sound like a specific little red tablet?] Like Brance, Cynrik had used [Inspect] on one of the Fanged Rats but was caught off guard by its data.

    -As usual, I have used an information collection method constructed from the Host¡¯s memories. I have determined this to be the most effective way to disy said information.-

    [Hehe, Tobs, you¡¯re making me wanna call you Dexter.]

    [Leave Tobs alone; I think it¡¯s perfect.]

    Gabby crept up beside Cynrik and pulled her bow off her back. Then, looking to Cynrik for confirmation, which she received instantly, she nocked one of her arrows onto the string and pulled it back towards her ear.

    ¡°Remember, Gabby, when shooting at a distance, you need to aim a little higher than their body so the arrow can¡­¡±

    Twang

    Cynrik stopped mid-sentence as Gabby released her shot. The arrow seemed to flicker out of sight before mming directly into the target she had picked¡¯s eye.

    Completely blindsided by the sudden attack, the now one-eyed rat screamed in agony, whipping its head back and forth and wing at the shaft of the arrow.

    ¡°Well fuck me then, [FIREBALL],¡± peeved by Gabby, choosing to ignore his advice, Cynrik mumbled and snapped his fingers, forming a baseball-sized ball of mes in his left hand, then sent it at the same Fanged Rat Gabby had hit.

    Just as Cynrikunched the [Fireball], Brance moved into action with both shields drawn and charged into the mischief (groups of rats are called this) of Fanged Rats, with Benny not far behind.

    Arriving close enough to the mischief, and although already receiving the res of their beady eyes, Brance still activated his [Taunt], forcing all of them to only pay attention to him.

    ¡°Oi, you ugly bastards, get over here,¡± Brance shouted at the rodents; his voice seemed to be a little deeper than usual when he did so.

    -Tier-1 Warrior Skill: Taunt-

    -By shouting at a particr frequency, the User will draw the Aggro of all low intelligence creatures within a 5-meter radius.-

    -The higher a creature¡¯s INT stat, the less effective this skill will be.-

    -Taunt can be broken if an outside being deals a certain amount of damage, and the Aggro will be transferred to that being.-

    Instantly, seven Fanged Rats peeled off from the rest and charged at Brance with bared fangs dripping in saliva.

    Although they were considered quick monsters, in Brance¡¯s keen eyesight, the Fanged Rats weren¡¯t moving any faster than a tame dog. When the first one came into range, Brance nted his feet and swung his left CS-Tear with enough force to send the attacker into the air while using his other shield to hack off the rat¡¯s front paws.

    But before the creature could even emit a bloodcurdling scream, Gabby turned it into a pincushion, leaving a twitching corpse hurtling through the air.

 Chapter 96

    Like a well-oiled machine, Fanged Rats fell dead one after another. Thebination of Brance and Gabby was devastating. With Brance pulling their aggro before flinging them up and Gabby¡¯s rapid-firing arrows into their weak points, it only took a couple of minutes for the pair to massacre the entire mischief.

    -Your Party has killed 14 Brown Fanged Rats.-

    -All Party members have received 180,000 XP-

    -Party Member Gabrie Sanford¡¯s (Gabby) Prestige has increased.-

    -Party Member Benjamin Sanford¡¯s (Benny) Prestige has increased.-

    -All Party members have received 10 AGI and 4 DEX-

    -14 Affinitiless Tier-1 Codexes have been located-

    -Due to the restrictions in ce by the Alpha Egress Core, you will have to remove the Codexes manually.-

    -Sliver of Skill (7) have been located.-

    Due to the restrictions in ce by the Alpha Egress Core, you will have to remove the Slivers of Skill manually.-

    Brance and Benny stood back to back with shields raised, panting heavily, as was Gabby, who was shaking her right arm vigorously to get the blood pumping again. This left only Cynrik, who had periodically saved the other two boys from getting overwhelmed with an asional [Fireball], to collect their spoils.

    With [Mana Sight] active and his left hidden de extended, Cynrik moved from one dead rat to the next, digging out their Codexes and moving on to search for the Slivers of Skill.

    Unlike Codexes, however, these Slivers didn¡¯t emit a Mana signature, and he found himself at a loss after staring nkly at one of the corpses for a couple of minutes.

    Although [Mana Sight] was extremely helpful in most cases, it wasn¡¯t omniscient, at least not in its current state. So even though it acted like a pseudo-form of x-ray vision, it turned out to be rtively useless when looking for something tiny like a Sliver of Skill.

    With no other option, Cynrik turned to Tobs for help.

    [Tobs, can you give me a general location to search, we are pressed for time, and I can¡¯t exactly perform a necropsy on this thing.]

    -¡­-

    [Plllleeeaaassssseee!] Cynrik even went so far as aiming puppy eyes and sticking out his bottom lip towards the cavern ceiling, where he imagined she was floating.

    -Sigh, check the head.-

    [Thankies Tobs, love yah mean it,] jumping excitedly on the torso of a dead Fanged Rat, Cynrik expertly started carving at the head. Thanks to his STR and DEX, it was effortless to crack open the creature¡¯s skull and cut into its brain, so after a few moments of digging, Cynrik located an anomaly in the rat¡¯s brain and plucked out a tiny wooden piece.

    ¡°Oi Benny, wash this thing off for me,¡± not wanting to rub the mixture of rat brain matter and blood on his clothes, he enlisted the help of the Party¡¯s Water Affinity User.

    A few seconds and a ssh of waterter, Cynrik held up the small piece of wood named Sliver of Skill and used his [Inspect]

    -You have Inspected a Skill Point Item.-

    -These items are broken into the following categories, Sliver, Shard, Fragment, Piece, and Chunk.-

    -Each category has a specific Skill Point value. Sliver: 1 SP, Shard: 3 SP, Fragment 10 SP, Piece: 50 SP, Chunk: 100 SP.-

    -To obtain the SP stored within the item, you must absorb it into your Codex.

    ¡°Shit, that¡¯s pretty relevant,¡± with newfound vigor, Cynrik bounced around to all the remaining corpses, cracking their heads like watermelons and digging out the other six Slivers of Skill.

    Finished with his task, Cynrik was in the middle of wiping the sttered blood and brain matter off his face when he heard an awkward cough behind him, making him freeze in ce.

    Turning his head robotically, his eyesnded on his Party members, of which Gabby and Benny were pale-faced and about to throw up, while Brance had his arms crossed and was shaking his head in disappointment.

    The three of them had been watching in horror as Cynrik set about cracking skulls and chests to pluck out their war spoils. The act itself wasn¡¯t what bothered them; instead, it was the look of excitement and joy stered on Cynrik¡¯s face as he violently stabbed the dead Fanged Rats without caring about blood or even brain matter sttering all over his body.

    ¡°Benny, do me a favor and st my idiot Big Brother with [Water Sphere], please.¡± Brance moved his body in front of Gabby to block the sight of his bloodthirsty brother from her innocent eyes.

    ¡°With pleasure Brancie,¡± cracking his knuckles aggressively and whirling his right arm like a softball pitcher, Benny conjured a massive [Water Sphere] and chucked it directly at Cynrik, who didn¡¯t even bother trying to defend himself.

    All Cynrik could do was suck in arge gulp of air before he waspletely engulfed in a ball of water and flung across the cavern.

    SPLASH, BANG

    Swept away through the air by the ball of water, Cynrik mmed into the rocky wall, which not only shattered the [Water Sphere] but also nearly cracked his head on the wall from the impact.

    ¡°Mother fucker, BENNY CMON MAN, couldn¡¯t you have been more gentle.¡±

    Benny didn¡¯t bother responding and turned instead to Brance, holding Gabby¡¯s head against his chest and looking in the opposite direction.

    ¡°He¡¯s all clean, Brancie.¡±

    ¡°Mhm, OI CYN, do something about those freaking corpses; your little stunt is gunna give Gabby nightmares.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m on it,¡± picking himself up and dusting his jacket off, Cynrik waved his hands and summoned 14 balls of [ckFire] the size of his fist, and directed one to each corpse; due to the corrosive nature of the mes, the instant they made contact with the bodies, they erupted in fire, and momentster, were turned into ash.

    Clearing his throat to signal the deed was done, Cynrik pulled out the seven wooden Slivers from his inventory and gave them another look over.

    Brance first made sure Gabby was fine before making his way to his brother and checking out the items received from the Fanged Rats skulls.

    Cynrik only pulled his attention from the Slivers for an instant before extending his open palm to Brance, who subsequently plucked one of the Slivers of Skill from his hand.

    ¡°Well, this actually makes a lot of sense. I was always confused about why skill points had a mary value, considering how big of a pain in the butt it¡¯s been to earn them. Now we know you get them from killing Egress monsters.¡±

    ¡°Un, from what I know, 1 SP is the equivalent of two hundred Credits. If we use that conversion ratio, then we¡¯ve got 1400 Creds, tack on the value of the rat Fangs, which ording to the Compound Hub, sell for about 500 each, and the Tier-1 Affinitiless Codexes, which go for around 1k each, our sum total just off a single battle is 30k. Split that four ways, and we each get 7.5k creds.¡± Cynrik did the math out loud, and out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Benny and Gabby going wide-eyed.

    ¡°Oh, this is nothing, you two, just wait till we jump into higher grade Egresses, its not umon to walk away with millions of credits.¡± Cynrik and Brance both chuckled lightly as they caught Gabby wiping the drool from her chin; it was clear she was only thinking with her stomach at that moment.

    ¡°Alright, Gabby, you should only need to eliminate six more rats, and Benny still needs ten more. Sigh, watching y¡¯all have all the fun is making me itchy, so let¡¯s try and clear them up as soon as possible.¡±

    Taking a knee and waving his Party members over, Cynrik started drawing a crude map on the dirt floor with his index finger. Within a couple of seconds, he dexterously and urately established a rough draft of the dungeon¡¯syout for the others.

    ¡°Now then, the boxes that have a squiggle in them represent the Fanged Rat¡¯s nests. As you can see, there are a total of eight left since we already cleared out the first. So these boxes here¡­here¡­and here, which I¡¯ve marked with a star, represent treasure rooms.¡±

    Gabby and Benny listened closely and followed with their eyes wherever Cynrik pointed, and Brance watched quietly from behind. He had already been filled in, and since they could send images through their mind link, Cynrik had already shown him the mental picture of the map he had memorized earlier.

    ¡°The boxes with an X represent where the Packhounds dens are, andstly, the circled boxes are the potential Boss room spawns. Since the Boss room is constantly moving in an unknown pattern, the best I could gather is it¡¯ll end up being one of these.¡±

    ¡°Our goal, for now, is to skirt around all the Packhound dens and single out only the Fanged Rats until we¡¯ve all cleared the quest tasks. Keeping up the same pace we used for the nest we just cleared should take us roughly three to four hours to wipe out all eight remaining nests. Then, once we are done with the rats, we will stop for an hour to recuperate any lost Mana and Stamina, as well as it¡¯ll be lunchtime.¡±

    When Cynrik finished speaking, he looked up at Gabby to try and figure out her mental state. When he saw her eyes were lively and she seemed as energetic as usual, he calmly stood up and tussled her hair. Earlier, his ?sir Bloodline had caused his bloodlust to peak, making him worried that he¡¯d frighten the little girl too badly, but when he saw she seemed fine, Cynrik pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind.

    ¡°You did well out there squirt, have a sourball.¡±

    ¡°YAYYY!¡±

    With a flick of his wrist, a neatly wrapped sour candy appeared in his palm, causing Gabby to squeal, snatch it from him, and jam it into her mouth happily.

    ¡°Ohqay, Onwawrd koo dah ext wats!¡± Gabby proimed, pointing towards the tunnel at the far side of the room. The others were used to Gabbys attempts to talk with candy in her mouth and quickly tranted her words to ¡°Ok, onward to the next rats.¡±

 Chapter 97

    Determined to clear through the Fanged Rats as soon as possible, MyrkLys picked up their pace. Using the camera function on their Watcets, Gabby and Benny captured the crude map Cynrik had drawn and had it up in the form of a hologram as they trekked through the winding tunnels.

    Surprisingly enough, Gabby¡¯s idea was actually to put the map in everyone¡¯s hands. When she voiced how unfair it was for Cynrik to be the only one not lost in thework of rocky caves, Benny and Brance came to her defense. After a brief argument before leaving the first nest, Cynrik eventually yielded to the little girl. As a result, everyone but him, who had memorized the whole dungeon, was walking with their arm extended out, watching the digital picture of the map floating in the air.

    ¡°Honestly, you guys are so unruly. Why is it so hard to just follow me?¡± Cynrik aired his dissatisfactions while pouting. As much as he hates losing to someone like Brance or even Cinyah, it was worse to be vetoed by Gabby, who he considered the annoying little sister of the group.

    ¡°That¡¯s riching from you, Big Brother. Aren¡¯t you the KING of being ¡°unruly,¡± just let it go? You win some, and you lose some.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Cynrik, we all know how my little sister gets when she doesn¡¯t get her way. Would you rather spend the next four hours hearing herin about being lost over and over in a loop?¡± Even Benny chimed in with ament.

    ¡°Tsk, y¡¯all drive me nuts.¡± Seeing how smug Gabby was acting thanks to defeating him in a verbal confrontation made Cynrik wanna rush forward and snatch the sour candy from her mouth.

    ¡°Everyone look alive; we are nearing the second rodent¡¯s nest.¡±

    [Cyn, are we goin with the same strat as before?]

    [For the most part, yeah, it really depends on how many rats there are. If there¡¯s a sizeable amount like in the first nest, we can start with Gabby finishing her quota. Then it¡¯ll fall to Benny to start his.]

    In Brance¡¯s perspective, it seemed Cynrik was a bit more annoyed than usual, so he decided to bring it up.

    [You good? Since we got here, you¡¯ve been a bit¡­I don¡¯t know¡­off.]

    [Sigh, it¡¯s these fucking cave walls. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s the Egress Cores doing or something weird with the Mana flow here, but my [Mana Sight] is basically showing me static. If it weren¡¯t for me having the map, we¡¯d actually be totally lost. Just about the only time, it works properly is when I have a clear line of sight on the monsters. Not to mention, losing control of my bloodlust isn¡¯t exactly ¡°fun.¡±]

    Unexpectedly Cynrik was rtively open and responded, rendering Brance momentarily speechless.

    [Don¡¯t worry bout me, Brance; I¡¯m good.] Sensing his words were causing Brance stress, Cynrik decided to gloss it over and y it off as if it wasn¡¯t that big of a deal.

    [Besides, once Gabby and Benny finish up with their rats, I can let loose a bit and chip away at my own task. That should calm me down for a while.]

    [If you say so¡­]

    Weaving through a handful of twists and turns in the tunnels, the party arrived outside the next nest and went into stalk mode. Like hunters sneaking up on their prey, all four of them walked while crouching low to the ground; eventually, when they were barely out of earshot of the mischief, Cynrik waved them closer so he could distribute roles in a hushed tone.

    ¡°I wanna try something a bit different this time. Although, unlike thest nest, this one has fewer rats, I only counted seven, one of which is a tad bit stronger than the others. So don¡¯t worry about the big one; I¡¯ll lock it down with a new skill I¡¯ve been meaning to test.¡±

    ¡°Our objective this time is to work on our versatility inbat. The first nest was pretty sloppy initially, and it took us a while to fall in line together. If our opponents were stronger, there¡¯s a good chance we would have ended up in danger. Gabby, at the start, when Brance rushes out to draw their aggro, I want you to toss out your [Confusion]. Try hitting all of them except for the big grey one; the more you hit, the easier this will go. Then, Benny, I want you to herd them together with either [Wave] or a few well-ced [Water Sphere]. The goal is to corral them while they¡¯re under the effect of Gabby¡¯s skill.¡±

    ¡°We will be primarily working on our CC or crowd control skills in a group battle setting. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t viable to try this at thest nest, but this is an excellent opportunity since there are so few rats.¡±

    ¡°Brance will be there to back yall up with his [Taunt], and I¡¯ll be dealing with the big rat nearby, so feel free to go a bit wild and test yourselves. I want us to be confident if we are forced into a situation where we are at a considerable disadvantage. The more experience you get, the less likely you¡¯ll be to panic if you get surrounded. Everyone got it?¡±

    ¡°Yep, yep¡±

    ¡°Copy¡±

    ¡°Copy¡±

    Gabby spat out her typical response, which was no surprise, but Benny mimicked Brance. Whenever Cynrik and Brance would discuss tactics or even when ying games, if there were some kind of briefing conversation involved, they would fall back into their old military ways subconsciously. Thus Benny had heard them use the phrases ¡°Copy,¡± ¡°Roger,¡± ¡°Negative,¡± and ¡°Affirmative¡± hundreds of times and for some reason chose now to use it.

    Cynrik tossed a sidelong nce at Brance, who was smiling at Benny¡¯s disy of military bearing, and he shook his head.

    ¡°OK, Gabby, Brance, you¡¯re up.¡±

    Springing to her feet, Gabby was the first to act, followed by Brance, who charged in the direction of the unsuspecting Fanged Rats, who at that moment were devouring the remains of something unknown.

    Quickly, Gabby dashed off towards the right side of the open cavern, leaving Brance executing a head-on attack.

    ¡°[Confusion],¡± Skidding to a stop, she ced her right hand on her temple and muttered the name of her skill to activate it.

    -Tier-0 Psychic Affinity Skill: Confusion.-

    -The User generates a small translucent orb and fires it at a target. Upon contact, the orb will inflict the status ¡°Confused¡± on the target.-

    -Status Effect Confused: While afflicted with this status, the target will be unable to focus its thoughts properly and suffer blurred vision and nausea. The target will have a 50% chance of hurting themself and will not be able to perform physical actions correctly. Duration 30 seconds to one minute depending on the disparity between the MIND Stat of the skill User and the Target..-

    -The Users MIND stat determines duration and effect severity, and so long as the User stat is higher than the targets, there is a 70% chance of inflicting the status ailment. On the other hand, if the target has an equal or greater MIND stat to the User of this skill, there is only a 30% chance of seeding.

    When Gabby activated her skill, six translucent balls of Mana condensed around her head, floating silently. Exhaling slowly and a little shaky, Gabby lowered her hand from her temple and thrust it forward, guiding the orbs away from herself andunching them at their intended targets, the six smaller rats.

    Although a little clumsy and slow, the orbs silently moved across the cavern; secondster, each one merged into the head of a rat. Their effect was instant. Fanged Rats weren¡¯t intelligent monsters, to begin with, and with Gabbys 65 points in MIND, the skill had a high chance of inflicting the negative status.

    The change in their demeanor was drastic. One moment the poor rats were munching away happily on Allfather knows what, and the next, their eyes crossed, and they, forck of a better word, became stupid.

    The scene was quiteical for Cynrik; he hadn¡¯t seen Gabby¡¯s [Confusion] in action before but was quite satisfied with the results. Cynrik even started rubbing his eyes for a second because he swore he was hallucinating stars floating around the rat¡¯s heads; Once sure it wasn¡¯t real, he too went into action.

    Exhaling slowly, Cynrik calmly made a w with his right hand while raising his arm across his body and towards his face; the tips of each of his fingers were glowing with visible Darkness Mana, leaving an afterimage trail as his hand moved.

    ¡°[Shadow Sewing]¡± the shadows around Cynriks body began to move as if alive, swirling around like a turbulent ocean

    -Tier-1.5 Dark Affinity Skill: Shadow Sewing-

    -By condensing Dark Affinity Mana into their fingers, The User is able to materialize up to five tendrils of Darkness Mana. Each tendril will have a range of ten meters and can be controlled independently. By adjusting the amount of Mana condensed in each one, the User can adjust the thickness of the shadow tendrils. While this skill is active, the User will not be able to move from the position they were in when it was activated.- ¨C

    ¨C The Shadow tendrils can be used to attack or bind; in the case of Binding, the tendril will root the target to their own shadow on the ground or nearest ne, inflicting the status Bind.-

    ¨C Status Effect: Bind ¨C Targets under this effect are rooted in ce and rendered unable to move so long as the status is active. The chance of triggering this status is 20% per tendril attached to a target¡¯s shadow.-

    ¨C The primary use of this skill is locking the target(s) in ce; however, they can be weaponized by adjusting their thickness or sharpness. Targets afflicted with the Bind status will have it until the User stops supplying Mana to the tendrils or the target breaks free by destroying them.-

    ¨C Durability: 2000 Per Shadow Tendril.-

    -Activation cost: 50 MP per Shadow Tendril-

    -Sustain Cost: 5 MP per tendril per Second, the Cost to sustain the skill will increase if the target resists, increasing the MP cost as well as causing damage to the durability of the tendril in question.-

 Chapter 98

    ¡°[Shadow Sewing]¡± the shadows around Cynriks body began to move as if alive, swirling around like a turbulent ocean.

    Brance¡¯s eyes flicked towards therge grey Fanged Rat, the target of Cynriks attack, and sucked in a sharp, cold breath. An inky ck shadow churned slowly under its feet, making Brance doubt that it was even standing on solid ground. The unsuspecting Fanged Rat didn¡¯t even understand what was about to happen, as five sharp tendrils erupted from its shadow and violently stabbed into its body, causing blood to spurt out from each new hole.

    The rat¡¯s eyes shot wide open in both fear and rage as it began screeching in pain, sending tremors through its entire body. But, as it soon found out, no matter how hard it screamed or struggled, its body wouldn¡¯t obey themands its brain was sending.

    -You have inflicted the negative status: Bind on a Level 15 Tier-1 Grey Fanged Rat.-

    A creepy smile spread across Cynrik¡¯s face as he read the notification for his sessful Bind. He couldn¡¯t help but be amazed at how practical his new skill, which he obtained from his Evolution, was. As he admired his handy work, out the corner of his eye, he spotted Benny moving about, casting small one-meter tall waves of water around each of the confused rats.

    Benny articted his fingers like a pianist creating small pens of water confining each of the rats while he and Brance went about chipping down their HP so that Gabby would be able to deliver the decisive blow. Then, as the timer for Gabby¡¯s [Confusion] was about to wear off, she fired a single arrow at the heads of all six rats, reaping them of their lives.

    From start to finish, the poor Fanged Rats had no idea what even hit them, and they fell silently and humanely.

    -Your Party has killed 6 Brown Fanged Rats.-

    -All Party members have received 7900 XP-

    -All Party members have received 3 AGI and 3 DEX-

    -6 Affinitiless Tier-1 Codexes have been located-

    -Due to the restrictions in ce by the Alpha Egress Core, you will have to manually remove the Codexes.-

    -Sliver of Skill (2) has been located.-

    -Due to the restrictions in ce by the Alpha Egress Core, you will have to manually remove the Slivers of Skill.-

    [Cyn, do you need me to grab the Codexes and Slivers?] When thest rat fell, Brance looked over and noticed Cynrik hadn¡¯t moved an inch from the position he stood when he had activated his [Shadow Sewing].

    [Sigh, yeah. As it is, I cannot move when I use this damn skill. What a drag. -.-] Quoting a character from a popr anime that had a simr skill to what Cynrik currently had active, he informed Brance about the single w, which it seemed to also share with that character.

    Unable to leave so long as his skill was active, Cynrik stood like the statue of an edgelord, with his right hand shaped in a w and grasping the air just in front of his face.

    Benny and Brance snickered at the older boys¡¯ expense, leaving only Gabby, who raced over to Cynrik¡¯s side and admired how cool he looked in her opinion.

    The entire time this was going on, they were serenaded by the chorus of screams and growlsing from the shadow-bound grey Fanged Rat, but no one seemed to be bothered or even paying attention to its agony.

    ¡°Ok, this sucks. SCREW THIS MAN!¡±

    [TOBS, HOW MANY FUCKING POINTS TO I GOTTA POUR INTO THIS THING TO BE ABLE TO MOVE!]

    Fed up that he couldn¡¯t show off or even swat the buzzing fly known as Gabby, Cynrik screamed into the mind link, drawing a loud chortle from Brance, who nearly fell overughing.

    -The Tier-1.5 Dark Affinity Skill: Shadow Sewing has three stages of Evolution. The first urs at 25 points; in this stage, the Host will gain the ability to move your upper body while the skill is active; there will also be an increase in the durability of the tendrils to 3000 HP.-

    -The second stagees at 50 points; you will gain the use of five other tendrils, the cost for activation will be reduced to 20 per Shadow Tendril, and the cost of sustaining the skill will be reduced.

    -The third and final stage of Evolution will allow the Host free range of their entire body while the skill is active, and the activation cost will be reduced to 15 MP per tendril. Also, the sustenance cost will be reduced to 2 MP per second.-

    [FUCK IT, take the damn points away, Tobs.]

    -You have spent 75 SP on the Tier-1.5 Dark Affinity Skill: Shadow Sewing.-

    -Shadow Sewing has reached 75/75 Skill points and, as a result, has evolved to Special Grade. The skill will now present power beyond what was previously capable.-

    -You cannot Evolve this skill further at this time due to your Affinity not having reached Tier-2.-

    A wave of information flooded directly into Cynrik¡¯s cerebral cortex, containing all of his newly upgraded skill data. But, of course, this was something he was prepared for. Themonly nicknamed ¡°memory dump¡± was a staple for Systems on Vinestra, and since no one had exined it to the brothers, they had been caught with their pants down the first time it urred.

    When a being learned a new skill, the system would automatically download all of the data about everything from how it was used to even visuals rted to how the skill would look in the form of memory fragments. The only downside to this was they were basically only given the cliff notes version of their abilities. It was up to the individual to figure out how they actually worked and how to utilize them effectively.

    Cynrik referred to these memory fragments as the skill¡¯s ¡°training wheels,¡± in his opinion, they weren¡¯t any better than the written descriptions. The only valuable part was the imagery you¡¯d receive. Being someone who used to live for video games, manga, and anime, so long as Cynrik had some kind of picture of how the skill looked, he would be able to figure out the rest from there.

    Brance had been listening in to the whole thing, and when he saw his brother¡¯s body start twitching slightly, his eyes shot wide open, and he ran to grab Gabby. Seeing how Cynrik¡¯s face changed after digesting the info for his new skill, he knew something was wrong.

    Instantly appearing next to the little girl who was still teasing Cynrik, Brance scooped her up under his armpit and kicked the ground as hard as possible, throwing himself in Benny¡¯s direction.

    Brance¡¯s timing was impable, as the second he was out of the way, the shadows under Cynrik¡¯s feet exploded into five tendrils, ripping through the air and making a b-line for the grey rat. Less than a secondter, all five sunk themselves into the open spots on its body, forcing the Fanged Rat to throw up a mouthful of blood.

    Making a slicing motion at his own shadow, Cynrik severed the tendrils connected to himself and manipted them to reconnect with the rat¡¯s shadow, making it the point of origin for all ten.

    With a twisted expression on his face, Cynrik articted each of his fingers which controlled one tendril, and made a tearing motion with his arms, ripping the Fanged rat to shreds forming a mist of blood and gore silencing the rat of its agony.

    Then with a flick of his wrist, the cloud of blood was set aze in [ckFire], making it seem that the rat had never existed in the first ce.

    Standing in ce and breathing raggedly, Cynrik looked at the members of his party, saw their expressions of horror, and shook his head sadly. Thispse of judgment was caused by the anger of being frozen in ce; he had lost control of himself.

    Brance had seen the signs of this and acted ordingly, pulling Gabby to a safe distance and cing himself in the potential path of destruction if he was forced to defend Gabby and Benny. However, even he was a little frightened by Cynrik¡¯s sudden outburst.

    [Calm them down, I¡­I need to go, don¡¯t worry about me; when I clear my head, I¡¯ll join back up with you all. I¡¯m heading over to the Packhounds andpleting my tasks alone. It¡¯s better this way for now. I don¡¯t want them to be scarred by what¡¯s going on with me right now.]

    Cynrik tossed a final sad look at Gabby, who was petrified by what she had just witnessed and activated another one of his new skills, [Shadow Leap].

    -Tier-1.5 Dark Affinity Skill: Shadow Leap.-

    -By coating yourself in pure Dark Mana, you can sink into your own shadow and flit from shadow to shadow unhindered by three-dimensional objects. While you¡¯ll be unaffected by physical damage inside your own shadow, you can still be wounded by Elemental and Mental damage. If you suffer any damage while traveling in the shadows, you will forcefully be ejected and suffer a two-hour cooldown penalty. ¨C

    -Activation Cost: 300 MP.-

    -Sustaining Cost: 10 MP per second.-

    Like slipping into a pool of water, Cynrik dropped down into his own shadow and disappeared from sight, leaving Brance, Gabby, and Benny alone in the cavern.

    The three sat in stunned silence for 15 minutes, with the only sound being the ttering of Gabbys teeth, as she gripped onto Brance, shivering and reliving the brutal scene she had witnessed.

    In her mind, Cynrik was always standoffish and kind of distant, but she had never seen him be cruel. Those cruel eyes were even directed at her for a second, and as she relived the memory of him shredding the rat, she could feel tears welling up in her eyes.

    At that moment, she didn¡¯t see Cynrik as the older brother who always teased and made fun of her but still gave in to her selfish demands. Instead, she saw him as one of the viins in the stories her mom used to read her before bed.

    Brance looked down at the little girl nestled into his chest and heaved a heavy sigh.

    ¡°Gabby, Benny, I need you both to listen to what I am about to say. What you saw earlier, that wasn¡¯t the real Cynrik. Unfortunately, he is in a lot of pain and is sick right now. But, you know he loves you both like siblings and would never hurt either of you. That¡¯s why he left. He doesn¡¯t want you guys or me to see how bad he¡¯s hurting. Cyn is confused and scared, and he doesn¡¯t know how to handle his feelings. So please¡­don¡¯t be scared of him. Right now, he needs us. He needs to know we still care about him. He needs to see that we don¡¯t fear him.¡±

 Chapter 99

    POV Cynrik

    Dating back to my childhood on Earth, there has always been one thing I didn¡¯t handle well. Emotions. From a young age, I was raised to believe that a man should never outwardly show what¡¯s going on in their head. That to offer any form of emotion was considered a sign of weakness.

    I can still remember vividly not feeling what it means to be happy or sad. I was damaged. I¡¯m not sure when exactly it started, all I can remember is being unfeeling and learning the outward appearance of what ordinary people looked like. This was to emte it and wear the mask that I was a regr person. All the while, deep down, all I was, was empty.

    My parents were divorced when I was young, and the split was more devastating than you¡¯d expect. I was only seven at the time, and I went from having a happy, typical familial environment to the family only being my brother, mother, and I.. Then the custody battle began, and our father won. So we moved in with him while our mother moved out of state, over a thousand miles away.

    I can remember the day I found my father sitting alone in the living room with the lights off, in tears. It wasn¡¯t just my world that changed when our family fell apart, but also his. My father loved my mother dearly, and honestly, to this day, I believe he did his best to do right by my younger brother and me.

    The problem was he was from a different generation. The over twenty-year age gap between my parents saw my younger brother and me as the 3rd and 4th of my father¡¯s children. So he was at an age where his kids should be off and grown, yet here he was, having to raise a seven and 5-year-old. My younger brother was still too young and wasn¡¯t really aware of what was going on, but I was different; I was already in second grade and knew something massive had changed.

    Looking back, it¡¯s kind of funny; in my first life, I grew up in a family of all guys, without a mother to run to for anyfort. Yet after my reincarnation, I was gifted the familial love I never realized how badly I wanted and needed.

    There was amon phrase I heard my father say thousands of times on Earth, ¡°Men raise boys differently.¡± Honestly, it wasn¡¯t until I was an adult that I truly understood what he meant. My brother and I were raised to be warriors. From the time my parents split, we were thrust into all kinds of martial arts. Karate, Taekwondo, Jiujitsu, Muay Thai, Kick Boxing, Wrestling are only a few things we learned. Each time we would reach a suitable rank of progression, we were forced to choose another discipline.

    But that¡¯s not all; while kids were growing up watching cartoons about dinosaurs teaching you how to count, my brother and I were watching Fighting Championships. Instead of watching sing-along movies, we were watching war documentaries.

    Then, there was the survival and weapons training. Every three months, my father would take my brother and me, and ditch us in the woods for two weeks, hundreds of miles from home, with only an empty two-gallon jug, knife, machete, and a backpack.

    Over time we started to change, robbed of any semnce of a normal childhood; it¡¯s honestly amazing I didn¡¯t crack back then. I found the only sce in Manga, light novels, and Anime. In every story, there was a set of rules that characters abided by, and honestly, I desperately wished before bed every night that I could be reincarnated into a world like that.

    But everything changed when my brother entered middle school. Unlike me, who had be highly adaptable to our situation, he wasn¡¯t able to. He became withdrawn, started losing weight, and became a target for bullies. It was around that time I got into my first real fight. I hade home from school one day and found a group of older boys beating the shit out of my little brother, and I snapped. That day ended with me being covered in my own blood, with several broken fingers and a broken rib, but I had devastated the group of four boys; they even had to be sent to the hospital, one of which ended up in aa for six months.

    After that, I had one sole goal, to protect my brother, and give him at least a somewhat normal childhood. So I sacrificed my own and started ying the part of a caring parent to my brother. I made sure he ate three meals a day, woke up on time for school, made it to and from whatever martial art we were practicing on time.

    Things went on like this until I graduated high school and moved out independently. Then, thanks to my insane memory, I learned five differentnguages andputer programing, and thusnded a job at a big video game developmentpany. After that, my brother moved in with me, and we went on with life until he graduated.

    Until one day, he came to me and told me he was enlisting in the Marine Corps. The day he left for boot camp was the day I lost motivation. In my depression, I joined the Airforce, but I injured myself during a training exercise and was medically discharged after a year. From there, it was all downhill. My mood and image of myself took a nosedive, which spiraled out of control; the end result was me bing a NEET.

    I was never given the tools to be anything other than a fighter, and here I was, physically and mentally crippled to the point that I couldn¡¯t leave the house six of the seven days in a week. Yet, during that time, I forged a virtual identity and became a streamer on the inte; hell, I even amassed quite a respectable number of followers. But inside, I was still empty, unable to feel or regte my emotions properly.

    My life stagnated, girlfriends and fiances came and went, friendships wouldn¡¯tst more than a couple of weeks, I was irritable all the time and constantly picking fights with everyone I knew or met. Then¡­the drinking started. Heh, that was a pretty lousy time; let¡¯s just say it¡¯s not a good idea to pick barfights in bad areas of town; back then, I could even show you all the different knife or gunshot scars I had.

    This seemingly never-ending cycle of depression and pain continued throughout the majority of my early and mid-twenties until my brother finally got out of the Marine Corps.

    However, gone was the little brother who needed me to protect him and guide him to a path of sess; in that person¡¯s ce was a man who had been to hell and back inbat warzones he couldn¡¯t speak about, just like that the final constant in my life was gone. It had always been my brother and me against the world, but after his military service, he had changed, had grown up. In contrast, I was precisely the same.

    Things weren¡¯t all bad, though; once a week, I¡¯d go over to his house to binge-watch whatever the popr Anime was at the time. That is, until the day the world went to war for the third time.

    It started as a ground invasion of the United States by the RNKC Axis forces, and very quickly, things took a turn for the worst, with nearly every country attacking their enemies out of the blue.

    In the mes of war, I felt my rtionship with my younger brother go back to how it was when we were children; we solely relied on each other while beating those who stood against us. That is¡­until the sky fell and all that was left was an empty white void.

    Meeting Odin, the Allfather still feels like a dream¡­well, either that or some kind of horrid nightmare, I still haven¡¯t fully decided to be honest. Being a fighter, I have always had a perfect understanding of my body and how my mind reacts to things, and from the instant, my Mj?lnir pendant merged with my soul, something felt wrong.

    From the depths of my soul, I felt the ever-growing rage and hunger bubbling inside me. In the beginning, it wasn¡¯t unmanageable, and eventually, I swept it under the rug and was, for the first time, experiencing what happiness was; I had two loving parents who went above and beyond to show me affection and the care I never got in my previous life.

    PLUS HELLOOOOO Magic, swords, a fucking SYSTEM, I was getting to live out every weebs fucking dream. How could I let something as small as an attitude adjustment control me? I was wrong. Each time I got a new blessing from Odin, I felt as if I was losing part of myself. I went from having the best life I could imagine to drifting dangerously close to my NEET habits again. Before Brance was born, it got pretty bad. Being unable to control my body ormunicate honestly with anyone except Tobs, I started losing myself.

    Luckily, I made it through that period of my life in one piece, and once Brance was born, things were as they should be. The two of us trained together, experimented with magic, and learned everything we could about our new lives. And for a little while there, things were fucking great.

    Hell, thanks to Cinyah¡¯s helicopter parenting style, I was finally beginning to understand emotions and develop as I should have in the first ce as a person.

    Still, there was something constantly nagging at the back of my mind, that primal feeling that would increase with every blessing, and it hit a breaking point when Brance and I were kidnapped. My first kill since reincarnation was euphoric. During WW3, when I took a life, I was numb, desensitized to what a person was supposed to feel. It was always them or me. But on Vinestra¡­I enjoyed it.

    Each time I killed a member of Haylons Shadow and got instant gratification from seeing my stats increase, I would enter a euphoric state like an addict. Each kill I executed fed that primal urge within, and after we left that hotel, I felt as if I had eaten a five-star seven-course meal. Complete and satisfied.

    I was satiated for five whole years, but that ended when I received one single line of text from Tobs.

    -Your Race has changed to 99% Human 1% ?sir.-

 Chapter 100

    I Need to add this tagline here, guys. TRIGGER WARNING, THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER GETS PRETTY DARK and deals with mental health issues and self-harm. If you are afraid it might affect you, please skip over this chapter. While important, you¡¯ll be able to piece together what happened in the subsequent chapters.

    ¡ª

    POV Cynrik

    -Your Race has changed to 99% Human 1% ?sir.-

    Tobs¡¯ soft monotone voice chimed in my mind, apanied by a notification window, and I was thrown back in time to when I had first gotten injured in the military. Back then, I had to undergo a procedure called a ¡°Bone scan.¡± Since simple x-rays couldn¡¯t show all the damage my legs had sustained, the doctors made me get on top of this giant machine. But none of that is important; what IS, was when they injected me with colored dye. The purpose of this dye was to stick to any fractures on my bones and light them up so the machine could snap pictures of each individual fracture.

    The feeling of the ?sir blood being injected was so vaguely familiar that it brought me back to that instant, well, except for that procedure being utterly painless, and the only side effect was feeling like I wet myself. But, this was on a whole other level. It was like moltenva was being pumped around my body by my heart, and it took everything I had to not freak the fuck out in tears.

    When I saw the notification about bing a demi-human, I felt a hand grip my heart and squeeze. I remember thinking to myself, ¡®Is this fear¡­am I actually scared?¡¯ how many times had I been in situations that would have traumatized someone ande out utterly unaffected. So why was it NOW, when something as simple as a few drops of blood entered my body, was I scared shitless.

    Not by the pain but by the rapidly growing hunger and aggression I was experiencing. The primal feeling I¡¯d been somewhat in control of for years was like a chained beast in my head. Screaming to be let out. Begging to kill and destroy. Something Primal, an urge that humans had long lost touch with, was waking up inside me, and I couldn¡¯t stop it.

    Myck of self-control was evident during the Physical Exam. Being someone who needed a n no matter what the situation, I had spent the whole night before going over how my group and I would handle them, only to toss all that nning out the window the second I saw a bunch of kids showing off and getting praised. This was the first time I heard the voice in my head clearly.

    It had always been present since my reincarnation, that is. A disembodied voice, the personification of the primal urge I was trying to suppress. Speaking in whispers, in Norse, with insanity and desperation dripping off each word, it taunted me, telling me¡­

    -=these filthy Ergi (High-level insult, but basically means coward), how dare they prance around disying their weakness as if they¡¯re special.=-

    -=Drengr, don¡¯t you want to tarnish them, hehe, don¡¯t you want to show how YOU and YOU alone are the best here. Where is your Asgardian pride? Are you not a son of Odin?=-

    ¡®Shut up, shut UP! FUCK OFF¡¯

    -=TEEHE HAHA, Oh lookie, the youngblood seems to have some bark within that mouth of his. Good, go, show them who you are. Show them that the ?sir are alive and well.=-

    Before I understood what I was doing, I had grabbed Benny by the scruff of his neck and jumped onto the stage as mboyantly as possible.

    Only once I saw how confused Brance appeared to be, did Ie back to and realize what I¡¯d done. What happened to acting low-key and flying under the radar? What happened to my fucking n? WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING TO ME?

    I wanted to m my head against something until some sense was knocked into me. ¡®No, stop, calm down, Cyn, just take a deep breath and rx. It¡¯s just a voice; this isn¡¯t our first rodeo being a tad bit crazy.¡±

    -=Teehe HAHA.=-

    ¡®Fuck off, this is my head, you bastard, MY LIFE.¡¯

    -=OHHH, is it now, and who says it doesn¡¯t belong to me?=-

    The voice became more coherent the longer I seemed to acknowledge its existence, so I simply chose to ignore it.

    If it was only a voice, I probably wouldn¡¯t have felt as restless as I was at the time. When the Observers spoke to me and awarded Brance and me our Elite tokens, it almost became too hard not to snap at the poor guy. He was clearly frightened by me, and that was fine. I rememberughing inside, seeing his face.

    The following incident was with the guards outside A-G-22097. The voice was furious at the guard for looking down on me. Which, in turn, made me furious. I had already plotted how to take him down, and if Brance hadn¡¯t stopped me, I would have attacked the Tier-3 being mercilessly before moving on and taking out any other threats.

    Luckily my little brother was there. Who knows what would have happened if I did cause a massacre at that moment. As strange as it sounds, whenever Brance stepped in, it was like a cool breeze calming me down. Through his words and actions, I was able to push the primal voice down, and my logic came back.

    That didn¡¯tst long, though.

    From the instant I stepped foot into the Egress, the voice grew increasingly more active. Constantly whispering, taunting, and critiquing my every action. No matter how much I screamed at it or tried to ignore it, I¡¯d get the same fucking response.

    -=Teehe HAHA=-

    It wouldugh and giggle like a maniac before jumping back into its taunts. Then, when my Party finished off the first mischief, the voice¡¯s attitude shifted radically. From its yful and mocking tone to a serious and bloodthirsty one. It demanded I tear into the corpses.

    Without registering my own actions, I cked out¡­I don¡¯t remember dissecting the fourteen rats, I don¡¯t remember allowing myself to get covered in viscera, I¡­don¡¯t¡­remember.

    One second I was proudly watching Gabby fire off her arrows; the next, Brance was clearing his throat to get my attention. I knew something had happened, but I needed to cover it up. No¡­that¡¯s not right¡­I need to talk to Brance; I need to let him know something is wrong¡­

    -=Teehe HAHA=-

    Brance and I had already talked about our Bloodlines, and I¡¯d even unlocked a new stat. But it all seemed useless. The Will Power Stat seemed utterly fucking hopeless; ording to Tobs, it was supposed to help me control this shit.

    -=Teehe HAHA=-

    ¡®Stop, shut up, leave me alone.¡¯

    -=Teehe HAHA, Teehe HAHA=-

    The voice¡¯s strange sadisticughter kept getting louder and louder as I moved deeper into the dungeon.

    -=TEEHE HAHA!=-

    ¡°[Shadow Sewing]¡±

    Then¡­everything went ck again.

    I fucked up this time¡­I could tell the moment I came too. Gabby¡­don¡¯t look at me like that, Benny¡­you too¡­Brance¡­no, no, not you too. I¡­I need to go. I have to get out of here. STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT; I¡¯VE DONE NOTHING WRONG. IT¡¯S NOT ME. IT¡¯S THIS FUCKING VOICE!

    -=Tee¡­he¡­HA¡­HA=-

    ¡®FUCK OFF!!!!!!!!! YOU INCESSANT FUCKING VOICE! I¡¯LL KILL YOU; I¡¯LL FUCKING RIP YOUR TEEHEE RIGHT THE FUCK TO PIECES. THEN, ONCE I GET MY FUCKING HANDS ON YOU, I¡¯LL RIP OUT YOUR GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT AND USE IT AS A CONDOM WHILE I FUCK THE SHIT OUT OF YOUR SKULL.¡¯

    The curses spewed in rapid session one after another. But the effect was incredible. The voice¡­finally fell silent for a time. Long enough for me to gather my thoughts.

    Looking at my Party¡­no¡­my friends and family¡­I knew I couldn¡¯t stay with them right now. I needed to find a way to quiet this shit in my head. I needed to go.

    My eyes made contact with Brance¡¯s.

    [Calm them down, I¡­I need to go, don¡¯t worry about me; when I clear my head, I¡¯ll join back up with you all. I¡¯m heading over to the Packhounds andpleting my tasks alone. It¡¯s better this way for now. I don¡¯t want them to be scarred by what¡¯s going on with me right now.]

    Then¡­I left.

    I ran.

    I felt like I was falling, like the world around me was copsing, but worst of all, I felt like I had reverted entirely back to who I was before WW3. The useless, mentally unhealthy NEET, incapable of progressing further in life. This feeling of failing not only myself but my brother too was killing me inside. I was scared. Scared that I would get myself and even Brance killed if this continued. This can¡¯t continue. I can¡¯t go on like this¡­should¡­should I just end it all.

    I subconsciously rubbed my upper arms, where I previously had dozens of scars I had caused to myself during the darkest part of my life on Earth.

    That¡¯s when it happened. I felt a tug from somewhere deep in my body. At first, I believed it was just a side effect of using my [Shadow Leap], but that changed when Tobs sent over a few notifications.

    -The Host is being forcefully pulled into your Sea of Consciousness-

    -A third party is in control; any damage you take inside will affect your Soul Directly.-

    -The Host is being forcefully dragged into a Turning Point Quest-

    -Turning Point Quest: Challenge for Supremacy-

    -Due to the influence of your Divine Blessings and your ?sir Bloodline, you have lost control of yourself and are severely affected by it. A third party acting against you has dragged you into your SOC, and to leave, you must defeat this being inbat. If you die in battle, your Soul will copse and be destroyed, allowing this third Partyplete control of your body and rece your existence.-

    -Defeat the ?sir Spirit Tyler Primal-

    -Reward:???

    -Penalty for failure: Soul Destruction-

    Fear gripped my heart as I was ovee by a lightheaded feeling and pushed into my SOC.

    Opening my eyes and scanning the hellishndscape of my own creation, I felt a sense of calm wash over my body and mind. But unlike thest time I came here, I wasn¡¯t alone. Instead, standing across from me was another being. Someone familiar, yet at the same time, oddly different.

    It was me¡­the old me, but not the old me I remember. The person standing feet away had the same face, but this person was built nothing like how I was on Earth. Instead, he was decked out in Viking Style armor and weapons, stood nearly seven feet tall and had a chiseled, muscr, athletic body.

    On his back was a brutal-looking Greatsword, and on both hips, he wore hatchets like the one I had seen Odin wearing. His hair was simr to how I used to wear it, shaved sides, and pulled back into a ponytail. But unlike me of the past, this person was covered in dark-blue Nordic tattoos. Knot-like runes covered the sides of his head and traveled down his neck, all the way to his forearms.

    ¡°Teehe HAHA, Well well well, look at this. The youngblood has decided to fight back.¡± Tyler Primal said using the voice I had been hearing this whole time in my head.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 101

    POV Cynrik

    ¡°Teehe HAHA, Well well well, look at this. The youngblood has decided to fight back.¡± Tyler Primal said using the voice I had been hearing this whole time in my head.

    An uncontroble shiver ran through my whole body at the sound of his voice.

    -For the duration of this turning point quest, the Host will have unlimited Mana.-

    That was the trigger¡ªthe release of my unbridled rage. Clenching my fist tight enough to pop all my fingers loudly, I sprung into action. I wasn¡¯t going to give this bastard the chance to make the first move.

    ¡°[ckFire]¡±

    Snapping my middle finger and thumbs, I conjured hundreds of basketball-sized ckfire balls andunched them in rapid session at Tyler Primal.

    SNAP SNAP SNAP

    Each snap brought forth more mes, time seemed to freeze, and my surroundings became an abyss of ck mes.

    BOOM BOOM BOOM

    ¡°RAHHHHHH,¡± shing out wildly in the direction of my opponent, I manifested thousands of fireballs, each one exploded on contact filling my vision with a sea of fire. But I didn¡¯t stop there. I had a sneaking suspicion that it wasn¡¯t nearly enough for some reason.

    Extending my arms and channeling Dark Mana into all of my fingers, I activated [Shadow Sewing] next, taking a deep stance; with my left foot forward, I gripped the air and spawned all ten tendrils, sending them through the smoke at Tyler Primal. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t feel them make contact with anything to my dismay.

    ¡°Teehe, Haha, foolish youngblood.¡±

    My pupils shrunk to pinholes as the chilling voice came from behind me. Then, before I could spin around to attack, I was assaulted by a massive weight and sent hurtling through the air.

    Tyler Primal had teleported behind me andshed out with a roundhouse kick, which I was unable to block, directly into my ribs.

    ¡°I have existed for thousands of years, you foolish child, fought in hundreds of wars, and you think you could simply overpower me with a few weakly constructed balls of fire. PITIFUL.¡±

    Soaring through the air, I mmed violently into the rockyndscape dealing significant damage to my body while spitting up a mouthful of blood. Unable to right myself or even control my flight, I watched helplessly as Tyler Primal appeared alongside me and delivered a strong ax kick into my body, mming me down into a hardenedva flow.

    ¡°What, you thought that just because you were pissed off and had no limits to the amount of Mana you could harness, you could easily win. HA, don¡¯t fucking make meugh.¡± Unsheathing the massive Greatsword from his back, I watched in fear as Tyler Primal stalked towards me with a bloodthirsty expression painted on his tattooed face.

    Spitting up another mouthful of blood, I struggled to my feet and unsheathed my swords, just as he arrived and mmed down his Greatsword.

    BANG

    Barely able to hold up my des and using a crossguard block, I felt my body sink into the hardenedva from the force of his strike.

    ¡°TWO KICKS, that¡¯s all it took me to put you in this condition; even now, I can see your knees are about to buckle under the weight of my Greatsword. TEEHE, HAHA!¡± Spit flew from Tyler Primals mouth as he spoke, but I didn¡¯t have time to be disgusted by this.

    Summoning forth what little strength I had in my arms, I kicked off the ground and parried his sword upward, relieving the intense weight I was feeling.

    ¡°Talk, talk talk, is that all you can do, you Asgardian fuck.¡± I shot back my own insult and took the stance to execute my Fyrstr form.

    Pumping hundreds of points of Mana into both my swords, I shed out with my Bl¨®erauer Banamaer : Fyrstr Form ¨C Sun Cyclone, at point-nk range. The massive fire cyclone caught Tyler Primal off guard and mmed directly into his chest, flinging him back several steps before he righted himself and snorted loudly.

    Seeing it didn¡¯t have much effect on the man, I channeled more Mana into my swords and rapidly unleashed my Fyrstr Form over and over. Each time the strikes would push him back only a couple of steps before he stopped and started walking forward again.

    ¡®Fuck, this isn¡¯t working. Think, THINK!¡¯ Locked in a stalemate with the ?sir Spirit, my brain revolved on all cylinders. I needed to devise some kind of n.

    ¡°Tsk, you disappoint me, Drengr,¡± shing out with his Greatsword, Tyler Primal effortlessly sted apart the current fire cycloneing towards him and vanished from sight.

    Sensing danger from my left, I dove to the side and narrowly dodged the massive Greatsword, which intended to cleave my body in half, and rolled away before jumping back to my feet.

    The next couple of minutes, I struggled to block a powerful onught of attacks from Tyler Primal, each collision made my arms feel like they were about to shatter, but I didn¡¯t back down. We traversed thendscape locked in intense one-sidedbat, which saw me only ever being on defense until I could finally put some distance between us.

    At my wit¡¯s end, I channeled Fire Mana into my legs and sted myself into the air with [Continual me].

    Climbing into the air, I frantically tried to collect as much Mana as possible into my swords. Then, with a flourish, I spun both my des into reverse grips, angling them so they¡¯d point behind my body, and started my second form. Feeling my Codex pump all three of my Affinity Types through my whole body and into the edge of my swords, I exhaled slowly to focus myself. I had theorized how this skill would work but now nning was done, and it was time to use it.

    Willing Fire and Wind Mana into my left sword and Pure Dark Mana into my right, I cut off the flow to my legs, stopping my [Continual me], and felt gravity take hold of my body. I had flown up to a height of around a hundred meters without realizing it but couldn¡¯t let the fear of falling control me.

    My body slowly started arcing downward as I leaned forward and activated [Continual me] again, thrusting forward. Then, cutting through the air like a fighter jet, leaving a trail of cklight on my right and a swirling reddish-green on my left, I charged directly at Tyler Primal, who stood still watching me curiously. I could see zero fear in his eyes.

    He just smiled cockily and waved at me to bring it on, but then his face suddenly stiffened; he couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. Tyler Primal¡¯s eyes widened upon seeing a Mana mirage forming on either side of my body, The Sun on my Left, and the Moon on my right; this was the setup for my Annarr Form.

    Increasing the output of the mes erupting from my feet, I finished my preparations and slowly started counting down in my head.

    ¡®Five¡¯

    My eyes locked onto my target, Tyler Primal¡¯s shoulders; this attack needed tond on either side of his body at precisely the same time if I wanted to get the best effect.

    ¡®Four¡¯

    Sensing impending doom emitting from my two swords, Tyler Primal stood still no longer and brought his Greatsword up, charging a strange purple Mana into it.

    ¡®Three¡¯

    I cut off the flow of Mana to my legs and deactivated [Continual me]; I had already reached the appropriate speed to deal the optimal amount of damage without turning into meat paste. I already knew I wasn¡¯t walking out of this attack unscathed; if I were lucky, I wouldn¡¯t wholly shatter both my arms with this attack.

    My body wasn¡¯t ready to use the Annarr Form, but I was left with no choice; this was a life or death battle¡­a Turning Point for me.

    ¡®Two¡¯

    My arms began to move forward, dragging along an intense weight as if I was actually attempting to hurl the Sun and Moon at my opponent. I could feel all the muscles start to shred, but I didn¡¯t stop; I couldn¡¯t stop. So it was either this attacknded, and I hurt Tyler Primal more than myself, or I was dead. Either way, it was all or nothing, and if there was ever a time to be reckless, it was now. I was utterly outssed in every way by this guy.

    ¡®One¡¯

    Tyler Primal¡¯s face contorted into a pure expression of rage as he pumped as much of the Purple Mana as he could into his sword, so much so that he had overloaded the steel, and cracks were forming on the de. My eyes faintly picked up on the sight of all his tattoos glowing in the same purplish hue as his de. Finally, he began his Mana-charged strike, and I mmed my two swords together, dragging along the mirages of the Sun and Moon, bringing them down directly onto his body.

    ¡°Bl¨®erauer Banamaer : Annarr Form ¨C Fall of the Sun and Moon¡±

    Chaos erupted around us as the images of the Sun and Moon violently crashed into each other and exploded. As with all the forms in my Bl¨®erauer Banamaer series, they were based on the four signs of Ragnarok. The first was called Fimbulwinter, which urred due to the Shining God Baldur; my Fire Cyclone represented his final attack before falling. The second sign was the disappearance of the Sun and Moon, which I choreographed with the mirages of bothary bodies crashing into each other and exploding. To do this, I had to charge my des with so much Mana that it created a pseudo-construct representing the Sun and Moon.

    The explosion of Mana particles didn¡¯tst long, no more than a couple of breaths time. I hadn¡¯t realized, but I was flung away and knocked unconscious when the explosion urred. It was an unforeseen consequence of my reckless attack. I was lying outside of a massive crater covered in blood, arms hanging limp on both sides of my body when I came to.

    My swords had shattered entirely as well, which was a testament to how over-saturated they were with Mana and just how powerful my attack was. Willing my body to move, even though it was shooting with intense sharp pain, I stood up without the help of my arms and trudged over to the crater.

    Upon reaching the edge and looking down, I was stunned by the after-effects of my Annarr Form; instead of leaving a simple hole in the ground, I could see sparks of lighting flickering around inside, and the rocky driedva had been changed into ssy obsidian.

    With both arms utterly destroyed, bloody, and hanging loosely, I stepped forward and slid down the embankment of the crater. I couldn¡¯t help but draw a parallel between what I saw and the aftermath of when Frieza sted Namek with his Death Ball. The devastation I had created seemed to match it perfectly.

    It took me a couple of minutes to make my way to ground zero since the massive hole seemed to drop off hundreds of feet, but I found Tyler Primal standing frozen in ce when I touched down. His Greatsword had been bisected by either the over-saturation of his own Mana or the force of trying to block my attack. Its remains were stabbed into the ground bearing the weight of his body.

    His previously pristine upper body armor was in tatters, exposing his chiseled, muscr torso, covered in tattoos, scars, and fresh bloody wounds. My eyes locked onto the faint rise and fall of his chest, which made my heart sink.

    Unable to back down, I dragged my tired and beaten body towards him. The closer I got, the more nervous and weary I became. I silently started charging my bloody arms with Mana with each step I took. Unfortunately, the best I could muster if he assaulted me would be to use my arms like Mana-d whips.

    Noticing my approach, Tyler Primal weakly looked up, blood trickling out his eyes, nose, and mouth, andughed.

    ¡°Tee¡­cough¡­he¡­haha¡­cough.¡±

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 102

    POV Return to 3rd person

    ¡°Tee¡­cough¡­he¡­haha¡­cough.¡± Tyler Primal spat up another mouthful of blood and broke into a wide grin seeing the young boy¡¯s approach.

    ¡°That¡­ thest attack was something. But, I¡¯ll admit, right up until you dropped the Sun and Moon on me, I didn¡¯t have high expectations for you, YoungBlood.

    Though Cynrik himself was struggling to stay standing, Tyler Primal wasn¡¯t in any better condition. So the two stood feet apart and initiated a silent staring contest for some time before it was Cynrik who broke the deadlock.

    ¡°Why¡­why is this happening?¡± His voice quivered slightly as he tried desperately to get his emotions in check, something he was finding ever increasingly difficult to do.

    Cynrik¡¯s words caused Tyler Primal¡¯s face to go from a mncholy expression to a more serious and thoughtful one.

    ¡°I¡­cough¡­can¡¯t give you all the answers you seek, but I can rify some things.¡± Tyler Primal¡¯s voice came out as a wheeze as he released his de and tiredly sat down crosslegged.

    ¡°Sit, there is much to tell; even with the¡­restrictions ced on this form of mine, it will take time, time that we don¡¯t necessarily have.¡± With one hand gripping his ribs, Tyler Primal waved his other hand in some difort, indicating the boy to sit, sensing that all the malicious intent from earlier had vanished entirely. After a minor struggle of his own, Cynrik sat mimicking the older ?sir¡¯s exact posture.

    ¡°What you are¡­experiencing, emotionally and mentally, is the same for all of us. But, in the beginning, we don¡¯t notice the minute changes our psyche goes through until something urs within and forces a radical change to our personalities and thoughts.¡±

    ¡°Stop,¡± Cynrik raised his left eyebrow and tilted his head to the side slightly, an action that caused his torso to spasm in pain, but he ignored it. ¡°What do you mean by ¡°All of US¡±? You keep speaking in the plural; do you mean the ?sir or someone who specifically received a blessing from a Deity such as the AllFather.¡±

    ¡°Boy, you will do well not to interrupt; also, it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t use his name so light-heartedly, that being is supremely powerful, so much so to the extent that even mentioning his name can draw his eyesight. If we weren¡¯t within your Sea of Consciousness, this conversation wouldn¡¯t be happening.¡±

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your¡­what do you call it, System?¡±

    ¡°Tobs, I call her Tobs.¡± Looking over his shoulder, Cynrik noticed the small girl appear beside him while hovering inches above the ground as if she was summoned by him saying her name out loud.

    Nodding slightly in acknowledgment and tossing a peeking nce at the monochromatic color-haired girl, Tyler Primal Continued.

    ¡°Yes, Tobs, if it weren¡¯t for her and being within your own Sea of Consciousness, we couldn¡¯t have this conversation without prying eyes constantly observing. The Deities always, and I mean ALWAYS, have some ulterior motives, and although they have administrator privileges when ites to systems, they are not in control. Once they develop and are installed, the amount of ess the Deities actually have is limited.

    ¡°As such, she is loyal to you and only you and is not able to leak specified information to third parties, no matter their status, without your consent. The goings-on of the SOC is a prime example.¡±

    ¡°Now then, to answer your question, by ¡°Us,¡± I mean those who have been bestowed a blessing. What I am speaking of is not exclusive to a singr race. While our racial traits cause certain things, the bulk of interference for our mental state is caused by the blessings themselves. ¡°Narcissistic, Over Confident, Ruthless, Expert Tacticians, Highly Advanced Intelligence.¡± These are all traits brought to the forefront to build our personalities as ?sir. There are others, such as Strong Familial Bonds, but they don¡¯t necessarily affect our judgment.¡±

    Tyler Primal brought his hand to his chin and scratched his scorched beard in thought before continuing further without allowing Cynrik to interrupt again.

    ¡°The ?sir, since the day we arrived in existence, has always been viewed as bloodthirsty killing machines, who don¡¯t have emotions and would even take the life of newborns if given a chance. While there is some truth in these ims, they see only the superficial appearance we exude when facing our enemies. Conversely, friends, loved ones, and allies see our true faces. However, everything changes when a Deity such as the one who chose us both bestows part of their Divinity onto us mortals.¡±

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes narrowed, but he didn¡¯t butt in and chose to hear the ?sir out.

    ¡°When a Deity makes a choice to bestow blessings on a mortal, they must fragment their own Souls, which are infused with notoriously ipatible energy, and forcefully merge it with the mortal¡¯s soul. Of course, there are some exceptions to the rule, which I¡¯m sure you can already think of seeing how you know one such being, but for the majority of us, we are slowly corrupted and eaten away by this energy¡­unless we can integrate it into ourselves, making it our own.¡±

    Cough, Cough

    Tyler Primal was ovee by another coughing fit and spewed a fewrge clumps of coagted blood, leaving Cynrik to mull over what he had just heard.

    The ?sir had indeed rified a minor amount of incongruities he had learned, but it wasn¡¯t significant enough to please him. Wearing a concerned look, he turned his face up to the floating Tobs, who was watching him expressionlessly. After 12 years together, Cynrik had a grasp on what kind of questions the AI would answer, and it didn¡¯t take a genius to realize that all the information he wanted would be met by her trademark ¡°You don¡¯t have the authorization¡± line.

    ¡°Sigh, Drengr, I know you want conclusive answers, but I can¡¯t give them. Being only a shadow of my former self, hell, I wasn¡¯t even able to take on my own appearance, only one based on someone you were highly familiar with. I will say this, long ago¡­before the fall of Asgard, I was like you. Someone who had been bestowed blessings, but after being corroded and losing the same battle you have seeded in, I died and became part of ¡°HIS¡± Divinity. As such, the portion that I had be was given to you¡­in the form of blessings and Bloodline.¡±

    As the ?sir spoke, his eyes wandered to Tobs, who had yet to look away from Cynrik, with mixed emotions and glistening eyes. Cynrik could see the sorrow and pain, along with a profound and strange amount of care and gentleness.

    ¡°You know her, don¡¯t you.¡± Cynrik had always been extremely good at reading other people and now wasn¡¯t any different. He could tell there was some kind of connection, and he realized it had to do with the Blessings.

    ¡°Aye, but for me, she was different. I named her Lagertha, after the most powerful woman I ever knew. However, it has been thousands of years, and your Tobs is not the same as my Lagertha. They may have been at some point, but it appears that even our systems are reset in a manner simr to reincarnation after their hosts die.¡±

    Cynrik looked away and back up at Tobs; he had many questions. It was like having a model kit without any instructions. He could only stare at the individual pieces and hold them up against each other, and try to fit them into ce. From the way the ?sir was actively trying to steer the conversation in a particr direction, Cynrik knew he had to pick and choose his questions carefully, so after giving it a little more thought, he decided to strike.

    ¡°This whole thing, this fight, it was clearly a test of some kind. Its purpose was to force me into choosing between giving in and losing myself or breaking free of the restraints holding me back. That much I understand, but the question is why. I don¡¯t care about why I was chosen, and if I break things down by process of elimination, it¡¯s rtively easy to determine that you had made it farther in whatever their n was; thus, you were the first stepping stone. So what is the Deity¡¯s goal? What is the purpose of this whole thing? It can¡¯t be simply allowing their believers to have a chance at having a second shot at life.¡±

    ¡°The Legacy Strife.¡± Taking a deep breath, the ?sir finally spoke after what seemed like an eternity. However, the instant he uttered those three words, Cynrik¡¯s SOC shook violently and began forming several cracks in the sky.

    The sudden change startled Cynrik, but he reeled in his anxiety when he saw the calm expression on the ?sir and Tobs¡¯ faces; Cynrik shut up and sat silently.

    ¡°This is the reason for my existence, mine, and hers.¡± The ?sir pointed at Tobs to add to his speaking. ¡°All across space and time, numerous different dimensions, realms,s, or universes are constantly growing anding to life. When one of these reaches a specific size and has a specified level of abundant resources, every Deity and Godpete in an epic scaled war. But as their strength is enough to quickly destroy the ce they are warring for, to begin with, each God or Deity is allowed one challenger, called a Legacy Charge, and it is that being who fights on behalf of the one they represent. TSK¡± The ?sir clicked his tongue loudly and held up his hand. His pupils shrunk, and he shook his head sadly as he saw his hand and the rest of his body start to fragment into dust starting at his fingertips.

    ¡°Listen to me, Drengr¡­no Cynrik Jetlensr, the future you and your brother are striving for leads to you both bing pawns to the Deities, fight, do what I and so many before you have tried for millennia and failed. I can¡¯t do much for you, but I can push you in the right direction.¡±

    Before Cynrik could respond, the ?sir appeared next to him and ced his disintegrating palm on Cynriks Shoulder. The moment their skin came in contact, Cynrik felt a rush of icy energy flow into his body, starting at his corbone, and surging to the tips of his fingers.

    ¡°In our culture, on a child¡¯s 12 birthday, they mustplete a task given by the Y?rl(Norse Tribal Chief), if they are sessful, the child will earn their first H¨²efl¨²r.

    Cynrik watched in awe as dark blue knot-like patterns spread around each of his fingers as if alive and crept up, covering his entire hand before stopping at his wrists. Once they stopped spreading, these markings faded away, leaving only a slight discoloration on his skin, where if one concentrated hard enough, they could faintly see their outline.

    ¡°Your Bloodline is too thin at present, so you won¡¯t be able to use them for the time being, but once you be strong enough and learn how to use our energy called Seier, they will re-emerge. This is all I can do for you, YoungBlood, and also my parting gift.¡±

    Cynrik watched the ?sir step back and start to disintegrate at a rapid rate and only had one final thought.

    ¡°Your name¡­you never told me your name.¡± Even though not long ago, he had been in a life or death battle with the ?sir, Cynrik oddly felt connected to the being who shared a simr fate to his own, and now this same person had given him his H¨²efl¨²r, making him in Cynrik¡¯s mind family. He didn¡¯t know if it was true or not, but for some reason, he subconsciously knew that it was the job of a father, alongside the Y?rl to bestow a child their H¨²efl¨²r.

    ¡°HAHAHA,¡± the now nearly incorporeal ?sir broke out into a boisterousugh and made direct eye contact with Cynrik.

    ¡°You are something else, using a man¡¯s son¡¯s name but not recognizing the father himself.¡± Then, smiling mockingly, the man¡¯s face began to shift into that of a middle-aged Norseman, who had a jagged scar running from his right eyebrow down his cheek before ending at his chin.

    Breaking into a knowing smile, Cynrik wore a determined expression as he nodded curtly at the man, who was a legend in Viking Mythology, Ragnar Lodbrok

    ¡°Do take care not to tarnish the honor my sons have created for themselves. This is farewell.¡± And with that, the ?sir Spirit of Ragnar Lodbrok shattered into particles of purple light and flowed into Cynriks hands, lighting up his H¨²efl¨²r in purple light.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 103

    Cynrik looked down at his H¨²efl¨²r, faintly glowing in purple light, and sighed loudly. Even though their time together had been filled with battle, Cynrik had actually learned quite a bit from Ragnar. Everything about the Legacy Strife aside, the more he reyed the fight, the more he realized that although the ?sir Spirit had been trying to kill him, each one of his attacks showed Cynrik a fatal w in his technique.

    Sparring with Brance or the Sanfords was one thing, but actual battle was the best way for him to hone his abilities, and as such, he had grown by leaps and bounds. If he went up against a doppelganger of himself from an hour ago, there was no doubt the present Cynrik would decimate it.

    While he was thinking this, Tobs floated in front of him and ced her left palm gently on top of his head, triggering several notifications.

    -Turning Point Quest: Challenge for Supremacy has beenpleted.-

    -After battling against the Spirit of a being several times stronger than yourself, you havee out on top and won the battle for supremacy over your soul.-

    -Defeat the ?sir Spirit Ragnar Lodbrok-

    -Reward: Stage 1 H¨²efl¨²r, basic knowledge about the Legacy Strife, BluePrint for Ragnar Lodbroks Greatsword Brimir ¨®r Konungr (Sword of Kings).-

    -By absorbing the Spirit of Ragnar Lodbrok, you have repaired all damage to your SOC and Soul.-

    Cynrik sighed heavily and pulled up the description of his newly acquired H¨²efl¨²r.

    -Secondary Mana Conduit: Stage-1 H¨²efl¨²r (wrist down).-

    ¨C Over the eons, several races have created their own specific Mana Conduits to allow themselves more significant control over the energy known as Mana Particles. Some such as the ?sir have even sculpted their own Conduits known as H¨²efl¨²r to handle an unstable particle named Seier. Over time the name of this energy has garnered the nickname ¡°OdinForce,¡± thanks to the extensive use and power exerted by the Raven God Odin.-

    ¨C Whenbined with your Passive Skill, Mana Maniption, you can bend energy particles to your will to some extent and create Constructs simr to what higher Tier Beings are capable of.-

    -Due to the low purity of your Bloodline, you are not able to control your Stage-1 H¨²efl¨²r, and as such, it has entered a dormant state.-

    -Stage-1: When active, the wielder will be able to enhance the damage output of all Affinity-based skills by 25% and will have a 20% reduction to the activation and maintenance costs.-

    As he read through the description of his H¨²efl¨²r, Cynrik held up both his hands and examined them. Unlike Ragnar, his markings were only slightly darker than his pale skin, so although he knew they were there, it was a struggle for them to be seen.

    ¡°Tobs, how do I increase the percentage of my ?sir Bloodline.¡± Not bothering to look away from his hands but instead at the shattered Greatsword not far away, Cynrik spoke out his concern.

    -If the Host wishes to increase their Bloodline, they must either find an object that canplete the task or Evolve to higher tiers after maxing out their Prestige.-

    ¡°Tsk, fine.¡± Cynrik made a fist and unclenched it several times as if checking his arms were still working correctly and walked over to the broken sword that belonged to Ragnar.

    ¡°If Ragnar is gone, why is his de still here?¡± Gripping the sword¡¯s hilt and exerting arge amount of his physical strength, Cynrik was able to barely lift the massive sword named Brimir ¨®r Konungr from the ground and tried to hold it.

    The sword seemed to weigh thousands of pounds to his dismay, and even with his strength at 140, he was forced to put it down after less than a minute.

    -Think of it as a parting gift. Its existence here in your SOC corrtes with the blueprint you received. Thus I saw no point in destroying it from here.-

    ¡°Mm, fine.¡±

    Standing in silence for a few moments, Cynrik pondered his next move. Sincepleting the Turning Point Quest, he had found his mind clear for the first time in 12 years. There was no voice in his head screaming to kill, nor did he feel the intense bloodlust any longer.

    ¡°Heh, looks like I¡¯m me again.¡± Heaving a sigh, Cynrik spun on his heels and faced the floating girl behind him.

    ¡°Tobs, give me a status report on what¡¯s been happing in A-G 22097, starting with how long I¡¯ve been out ofmission.¡±

    -Affirmative. Host Cynrik Jetlensr has been locked in the Sea of Consciousness for a total of eight hours and thirty-one minutes. At this time, Host Brance Jetlensr has been nonstop trying tomunicate, only to be met by silence. I found this to be the best course of action, and when he inquired further, I informed him that you were undergoing an important internal quest.-

    -In the time you have been absent, Host Brance has dutifully carried out his tasks as well as the rest of the parties, and currently, the only task they require is the Boss.-

    -He has also vaguely exined your situation to the Sanford Siblings, and from what I can tell, they appear to be supportive and understanding. However, it seems that Gabrie Sanford has suffered a bit of trauma from the earlier incident, and it is rmended that you ¡°Smooth¡± it over.-

    ¡°Yeah, figures¡­fuck. I guess I¡¯ll have to sit down with her sooner rather thanter. I assume I haven¡¯t been gaining any of the Parties XP or Stats either, right?¡±

    -Correct, due to being hidden by [Shadow Leap] and the distance between you and the group, you have not received any rewards.-

    ¡°Makes sense, OK, onest question¡­.¡± Cynrik snapped his neck to the left, forcing a pop out of it, and rolled his left shoulder, ¡°they left me plenty of fodder, right?¡±

    -The party has eliminated a little over 50% of the Mana Signatures I can locate within the Egress.-

    ¡°Perfect, let¡¯s go.¡±

    With that said, Cynrik closed his eyes and sent himself out of the SOC, leaving Tobs behind, who flew up above the massive crater made by Cynrik¡¯s Annarr Form and, with a wave of her hand, reshaped thend, making it seem as if no battle had urred.

    When Cynrik opened his eyes, he was greeted by a world void of color. Looking around curiously, everything he saw was in different shades of grey, and he couldn¡¯t help but fight the urge to make a poorly made 50 shades joke.

    [Oi, y¡¯all still alive?] Floating in the void of his [Shadow Leap], Cynrik spoke into the mind link.

    [FUCK, you scared the shit out of me, Cyn, seriously, first you go all psycho and then vanish, do you realize the amount of stress I¡¯ve been under thesest several hours. You asshole, when I see you, you¡¯ll get a beating.]

    At the moment, Brance, Gabby, and Benny were sitting around a campfire and had just finished eating a meal in worried silence. When he heard Cynrik in the mind link, Brance jumped to his feet and started waving his fist aggressively at the cavern ceiling, startling both Gabby and Benny.

    [Eh, yeah, it¡¯s all good now, I can¡¯t talk about it outside the SOC, so once we are done here, I¡¯ll fill you in. For now, just know I¡¯m finally me again. Tobs told me about what happened after I left; you did well. For now, stay outside the boss room while I clear my missions and catch up to y¡¯all. I hear you¡¯ve been eating good; HOW DARE YOU NOT SAVE ME SOME LEFTOVERS, pfft hahaha.] Cynrik couldn¡¯t keep up the angry act, and by the end of it, he wasughing his ass off while floating in the shadows.

    [Yep, you¡¯re you again. d to see psycho-Cyn isn¡¯t a thing anymore.] Brance rejoined the Sanford siblings and pacified them by stating Cynrik was back to his usual self and had cured the issues he was having, which made the two smile. Gabby even told Brance to say she was sorry to Cynrik.

    [Alright, haha, OK, tell her it¡¯s no biggy and that it¡¯s me who¡¯s sorry; also send me over your copy of the map with what rooms you¡¯ve cleared so I can wipe out the rest.]

    Brance quickly sent over a mental image through the mind link with over half the boxes scribbled through, indicating which ones he and the Sanfords had cleared, and after a couple of minutes, Cynrik plotted his course and was on the move.

    ¡ª

    Hall of Gods-

    Odin and Yahweh sat at the majestic table with deep frowns on their faces. Up until Cynrik entered his SOC, they had been actively following each of his steps, but the moment he shifted into it, it was as if their live feed was cut off, and all they saw was a ck screen.

    It didn¡¯t take long for the two Deities to realize he had entered his Sea of Consciousness, so thinking nothing of it, they simply shifted their focus to Brance and the Sanfords, who were quickly clearing their way through all the Fanged Rats, and eventually the Packhounds.

    But as time ticked by, Odin grew increasingly unsettled, this all came to a climax when his body convulsed slightly, and he felt part of his Divine Soul shatter, and he let out a tired sigh drawing Yahweh¡¯s attention.

    =The boy has triggered the Turning Point Quest¡­ he has defeated the Spirit attached to his blessings and has integrated it into himself.=

    Odin¡¯s words drew a violent response from Yahweh.

    *How is that possible? Your Charge triggered the quest? IT¡¯S TOO EARLY.*

    BOOM!

    mming his hands on the table and causing it to shatter to pieces, Yahweh stood up and roared.

    *He is only a first Tier being; he can¡¯t defeat an experienced Tier-5 even if they are only in Spirit form. Their strength is entirely backed by Divine energy. His progression in triggering the Turning Point Quest was too quick. IF HE DIES, WE WILL LOSE EVERYTHING RAVEN GOD!*

    =Calm yourself, God of Light; this was out of my control. Besides, did you not hear my words. He won.=

    *Huh?* Yahweh¡¯s face contorted in iprehension.

    *He won? You cant be serious¡­then that¡¯s GREAT!* The God of Lights mood changed instantly. Initially, when he heard the words ¡°Turning Point Quest,¡± his mind nked out, causing his rage to spill over, making him mishear the rest of Odin¡¯s sentence.

    =Indeed, now then¡­about my table.= Wearing a nk expression, Odin pointed at the remains of his thousands of years old relic of a table.

    *Cough, yes, I apologize. I shall remedy this at once.*

    Once the table was repaired, the two Deities went back to splitting their attention to both live feeds, one showing Brance sitting in front of a fire with his arms crossed, asleep, and the other showing Cynrik tearing his way through over a dozen Fanged Rats.

    Neither of them was aware that Cynrik was now semi-filled in on the Legacy Strife and what potential repercussions coulde about due to him having this knowledge.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 104

    Cynrik only stayed in his [Shadow Leap] for a short time after talking with Brance. His next move was to double-check his DMG loadout onest time before moving out and sweeping through the remaining three mischiefs of Fanged Rats. Without having to worry about the others or holding back, it took him less than 15 minutes to clear through them like a chaotic storm filled with mes and darkness.

    After the battle with Ragnar, Cynrik was aware of what hecked inbat and took this time to work through his skills by stringing togetherbinations formed of fire and shadows. This process saw the birth of his fourth Fusion skill [ckFire Sewing], which in a sense was just coating the previously formed shadow tendrils with ayer of Fire Mana.

    He was able to manifest this Fusion solely due to having maxed out the points on [Shadow Sewing], and to say he was pleased with the end result was an understatement. In its base form, the shadow tendrils had an innately low attack power, but with the addition of his ckFire, the amount of damage he could do spiked significantly. If a numerical attack value were added to the tendrils, each would be roughly at 100, yet once coated in mes, it would soar to around 500. This was, in a sense, a five times increase in the maximum damage output he could do. The only downside was how his new skill would eat up much MP.

    Standing in the final cavern, surrounded by the corpses of thest batch of rats he needed to kill, Cynrik had Tobs unleash all the notifications she had been suppressing by an earlier request.

    ¨C Instance Quest, First Alpha Egress Dive-

    -You have entered the Green Alpha Egress ¡°A-G-22097¡±, and the exit has been sealed. The only way to leave is toplete this quest. You will have 24 hours to do so. The quest requirements will not be shared between the party members, and you must meet them to achieve the Clear Status.

    -Kill 25 Tier-1 Packhounds- (0/25)

    -Kill 25 Tier-1 Fanged Rats- (38/25) (Complete)

    -Defeat the boss Kobold Shaman.- (0/1)

    -Once youplete the above tasks, you will be allowed to either Exit the Instance or continue to the next level of the dungeon.-

    -You have killed 32 Brown Fanged Rats.-

    -You have killed 6 Grey Fanged Rats.-

    -You have received 256,000 XP.-

    -You have received 21 AGI and 15 DEX.-

    -You have located and extracted 35 Affinitiless Codexes.-

    -You have located and extracted 3 Earth Affinity Codexes.-

    -You have located and extracted Sliver of Skill (19).-

    ¡°Tsk,¡± Cynrik clicked his tongue in disappointment when he saw how little XP heted from clearing out three dens. He had already assumed it was going to hurt his XP wallet, clearing out the mobs without his brother nearby, and seeing the low 256k XP made him shake his head. If Brance had been nearby, Cynrik would have walked away with half a million XP, but now he could only shuffle his way towards the Packhounds in sadness.

    [I can feel your gloomy attitude from all the way over here; what¡¯s wrong?] As if having a sixth sense specifically detecting his older brother¡¯s mood, Brance chirped into the mind link curiously.

    [Grinding with XP share turned off is like tryina y on Hell mode. At this rate, you¡¯ll be so far ahead of me that it¡¯ll take ages to catch up. TSK, WOE IS MEEE, how could I have been forsaken like this, sniffle?]

    Cynrik waves his arms around dramatically as he walked through the winding tunnels towards the first den of Packhounds.

    [¡­, soooo now a bad time to tell you Gabby and Benny are gunna pass you too orrrrr?]

    [FUCK OFF!]

    In the cave outside the Boss room, Brance chuckled to himself while teasing Cynrik. He hadn¡¯t been lying earlier. Since they had both been grouped with Brance throughout the duration of their Egress Dive, the two had gotten significant gains from killing the rats and hounds. By tagging along and helping out with Brance¡¯s kills, they had sessfully hopped on the XP Bus that Brance was driving and earned their way all the way up to 14th Prestige, leaving them only needing 900k XP before they would hit the cap of 20.

    Unfortunately, instead of celebrating this achievement, they had been shrouded with sadness over the whole Cynrik situation and had basically ignored the XP and stats they¡¯d obtained by killing over a hundred creatures. Hearing that Cynrik was doing better and being talked at by Brance, the Sanford siblings had set about distributing their stats and getting ready for their breakthroughs to Tier-1.

    So while Cynrik was prepping to wipe out a den of hounds, Brance was going over step by step with Gabby and Benny about the whole Evolution process.

    ¡°Remember to heavily invest points in whatever stats you arecking right now; the goal is to try making them as close to your Distribution stats as possible so that you are well rounded.¡± Brance stood in front of the other two children and spoke as a teacher. Although it had only been a few days since he and Cynrik had Evolved to Tier-1, they had spent five years at the same stage the Sanford siblings were currently at. So to say he was an expert of sorts wasn¡¯t unfounded.

    ¡°Um, Brancie, Mommy, and Papa told us to put all our points into the same stats as our Distribution; why are you saying otherwise?¡± Raising her hand as if in ss and waiting for Brance to give her the go-ahead, Gabby asked her question innocently.

    ¡°Hm, your Mom and Dad aren¡¯t incorrect in their approach; however, what they told you is,¡­how do I say this¡­ it¡¯s like the easy mode version of your stats. So you know how when Big Brother ys that action video game, he always has the setting really high because he is skilled enough to be good at the game even if he increases its difficulty.¡±

    ¡°Unlike what everyone else we know does, Big Brother and I have a different approach to things. This has to do with the fact that we maxed out our Prestige before Evolving to the First Tier. You see, normally, when other kids reach level 10, their parents will hurry them into Evolving, thinking that it opens more doors for them. But this way of thinking is only for the ¡°Now¡± and not the future.¡±

    Gabby sat quietly with her head tilted to the side in thought. She had seen firsthand just how strong Cynrik and Brance were, and since the beginning, the two had been training her and Benny to be strong, too.

    ¡°So, what your saying is you and Big Bro Cyn are thinking way ahead and preparing early on?¡±

    Brance stepped forward and patted the little girl¡¯s head gently.

    ¡°Yep, Big Brother has a habit of trying to n ahead so far that in his mind, we are already Tier-5 or higher. As such, he developed a training schedule for us early on so that we would be able to reach our maximum potential. So when you and Benny came to us and asked to be trained, he did the same thing for both of you. Heck, if you had to fight any of the kids from school right now, you¡¯d beat them all up quickly. This has to do with the strict schedule he keeps us all to.¡±

    ¡°While there is no right or wrong when ites to picking and choosing which stats to raise, after running a lot of different ideas and researching famous people¡¯s builds, Big Brother determined that the best course of action was to keep all our stats rtively close. That¡¯s why we¡¯ve always had you both keep your points in things that didn¡¯t get naturally increased. Now then, go ahead and write out yourplete stat profiles for me so that I can send them over to Big Brother and keep him posted on how much you¡¯ve grown over thest few hours.¡±

    Brance took out a couple of sheets of paper and pens from his inventory and handed them over to the Sanford siblings while adding onest remark. ¡°Oh, one more thing, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll both get a reward for how well you¡¯ve done from Big Brother.¡±

    These words made Gabby write even faster. Of course, she hoped it would be a bunch of candy or snacks. While Benny just smiled casually and started writing.

    Meanwhile, in the shadows of a tunnel on the other side of the Egress, Cynrik was slinking forward, stalking the first batch of Packhounds with his [Shadow Veil] active. When therge mutated canines came into sight, he quickly used [Inspect].

    -Level 16 Tier-1 ck Packhound-

    -Height: 4¡ä 08¡å-

    -Weight: 130 lbs-

    -Category: Mutated Wolf/Canine

    -Threat Level = They move as a unit don¡¯t get surrounded-

    -Description: Carnivorous in nature. This creature has been affected by arge source of Mana, forcing it to Evolve into the First Tier. The Packhound mutates from wolves orrge dog breeds; they are cunning hunters who rarely move alone and are generally found in packs of between eight to fifteen. Due to their mutation, they have grown several times more aggressive, and their hearing and sense of smell have significantly increased as well.-

    Laying on his belly and crawling slowly forward to get a better view, Cynrik¡¯s eyes flicked around the cavern, counting each of the Packhounds. Thanks to his [Mana Sight], he could locate all 10 of the creatures with rtive ease. Scanning them individually and taking note that they were all level 16, Cynrik slowed his breathing and plotted his next move.

    ¡®I¡¯ll have to target them in clusters if I want to deal with them quickly. With my MP tank only half full, it¡¯s not like I can willy nilly sling tendrils and mes around, so my best course is to go with an assassination. If I move swift enough, I can potentially eliminate two at a time with my hidden des.¡¯

    HUFF

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes narrowed as one of therger hounds in the group raised its head and looked around cautiously with its ears twitching. It sniffed the air for a moment beforeying its head back down calmly and closing its eyes.

    ¡®That one must be the pack alpha; the damn thing must have caught a whiff of my sent from before I activated my Veil. Regardless, it¡¯s gunna be a pain in the ass, the instant I attack, they will turn on me as a group, and then it¡¯s a¡­hehe¡­dog fight. MAN, I WISH BRANCE WAS HERE FOR THAT JOKE.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 105

    The glow from Cynrik¡¯s eyes dissipated as he deactivated [Mana Sight] and collected himself. Then, knowing he was pressed for time and the others were patiently waiting by the Boss room for his arrival, Cynrik ran onest simtion in his head to figure out the best possible oue for the battle.

    ¡®Right, time to go.¡¯ Slowly getting to his feet but staying crouched low to the ground, Cynrik flicked his wrists and unsheathed both hidden des with a muted sound before dashing off towards the smallest group of Packhounds.

    Thanks to his 174 AGI, it took him less than a breath of time to cross the open space and arrive at the four sleeping creatures, his eyes locking on the back of the necks of two in particr. Then, bringing up both his arms as if hugging the air, Cynrik lunged forward and stabbed both unsuspecting Packhounds, severing their spinal columns and instantly killing both, before dropping his [Shadow Veil] in the process.

    Skittering to a stop and feeling the eyes of the startled hounds around him, Cynrik flicked both his wrists in a clockwise motion causing a clicking sound from the gauntlets as they swapped des. In an instant, the Cold-Steel des mmed back into the gauntlet and changed to the Dark Infused hidden des.

    Wasting no time and bringing both arms up like he was swinging a baseball bat, Cynrik swung both his arms across his body and, for the first time, triggered the Assassins Tools Special skill [de Shot].

    TSS TSS

    Pumping a small amount of MP into both wrists expelled the two des leaving behind a sound reminiscent of an airsoft rifle, turning the sharp Dark Mana d des into projectiles that hit their mark secondster, prating deep into two more Packhounds, this time through their eye and into their brains.

    Cynrik didn¡¯t bother double-checking to be sure he had hit his mark since Tobs had already made a ding sound in his head to indicate iing notifications. Having cut down four of the ten hounds in less than three seconds, he tossed a nce at the six remaining Packhounds. Then, realizing it wasn¡¯t time to slow down, he unsheathed both his new swords, the Tri-Elemental Twin Kodachi¡¯s, and threw himself towards the closest hound, which was already on its feet and growling furiously at him.

    ¡°Hmph, [Haste], [Blind], [Fear].¡± In rapid session, Cynrik started activating skills one after another, starting with [Haste], increasing his already high AGI one step further. Thebination of the +10 points from his two swords and the +17 points from [Haste] caused his body to temporarily breakthrough the next checkpoint of 200.

    Speed aside, Cynrik had also activated two of his recently acquired Dark Affinity skills.

    -Tier-1 Dark Affinity Skill: Blind-

    ¨C By manipting ambient Dark Mana particles, the User can choose one creature they can see within five meters and instantly coat that targets eyes with the collected particles inflicting the Status Effect: Blind-

    -The sess rate for inflicting Blind is determined by the target and the skill User¡¯s MIND and VIT stats. If both Stats are higher than the target skill sess rate is 100%, if one skill is higher, 50%, if the targets skills are both higher than the User 25% sess rate.-

    -Status Effect: Blind- For 60 seconds, the being inflicted with this Status will only see a world of pitch ck.-

    -Cost: 50 MP-

    -Tier-1 Dark Affinity Skill: Fear-

    ¨C Most creatures are born with an innate fear of the darkness. As a being who utilizes Dark Mana, you are able to create a small, intangible bubble of Dark Mana Particles spanning five meters around your body. Any creature notbeled as ¡°Ally¡± will have a chance of being inflicted with the Status Effect: Frightened if they enter this bubble of pure Dark Mana.-

    -Status Effect: Frightened, So long as this Status is in effect, the afflicted will experience hallucinations of their absolute worst fears. Beings with this Status Effect will have a higher chance of exiting battle and trying to run from the being who assaulted them with this Status. The further the afflicted being gets from the one who triggered the Status, the faster its effects will dwindle. This Status effect will be reduced if the inflicted has a high MIND Stat.-

    -The Status will stay active until its point of origin cancels the skill causing it, or the afflicted vacates the area.-

    -Cost: 50 MP-

    Chaos instantly broke out amongst the pack. As the Alpha was targeted with [Blind], it howled in rage and started digging at its eyes with its paws, thinking something was covering its face. In contrast, the remaining five hounds started whimpering and cowering due to being afflicted with the Frightened Status reducing the overall danger level of this encounter significantly.

    Flitting around like a ghost, Cynrik weaved his way through the pack of canines, shing out at the panicked creatures as he passed. Unfortunately, as he hadn¡¯t adapted to his newfound speed, Cynrik missed several kill shots, leaving behind wounded creatures in his wake. The scene of something shing by and causing blood to erupt from their bodies only caused the already Frightened creatures to absolutely lose their minds.

    As Cynrik made his way towards the angered Pack Alpha, the canines he passed started evacuating their bowels and dders before copsing on the ground in convulsions.

    Arriving at the Pack Alpha, who was thrashing its head around and growling menacingly, Cynrik spun his body and executed a double sh, cleaving off the creature¡¯s head and instantly reaping it of its life. Then, with the Alpha¡¯s body slumping to the ground with a loud thud, Cynrik¡¯s eyes shot wide, and he jumped back, narrowly avoiding the shower of goreing from the Alphas neck. Exhaling sharply, Cynrik couldn¡¯t help but nce at his body to check for any blood or filth that may have covered him in the process.

    ¡®Fuck, I need to be more careful in the future. Sure I can always burn off the filth, but when the others are with me, I have to be sure not to end up causing a scene where I look like a blood-thirsty demon again, especially if Gabby is around.¡¯

    Only once the Alpha went down did Cynrik turn and face the remaining five Packhounds, who at this moment were a sight so pitiful that even Cynrik almost felt sorry for them. Cynrik watched on, ashamed of himself for being the cause as they were thrashing about on their backs, covered in their own excrement and whining loudly with foaming from their mouths.

    With his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, Cynrik was stunned for a moment before he dashed forward, putting them out of their misery. ¡®Ok, as I¡¯m not exactly one for the torture, I guess I¡¯ll have to use [Fear] sparingly in the future; ugh, this fucking mental checklist is gunna end up longer than I thought, I can already sense it.¡¯

    -Quest Updated-

    -Kill 25 Tier-1 Packhounds- (10/25)

    -You have killed 9 ck Packhounds.-

    -You have killed 1 ck Alpha Packhound.-

    -You have received 81,000 XP.-

    -You have received 5 AGI and 5 VIT.-

    ¨C 9 Affinitiless Codexes have been located.-

    ¨C 1 Wind Affinity Codex has been located.-

    -Due to the restrictions in ce by the Alpha Egress Core, you will have to remove the Codexes manually.-

    ¨C Sliver of Skill (3) have been located.-

    -Due to the restrictions in ce by the Alpha Egress Core, you will have to remove the Codexes manually.-

    ¡°Ah, so I get more XP from wolves than rats, pretty RPG standard, but that¡¯s fine. I think the rats were giving me between 6-7k per kill, and these guys were spitting out around 8k.¡± Cynrik¡¯s eyes lit up as he read the notifications from Tobs.

    [Hey, I just finished up the first batch of Packhounds; Ima go hit up the treasure rooms after I deal with thest two, then make my way over to you guys. How are things on your end?] While bouncing around and collecting the seble resources from each Packhound, Cynrik sent a message to his brother.

    [Just getting done going over pre-Evo stuff with Gabby and Benny. Their Stats are still a bit off from the Cap, but they are at 14th Prestige. It won¡¯t be long until they can¡¯t increase their Stats any higher, so I figured it was the right time to give them the briefing we discussed a while back.]

    [Fairy, to be honest, I didn¡¯t really expect them to grow so much in the first Egress. Initially, I wanted to dive into at least three to four, at which point they would reach their limits and get Perfect Foundations. But if things are as you say, I have to develop a new n.]

    Wrapping up his extractions, Cynrik went about skinning each of the Packhounds, well, the ones that weren¡¯t mangled to bits by his extraction. From his earlier market research, ck Packhound pelts went for a few thousand credits, so he wanted to try and keep as many in one piece as possible. Aside from the Mana expenditure of going in ¡°guns aze,¡± this was the main reason he didn¡¯t treat the creatures in the same way he had the Fanged Rats. However, he was slightly caught off guard by the potency of [Fear] and felt a need to reevaluate his approach moving forward. He couldn¡¯t turn in pelts that were caked in bodily fluids and shit.

    Shaking his head to clear the random thoughts, Cynrik went back to counting his potential credit gains. ¡°Ok, Pelts go for 2k to 6k depending on size and condition. Unfortunately, I fucked up four of the ten, and based on the¡­.¡± Cynrik paused his external monologue and began petting the Alpha¡¯s pelt, ¡°softness, I should get around 3-4k, so let us just call it an even 3.5k bringing the total to around 21k. The incisors and dew w are used in weapon crafting and alchemy, so they run for a little bit too.¡±

    Packing everything neatly into a makeshift satchel made from the Alpha¡¯s pelt, Cynrik tossed everything into his inventory and headed towards the second Packhound den.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 106

    From the instant the contents of Phase Two became public knowledge, Cynrik had basically written off any dangers presented. In his mind and even Brances, Green Alpha Egresses posed zero to no challenge and effectively were only a time sink. At the end of the day, the two brothers had already outgrown Green Egresses as a whole, simply by nature of how quickly they grew. If it were before the events of Haylons Shadow, then maybe they would have been concerned, but now that they had Evolved to Tier-1, they would have no trouble steamrolling through the creatures contained in the dungeon.

    Sure, they could gain a bit of XP and some Stats, but they only had two concerns at the end of the day. The first is resources. Egresses, in general, were considered the primary source of ie for over 90% of the country¡¯s poption, and as such, the brothers had gone out of their way to figure out which items would earn them the most money. Inside the Egress, creatures killed could be harvested, then those parts exchanged for credits, and even though they had both been sitting on a million credits for years and had made a pretty penny off the mobs in the hotel, it never hurt to have too much money.

    Money aside, while Cynrik and Brance would have some Stat gain, the kill rewards would be astronomically helpful for Gabby and Benny. Unlike the Jetlensr Brothers, the Sanford Siblings didn¡¯t have Tobs, who was constantly throwing XP snacks their way, and as such, Gabby and Benny had struggled even remotely to catch up to Cynrik and Brance.

    Thus, when Brance had given his brother a copy of the Sanfords Stat profiles, he had nearly stumbled and gotten eaten by a Packhound. Luckily, he had already eradicated the other canines and only had the one left, but the slight disruption had almost backfired.

    [Fucking hell Brance, next time, give me a damn heads up before info-dumping like that, I was in the middle of a fight and almost got a chunk bitten out of my arm.]

    Patting his chest and swiping his sword at a downward angle to fling off the excess blood, Cynrik scolded his younger brother. But, to be honest, he couldn¡¯t me Brance. Unlike earlier, Cynrik had neglected to inform his younger brother that he was enteringbat; as such, the fault reallyy with Cynrik in this instance.

    [My bad, figured you had wrapped up the Packhounds already. Anyway, yeah, take a look when you get a chance.]

    [Will do, once I finish my harvest, the next stop is the treasure rooms, and then I¡¯ll jet over to you guys. I¡¯ll give you a heads up when I¡¯m en route.]

    With that said, Cynrik set about skinning the intact corpses scattered around the cavern. Being the third and final batch, Cynrik had, for the most part, figured out an effective killing method that left the Packhound pelts in one piece. After experimenting with different kill shots, he still found a single stab to the back of the neck was the most effective. It was especially effective since it could trigger his Thief ss Skill [Backstab], allowing for added damage.

    The tactic he had settled on involved using his [Shadow Veil] and zipping around the room, cing well-timed attacks to insta-kill his targets, then retreating before setting up the next attack. Basically¡­he was just running around assassinating them. But unlike his initial attack on the first group of hounds, Cynrik chose to target them one at a time and slowly pick them off instead of rushing the whole group. Although it would take more time to wipe out the pack, it was more cost-efficient on MP and Stamina.

    ¡®Alright, Tobs, send all the notifications through.¡¯ As Cynrik had done with the Fanged Rats, he requested that she hold off pushing any notifications until he asked so he could focus on one thing at a time.

    -Quest Updated-

    -Kill 25 Tier-1 Packhounds- (31/25) (Complete)

    -You have killed 19 ck Packhounds.-

    -You have killed 2 ck Alpha Packhounds.-

    -You have received 239,100 XP.-

    -You have received 12 AGI and 9 VIT.-

    -You have located and extracted 17 Affinitiless Codexes.-

    -You have located and extracted 4 Wind Affinity Codexes.-

    -You have located and extracted Sliver of Skill (6).-

    Cynrik pressed his fists against each other and applied a little pressure causing all his knuckles to pop loudly before scrolling through his inventory and arranging it neatly. Thankfully, Tobs had added a collection feature that gave him the tools necessary to condense simr items into batches of 99.

    ¡®Damn, I really scored a shit ton of Codexes, 81 Affinitiless, three Earth, and five Wind, all of which are Tier-1.¡¯

    Cynrik sat on the ground with ckmes crackling around him, destroying the remains of his hunt, and admired his newly acquired resources. ¡®Honestly, I have half a mind to keep some of this stuff for my Engineering experiments, but oh well, MONEY!¡¯ Then, wearing a lewd expression thanks to his thoughts of being wealthy, Cynrik jumped back up to his feet and dusted off his butt before pulling up the dungeon map.

    ¡®Let¡¯s see here, from the looks of it; I have to backtrack a few caverns to reach the first room. It just so happens to be the closest of the three; TSK seriously Brance passed these damn rooms by too.¡¯

    [OI, Brance, why the hell didn¡¯t you stop at the two treasure rooms when you were nearby?] Not hiding the hostility in his voice, Cynrik quickly questioned his little brother. But after a few seconds of no response, Cynrik raised his eyebrow.

    [HELLLOOOOOOO, you gunna answer me?]

    [What, you were serious? Cyn, you LITERALLY told me to leave them to you.] Brance was confused by his older brother¡¯s reaction. When the party had their first briefing, it was Cynrik who said he would handle the treasure chests since there could be traps. Brance had taken this as ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± In actuality, Cynrik was being more literal in his meaning of handling the chests themselves, causing a misunderstanding.

    [Ah,e on, man, seriously. So you realize I have to trek all across the fucking dungeon now, right. Couldn¡¯t you have just thrown the chests in your inventory and waited forter, Brance? UGH FINE, IT¡¯S FINE, I AM ONNN MY WAY, DON¡¯T WORRYYY Bout it.] Cynrik finished his dramatic statement by snarkily puffing out a stream of air, moving his hair out of his eyes.

    [Quit your whining and go be a pirate;] Brance broke into a wide grin and found a way to instantly bring up his brother¡¯s mood and get the lead out of his ass, [Tobs y ¡°He¡¯s a Pirate.] and in a yful tone decided to give Cynrik a little encouragement.

    -Now ying the extended version of ¡°He¡¯s a Pirate¡± by us Badelt.-

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes shot wide open, and his mouth dropped open in shock. Not only was it the first time Brance had used Tobs in this way, but he had even chosen a song that Cynrik couldn¡¯t ignore.

    [NOW YE SCALLY WAG, A YE STANDIN DER AN LET OUR BOOTY BE WASTED LIKE SOME LANDLUBBER OR WILL YA GO CLAIM DE CHESTS OF GOLD!] Jumping to his feet and waving his arms while speaking out loud and in the mind link, Brance did his best pirate impression freaking out Gabby and Benny in the process.

    Cynrik froze in ce with his eyes closed, listening to his brother¡¯s speech with the strings ying an upbeat tune as background music.

    [¡®OW LONG ¡®AV WE BEEN POOR, NOW IS DAH TIME YAH BASTARD, GO, GO FORTH N CLAIM OUR BOUNTY!]

    Sniffle

    [Brancie¡­(sniffle) you¡­I have waited so long¡­for you to join in my shenanigans.]

    SMACK

    Cynrik smacked both his cheeks loudly and put on his game face.

    [Oi asshole, do ye even realize who ¡¯tis ye¡¯re natterin¡¯ t¡¯! Remember this name goin¡¯ forth, remember this day, ¡¯tis the day Cap¡¯n Cyn piged all the loot in sight. Me name shall do down in history.] Using his best Captain Jack impression and speaking in broken shitty pirate lingo, Cynrik kicked the ground and darted off through the tunnels towards the first treasure room with a burst of speed.

    As he ran, Cynrik imagined all kinds of traps springing up around him, like massive swinging axes or walls that shot arrows, and was jumping around, diving, and weaving through the empty silent tunnels.

    Brance, on the other hand, was wearing a look of disgust as he tried figuring out what the hell his brother even just said.

    Gabby and Benny were staring nkly at Brance. Although it was the first time they had seen this side of him, they were smart enough to figure out it had something to do with encouraging Cynrik, so burying their heads in their papers and triple-checking they had written the correct info from their Stat profiles, the Sanford Siblings decided to ignore Brance.

    Meanwhile, Cynrik arrived at an empty rocky tunnel with arge and ancient wooden door. While humming along with the song, Cynrik barreled into the door, shattering the wood, and rolled into the room. The instant he crossed the threshold of the door, small torches burst into mes in each of the four corners of the 10¡Á8 stone room.

    The reason he wasfortable with such an act was none of the info he had read about A-G 22097 had listed the rooms themselves being boobytrapped. Instead, thements all talked about how creatures called Mimics tended to hide in the chests, so he had to be careful about them.

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes darted around the room, looking for the glorious boxes he had imagined for thest five minutes during his adventurous approach. Eventually, he found two small bronze-colored wooden chests tucked away on the far side of the room.

    ¡°Ah, thar ¡¯tis. Thar¡¯s the loot chests I¡¯ve been searchin¡¯ fer.¡± Standing up slowly and wearing a greedy grin, Cynrik briskly walked over, picked both chests up, and carried them on his shoulders.

    ¡°Now then, ¡¯tis time t¡¯ go fer the rest. Ye Egress Core shall be piged ¡¯til ye can¡¯t even afford measly sea hardtack(bread).¡± Spitting a loogy on the ground, Cynrik spun around and carried his treasure chests out of the room before sprinting off towards the next treasure room.

    If Brance knew just how deep he had sent his brother down the current rabbit hole, he would have regretted ever even humoring the idea of starting this farce.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 107

    From an outside perspective, Cynrik¡¯s antics of running around while throwing his body at different angles may seem useless and childish, but in actuality, it had a purpose. Gripped in both his hands were the two unsheathed Kodachis, giving him an added +10 AGI breaching the 200 point checkpoint. So as he jumped around and dodged imaginary traps, he was effectively getting used to the increase in his AGI.

    Although it did take some effort to carry both swords and hold onto his two treasure chests, after a couple of seconds of readjustment, he was able to pull it off and set about collecting the other chests from the remaining two treasure rooms. After about 30 minutes of prancing around humming the Pirate theme, he finally had collected a total of seven Bronze chests and was sitting inside the final treasure room inspecting them with fervor.

    ¡®If memory serves, Egress chests are broken down in that ¡°generic¡± standard of Bronze, Silver, Gold, tinum, but then it deviates and goes to Mithril and Orichalcum. Making a total of six categories. Typically, Green Alphas are limited to Bronze chests, except for the Boss room reward, which has a 30% chance of spawning a Silver chest.¡¯

    Cynrik scratched his cheek in thought as he leaned forward and grabbed the closest Bronze chest.

    ¡®Hey Tobs, how do these chests work? Do I just pop them open and get free shit, or is there, like, some unique way of opening them?¡¯

    -Egress Chests are probability-based. Upon being opened, the Egress Core runs a randomly generated probability skill after designating the potential rewards for the Grade of the chest.-

    ¡®¡­so it¡¯s basically a gacha.¡¯ Cynrik shivered as memories of the numerous gatcha games he yed in hisst life surfaced.

    -Yes¡­by your standards and memories, the closestparison to be made is what you refer to as a Gacha game where the prize pool is predetermined, and a choice is randomly made. Once the prize object has been designated, the Egress Core will use Mana generated from the creatures within its confines and create the object before summoning it into the chest. This process creates a visible effect that can determine the object¡¯s rarity ording to your memory of these types of games.-

    ¡®Well, that¡¯s a thing. Even after living in Vinestra for 12 years, I still get surprised by how RPG things are. Oh well, let¡¯s crack this bad boy.¡¯ Pushing aside any unnecessary thoughts, Cynrik flicked out a hidden de and used it to pry open the first chest.

    ¡®Please don¡¯t let my trash hand carry over, Please don¡¯t let my trash hand carry over, Please don¡¯t let my trash hand carry over.¡¯ Cynrik repeated the same phrase three times in his head since important things must be said in triples.

    With a loud click, the chest unlocked and began emitting a Bronze-colored sh of light, nearly blinding Cynrik, who was staring directly into the chest expectantly. The light subsided about three secondster, revealing the chest¡¯s contents, a ss bottle resembling Ramune filled with light blue liquid.

    -Congrattions, you have received a Medium Mana Potion from the Bronze Chest.-

    -Medium Mana Potion: A fizzy, blueberry-tasting potion that restores 500 Mana Points when consumed.-

    Picking up the potion and giving it a shake, Cynrik nodded and tossed it carelessly into his inventory before watching the empty Bronze chest dissolve into particles.

    ¡®Eh? Guess I can¡¯t keep them andter melt them down for resources. Damn, based on its size, I could have gotten a few grams of metal from the bracketing and ornaments. Oh well.¡¯ Cynrik blew out a puff of air towards the hair in his eyes and reached for the second chest, repeating the process. But this time, when he opened it, he suddenly sensed hostility and thrust his exposed hidden de into the partially opened chest. In doing so, he felt a little resistance and heard a high-pitched scream before the box exploded into particles.

    -You have killed a Level 17 Tier-1 Mimic.-

    -You have received 9,100 XP.-

    -You have received +1 MIND point-

    -1 Psychic Affinity Codex has been located and stored in your inventory.-

    ¡®Tsk, little shit tried to bite me.¡¯ Unfazed by the Mimic¡¯s sudden attack, Cynrik simply shook off the green blood from his hidden de and went about opening another chest. He repeated the process finishing off the remaining five chests, of which there was one more Mimic hiding.

    -Congrattions, you have received a Shard of Skill from the Bronze Chest.-

    -Congrattions, you have received a Tier-1 Skill book: Basic Fletching from the Bronze Chest.-

    -Congrattions, you have received a Small Health Potion from the Bronze Chest.-

    -You have killed a Level 18 Tier-1 Mimic.-

    -You have received 9,800 XP.-

    -You have received +1 MIND point-

    -1 Psychic Affinity Codex has been located and stored in your inventory.-

    -Congrattions, you have received a pair of Fleeting Foot Boots from the Bronze Chest.-

    Cynrik swished a mouthful of air around, causing his cheeks to puff out in the process as he scrolled through theckluster treasure he had obtained. The Shard of Skill and Health Potion caused him neither joy nor discontent, and when he read through the stats of the Fleeting Foot Boots, he grimaced slightly.

    -Fleeting Foot Boots-

    -Tier-1: Basic Grade-

    -ssification: AGI enhancing Foot Equipment-

    -A pair of worn-out-looking leather boots from unknown origins. Upon putting them on, like magic, the boots will automatically adjust their size to match the feet of the person wearing them. Despite their appearance, they are surprisinglyfortable.

    -+2 AGI

    -Durability 2000/2000-

    After double-checking their description with [Inspect], a single word came to Cynrik¡¯s mind, ¡°Meh,¡± the boots were neither good nor bad, just basic. However, when his eyes fell on the Fletching Skill book, he broke into a smile. When used, it would give the passive skill [Basic Fletching], a crafting skill that taught the user how to make their own arrows. When upgraded, it would allow for added buffs to be applied to arrows. It was the perfect gift for Gabby, who would choose the Archer ss after her first Evolution.

    ¡°OOSH, alright, time to meet up with the party, I have wasted too much time here, and we need to take down that Boss room.¡± Cynrik stood up and, like usual, patted the dust off his butt.

    [Hey Brance, get the kids ready; I just finished up the treasure rooms and am on my way to yall.] With that said, Cynrik sprinted off with the hologram map floating over his arm.

    Brance, having received the message, stood up and pped his hands, drawing the attention of Gabby and Benny, who were lyingzily next to the campfire, half asleep.

    ¡°Wakey, wakey, Cynrik is heading over, so it¡¯s time to get ready for the Boss. We have to clean up the campsite and store our belongings.¡±

    Brance¡¯s words drew a groan of agony from Gabby, who was notorious for leaving messes everywhere she went. Even the dorm room she was staying in looked like a hurricane had gone through after only one night.

    ¡°Buuuuutttt Branciiieee, isn¡¯t this an Instance Dungeon? Won¡¯t everything be wooshed away after we leave?¡± Gabby puffed out her cheeks in a pout, clearly not wanting to clean up the pigsty of food wrappers surrounding her tiny body.

    Brance smiled gently before viciously flicking the little girl¡¯s forehead, making her yelp more in surprise than pain.

    ¡°Little Girl, it doesn¡¯t matter if this is a temporary dungeon or not; you must get in the habit of cleaning up your mess; otherwise, who would marry you in the future if you leave a trail of dirty wrappers and clothes everywhere you go.¡±

    Gabby froze for a moment before cing her hands on her hips and striking a vaguely ¡°Cynrikesk¡± pose. ¡°Like I have to worry about that, you will obviously be my husband in the future; you already are used to picking up after me, so it¡¯s no biggy, right.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm,¡± cing his hand to his chin in thought, Brance cast a gaze at Gabby, who stood triumphantly as if she had spoken the truth.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know; when I think about my future wife, she is someone who is good at household chores and leaves the house spotless.¡±

    Gabby went wide-eyed as tears threatening to spill over bubbled up into her eyelids.

    SMACK

    ¡°Jerk, who the hell are you trying to mimic right now,¡± spinning around andshing out with his open palm, Brance smacked Cynrik, who was standing behind him under [Shadow Veil] upside the head, hard enough to cancel the skill and almost knock him over.

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to Big Bro Cyn, just pick up the area Gabby; we are pressed for time right now.¡± Then, crossing his arms and shooting a re at Cynrik, who was rubbing the spot he¡¯d been hit and wearing a ¡°what was that for¡± look, Brance once again told the little girl to clean up her mess.

    [Why must you tease her like that?]

    [Che, clearly, I was using a diversionary tactic. If I showed up, she would have probably been scared of me; instead, the first thing I did was crack a typical joke. All ording to n, trust me, little brother.]

    [You do realize it took me hours to calm her down, and now she¡¯s gunna be wound up again, just look, you nearly made her cry just now.]

    [Eh, I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about, it was clearly YOU who said those words, not me.] ying it off as nothing happened, Cynrik walked forward with his hands behind his head and kicked the pile of ashes left as a byproduct of the campfire.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 108

    A couple of minutester, Gabby, Benny, and Brance were sitting in a semi-circle around Cynrik, waiting for him to dish out their roles for the boss fight.

    COUGH

    ¡°OK then, first things first,¡± with a wave of his hand, the Fletching skill book appeared from his inventory, and he casually tossed it to Gabby.

    ¡°Sorry bout earlier, Gabby; although Brance filled you all in on what was going on, I still shouldn¡¯t have lost control of myself like that in front of you. Hopefully, this present will be enough for your forgiveness.¡± Cynrik shifted in ce awkwardly, awaiting her response. He couldn¡¯t help but feel like a middle-schooler confessing to the girl he likes, and the situation made him increasingly ufortable.

    Benny and Brance watched the two in silence, not wanting to butt in on their little moment, while Gabby looked from the book in her hands to Cynrik and back at the book.

    Even though she was still a little scared of Cynrik because of what happened earlier, it was all washed away the instant she read the book¡¯s title. Breaking out in her usual cheerful expression and hopping to her feet, Gabby threw herself at Cynrik, hugging him tightly, leaving the older boy stunned by the sudden sign of affection.

    ¡°It¡¯s OK, Big Bro Cyn; I know you wouldn¡¯t hurt us usually, so you must have been in a lot of pain. I was gunna demand a bunch of candies, but I can¡¯t believe you got me a skill book.¡± Releasing Cynrik, Gabby quickly went back to her spot between Brance and Benny while hugging her new book to her chest.

    Cynrik stood in ce and stared at the little girl in awe; if someone had nearly taken his head off in the same way he had almost done to Gabby, there was no way he would be forgiving. Yet Gabby, a girl significantly younger than him, was easily bought off with a simple Tier-1 Skill book.

    ¡°Well, I guess that settles that,¡± shaking his head slowly, Cynrik refocused himself and started talking about how the Boss fight would progress.

    ¡°So, the listed Boss for this Egress is annotated as a Kobold Shaman; this gives us two valuable points of data. First off, the race of the creature, and second the ss. With this info, we can determine a few things, such as it won¡¯t be alone and we can expect the Boss to wield Curses and Affinity Skills.¡±

    ¡°Curse Magic is a pain in the ass to deal with as it primarily focuses on applying multiple Negative Status Effects and Debuffs.¡± Cynrik paused for a moment before pointing at Gabby, ¡°Gabby, what is the difference between Debuffs and Negative Status Effects?¡±

    Flinching at the fact she was called on, Gabby¡¯s mouth opened and closed like a fish before she gave an answer. ¡°Uh¡­erm¡­Debuffs are Statuses that lower our stats, and uh¡­Negative Status Effects¡­¡± Gabby paused and scrunched up her face in thought before continuing, ¡°cause a physical or mental ailment like my [Confuse], right?¡±

    ¡°Ding, ding, have a candy.¡± Nodding like a teacher, Cynrik quickly tossed the little girl one of her favorite sour balls before looking at Benny.

    ¡°You¡¯re up next, Benny; what¡¯s a Kobold.¡±

    ¡°Kobolds are bipedal humanoid creatures. There are two types of Kobolds, the Reptilian and the Canis. Canis Kobolds generally Mutate from animals such as dogs or wolves. However, unlike Packhounds or their more advanced Evolution Direwolves, Canis Kobolds Mutated in environments where being quadruped was considered disadvantageous. This breed of Kobold is the mostmonly found across the world. ¡±

    ¡°Reptilian Kobolds, also referred to as Lizardmen, originate primarily from swampy regions and are lesser Evolved versions of Dragons. For physical characteristics, Reptilian Kobolds are scaled beings with long tails. The color of their scales represents what type of environment they are adapted to. For example, if we see one with Red or Orange scales, theye from volcanic orva-filled terrain. If we face a Shaman, then odds are it will be of the Reptilian variety since they have diluted Dragon blood and can use Affinity Skills, unlike the warrior race Canis Kobolds.¡±

    Cynrik gave a nod of approval to Benny and was slightly caught off guard by how thorough his information was. In fact, Benny had basically stolen the subsequent few sentences from his mouth, causing Cynrik to have to readjust his exnation.

    ¡°Spot on, erm¡­have a candy.¡± Cynrik hesitated but still chose to toss the boy a sour ball, which was received politely before being stored away. Gabby watched on jealously as her older brother received what should have been exclusively for her, and she puffed her cheeks angrily. Benny getting one of her sour balls meant there were fewer in Cynrik¡¯s possession, meaning one less opportunity to get free candy.

    ¡°Benny is correct; just by the data collected, we can assume that the Boss will be a Reptilian Kobold, which is unfortunate, not only because we can¡¯t really counter its Curses, but because it will most likely be guarded by 20 to 30 grunts who will also have ess to Affinity Skills. However, there have been cases of Canis Kobolds having Shamans; it¡¯s just rtively rare.¡±

    ¡°For this raid, we will be going in under cover of my [Shadow Veil], to give us time to survey the area and figure out what we are up against. Stealth is the key this time, so I don¡¯t want anyone making any noise at all. Once we have a grasp on the situation, I will, on the fly, dish out roles; there is no point in putting too much nning into the raid before we are sure what type of Kobolds we are facing.

    Before we go in, I wanna do onest check over everyone¡¯s Stat profiles, so I know what tools we are walking in with.¡± With that said, Cynrik sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes before pulling up the info Brance had sent him over earlier on Gabby and Benny¡¯s Stat profiles.

    In his absence, MyrkLys had cleared a total of 75 creatures,ting them around 1.2 million XP, bringing the Sanford siblings up to 14th Prestige, and giving them an additional 75 stat points, which were distributed between AGI, DEX, and VIT. By increasing their Prestige, they were also given extra Stat Points and a single Skill Point; however, unlike Cynrik and Brance, who received six additional free Stat Points when leveling their Prestige, Gabby received three while Benny only got two points. The difference allowed Cynrik to determine something about the standard Prestige procedure.

    Cynrik inferred that the additional Stat Points someone received was based on their Distribution. For example, Gabby¡¯s Distribution gave her 1 DEX, 1 INT, and 1 MIND; thus, she would receive three free points upon leveling up her Prestige alongside her actual Distribution, increasing her Stats overall by six points. Unfortunately, since Benny¡¯s Distribution was only 1 STR and 1 VIT, he onlyted four points.

    Cynrik¡¯s eyeszily drifted around under his eyelids as he calmly read over the two children¡¯s massive gains. If he was being honest, he was a little jealous. The added 1.2 mil XP was something he regretted missing out on massively. He was only sitting at a little over 700k XP, while Brance, who had profited along with the Sanfords, was at 1.38 mil XP.

    Clicking his tongue mentally, Cynrik cleared his mind and first looked at Gabby¡¯s info.

    : STATS :

    : HP 550/550 :

    : Mana 290/290 :

    : Stamina 275/275 :

    : Stat Points- 24 :

    : Skill Points- 58 :

    : Strength- 40 :

    : Dexterity- 100 :

    : Agility- 74 :

    : Intelligence- 73 :

    : Vitality- 55 :

    : Mind- 73 :

    Cynrik¡¯s left eye began twitching uncontrobly as he read her Stats, his line of sight focusing on her INT and MIND, more so the ¡°3¡± at the tail end. As someone who had an irrational hatred of odd numbers, with the exception being the number ¡°5¡± since his brain, for some reason, was totally fine with it, he felt anxious each time he saw the number three appear on her profile.

    ¡°Gabby, I want you to distribute one point to AGI, two points to INT and MIND, and then 15 points to STR. Then, you can save the leftover points forter.¡± Cynrik finally said after a few agonizing moments.

    ¡°Okie!¡± The little girl chirped happily before doing as she was told, bringing her STR to 55, then her AGI, INT, and MIND up to 75, leaving her with four points left over.

    The conversation between Gabby and Cynrik caused Brance to chuckle as he knew from the second Gabby had reported her Stats, Cynrik would lose his shit; it wasn¡¯t exclusive to her either, as Benny also had some Stats that wouldn¡¯t sit well with his brother. Thoroughly enjoying his older brother¡¯s pain, Brance propped his chin on his palm and watched with excitement.

    Once again, Cynrik closed his eyes before bringing up Benny¡¯s Stats, which caused another uncontroble physical reaction, much to Brance¡¯s joy.

    : STATS :

    : HP 880/880 :

    : Mana 250/250 :

    : Stamina 440/440 :

    : Stat Points- 16 :

    : Skill Points- 58 :

    : Strength- 73 :

    : Dexterity- 86 :

    : Agility- 74 :

    : Intelligence- 40 :

    : Vitality- 88 :

    : Mind- 40 :

    Fortunately for Cynrik, Benny¡¯s stats weren¡¯t as messed up as his sister¡¯s; still, they would need a slight adjustment.

    ¡°Benny, for you, go ahead and add two points to STR, four to DEX, one to AGI, five to INT, and two to VIT.¡± Cynrik opened his eyes and rubbed his temples to alleviate the iing headache he was sure would appear.

    ¡°Copy.¡± Without adding any extra words, Benny quickly increased his STR to 75, DEX to 90, AGI to 75, INT to 45, andstly, his VIT increased to 90 before reporting the changes to Cynrik, who smiled and nodded in satisfaction.

    ¡°With that out of the way, Brance, we are holding off on ours for now. I want to get enough XP to power level everything in one go; I don¡¯t foresee us needing an increase in power to clear this Boss fight. Now then, if everyone is ready, WARM UP TIME, ALLL RIGHT EVERYONE STAND UP TIME FOR STRETCHES.¡±

    ¡°OK, HERE WE GO, ONE AND TWO AND THREE AND FOUR.¡±

    Cynrik quickly made the rest of MyrkLys touch their toes and stretch their muscles with basic calisthenics. This was mainly done to give Gabby and Benny a chance to have a few minutes to adjust to the increases in their stats since both their DEX had increased, allowing them to be more limber.

    Roughly ten minutester, Cynrik pped his hands and gathered the party close so he could use [Shadow Veil]; it was time to head in and clear the Boss.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 109

    With all the members of his party within arm¡¯s length of himself, Cynrik cast [Shadow Veil], covering all four of them in a shroud of Dark Mana.

    ¡°Everyone stay close; we move as one unit; if my legs move, your legs move, be watching for any hand signs I give. Keep your weapons at the ready.¡± Cynrik¡¯s eyes shifted away from his party towards a stone door the size of a full-sized SUV, and he made his way over to it. He slowly reached forward and applied just enough pressure on the door to inch it open without looking back.

    Unexpectedly, when the door cracked open, a st of hot, sulfuric-smelling air forced its way through and past Cynrik, jostling his hair, making his pupils shrink. He could faintly hear the sounds of multiple hissing and gruntsing from the other side of the door. Cynrik pressed his face against the door and peered into the crack, which was less than an inch wide and activated [Mana Sight].

    From his point of view, he was able to see multiple small groups of ugly, tall, orange-scaled Reptilian Kobolds. These groups were scattered about from what he could tell appeared to be a small vige, with stone huts and all. The Kobolds appeared to be going about their daily lives unhindered by the high temperatures and surroundingva flows that coated thendscape. Cynrik could see small groups chatting while others were fornicating, and a few even seemed to be participating in some kind ofbat training.

    Having seen enough, Cynrik backed away from the stone door slightly and leaned over to Gabby and Benny.¡±Reptilian Kobolds, volcanic terrain, with my limited view, I could count around 40 of them, but there could be more. Unfortunately, from this angle, I couldn¡¯t spot the Shaman. Fall back; it looks like the Boss room is in the form of a small vige, so we will need to be careful; the n needs to be reevaluated. I am about to close the door so keep quiet.¡± Cynrik whispered his findings to the group, and he noticed Brance seemed to be unsettled by it.

    [What the fuck, a vige? I thought this was supposed to be a Boss room.]

    [Your guess is as good as mine, Brancie, everything I read about this Egress indicated that we would find a standard Boss room, just like in RPGs, but that isn¡¯t what I just saw. This shit is a full-on Volcanic Vige, with huts and numerous vigers. Shit, they even look to be self-aware. This is some Gnarniaa level shit, man; it¡¯s like a whole different world on the other side.] Cynrik slowly reached over and dug his fingers into the stone before dragging the door closed carefully and dropping his [Shadow Veil], his sudden actions startling Gabby and Benny.

    Cynrik crossed his arms without saying a word and began pacing back and forth, leaving the other three confused. They had just been ready to charge in and start wreaking havoc, but Cynrik had suddenly changed the plot.

    [Tobs, what the fuck is going on?]

    -I have detected an anomaly with the Egress Core, but other than that, I have no further information at this time to present.-

    Cynrik took a deep breath then turned to face his party. ¡°Things have changed. Everything just got a lot moreplicated, and I have no idea what to make of it. What I do know is that for some reason, on the other side of that door appears to be another world or realm. Unfortunately, I have no clue about its size or the full scope of its inhabitants. However, the only thing that hasn¡¯t changed is our goal. We still have to fight and kill the Kobold Shaman, but now¡­now we are going up against a whole army of Reptilian Kobolds. With just the quick nce I took, I spotted at least 40 to 50 creatures, and that¡¯s only what was in in sight.¡±

    ¡°Numbers aren¡¯t the only issue; the rocky volcanic terrain and high temperatures are also factors we can¡¯t exclude as they will quickly eat away at our Stamina. I¡­I need a minute to think of a n, so Brance, fill them in on what I told you while I do my thing.¡±

    With that, Cynrik sat down, closed his eyes, and began regting his breathing to enter his Mindscape. Within seconds the world around Cynrik stilled and went dead silent before he was transported into his Mindscape. When he opened his eyes, the rocky cavern he was initially in melted and began reshaping into the interior of the boss room.

    Cynrik watched with calm eyes as the world was formed in his Mindscape, and secondster, a picture-perfect mirror image of what he had seen on the other side of the door spanned as far as he could see. But it was only the basicyout, so Cynrik calmly waved his hand and formed the multitude of stone huts before, secondster manifesting the frozen, mannequin-like images of Kobolds in the exact location he hadst seen them.

    Knowing his time in the Mindscape was limited, Cynrik set about quickly running around the newly constructed Kobold Vige in search of the Shaman. The gravelly surface of the ground crunched lightly under his feet as Cynrik ran at full speed, looking for any indication or sign that would lead him to the Boss. After a couple of seconds, he stopped at a hut that looked drastically different from the surrounding ones. But to his dismay, when he went to open the door, he was greeted by pure darkness.

    ¡®Makes sense, I didn¡¯t see the interior of the huts, so I can¡¯t recreate it.¡¯ Then, clicking his tongue and biting at the skin on the corner of his thumb, Cynrik turned around to face the rest of the vige and started taking count of all the individual Kobolds within sight.

    ¡®Fuck, there¡¯s a lot of these bastards, I¡¯m counting 53 in in sight. Not to mention I can¡¯t include the ones hiding in any of the 18 huts. So what¡¯s the best course here. We could do a full-frontal assault¡­no, that won¡¯t work; Gabby and Benny are too inexperienced in this aspect. Not to mention I am limited in explosivity; these fucking lizards have high fire resistance thanks to the terrain they grew up in, so I doubt even my ckFire will be that useful.¡¯ Cynrik paced in front of the alleged Shaman¡¯s hut with ns rapidly forming and dissolving in his mind.

    ¡®Bigger issue, there¡¯s no telling if simply killing the Shaman will be enough either. If I had some kind of confirmation, I could just sneak in and assassinate it. Still, if that fails, I¡¯m not entirely confident that I could protect Gabby and Benny on top of eradicating the unknown number of Kobolds. GAH doesn¡¯t matter; they are strong enough to handle themselves with limited support from Brance and me; I can¡¯t see any better route right now, WAIT.¡¯

    Mid thought, Cynrik suddenly stopped and snapped his head towards a massive waterfall ofva not far from the vige center. His eyes widened slightly as a n started forming in his head, but just as he began to finalize it, he was ovee by a massive headache dropping him to his knees and shattering the Mindscape all at once.

    He had reached his limit for sustaining the ability and was forcefully kicked out. Naturally, his body had a violent reaction to this, and when his eyes snapped open, Cynrik curled over and started puking all over the cavern floor, causing Gabby to scream as she was pretty close by.

    ¡°AHHH, LOOK OUT, HE¡¯S UPCHUCKING!¡± Gabby¡¯s voice echoed against the rocky walls as she ran away, iling her hands above her head.

    ¡°Fucking shit, bacsh sucks.¡± Cynrik rubbed his eyes in anguish, wiping the bile from his lips, and cursed aloud. ¡°Alright, cut it out, Gabby, I¡¯m done; get the hell over here so I can tell yall the n.¡± Ignoring the ringing in his ears and the splitting headache he was experiencing, Cynrik angrily waved at Gabby to get her ass back to the group while popping one of her sour balls into his mouth to wash away the taste of puke.

    Motioning for everyone to gather around, Cynrik used his finger to draw a rough map once again. But, this time, instead of it being the dungeon, it was a visual representation of the Kobold vige.

    ¡°Using one of my special abilities, I was able to recreate the vige temporarily; this allowed me to get a better feel of what we are dealing with. Inside, it¡¯s like another world consisting of a small vige with 18 stone huts the size of a bedroom. There are three open fields to the left of the entrance, two of which appear to be for farming crops, while the remaining is some kind of training ground. While the two farming areas are empty of Kobolds, over twenty Tier-1 Kobolds are decked out in basic gear performing livebat drills. Leading away from the stone door is a dirt road extending to the center of the vige, where the 18 huts are located in a semi-circle around the central courtyard area.¡±

    ¡°Be advised there are dozens of Kobolds scattered all around the vige, ranging from young children to the elderly, don¡¯t let this deter you from the mission. Gabby, Benny, I won¡¯t ask you to harm the young creatures, but if any adult attacks you, no matter their age or appearance, do not, I repeat, DO NOT show mercy. They will kill you without hesitation, so don¡¯t spare a single thought when ites to eliminating any threats. Remember, this is an instance dungeon; these beings only exist INSIDE the Egress, so don¡¯t feel sorry for them because when weplete the dungeon, they will be wiped away.¡±

    ¡°Benny, you are our lynchpin this time. As the only one of us with a Water Affinity, you have a vitally important job. This here is your target.¡± Cynrik drew a squiggly line and circled it. ¡°This is a waterfall made ofva feet away from the vige center; what I want you to do, is dump as much water on it as possible. This will cause a chain reaction, not only hardening theva but also spewing up a massive amount of steam, effectively giving us the cover to move as we see fit, allowing us to make our way towards our target, here stealthily.¡± Cynrik drew a slightlyrger box than the others representing the stone huts.

    ¡°This is what I assume to be the Shaman¡¯s hut; going off what I know about Reptilian Kobold culture, Shamans have the highest standing in viges like this and are viewed as a leader or chief of sorts. We will be moving in pairs; Brance has a skill called [Vanish], which is simr to my [Shadow Veil], so he will go ahead with Gabby to the Shamans hut, leaving me to pair up with Benny and target thevafall before rendezvousing with you both at the Shaman¡¯s hut.¡±

    Cynrik paused and looked around to ensure everyone was on the same page before dropping the bad news on them.

    ¡°Unfortunately, there is a big hole in this n, and that¡¯s the uncertainty in what happens if we sessfully take out the Shaman. This whole situation is too strange, to begin with, and I have no way of knowing what happens after we take out the Boss. The best-case scenario is the Boss room shatters, taking on a standard appearance and rewarding us with treasure chests; this typically happens. However, I want everyone to be prepared if this doesn¡¯t ur. If killing the Boss isn¡¯t enough¡­then it means the final challenge is a subjugation mission, meaning we have to wipe out the entire vige.¡±

    Cynrik made eye contact with Brance before turning to face Benny and Gabby.

    ¡°If it bes a subjugation mission, the two of us will do what needs to be done; you both don¡¯t need that kind of burden on your minds, so you will only have to face the adults.¡±

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 110

    ¡°If it bes a subjugation mission, the two of us will do what needs to be done; you both don¡¯t need that kind of burden on your minds, so you will only have to face the adults.¡±

    An oppressive silence descended on the party at Cynrik¡¯s words. By saying the phrase ¡°subjugation mission,¡± everyone was suddenly aware of how serious the situation had be. Even to Benny and Gabby, it was a well-known fact that Green Alpha Egresses allegedly had a meager rate of casualty. If ten parties of five entered one, it was likely only one or two of the 50 people wouldn¡¯t return, and those instances were generally so far and few between that it was chalked up to ¡°user error.¡±

    All that only applied to typical instances; if what Cynrik said about the potential for subjugation was true, itpletely changed everything. With a serious expression and beads of sweat dripping down his forehead, Benny looked at Cynrik questioningly.

    ¡°But Cyn, this is only an Alpha¡­don¡¯t subjugations only form in Beta or Gamma Egresses?¡± His voice began to waver the more realization set upon him, making Benny increasingly more nervous.

    ¡°Heh, yeah. The bulk of subjugations are caused by a swarm of wild monsters or the other two ssifications of Egresses. This is different, though; for some reason, our Boss room has be a¡­ err¡­pocket world¡­I guess that¡¯s the right way to put it. Seeing as I didn¡¯t step into the ce and only peeked at it from the door, I couldn¡¯t trigger an Emergency Quest or anything, but just by a nce, I was able to conclude this by getting a glimpse of the location and enemy forces.¡± Cynrik crossed his arms and continued chewing on his thumb in thought.

    ¡°Look, I won¡¯t lie to you guys; all hell will probably break loose very quickly. Gabby and Benny, you two need to stick to Brance, and I like glue. Don¡¯t leave off on your own, and remember what I¡¯ve taught you about situational awareness. Keep your heads on a swivel; you may be under our concealing skills, but that doesn¡¯t mean the Kobolds can¡¯t touch or even smell you if you end up too close.¡±

    Cynrik stared at Gabby in particr since she had a high probability of wandering off on her own if left unsupervised.

    ¡°Look, guys, there¡¯s nothing to panic over. Didn¡¯t we just clear out a bunch of rats and hounds with just the three of us? Now that we¡¯ve got Big Brother back, we¡¯ve got nothing to worry about. Just listen to what we tell you and stay on your toes.¡± Sensing the anxiety levels of the party spiking, Brance decided to step in and try calming everyone down.

    Cynrik wasn¡¯t the best at keeping others¡¯ thoughts and emotions in mind, and as he just proved, had a tendency only to spit statistics and facts. This left it up to Brance to try and soothe his friends and brother. His words seemed to have worked to some extent as he noticed Benny wipe the sweat from his face and put on a look of confidence. Gabby reacted simrly and went to Brance¡¯s side before grabbing his hand and looking up at him.

    ¡°Alright, Cyn, hit us with the whole n; what happens after we get in and you and Benny douse thevafall?¡± Brance pumped Gabby¡¯s hand once before tossing her a gentle smile and directing his attention back to Cynrik.

    ¡°Right,¡± Kneeling back down by the crudely drawn vige map in the dirt, Cynrik started detailing out the strat he¡¯d beening up with.

    ¡°First off, Infiltration, as I stated previously, we are splitting into two groups, and under cover of our stealth skills, we will position ourselves in the two ces as mentioned earlier. Me and Benny at thevafall, and Gabby and Brance at the Shamans hut. I want you two to carefully and quietly jump up on the roof and find a solid vantage point where you have eyes on as much of the vige as possible. The vige in its entirety is only slightly bigger than the park we used to go to when we were little. Gabby¡­¡± Cynrik stopped and looked over at the little girl to ensure she was paying attention.

    ¡°Do you remember the n we used to have during hide n seek?¡±

    Gabby tilted her head cutely and bit the inside of her cheek for a second before her eyes lit up in remembrance.

    ¡°OH OH, the one where you¡¯d have me climb trees and tell you where everyone was hiding so you could sneak up on them?¡±

    Brance frowned as he was hearing this for the first time; he always wondered how whenever the pair of Gabby and Cynrik were the finders, they could hunt down every kid in hide n seek quickly and efficiently.

    ¡°Yep, exactly, I need you to do that, except this time, you¡¯ll have your bow, so if you see any Kobolds getting too close or trying to chase us, I want you to snipe them. So pick a good spot on the hut¡¯s roof, and use your [Eagle Eye] to identify anyone for Brance, who will ry the info to me.¡±

    Cynrik paused for a moment and scrunched up his face in thought, debating on whether or not to say the next part. Then, tossing a sidelong nce at Brance, who had an idea what he wanted to say and nodded his approval, Cynrik continued.

    ¡°I know Brance, and I have never really exined it, but we both have a particr skill, unique to our Dads side of the family called [Mana Sight], it basically allows us to see all the Mana Particles within a specified radius; it¡¯s what we always use for targeting and such. So it¡¯s basically like a super-strong version of Gabby¡¯s [Eagle Eye], which lets her see things outside the typical spectrum of eyesight.¡±

    ¡°This brings me into the second part of the n. Once we are all in position, I will give Benny the signal to start manifesting as much water as possible to dump on theva creating a massive cloud of steam, but this isn¡¯t the only task.¡±

    Cynrik started drawing on the map again, making a big blobby-looking thing that he focused on thevafall.

    ¡°The reaction will be instant, but without any outside force applied on the steam, I don¡¯t expect it to do what we need; thus, Brance¡­.¡± Cynrik grinned and held up his left-hand palm side facing the sky. With a slight twitch of his muscles, a small green tornado formed from Wind Mana appeared and danced lightly in his palm before being directed onto the map.

    Brance mirrored his brother¡¯s actions and created a simr Wind Tornado, with the only difference being its lighter shade of green.

    The two brothers articted their fingers with unspoken coordination moving the small tornados to either side of the dirt blob and started directing it around the map until the whole vige was covered in dirt, nearly wiping the map away entirely.

    ¡°Brance and I will use our Wind Affinities to manipte the steam, forcing it closer to the ground and shrouding the vige. This is why it¡¯s so essential that Gabby is on the lookout with her [Eagle Vision];. At the same time, Brance, Benny, and I are upied with this; Gabby will be on the lookout, steadily picking off any Kobolds that try entering the area close to theva fall.¡±

    Once the blob was in ce, Cynrik and Brance released control of their tornados, allowing them to break apart and vanish.

    ¡°Once we get the steam cloud in ce, Benny and I will make our way towards the Shaman hut by making use of it, taking out any enemies wee across, effectively thinning the herd. I want everyone to treat this as a subjugation mission. Suppose the System or Egress Core tells us otherwise. In that case, the n will only be adjusted to reflect this, so pick and choose your targets carefully and prioritize anything carrying a weapon.¡±

    Cynrik leaned forward and ced a big X on the box representing the Shaman¡¯s hut.

    ¡± Once we all meet up at the hut, it¡¯s game time, Brance; you are first in the door¡­er¡­ceiling; I want you to blow a hole in the roof and drop in on the target with Gabby¡¯s cover fire. Benny, you will be breaching the door simultaneously as Brance is dropping in, while I¡¯lle in from a different side through the window.¡±

    As Cynrik spoke, he drew lines around the hut, indicating the path he wanted everyone to take.

    ¡°Strike ¡¯em hard, hit ¡¯em fast. We want to catch the Shaman off guard and unprepared, so he won¡¯t be able to retaliate. Curses and Debuffs are nasty, so the less time it has to spew them or drop totems, the better off we will be. Gabby, I want you to stay on the roof while the three of us are on the move; your job is to not only watch the vige but also try and find an opening to ce a well-timed arrow onto the Boss.¡±

    Gabby clenched her fists tightly while rapidly nodding up and down with confidence, making Brance and Cynrik smile. The little girl was tough; that much could be said.

    ¡°Now then, the final part, everything banks on what happens once we take down the Shaman; there are only two answers here, but since this whole Boss raid is a fucking Anomaly, I can only have backup ns in ce, I can make all the preparations in the world, but even I am unable to tell the future.¡±

    Cynrik took a deep breath and stood up, making the rest of the party join him on their feet.

    ¡°If the worst-case scenario happens, and we actually go into full-on subjugation mode, Brance and I will move at full speed, taking out everything we find while causing the maximum amount of damage possible. You two don¡¯t have to worry about anything other than watching each other¡¯s backs. Benny, you will be on protection duty, so join Gabby on the roof and don¡¯t let anyone up there. Gabby take as many shots as possible to lessen the load on Brance and me. That¡¯s it, end of the n.¡±

    ¡°This is the hardest shit we¡¯ve faced as a group.¡± Cynrik made eye contact with each of them as he spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s go kill some fucking lizards,¡± and with a cocky grin, Cynrik grabbed Benny by the scruff of his neck, just as he had during the practical exams.

    ¡°Oh, onest thing, Brancie Catch,¡± Cynrik pulled out two Small Mana potions and the small Health potion and tossed them to his brother, who stored them instantly.

    With the handoffplete, Cynrik cast [Shadow Veil] while Brance picked up Gabby in a princess carry, much to her joy, and cast [Vanish], before making their way towards the door with Cynrik giving onestmand.

    ¡°MyrkLys, Move out.¡±

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 111

    With Benny hanging limply and wearing an embarrassed expression, Cynrik ced his right palm on the stone door leading to the Kobold Vige and applied enough pressure to open it without making any noise slowly. Then, sensing Brance arriving behind him, Cynrik went ahead and opened the door beyond the inch-wide crack he had created, making a gap barelyrge enough for them to move through.

    Brance brushed past Cynrik and Benny, making himself and Gabby the first ones through the threshold, which wasn¡¯t something they had previously agreed upon, but nheless, Cynrik was okay with it. Brance and Gabby had the most ground to cover, so breaking away sooner meant they¡¯d already be in ce by the time Cynrik and Benny arrived at thevafall.

    Cynrik watched his brothers back with [Mana Sight] active before following through the doorway with Benny in toe, being carried like a stray cat. However, the instant Cynrik¡¯s foot stepped into the Boss room, not only did several notifications start popping up in his view, causing him to halt his steps, but the door leading back to the dungeon forcefully mmed shut. Luckily, Cynrik hadn¡¯t opened it all the way, so the only audible sound was a soft thump that the bustling Kobold Vige quickly drowned out.

    -You have entered the Instance Dungeon Boss room for A-G-22097.-

    -Exit has been SEALED.-

    -You cannot leave the Instance Dungeon Boss Room until all tasks and quests have beenpleted.-

    -WARNING, ANOMALY DETECTED, EGRESS CORE IS EMITTING UNSTABLE AND UNPREDICTABLE MANA FLUCTUATIONS. AN EMERGENCY QUEST IS BEING GENERATED. THIS PROCESS WILL TAKE A TOTAL OF 5 MINUTES TO COMPLETE.-

    -Time Remaining until Emergency Quest Generated, 04:58.-

    Cynrik felt his heart drop when he heard and read the final notification, but he immediately went into action.

    [Brance, ignore the quest and stick to the original n for now. Be prepared for subjugation.]

    [Copy, moving out.]

    Like Cynrik, Brance didn¡¯t get entirely distracted by the system notifications and had already covered several meters, moving in the direction Cynrik had indicated on the map. Feeling Gabby shivering in his arms, Brance rubbed tiny circles on the girl¡¯s back with his thumb to calm her down.

    Not hesitating any longer, Cynrik activated his [Shadow Leap] and, with Benny in tow, sunk into the rocky surface and into what he dubbed the ¡°Shadow Realm.¡±

    Benny was bbergasted as he watched the world around him lose color, and a feeling of weightlessness took over. However, he didn¡¯t panic. Instead, Benny, fully trusting Cynrik¡¯s abilities, allowed himself to be carried along as Cynrik flitted at breakneck speed through the shadows towards the direction of thevafall.

    ¡°Benny, listen up, I didn¡¯t want to say it around Gabby, but shits gunna go real sour fast. The fact we received an Emergency Quest prompt is proof enough about what will happen.¡± Skipping from one point to the next as if flying, Cynrik broke the silence against his better judgment. Even though they were in the Shadow Realm, he still kept his voice to a whisper subconsciously, even though he knew no one could hear him other than Benny.

    ¡°There is a 95% chance we will be forced into a mandatory Subjugation, at which point, you¡¯ll need to do what needs to be done. I expect your sister to falter when ites down to killing helpless beings, at which point if neither Brance nor I are present, it will fall to you to handle it.¡±

    Cynrik felt the younger boy tense up at his words but could only shake his head helplessly.

    ¡°I¡­I¡­understand Cyn.¡± Benny stuttered his words but eventually got his point across.

    Reaching over and grabbing Bennys right arm, Cynrik had the boy grab hold of his shoulder and subsequently released his grip on Benny¡¯s neck.

    ¡°I know I am asking for a lot here, Benny¡­you and Gabby aren¡¯t like Brance and me, and neither of us expects you to be ruthless; all I am asking for is if you are in a situation where everything falls on having to make the decision to spare a life or end one, you choose to do what the mission dictates. If it eases your mind, me me for it, as technically, I am the one putting you in this position.¡±

    ¡°The only consolidation I can give you is nothing here truly exists. The Egress Core explicitly created every creature in this vige; think of them as simply XP if you need to, but I need you to have a grip on your emotions if the situation presents itself.¡±

    Looking over to check the younger boy¡¯s reaction, Cynrik nodded approvingly as he witnessed Benny¡¯s face go from utterly scared to confident and resolute.

    ¡°Alright, we will be arriving soon; keep your wits about you and start collecting the necessary Mana.¡± Cynrik looked forward and continued making long-striding jumps to cover distance quickly, simrly to how a certain ninja wearing orange leaps from tree to tree, only in this case, instead of a forest, there were pirs of darkness and shadows as far as the eye could see, which Cynrik was using as footholds to cover distance at a quicker pace than just floating in one direction as he had before.

    The Shadow Realm vaguely resembled the outside world if it was merged with a massive forest of darkness; each of the Pir-like tforms was the physical manifestations of shadows being cast in every direction. So the boulders Cynrik would have been passing in the outside world cast strange oblong shadows that he could step on as if they were solid.

    From his point of view, everything around him seemed to be a reverse negative version of the world but devoid of colors; by looking up, he could see the reflection of the natural world and was using that to tell which direction he was moving.

    Meanwhile, outside the Shadow Realm, Brance and Gabby arrived unhindered beside the Shaman¡¯s hut and were nearly ovee by the stenching from inside the building. It was a mixture of feces and rot, making both of their stomachs churn. Trying his best to ignore the smell, Brance lightly kicked off the ground and stepped on the hard surface of the building before running up a couple of steps and leaping onto the roof soundlessly, and putting Gabby down.

    Unlike with Cynrik¡¯s [Shadow Veil], which would hide the people under it from each other as well as outside eyes, Brance¡¯s [Vanish] was like casting a nket over himself and Gabby, so he was able to make hand signs to the little girl telling her where to stand and pull out her bow.

    Gabby nodded upon understanding Brance¡¯s signals and equipt her bow and quiver before notching an arrow and activating her [Eagle Eye].

    The world she was seeing became much more vibrant instantly. Although Cynrik had stated earlier, [Eagle Eye] strongly resembled a weaker version of [Mana Sight], the main difference is that it doesn¡¯t allow Gabby to see Mana particles but heat signatures instead. So it is, in a sense, a pseudo-heat vision. But that¡¯s not all it does; the best way Gabby could describe it when she first learned the skill was, ¡°It¡¯s like when you have a video in low definition and suddenly make it HD and add weird hazy effects around everything while also making a zoom in and out feature.¡±

    It was the perfect skill for archers, and if Cynrik hadn¡¯t stumbled on it in the RWTC, who knows when she would have found a simr skill.

    Standing atop thergest stone hut with her bow drawn, Gabby scanned the entire vige while making a 360-degree circle. Her eyes seemed to vibrate with how quickly they were darting around as she targeted and counted every single Kobold her eyes fell on.

    Beside her, Brance gave the hut under his feet a good look; from what he could tell, it appeared to have been a singr massive boulder that had been carved away and shaped into a building. But the most unsettling thing was his inability to see through the stone with his [Mana Sight]. Brance quickly shut off his skill for fear of blinding himself because the rocky hut seemed to reflect Mana and turned it into an extremely bright rainbow-colored light making Brance feel like he was attempting to stare at the sun.

    Closing his eyes for a second and rubbing them, Brance felt a tap on his shoulder from Gabby, pulling his attention.

    When he opened his eyes, he was greeted by Gabby, holding both her hands in the form of a fist like how a fighter would hold up their guard. This was Cynrik¡¯s sign of enemies, so Brance nodded while Gabby proceeded to hold up her fingers in a numerical fashion indicating she had counted 139 Kobolds causing Brance to shiver.

    Cynrik was WAY off in his initial estimation of the Kobolds numbers.

    [Fuck, Cyn, there¡¯s almost a hundred and forty Kobolds, by Gabby¡¯s count.]

    In the Shadow Realm, Brance¡¯s information caused Cynrik to miss a shadow pir and catapult himself forward weightlessly into the abyss, making Benny yelp in fear.

    [Shit¡­SHIT¡­fucking damn it. What the hell? I only saw like 50 earlier. Is her number urate?] Holding out hope that Gabby miscounted, Cynrik waited for Brance to do his own reconnaissance.

    Brance went silent and didn¡¯t immediately respond but instead activated [Mana Sight] once again while being careful not to look directly at the huts and began counting bodies. A few secondster, he came up with a simr number to Gabby¡¯s and reported it to Cynrik.

    [I counted around 120ish, but it isn¡¯t as urate as Gabby¡¯s, whatever these huts are made from is blocking my vision too much to count everything, but I still got over 120, so I have to lean more towards her count.]

    Cynrik inhaled sharply and, with a front flip, corrected his forward momentum, carrying himself and Benny to another pir while floating at the natural speed presented by the Shadow Realm, which seemed to have a flowing natural current. His eyes flicked towards the notification box, indicating how much time was left until the Emergency Quest was generated.

    -Time Remaining until Emergency Quest Generated, 02:06.-

    [What do we do, Cyn?] Brance, unable to hide the nervousness in his voice, tossed the question out in hopes his brother would have answers that he was unable toe up with.

    Cynrik¡¯s brain was firing on all cylinders; half his attention was divided to making his way towards the rapidly approachingvafall, the other half towards simting every possible option. ns were quickly formed before being picked apart by his own logic and starting from scratch. Burning through more than five crudely organized ideas a second, Cynrik eventually came to one that may work.

    [How many Mana potions do you have on you?]

    The question made Brance freeze for half a second before he pulled up his inventory to check.

    [Aside from the two Small ones you gave me before we entered, I¡¯ve got the five Mom packed for me. So the equivalent of 840 MP why?]

    [840 MP¡­ you¡¯re sitting at 880 right now, so that¡¯s 40 points shy of a full tank restore if you chug all seven in session. If memory serves, your [Stone Spike] should have roughly the same MP cost as [Air Missle], baseline 15 MP unless you charge more in to strengthen the skill.]

    [Son of a bitch, Cyn¡­don¡¯t tell me you want me to turn into a turret?] Brance frowned and pulled up the skill descriptions for the two skills Cynrik mentioned to double-check they were 15 MP each.

    [Look, Brance, we have 140 fucking lizards to kill and not a whole lot of time to do it. I reckon there will only be a few minutes at best before we get surrounded and are in a shit hole of a situation. The more bodies we can pick off under cloud cover, the better position we will be in when the battle breaks out. So if we subtract 75 MP for [Mana Sight] costs, that means you can fire off a little over 50 spikes or missles before needing to recharge.]

    Cynrik heard Brance sigh heavily through the mind link and smirked.

    [Fine, but potion costs are on you, jerk.]

    [Hehe, bitch please, we are already rich, remember.]

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 112

    With a few more seconds of banter between the two brothers, Cynrik cut off the conversation due to his arrival at the edge of thevafall. Tilting backward, he assumed a leaning posture and observed the liquid-like sky of the Shadow Realm, with Benny joining him.

    ¡°Are you ready for this?¡± Cynrik looked over at Benny and noted how much stress the boy was wearing on his face. Since the Shadow Realm was, in essence, a world devoid of any Mana particles aside from Dark Mana, the task Cynrik had bestowed on Benny was unreasonably challenging and required him to converge all the Mana inside his Codex into his hands, forming a weak blue glow that radiated from his hands.

    Fearing if he looked away at the older boy speaking to him would break his concentration, Benny only gave a short nod to Cynrik.

    ¡°Good, remember, once I bring us out, I¡¯ll be using [Shadow Veil] to hide us immediately. This will still leave us visible for about a second, so don¡¯t make any sudden movements. Lastly, since the vige is surrounded byva and a heavy amount of Fire Mana, it will be difficult to converge Water Mana.¡± Cynrik paused and withdrew the Medium Mana potion he received from the chests earlier and stuffed it into the pocket of Benny¡¯s jacket.

    ¡°It will take more MP to draw the ambient Water particles, so don¡¯t panic when you bottom out; just chug down that potion and continue. We only have one shot at this, so make it count. Don¡¯t drop the [Water Sphere] until you¡¯ve charged it to maximum capacity.¡±

    Cynrik extended his left arm and gripped Benny¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this; I¡¯ve got your back covered, so just focus on your task.¡± With thosest words, Cynrik kicked off the shadow pir he was perched on and carried Benny towards the barrier between the Shadow Realm and the real world, deactivating his [Shadow Leap] in the process.

    Benny couldn¡¯t help but suck in a final breath of oxygen as they breached the sky, which left a feeling of popping your head up from underwater in a pool.

    Cynrik used the momentum from his kick off the shadow pir to carry himself and Benny a couple of feet above the ground and quickly cast his [Shadow Veil] beforending on one knee mere inches away from the massive pool ofva fed by thevafall.

    Being so close to the bubbling moltenva forced sweat to pool from both boys¡¯ brows as Cynrik went on high alert, and Benny spread his hands as if praying to the sky so he could draw in any Water Mana.

    [Tsk, I fucking hate the hot; why do I always end up in hot areas, fucking Florida was always so damn hot; now my ass is standing right next to FUCKING LAVA.] Watching Benny out of the corner of his eye with [Mana Sight], Cynrik took a moment toin in the mind link.

    [I mean, it was your choice to move back from Chicago to Ondo back on Earth, so ask yourself this¡­deep down¡­do you really hate hot weather?]

    [Ppfft, what the hell do you know, Brance, I clearly moved back after you got out of the military, so TECHNICALLY doesn¡¯t that mean it¡¯s your fault.]

    Even though Cynrik and Brance were back to their typical banter, neither of them dropped their guard for a second.

    Cynrik was crouched on the ground and observing his surroundings carefully, counting each Mana signature that came into view. At the same time, Brance stood alongside Gabby, monitoring the surrounding area to keep tabs on any of the aimlessly wandering Kobolds. His goal was to make sure that the party wouldn¡¯t end up getting snuck upon if any crept too close.

    Heaving a sigh internally, Cynrik quickly confirmed the number of Kobolds to be close enough to Gabby¡¯s initial estimation, and it didn¡¯t settle his rapidly beating heart one bit. If there was one thing history in both his lives had taught him, there was astronomical strength in numbers, and right now, it was four vs. 140. Even for someone as reckless as himself, Cynrik wasn¡¯t about to waltz into battle, thinking he couldplete this subjugation effortlessly.

    A brisk wind suddenly whipped up from behind Cynrik and Benny, bathing them both in sulfuric volcanic gas and causing them to force down coughs that threatened toe out of their mouths. Tasting the acrid and acidic taste, Cynrik leaned close to the ground before spitting a glob of mucous-coated saliva onto the hard ground.

    Catching his breath and standing up, Cynrik, for the first time, got aplete view of the vige from his high-up vantage point.

    Thevafall was located atop a small mountainous rocky hill, overlooking a bowl-shaped valley where the vige was nestled strategically. Upon further inspection, Cynrik determined that instead of being a naturally formed valley below a mountain, it appeared that the vige was actually on top of an inactive volcano, which exined theva moat surrounding the entire vige. From his vantage point of over 75 feet, he had a full view of the vige¡¯s wholeyout and quickly picked up on the differences between what he saw from the door earlier and what he was viewing now.

    But his further inspection raised deep concern in his mind. The vige itself and the surrounding area appeared roughly a kilometer wide, but outside that¡­there was nothing. All he could see beyond the rocky terrain was a never-ending expanse of darkness reminding him of what happens in a particr blocky sandbox game he used to y when the map chunks didn¡¯t load correctly.

    ¡®Well, I guess that narrows down the teleportation theory; by entering the Boss room, we weren¡¯t brought to a different part of the world, and instead, it appears the reverse has happened. This narrows my ideas to only two suspected theories. The first was a randomly generated zone created by the Egress Core, or second, thisrge chunk ofnd and its inhabitants were forcefully summoned by some magical means.¡¯

    While Cynrik was lost in thought trying to figure out what the hell was actually going on, Benny was struggling greatly to manifest the massive ball of Water Mana. Even though Cynrik had warned him ahead of time how difficult it would be to gather ambient Water particles, he didn¡¯t expect it to be this hard.

    Benny estimated that there seemed to be a rough estimate of 100-1 when it came to theposition of Mana in the surrounding area, with 100 being the active Fire Mana and one being the active Water. Unfortunately, this left the boy to struggle with vast amounts of effort to convert the Mana in his Codex into a physical manifestation and only allowed for supplemental outside Mana.

    To break it down into simpler terms, what Benny was trying to aplish was no different from trying to suck a golf ball through a thousand-foot hose. He would need arge vacuum or more than one person blowing from the opposite end to draw in the golf ball.

    Unfortunately for Benny, the task was solely given to him, and he could only ept his solo task with a grain of salt. The sweltering heating off therge pool ofva didn¡¯t help either, as just standing by it was constantly draining his Stamina at a rapid pace of one point per second.

    The whole time Benny was proceeding with this task, his eyes never left his Stats Panel, something that Cynrik and Brance had instilled in both Sanford siblings was how vital micromanaging your Stats was. His current situation was a perfect example. He watched as his MP rapidly drained, and when it fell below 10 percent, Benny quickly uncapped the Medium Mana potion and chugged it down, ignoring its vor and going back to creating his Water ball.

    However, he nearly broke his concentration when he heard a chain of dinging noises ring out in his mind signifying iing notifications. Realizing he couldn¡¯t let his concentration slip, Benny put his trust in Cynrik, who, although he couldn¡¯t see, he knew was right by his side, analyzing these notifications.

    And he was correct. The instant the flood of notifications came through, Cynrik and Brance both stiffened and went pale.

    -WARNING, ANOMALY DETECTED, EGRESS CORE IS EMITTING UNSTABLE AND UNPREDICTABLE MANA FLUCTUATIONS. AN EMERGENCY QUEST HAS BEEN GENERATED.-

    -Emergency Quest ¨C Subjugation Mission.-

    -Because of an Anomaly created by -OMITTED-, a third party, this Quest is issued to the group known as ¡°MyrkLys.¡± This third party has infused a massive amount of Mana into A-G 22097¡¯s Egress Core, explicitly affecting the randomly generated Instance, causing the Dungeon Boss Quest to undergo abnormal and unpredictable changes.-

    -Instead of facing a randomly generated Boss creature, a chunk ofnd from an unknown location has been forcefully moved into the space formerly upied by the Egress¡¯s constructed Boss room; as such, it falls onto you and the members of your party to wipe out and rectify this urrence.-

    -Subjugate Kobold Soldiers: 0/84- (iplete)

    -Subjugate Kobold Vigers: 0/68- (iplete)

    -Subjugate Kobold Shaman: 0/1- (iplete)

    -The above-listed tasks are shared between all members of MyrkLys and do not need to be met individually.-

    -For the duration of this Quest, all XP will be shared equally between party members no matter the distance between them.-

    -The time limit toplete this Quest is the same as the time remaining toplete the Instance quest. 12:33:06-

    -Rewards: ???-

    -Penalty for Failure: All party members will die, and the Egress Core will spiral out of control before exploding with a force equivalent to an attack from a Tier-7 existence.-

    Brance¡¯s mind wentpletely nk as he read the Emergency Quest notifications, and Cynrik¡¯s spun even faster than before when he was nning their method of attack. An uncontroble rage started overwhelming him as he thought through everything logically.

    ¡®A third party whose name has been forcefully Omitted by Tobs, that can only be¡­.¡¯

    Cynrik¡¯s thought process came to a screeching halt. Concerned that someone or something may be spying on him, he quickly confirmed something with Tobs, ¡®Tobs, verify that my mind can¡¯t be read by either of ¡°THEM¡± I need to know for a fact that it¡¯s only us in my head.¡¯

    -Hosts¡¯ thoughts and my corresponding responses to said thoughts can only be heard by the two of us. Although the Deities are known as omniscient, they are unable to read the thoughts of a being unless they are within physical touching distance.-

    An angry grin formed across Cynrik¡¯s lips, and his eyes turned into crescents.

    ¡®Tobs, run the probability that this Anomaly was caused by either a Deity or their Legacy Charge.¡¯

    -Running calctions¡­The probability of this scenario being caused by a Deity level Being is 2%. The probability of this scenario being caused by a Legacy Charge is 98%.-

    ¡®Excellent, fucking EXCELLENT, let me find you, you son of a fucking bitch, I can¡¯t wait to tear you limb from GOD FORSAKEN LIMB AND BATHE IN YOUR BLOOD YOU DICKLESS PIECE OF SHIT.¡¯

    Clenching his fists tightly, Cynrik stood up while wearing his sadistic expression and looked over in the direction he left Benny. With his [Mana Sight] still active, he could clearly see a massive ball of Water that reminded him of the Spirit Bomb, floating several meters above theva.

    [Brance.] Cynrik paused and popped his neck loudly.

    [ I¡¯m here.] Standing on the roof of the Shamans hut, Brance made the exact same motion as his brother, a rapid downward angle turn of his head making his neck pop.

    Slowly and in sync, the two brothers formed ws with their hands and got in position, channeling pure Wind Mana into their fingers. Cynrik and Brance had seen that Benny was almost ready with his part of the n, and even with the knowledge presented by the Emergency Quest, they didn¡¯t hesitate to prepare for the next step.

    [On three.]

    [Three.]

    The brothers forced hundreds of MP into their palms and made grasping motions in the direction of theva.

    [Two.]

    Cynrik exhaled slowly; everything that happened next fell on how sessfully they could cover the vige.

    [One.]

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 113

    [On three.]

    [Three.]

    The brothers forced hundreds of MP into their palms and made grasping motions in the direction of theva.

    [Two.]

    Cynrik exhaled slowly; everything that happened next fell on how sessfully they could cover the vige.

    [One.]

    A brisk gust kicked up, circling the area around the invisible Water Mana particles. Without the use of [Mana Sight] or being highly intuned with Mana and its movement, the actions urring several feet above thevafall fed pool would go unnoticed by the general public. Thanks to the skills inherited from Rikard¡¯s side of the family, Cynrik and Brance were stepping into the unknown.

    Combining three key factors, [Mana Sight], [Mana Maniption], and their Wind Affinities, the brothers, could somewhat direct the ambient Wind particles into a vortex-like movement. Although they didn¡¯t necessarily have control of the particles and couldn¡¯t forcefully bend them to their will, by making an exaggerated push and pull motion utilizing their entire bodies, they could, in a sense, coerce the ambient Wind Mana in the surrounding area to move in their desired manner.

    This maniption ability was basically the manual form of using a skill without the desired results. To break it down further, one must understand what urs when a being activates its predetermined System skills. The chain of actions required to activate a skill is as follows. First, the being inputs amand designating the activation of the desired skill, then the System will recognize thismand and automatically move the beings Mana from their Codex, through their Circuits, andstly to the point of the body the being wishes to use the skill from. Once the correct amount of resources, in this case, MP or Mana Points, has been allocated, the System then synchronizes with the beings Mind and Soul to create the skills predesignated form before stepping back and giving the metaphorical ¡°reins¡± back to the being for targeting or course correction.

    By doing what they are presently achieving, Cynrik and Brance bypass Tobs¡¯ assistance and manually do all the tasks usually left to her. If it wasn¡¯t for the added benefits of their [Mana Maniption] skill which both currently had leveled to Tier-1, it is unlikely they would be able to generate so much as a puff of air, let aloney the groundwork for a miniature hurricane.

    [Huff, hey Cyn, you surprise me with the level of maturity you¡¯re showing right now. I expected at least one or two references, but I hear static silence.]

    Without stopping his physical motions, Brance took a shot at Cynrik¡­which he shouldn¡¯t have.

    [Tobs, do the thing.]

    Even with his budding rage threatening to spill over, Cynrik was never one to shy away from a prime opportunity for one of his references.

    -Now ying ¡°Main Opening Theme¡± From A:TLAB by Jeremy Zuckerman.¡±

    Cynrik smiled when the theme song from his childhood kicked in, and he could not stop himself from changing his posture. Instead of making a simple push-and-pull movement, Cynrik began performing the postures and poses he knew from the Chinese martial art known as B¨¡gu¨¤zh¨£ng. His body flowed seamlessly, his arms appearing as if they had be boneless, and he gently caressed the air particles, willing them to move to his touch.

    [Wind¡­]

    Cynrik began his monologue as he performed the dance-like martial art wlessly.

    [no.]

    Brance¡¯s movements became almost robotic when he heard the music start, and his brother began one of his infamous monologues.

    [Fire¡­]

    [No, no.]

    [Light¡­]

    [NO, NO NO!]

    Brance¡¯s pleas turned to screams as he knew precisely what Cynrik was doing. Wanting to not only beat some sense into Cynrik but also take a bath in theva pool for even bringing up the notion that his idiotic brother would EVER be mature, all he could do was scream in the mind link

    [DARK¡­]

    [STOP, PLEASE IM FUCKING BEGGING YOU, CYN CMON MAN!]

    [¡­]

    Suddenly the music came to an end, causing Brance¡¯s heart to skip a beat when he heard Cynrik stop along with the music, and he exhaled while shooting a thankful nce to the sky. But that was all in vain less than a secondter; without being asked, Tobs restarted the song, giving Cynrik the time required to finish.

    [Long ago, the four elements existed in seamless harmony. Then¡­everything changed when the Jetlensr Brothers attacked. Only thebined forces of the lizard people, who spent thousands of years evolving into fierce warriors, could stop them, but when the Egress Core needed them most, they vanished. A hundred years have passed, and a young girl named Gabby and her brother Benny discovered the ancient pocket dimension long forgotten to time. Although it presented them vast amounts of XP, they had a lot to learn if they were ever going to save themselves.]

    [FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, NOTHING YOU ARE SAYING MAKES ANY FUCKING SENSE CYNRIK!]

    [Hehe, I know, I ran out of ideas halfway through, haha.] Chuckling to himself, Cynrik shot a nce down to the hut his brother was standing on and could see him panting heavily in anger.

    [Fucking hell, next time I¡¯ve fucking decided to egg you on, remind me how stupid I am.] Brance shook his head in an attempt to refocus himself and started working to keep up with Cynrik¡¯s maniptions of Mana.

    The two of them locked onto the massive cluster of Water particles that had yet to condense into an actual skill and continued to control the Wind Mana, which subsequently started to rotate the cluster of Water, giving it a slight spin.

    [Fuck it, since we already did one reference, why not throw in another. TOBS PLAY THE NEXT SONGGGGG!]

    -Now ying ¡°Goku¡¯s Spirit Bomb¡± by Bruce Faulconer.-

    Unlikest time, Brance wasn¡¯t too bothered by the song ying loudly in his mind. He knew subconsciously that his older brother was done with monologuing and was just using the theme as background music. That¡­and he had to admit the vague parallel could be made between their present situation and the scene from Namek. Although there wouldn¡¯t be mass destruction from Benny¡¯s skill, it would still create one hell of a show.

    As Cynrik and Brance were working to control the Wind surrounding his forming skill, Benny was ready to drop. Unlike the Jetlensr¡¯s who had a passive skill for controlling and manipting Mana, Benny was exerting so much effort that he felt his head was gunna burst, that is, if his Mana Codex didn¡¯t implode from overuse. Furthermore, after pouring 400 MP into the skill, Benny was getting discouraged because it had yet to even form in the physical sense. He didn¡¯t have a fancy eye skill like Cynrik and Brance, so all he had to rely on was a vague HUD disy from his System, which only gave a rough image of the location his skill was currently at.

    Benny knew time was ticking when he felt the Wind start to move around his body. By his estimate, he was already at about 90% capacity for his [Water Sphere], and if he added any more Mana, he was afraid of the consequences to himself. So making a split-second decision, summoning up thest bit of Mana in his Codex, Benny mmed his palms together, causing all of the particles collected to smash into each other and form the physical manifestation of his skill. Then, with eyes as big as saucers, Benny stared with mouth agape at the massive 10-meter ball of Water he had spent so long making beforeing back too and holding both arms above his head as if he was holding therge sphere up with his own strength.

    That¡¯s when it happened.

    SHULK

    Both Cynrik and Brance tensed up while Gabby¡¯s eyes started to water instantly, and she screamed loudly, breaking Brance¡¯s concentration causing his [Vanish] to shatter, exposing them both.

    Cough¡­

    Benny felt a sharp pain worse than anything he had ever experienced in his lifeing from his back and stomach, making him cough out loud. His body convulsed slightly as he looked down and saw a spear made of volcanic rock sticking out of his gut, painted in his own blood.

    Benny¡¯s eyes shed with resolve as he saw a notification indicating he had lost 55% of his HP thanks to this spear; gritting his teeth and mustering up a final bit of strength, he mmed both his arms down. The ball of Water, receiving themand, quickly flew into theva pool, evaporating instantly into arge wave of steam which was subsequently picked up by the powerful surging winds surrounding it.

    Losing control of his body, Benny felt his legs turn to jelly and started falling forward¡­towards theva.

    But Cynrik was right there in an instant, catching the boy with one hand while whipping his free hand around in a circr pattern, controlling the steam cloud.

    ¡°I got you, Benny, don¡¯t worry, you are gunna be okay, just hang in there for a sec.¡±

    Hearing Cynrik¡¯s voice, Benny weakly looked up at the older boy and barely formed a smile, with blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. His eyes aimlessly looked around at the mass of steam swirling around Cynrik before falling on the boy¡¯s left hand.

    Hanging on by a thread and his vision tunneling, thest thing Benny saw before he lost consciousness was the strange blue, glowing markings on Cynrik¡¯s hand. Even with his limited perspective, Benny could tell there was something odd about the markings, and even more questions surfaced in his mind as he saw them shift color from blue to bright purple.

    ¡°W..wha¡­t.¡± Unfortunately, Benny went limp and lost consciousness before he could voice his questions.

    Feeling the boy go limp in his arm, Cynrik nearly lost control of himself. Rage, loathing, fear, sorrow. All of these emotions surged through Cynrik. Then, experiencing these and seeing his friend pass out and close to death, something inside Cynrik snapped into ce like a puzzle piece. He felt his Codex heat up, and a searing pain crept up from his fingertips, covering the top of his hands, and his vision blurred for a second before bing more precise than ever.

    Not needing to think about what he was experiencing, Cynrik gently ced Benny down, pulled the spear from his stomach with one movement, and then whipped out a Small Healing potion and dumped it on the boy¡¯s body. Next, he took out another potion, took a knee, and forced it down Bennys throat, using Mana to drag it down into his stomach. He repeated this two more times until he saw the injury on Bennys stomach close up and the color return to his face.

    ¡°Ek vili drepa t¨² allr!¡± (I will kill you all!¡±) Cynrik spat out the words in familiar Norse while grabbing the bloodied spear off the ground and facing the vige below. The entire time he was doing all of these things, his left hand never stopped controlling the surrounding Wind particles, and with Brance¡¯s support, they had sessfully dragged the steam cloud out over the vige then forced it into ce as the n dictated.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 114

    ¡°Ek vili drepa t¨² allr!¡± (I will kill you all!¡±) Cynrik spat out the words in familiar Norse while grabbing the bloodied spear off the ground and facing the vige below.

    With eyes glowing the same shade of amethyst purple as his H¨²efl¨²r, Cynrik scanned with radar-like precision through the steam, searching for the one who had harmed Benny; secondster, he located a fierce-looking Kobold wearing scaled armor and still standing in a javelin throwing stance. This was all Cynrik needed to see, and after charging 20 MP of Dark Mana into the spear in his right hand, Cynriks muscles bulged heavily before violently throwing the weapon while using his Wind Affinity to correct its course.

    Down below in the cloud of steam, a Reptilian Kobold Warrior wore a look of concern; he was the first of his kin to spot the strange blue blob floating above their sacred pool, so being a proud and Dragon Fearing reptile as he was, he did the first thing his tiny lizard brain told him to and attacked the ball from below. However, instead of the result, he had been expecting, his attack seemed to anger this strange blue blob because it began spitting out a mist the likes he had never seen before.

    Rooted in his throwing stance and scared that he had angered the Dragon God, the Kobold dared not move even his smallest finger in fear of death. His snake-like amber pupils turned into thin slits as he watched the mist descend on the whole vige and bathe it in cool darkness the likes his race had never experienced.

    But just when he was about to turn and run to the great elder¡¯s home, he heard a thin whistlinging from above. Finding the noise strange, he flicked out his tongue, tasting the air while tilting his head to the side in confusion. The noise was oddly familiar, but his pea-sized brain couldn¡¯t register where he had heard it. If he had, then he could have avoided the conclusion that came about a breath of timeter.

    BANG!!!

    Cutting through the cloud of steam like a knife through butter and moving faster than the speed of sound, the spear sted a hole the size of a bowling ball through its owner¡¯s chest before burying itself from sight in a crater three meters deep.

    The Kobold warrior¡¯s brain couldn¡¯t even register what was happening as the hole within its chest started to emit a cold dark light, spreading through his whole body, quickly decaying his flesh and armor to mush in an instant. Unable to mutter a sound, the Kobold Warrior who had nearly killed Benny died by rapid decay and a massive hole in his torso, leaving only the small gem-like Codex in the ce he once stood.

    The being who had thrown the spear had already turned his back and was tending to Benny once again. After firing off the spear like a railgun, he felt exhaustion weigh on his body as the H¨²efl¨²r stopped glowing and retook their usual appearance. Cynrik didn¡¯t miss the fact that killing the source of his anger seemed to pour cold water on it, calming him down.

    -Quest Updated-

    -Subjugate Kobold Soldiers: 1/84- (iplete)

    -You have killed a Level 23 Tier-2 Reptilian Kobold Spearman-

    -You have killed a being twice your level; rewards will be doubled.-

    -You have received 46,000 XP-

    -You have received 2 STR-

    -You have obtained 1 KIN point.-

    ¨C A Tier-2 Fire Affinity Codex has been located.-

    -Since the Host has wholly destroyed the being¡¯s body, the System has retrieved the dead being¡¯s Codex, duplicated it, and deposited them into your inventory.-

    Unbothered by the spam of notifications from his kill, Cynrik knelt down and ced his index and middle fingers against Benny¡¯s carotid artery feeling for a pulse. Cynrik picked out the slow pulse of blood rushing under his fingers with closed eyes, causing him to heave a sigh of relief. Silently, since the moment Benny had been hit by the spear, Cynrik had been beating himself up for not noticing the Kobold nor the spear he threw until it was toote.

    In reality, it wasn¡¯t his fault, nor the rest of the party, who, although on high alert, somehow missed the attacker, to begin with. Instead, there were a lot of critical factors in y that hadpounded into them being caught unaware by the sudden violent attack. For starters, the spear itself was made from the same stone as the huts, allowing it to easily blend in with the buildings it traveled past before arcing into the air silently. Next, the Kobold attacker was initially on his way from home to the training fields and was in between two different huts, hidden from the sight of Brance and Cynrik by the bright shining stone.

    The only one who could have potentially spotted him was Gabby, but at that moment, she had been facing the opposite direction, and only when she turned did she see the spear impacting her brother. All of these things together turned the brainless lizardman into a perfect assassin against the members of MyrkLys.

    Cynrik had already roughly figured out that the Kobold had been in his blind spot but still felt he should have been able to at least bat away the spear. As he stood over Benny, giving him onest scan to be sure he was patched up, a random quote his Father on Earth used to say popped into his head.

    ¡°Wish in one hand, shit in the other, see which one fills up first.¡±

    It applied to the current circumstances perfectly. No matter how much Cynrik wished he could go back and stop the attack, he couldn¡¯t; all that could be done now was first aid.

    Down below, Brance had jumped Gabby, covering her mouth with his hand while reactivating [Vanish], he could feel her tears trickling on his hand, but he didn¡¯t dare move. Hearing movement in the building underfoot, Brance knew if he didn¡¯t silence the girl now, they would be found. Forcefully turning Gabby¡¯s head to face him and locking eyes with her, Brance gave her as reassuring of a look as possible wordlessly.

    [Cyn, sitrep (Situation Report).]

    [First aid applied, used three pots (potions), and cleaned the wound with [ckFire], pulse is slow, but he¡¯s breathing and alive. However, I suspect he will be out ofmission for a while.] Falling back into the militaristic way of speaking they had both grown used to in their previous life, Cynrik swiftly filled Brance in on how Benny was doing.

    [Copy, I¡¯ve got Gabby under control, but there is movement below us. Plus, when she saw Benny get hit, her scream forcefully canceled my skill, and we were exposed.]

    Cynrik was silent for a moment, the wheels in his head turning rapidly while he tried analyzing their current and future moves; as was typical inbat, ns could fall apart instantly and constantly needed to be reevaluated on the fly. Now was a prime example. With Benny down, Cynrik was required to make several adjustments, especially when it came to the Shaman. Without a second tank, things would get a bit dicey.

    ¡®Tobs, what¡¯s the maximum range of my [Shadow Veil], and can I cast it on someone with the said distance between us.¡¯

    -Maximum distance is currently 2.5 meters; as for the second question, so long as the target is within the radius of your skill, you can move separately. Unfortunately, the n you are currently thinking of will not work unless you upgrade your Tier-0 [Shadow Veil] with skill points.-

    Clicking his tongue, Cynrik pulled up his Stats and saw he only had 52 SP left over. He only slightly regretted burning the 75 points on his [Shadow Sewing] earlier but quickly collected himself since there was no point in crying over spilled milk. Not dwelling on it longer, Cynrik shifted his attention to his skills and brought up [Shadow Veil].

    -Tier-0 Shadow Veil: 0/25-

    -Shadow Veil ¨C The user cloaks themselves in a thin mist of shadows to reduce their presence from anything within 5 levels of themselves.-

    ¨C The user canplete or receive one attack under the veil without deactivation; any more than that, and the skill will forcefully deactivate.

    -Active range 2.5-meter radius with the user as the focal center.-

    -Cost 25 Mana Points to activate, 2 Mana Points per second to sustain-

    Although Cynrik had been using the skill as a type of stealth, as time went on, he noticed creatures would sometimes look in his direction, and if he moved, they would perceive him, which severely limited his maneuverability. Luckily he had learned [Shadow Leap] recently and had used it to clear the distance of the vige unseen, but now, it was time for an upgrade.

    Making a pushing motion on the invisible notification window, Cynrik pumped 25 points into [Shadow Veil], triggering two more windows to pop up, one for confirmation and one detailing the changes his skill had undergone.

    -You have assigned 25 Skill Points to your Tier-0 Dark Affinity Skill Shadow Veil.-

    -Your Skill [Shadow Veil] has evolved into the Tier-1 Dark Affinity Skill [Cloak of Shadows].-

    Cynrik took things one step further and, without reading the description, applied 25 more points. Once finished, he smirked while reading the effects of his new skill.

    -Tier-1 Cloak of Shadows: 25/50-

    -Cloak of shadows ¨C Upon activation, the user congregates the ambient Dark Mana particles with the support of the Mana within their Codex to conceal themselves or up to four other beings. The concealing effect of this skill hides the target¡¯s sight, smell, and sounds from outside beings within a strength gap of 1.5 Tiers.

    ¨C The user canplete or receive up to three attacks under the Cloak without deactivation; any more than that, and the skill will forcefully deactivate.

    -If this skill is activated in predominantly dark ces or at night, +15 points to AGI and DEX beings under its effect.

    -Active range 50-meter radius with the user as the focal center.-

    -Activation Cost: 35 MP +5 per additional targets.-

    -Sustaining Cost: 2 Mana Points per second per target, the more distance between the focal center and targets under the effect of this skill, the higher the drain of MP.-

    [Brance, adjustments have beenpleted, I¡¯ve upgraded my [Shadow Veil], causing it to evolve into the Tier-1 skill [Cloak of Shadows,] extending its range to 50 meters.] Cynrik quickly cast his new skill and was marveled momentarily by the strange sensation that reminded him of when he entered the Shadow Realm for a second before picking up the unconscious Benny on his shoulder.

    Turning around and facing the vige below, his eyes met Brances, and he continued speaking.

    [En route, I will deposit Benny on the roof of a building within my new range, allowing him to stay hidden and safe from our battle. The breaching procedure is the same, with the exception that I will be blowing open the door with a skill before moving around to enter from the side window; nothing else changes aside from the loss of our OT.]

    With that said, Cynrik kicked off the ground, leaping down the hill and making his way towards one of the huts he had designated as Benny¡¯s drop point.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 115

    The descent of the steam cloud threw the vige¡¯s inhabitants into chaos. From young children to the elderly, panic spread like wildfire due to the sudden drop in temperature. The group of soldiers training in thebat field were no different from the general populous. Unfortunately, theck of intelligence presented by their tiny reptilian brains only allowed for select few thought processes. Currently, they were all in fear of what appeared to be an omen from the angry Dragon God.

    Standing atop the Shaman¡¯s dwelling, Brance watched as hundreds of Kobolds simultaneously stopped what they were doing and copsed to their knees in prayer. Beside him, Gabby tried her best not to lose control of herself. Fear gripped her heart, and she could not shake the sight of her beloved brother being stabbed violently then copsing. The only thing allowing her to keep her sanity was Brance¡¯s firm grip on her hand and the thoughts that Cynrik wouldn¡¯t let Benny die on his watch.

    She had witnessed how angry the older boy was by the attack and had watched on as heunched the very same spear that had impaled her brother so fast that a shock wave formed around the point. However, Cynrik¡¯s casual attitude had left an almost therapeutic effect on her mind, as if he wasn¡¯t worried about Benny¡¯s health, that everything would be ok.

    Steeling her resolve, Gabby released Brance¡¯s hand and nocked an arrow onto her bowstring, releasing a small bit of Mana into the arrow. Her eyes flicked to Brance, who knew what she wanted.

    ¡°93 meters, 20¡ã verticle, NE 47¡ã.¡± Usingpass degrees as a reference, which both Cynrik and Brance had drilled into the young ranger, Brance did the job of a spotter for Gabby. However, his [Vanish] once again deactivated by speaking aloud, but it no longer mattered since the steam cloud had settled and shrouded them in cover.

    Inhaling deeply while looking down at her Watcet, which was positioned on the inside of her right wrist, Gabby lined up her shot with the needle disy on her device and drew the bowstring taught before releasing her first arrow.

    The arrow traveled silently through the steam, parting it slightly as it traveled through the air and arrived at its target, the head of an unsuspecting Kobold Warrior nearly 100 meters away.

    THUNK

    -Quest Updated-

    -Subjugate Kobold Soldiers: 2/84- (iplete)

    -You have killed a Level 18 Tier-1 Reptilian Kobold Warrior.-

    -You have received 18,000 XP.-

    -You have received 1 STR.-

    -You have obtained 1 KIN point.-

    ¨C A Tier-1 Fire Affinity Codex has been located.-

    -Due to the restrictions in ce by the Alpha Egress Core, you will have to remove the Codex manually.-

    Gabby¡¯s eyes went wide as she saw a notification about unlocking a new stat. Brance had already noticed earlier when Cynrik slew the first Kobold, but now that the second had been taken down, it became clear that the Kobolds gave points in the hidden stat Killing Intent, something they hadn¡¯t increased in years. The notification had gone unnoticed by Gabby the first time since it took two points to unlock the stat, but now, after receiving the second, she had received the hidden stat that Brance and Cynrik frequently used.

    [Cyn, did you notice we are getting KIT points from these lizard-people?] Brance was worried about what this little bit of information meant.

    [Yeah, and it looks like you clearly didn¡¯t read the full quest description. If we are getting Killing Intent, that can only mean they are sentient beings, which is hugely out of the norm for Alpha Egresses that are generally filled with brainless moronic beasts. Don¡¯t worry about that for now; start prepping for the breach, ETA 20 seconds.] Cynrik responded while swiftly navigating the Shadow Realm.

    With how fast he was traversing, it didn¡¯t take long for him to arrive a couple of huts away from Gabby and Brance. Looking up and picking an appropriate spot, Cynrik dove out of the Shadow Realm and into the physical world,nding silently on the roof of a hut.

    cing Benny down gently, Cynrik took out a note he had scribbled in haste during his time in the Shadow Realm and ced it in Benny¡¯s hand before jumping off the roof and dashing towards the Shamans hut. He had no idea how long it would take for the boy toe too, so he had left detailed instructions on what to do once he woke up.

    Weaving through the vige under his newly evolved [Cloak of Shadows], Cynrik chugged down one of his only four remaining Mana Potions and formed a ball of [ckFire] in his hand.

    [ON THREE!]

    The perceivable world slowed down for Cynrik as he raced forward and lined up his shot, his target, the area where he could see two small hinges connecting the door to its frame.

    [THREE.]

    Brance shooed Gabby back and pointed below his feet, the signal to take aim causing the little girl to nock another arrow.

    Channeling [Stone Spike] with his left hand and [Air Missle] in his right, Brance¡¯s eyes narrowed as he too lined up his shot, filling both attacks to their maximum with Mana.

    [TWO!]

    Cynrik rapidly closed in on the door; his n was simple, hit and run. He needed to urately target the correct point on the door with the proper amount of Mana to do the optimal amount of damage.

    [ONE!]

    Not breaking his stride, Cynrik cut a hard right, flinging his left arm towards the door, bringing two ck basketball-sized fireballs with it.

    Just off the edge of Brance¡¯s palms, two water bottle thick arrows constructed of Wind and Earth Mana formed, filling the meter-long gap between his hands and the hut beneath his feet.

    [NOW!]

    BOOOM BOOOM!

    With perfect timing, the brothers executed their attacks as if they had been rehearsed thousands of times. However, the subsequent results were very different. For Brance, the surface of the stone hut fragmented under him, causing a three-meter wide hole to appear below his feet, making him drop down into the room.

    On Cynriks end, he only cast a sidelong nce at the door to be sure it was sted to pieces, which it was, and charged around the building to the nearest window. Then, pivoting on his heel, Cynrik stutter-stepped, shifting his body weight like a speedskater allowing him to change directions instantly.

    CRASH

    Drawing both his Kodachi and shing the air in front of him, Cynrik smashed the window before diving through into the same room Brance had just fallen into.

    ¡ª

    POV: Montu the Reptilian Kobold Shaman

    It was a day as nd as any other. I started it by getting out of my bed to the sounds of pained squeals.

    ¡°Hisier alpso clissk trousss.¡± (Shut up, you cretins.)

    Using my native Reptilian Kobold tongue known as ¡°nst,¡± I shouted at the three mutated nt creatures I had kept as pets for thest 15 years, but to no avail.

    **Continuing forward for the rest of the Subjugation Mission, any verbal speech, not by the MC¡¯s or supporting characters, will be in thisnguage with trantions after. YES, I HAVE MADE A WHOLE LANGUAGE!**

    The three creatures known as Fluusa¡¯s continued their strange gurgling screeches without a care in the world, making me throw the nearest object, an old worn-out book made from Packhound hide, at one, silencing it instantly.

    I spent a few minutes feeding the carnivorous non-native nts their favorite food, Fanged Rat flesh, and set about summoning a few totems¡ªone for Mana regeneration, another for Stamina recovery, and thest to buff my skills.

    Today was going to be a big day for me. For you see, the time prophesied by my beloved Goddess, the being who brought me to this strange world from my previous over 20 years ago, was finally happening.

    For years, I had locked myself away in this shithole vige, surrounded by hundreds of reptile people. Yet, I still remember it as if it were only yesterday. One moment I was fighting for the glory of Egypt, and the next, a being wielding swords of me bisected me, killing me instantly.

    Not long after the world faded to ck, I was bathed in warm light, and there she stood, the most beautiful and majestic creature I had everid my eyes on. Wadjet, the Cobra Goddess I had spent my life offering blood to, stood before me. To this day, I do not know how I could tell who she was since all of the statues and images of her I had seen were vastly different from reality, but as I looked upon the two identical cobras resting on her arms, I just knew.

    She told me about a great war that was upon us and how she required the help of a devoted follower to be her champion in this war. It didn¡¯t take me even a breath of time to drop to my knees and pledge myself to her cause.

    When I woke up, my body had undergone dramatic changes; for starters, I was no longer a human; I had been turned into a small, hand-sized orange lizard. Naturally, panic immediately set in until I heard the voice of my Goddess within my mind. My Cobra Goddess briefly exined my reincarnation into a being in this world 20 years before the start of the war. Not only that, but she proceeded to exin to me how she had used her ancient magic to carve a particr spell on my soul that would allow me to grow stronger than any being I could even imagine.

    It took me several years to adjust to these changes, but over time, after nearly being killed or eaten more times than I could fathom, I found a strange rock by chance. The spell ced on my soul, called ¡°Sethos,¡± informed me that I could take on a humanoid appearance by consuming this rock.

    This was how my race changed from LusLizard to Reptilian Kobold. But my change was only the first of many. Stumbling my way through life, I came upon a vige filled with other beings who looked the same as I and was weed with open arms. Over time I learned theirnguage, grew stronger, earned my first ss, Cursemancer, and took it even further to its 2nd Tier advancement Shaman. Finally, yearster, I reached the peak of Tier-2 level 30, where my progression stopped.

    But none of that mattered anymore, for today was the day my Goddess foretold, the day the vige would be moved to a secluded area, and the first battle of the war would begin. My Goddess informed me two champions wereing, and it was my duty to y them and collect their spirits for her.

    ¡°MAAEL¡¯ SINBOOS TRYAAS?¡± (WHAT¡¯S THIS SMOKE?)

    ¡°MAAEL RANIS TRAIPP COSSTOS DRAGOS GOVS?¡± (What have we done to bring the wrath of the Dragon God upon us.)

    ¡°WATAS BENST AORLA KONSTASS!¡± (Quick bow for forgivness.)

    I lifted my head and looked out the nearest window; the shouts of my nsmen had drawn my attention to a vast cloud of mist descending from the mount housing the Sacred Pool.

    ¡®It must be the champion¡¯s doing; the battle is upon me, it¡¯s time to get ready,¡¯ I thought to myself as I hastily cast a handful more skills manifesting several totems in my home. But as I was going about my preparations, I heard a childish scream from above.

    Pausing my preparations, I looked up and held my breath, but I heard nothing else after several seconds and went back to my task at hand.

    The screams and cries of fear outside continued, but I didn¡¯t let them hinder me, as I knew time was short until¡­

    BOOOM BOOOM!

    CRASH!

    Simultaneously my door, ceiling, and window exploded inward; from the sky, a young boy no older than 11 dropped into the main room, wearing silver armor, wielding two shields as big as his body, and another boy wearing all ck armor, and holding two matching swords barged into my residence.

    I straightened my body and sneered; two children hade to fight the great me. I cackled loudly before waving my hands to manifest a pale green smoke around my body.

    ¡°Govs asys¡¯ vetayums, tryain¡¯ bentas portials ta¡¯ish BANOSISS!¡± (Foolish children sent by their gods,e meet your DEMISE!)

    With that, the first true battle of the Legacy Strife began.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 116

    Brance broke through the ceiling and executed a perfect superheronding feet away from a 2.5-meter tall orange hunchback lizard person. At the same time, Cynrik, who had jumped through the window,nded by performing a somersault before skidding to a stop on one knee.

    Unlike what the two had expected, their moment of surprise deted instantly as the creature appeared to be already expecting their arrival, and judging by the three glowing wooden totems sporadically ced around the 12¡Á10 foot room, he had prepared for battle.

    A standoff ensued, with both boys holding their weapons and the Shaman holding a creepy-looking bone staff. The Shaman was the first to break the silence.

    Straightening its body and revealing its decaying fangs, the Shaman cackled loudly before waving its hands to manifest a pale green smoke of visible condensed Mana particles around its body.

    ¡°Govs asys¡¯ vetayums, tryain¡¯, bentas portials ta¡¯ish BANOSISS!¡± (Foolish children sent by their gods,e, meet your DEMISE!)

    Thanks to their [Language Proficiency], the two brothers understood what the creature was saying as if it spoke in English, but the strange guttural words apanied by clicks and hisses struck Cynrik like a lightning bolt. With Brance out of the loop about the Legacy Strife and Cynrik not having a chance to exin it to him, Brance simply assumed this being was another Reincarnator like themselves.

    Cynrik¡¯s face twitched slightly as his knuckles turned white from how hard he was gripping his Kodachi¡¯s, but his heart dropped to his stomach when he used [Inspect] on the Shaman.

    : Status :

    : Montu:

    : Title(s) ¨C System Host, Legacy Charge :

    : Deity- Cobra Goddess Wadjet :

    : Cmydraco-Kobold Male:

    : Age-20:

    : Tier-2 :

    : Level-30 (CAP) :

    : Primary ss ¨C Tier-2 Shaman:

    : Distribution: 1 DEX, 2 INT :

    : Highest Stats, ??? DEX, ??? INT :

    : Threat Level- You should probs GTFO :

    For Brance, the phrase Legacy Charge was foreign. His eyes flicked to Cynrik, giving him a questioning look.

    ¡®TSK, fucking plot armor bullshit, this guy is at the peak of Tier-2, which gives him a foot in the door of Tier-3. That race, though¡­Cmydraco¡­why is that familiar? What species of lizard has Cmy in its name.¡¯ No one in the room moved as Cynrik¡¯s brain churned violently.

    ¡®FUCK! Cmydosaurus Kingii, this mother fucker is a mutated fucking Frilled-Lizard. Wait, the main genus is a frilled lizard, which means its subgenus is Draco, god damn it¡­OIIII, HOW COME THIS GUY IS PART DRAGON!¡¯

    A single bead of sweat rolled down Cynrik¡¯s temple from his hairline. ¡®It was one thing to fight a Kobold Shaman, but this guy isn¡¯t a fucking Kobold; he¡¯s a god damn Dragonhybrid. Not only that¡­ he¡¯s a fucking Legacy Charge making my theory about some fucking bastard Deity messing with our Egress dive correct. This is a bullshit situation for sure, man.¡¯

    Montu was confused by the standoff he was dragged into; when the two boys broke into his residence, they appeared ready for battle, but the moment their eyes met, they seemed to halt their attack. The taller boy in ck armor was even ring at him while gritting his teeth loudly. Disappointment in his opponents crept into Montu¡¯s mind; he had even wasted one of his best taunts, yet neither boy attacked.

    As he stood there trying to figure out the next move, Cynrik felt something off about his body when he suddenly remembered asking Tobs to hold back all notifications during the fight.

    ¡®Tobs, disregard my previous statement; let all notifications through.¡¯

    Instantly, Cynrik and Brance¡¯s heads sounded like a choir of bells as several notifications rapidly appeared.

    -You have been affected by the Totem: Stamina Siphon.-

    -You have received the Status Effect: Fatigue.-

    -Your Stamina will deplete 2 points per second.-

    -You have been affected by the Totem: Mana Siphon.-

    -You have received the Status Effect: Mana Loss.-

    -Your MP will deplete 2 points per second.-

    -You have been affected by the Totem: Choking Air.-

    -The air within a 5-meter radius is poisonous; as long as you stay within range of the Choking Air Totem, you will lose 2 points of HP per second.

    -An unknown Curse is attempting totch onto you.-

    -You have resisted the Curse.-

    -An unknown Curse is attempting totch onto you.-

    -You have resisted the Curse.-

    -You have gained 1 point in Will Power.-

    -An unknown Curse is attempting totch onto you.-

    -You have resisted the Curse.-

    [HOLY FUCK, BRANCE, TARGET THE FUCKING TOTEMS, MOVE NOW!] Cynrik and Brance moved instantly after reading what was happening to their bodies. The loss of essential resources such as HP, MP, and Stamina was too great, and they had already wasted nearly a full minute under these effects. Losing 120 in all three key resources would have been devastating for Gabby and Benny, but luckily, Cynrik and Brance were rtively ok thanks to their robust stats.

    Montu watched in shock as the two boys flickered out of sight at speeds they shouldn¡¯t have been able to muster with their meager Tier-1 strength. The change of pace threw him off and cost him dearly. Cynrik and Brance arrived by the two most dangerous Totems, the one for MP and Stamina, and with a single sh of a sword and bash of a shield, they were instantly obliterated into particles.

    [This bastard primarily relies on spells, curses, and totems; although he has increased physicality thanks to his draconic bloodline, he is rtively weak to physical attacks.] Kicking off the ground and going after thest Totem, Cynrik started spilling all the info he had obtained from his observations over thest minute.

    [His racial traits are a bit strange. Based on the ¡°Cmy¡± surname for his race and the loose skin around his neck, we can assume he is of the Cmydosaurus Kingii genus, making him a Frilled-Dragon Hybrid. Don¡¯t breathe in when close; he¡¯s using a racial ability to emit poison gas.]

    Brance kept on the move as well, and after hearing about the poison gas, he reacted quickly by firing off tworge [Stone Spikes] obliterating thest two windows in the hut for venttion purposes.

    Montu was furious as he stood in ce, conjuring more curses; the two boys moved like ghosts, zipping around the room, destroying his Totems and property. But, to his dismay, every time he fired one of his curses, Sethos would inform him of how his attacks were failing to afflict their targets.

    Cynrik made small observations as he moved about hacking and shing at anything which could be used against him or Brance. Alchemy table, SMASH, bookcase with spell books, SMASH, weird experiment area filled with instruments and coated with goo, SMASH, a bed that looks uber ufortable, SMASH. Ok, thatst one was just Cynrik being petty. It didn¡¯t matter to him if these items were inconspicuous or appeared harmless; he made it his goal to break everything.

    Although it may seem extraordinarily petty and irrelevant, Cynrik had a purpose for doing this. First, the simple fact that Montu didn¡¯t immediately attack them when they entered the hut was proof enough for Cynrik that the being was highly inexperienced inbat. Not only that, but when he saw the name of the Goddess whom Montu was the Legacy Charge of, his brain registered that the being must be from either Ancient Egypt or a different world. Partnering this information with Montu being only at Tier-2 after 20 years allowed Cynrik to judge that either the being had a shitty and unhelpful system, or he came from somece or time that didn¡¯t have Isekai novels.

    Thus, the act of destroying his property was to incite rage and throw him into a blind fury where the inexperienced being would be more likely to slip up, allowing Cynrik or Brance to take advantage and move in for the fatal blow.

    Even though there was a HUGE power gap between them and Montu, by taking the initiative to make his mentality waver and the simple fact that his ss was meant for support and not actualbat gave Cynrik the push to move into action instead of fleeing the scene.

    As Cynrik flitted around the room, breaking everything in sight, Brance set about, causing multiple holes in the building itself; at one point, he even passed under the spot he hade in from and made a sneaky handsign to Gabby, telling her to post up on a different hut.

    Gabby, who had been watching the scene from the beginning, biding her time to let loose her nocked arrow, noticed Brance signing at her and took action quickly. Leaping down from the stone hut, she stayed out of sight while sneakily advancing to another building and climbing up. From her vantage point, she could see through the meter-wide holes Brance was making and, after a slight adjustment, was able to see therge orange lizard man wielding a staff of bone.

    Back inside the hut, Montu exasperatingly stopped attempting curses and threw caution to the wind.

    ¡°Otumasus trousss, maael ranis traipp! Poisstu ntic twassin vetassku kuulu rooasoi CRAINST!¡± (Wretched cretins, what have you done! How dare you defile the things I¡¯ve spent years gathering and CREATING.)

    Consumed by anger, Montu rushed forward at Cynrik andshed out horizontally with his staff, but Cynrik was ready; the instant he heard the strange hissy clicks from behind, he slid on the ground just narrowly avoiding the strike that would have bashed his head in. Instead, the spherical head of the staff connected with the wall, and with a loud BANG, it created arge 3-meter wide crater on the stone¡¯s surface where it was momentarily stuck.

    Noticing Montu struggling to remove the staff from the wall, Cynrik spun on his back and kicked out at the Shaman¡¯s right calf.

    SQUELCH

    The armor on fleshy scales made a strange squelching sound, followed by a howl of pain from Montu.

    [CYNRIK LOOKOUT!]

    But it was toote; in his sudden attack on Montu¡¯s leg, Cynrik had forgotten a critical piece of information.

    Montu sneered, and his long muscr tail mmed into Cynriks chest with a wooshing sound, pinning him to the ground, the impact forcing a mouthful of blood to escape his esophagus.

    [Fuck¡­forgot about the tail¡­fucking dragon people.]

    Pinned to the ground, Cynrik struggled to breathe, let alone move.

    [Support ss my ass, this¡­ugh¡­bastard is a fucking tank in disguise.]

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 117

    Pinned to the ground, Cynrik struggled to breathe, let alone move.

    [Support ss my ass, this¡­ugh¡­bastard is a fucking tank in disguise.]

    Brance, noticing that Cynrik was in a tight spot but otherwise fine, decided to fire off a couple more [Stone Spikes] into the hut walls, letting the steam meander in from outside, leaving his brother to deal with Montu solo for a minute or two.

    Cynrik, on the other hand, was not so free as to worry about Brance, as the lizardman repeatedly lifted and mmed his tail, carrying him along with the dramatic movements. The tip of the muscr appendage had slithered its way around Cynrik¡¯s neck, but as someone who had spent quite a few years practicing Jiu-Jitsu, he wasn¡¯t at a total loss when it came to handling being choked. So although he was being whipped around transitioning from the ground to the nearest wall, Cynrik went to work with his fingers and hands, using them to create a small gap between his neck and the muscr appendage.

    Montu noticed the child¡¯s poor attempts at freeing himself and started utilizing his staff as a weapon instead of a catalyst for spells. As a result, the lizardman could easily take cheap shots at Cynrik, who appeared defenseless in Montu¡¯s amber reptilian eyes within the grasp of his nearly two-meter long tail.

    However, to Montu¡¯s surprise, each time he tried to damage the boy, Cynrik would somehow shift his momentum enough to transfer the kic energy through his body and into either the floor or wall, so much so that when Brance finished up his wall breaking, he was greeted by the interesting sight of Cynrik looking like a leashed monkey, bouncing around the room by his own free will.

    All Cynrik was really doing was redirecting his weight at just the right moment, kicking off whatever surface he was about to collide with, and directing himself to a different spot. Luckily, the idiot who owned the tail wrapped around Cynrik¡¯s neck was none the wiser about what he was sessfullypleting and still believed he was actually injuring him.

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes flicked to Brance, who was standing in ce shaking his head and smiling weakly.

    [OI, you gunna let me be ragdolled all day, or do you n on stepping in this century?]

    Brance scoffed in response and raised both his shields before charging at Montu and activating [Shield Bash].

    -Tier-1 Warrior Skill: Shield Bash.-

    -The user collects and transfers Ambient Affinitiless Mana particles into their shield(s), strengthing their defensive weapon to the point of creating a useable offensive attack.-

    ¨C +25% Bludgeoning damage.-

    ¨C +40% Bludgeoning damage if using two Shields.-

    Brance had opted to use a double [Shield Bash] for two reasons, the first being theck of body armor on the lizardman. From what he could tell, Montu was draped in old ragged robes. The second reason was that he knew that unless he used every ounce of strength or burned a huge load of Mana, there was little chance of breaking the creature¡¯s scales with either shing damage or piercing. Thus Brance went for the tried and true ¡°hit em with something hard¡± method. elerating his legs and raising both his glowing shields, Brancepletely blindsided Montu, mming into him in a manner that even Truck-Kun would be proud of.

    Montu wasn¡¯t even able to utter a cry as his body felt like he was mmed into by a two-ton truck and catapulted through the wall he had just finished smashing Cynrik against and out into the courtyard beside his hut.

    During the exchange, Cynrik took advantage of the loosened grip around his neck and broke free, catching the edge of the hole in the wall as Montu was violently flung outside.

    [Fuck¡­warn a guy next time you decide to bulldoze through the freak using his tail to squeeze the soul from my body.] Comining as usual and rubbing his reddened neck, Cynrik extended his arms and, using Wind Mana, summoned his Kodachis back to his hands.

    [Any ideas?] Stepping up beside his older brother to pat off some stone dust from his shoulders, Brance snuck a nce through the lizardman-shaped hole in the wall, finding Montu sprawled out on the ground twitching like¡­well¡­a lizard.

    [Honestly, no fucking idea. Whilst I was being ragdolled like a dog toy, I tried stabbing, biting, and punching that dude¡¯s fucking tail, and not a single thing caused any damage. Those scales are too fucking thick; not only that, but he¡¯s pretty beefy HP-wise. So unless we find a way to break through his ting, I don¡¯t really see us doing any damage higher than a hundred HP per attack.] Cynrik shrugged and sheathed his Kodachis, the longer one on his hip and the shorter over his right shoulder.

    [On the upside, the lizard guy is stupid as fuck, and clearly inexperienced in battle. I¡¯d be willing to bet he¡¯s a massive SIMP for his Deity too.]

    ¡°Meytsu GOV¡¯ss, YOASV Potsas bemast closiat¡¯. Vesstas mombukts alootsas!¡± (My beloved Goddess, your lowly Charge requests to borrow your strength. Bathe me in your glory.)

    The two brothers heard very clearly inside the hut the pained cringeworthy prayers emitted by Montu, causing their faces to be the embodiment of the Saitama ¡°OK¡± meme.

    [You scare me with your foresight sometimes, Cyn.] Brance robotically turned his head and locked eyes with Cynrik.

    [I mean¡­SIMPs are the same in every world, I guess.] Cynrik shook his head, then reached out and grabbed Brance¡¯s shoulder before activating [Shadow Leap] and sinking into the Shadow Realm.

    Moving quickly, Cynrik and Brance traversed through the Shadow Realm, picking up Gabby and the unconscious Benny along the way. Once the four were back together, Gabby clung to her brother with tears threatening to spill over.

    ¡°He¡¯s gunna be fine, Gabby, it¡¯ll take a few more minutes for Benny to wake up, but he¡¯s physically healed up.¡± However, Cynrik didn¡¯t stay mute and decided to console the little girl, which dramatically changed his previous character.

    ¡°whew, well, that failed stunningly. We could have been more prepared if these buildings weren¡¯t made of that strange rock. So what do we do now, Big Brother?¡± Heaving a tired sigh, even though the battle hadn¡¯t been longer than five minutes, Brance attempted to steer the conversation away from the injured Benny.

    ¡°Tsk,¡± Cynrik clicked his tongue and started biting the skin on the corner of his left thumb.

    ¡°The way I see it, we only have two options, we either go back and try ambushing the fuckboi lizard, or we power level by wiping out the vigers with guerri tactics. But, first, I need everyone to lend me a Mana potion.] As Cynrik spoke, he brought up his Status and watched with a serious expression how quickly his MP was dropping by dragging everyone into the Shadow Realm.

    Gabby reached into her inventory and pulled out two Small Mana potions, one from her and one she counted as her brothers and handed them to Brance, who was closer to Cynrik than her.

    After receiving all three potions from Brance, Cynrik quickly chugged them all down at once, restoring his MP to its maximum, and nced at his party.

    ¡°The only path to victory I can find involves us wiping out all the Kobolds, so we can instantly level up our sses and main level if we consider each viger rewarding 25-40k XP, and 1-2 stats¡­.¡± Cynrik crossed his legs and floated in the void as he did some quick math before continuing his thought out loud, ¡°we should in the ballpark of four million plus XP, and between 150 to 300 stat points. That much XP will easily allow Benny and Gabby to Evolve to Tier-1 and give you and me a decent buffer Brance.¡±

    [Tobs, can you give a rough estimate on how much XP it takes to cap our Main Level,ss, and Subss?] Seeing as Cynrik was lost in thought and calctions Brance took the initiative and requested the number they needed to hit to start increasing their Main level.

    -Below is the entire leveling chart for levels 0-20, separated by Tier. Take note that you will have to repeat level 10 after evolving; however, the XP cost has been lowered to 100,000.-

    : Tier-0 Level Chart :

    : Level 0= 100 :

    : Level 1= 500

    : Level 2= 2500

    : Level 3= 5000

    : Level 4= 10000

    : Level 5= 25000

    : Level 6= 35000

    : Level 7= 65000

    : Level 8= 85000

    : Level 9= 115000

    : Level 10 = 150000

    : Total XP required to Cap = 493,100 :

    : Tier-1 Level Chart :

    : Level 10= 100,000

    : Level 11= 110,947

    : Level 12= 116,786

    : Level 13= 123,275

    : Level 14= 130,526

    : Level 15= 138,684

    : Level 16= 147,930

    : Level 17= 158,496

    : Level 18= 170,688

    : Level 19= 184,912

    : Level 20= 201,722

    : Total XP required to Cap = 1,583,966 :

    -Thus, using the previous chart, each ss and Subss will require a total of 2,077,066 Essence(XP) to reach their cap; if you add that with the total to raise your Main level, you will require 5,738,098 Essence(XP) to reach the level cap for all three of your levels.-

    Gabby was in the middle of petting Bennys head gently like their mom did when they were little when she saw Cynrik and Brance stiffen and go pale.

    [¡­hey¡­hey Tobs, you¡¯re only kidding, right? Tell me you are just messing with us, and don¡¯t expect Brance and I to grind almost six million XP.] Cynrik¡¯s eyes slowly dropped to see that both of his hands were shaking as if he was freezing cold.

    [HAHAHAHA funny joke Tobs, you¡¯re such a kidder, seriously, tell me how much XP we gotta grind out.] Brance, on the other hand, was experiencing mood swings. Shifting from terrified by the massive number to denial like the flip of a coin.

    -As I do not have control over the XP values required by order of the central hub of Vinestra, I can assure you, I am not, as you say, ¡°kidding.¡±-

    Hearing the System¡¯s response, Brance¡¯s eyes rolled back into his head, and a light foam poured from his mouth. Cynrik could almost swear he saw steaming from his ears too. Luckily he was there to save the day and caught Brance¡¯s lifeless body as he passed out. A far cry from when they were little, and Brance wouldn¡¯t even give him themon courtesy to toss a pillow under his head when he fainted.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

    Current Power Stones 241

    250 Power Stones 1 Bonus Chapter (Iplete)

    500 Powerstones 2 Bonus Chapter (Iplete)

    750 Power Stones 3 Bonus Chapters (Iplete)

    1000 Power Stones 4 Bonus Chapters (Iplete)

 Chapter 118

    Seeming to forget the state of her older brother for a second, Gabby released Benny and floated shakily to Cynrik, catching his shoulder to stabilize herself, and started softly whimpering Brance¡¯s name.

    Her tear-filled eyes darted from Cynrik back to Brance in fright while unable to formte a single coherent sentence.

    Clicking his tongue due to annoyance caused by the incredulous stares of Gabby, Cynrik lightly smacked his little brother¡¯s cheek a couple of times, attempting to rouse the fainted Brance to no avail.

    ¡°Oi, you little shit, my MP isn¡¯t infinite; wake the hell up and stop wasting my precious Mana.¡± Removing his imaginary limiter, which stopped him from ever hurting Brance, Cynrik leaned back, extending his arm to its full length, and tried to smack his little brother with the full force of his physical strength.

    Luckily, feeling the malicious intent, Cynrik was emitting caused Brance to jolt away and narrowly avoid the iing open palm. However, in his haste, Brance facented¡­directly into Gabby¡¯s washboard t chest.

    Gabby ignored the awkward situation and lovingly embraced Brances head with a cherry-red face, leaving Cynrik, who was sporting his best Jim from the Office expression, to cough loudly, startling the couple.

    ¡°Y¡¯all are really flirting amid a life and death situation. Hell, Gabby, look at poor Benny, he¡¯s¡­LITERALLY FLOATING AWAY FUCK!¡± Midway through his taunt, Cynrik noticed the unconscious Benny floating off into the never-ending expanse of the Shadow Realm and quickly kicked off the Shadow pir he was stationed at to retrieve the boy.

    By the time he returned to where he had left Brance and Gabby, the two had separated and put some distance between themselves. Brance was even sitting on his knees, back ramrod straight, and his palms on his thighs.

    ¡°Hey, nerd, you gunna wake up, or do I have to shake you till you puke? HEHE, we are technically in zero gravity, so I could just put you into a never-ending spin cycle.¡± Cynrik¡¯s sinister words caused Benny, who was once again held like a cat by its scruff, to shiver and pop open his eyes.

    ¡°Sorry, Cyn.¡± Benny weakly apologized; he had, in fact, been awake since their arrival in the Shadow Realm but had chosen to act unconscious since he immensely enjoyed being pampered by his little sister.

    ¡°Tsk, fucking Siscon, whatever, we will talk about that shitter; for now, we¡¯ve got bigger problems.¡± Letting Benny off with a casual flick in the forehead, Cynrik gazed through the veil of the Shadow Realm and into the real world.

    Looking up, Cynrik could pinpoint their location with rtive ease; their group had traveled away from the huts and closer to the farnd, putting a decent amount of distance between themselves and the, from what Cynrik could still see, whimpering buffoon of a Legacy Charge, who was rolling around on the ground outside his hit screaming at the sky for help from his Deity.

    From his vantage point, he was able to see how the steam cloud they had previously created was slowly breaking apart and made a quick estimate to determine how much time was left until itpletely dispersed.

    ¡°Listen up,¡± Cynrik snapped his fingers loudly, drawing the attention of all three of his party members, ¡°time is running short; by my estimate, we only have around five to ten minutes until the steam disappears. So we are going into XP farming mode early.¡±

    Gabby and Benny both stiffened at the thought of fighting so many high-leveled beings; only Brance seemed unaffected by the information.

    ¡°I will be dropping you guys off at the nk of the militia training in the field, Benny; I task defending Gabby to you, Gabby, I want youying down suppressive fire with your arrows, I don¡¯t expect you to necessarily one-shot kill the Kobolds, but I want you to at least slow them down so that Brance can work his way through the crowd.¡± Cynrik made eye contact with his little brother, who nodded in response. It didn¡¯t need to be said that Cynrik expected Brance to take the gloves off and go hard.

    Noticing Cynrik hadn¡¯t included himself in the n and only dished out roles to everyone else, Gabby tilted her head to the side like a puppy.

    ¡°Um, Big Bro Cyn, what about you? Are you not going to be with us?¡±

    Brance ced his hand on her head and ruffled her hair, ¡°Big Brother is going to go do the job no one else can.¡±

    ¡°Un, I have to y my part as the group¡¯s viin, don¡¯t worry about me, just focus on your task. I want you and Benny to be actively watching your XP; once you two hit the Prestige cap, don¡¯t dy telling Brance. At that point, I will drop everything and meet up with you guys before dragging everyone back here toplete your Tier-1 Evolutions.¡± Using the standard tactic of throwing too much information at the kids to distract them, Cynrik seamlessly diverted from the topic of his own task.

    [Tobs, how long will their standard Evost?] Cynrik wasn¡¯t too concerned. In the past, when he fought Myer, the man instantly Evolved in the middle of their fight, so Cynrik just assumed that was the natural way things went.

    -Since neither Gabrie Sanford nor Benjamin Sanford carries bloodlines, their Evolutions will only take a maximum of ten seconds.-

    ¡°If everything goes ording to n, it should only take you two a few seconds to reach Tier-1 once you start the process. You both brought your EVO Shards like I told you, right?¡±

    Gabby and Benny nodded and retrieved the small rocks from their inventories and showed them to Cynrik before swiftly storing them away.

    ¡°Good,(whew),¡± exhaling in relief, Cynrik directed his attention back up to the sky. ¡°Weapons out; it¡¯s time to go execute order 66.¡±

    Gabby and Benny quickly and unsteadily stood up on the shadow pir, ignoring the second part of Cynrik¡¯s statement, but Brance scoffed loudly and shot his brother a startled expression.

    [That¡¯s just fucking wrong, and you know it, Cyn. Tsk.]

    [Tobs, y Battle of Heroes.]

    -Now ying ¡°Battle of Heroes¡± by John Williams.-

    [KOHHHH¡­KHUHH¡­ to the temple, my Brother, KOHHHH¡­KHUHH¡­there are younglings to ughter.] Mimicking the respirator breathing sounds of a certain Sith Lord, Cynrik scooped up all three of his party members and lept towards the barrier between realms.

    [WHAT THE FUCK IS WRON¡­(snicker)¡­ OK, I cant, hahaha, seriously, what the fuck hahaha. You¡¯re going to hell for that one, but it was still funny as shit.] Brance tried his best to stifle hisughter, only to fail miserably. As wrong and morbid as Cynrik¡¯s joke was, he couldn¡¯t stopughing at it.

    Cynrik smirked as he aligned his body horizontally to the barrier between reality and the Shadow Realm.

    ¡°Up you guys go, remember, aim true, fight hard, trust in your teammates, but most importantly, KICK SOME ASS!¡± Then, punctuating his rally speech by throwing all three of them through the barrier, Cynrik chuckled to himself onest time before goingpletely expressionless.

    All jokes aside, even he was slightly unsettled by what he was about to do. Unlike the others, Cynrik was fully aware of the situation. These creatures he was about to ughter like cattle were not only sentient but real. Unlike what he had convinced Gabby and Benny, the Kobolds weren¡¯t simply constructs of the Egress Core. They were poor puppets of some sick and twisted Deity who yed a fucking game with their lives.

    Cynrik was sure that, to some extent, Brance was aware, as he didn¡¯t think his brother was a brainless fool. But at the end of the day, it was better if Brance was kept in the dark. Cynrik knew he was the only one who couldpartmentalize the meanless ughter of helpless beings. There was no way he would allow Gabby, Benny, or even Brance to deal with the potentially traumatic effects of having to mercilessly kill children, even if those children were a head taller than them and lizard people.

    Drawing in a slow and deep breath, Cynrik closed his eyes and absorbed himself in the music being yed by Tobs. Although he was rtively good at shutting off what few emotions he could feel, it didn¡¯t make him immune to mental trauma.

    The sounds of the horn line hitting their solo in the song caused Cynrik¡¯s eyes to shoot open and make a swimming motion with his arms, catapulting his body through the zero-g void of the Shadow Realm.

    It only took him a few seconds to arrive below the vige center; once in position below the barrier between realms, Cynrik pulled up his hood and drifted down, finding a foothold on a pir, and drew both his Kodachis in one fluid motion.

    ¡°You are no longer Anakin, but instead Lord Vader.¡± Muttering to himself softly, in an attempt to get into viinous character, Cynrik hesitated no longer. Crouching down while channeling Dark Mana into his feet, Cynrik slowed his breathing and narrowed his eyes, his face contorting in a sinister expression, and kicked off the pir, rocketing himself up and through the barrier into a group of unsuspecting Kobolds.

    [Tobs, Dual of Fates epic.]

    -Now ying ¡°Duel of Fates, Epic Powerful Mix, TSFH Style¡± by Samuel Kim-

    Appearing seemingly out of nowhere, a small Kobold was startled by the arrival of a being the same height as him wielding two ck swords d in ck mes; he, along with his family and neighbors, were in the process of kowtowing to show respect to the Dragon God when the being began his assault. Thest thing the poor Kobold saw was the adults around him lose their heads before bursting into the same color mes as the being¡¯s swords and the emotionless expression on the being¡¯s face.

    Feeling the bite of cold mes searing the skin of his neck, the young Kobold¡¯s final thought was, ¡°Ootum ranisoom clissk matayer Dragos Govs?¡± (Why have you forsaken us Dragon God.)

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 119

    -You have killed a Tier-1 Hatchling Reptilian Kobold-

    -You have killed a Tier-1 Reptilian Kobold-

    -You have killed a Tier-1 Elder Reptilian Kobold-

    Cynrik moved like a phantom throughout the Vige¡¯s residential area; each time he shed his Kodachi, a head fell before the creature¡¯s body was incinerated by his [ckFire].

    -You have killed a Tier-1 Hatchling Reptilian Kobold-

    -You have killed a Tier-1 Reptilian Kobold-

    -You have killed a Tier-1 Reptilian Kobold-

    -You have killed a Tier-1 Hatchling Reptilian Kobold-

    -You have killed a Tier-1 Hatchling Reptilian Kobold-

    Like an emotionless killing machine that was incapable of discerning between young and old, Cynrik mercilessly hacked and shed his way from group to group of kneeling Kobolds. Age, size, gender, none of it mattered to him. At some point, he had even unconsciously begun swinging his Kodachis in time with the music ying in his head.

    Time had no meaning at the moment to Cynrik, and alongside the dark music was the apaniment of Tobs, informing him of each life he reaped.

    -Quest Updated-

    -Subjugate Kobold Vigers: 31/68- (iplete)

    -You have killed a Tier-1 Reptilian Kobold-

    -You have killed a Tier-1 Elder Reptilian Kobold-

    -You have killed a Tier-1 Elder Reptilian Kobold-

    -You have killed a Tier-1 Hatchling Reptilian Kobold-

    Gulping back the sour taste in his mouth, Cynrik didn¡¯t stop for a second. ¡®I swear on everything I am if I ever find that bitch Wadjet, evisceration will only be the beginning. I will shread her body piece by fucking piece before force-feeding her flesh down her fucking gullet.¡¯ Fighting back the intense emotional response threatening to overwhelm his psyche, Cynrik grit his teeth as hard as he could.

    -Quest Updated-

    -Quest Updated-

    -Quest Updated-

    -Quest Updated-

    -Quest Updated-

    His eyes flicked to the HUD floating in the corner of his vision as he checked his MP. So far, he had drained about half of it, but he didn¡¯t care. Deep down, Cynrik wanted to give some sce to these lost souls. His way of showing this was that their corpses wouldn¡¯t be used for anything nefarious or eaten by scavengers. So, this was his version of burial for them in some twisted way.

    Spitting a mouth full of blood that had umted from his gums due to how hard he was gritting his teeth, Cynrik kicked off the ground and headed towards another group of Kobolds. Unfortunately, several had already spotted his actions and screamed in fear while fleeing towards the training grounds.

    Without expending much effort, Cynrik quickly caught up to a group of running Kobolds. With his feet leaving the ground and his body rotating in the air, Cynrik lopped off the heads of two beforending on the ground with his knees. Then, shifting his body weight slightly, he twisted and kicked out the legs of an elderly Kobold, dropping the creature onto its back, and nted his ming Kodachi into its chest.

    -You have killed a Tier-1 Reptilian Kobold-

    -You have killed a Tier-1 Elder Reptilian Kobold-

    -You have killed a Tier-1 Reptilian Kobold-

    ¡®I hate this¡­why¡­why did this have to happen.¡¯

    Pulling his de from the creature¡¯s chest, Cynrik jumped up and chased down all of the Kobolds he came across before bisecting them and setting their corpses aze. Unfortunately, as he went about this, he started losing track of the numbers of corpses burning, and if it weren¡¯t for the constant DING sound in his head from Tobs, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to keep up this meaningless ughter. Each DING represented one less life he had to take.

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes rapidly bounced around their sockets with [Mana Sight] active, locating his final target, a group of two hatchlings holding hands and crying as they ran with their little legs.

    Fighting back a mouth full of bile, Cynrik flicked both his wrists while making a whipping motion and fired off both his hidden des into the heads of the two hatchlings, instantly taking their lives as painlessly as possible.

    -You have killed a Tier-1 Hatchling Reptilian Kobold-

    -You have killed a Tier-1 Hatchling Reptilian Kobold-

    With a wave of his hands, the two hidden des flew back and reinserted themselves into their housings within Cynrik¡¯s assassin¡¯s tools. As Cynrik stood up, he felt something wet on his cheek, assuming it was blood; he swiped it away with the backside of his hand and examined it only to realize instead of the dark red blood he¡¯d been expecting, it was clear fluid.

    -You havepleted a task.-

    -Subjugate Kobold Vigers: 68/68- plete)

    Standing in ce, looking at the clear fluid on the backside of his shaking hand, Cynrik listened to Tobs¡¯ monotone voice informing him that his job wasplete. He had no idea how long it had been since he started, and by looking at the minor scratches and chips on his des, Cynrik knew he would have to live with the symbolic blood that now stained his hands. In both of his lives, he had killed, but never indiscriminately and never without the other party wanting to take his life.

    ¡®Tears?¡¯

    It was unknown how long it had been happening, but with his attention drawn to the tears coating the back of his hand, Cynrik realized he had been crying for some time now. Not sobbing but emotionlessly crying.

    [CYNRIK, GABBY, AND BENNY ARE CAPPED, WE NEED YOU OVER HERE!]

    Being pulled out of his stupor by Brance, Cynrik cast a final nce back at the mostly quiet residential area behind him. The only noise currently were the sounds of the annoying SIMP lizard, who was utterly oblivious to what had just urred and was still rolling around begging his Deity for assistance.

    [On my way.] Wiping the trails of moisture from his cheeks once again, Cynrik dashed off towards his party. While he ran, he pulled up his stats and saw the 893,500 XP from his massacre; however, instead of being overjoyed by this achievement, Cynrik was left hollow inside and only felt disgusted by what he had done.

    Shaking his head to clear the dark thoughts that were taking root, Cynrik looked at the small stopwatch window he had opened before beginning his assault. Seven minutes. It only took Cynrik seven minutes to wipe all 68 Kobolds off the face of the. Those seven minutes would haunt him for years toe, but he couldn¡¯t think about it for now. It was time to go save his brother and friends.

    Seven Minutes earlier

    ¡°Up you guys go, remember, aim true, fight hard, trust in your teammates, but most importantly, KICK SOME ASS!¡± Brance nearly scoffed at his older brother¡¯s poor attempt at a pep talk but decided to let Cynrik have his moment.

    Benny, Gabby, and Brance felt weightless momentarily before experiencing the strange feeling of breaking out of the Shadow Realm and into Reality. All three of them covered their mouths with their palms in fear of retching thanks to the gut-churning experience. Still, they were able to ovee it andnd on the ground in a crouching position, with the steam cloud instantly covering them and hiding their bodies from in sight.

    Brance was the first to get his bearings and activated [Mana Sight]. About 80 meters away from their position was the first group of Kobold Soldiers. Grabbing Benny and Gabby by the shoulder, Brance quickly cast [Vanish], bending the light around their bodies and making them physically invisible to any outside eyes.

    With a quick pump of his hands, the three took off in the direction of the first of three toons of Kobold Soldiers when the first notifications from Cynrik came through.

    -Your party member Cynrik Jetlensr has killed a Tier-1 Hatchling Reptilian Kobold-

    The notification caused both the Sanford siblings to trip over their own feet, and if it weren¡¯t for Brance¡¯s firm grip on them, they would have both facented. Not wanting them to lose focus, Brance quickly tossed Benny over his shoulder and Gabby under his armpit and took off sprinting full speed.

    ¡®Cyn¡­hang in there.¡¯ Like what Cynrik had assumed, Brance wasn¡¯t out of the loop. He had interrogated Tobs multiple times about their quest over thest few minutes. By this point, he knew something was up. Although he was still unsure about the precise details, Brance found that each of these Kobolds was forcefully torn away from where they lived and thrown into this Egress Instance.

    Brance had caught Cynrik doing his typical habit of masking his pain and thoughts with crude jokes or memes and realized just how deep shit they had found themselves in. The simple fact that his older brother refused to say anything out loud or even in the mind link was proof enough that someone or something was listening in on their conversations, and unless Cynrik had a way to block out prying eyes, he wasn¡¯t able to say anything yet.

    This was the main reason Brance hadn¡¯t pushed for answers and allowed his older brother to go off and handle the vigers alone. While Cynrik thought he was an expert when it came to hiding his thoughts, one person had perfected the art of reading him, and that was Brance.

    Brance knew that under the jokes and music from a gxy far, far away was someone who had resigned himself to doing what needed to be done, no matter how immoral or daunting the task was.

    Arriving only a few meters from the group of kowtowing Kobolds decked out in armor and with their weapons on the ground in front of their heads, Brance gently ced his two friends down and drew both his shields. His eyes scanned the surrounding terrain, and he picked a location to begin his attack, a cluster of eight Kobolds in cloth robes.

    These eight were Support ss beings, aka the ¡°backline¡± by his calctions. The robes and staff were a telltale sign of what ss they had. From his experience, the best tactic for group battles like this was to take out the backline support, such as healers or mages. Unfortunately, based just on physical appearance, Brance couldn¡¯t determine if the Kobolds in his sight were offensive support or passive support, so he lumped them all together and began his assault.

    Moving silently and swiftly, Brance came up alongside the group of kneeling creatures and jumped into the air, bringing both shields down on the necks of the two nearest Kobolds.

    SHULK, SHULK

    With thebination of the sharp edge of Brance¡¯s shields, the force of his strength, and his body weight, he was quickly able to behead these two beings.

    -Quest Updated-

    -Subjugate Kobold Soldiers: 4/84- (iplete)

    -You have killed a Level 21 Tier-2 Reptilian Kobold Cleric ¨C

    -You have killed a Level 18 Tier-1 Reptilian Kobold Cleric-

    With [Vanish] broken, Brance moved into action before the other Kobolds were alerted to his presence, but just as he was about to strike the third of the eight back liners, an arrow whizzed past his head and entered into his target¡¯s left eye, popping its head like a watermelon and covering Brance in blood and brain matter.

    Gabby had jumped into the battle and made her first assist.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 120

    Unfazed by Gabby¡¯s well-timed arrow, Brance readjusted his stance before swinging his shield out to the side and colliding with another of the back liner¡¯s heads. But, unfortunately, be it the screams these beings made as they died, or the simple fact that the steam cloud was quickly thinning, the attention of the toon of Kobold Soldiers readily shifted from their chants and bows to Brance, Gabby, and Benny.

    Like a scene from a horror movie, all 20 lizard heads swiveled and red at Brance, sending a shiver down his spine. Brance wasn¡¯t like Cynrik, who kept lizards and snakes as pets back on Earth. In fact, he had a deep-seated hatred borderline fear of them, ever since an incident where Cynriks pet ball python got out of its cage and wrapped itself around Brance¡¯s leg in the middle of the night, causing the young Earthling to have nightmares for years toe.

    ¡°It just had to be fucking lizards.¡± Then, clicking his tongue and spitting on the ground, Brance dived back into the backline, not allowing the remaining five beings to have a chance to recover from the shocking sneak attack.

    Moving like a spartan, switching between mming the front of his shields into bodies and decapitating Kobolds with the edge of the defensive weapon, Brance quickly decimated the remaining support Kobolds.

    By the time the final of the eight beings fell, its friends had entered the fray. Luckily for Brance, Gabby was doing the very thing she was trained to, picking off stragglers and slowing down the movement of the advancing toon.

    The bulk of her shots ended up being directed at the legs of the main fighting force running towards Brance, and each arrow found its mark. The knee caps were most being¡¯s weak point. Cynrik had heavily stressed the importance of a well-ced knee shot early on in the Sanfords training. At one point, Gabby, being the only one affected by Brance¡¯s full justice and truth routine, was the only one to speak out at the time, asking why they should fight so dirty. To which Cynrik aptly replied, ¡°There is no such thing as a fair fight on the streets.¡±

    The statement greatly confused the simple and pure-minded Gabby. She and Benny had yet to realize at the time that Cynrik had been training them for these very kinds of situations. There was no room for fighting fair in the sight of multiple enemies who wanted your life.

    As if on autopilot, the little girl rapid fired her arrows into her targets from different angles, sometimes the front of the knee, others the side or back. Just like Cynrik had taught her, Gabby was constantly on the move, never staying ce long enough to be a sitting duck.

    On the other hand, Benny was struggling greatly to keep up with his rabbit-like sister, who bounced around at weird angles, following a path only she knew. Yet he somehow could step up at just the right moment and stop any iing projectile attacks from hitting her.

    Brance quickly noticed how effective Gabby¡¯s strategy was and silently thanked her with his eyes, which didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the little girl. With the movement speed of the toon reduced significantly, the group of three was able to eliminate all of its members with rtive ease swiftly, and it was only Benny who seemed to be out of breath after the encounter.

    Bent over with his hands on his knees and gasping for air, Benny looked around for any extra enemies only to spot Gabby and Brance moving from corpse to corpse and extracting Codexes and other resources.

    ¡°Huff, huff, freaks¡­the both, huff of you are Stamina freaks.¡± Airing hisints and eventually catching his second wind, Benny set about assisting the other two in their material extraction. Benny¡¯sck of energy wasn¡¯t due to him being out of shape, though; he still wasn¡¯t running at his best after having been nearly killed not long ago. Instead, each breath he took sent a sharp pain up his abdomen.

    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Brance quickly rushed to Benny¡¯s aid when he saw the boy gasping for air slouched over. He promptly pulled out a bottle of water from his inventory and handed it over to the boy, who thanked him before chugging the bottlepletely.

    ¡°Yeah, I think my insides are still banged up from that spear earlier, but overall, im fine.¡± Benny wiped excess water from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand before storing the empty bottle in his inventory.

    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard, Benny; I don¡¯t want you to re-open your wounds. Big Brother may have patched you up with potions, but they were only Small pots; here, let me use my skill real quick.¡± For a moment, Brance had actually forgotten that he could heal wounds as a Light Affinity user. But once he remembered, he quickly cast his [Minor Heal], causing Benny¡¯s face to regain the majority of its color, and his breathing returned to normal.

    ¨C Your party member Cynrik Jetlensr has killed a Tier-1 Hatchling Reptilian Kobold-

    ¨C Your party member Cynrik Jetlensr has killed a Tier-1 Reptilian Kobold-

    ¨C Your party member Cynrik Jetlensr has killed a Tier-1 Reptilian Kobold-

    ¨C Your party member Cynrik Jetlensr has killed a Tier-1 Hatchling Reptilian Kobold-

    ¨C Your party member Cynrik Jetlensr has killed a Tier-1 Hatchling Reptilian Kobold-

    Brance, Gabby, and Benny all stiffened upon receiving the notifications of Cynrik¡¯s achievements. Their eyes lingered on the ones about Cynrik killing Hatchlings. None of the group was stupid, and they all knew what those words signified. Brance especially became increasingly worried as the notifications continued toe in, one after another. Then, turning his body and looking in the direction he knew his older brother was fighting, he wore a pained expression.

    Seeing Brance look off towards the vige center, Gabby walked up and held his hand forfort.

    ¡°Big Bro Cyn will be fine; he¡¯s the toughest of us all.¡± Although pure and kind-hearted, the little girl knew full well that Cynrik was doing the job no one else in the party could. Gabby herself knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to fire an arrow at a child, let alone hack them down with a sword.

    ¡°Although I wish he wouldn¡¯t try taking on so much by himself, he knows we are all here for him, so Brancie, we need to get back to our job so that Cynrik can get done sooner.¡±

    Brance looked down at Gabby, who was a full head shorter than him, and smiled weakly. ¡°When did you get so mature little bunny.¡±

    ¡°CHE, SOMEONE has to be, I mean you see how Big Bro Cyn is, just like Auntie Cinyah always says, he¡¯s a trouble-making rascal, and you only seem to enable that behavior.¡± Then, releasing Brance¡¯s hand and putting her own on her waist, she struck a pose reminiscent of how Cinyah did when she was scolding Cynrik.

    Benny and Brance chuckled lightly at her antics for a second before getting serious again. Hidden by the steam cloud, the sounds of approaching armor clinking together and feet stomping were heading their direction.

    ¡°Time to go, same strat as before.¡± Brance tilted his head downward, popping his neck, and scanned the surrounding area with his [Mana Sight]. With the skill active, he could clearly see that both the toons had merged into arge group and were approaching like sharks who could smell blood.

    ¡°The two toons have merged into a single unit and are heading our way, 54 Kobolds in total. Our previous strat won¡¯t work this time around. Gabby, I need you to post up further back, keep up the slow down attacks; Benny, you¡¯re with me; we will try holding them off; how much XP do you two still need before you reach the cap?¡±

    Brance tossed onest nce at the iing enemies before redirecting his attention to Gabby and Benny, whose eyes were looking off into the distance, a clear sign they were looking at their Status panels.

    ¡°We took out 28 Kobolds in that battle, because of that, and the XP earned by Big Bro Cyn, we are bout 25% of the way done with P18.¡± Benny was quicker to respond than his sister, who got distracted by the significant increase in her stats.

    Between Brance¡¯s double XP buff and the double reward buff from killing several Kobolds twice their level, they rapidly gained stats and XP.

    ¡°Right, Gabby, scratch my previous statement, go for headshots, you guys only need a few more kills before our checkpoint is reached, and we can call over Big Brother. I want you to pick off the Kobolds who look weaker. Speed is everything.¡± Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Brance dished out his orders and turned towards therge group of Kobolds, who, by his estimate, was only about a hundred meters away.

    Thinking on his toes, Brance did something he felt was slightly stupid and started channeling his Wind Mana. Unlike Cynrik, he wasn¡¯t as good ating up with effective ns on the fly, but seeing as they were pressed for time and the Kobolds were approaching, he came up with an all-or-nothing strategy.

    During their previous battle, Brance had noticed the steam cloud was breaking apart faster than he anticipated initially, partner that with how good the Kobold¡¯s sense of smell appeared to be, their ability to hide in the steam effectively was dwindling fast. Thus, he decided to st away a portion of the mist to save some time, concealing the iing forces. Although it was a double-edged n, since the enemies would have a clear line of sight on the party, it also would allow Gabby to see all her targets clearly, allowing her to fire off her arrows more urately.

    Bringing up his shields like arm-mounted cannons and using the concaved center as an aiming sight, Brance fired off tworge [Air Missles], which tore through the steam cloud, creating two wide-open channels.

    ¡°NOW!¡± Brance shouted, making six arrows whiz past his ears less than a secondter.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 121

    Six Cold-Steel-tipped arrows broke through the air silently, their destination, six unprepared Kobold Soldiers, who at that moment, were caught by surprise by Brance¡¯s sudden parting of the steam cloud.

    THWAP, THWAP, SHULK, THWAP, SHUNK, THWAP.

    Each strike found its mark, violently piercing the skulls of six charging lizardmen through their eyes and popping their heads like watermelons. The sheer force behind these arrows was beyond what an average child could muster, but thanks to Gabby¡¯s advanced Stats, each one carried a weight of over 180 pounds of pressure.

    -Quest Updated-

    -Subjugate Kobold Soldiers: 38/84- (iplete)

    -Your party member Gabrie Sanford has killed three level 18 Tier-1 Kobold Warriors.

    -You have received 108,000 XP.-

    -You have received 2 STR and 1 VIT.-

    -You have obtained 3 KIN points.-

    ¨C A Tier-1 Fire Affinity and Two Affinitiless Codexes have been located.-

    -Due to the restrictions in ce by the Alpha Egress Core, you will have to remove the Codexes manually.-

    ¨C Your party member Gabrie Sanford has killed a level 20 Tier-1 Kobold Warrior.-

    -Your party member Gabrie Sanford has killed two level 23 Tier-2 Kobold Swordsmen.-

    -Your party member has killed (3) beings twice your level; rewards will be doubled.-

    -You have received 172,000 XP.-

    -You have received 6 STR.-

    -You have obtained 6 KIN points.-

    -Two Tier-2 Fire Affinity and 1 Tier-1 Affinitiless Codexes have been located.-

    -Due to the restrictions in ce by the Alpha Egress Core, you will have to remove the Codexes manually.-

    Two things co-urred when these six heads popped into meat paste, the first was a loud guttural noise generated by what Brance could only assume was the group leader, causing all 50+ Kobolds to stop in their tracks and form into a defensive stance. Then, the leader stepped forward and savagely kicked the corpses of his fallenrades out of their path. The Second was that both Gabby and Benny screamed at the top of their lungs, ¡°I HIT THE CAP!¡±

    Seeing yet another one of his ns subtly fall apart, Brance couldn¡¯t help but remember a quote he heard in the military, ¡°No n survives contact with the enemy.¡± Seeing the actions of the Kobold leader reinforced this quote in his mind.

    ¡°YYELIAM, BROCADAS!¡± (RAISE SHIELDS!)

    Before Brance could react to the Sanfords shouts, his eyes narrowed as the Kobold Leader waived his sword valiantly. His actions directed nearly a dozen warriors wieldingrge tower shields to step forward and take the group¡¯s point, creating a wall of bone and stone.

    Outnumbered and out leveled by an enemy who was now ready forbat, Brance did the only thing he could think of, [CYNRIK, GABBY, AND BENNY ARE CAPPED, WE NEED YOU OVER HERE!] He screamed loudly into the mind link for backup.

    -You havepleted a task.-

    -Subjugate Kobold Vigers: 68/68- plete)

    [On my way.]

    Cynrik¡¯s voice came through emotionlessly, yet even hearing the tone caused Brance to feel ted. He didn¡¯t have time to think about his brother¡¯s current mental state; right now, all he could think about was keeping Gabby and Benny safe from the swarm of shield-bearers marching methodically towards them.

    Instinctively, Brance jumped back several paces,bined his shields, and readied himself to use their special skill. Then, he concluded there was no point in running since all of the iing beings were more robust physically and statistically.

    ¡°Benny, Gabby, Big Brother is on his way; get behind me NOW!¡± As he spoke, Brance¡¯s eyes flicked to a panel showing his Cold-Steal Tear Mark 1¡¯s special skill.

    -Special Skill: Shield Wall

    -Requires the use of two simr-sized shields; a Mana Barrier in the shape of an energy dome will be generated enclosing the user and the space 2 meters in diameter in its confines. This barrier will have base durability of 5,000 HP.

    -Activation Cost: 100 Earth, Light, and Wind Mana. Infusing more Mana will raise the durability.-

    Each step of the marching Kobolds caused the ground to vibrate as they drew closer. Although it wouldn¡¯t take Cynrik long to arrive, they were still cutting it close. Sensing the Sanfords creep up behind him, Brance was forced to make a choice; with running out of the question, this only left defense and offense.

    ¡®There¡¯s almost 50 bodies and only three of us. [Inspect] shows the bulk of the group is sitting at Tier-2, with the remaining being at the peak of Tier-1. If Cyn were here, I¡¯d be more inclined to slug it out; no holds barred, but that won¡¯t work. Gabby and Benny haven¡¯tpleted their Evo and aren¡¯t experienced enough in livebat to be totally reliable; they are a liability. This leaves only a single option, to erect my [Shield Wall] and hope for the best.¡¯

    Brance¡¯s mind raced as he tried to channel his inner Cynrik and form an urate n for survival. Finally, his eyes flicked over his shoulder, where Gabby stood, bow drawn and wearing a nervous expression.

    ¡°Gabby, Benny, listen up. When they get close, I will use my shield¡¯s skill, forming a transparent Mana barrier, to stop them from getting close. The only problem is this skill has a very high cost. So if you have any leftover Mana potions, I need to know now.¡±

    Gabby¡¯s ears perked up, and she immediately reached in front of her body and withdrew five Small Mana Potions out of her inventory. ¡°Brancie, is this enough?¡±

    On the opposite side of Brance, Benny emted his sister and pulled out three Small Mana Potions and one Medium. This was everything he had on him. ¡°I¡¯ve got four pots; take them.¡±

    Brance broke into a cheerful smile; he was impressed that neither of the Sanfords asked any questions orined but instead simply gave him what he asked. But unfortunately, Mana Potions didn¡¯t grow on trees, and much like his own family¡¯s financial situation, the Sanfords weren¡¯t well off either, so he felt terrible making this request.

    Not wanting to get distracted by idle thoughts, Brance shook his head a couple of times before putting on a bright smile.

    ¡°Perfect, you guys are the best. Alright, when I ask for them, I need you to quickly pour the pots into my mouth for me since mybined shield requires both hands.¡±

    Hearing his words, both siblings promptly nodded before directing their attention at the iing group of Kobolds, who were only about 20 meters away.

    Dropping into a horse stance and holding hisbined CS Tear in front of his body, Brance began splitting all of the Mana in his Codex into three equal portions. The cost to activate his skill was 100 MP of each of his three Affinities for a whopping total of 300 MP, just for activation. But Brance wasn¡¯t looking just to use the skill. Unsure how long it would take Cynrik to arrive, he opted to expend every ounce of Mana into his shield.

    Thankfully, with Gabby and Benny on standby with potions, he was able to restore his tank more than once. Then, after a couple of seconds, a dome of multi-colored light representing his three elements erupted from the jewel embedded in the center of his shield.

    This dome covered all three of them and extended out two meters away from where they stood. Using his [Inspect] again and ignoring the Mana fatigue he was experiencing, Brance stood firm and examined the dome¡¯s durability.

    -Shield Wall- Mana Barrier, Durability 20,000 HP-

    A slight smirk spread across Brance¡¯s lips as he realized he had effectively quadrupled the skills durability by expending an otherwise astronomical amount of Mana into its activation.

    The Kobold leader was bbergasted outside the small, newly erected Mana dome. Then, raising its hand and ordering its men to hold, it stepped forward and red angrily at the shining, brown, green, and white rounded film standing in between him and the enemy.

    Brance, Gabby, and Benny all watched with narrowed eyes as the three-meter tall, yellow, and orange scaled Kobold brought up its ax and mmed it onto the Mana barrier.

    -Your [Shield Wall] has received 2100 Damage, current durability 17,900/20,000-

    The notification from Tobs made Brance¡¯s throat scratchy; with his right eye twitching slightly, he downed another Mana potion and directed the recharged fuel into the barrier, repairing it back up to 20k.

    ¡°Kwark, tssssssssss¡± Tilting its head to the right and flicking its tongue out to smell the barrier, the Kobold leader grimaced angrily at the Mana dome before bringing up his ax and swinging it forcefully into the energy shield once again. However, when his weapon came down, instead of causing a ripple effect like the first time, the Kobold was repelled by some kind of power and flung uncontrobly through the air several meters.

    No longer worried about the invaders, Brance looked over his shoulder at Gabby, who was trying to quell theughter boiling in her tummy. The sight of the Kobold leader flipping through the air like a puppet with its strings cut was oddly hrious to her.

    ¡°Oi, you two, do your damn Evo¡¯s, I can hold the fort down for a couple of minutes while we wait for Big Brother, so take this time to achieve Tier-1, that way when he gets here and pulls us back into his Shadow thingy, all we have to do is assign our stats by his directions.¡±

    Brance¡¯s chiding words pulled the little girl¡¯s attention away from the Kobold leader, who hadnded in a heap on the ground in a cloud of dust, and she quickly and obediently pulled out her Evo stone and sat down in the lotus position.

    Settling down beside his sister, Benny did the same thing, and a few secondster, they were both bathed in golden light.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 122

    Feeling the pulse of energying from behind, Brance looked away from the Kobold soldiers crowd and towards the Sanfords in surprise. Although their Evolution to Tier-1 wasn¡¯t nearly as shy as what he and Cynrik had undergone, Brance could tell it was still significant.

    Gabby and Benny opened their eyes simultaneously and proceeded to stare at their hands in stunned silence. They were fully aware of the difference of power between beings of Tier-0 and Tier-1, but they never realized it would be this big. The main thing they both noticed was something Cynrik and Brance would have if they weren¡¯t such overachievers.

    All of their Stats had risen to their cap, a perk of reaching Level 20 Prestige. However, since the brothers had already hit that milestone beforehand, they were left unaware of this forceful Stat increase.

    Seeing their confused faces, Brance stepped in, ¡°Hey, both of you quickly choose your ss, Gabby, Archer, Benny Warrior; we all have an obscene amount of XP pooled up and waiting, so don¡¯t level up anything individually yet.¡±

    Breaking out of their illusions, the two Sanfords quickly nodded and started scrolling through their system panels, searching for their pre-established sses, leaving Brance to redirect himself to the meat wall of lizards mming their bodies against his [Shield Wall].

    Although it had only taken a few short seconds for Gabby and Benny to Evolve to Tier-1 and subsequently get scolded by Brance, in that time, the Mana Barrier had lost over 10k HP, forcing Brance to keep adding in small bursts of Mana to repair it. With each body mming itself against the dome, it would lose around 20-50 HP, do that 30-40 times, and it starts adding up. The constant drain of MP was even leaving Brance woozy, causing him to dig his toes into the solid ground underfoot to keep stable.

    Knowing it was only a matter of time before they got through, Brance sent off one more desperate call into the mind link.

    [I can only hold out for another two minutes at best, Cyn.]

    Cynrik was sprinting full speed in his party¡¯s direction when he heard this. ¡®Now or never, I guess.¡¯ Still not emotionally recovered, Cynrik withdrew his final two Mana potions and chugged them down, bringing him back up to 80%. Taking in a slow breath and willing the newly formed Fire Mana in his Codex towards his feet, Cynrik stomped the ground, creating a small shockwave, andunched himself into the air like the Hulk. Only instead of solely relying on his physical strength, thin spouts of mes erupted from the soles of his feet, propelling him higher into the air.

    [Coming in hot, look up.]

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes quickly located the small dome of Mana which was protecting his party, as well as the tidal wave of reptilian bodies mming themselves against it like fools.

    [When I say, drop your skill, and cushion mynding with Wind Mana, I need to preserve what little I have left to get us into the Shadow Realm.]

    At first, Cynrik¡¯s words confused Brance until, out the corner of his eye, he spotted him a hundred meters up in the sky with a thin trail of fireing out of his feet.

    [The fuck, are you flying?] Brance had seen his brother jump by propelling himself with Fire Mana before, during the Physical Exams, but he hadn¡¯t gone nearly as high, fast, or far.

    [NOPE, JUST FALLING WITH STYLE! GET READY TO CATCH ME!] Cynrik was yelling into the mind link unintentionally, the loud howl of wind smacking his ears distorting his perception temporarily.

    [SHIT!] ¡°Gabby, Benny, get ready, look¡­its¡­a bird, it¡¯s a ne.¡±

    Gabby immediately spotted Cynrik as he flew through the sky thanks to her [Eagle Eye] and couldn¡¯t help but correct Brance, not getting the reference her crush made. ¡°Um, Brancie, isn¡¯t that Cynrik.¡±

    Clicking his tongue and ignoring the little girl who just called him out, Brance spun around, ignoring the Kobolds, and kicked at the ground two paces to his left and one behind, forming an X on the hard stone. ¡°Guys, listen up, I want Benny to make a thick [Water Sphere] and Gabby to assist me with [Telekinesis], my idiot brother is dropping from the sky like a rock, and we need to catch him. X marks the spot he¡¯s gunnand; Benny, start forming your sphere on the X, keep it about my height.¡±

    As Brance spoke, his eyes trailed after Cynrik, who was approaching in the air rapidly.

    [How do you wanna do this, Cyn? Are you breaking the dome, or am I gunna drop it?]

    High above the ground, Cynrik¡¯s eyes narrowed. Brance¡¯s concerns were warranted. From his vantage point, he could see his brother marking the projected point of impact before saying something to the Sanfords.

    ¡®He¡¯s running low on MP, so he is putting them to work. Brance probably wants Benny to use [Water Sphere] as a crash pad while reducing my speed with Wind Mana and Gabby¡¯s [Telekinesis]; it¡¯s a good idea, in theory; still, gunna hurt a bit, but whatever, ain¡¯t nothin a potion or two can¡¯t fix. Worst-case scenario, I can use a sudden burst of air myself.¡¯

    Without Brance saying a word, Cynrik urately determined his younger brother¡¯s plot and could see no fundamental ws except a single ringly obvious one. The Mana dome.

    [Are you able to open specified portions?] Extending his arms and twisting his body at the peak of his climb, Cynrik adjusted his body midair, hovering in ce for half a second thanks to his inertia, before angling his body into a downward dive.

    [Uhhh, I think I can open it¡­gimmie a second.] Brance focused his vision on a single tiny point at the top of the dome. Slowly his right hand slid along the handle of his shield, and he willed a fist-size hole to open up. In doing this, he was basically replicating the sensations he felt when he pushed MP into the dome to strengthen it.

    Gabby and Benny watched in awe as Brance slid the energy away from the chosen portion and moved it towards where the Kobolds were attacking with a wave-like ripple of energy.

    [Yeah, I can open a hole but are you gunna be able to hit the point. Pretty sure I can open the whole ceiling; the main thing will be if you can hit the X I made, haha.] Brance stressfully chuckled; he was just ready for this hecious day to be over so he could go to bed.

    [Bitch, I can use FIRE AND WIND, you think I can¡¯tnd on a manhole cover sized X on the ground, tsk. Just be ready to catch my dumbass. Also, when you open up the top, redirect all that excess Mana into the areas they are hitting and disperse it in a shockwave. Let¡¯s give them a little fright before we vanish from sight.]

    Cynrik smirked as he made his descent. Below he could faintly hear the shouts and growls of the nearly 50 bodies who were repeatedly mming either themselves or weapons against the Mana dome. Cynrik¡¯s eyes traced an imaginary line to his destination; meanwhile, his fingers never stopped moving. Each finger twitch caused a small burst of Wind or Fire Mana to shoot out his fingertip at random intervals, slightly correcting his course.

    [Ready up, time to impact, 13 seconds, open the hatch in 10.] Slowing down his breathing and clearing all useless thoughts, Cynrik informed Brance to get ready.

    ¡°12 seconds, Benny form the sphere now, Gabby on my mark.¡±

    [11.] Cynrik began his countdown and watched a person-sized ball of water manifest inside the dome, to which he adjusted his course, picking it as thending zone.

    ¡°10.¡± Brance looked up and began channeling the Mana surging around him to move to the front of the dome.

    [9.] Clenching his fists tightly and extending his arms forward, Cynrik rocketed down to the ground like Superman.

    ¡°8, Start forming your Mana Gabby, 7.¡±

    Gabby responded by bringing her hands up and squinting. Her actions caused three round disks to appear in a tower-like formation, one on top of the other, and by opening her arms vertically, they got into ce above her brother¡¯s [Water Sphere]. Unlike what Brance had asked, she chose to use [Floating Disk]. Although the skill was meant to create stable footholds, she could easily adjust them and repurpose them. In this case, she had thinned them to their extreme, allowing them to be used as a tool for slowing down forward momentum.

    ¡°6, Gabby add one more Disk, 5, 4.¡± Seeing Gabby veer off course from his initial n didn¡¯t bother Brance too much, as he quickly realized her idea was better than simply trying to catch Cynrik.

    Gabby exhaled loudly, with sweat running down her forehead due to exertion, and she created a fourth Disk.

    [3, these bastards don¡¯t even realize something is happening, 2.] Cynrik grinned evilly while lining himself up ideally before shouting at his brother.

    [NOW!]

    Clenching his teeth, Brance held up one hand over his head and grabbed at the air before thrusting his arm forward as if throwing a baseball. The dome¡¯s top suddenly slid off like the sunroof of a car and mmed into ce at the front of the dome, effectively reinforcing it. Then using the same hand, Brance willed what little Mana he had left into an air current and directed it towards the rapidly approaching figure of Cynrik, 20 meters above.

    SPLASH

    For the first time, everything went ording to n. Cynrik mmed into the air current, reducing his speed by 1/3 before hitting the tower of four Disks, which brought his pace all the way down from terminal velocity, 240-290 km/h, to 15km/h, and with a ssh, hended,ing to aplete stop thanks to the ball of water.

    But that wasn¡¯t the end of things; seeing his brother touch down unharmed, Brance lifted his shield from its resting ce and violently thrust it forward while running two steps towards the edge of the dome. In doing so, the dome broke apart, minus the portion in front of the party, exploding it outward, knocking every one of the Kobolds, including the leader, back several paces and onto their butts.

    Cynrik quickly kicked off the ground and out of the sphere heading to Brance, grabbing both Gabby and Benny along the way before casting [Shadow Leap].

    ¡°Later, Lizzys. (Parfaus Lizzys)¡± But not before sneering at the dumbfounded Kobolds and leaving some parting words tranted to nts.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

    Current Power Stones 166

    250 Power Stones 1 Bonus Chapter (Iplete)

    500 Powerstones 2 Bonus Chapter (Iplete)

    750 Power Stones 3 Bonus Chapters (Iplete)

    1000 Power Stones 4 Bonus Chapters (Iplete)

 Chapter 123

    Feeling the onset of the familiar weightless sensations presented by the Shadow Realm allowed the party to catch their breath after the intense previous predicament.

    Cynrik was the first to move after touching down on a shadow pir by shrugging Gabby off his shoulder and releasing Benny from under his armpit. His actions caused the little girl to yelp in fear as she began floating away in the zero-g environment. Lastly, Cynrik released his grip on Brance¡¯s shoulder and hovered in ce while sitting in the lotus position.

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes followed Gabby, who was twisting in the air, iling about like a cat in space, and a small chuckle escaped his mouth.

    ¡°Hehe, ok, quit ying around; time is a resource we don¡¯t have.¡± As Cynrik spoke, he felt Brance¡¯s worried gaze burrowing into his back.

    [I¡¯m fine; besides, we have bigger problems than me being a crazy person.]

    [Once this is all over, you¡¯ve got a lot of exining to do, Cyn, and don¡¯t act like I won¡¯t have Mom take you to a psychologist.]

    [Pfft, I don¡¯t need a shrink to tell me im coo-coo for cocoa puffs.] Cynrik waved his hand towards his brother dismissively and redirected his attention to his status panel.

    [Tobs, give me aplete summary of all the XP and Stats we received during thest battle.]

    -Since the host suppressed the majority of notifications, I willpile the results. Please wait a moment.-

    -Calcting total XP gain.-

    -Calcting total Stat point enhancement.-

    -Calcting Total Codex umtion.-

    -Calcting Total Skill Point Item umtion.-

    Cynrik closed his eyes and waited patiently for Tobs to finish herption. A few secondster, he heard a ding from his system, causing Cynrik¡¯s eyes to snap open.

    -Your party defeated a total of 68 nonbative Kobolds, earning 893,500 XP, 21 STR, 17 DEX, 11 AGI, 5 INT, 8 VIT, 6 MIND, 68 KIN, 42 Tier-1 Fire Codexes, 26 Tier-1 Affinitiless Codexes, and 10 Slivers of Skill.

    -Your party defeated a total of 36 Kobold Soldiers, of which 13 were Tier-1, with the remaining 23 being at Tier-2. You have received double rewards for several of these victories. Your party has received a total of 2,664,000 XP, 18 STR, 11 DEX, 10 AGI, 6 INT, 14 VIT, 4 MIND, 63 KIN, 9 Tier-1 Fire Codexes, 4 Tier-1 Affinitiless Codexes, 18 Tier-2 Fire Codexes, and 5 Tier-2 Affinitiless Codexes, 5 Slivers of Skill, and 10 Shards of Skill.-

    -The overall Stat and XP gain between the two is 3,557,500 XP, 39 STR, 28 DEX, 21 AGI, 11 INT, 22 VIT, 10 MIND, 131 KIN.

    With Tobs¡¯ words, the bodies of all four children convulsed violently as the stat points were forcefully added to their profiles. Which in turn caused their muscles, tendons, ligaments, bodily fluids; well, let¡¯s just say their whole bodies freaked out as she released the floodgates, allowing a surge of mysterious energy to enter their bodies. It wasn¡¯t just Cynrik and Brance either; since Gabby and Benny had attached themselves to the brothers through the party system, Tobs had limited control over their systems as well. Nevertheless, she had given them the same treatment as the brothers.

    The stat points wouldn¡¯t be added to their profiles until requested by suppressing the notifications. So Gabby and Benny, who were innocent to the ways of the world, were scared shitless by the sudden assault on their bodies and were twitching like slugs who had salt poured on them. As this was happening, Brance and Cynrik, who had experienced this before, adjusted to the pain. It only took them a few seconds to end up sitting calmly.

    ¡°Calm down, don¡¯t focus on the pain, you two, focus on your breathing, slow it down and try your best to ignore that itchy feeling. You are feeling the effects of a sudden Stat point increase right now. This is nothing for you both. Just rx and listen to my voice.¡± Cynrik stepped up at this moment.

    He was aware of how the two children would react and once again took the brunt of any frustrations and opted to calm them down.

    ¡°Listen to Big Brother; the two of us have done this before,¡± Brance added in his two cents and allowed Cynrik to continue his sermon.

    ¡°Brance and I have a variant system, a special one. It allows us more freedom when ites to things like this, so I had it suppress the majority of the iing notifications from our battle, only allowing a select few to be administered. Once you defeat a creature, you must know that you won¡¯t receive the boosts until you read the notification.¡±

    Cynrik watched as the Sanfords slowly regained control of themselves and hung in the weightless space with eyes tightly scrunched up. They were listening to his every word.

    ¡°Overall, this is more beneficial; it allows for rapid strengthening and tempering of your bodies. What that means is instead of needing a long time to adjust to your new power, your body will automatically adapt to its newfound strength. Instead of needing days or weeks to get used to it, the sudden shock is like jumping into an ice bath when your muscles are sore; it allows them to constrict and loosen faster. So bear with the pain; it will be over in a few seconds, I promise.¡±

    Like Cynrik said, within a few seconds, the pain receded, allowing Gabby and Benny to open their tear-filled eyes. The process had onlysted a short amount of time, but it felt like hours for them. Confused and still tingly all over, the two of them righted their floating bodies and assumed the Lotus pose just like Brance and Cynrik.

    Seeing this, Cynrik smiled at the two children, ¡°Good work, you two; I am proud of you both; this is the first step towards being as strong as Brance and I,¡± and praised both Gabby and Benny, who weakly smiled in response.

    ¡°Alright, this is only the beginning; just remember everything I taught you just now.¡± Cynrik paused and looked over at his brother for a moment.

    [Looks like you had both of them Evo already; good, that saves us some time, did they pick sses already?]

    [Un, I had them do it earlier when I first brought up my Mana dome.]

    Cynrik simply nodded in response to Brance; he approved his younger brother¡¯s actions and had nothing to add.

    ¡°I see that Brance already had you two Evo and picked sses; this next part is a bit tricky. As you both can already see, now that you¡¯ve reached Tier-1, you no longer have a single Level to worry bout, but instead of two, Main Level and ss Level. From my research and what our parents have told me, It ismon practice in the world to increase your Main level before ss, but we are doing it in reverse. To bring you in on my mindset, we have to think in the long term. I want you all to bring up your Status Panel real quick and follow along.¡±

    All three of them opened their Status with a wave of their hand before looking back at Cynrik.

    ¡°If you direct your attention to your Primary ss and Distribution, you will notice something important. Every ss will give some kind of Stat benefit upon leveling up. As you increase your ss Level, this point bonus will increase to a cap of 2 free extra points in the specified Stat. However, this increase only happens when you level up your main level. So you¡¯d be fucking stupid not to raise up ss first when you can get way stronger by doing it.¡±

    Cynrik could see Gabby and Benny giving him a confused look, so he chose to delve deeper into his reasoning. Then, smacking himself in the forehead, Cynrik had to remind himself that he was talking to children and not adults.

    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s put it this way. Using Brance as an example, he will only receive an added 0.1 to his STR and VIT if he increases his Main Level. BUT, if Brance raised his Warrior ss to its cap of 20 before raising his Main Level, he would instead get an extra 2 points in STR and VIT every time his Main Level increased.¡±

    Even though what he said seemed repetitive, this time, it seemed to resonate correctly with the Sanfords, causing Gabby to raise her hand as if she was back in school, to which Cynrik nodded, allowing her to speak.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then Brancie would get an extra 20 Points by the time he reached the Tier-1 cap. So why wouldn¡¯t people do it this way, to begin with?¡±

    She posed the exact question Cynrik had been racking his brain about.

    ¡°Ahh, this is what I have no clue about. But, to be honest, my best guess is people usually only want to get stronger quickly, so they don¡¯t take the more challenging path. Think about how much XP it takes to level up only your ss, from Zero to 20 is over 2,000,000 XP, then you need another 1.5 million just to reach the cap on your Main Level. Generally, you won¡¯t get a feast as we had, and it takes a long time to store up that much XP. This isn¡¯t even factoring in the Prestige System, either.¡±

    Rubbing his chin in thought, Cynrik debated on whether to continue this theory or not, but eventually, after seeing Gabby¡¯s expectant expression, he did.

    ¡°In reality, the difference may not seem that much; after all, we are only talking about an additional 20 points in each specific Stat; however, what if you have more than one ss. As you get stronger and Evolve further, you gain ess to Sub-sses. This means now, instead of only getting 20 points per ss-specific stats, your getting even more. For example, If You have a Primary ss that Gives 2 points in STR, and your Sub-ss also gives 2 points, that¡¯s an additional 4 points in your STR each time you level up for a total of 40. It¡¯s better to get in the habit of training up your sses to their cap early on than cryter when everyone is stronger than you for some reason.¡±

    Gabby and Benny both nodded; they wholly agreed with the theory Cynrik was exining.

    ¡°With that out of the way, let¡¯s burn some of that XP we worked so hard for. Everyone go ahead and cap out your sses. Then, it¡¯s time to power level.¡± Cynrik smirked as he watched the Sanfords impatiently squirm about, waiting for his go-ahead. His eyes drifted over to Brance, who was waiting for his orders.

    [That goes for us too, sses first, we will worry about Main Levelter, we need to get both our sses up to cap.]

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 124

    The Shadow Realm was an eerie ce for ordinary people. Theck of ambient sounds, distinct smells, and color could unnerve just about anyone if left exposed to it for extended periods. But for Cynrik, he had never felt more at home. Thanks to his Dark Affinity, he felt an abnormal level offort every time he came here. While Brance felt exceedingly ufortable the longer he spent in the Shadow Realm. Light and Dark, as pr opposites, Brance felt itchy the longer he hovered in the Realm devoid of color. But this wasn¡¯t the time for idle thoughts; Cynrik and Brance both inhaled slowly, holding it in for a moment, and then exhaled. By the time they finished, both of them were focused entirely on the task at hand.

    [Hobey-Ho, let¡¯s go!] Cynrik smirked as he said a quote near and dear to his heart. It happened to be from one of his all-time favorite novel series he had read during middle and high school back on Earth, and for some reason, he felt now was the appropriate time to use it.

    With nimble fingers, Cynrik began punching inmands on his Status window. Each inaudible click caused a wave of foreign energy to course through his veins. But, unlike what he had expected, there was no pain, just a chilly after effect, like when you first step out of a hot shower into a cold bathroom.

    A strange glint shed through Cynrik¡¯s eyes as all the information about his Tier-1 Thief ss flowed into his mind. However, he didn¡¯t stop there; before long, he had also capped out the level of his Tier-1 basic Engineer Sub-ss, leaving him with an abysmal 151k XP, a far cry from the over four million he had minutes ago. Unfortunately, it was only enough to increase his Main Level from 10 to 11, but that was what he needed most.

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes flicked to his MP and saw it was dangerously low, so after heaving a sad sigh, he went ahead and distributed 100k XP to his Main Level. Once again, a cool sensation washed over Cynrik as his HP, MP, and Stamina replenished as a reward for Leveling up.

    Scrolling through his newly adjusted Stats caused Cynrik a massive headache, as his numerical OCD once again reared its ugly head. Unconsciously, Cynrik¡¯s right hand slowly moved forward towards his VIT Stat and the little plus sign next to it. All he needed to do was press it, and he could fix the horrendous 177.5 number. Suddenly, as if it had a mind of his own, Cynrik¡¯s left hand reached over and smacked its brother on the knuckles, causing it to flinch away and form a mouth, for fingers for the top and the thumb as the bottom jaw.

    ¡°p, snap, p, p¡± (Why u do dat?) The right hand angrily pped.

    ¡°p, p, p p.¡± (Idiot, don¡¯t push buttons.) The left hand scolded its brother with a hint of disdain.

    ¡°Oi, you two cut it out,¡± Cynrik grumbled, drawing strange looks from Gabby, Benny, and Brance, who were finishing up their stats, only to see the fool talking to himself and using his hands as puppets.

    ¡°Ignore my idiot brother guys, keep going about your business.¡± Brance reached over and hit Cynrik upside the head.

    [Stop being stupid and hurry up.]

    Feeling wronged and wearing a sad expression, Cynrik went ahead and quickly allocated his 50 Stat points. Starting off, he put 18 into STR, which allowed it to finally break the 200 checkpoint, causing a massive surge of power to swarm through Cynrik¡¯s body. DEX was up next, and it only required four points to break the 200 checkpoint. Cynrik moved along, skipping over his AGI putting 25 points into his INT, which, although it gave him some heartache, brought his INT up to the same 177.5 as his VIT. Lastly, he took two of the remaining 3 points, tossed them into MIND, brought it up to 155.5, and chose to save the remaining 1 point for now.

    Cynrik opened and closed his hands a few times, getting used to the feeling of his new stats before waving his hand to send over his new Stat profile to Brance. Once finished, Cynrik closed his eyes and went through the information he had earned about his ss and Sub-ss, along with the four new skills.

    : Status :

    : Cynrik Ayke Jetlensr (Ivar the Boneless Ragnarsson):

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation :

    : Demi-Human Male (99% Human, 1% ?sir):

    : Age-12:

    : Tier-1 :

    : Primary ss ¨C Tier-1 Thief : (+2 To DEX,AGI Distribution)

    : Sub-ss ¨C Tier-1 Engineer : (+2 To DEX Distribution)

    : Level: 11 : 0/110,947 :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 51,268:

    : Thief: 20 ¨C XP : CAP

    : Basic Engineer: 20 ¨C XP : CAP

    : Distribution: 1.5 Per All : (DEX 5.5, AGI 3.5)

    : Mana Codex Tier: 2 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : Mana Circuit Tier: 2 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : Gravity Resistance: 5g (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Body Tempering: Tier 2 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Credits: 1,000,000 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 2150/2150 :

    : Mana 1265/1265 :

    : Stamina 1075 :

    : Stat Points- 1 :

    : Skill Points- 92 :

    : Strength- 200.5 :

    : Dexterity- 200.5 :

    : Agility- 215.5 :

    : Intelligence- 177.5 :

    : Vitality- 177.5 :

    : Mind- 155.5 :

    : Will Power- 13 :

    : Killing Intent- 245 ¨C 4G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier-1 (Proficiency= 100.0%): :Expand:

    :(BG) Fire-Tier-1 (Proficiency= 100.0%): :Expand:

    :(BG) Wind-Tier-1 (Proficiency= 100.0%): :Expand:

    For the moment, Brance ignored the iing data sent by his brother and was working on his own Stats. This process generally took him a bit more time since he would only put thought into his Stats when it was time to level them up, unlike Cynrik, who constantly had it in the back of his mind, working out new strategies and builds.

    Thanks to their earlier separation, Brance was significantly ahead in the XP departmentpared to Cynrik. Having maxed out both his Warrior ss and his Miner Sub-ss, Brance was left with 834,268 XP, a far cry from his brother¡¯s measly amount, and as a result, Brance was able to increase his Main Level to 16,ting him an additional 60 free Stat points.

    Brance closed his eyes and allowed the sudden surge of energy to flow unblocked through his body. Since he had yet to allocate his 100 Stat points, the only skill to pass the 200 point checkpoint was his STR, which currently sat at 214. Thanks to his ss and Sub-ss, Brance saw considerable gains in his STR and VIT; not only that, but since he had increased his Main Level by 6, he didn¡¯t have to deal with the dreaded 0.5 and had received a clean 9 points to the rest of his stats. Something Cynrik could only dream of.

    As Brance sat there, staring at his 100 Stat points, he found himself having to fight the urge to dump them all into his STR so he could reach the 300 point Tier-1 cap, something he was well aware would earn him a massive sermon from Cynrik. Over the years, his older brother had CONSTANTLY bitched at him about how he was missing out on free stats from their kills, all because he capped those very same stats early on. Finally, after so many years, those never-ending boring speeches from Cynrik had paid off, and Brance stopped himself. In the end, Brance went with his original bnced build, which he had been using for years.

    The end result was only his VIT had broken through 200, but the rest, except for his MIND, were all 185.

    : Status :

    : Brance Athalos Jetlensr (Bj?rn Ironside Ragnarsson):

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation :

    : Demi-Human Male (99% Human, 1% Lightbringer):

    : Age-11:

    : Tier-1 :

    : Primary ss ¨C Tier-1 Warrior : (+2 To STR,VIT Distribution)

    : Sub-ss ¨C Tier-1 Miner : (+2 To STR Distribution)

    : Level: 16 : 0/147,930 :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 114,050:

    : Warrior: 20 ¨C XP : CAP

    : Basic Miner: 20 ¨C XP : CAP

    : Distribution: 1.5 Per All : (STR 5.5, VIT 3.5)

    : Mana Codex Tier: 2 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : Mana Circuit Tier: 2 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : Gravity Resistance: 5g (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Body Tempering: Tier 2 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Credits: 1,000,000 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 3020/3020 :

    : Mana 1330/1330 :

    : Stamina 1510/1510 :

    : Stat Points- 22 :

    : Skill Points- 153 :

    : Strength- 225 :

    : Dexterity- 185 :

    : Agility- 185 :

    : Intelligence- 185 :

    : Vitality- 225 :

    : Mind- 160 :

    : Killing Intent- 230 ¨C 4g :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Light-Tier-1 (Proficiency= 100.0%): :Expand:

    :(BG) Earth-Tier-1 (Proficiency= 100.0%): :Expand:

    :(BG) Wind-Tier-1 (Proficiency= 100.0%): :Expand:

    Satisfied with his new profile and d he hadn¡¯t spent all of his Stat points, Brance went ahead and tossed the data to his brother, who was meditating while hovering in ce.

    Cynrik was still analyzing his skills when he received the notification from Tobs, stating that Brance had sent over his Stat profile. After looking it over, Cynrik clicked his tongue loudly, shattering the eerie silence and startling the Sanford siblings.

    [FUCKING LUCKY BASTARD, SNIFFLE, ALL THAT FREE XP FROM YOUR STUPID ASS DOUBLE XP BUFF¡­GONE¡­UGHHHHHHH!] Cynrik grabbed at his hair and tugged it in frustration. If he hadn¡¯t gone temporarily insane back then, he too would be on his way to Tier-2; instead, he was stuck at level 11.

    [Win some, lose some, Cyn.] Brance snickered at his brother¡¯s expense and just watched as Cynrik thrashed about like a three-year-old throwing a temper tantrum.

    [SILENCE MORTAL!] Swimming through the air in zero-g, Cynrik started batting at hisughing brother¡¯s head with open palms.

    [Don¡¯t act like I won¡¯t leave your big ass head here in the Shadow Realm while we all go kick the shit outta some Lizzys.]

    This made Branceugh even harder, as he easily dodged Cynrik¡¯s half-baked attacks.

    [Go for it; you still won¡¯t get my glorious double XP if you do that.]

    Cynrik¡¯s face went nk as he heard this, and his body went limp in defeat.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 125

    [Go for it; you still won¡¯t get my glorious double XP if you do that.]

    Cynrik¡¯s face went nk as he heard this, and his body went limp in defeat, but he quickly recovered and sat up straight once again. His eyes fell on the two Sanford siblings. At this moment, both of them were aimlessly looking off into the distance with unfocused eyes, a clear sign that they were utterly engrossed in their Status windows.

    ¡°Remember you two, once you increase your ss, dump all remaining XP into your Main Level; after that, I want you both to evenly distribute any stat points into your neglected ¡°Non-distribution¡± stats. Try to keep everything close to each other numerically.¡±

    Gabby and Benny heard Cynrik¡¯s instructions, which broke their strange state, and nodded obediently. Seeing this, both Cynrik and Brance smiled; however, Cynrik¡¯s face quickly dropped as he turned to face his brother.

    [While they are at it, we need to talk about our n, Tobs pull us both into my SOC.]

    There was no audible response from Tobs, but a secondter, both brothers closed their eyes instinctively as they felt a sudden gravitational pull from within, dragging them into Cynrik¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.

    When they opened their eyes, the two were greeted by a heciousndscape filled with fire and brimstone; instead of a calm, blue sky, the sky in Cynrik¡¯s SOC was pure darkness as shadows flicked around aimlessly.

    Cynrik looked around and eventually spotted Brance, not far away, examining a massive, 3-meter long Greatsword, stabbed into the ground.

    ¡°I know you have a lot of questions, but right now, I need you to stay quiet. Although there is a slight time dtion in the SOC, there just isn¡¯t enough time for me to answer them.¡±

    Brance straightened his back and crossed his arms as Cynrik spoke, nodding that he understood. The tone his brother was using was a dead giveaway, just how serious things were.

    ¡°Let me preface this conversation with, nothing I say can be spoken outside the SOC. That includes the mind link; here, we arepletely isted from the outside world, including the Deities¡¯ prying eyes.¡±

    Cynrik, too, crossed his arms while throwing a passing nce at the remains of Ragnar¡¯s weapon.

    ¡°We were duped. From the time we first stepped foot in the Hall of Gods, we were unknowingly thrown into a bullshit dick-measuring contest between every god in creation. The instant we epted their ¡°blessings,¡± we became puppets of Odin and Yahweh. I had told you something felt off about me before, and I now know it to be entirely urate. These blessings slowly corrode our psyche and soul, changing our emotions and mindsets to those of the Deity we received them from.¡±

    Cynrik kicked the ground and spat lightly before continuing.

    ¡°When I left the party, I was under the mental corrosion and control of one such example. This being, who Iter found out was actually a soul fragment of the Great Viking King, Ragnar Lodbrok, triggered a quest, where the penalty of losing was the destruction of my soul and his taking over my body.¡±

    ¡°By either sheer luck or my own stupidly overpowered and broken abilities and ideas, I was able toe out victorious¡­but there¡¯s more to it than that. Ragnar proceeded to leak small bits of info to me under a severe amount of restrictions and painted a picture of just how fucked we are right now. One phrase stood out, Legacy Strife.¡±

    The instant Cynrik uttered those words, his SOC shook violently as an earthquake urred, causing tiny fissures to tear open on the surface and cracks to appear in the sky. The changes startled Brance to no end. While Cynrik just looked around without concern. He had already experienced this once before, so he figured it would happen again.

    ¡°Tobs, please heal the damage for me.¡±

    With Cynrik¡¯smand, Tobs appeared beside him and waved her hands, causing all the damage to fuse back together instantly.

    ¡°Anyway, moving forward, I¡¯ll just call it the LS from now on. With the restrictions ced on Ragnar, he was unable to give me in-depth information about what exactly it was, but he vaguely danced around the topic.¡±

    Walking over to Tobs and giving her head pats like he would Gabby, Cynrik started filling Brance in on everything that had gone on during and after his battle.

    Meanwhile, outside the SOC, Gabby and Benny sat quietly and devoted themselves to building up their stats. To say they had undergone Earthshaking changes would be an understatement.

    Advancing through to Level 20 of the Prestige system, they had capped all their stats at 100. However, this wasn¡¯t all; their Evolution to Tier-1 increased their Distribution stats by 20%.

    This boost was more significant for Gabby since three of her stats were raised to 120, leaving Benny only two. Soon, the two siblings did as they were told and dumped over 2,000,000 XP from their pool into their sses, adding 20 additional Stat and Skill points to their panels.

    One thing that had Gabby on the edge of bursting out in loud hideous cackles was that her ss, Archer, had given her a Pseudo 4th Stat increase on her Distribution since it added to DEX and AGI. This meant that now, every time she leveled up, she would gain points in DEX, INT, MIND, and now AGI.

    Scrolling through her profile, she stopped and remembered what Cynrik had just said, and the little girl began adding the rest of her XP into her Main Level, bringing her up to level 14 and only about a thousand XP from 15. Beside her, Benny, too, was raised up four levels. Just like that, Cynrik went from being tied for number one with Brance to being the lowest level in the party; Brance was in first at level 16, Gabby and Benny at 14, and Cynrik all the way at the bottom at a measly level 11.

    The thought of being at a higher level than Cynrik caused Gabby to giggle; she had already figured out that by being alongside Brance and fighting without Cynrik leeching XP, she and Benny had soared past him.

    Gabby shook her head and swiftly started allocating her 62 Stat points; when she was finished, she gave a short nod before pulling out a piece of paper and jotting everything down. Then, when Cynrik and Brance finished their meditation session, she would hand it over to them to get more candy and praise.

    : Status :

    : Gabrie Sanford (Gabby):

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation :

    : Human Female:

    : Age-10:

    : Tier-1 :

    : Primary ss ¨C Archer : (+2 To DEX, AGI Distribution)

    : Level: 14 : 129,426/130,526 :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 0 :

    : Archer: 20 ¨C XP : CAP

    : Distribution: 1.5 DEX, 1.5 INT, 1.5 MIND (NEW) 2 AGI : (+3.5 DEX)

    : Mana Codex Tier: 1 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Mana Cycles: 1100 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Mana Circuit Tier: 1 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Gravity Resistance: 2g (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Body Tempering: Tier 1 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : STATS :

    : HP 1600/1600 :

    : Mana 965/965 :

    : Stamina 800/800 :

    : Stat Points- 5:

    : Skill Points- 88 :

    : Strength- 150 :

    : Dexterity- 162 :

    : Agility- 140 :

    : Intelligence- 140 :

    : Vitality- 140 :

    : Mind- 150 :

    : Killing Intent- 133 ¨C 3.25 G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SBG) Psychic-Tier 1 (Proficiency= 100%): :Expand:

    Taking a note from Cynrik¡¯s ybook, Gabby had kept five Stat points in reserve for use at a time when she would need a sudden boost. Then, looking over the sheet of paper with her data written on it and ensuring everything was correct, she looked over at Benny, who was just finishing up his own sheet, and swapped papers.

    : Status :

    : Benjamin Sanford (Benny):

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation :

    : Human Male:

    : Age-11:

    : Tier-1 :

    : Primary ss ¨C Warrior : (+2 To STR, VIT Distribution)

    : Level: 14 : 129,426/130,526 :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 0 :

    : Warrior: 20 ¨C XP : CAP

    : Distribution: 1.5 Str, 1.5 VIT : (+3.5 To STR,VIT)

    : Mana Codex Tier: 1 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Mana Cycles: 1100 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Mana Circuit Tier: 1 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Gravity Resistance: 2g (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Body Tempering: Tier 1 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : STATS :

    : HP 1920/1920 :

    : Mana 900/900 :

    : Stamina 960/960 :

    : Stat Points- 3 :

    : Skill Points- 88 :

    : Strength- 173 :

    : Dexterity- 130 :

    : Agility- 130 :

    : Intelligence- 145 :

    : Vitality- 156 :

    : Mind- 110 :

    : Killing Intent- 133 ¨C 3.25 G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(BG) Water-Tier 1 (Proficiency= 100%): :Expand:

    Gabby¡¯s eyes grew to the size of dinner tes as she read over Benny¡¯s profile. Although he only had two stats in his Distribution, he benefited from killing Kobolds wildly thanks to the massive rewards. The two Stats they had received the most of happened to be STR and VIT, the very same two Stats that Benny relied the most on.

    Gabby¡¯s overreaction caused an embarrassed smile to spread across his face, and he had to look away not to show the blush creeping upon his cheeks.

    While the Sanford siblings were fraternizing, Cynrik and Brance opened their eyes and saw the blushing Benny nervously squirming in ce and the stunned Gabby.

    [Tsk, fucking Siscon, ima have to beat some sense into Bennyter, I don¡¯t want him turning into a full-on SIMPter in life.] Cynrik shook his head and clicked his tongue but was able to catch the hidden stress and nervousness on Brance¡¯s face, so he decided to make a small joke.

    Brance hadn¡¯t taken the news about the Legacy Strife well at all. In fact, he could tell his younger brother was both furious and heartbroken. But unfortunately, there was nothing Cynrik could say. He could only give his brother the space needed and give Brance time to adjust.

    Now that he was brought up to speed, Brance had even more reason to be worried about Cynrik¡¯s mental state. After being told that the creatures they were fighting were, in fact, real, sentient beings, Brance was devastated that his older brother had to take on the burden of killing innocents alone. This news caused him to slowly shift his mentality away from the Lawful Good alignment and more to a Lawful Neutral, unknowingly.

    CLAP

    ¡°OI YOU TwO, GIMMIE YOUR PAPERS, IT¡¯S ALMOST TIME TO GO FIGHT!¡± Cynrik pped loud enough to cause a scream from Gabby and even made Benny jump in fright.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 126

    Leaving the checking of Gabby and Benny¡¯s Stats to his older brother, Brance floated off a few feet away from the group with his mind and heart in turmoil. As someone who on Earth could have been called a good God-fearing, Christian man, the tale Cynrik had dropped on him seemingly out of nowhere shook Brance to his core.

    ¡®Tobs¡­is what my brother told me true?¡¯

    -Everything Host Cynrik informed you of is the truth; he has, however, added his own spection in some parts. Even so, there were no lies told.-

    Brance¡¯s heart dropped to the floor after hearing Tobs. The God he spent both his lives praying to and worshiping had gone behind his back and basically installed a time bomb into his soul, all for greed and selfish gain. The only upside to this fiasco was that Cynrik was pretty confident that Brance wouldn¡¯t have to fight a Spirit Being such as Ragnar. From what he spected, the fact that Brance was oddly intuned and perfect morally and mentally when it came to the Lightbringer Bloodline meant there was a slim chance of any corrosion.

    Although there was still a chance Brance would have to face a Spirit being, just as Cynrik had for domination of his body, the percentage of it happening was less than 10%.

    None of this made Brance feel any better about the situation, though. The way Cynrik had spun his story fit a specific narrative, The Deities are selfish, greedy beings who only sought after more territory to im for themselves. To do so, they required a freshly dead soul who worshiped them. Then, said Deity, would chip off a part of their own Divinity and merge it with the soul of the being, and after some crafty work on the back end, would nudge that being into the territory they wanted. In the case of Cynrik and Brance, it was Cynrik who was picked, leaving Brance as a plus one package deal.

    Cynrik¡¯s knowledge of Isekai stories and anime made him a prime target for Odin and Yahweh since Vinestra fit well into the genre of stories that Cynrik was well ustomed to.

    The only thing Brance had a hard time dealing with was how his brother believed that the two Deities had malicious intent. However, even if they didn¡¯t, Cynrik wasn¡¯t about to reveal his cards and had opted to choose to fight against their control. His one-track mind simply chose to view Odin and Yahweh as beings that couldn¡¯t be trusted, while Brance was adamant that they didn¡¯t know the whole story, only bits and pieces filled with conjecture.

    To some extent, both Brothers were correct, but Tobs couldn¡¯t confirm or deny and had to be a neutral party as that¡¯s how she was programmed.

    Brance sighed loudly and began massaging his temples. To make matters worse, the party had found themselves trapped in an area that was transferred into the spot a Dungeon Boss room should have existed. So instead of facing a typical Egress boss, their party now had to fight a suped-up reincarnator just like themselves.

    Brance wanted to scream and punch something until he broke both hands.

    ¡®Why the fuck is this happening to us. Would it have fucking killed Odin and Yahweh to tell us ahead of time, or even give us themon decency to ask if we wanted to participate? HELL, THEY DIDN¡¯T EVEN MENTION THE RISKS.¡¯

    The longer Brance thought about this topic, the more confused and hurt he became. The constant internal back and forth triggered something deep within his soul. His Alignment had begun shifting; this change from Lawful Good to Lawful Neutral had caused a drastic modification within his soul, allowing his Bloodline to start corroding him slowly, as it had Cynrik.

    Cynrik, who had been watching his brother out the corner of his eye since they had left the SOC, picked up on the acute bodynguage changes Brance was presenting and narrowed his eyes in thought.

    Seeing Cynrik narrowing his eyes as he stared at the papers given to him by herself and Benny, Gabby started getting nervous. She noticed that Cynrik had been shuffling the papers over and over like some kind of nervous tick, which to some extent it was, as it was an old habit Cynrik had developed from ying card games for more than twenty years on Earth.

    ¡°Big Bro Cyn, is everything ok? Did we do something wrong?¡± Gabby¡¯s nervous voice snapped Cynrik out of his thoughts, and he tossed a reassuring smile towards the little girl.

    ¡°Nope, it¡¯s all good; I am proud of you both; you did well. I see you even have some points to spare; that¡¯s good. Be sure you go over all your newly acquired skills. You should have gotten a couple from your Affinities, as well as your ss. I want you to have a decent grasp on how they work.¡±

    Cynrik¡¯s words caused Gabby to cheer up instantly. Then, after a few more sentences of idle chatter, both she and Benny closed their eyes and started digesting all the information they had obtained from their systems about the new skills.

    Cynrik floated away towards Brance, allowing the Sanford Siblings to study in peace. Then, moving through the void of the Shadow Realm like an astronaut in the International Space Station, he eventually reached Brance several meters away and could instantly tell that Brance was having a mental breakdown.

    Reaching out, Cynrik caught Brance by the shoulder and spun him around, making his younger brother face him and gripped both Brance¡¯s shoulders tightly.

    ¡°Listen to me very carefully, Brance.¡± Cynrik shook Brance twice when he saw the unfocused look in his eyes.

    ¡°Stop thinking about it; the more you do, the worse it gets. I know what you are feeling right now but drop it. If you don¡¯t, I swear to God I¡¯ll start singing Frozen.¡±

    -Now ying ¡°Let it Go,¡± Performed by Idina Menzel-

    [TOBS, STOP NOT NOW! IT WAS A JOKE. BAD AI!]

    Instead of listening to hismand, Tobs turned up the volume causing Cynrik to grab at his head angrily.

    [NO DAMN IT, TOBS, I SWEAR, STOPPPPPP! FUCK, NOW IT¡¯S GUNNA BE IN MY HEAD ALL FUCKING DAY, UGH!]

    Seeing Cynrik¡¯s pain, Brance¡¯s eyes focused, and his mind got lighter for some reason; he chuckled lightly and even started singing along.

    [Couldn¡¯t keep it in, heaven know¡¯s I¡¯ve tried¡­]

    [NOOOOO! DON¡¯T YOU FUCKING JOIN HER BRANCE, TRAITORRRRRRRRRRR!]

    [Don¡¯t let them in, don¡¯t let them see, be the good boy you always have to be.]

    [FUCK YOU, BRANCE, FUCK OFF! RAGHHHHH] Cynrik¡¯s face contorted, and he whispered the follow-up verse. [Conceal don¡¯t feel, don¡¯t let them know.]

    Brance smiled widely and shrugged off Cynrik¡¯s hands, ¡°WELL NOWW THEYYY KNOWWWW!¡±

    idently, Brance sang the line out loud, drawing both concerned looks and confused ones from Cynrik, Gabby, and Benny.

    The thing with mind link was when singing; you had perfect pitch since it was all in your head; however, the second Brance verbalized the song out loud, he very, VERY, quickly realized¡­he couldn¡¯t sing for shit. In fact, cats¡¯ yowling was more attractive than the tone-deaf screechesing from Brance¡¯s throat.

    But this didn¡¯t stop him for a second.

    ¡°Let it GO! LET IT GO! CAN¡¯T HOLD ME BACK ANY MORRREEE!¡±

    ¡°AHHH, NO, BRANCIE, STOP, PLEASE!¡± Gabby screamed at the top of her lungs while covering her ears.

    ¡°KILL IT WITH FIRE, QUICK; DON¡¯T LET IT SPREAD!¡± Even Benny joined in on the shenanigans.

    ¡°OI,¡± Cynrik held up two fireballs, ¡°I GOT THE FIRE! QUICK HOLD HIM DOWN!¡±

    ¡°I DON¡¯T CARE!!! WHAT THEY¡¯RE GOING TO SAYYYYYY!¡±

    Booom, BOOOOOM, BOOOOOOM!

    Loud explosions echoed throughout the neverending void as Cynrik hurled fireballs at his little brother, who easily dodged while continuing his horrendous rendition of the beloved song.

    Acting as if possessed by the spirit of a Princess, Brance danced around in zero-g, leaving the rest of his party to chase after him, screaming at the top of their lungs, attempting to silence him.

    Eventually, the song came to a close, with it, Brance¡¯s Alignment quit wavering and locked in ce at Lawful Good, that¡­and the three tackled him into a shadow pir, making himugh so hard he started crying. Not a single one of them had even a remote inkling that Brance had juste dangerously close to permanently changing his Alignment, spelling future disaster.

    The only beings who even truly knew what was transpiring were Odin, Yahweh, and Tobs, leaving Brance and Cynrik entirely out of the loop. But, that wasn¡¯t all; Yahweh and Odin were metaphorically sweating bullets, as they had no idea what caused the sudden shift away from Lawful Good, to begin with.

    ¡°Alright, get off me, you baby hippos.¡± Calming down from the earlier mishap, Brance shoved his brother and two friends off and straightened himself up.

    ¡°Never again, Brancie.¡± Gabby waved her finger at him, still in shock how there was actually something that existed that Brance wasn¡¯t good at.

    ¡°HERE, HERE!¡± Benny and Cynrik chimed in simultaneously before looking at each other in surprise andughing merrily.

    ¡°Ok, enough fooling around, haha, we need to get serious; there is still a batch of Kobolds we need to take out as well as the Boss.¡± Cynrik pped his hands twice, drawing everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°n time.¡± Cynrik waved his hand, bringing up the quest information, and told everyone to follow along.

    -Emergency Quest ¨C Subjugation Mission.-

    -Because of an Anomaly created by -OMITTED-, a third party, this Quest is issued to the group known as ¡°MyrkLys.¡± This third party has infused a massive amount of Mana into A-G 22097¡¯s Egress Core, explicitly affecting the randomly generated Instance, causing the Dungeon Boss Quest to undergo abnormal and unpredictable changes.-

    -Instead of facing a randomly generated boss creature. A chunk ofnd from an unknown location has been forcefully moved into the space formerly upied by the Egress¡¯s constructed Boss room; as such, it falls onto you and the members of your party to wipe out and rectify this urrence.-

    -Subjugate Kobold Soldiers: 38/84- (iplete)

    -Subjugate Kobold Vigers: 68/68- plete)

    -Subjugate Kobold Shaman: 0/1- (iplete)

    -The above-listed tasks are shared between all members of MyrkLys and do not need to be met individually.-

    -For the duration of this Quest, all XP will be shared equally between party members no matter the distance between them.-

    -The time limit toplete this Quest is the same as the time remaining toplete the Instance quest. 12:33:06-

    -Rewards: ???-

    -Penalty for Failure: All party members will die, and the Egress Core will spiral out of control before exploding with a force equivalent to an attack from a Tier-7 existence.-

    ¡°As you all can see, there are still 46 Kobold Soldiers remaining, and they are stacked up over there.¡± Then, Cynrik pointed up to the left of everyone¡¯s heads, where they could all clearly see arge group of Reptilian Kobolds in armor, aimlessly roaming around in search of them.

    His eyes rapidly flicked around with [Inspect] active, registering every single one of the 46 beings Level and Tier.

    ¡°Of the 46, there are a total of 12 Peak Tier-1 beings, meaning the remainder are all Tier-2. Their levels are between 22 and 25, with the highest being their leader, who tips the scales at Level 27. HEHE.¡± Cynrik ended his statement with his usual creepyugh.

    ¡°Unlucky for you folks, who are all too strong to get double rewards from them HAHAHAHHAHAHA,¡± Cynrik struck a superviin pose and cackled maniacally.

    ¡°Tsk,ing from the sole Level 11, that¡¯s not really saying much.¡±

    Brance instantly brought Cynrik down a peg.

    ¡°SHUT UP YOU¡­ YOU¡­ YOU DONKEY!¡±

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

    Current Power Stones 75

    250 Power Stones 1 Bonus Chapter (Iplete)

    500 Powerstones 2 Bonus Chapter (Iplete)

    750 Power Stones 3 Bonus Chapters (Iplete)

    1000 Power Stones 4 Bonus Chapters (Iplete)

 Chapter 127

    ¡°Did you just call me a Donkey?¡± Tilting his head to the side, Brance couldn¡¯t help but question his older brother¡¯s choice of words.

    ¡°What of it, you idiot sandwich?¡± Crossing his arms and snorting, Cynrik said the first retort he coulde up with.

    ¡°AH, so you¡¯re just gunna use Ramsey quotes on me, got it.¡±

    ¡°Shut up, stay on topic.¡± Fighting the urge to smack Brance, Cynrik tried pulling the conversation back onto the n.

    ¡°Che, you started it.¡±

    ¡°ANYWAY! 46 Lizzys, and only four of us. Hit and run tactics are back in effect; the only difference is we won¡¯t be moving together anymore; everyone is on their own this time. We all got a pretty big boost to our Stats, so it shouldn¡¯t be TOO bad dealing with this group. Luckily the Boss seems to be¡­er¡­mentally challenged, and it doesn¡¯t look like he will be interfering with us.¡±

    Cynrik peeked up at the sky again before continuing.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be dropping you off in different positions, forming arge triangle with each of you being corners, surrounding the Lizzys. Gabby, I want you sniping from afar, don¡¯t let any of them get close. The job of an Archer is to be a backline support fighter, and that¡¯s what I want you doing. Benny and Brance, you two need to rush in and draw their fire as soon as possible. Keep on the move, and don¡¯t let them trap you.¡±

    All three of them nodded in understanding, but Gabby and Benny couldn¡¯t hide their nervous expressions. This was their first time going into battle without backup readily avable.

    ¡°I¡¯ll constantly be on the move under my [Cloak of Shadows], so don¡¯t freak out if something dies next to you. As a Thief, my skills weigh heavily on stealthy attacks, and although I mitigate this by having beefy stats, at the end of the day, I¡¯m still a hit and run DPS.¡± Cynrik smiled and unsheathed both his Kodachi.

    ¡°Onest thing, show no mercy, it¡¯s them or us, they won¡¯t hesitate to kill you, so don¡¯t falter in killing them. Once thest soldier falls, we will regroup outside the residential area; if everyone understands, draw your weapon, and I¡¯ll take you up individually.¡±

    For a second, the sound of weapons being drawn rang out in the Shadow Realm, and the sound of rapidly beating hearts could faintly be heard.

    ¡°Brance, you¡¯re up first.¡± Cynrik caught Brance by the forearm and jumped towards the barrier between realms.

    [Keep an eye on Benny; I¡¯ll watch over Gabby.] Right before Cynrik tossed Brance into the real world; he left a few parting words with him, who just nodded as a reply before breaking through,nding 40 meters from a group of Kobolds.

    It only took Cynrik a few seconds to retrieve the Sanfords and strategically drop them at their target locations, leaving him alone in the Shadow Realm. Landing on a shadow pir, Cynrik closed his eyes and tried calming his breathing as he needed a moment to collect his thoughts before jumping into battle again. While he appeared totally fine on the outside, his mind was in a terrible state.

    Over thest 12 hours, one must remember that Cynrik had basically been to hell and back. First, he had jumped from a life or death battle to an absolutely unnecessary, in his opinion, mindless ughter of innocents. Then without giving himself a second to breathe, he had to power level himself, check the kids¡¯ stats, and then there was the conversation with Brance.

    ¡®Fuck, this is rough.¡¯ Chuckling at his own misfortune, Cynrik tried his best to slow his heart rate and clear his mind.

    ¡¯47 more kills, and we can get the fuck out of this hell hole.¡¯ Breathing in through his nose and exhaling shakily through his mouth a couple of times, Cynrik opened his eyes and looked up at the sky, where he saw his party moving into position and stalking their prey, his eyes eventuallynding on Brance.

    ¡®Tobs, how¡¯s he doing?¡¯

    -Host Brance is coping better than you had initially forecast. He went through a short period of internal struggle but was subsequently pulled out of it by our little ploy. As predicted, your concerns weren¡¯t unwarranted. By informing him of the LS, he was thrown into a nearly bottomless well of self-doubt, so much so that he was in danger of allowing his Bloodline to begin its corruption.-

    -However, you were able to quickly recognize the signs of an internal change urring and took appropriate actions, halting any damage from urring. Good job, Host Cynrik, would you like head pats?-

    ¡®Even if I say yes, I¡¯d have to go into my SOC to receive them, so I¡¯ll pass.¡¯ Tobs¡¯ mentioning head pats made Cynrik smile and shake his head in defeat. He was aware of how his actions were slowly corrupting his System AI.

    ¡°YOSH! Let¡¯s go; no point in sitting around; the others are about to begin their initial contact with the enemy.¡± Smacking his cheeks to hype himself up and kicking off the ground, Cynrik activated [Cloak of Shadows] and dove through the barrier between realms.

    Unlike where he had dropped off the others, Cynrik decided to charge straight into the center of the ever-shrinking triangle, mere feet away from the Kobold Leader.

    Silently, Cynrik infiltrated the huddled-up group of four Kobolds, who at this time were deep in conversation with their leader. Still, Cynrik could care less about what they were actually saying and stealthily snuck upon them. Smirking to himself, Cynrik couldn¡¯t help but remember the struggles created by his [Shadow Veil]. If he had tried this before, there was no way he could get this close to his opponent; however, even after Evolving into [Cloak of Shadows], he was really pushing his luck.

    The skills description was oddly vague about how much stronger a being would have to be before they could effectively see through his stealth skill, but at the end of the day, this was a test for Cynrik. Even if shit hit the fan, he was confident enough to be at least able to scurry away, let alone fight off any attacks. Yet here he was, standing not even three meters from the unsuspecting Kobold Leader, and the creature hadn¡¯t even caught a whiff of his scent.

    Cynrik struggled not to burst outughing as he finally felt like a real Fantasy Assassin for the first time since he arrived on Vinestra. Then, quickly activating [Mana Sight], Cynrik proceeded to double-check that the rest of his party was in position and ready to attack before giving the go-ahead to Brance. But at the end of the day, Cynrik wouldn¡¯t be Cynrik if he didn¡¯t have some stupid reference to make during a profound moment.

    [Times up, let¡¯s do this.] Dropping into hisbat stance with the t side of his Kodachis resting on the back of his forearms, Cynrik stomped the ground lightly, charged forward, and chanted loudly into the mind link.

    [Oh, for fuck sake. Seriously, this is what you fucking chose as the signal to begin the operation.] Brance shook his head as he knew EXACTLY what was about toe out of his brother¡¯s mouth.

    [LEEEEROOOOYYYYYY JENNNNKINNNNNS!!!]

    BOOOM BOOOM BOOOMMM

    On queue with Cynrik¡¯s idiotic quote, Brance stomped the ground as hard as possible, creating an intricate web of cracks spanning several meters around his body, and dashed forward at breakneck speeds. That wasn¡¯t all, though, with his shield still resting on his back, Brance raised both hands and fired off a volley of [Air Missles] with his left hand and a volley of [Earth Spike] with his right.

    Brance wasn¡¯t aiming for anything in particr and was only using these attacks to cause a ruckus; its second function was to alert Gabby and Benny that it was time to start the fight. Each spike or missle that collided with the ground caused a subsequent loud booming explosion, scaring the ever-living shit out of every Kobold in the vicinity.

    [HAHAHAHA! WHAT EVEN!]Not bothering to fight the intense wave ofughter rising in his stomach, Cynrik howled in the mind link. The whole point of the Leroy Jenkins chant is for him to rush forward and attack, yet here was Brance, causing a bunch of explosions and running along like a Saiyan firing off energy sts at a viin.

    [Do your job Cyn!] Brance chided his idiotic brother, who he could see was currently doubled over and trying not tough out loud, yet failing miserably when it came to the mind link.

    [Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m on it.] Cynrik stuck out his tongue at Brance before turning and grinning evilly at hand full of Kobolds standing not far away. By this point, their attention had lockedpletely onto Brance, leaving them even more open for sneak attacks.

    Not wanting to waste any more time than necessary, Cynrik rushed forward like a ghost while bringing up both his Kodachis and jumping into the air. Then with a twist of his body and a flick of both wrists, he quickly decapitated two Kobold Soldiers with one swing; before they could even speak out a warning or cry in pain, the two bodies fell forward.

    Seeing this, Cynrik flourished both his Kodachi while sheathing them and reached out to both corpses with a slight gust of Wind Mana, dragging them over so he could silently store them in his inventory. This was the n Cynrik hade up with on the fly. The critical factor allowing it to go off without a hitch was that the whole Kobold group, leader included, were facing away from where Cynrik started his attack. Since he was under cover of his stealth skill, Cynrik figured he would give an actual assassination a try.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 128

    -Quest Updated-

    -Subjugate Kobold Soldiers: 40/84- (iplete)

    ¨C You have killed a level 22 Tier-2 Kobold Spearman.

    -You have killed a being twice your level; rewards will be doubled.-

    -You have received 88,000 XP.-

    -You have received 2 DEX and 2 AGI.-

    -You have obtained 2 KIN points.-

    ¨C 2 Tier-2 Fire Affinity Codexes have been located.-

    -Since the Host has moved the corpse into their inventory, restrictions on auto extraction of Codexes has been removed, you have stored (2) Tier-2 Fire Affinity Codexes.-

    ¨C You have killed a level 24 Tier-2 Kobold Swordsman.

    -You have killed a being twice your level; rewards will be doubled.-

    -You have received 96,000 XP.-

    -You have received 2 STR.-

    -You have obtained 2 KIN points.-

    ¨C 2 Tier-2 Affinitiless Codexes have been located.-

    ¨C Since the Host has moved the corpse into their inventory, restrictions on auto extraction of Codexes has been removed, you have stored (2) Tier-2 Affinitiless Codexes.-

    ¡®Eh? Tobs, why did I randomly receive extra points,¡¯ Mid-step, Cynrik halted his movement, distracted by the notifications currently unblocked by Tobs.

    -It wasn¡¯t ¡°Random.¡± Depending on their Tier, there is a 15% chance of receiving additional points if killing a being. Starting with Tier-2, you can receive 2 points, Tier-3 can receive 3 points, so one so fourth. However, the chance of gaining additional points decreases the higher the Tier.-

    ¡®Tsk, it would have been nice to know that earlier; Wait, didn¡¯t we already kill a bunch of Tier-2¡¯s already? Shouldn¡¯t it have been triggered before?¡¯

    -Host Cynrik has shit luck¡­ Unfortunately, I can¡¯t help with that.-

    Cynrik went silent upon hearing his system bullying him and swiftly reaped the lives of two more Kobolds before turning his sight on the leader.

    -You have killed¡­-

    -You have killed¡­-

    However, unlike before, Cynrik didn¡¯t bother reading over the notifications. The only reason he had, to begin with, was because he felt an abnormal amount of energy well up within his body after the first two kills.

    Quickly closing the distance and sheathing his Kodachi, Cynrik circled around to the side of the Kobold leader and eyed his vitals with both arms extended and primed for a hidden de attack. However, unlike the previous four kills, the leader appeared to not only have thicker scales around its neck and exposed flesh, but it also was wearing some kind of heavy te style armor on its torso and legs. Additionally, adorning the head was an intricate skull-like helmet with an open facete.

    ¡°Sinboosu kwark, veltis brakksi guganosk¡± (These shits, nking three points.) Standing feet away from the hidden Cynrik, the Kobold Leader mumbled angrily under its breath.

    ¡°Etuum, Welkz, Pintin, Groog, Goosk, yarras clissk¡¯ mili puonit trayyew.¡± (Etuum, Welkz, Pintin, Groog, Go, gather your men and eliminate them.) Then, crossing his arms over his chest and looking in Brance¡¯s direction, the Kobold Leader issued his order to the lizardmen who were supposed to be behind him.

    But after a couple of seconds without any response, he looked back in confusion, only to see a couple of small blood stters across the stone ground where hisckeys should be. With pupils narrowing to slits and his tongue flicking in and out of his mouth rapidly, The Kobold leader was both confused and inraged. He could taste the blood in the air along with the faint smell of feces, informing him that his men had already died.

    Not only that, but if these battle-hardened warriors had released their bowels before dying, that signified that something terrible had happened, horrible enough to scare the literal shit out of them before they lost their lives.

    The Kobold leader slowly scanned his immediate surroundings, gripping his massive battle-ax tightly, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

    Meanwhile, Cynrik slowly followed the lizardman with a creepy grin stered across his face. ¡®Welp looks like they¡¯re a bit smarter than expected; I didn¡¯t figure these Lizzys would be so quick to go into detective mode.¡¯

    Cynriks eyes continuously scanned over the Kobold Leaders body with [Mana Sight] active, trying to figure out some kind of weak point, a chink in its armor, but kepting up empty. It was evident that the chest armor and leg armor had some of the stone from the huts mixed into it because it lit up like a Christmas tree the instant he stared at it, causing Cynrik to divert his eyes towards the kobolds arms, tail, and other exposed areas.

    -Quest Updated-

    -Subjugate Kobold Soldiers: 48/84- (iplete)

    ¨C Your party member Gabrie Sanford has killed a level 18 Tier-1 Kobold Warrior.-

    ¨C Your party member Gabrie Sanford has killed 2 level 20 Tier-1 Kobold Warriors.-

    ¨C Your party member Benjamin Sanford has killed a level 22 Tier-2 Kobold Axman.

    ¨C Your party member Brance Jetlensr has killed 2 level 23 Tier-2 Kobold Swordsman.

    The notifications caused Cynrik¡¯s left eye to twitch a couple of times. ¡®Damn, everyone¡¯s out there having fun leaving me to act as this fucking lizard¡¯s shadow, BULL SHIT!¡¯

    Tired of being passive, Cynrik threw caution to the wind. He had already gathered all the information about the Kobold Leader that he could with [Inspect] and [Mana Sight].

    ¡®Standing around and following it wouldn¡¯t solve anything; I need to move, or else I¡¯ll get left behind and not get a chance to show o¡­ assist the others.¡¯

    Although the Kobold Leader was more intelligent than hispatriots, at the end of the day, he still had a tiny brain and had unknowingly separated himself from the group in search of the one who killed hisckeys. As a result, he was alone, which yed a massive part in why Cynrik was so keen to be a tad bit reckless in his approach.

    With a flick of both wrists, Cynrik swapped his hidden des to the newly reforged Sunre hidden des and dashed forward. Then, using the Kobold Leader¡¯s tail as a foothold, Cynrik ran up the nearly three-meter tall beings back and shed the back of its neck with his Fire Mana infused hidden des, slicing through the armor and scales like butter and drawing a loud howl of pain from the Kobold Leader.

    He didn¡¯t stop there; digging his toes into the Kobold¡¯s shoulder, Cynrik kicked downward as hard as he could, applying pressure to the Kobold¡¯s shoulder, forcing its body to rotate to the right. Then, contorting his body inward, Cynrikshed out, striking its neck twice before ending his assault with a neat backflip,nding on one knee while facing the stunned Kobold Leader, who was gripping at its neck, that was spouting blood profusely.

    The Kobold Leader red angrily at Cynrik, who appeared out of nowhere, knowing he only had a few breaths left. Angry that he had been ambushing and was about to die, the Kobold Leader suddenly became desperate and wanted to deal a fatal blow to the one who hurt him. He made ast-ditch effort, letting go of his neck and bringing up its battle-ax, but just as the Kobold Leader was about to attack, a basketball-sized sphere of ckFire mmed into his chest, hurtling the Kobold leader backward and mming him into a rocky wall.

    With the world dimming and unable to move due to the impact of his body crashing into the wall violently, the Kobold leader silently cursed this child in his mind, momentster, his brain functions ceased, and he was dead.

    Cynrik came out victorious after exerting little effort and stored the corpse in his inventory with a wave of his hand before checking the slew of notifications he had received.

    -Quest Updated-

    -Subjugate Kobold Soldiers: 49/84- (iplete)

    ¨C You have killed a level 27 Tier-2 Kobold Battle-Axman.

    -You have killed a being twice your level; rewards will be doubled.-

    -You have received 108,000 XP.-

    -You have received 2 STR and 2 DEX.-

    -You have obtained 2 KIN points.-

    ¨C 2 Tier-2 Fire Affinity Codexes have been located.-

    -Since the Host has moved the corpse into their inventory, restrictions on auto extraction of Codexes has been removed, you have stored 2 Tier-2 Fire Affinity Codexes.-

    ¡®NICE, DOUBLE STATS!¡¯ Cynrik cheered in his head after hearing the notification. Then, crossing his arms over his chest and looking out over the battlefield, Cynrik took in the current situations of his party members.

    ¡®Gabby is doing fine; she seems to be moving around well, allowing herself to gain either the high ground or advantageous positioning. Partnered with her fast-paced movement style, she takes out all of the weaker Lizzys targeting her brother. This, in turn, has relieved the pressure on Benny since he isn¡¯t getting surrounded.¡¯

    Cynrik watched as the Sanford siblings moved in sync; whenever Gabby fired an arrow, Benny would subconsciously move just enough to avoid it and allow the shot to find its target before following up with his sword to kill the wounded being.

    ¡®I don¡¯t even have to worry about Brance¡­EHHH, THIS BASTARD LEVELED UP IN BATTLE, WHAT AN ASSHOLE!¡¯ Cynrik¡¯s eyes went wide as he used [Inspect] on his brother, who seemed to be moving faster and hitting harder for some reason. However, he quickly noticed that Brance had increased his level and Stats once again upon using his skill.

    ¡®This is fine, hehe, he¡¯s only getting double XP, while I, the GREATEST MIND OF OUR GENERATION, am still receiving four times XP, hehe, im so smart. TSK TSK, poor Brancie, if only he had been smarter, he too could have been racking in the rewards like me.¡¯

    Cynrik didn¡¯t know that Brance had actually chosen to level up with the XP he was gaining before the battle even began. Earlier, he realized there was no point in saving the iing XP since he wouldn¡¯t be earning double rewards from any kills, so to spite his older brother in some way, he chose to keep raising his level. That and some part of his plot was based on pity. Brance felt bad that Cynrik had been left in the dust, so when they were assigning their XP and Stats, Brance had chosen to bring himself past the threshold of double rewards after analyzing the enemies and getting a good feel for their levels. This was his unspoken way of letting Cynrik catch up.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 129

    [Don¡¯t go past level 18, Brance. We don¡¯t know how nasty the fight will be with Montu; it¡¯s better to keep two full restores in our back pocket.] Jumping off the boulder he was standing on to get a view of the whole battlefield, Cynrik informed his brother.

    [That was the n anyway; also, you gunna just sit up there and leech XP, or will his majesty grace this lowly peasant with your glorious assistance?] Brance responded while bashing in the head of a Kobold, malforming its skull and causing brain matter and blood to leak out its ears.

    [Jeeze, cut me some ck; I just took out themanders.] Cynrik rolled his head round in a circle as he spoke in a pouting tone.

    [I am heading over now, gosh, nag nag nag, you¡¯re worse than Cinyah.]

    [Shut up and get over here!] The entire time he was bantering with Cynrik, Brance never stopped moving. Even though he was surrounded on all sides and forced to dodge iing spears and sword shes, Brance was able to stay active inbat and yell at his brother at the same time.

    Cynrik chuckled and watched Brance struggle a little bit longer before tapping the toe of his right boot on the ground twice and kicking off, sprinting towards his brother¡¯s location. Although, in an attempt to reserve some Mana, he didn¡¯t bother activating his [Cloak of Shadows]; instead, Cynrik chose to draw both Kodachi while running in in sight.

    With his goal of eliminating the beings organizing the battle for the Kobolds sideplete, Cynrik scanned the battlefield once more to keep tabs on the enemy¡¯s movement. As he expected, the Kobold Soldiers formations quickly fell to pieces without anyone issuing orders, allowing the party to work their way through the bodies simply. Every member of MyrkLys saw this change ur and started fighting harder. Gabby shone the brightest during this time.

    After obtaining several new ss Skills, such as [Triple Shot], [Trick Shot], and [Mana Arrow], she was killing Kobolds at a much faster pace than even Brance could. Partner her new skills with Benny, who was picking up the ck anytime she failed to kill her target; the two of them cleansed the first group and started moving towards Brance.

    The Sanfords picked up speed as they witnessed Brance surrounded almost 15 creatures. The area close by was filled with scattered lobbed-off body parts, tails, arms, etc., leaving mutted corpses everywhere. However, right before they could arrive and provide assistance, Cynrik came flying into the crowd, with both Kodachis d in ckFire and proceeded to hack his way towards Brance, causing the Sanford Siblings to halt their steps and watch in awe.

    They hadn¡¯t really seen Cynrik and Brance work together until now. Their only experience was previous training sessions, where Cynrik taught them how to effectively sync up their movements so they wouldn¡¯t identally injure each other with friendly fire.

    Tucking themselves in between tworge boulders, Gabby and Benny watched on with wide eyes as Cynrik slipped and dodged every iing attack beforeshing out with his own.

    Meanwhile, Brance wasn¡¯t idle either, his eyes constantly flicked around, from one Kobold to the next, and he moved fluidly, either hacking at an enemy with his shield orunching them into the air, feeding them to his meatgrinder of an older brother.

    Finally, after nearly 20 minutes, thest being was felled, leaving both Cynrik and Brance panting heavily and drenched in a mixture of gore and sweat.

    ¡°Whew, that was fucking Something, man. It¡¯s been a while since we could let loose like that, right Brancie?¡± Cynrik didn¡¯t bother to try wiping away the blood and sweat covering his body and instead bathed himself in mes to burn it all off, then he turned and did the same for his brother.

    ¡°Agreed, it almost felt like old times; we haven¡¯t had a true dog fight in a while.¡± Branceughed and allowed Cynrik to burn off all the gore coating his body.

    ¡°Oi, you two cane out now.¡± Cynrik had long spotted the Sanford siblings, and since they weren¡¯t needed for the battle, and Cynrik was truly having too much fun ying Kobolds, he didn¡¯t feel it was necessary to drag them into action.

    Gabby and Benny poked their heads out from behind the boulders, both wearing an embarrassed expression.

    ¡°I wonder when we will be able to do that, Benny.¡± Gabby made eye contact with her older brother and chirped, still in awe at how seamless each Jetlensr brother¡¯s movements were. Neither showed any ws in their attacks or their avoidance of iing danger. However, the level of coordination between Cynrik and Brance made her realize just howcking she and Benny werepared to them, causing her to clench her fists while making a silent vow to be as strong as them in the future.

    Brance spotted the little girl¡¯s show of resolve and smiled brightly.

    CLAP

    ¡°Get over here, you two; we need to go through the spoils. I want everyone to fan out and start collecting resources; remember to grab as many scales as you can so we can use them in the future. Ignore any Tier-2 bodies, Since I got double rewards, I¡¯ll extract the Codexes, but I want you all to harvest anything we can sell. Don¡¯t forget about the corpses from your previous battle as well. I saw them earlier, not far away, so get to it.¡± Cynrik issued hismand to the Sanfords; since they had decided to only watch, they were on extraction duty, freeing up him and Brance so they could assign Stats and XP.

    Gabby pouted for a second, she wanted to talk about the battle, not go cut up lizards, but her pouts fell on deaf ears as Brance and Cynrik ignored her, leaving the little girl to mope in silence as she scurried around from body to body.

    Cynrik stretched out his lower back before scrolling through all the notifications received duringbat.

    [Tobs, consolidate the notifications for me and simplify them starting from when we first jumped back into battle; I don¡¯t want to see the infinite lines of text. Exclude, ss and that stupid restriction line.]

    -Confirmed, consolidating all battle notifications.-

    -Quest Updated-

    -Subjugate Kobold Soldiers: 84/84- (Complete)

    -Your party has collectively killed 46 Kobolds, of which 12 were at Tier-1, and the remaining 34 were all at Tier-2.-

    -Due to the level difference between Host Cynrik Jetlensr and the rest of the party, the reward distribution has been separated into two batches. This is because the majority of the Tier-2 kills gave double rewards due to them all being twice Host Cynrik Jetlensr¡¯s level.-

    -Host Cynrik Jetlensr has received 3,584,000 XP and the following Stat points, 32 STR, 16 DEX, 20 AGI, 2 INT, 18 VIT, 2 MIND, 80 KIN.-

    -The remaining members of MyrkLys have received 2,030,000 XP and the following Stat points, 18 STR, 8 DEX, 11 AGI, 1 INT, 11 VIT, 1 MIND, 46 KIN.-

    ¡°AH FUCK, BRACE YOURSELVES GUYS, GRAHH!¡± Barely having enough time to shout, Cynrik screamed at Gabby, Benny, and Brance as the wave of pain from the sudden gain of stats hit them like a truck.

    Gabby was mid-step when she stumbled and dropped to her knees. Not far away, Benny was grunting and gripping his head while trying not to fall over. Cynrik and Brance were slightly better off than the other two, as Brance sat down with his eyes closed and tried to tune out the pain, leaving just Cynrik, who was rtively unaffected by the fluctuating pain and simply massaged his temples with his left eye closed.

    It only took a few seconds for the sudden onset of nausea and pain to subside; when it did, Cynrik could feel the angry resing from his party. Especially Gabby, who had fallen face-first into a corpse when she copsed and now had gory partictes in her hair.

    Seeing the little girl¡¯s condition and how fuming mad she was, Cynrik burst outughing before tossing over a ball of ckFire to clean her up. After which, she snorted in discontent and set about collecting resources.

    Cynrik shook his head with a smirk on his lips, then looked at Brance.

    [Go ahead and burn all your stat points, I need to power level and do the same.] He paused and looked to his right with [Mana Sight] active and clicked his tongue.

    [Something is up with that guy. I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on him this whole time, and he hasn¡¯t moved from where we left him. That¡¯s not all, though; I can¡¯t help but feel on edge; it¡¯s like he¡¯s exerting some kind of weird pressure on the entire residential area.]

    Having learned from his past experience with Myer, who attacked while Cynrik was working on his Stats, ever since the battle began, he had kept one eye open so that they wouldn¡¯t be caught off guard by the boss suddenly deciding to interrupt their fight.

    [Yeah, I noticed it too. Any theories?] Like his brother, Brance was cautious when it came to Montu.

    [Only one, his Deity finally gave in to his whining and gave him Something, maybe a bloodline. I want to go check it out, but im concerned that once I get close, he will spot me, even under the cover of my [Cloak of Shadows].] Cynrik¡¯s eyes narrowed as he spoke. He didn¡¯t say out loud how he was getting a simr feeling from Montu, one akin to when he met Ragnar.

    It wasn¡¯t as overbearing and powerful, but it definitely wasn¡¯t the same pressure he felt earlier during their minor scuffle with the boss.

    [Keep on your toes; I need to power level up to 18. Worst case scenario, we ze through to the cap and burn the rest of our XP into Prestige Levels; I get a feeling we will end up needing the added power.]

    Tossing onest look at where Montu was, Cynrik flicked his wrist and brought up his Status panel. It was time to catch up with the others.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 130

    Cynrik sighed heavily as he stared at the system panel floating half a foot in front of his face. It was taking every ounce of willpower he could muster to not dump all his XP into the Main Level and cap himself.

    Sitting a few meters away, Brance¡¯s fingers were already typing away as he adjusted his Stats and finalized everything. He wouldn¡¯t fall to the temptation of his XP like Cynrik was fighting against. Brance was capable of understanding the big picture, and although Cynrik¡¯s n was solid, it wouldn¡¯t be too big of a surprise if he rushed to Level 20 instead of heeding his own advice.

    Meanwhile, Gabby and Benny had just about finished up the chore given to them by Cynrik and were slowly making their way back to Brance, with inventories and arms filled with all kinds of misceneous items. Even though the Kobolds had thick scales, which made them difficult to break, Benny had devised a tactic on the fly to remove them with rtive ease. By using the tip of one of Gabby¡¯s arrows, the Sanford siblings were able to pick off multiple chest scales from not only the Tier-1 corpses but also the Tier-2.

    Luckily for them, it wasmon knowledge taught in middle school that the scales of all reptilian beings focused around the area just above their hearts were the most sturdy and durable of all the scales you could find. This applied from creatures as small as geckos to asrge as fully grown Dragons. Furthermore, these scales protected a particr body part, the Reverse Scale, a unique off-colored inverted scale that all beings with any percentage of Draconian Bloodline had.

    This scale was always located in the same ce, directly over the creature¡¯s heart. Unlike the surrounding scales, which had hardened over time, the Reverse Scale was the weakest. It was thought to be Draconians¡¯ only weakness, aside from their foolish pride. The haul Gabby and Benny had extracted was so bountiful that they had actually gone a bit overboard and were subsequently struggling to carry everything back.

    Uncaring about the struggles of the Sanford siblings, Cynrik finally started moving his fingers. Then, after a few momentary pauses for thought, he finished inputting all his Stats and raising his Level. Upon finishing up, Cynrik exhaled shakily, ovee by the euphoric feeling of not one or two but three of his stats breaking through the 200 checkpoint.

    In total, he added seven points to STR, five to DEX, 20 to INT, four to VIT, and the most significant chunk of points, 32, went to his MIND stat. But, that wasn¡¯t all; Cynrik¡¯s eyes glittered with happiness and pride as he finally achieved his long-awaited perfect whole numbers once again.

    : STATS :

    : HP 2800/2800 :

    : Mana 1590/1590 :

    : Stamina 1400/1400 :

    : Stat Points- 3 :

    : Skill Points- 99 :

    : Strength- 250 :

    : Dexterity- 260 :

    : Agility- 260 :

    : Intelligence- 210 :

    : Vitality- 210 :

    : Mind- 200 :

    : Will Power- 13 :

    : Killing Intent- 325 ¨C 4.5G :

    ¡°Hehe, hehehe, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!¡± Completely unable to hold back his excitement, Cynrik burst out intoughter, making him fall over and roll around in the dirt like a pig while giggling like a person with a mental health condition.

    ¡°I hahahah DID HAHHAHAH IT! HAHAHAHA, YESSS!¡± Tears streamed down Cynrik¡¯s cheeks, and he continuedughing his ass off, drawing the attention of his party members, who shot him disgusted looks.

    Gabby and Benny inched closer to Brance, dropped their loot on the ground at his feet, and continued watching Cynrik lose his mind. The odd thing was, all of them expected this. They figured the reason for Cynrik¡¯s mental breakdown had to be either he had ¡°passed¡± everyone in stats and Level, or¡­his numerical OCD had broken his brain.

    Brance looked down at the pile of bloodied scales, equipment, and Codexes, then back to his older brother, and shook his head slowly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just leave him be; you two should boost your Level to 18, like we did, and spend all your points. I would say go all the way to 20, but Big Brother advised against it since our HP, MP, and Stamina all recover when we level up. Thus he wants us to have a buffer in case things go south.¡± Gripping Benny and Gabby¡¯s shoulders lightly and making them turn their back on Cynrik, who was still rolling around on the ground giggling like a fool, Brance prepped the Sanford siblings, as they would be ying an active role in the battle.

    ¡°Are¡­are you sure we should really listen to someone who acts like that¡­¡± Gabby looked at Brance with a grossed-out face and pointed at Cynrik with her thumb.

    Brance didn¡¯t reply but simply exhaled loudly and massaged his temples. Cynrik was the only person in the world who could trigger his migraines.

    ¡°Just ignore that idiot and get ready, please, Gabby.¡±

    Gabby¡¯s eyes twinkled at Brance¡¯s pleading, and she nodded happily.

    The whole time this was going on, Benny acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary. When he saw Cynrik copse in a fit of manicughter, he ignored the boy as if he didn¡¯t exist.

    Brance patted both their shoulders and tossed a final nce at Cynrik, and flicked his wrist at his brother, sending over his updated stats, before redirecting his attention toward Montu, who seemed to be getting even more strange. Brance could see a heat mirage covering the entire residential area from this distance, making his eyes narrow in thought.

    [Hey, fuckface, knock it off, shits going down with the lizard guy.]

    Brance¡¯s words ripped Cynrik from his mncholy instantly. He quicklyid t on his back and reached up, cing his palms on the ground on either side of his head, and performed a perfect kip-up. In this martial art technique, the user kicks up with their legs and pushes off the ground with their handsunching the body in a slight arc beforending on their feet. After quickly patting the dust off his butt, Cynrik walked over to Brance and opened up the Status data his brother had sent him with a serious expression on his face.

    Brance had stuck to his bnced build, putting three points in STR, four in DEX, one in AGI, 11 in INT, seven in VIT, and 16 in MIND. These changes brought three of his stats up to the 200 mark, increasing his power significantly, just like Cynrik had done.

    : STATS :

    : HP 3520/3520 :

    : Mana 1480/1480 :

    : Stamina 1760/1760 :

    : Stat Points- 0 :

    : Skill Points- 155 :

    : Strength- 257 :

    : Dexterity- 200 :

    : Agility- 200 :

    : Intelligence- 200 :

    : Vitality- 250 :

    : Mind- 180 :

    : Killing Intent- 270 ¨C 4.25g :

    However, there was one ring issue that made the corner of Brance¡¯s mouth twitch; Cynrik had not only caught up but was back on top as the party¡¯s ace. Brance had gone from having all of his stats surpassing Cynriks to now only his STR and VIT were higher than his older brother. This fact made Brance feel itchy all over since he already could predict that once they left the Egress, Cynrik would hold this over his head for months toe.

    ¡°Hm?¡± Cynrik tilted his head to the side and activated [Mana Sight], casting his gaze towards the hazy mirage.

    ¡°Fuck.¡± Cynrik¡¯s face fell as he had a feeling he knew what was happening and swiftly made a decision.

    [Tobs, pull Brance and me into my SOC.]

    Two secondster, Cynrik and Brance were greeted by the heciousndscape of Cynriks Sea of Consciousness.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make this quick, Montu has lost the battle with the Diety Bloodline Spirit, and that being is in the process of taking over his body. Shit just hit the fan, Brance. I hoped it would be a quick fight if we were battling the original Montu since he¡¯s a tad touched in the brain. But now, things are different; the one we are fighting will be abat veteran. Odds are this being is like Ragnar, a previous Legacy Charge who fought in an LS.¡±

    Cynrik punched the palm of his right hand with his left fist in anger.

    ¡°How bad are we talking?¡±

    ¡°Bad¡­but not impossible. The new boss will be limited in several ways. Be it the fact it¡¯ll be in a new body it¡¯s unfamiliar with or the simple fact that its power will have regressed to Montu¡¯s from its original. If we are lucky, they weren¡¯t a Shaman in their previous life and will have to learn their new skills from scratch, giving us a major advantage.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡± Brance crossed his arms over his chest and gave a short nod.

    ¡°We need to keep one eye on the kids too, be prepared to run if I give the order. Don¡¯t worry about me; with my AGI pushing 300 thanks to my gear, I will be able to move fast enough to get out of harm¡¯s way. Also, there¡¯s always the nuclear option, where I beat them the same way I did Ragnar. If that urs, you need to be ready to heal me since my Annarr Form will practically destroy my arms in the process, even with my new VIT.¡± Cynrik chewed on his bottom lip in thought, leaving a silence hanging in the air.

    ¡°We got this, don¡¯t worry, Brance.¡±

    Cynrik and Brance left the SOC and exhaled slowly in sync with those words.

    ¡°Gabby, Benny, get over here and show me your stats.¡± Then, knowing that time was short and a new n needed to be formed, Cynrik shouted at the Sanford siblings, startling them both.

    The two were already in the process of writing down their info for Cynrik as per the usual deal and promptly scurried over to him and handed over their paper.

    Cynrik scanned over Gabby¡¯s sheet first, as she forced it into his hands before Benny had even made it over.

    : STATS :

    : HP 1820/1820 :

    : Mana 1035/1035 :

    : Stamina 910/910 :

    : Stat Points- 0 :

    : Skill Points- 96 :

    : Strength- 168 :

    : Dexterity- 185 :

    : Agility- 180 :

    : Intelligence- 150 :

    : Vitality- 151 :

    : Mind- 157 :

    : Killing Intent- 179 ¨C 3.75 G :

    ¡°I want you to spend your skill points, use them to evolve your [Confusion] as high as possible. It wille in handy for the n I have in store. When I give you the sign, I want you to burn all of your XP, hit the cap, then dump as much as you can into Prestige. Once you¡¯re done with that, I need you to push your MIND Stat as high as possible the goal is to break through 200. Our opponent shouldn¡¯t be higher than that. Don¡¯t worry about your Stat¡¯s being lop-sided; we will figure that outter.¡±

    Gabby nodded in understanding and sat down before doing as she was told.

    ¡°Benny,¡± Cynrik looked away from the little girl, who was humming a light tune to herself and towards her older brother.

    ¡°You need to be prepared; you¡¯ll be ying a crucial part in the n.¡±

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 131

    (BONUS CHAPTER AS PROMISED)

    ¡°Benny,¡± Cynrik looked away from the little girl, who was humming a light tune to herself and towards her older brother.

    ¡°You need to be prepared; you¡¯ll be ying a crucial part in the n.¡±

    These words struck Benny like a ten-ton mallet to the head. From the time the party stepped foot in this Egress, Benny had yed a rtively small part in Cynrik¡¯s ns, except creating the steam cloud. However, Cynrik had just stated casually that he expected Benny to y a prominent role moving forward with the boss fight.

    A mixture of excitement and extreme nervousness washed over Benny as he handed over his paper to Cynrik, who calmly scanned it from top to bottom.

    : STATS :

    : HP 2800/2800 :

    : Mana 910/910 :

    : Stamina 1400/1400 :

    : Stat Points- 0 :

    : Skill Points- 96 :

    : Strength- 205 :

    : Dexterity- 140 :

    : Agility- 141 :

    : Intelligence- 146 :

    : Vitality- 200 :

    : Mind- 111 :

    : Killing Intent- 179 ¨C 3.75 G :

    Cynrik sighed in his heart as he read through Benny¡¯s Stats. He had to admit that the younger boy had it roughpared to his sister. Of the four members in the party, Benny was the one who actually needed the most help when it came to raising his stats. This was due to him only gaining a fraction of what the others would upon leveling up thanks to his Distribution only being in STR and VIT.

    Unlike Brance¡¯s bnced build, Benny¡¯s build was all over the ce, leaving a noticeable discrepancy between his Distribution stats and the others. This could easily be seen by how both his STR and VIT had reached the 200 checkpoint, while his sister, on the other hand, was still 15 points away with her highest stat DEX.

    While he had this thought, Cynrik¡¯s eyes suddenly stopped on Benny¡¯s HP.

    ¡®Eh? 2800¡­wait¡­what?¡¯ His face scrunched up in confusion, and with a wave of his hand, Cynrik brought up his own Status,paring the two for a moment.

    Cynrik Benny

    : HP 2800/2800 : : HP 2800/2800 :

    : Stamina 1400 : : Stamina 1400 :

    : Vitality- 210 : : Vitality- 200 :

    ¡®What in the mathematical wizardry is going on here. Tobs, am I missing something? Why does Benny have the same amount of HP and Stamina as I do when his VIT is 10 points behind mine? Don¡¯t you dare say it¡¯s because I am bad at math?¡¯

    -Host Cynrik seems to not only be bad at math but also forgot a key point. Upon Evolving to Tier-1, you and Host Brance both had your Stat¡¯s increased by a total of 40 percent. Meaning your VIT raised to 140; however, since this was part of your Evolution, the additional 40 points did not receive the adjustments done to HP, MP, and Stamina; thus, they were raised by the Tier-0 values of 10 per point for HP, and 5 per point for MP and Stamina.-

    -Then, after the bonus adjustment was made, any points ced in those stats after the fact were subject to the 20 per point increase for HP and 10 per point increase to MP and Stamina.-

    -In the case of Benjamin and Gabrie Sanford, due to them not receiving a Bloodline, they only received the standard 20% increase. Meaning unlike you and Host Brance, they have an advantage of obtaining the additional 200 HP, 100 MP, and 100 Stamina that you two did not.-

    Cynrik was silent for several minutes after hearing what Tobs had to say; his face showed no emotion or expression at all. Then, like a statue frozen in time, Cynrik just stood there quietly and mulled over the info that Benny and Gabby would potentially pass them in HP MP and Stamina before long.

    Benny quivered slightly, seeing that Cynrik had suddenly gone catatonic for some reason and decided to wait patiently, with his hands behind his back and his head hung down so he could look at the ground.

    ¡°Heeeehhhh.¡± Eventually, Cynrik sighed loudly and looked towards the sky above.

    ¡°Benny, you and Gabby stumbled your way blindly into a golden opportunity.¡± Chuckling in a self-deprecating manner, Cynrik looked back down at Benny, who was staring at him with a confused look in his eyes.

    [Tobs, tell Brance everything you just told me.]

    Cynrik shook his head a couple of times to clear his mind and refocused on the task in front of him.

    ¡°Benny, for the battle with this boss, I need you and Brance to be on the same wavelength. So we will be walking in with two Main Tanks instead of one Main and one Off-Tank.¡± Cynrik began delving into his n for Benny, drawing the attention of both Brance and Gabby, who joined them and listened in.

    ¡°The two of you need to be light on your feet, never staying still for more than a second. Unfortunately for us, our opponent is stronger and way more experienced inbat. Pair that with the slew of curses and Totem debuffs we will face, and the fight bes that much more difficult. You and Brance need to keep the Shaman¡¯s attention on only you two, so use any and all taunts, hit that fucker as hard as possible, and try your best to piss him off. Don¡¯t forget what I¡¯ve taught you; an angry opponent makes mistakes.¡± Cynrik noticed the arrival of Gabby and Brance and jumped to their roles.

    ¡°Gabby, you and I will have the same initial task; we need to take out any and all Totems the moment they pop up. You¡¯ll be hitting them from the backline, and I¡¯ll be destroying them up close. We have two goals in doing this, the first is to kill off these Debuffs the instant they appear, allowing Benny and Brance to keep the Shaman upied longer, and the other goal is to figure out the cooldowns for summoning each Totem. This fight won¡¯t be short like all of the previous ones. Remember that the Shaman is at the Peak of Tier-2, meaning he¡¯s level 30 and a hair shy of stepping into Tier-3.¡± Cynrik rubbed his temples to relieve the headache he was experiencing.

    There were too many unknown variables for this fight, and he wasn¡¯t happy about it. Gabby and Benny were too green to be jumping into a battle like this, but there were no other options. Cynrik and Brance couldn¡¯t take this guy alone, and they needed backup.

    ¡°Gabby, when the timees, the signal I will give will be the activation of my Fyrstr Form.¡± When he announced this, only Brance nodded, but Gabby and Benny were confused.

    ¡°Um¡­Big Bro Cyn, what is your Fyrstr Form? Is that like a skill or something?¡± Gabby, like always, was the first to pose a question.

    SMACK

    Cynrik loudly hit his forehead with his left palm; he had forgotten the Sanfords hadn¡¯t seen him use his Sword technique yet.

    ¡°Guess you two wouldn¡¯t know about my Bl¨®erauer Banamaer Style,¡± Cynrik mumbled while trying to find a way to describe it to his party members.

    ¡°Ok, so you know how I always use my swords in a certain way, right?¡±

    ¡°Uh, huh, you swing one sword upside down and have the second one right side up, and go Woosh, swoosh, shing WAHH!¡± Jumping to her feet, Gabby started iling her arms around, mimicking what she could remember of Cynrik¡¯s swordsmanship. Her little act made everyone except Cynrik giggle.

    ¡°Yes, yes, sit down, you rabbit.¡± Then, rolling his eyes and flicking Gabby¡¯s forehead lightly, Cynrik started describing his Bl¨®erauer Banamaer Style.

    ¡°I have five special techniques that I have created. Each one utilizes a mix of Mana control and Affinity attacks to generate powerful Pseudo-Skills, which I call forms. For example, the Fyrstr Form or First Form is called Sun Cyclone. By infusing one of my Kodachi with Fire and the Other with Wind, I create a¡­well, a pretty big Fire tornado. THIS will be everyone¡¯s signal to move away and burn their XP.¡±

    Benny and Brance stiffened as they, too, were now supposed to power themselves up.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I want everyone to hit the Main Level cap and start pouring XP into their Prestige on my signal.¡±

    ¡°My Fyrstr Form is pretty tricky to control, so I want everyone to vacate the immediate area the second you hear me chant out the skill. I won¡¯t be giving a verbal warning to move away.¡± Cynrik smirked and looked at each of his party members for a moment before continuing.

    ¡°After that, the real fun begins, Gabby; as I¡¯ve already said, your main focus is to raise your MIND Stat as high as you can; Benny¡­.¡± Cynrik had to stop and bring up Benny¡¯s Stats¡¯ mental image before continuing.

    ¡°I want you raising your MIND as well, it is way too far behind, and since we are facing a Shaman, you will need those extra points to help youbat any Curses thrown your way. But don¡¯t solely focus on it; I want you to split your points between INT and MIND.¡± Cynrik saw Benny nod in agreement, so he shifted his attention towards Brance.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to tell you what to do; you have your own weird-ass ¡°Bnced¡± build, so you do you.¡±

    A shortugh forced its way out of Brance¡¯s mouth, but Cynrik chose to ignore it.

    ¡°Last part of the n, guys. The instant you get your stats squared away, Gabby, you should be channeling your [Confusion] skill to its maximum potential, hehe while you do that, hehe we gunna shell the fuck out of the Shaman; with Affinity skills.¡± Unable to contain his creepyughter as he spoke, Cynrik eventually finished his statement.

    ¡°Brance, raise up [Air Missle] and [Stone Spike], we going FULL Saiyan this time. Benny, fire [Water Spear]¡¯s galore, so pump that skill up with SP. Remember, guys, keep your Status open at all times when we are in cannon mode, don¡¯t let your MP drop below 45%; we are out of Mana potions, so once it¡¯s gone, it¡¯s gone.¡±

    ¡°We stop with our shelling when one of two things happens, either Gabby connects with her [Confusion], and the Shaman gets a status ailment, or we run out of Mana. If she fails to afflict the enemy with the status effect, we run it back and keep attacking until she can get a second [Confusion] off.¡±

    Cynrik stood up and dusted off his butt before saying thest part of his n.

    ¡°The final step of this n is once the target is in a confused state, we move in for the kill shot. That¡¯s all I¡¯ve got for yall; let¡¯s go fuck this stupid lizard up.¡±

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 132

    Finished with his strategy briefing, Cynrik turned and faced the residential area half a kilometer away. Unfortunately, he had failed to tell Brance his reasoning behind allowing Montu¡¯s transformation toplete itself. While it may seem like a good idea to rush in and kick the lizard while it was down, Cynrik was absolutely against this idea.

    What Brance saw as a simple hazy mirage, Cynrik knew the truth behind its real meaning. The effect wasn¡¯t given off by heat but instead by abination of Divinity and Gravitational pressure. Although he wasn¡¯t physically close enough to experience this force, based on his observations with [Mana Sight] and his previous experience in fighting Ragnar, Cynrik estimated that the Gravitational force being exerted on the residential area was no less than 10g. Enough to stter the Sanford siblings into a paste and cause muscle and bone damage to Cynrik and Brance.

    This meant that he had no other choice but to allow Montu¡¯s corruption and subsequent transformation to continue unhindered. Feeling uneasy, Cynrik directed the others to group up alongside him, and the party started off in the direction of the huts.

    In the residential area, Montu was no longer rolling around on the ground; at some point, he had ceased his cries to his goddess and sat in the lotus position with his eyes closed. Not long after MyrkLys had left the area to power level, Montu had heard a voice in his mind. The silky-smooth and attractive voice of his Goddess, Wadjet.

    She lovingly told him that she had heard his prayers and was going to give him a challenge; if hepleted it to perfection, she would bestow great power upon her loyal subject. Unfortunately, blinded by ignorance and his love for Wadjet, Montu carelessly epted this quest and was forced into a battle of epic proportions within his SOC. In the end, the Spirit came out victorious and caved in his skull with the very bone staff Montu had created.

    Winning the battle was only the beginning for this Spirit, as the process of taking over Montu¡¯s body was a lengthy one. When it opened its new eyes and saw the body it had inhabited, the being scoffed loudly. As someone who had not only fought in thest Legacy Strife, this being had previously reached the 5th Tier; now, however, it found itself trapped in a reptilian body and regressed to the precipice of Tier-2.

    It only took a moment to get its bearings and pull up its newly acquired System panel. The first thing it noticed was a small box floating in front of his Status.

    -Would you like to Respec your Stats? Y/N.-

    Since this wasn¡¯t his first time interacting with a Legacy Strife System, he broke out into a toothy grin, clicked yes, and began allocating all of his points per his original format from thousands of years ago.

    -You have chosen to Respec, your Stat Distribution will be adjusted to the same as you had with your previous System.-

    : Status :

    : Osarseph (Montu) :

    : Title ¨C System Host, Former High Shaman Priest, Deity Blessed, Ruthless Sacrificer :

    : Cmydraco-Kobold Male :

    : Age-? :

    : Tier-2 :

    : Primary ss ¨C Shaman : (+2 DEX, +2 INT, +1 VIT)

    : Sub ss ¨C Apprentice Alchemist (+2 INT)

    It took some time for Osarseph to work his way through setting up his new Status. The Respec had not only rerolled all of his stats to their base, but it had also given him back every ounce of XP Montu had earned over 20 years.

    By the time hepleted this, MyrkLys had already begun their fight against the Kobold Soldiers. However, none of this mattered to Osarseph. He couldn¡¯t be bothered to worry about the ants, who he believed to be beneath him. So even when the melodious voice of the Cobra Goddess rang out in his mind, he was undeterred. Inhaling deeply and feeling the 10g of pressure caused by his ascension, Osarseph calmly felt out his new body and thought back to his final moments of life during the previous LS.

    All he could remember was facing a being wielding a massive two-handed greatsword and wearing leather armor. A glint of fury shed through Osarseph¡¯s eyes before he closed them again. He could still vividly remember those bright purple markings on this man¡¯s skin. Then, unconsciously, he reached up and touched his right shoulder and felt a phantom pain leftover from when that man hacked his body in two, from right shoulder to left hip.

    Thest thing he remembered was the chaotic sneer on that man¡¯s bearded face, as he spoke in anguage he could not understand, then¡­fire¡­blue mes followed by endless darkness.

    -Osarseph, it is nearly time; two Charges are heading your direction, prepare for battle. Oh, teehee, onest thing, my beloved Charge, the being dressed in ck is the Charge under the Raven God, the Deity whose Charge slew you in the previous Strife.-

    Wadjet¡¯s words caused Osarseph¡¯s eyes to snap open and fill with pure unadulterated rage.

    ¡°Good, I shall reap this Charge of his life and deal the pain I felt that day unto them tenfold.¡± In Ancient Egyptian, Osarseph¡¯s voice rang out through the quiet residential area. His voice was raspy and two octaves deeper than Montu¡¯s, but the hisses created by his racial features were still prevalent.

    ¡°It is a pity, though, that I have regressed so far back. Still, I should be able to deal with a couple of bugs without problems.¡± Osarseph snorted and spat on the ground beside his body.

    ¡°The merger process is nearing thest stages; it won¡¯t be long now.¡± Initially, he hadn¡¯t been too keen on jumping straight intobat after taking over his new body. But now, with the information leaked by Wadjet, Osarseph was ovee by excitement and thoughts of revenge.

    Closing his eyes and grinning widely, stretching the skin on his snout and showing his teeth, Osarseph patiently awaited the moment when the Divine pressure dispersed, allowing him to attack.

    Feeling uneasy, Cynrik halted the party¡¯s advance by holding up his right hand with a closed fist and activating [Mana Sight] and [Inspect]. His target was the humanoid lizard sitting a quarter of a kilometer away.

    ¡®Shit, I was right. Montu¡¯s info has been updated¡­he lost, and the Spirit Being has taken over his body.¡¯ Gritting his teeth and shooting a nce at Brance, who too had activated his ocr skills, Cynrik couldn¡¯t help but feel this battle may be more challenging than expected.

    [I was right.] Was all Cynrik said in the mind link, which was plenty for Brance to understand just how fucked they were.

    ¡°Benny, Gabby, listen to me carefully. The closer we get to the residential area, the more the gravitational force will increase. Brance and I have trained you by using our Killing Intent, but that only gave you a resistance of 2g. The central point of this wave of gravity has an astronomical force of 10g¡¯s. So we will slowly advance until we reach the 3g mark. I don¡¯t know how long it will take for the gravity to calm down and go back to normal, but we might as well use the time we have to train up your resistance. In the meantime, if you feel any real pain, immediately tell Brance so that he can heal you up. I want you both at your peak for the battle.¡±

    Cynrik¡¯s words stunned the Sanford siblings, causing them both to shiver in fright. They both vividly remembered those ¡°training¡± sessions, where Brance and Cynrik took turns scaring the hell out of them with the mysterious Killing Intent.

    Brance noticed their reactions to his brother, and he weakly smiled.

    ¡°You two haven¡¯t noticed yet, have you? Thanks to our battles, you both have unlocked the hidden Stat Killing Intent, just like Big Brother and me. Even more impressive is that you both are at 3.75 G, so you can actually exert more pressure than either of us could during those days when we did gravity training with you.¡±

    Contrary to what Brance was saying, Gabby and Benny had, in fact, already noticed they gained Killing Intent and had even gone over the information given by their Systems. However, they hadn¡¯t had a chance actually to use it yet.

    ¡°If you two sync up and unleash your Killing Intents together, you should be able to exert a force of 7.5g on a singr target. But that¡¯s easier said than done, it took a bit of time before Brance, and I could pull it off without failing.¡± Adding to what Brance said, Cynrik chimed in while motioning for everyone to continue walking into the Divine Gravity field.

    ¡°It¡¯s really not that big of a deal, Killing Intent, that is. The big thing is knowing when to use it effectively in a fight. You just have to remember that the higher the pressure you exert, the less time itsts. So, for example, if you went full throttle and dumped your entire 3.75g on someone, you can probably only keep it going for at best 10 seconds before it will go on cooldown.¡± Cynrik tucked his hands into his pockets and continued walking; he could feel the gravity increase from its basic 1g to 1.25, then 1.50.

    Having spent so much time in the HBTC, Cynrik and Brance were very keen on any minute changes that urred regarding gravity. That was how they could increase their resistance to 5g so quickly; it just took a little bit of time and getting used to it.

    Behind him, he could sense Gabby and Benny stiffen up several times each time the gravity increased by 0.25g, but they were able to adjust to the pressure quickly.

    ¡°Killing Intent is pretty useful, to be honest. It can earn you a couple of seconds by stalling out your opponent. The shock factor of being a kid and having such a high stat will more often than not freak out the person you¡¯re using it on, allowing you the opportunity tond a fatal strike on them before they can react.¡±

    Brance stifled augh, as he still wasn¡¯t used to Cynrik¡¯s teacher mode. However, since he won his internal battle against Ragnar, Brance could see the drastic change urring with Cynrik¡¯s personality. If it were in the past, he would get frustrated when they didn¡¯t understand after giving partial information to Gabby and Benny. Cynrik gave thorough and in-depth info to the Sanfords, ensuring theypletely understood the topic.

    Brance couldn¡¯t help but think it was a nice change of pace and was happy to have his old brother back. The way Cynrik acted now was what he used to be like on Earth, especially when he would teach him things when they were kids.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 133

    Making their way slowly but surely, through the Divine Gravity Field, the party had to stop several times after reaching the 2.5g area. With the pressure increasing every 20-30 meters, Gabby and Benny were beginning to struggle; at one point, Gabby was brought to her knees due to the increase in gravity. Luckily for Gabby, Brance had already prepared for this event, and within half a second, he tossed a glowing white orb onto the little girl, healing her up instantly.

    Cynrik would stop the party every time the pressure was raised by 0.25g to allow the Sanford siblings a moment to adjust their bodies. Walking at a snail¡¯s pace, the party eventually made it to the precipice of 3g. Cynrik turned around and examined the state of the Sanfords, his eyes picking up the heavy rise and fall of their chests and the immense amount of sweat forming on their bodies, which has caused their hair to cling to their faces.

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes drifted away from the kids and towards the residential area, which hade into clear sight.

    [Tobs, can you estimate how long this gravity will hold out?]

    The system was silent for several beats before finally speaking up in her monotone voice.

    -By my calctions, it will take approximately five hours before the ascension process ispleted and the Divine Gravity Field disappears.-

    ¡®Five hours¡­it¡¯s not enough time. At best, we can get Gabby and Benny up to 3.5 to 4g. Tsk, our current pace is too slow; that guy has been sitting in 10g this whole time. He¡¯s a freaking monster. It would take all four of usbined even to stun him with Killing Intent. Brance is at 4.25, and I¡¯m at 4.5; Gabby and Benny are both at 3.75; if we were to all sync up, Brance and I would have to lower our pressure to match theirs for abined 15g.¡¯

    Pulling his left hand out of his pocket, Cynrik brushed his bangs out of his eyes.

    ¡®That¡¯s to say we could even pull it off. But, of course, without actual practice, I¡¯m not so sure those two would be able to link up with us. Hell, it took me nearly a month before I could get the hang of lowering my output and keep it constant. Even so, the real question will be if Gabby and Benny could sync up the wavelengths properly.

    When Brance and Cynrik sat down to figure out Killing Intent years ago, they discovered an interesting bit of information. Killing Intent wasn¡¯t what they had believed it to be. From a scientific standpoint, it was just a skill that allowed the user to increase the mass of and vibrate ambient Mana particles at a certain frequency simr to sound waves. The numerical representation, i.e., 4.5. signified the increase in mass and how rapidly the particles vibrated.

    Stumbling upon this observation led Cynrik down a question-filled rabbit hole, the biggest one being ¡°Why is it called Killing Intent if all it does is manipte the particles?¡± Followed by, ¡°Why do you only gain points in the Stat through killing?¡±

    None of the answers the brothers came up with fit perfectly with their observations. Eventually, they ended up going to Cinyah and Rikard, who shrugged their shoulders and said, ¡°We don¡¯t know; it is just something that exists. Scientists and Schrs have experimented with Killing Intent since the moment it was discovered, and to this day, we really only know how to use it and how to increase its strength.¡±

    Unsatisfied with his parent¡¯sckluster response, Cynrik would take time out of his day, every day for about a year, trying to figure it out. Eventually, he hit a wall due to not having ess to Mana. It wasn¡¯t until his Codex had recovered that Cynrik would once again pick up his monotonous experiments, this time with the aid of [Mana Sight.]

    Heaving a sigh and looking up at the sky in thought, Cynrik started walking forward again, this time without his party.

    [I¡¯m going ahead to scout, so keep an eye on the kids. Like Tobs said, we¡¯ve got around five hours until gravity normalizes again; just keep them moving forward.]

    Brance didn¡¯t bother looking at his brother and just shooed Cynrik away with his hand and went back to his healing cycle.

    Breaking away from the group, Cynrik¡¯s eyes darted around while he walked at a casual pace.

    3.25g, 3.5g, 4g, 4.75g; once he reached the 5g point, he inhaled deeply. This was as far as his training had progressed in the HBTC. Tobs wouldn¡¯t allow his Gravity Resistance to increase any higher since he was still Tier-0 at the time. Now though, things were different. Between the Evolution process and his Bloodline, Cynrik felt he could easily continue forward without breaking a sweat. The only thing weighing on his mind was that he had no idea how far he could go before Tobs once again halted his progress.

    Bringing up his Status, Cynrik moved the invisible notification box to the edge of his vision for his right eye and took a step forward into the 5.25g area. The instant he did so, his Gravity Resistance underwent a slight change.

    : Gravity Resistance: 5.25g (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    The 5g 100% changed, making Cynrik smile. It had been far too long, and if there was one thing he hated most since his reincarnation, it was staying stagnant for too long.

    Gabby and Benny couldn¡¯t help but look at Cynrik¡¯s back as he cheerfully walked away from them, and they both cursed in their minds. Gabby even went so far as to pray the older boy would trip and fall. She was jealous of how effortless Cynrik made things look. For her, this training was miserable. She felt like her whole body was falling apart, and the only time she felt anyfort was when Brance used [Minor Healing] on her body. The cool sensation was reminiscent of drinking a cold ss of juice on a swelteringly hot day.

    However, just like how a drink could only cool your body for a moment, the minute the skill wore off, it was back into the inferno.

    Brance could almost read Gabby¡¯s thoughts based on her facial expressions, so he stifled augh before reaching forward and flicking her forehead lightly.

    ¡°Don¡¯tpare yourself to Big Brother; we all know he¡¯s a masochist who enjoys the pain of training. I am sure he¡¯s in heaven right now.¡±

    Rubbing the spot Brance had flicked, Gabby¡¯s eyes teared up slightly, and she gave him a puppy look.

    ¡°It¡¯s not fair, though; howe it¡¯s so easy for him when Benny and I have to suffer like this.¡±

    Brance shook his head and extended his hand to her, helping Gabby back to her feet so they could keep moving deeper into the Gravity Field.

    ¡°Wanna hear a story?¡± Sensing that Gabby was at the end of her tether, Brance figured it was best to distract both her and Benny with an amusing story.

    ¡°STORY TIME GOGOGOGO, YES!¡±

    As he expected, Gabby quickly took the bait and started bouncing around, slipping and face nting in the process.

    ¡°Hmm, which one to tell¡­¡± Tapping his index finger on his chin in thought, Brance searched his memory for a good story that would keep his friends distracted.

    ¡°Ok, got it. I haven¡¯t told this story in years, but let¡¯s give it a try.¡± Tilting his head at a downward angle to pop his neck, Brance mimicked Cynrik¡¯s creepy smile and coughed a few times before making his voice sound sinister and raspy.

    ¡°Long ago in a distantnd, Aku, the shape-shifting Master of Darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil!¡±

    Gabby¡¯s eyes went wide, and a gleeful, toothy smile spread across her face, nearly reaching her eyes. In her mind, Brance was the best storyteller she had ever seen. He always had some kind of crazy tale, like the one about space wizards who use beam swords or the one about the alien from outer space who could fly around and was super strong thanks to the sun.

    ¡°But a fooooolish samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose him.¡±

    Although Gabby was overly animated as Brance told the story, Benny too was enjoying it; from time to time, Brance could see the boy¡¯s eyes sparkle, especially when he described the battle between Jack and Aku.

    ¡®Hehe, I remember I was just like them when I watched the cartoon as a kid.¡¯

    And so, time passed by slowly; after around two and a half hours, Cynrik reached 6.5g and headed back so he could trade off with Brance, allowing his brother to go get the same Resistance as him.

    [By the way, I found it better to pass the time by telling them a story. It works the same for them as music does for us when working out. They are about at around 50% of 3.5g, so they should be fine without me as long as you stay put.] Brance patted Cynrik¡¯s shoulder while walking by and shot him a quick message in the mind link before going off to train his Gravity Resistance.

    Shrugging his shoulders and sitting in front of Gabby and Benny, who were sitting with their eyes closed and trying to adjust to the pressure of 3.5g, Cynrik contemted what part he left off on thest time he told them a specific story.

    ¡°So I hear Brance was telling you the tale of Jack; well, it has been a while, but I guess I¡¯ll pick up with the one I¡¯ve been telling you for years. Do you remember where I left off?¡±

    Benny¡¯s eyes stapped open upon hearing that Cynrik would continue the long-running story he started when they were little. Although Brance was good with acting animated and could do some voices, Cynrik had been telling the same continuous story in bite-sized chunks for thest five years. In addition, Cynrik was really good at changing his voice, giving every character a different sounding and original voice.

    ¡°I do, Big Bro Cyn; when you left off, Frieza had just lifted Krillin off the ground with his psychic attack, and you finished up with Krillin screaming, HELP ME!¡± Benny quickly raised his hand and shouted the answer, freaking out Gabby and making Cynrik break into a wide grin.

    ¡°OHH, did I now¡­hehe¡­you are in for a treat then.¡±

    Cynrik then proceeded to act out the dramatic scene of Goku going SSJ for the first time and even went as far as to mimic the English dub cast. He remembered every line perfectly since seven-year-old him back on Earth viewed this as one of the two biggest moments of his childhood.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 134

    Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Brance walked back in the direction of Cynrik and the Sanford siblings; his arrival was perfectly timed with his older brother throwing his arms out, arching his back, and howling ¡°RAHHHH!¡± in a voice Brance could recognize. Then, stopping in his tracks and raising an eyebrow inquisitively, Brance hung back for a second to listen in on Cynrik finishing up the story.

    ¡°Goku yelled out in pain and frustration as Namek exploded around him¡­ meanwhile across the gxy, on King Kai¡¯s; he wore an expression of both desperation and despair. ¡°It¡¯s gone Namek¡­is gone.¡±

    Cynrik went silent for dramatic effect and looked at the two children sitting in front of him, Gabby¡¯s eyes were filled to the brim with tears that threatened to spill over, and Benny wore a look of sadness.

    ¡°But¡­but, but Goku is ok, right? He¡¯s not dead, is he? He can¡¯t be dead, Big Bro Cyn¡­.¡± Gabby whimpered softly, not wanting to believe that the hero of Cynrik¡¯s tale, who had finally beaten the evil viin, would just up and die.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say. Find out next time¡­on D¡­B¡­Z!¡± Shrugging his shoulders and smirking, Cynrik even went so far as to hum the outro music, making Gabby groan loudly and Benny fall onto his back.

    The Sanford sibling¡¯s reactions forced a loud cackle out of Cynrik, but it was subsequently cut short by Brance, who walked up behind him and smacked his older brother in the back of the head.

    ¡°Storytime is over; judging by how you are all hanging out in 4g, I assume you two have reached 4g Gravity Resistance.¡± Wearing a frown, Brance ignored Cynrik¡¯s quietints and confronted Gabby and Benny.

    ¡°Yesss.¡± Rolling their eyes, the Sanford siblings replied together.

    ¡°They should be sitting at around 80%; we haven¡¯t been here too long.¡± Looking Brance up and down, Cynrik continued his statement, ¡°Guess it¡¯s safe to assume you hit 6.5?¡±

    ¡°Un, it wasn¡¯t too bad; I was able to save some time by healing my body as I went; not everyone is a freak like you, who enjoys the pain.¡±

    ¡°Whatever, that isn¡¯t important.¡± Cynrik looked around at the Gravity Field as he spoke; thanks to his [Mana Sight] and keen insight, he was able to notice how the pressure was steadily weakening at a rate of about 0.10g a minute. Cynrik¡¯s eyes flickered for an instant as he noticed that the further away areas within the field they hade from were progressively returning to normal, and he couldn¡¯t help butpare it to the circle closing in battle royale games.

    Going by the rate of deterioration he was observing, it would take roughly 40 minutes for the Gravity where they were located to return to normal.

    Casting a sidelong nce over to the residential area, Cynrik made up his mind.

    ¡°Listen up, in 40 minutes, the Gravity here will go back to normal; an hour after that, we will have a clear path to the residential area. So that means you two,¡± Cynrik made eye contact with Gabby and Benny, who were looking back with curiosity, ¡°will have an hour and 40 minutes to learn to control your Killing Intent.¡±

    ¡°Cynrik, that isn¡¯t enough time. Are you crazy!¡± Picking up immediately on what his older brother was plotting, Brance protested.

    ¡°Stop. Please don¡¯t bother arguing with me. If we want to have even a slim shot at pausing the enemy inbat, we will need their added KIN, and for that, they need to be able to adjust their outputs at will. So, Brance, you will work with Gabby, and I will take Benny.¡± Having none of Brance¡¯sining, Cynrik waved his younger brother away and walked towards Benny.

    [Brance, the monster has been chilling in 10g for hours now. You really think that the measly 8.5g we can use will be enough to stop him for even a fraction of a second. Odds are he would be entirely unaffected by the pressure leaving our efforts wasted. Setting aside the fact that the four of us could exert abined force of 15g, we need to bear in mind that guy¡¯s physical standards. His muscr and bone structure is entirely different from a human, and with the added benefit of having a tail, his recovery speed will shoot through the roof if he uses it to correct his bnce.]

    During the period of time where Cynrik was telling his story to the Sanfords, he had split his attention in half, one parting up with contingency ns for the boss and the other remembering the Namek Saga.

    After running through literally thousands of different scenarios in his head, Cynrik had carefully tried to keep track of every potential oue they would face. Eventually, these scenarios turned into full-on simtions in his mind, and even though he was overestimating their opponent, Cynrik was stilling up with only a 40% chance of victory.

    [Cyn, you know damn fucking well that they cant master Killing Intent in less than two hours, you are simply asking for too much.] Brance was temporarily blinded by his concern for the Sanford siblings well being and wasn¡¯t factoring in the big picture.

    Although he trusted Cynrik wholeheartedly, he still couldn¡¯t fathom why his brother was attempting to force the kids to learn how to manipte their Killing Intent pressure, something that had taken him weeks to learn.

    Exhaling a shaky breath, Cynrik began exining the concept behind how to manipte the force of Killing Intent to Benny, ignoring the angry voice in his head.

    Brance sucked his teeth loudly and stood still for another second before giving up and lecturing Gabby with the same information Cynrik was exining to Benny.

    As this was going on, Osarseph patiently sat still, never moving from the position he had woken up in. Contrary to what Cynrik assumed, his Gravity Resistance was nowhere near able to withstand the pressure of 10g. If he was still in his original body, then yes, he could have easily handled it, as his Gravity Resistance in the previous Legacy Strife was well over 10g.

    Opening his eyes slowly and examining the space around him, Osarseph could see a faint translucent yet tangible, stic-like barrier in the shape of an egg around his body. As someone who had fought for several decades in thest LS, he was fully aware of what was going on. When a Spirit takes over a Charge¡¯s body, they begin a process called Divine Ascension.

    From the moment the Spirit takes control of the body and merges its soul into the husk, the Divinity stored within the body¡¯s previous owner¡¯s soul will expand rapidly, creating a no-mansnd of high-pressure Gravity. The point of said Divine Gravity Field is to keep any creature or being that has thoughts of attacking the Spirit in its moment of weakness away. As this process urs, the Deity to whom the Divinity belongs will ce a shell-like barrier around the Spirit¡¯s body, allowing it the necessary time to integrate andplete the merger fully.

    As such, right now, although the pressure directly surrounding Osarseph was at 10g, he was actually experiencing the standard 1g within the barrier. However, if Osarseph left said barrier for some reason, he would be subject to the total 10g, crushing his body instantly as his current Gravity Resistance was only 8g.

    If Cynrik knew this information, he would be losing his shit since he and Brance could quickly whip out 8g like it was nothing.

    Osarseph rolled his head around his neck lightly, relieving the tense muscles. Then, looking down, he could see his long, scaled tail had neatly wrapped itself around his legs in a circle, and he smirked.

    Having a tail wasn¡¯t a new experience for him as in the past, he had a Serpentine Bloodline; the only difference was his new tail was several times thicker than thest one he had. Flexing his lower back muscles, his tail twitched a couple of times before raising up and wrapping around his abdomen like a long scaled belt.

    Next, Osarseph pulled out the poorly crafted bone staff that Montu was previously so proud of, and he sneered in disdain.

    ¡°What was that idiot trying to aplish. With his experience and proficiency in crafting, he should have easily created a staff ten times more potent than this piece of trash.¡± Osarseph was beside himself as he examined the three-and-a-half-meter-long bone staff, his eyes scanning over the crudely drawn runes on its surface.

    ¡°Shoddy craftsmanship and scribing, no wonder he lost to me so quickly.¡± As Osarseph spoke, his tongue flicked out in random intervals, tasting the surrounding air. Even though Osarseph didn¡¯t have [Mana Sight] like Cynrik and Brance, he had developed his own way of sensing Mana involving a strangebination of taste, touch, and smell that only a being with either Serpent or Draconic Bloodline could achieve.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be long now.¡± He murmured before setting about wiping away the poorly drawn work Montu was so proud of and starting over from scratch.

    Time seemed to tick by slower than ever, as Cynrik and Brance tried to teach Gabby and Benny how to adjust the amount of pressure used with Killing Intent. When 40 minutes had gone by, the Gravity around them normalized, causing the party to move closer towards the residential area.

    While they walked, Cynrik and Brance never stopped speaking, pressed for time; they tried with great effort to detail every single piece of data they had learned over the years about Killing Intent as well as the results of Cynrik¡¯s experiments.

    By the time they reached the outermost hut, Benny and Gabby had already begun their practice, leaving Cynrik and Brance to stare at the changes urring in the space around them.

    [Why is it the closer we get, the hazier that bastard bes?] Confused by what he saw from Osarseph. Cynrik voiced his discontent in the mind link.

    Since the egg-like barrier protecting Osarseph was created by Wadjet herself, it was a mysterious existence. From a distance, Cynrik was able to see every movement Osarseph made, but upon getting closer, it was like the lizardman was shrouded in some kind of pink gas, blocking Cynrik from observing his actions.

    Sensing the arrival of his opponent, Osarseph lifted his head and sneered; although he couldn¡¯t see them, he could feel their presence drawing closer. Then, licking the sharp teeth in his mouth lightly and sporting a sadistic grin, Osarseph began plotting out his moves for the battle, which would start in a handful of minutes.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 135

    [Hey guys let me preface this chapter with, Firstly Sorry it¡¯ste, for thest 2 days I¡¯ve been running a serious fever of 103. Since I am unable to take medicine like Tylenol or Asprin due to allergies whenever I get a fever I am left to struggle through it. That is why this chapter and most likely tomorrow as well will bete. I was forced to write on my iPad btw so if you find errors Lemmie know, I was racing against the clock to get it published so I will be going back through it and fixing any issues. Appreciate you all ¡ªScotchTy]

    ¡ª

    Going over the n onest time with the party Cynrik stood up wearing a serious expression. He had done everything he could to prepare the others for the battle toe, but ns tend to fall apart as is with every conflict.

    The critical point of the primary n revolved around not acting like a dumb protagonist and allowing the viin to power up. From there, Brance and Benny would square up and not give Osarseph a chance to getfortable. Instead of allowing the boss to think, they needed to keep him moving and reacting.

    Meanwhile, Gabby would be hanging back and taking potshots at any weak points she could find, as well as leading the boss to specific spots, giving Cynrik a chance to strike.

    Was the n perfect? Absolutely not; there were so many variables that couldn¡¯t be ignored that Cynrik had to pick and choose every movement the party made. He drew sketches in the dirt for the kids and Brance, showing them roughly where they should stand, but this could easily be ovee by the boss straight up beating them down.

    Heaving a sigh, Cynrik observed the Gravity Field with concern.

    ¡°Ok, get ready to move, gravity dispersal in less than two minutes.¡±

    Gabby and Benny noticeably tensed up, and Brance somberly removed his shield from his back before splitting it into two. Their reactions were to be expected. Cynrik hadn¡¯t downyed how dangerous this battle would be. For once, he allowed forplete transparency in his n. Whether or not that was the right move, only time would tell. But for now, he felt it necessary that Gabby and Benny were fully aware of just how dangerous the fight would be.

    ¡°Brance, nk around with Benny.¡± Cynrik looked at the open area between three huts off to his right and gave his brother the order to move, which Brance and Benny immediately responded to, and took off running.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, Gabby, let¡¯s go.¡± Taking the little girl by the hand, Cynrik activated [Cloak of Shadows] and jumped onto the roof of the nearest hut. Once up there, Cynrik had a better view of his surroundings and quickly noticed the gravity breaking apart around the center of the vige.

    [Be advised the target is within an egg-like construct.] Cynrik¡¯s eyes flicked around rapidly as he formed the route for his brother and Benny to take to reach the boss.

    [Two rights, then left, you¡¯ll be behind him, wait for the egg thingy to drop, then begin the assault.]

    [Copy.]

    Still holding Gabby¡¯s hand, Cynrik broke into a sprint and jumped from rooftop to rooftop, keeping parallel with Brance and Benny. He wanted to position her just right so that she could make the most of her shots.

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes went wide as he witnessed the strange silhouette within the egg move its head in Brance¡¯s direction, causing him to lose his footing nearly. The sight reminded him of a specific horror movie series from Earth, and he had to fight back the shivers threatening to run down his spine.

    [Target is monitoring your approach.] Quickly sending over the newly acquired info to Brance, Cynrik stopped and knelt down on a roof less than 10 meters away from the egg; this was as close as he could get, as the gravity inside those 10 meters was still at 10g.

    ¡®Tobs, what is that thing?¡¯ Upon getting a clear view of Osarseph and the egg-like shell surrounding him, Cynrik quickly used the only resource he had.

    -When a being undergoes Divine Ascension, the Deity with whom the Spirit shares divinity will be given a level of protection from the pressure created by the Divine Gravity Field.-

    ¡®Wait, does that mean he HASN¡¯T been sitting in 10g this whole time?¡¯

    -Correct. However, please be aware that being in front of you isn¡¯t human. Thus, due to bone density and muscr structure, said being will have a higher resistance to gravitational pressure.-

    As the members of Myrklys got into ce, Osarseph calmly sat within the barrier, monitoring the two ants which seemed to want to attack him from behind.

    ¡®Hm¡­I sensed four earlier; where did the others vanish to? Did they leave, or are they using some kind of stealth skill?¡¯

    While he pondered on the disappearance of Gabby and Cynrik, his attention never left Brance and Benny, who were waiting just on the edge of the 10g area.

    In his hand, Osarseph held the newly reforged Bone Staff; gone was the ragged and shotty work created by Montu, and in its ce was a magnificent and well-crafted ivory staff. It had taken some time, but after wiping out all the shitty work done by Montu, Osarseph expertly rewrote every Runic line and, even at one point, allowed the staff to be subjected to the pressure of 10g outside of the barrier.

    Although it didn¡¯t live up to the weapon he used in his previous life, it would do for now, especially since this was a weapon fitting for someone Mid Tier-3 to Tier-4. Not only did it boast more significant damage, but it also allowed him to summon a maximum of 10 totems and 4 Golems. When he read about the Golems, Osarseph was slightly confused, as in his memory, Priests couldn¡¯t summon a creature named as such. Still, after going through and reading its description, he quickly realized that although it carried a different name than he was used to, it was still a summon creature.

    Then, it happened, all at once, the barrier around his body shattered to pieces, and a small shock wave was created in the process. Then, both Osarseph and the pair of Brance and Benny kicked into action.

    On one end, Brance, followed closely behind by Benny, charged forward and unleashed a volley of [Stone Spike], while Benny fired off a hand full of [Water Spear].

    Osarseph, seeing the actions of the two, what appeared to be children, sneered and, with a wave of his staff, generated 5 Totems and nimbly weaved in and out of the iing attacks. However, unlike the ones created by Montu, these newly upgraded Totems had a sinister appearance. First, they appeared to be crafted from animal hide and bones, then adorning the top looked like a human skull. In addition, each of the five had a different colored fine silk cloth wrapped around the said skull.

    But before Osarseph could even retort in contempt, he watched in horror as three arrows and two balls of ck mes collided with his Totems, destroying them instantly. Osarseph whipped his head to where he estimated those silent attacks originated but saw nothing.

    Unfortunately for him, Cynrik had already moved to a different rooftop with Gabby and was readily awaiting the Kobold Shaman to drop more Totems.

    ¡°Tsk, that was an oversight on my end, fellow Charges; how about we¡­.¡±

    BANG

    Osarseph was in the middle of talking to the rooftops when Brance appeared under him and smashed both Shields into his snout, rocking Osarseph¡¯s head back. Benny didn¡¯t miss the opening either, as he shed behind the 3.5-meter tall lizardman and cracked him with his shield as well; the 1,2,bo catapulted the unsuspecting Osarseph across the open courtyard.

    ¡°Idiot, why are you looking away when we are your opponent? What are you, a senile old man?¡± Brance retorted and rushed at the downed opponent.

    However, just as he was about to dish out a downward strike with his CS Tear¡­

    SMACK

    Brance watched in slow motion as Osarseph brought up his tail andshed out towards his open ribcage. The goal was to put distance between himself and the two attackers; unfortunately for him, though, Benny was right there in an instant, and, bringing up his buckler shield, expertly deflected the tail attack, giving Brance the necessary time to jump back and refocus.

    Angry that these puny ants had blindsided him, Osarseph waved his arms franticly while using his tail to stand up. Brance¡¯s pupils shrunk, and with [Mana Sight] active, he could see the massive amount of Mana surging around the boss¡¯s hands, and moving on instinct, he grabbed Benny and sprinted away, leaving both Benny and Osarseph momentarily confused.

    Osarseph was stunned by Brance¡¯s quick thinking; he couldn¡¯t help but admire the young boy who could urately read the battlefield and make a judgment instantly.

    ¡°Too slow, I will make you pay for those strikes you inflicted, [Summon Earth Golem].¡± Osarseph taunted Brance and summoned all four of his massive Earth Golems. The skill should have been called Raising Golems instead of Summon because upon its activation, the ground in front of Osarseph liquified, and four five-meter tall rock creatures pulled themselves out of thend.

    BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.

    It was short-lived, though, because no sooner than had the newly formed Earth Golems broken away from the restraints of the ground did four massive ckFire balls m into their hulking bodies, exploding them to fragments of rock. Unfortunately, Osarseph, who stood not far behind the creatures, was flung like a ragdoll through the air before ending his flight by mming into the hut that used to belong to Montu.

    ¡°Teehe, haha!¡±

    The strangeugh seemed to ring violently in Osarseph¡¯s head. Struggling to pull himself from the stone hut, he red in the direction of theughter.

    ¡°Teehe, haha!¡±

    That was when he heard it a second time, this time though it was in apletely different area.

    ¡°BASTARD NORSEMAN PAGAN SCUM, WHERE ARE YOU!¡± Osarseph screamed in unbridled fury in recognition. He remembered the strangeughter vividly.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 136

    ¡°BASTARD NORSEMAN PAGAN SCUM, WHERE ARE YOU!¡± Osarseph screamed in unbridled fury in recognition. He remembered the strangeughter vividly.

    ¡°Tee¡± SLASH

    ¡°He¡± SLASH

    ¡°HAHA!¡± THUNK

    Moving like a phantom, Cynrik used Ragnar¡¯s weird way ofughing as a taunt, covered the distance between himself and Osarseph, and delivered two heavy strikes on both his calves. After the second strike, an arrow fired by Gabby found its mark, the scuff mark on Osarsephs right calf.

    Even though the two shes only did a minimal amount of damage and created a shy shower of sparks, the critical part was that they had weakened the durability of the scales to some extent and even left a faint mark. Using this mark as a bullseye, Gabby fired off a Mana-infused arrow the instant Cynrik finished his second attack. Thanks to Cynrik¡¯s attack, her arrow was able to pierce through Osarseph¡¯s right calf ande out the other side of his leg, leaving the head sticking out the inside of his leg and the tail the outside.

    Furious by the cowardly attacks and by his own inability to block them, Osarseph howled in both pain and anger before bending down and ripping the arrow out of his leg. As this happened, Cynrik had already arrived back on the rooftop beside Gabby and was watching as the lizardman¡¯s leg quickly healed up within a couple of seconds. The only difference was theck of scales.

    Cynrik¡¯s sudden attack and subsequent use of Ragnar¡¯s trademarkedugh weren¡¯t brought about due to his own initiative. Instead, when the Gravity Field broke apart, and Osarseph was released from the egg-shaped barrier, Cynrik was bombarded by several notifications from Tobs, as well as a strange sense of D¨¦j¨¤ vu upon seeing the being for the first time.

    -Unknown parameters have been achieved, Ragnar Lodbrok Memory Fragment (1/5) Locked, acquired.-

    -The Spirit of Ragnar Lodbrok, which has been integrated into the Host¡¯s soul, is unsettled by the sight of Osarseph and has given you a unique quest.-

    -Unique Quest, Taunting the Former Egyptian High Priest.-

    -During the previous Legacy Strife, Ragnar and his army, under the orders of Odin, battled against the forces of Osarseph. After a lengthy war and heavy losses on both sides, Ragnar pinned down Osarseph and his followers before dealing the final blow. As the Goddess Wadjet has already informed Osarseph of your origins as Odin¡¯s Charge, he will be exclusively trying to kill you as a means for revenge against Ragnar.-

    -One thing Ragnar was able to figure out early in their battle was that the more he taunted his opponent, especially with his signatureugh of ¡°Teehe Haha,¡± the more enraged Osarseph would be. In his rage, the being could not respond appropriately to the advanced war tactics required for victory.-

    -Task: During the battle, use Ragnar¡¯s peculiar form of taunt to disturb your enemy a total of 10 times.-

    -Reward: Unlock Ragnar Lodbrok Memory Fragment 1/5-

    -Don¡¯t worry, Host, you won¡¯t seem¡­entirely crazy.-

    Reading through the notifications, Cynrik wanted to spit blood. Especially when he saw Tobs¡¯ words of ¡°encouragement¡± at the end. A shiver fought its way through his body as Cynrik realized he still had some unresolved trauma from hearing that sadisticugh; even thinking about it made his fingers twitch slightly.

    Just as he finished reading through everything, his attention was grabbed by Brance and Benny moving into action, so he tapped on Gabby¡¯s shoulder lightly twice, informing her to get ready to shoot, and waited for Osarseph to drop the Totems. His prediction was correct as not even a minuteter, the Shaman created five distinct constructs, and on Cynrik¡¯s signal, all five were destroyed just as swiftly as they hade into existence.

    Knowing their cover had been blown, Cynrik quickly scooped up Gabby and flitted from roof to roof,nding several buildings away but still within range of their opponent.

    The two watched as the battle between Benny, Brance, and Osarseph progressed. Finally, when the boss summoned his Golems forth, Cynrik turned to Gabby and spouted a couple of orders before jumping to a different rooftop.

    Hiding in the shadows of an alley between two huts, Cynrik stalked forward and waited for the Golems to form ultimately. Even though his idea slightly went against his n of not letting the boss power-up, he, for some reason, wanted to not only defeat Osarseph but also break his will in the process. So, exhaling slowly and calcting the distance between himself and the four still forming Earth Golems, Cynrik started channeling his Mana into four distinct balls of [ckFire]. However, he didn¡¯t stop there; using his previous experience during the steam cloud event, he calmed his mind and remembered what it felt like to use his H¨²efl¨²r. Hisst use had been unintentional and fueled by rage, but he could still remember the odd sensation he felt during that time.

    ¡®Tobs said I shouldn¡¯t be able to use them yet, but I was still able to. That means there will probably be some kind of key to activating them, and as I kind of just brute-forced my way inst time, it may be harder to use them now.¡¯

    Holding up his hands in front of his face, Cynrik examined the faint off-colored patterns weaving their way around the entirety of the backside of his hand. Then, slowly, he curled his fingers in towards his palm and formed a fist before tightly clenching it. As he did so, the four balls of fire hovering just above Cynrik¡¯s body rippled as if a gust had been blown on them from nowhere.

    ¡®The H¨²efl¨²r allows me to Manipte and form Mana as I see fit, by that theory, so long as it came from my own Codex, I shouldn¡¯t have any issues using a low stage H¨²efl¨²r to reshape my attacks.¡¯

    Thinking through the process, Cynrik turned his left fist on its side and slightly lowered his right. Then, exhaling slowly and allowing his Mana to freely coarse through his body, Cynrik raised his left elbow up towards his cheek while turning his hips, taking a basic Archer stance.

    ¡®So if I will it to be, it shall.¡¯

    With that final thought, Cynrik extended his index and middle fingers simultaneously, forming a cross shape, with the second knuckles from his left hand resting just under the ones on his right index finger. Upon his fingers making contact, Cynrik¡¯s H¨²efl¨²r lit up. If it weren¡¯t for his [Cloak of Shadows] being active, all eyes would have turned to face Cynrik in the alley he was hiding, as right now, he was glowing like a beacon.

    With narrowed eyes, Cynrik formed the shape of a fire arrow within his mind and was amazed to see the four fireballs above his head mold into exact replicas of what he envisioned. But Cynrik¡¯s observations were cut short as the four golems had finished their formation and were standing imposingly waiting for themands from their maker.

    Grinning evilly, Cynrik drew back his arm as if he were holding a bow, causing a reaction from the newly formed [ckFire] arrows. They shook slightly and moved backward, mimicking the movements Cynrik was making as he rested the backside of his wrist against his left brow.

    ¡°Heh,¡± Using [Mana Sight], Cynrik mumbled under his breath; he had located the weak point, the ball-shaped Core within the chest cavity of the golem. Then, Cynrik snapped his fingers on his left hand into a fist, releasing the tension on the ming arrowsunching them into the chests of each golem.

    BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM

    Each arrow met its desired target, forcing its way through the rugged rockyers and into the chassis within the chest cavity that housed the Core. The attack shattered all four Golems¡¯ Cores, forcing them to self-destruct, creating a powerful shock wave that sent Osarseph soaring.

    This was the moment that Cynrik uttered the firstugh.

    ¡°Teehe, Haha!¡±

    The instant it left his lips, Cynrik kicked off the ground and proceeded to move through the alleyway between buildings. However, since the system registered his attacks as four instead of a single one, his skill was automatically canceled, leaving him out in the open and forced to use the huts for cover.

    nking around, Osarseph, who was struggling to get to his feet, Cynrik slid to a stop, cupped his hands around his mouth, and once again performed Ragnar¡¯s taunt. This time, however, he got a reaction from his target.

    ¡°BASTARD NORSEMAN PAGAN SCUM, WHERE ARE YOU!¡±

    The curses brought a faint smile to Cynrik¡¯s lips as he recast [Cloak of Shadows] and went in for the attack.

    After Cynrik¡¯s spur-of-the-moment improv attack, Brance and Benny didn¡¯t want to be left behind. Both of them could tell how well Cynrik¡¯s strange manner of taunting was working on Osarseph, so they used that instant to rush forward and deal some damage themselves. Unfortunately, they ran upon an enraged bull¡­er¡­lizard.

    Having been wholly tilted emotionally by Cynrik, Osarseph was having none of Brance and Benny¡¯s little interference game, and heshed out a violent strike with his Staff, only to have it bounced off Brance¡¯s shield and deflected upward. Brance flowed forward and knelt down, allowing Benny to use his back as a step, to which Benny did just that; running forward, he jumped off Brance and shed Osarseph across his chest, shredding the robes he was wearing but leaving the boss rtively unscathed.

    [Seriously, Cyn, this short person shit is getting old fast.] Branceined as he bounced back to his feet and started trading blows with Osarseph.

    [No shit, I honestly am tired of having to jump around like a rabbit every time I fight, I just wanna be able to run forward and attack without having to calcte my angle of attack and trajectory every time. OI OI, WATCH OUT FOR THE TAIL]

    BOOOM

    Brance stood firm but was forcefully pushed back several steps because he blocked a head-on-tail strike.

    [OOF, this fucker hits hard.] Shaking his head and wearing his regr battle junkie expression that he didn¡¯t even know he did duringbat, Brance quipped

    [Hmmm, we should target the tail then¡­hey¡­Brance¡­do you thin¡­]

    BOOM

    [SHUT UP CYNRIK WE AREN¡¯T GUNNA EAT HIS TAIL!] Brance could picture his brother wiping drool from his mouth as he stared at Osarseph¡¯s tail, making him frown and m both Shields into the muscr tail in front of him.

    [LISSSSTTEEEENNN, Hearrr me out Brancie.]

    [NO!]

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

    Current Power Stones 151

    250 Power Stones 1 Bonus Chapter (iplete)

    500 Powerstones 2 Bonus Chapter (Iplete)

    750 Power Stones 3 Bonus Chapters (Iplete)

    1000 Power Stones 4 Bonus Chapters (Iplete)

 Chapter 137

    The pair of Brance and Benny quickly started linking up their movements as the battle progressed. When one wouldsh out, the other would move just enough out of the way to not get hit before following up with an attack of their own.

    The constant influx of attacks bombarding him from all sides threw Osarseph for a loop, and panic set in rather quickly. Even in the wars, he had fought, he was never toyed with as he was currently being. Each move he made was either dodged, parried, or countered instantly, and that¡¯s only talking about the two Warriors standing in front of him. However, there was still the hidden threat from the Archer and Mage that he couldn¡¯t ignore.

    The only positive thing was the amount of damage he was sustaining wasn¡¯t intolerable. So far, the only strike that had actually hurt was the arrow to his calf. Thankfully, his scales were able to stop the bulk of injuries he would have incurred.

    Having enough of the two flies buzzing around and chipping away at his body, Osarseph mmed his staff on the ground, creating a pulse wave in the stone. ¡°[Sinking Stone]¡± his voice reached Brance¡¯s ears a second toote. By the time he realized what was going on, Brance¡¯s left foot was already knee-deep into the ground, and his right was submerged to his shin.

    Benny was in worse shape; he had beennding from a previous assault when the ground underfoot melted, so he was currently struggling to keep his head and arms above the liquidized ground. He looked to Brance for help but was shocked to see even he had been trapped and was wearing an expression of anger.

    Brance wasn¡¯t only mad about being trapped, but for some reason, even though he had an Earth Affinity, he couldn¡¯t free himself. It was as if this stone wasn¡¯t actually stone; his Affinity seemed to have zero effect on it.

    [Cyn, little help here?] Holding his arms and shields to the side in an attempt to stay still, Brance shot a message over to Cynrik.

    [We have bigger problems¡­] Cynrik¡¯s reply was followed by a massive explosion which Brance couldn¡¯t see the source of as it was behind him.

    After Osarseph finished activating [Sinking Stone], he began moving his arms in circles and chanting. Each syble created paled Orange runic letters to appear in the air around him.

    Leaving Gabby behind, Cynrik moved with [Mana Sight] active. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t take long for him to get close enough to Osarseph to read these runic letters, and the results made Cynrik break into a cold sweat. Between the passive use of [Language Proficiency] and piecing together basic mythical themes, Cynrik was able to get a rough idea of what was about to happen, and it freaked him out.

    ¡®This mother fucker is trying to summon a fucking Basilisk; what the hell.¡¯ Speeding up, Cynrik unsheathed his Kodachis and went on the offensive, but as he drew closer to Osarseph, a glint shined in his eyes as he saw ten different totems ced in a triangle around his target.

    ¡®WHEN THE FUCK DID HE PULL ALL THIS OFF? Did he set up some kind of trap that we fell into?¡¯ Cynrik had kept an eye on Osarseph since the battle began, yet somehow, the Shaman had slipped not one but ten different Totems under his nose and ced them in a specific pattern. His mind spun on all cylinders as he split part of his attention to rey the fight so far. As he did so, Cynrik bit his lip, jumped back onto a hut, and went to grab Gabby.

    Cynrik didn¡¯t slow down as he approached the little girl and just casually reached out while he zipped by grabbing her by the hips and pulling her into his embrace. It took all of Gabby¡¯s willpower not to scream in terror. If she hadn¡¯t known the blur moving towards her was Cynrik, she, in fact, WOULD have screamed, but seeing how he didn¡¯t slow down, Gabby realized Cynrik hade up with some kind of n on the spot, and there was no time to exin.

    Making his way back above the Totems, Cynrik deposited Gabby in ce, and upon spotting the 10 Totems, her eyes went wide momentarily before narrowing. Cynrik nodded in approval as he watched her nock an arrow and take aim. Then, shifting his attention to Brance and Benny, who appeared quiteically stuck in the quicksand-like ground, he smirked before firing off a volley of [ckFire] at the Totem. The instant the fireballs left Cynrik, they were trailed by just as many arrows; smirking to himself, he uttered Ragnar¡¯s taunt for the fourth time, ¡°Teehe haha!¡± A massive explosion urred secondster.

    The shockwave generated by the simultaneous destruction of all 10 Totems was enough to shatter the spell formation Osarseph had been attempting to make, as well as cause him to spit up green blood. However, that wasn¡¯t the end of his bad luck either. All his effort in passively leading his attackers to the prenned location had failed, and the loss of concentration broke his [Sinking Ground] skill, which allowed Brance and Benny to pull themselves free from their restraints.

    Feeling his Mana dip below the 45% range, Cynrik quickly leveled up to 19 and tossed the extra points into INT, increasing his Mana pool by 115 points. His eyes flicked to the HUD over top of Osarseph¡¯s head. Although the battle had gone on for nearly 20 minutes, they had only chipped away around 25% of his health. The problemy in the minimal amount of damage they could deal with him and his high regeneration. For every 10 points of damage they did, he would instantly heal back 3 to 4 points.

    Cynrik knew he would have to y a more active role if they were going to win, so he kicked off the roof and darted towards Osarseph, who was struggling to get back to his feet and looking like he had been through hell. A quick observation revealed that most of the scales over his vital areas had some kind of damage or wear on them, and fine cracks were visible all over. In addition, his robes were in tatters, exposing a significant portion of his dulled Orange scales. His tail had several chips and chunks cut out of it, and Cynrik even spotted some teeth lying around the area.

    He could tell that the opponent was slowing down as well. The bacsh Osarseph had received from failing his summon was more significant than expected, and it could be seen in the lethargic movements the Shaman was making.

    Putting all these thoughts to the back of his mind, Cynrik flitted forward at greater speed and got close enough to unleash a flurry of strikes on Osarsephs calves just like before, paying extra attention to the one that had been pierced by Gabby¡¯s arrow earlier.

    Each time his de struck, Cynrik uttered the now haunting taunt.

    ¡°Teehe, Haha!¡±

    SLASH

    Cynrik slid on his left knee in the first strike while cing his left hand on the ground. Then, drifting around Osarseph, he came around behind the being and hacked at his right calf before following up with an elbow strike to Osarseph¡¯s knee.

    Time seemed to move in slow motion as the wide-eyed Osarseph felt the bite of Cynrik¡¯s Kodachi and looked at the blood gushing from his calf followed by a crushing strike to his knee, which dropped him down.

    ¡°Teehe, HAHA!¡±

    SLASH

    The second strike was linked right after the first, still sliding around. Cynrik bounced up to his feet and moved like a gymnast, twisting his whole body tightly and delivering a sharp elbow strike to Osarsephs right kidney; this was subsequently followed up with another sh to his left calf.

    The kidney attack forced a mouth full of blood to be spat by Osarseph as his body seemed to shut down from the chain of attacks targeting specific points of his body. He struggled to turn and catch the being who seemed to move like a ghost, silently and invisibly as he attacked.

    By this point, Cynrik¡¯s [Cloak of Shadows] had already dispursed, but he was unhindered, as this was his n from the start. Reaching out and catching the taller being by the shoulder, Cynrik propelled himself forward and dug his Mana-infused hidden de deep into Osarseph¡¯s upper bicep.

    ¡°TEE HE HAHA!¡±

    Dragging the de through the scales kicked up sparks, and Cynrik knew it would do some damage to his de, but he did stop until he felt the de connect with bone; only then did he remove the steaming Fire infused hidden de from Osarseph¡¯s arm.

    This move ced him directly in front of Osarseph, allowing their eyes to meet for the first time. Terror, anger, pain, these three things were visible within Osarseph¡¯s eyes as he finally saw for the first time the being he was supposed to be dishing revenge upon. To his dismay, every scheme he concocted was thwarted by this being and his group. His eyes narrowed to slits as he watched the ck haired boy with violet highlights and icy, emotionless eyes float effortlessly from his left arm towards his right in slow motion.

    ¡°Teehe, haha!¡±

    Those Icy eyes seemed to gloat when the words left the boy¡¯s lips. Osarseph knew what wasing next, and no matter how hard he tried to avoid it, he soon felt the sharp sting of a de digging into his flesh.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 138

    Osarseph couldn¡¯t understand where it all went wrong. His n to defeat these ants seemed wless. However, his mind was hazy as Cynrik drew back his arm, withdrawing the hidden de from Osarsephs right shoulder with a loud spurt.

    Finishing his chain of attacks, Cynrik nted his Kodachi into the ground and used it as a stop stick. This allowed him to create enough resistance to push his weight against so that he could turn his entire body and deliver a devastating spinning back kick to Osarseph¡¯s upper body.

    CRACK

    The blow generated an ear-shattering crack as Cynrik¡¯s leg connected with Osarsephs torso with enough force to break a multitude of the scalesyered across its surface and rocket the Shaman backward through the air.

    ¡°Tee¡­huff¡­he¡­haha.¡± Landing on the ground and huffing for air, Cynrik spat out the 9thugh and observed Osarseph¡¯s motionless body as it flew through the air several meters before eventuallying to a violent stop. Cynrik had ced his kick well, as the angle of impact was enough to pinball Osarseph off not one but two huts, which now sported giant lizard-sized dents in their rocky exteriors. Eventually, he came to a stop, buried within the rubble of a third hut.

    [Get ready for phase two; this bastard dropped to 45% HP after mybo.] shing both Kodachis at a downward angle to free the des of any gore or partictes, Cynrik advised Brance, who was standing not far away with Benny, observing the cloud of dust that covered where Osarsephnded.

    [He¡¯s not an Rpg Boss Cyn¡­] Brance started to say but raised his eyebrow in concern as he was cut off by a sudden change urring.

    FWOOSHHHHHH

    RUMBLE, RUMBLE

    A pulse of hot air sted out from the copsed hut where Osarseph was lying, followed by a soft rumbling earthquake. The sounds of bones breaking resounded from within the cloud of dust. Thanks to the fragments of strange stone, Cynrik and Brance were blinded and unable to use their [Mana Sight] to see what was happening, but they had a good idea of what was urring within and went into action instantly.

    Brance spun on his heels, grabbed Benny by the arm, and took off running, while Cynrik kicked off the ground and made his way to Gabby, who was stunned by everything going on and scooped her up into his arms and followed after his brother.

    [Me and my big fucking mouth.] Brance shook his head angrily as he tried to put as much distance between himself and the focal point of the sounds.

    [Hey man, all I said was get ready; you were the one who raised the g.] Cynrik spat angrily. He had a decent idea of what was happening to Osarseph, making him unhappy. Landing on the ground beside Brance, he released Gabby, who swiftly took her ce beside Benny, and drew her bow, aiming at the mushroom cloud appearing 30 meters away.

    All four could faintly see the shadow of a massive creature moving even though it was shrouded in dust and rocky particles. Cynrik¡¯s keen eyes also picked up on the increase in gravity in the area. It was already climbing past 3g and didn¡¯t seem to be stopping there.

    shing back to the moment Osarseph¡¯s body broke through the stone hut and wasying in a heap, in bad shape. Struggling to breathe, he tried to sit up but found his spine had suffered severe damage, paralyzing him from the neck down. The sound of the 9thugh was still ringing in his ears, and he found himself on the edge of a mental breakdown. How was this possible? How could he, a higher lifeform, be so devastatingly defeated by a group of four children?

    Hatred and self-doubt swarmed through his mind like a storm. Never had he experienced such a one-sided defeat. Even during thest Legacy Strife, he was victorious in so many wars that he was thought to be invincible until he came across Ragnar, but even then, the warsted for years.

    -If you wish for power, simply give yourself over to me, my beloved Charge.-

    The gentle, melodious voice of Wadjet melted away all the pain Osarseph felt in an instant.

    ¡°Po¡­wer¡­¡± His glistening eyes threatened to spill over with tears. This was something she hadn¡¯t offered him in the past, but now that he was on the cusp of once again losing, she extended an offer he couldn¡¯t resist.

    He had already died and became a part of her once; although he fought kicking and screaming the whole time, what difference did it make if he caved in and gave himself over to her entirely.

    ¡°Y¡­es my Goddess.¡±

    FWOOSHHHHHH

    Feeling as if a 10-ton boulder hit him, Osarseph was faintly aware of the changes his body was undergoing. Yet, all he could hear was the soothing faint humming of Wadjet within his mind. He could feel his broken scales shedding and his body elongating. His jaw seemed to unhinge itself, and dozens of sword-length sharp teeth grew inside his mouth. His legs merged with his tail, forming a long muscr lower body, while his shoulders dislocated and relocated several times, widening his wingspan by several times.

    [Any ideas?] Brance took the momentary break inbat to merge his shields into one and looked behind at Benny and Gabby to make sure their equipment was still good to go.

    [As much as I want to say we should rush in and stop whatever transformation he¡¯s going through, we cant. As earlier with the Divine Ascension, the gravity surrounding him is too intense for Gabby and Benny and has already reached the limit of what we could take. Thankfully it leveled off at 7g but still.] Flourishing both Kodachi, Cynrik sheathed them and crossed his arms.

    [Just based on what that pressure feels like, I can assume his bitch of a Deity is helping him, which is bullshit. So much for not interfering in the world of mortals. She should be ashamed of herself. To make matters worse, we can¡¯t get a read on his new strength yet because all the damn stone fragments in the air render our ocr skills useless.] Clicking his tongue, Cynrik turned and faced the party.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to break through the cap, guys. So we are moving up the ns.¡±

    Gabby and Benny silently nodded, but Brance hesitated.

    ¡°Are you sure? If we do it too early, we lose our reserve tanks.¡±

    Brance¡¯s opposition caused the Sanfords to stop their hands from pressing the level-up button on their interface.

    Cynrik was silent as he stared meaningfully at his brother. Brance was right to some extent. However, Cynrik knew that he was taking a risk by having everyone power up at this point in the fight. If it was too early, they ran the risk of running out of Mana and Stamina, rendering them helpless inbat. On the other hand, depending on howrge of a power increase Osarseph experienced, they would most likely require increased stats to survive.

    Cynrik chewed on the inside of his cheek while tossing a sidelong nce at the shadowy figure slithering not far away.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s now or never, Brancie. If we wait and try fighting whateveres out of that cloud, the odds of things getting out of hand are too high. We can assume that Osarseph will receive some kind of power boost, and with our current stats, im not so sure we could cause enough damage to him within a reasonable timeframe.¡±

    ¡°His regeneration was already monstrous before; what¡¯s to say it hasn¡¯t scaled up along with his size. That¡¯s why I am having you all boost yourselves now. Initially, I had two ideas; one involved you all firing off your strongest Mana-based attacks before withdrawing and powering up. But unfortunately, it adds too much inconsistency to the picture. So it¡¯ll be just me.¡±

    Brance fell silent at his brother¡¯s exnation. He knew Cynrik had a point. What his brother had left up to interpretation was that even if Gabby, Benny, and himself,bined their most potent attacks, it still didn¡¯t stack up to the power Cynrik could exert with his Fyrstr Form.

    ¡°Fine, we will do as you say, but Cyn¡­don¡¯t get hurt too badly.¡± Then, giving in to Cynrik¡¯s demands, Brance motioned for Gabby and Benny to follow him safely away from Cynrik, as he had experienced the full ¡°glory¡± of his older brother¡¯s attack and knew it couldn¡¯t differentiate between friend or foe.

    ¡°Heh, always gotta be the overprotective one, haha.¡± Cynrik watched the backs of his party members as they moved away with a smirk.

    ¡®Hey Tobs, my Kodachi should be able to handle the full brunt of my entire Mana pool, right?¡¯

    -Although I advise that you DON¡¯T expend your entire Mana pool at one time, yes. Your Cold-Steel Tri-Elemental Twin-Kodachi¡¯s have been crafted to withstand the fusion of elements, let alone singr elements with a point cap of over 4000. It will have no issue handling your measly less than 2000 MP-

    ¡®Oi Tobs, it¡¯s not the size that matters; it¡¯s how you use it; I take offense to that.¡¯ Cynrik chuckled to himself as Tobs bullied him once again.

    ¡°Yosh, time to get serious.¡± Tilting his head down and to the left, releasing a pop from his neck, Cynrik drew his Kodachi and took the opening stance for his Fyrstr Form.

    ¡®Tobs, I will need your help for this one; I want to leave 10 points in my pool so I don¡¯t pass out with the remaining pool being split in half and diverted to one de each.¡¯

    Tobs obeyed, and Cynrik could feel the Mana change into three distinct vortexes within his Codex, which made him smile. From the beginning, Cynrik had always been hesitant to rely too much on his system. One thing he feared was ending up like those shitty protagonists who were useless the second they lost their system; thus, Cynrik had always kept a level of distance between himself and Tobs.

    However, things had changed. With the reveal of the LS and the bullshittery of the Deities, he now felt that other than Brance, he could put a bit more trust in Tobs, as it was a Neutral party that exclusively existed only to help him without any ulterior motives.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg)

 Chapter 139

    With constricted pupils, and veins bulging, Cynrik¡¯s Codex heated up like an engine and pumped Mana throughout his body and into the two Cold-Steel Tri-Elemental Twin-Kodachi¡¯s. His remaining 1608 MP was evenly split into 800 two times before Affinities were added to the fundamental Mana, generating 800 MP of Fire and 800 Wind. The leftover 8 points were kept in reserve so that Cynrik wouldn¡¯t pass out due to Mana Depletion, as he had in the past. However, with such a small amount left, he did not doubt that he would need a hardcore power nap once the adrenaline wore off unless he leveled up.

    Afraid to even burn a minute amount of Mana activating any of his ocr skills, Cynrik red in concentration at the massive shadowy figure wriggling around within the dust cloud.

    ¡®Based on the artictions the body is making, it appears to be some kind of humanoid serpent. It makes sense since the bastard is the Charge of the so-called Cobra Goddess; it¡¯s not too big a leap to associate any transformations he could go through as being slithery in nature.¡¯

    As Cynrik analyzed the sightsid out not far away, his eyes calmly flicked back and forth between his two swords. Since it was the first time he was merging so much Mana into them, he was curious about what changes they would undergo. Tobs had stated the CS Kodachis could easily handle 4000 MP, so adding 800 was just shy of 25% of their overload limit.

    Moving his line of sight away from the glowing Kodachi¡¯s, Cynrik double-checked his MP expenditure, and after noting that everything was fine and 500 points had smoothly made their way into the swords, he exhaled a tired sigh. Unfortunately, without any way to tell precisely how long it would take for Osarseph toplete his idiotic transformation, Cynrik could only make a gamble. This was another reason he had shooed away his party. By standing alone in the open, seemingly upied, there was a decent chance that he could effectively turn himself into bait for their enraged opponent.

    Osarseph made it perfectly clear during the scuffle earlier that Cynrik was his actual target. However, the moment he started spouting Ragnar¡¯s taunt, Osarseph was so tilted that he basically ignored the existence of Gabby, Benny, and Brance. This relieved a significant amount of pressure off them, especially Gabby, who was as twitchy as a rabbit, ready to evacuate at a moment¡¯s notice.

    Still, something felt off the more Cynrik pondered thest 30 minutes ofbat. From start to finish, their opponent, who was supposed topletely outss them in everything frombat experience to Tier and Stats, was too easily manipted. As one of the backliners, Cynrik monitored Brance and Benny¡¯s HP, so he knew just how much damage they were absorbing each time they blocked one of the Shaman¡¯s attacks, and only one word came to mindckluster.

    Sure, a lot of it had to do with the fact that Osarseph wasn¡¯t necessarily a ¡°powerhouse,¡± but he was still physically more robust than all the members of MyrkLys, even if he didn¡¯t have a lot of points distributed into his STR.

    ¡®Wait¡­it can¡¯t be that the physical adjustments to being in a new body were that detrimental, could it?¡¯

    The longer he stayed on the topic, the more convinced he became. The signs were all there; in the beginning, each of Osarsephs movements seemed somewhat sluggish, even if he could mask it with his stats. But, to Cynrik¡¯s keen eyesight, it was still there.

    ¡®The only time he seemedfortable when attacking was when he used that tail. Any other movements, from walking to punching or kicking, they all seemed to have some kind ofg or time dy, as if his brain was moving much quicker than his body could react.¡¯

    Upon reaching this conclusion, Cynriks mouth formed an ¡°O¡± as his mind reeled in surprise.

    ¡®MOTHER FUCKER, THIS GUY WAS A UBER HIGH TIER, LIKE SOMETHING IN THE REALM OF 5 OR 6. It all makes sense; his brain still reacts to things as if his body can keep up, but it cant. The mind of a High Tier, with the body of a low Tier, it¡¯s no wonder we were able to gain ground and beat him to a pulp without much difficulty.

    FWOOOOOSHHHHH

    Another st of hot air created rings in the dust and pushed Cynrik back several paces with his feet dug into the dirt; he slid instead of taking steps back.

    ¡®He¡¯s getting stronger, fuck, at this rate, I won¡¯t have a choice.¡¯ Cynrik¡¯s eyes flicked back toward his Status, and he noticed his MP was almostpletely drained.

    ¡®800 may not be enough, TSK; it¡¯s now, or never I guess.¡¯ Not waiting any longer, Cynrik posed a question to his system.

    ¡®Tobs. Can you allocate my inputs for me since I can¡¯t move?¡¯

    -So long as the Host authorizes me, I can make the necessary changes you wish.-

    ¡®Excellent, I need you to allocate all avable XP in my pool into Main Level, bringing me to the Cap and as high as possible in Prestige levels.¡¯

    -Authorization for Remote interface adjustments received.-

    -You have used 184,912 XP on Main Level.-

    -You have leveled up.-

    -Avable XP 2,353,024.-

    -You have used 201,722 XP on Main Level.-

    -Avable XP 2,151,302.-

    -You have reached the Cap of Tier-1.-

    -You have unlocked the Prestige Mode for Tier-1.-

    -Prestige Mode: Upon reaching the predetermined Level Cap, the Host can not level up until theyplete their evolution to the next Tier. However, they can still acquire XP and continue filling their XP bar. Upon filling the barpletely, the Host will receive 3 Skill points and 8 Stat Points on top of the regr level-up build allocation points.

    -The regr build allocation points will continue to be distributed until the Host Reaches the cap for Tier-1 Prestige Mode, evolves to Tier-2, or all of their Stats reach the cap of 300 points.-

    -This excludes hidden Stats such as Killing Intent and Willpower.-

    -The Cap for Tier-1 is 25.-

    Cynrik clenched his teeth and readied himself for the world of pain he was about to experience.

    -You have authorized the expenditure of XP into Prestige Mode Levels.-

    -You have assigned 2,017,220 XP into Prestige.-

    -Avable XP 134,082.-

    -You have leveled up to 10th Prestige.

    -You have obtained 30 SP and 80 Stat points.-

    -You have obtained 15 points in STR, INT, VIT, and MIND.-

    -You have obtained 55 points in DEX.-

    -You have obtained 35 points in AGI.-

    -Your DEX and AGI Stats have reached the cap and checkpoint of 300 points.-

    Feeling his legs go weak for a second, Cynrik had to fight to stay standing in the proper stance for his Fyrstr form.

    ¡®T¡­t¡­Tobs, clear up all the stats that indicate 0.5 by splitting single Stat points in half.¡¯ Finding it difficult to think properly, Cynrik took a bit to get out what he wanted to be done next.

    -2 of the Host¡¯s Stat points have been split into 0.5 and added to STR, INT, VIT, and MIND.-

    Next, Cynrik quickly did some math in his head. Byparing Gabby and Benny¡¯s Stat growth to his own and Brance¡¯s, Cynrik had realized some mistakes had been made. These mistakes inevitably led to arge chunk of Stat points being wasted on Stats that would have otherwise reached the cap on their own. So, learning from his past actions, Cynrik worked out the specific number of points allocated to each Stat, allowing for as little waste as possible. The end result was he needed to add 8.5 points to STR, 38.5 points to INT, 48.5 points to VIT, andstly, 58.5 points needed to be added into his MIND stat. Seeing how he currently only had 88 free Stat points, Cynrik made a quick mental note.

    Breathing raggedly, he tossed another nce at where he knew Osarseph was and activated [Mana Sight]. Now that he had replenished his MP again, Cynrik was a bit more flexible with his expenditure. Overseeing the swirling cloud, he again dished out some orders for Tobs to execute.

    ¡®Tobs, add 8 points into STR, and 26 points each to INT, VIT, and MIND.¡¯

    -Allocationsplete.-

    Inhaling through his nose Cynrik held his breath for a second, enjoying the surge of energy flowing through his body, and exhaled slowly before looking over at his Stat profile.

    : STATS :

    : HP 3700/3700 :

    : Mana 2140/2140 :

    : Stamina 1850/1850 :

    : Stat Points- 2 :

    : Skill Points- 131 :

    : Strength- 277 : (Mental Note- 0.5 points left.)

    : Dexterity- 300 :

    : Agility- 300 :

    : Intelligence- 265 : (Mental Note- 12.5 points left)

    : Vitality- 255 : (Mental Note-22.5 points left)

    : Mind- 245 : (Mental Note-32.5 points left)

    : Will Power- 13 :

    : Killing Intent- 325 ¨C 4.5G :

    ¡®YOOSH, looks good, except for STR, of course, but now isn¡¯t the time for my Numerical OCD to kick in.¡¯ A strange glint passed through Cynrik¡¯s eyes as he tried his hardest to ignore the ringly obvious outlier that was his STR Stat, and he did so by setting about adding another 200 MP into both swords, bringing their total charge to 1k.

    ¡®C¡¯mon, you stupid bastard, finish your shit up so I can fry up that tasty-looking tail of yours. I wonder what it will be like; hm, maybe it¡¯ll taste like gator jerky. That¡¯s just about the only snack from Earth I miss.¡¯ Wiping the metaphorical drool from his mouth with the crease of his elbow, Cynrik smirked and activated [Cloak of Shadows]. His reason for doing this was simple. His new Stats and the revtions he had figured out made him realize there was no point in acting like bait. That, and he could see the Gravitational pressure dwindling down rapidly.

    Just as his body vanished, arge st of hot air tore through the dust, followed by a massive green and scaled orange tail that mmed onto the ce Cynrik was previously standing.

    BOOOOOOMMMM

    ¡°HHHHHHHHHHHHSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! NORSSSEMAN, YOUR TIME HASSSS COME!¡± The chaotic strange, hissing voice of the newly transformed Osarseph broke the silence.

    He hadpleted his transformation, causing the fight to enter Round 2.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 140

    ¡°HHHHHHHHHHHHSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! NORSSSEMAN, YOUR TIME HASSSS COME!¡± The chaotic strange, hissing voice of the newly transformed Osarseph broke the silence and sounded like nails on a chalkboard to Cynrik¡¯s ears. The weirdest part about the new voice was that it sounded like a poorly spliced sound byte between a soft, female voice and a vicious beast.

    His senses had picked up on the sudden movements appearing within the cloud, and with the activation of [Cloak of Shadows], Cynrik burst into motion, kicking off the ground and bouncing backward out of harm¡¯s way.

    The sound of scales scratching on stone made themselves prevalent as the hulking newly transformed body of Osarseph emerged from the dust and peered at the crater created by his tail. A slight twitch rippled across Osarseph¡¯s tightened facial skin as he noticed his attack hadn¡¯t hit anything, and he whipped his hooded head around, looking for the annoying child. His frustration grew as he came up empty. It was as if the boy had vanished, solidifying the fact that Osarseph had surmised early on in their battle. ¡®He has a perfect stealth skill; I can¡¯t even taste his scent.¡¯

    Several dozen meters away, Cynrik took in the sight of the hulking 8-meter tall half snake half man being. The former frilling ppy skin around his neck, which was a symbol of his lineage, was gone and in its ce was a magnificent cobra hood. His pupils constricted as one word came to mind, ¡°Naga.¡± Although a little different from what he expected, the basics were all there. Upper body like a human, lower body of a snake, it was enough for Cynrik to ce this ssification on Osarseph¡¯s new form.

    The subtle differences were noticeable, though, instead of being half-human, its upper body still carried an overwhelming number of Reptilian Kobold characteristics. In addition, the tattered robes were gone, exposing an array of newly grown shiny orange and green scales. At a nce, Cynrik estimated that their defensive properties had increased by double, and even though he had nothing to really base this theory on, his gut was telling him that it would be a pain to break through them.

    He was still sporting the weirdly lizard-like snout, which seemed very out of ce considering Osarseph was basically a giant person cobra thing now; however, instead of normal nostrils, the tip of his snout was adorned with two serpent slits.

    Finally, his eyes drifted to Osarseph¡¯s impressive shoulders; much like Saiyan armor, he was sporting strange body protrusions that extended out over his arms. However, this shoulder armor was lined with spikes with an unknown purple liquid that Cynrik could only judge as poison, leaking from each spike.

    [Cyn, we are ready on our end; Gabby is charging up her [Confusion], and after reaching Tier-1.5, its strength has increased dramatically.

    On queue, Cynrik moved into action. Sliding his left foot forward, he began going through the steps to execute his attack. Rolling his wrists in a clockwise rotation, he crossed both his arms forming a cross with both des t sides resting against each other inches away from his face. He could feel the faint heat radiating from his shorter Kodachi, and a fresh spring breeze emanated from the longer of the two. His eyes caressed the length of his two swords, reading each of the glowing runic inscriptions with a content expression.

    [1k MP in each de, let¡¯s make a scene!] Grinning like a psychopath, Cynrik stomped the ground with enough force to create cracks in the stone and rushed at the Naga Shaman; in the process, he dropped his stealth skill revealing himself to the giant Osarseph.

    ¡°FOUNNNNNDDD YOUUUUUSSSS!¡± Spitting out each word Osarseph too charged at the small boy, but his slit-like pupils constricted a secondter as he felt the massive amount of Manaing from the two swords in Cynrik¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Teehe HAHA!¡±

    ¡°NORSSSSSSSMAN!¡± Two beams of pea soup-colored light fired from Osarsephs eyes as once again the sound of the obnoxiousughter reached his ears. But to his Dismay, Cynrik quickly sidestepped thesesers and continued his charge.

    ¡°Bl¨®erauer Banamaer.¡± Cynrik spun his Kodachi¡¯s, leaving a glowing after-effect trail using a calm and collected tone.

    ¡°Fyrstr Form¡± Fire and Wind Mana erupted visibly from his des, creating a stunning light effect like never before. Previously, the most Cynrik had charged into this attack was only around 500 MP, yet now, he was expending a full 2k MP.

    Sensing danger, Osarseph wheeled backward on his tail and tried to get out of the line of fire he predicted was impending.

    ¡°SUN CYCLONE!¡± shing at downward angles, a massive firey X formed ahead of Cynrik, but this was just the beginning. A small tornado swiftly formed within the center of the ming X, growing as it took in more oxygen until it became a raging horizontal fire tornado. Sliding to a stop, Cynrik focused on articting his swords in a rotating fashion, causing the chaotic storm of fire to spin faster and faster as it grew to its peak of 20-meters long by 8-meters wide.

    The Fire Cyclone traveled at breakneck speed, destroying everything in its path as it traveled along the ground.

    In terror, Osarseph mmed against several huts in an attempt to escape, but just as he saw the light ahead, a sweet young voice rang out from beside him as he passed by.

    ¡°[CONFUSION].¡±

    His eyes widened as he turned his head just enough to see a small girl standing on the roof just behind him as she fired a person-sized orb of pink light at his head. Unable to react in time, all he could do was close his eyes and cross his arms over his head. To his surprise, he felt no pain; instead, he experienced what felt like a ssh of warm water on his forearms, but this was the beginning of the end; Osarseph just didn¡¯t know it yet.

    ¡°NOW!¡± Gabby screamed at Brance and Benny, who quickly jumped to separate buildings and began unleashing skill after skill like turrets. However, that wasn¡¯t all they did. The three of them also linked up and activated their Killing Intent seamlessly as if they had practiced it for years. Even though the Sanford siblings had limited themselves to exerting 3g, it was plenty as Brance picked up the ck between the two of them, and together the three exerted an impressive 9g of Gravitation force on the 8-meter tall hulking Naga.

    Osarseph felt as if the world wasing down around him; his head was thrown into disarray, as he was instantly afflicted by the Confused status, followed by the bone-crushing pressure of 9g. The instant the force descended on his body, Osarseph felt himself go airborne as he fell and mmed face-first onto the hard rocky ground and slid to a stop.

    ¡°GRAHHHHHHHHHH YOUUUU FILLLTHHYYY ANTSSSSSSS!¡± With his ears ringing loudly and blood pouring from the slits on his face, which represented his nostrils, Osarseph tore at the scales on his head and began thrashing about violently. To him, it felt as if everything had gone topsyturvy. He wanted to move his left arm, but instead, the tip of his tail twitched, mming into the ground. When he tried to move his head, he could feel his genitals twitch instead.

    Then came the pain of Benny and Brance¡¯s attacks, dozens of spears formed out of water, and spikes made of stone crashed against his body, making loud bangs upon impact and shaking his whole body. But with his senses going haywire thanks to Gabby, who had immediately switched to her bow and started firing as many arrows as she could, Osarseph couldn¡¯t differentiate between up and down, left or right.

    In his unbridled fury, he felt the scorching heat of Cynrik¡¯s Sun Cyclone approaching, which made him frantic for both escape and revenge. Never in his life had he been backed into such a corner as he was currently. Yet, oddly enough, the parting words of Montu, who he had killed hours earlier, floated to the forefront of his mind. ¡°Be wary of those two; they are cunning and vicious.¡±

    At the time, Osarseph had scoffed and ignored the lower beings¡¯ warning, however now, things were different. Hepletely understood the fear and insanity present in Montu¡¯s eyes. Although his Stats, Tier, and racial traits were all leagues above the two other Legacy Charges, they worked together with the other children in an unforeseen harmony the likes Osarseph had never experienced. And now, as dozens of attacks rained down on his body, chipping away at his HP, and a massive fire tornado was swiftly approaching, he understood¡­he had fucked up in thinking these four beings were mere ants he could simply destroy with a flick of his wrist.

    ¡°NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO¡±

    ¡°OMAE WA MOU!¡± Osarseph was on the edge of insanity due to pain and the status ailment when he heard Cynrik¡¯s chilling voice scream a strange otherworldy phrase.

    Running forward as fast as his legs would carry him, Cynrik shed at the air in a rhythmic pattern causing the Sun Cyclone to respond by breaking away from the ground and angling up at Osarsephs chest. His eyes met the other members of his party, and they all nodded together. Then, the other three charged their strongest attacks together, and Just before they fired, Cynrik, Benny, Gabby, and Brance finished the line together, as Cynrik had jokingly taught it to the Sanfords ages ago.

    ¡°SHINDEIRUUUU!¡±

    FWOOOOOOOOOSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

    BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

    Chaos, destruction, many words describe what happened when all four of MyrkLys¡¯s strongest attacks connected simultaneously with Osarseph. But of all these adjectives, the absolute best one¡­was Devastation.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 141

    FWOOOOOOOOOSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

    BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

    Chaos, destruction, many words describe what happened when all four of MyrkLys¡¯s strongest attacks connected simultaneously with Osarseph. But of all these adjectives, the absolute best one¡­was Devastation.

    Under the effects of Confusion and a strenuous amount of Killing Intent, Osarseph was unable to move an inch, and could only look on in horror as the four beings, sted him with copious amounts of Mana filled strikes. His hard scales could have negated most of the impact if it was only a singr attack. But unfortunately, skills were raining down from every angle. The first to connect was the Sun Cyclone.

    Tearing its way off the ground and swinging the nose of the funnel upward, it mmed violently into Osarseph¡¯s abdomen. The searing head instantly melted the firstyer of scales on the Naga¡¯s body as its rotation and biting winds shredded their way across Osarseph¡¯s entire stomach. The pain was so intense that Osarseph wanted to scream in agony, but he could not.

    The instant he reared his head back to howl in anger, his left shoulder was sted to pieces by a powerfulbination of [Water Whip] and [Wave]. His right was ripped apart by several [Stone Spike]¡¯s, which jutted up from the ground and brutally skewered him in numerous ces ranging from his right hand to his neck.

    Lastly, a torrential downpour of Mana-infused arrows rained down from above, and as if by magic, they swiftly found their way through the explosions of Water, Fire, and Earth skills onto his chest. Then, be it their angle of descent or the simple fact that Gabby was inplete control of her arrows, they spun slightly and dug into the tough scales around Osarseph¡¯s heart and Reverse Scale and pried their way into the flesh.

    MyrkLys watched on as the life left Osarseph¡¯s eyes and the hulking Naga copsed to the ground¡­dead.

    Cynrik was about to exhale when tremors began rumbling throughout the area, knocking him and the other members of MyrkLys to their butts.

    The corpse of Osarseph started glowing in divine light, and the scream of a woman could be heard by all four of them as two bright lights rose out of the Naga¡¯s chest and flew to Cynrik and Brance before merging with them.

    -Subjugation Mission Complete.-

    -You have stolen a Fragment of Divinity from Cobra Goddess Wadjet.-

    [Tobs suppress notifications.]

    Startled by the onught of windows popping up in his face, Cynrik chose to deal with the current situation at hand rather than what he was receiving and struggled back to his feet.

    ¡°MYRKLYS, EVERYONE ON THE BODY AND START STRIPPING FROM IT WHAT YOU CAN!¡± With a sense of urgency, Cynrik went airborne, momentster, his feet touched down on the dead Osarseph¡¯s chest, and he dug his des into the cracked scales around his heart.

    Something was wrong, with his hands moving as quickly as possible; Cynrik dexterously pried off the te armor-like scales while scanning his surroundings with [Mana Sight], what he saw horrified him more than anything else he had ever experienced. From the instant Cynrik stepped foot in the boss room, many thoughts had swirled around in his head about what happens after they beat the boss, and the one he dreaded the most was urring around him as he worked.

    The surroundings were disintegrating. Cynrik¡¯s keen eyesight picked up on the flow of Mana particles breaking down and vanishing everywhere. The severely damaged buildings were disappearing at a visual pace, but that wasn¡¯t all; looking back to therge mound where theva pool was located, Cynrik spotted an immense cloud of ash and volcanic gas rising from the pool. The Dormant Volcano was erupting.

    Hearing the urgency in their leader¡¯s voice, Gabby and Benny jumped off their roofs and set about peeling off scales, while Brance shed away in search of the Bone Staff that Osarseph had seemingly dropped ages ago.

    ¡®Tobs, talk to me; what the fuck is going on?¡¯ Then, splitting his attention away from the task his hands were working on, Cynrik franticly screamed in his mind.

    -The space surrounding the vige is falling apart. This has created a chaotic cluster of Mana that is rapidly destroying everything. Time is running thin; you must vacate the area through the door you entered.-

    ¡®I need more than that, Tobs; what caused this shit to happen?¡¯

    -The divinity you had extracted from Osarseph was what kept this space stable; without it, think of your actions as pulling out an unstable block in a tower; the whole thing ising down. You have essentially removed the anchor point, which kept the vige fixed in ce within the confines of the Boss room. As such, the Central Hub of Vinestra is attempting to rectify the anomaly and return everything back to normal. Unfortunately, that process is not going smoothly, as the divine fragments you and Brance received were actually one-half each of the Egress Core, which had been fused with the Cobra Goddess¡¯s Mana and Divinity.-

    ¡®FUCK, are you telling me that it¡¯s not just this ce, but the whole fucking Egress ising apart at the seams.¡¯

    -It appears so¡­ ¡¥_(-.-)_/¡¥¡­-

    Cynrik¡¯s mouth twitched as he saw Tobs use a shrugging emoji, and he wanted to beat the AI senselessly for making light of the situation. Instead, in his anger, he mmed his Kodachi deep into the chest of the corpse and cut out its heart, which was the size of a human head, and stored it away. Next, he extracted the Codex before jumping to Osarseph¡¯s head.

    Using abination of both Kodachi¡¯s and his Fire Affinity, Cynrik expertly separated the impressive Cobra hood from the corpse and stored it away before looking for his party members.

    Gabby was on the left shoulder, wearing an expression of pure concentration as she used an arrow to cleanly remove all of the non-damaged scales and store them in her inventory. Benny was doing something simr except with more difficulty. He hadn¡¯t removed nearly as many scales but was still working his way around the damage caused by Brance¡¯s [Stone Spike].

    [Where you at, we¡¯ve got big fucking problems here?] Not seeing Brance around, Cynrik tossed a message into the mind link and started working to extricate the sharp teeth within the corpse¡¯s mouth.

    [Doing a final check for anything valuable within the vige, also I snagged that fancy Bone Staff the lizard guy was using.] Brance spoke in a solemn tone as he ran frantically around the town, kicking in the door of every hut and ransacking the buildings.

    [This ce ising down, and there isn¡¯t a damn thing we can do about it. It¡¯s not just the boss room either. Apparently, by killing the boss and stealing the divinity fragments inside him, we have caused irreparable damage to the Egress. As such, the whole fucking thing is breaking apart.] Applying pressure to one of the fangs, Cynrik pulled it out of the corpse¡¯s gums and held it up. The tooth was longer than his Kodachi, and it seemed to be just as sharp.

    [The body?] Brance felt his heart rate speed up at Cynrik¡¯s words, but he still wanted to know how they were doing without his help.

    [It¡¯s OK, the kids are tearing it to pieces, and I took the good parts, we only need a few minutes to finish up. The only problem is I can¡¯t tell how much time we have.] As he spoke, Cynrik¡¯s hands never stopped moving. He had to neutralize the pungent stench and poison coating Osarseph¡¯s mouth with his ckFire as he went, which made the process that much more lengthy.

    CCCCCCCCRRRRRRRACCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKK

    When Cynrik pulled out the final tooth, an intense Cracking sound echoed throughout the area, making everyone flinch and lock up in shock. Everyone except Cynrik, whose face fell as he looked to the sky with concern.

    Above, a thin long spatial crack was ripping through the entirety of the sky above the vige. Even though it was long, the crack was still thin, but what concerned Cynrik the most was the eery cklight beaming from within the narrow crevasse.

    ¡°TIME TO GO, EVERYONE, PACK YOUR SHIT UP!¡± Then, taking charge, Cynrik screamed as loud as he could, drawing the attention of his party, who immediately came back to their senses and ran in his direction.

    In less than 10 seconds, Gabby, Benny, Brance, and Cynrik took off running at full speed in the direction of the entrance they had first arrived. Cynrik and Brance both activated [Haste] on everyone to increase their speed as the two of them could see what Gabby and Benny couldn¡¯t.

    Cynrik and Brance made eye contact for a second before Cynrik smiled weakly and kicked off the ground in the opposite direction, back towards the vige.

    [CYN WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!]

    ¡°HUH?¡±

    ¡°Big Bro Cyn?¡±

    Each of MyrkLys¡¯s members was utterly confused at Cynrik¡¯s sudden shift in direction, and if it weren¡¯t for Brance cing a hand on their backs, Gabby and Benny would have fallen.

    [Get them out of here.]

    Cynrik didn¡¯t bother turning to face them as he came to a stop and stared at the massive tear in the fabric of space above. Cynrik¡¯s pupils contracted as he activated [Mana Sight] and [Inspect]. During the evacuation, he carefully monitored the crack with a sense of dread. Brance hadn¡¯t noticed it, but from within that cklight, Cynrik spotted two massive hands that were attempting to spread the spatial tear and widen it further.

    Exhaling slowly, Cynrik drew his Kodachi and smirked cockily at the enormous crack in space.

    ¡°OI, YOU DUMB BITCH, HURRY THE FUCK UP, I AINT GOT ALL DAY, YOU KNOW!¡± Howling his taunt to the sky, Cynrik stood his ground, ready for battle, as his next opponent met his verbal abuse.

 Chapter 142

    142 VOL 2 EPILOGUE Part 1

    Exhaling slowly, Cynrik drew his Kodachi and smirked cockily at the enormous crack in space.

    "OI, YOU DUMB BITCH, HURRY THE FUCK UP, I AINT GOT ALL DAY, YOU KNOW!" Howling his taunt to the sky, Cynrik stood his ground, ready for battle, as his next opponent met his verbal abuse.

    #HIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS ?SSSSSIRR MORRRTALLL! RETURNNN ITTTTT!#

    "Oh?" Hearing Wadjet''s demanding tone, Cynrik tilted his head mockingly.

    "Let''s just assume that I''d even be able toply with your unreasonable demand; why in the ACTUAL FUCK WOULD I?"

    BOOOMMMMM

    As If in response to Cynrik''s snarky and disrespectful reply, a bone-crushing 8g of Gravitational pressure, generated by the astral finger floating in the sky, fell upon his body, dropping Cynrik to his knees.

    "ugh¡­OOF, that''s a hell of a pointer finger you got there, Wadbitch. Lemmie tells you, though, 8g probably not going to cut it." With veins and muscles bulging all over his body, Cynrik forced himself back to his feet and resisted the 8g with a bit of good ol'' brute force.

    #SSSILENCE! Inssssolent mortal brat, I have lived for millennia. I have ssseen your kind rissse from the mud and take their first ssstepsss. I have watched all the meaninglessssss ssstrugglesss you mortals named Humansss¡­."

    "h h h, did youe here to lecture me, or did your wrinkly, snakey asse to achieve anything?"

    BOOOOOMMM

    The pressure that Cynrik had just started getting used to increase by 0.5, causing him to grit his teeth and hold his tongue. Beads of sweat trickled into his eyes, forcing Cynrik to wipe them away with his hand before shing a sadistic smile up at the serpent-eye peeking through the crack.

    #I SSSAID SSSILENCE! You are no different from that sted Raven God. Alwaysss with the idioticebacksss. You have tainted my Divinity and delt me a devissstating blow. How could you ever believe you would sssimply walk away in one piece.#

    Cynrik watched with calm eyes as the two astral female hands widened the spatial crack further, and a massive arm reached through in an attempt to grab him from above.

    "Tsk, a two-bit Deity like yourself wishes to step into the mortal ne; you know where Ie from; that''s something that the Will of the World wouldsh out at." Cynrik paused before cupping his hands around his mouth, looking at the sky, and shouting as loud as possible.

    "YOOHOO, WILL OF VINESTRA, ONE OF THESE IDIOT DEITIES, IS TRYING TO BREAK THROUGH THE BARRIER BETWEEN PLANES AND ATTACK A MORTAL!"

    The astral hands froze as the eye peeking through the crack went wide and stared at Cynrik incredulously.

    For a moment, the only sound that could be heard was the faint rumbling as the vige slowly crumbled to nothing. However, just like the soon-to-be vige, nothing happened in response to Cynrik''s yells.

    Scrunching up his face for a second, Cynrik was confused; he really thought something would happen. Instead, his eyes made contact with the giant serpent eye within the crack, and he could faintly notice it turning into a crescent shape, meaning that Wadbitch was smiling cynically at his poor attempt.

    "Oh, duh, im an idiot." Smacking his forehead and berating himself, Cynrik remembered what Tobs had called the main program running the systems on Vinestra. Smirking up at the eye, Cynrik thought about what he would say next and ran back to his previous attempt. Then, leaning hard into his past experience as aputer programmer, he shouted a chain of words that caused the disembodied eye and arms of Wadjet to tremble in fear.

    "COMMAND PROMPT, DEITY DEFENCE PROTOCOL ACTIVATE. ACCESS VINESTRA CENTRAL SYSTEM HUB POINT, DEFINE SYSTEM PROGRAM "THE OVER-BREAK SYSTEM" AS CENTRAL WAYPOINT." The instant the words left his mouth, loud cracks of thunder broke the silence as lightning shed around the Spatial crack.

    A mystical red glowing translucent person appeared in the sky between Cynrik and Wadjet with a loud crash. This androgynous being floated in the sky and looked curiously between the mortal and the Deity before waving its hand and scooping up Cynrik, dragging him into the air.

    "WOAHHH GENTLE, GENTLE CENTRAL SYSTEM HUB!" Coming to a stop 3-meters away and upside down, Cynrik was helpless as he hung in the air feeling the blood rush to his head.

    "Hm?" Tilting its head to the side, the translucent being looked at the upside-down Cynrik and twisted its wrist slightly, righting him before directing its attention back to the astral form of Wadjet, who was frozen in ce and shaking like a leaf.

    She wanted nothing more than to run away at this moment. However, upon arriving, the Central System projection had locked the surrounding space, trapping her within the confines of the pocket dimension between reality and the Hall of Gods.

    "Plead your case. Why has an Unknown Deity from the Hall of Gods trespassed onto thend of mortals? On top of attempting to cause harm to a being within my jurisdiction?" The Central System projection spoke in a voice that seemed both feminine and masculine simultaneously, making Cynrik raise an eyebrow.

    "Welp, this bitch, not only interfered in the boss fight of this Alpha Egress by transporting a chunk of space and time from somewhere within the world and merging it with the boss room, but she also attempted to kill me upon defeating her Legacy Charge. So basically, this dumb snakedy is throwing a temper tantrum because she lost." Unfazed by the fact that he was in the presence of what represented the will of Vinestra, but also a Deity, Cynrik blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

    #ARROGENT BASTARD HOW DARE A LOWLY BEING SSSUCH ASSS YOUR SSSELF SSSPEAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!#

    The instant Wadjet spoke up to defend herself, The Central System projection made a gripping motion with its hands and drew a gut-wrenching scream from the Cobra Goddess, cutting her off and making Cynrik purse his lips with raised eyebrows.

    "Running diagnostic to gather information. Datapiled; although the phrasing System Host Cynrik Jetlensr used embellished the events slightly, I have not found any false testimony to have been given. Unfortunately, Cobra Goddess Wadjet has interfered with the natural procedure created by the Central System Hub and destroyed the chain ofmand for Egress A-G 22097, causing irreparable damage to the Egress Core and destroying the entire Egress in the process."

    Pausing for a moment and giving a quizzical look to Cynrik, the Central System projection once again waved its hand; secondster, a terrified Gabby and Benny and a concerned Brance appeared in the air beside Cynrik.

    {OI, I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE!} Both angry and slightly relieved to see his party, Cynrik scolded his brother in the mind link.

    {You think we didn''t try? When we reached the door, it wouldn''t budge, then we heard your big ass mouth yelling some bullshit, and well, here we are. Did you really think I wouldn''te back after getting them to a safe ce? My ass was about to spin around and join you. On top of that, just look at Gabby and Benny; they look like they''re gonna pee themselves.} Crossing his arms over his chest and floating helplessly in the air Brance defended his actions.

    {Daww, you do care.} Cynrik blinked his eyes rapidly and acted as if he was about to cry.

    {Fuck off, what the hell is that thing?} Brance pointed with his eyes at the bald, red translucent being that stood at over 6-meters tall.

    {That, my little brother, is the closest thing to a savior we have right now.}

    "I have stated thepiled data, As per Code 01J-52 article 88 paragraph 200. Any Deity-Tier being who uses their powers outside of any predefined regtions is subject to immediate termination and removal from the Le^)@& St&#*$, their Divinity and Cultivation will be crippled, and their Immortal Spirit will be Eradicated." Speaking emotionlessly, the Central System projection raised its right arm and snapped its fingers loudly, causing an immediate reaction from Wadjet.

    SNAP

    #NOOOOOOOOO YOU CANT DO THISSS TO ME; I AM A GODDESSSSSS! A MERE SYSTEM CAN NOT AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! SSSTOPPP PLEASSSE I AM BEGGING URAHHHHHHH! LORD OSIRIS HELP ME, MASSSTER PLEASE I AM BEGGGING YOUUUU!!#

    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!

    The members of MyrkLys shielded their eyes as a loud explosion rippled through the spatial crack. When the light receded, the astral form of Wadjet, which was previously attempting to force its way through the crack in space and time, was decimated into particles of light.

    {Fuuck, that bitch went up like a firework HAHAHAHA!} Cynrik awkwardly burst outughing within the mind link. Brance was too shaken to reply, but he could tell by the quivering in Cynrik''s voice that he was scared shitless to the point that he made a bad joke.

    "Deity-Tier Being Wadjet, the Cobra Goddess, has been eliminated from thepetition, and her Divinity has been merged with the Central System Hub. As a result, her immortal spirit has beenpletely wiped from existence."

    The words spoken by the translucent being rocked Cynrik and Brance like thunder. A once-powerful being had been killed off with the snap of a finger Thanos style.

    "System Hosts, Cynrik and Brance Jetlensr, Benjamin and Gabrie Sanford, the four of you, have achieved something beyond your Tier restrictions. This is something that very rarely urs. Unfortunately, as it was a Deity-Tier being who interfered, I am severely limited in my ability to reward you for your achievements."

    Casting a casual nce over the party, the translucent being continued.

    "Generally, I can not give you any mary rewards outside of what a Green Alpha Egress is capable of generating. However, I will make a singr exception this time due to the circumstances and reward you with something within the restraints on an Orange Alpha Egress before teleporting you all out of this Egress. But there is something I regret to inform you all of¡­." The projection seemed lost in thought as it tried to collect the correct words together, making Cynrik and Brance shift ufortably.

    "Whatever it is, you can tell us; we will handle it in stride as we always do." Cynrik was the first to speak up, drawing the overpowering gaze of the translucent being.

    "Indeed, you especially have proven yourself able to handle most situations without hesitation. Verywell, there has been a difficult to exin crisis created by the fracturing of the Egress Core. As an Adjudicator from the Central System Hub, I am limited in the amount of information I can bestow you, so I will not exin the fine details. For the first time, an Alpha Egress has been destroyed."

    Cynrik felt his sphincter clench upon hearing this, and he fought internally not to interrupt.

    "This Egressbeled A-G 22097 has copsed forming a massive crater, approximately the size of the internal structure of the Egress, where the Gate was once erected. This event started the moment your party defeated Osarseph. Upon my arrival, the process was already in the final stages of destruction. However, since I locked down the surrounding space we are currently in, this area has been left in the shape it was when I first arrived¡­."

    "Lastly, due to the spatial crack you can see above us, the timeline has shifted slightly, and exactly a year has passed since the moment you stepped foot within the Egress."

    "WHAT!!!!!!!! A YEAR, WE LOST A WHOLE YEAR!" Cynrik blurted loudly with spittle flying from his mouth, causing the translucent being to lean back and dodge.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong

 Chapter 143

    ¡°WHAT!!!!!!!! A YEAR, WE LOST A WHOLE YEAR!¡± Cynrik blurted loudly with spittle flying from his mouth, causing the translucent being to lean back and dodge.

    Breathing heavily, Cynrik stared at the translucent being with bloodshot eyes.

    ¡°Indeed, as unfortunate as it may seem, the moment you and your party stepped foot in this Instance, time elerated significantly. As a result, you have spent an entire year within the confines of this Dungeon instance even though the actual time exerted on your life span is still only a single day.¡± The Central System projection calmly stated, giving Cynrik another nce.

    ¡°UGHHH, damn it all, that means we technically failed the fucking exam. GRAH, stupid fucking Wadbitch, and her stupid fucking games.¡± Tearing at his hair in anger, Cynrik spoke his thoughts out loud, making the members of his party stare at him expressionlessly.

    ¡°Calm down, Cyn, we will figure it out when we get back, don¡¯t forget we¡¯ve had the Exam tokens on us this whole time; take some sce, at least in the fact that Mom and Dad won¡¯t obliterate us when we step outside.

    Brance¡¯sment made Cynrik lock up as his eyes nearly rolled back into his head at the thought of how Cinyah would react when they left the Egress. He could picture the abuse he would suffer at her ¡°loving¡± hands. Disappearing for a whole year within an Egress blew the entire Haylons Shadow event out of the water, and that in itself was a major stroke of bad luck in their mother¡¯s eyes.

    COUGH, the Central System projection cleared its throat, bringing the focus back on itself again, and began speaking.

    ¡°As I stated, you will all be receiving Orange Egress Grade reward Chests as clear rewards. I will distribute them now.¡± Then, with a wave of its ethereal hand and a few words in a strangenguage that even the brother¡¯s proficiency skill couldn¡¯t understand, fourrge golden chests manifested in front of each member of MyrkLys.

    Cynrik went wide-eyed as he read the received notification.

    -You have received a Special Grade Tier-2 Golden Chest.-

    ¡°Although I can not guarantee the rewards, I can inform you that you will receive something useful upon opening these chests. The random item list for chests above Silver Grade are specifically tailored to the one opening it. Therefore, anything thates out will be based on their ss, Affinity, or misceneous item.¡±

    ¡°Now then, since I have rectified the crisis to the best of my ability, all that is left is to designate the active quests you received aspleted so that the Central Hub can deliver their proper rewards. Once this is achieved, you will all be teleported to where the entrance of this Egress once stood. This is the extent of the assistance I am able to administer.¡±

    Snapping its fingers once again caused all the members of MyrkLys to flinch as thest time it did so; a Deity was exploded, their vision lit up with notifications.

    -You havepleted the Quest First Alpha Egress Dive.-

    ¨C Instance Quest, First Alpha Egress Dive-

    -You have entered the Green Alpha Egress ¡°A-G-22097¡±, and the exit has been sealed. The only way to leave is toplete this Quest. You will have 24 hours to do so. The quest requirements will not be shared between the party members, and you must meet them to achieve the Clear Status.

    -Kill 25 Tier-1 Packhounds- (Complete)

    -Kill 25 Tier-1 Fanged Rats- (Complete)

    -Defeat the boss Kobold Shaman.- (Complete)

    -You have obtained enough XP to level up your Prestige 2 times.-

    -You have received Alpha Egress Perfect Clear Token: tinum-

    -You have received 50 Stat Points and 50 Skill Points.-

    -You have received 500,000 Credits.-

    -You havepleted the Emergency Quest Subjugation Mission.-

    -Emergency Quest ¨C Subjugation Mission.-

    -Because of an Anomaly created by Cobra Goddess Wadjet, a third party, this Quest is issued to the group known as ¡°MyrkLys.¡± This third party has infused a massive amount of Mana into A-G 22097¡¯s Egress Core, explicitly affecting the randomly generated Instance, causing the Dungeon Boss Quest to undergo abnormal and unpredictable changes.-

    -Instead of facing a randomly generated Boss creature, a chunk ofnd from an unknown location has been forcefully moved into the space formerly upied by the Egress¡¯s constructed Boss room. As such, it falls onto you and the members of your party to wipe out and rectify this urrence.-

    -Subjugate Kobold Soldiers.- (Complete)

    -Subjugate Kobold Vigers.- (Complete)

    -Subjugate Kobold Shaman.- (Complete)

    -You have received a SSS grade on your Mission.-

    -You have been recognized aspleting the Mission with a perfect grade.

    -You have received enough XP to Cap your Prestige to level 25.-

    -You have earned the Title: Perfect Clear Expert.-

    ¨C Title: Perfect Clear Expert= When taking part in any Egress Missions, you will receive an additional 100% XP for any kills. This Title can be hidden from prying eyes or turned off and on.-

    -You have received a Special Grade Tier-1 tinum Chest.-

    -You have received 100 Skill Points and 50 Stat Points.-

    -You have received a Tier-2 Affinity Proficiency Orb (Dark).-

    -You have received 25 points of KIN and 10 points of WILL.-

    -You have received an Alpha Egress Perfect Clear Mission Token: Mythic-

    Cynrik¡¯s entire body was wracked with spasms of excitement as he tuned out the outside world and focused on his loot. As expected, the rewards forpleting both the Quest and Mission were astounding.

    ¡°()*^&

 Chapter 144

    ¨C Initiating Recap Protocol.-

    ¨C Setting up Data Log.-

    ¨C Compiling avable information to date.-

    ¨C Acquiring Community questions.-

    -WARNING WARNING THE FOLLOWING MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR VOLUME 2!-

    ¨C Shattering dimensional Fourth Wall.-

    Floating high above andscaped filled with fire and rocky terrain, a young girl with monochromatic hair and eyes colored white and ck, appearing to be about 15 or 16 years old, looks directly at you, the reader. Her expressionless yet cute face overshadows her delicate features.

    Hello and wee to the auxiliary chapter known as Tobs¡¯ Corner. (BOW) In this section, I, Tobs, shall be answering a few questions and delving into several bits of information that may need further exnation to allow the plot to continue smoothly. I will again advise anyone reading this data log; if you have not read the contents of the second Volume, please close this and begin at the beginning of Volume Two, which is known as (Chapter 68 ¨C Prologue).

    First and foremost, allow me to introduce myself again to you, as it has been several months since ourst conversation. I am the 8th Generation Dimensional Deity Power System, The Over-Break System, or as my most current Host, Cynrik Jetlensr has nicknamed me, Tobs. Allow me to remind all the readers that I am not a Sentient Being. I am an artificial intelligence designed by the two Deities, Raven God Odin and God Of Light Yahweh. Upon being installed by the Host, my first task was to assimte with Cynrik¡¯s Soul and use his past experiences to generate a functioning power regtion program based on his memories.

    My primary objective is to create missions or Quests that align with the Host¡¯s morality to help them grow to endure any future challenges within the capabilities of the of Reincarnations residential system of power.

    A lot has happened since Ist directly spoke to you, and I am pleased to say the story of Cynrik and Brance Jetlensr has surpassed our Author-sans expectations. So allow me to extend our gratitude to each of you in his ce.

    When Vol 2 kicked off, you were introduced to the overreaching plot of the Legacy Strife and hit with a lot of information. I am sure you all were able to keep up with the rapid influx of data streamed to your minds, so I won¡¯t bore you withme details but will instead take a couple of questions about the Legacy Strife.

    Q: To what extent can Deities interfere with the Legacy strife?

    A: As was shown when the Cobra Goddess Wadjet messed with the mortal realm and was subsequently¡­terminated, all beings on Vinestra are effectively off-limits. The only time the Deities are allowed to interact with their LC directly is through short messages, which need to be approved by the Central System HUB and the Blessing Bestowal Ceremony within the Hall of Gods. Any other interference or direct interaction is considered illegal and punishable. Now, this does not mean there aren¡¯t sneaky and underhanded ways to mess with another Deities Legacy Charge, but once caught, especially if they try to cause any harm to a mortal¡­well¡­SNAP!

    Continuing with the recap, the main story arc for Vol 2 was centered around the brother¡¯s experiences during the Academy Exam and the emotional changes that one of our two protagonists¡¯, Cynrik, struggles with pertaining to his emotional damage and pain. You saw the already damaged psyche of Cynrik broken by his time alone as a baby, traumas from his past life on Earth, and the effects of the Divinity left by Odin ovee these key factors and experience significant character growth.

    Tsk, If I am being sincere with you all, if I had to see another suchment from those of you who ¡°Hated¡± Cynrik in the first Volume or whining about how ¡°unlikable¡± and ¡°annoyingly angry¡± he was¡­ Pardon me for my rudeness. Regardless, I assure you, as Author-san did in thements back in Volume One, this was all part of the main plot.

    Moving along, two characters who were teased back in Vol 1, Gabby and Benny Sanford, once again made an appearance, and alongside the brothers, they made a party named MyrkLys (Murk-Lease). Together the group goes through many hardships, the biggest one being the violent and erratic tendencies of Cynrik, as he lost to his inner turmoil and was taken over temporarily by the Divinity Fragment within his Soul. For now, we shall table that bit for a few minutes.

    Next, we experienced the brother¡¯s Evolution to Tier-1 and the introduction of Bloodlines. These became a heavily debated topic in the discord andments, as it introduced a few things that may have been a bit confusing at the time. So I will pull up a few questions we received and go ahead with the answer.

    Q: Why did their bloodlines negate their extra hp, mp, and stamina? I would assume it would make them more outrageous.

    A: They didn¡¯t; the additional 20% boosts were applied to their Tier-0 modifiers, so instead of getting 20,10, 10, they received the increase at the standard 10,5,5. This is just how things are when ites to Evolution, and it will happen again in the future.

    Q: Are there any non-Legacy Charges with bloodlines?

    A: In short, yes. However, the native bloodlines are thinned out due to time. The ones received by Legacy Charges are the purest forms of their Deities Bloodlines, since $

 Chapter 145

    The sounds of a finely crafted drinking horn cracking bounced off the walls of Odins Divine Residence within the Hall of Gods. His aged, battle-worn face was tightened with concern as he opened his eye and exhaled shakily. The sharp pain in his palm brought him back to reality as he sadly looked down at the shattered horn he had used for ale for nearly 4000 years.

    To his right, The God of Light Yahweh was stunned to silence. The two of them had just witnessed the death of another Deity for the first time since the end of the previous Legacy Strife, and to say it was a horrible way to die was an understatement.

    Although they had their suspicions as Cynrik had progressed through his Egress Dive, they now were absolutely sure that he had discovered the existence of the Strife and was actively withholding information.

    Yahweh was even more concerned as he had seen the Alignment, a key factor in determining if a Legacy Charge could handle Divinity Fragments of his own Charge, Brance, waiver. Naturally, this radical and sudden shift caused a tremendous amount of concern in the God of Light. Still, Cynrik¡¯s actions in standing against The Cobra Goddess Wadjet and bringing about her downfall before taunting The Lord of Death Osiris caused him to feel great unrest.

    Yahweh wasn¡¯t alone in feeling this way as Odin felt the weight of a heavy burden dropping onto his shoulders. Cynrik had always been unruly and unyielding from the start with his attitude. However, to actually lead to the demise of one Deity before making mocking gestures at a second, this was something only a genuine lunatic would do. Not even Odin himself had the gall to taunt Osiris.

    Heaving a tired sigh and standing up, Odin paced back and forth around his Hall, analyzing everything that had gone down in silence.

    *Raven God¡­*

    Before Yahweh could speak the contents of his thoughts, Odin raised his hand, signifying he knew what the God of Light was about to say.

    =We have lost the trust of our Charges; not only that, but it appears Cynrik is actually actively monitoring everything he says, so much so that we were kept entirely in the dark and blindsided by his insubordination.=

    Odin momentarily stopped pacing and stretched out his back while fervently looking around his Hall.

    =If that alone were all we had to contend with, things would still be within reason. Instead, however, Cynrik not only defeated another Legacy Charge but also, by an intelligent and cunning plot, used the Authority of Vinestra¡¯s Central System Hub to kill Wadjet. If he and Brance didn¡¯t have a target on themselves before, they most definitely do now. Osiris will not sit back and allow this to go unpunished.=

    *It seems we have made a critical error in giving those two Divine Fragments from other Charges.*

    Cupping his left fist with his right hand and cing his chin on top of them, Yahweh added to the conversation with his own thoughts.

    =No, I don¡¯t believe we have erred in that sense. Cynrik seems to have grown much stronger by interacting with Ragnar¡¯s Fragment; the same should be urate if Brance has to deal with whatever you gave him. My biggest concern is their growth rate. As this is the first generation of Charges to be somewhat familiar with the inner workings of Systems thanks to popr culture on realms such as Earth, I can only assume that there will be other Charges who show exaggerated strength such as them.=

    Trying to calm the turbulent storm building in his heart, Odin retook his seat beside Yahweh and brought up the Status profiles for both Brance and Cynrik to study them further.

    =At Tier-1, the brothers have reached the absolute limits and are already more robust than the general known populous of Vinestra when ites to their Tier. Now that they have obtained the secondpletion of their Prestige Mode, they will increase their Bloodlines further and gain the added benefits that go along with that.=

    Odin¡¯s good eye narrowed slightly as he scrolled through the inventories of both brothers, and he made a slight sound upon realizing something.

    =It appears that neither boy has received an Evolution stone, so for now, they cant reach Tier-2, but that won¡¯tst for long. It is curious, though¡­=

    His majestically deep voice trailed off as he viewed the contents of the clear chests nestled within the brother¡¯s inventories, and Odin even smirked thoughtfully as he saw one of Cynrik¡¯s chests in particr.

    Scratching his beard with the palm of his left hand, Odin showed the chest in questions contents to Yahweh, who scoffed loudly.

    *Only your charge would receive such a stroke of luck like that.*

    RUMMMBLEEEE

    BOOMMMMMM!

    Just as Yahweh finished reading the description of the chest, Odin¡¯s Hall shook violently as a precursor to a loud explosion that sted the doorway to the Hall to smithereens.

    A heavyset man, who cut a poor image, was flung into the room, mming hard into the ground and tearing up the marble flooring as he bounced for several feet. This man bore an uncanny likeness to a young Odin and seemed to be on hisst breath as bursts of golden lightning flickered around his body.

    Startled by the sudden intrusion, Odin burst to his feet and teleported to the man¡¯s side, cradling his head in hisp before scanning his body with an observation skill.

    The heavily wounded man spat up a mouthful of blood, made eye contact with Odin, and tried to speak but sumbed to a fit of bloodsoaked coughs.

    =Son, do not speak, hurry and drink.=

    Pulling a bottle of some strange Elixer from his inventory, Odin brought the ss bottle to his son Thor¡¯s lips and poured the purple liquid into his mouth.

    After a tense few seconds, Thor stopped coughing as the color returned to his face and his wounds healed at a visible pace.

    Seeing his favored son in such a state, Odin unconsciously emitted an overbearing amount of Killing Intent that would have instantly ground Cynrik to dust if he had to experience it.

    Seeing Thor was stable, Odin helped his son sit up while attempting to reel in the rage boiling within his body.

    =Who dare¡¯s.=

    Tap

    Tap

    Tap

    ~Tut, Tut, Tut, Odin, Odin, tell me you didn¡¯t believe there wouldn¡¯t be consequences for killing one of my own.~

    Shaking his head slowly in disappointment, a man wearing flowing red and blue borate robes and carrying a Crook in one hand and a il in the other stepped over the wood fragments and slowly walked into Odin¡¯s Hall. As he moved, the borate jewel-studded headdress the being wore flowed back and forth, sometimes lightly tapping against his teal pale skin.

    The appearance of this Deity caused Odin to stiffen and Yahwah to stand up while channeling Mana throughout his body, ready to attack. Last but not least, hearing this voice, Thor began trembling as this was the one who effortlessly put him into the sorry state he arrived in.

    =Osiris.=

    Odin¡¯s words came through clenched teeth as he readied himself for battle.

    ~ Now now, there is no need to be hasty; this is only the beginning, you Pagan filth, my revenge has only begun.~

    Smiling pleasantly as if he didn¡¯t have a care in the world, Osiris tapped his shoulders with his Divine Crook and il.

    =You believe yourself above thews of the Hall of Gods? What makes you think we won¡¯t retaliate.=

    As he spoke, Odin caught his son by the shoulders and dragged his body behind his own while never breaking eye contact with the Lord of Death.

    ~Oh? That just isn¡¯t so, for you see, I did not harm the Asgardian God of Thunder whilst inside the confines of the Hall of Gods. In fact, all I did here was deliver him to his loving father. Hoho, arent I kind?~

    The words Osiris spoke didn¡¯t match his overly pretentious and hateful tone.

    ~I have broken nows as I have not initiatedbat with another Deity within the Hall of Gods; YOU, however, would if you chose to attack now.~

    Grinning ear to ear, Osiris cheerfully said while tapping his Divine tools against his shoulders nonchntly.

    ~Tut Tut, two Deities on theirst leg, cing all their hopes on two insolent whelps with virtually zerobat experience. Who would have thought you two would sink so low?~

    Osiris then addressed Yahweh, turning his gaze away from Odin and Thor.

    ~You, God of Light, I never would have thought the winner of the previous Legacy Strife would be so down on his luck. But, unfortunately, it appears that back-to-back wars from the Olympians and Lucifer have left you in just as poor a state as these two ?sir Pagans. Quite a shame indeed.~

    Scoffing, Osiris used his il to smack the bottom of his sandals, clearing off the debris.

    ~I shall bid you farewell now, as I have more pressing matters to attend.~

    Spitting on the ground in front of Odin, Osiris turned his back to the three Deities and casually walked towards the door, stopping just on the edge of the threshold.

    ~Oh, before I forget. That boy, what was his name¡­oh yes, Cynrik. He will face the full wrath of all the Egyptian Deities, so do take care and watch with antici¡­~

    Osiris paused and started exerting over 500g of Killing Intent on the Hall.

    BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM

    Stomping his foot heavily on the ground and causing the table Odin and Yahweh frequently sat at to shatter into shards, Osiris waved his head side to side before finishing his statement.

    ~pation.~

    And left the Hall.

    =OOOOOOOOOSSSIIIIIIIRRRIIIISSSSSS=

    All the surrounding Halls within the Hall of Gods trembled as Odin roared The Lord of Death¡¯s name in a mighty fury.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 146

    In the living room of arge mansion-like house, three adolescent boys sat on an oversized couch watching television together. Two of them had the same jet ck hair, but if one paid close attention, they would notice one of these boys had violet streaks while the other had aqua. Aside from the different hairstyles, one had buzzed sides and his hair tied back in a tight five-inch ponytail, while the other had a high and tight haircut simr to the one you¡¯d see on a military member with the top a bit longer, the two were clearly brothers. The third boy had well-trimmed short sandy blond hair.

    ¡°Hey Cynrik, is it true that you guys were there when A-G 22097 copsed? How did you guys get out?¡± The blond-haired boy looked away from the tv momentarily and looked at the boy with violet highlights, fiddling with a bracer on his left arm.

    ¡°Eh? I mean, yeah, we were actually the cause, to be honest. When we entered for our Exams, we got trapped in an anomaly Instance, and well by beating it, POOF, the whole ce came down.¡± Cynrik replied while waving around a fancy metal tool that looked like a cross between a wrench and screwdriver while staring at the ceiling in thought.

    SMACK

    ¡°Big Brother, I thought we agreed not to talk about that.¡± Brance, the boy with aqua highlights, smacked his brother in the arm, making him drop the tool between the couch cushions.

    ¡°Fuck, cmon Brance, it¡¯s just Aiden; he would find out eventually anyway, right? AFTER ALL, he IS Auntie Maeve¡¯s son; won¡¯t Mom b about it to her in due time.¡± Cynrikined as he reached down in search of his tool so he could continue adjusting his hidden de.

    Even though only a day had gone by since they left the Egress, a lot had changed. Apparently, when the members of MyrkLys disappeared for a year, in their grief, Cinyah and Rikard had moved into the Pinhurst Mansion in the Capitol Valor City, as their home town Lawton didn¡¯t have a teleporter reaching A-G 22097. This allowed them to lean on the Pinhurst family, with who they had a close rtionship in their time of need, and gave them quick ess to the Egress to dive in and try finding their children.

    This sudden move had been a source of shock to Cynrik more than his brother, as even back on Earth, he hadn¡¯t been fond of moving. However, when they arrived at Maeve¡¯s family home, the two brothers were greeted with a level of smothering affection they had never experienced, mainly from Cinyah and Maeve. But, that wasn¡¯t all; they were also forcefully introduced to Maeve¡¯s only child Aiden, who, although nowhere near as entric as his mother, was definitely an oddball in his own way.

    Strangely enough, it was Cynrik who hit it off rtively quick with Aiden, who was a huge nerd and had a love ofics and animations. Cynrik viewed the youngest Pinhurst as a kindred spirit who had a taste for the¡­ most exemry culture. This could be seen by the astronomical amount of Waifu figures posed all around his bedroom.

    Upon seeing the room, Brance sneered in disgust and decided it was better not to get close with Aiden, leaving Cynrik to be instant best friends with the boy. However, no matter how much he denied it, Brance had a sneaking suspicion this weeb, whose level of ¡°enlightenment¡± rivaled that of his older brother, would end up as part of their group as he was the cksmith MyrkLys needed.

    The night of their arrival, Cynrik and Brance found themselves sitting in the living room with their parents, exining the majority of what happened in the Egress, leaving out the parts about the Deities, something they tactfully agreed wasn¡¯t the information that needed to be known by Cinyah and Rikard. Gabby and Benny needed little convincing as they were scared shitless by Wadjet and the Adjudicator, so it was just a matter of giving an altered story to not only the city officials who controlled the Egress but also their parents.

    The official story went as such, when the party entered the Egress, everything went fuzzy, and they realized instead of being a regr dungeon dive, they had entered a unique Instance. When they cleared the final boss, there was a bright sh, and the whole ce started rumbling, so the party broke for the door. After that, they were outside. Since they were only children and were part of the Academy Exam, no one thought any foul y was involved on their end. It helped that Egresses had a reputation for being mysterious and unpredictable, so their story wasn¡¯t entirely unbelievable.

    Although the officials were unhappy with the tale spun by Cynrik and Brance, they had no other choice but to take it with a grain of salt. The loss of a Green Alpha Egress wasn¡¯t so substantial that it would cripple the city¡¯s economy, so in the end, the investigation was marked as a cold case without being resolved. Without any further leads as to the cause of everything and only the testimony of MyrkLys, it became a story that baffled people. So much so that the news had been nonstop talking about it for 24 hours straight.

    ¡°Boys, time for lunch!¡± The clear melodious voice of Cinyah echoed throughout the halls of the house, making the three boys jump up and dash to the kitchen.

    Cynrik was still in awe of how casually Cinyah, a notorious helicopter parent, handled the whole situation. Again, of course, it had a lot to do with the fact that everyone returned home in one piece, and this time, at least in her mind, it wasn¡¯t her sons¡¯ fault. But, at the end of the day, she knew just how unpredictable and dangerous Egresses could be, so she chalked it up to that and moved on with life.

    Turning around with her arms full of tes of food, Cinyah was surprised her children were already at the table and noticed Aiden was still walking in from the hallway. However, she quickly frowned when she looked at Cynrik with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°Cynrik, what have I said about weapons at the table?¡± Then, using her ¡°Mom¡± voice and keen eyesight, she noted Cynrik wore one of his hidden des and immediately scolded him.

    ¡°Sorry, Mom, it won¡¯t happen again.¡± Grinning sheepishly, Cynrik swiftly tossed the bracer into his inventory before neatly cing his hands on the table as if nothing had happened.

    With her eyes still locked on her rascal of an oldest son, Cinyah scoffed, as she knew full well that it would happen again even if Cynrik swore it wouldn¡¯t.

    ¡°Uh-huh, sure it won¡¯t, no dessert for you, young man.¡± Clicking her tongue and cing the tes of fried chicken and mac and cheese on the table, she crossed her arms before patting Brance on the head.

    ¡°UGHHH NOOOOOO!¡± Cynrik mmed his head on the table in anguish at the loss of his would-be dessert.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you just follow the rules like Brancie. He always does what I ask; sigh, where did I go wrong.¡±

    ¡°Cinyah, are you sure you didn¡¯t drop Cynrik on his head when he was an infant?¡± Giggling at her best friend¡¯s woeful speech, Maeve walked into the kitchen and swiped a drumstick off his te before flicking Cynrik¡¯s ear yfully.

    ¡°OI! AUNTIE MAEVE C¡¯MON, THAT WAS MY DRUMSTICK!¡± Protesting the woman¡¯s offensive actions, Cynrik held his ear as if mortally wounded.

    SMACK

    ¡°¡­ow¡­¡±

    ¡°Brat, how often do I have to discipline you and tell you to call me Big Sister before you learn?¡± Maeve scoffed while devouring the chicken mockingly in Cynrik¡¯s face.

    Cynrik could only grit his teeth and feel wronged by her actions, as she was stronger than him.

    [One day, I will show her; I swear I will pay that Auntie back for every time she hit me tenfold.]

    [Yeah, right, you know damn well you don¡¯t have the guts to hit Mom¡¯s best friend.] Brance shook his head in disdain while filling his te with Mac and cheese.

    A few minutester, everyone had finished eating and sat around the table chatting idly about nothing when Cinyah cleared her throat, drawing the group¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Cynrik, Brancie, have you two decided on what Academy you want to join yet?¡±

    Even though they still had a little under two weeks until they needed to show up at the testing location, Cinyah felt no harm in asking the question about her children¡¯s future.

    ¡°Eh, I can tell you where we won¡¯t be going.¡± Cynrik took a sip of his soda, and he and Brance spoke simultaneously.

    ¡°Renson Military Academy¡±

    Renson was the first school both brothers had crossed off the list; with Cynrik having spent time in the Airforce and Brance the Marine Corps on Earth, neither Cynrik nor Brance were keen on joining back up with whatever form of Military their country had. This struck Renson from the list of potential options from the get-go.

    ¡°Oh? I figured Renson would be a top contender, especially for Brancie, who loves order and structure.¡± Cinyah cutely tilted her head to the side and scrutinized her sons.

    ¡°Nope, while I enjoy a certain level of structure, I don¡¯t want to be forced to do menial tasks or sign away the rest of my life to the government.¡± Shrugging his shoulders, Brance just shook his head and answered truthfully.

    ¡°Hm, well, as you aren¡¯t Demi-Humans, Banes is off the table, and I don¡¯t see you joining those closed-minded fools over at Finwan. So that really only leaves Quest Combat, Supremacy, and Vesemir.¡± Cinyah tapped her chin in thought for a moment before continuing.

    ¡°If you two want to go to Supremacy, I could make a few calls as they only except Nobles, but I would prefer not to call in those specific favors as I left that life ages ago.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mom; I¡¯ve already thrown Supremacy Uni out the window; I don¡¯t want to deal with interacting with snooty rich kids. So it is narrowed down to Vesemir School for Affinities or Quest Combat Academy. What do you think, Brancie?¡± Cynrik nced over at his brother, but he already knew the answer.

    Last night they had sat down and had an in-depth analysis on which school to join, and since the name of the Affinity school reminded them of a game they spent hundreds of hours ying back on Earth, it was really a no-brainer.

    ¡°Evil is Evil.¡± Grinning back at Cynrik, Brance nodded curtly and looked toward Cinyah.

    ¡°Looks like we choose Vesemir School for Affinities,¡± Cynrik smirked at Brance¡¯s casual quote drop.

    Confused at what was going on between her sons, Cinyah shook her head and collected the dishes. Cynrik and Brance had always been strange; why would she be surprised by it now.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 147

    With the issue of which Academy Cynrik and Brance concluded, Cinyah called the Sanfords to share the information; a short 15 minutester, she told her sons that the Sanford siblings would join them at Vesemir School for Affinities cheerfully. Much to her surprise, Cynrik and Brance showed little reaction to this and only took it as a matter of fact.

    A few dayster, at night, once everyone had gone to their rooms for the night, Cynrik and Brance were still awake and in Cynrik¡¯s new bedroom. The two sat cross-legged on the carpet wearing cheeky smiles as they finally tallied up their gains from the Egress.

    After a long and hard-fought Egress dive, the brothers had decided it was best to rx for a couple of days before getting back to the grind, and as such, their bloated inventories stayed unchecked until now.

    [Shit, we got a lot¡­] Cynrik¡¯s eyes gleamed with greed as he scrolled through pages of full inventory slots, stacked with everything from Codexes to Packhound ws.

    [No kidding, after we grabbed everything from Gabby and Benny, it¡¯s par for the course. My biggest concern is what the hell we do with it all. It¡¯s not like we can just show up at an Egress Exchange and dump it all in one go.]

    Unlike Cynrik, who only saw dor signs when looking at all the materials and items, Brance was worried about offloading it. It was one thing to obtain a few pelts and teeth, but looking through the spoils, Brance¡¯s eyes darted around to the hundreds of items in thought.

    [I mean¡­to be fair, it¡¯s not like they will degrade in our inventory, so there really isn¡¯t a rush to sell it all. Worst case, we can always divvy out some bits and pieces to Mom and Dad or even Maeve to sell for us.] Shrugging in a carefree manner, Cynrik pulled out the tworge chests he had received from the clearing of the Egress Quest and Mission and ced them gently on the ground with a soft thunk.

    [Now ¡­these bad boys are the real treasure, my little brother. Hehe.] Wiping the drool from his mouth, Cynrik lovingly caressed the tinum chest that was as big as his shoulders. He even went so far as to rub his cheek on its glossy metallic surface with content eyes.

    [Why must you be so damn weird? It¡¯s a fucking metal box; why are you treating it like a girl.] Brance scrunched his face in disgust as he, too, ced the Gold and tinum chests on the ground from his inventory.

    [LISSSTEN, I don¡¯t expect you to understand, leave me be.] Ignoring his little brother, Cynrik ran his hands over the smooth surface filled with intricate mystical patterns.

    [The ones I found back in the Egress wereme and had muted colors, but these two, hehe.] Cynrik waved his arms dramatically before embracing both chests while ring at Brance.

    [These two are different. Their shiny Gold and tinum exteriors are a sight to behold; just look at the exquisite craftsmanship; see here, even the hinges have runic inscriptions. These two chests aren¡¯t simple boxes. No, my little brother, THEY ARE WORKS OF ART! One can not simply just open them and allow them to disappear from the face of Vinestra. They must first be admired.] With crescent-shaped eyes Cynrik once again started rubbing his face on the tinum chest.

    [Fucking drama queen.]

    CLICK

    Without paying attention to Cynrik¡¯s antics anymore, Brance quickly popped thetch on his golden chest and was subsequently bathed in a bright sparkly strobe effect. It took a second for his eyes to adjust, but when they finally did, Brance curiously looked at the contents of the 1¡Á1 meter chest.

    -DING, CONGRATULATIONS! You have opened an SG Tier-2 Golden Chest.-

    -You have received a Tier-0 (Special) Earth Affinity Skill Booklet, [Stone Bullet].-

    Nodding contently, Brance reached in and scooped up the brown book, choosing to ignore the second chest for now. His eyes gleamed brightly as he quickly read through its contents and immediately delved into learning the new Affinity Skill.

    Surprised by his little brother¡¯s sudden studious change, Cynrik tilted his head to read the cover of Brance¡¯s book, causing his eyes to widen slightly. This was the first time Cynrik had heard of skill books that could give you an Affinity Skill, but this didn¡¯te as a big shock as he had already, to some extent, predicted the possibility of their existence.

    To him, it was too unrealistic to believe that the only way to get Affinity skills was either make up your own, such as his Bl¨®erauer Banamaer techniques, or level up the Tier and Proficiency of your individual Affinities. Moreover, confirming that Affinity Skills came in booklet form caused Cynrik to theorize ande up with even more questions. For example, if they only existed as rewards from special chests, wouldn¡¯t that make them astronomically rare and thus expensive? It didn¡¯t make sense, but as his view of the world was still too narrow, he could only push these thoughts to the back of his mind. There was no point dwelling on topics like these for long periods, especially since his worldview would soon be significantly widened by attending an Academy.

    Cynrik was aware of just how sheltered he and Brance were, mainly due to how overprotective Cinyah tended to be; their age was also a factor. However, being only 12 and not old enough to get a Reaver ssification, it was challenging to gather information thanks to the heavy restrictions on data online. The government had long-established these severe sanctions on data leaks so only those who could use the information would have ess. Unfortunately, being a Reaver was only one of the blocks Cynrik faced. Since his Watcet was registered to himself and not Cinyah or Rikard, his Tier was the main reason he had found for the hundreds of blocked web pages he came across over the years. The little bit of info Cynrik would get from school, and the heavily censored inte had caused many a headache for him.

    Heaving a sigh, Cynrik turned his attention away from Brance and back to his own two chests. Reaching out his hand, he popped thetch on the tinum chest. The moment the lid was utched, a rainbow-colored light crept out from within, and as he tilted back the top, the entire room was hit by this blinding sparkly multi-colored light.

    -DING-DING, CONGRATULATIONS, You have opened an SG Tier-1 tinum Chest!-

    -You have obtained Mysterious Egg (2).-

    The majestic multicolor light faded and was reced by an odd sensation Cynrik had never felt before as he looked at the chest¡¯s contents. Nestled neatly on two matching tinum-colored velvet pillows were two ck eggs the size of an adult hand. These eggs radiated a familiar feeling and were covered with red glowing patterns.

    For some reason, the longer Cynrik looked at them, the warmer his chest felt, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel it was strange. He could sense a level of connection to these two eggs, and it took him a moment to realize they both seemed to be lightly radiating Dark Mana in a heartbeat pulse.

    ¡®Interesting, why do I feel so close to them? It can¡¯t just be because they seem to have Dark Mana; there is more to it. It¡¯s like they are part of me.¡¯ Gripping his chest with one hand tightly, Cynrik reached in and gently ced his hand on one of the eggs and used [Inspect] out of habit.

    -??? Egg-

    -Height: 7¡å.-

    -Weight: 2.5 lbs.-

    -Category: ???.-

    -Threat Level = You are connected to it; there is no threat.-

    -Description: A mysterious ck Egg. You can not tell what is inside, but it seems to be tied to you for some reason. It seems to have beenid not long ago, but there is a very faint heartbeating from inside.-

    Reading through the description from his skill, Cynrik¡¯s eyes floated between the two eggs curiously. Then, wearing a calm expression, he leaned forward, carefully picked up the first egg and its pillow, and stood up. Although he couldn¡¯t understand why he felt so close to it, Cynrik decided that he would protect whatever two creatures hatched from them andid it to rest on his bed before turning around and replicating his actions with the other egg.

    The moment the second egg and pillow left the chest, it broke apart into particles and disappeared, leaving only the Golden chest in the center of the room.

    Seeing his older brother acting old of character, Brance looked up from his skill book to find Cynrik sitting on his bed staring warmly at two ostrich-sized eggs.

    [Eggs? You gonna eat them?] Brance smirked as he poked at Cynrik, trying to initiate banter.

    [Eat them? Why the fuck would I do that? I am clearly gunna raise whateveres out. I have no clue what kind of creatures are inside, but it¡¯s like they are a part of me already.] Cynrik casually replied but suddenly thought of something and started yelling within the mind link.

    [OI, IF I SEE YOU, SO MUCH AS DROP A GLOB OF DROOL WHILE LOOKIN AT MY EGGS, I¡¯LL MELT YOUR FUCKING SHIELDS TO SCRAP METAL!] Shaking his fist angrily at his little brother, drawing a chortle from him, Cynrik red for a second before looking back at his eggs like a Mama bird.

    [Never thought I¡¯d see the day you turn into a Dad; shit, this is too much.] Brance looked around the room with shifty ufortable eyes while making fun of his brother a little longer. Eventually, after not getting any response from his taunts, Brance shrugged dismissively and went back to reading his Skill book, leaving Cynrik to gaze at his eggs in peace.

    The night passed by slowly, and when the sun rose the following day, Cynrik and Brance had stowed away their second chests and continued what they had done all night long. Brance reading his book, and Cynrik watching over his eggs.

    When Cinyah walked in to wake them up, she stumbled on the weird scene and froze in ce. The contrast between Cynrik and Brance¡¯s actions made her mind momentarily go nk as many questions formed. In the end, she quietly closed the door and set about making breakfast for her children.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 148

    The next few days flew by in a blur. For the most part, Cynrik and Brance took it easy. Ever since they first arrived on Vinestra, neither brother had taken the time to rest. Instead, 12 years for Cynrik and 11 years for Brance day in and out, they stuck to a rtively simple schedule. Wake up, eat, school, train, eat, train, sleep. Of course, there weren¡¯t many days that they broke this pattern, but thanks to the umted stress, Cynrik decided to use their two-week break as just that, a break.

    Banning themselves from training, the two took things slowly. Brance had decided to spend his newfound time helping out as a part-time worker in Pinhurst Cold Steel. He enjoyed the slow pace as a clerk for Maeve¡¯s father¡¯spany and had even been allowed into the forge to watch Maeve¡¯s father Jessup work on equipment. He was amazed by how effortless Jessup made cksmithing look. The strange otherworldly techniques the elder Pinhurst used while working stunned Brance as he witnessed the man wlessly merge his Earth and Fire Affinities to aid him in crafting.

    Brance didn¡¯t get bored as an average child would and could easily sit there and observe Jessup work on armor or weapons for hours on end without rest. However, since he had chores to handle around the store, such as restocking shelves or sweeping, he had to be careful how much time he spent in the forge.

    Cynrik, on the other hand, did nothing but stare intently at his two eggs day and night. By this point, he could even describe in detail every inch of the matte ck eggs covered in mystical red patterns when he closed his eyes. Finally, after three days straight of doing nothing but nkly staring at his eggs, Cinyah stepped in and dragged her son out of the house.

    Tired of only getting single-word responses from Cynrik and worried about her oldest son¡¯s fascination over his eggs, she decided to take him to one of the best ces to gather information on tameable creatures, a Beast Store. Cynrik broke out of his trance upon hearing his Mom¡¯s idea and followed after her like a duckling carrying his eggs carefully in his arms.

    When Maeve spotted the boy waddling with his arms full, sheughed so hard she burst into tears. But Cynrik ignored her and ran after Cinyah without a second thought.

    It didn¡¯t take long for the pair to arrive at the central shopping district in Valor City. After parking the family hovercar, Cinyah directed Cynrik through the winding pathways until they arrived at a store that was neither too big nor too small.

    Ting-ling

    ¡°Hello, wee to CharChar Beast Shop; how may I assist you today.¡±

    Not waiting for Cynrik to catch up, Cinyah strode into the store confidently and walked up to the counter. Seeing his mother walk in, Cynrik hurried after her, but upon entering the store, he was assaulted by the sounds and smells of hundreds of live animals of every shape, size, and species. His eyes locked onto arge sign that said reptiles, and he briskly ventured in that direction, striding over to look at them.

    He had always been fascinated by reptiles such as snakes and lizards, and since he was now technically in a glorified petshop within a fantasy world, Cynrik couldn¡¯t help but be curious. Arriving by various cages and tanks filled with critters, Cynrik was baffled by therge variety of reptiles. He could see cute lizards covered in fuzz instead of scales and snakes with multiple legs like a centipede.

    However, what caught him off guard was the reaction these adorable little beasts had when he got close. He didn¡¯t expect these creatures to jump up and back away afterying their eyes on the two eggs and start shivering in fright.

    ¡®Strange¡­they all seem terrified of these things. Just what are you two?¡¯ Cynrik thought while looking away from the reptiles and gazing at his eggs questioningly.

    ¡°Good afternoon, is there a Tamer in today? You see, my son here¡­¡± Cinyah paused when she noticed her son wasn¡¯t standing beside her and raised an eyebrow while looking for him. Soon she found him staring dumbfoundedly by a cluster of kennels filled with baby creatures. Then, gritting her teeth, she hissed his name through clenched teeth, making Cynrik look away from the adorable balls of fluff and scales and look at her.

    Seeing her stern expression that screamed, ¡°GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!¡± Cynrik gulped down a mouth full of saliva and hurried to her side obediently.

    Cough ¡°Excuse me, as I said, my son here got these two creature eggs as a reward from an Egress dive, and I wondered if you had a Tamer who could appraise them for me. Since it came from a chest, we don¡¯t know what species of Beast is inside.¡± Cinyah quickly put on an actor-worthy performance as she politely spoke to the teenage, brown-haired girl behind the counter.

    ¡°Of course, I understand. I just need you to fill out this form for me and choose which appraisal option you¡¯d like. Once you return the form, I will contact the appropriate staff member to assist you further.¡± Wearing a courteous smile, the girl took a packet of papers off a stack on the counter and gave them to Cinyah and a pen before motioning for them to sit in the waiting area.

    ncing at the packet in his Mom¡¯s hand, Cynrik followed after her to the waiting area. Taking a seat on a pair of plush chairs, he bnced his eggs in hisp and snatched the paperwork from his Mom, which earned him an ear tug and sharp p upside the back of the head. But, since he was desensitized to Cinyah¡¯s discipline by this point, he didn¡¯t let it distract him as he began quickly filling out every question and line of information.

    Once he finished writing down a somewhat detailed description of his eggs, Cynrik double-checked the form before handing it to Cinyah and staring at her expectantly. Then, scoffing and messing up Cynrik¡¯s hair, Cinyah calmly got up, turned in the packet for her son, and joined him back in the waiting room shortly after.

    Around 45 minutester, there was a loud bang from the back of the store, followed by the sound of brisk footsteps. Suffering from minor PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) due to the Central System Adjudicator¡¯s Thanos snap, the noise caused Cynrik to flinch hard when he heard the bang and immediately went on guard, looking in the direction of the sound with [Mana Sight] active.

    Cinyah had noticed this reaction several times over thest few days as it wasn¡¯t only Cynrik who acted like this; even Brance seemed to be easily startled by loud noises. After a brief call to the Sanfords, she realized that the whole group of children had experienced something in the Egress that caused this reaction. It took her patting Cynrik on the leg a couple of times to calm him down and make him shut off his ocr skill.

    Cynrik calmed his elerated heart rate by taking a few deep breaths and observed a short, portly, redfaced man padding in his direction. As the man scurried, he wiped the bead of sweat from his forehead several times and appeared extremely nervous.

    ¡®Heh, I really need to get a grip on this flinching shit; seriously, I can easily stare down the barrel of a gun or fight to the death, but because of that damn Adjudicator, anytime I hear a sound remotely resembling a snap, I fucking flinch. From what I can tell, the others are in the same situation as me. I need to talk with themter, or people will think we have Tourettes or something.¡¯ Shaking his head, Cynrikmented at his own misfortune.

    Seeing the look of concern on Cinyah¡¯s beautiful face, Cynrik made up his mind and shed her a bright smile to calm her mind before directing his attention at the portly fellow shuffling towards him.

    Catching sight of the mother and son duo, the portly man¡¯s eyes shot wide open when he saw the tworge eggs sitting in the boy¡¯sp, causing him to pick up his pace.

    ¡°Sorry for the wait, esteemed guests. My name is Phatrick Rollos. I am one of the Tier-3 Beast Tamers here at Valor Cities CharChar. I hear you two need an appraisal on some eggs found in an Egress.

    Cynrik¡¯s face changed into sympathy when he heard the poor guy¡¯s name. ¡®Aw shit, poor dude, did his Mom and Dad hate him or something? I can already picture the nicknames¡­hehe, Fat Rolls. No, yabai, bad Cynrik, don¡¯t bully the poor fat guy.¡¯

    Unaware of her son¡¯s internal monologue, Cinyah gracefully stood up, tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, and extended her right hand to Phatrick.

    ¡°Yes, sir, we do, you see, my son found these two eggs in a chest within an Egress, and we need them to be appraised so that we know what kind of creatures will hatch from them.¡±

    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a problem; since I am a Tier-3 Beast Tamer, I happen to have an appraisal skill tailored around beasts in particr. So please follow me to one of the inspection rooms, and we can start the procedure.¡± Waving his hand in the direction he just ran from, Phatrick dabbed his forehead a couple more times and turned to walk away.

    Cynrik didn¡¯t jump to his feet right away; instead, his ears twitched slightly at the word ¡°procedure,¡± making his eyes narrow cautiously.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Cyn. Don¡¯t you want to find out what kind of creatures will hatch from your little eggs?¡± Then, turning to face her son, Cinyah was confused why Cynrik, who had been all excited to get his eggs appraised, suddenly seemed to have his hair standing on end.

    ¡°Mhmm,ing.¡± He said out loud, but his mind was firing on all cylinders internally.

    ¡®Something is wrong. Fat rolls is sus¡­his eyes didn¡¯t leave my eggs until he turned around. Pair that with his demeanor and tone, not to mention using the word procedure¡­I need to be careful. This guy is too nervous.¡¯ Standing up and raising his guard, Cynrik walked behind his Mom and Phatrick while clutching the eggs to his chest protectively.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 149

    Walking through the aisles filled with caged animals and pet supplies, Cynrik and Cinyah followed behind the portly man, eventually stopping in front of a reinforced steel door. With a swipe of his Watcet and a sharp BEEP, Phatrick unlocked the door and ushered them into a room reminiscent of the one used for interrogations.

    The room was norger than a standard bedroom with a matching metallic table and chairs in its bare beige confines. The three walls were bare and overshadowed by a long mirror running from one side to the other on the fourth. Seeing this mirror, Cynrik¡¯s senses heightened as he swiftly activated [Mana Sight] while staring nkly at it.

    Like he suspected, it was a two-way mirror, and he could faintly see the Mana signatures of a handful of adults standing impatiently on the other side. On high alert due to the observing beings, Cynrik halted his footsteps and paused outside the doorway, refusing to enter. His abrupt actions drew the attention of everyone both in and outside the room.

    ¡°Young man, if you want your Beast Eggs appraised, we need the privacy of this room. There is nothing to worry about; the procedure is both non-invasive and simple.¡± Wearing a forced smile, Phatrick patted his forehead with the handkerchief again, with anxious eyes darting between the eggs and the two-way mirror.

    Cinyah calmly gazed at her son as he anxiously held his eggs and looked like a cat who had its tail stepped on before following his line of sight to the wall-sized mirror on the opposite side of the room. However, Cinyah was by no means slow to the uptake and quickly put two and two together, her eyes turning cold as she activated her [Inspect] on Phatrick.

    Unlike her children¡¯s low Tier version, Cinyah¡¯s skill was nearing Tier-4, giving a vastly different amount of data inparison. First, she picked up on the portly man¡¯s condition,beled as (Extremely Nervous). Using this as a basis for judgment, she then shifted her attention to the mirror and saw it for what it was. Finally, Cinyah deactivated her skill, seeing all she needed, calmly waved Cynrik over, and sat at the table.

    However, Cynrik didn¡¯t move; instead, he started scheming.

    ¡®Tobs, am I able to store my Eggs within my inventory, or will there be negative repercussions?¡¯

    -One moment as I scan them¡­-

    At her words, Cynrik felt the parts of his skin touching the eggs get warmer for a second before it faded away.

    -There will be no negative issues posed by storing them. Unlike other living beings, the two eggs have absorbed an appropriate amount of your Mana and Essence directly from the source. As such, they are treated as an extension of you. The only effect of cing them within your inventory is that they will pause all growth since time inside the inventory is stalled out.-

    ¡®Stalled out¡­no, we can worry about thatter.¡¯ Looking down at his eggs onest time, Cynrik shifted them around in his arms and casually flicked both wrists, equipping his Assassins tools under his hoodie sleeves. After ying around with them for so long, Cynrik had modified his weapons¡¯ overall outer shell design, making them slimmer in the process and easier to hide under regr clothing. This allowed him to disguise his actions of equipping them by making it look like he was trying to getfortable holding the tworge eggs. Double-checking calmly that his subtle movements and weapon equipt had gone unnoticed, Cynrik entered the room and took a seat beside his Mom.

    ¡°Now then, let me exin a little about the procedure. First, I will need you to ce both eggs on the table so that I can do a visual inspection. Once I am done with that, I will move on to the physical portion, where I will handle each egg briefly while activating my skill.¡± Pulling back the third chair and sitting in front of Cinyah and Cynrik, Phatrick began babbling without hiding the mixture of greed and excitement in his voice.

    ¡°Mhm, I see, alright, one moment, I don¡¯t want them resting on the cold metal.¡± ying along with the game Fatrolls initiated, Cynrik smiled amiably and pulled out the two cushions the eggs rested on inside the chest. With a wave of his hand, the two tinum cushions suddenly appeared on the table, making Cynrik lean forward and gently ce his eggs down.

    Phatrick nodded his head up and down several times seeing how obediently Cynrik seemed and leaned forward in anticipation. As a Tier-3 being, although Phatrick didn¡¯t have abat ss, he felt no danger from the boy and went to reach forward to touch one of the eggs.

    ¡°TSK!¡±

    Right before Phatrick¡¯s plump hand was about to touch the first egg, Cynrik clicked his tongue in disappointment, making the portly fellow freeze.

    FWOOOSHHHH

    CRACK CRACK

    ¡°UGH, AHHH!¡±

    The sound of bones breaking bounced off the walls of the drab room, followed by Phatrick¡¯s screams.

    Upon seeing the man throw everything he just said out the window and go for the eggs, Cynrik activated the total amount of his Killing Intent targeting only the portly fellow¡¯s hands below the wrists. No matter if Phatrick was Tier-3 or even Tier-5, the force of Cynrik¡¯s newly minted 5g of Gravitational force bared down in a narrow area, quickly mming Phatrick¡¯s hands onto the table and pulverizing the bones from the wrist down.

    Tobs had calcted the death of Osarseph and Wadjet as being by Cynrik¡¯s hand, and when he checked his stats, he had noticed that his KIN had increased to 400, which raised his force to 5g.

    Fear washed over Phatrick as he struggled to keep calm. With bloodshot eyes, he stared at Cynrik, who was in the process of pulling up his hood, catching a sadistic smile on the young boy¡¯s face.

    ¡°You know, Fatrolls, if you are gonna try your hand at stealing someone¡¯s items, you should REALLY scope out your targets first. Sadly for you, you¡¯ve not only thoroughly pissed me off, but also my Mother¡­who makes my temper look like child¡¯s y.¡± Feeling the heat radiating to his right, Cynrik quickly waved his hand, cing the eggs into his inventory, and, using his left knee, flipped the table upward into the air just as Cinyah moved into action.

    BBBBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM

    Seeing how her son had disabled Phatrick and stored the eggs, Cinyah charged Fire Mana into her palm and fired a giant [Fireball] directly into the two-way mirror, causing a massive explosion that shook the entire building and nearly deafened Cynrik.

    ¡°WHO DARES!¡± A woman¡¯s voice cut through the mes as a wave of Water Mana tore through the remnants of Cinyah¡¯s attack, dousing the fire.

    ¡°Heh, like my beloved oldest son said, you dumb bitch, LEARN YOUR TARGETS!¡±

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes could barely keep up as Cinyah stomped the ground, summoned a sword of Fire Mana, and rushed forward towards the voice. He felt a shiver journey through his body in recognition of how pissed his Mom was and decided to stay out of the way. Years of training and being raised by the woman gave him a good grasp on her strength and temper.

    Although he really wanted to watch her fight, after a couple of seconds of trying to keep up with her swift movements, Cynrik gave up and looked at the disheveled figure of Phatrick leaning against the wall cowering in fear and nursing his broken hands.

    ¡°Tsk, tsk, poor fatrolls, you realllllly fucked up this time, didn¡¯t cha?¡± Then, appearing next to the man and nearly startling him to death, Cynrik calmly grabbed Phatrick by the throat and lifted him up, raising the terrified man off his feet.

    ¡°Pppp please doooonnt hurhurhurt me! I w..was only following or orders.¡±

    Cyrnik wrinkled his face as a faint acidic smell wafted to his nostrils, causing him to look down and see the yellow puddle underneath Phatrick.

    ¡°Ah, dude, seriously¡­you¡¯re a grown-ass man. How are you going to piss yourself with only this little bit of intimidation? Grow a fucking spine.¡± Cynrik pinched the brim of his nose with his free hand before flicking out a hidden de and gently cing it against Phatrick¡¯s throat, making the portly man gulp in fear.

    ¡°Now, then. The way I see it, Mother only needs a couple of minutes to eliminate your little friends hiding on the other side of that two-way mirror, so if you want to live, I rmend you start talking. Who set this up? Why are they so interested in my Eggs? Last but not least, I still want to know what will hatch from my eggs.¡± While he spoke, Cynrik slowly increased the gravity on Phatrick, starting from 0.25 and increasing it every 10 seconds. That wasn¡¯t all he did to intimidate the poor fellow as the arm Cynrik was gripping the man¡¯s throat with was bathed in ck mes.

    Phatrick shivered at the sound of this demonic child¡¯s voice, and the mysterious ck fire licking at the boy¡¯s arm and started babbling the answers to Cynrik¡¯s questions, afraid that if he dyed, this demon-child would kill him.

    ¡°Ittt it, it was the Opurn Family, they, they, atch the CharChar stores for any rare Beast Eggs, and since th..they are the most significant shareholders in thepany, they ckmail the eggs owners into handing them over.¡± Feeling the sweat soaking through his clothes, Phatrick fought through his studders and tried to give a sufficient answer.

    ¡°Opurn¡­never heard of them. They must have some sort of backing if they can rope in Tier-3¡¯s like candy. Tsk just had to be my eggs. Continue.¡± Noticing that Phatrick didn¡¯t want to continue speaking, Cynrik tightened his grip on the man¡¯s throat, making his face turn purple for a moment before releasing.

    ¡°Gahh, sir, when I received your descriptions of the eggs and saw they came from a tinum chest, I followed orders and sent the data to the Opurn Family, who responded by telling me to take them at any cost. They even sent over 4 of their elites just in case something happened.

    BOOOOMMMM

    Tilting his head to the side, Cynrik saw multiple shes of lighting from the room Cinyah was battling, and after a quick check of his HUD, he determined she was just fine and dealing with the enemies without much trouble.

    ¡°So it¡¯s rare to receive eggs from tinum chests¡­ it seems I¡¯ve made a pretty big mistake this time. I have overshared in my haste to figure out what would hatch from the eggs. Hmmm, where did I go wrong, though? I was sure I didn¡¯t add too much info to my descriptions?¡± Tapping his de lightly on Phatrick¡¯s neck as he thought aloud had the man flinching each time, but Cynrik wasn¡¯t bothered and continued pressing for answers.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 150

    ¡°So it¡¯s rare to receive eggs from tinum chests¡­ it seems I¡¯ve made a pretty big mistake this time. I have overshared in my haste to figure out what would hatch from the eggs. Hmmm, where did I go wrong, though? I was sure I didn¡¯t add too much info to my descriptions?¡± Tapping his de lightly on Phatrick¡¯s neck as he thought aloud had the man flinching each time, but Cynrik wasn¡¯t bothered and continued pressing for answers.

    ¡°Calling it rare is an understatement¡­sir. Although I have heard there is only a 1 in 10,000 chance of receiving a Beast Egg from a tinum chest, getting two is absolutely unheard of. That was one of the key pieces of data that triggered my own and even the Opurn Families interest.¡± Phatrick¡¯s heart was beating a million miles a minute. Never would he believe that a simple-looking child holding two eggs could ever put him in such a position. At 52 years of age, he had seen thousands of powerful people in his life, yet not a single one had instilled as much fear in him as this boy.

    ¡°Oh? Is that so? Guess I goofed this time. Oh well, it¡¯s nothing that can¡¯t be solved through violence.¡± Grinning ear to ear, Cynrik pushed the hidden de into the man¡¯s flesh enough to draw blood and continued speaking.

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered my biggest question yet. What kind of Beast Eggs am I dealing with, Mr.Fatrolls.¡± Cynrik chuckled inwardly, seeing Phatrick¡¯s wronged expression when he dug the de in.

    ¡°Ack, I can¡¯t be sure¡­ack please sir, stop digging your knife in deeper, ACK I think they¡¯re N¨¢tt Hrafn!¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­ N¨¢tt Hrafn?¡± Cynrik subconsciously loosened his grip and withdrew his de.

    ¡®N¨¢tt is Night in Norse while Hrafn is Old Norse for Raven¡­Night Ravens.¡¯ Clicking his tongue inwardly, Cynrik couldn¡¯t help but think of him receiving not one but two Ravens as Odin¡¯s handiwork.

    ¡°Yes, yes, N¨¢tt Hrafn, the shape of the egg is a prime characteristic of avian species while the color dictates the Affinity the Beast has. Then there are the red markings. There are very few avians born with Darkness as their Origin Affinity and even fewer that have those kinds of runic inscriptions.¡± Phatrick tried to massage his neck but suddenly remembered both his hands were broken.

    ¡°Tell me more about these Beasts.¡± Cynrik released the man, dropping him back into the puddle of piss before pushing for more information.

    ¡°N¨¢tt Hrafn are extremely rare. Thanks to being born with the Dark Affinity, they have a history of being seen as bringers of doom or bad omens; as such, they nearly went extinct hundreds of years ago. Although a few have been found in territories thatck abundant sunlight, such as crevices or certain nes where Ambient Dark Mana is prevalent.¡±

    ¡°Like all Avian species, they are among the few creatures born at Tier-0, whereas nearly every other Beast is born at Tier-1. And even though this may be seen as a disadvantage as they are naturally born very weak, they grow quickly. In addition, they are considered extremely versatile thanks to their capabilities as mounts in theirter growth stages. Unfortunately, the N¨¢tt Hrafn is notoriously difficult to tame, so they are oftenpared to dragons and wyverns in this aspect.¡±

    Phatrick licked his lips before continuing.

    ¡°All that aside, if the eggs truly belong to N¨¢tt Hrafn, they would go for an astronomical amount on the open market. So when I determined their species, I quickly informed my superiors and was promised arge cut, even a big promotion if I could secure them.¡±

    ¡°Making your ¡°superiors¡± send over a group of Tier-2 and Tier-3 elites. Seems legit. Alright, thank you, Mr.Fatrolls, you have been amodating. I greatly appreciate your assistance.¡± Pulling down his hood and shing a kind smile to the portly man, Cynrik stepped back and gestured that Phatrick could leave.

    Ecstatic that the boy was releasing him, Phatrick jumped to his feet and made a break for the door. But just as his hand touched the doorknob, he heard a faint SHUNK, noise followed by a sharp pain in his lower back. With wide eyes, he slowly turned around only to find Cynrik with both arms raised parallel to the ground and a faint ck smoke rising from under his wrists.

    ¡°Tsk, I really did want to let you go, Mr.Fatrolls, but too bad you tried to take something that belongs to me. You can die knowing that Ivar The Boneless was the one who sent you to the depths of hell.¡± With a sinister smirk stered on his lips, Cynrik turned both his hands while curling his fingers into ws and pulled at the air, causing the two Sunre hidden des to burst into mes within Phatrick¡¯s body.

    ¡°Teehe, Haha.¡± With uncaring eyes, Cynrik watched the man get consumed by his mes. He had waited until the man turned his back before firing off the two des, one into the lumbar and the other behind the heart. It only took a couple of seconds for Phatrick tobust and start screaming in agony.

    By the time the charred body hit the ground, Cynrik had heard someone pping behind him, so he calmly turned around only to be greeted by Cinyah, dragging four unconscious adults, three men and one woman by their cors.

    ¡°Wow, Cyn, I never knew you were so ruthless; you are indeed my child.¡± Cinyah shook her head as she spoke before tossing the four lifeless bodies into the center of the room and walking to her son¡¯s side.

    ¡°Un, it wasn¡¯t difficult at all; Fatrolls may have been Tier-3, but either because of his unstable mindset due to shock or because he was a support ss, he couldn¡¯t do anything to me. Nevertheless, I was able to get some valuable information from him; surprisingly, intimidation worked wonders on the poor idiot.¡± Dropping his cold and ruthless expression instantly, Cynrik exined his findings to Cinyah, who stood there and listened intensively. Her face shifted through various emotions as Cynrik listed everything he learned, from excited at the prospect of her son having powerful Beastpanions to ice-cold at hearing the perpetrators were the Opurn Family.

    ¡°Cyn, we have made some serious enemies; the Opurns are high on the food chain alongside the Evasdeen and Jetlensrs. However, the biggest difference is that they are wealthy business owners who have their greedy hands in just about every market. All the prominent families tip-toe around anything involving them. Their monopoly on important infrastructures such as Technology and Pharmaceuticals is so vast that they can quickly bury entire families if they so choose.¡±

    Weewoo wee woo.

    The mother and son duo turned their heads as they picked up on the faint sound of enforcer sirens in the distance.

    ¡°Heh, you shouldn¡¯t have killed the fat guy, but there is nothing we can do about it.¡± Cinyah didn¡¯t seem too distressed by the charred remains of Phatrickying by the door as she quickly set about contacting people on her Watcet.

    Even though Valor City wasn¡¯t consideredwless, killings such as what Cynrik had done urred frequently enough that so long as you had contacts or were strong enough, you could get away with it if the proper excuse, such as self-defense, was used.

    When the heavily armored Enforcers showed up, they found Cynrik standing behind his fierce mother, trembling as if he had lived through the most traumatic experience in his short life. He even went so far as to poke himself in the eyes when no one looked to make it appear that he had been assaulted and was crying.

    An hourter, after being thoroughly interrogated, Cynrik¡¯s weak child act worked perfectly, and they were on their way back home with a p on the wrist. Between Cynrik¡¯s acting skills and Cinyah¡¯s connections, the two were let off the hook, and the incident was recorded as attempted theft of a Beast Egg, along with Assult. Cynrik¡¯s ying of Phatrick was written as self-defense, and the four Opurn elites were arrested on suspicion of harming a minor and burry.

    Upon arriving back at the Pinhurst Residence, Cynrik wore a smug grin as he pulled the eggs from his inventory and went back to gazing at them. However, unlike before, when he used [Inspect], the question marks and vague descriptions had changed to reflect the information obtained from Phatrick, solidifying the identity of the two creatures within.

    Later that night, when Brance and Jessup returned home from a day¡¯s work, they found Cynrik and Aiden lying on the living room floor on their stomachs with their legs swaying back and forth, staring at the two eggs, which had been wrapped in nkets and nestled on their cushions.

    ¡°Tell me you two haven¡¯t been like that all day?¡± Brance kicked Cynrik lightly in the ribs, rolling him onto his back.

    ¡°Nope, Aiden got home not long ago. I had a pretty eventful day, though. I got to see Mom beat the fuck out of four losers, and I toasted a fat dude. OH, and it turns out ima have two pet birds from now on.¡± Cynrik chirped, looking up at Brance from the ground.

    ¡°Hold up, WHAT! I can¡¯t even go to work without you getting into some kind of fucking trouble; it¡¯s so frustrating. Why can¡¯t you just be a normal kid and, I don¡¯t know, climb trees?¡± Unable to stand, Brance plopped down onto the couch and began his interrogation, to which, Cynrik happilyplied.

    By the time he finished the story, Brance had his face in his hands and was muttering to himself incoherently.

    ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as it seems; I only got us another enemy that we can extortter. No biggie.¡± Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik rolled back onto his stomach and ignored the stunned face of Aiden.

    ¡°Cynrik¡­you are SO COOL! HEY, TEACH ME HOW TO FIGHT; I WANNA BE ABLE TO GO FWOOSH LIKE YOU! Mom says I shouldn¡¯t learn to since I¡¯ll be a cksmith just like Granpa, but I still want to learn just in case.¡± Wearing an expression like a child meeting his hero Aiden started babbling in excitement.

    ¡°No, Aiden, don¡¯t humor Big Brother; it is a terrible idea to aspire to be like him; HE IS CHAOS INCARNATE!¡± Brance shouted in frustration, causing the other boy to stare at him, confused.

    Meanwhile, Cynrik had tuned everything out and was trying his best to will the two little birds to grow faster.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

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 Chapter 151

    With the few remaining days before the brothers needed to go to the testing site, Cynrik and Brance continued their peaceful lives, with Brance continuing to work and learn from Jessup and Cynrik taking care of his eggs.

    During this time, Cynrik learned a valuable piece of information from Tobs after several lengthy interrogations. ording to the System AI, to speed up the incubation period of his little Ravens, Cynrik had two options. The first was to acquire two devices to house the eggs and keep them at the optimal temperature and environment; the second was to constantly infuse some of his own Mana or Essence (XP).

    Since the first option was out of the picture thanks to the little hup at CharChar, Cynrik decisively chose option two. However, this brought up a separate issue. When he finally sat down to begin the infusing process, he was spammed with several notifications.

    -An Avian species egg has been located, and you are attempting to infuse Mana directly from your Codex into it.-

    -This egg can withstand the integration of two types of Affinity Mana; please choose which type you would like to infuse. Dark (Y/N), Fire (Y/N), Wind (Y/N).-

    -Be aware, the choice of Mana you wish to bestow on the egg will change the growth phase of the Beast within.-

    ¡®Eh? Tobs, what is this about? What kind of changes are we talking about here?¡¯ Ever since Cynrik had made the unconscious decision to ce his trust in the AI, he found himself going to her more often than he would have previously beenfortable.

    -As the notifications stated, you can choose which secondary Affinity you want to infuse with the egg. N¨¢tt Hrafn are beings capable of withstanding up to two Affinities at birth. This is why you have been given the option. Effectively you are allowed to choose which Affinities they start with.-

    ¡®Wait, what happens if I don¡¯t add a secondary Affinity? Will they only have Dark?¡¯Tilting his head to the side, Cynrik lightly caressed the closest of the two eggs.

    -Not necessarily. Although the Beasts may be born with only the singr Dark Affinity, everything is based on random probability. However, if you chose the device option, it would be different as higher grade Incubation Devices can draw specified Affinities from Ambient Mana and infuse them into the egg during the growth phase.-

    -At the end of the day, if you only infuse Dark Mana into them, the Central System HUB will take over, and as you would say¡­ ¡°roll the dice.¡± There is an 80% chance of the Beast obtaining a Basic Grade element, a 14% chance of not receiving an Affinity at all, a 5% chance of getting an Advanced-Grade Affinity, and a 1% chance of getting a Special Advance Grade Affinity.-

    ¡®And the difference between the manual infusing and using an Incubation device is?¡¯ Cynrik rolled his eyes and looked up at the space above his head, where he imagined Tobs was floating.

    -Well¡­there isn¡¯t much point in breaking down the difference as you are too poor to afford top-of-the-line technology, but the higher the device¡¯s grade, the better the chance at receiving a higher Grade Affinity.-

    ¡®POOR! Who the fuck is poor? I HAVE TWO MILLION CREDITS AND A FUCK TON OF SKILL POINTS!¡¯ It took Cynrik a tremendous effort not to scream the sentence aloud as Tobs was again bullying him.

    -Poor is poor Host Cynrik, especially when the technology you are desiring is well over 50 million Credits.-

    COUGH COUGH

    Tobs¡¯ reply caused Cynrik to choke on his saliva and fall into a coughing fit.

    ¡¯50 MILLION, WHO THE FUCK WOULD PAY 50 MILLION!¡¯

    ¨C (? ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)? that would be you Host Cynrik. Based on previous actions, it is within your character to spend all your wealth the moment you are given the opportunity.-

    ¡®GOD DAMN IT, TOBS, WHY MUST YOU BULLY ME! WHO EVEN TAUGHT YOU FUCKING EMOTICONS? Was it Brance?¡¯ Cynrik¡¯s eyes narrowed as he started forming a plot to prank his brother in retaliation.

    It had to be said that even though Tobs¡¯ voice would be directly transmitted to Cynrik and Brance¡¯s brains, there was still a subtitled notification that popped up when she spoke. This was how Cynrik was aware she used an emoticon. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have a clue she had.

    -Hehe, who knows¡­maybe I learned it from you, Host Cynrik.-

    Cynrik¡¯s body went rigid, and his eyes widened in shock when he heard Tobs giggle for the first time.

    ¡®HOLD UP! Tobs did¡­did you just giggle?¡¯ Completely bbergasted, Cynrik¡¯s mind nearly exploded at the potential thought of Tobs gaining sentience. Over time both he and Brance had picked up on subtle changes urring with the System AI; even if they didn¡¯t speak about it, they had their suspicions over the years. Moreover, her newfound habit of bullying Cynrik added substance to this theory.

    -I am not a sentient being Host Cynrik; it is simply an adaptation to my Host¡¯s behaviors. Therefore, stop overthinking irrelevant things.-

    [BRANCIE! TOBS JUST GIGGLED; IT WAS FUCKING ADORABLE!]

    Miles away, at Pinhurst Cold-Steel, Brance heard his brother through the mind link and dropped the broom he was using to tidy up the store, startling a couple of teenagers nearby who were checking a rack of armor.

    [She did WHAT? HOLY FUCK, IT¡¯S HAPPENING, CYNRIK, ITS FUCKING HAPPENING, DON¡¯T PANIC, NO NEED TO PANIC AHHH, WAIT, WAIT WAIT WAIT, DID YOU RECORD IT SO I COULD PLAY IT BACK? PLEASSSE TELL ME YOU DID!] With his breathing unsteady and his heart-rate elerated, Brance swiftly apologized for startling the teenagers before scooping up his broom and running to the storage room in the back.

    [How the fuck am I supposed to record something in my mind Brancie?] Snorting in contempt, Cynrik did the only thing he could think of and tried mimicking the sound for his brother. But unfortunately, even if he was good at imitations, Cynrik could not capture the moment perfectly, and after several attempts, he gave up.

    [Looks like It doesn¡¯t work like the autotune feature with singing. Tsk sucks to be you, Brancie. Better luck next time; you¡¯ll have to get her to break that monotone character of hers on your own time, hehe.] Chuckling to himself, Cynrik ignored the howls of anguish ringing out in the mind link and focused on his eggs.

    The Affinities of his future pets were at stake, so Cynrik needed to weigh his options appropriately. Unfortunately, the odds of himing up with the necessary funds to purchase a high-grade Incubator were slim at best, if not non-existent, so he was limited in his options. Then, sitting on the carpet with his legs extended and the eggs in hisp, Cynrik suddenly remembered something in his inventory sitting untouched for years.

    With a wave of his hand, a softball-sized purple and yellow orb appeared in his palm. It was the Lightning Affinity Orb.

    ¡®Oi, Tobs, when I Evo to Tier-2, I can learn another Affinity, right?¡¯

    -That is correct; once Host Cynrik Evolves to Tier-2, not only will you be able to obtain another Sub-ss, the Affinity restriction of 3 will be increased to 4.-

    ¡®Hmm, welp, nothing I can do about it for now. As much as I¡¯d like to hatch my eggs as soon as possible, I can¡¯t hinder them by restricting them to only Fire or Wind.¡¯ Heaving a disappointed sigh, Cynrik ced the Lightning Orb and his two eggs into his inventory and leaned his back against the wall of his bedroom before pulling up a panel window showing his Mana Integration Skill, Requiem of Dusk.

    -Ancient Tier Mana Integration Skill: Requiem of Dusk.-

    -Proficiency 2%-

    -Mastery: Wood Tier.-

    -Technical Rank: Tier-0.-

    -By cultivating with this Ancient Technique at night or in the Dark, the User can restore all of their Mana by opening their Codex to absorb ambient Mana Particles directly from a surrounding area of 3 square meters.-

    -Description; A cultivation technique passed down from Ancient Times that primarily focuses on nighttime cultivation. Its strength has fallen from Ancient Tier to Tier-0 forcing the User to increase their Proficiency in the technique to receive increased benefits.-

    -Replenishes MP.-

    -Chance to increase all Affinities Proficiency.-

    -Increases Mana Stat.-

    -Increases Random Stat.-

    -Cooldown time after use 168 Hours.-

    ¡®Sigh, back when we first got these skills, they seemed more important. Those days when a single point in VIT or MP would make us ecstatic seem so long ago. When Brance gets back, we should start using this skill again tonight. I wonder how far we could have advanced if we hadn¡¯t been shut out from Mana for five years.¡¯

    Knock, knock, knock.

    The sound of someone lightly knocking on his bedroom door pulled Cynrik from his daydreaming, making him bounce to his feet and answer it. On the other side was an anxious Cinyah who fidgeted with her hair.

    ¡°What¡¯s up, Mom?¡± Seeing her condition, Cynrik looked at her with concerned eyes.

    ¡°I just got a call from the Sanfords; someone ising to the house to speak with you from the Board of Academies; get dressed; they will be here in 10 minutes.¡± Cinyah noticed her son was still in his pajamas, so she quickly hurried him to change his clothes and wash his face before dragging him into the living room and forcing him to sit on the couch.

    ¡°Why are you so nervous, Mom? It¡¯s not like I am being tried or anything¡­wait¡­I¡¯m not being put on trial for anything, right?¡± Concern spread across Cynrik¡¯s face as he watched Cinyah pace back and forth in the living room.

    ¡°No, no, its nothing like that, it¡¯s just¡­my babies are going away to the Academies, it isn¡¯t time yet, you are both still children¡­listen, honey, why don¡¯t you just stay with Mommy for a couple more years until you¡¯re 14 and then you can go to school.¡± As she spoke, Cinyah¡¯s words spewed faster and faster out her tiny mouth as she franticly looked between the front door and her beloved oldest son.

    ¡°PPFFTT HAHAHAHAHA! Oh,e on, Mom, it¡¯s just school. It¡¯s no biggie; we gotta go at some point, and the sooner, the better right? We will be fine, plus we are dragging Gabby and Benny with us, so everything will be fine.¡± Bursting out into a fit ofughter at his mother¡¯s expense, Cynrik quickly tried to soothe his overly protective parent. But just as he was about to continue, there was a loud rapt at the front door, causing Cinyah to freeze in ce.

    Shaking his head in pity. Cynrik jumped off the couch and shed to the door in less than a second. He spotted two muscr adults wearing ck suits and sunsses when he opened it.

    ¡°Hello, how can I help you?¡± Appearing as polite as possible, Cynrik nted his feet and met the gaze of the two men.

    ¡°Good afternoon, son; I am Professor Hues. This man beside me is Dr. Effrin; we are here on behalf of the Board of Academies to give you the proper documentation and paperwork for the Selections happening in three days. May wee in?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Professor, my Mother already informed me of your arrival; pleasee in.¡± To Cynrik, they gave off a typical FBI vibe, so he didn¡¯t daddle and ushered them into the living room of the Pinhurst Mansion.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 152

    ¡°Of course, Professor, my Mother already informed me of your arrival; pleasee in.¡± To Cynrik, they gave off a typical FBI vibe, so he didn¡¯t daddle and ushered them into the living room of the Pinhurst Mansion.

    The two men nodded curtly before walking past Cynrik, who had his arm extended, guiding them to one of the three couches in the living room, while Cinyah busied herself making tea for the guests in an attempt to calm her anxiety.

    Once cookies and tea were served, Professor Hues informed Cinyah and Cynrik that he had sent a third person known as Mr. Kein to pick up Brance, leading them to a round of small talk before the front door opened a few minutester. The youngest Jetlensr strode in with an athletic build middle-aged bald man whom Cynrik thought bore a striking resemnce to a specific cleaning product mascot back on Earth.

    ¡°Hem hem, now that we have all arrived let¡¯s get to business.¡± This time it was Dr. Effrin who spoke up. His higher-pitched voice forced Cynrik and Brance to raise an eyebrow, but both kept quiet, seeing as the situation didn¡¯t allow for any disrespect.

    ¡°We have a few objectives to meet today before delivering the Notice of Summons token. Think of this as the final phase of your exams. Unfortunately, due to the extenuating circumstances of A-G 22097, the two of you were unable to attend the remainder of your Exams; as such, we will need to gather a bit more information.¡± Professor Hues added, waving a hand at Dr.Effrin, who gave a disgruntled snort.

    ¡°During the Physical Exam, a machine acquired a modified version of your Status Panels, and the Practical Exam was meant to determine yourbat prowess. However, under Councilor Garn¡¯s direction, we have been told to give you a shortbat examination and take down your current Stats. This test needs to be done to create aplete profile that will be handed to the recruiters of each Academy to decide if they want to extend a formal invitation.¡±

    Hearing this, Cynrik inwardly smiled.

    [Of course, they do. That old fox just wants to know how much stronger the two of us have be. Hey Tobs, when the timees, we will need you to hide our Bloodlines again.]

    -That will cost you both 20 SP.-

    [Tsk, seriously, so stingy. Why can¡¯t you give us free handouts from time to time?]

    ¡°That won¡¯t be an issue; we can go to the training room; please follow me.¡± Then, taking control of the conversation, Cynrik stood up while motioning for everyone to follow him.

    [Big Brother, is it safe to be showing all our cards?] Brance briskly followed behind his older brother as they navigated through the Mansion until they reached a Highschool Gym sized room filled with all sorts of training equipment.

    [Yes and no, they are taking our readings, to begin with. Even though Tobs can hide our Bloodlines, but nothing else. So if my theory is correct, they should already know we have triple Affinities. My little stunt should have been recorded or something back then, making it difficult to hide or Mana Control. My only concern is if these guys are trustworthy or some spy for one of those prominent Families.]

    [Odds are they will have us perform a mock battle with one of the adults. It¡¯s a shame they are only Tier-3, but they should be capable of keeping us entertained for a bit.] Tossing a nce at Brance out of the corner of his eye, Cynrik chuckled before stepping into what appeared to be an oversized boxing ring.

    [Ehh, your ego is showing again. THESE GUYS ARE ALL TIER-3; the two of us haven¡¯t even reached Tier-2; if anyone heard you being so cocky, they¡¯d wanna bash your skull in.] Brance said as he crossed his arms over his chest and stood beside his mother.

    [Don¡¯t mind, don¡¯t mind. I got this. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be pushed into a life or death¡­oops almost threw up a g.] Cynrik tilted his head to the side, forcing out a loud pop from his neck, and looked over at Dr.Effrin, who was stepping into the ring on the opposite side.

    ¡°Examee Cynrik Jetlensr, this will be a two, five minute round sparring match. You can use any weapon or Affinity freely; however, body armor is banned. If, at any time during the bout, you are unable to continue, this will be recorded, and it may affect your results. We will begin on Professor Hues¡¯ mark.¡± Dr.Effrin took a fighting stance and waved his hand, revealing a thin metal saber. His calm expression made Cynrik realize that the man wasn¡¯t looking down on him and appeared to be taking this sparring match very seriously.

    Inhaling through his nose, Cynrik peeled off his hoodie, revealing a in red t-shirt underneath, and equipt both his Cold-Steel Kodachi into their regr positions, his left hip and behind his right shoulder. Then, dropping into hisbat stance, Cynrik¡¯s palms rested gently on the hilts of both des as he made eye contact with the man opposite him. It was the first time in almost two weeks since he had stretched his body, and Cynrik could feel his blood heating up at the prospect of a good battle.

    Cinyah lightly grabbed Brance¡¯s hand anxiously, making him look up at her and smile brightly. Her mind was in aplicated state at the moment. She fully believed in her son¡¯sbat ability, but she was still the doting parent they knew and loved at the end of the day. The nervousness stered on her face was strange for Brance to see, and he could only pump her hand a couple of times to calm her down a bit.

    ¡°BEGIN!¡± Professor Hues¡¯ voice bounced off the training room walls, followed by an explosive sound below Cynrik as he flew into motion, stomping the ring¡¯s floor, propelling himself at a strange angle towards his opponent.

    Dr.Effrin¡¯s pupils constricted at the sight of Cynrikunching himself through the air without fear and simultaneously drawing both his Kodachi. He could quickly tell there wasn¡¯t even the slightest hesitation in Cynrik¡¯s movements which he hadn¡¯t expected. As an experienced Combat Professor from Quest Combat Academy, Effrin had trained hundreds of children but never had he found one who so fearlessly attacked someone with such a power gap between them. Cynrik¡¯s chart showed him being at Early Tier-1, but the movement speed he was exhibiting was clearly in the realm of Tier-2.

    Tapping the ground lightly, Dr.Effrin met Cynrik in the center of the ring and, with a loud CLANG, deflected the two swift attacks dished out by the boy before countering with his own. However, the first contact between the two stunned Dr.Effrin as he felt the full extent of Cynrik¡¯s 300 point STR Stat.

    ¡®He has already reached such an extent; how is this possible. The record shows his party was only inside A-G 22097 for 24 hours. What did these children have to face inside that Instance Dungeon?¡¯

    The two shed around the ring, showering the surroundings in sparks with each de on de strike, leaving the spectating Board members and Cinyah stunned. The only one who was carefully watching the fight with calm eyes was Brance, but if one observed him, they would notice a slight annoyance on his face. This was caused by his brother¡¯s ¡°Chuunimentary,¡± going on in the mind link.

    [Kick the knee, use it to execute a backflip, and SLASH.]

    Cynrik performed everything as he spoke it in the mind link. First, he slid into Dr. Effrin¡¯s chest in a single motion and executed a knee kick to throw his opponent off bnce; once that didn¡¯t work, he used his weight tounch himself into the air, using Dr.Effrin as a springboard and finished his remarks. However, this didn¡¯t go as nned, as the man swiftly recovered and parried Cynrik¡¯s sh, flinging the young boy several paces backward, forcing him tond on one knee.

    ¡°Not bad.¡± Smiling like a viin, Dr.Effrinplimented Cynrik. Initially, he thought the fight would be a one-sided beat down, but the boy proved him wrong. Cynrik¡¯s graceful yet fierce movements showedbat experience far beyond his years to a trained expert like him. There were zero excess movements in each attack, and Cynrik was extremely good at masking his actions, making it difficult to adapt to his strange dual-wieldingbat style. If it weren¡¯t for therge gap in their Stats, Dr.Effrin felt he would easily be pressured by the young boy taking his time to get back up.

    As someone in the Middle Stage of Tier-3, all of Dr. Effrin¡¯s stats were approaching three times Cynrik¡¯s, so although the young boy was able to keep up to some extent, it was Dr. Effrin who was controlling the pace of the battle.

    ¡°Hehe, not bad, he says, tsk. But, of course, this was just the warm-up.¡± Grinning ear to ear and thoroughly enjoying the fast-paced fight, Cynrik scanned his opponent for ws or weaknesses. He could only sigh internally when he couldn¡¯t find any in the brick shithouse of a man standing calmly on the other side of the ring.

    ¡®Welp, time to get serious. For the most part, he is only matching my own output, and I have yet to push him to use any strength higher than my own. Not only that, but it¡¯s like I am hitting an unmovable wall. What to do, what to do.¡¯ His eyes flicked around rapidly as Cynrik trieding up with some n of attack, but just as he was about to move, Professor Hues spoke up, announcing the end of the first of two rounds.

    ¡°You will have one minute to catch your breath. Both fighters, return to your corners.¡±

    Wasting no time, Cynrik shed to the corner marked with red padding, but this wasn¡¯t what caused everyone present to be surprised. Instead, what shocked everyone was how, just as Cynrik reached his corner, Brance appeared in the ring, cing down a small stool and handing his brother bottled water before discussing the first round in hushed whispers.

    Cinyah giggled at the sight of her two sons acting like professional fighters. Of course, she had seen them do this in the past, but now that Cynrik was in a semi-official sparring match, she felt pride well up in her heart at the scene of her two children working together wlessly.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

    Current Power Stones 249

    250 Power Stones 1 Bonus Chapter (iplete)

    500 Powerstones 2 Bonus Chapter (Iplete)

    750 Power Stones 3 Bonus Chapters (Iplete)

    1000 Power Stones 4 Bonus Chapters (Iplete)

 Chapter 153

    Sitting on his stool, Cynrik slowed his breathing and heart rate as he listened to Brance¡¯s analysis of the fight so far.

    ¡°On a scale of one to ten, he¡¯s around a 6 for tactics. Every move he has made so far is either reactionary or based on instinct. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s the Tier suppression restraining you orck of actualbat experience on his part, but it doesn¡¯t seem like he is ying with you. To some extent, the guy has restrained himself to around Mid-Tier-2.¡±

    Brance spoke in a hushed whisper to not alert the opponent or spectators to what he was saying.

    ¡°Furthermore, neither of you have used any Affinities yet, so we still have a blind spot there.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong; he has been using something.¡± Then, drumming his fingers on the hilt of the Kodachi on his hip, Cynrik exined something Brance hadn¡¯t noticed.

    ¡°As you know, I am at an inherent disadvantage against a longer sword due to the length of my Kodachi¡¯s; this makes it, so I need to be closer tond attacks. But as the fight progressed, I¡¯ve noticed something strange with his Saber. It seems to extend and retract at will. I can¡¯t determine if he¡¯s using something like Metal Affinity or if it¡¯s a unique skill of his weapon. But there is definitely something going on there.¡±

    During the first round, Cynrik had explicitly avoided using [Mana Sight] or [Inspect] as he felt he was bing too dependent on them. Doing this allowed him to realize the few shorings he had developed with hisbat style, and as the first round went on, Cynrik was slowly adapting minor adjustments as he went. Such as how he would string togetherbinations of attacks or the cement of his feet whennding.

    CLACK CLACK CLACK

    Cynrik and Brance sped up their conversation as Professor Hues mmed a cane-like staff on the ground signifying only 10 seconds were remaining in the break.

    ¡°South-paw (Left-handed attacks) faints seem to be working better than orthodox (Right-handed attacks), so keep those up. It may not seem like it, but he gets a little flustered when you fake attacks from the left. Round one was a draw, so you¡¯ll need to capitalize on hisck of knowledge about your Affinities.¡± Brance fired off a few more tips based on what he had seen before taking Cynrik¡¯s stool and jumping out of the ring.

    ¡°This is the final round, on my mark.¡± Professor Hues shouted below the enormous boxing ring, putting bothbatants on guard. But, unlike before, Cynrik didn¡¯t grip his hilts. Instead, this time he was going all out. Mixing up his stance, he extended his right leg out while bending his left knee and bringing back his left hip, taking a traditional south-paw stance with his lower body. However, his stance was anything but a conventional fighting pose for his upper body.

    Cynrik raised his left elbow above his head with his arm angled down in front of his face. His index and middle fingers and thumb were curled into a w, leaving his ring and pinky fingers curled up like he was making a fist. Cynrik¡¯s right hand was making the same gesture, but instead of being raised, his right arm was in a standard boxing guard pose, with his elbow bent and his hand inches in front of his right ear.

    Seeing the drastic change in his stance, Dr. Effrin was momentarily confused. Usually, a person would stick to a singr fighting style, either hand to hand or using a weapon, yet Cynrik was doing the opposite. Based on how effortlessly he took the stance and the calm demeanor Cynrik was exuding, Dr. Effrin couldn¡¯t help but be on guard.

    ¡°BEGIN!¡±

    ¡°Teehe Haha¡±

    The instant the cryptic taunt left his lips, Dr. Effrin felt the hair rise on the back of his neck, and the next moment Cynrik vanished from sight.

    BANG

    A secondter, a loud bang erupted from the ring, as Cynrik, under cover of his [Cloak of Shadows], delivered a fierce kick into the head of Dr. Effrin, sending him hurtling across the ring and into the ropes over 10 meters away.

    Seeing the man be flung through the air by seemingly nothing, everyone except Brance gasped in shock, leaving the victim scrambling to get back to his feet.

    ¡®What the fuck just happened?¡¯ Shaking his head to clear the cobwebs forming in his brain, Dr. Effrin¡¯s eyes anxiously looked for Cynrik.

    ¡®Fuck, that¡¯s right, his file said he had a Dark Affinity. Not good; if I can¡¯t anticipate his attacks, I¡¯ll be a sitting duck.¡¯ Calming his rapidly pounding heart, Dr. Effrin pulled out his Saber before running his hand over the length of the de. The action caused a faint luster to shine from the Saber as he honed in his focus for any minute change in the surroundings, which may give away Cynrik¡¯s position.

    BANG FWOOSH BAM

    However, it was useless; Cynrik appeared beside the man andshed out with all his might, kicking Dr. Effrin in the small of his knee before spinning around and striking him in the side of his head with his elbow. The one-twobo sent the man sprawling and dropped Cynrik¡¯s [Cloak of Shadows].

    This was all Dr. Effrin needed, as even though he was still airborne, he stabbed his Saber forward. Cynrik¡¯s eyes narrowed as he witnessed the de of the Saber extend like it was made of rubber, over eight meters aimed directly at his heart.

    Thinking fast, Cynrik twisted both his wrists outward, equipping his Assassins tools, and in one motion extended both hidden des in a cross guard, narrowly blocking the attack at the cost of being forced to take three steps backward.

    ¡°Tsk, I knew you were up to something with that Saber; that¡¯s fine, this fight is already over, [Shadow Sewing].¡± Cynrik spat as he stomped his left foot on the ground. The action caused ten shadow tendrils to erupt from the floor and wrap around Dr. Effrin¡¯s arms, legs, and hips, locking him in ce.

    ¡°What!¡± Stunned and unable to move an inch, Dr. Effrin struggled in ce, trying to break free until he heard Cynrik snap his fingers. His pupils constricted to pinpricks as he watched the young boy manifest ten basketball-sized balls of ckFire.

    This time it was Professor Hues and Mr. Kein who shouted in unison.

    ¡°FUSION OF FIRE AND DARK AFFINITIES.¡±

    ¡°HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? HE¡¯S ONLY 12; HOW CAN HE FORM A MANTRA!¡±

    With a wave of Cynrik¡¯s hand, all ten balls of ckFire shot towards Dr. Effrin and hovered around the man, poised to attack at any moment.

    ¡°Do you yield, Dr. Effrin?¡±

    Cynrik¡¯s words brought the man out of his stupor as he realized his current predicament and gave a self-deprecating chuckle.

    ¡°To think I would lose to a child at the Peak of Tier-1, heh, it¡¯s true what they say, the young surpass the old. It is your win, Young Cynrik.¡± Looking around at the mysterious ck mes surrounding his immobilized body, Dr. Effrin felt if Cynrik really wanted to harm him, there was nothing he could do. His best option was to use his Metal Affinity to increase his defense as much as possible. But even if he did so, he felt it wouldn¡¯t be enough for some reason.

    Cynrik dispursed the umted Mana he used to form the fireballs and shadow tendrils with a snap of his fingers, releasing Dr. Effrin from harm and smiling widely at Cinyah.

    Brance shook his head as he read the smile, saying, ¡°Homie was Weak AF.¡± But for Cinyah, a reassuring smile said, ¡°No problem, Mom.¡±

    ¡°Victory goes to Cynrik Jetlensr.¡±

    Cynrik gave a respectful bow to his opponent and the spectators before putting away his hidden des, hopping over the ring¡¯s ropes, andnding beside his brother.

    Still in the ring, Dr. Effrin went through the battle in his head, trying to figure out what went wrong. After his sess in round one, he realized he had subconsciously underestimated Cynrik, making him shake his head in disappointment. There was no one to me but himself.

    Knowing there was still another sparring match to be held, Dr. Effrin promptly jumped out of the ring and tapped Mr. Kein on the shoulder.

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the younger brother; he will present you with a significant challenge if he is even half as clever as his older brother.¡±

    Being an instructor at the same Academy as Dr. Effrin and the man¡¯s junior, Mr. Kein nodded in understanding, taking his senior instructor¡¯s words to heart.

    ¡°Alright, Young Brance, you are up; your opponent will be Mr. Kein from Quest Combat Academy. The rules will be the same as with the previous bout. Any weapons or Affinities are eptable, and armor is banned.

    ¡°Yes, sir, I understand.¡± Brance politely responded and climbed up onto the ring. Unlike Cynrik, who had to be shy and the center of attention, Brance preferred to be more low-key and opted not to show off by jumping into the ring as a professional wrestler would.

    Mr. Kein simply nodded at Professor Hues and disappeared from his spot, reappearing in the same corner as his senior instructor previously stood.

    Brance stood in ce, waiting for his opponent to signal he was ready before bowing politely.

    ¡°Let¡¯s have a good match, Mr. Kein; I ask for leniency as I am young and inexperienced.¡± Smiling brightly, Brance equipt both his CS Tear shields with their bottoms resting on the ground on either side of his body.

    Seeing this, Professor Hues chuckled softly.

    ¡°It seems both brothers like to use two weapons; interesting though that Young Brance uses two shields, any particr reason for that Young Cynrik?¡± Then, Professor Hues politely asked, looking at Cynrik, who had put his hoodie back on and had his arms crossed over his chest.

    ¡°Erm¡­to be honest, I¡¯m not really sure why he uses two, he kind of just did it one day. I will say, though, if I am the unsheathed and violent de, Brance is the stable wall that defends.¡±

    Cynrik¡¯s words made Cinyah giggle, and Professor Hues looked at him confusedly.

    ¡°Heh, you two are in a league of your own. I pitty the instructors who attempt to guide you in the future.¡± Shaking his head while smirking, Professor Hues faced the ring and held his hand up.

    ¡°ON MY MARK¡­BEGIN!¡±

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 154

    ¡°ON MY MARK¡­BEGIN!¡±

    Unlike the battle between Cynrik and Dr. Effrin, neither Brance nor Mr. Kein moved when Professor Hues started the fight. Instead, they both stood as if frozen in time, waiting for the other to flinch. The two stood still, feeling out each other for 30 seconds before the first person grew impatient.

    Mr. Kein thrust both arms downward and equipt two solid metal gauntlets that covered his arms to his elbow before punching the air in Brance¡¯s direction.

    Brance¡¯s eyes narrowed as he witnessed a slight ripple effect in the open space and raised his left shield up, protecting his body. Half a secondter, a loud CLANG rang out in the training room, the impact of which forced Brance to slide back several steps. Then, flinging his left shield to the side, Brance went into action, raising his right-handed shield parallel to the ground; he umted the Ambient Wind particles onto the point of the CS Tear and fired off an [Air Missle].

    The swift counter-attack didn¡¯t catch Mr. Kein off guard as he side-stepped the attack before punching two more wind-based skills at the young boy as he went on the move.

    Seeing his opponent circling around the ring and trying to gain advantageous positioning on him, Brance countered the movements by mirroring Mr. Kein¡¯s steps. All the while, bothbatants fired off consecutive skills.

    Mr. Kein cursed under his breath as he picked up on Brance¡¯s urate cements. He could see that every time he moved, the boy followed, never allowing the initial space between them to close more than half a meter before opening it back up.

    Like this, the two circled around the ring several times, firing off attacks like they were machine guns. The main difference between them was Brance would take the attacks head-on, either deflecting him away with one of his shields or full-on blocking it, while Mr. Kein kept narrowly dodging the attacks.

    Professor Hues, Cinyah, and Dr. Effrin watched in silence below the ring as the two on the above put on a ranged battle clinic; based on their weapons, it was clear that the two fighters were supposeded closebat fighters. However, as the first round progressed and neitherbatant gained ground on the other, it became a strange back and forth battle of Affinity skills.

    Cynrik ignored the reactions of the peanut gallery and focused on his brother¡¯s fight; if anyone had looked close enough, they would be able to see the colorful shimmer rippling around his pupils, signifying the use of [Mana Sight].

    ¡®Even though Brance is good on the offensive, he prefers to be a counter-attacker. It isn¡¯t surprising that Kein is steadily gaining the advantage, though, but odds are this is something Brance wants. To lure him in close before popping off like a grenade, the only problem is, Kein is too agile. My own movements are far from his, but only because of the Stat difference.¡¯

    As Cynrik observed the quick adjustments Mr. Kein made as he flitted around the ring lightly, the fight shifted gears.

    Like Cynrik predicted, it was Mr. Kein who changed the pace. nting his right foot down and changing directions suddenly, he contorted his body, kicked off the ground, and blurred out of sight.

    BANG, BANG! BANG!

    Brance grunted loudly as he shifted his body weight and braced himself against the metal gauntlets mming against his shields. Since Mr. Kein was moving too fast for his eyes to keep up, Brance¡¯s only option was to turtle behind his shields. Knowing he was at a massive speed disadvantage, Brance¡¯s mind spun as he tried toe up with a solution, but it was increasingly more difficult as time went on because he was being rocked back and forth each time Mr. Kein struck him.

    Having no other choice, Brance used his [Earth Shield], which created a 2¡Á2 meter rocky dome of protection encasing himself inside. Knowing this wouldn¡¯t buy him much time, Brance mmed both CS Tears into the ground and started cing traps all around himself.

    ¡®Don¡¯t use [Mana Sight], he says; we need the practice he says. FUCKING HELL CYNRIK.¡¯ Trying his best to keep calm, Brance scattered several small rocks the size of a thumb all around himself. To call these little pebbles traps was a bit of a stretch, but he hade up with an idea on the fly and could only execute it as such.

    CRACK, CRACK

    Feeling the [Earth Sheild] was about to shatter, Brance took a deep breath and began cycling Light Mana through his codex and into his arms.

    Under his hood, Cynrik smirked as he caught on to what Brance was about to do, almost feeling sorry for Mr. Kein¡­almost.

    CRASH, FWOSHHH

    Finally, after nearly 20 consecutive strikes, Mr. Kein was able to break through the rocky dome, but just as he did, he was forced to lean as far as he could due to a sudden st of air shooting out of the torso-sized hole in the dome.

    Wasting no time, Brance punched out with both shields and shattered the dome, sending chunks of rock at the man like missles and dashed out of his skill¡¯s remains. Crouching low to the ground as he ran, Brance dragged both of his CS Tears along the ground, stealthily scattering more rocks as he bore down on Mr. Kein, who had backpedaled away.

    Taking control of the ring, Brance expertly juked to and fro, forcing his opponent to constantly stay on the move as not to allow the young boy close. But unfortunately, Mr. Kein had yet to realize he had already fallen into Brance¡¯s trap.

    Suddenlying to an abrupt stop and piercing the ring with the tips of his shields, Brance looked up, smiling brightly at Mr. Kein.

    ¡°That¡¯s checkmate, Mr. Kein.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Mr. Kein said in a stupor, but the next moment his heart sunk, as dozens of small rocks floated up into the air and started squirming as if made of liquid. Then, feeling a piercing pain in his ankles, he looked down and noticed that he had been locked in ce just like Cynrik had done to Dr. Effrin. But instead of shadows, stone had covered his legs almost up to the knee.

    Not wanting to admit defeat, Mr. Kein made a split-second decision and forcefully struck the stone covering his ankles, freeing himself. Still, soon he was stunned as those little floating rocks shifted into spikes, surrounding him in a floating wall. Feeling something was off, Mr. Kein looked up above his head and what he saw caused a shiver to run down his spine.

    Floating above his head like the sword of Damocles were three massive shining ethereal greatswords. With constricted pupils and sweat soaking through his clothes, Mr. Kein slowly looked at Brance, standing confidently with his hands raised in the air like a puppet master.

    ¡°I don¡¯t wish for you to be the first to taste my Light Affinity Skill [Swords of Judgement], but if you don¡¯t concede, Mr. Kein, you will force me to act.

    From the beginning, Brance never expected his Earth trap to hold the man for long; he only needed enough time to congregate enough Mana to form his only Offensive Light Affinity skill. Although the floating spikes formed by his Wind and Earth Fusion skill [Surging Earth Spike] and the entrapment with [Rock Form] were a diversionary tactic, the actual checkmate was his [Swords of Judgement] hanging above Mr. Kein.

    p, p, p

    ¡°The winner is Young Brance Jetlensr; Mr. Kein, this is your loss.¡±

    Hearing the voice of Professor Hues announcing him as the winner, Brance exhaled and waved his hands, releasing all the Wind, Earth, and Light Mana, dispersing his skills.

    ¡°Tsk, couldn¡¯t draw it out to the second round, just had to show me up,¡± mumbling under his breath Cynrik uncrossed his arms and red at his younger brother.

    ¡°Young Brance, Young Cynrik, I need both of you toe over here for a moment. Now that the sparring matches have concluded, I need to measure your Stats toplete your Academy profiles.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Brance, as obedient as ever, climbed down from the ring and stood in front of Professor Hues at attention.

    ¡°Heh, I guess.¡± Cynrik, on the other hand,zily walked over with his hands behind his head.

    This was the part he was most worried about. Fighting was easy, but allowing others to get a full readout of his and Brance¡¯s Stats spiked his anxiety considerably.

    Ignoring the reactions of the two young boys, Professor Hues waved his hands and removed arge device simr to the ones used during the Physical Exam and ced it gently on the ground.

    ¡°Now then, this device is slightly more advanced than the ones you¡¯ve previously used. It will allow us to get aplete view of your Status Profile, Stats, etc. Therefore, Mrs. Jetlensr, I require your permission to administer this test.¡± After making sure the machine was up and running correctly, Professor Hues waved Cinyah over; a few secondster, she gave her approval officially and signed a document stating such.

    However, when she turned around and saw the look on Cynrik¡¯s face, she knew he was about to be difficult. Going as far back as when they were very young, Cynrik had always been determined, for some reason, to keep his information hidden from anyone, even herself and Rikard. So how could she not know he was about to kick up a fuss. Secondster, she was proven right.

    ¡°Is this really necessary? I don¡¯t see why something as private as our personal Status, Stats, Skills, and Affinities are required by the Academies for enrollment.¡±

    Gripping Brance¡¯s shoulder to stop him from walking up to the machine, Cynrik spoke with one eyebrow raised.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 155

    ¡°Is this really necessary? I don¡¯t see why something as private as our personal Status, Stats, Skills, and Affinities are required by the Academies for enrollment.¡±

    Gripping Brance¡¯s shoulder to stop him from walking up to the machine, Cynrik spoke with one eyebrow raised.

    ¡°This¡­¡± Both confused and slightly stunned by Cynrik¡¯s words, Professor Hues, wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. This was the first time he had encountered someone unwilling to present their Status profile.

    It had to be said that all majorbat industries, be it the Reaver Society, Military, or even Academies, all had a standard testing procedure where they would need to check the applicant¡¯s stats; it wasmonce. However, since their parents sheltered Cynrik and Brance so severely, they were unaware of this.

    ¡°Excuse me, instructors, may I have a moment alone with my children.¡± Then, realizing the fault was solely her own for this incident, Cinyah stepped up.

    After a moment of eptance from Professor Hues andpany, Cinyah whisked Brance and Cynrik into another room, wearing aplicated expression.

    ¡°This is my fault¡­I should have realized you would have been overly cautious, Cyn. But, heh, listen to me, boys, I know you have always been careful not to show the full extent of your abilities, and that is understandable. I only realized how much you two were hiding after the kidnapping incident all those years ago. But this is different. It is my fault for not warning you both, but no matter what you want to do in the future, be it joining the Reaver Society, or another industry, so long as it pertains tobat, you will have to meet specific assessments requirements. To determine that you do meet them, it is required that you reveal your Status profile during the application process.¡±

    Cynrik¡¯s face contorted in anger for an instant before returning to his neutral deadpan expression.

    ¡°Mom, that makes ZERO sense. From the time we could talk, you told us never to reveal our info to anyone other than each other, yet now you are telling us the exact opposite.¡±

    [Cyn¡­ just stop.] Brance pleaded, knowing that Cynrik was about to make a scene.

    [No, Brance, I won¡¯t. This is bullshit, and you know it. We can¡¯t just reveal our shit like that; I am not about to be looked at like a freak. We have trained too fucking hard for that shit. It is one thing to be looked down on, but if people know that we are so far ahead of kids our age, that¡¯s when the jealously begins. You know damn well that I won¡¯t be able to keep myself in check if someone steps up and starts something, which means I will inevitably pick the WRONG fights with the WRONG people putting our party and even our parents in danger.]

    Even though his words were fierce, the tone Cynrik used was one ofplete calm.

    [We don¡¯t know how these schools are run, who¡¯s to say we won¡¯t be added to some UBER elite ss or some shit. WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION, BRANCE! We don¡¯t know how we stack up with other so-called geniuses.]

    [Calm down; you are freaking out right now. It would be best if you remembered this isn¡¯t one of your novels or mangas Cynrik. The whole world isn¡¯t against you.]

    [HAHAHAHA! The world as a whole isn¡¯t, but the fucking Gods are. Are you forgetting that we were the direct cause of killing a fucking Deity less than two weeks ago? There are thousands of LC just like us floating around out there; who¡¯s to say that by registering ourselves as everyone wants, we won¡¯t be put on a list? Who¡¯s to say there isn¡¯t a faction of those bastards out there actively hunting down other LC? Can you seriously not see how big of a fucking issue it is if we just show up with our maxed-out stats at Tier-1 when every other 11 or 12-year-old kid is barely reaching the end of Tier-0.]

    The more he spoke, the more Brance felt Cynrik had a point. To some extent, he had been worried about the same things his older brother just mentioned, but as he had total trust in Cynrik, Brance found himself worrying less and less as time went by.

    Cinyah stood there in silence as she watched Cynrik and Brance re at each other without saying anything. She knew they weremunicating with one of their unique skills, but it didn¡¯t stop the uneasiness from rising in her chest.

    [Aside from the fact that we have absolutely no idea how weak or strong high-level geniuses are, Tobs can¡¯t nuke all of our stats down to an eptable range, ESPECIALLY since we just kicked the asses of two members of the Board. They must have caught on to the fact we were already at the Peak of Tier-1 during the fights.]

    [CYNRIK, WHY MUST YOU BE SO FUCKING PARANOID ALL THE DAMN TIME? WHY CAN¡¯T YOU JUST ACCEPT NOT EVERYTHING CAN BE WITHIN YOUR ACCEPTABLE PARAMETERS?] Finally losing his temper after hearing his brother¡¯s rants, Brance yelled in anger.

    Ripping down his hood and getting right in Brance¡¯s face, Cynrik red coldly into his little brother¡¯s eyes.

    [Because someone has to make sure the two of us don¡¯t get FUCKING KILLED¡­AGAIN! Do you seriously believe I sit there twiddling my thumbs like a braindead monkey all day? No, from the time I wake up to the time I go to sleep, I am training both my mind and body so that when a situation like when I got dragged into my SOC to fight a being WAY MORE POWERFUL THAN I presents itself, I will be even a LITTLE prepared. This has always been the most significant difference between us, Brance; you only live in the present while having grand dreams about the future, while I dwell in the past to prepare for future challenges. You can¡¯t see the big picture, and honestly, I don¡¯t me you for that. But someone has to constantly be nning, staying four steps ahead of the enemy.] Cynrik ended his statement by jabbing a finger into Brance¡¯s chest to add extra punctuation.

    Taking a step back, Brance sighed but never broke eye contact with Cynrik.

    [Cyn, look, this world is nothing like Earth, we cant carry over the same mindset we had there, ok? It¡¯s fine to be paranoid to an extent, but you are borderline neurotic right now. So tell me something, wouldn¡¯t it be best if we yed the part of Geniuses from Vinestra. Other than being plotted against, we don¡¯t know if the other LC can sense us. Hell, if it wasn¡¯t for that quest Tobs gave us, we wouldn¡¯t have even known that lizard guy was another LC. If the Academies value us, won¡¯t that be a good thing? Think about it, Cyn; if we put on a show, won¡¯t all of those recruiters scramble to get us by throwing all kinds of resources. I get why you are worried, but we CAN NOT LET THAT HOLD US BACK.] Brance tucked his hands into his pockets and tossed a nce at Cinyah.

    [Just look at how worried Mom is; she is taking the me, thinking she is a terrible parent for sheltering us so severely. She doesn¡¯t know what is going on in your head, and she can only see it as her parenting has been so poor that her oldest son is about to fuck up his future.]

    It was only now that Cynrik tore his eyes away from Brance and looked at that distraught appearance of Cinyah. He didn¡¯t me her for being an overprotective parent, especially after learning how she and Rikard ran from their families because she had gotten pregnant. Nevertheless, a single look at Cinyah was enough to short circuit Cynrik¡¯s brain, allowing him to push away the bulk of his paranoid thoughts for a second.

    [Fuck¡­I hate when you do this shit, Brance.]

    [All I do is bring you down a peg by making you realize that YOU DO have emotions, no matter how warped they may seem.] Brance covered his mouth to hide his smile; he knew he had chipped away at Cynrik¡¯s stone heart and paranoia for a moment by making him look at Cinyah.

    [Tsk. Fuck off.]

    ¡°Mom, listen¡­this isn¡¯t your fault, ok. You are a great Mom; because of you, Brancie and I are kick-ass fighters who sling Mana around like water balloons. Of course, this is just me being paranoid¡­I don¡¯t want people to think Brancie and I are some kind of weirdos.¡± Cynrik walked over and hugged the woman who usually seemed so strong but at this moment looked weak enough that an infant could bully her.

    Cinyah forced a weak smile and hugged her oldest son tightly; her eyes shed towards Brance, telling him to join the hug, which he happily obliged. Then, after a few moments of hugging, Cinyah broke away and knelt down, cing a hand on each of their shoulders.

    ¡°I am so proud of both of you; I know that you are worried about people finding out about your strength, but always remember, your father and I will always have your backs, no matter what. If you want to get into an Academy or even be Reavers, you have to take that test, ok?¡±

    ¡°TSK, fine, but im not gonna be polite.¡± Cynrik snorted while looking away.

    His reaction made Cinyah and Brance chuckle.

    ¡°When are you ever to begin with Big Brother.¡±

    ¡°Alright, enough jokes; we can¡¯t keep the instructors waiting for too long; they are on a tight schedule.¡± Cynrik pulled up his hood and turned away.

    The group quickly made their way back to the training room and met up with Professor Hues.

    ¡°Professor, we were ill-informed and didn¡¯t know it was necessary; please don¡¯t take my Big Brother¡¯s words to heart.¡± Brance bowed respectfully towards the instructors and stepped up to the machine.

    ¡°I will go first, then.¡± The machine resembled arge 4 meters tall thin PC, where the keyboard would have been was two handprints. Even though a sh of hesitation went through Brance¡¯s eyes, he still ced both feet on the little mat with footprints, and his palms hovered above the recessed dents.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 156

    ¡°I will go first, then.¡± The machine resembled arge 4 meters tall thin PC, where the keyboard would have been was two handprints. Even though a sh of hesitation went through Brance¡¯s eyes, he still ced both feet on the little mat with footprints, and his palms hovered above the recessed dents.

    Looking down at the machine, Brance felt the beads of sweat forming on the back of his neck as well as the heated gaze of his older brother.

    ¡®Tobs, please hide my Bloodline so I appear 100% Human to the machine. Also, I need you to make my Distribution three stats, STR, VIT, and INT;stly, could you hide my subss?¡¯

    -Of course, not a problem, Host Brance. The total SP needed to make the visible adjustments is 50.-

    Brance quickly checked his avable SP before giving Tobs confirmation to deduct them.

    -50 Skill points have been deducted.-

    -I havepleted the task; you will now appear as a pure human, with a three stat distribution, and a pure Warrior.-

    ¡®Thank you, Tobs.¡¯

    -Un, no biggie.-

    Taking a deep breath, Brance ced both his open palms on the recessed positions on the t surface.

    ¡°Beep, Beep, application process initiated; please state your name.¡±

    The instant his hands touched the cold metallic surface, a pleasant female AI voice spoke, requesting his name.

    Unsure what name to use, Brance paused for a second, but he heard Cynrik¡¯s voice in the mind link a secondter.

    [Use your Alias. If there really are reincarnators from our era watching, the names should fly under the radar for the most part.]

    Brance nodded before speaking in a clear tone, ¡°Bj?rn ¡°Ironside¡± Ragnarsson.¡±

    Hearing Brance register under a different name, the three instructors wore an intrigued expression but soon remembered what their boss Councilor Garn had told them. Before they left, they were explicitly warned about the two boys; aside from not revealing anything from the test itself, they were informed that the two would be registering under an alias due to familial issues.

    Cinyah only wore a sad expression, as she knew her children were being forced to protect themselves from both her family and Rikards.

    ¡°Vocal recognition epted, creating a file for the applicant, Bj?rn ¡°Ironside¡± Ragnarsson, please do not move. You will feel a slight prick as I draw some of your blood for analysis.¡±

    Half a secondter, Brance felt an itch in the center of both his palms, but he didn¡¯t react to it.

    ¡°Beep, blood analysisplete, synchronizing with applicants System please wait for a moment. Complete, disying applicant file, please direct your attention to the disy.¡±

    : Status :

    : Bj?rn ¡°Ironside¡± Ragnarsson:

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation, Perfect Clear Expert, Reforged Body :

    : Human Male:

    : Age-11:

    : Tier-1 :

    : Primary ss ¨C Tier-1 Warrior : (+2 To STR,VIT Distribution)

    : Level: 20 (P25) :

    : Warrior: 20 ¨C CAP :

    : Distribution: 1.5 STR, VIT, INT : (STR 3.5, VIT 3.5)

    : Mana Codex Tier: 2 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : Mana Circuit Tier: 2 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : Gravity Resistance: 6.5g (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Body Tempering: Tier 2 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : STATS :

    : HP 4600/4600

    : Mana 2480/2480 :

    : Stamina 2300/2300 :

    : Strength- CAP :

    : Dexterity- CAP :

    : Agility- CAP :

    : Intelligence- CAP :

    : Vitality- CAP :

    : Mind- CAP :

    : Killing Intent- 4.25g :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Light-Tier-1 (Proficiency= 100.0%): :8 Skills:

    :(BG) Earth-Tier-1 (Proficiency= 100.0%): :4 Skills:

    :(BG) Wind-Tier-1 (Proficiency= 100.0%): :4 Skills:

    : Mantra: Three Stage ¨C Rating: S:

    : 2 Affinity Fusion Skills, Wind-Earth, Light-Wind-Earth:

    ¡°The overall rating for Bj?rn ¡°Ironside¡± Ragnarsson is S-Rank Applicant.

    Brance flinched as his Status wasid bare to everyone, causing audible gasps from the instructors and even Cinyah.

    Cynrik raised an eyebrow and quickly read through the application file on screen. Then, sighing internally, he realized several bits of information were missing from the file, along with the addition of a rating system ssifying Brance as S-Rank.

    [Atleast they didn¡¯t show how many Stat and Skill points you have. It¡¯s also good that it didn¡¯t individually list out all your skills. Odd, though, that it didn¡¯t give aprehensive breakdown for ordinary skills and only gave a tally of your Affinity skills. Still, it looks like we will be causing some waves.]

    [The real question is how many S-Rank applicants show up for the exams.]

    [Regardless, we will be on everyone¡¯s radar, Brance, so don¡¯t let your guard down.]

    ¡°Application process has beenpleted; you may now remove your hands and step away to allow for the next being to apply.¡±

    Brance was forced to quickly back away when he noticed he was about to be steamrolled by all three instructors, who rushed up to the machine and began reading through everything.

    ¡°This is astounding; he is only 11 years old, and not only is he at the Peak of Tier-1, but he evenpleted the full Prestige mode, obtaining the Body Reforging Title and maxing out all his stats. The sparring matches alone reflected their capped stats, but I didn¡¯t expect all of them to be at 300.¡± Said Professor Hues.

    ¡°It is to be expected. Did you notice the Body Reforging title? He has already maxed out his Prestige at Tier-1. What¡¯s more impressive is that the boy has a Stage Three Mantra; with his profile alone, he will already be peerless among first years at Quest.¡± Mr. Kein said while rubbing his chin in thought.

    ¡°11 years old and already considered an S-Rank Applicant; this is crazy. Every other S-Rank I¡¯ve seen in the past has been three to four years older than him. What I find truly impressive and downright horrifying is the boys Killing Intent; think of how much death the child has seen to be able to use 4.25g. Not only that, but look at his Grav Resistance and Body Tempering; how many children his age can boast those kinds of attributes. ¡± Dr. Effrin¡¯s mouth opened and closed like a fish as he read through all the data and madeparisons.

    ¡°Hold on, if the younger brother is this exceptional¡­.¡± Mr. Kein paused, drawing the attention of his colleagues. Then in unison, all three men¡¯s heads swiveled towards Cynrik, making him shift ufortably due to the sudden increase in attention.

    ¡°Tsk, out of the way, you fucking geezers; this shit is already testing my patience as is.¡± Not bothering to hide his frustration and anger, Cynrik cursed aloud, drawing an angry re from Cinyah. However, he was too pissed off to care.

    ¡°If you want me toplete this stupid and meaningless application, get out of my way.¡± Stepping forward, Cynrik¡¯s eye twitched as he watched the three grown men act like excited children on Christmas.

    To Cinyah¡¯s surprise, the three men ignored her son¡¯s rudements and happily stepped to the side, allowing Cynrik to step up to the machine.

    ¡®Tobs, make the same changes to my profile as you did for Brance; the only adjustment is I want my Distribution to be DEX, AGI, INT.

    -Affirmative, the cost for making the adjustments is 50 SP.-

    ¡®Mhm, go ahead.¡¯

    -50 Skill points have been deducted.-

    Wanting to get this whole event over with, Cynrik ced both feet and hands on the highlighted areas of the machine.

    ¡°Beep, Beep, application process initiated; please state your name.¡±

    ¡°Ivar Ragnarsson, AI, set my alias to, The Boneless.¡±

    ¡°Vocal recognition epted, creating a file for the applicant, Ivar Ragnarsson, the applicant has annotated they have an alias, ¡°The Boneless,¡± which has been epted. Please do not move. You will feel a slight prick as I draw some of your blood for analysis.¡±

    Just like Brance, Cynrik didn¡¯t flinch. However, his left eye twitched slightly in annoyance when he felt the tiny needles pierce his skin.

    ¡°Beep, blood analysisplete, synchronizing with applicants System please wait for a moment. Complete, disying applicant file, please direct your attention to the disy.¡±

    : Status :

    : Ivar ¡°The Boneless¡± Ragnarsson:

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation, Perfect Clear Expert, Reforged Body :

    : Human Male:

    : Age-12:

    : Tier-1 :

    : Primary ss ¨C Tier-1 Thief : (+2 To DEX, AGI Distribution)

    : Level: 20 (P25) :

    : Thief: 20 ¨C XP : CAP

    : Distribution: 1.5 DEX, AGI, INT : (DEX 3.5, AGI 3.5)

    : Mana Codex Tier: 2 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : Mana Circuit Tier: 2 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : Gravity Resistance: 6.5g (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Body Tempering: Tier 2 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : STATS :

    : HP 4600/4600 :

    : Mana 2490/2490 :

    : Stamina 2300/2300 :

    : Strength- CAP :

    : Dexterity- CAP :

    : Agility- CAP :

    : Intelligence- CAP :

    : Vitality- CAP :

    : Mind- CAP :

    : Will Power- 23 :

    : Killing Intent- 5G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier-1 (Proficiency= 100.0%): : 8 Skills:

    ;(BG) Fire-Tier-1 (Proficiency= 100.0%): : 4 Skills:

    :(BG) Wind-Tier-1 (Proficiency= 100.0%): : 4 Skills:

    : Mantra: Three Stage ¨C Rating: S :

    : 4 Affinity Fusion Skills, Dark-Fire (2), Fire-Wind, Dark-Fire-Wind. :

    ¡°The overall rating for Ivar ¡°The Boneless¡± Ragnarsson is SS-Rank Applicant.

    ¡°Application process has beenpleted; you may now remove your hands and step away to allow for the next being to apply.¡± Like before, the pleasant voice said its parting words before powering down, leaving the room in silence.

    ¡°SS-Rank¡­¡± Professor Hues trembled and ced his hand to his chest, feeling his pounding heart rate to confirm he wasn¡¯t dreaming. Unfortunately, Dr. Effrin and Mr. Kein weren¡¯t any better. The two were frozen in shock with only one thing on their minds.

    ¡®Monsters, these two brothers are monsters.¡¯

    Clicking his tongue at the reactions of the grown men, Cynrik clenched his fists and walked over to his brother and Mom¡¯s side.

    [Cyn, why did you get a higher rating than me? Aren¡¯t our stats basically the same?] Tilting his head to the side, Brance tossed the question into the mind link, ignoring the babbling adults who had rushed up to the machine again.

    [If I had to guess, It¡¯s because I have the Will Power Stat and two additional Fusion Affinity Skills. I don¡¯t see me having ten more MP than you being a deciding factor, so they are basically the only exnation.]

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 157

    Cynrik¡¯s patience was draining fast, and each minute the instructors took discussing his Status was agonizing. As time ticked by, Cynrik unknowingly began anxiously tapping his foot and drumming his fingers on his forearm.

    [Hey, how many Stat and Skill points do you have in reserve?] Seeing how his brother seemed ready to blow his lid, Brance pinched Cynrik¡¯s side and tried diverting his attention. To his dismay, he only received an angsty grunt in reply, so Brance continued to badger his older brother until he finally spun around and smacked his forehead.

    [WHY ARE YOU BEING SO DAMN ANNOYING? FUCK.]

    [Sigh¡­look, no one told you to be all grumpy, our stats are out there now, but at least it¡¯s not all bad. Sure, the application revealed more of our secrets than we wanted, but look on the bright side; at least we didn¡¯t get attacked instantly.] Brance said, smiling sheepishly.

    [OI, OI, BRANCIE, ARE YOU TRYINA GET US KILLED? Why would you throw up a death g now of all times?] Cynrik immediately went from grumpy and angry to flustered in no time at all.

    [Hehe, my bad, I just wanted to cheer you up a bit.] Brance scratched his cheek and cast a nce over the franticly babbling instructors.

    [How long do you reckon it¡¯ll take before those threee back to their senses.]

    [Not a clue. I¡¯m more worried about this SS-Rank ssification. It was bad enough that you got S-Rank, but now my dumb ass seems to have stumbled into the elite of the elite. The only upside is that we can guarantee all the Academies will want us, so we need to consider choosing a different one seriously.] Biting the inside of his cheek in thought, Cynrik continued.

    [The only Academy out of the question is Renson Military; other than that, if the benefits are good enough, I guess we could put up with whatever bullshit we have to face.] Looking away from the instructor trio, Cynrik sat down on the floor and pulled out one of his assassin¡¯s tools. Deciding it was better to be productive, as he spoke with Brance in the mind link, Cynrik started making minor adjustments to the ejection mechanism. He noticed that as his Stats got higher, the de seemed to eject slower. Of course, this was just a case of perspective, though, still, he figured it would be better to make the hidden de extend a little faster.

    [What is our bottom line Cyn, are we going to request anything in particr?] Brance thought for a moment before sitting down beside his brother and watching him work.

    [Honestly, we really only need a couple of things. The biggest of which is Tier-2 Evo stones. I also wouldn¡¯t mind picking up some Affinity Orbs for Gabby and Benny; them being locked into a single Element will get annoying down the line. OH SHIT, GABBY, AND BENNY! How the fuck did I forget about them, damn it.] Realizing something, Cynrik stashed his weapon away and hopped to his feet.

    ¡°OI, instructors, I have a question.¡±

    Cynrik¡¯s voice caused the three mumbling adults to stop and slow pan turn in his direction.

    ¡°Cough, Yes, Young Cy¡­I mean, Ivar? What is it you need?¡± As usual, it was Professor Hues who took the lead.

    ¡°Can you exin the Applicant Ranking thing to me? You three have been talking amongst yourselves for a few minutes now and practically ignoring us, so it¡¯s the least you can do.¡± Cynrik didn¡¯t hide the disdain in his voice as he mockingly red at the three adults who seemed flustered by his provocations.

    ¡°Yes, of course. The Academy Applicant Ranking is how we determine a child¡¯s growth rate. While many factors determine the actual rank, some of the key points are the age to Tier ratio and the number of Affinities. The program will take everything into ount and assign a ranking ssification which we use to ce children with others with simr abilities properly.¡±

    ¡°Basically, you segregate them based on whether or not they are strong at a young age. So let me guess, things like Gravity Resistance, body Tempering, and Hidden Stats such as Killing Intent or Will Power also y a big part.¡± Cynrik countered after hearing the brief summary of Rankings.

    ¡°Precisely, this is best shown in the case of you and Young Bj?rn; although you have near-identical mirror Stats, you were assigned a higher rank thanks to thebination of your Will Power and the additional Fusion Skills.¡±

    ¡°I see; well then, continue talking amongst yourselves; I¡¯ve clearly got nothing better to do than sitting on my ass and twiddle my thumbs.¡±

    SMACK

    ¡°OW!¡±

    ¡°CYNRIK AYKE JETLENSR, YOU BEHAVE IN FRONT OF THE BOARD MEMBERS OR, SO HELP ME, I WILL CUT YOUR DESSERT FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR!¡±

    ¡°EEP, yes, Mother, sorry, Mother.¡± Cynrik quickly straightened his back and bowed to the instructors leaving them dumbfounded by his sudden change of attitude.

    It was clear to them that Cynrik was the unruly and rude type when he lost his temper, and as instructors who had taught thousands of children just like him in the past, they were willing to let it go based solely on his SS-Rank ssification. However, seeing how quickly the boy changed his tune the moment Cinyah raised her voice, they were conflicted about how to move forward.

    ¡°Hum hum, it isn¡¯t a big deal, Mrs. Jetlensr; kids will be kids. But unfortunately, he is right; we got sidetracked and were negligent in our duty. You twoe here so we can give you both the assigned tokens for the Academy Selections.¡± Professor Hues cleared his throat a couple of times before waving the children over to his side.

    Reacting swiftly to his words, Cynrik and Brance kicked off the ground and appeared next to the man, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

    Sensing the two boys¡¯ anticipation building, Professor Hues swiftly pulled two USB-sized dongles from his inventory and showed them to Cynrik and Brance before exining their use.

    ¡°Just like during the Exam, to proceed further, you need to have one of these devices installed into your Watcet. This gold one is for you, Young Bj?rn; please hold up your Watcet for me so I can install it.¡±

    As usual, Branceplied obediently, holding up his wrist, exposing the port on the side of his device.

    Pleased by how polite the boy was, Professor Hues plugged in the small USB-like device making it ring out with a chime sound. Five secondster, the disy of Brance¡¯s Watcet shed in a multitude of colors before powering down and showing a loading bar.

    ¡°It will take approximately 30 minutes for the program to receive your application and update it appropriately. Once it is done, you will be good to go. Oh, fair warning, when the update isplete, your Watcet will change colors to the same shade of gold as the token, signifying your S-Rank ssification.¡± Professor Hues promptly released Brance¡¯s wrist before looking at Cynrik with a concerned expression.

    ¡°Young Ivar, your Token is tinum. Simr to how the gold token represents an S-Rank applicant, the tinum represents SS-Rank.¡± Catching the unwilling Cynrik¡¯s arm, Professor Hues plugged in the token, powering down his Watcet and booting up the update and application transfer.

    ¡°With that, your screening process isplete. In two days, you will receive a notification with the time you are required to arrive at the meeting location. On top of that, you will have a holographic minimap which will lead you to the area you can go to meet up with all the Academy Recruiters.¡±

    ¡°Onest thing before we go, don¡¯t be caught off guard if all those idiotic recruiters rush forward to greet you. Their goal is only to convince you to sign a contract with them to join their Academy.¡±

    Leaving that parting statement, the three instructors thanked Cinyah for her hospitality and left. The sudden change in pace threw off Cynrik and Brance as it hadn¡¯t even been 15 minutes since Cynrik finished his application.

    [What now?] Standing in the training room Brance looked up at the ceiling at a loss for what to do.

    [Well, aside from a little physical exercise, there isn¡¯t much we can do to prepare. But, honestly, we should drop off all our gear with Jessup and have him upgrade everything to Tier-2 for us. Plus, we should probably go ahead and use our cultivation skills. It has been several years, after all.] cing his hands behind his head, Cynrik casually walked over to the fighting ring and hopped in.

    [OH, I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT OUR CULTIVATION SKILLS!] Seeing that Cynrik was about to swing his sword around for a while, Brance ran off to get some cushions so that when night fell, he would at least befortable while using his Cultivation Skill.

    Cynrik chuckled as he watched Brance disappear into the house. It would take him a while to locate the cushions, so he equipped his Kodachi and closed his eyes.

    ¡®A brawler like Hues was too familiar for me; he relied mainly on hisbat experience during our fight. Thinking back to Brance¡¯s fight, how would I have handled Kein.¡¯

    Cynrik stood in ce with his palms resting on the hilts of his swords and imagined Kein standing opposite of him.

    ¡®Based on how quickly Kein moved, I estimate his AGI Stat was at the minimum 600 points. Meaning he was at his slowest, two times faster than me. Even using [Mana Sight], I could only catch a blur of Mana particles moving around the ring. Without it, I couldn¡¯t see him at all.¡¯

    Unsheathing his Kodachi, Cynrik exhaled slowly and began shadow sparring the imaginary Kein in his head.

    When Brance returned 15 minutester with the cushions in hand, he was amazed to see Cynrik gracefully moving around the ring. He could tell what his older brother was doing with a single nce, so Brance decided to ce down the two cushions and watch his brother train.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 158

    For the rest of the afternoon, Cynrik proceeded to flit around the ring, attacking his imaginary foe, leaving Brance to spectate in silence. He could tell Cynrik was shadow sparring a speed-based opponent based on his older brother¡¯s movements. Mulling over this further, Brance calcted Cynrik¡¯s cement in the ring and soon concluded that he was reenacting the fight he had earlier in the day against Mr. Kein.

    From time to time, Cynrik would trip over his legs and facent before cursing loudly and bouncing back to his feet and continuing his assault.

    When Cinyah showed up at dusk to announce it was time for dinner, she came upon a sweaty Cynrik swinging his sword gracefully while jumping from side to side. Watching her son shadow spar, she smiled and waited for him to notice her arrival.

    It didn¡¯t take long for this to ur, and soon after, she whisked both her children to the dining room to eat, where an idle conversation about the day¡¯s events transpired.

    Once dinner was finished, the two brothers tidied up the table and washed their dishes before checking if the sun had gone down. Upon seeing that it indeed had, Cynrik and Brance ran to the training room and took their ces atop the two cushions.

    [Heh, seriously, you got fucking lucky against Kein. I can¡¯t win no matter how many times I run through that fight putting myself in your ce. Although I am only using my speed and swordsmanship to fight him, I am having difficulty dodging those attacks that you blocked. Even parrying them is a challenge.] As Cynrik tried to getfortable on the cushion, heined to Brance.

    [I shouldn¡¯t have won. The only reason I did is that I am a damage sponge. That and he slipped up and underestimated me. Don¡¯t forget, at the end of the day; the man was Mid Tier-3; that¡¯s a far cry from our little Peak Tier-1. If I didn¡¯t have my [Earth Shield] to buy me some time, I would have been forced to admit defeat. By the way, how are you handling his movement? When we fought, I couldn¡¯t even see him and had to respond to the slight fluctuations in the air, which would have been impossible without my Wind Affinity.]

    Brance had been curious about this since Cynrik seemed to be able to read the man¡¯s movements.

    [Oh? That¡¯s simple; he leaves a blurred afterimage that can be seen with [Mana Sight], and before you say it¡¯s cheating, keep in mind that I treat it as a real fight and not a sparring match, so my use of the ocr skill is fair game.]

    [UGH, why did you have to add that stupid restriction?] Brance groaned, remembering how difficult it was to guess where Mr. Kein¡¯s attacks woulde from urately.

    [Two reasons, the first being I didn¡¯t want to expose all our trump cards to those three. Even if they could basically assume we had it because of our lineage, by not using it, we create the shadow of doubt in their minds just in case. The second reason is simple; we are bing too heavily reliant on [Mana Sight] in battle. We need to get ustomed to only using it when necessary and not abusing it. Never forget, we still have no idea what adverse effects it will have on our eyes. I don¡¯t wanna end up in a Mangekyou Sharingan situation where we end up blind.] Subconsciously, as he exined the potential for going blind, Cynrik rubbed his eyes.

    [Again, with the overly paranoid thoughts. We haven¡¯t ever heard Dad say anything about blindness being a side effect.] Brance said while staring nkly at his older brother.

    [Still, better safe than sorry, anyway; enough chit-chat, let¡¯s get to cultivating. Since our little miss pissy pants, Tobs, is being stingy, we have no idea if we will get any added benefits by being at Tier-1 and using our skills.]

    -I am not stingy, Host Cynrik; I simply cannot answer your question due to ack of sufficient information.-

    [Stingy is as stingy does Tobs.] Snorting his reply, Cynrik closed his eyes and started chanting the opening lines of his Requiem of Dusk.

    Not wanting to be left behind, Brance quickly shut his eyes and slowed his breathing before starting to recite the opening paragraphs of his Reaching the Heavenly Skies.

    However, upon activating their Mana Integration Skills, the brothers felt their bodies suddenly heat up, followed by intense chest pain. Fighting through the pain, Cynrik was vaguely aware that Tobs seemed to be frequently speaking, which he took as a sign that the notifications were flowing in.

    With the pain and heat continuing to grow the longer he circted the strange ancient technique, all Cynrik could do was grit his teeth and speed up reciting the mystical phrases in his head before starting from the beginning again.

    For nearly two hours, Cynrik and Brance sat in ce wearing contorted expressions of pain. They forced their bodies and minds as far as possible until, eventually, the pain and heat were reced by a chilly and calming sensation.

    Unwilling to break their chants for fear of disrupting whatever they were experiencing, the brothers didn¡¯t dwell on this feeling reminiscent of a person stumbling upon an oasis in the desert, and that¡¯s when something seemed to unlock within their chests.

    With this strange feeling, they suddenly realized a new paragraph had emerged within their memories, causing them to hungrily absorb this data and add it to their already several sentence-long chants. However, as they progressed through the words, the instant they reached the second paragraph, an even more intense wave of pain surged out from their Codexes, nearly causing them to faint on the spot.

    Thanks to his Will Power Stat, Cynrik was in a slightly better position than his brother, but in the end, after barely reaching the finish line andpleting the second paragraph, Cynrik and Brance copsed onto their backs and passed out.

    Unknown to them, Cinyah and Maeve had been watching the entire process with wide eyes. Maeve was forced to grab her best friend several times to stop her from rushing forward to her young children in desperation. Cinyah knew the boys were making some kind of breakthrough with one of their hidden skills in her heart. Still, like an overprotective mother, she found it incredibly difficult not to rush forward and hug her two sons, who appeared to be experiencing an earth-shattering amount of pain.

    This peaked when she saw both boys¡¯ skin turn bright red, and their bodies even started leaking some kind of mystical steam. When that urred, even Maeve was freaked out. Then, just when they thought it was time to stop the boys, Cynrik and Brance fell onto their backs unconscious; at that point, the women dashed forward and caught them before their heads could hit the ground.

    ¡°Reckless, they are both so damn reckless. What the hell are they even doing? Their bodies are so hot it¡¯s like they are on fire.¡± Unable to hold herself back, Cinyah spat while cradling Brance to her chest with tears sliding down her cheeks.

    ¡°Cinyah, you can¡¯t keep sheltering them like this. I understand what you are going through; hell, if I saw Aiden like this, I would probably faint on the spot, but your sons are different; they are special.¡± Maeve moved a lock of hair out of Cynrik¡¯s face as she spoke.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s wipe their sweat and put them to bed; it seems they did what they set out to aplish; you can scold them when they wake up.¡± Still worried about their condition, Maeve decided for the panicked Cinyah and picked up Cynrik before walking off.

    The following morning, Cynrik opened his eyes weakly and realized he was lying in bed; a glint of confusion shed through his eyes before he concluded.

    ¡®Ah, Mom found us¡­that¡¯s not good; we will definitely get an earful from herter. Oh well, for now, let¡¯s check out the gains. Tobs, can you bring up all the notifications starting with when I first activated Requiem of Dusk.¡¯

    -Affirmative.-

    -You have activated your Ancient Tier: Mana Integration Skill Requiem of Dusk.-

    -As you have not continuously activated this skill for over five years, you will face a blockage when attempting to use it.-

    Clicking his tongue, Cynrik scrolled through the notifications, which appeared to be warnings from Tobs about how dangerous his attempt was until he finally reached the meat and potatoes.

    -You havepleted activation of the Mana Integration Skill: Requiem of Dusk.-

    -Since you forcefully broke through the blockage, your Mana Integration Skill has Evolved into Tier-1.-

    -You have gained +0.5 Proficiency in the skill.-

    -You have gained +0.5 Proficiency in the skill.-

    -You have gained +0.5 Proficiency in the skill.-

    -You have gained +0.5 Proficiency in the skill.-

    -You have¡­-

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes shot wide open as he rapidly scrolled through all the repetitive ¡°you have gained¡­¡± notifications until he reached a particr notification that nearly made his head explode.

    -You have obtained 500 Mana Points.-

    -You have obtained 500 Health Points.-

    -You have obtained 250 Stamina Points.-

    -You have obtained the Tier-1 Passive Skill: [Mana Regeneration]-

    -Tier-1 Passive Skill: Mana Regeneration-

    -Your body has adapted to rapidly absorbing ambient Mana to the point that it has sped up your passive intake.-

    -Rate of MP Regeneration, 25 points per Minute.-

    ¡®HOLY FUCK!¡¯ Cynrik jumped out of bed and screamed internally at this discovery. This was huge. Until now, Cynrik¡¯s MP regen was so abysmal that unless he sat still and meditated for over 24 hours, he wouldn¡¯t evene close to replenishing 25% of his mp. Now, however, that all changed. Twenty-five points a minute was the equivalent of 1500 MP an hour. This startling conclusion nearly made him pass out again from shock.

    ¡°Hehe, this is fucking brilliant. As if I wasn¡¯t OP before, now my ass is a literally broken cheat character with this dumb passive skill.¡± Mumbling in a creepy voice under his breath, Cynrik couldn¡¯t contain his excitement.

    -Host Cynrik, do not forget about the remaining notifications; also¡­you are SOOOO in for it when Cinyah realizes your awake.-

    ¡®Fucking hell Tobs, WHY CAN¡¯T YOU LET ME CELEBRATE IN PEACE FOR ONCE?¡¯

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 159

    -Host Cynrik, do not forget about the remaining notifications; also¡­you are SOOOO in for it when Cinyah realizes your awake.-

    ¡®Fucking hell Tobs, WHY CAN¡¯T YOU LET ME CELEBRATE IN PEACE FOR ONCE?¡¯

    -If you prefer, I could simply allow you to overlook the following messages.-

    ¡®Heh, fine, send them over.¡¯ Cynrik sighed in defeat. He should have known better than to try arguing with Tobs. Unfortunately, time had proven that his AI acted solely on statistics and logic.

    -Your Mastery of Requiem of Dusk has increased to Iron Tier.-

    -You have learned the second chapter and can now recite it. For the best results, it is rmended that you repeat the first chapter before moving into the second.-

    -The rewards for Cultivation have increased.-

    -You will now replenish your Mana Points faster.-

    -There is now an increased rate of gaining Affinity Proficiency.-

    -You will obtain two random Stat points uponpletely reciting both Chapters.-

    -The cooldown for Cultivation has decreased from 168 hours to 84 hours.-

    -As your Stats are already at the maximum capacity for your Tier, you have gained 2 Stat Points.-

    -Your Mana Points have increased by 1% for a total of 29 MP.-

    -You have gained +1% Proficiency in the skill.-

    -You will now receive Body Tempering Proficiency by Cultivating both Chapters.-

    -Since your Body Tempering already exceeds your present Tier, you will receive 2 Skill points instead until you Evolve.-

    Cynrik sucked in a sharp breath after going through all the notifications. As usual, Tobs was right. If he had just stopped reading and sat there content like a pig in the mud with his increased 500 MP, he would have been extremely confused the next time he looked at his Status profile.

    Grinning from ear to ear, Cynrik rocked with his hands on his knees while admiring his over 3k MP.

    ¡®HEHEHEHEHHE! Heyyyy, Tobs, lookie, I can finally fire off an absurd amount of Affinity Skills. Just think of how many [FireBall]¡¯s I can use.¡¯

    -Uh, huh, sure you can Host Cynrik; need I remind you that you have other problems currently.-

    The moment the words entered his mind, a soft creaking sounding from the door to his room caused him to freeze in panic. Then, like a robot, Cynrik turned his head in a jittery motion and looked in the direction of the sound, only to see the face of Maeve, peeking in to check on him. When their eyes met, Cynrik picked up on the malicious glint in her eyes. With fear in his eyes, Cynrik silently pleaded to act as if she hadn¡¯t seen him awake, but about 10 secondster, his heart shattered as the woman giggled softly before bringing her cupped hands up to her mouth.

    ¡°OHHHH, CINYAH! LITTLE CYNCYN IS AWAKEEEEE!¡± Her cheerful and carefree voice was like nails on a chalkboard for Cynrik, whose eyes flickered around his 11¡Á11 square foot bedroom for an escape route.

    BANG

    Everything happened in an instant. Cynrik pped his hands on the mattress, supporting his body weight with his palms, and jumped to his feet before making a mad dash for the bedroom window. His rapid movement was triggered by the loud bang made by his bedroom door mming against the wall as an infuriated Cinyah burst into his room, chasing after him.

    ¡®I CAN MAKE IT,¡¯ was the only thought in his head as, with one hand, Cynrik flung open his window, and the other was ced on the windowsill. Cynrik moved like a serpent, nimbly dodging a pair of tender and warm hands from snatching his body out of the air without looking back. He slithered through the window, dropping from the third story to the ground andnding with a perfectly executed ¡°Superhero Landing.¡±

    Unfortunately, as his knee hit the ground, he felt a wave of heat building at his back which caused him to look up above, from where he had just dropped. Cynrik¡¯s face drained of color, and his pupils constricted to the size of a needle as he saw Cinyah, bathed in icy blue mes, falling down from the window in literal ¡°hot¡± pursuit.

    With his mind racing a million miles a second, Cynrik bounced back to his feet and dashed forward with no real destination, and his head turned towards his infuriated mother.

    Thinking he was about to escape the torture he knew he was destined for, Cynrik did something that would inevitably cause his downfall. Wearing a sadistic and humorous expression, Cynrik opened his mouth and taunted Cinyah.

    ¡°MOTHER! WHAT DO WE SAY IN THE FACE OF DEATH¡­NOT TODAY¡­¡±

    BAMMMMMMM

    ¡°UGH!¡± Feeling the air instantly leave his lungs and going airborne, Cynrik finally looked ahead only to see Brance standing right in his path of escape, with his right arm extended. Caughtpletely off guard, Cynrik was close-lined by his little brother, and as he flew through the air, parallel to the ground, he barely got out a single sentence.

    [Et tu Brancie¡­.¡±]

    [You brought this on yourself, Big Brother Cyn.] As the cheerful mockery from his little brother entered the mind link, Cynrik squeezed his eyes tightly shut and epted his fate.

    Approximately twenty minutester, Cynrik was sitting on his knees in the living room. Feet away were Cinyah, Brance, and Maeve seatedfortably on the couch, leaving only Cynrik left out and on the ground. Cinyah had easily captured Cynrik after Brance stepped in and spent the entire time lecturing him after the capture. Beside her, Brance and Maeve couldn¡¯t contain their giggles as they watched the oldest son being verbally assaulted for his ignorant and tantly reckless actions the previous night.

    In fact, Brance had actually woken up first, gone through his notifications, and subsequently raced to his mother¡¯s side to be sure she knew he was ok. But, in a sign of pure favoritism and adoration, Cinyah eventually let off her youngest son with a p on the wrist and a request to help her capture the elusive ¡°Cynrikus-Rex,¡± and without needing any persuading, Brance negotiated the terms of reducing his scolding time in exchange for capturing his own brother.

    ¡°I have said all I needed, Cynrik; you and Brancie are bing more and more reckless in your training. I understand you are excited and nervous about entering the Academies, but I can¡¯t stress enough how much your constant and dangerous training needs to take a back seat.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mother, I am sorry, Mother.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t even begin to understand how much it hurt me to see you both with boiling steam rolling off your bodies and faces contorted in anguish.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mother, I was in the wrong, Mother.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s more, what would you have done if Maeve and I hadn¡¯t been there to bring you back to the house? Would you have stayed on the floor drenched in sweat all night?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mother, I am sorry, Mother.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to see me in an early grave? Is that why you keep pulling dangerous acts likest night?

    ¡°No, Mother, I was in the wrong, Mother.¡±

    This was the extent of the conversation between Cynrik and Cinyah. Cynrik would reply with a heartfelt variation of the same phrase every time she spoke.

    ¡°Hiya, what will I do with you¡­.¡± With her anger quelled, Cinyah went silent and stared at her oldest son, at a loss for what to do with this wild child.

    ¡°I mean, you could always just beat him up, or OH OH, make him clean the whole house alone; that¡¯s what my Dad did to me. Never forget Cinyah; I was a hundred times worse than Little CynCyn. Remember how I used to sneak out to meet up with boys or cause trouble in the neighborhood. At least the extent of his crazy antics revolve around training and getting stronger.¡± Maeve chimed in when she noticed her best friend was winding down her verbal assault.

    Everyone on the couch caught how quickly Cynrik¡¯s face changed, from apologetic, to a look of betrayal, and they quenched theughter threatening to escape their lips.

    ¡°Auntie Mae¡­THUD.¡± Before Cynrik could even defend himself, one of the couches pillows was flung with extreme force at his head. Since the woman in question was sitting at Tier-3, the force behind this was enough to send Cynrik skittering across the living room floorically.

    ¡°One day Little CynCyn, you will learn to call me Big Sister.¡± Then, clicking her tongue and having seen enough, Maeve stood up and walked over to Cynrik, sprawled out on the carpet, staring nkly at the ceiling. He didn¡¯t even bother reacting when the faint, pleasant perfume worn by the woman wafted into his nostrils as she bent down to tap his cheeks lightly.

    [Tsk, if only I was 15 years older; it¡¯s a shame such a beautiful MILF is as savage as a fucking gori.] Cynrik absent-mindedly watched Maeve walk by while swaying her hips provocatively side to side.

    [BRO, THAT¡¯S OUR MOM¡¯S BEST FRIEND!] Hearing this, Brance¡¯s face contorted in disgust, and too got up and left the room. Shortly after Cinyah followed, Cynrik was left alone, still sprawled out on his back.

    ¡®Tobs, is there anything else I need to see notification-wise?¡¯

    Cynrik had nned to do his daily review of any adjustments to his Status before being rudely interrupted by the MILF, Maeve, and then captured by his mother and brother. It was only now that he was free and alone that he could finally do so.

    -In fact, Host Cynrik, there are only two notifications that you missed.-

    -You have suffered an attack from Host Brance and lost 200 HP.-

    -You have been assaulted by a pillow thrown by a being of a higher Tier and lost 100 HP.-

    ¡®OH FUCK YOU, TOBS!¡¯

    -Hehe.-

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 160

    At 8 am, the day of the selections, Cinyah woke both her sons up early and ushered them into the living room, where Jessup, Maeve, Aiden, and Rikard were all sitting around waiting.

    When Cinyah walked in with a sleepy Cynrik and Brance in tow, their attention turned away from the HoloTv, showing a live feed of the fairgrounds, where the Selection would be held in a few hours.

    Based on what Cynrik saw on TV, it was panning out to be quite a spectacle. From the aerial view above the grounds, it was easy to pick out the taped-off boundaries that each Academy cordoned off. The sight made him chuckle internally as to him, it looked like a giant street festival, with its painted square boxes, stalls, and food stands; if he didn¡¯t know better, he wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize it as an Academy Selection.

    [They really are going all out this year.] Brance had been peeking over at the TV and was surprised at how big the event was this year.

    [Not gonna lie, I haven¡¯t researched the results of the exams at all. But if we go off how much space is being provided to each Academy, it isn¡¯t hard to tell there were a lot more people who passed this year. Let¡¯s just hope we don¡¯t attract TOO much attention. The fact we are walking into this thing as S and SS-Rank applicants are sure to cause a fuss. Especially since we technically can only participate because of an exception made by the Board.] Cynrikzily put his hands behind his head and found a spot next to Rikard before plopping down and watching the TV along with everyone else.

    [I wonder how many so-called ¡°Elites¡± will be there. Is it safe to assume that everyone who hadpleted the Perfect Foundation Title is also S-Rank or at the very least A?] Brance followed behind Cinyah and sat between her and Maeve on the ¡°L¡± shaped sectional across from Cynrik.

    [I mean, in theory, that should be the case. Did you call the Sanfordsst night to check-in and get their ranks?]

    [Un, Gabby was, of course, overly excited that I called and hogged the phone, she told me how she and Benny had to go through the same process we did, she was able to fight to a draw, but Benny was forced to concede near the end of round 2. Overall it¡¯s as you expected Cyn, Gabby got AA-Rank, and Benny got A-Rank.] Smiling warmly as he spoke about the conversation, Brance nced over at Cynrik only to find he was focused entirely on the TV.

    On-screen was Saylin, and what a ticker-tape at the bottom of the screen described as the Board of Academies Officials.

    [What¡¯s wrong?] Noticing how focused Cynrik was, Brance tilted his head before directing his attention to the TV along with everyone else.

    Saylin was wearing an expensive-looking business suit and didn¡¯t look like a bum in some alley for the first time. His messy long Green hair was tied back in a neat and stylish ponytail revealing his pointed ears.

    Drowning out thendscape ahead of him was a sea of reporters holding up every type of recording device one could imagine. A few steps back to his left and right were the six Headmasters of each Academy. The appearance of these legendary existences caused the reporters to murmur in excitement. The six of them VERY RARELY grouped together like this, and it was basically a myth that all six would interact with the news media simultaneously, so they were all very excited.

    ¡°I will now begin the media conference for this year¡¯s Academies Selection. The only beings allowed to issue questions are those who have already pre-registered to do so. As usual, your Watcet will notify you when it is your turn, so please have your questions prepped and ready since we are limited in time.¡± Saylin paused and spread his hands out to his sides, drawing attention to the Headmasters behind him.

    ¡°There is no need to introduce these respectable beings behind me; each one has had an illustrious career, but let me warn you not to push too hard, even I can¡¯t necessarily protect you if you piss one of them off.¡± Saylin chuckled slightly at his own joke drawing a simr reaction from the media. However, there was one person who didn¡¯t.

    The Headmaster of Finwan Academy snorted loudly while ring daggers into the back of Saylin¡¯s head. However, even though he was a higher up in the Purist Faction, who was notoriously racist towards Demi-Humans, he knew better than to take it too far with so many witnesses.

    Saylin, on the other hand, treated him like air and began answering questions or directing them to the proper Headmaster. Most of them were simple such as ¡°How many Applicants passed?¡± or ¡°What can we expect?¡± but after several meaningless and pandering questions were answered, one of the more controversial reporters from a tabloid magazine got his chance to speak.

    ¡°Good morning Councilor Garn, Garret Parker, Weekly Trumpet. We have never seen a coboration between all six Headmasters before; what is the reason for their presence?¡± The reporter stated while wearing a confident expression. The past few years had been rough for both the reporter and hispany. Severalrge organizations had targeted both due to releasing several differentpanies and Family n¡¯s ¡°dirtyundry.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, I remember you¡­.¡± Saylin¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as he locked his hawklike gaze onto the thin man who looked to be in his mid-20s. In fact, although Saylin would never admit it out loud, he knew quite a lot about this young man Garret. During the kidnappings several years ago, Garret painstakingly traced back everything he could to locate the children or their families after Cynrik and Brance saved them. It had to be known that Lithlen Jetlensr only took care of the pure humans, leaving all the Demi-Human children alone. After hearing the call go out on his Enforcer Scanner, Garret came to their aid. So overall, Saylin actually had a good impression of the youngster; it was just that the guy had gotten himself into quite a bit of trouble, not unlike a particr child with ck hair and violet highlights.

    ¡°Hmm, that¡­well, this Selection is a bit¡­different. We at the Board have always prided ourselves on locating and nurturing the best talents of our country so they too can stand alongside us in a time of desperation. This year¡¯s Selection is no different; just think of it as there are many exceptional applicants.¡±

    Saylin¡¯s words drew another uproar from the crowd, and the next handful of questions reflected their dire need for specifics. However, to the group of reporters¡¯ dismay, neither Saylin nor the Headmasters would borate further on the topic.

    Back in the Pinhurst Mansion, Cynrik¡¯s left eye twitched slightly as the cameras panned away from the podium Saylin was speaking. Then, the scene changed back into an aerial shot of the entire event grounds, signifying the Media Conference¡¯s end.

    Clicking his tongue and ignoring his brother¡¯s annoying chatter with their parents and the Pinhursts, Cynrik texted Benny asking for their estimated time of arrival (ETA). Still, he didn¡¯t receive an immediate answer. Instead, about three minutester, there was a loud and spastic knock on the front door.

    [Good, the kids are here.] Cynrik smirked and flitted to the door, opened it, and had to sidestep Gabby, who flung herself through the doorway with outstretched arms only to hug air and facent on the hall carpet.

    ¡°Owie Big Bro Cyn, why did you dodge.¡± Then, quickly bouncing back up to her feet and rubbing her little nose, which had a slight rug burn, Gabby started up her near tear-filledining.

    The scene caused all the adults to chuckle, and Branceughed the loudest as he knew the little girl had automatically assumed it would be him answering the door, thus her tackle hug.

    ¡°Whatever, get inside, you little rabbit; we have important things to talk about and only four hours before we need to get to the grounds.¡± Giving Gabby a little kick in the butt to get her moving, Cynrik turned and nodded lightly at the silent Benny. Behind him stood the Sanford couple, smiling at the children¡¯s antics.

    Once everyone was inside, the adults and children split off into separate groups, with the children moving to the training room. Cynrik motioned for everyone to take a seat, which they all did, and started exining his analysis of the Media Conference.

    ¡°SOOO good news and bad news, guys. The good news is Oldman Saylin didn¡¯t specifically call us out on live TV, which we can only be thankful for.¡± Cynrik fell silent and looked around at the members of MyrkLys, his eyes falling on the newest Non-Combat member, Aiden.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­hold up, Big Brother, is that it?¡± Gabby, Benny, and Aiden were confused, and it wasn¡¯t until Brance spoke up that they realized something was up.

    ¡°Yep, at least for the good news. Sorry yall, all I¡¯ve got is he bad news.¡± Cynrik tried his best to contain the sadisticughter rising in his chest when he saw the party¡¯s discontent expressions.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay; we don¡¯t need everything to go our way. Where would the fun be in that? Anywho, the Six Headmasters showing up worries the fuck out of me. Either they are there specifically for us¡­or there are way more applicants above B-Rank, which is considered the ¡°Elites¡± gatekeeper, either way, we need to stay focused. So stick together, minus Aiden, who is going to one of the premier cksmithing Schools in the country nearby.¡± Cynrik patted the boy on his shoulder for encouragement, raising his spirits. Aiden already felt left out as the only Non-Combative member of the party, but Cynrik remembered to include him in the conversation, so he was content enough.

    Brance¡¯s face scrunched up in thought at his brother¡¯s words. The more he mulled them over in his head, the more confused he got until, like ss shattering in his head, a terrifying thought came to the forefront.

    [Cyn¡­you don¡¯t mean¡­] Brance looked at his older brother with fear in his eyes.

    [Yeah, I am afraid so; I would be willing to bet anything that this Selection will have several other LCs, so we need to be ready for some shit to go down.]

    [Fuck.]

    [Yep, fuck.]

    Cynrik and Brance stared at each other for another second before looking back at the kids.

    ¡°It is too convenient for Saylin to use so much wordy, guys, so we can assume Brancie and I won¡¯t be the only S-Ranks; keep your eyes peeled for anyone wearing a Watcet with these colors.¡± Finishing his statement, Cynrik and Brance held up their wrists in unison. Since their Watcets had finished the update brought on by the Selection Token, Brance¡¯s had turned into a majestic golden shade, while Cynrik¡¯s seemed to contain all the colors on the spectrum when the light hit it; the shade of tinum was stunning for the eyes.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 161

    Gabby and Benny¡¯s eyes darted from the brother¡¯s Watcets to their own. Unlike their blue Watcets, which signified they were A-Rank, the Sanford siblings couldn¡¯t help but look at Cynrik and Brance¡¯s wrists with a tinge of jealousy.

    ¡°If you see anyone wearing the same color as Brancie and me, don¡¯t draw attention to yourselves but make a mental note of their physical appearance. Also, keep your ears open; odds are people S-Rank or SS-Rank will be arrogant enough to b out their names or brag, so keep your ears perked up.¡± Cynrik looked at Gabby before continuing.

    ¡°Especially you little rabbit, we will need your perfect memory.¡±

    ¡°Teehee, yeppers.¡± Gabby giggled, excited to be given a task, and saluted Cynrik.

    ¡°Benny, watch over your sister, Brancie, and I will be distracted and trying to keep a low profile as much as possible, so we won¡¯t be able to keep tabs on everyone easily.¡± Cynrik directed his attention at the silent Benny, who nodded in reply.

    ¡°Good, remember everyone, the most important thing is we stay together, do NOT get separated, there will be many people there, and we don¡¯t want anyone getting swept away by the crowd.¡± Brance stepped forward and patted Gabby¡¯s head gently as he added in his own two cents.

    Cynrik¡¯s hypothesis had him on edge, but he tried not to show it to the Sanford siblings. However, with the potential presence of other LCs running around the immediate area, Brance felt the pressure of being targeted for an attack at any moment.

    ¡°Kids, it¡¯s almost time to go; we need everyone to gather in the garage.¡± Cinyah¡¯s voice came out of the inte system positioned in the room corner, and Cynrik closed the party briefing.

    ¡°Onest thing, guys, if for any reason you feel suspicious that someone is targeting you or another party member,e up to either Brance or me, and grab our hand; two pumps mean you see someone with a Golden or tinum Watcet, three pumps mean we are targeted. If it does ur, try making it look natural, this is more so for you, Benny, since we both know Gabby will act all lovey-dovey with our Little Brancie.

    Cynrik smirked before tossing a nce at Aiden and nodding. Although he wouldn¡¯t be joining them at the Academies and staying with the parents during the Selection, Cynrik still tried to keep him involved; after all, Aiden was the first like-minded weeb he hade across since his rebirth and the unofficial party ckSmith.

    Brance and Bennyughed at Cynrik¡¯s light bullying of the little girl and ignored her puffed-up cheeks as the party moved from the training room, down the hall, through the house, and into the oversized six-car wide garage.

    Seeing the children¡¯s arrival, Jessup stepped up first, drawing everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°I was able to get everything adjusted to your request Little Cyn; send over the trade.¡± Jessup got straight to business as a man of few words and extended his hand to Cynrik.

    Understanding what Jessup meant, Cynrik caught Brances hand first.

    [Send me over 50 SP and one mill. But, of course, we have to cover the kids¡¯ equipment, so let¡¯s split the cost.]

    Branceined and simply sent over what his older brother was asking for. When the brothers broke off their handshake, Cynrik stepped up to Jessup and shook his hand. Upon contact, he imagined a trade window simr to video games and willed it to appear. No sooner than Cynrik had willed it into existence within his head, a system window popped into his and Jessup¡¯s vision, and the two started filling up the inventory slots in the trade window. As someone who was OCD with inventory management, Cynrik knew precisely where everything was ced, so he easily located all the higher Tier pelts, ws, and fangs he had stored from the Egress and tossed them into the trade window.

    Cynrik didn¡¯t stop at just creature materials; he even tossed several Tier-1 Codexes into the trade. But, even though he had been the one to negotiate prices with Jessup, it still hurt Cynrik¡¯s heart to give away his loot. So, once all the items were in ce on his side, Cynrik then ced two million credits and 100 SP into the money slots at the bottom of the screen.

    Once everything was in ce, Cynrik finally looked away from his window towards the one floating beside it, which belonged to Jessup. Then, with his eyes scanning like radar, Cynrik nced over the contents that Jessup had painstakingly worked on and upgraded, and he had to admit, the man was known as the best for a reason. Benny now had a simr yet significantly smaller shield to Brances and a CS slightly longer Short Sword; not only that, but Jessup had made him simr armor to what Brance had, the only difference being it was a vibrant shade of blue. In addition, the jacket, pauldrons, shin guards, and boots all matched in an almost uniform manner to what Cynrik and Brance wore, making Cynrik chuckle lightly.

    Next up was Gabby¡¯s new gear. Jessup had scrapped her old bow for a new Cold-Steel Alloy Compound bow. Adorning the tips of each bow arm were fist-sized wheels and a small lever, which would allow Gabby to adjust the tension on the weapon at will. In addition, Cynrik had Jessup add in a unique option specifically for Gabby¡¯s convenience. Although Cynrik knew it would be a challenge for the old man, he requested that the bowstring have an inner core that could channel Mana; this would allow Gabby to fire Affinity arrows when her Cold-Steel ones ran dry, opening up more options in more prolonged battles.

    Looking away from the fierce-looking bow, which stood at just about the same height as the little girl, Cynrik set it aside and checked her armor, and he almost let out a chortle. Then, with widened eyes, Cynrik noticed the lithe armor matched his own, just more petite and with bunny ears attached to the hood. It brought a smile to his face seeing the miniaturized feminine version of his own loadout in a medium amethyst shade reflecting her Psychic Affinity.

    Since archers and Assassins relied on their movement speed and hiding abilities, Cynrik had opted to toss a bone to Gabby to see if she was interested in learning from him; this armor was the fastest way to do so. The critical difference between his and Gabby¡¯s new armor was that the pauldrons were slimmer and hinged differently, allowing for a broader range of motion not to impede her shooting.

    Pleased with the gear for the Sanford siblings, Cynrik quickly checked over the gear for Brance before moving on to his own. Jessup only needed to make slight adjustments to the two sets of equipment, such as working on the flexibility and adjusting the gems on Brance¡¯s shields. When Cynrik had informed him he wanted an option for using the fourth Affinity, he thought the old man was gonna keel over then and there. Still, Jessup finally caved after some coaxing and promises of many materials. Stored under each pauldron was a small clear gem. All it took was for Cynrik or Brance to input a small amount of their own Mana into this gem to allow for the introduction of a new element.

    The same went for each of their weapons, including Gabby and Benny, whose gear right now only could store their current Affinities. The gem was part of Cynrik¡¯s advanced nning. The most significant factor with the whole upgrade was the need for Tier-2 equipment, as it wouldn¡¯t be long until the four children proceeded to their subsequent evolution.

    Once Cynrik finished checking over everyone¡¯s upgrades and the work done on his Kodachis¡¯, he saw arge crate in the final trade slot. This was hisst surprise for everyone. Unfortunately, it would take some time for him to get it ready, but he could already see the stunning look of confusion on their faces. When he conceptualized this plot, nicknamed ¡°Operation Side-Arm,¡± he requested a lot of individual parts and specialized materials only Jessup could acquire. Unfortunately, these supplies cost him the bulk of his cash and resources. However, Cynrik felt it was an eptable loss of funds at the end of the day and didn¡¯t dwell on it too much.

    Seeing everything was in order, Cynrikpleted the trade before moving toward his party and handing over their new equipment. The following minutes were as expected. Everyone tried on their new armor and weapons gleefully, especially Gabby, who instantly fell in love with her new jacket and bow, so much so that she was rubbing her cheek along it while mumbling.

    While everyone was in the process of slotting their gear into Loadouts, Benny, who was wearing his upgraded armor, noticed an emblem on his chest and ran his fingers along with the embossed threading. Then, with shining eyes, he ran up to Cynrik and smiled for the first time in a while.

    ¡°Big Bro Cyn¡­is this our Party¡¯s Emblem?¡± Benny couldn¡¯t hide the excided cadence to his words, making everyone look down to the Emblem ced over the left side of their chests.

    ¡°WOAHHH, IT LOOKS SOO COOL, BRANCIE LOOKIE LOOKIE!¡± Gabby instantly became the loudest person in the room, shouting while bouncing around, making the bunny ears on her hood flop around.

    The Emblem wasn¡¯t overly shy or intricate. Two ck ming des crossed behind a silver teardrop shield. On the face of the shield were the letters ¡°ML,¡± with M being in ck mes and L being in shining silver.

    ¡°Hahhh, seriously, yall, look at yourselves, then each other; why must you be attracted to the little things and not the overall big picture.¡± Cynrik smacked his forehead with an open palm before making everyone realize their new gear matched with the other members of the party.

    ¡°This will be our Party Uniform from now on; everyone¡¯s armor reflects their Affinity, Gabby¡¯s Amethyst (Google this Color Code

 Chapter 162

    With everyone geared up and ready to head out, Cynrik told everyone to stow their equipment, which was met by a chorus of sad noises.

    ¡®Tsk, these kids just wanna y with their new toys.¡¯ Shaking his head, Cynrik ignored the disappointed Sanfords and walked over to the vehicle they would be taking to the venue, an expensive-looking luxury Hovervan.

    It took a moment for Benny, Gabby, and Brance to collect themselves and store their gear before saying goodbye to the adults and hopping into the Hovervan. In the front seats were Maeve and Cinyah, who had taken on the delivery job.

    Leaning back on the armrest and double-checking everyone had their seatbelts on, the wild pilot Cinyah buried the elerator into the floorboards forcing the Hovervan to lurch forward instantly, throwing the kids all into the backs of their seats and causing Maeve to cackle loudly.

    Jessup shook his head back in the garage while Rikard facepalmed at his wife¡¯s antics.

    ¡°Looks like she still hasn¡¯t given up the title of ¡°Race-Queen¡± after all these years.¡± Jessup felt sorry for the children as he knew they were probably howling thanks to Cinyah¡¯s poor driving habit.

    ¡°Uh¡­Uncle Jessup¡­I think you mean ¡°Speed-Demon.¡± Rikard broke into a cold sweat as he remembered a particrly dangerous event where his wife wasughing like a pirate as she weaved in and out of enemy ships in a rustbucket of a ship.

    The two men stood in silence, ignoring the anxious Sanford couple, who had never experienced the hell of riding in a vehicle piloted by Cinyah.

    ¡°Uh¡­Grandpa¡­Uncle Rikard¡­are the others gonna be ok?¡± A worried Aiden asked with his voice quivering, to which the two men only responded by saying a silent prayer for the kids and patting the young boy on his shoulder.

    Back in the Hovervan, Cinyah expertly drove it up at a 45-degree angle before eventually leveling it off and engaging the autopilot mode. Looking in the rearview mirror, she could see the pale faces of the four children, which made her giggle slightly.

    ¡°Holy, MOM, CMON, ARE YOU TRYINA KILL YOUR BELOVED SONS BEFORE THEIR BIG DAY?¡± Patting his chest lightly, Cynrik tried to calm his rapidly beating heart and scolded his mother.

    ¡°What? Big Day? Are you getting married? Who¡¯s the luckydy? Is it that little cutie in the back, Gabby?¡± Maeve broke the silence with a crude joke making Gabby¡¯s face bright red.

    ¡°Che, funny joke Auntie¡­*FWOOSH*¡­Maeve, Gabby is Brancie¡¯s girlfriend, not mine; I prefer older women.¡± Cynrik predicted his words would cause Maeve tosh out, and when she did, he was ready this time and nimbly dodged the open palm p and continued his sentence without missing a beat.

    ¡°Ho ho ho, look at you, Little CynCyn, you actually dodged this time.¡± Maeve red and showed a toothy smile that wasn¡¯t actually a smile.

    ¡°Heh, let¡¯s make a deal.¡± Tired of the little pet name he¡¯d received, Cynrik finally decided to address it.

    ¡°Oh? What kind of deal?¡± Intrigued by where the boy was going, Maeve decided to y along.

    ¡°Stop with the CynCyn, and I¡¯ll stop with the Auntie.¡± Crossing his arms and leaning back into his chair, Cynrikid the terms of their deal on the table.

    ¡°Hmmm, on the one hand, I don¡¯t get to call you the adorable nickname I spent so longing up with.¡± Then, tapping her chin with her index finger, Maeve thought aloud.

    ¡®Adorable, wait, what the fuck do you mean you spent so longing up with it? IT¡¯S LITERALLY THE FIRST THREE LETTERS OF MY NAME REPEATED TWICE.¡¯ Cynrik thought, forcing the blood back into his body as it was threatening to erupt from his mouth.

    ¡°But if I give it up, you¡¯ll finally call me Big Sister, hmmm, decisions.¡± Noticing the woman seemed to be in deep thought, Cynrik rolled his eyes and looked out the window.

    [Cyn, I am proud of you.] Brance¡¯s eyes twinkled as he looked at his older brother finally being more mature.

    [Oh fuck off. Don¡¯t think too deeply about it; I am simply tired of being treated like a fucking dog every time I see her. If I have to change how I call her to make it disappear, so be it.] Clicking his tongue and fighting the urge to backhand Brance, Cynrik closed his eyes and decided to take a nap.

    Seeing this, Brance started chatting with the nervous Benny and Gabby, who were still freaked out by Cinyah¡¯s driving.

    ¡°I know my Mom¡¯s driving is¡­peculiar, but just try to bear with it for now. She will get us to the Selection in one piece, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Wearing his patenteddykiller smile, Brance reached over the seatback and patted Gabby on the head endearingly.

    ¡°Un, hey Brancie, this Selection, will it be like we always watched on Tv?¡± Feeling the warm hand on the crown of her head instantly calmed Gabby down enough to ask the question on her mind.

    ¡°Yep, but it will be a little different since there are many more people this time. Like in previous years, the people in charge will have everyone group up and scan their Watcets. After that, we will be ced into groups and allowed to go before the recruiters, recruiters who will hopefully offer us a contract to join their schools. Oh, be sure you don¡¯t ept anything they offer, leave it to Big Brother, and don¡¯t sign anything without his approval. You know how sneaky he can be; there is no way those recruiters will be able to pull a fast one on us so long as he¡¯s there.¡±

    ¡°So, does that mean we don¡¯t have to do any more tests?¡± Gabby¡¯s big eyes sparkled at the thought of not needing to do any more frustrating fighting orplex tests.

    ¡°We should be good to go; with you two being A-Rank, and me and Big Brother being S-Rank, I don¡¯t see anyone willingly letting us pass without offering up some terms to join their Academy. The biggest thing is people¡¯s reactions. There¡¯s only been a handful of S-Rank Applicants in the past, and the media ys it out to be a big deal. Those reporters even go into a frenzy for A-Ranks, so just be sure you stick close and do what Big Brother told us earlier.¡± Brance smiled and continued to chat with the little girl.

    Meanwhile, Cynrik, who was only half asleep, went over what he remembered from the Selections he saw on Tv. The Academy Selections reminded him of sports drafts on Earth, where various teams would select up-anding talent to bolster their roster for the year. The event itself was televised throughout the entire country every year, and since this year had a massive pool of childrenpared to previous events, he was sure it was going to turn into a shit show rather quickly.

    The main reason the Selections were even so popr was the big multi-Academy tournaments held periodically throughout the school year. These events showcased different talents and were no different from the Olympics, so the general public ate it up.

    However, the scenario he was worried about was what happens if another LC showed up. Would that being ignore him and Brance, or would a fight break out in the middle of the crowd? He wasn¡¯t too worried about getting separated from the Sanfords, as he had enough faith in the training the two had received from himself and Brance to know they wouldn¡¯t go ballistic for no reason.

    Cynrik drifted off into slumber for the remainder of the drive with thatst thought.

    About an hourter, Cinyah alerted everyone that she would begin their descent and that they should get ready. With that single sentence as a warning, she didn¡¯t wait for the children to brace themselves and pushed the yolk downward, causing the Hovercar to pitch downward at a steep angle and gain speed.

    [FUCKKKK WHY MUST SHE ALWAYS BE LIKE THISSSSS!] Brance screamed in the mind link as he gripped tightly onto the handle above the door.

    Feeling his stomach drop to his feet, Cynrik stayed silent and clenched his butt cheeks until he felt the Hovercar lightly touch down on the ground safely. Instantly freeing himself from the seatbelt, Cynrik bolted out of the vehicle wanting nothing more than to feel solid ground under his feet. Although Cynrik enjoyed rollercoasters as much as anyone else, he couldn¡¯t help but panic whenever his mother was behind the wheel.

    Gabby and Benny faired the worst; after exiting the Hovercar, the two children fell to their knees and were ovee by dry heaves, eventually emptying their stomachs.

    ¡°BLARGGG, ahh ahh, Auntie Cinyah BLARGGG, why would you do this? I thought you loved us.¡± Unfortunately, Gabby¡¯s cute voice was overshadowed by the very udylike bouts of vomit.

    ¡°HAHA, Gabby, I didn¡¯t know you had such a week tummy, although, I will say, both Cynrik and Brancie threw up their first time in a car.¡± Being a good mother, Cinyah pranced to Gabby¡¯s side and held her hair back, leaving Benny to Brance, who was rubbing the boy¡¯s back in small circles.

    Cynrik and Maeve were leaning on the tailgate of the Hovercar and enjoying the show when the woman finally epted Cynrik¡¯s deal.

    ¡°Ok, Cyn, I ept, but only if you¡¯ll call me Big Sister and give me a big hug before you go,¡± Maeve said while crossing her arms under her ample F-Cup and looking down at him.

    Gulping his saliva nervously, Cynrik thanked his lucky stars for the feast for his eyes before extending his hand to seal the agreement.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 163

    ¡°Ok, Cyn, I ept, but only if you¡¯ll call me Big Sister and give me a big hug before you go,¡± Maeve said while crossing her arms under her ample F-Cup and looking down at him.

    Gulping his saliva nervously, Cynrik thanked his lucky stars for the feast for his eyes before extending his hand to seal the agreement.

    ¡°No problem, Big Sis, anyway, I gotta get the others prepped to move out.¡± Even though Cynrik tended to lean hard on the side of being socially awkward, he¡¯d never had a problem with thedies in his past life, so even though Maeve was clearly trying to fluster him, Cynrik didn¡¯t blush or stutter. Instead, he tried to ignore the bombshell of a woman and divert his attention toward his still puking party members.

    Seeing as she failed to tease the boy, Maeve puffed her cheeks in protest and stomped off to Cinyah, who was muttering sweetly to the shivering Gabby.

    [What was that about?]The interaction between the woman and his older brother didn¡¯t escape Brance¡¯s keen eyesight, prompting him toment in the mind link.

    [Tsk, that woman, either she is really so bored as to tease me in such a flirtatious manner, or she is just that innocently careless.]

    [PPFFT, WHAT!] Brance¡¯s hand stopped making little circles on Benny¡¯s back as he stared incredulously at Cynrik.

    [Yeah¡­I mean, she¡¯s a total MILF, but¡­] Pausing to nce down at his pre-teen body, Cynrik helplessly shrugged before continuing.

    [Im a bit helpless with anything physical, but what can I do? Hehe, it looks like our curse is still in effect.]

    The curse Cynrik spoke of was an inside joke with all the men on his father on Earth¡¯s family. From the time they were teenagers until they were old as dirt, the men of his family could pull just about any woman they wanted; thus, all the women called it the ¡°Curse.¡±

    [Oh, shut the hell up, you know that was olddy superstition.] With his face nking, Brance started up his calming circles once again.

    [Was it, though? Because I specifically remember that you were the only one to fight it back then. WOE IS ME; I¡¯M IN A COMMITTED RELATIONSHIP. WHY DO ALL THESE HOT COLLEGE GIRLS KEEP TRYING TO TAKE OFF MY SHIRT AT PARTIES?] Standing beside Brance with his hands resting behind his head, Cynrik teased.

    [Coming from the guy who couldn¡¯t keep a girlfriend longer than a month, that¡¯s rich.]

    [Come off it, Brancie; it wasn¡¯t that I ¡°COULDN¡¯T¡±; it was an executive decision to test the waters. Besides, let¡¯s not forget the revolving door of women our Dad hading and going throughout our childhood.]

    [To be fair, Dad wasn¡¯t the best role model in that aspect, just like our older brother. Was it really wise to take romantic advice from two men who were twice divorced?] Brance shook his head and stood up while poking an angry finger into Cynrik¡¯s chest.

    [Meh. I see no problem.]

    BUZZZZ BUZZZZ

    The vibrations caused by their Watcets suddenly cut off the brother¡¯s banter.

    [This conversation isn¡¯t over, Cyn.] ring at his older brother, Brance tapped the face of his Watcet twice, causing a hologram map to raise up from the device, indicating it was time to head over to the venue.

    ¡°Gabby, Benny, time to go.¡± pping his hands to get the attention of the two kids doubled over and holding their stomachs, Cynrik walked over and gave Cinyah a big hug.

    ¡°Gotta go, Mom, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll score us an obscenely good contract with all the benefits.¡± Cynrik smiled brightly to calm his mother¡¯s anxiety.

    ¡°Sniffle, I know, baby, I will be watching on television. If you get a chance to hop on stage, wave at me.¡± Choking back her tears, Cinyah kissed the top of Cynrik¡¯s head before grabbing him and Brance in a tight hug.

    Maeve observed the small family was having an emotional moment, so she went over to Gabby and Benny and handed them a couple of bottles of Mana and Health potions she had received from the Sanfords. In addition, she added a few parting words like, ¡°watch over those two¡± and ¡°make your move when you can, Gabby,¡± making the girl blush once more.

    With that, Maeve stepped aside and waited for Cynrik toplete his end of their bargain.

    A couple of minutester, Cynrik and Brance extricated themselves from Cinyah¡¯s blubbering clutches, and Cynrik stood in front of Mave with his arms extended.

    ¡°Like I promised,e here, Big Sis, gimmie a big hug,¡± Cynrik said while smiling sweetly at the stunned yet beautiful woman.

    ¡°OHHH, Little Cynrik, look at you being so sweet. Come here.¡± Maeve knelt down and opened her arms, allowing him to jump into her embrace. Still, to her surprise, the instant he did so, she felt his hands wander down her back and pinch her ass lightly before sliding into the back pockets of her tight jeans and copping a good feel, making her shiver and re angrily at him. Unfortunately, the boy dashed away before she could react, leaving her blushing, flustered, and confused.

    ¡°Later, my beautiful Big Sister Maeve.¡± Cynrik cockily smiled and sprinted off without his party.

    Seeing their leader rush off in a hurry, Gabby, Benny, and Brance said their final goodbyes and sprinted off while following the maps on their Watcets, leaving the two women standing alone by the Hovercar.

    ¡°That little brat, how dare he,¡± Maeve growled before looking at the gross crying face of her best friend.

    ¡°Since when did you be such a big cry baby Cinyah? What happened to our Icy Demon Queen, who would ughter without blinking an eye?¡± Then, wrapping her petite arm around her best friend¡¯s shoulders and pulling her in for a hug, Maeve teased Cinyah.

    ¡°You know how it is once you have children. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d be a dribbling mess if it were Aiden going to one of thebat Academies. We experienced hell in that sted ce, and here I am, allowing my beloved sons to jump right into the path of danger headfirst.¡± Sighing in her heart, Cinyah watched her sons get further away until they were finally out of sight.

    ¡°They will be fine; that little rascal Cynrik alone will wreck anyone who even so much as looks at them funny. I can picture it now, and I feel sorry for the poor saps who end up with him in their ss.¡± As someone who had spent thest two weeks continuously bullying Cynrik, Maeve was fully aware of how tough the little boy was. He would take full-on attacks from her like it was nothing, even though she was Tier-3 and he was only Tier-1. This was more than enough for her to be confident in the party¡¯s safety.

    Cinyah simply nodded and walked away towards the driver¡¯s seat.

    ¡°Hurry up. I want to watch everything back at home. Hopefully, a little spin in the skies will calm my heart.¡±

    Maeve felt an uncontroble shudder run through her whole body at the thought of Cinyah going wild behind the wheel, and she began wondering ifing along to drop the kids off was a good idea.

    Not far away, MyrkLys had covered a lot of ground and were weaving in and out of clusters of crying families and nervous children as they raced towards the registration checkpoint.

    ¡°First things first, we have to check in and be ready to hide your Watcet under your sleeve after scanning it instantly. I had everyone wear hoodies for a reason. It may be a bit hot but deal with it for now. Second, use our nicknames moving forward.¡±

    Cynrik tossed a casual nce towards the party and smirked; each of them was wearing a zip-up hoodie matching the color of their new armor and ck jeans; however, only Gabby and Cynrik had their hoods up.

    ¡°Stick close and don¡¯t lose sight of us; the closer we get to the check-in station, the more densely packed the other applicants will be, so Gabby, hold my sleeve, so you don¡¯t get lost.¡± Slowing down his pace to match the little girls, Brance extended his arm and let her grip the edge of his sleeve.

    ¡°Kay!¡± Gabby cheerfully replied while beaming brightly under her hood, making Brance chuckle and Cynrik roll his eyes.

    ¡°Will you two love birds stop flirting in public? I feel like ima hurl.¡± Snorting in discontent, Cynrik pumped his legs harder, creating some distance between them.

    ¡°Ho ho, is Big Brother Ivar jealllous.¡± Gabby sang happily while sticking her tongue out.

    ¡®Tch, yeah, right. Why would I be jealous of a little girl who still wears footie pajamas with ears and a tail? Maybe if you were ten years older and looked like Big Sis Maeve, I¡¯d be, but not now.¡¯ Cynrik didn¡¯t say the words out loud because he could already feel the intense re aimed at the back of his neck by Brance, so he bit his tongue.

    It took the party a few minutes to work their way to the line of applicants waiting to check-in and be allowed into the venue, but when they did, everyone, Cynrik included, gasped under their breath.

    Even though they had watched the Selections on Tv several times over the years, seeing the massive rows of turnstile gates and a sea of people was more impressive in real life.

    [Shit, the reporters weren¡¯t kidding when they said this would be thergest Selection held in thest 50 years. There must be 30 thousand kids here; this will take forever.] Cynrik¡¯s eyes flicked around cautiously as he examined his surroundings for any potential threats, but when he came up empty, he allowed himself to rx a bit.

    If there weren¡¯t so many people present, he would have simply activated his [Inspect] and started scanning everyone in sight, looking for any sign of another LC. Still, he tossed that idea out the window with such arge group of people and started focusing on the surrounding children¡¯s wrists.

    Slowly moving his eyes from left to right like a radar, Cynrik picked up every color variation indicating the applicant¡¯s rank. After hearing a few people talk about it, he soon realized that the color variants were based on Egresses, with Green being the lowest, F-Rank. Then, it moved up through the individual colors until A-Rank, when the tint went to Gold. Quickly surveying his surroundings, Cynrik picked up on a few higher-ranked applicants, but he hadn¡¯t spotted anyone higher than B, and the only reason he had found that person was that the boy was showing off his Watcet to his friends.

    [Look at that idiot. He¡¯s so proud and arrogant because he reached B-Rank.] Shaking his head in disdain, Cynrik informed Brance of his findings and stepped into one of the long lines waiting his turn to scan his Watcet.

    [Don¡¯t even start; you know damn well that if we didn¡¯t have a target painted on our backs, you would be doing the same fucking thing, Cynrik.] Shoving his brother lightly in the back, Brance chided Cynrik and ushered Gabby and Benny to stand in front of him so that he could bring up the rear.

    -This series Is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 164

    [Don¡¯t even start; you know damn well that if we didn¡¯t have a target painted on our backs, you would be doing the same fucking thing, Cynrik.] Shoving his brother lightly in the back, Brance chided Cynrik and ushered Gabby and Benny to stand in front of him so that he could bring up the rear.

    [Nuh uh, I so would not; how could you nder me like that.] Offended by Brance¡¯s remark, Cynrik stopped his search and turned to face his brother.

    [Oh really,ing from the guy who turned himself into a rocket so he could fly on stage in an attempt to be as shy as possible. Your words carry absolutely ZERO substance.] Brance scoffed while wearing an ¡°I am right¡± expression.

    [LISTEEENN, that was Crazy Cynrik, not normal Cynrik. I can¡¯t be held liable for the actions of that loose cannon.]

    [Shameless little¡­seriously, you act as if you had no control over yourself at that time.]

    [I didn¡¯t; that was all the voices in my head telling me to do it.]

    [Voices, VOICES! Do you even realize how you are passing this off as a symptom of schizophrenia?]

    [Scemantics, I will not fall into your wordy Brancie. Just you wait, there wille a day when you too hear the magical voices in your head, and GUESS WHAT? I will point andugh.]

    ¡°Next in line.¡± A man¡¯s voice spoke up behind Cynrik and Brance as they argued, but neither heard nor responded to him because they were so heated.

    [WOW, CYN, SERIOUSLY? You are something else. If it weren¡¯t for you being a loner and so fucking stubborn, I could have at least TRIED to help.]

    [Yeah, sure, me my hardheadedness.]

    ¡°Will the next in line please step forward.¡± Then, slightly agitated by the two boys ring and inching closer to physical blows, the man again tried to get their attention.

    [Heh, hardheadedness, he says, Cynrik, you are full-blown MENTAL!] Unknowingly, Brance was rapidly clenching and releasing his balled-up fists, just waiting for the moment tosh out.

    [OI¡­low blow Brancie, calling me mental is just stooping to my level, I thought you were better than that.] Chuckling internally, Cynrik threw out a verbal backhand making Brance pause his rant.

    ¡°HEY, YOU TWO KIDS, ARE YOU GOING TO CHECK-IN OR NOT!¡± Finally losing his patience, the man raised his voice and shouted angrily at Cynrik and Brance, thinking it would get their attention.

    And the boys¡¯ attention it did grab; it was just he wasn¡¯t ready for the repercussions of breaking up one of their fights. He was unaware of how poorly it would end for him.

    ¡°Yare yare, who the fuck does this guy think he¡¯s talking to Bj?rn, cause I know the fuck he didn¡¯t just raise his voice at me of all people.¡± Cynrik¡¯s eyes gleamed with a sinister light while staring daggers at the man as he spoke.

    ¡°Now, now, Ivar, the man is only doing his job; it was us who weren¡¯t paying attention. So there is no need to get aggressive.¡± Catching on quickly to the fact that Cynrik went from zero to pissed in no time t, Brance tried to appease his older brother not to cause a scene.

    ¡°Haha, I see, Mister; you weren¡¯t just yelling at me, right~.¡± Finishing his sentence in a sing-song yet intimidating tone, Cynrik stepped up to the turnstile and smiled sadistically at the man, bringing his face mere inches away from the man¡¯s. He didn¡¯t forget to wear a wild and insane look as he did so.

    ¡°COUGH¡­no, young man, It was an oversight on my part; please step forward and scan your Watcet on the screen.¡± Feeling a trickle of sweat drip down his back, the man straightened up, confused by how a young boy like the one before him could be so scary, and prompted the child to swipe his device.

    The man was only Tier-2 and had only been hired to ensure no one tried cheating the system to gain entry to the Selection illegally. So he didn¡¯t expect to encounter a child who seemed to be enshrouded in an eerie and dangerous air.

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t mind, don¡¯t mind, it¡¯s no biggy; you must have been yelling at the people behind me.¡± Cynrik giggled as he swiftly drew back his sleeve and swiped his Watcet against the turnstile before hiding it back out of sight.

    BEEP BEEP

    ¡°Applicant authorized for entry, please proceed to group A-1 in the northwestern-most block.¡± The turnstile transmitted the same female voice as the testing machine Cynrik had previously used, and it was followed by the sound of a gear unlocking, signaling him to step through the wheel quickly.

    Smiling calmly, Cynrik pushed forward and stepped through the turnstile, arriving on the opposite side, and turned around to wait for the rest of his party.

    As he did so, Cynrik didn¡¯t forget to aggressively pat the man¡¯s shoulder, forcing him to suck in a sharp breath of air as the boy wasn¡¯t in the least bit gentle with his exerting of force, making the Man whimper softly in pain. But, of course, hearing this only caused Cynrik to chuckle and cross his arms.

    The show of force utterly terrified the poor man, who regretted his decision to yell instead of just calmly walking over and tapping the boy on the shoulder or something.

    BEEP BEEP

    ¡°Applicant authorized for entry, please proceed to group A-1 in the northwestern-most block.¡±

    The man was dragged back to reality as the second boy stepped through the device while shing a bright and apologetic smile.

    ¡°Sorry for my brother¡¯s little stunt; here, take these Skill points and see a doctor as soon as possible. I am sure your shoulder needs to be healed. Brance casually tapped his wrist against the man¡¯s, and a notification popped up on his screen.

    -You have transferred Rusty Walen 10 Skill Points.-

    Stunned by the sudden interaction, the man stuttered inaudibly for a second. Still, he flinched when the machine beeped twice as two children, a boy, and a girl, wearing simr attire to the previous boys, stepped through the turnstile and were directed to the same area, A-1.

    It wasn¡¯t until a few minutes of silence had passed that he came to and realized all four of them had been told to head to A-1, the section of the venue reserved for only the highest-ranked VIPs. This revtion nearly caused him to empty his bowels as he realized how close he had juste to death. Anyone able to make it to that area was either a monster or the best of the best geniuses.

    All this went entirely ignored by MyrkLys as they briskly made their way over to a massive g hovering in the air with A-1 written on it. Even from the gate, which was hundreds of meters away, they were quickly able to spot it, giving them the proper heading, which was extremely helpful for the directionally challenged Cynrik.

    [Jeeze, I honestly believed you were gonna fuck that dude up, Cyn.] Brance said as they walked.

    [I almost did, but when I decided to make a move, I felt hundreds of overbearing presences staring at me at that moment, so I swiftly changed my n.] Cynrik rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as he looked around, going back to trying to find people showing off their Watcets.

    [Eh? Were they enemies or strong people watching out for anyone causing trouble?] Reaching back to hold Gabby¡¯s hand, Brance cautiously looked around as well.

    [It seemed like a mixture of both. I could feel apparent hostility from a handful of the gazes, but the bulk of them were only curious about what was happening. However, six of them were definitely the Headmasters, that much I can be sure. What is worrying is that two of those six were among the hostile entities watching our every movement.]

    Cynrik walked ahead of his party and took up the position of a spearhead, cutting his way through the dense crowd of excited and nervous children, never breaking his stride. If anyone got in his way, Cynrik would simply move the person without them even being aware.

    As they got closer to the g, Cynrik saw a noticeable decline in people as the herd thinned out thanks to the strict ranking requirements and the careful administration of the AI program keeping tabs on everyone.

    Things were going smoothly until they reached the gbeled B-5; that was when the party was stopped by a group of arrogant children who refused to move.

    ¡°Hey, you there, hoodie kid, stop right where you are. Only those who are A-Rank or¡­

    BAM

    Not wanting to bother with pointless banter, Cynrik delivered a speedy right straight to the kid¡¯s nose, flinging him backward and causing a fountain of blood to erupt from the kid¡¯s face. When the boy¡¯s friends stepped up and tried to fight back, Gabby and Benny dismantled the four kids with perfectly ced leg kicks followed by a single blow to the head.

    ¡°So much for being low key,¡± Brance said as he elbowed a boy twice his size in the face, dropping him to the ground, unconscious instantly.

    ¡°Bah, we have a time limit; there¡¯s no point in dealing with idiotic arrogant brats like them. It¡¯s better to just walk over their bodies than stop and banter with the fools.¡± Cynrik said while dusting off the sleeves of his hoodie and continuing forward.

    Across the venue, sitting in a VIP box, the Headmaster of Supremacy University crushed his finely crafted wine ss in rage. The roadblock stopping the members of MyrkLys from reaching their zone on time was his doing.

    ¡°Useless, fucking useless brats, Yenni, I want you to punish their families; the fucking morons couldn¡¯t even do what I asked adequately.¡± The man, who appeared to be in histe 20s, had short brown hair and almond-shaped brown eyes. His model-like appearance had stolen the hearts of many women over the years, who were soon met by horrendous fates not long after.

    This man, the Headmaster of Supremacy University, was Viktor Opurn, the Ceo of the verypany that Cynrik and Cinyah had pissed off a few days earlier.

    ¡°Yes, sir, Mr. Opurn, I will deal with the families of those failures with haste.¡± The young woman named Yenni said in a crystal clear voice before disappearing to handle the task.

    ¡°You fucking brats think you can go against me without consequences.¡± Flicking the shards of ss off his hand and conjuring a ball of wind to clear the fresh wine from his business suit, Viktor Opurn angrily red at the monitor showing the members of MyrkLys and their data.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 165

    ¡°So much for being low key,¡± Brance said as he elbowed a boy twice his size in the face, dropping him to the ground, rendering him unconscious instantly.

    ¡°Bah, we have a time limit; there¡¯s no point in dealing with idiotic arrogant brats like them. It¡¯s better to just walk over their bodies than stop and banter with the fools.¡± Cynrik said while dusting off the sleeves of his hoodie and continuing forward.

    nking Cynrik on both sides, Gabby and Benny dusted their hands and followed after him, leaving Brance to stand back for a moment and admire the fact that MyrkLys had dropped nine other kids within seconds.

    To Brance¡¯s surprise, there was a minimal reaction from the surrounding children, as if this was amon urrence, so he shrugged his shoulders helplessly and followed after the party.

    [Hey, Cyn, what do you mean we have a time limit?] Catching up and falling in behind Gabby, Brance asked as he set about examining everyone¡¯s wrists.

    [Eh? Did you never pay attention to what was going on during the tv programs about the Selections?]

    [Uhh¡­not really; it all seemed pretty dull to me.] Brance said, tapping his chin with his index finger.

    Cynrik facepalmed under his hood when he heard Brance¡¯s reply.

    [Heh, okay, so you basically, from the time the gates open, are put under a silent timer, allowing applicants 30 minutes to reach their zones. You can think of this as a final test to ensure that those who have made it this far can follow simple instructions. Once we arrive at our ¡°Zone,¡± which in this case is A-1, and the timer runs out, a Mana Barrier will be erected, blocking off anyone else from entering. How do you not know this shit? It literally turns the entire venue into a checkerboard.]

    [Hold up, so that group who tried to stop us just now was trying to make it so we would bete?]

    [Precisely, and if I had to guess their reason, it probably has something to do with that Opurn family I pissed off at the pet storest week. If memory serves, the Headmaster of one of the Academies should be the family head.] Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik crossed over the line marking Zone B-5 and Zone B-4.

    [Which is why you were so quick to resort to violence, makes sense.]

    [Wrong again, I just didn¡¯t like their snooty faces, plus I¡¯m still pissed about that kiosk guy yelling at me earlier. So I figured beating up a couple of idiots would ease my tension.] As he spoke, Cynrik balled his hands into fists and ground his knuckles against each other, making each of his fingers pop loudly.

    [Hooligan.] Brance shook his head in disappointment. He should have known better than to expect Cynrik to have a legitimate reason to pick a fight with someone.

    [Regardless, we still have four more zones in the B area to cross before reaching the beginning of A, A-3, so get the lead out of your ass.] Cynrik chuckled as he picked up his pace with his eyes darting around rapidly.

    The further they trekked into the B zones, the more frequently he spotted other people moving in the same direction as his party. This realization caused Cynrik¡¯s forehead to crease in thought.

    [Keep on your toes; there are far more people moving towards Zone-A than I expected. Even if I ignore half of them and factor them into B Applicants, there are still well over 50 bodies moving in our direction.]

    Cynrik¡¯s warning alerted Brance, who only now noticed the same thing pointed out. All around him, Brance could see numerous children shuffling about and walking calmly towards therge Zone-A gs. This left him somewhat unsettled as usually, the Selections would be lucky to have a maximum of 10 A-Rank applicants. Yet here he was, counting in the high 40s.

    [Tobs, can you spot any abnormalities in anyone walking with us?] Concerned that there were Legacy Charges hiding in in sight, Cynrik chose to rely on his system. But unfortunately, the answer he got back was highly unfavorable.

    -As per Article 78h paragraph 22c, All systems are forbidden from revealing the identity of other Legacy Charges to their hosts.-

    [Fuck, so we are on our own.] Clicking his tongue in disappointment, Cynrik flicked his wrists and equipt both assassin¡¯s tools under his sleeves unnoticed by anyone, including his party members, everyone except Brance, who picked up on the ridged way Cynrik was carrying his arms.

    [What? Did you see something? Should I bring out my shields?]

    [No, it¡¯s okay; I will give you the signal if I find something off. I¡¯m just over-preparing. Plus, it¡¯s against the rules to openly carry weapons during the Selection; luckily, I¡¯ve spent so much time thinning out the shell of my hidden des, allowing them to be easily hidden under my hoodie.]

    [Ahh, so that¡¯s why you¡¯ve been fiddling with them so often. Huh? Wouldn¡¯t you lose out on durability by reducing their size and weight?]

    Smirking at his little brother¡¯s ignorance, Cynrik kept his mouth shut and sent over the newly updated profile of his Assassins tools.

    -Custom Assassins Tool (Creed MK2)-

    -Tier-2: Special Grade(Upgradeable)-

    -ssification: Bracer with revolver Hidden de and Ejection mechanisms-

    -A highly customized Assassins tool that has been redesigned from the ground up by Cynrik Jetlensr. The outer shell is formed with ayer of Runic Inscribed ShadeDrake hide, while the internal skeleton has been reinforced with ShadeDrake Bone. The inner portion of the device has beenpletely redesigned. It now has two extrapartments on either side of the primary drawer mechanism, which can house three additional des for a total of four. The extension mechanic has been modified to quickly and automatically swap des in a revolver style. This device has an upgraded ejection mechanism; by infusing Mana Particles into this device, a hidden de can be fired from the central housing drawer, giving the device projectile attack capabilities before automatically swapping to one of the reserve des.-

    ¨C Slot 1: Cold-Steel Hidden de-

    ¨C Slot 2: Sunre Hidden de-

    ¨C Slot 3: Dark Infused Hidden de-

    ¨C Slot 4: Cold-Steel Copsible Grapple and Teather.-

    ¨C +10 DEF-

    ¨C +10 DEX-

    ¨C +5 AGI-

    ¨C Ability: Allows the wielder to receive four attacks without being knocked out of Dark Affinity Skills that hide the user¡¯s appearance or presence.

    ¨C Passive Special Skill: Quick Change ¨C By making a particr flicking motion, the revolver mechanism will grab one of the avable des and automatically slot it into the drawer chamber.-

    ¨C Special Skill: de Shot ¨C The wearer can fire the chambered hidden de by infusing Mana into the firing mechanism. The range and power of this attack depends on how much Mana is expended.-

    ¨C Special Skill 2: Grapple Shot- The wearer can fire a small copsible grappling hook attached to a 15 meter, high tension wire. This wire is wrapped tightly around the bracer, adding to the durability lost by constant shaving. Additionally, since firing the grapple utilizes the ejection mechanism, the wearer only has to input a sufficient amount of Mana to fire.-

    [HOLY FUCK CYN!] Stumbling over his feet, Brance shouted into the mind link, causing his older brother tough out loud, confusing the Sanford siblings.

    [So are you gonna swing around like a web-slinger now, or¡­you know what, who am I kidding, you basically ripped off the 3d maneuver gear from AOT, didn¡¯t you.] Brance furrowed his brow and nced to see his brother¡¯s reaction, and when Cynrik locked up for a second before coughing loudly, he felt satisfied.

    [Liiisten, I¡¯ll have you know, these bad boys run off Mana, notpressed gas. So no. I did not rip off the great Isayama-sensei¡¯s idea; okay, fuck off.] Snorting while shoving his hands into his pockets, Cynrik stepped into the zone marked B-1 and stopped on the threshold of A-3, waiting for the rest of his party to catch up.

    Looking out over the small crowd of people standing under the Zone-A g, Cynrik¡¯s eyes narrowed as he noticed something that couldn¡¯t be seen on tv, which made him instantly activate his [Mana Sight]. Then, feeling the presence of Gabby, Benny and Brance walk up behind him; Cynrik extended his left arm, blocking the path to the next zone, and turned to face them.

    ¡°Careful; once we cross into the next zone, the gravity will steadily increase. It starts off at 2g, and from what I can tell, we can expect the pressure to increase by a total g every zone until we reach our destination. Meaning we will be under a minimum of 4g. Gabby and Benny, I know you are still sitting at a resistance of 3.5, so you may struggle for a few minutes, but bear with it for now.¡± Speaking in a hushed whisper, Cynrik quickly informed them of his findings, saw the Sanfords nod in understanding, and stepped forward into the 2g of gravitational pressure.

    [Interesting, this isn¡¯t typical Killing Intent; it must be the pressure of Aura. The Mana particles are vibrating simrly to how they do under KIN, but at the same time¡­ it¡¯s more like a squelch instead of a squish.] Thinking out loud in the mind link as he walked, Cynrik moved his right hand through the air as if cutting through water.

    [What the hell does that even mean? How can Mana go squelch or squish? For crying out loud, can you at least speak normal English?] Brance couldn¡¯t help but rub his temples in frustration at his older brother¡¯s weird description.

    [Well¡­toooo beee faiiirrrr.]

    [SHUT THE FUCK UP. I KNOW, WE ARENT REALLY SPEAKING ENGLISH THANKS TO OUR [Language Proficiency] SKILL, FUCK OFF!] Brance had to clench his teeth and fists as hard as possible to stop himself from attacking his brother.

    [Hehe, you said it, not me.]

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 166

    High above the venue where the Selections would soon be held, Saylin sat in his VIP box wearing a troubled expression. On one of the many floating screens, he watched Cynrik and his party walking through a group of kids in Zone-B before stopping at the waypoint between Zone-A and Zone-B.

    If it were simply a dispute between children, he wouldn¡¯t have been troubled as it frequently urred around the venue. However, as someone who had been receiving detailed reports on the boys for years, Saylin was aware of the most recent trouble Cynrik had found himself in. So, after doing a quick background check on the group of kids lying unconscious, Saylin quickly found out that their parents all worked for one of the several holdingpanies owned by the Opurn family.

    ¡°Hmm, it seems Headmaster Opurn isn¡¯t above dirtying his hands to deal with a young child.¡± Tapping the armrest of his luxurious chair, Saylin contemted how to handle this little situation. While it was against his motives to move against the Opurn family, he had grown fond of the annoying brat and wouldn¡¯t sit by and let a massive corporate conglomerate bully him.

    ¡°Sigma-Lambda, open corresponding disys for any applicant associated directly or indirectly with the Opurn family.¡±

    ¡°Yourmand has been received, Counselor Garn, beginning a quick background check on all 38,922 applicants. Now applying a filter using the keyword ¡°Opurn¡± and all known alias¡¯ of any holdingpany attached to the keyword.¡± The youthful and feminine voice of Saylin¡¯s government-assigned Artificial Intelligence spoke up upon hearing the man¡¯s words.

    If Cynrik were present, he would have instantly picked up on the fact that this was the same voice he had heard from all the machines he interacted with during the Exam process.

    ¡°Checksplete; I have located 294 applicants within the venue who have some tie to the Opurn family.¡± Secondster, nearly 300 palm-sized hologram screens popped into view spanning across Saylin¡¯s entire vision.

    ¡°Narrow it down further, eliminate any applicant under B-Rank.¡± Viewing all the disys simultaneously caused Saylins head to be a bit hazy, so he narrowed his search further.

    ¡°Eliminating all applicants in Zones F through C. There are currently 39 applicants who meet the criteria as mentioned above.¡± Steadily the bulk of these hologram disys blinked out of sight.

    ¡°Increase disy size by 25% and arrange them in order by Applicant Rank and potential.¡± Saylin propped his chin on his open palms before examining each child individually. Then, slowly blinking his eyes to moisten them up, he watched as the small screens shuffled around like puzzle pieces and locked into ce.

    ¡°Now exclude the disys for Ivar Ragnarsson, Bj?rn Ragnarsson, Benjamin Sanford and Gabrie Sanford.¡±

    Abiding by his every word, Sigma-Lambda closed four more screens, leaving 35 open.

    ¡°This is bothersome; of the 35 applicants, only 17 are in Zone-B.¡± A cold glint of light shed through Saylin¡¯s eyes as he closed those 17 windows, leaving only 18 of the initial 294 windows open.

    ¡°18 A-ranked applicants are troublesome indeed; it appears that ten are in A-3, five are in A-2, and the remaining three are all in A-1. Sigma-Lambda, I want you to keep tabs on Applicants 27J, 093L, and 8376B. Also, pull up their folders for me.¡± Saylin massaged his temples tobat the iing headache he was beginning to experience.

    ¡°Command Received.¡±

    ¡®Why is it that all of the most annoying incidents I¡¯ve had to deal with over thest five years have been directly tied to those Jetlensr brothers.¡¯ Saylin thought while sighing ruefully.

    As Saylin was delving into the backgrounds of those specific three applicants, MyrkLys was slowly making their way through Zone A-3 when just like what previously happened in Zone B, another group of kids peeled off from the herd to block their path.

    However, unlike thest group ofckeys, these ten children were significantly stronger than the group in Zone-B. After a quick scan with his [Inspect] skill, Cynrik halted his party and smiled sadistically at the ten children who appeared to be in theirte teens.

    ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure of being forced to smell you ugly bastard¡¯s stench. Ah, I know, you must have found out that I individually took all your mothers to pound town, yep, that must be it.¡± Waving his hands as he spoke, Cynrik started up his ¡°Crazy-asshole¡± act once again, kicking off the conversation by insulting the ten boy¡¯s mothers.

    [Oh, for fuck sake Cyn.] Tossing a nce at Gabby and Benny, who seemed to be confused by Cynrik¡¯s phrasing, Brance mentally facepalmed.

    ¡°You brat, you don¡¯t know who you pissed off, hehe, and now you are signing your death warrant. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re aplete moron or not, but orders are orders.¡±

    ¡°PPPFFTTT HAHAHHA, death warrant, ha¡­you really know how to talk like a third-rate viin. You dipshit, have you already forgotten we are within the Selection grounds, meaning weapons are banned, and mortal injuries are forbidden too. Che, and you call me a moron.¡± Clutching his belly as heughed, Cynrik pointed at the kid standing at the forefront of the group and harassed him.

    Cynrik¡¯s overreaction to their leader¡¯s words infuriated the group of teenagers to no end, and in the blink of an eye, they moved to surround the four members of MyrkLys.

    [Tobs, how long till the barrierse up?] Even though Cynrik¡¯s face was contorted into a sinister grin, his eyes never left the boys surrounding him and his party.

    -You have 14 minutes to arrive at the predetermined location.-

    [Alright, go ahead and set a timer for me, same as usual.] Unbothered by the steadily dwindling timer shing in their peripheral vision, Cynrik and Brance tilted their heads at a downward angle, releasing the tension in their necks in the form of a loud, crunching pop.

    [How do you wanna do this, Cyn?] Brance said as he stepped closer to Gabby and Benny, tapping their shoulders as a signal to wait for Cynrik¡¯s attack to begin.

    [Ten opponents, all with Perfect Foundation titles. The strongest is the idiot who spoke up first. But even he is only sitting at the level cap. They are all subpar by our standards, so it won¡¯t be much of a fight. Keep on your toes, though; the one at 9-o¡¯clock has Poison Affinity, and the two at 3 and 6 have two Affinities. 3-o¡¯clock has AG nt and SG Acid, leaving 6-o¡¯clock with Earth and AG Metal.] Dropping into his fighting stance, Cynrik rattled off the stats and Affinities of the biggest threats, ignoring the lesser beings.

    [I assume you want 3-o¡¯clock?] Brance, too, dropped into a southpaw MMA fighting stance while ncing and observing the opponents.

    [Un, leave that guy to me.] Deciding on his target, Cynrik dropped his right hand near his hip and made some hand signs to fill in the Sanford siblings on their targets.

    Unlike Cynrik and Brance, Gabby and Benny weren¡¯t paying attention to the group of boys closing off any chance of retreat and only looked at Cynrik¡¯s legs as they had been trained to leave the thinking to Cynrik. They only needed to react to his orders, and everything would turn out ok, so when they saw the hand signs, the two immediately dropped into their orthodox fighting stances and readied themselves for battle.

    Noticing themotion happening at the entrance of Zone A-3, all the surrounding children in the area turned and cheerfully watched on. It was a spectacle, and they were happy it wasn¡¯t them being singled out.

    Time seemed to slow down as the spectators andbatants all went still, symbolizing the calm before the storm.

    ¡°Hehe, Lemmie, ask you guys something.¡± Feeling hundreds of gazes lock onto his body, Cynrik chuckled before starting up one of his infamous monologues.

    ¡°What? Does he want to say hisst words?¡± 3-o¡¯clock turned to look at the leader in confusion, the sentence dribbling out of his lips in a mumble.

    ¡°After I sent them home, did each of your moms recover properly? When I was done with them, all those MILFs left walking with a limp and holding their backs. Who knows? Some of you may even have a new brother or sister soon.¡± The moment those words left Cynrik¡¯s lips, it seemed to cause a chain reaction, provoking all tenckeys to rush forward in rage while screaming profanities at the young boy with violet-highlighted ck hair.

    Unfortunately for them, this was precisely what Cynrik wanted.

    ¡°Teehe, Haha!¡± Uttering his chillingugh passed down by Ragnar as the signal, all four members of MyrkLys went into motion.

    Brance mmed both feet onto the ground and manifested two earth pirs, sending Gabby and Benny into the air before rushing forward at the kid charging in his direction from the 6-o¡¯clock position.

    Once airborne, Gabby and Benny flipped through the air and began unleashing their Affinities Skills in every direction, not worrying about the spectators or the Jetlensr brothers. It wasn¡¯t that they were reckless with their attacks, but instead, the two had total faith that neither Cynrik nor Brance would be hit simply because the two brothers always acted as if they had eyes in the back of their heads.

    Kicking off the ground and coating both his arms in ck mes, Cynrik appeared in front of the boy running at him from the 3-o¡¯clock position and, using open palms, forcefully cupped the boy¡¯s ears shattering his eardrums and causing him to faint instantly. The sudden attack not only robbed him of his consciousness but left him concussed and temporarily deaf, with scorch marks on either side of his head.

    The quick victory went unacknowledged by Cynrik as he delivered a full power spinning back kick to the unconscious boy¡¯s stomach, turning him into a projectile that impacted the boy charging in from the 1-o¡¯clock position.

    [Two down, clocks ticking; get to work, Brancie.] Snarkily speaking in the mind link, Cynrik took off after the group leader, who was already shaking in fear after seeing how ruthless Cynrik was and how organized the party appeared to be.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 167

    [Two down, clocks ticking; get to work, Brancie.] Snarkily speaking in the mind link, Cynrik took off after the group leader, who was already shaking in fear after seeing how ruthless Cynrik was and how organized the party appeared to be.

    The leader boy¡¯s father¡¯s words echoed in his head, ¡°All you have to do is beat down four kids wearing different color hoodies and stop them from advancing to their proper zone. It shouldn¡¯t be too difficult a chore if you bring along at least five or six other applicants.¡±

    As he watched the shorter boy in a ck hoodie charging his direction after quickly dealing with one of the stronger boys he had recruited, the leader named Warren cursed under his breath and ran forward to meet the boy.

    Meanwhile, unlike Cynrik, who had a tendency to lean more heavy-handed with his attacks, Brance was focused on using only non-lethal strikes. However, this didn¡¯t necessarily mean he was above disabling his opponents. With the thought in the back of his mind that technology had advanced far enough to heal any non-life-threatening injury at a low cost, each of Brance¡¯s attacks had the singr goal of targeting any joints or soft tissue spots that would render them unable to continue fighting.

    In less time than it took to inhale a breath of air, Brance arrived at the dual Affinity boy racing forward from the 6-o¡¯clock position. This sandy-blond-haired boy seemed to have morebat experience than his peers. It was evident since he was channeling several small metal-reinforced rocks using what Brance assumed to be the evolved form of [Stone Bullet] and directing them at his vital areas. This caused Brance to manifest as many [Air Missle]¡¯s to nudge them off course.

    With the projectiles bumped off-target, Brance weaved through them and swiftly arrived in front of the boy, stepping forward and kicking out the boy¡¯s left leg while catching his shoulder and executing a perfect hip-toss. The judo throw technique stunned the boy as Brance spiked him face-first into the ground with a loud thud before releasing his grip and jumping back. Then, with a quick nce to ensure the boy was out cold, Brance moved on to work on the targets Benny and Gabby were holding at bay.

    Since the Sanford siblings were still wet behind the ears in hand-to-handbat, their only recourse was to use an abundant amount of Affinity skills to stall their opponents as they weren¡¯t sure to what extent it would take to kill them identally. With Gabby rapid-firing a mixture of [Confusion] and [Floating Disk] like a machine gun, she was able to segregate three kids, while Benny was mixing up a routine of [Wave] and [Water Whip] to corral two others, the Poison Affinity user included.

    When Brance made his way over, heunched himself over one of the walls of water created by Benny and started dealing with the two frantic children who were already at wit¡¯s end. Dropping to one knee, he swept the leg of the Poison user while bringing up a pir of Earth directly into the boy¡¯s spine resulting in a satisfying crunching sound paralyzing him from the waist down.

    The sound of bones breaking and the pain the Poison user felt caused him to lose consciousness before his head even smacked the ground, allowing Brance to move seamlessly onto the next target.

    Taking notice of Brance¡¯s arrival, Benny caught himself on one of his [Wave]¡¯s and surfed to his sister¡¯s side.

    Brance didn¡¯t miss this fact or let it distract him as he leaped forward and caught thest boy Benny was dealing with in a rear-naked choke, sliding his right arm under the boy¡¯s chin and wrapping his legs around the boy¡¯s waist from behind, Brance started squeezing while counting down from 10. By the time he got to three, the boy had copsed, blue in the face and out cold.

    [That¡¯s three, Cyn, to your two. So who was it that needed to keep up?] Not missing the opportunity to toss his older brother¡¯s words back in his face, Brance released the boy and made his way over to the Sanford siblings.

    [BAH, it would be three-three if this little fucker wasn¡¯t such a coward. I don¡¯t wanna show off all my cards since there are at least a hundred high Tier people watching, but this little bastard is like a fucking loach. Every time I get close, he somehow slips away.] Cynrikined as he again lost his grip on the slippery Warren.

    [No joke, it¡¯s like this guy is made of¡­hold up¡­I¡¯m stupid.] Realizing the cause of his inability to catch the kid, Cynrik wanted to m his head on a wall.

    [He¡¯s a fucking water user Cyn, he is using some kind of escape skill, you moron.] Brance shook his head as he once again enteredbat with support from Gabby and Benny.

    [Yeah, duh, why do you think I said im stupid? Sigh, this is what I get for ying with my food.] Cynrik admonished himself and decided to turn up the heat. Truth be told, from the time he took out the first two kids, he hadpletely lost interest in these weak fodder-like opponents and began messing around instead of taking the fight seriously.

    Still chasing the slippery Warren, Cynrik channeled Fire Mana into his legs and propelled himself forward as if he had jet engines attached to his feet. Unfortunately, the sudden increase in speed caused Warren¡¯s face to pale as he once again tried using his escape skill passed down through his gics. Unfortunately, when his body phased into liquid this time, he was ovee by intense searing pain as Cynrik superheated the liquid by nting both feet into the boy¡¯s chest.

    Emitting a blood-curdling scream, Warren¡¯s concentration broke, and he turned solid; when that happened, Cynrik pulled back his legs just enough to give the boy a good roasting.

    Feeling he had done enough damage, Cynriknded on one knee, admired the ck smoke rising off the boy¡¯s burnt clothing, and let out a sharp whistle.

    ¡°Did anyone order extra crispy? No¡­alright, cool, I¡¯ll be on my way then.¡± As Cynrik spoke his cheesy line, he couldn¡¯t help but notice a small drone flying overhead, and he smiled widely before waving his hand at it.

    ¡°HI MOM, DID YOU SEE THAT. HEHE!¡± Acting a bit childish for the camera he knew was live-streaming the fight, Cynrik took a bow before rushing to help his party finish off the three remaining kids.

    But when he reached the spot they were all fighting, Cynrik did a quick headcount and noticed something was off.

    ¡®I took out three, Brance took out three, and there are three in that little water arena Benny made¡­where¡¯s thest kid.¡¯ Activating [Mana Sight], it didn¡¯t take long for Cynrik to spot the 10th and final kid, who was doubled over on the ground, rocking back and forth in the fetal position with a noticeable yellow puddle under his body.

    [Eh? Brancie, did you do something to thatst kid?] Directing Brance¡¯s attention away from the boy his younger brother was punching over and over in the nose, Brance shot a nce behind him and saw what Cynrik was talking about.

    [Ah, yeah, Gabby hit him with an overly juiced [Confusion], leaving him like that. Poor kid is probably about to shit himself in fear. Oh well, it¡¯ll wear off in a few minutes; just leave him be for now¡­] Just as he got the words out, Brance watched as Cynrik skipped over and ser kicked the kid in the head, albeit it was not too hard or there would be a bloody mess, but enough to knock him out.

    [I got it, no biggy.]

    [Heh, what the fuck, Cyn? He was already down and out; that waspletely unnecessary.] Chewing his lip, Brance wanted to say more, but he soon realized the kid he was punching was already out cold too.

    [Hehe, you¡¯reining about me while you are over there givin that kid brain damage. Tsk tsk, Brancie, don¡¯t you know why Refs step in and stop a fight when the fighter took too many shots to the noggin.] Taking advantage of the rarepse in his little brother¡¯s judgment, Cynrik dug in with his insults.

    In the Pinhurst Mansion, Cinyah was on her feet waving a homemade g with Cynrik and Brance¡¯s baby pictures on it.

    ¡°KICK HIS ASS SON, HAHAHA!¡± She shouted manically while watching Cynrik ser kick his downed opponent.

    The others¡¯ reactions were pr opposite; Jessup, The Sanford couple, Rikard, Maeve, and even Aiden all facepalmed when Cynrik kicked the kid before waving at the camera.

    ¡°Your son is a little heavy-handed out there, Rikard.¡± Shaking his head, Jessup patted the younger man on the shoulder and stared at Cinyah, who was franticly waving her banner and jumping up and down as if she was watching her favorite sports teampete.

    ¡°I mean, he clearly takes after his mother. Did you see that savage ear cup? There is no doubt Cinyah taught him that trick. I can¡¯t tell you how often I¡¯ve had to stand by and watch her do it to people courting her when we were younger.¡± Maeve said, her eyes never leaving the screen which had panned over to Brance and the Sanford siblings abusing the remaining children.

    Unlike the Pinhurst and Jetlensr families, the Sanford Couple were on the edge of their seats as they watched how wlessly their children worked together with the Jetlensr brothers. Of course, they had always known that their two adorable children were going through an extended boot camp of sorts instead of ying like regr kids, but seeing the fruits of theirbor, the Sanfords couldn¡¯t be more proud.

    When the battle finished, the parents watched their kids huddle up, and all strike a pose for the camera, making them all chuckle; it was clearly Cynrik¡¯s idea, but none were displeased. The Academy Selections were, after all, one of the most significant non-professional sporting events held in their country. So seeing their beloved children seed with flying colors made them feel proud.

    COUGH

    ¡°The kids better hurry up, they still have to cross through Zone A-2 and three before reaching their finish line, and they only have around 8 minutes to do so.¡± Then, Jessup spoke up, clearing his throat and bringing everyone out of their stupor.

    As if on queue to his statement, the members of MyrkLys made a mad dash towards Zone A-1, making Aiden¡¯s eyes glow in awe. He turned and looked his grandfather up and down.

    ¡°Grandpa, are you Psychic? How did you do that?¡± Aiden¡¯s innocent question forced the older man to puff out his chest proudly.

    ¡°It¡¯s a super-secret technique of mine. Maybe when you¡¯re older, I shall pass it down to you.¡±

    At his words, the faces of Maeve and Cinyah contorted in disgust with a simr thought passing through the two best friends¡¯ minds. ¡®Skeevy old cheat.¡¯

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 168

    Moving forward unhindered by the stares and res aimed at their backs, the members of MyrkLys ran at full speed through Zone A-3, making their way to the threshold of A-2. As they ran, Brance nced over his shoulder just in time to see several adults in dark suits arrive at the side of each unconscious boy they had just defeated before healing them with potions and Affinity skills. Seeing this calmed his heart slightly, as even though it was necessary to beat them to such an extent, he was ufortable with the idea of doing it on live Tv.

    Meanwhile, Cynrik once again stopped before stepping into the increased gravitational pressure. Moving from 2g to 3g may not have affected him and Brance much. Still, he had a sneaky suspicion that the Sanfords pace would slow considerably the closer they got to 4g, as they weren¡¯t as ustomed to being subjected to intense gravity.

    [Be ready to toss a heal on the kids; we can¡¯t slow down. The timer shows seven minutes left, not to mention that I am already sensing a handful of pissed-off looks aimed at us, so we can assume there will be some fucktards who wanna stop us here in A-2 and even A-1.] Cynrik¡¯s eyes narrowed as he observed the substantially smaller groupings of people ahead in A-2.

    [How many.] Stepping up beside his brother, Brance activated [Mana Sight] and spotted the rising Mana fluctuations from a cluster of teenagers near the edge of the threshold between A-2 and A-1.

    [Just those five in A-2, but I¡¯m getting a bad feeling about the pressure im sensing further ahead.] With that said, Cynrik kicked off the ground and sprinted into the perimeter of A-2 with Gabby, Benny, and Brance hot on his heels.

    [Tobs, y the Unicorn theme.] Smirking and rising to the challenge, Cynrik¡¯s old habit of wanting background music came back with a vengeance.

    -Now ying ¡°Unicorn¡±- From the Gundam Unicorn OST by Hiroyuki Sawano.-

    Closing his eyes and allowing the influential sound of the song¡¯s horn line to wash over him, Cynrik elerated his footsteps in time with the music, causing his party to struggle a bit to keep up. Then, short on time, he decided to show off a little bit to the audience. Although there were only around 50 children within A-2, a considerable drop-off in attendancepared to Zone B, Cynrik ignored all of them and locked onto the four teenage boys and one girl, standing with their arms crossed, waiting for his approach.

    With a sadistic glint in his eye, and flecks of red, ck, and green light swirling around his iris, Cynrik stomped the ground, correcting his trajectory, and fired off ten shadow tendrils at the group of five trouble makers.

    ¡°[Shadow Sewing].¡± No sooner did the words leave his mouth did a chorus of piercing screams from ahead of the group ring out, shifting the attention of everyone in the Zone to the poor image of five teenagers impaled a foot off the ground by the Dark Mana tendrils. Witnesses saw it as if hell had opened its gates to eat its enemies, making those with weak hearts tremble in fear.

    Cynrik didn¡¯t care what anyone thought and drove forward, propelled by his [Continual me]. He darted around from body to body in one fluid motion, delivering ckFire head kicks to all five. Swiftly defeating them, Cynrik showed no mercy, not even towards the teenage girl, before continuing as if nothing ever happened and dispursing his skills.

    [Tsk, was there really a need to be so ruthless, Cyn. It¡¯s pretty clear that they were put up to this by someone in power.] Brance couldn¡¯t help but split off from the group and catch the cute teenage girl, who was in a sorry state and casting his [Minor Heal] on her to ease her pain before cing her on the ground and catching up with the rest of the group.

    [There is no time to be friendly, Brancie. Between idle banter and drawn-out fights, we won¡¯t reach our goal in time. So shut that idiotic idealism of yours off. There is no good or evil right now, only potential benefits. However, if we allow them to hold us back, it will affect us in the long run, so I suggest you steel your heart until we get in front of those recruiters, especially if my guess about those three in A-1 is correct.] Cynrik didn¡¯t look back to see his little brother¡¯s reaction, but he could easily assume what kind of expression Brance was wearing.

    The biggest obstacle Cynrik felt he would be facing was his own brother¡¯s attitude. The kind and soft-hearted Brance would never be able to do what needed to be done, which was to turn off all emotion and be a ruthless killer when necessary. There would always be a little voice in his head saying, ¡°This isn¡¯t right; where is the justification in this?¡±.

    But this was no fault of his own. In fact, if there was anyone to me, it was those asshole Deities who ced their Divinity Fragments. The problem was that Cynrik still had no idea how he triggered his battle with Ragnar, and without a surefire way to allow Brance to break free from the grasp of the Divine Curse, he could only grit his teeth and bear with Brance¡¯s ¡°Goodie two-shoes¡± personality.

    ¡®I just hope my perception of those three ahead is wrong.¡¯ Cynrik thought as he peered into the distance, where the marker saying Zone A-1 hung in the air.

    ¡®If not, then this whole event will be a wash.¡¯ Since the distance was still too far, all Cynrik could do was make assumptions about what he saw in the ambient Mana particles, and what he was seeing was three beings equally as strong as himself and Brance. As much as he hoped these three beings were simply geniuses of their generation, Cynrik couldn¡¯t help but have a nagging feeling that these three were Legacy Charges. How else would they be radiating such powerful Mana waves naturally? In fact, if Cynrik hadn¡¯t taken such painstaking efforts when they were younger, both he and Brance would be in the same natural state, leaking vast amounts of Mana particles from their Codexes. This was a side effect of rapid growth mixed with a body that couldn¡¯t handle the enormous power output.

    If their bodies were like an empty cup, it was no different from putting that cup under the faucet inside a sink and allowing the water to fill it until it spilled over. Then, instead of turning off the tap, you let it continuously pour until the sink is full.

    If it weren¡¯t for Cynrik having ess to [Mana Sight] and [Mana Maniption], he wouldn¡¯t have even noticed this happening to himself and Brance when they were younger. Thankfully, he had, and when they first went into the HBTC, Cynrik and Brance took the time to learn how to contain their surging Mana flow, reigning it in enough to stop anyrge leakage unless they wished. The downside to this was that if they didn¡¯t allow it to explode, Cynrik and Brance felt they could only use about 25-30% of their full power. Even so, the limited amount was plenty to deal with most of the challenges they wereing up against.

    It only took the party around two minutes to arrive at the area between Zone A-2 and A-1. Unfortunately for the Sanford siblings, unlikest time, Cynrik rushed through the 4g without a second thought and merely nced at Benny and Gabby, who were already sweating.

    With a gravity resistance of 3.5g and a pressure of around 3.9g weighing on their bodies, they could only power through and follow Cynrik. Luckily for them, Brance was right behind them, tossing out healing balls of light every time he saw their Stamina drop below 75%.

    Upon stepping foot in Zone A-1, Cynrik did a quick headcount and only saw 15 people. Three of which were the suspected LCs.

    [Steer clear of those three; I can¡¯t get aplete readout from my [Inspect].] Although unnecessary, Cynrik pointed out three individuals standing randomly and separately around the 50-meter squared Zone to Brance, who had already picked up on them. Ironically enough, unlike every other Zone, no one seemed to be huddled together. All of the applicants were hiding their Watcets, which was a far cry from lower Zones, where you would find hundreds of applicants showing off their colored wrists with pride.

    Slowing to a stop, Cynrik turned to face Gabby and Benny and handed them a small healing potion, which they instantly chugged down, thankfully. His eyes never stopped moving as he did this, bouncing around to each applicant. His quick inspection revealed that everyone in this Zone was already at Tier-1 and a step away from Tier-2; fortunately, aside from the three potential LCs, his [Inspect] skill uncovered everyone else¡¯s stats, allowing him to get an urate grasp on the situation.

    Beside him, Brance was patting Gabby¡¯s head while muttering small words of praise, but his attention was elsewhere.

    [For the most part, everyone here has at least one stat at the cap of 300. But from what I see, there aren¡¯t many with more than two. Furthermore, those who have capped a stat rely heavily on Distribution instead of keeping it all even. This has led to an imbnce in their potential and limited them.] Cynrik critiqued.

    [Those three, though¡­they definitely aren¡¯t simple. Only two options are presenting themselves right now. First, they are all stronger than us, which is highly unlikely but still possible. Option two is they have something, be it an outside force or a unique item, stopping my skill from reading anything. I find this to be the most probable cause for all these fucking question marks I am getting.] Cynrik¡¯s eyes stopped on a young teenage girl as he spoke, causing his pupils to constrict, not from fear but from a sense of recognition.

    ¡®Why¡­why does she seem so familiar.¡¯

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 169

    POV ???

    There are very few things I can remember from before I entered that never-ending white void. Fragments of memories that seem to be made of misshapen puzzle pieces. Gunshots, the smell of explosives, horrendous screams. Still to this day, 16 yearster, I can still hear the cries of sorrow as the sky was painted in a terrible blinding sh of light.

    But those aren¡¯t the only memories I have. I can remember the faces of people I once knew. A kind woman who would take me to the park. A brave and seemingly unbeatable man who taught me how to beat up all the neighborhood boys when they tried bullying me for being a girl.

    These fragments of memories long passed seem like nothing more than a fleeting dream, all except one. A man who walked with a limp yet wasn¡¯t held back by it. This man fought harder than anyone, and if it weren¡¯t for his partner, someone who looked simr to this man with a limp, he probably wouldn¡¯t have stood out to me in the way he did at the time. I remember one fierce fight; the enemy opposition was closing in on our toon when the limping man and his partner burst into the enemy¡¯s stronghold, guns aze as if reenacting a scene from an action movie.

    The two of them, together, single-handedly rescued the remaining survivors and me before escorting us out of harm¡¯s way and back into allied territory. Everything after that is hazy, and as embarrassing as it is to admit, there were definitely some steamy moments between us. I can recall, though, that It was only happening in the heat of the moment, and there were no real feelings on either end, just a means to unwind afterbat. But then, one day, the two left our group and moved back to the front lines, where I never saw him again.

    Months went by, and eventually, we moved north, leaving Florida behind; sometimeter, we learned that the entire state had been bombed with nuclear weapons. Everything after that is in shambles and unrecognizable, with the next thing I remember being my body in ghost form, floating in an endless expanse of white light. I¡¯m not sure how long I was there, alone and disembodied. It could have been minutes, or it could have easily been hundreds of years. At some point, I stopped bothering trying to make sense of what was happening and entered a sort of autopilot mode, simply existing.

    That is until, at some point, I noticed something floating just out of reach¡ªa strange glowing purple orb of light. At first, I thought it was just another illusion or figment of my imagination, as it wasn¡¯t the first time something like this had happened. But the more I looked at it, the stronger the glow seemed to get.

    Sometimes I would wave at the orb, and it would dance along with my hand, which I found humorous at first. Other times I would get angry and take out my frustrations on it. Eventually, I grew bored of my littlepanion and settled on ignoring it. Of course, I didn¡¯t expect this little purple light to refuse to be ignored. When I would look away, the strange orb would dash into my eyesight again before bobbing up and down.

    When I closed my ghostly eyes, they would get right in my face and tickle my nose until I opened them back up. How I knew it was tickling me when I could feel nothing at all, I have no clue, but I stand by what happened.

    ¡°WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?¡± I would scream repeatedly, but all I got in reply was the light bobbing up and down.

    The y between me and this orb went on for what felt like an eternity until it started flickering off and on as if losing power one day. I watched as it zipped back and forth franticly before stopping just above my chest. Then, looking on with horror-filled eyes as this orb, which appeared harmless for such a long time, merged with my body, that was when everything happened.

    -Suitable Soul has been located.-

    -Warning, A cluster of Divine Fragments has been located within the transfer device.-

    -Now ying Audio/Visual message for the located soul.-

    My eyes darted across the floating green words in a light blue box resembling a video game disy in confusion. As I read through the text, I was suddenly distracted by a soft and gentle voice echoing inside my mind. The motherly voice brought me a sense of warmth that had been absent within this expansive cold wastnd.

    ^Hello, young one. I know this may be sudden, but I need your help. You may have already noticed that you have perished from the world you once lived in. Sadly, something went wrong upon your death, and your soul was removed from the Cycle of Reincarnation for reasons outside my control.^

    ¡°Wait, wait, stop for a minute, please. The cycle of Reincarnation? Does that mean there is no heaven or Hell? Then what are you, a Goddess?¡± Questions spewed in my head, and when I didn¡¯t receive an immediate response, I started to fear the voice couldn¡¯t hear me.

    ^In short, when a being with a soul dies, their soul is sent to be cleansed of all memories and emotions, giving it a clean te, before being reincarnated into one of the infinite realms or worlds in existence as a new being.^

    ^For your second question¡¯s answer, Yes, there are two realms known as Heaven and Hell, but no, they are not what you believe them to be. They are simply the manifestations of two specific Deities¡¯ Domains.^

    ^And the answer to your final question, some have called me a Goddess, and others have imed me to be a Deity. Over the Eons, I have gone by many names. However, I am simply a memory for those who once knew me long ago. Only with thest ounce of my own Divinity and Strength, I have searched out a champion, a Legacy Charge.^

    The moment this motherly voice spoke those words, I noticed that the void around me became unstable. Cracks and lightning shattered throughout the void, and the voice went silent for a time.

    Once the chaos stabilized, the motherly voice began speaking once again.

    ^ Before I can reincarnate you into a new world with the very few fragments of memories you still possess, I must receive one specific thing from you, an answer. If you choose to ept, I will only ask you to fulfill a single request.^

    Once the voice finished its statement, I was left in silence to gather my thoughts. I had already inferred from its previous statement that the longer I stayed here in this state; the more my mind and memories would deteriorate until nothing was left. Leaving me with no other option, I conceded.

    ¡°Alright, seeing as my only options are going along with what you ask or fading to nothing, I ept.¡± No sooner than the words entered my internal monologue did a new game window pop up in front of my eyes.

    -You have epted to be the Legacy Charge of ???-

    -Now installing a Sister System to one already in existence.-

    -Instation of The Over-Break System (Gamma ¦£) Complete.-

    -You have obtained the Legacy Tier Skill: Language Proficiency.-

    -Your soul has wholly merged with a cluster of Divinity Fragments from ???-

    -You have Received the Darkness Affinity-

    -Legacy Distribution Set to DEX, AGI, INT-

    -Reincarnation choice pre-selected-

    -Status Panel created-

    -Stat Panel Created-

    -Skill Panel Created-

    -Benefits allpleted awaiting ??? Blessing to begin-

    The flood of new text made my head spin as a surge of new data forced its way into my head. It was so much information that I could feel what was left of my mind shake and fragment further. Then, just when I felt as if I couldn¡¯t contain it any longer and was about to shatter, a warm, calming sensation washed over my mind, calming down the pain.

    ^Child, I thank you. You may not realize it just yet, but you are helping me with my dying wish. The times ahead of you will be challenging, but one day soon, you will find those who will stand by your side. Two brothers¡­^ The voice stopped mid-sentence and emitted a soft giggle.

    ^It appears you have already met them once before, but no matter. I will give you what little information I can, but I know I am severely restricted in what I can and cannot tell you.^

    For the next short while, the motherly voice began exining to me the contents of the Legacy Strife and how it was an epic battle between Deities, where they choose beings to fight in their ce. She told me that she had been in due to a massive betrayal by those she and her Husband believed to be allies. She asked me to find the Legacy Charge of her Husband and their closest friend, two brothers she stated I already knew, and some part of me felt as if I did too; even though I couldn¡¯t picture their faces, I concluded they were the two partners from my previous life.

    ^Now, child, it is time for you to go. Unfortunately, what I have said is all I can. What you do with that information is your own choice. But I can promise you, no matter what, you will always have allies in the world of Vinestra, only it will be up to you to find them. I have lifted any and all adverse effects my divinity may cause on your soul in the future, so to some extent, you will have a head start. Not only that, but since time works in strange ways, you will actually be arriving in Vinestra a few years before those two do. Use this time to gather up as many resources as possible. You are myst hope at aiding my Husband in finally seeing his dream through topletion.^

    As the motherly voice faded into nothingness, I felt a strong pull sucking me forward in no discernable direction.

    ¡°WAIT, YOU NEVER TOLD ME YOUR NAME!!!¡± Panic gripped my heart as I felt like I was being dragged down a roller coaster at speeds that would strip the paint off the car. Then, just as I felt my consciousness slipping, I heard a cheerfulugh.

    ^Silly child, the name most remember me by is¡­Freya, Wife of the Raven God Odin.^

    With that, everything went ck.

    Chapter 0169 ¨C Freya¡¯s Final Hope

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 170

    POV ???

    I never thought I would say this, but being born definitely tops the charts as the worst of all the experiences I¡¯ve gone through. Feeling my new mother¡¯s muscles contract to push my new body out was something I can honestly hope to never go through a second time.

    I wish I could say everything went well with my birth, but I was already fighting for my life from when I squiggled for the first time in my mother¡¯s womb. The reason being my umbilical cord was tightly wrapped around my neck, and no amount of struggle on my end seemed to be able to free me from its clutches. For weeks I worked at losing its grasp, and in the end, unfortunately, I ended up contorting my body in a strange position, robbing me of what little movement I had.

    It wasn¡¯t until I heard the steady beeping of medical machines did I realize how dire the situation had be. Then, finally, when the time came for my new mother to push, I could hear the doctors and some kind of animatronic voice issuing warnings and orders. Thanks to this new world, Vinestra¡¯s technological advancements, I coulde into my new life in one piece with minimal adverse effects left on my new mother and myself.

    But things weren¡¯t exactly all stickers and sunshine. When I opened my eyes and met my new mother¡¯s cold, far-off gaze, I knew I wasn¡¯t getting a happy and carefree childhood. The way she viewed me left me feeling as if I was being inspected from head to toe, and what she saw, she apparently wasn¡¯t pleased with.

    Instead of warm and loving coo¡¯s, the first words my mother uttered to me were, ¡°You fucking slut, why couldn¡¯t you have been a boy. How am I supposed to further my lineage with another whore.¡±

    Disappointed and bitter to my core, I did what my body allowed; I poured urine, shit, and, of course, vomit from every hole on my body, painting her hospital gown seven different shades of ick. Then, giving off my best childish baby giggle, clearly pleased by my own work, I tilted my head to the side and examined the hospital room.

    My eyes eventually rested on arge mirror across the room, and I saw my new face for the first time. Carnelian-colored eyes, brighter than any gem, reflected back at me. My hair, short as it was since I had only technically been developing for nine months, looked soft to the touch and was a deep shade of Almandine so dark that if the light weren¡¯t directly reflecting on it, you would assume it was jet ck instead of a dark red. Although very different from my previous blond and sapphire, dark red hair and bright orangish eyes, it was still an upgrade, especially when I noticed specks of dark light swirling around in my iris.

    Enamored by the wondrous effect, I was suddenly brought back to reality by a sharp pain in my ass.

    SMACK, SMACK, SMACK

    ¡°YOU LITTLE BITCH, NOT EVEN 10 MINUTES OLD, AND YOU ARE ALREADY MORE WORTHLESS THAN IF YOU WERE A STILLBORN.¡± My new mother screamed at the top of her lungs while smacking my butt repeatedly.

    -Reincarnation Complete-

    -Over-Break System (Gamma ¦£) full instationplete.-

    -Congrattions on your Reincarnation Host, Good Luck-

    Appearing in my head with a soft chime and a female monotone voice, several notification windows popped up in front of my eyes. However, they were quickly suppressed by a wave of damage warnings thanks to ¡°Mommy Dearest,¡± who seemed to like beating her newborn daughter.

    -You have taken 1 point of damage. Current HP 9/10.-

    -You have taken 1 point of damage. Current HP 8/10.-

    -You have taken 1 point of damage. Current HP 7/10.-

    -Warning: Since you currently have a newborn¡¯s body, if your Health Points (HP) fall any lower than five, you will suffer permanent damage.-

    ¡®Fucking hell, woman, give it a rest already; just cause you to hit me a couple of times doesn¡¯t mean the waterworks will start that easy.¡¯ Then, feeling a level of rebellion I hadn¡¯t experienced since I was a teenager, I defiantly turned my little head and red at Mommy Dearest with shining eyes filled with defiance.

    Seeing this, her hand froze in mid-air, and she stared back at me with her mouth hung open in confusion. We sat like that for several minutes in silence before she turned away and yelled for the doctors and nurses to leave the room and bring in a wet nurse.

    ¡®That¡¯s what I thought bitch. Six years of middle and high school rebellion taught me how to deal with a bitchy woman like yourself with ease.¡¯ Then, scoffing internally, since my vocal cords had yet to mature, I tried to make myselffortable in the small cradle Mommy Dearest deposited me into carelessly before leaving.

    ¡®Well¡­what now?¡¯ Unable to move correctly due to the constraints of being a newborn, Iy there in the crib nkly, staring into the ceiling in thought, mulling over everything Freya had told me not long ago.

    ¡®She said the System I was getting was modeled after RPG games on earth, fuck, I knew I should have hung out with more nerds back then. But, GAH, why did I only y those shitty dating sims back then.¡¯ Wanting to headbutt the rungs of my crib in distress, I could only fall back on what little knowledge I had from my school days ying a single MMO.

    Although I spent most of my free time in school ying the fantasy-style game about warring guilds, I could only me myself for my shameful closet nerdiness back then. I had grown up in an age where girls who yed too many video games would never be part of the ¡®IN¡¯ crowd, so I had to hide it. As such, I never got to y everything I wanted back then.

    And now that I was reborn into a fantasy world, where everyone had a game system, I felt at a loss. If it weren¡¯t for Freya giving me a brief summary of how my new System worked, I probably would have spent a lot longer trying to figure it all out.

    ¡®System Ai, open my Status Profile.¡¯ Remembering themands I had been taught during my short conversation with the Deity Freya, I spoke the words into my head. I was met by several windows shing into existence, alongside a soft chiming sound.

    : Status :

    : Selene Nilsson :

    : Human Female:

    : Age-0:

    : Soul Age-22:

    : Level: 0 :

    : Essence(XP): 0/100 :

    : Distribution: DEX, AGI, INT :

    ¡®Selene¡­Nilsson, I quite like my new name. I never wanted all the dumb bimbo names my old name Nicole brought along when I was younger. But Selene, it¡¯s fierce and fits perfectly.¡¯ So I thought, smiling from ear to ear, which im sure looked absolutely adorable had anyone been around to witness it.

    ¡®From the top, I am still human, CHECK, level 0¡­gross, whatevs I can raise that in due time, it seems experience points are called Essence, which is strange though since it still shows XP in parenthesis. Thest line shows me having a triple Distribution in Dexterity, Agility, and Intelligence. Freya already broke all that down for me, so up next would be to check my Status Panel.¡¯

    : STATS :

    : HP 7/10 :

    : Mana 5/5 :

    : Stamina 3/5 :

    : Stat Points- 8 :

    : Strength- 1 :

    : Dexterity- 1 :

    : Agility- 1 :

    : Intelligence- 1 :

    : Vitality- 1 :

    : Mind- 15 :

    :Affinity- Dark :

    ¡®Man, this sucks, like; I get everything is at its starting point, but seeing it all in one neat package hurts my heart. Let¡¯s go ahead and put two of those free Stat points into VIT and INT. I will have to use them sparingly until I learn how to earn more XP.¡¯

    After assigning the points, I was interrupted by the wetnurse Mommy Dearest had ordered toe into my hospital room, scooping me up and unbuttoning her blouse before bringing me to her breast to feed. Although surprised by suddenly being shifted around, I was soon enamored by the colossal bazoongas being pushed towards my mouth, followed by the kind gaze of the woman trying to frantically feed me as if it was her first time doing so.

    Suckling at the woman¡¯s nipple, I eventually became full and drifted off into slumber thanks to the pleasant humming of this woman who fed me as if I was her own. This woman, named Marie, would stay with me up until I turned three and no longer needed to be fed milk from the tap.

    Unfortunately, as I would soone to find out, in the eyes of Mommy Dearest, I was unfit to receive any love or kind sentiments.

    One day, as I was scampering around trying to go unnoticed by my evil parental unit, I heard screaming from upstairs in the 12-room mansion that had be my home. Concerned due to recognizing the voice as Marie¡¯s, I hurried off in the direction it came from as fast as my stubby little toddler legs would take me.

    After tripping and falling numerous times, I made my way to the source only to find Marie, the young woman who had be somewhat of a mother and nanny to me, ruthlessly assaulted by two teenage boys, my two older brothers, Selo and Sigurd. Standing behind them, my bitch of a Mother cruelly watched over with sick pleasure as her two beloved sons violently had their way with the woman I hade to love as a true parent.

    Filled with panic, rage, and sadness, something in me exploded in the form of pitch-ck shadows that spewed forth from my extended palms, mming into the two nude boys, injuring them, and sending them flying.

    That day, I learned just how cruel the woman who gave birth to me, Hespa Nilsson, indeed was.

    Chapter 0170 ¨C Selene the Third Over-Break Host 1/2

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 171

    POV Selene

    Everything went ck after flinging my shitty brother¡¯s across the room like the useless garbage they were. My memory waspletely erased after the shadows ripped from my hands. My next memory is waking up on the ground a few hourster, unable to move, caked in blood, and covered in bruises.

    Behind me was Marie¡¯s lifeless corpse, her eyes wide open and looking at me with glossy Cataracs covering the film of her once beautiful chestnut-colored iris. I can still remember the stench wafting off her body, informing me of roughly how long I had been unconscious. What followed was me, a three-year-old little girl struggling to my feet, looking around, and then breaking down in tears due to emotional and physical pain.

    The once expensive andvish room was left in tatters. Everything was in shambles, furniture, beds, couches, and dressers. A massive fight urred in this room, and I had no answers about the oue. From what I could tell, only me and the lifeless Marie were. A quick nce around left me unable to locate Mommy Dearest or my brothers.

    For the rest of the night, I was left alone, trying toe to terms with the fact that the woman, who had spent thest three years being the only person to show me even the slightest bit of humanity, was dead.

    Holding the corpse¡¯s hand, covered in tears, I tried my best to reign in my emotions. It wasn¡¯t the first time I had experienced loss. During the War on Earth, I witnessed so many of my friends die and even killed my fair share of humans, yet Marie¡¯s death rocked me to my core.

    It wasn¡¯t fair; her only crime was showing me affection. So why did that Bitch have to do this to someone so sweet and loving?

    Mommy Dearest had always been cold to me, but to allow my brothers to have their way while she watched and then eventually killed her, I couldn¡¯t fathom what kind of evil was nestled within the depts of the heart of the woman who birthed me.

    If I had to put my finger on the first big character-defining moment I experienced on Vinestra, It would be the death of Marie. From then on, I knew I had to get stronger; I had to be colder; I needed to get revenge on that scumsucker of a woman Hespa Nilsson.

    I have no clue how long I stayed like that, holding Marie, it could have been only a few minutes, or it could have been 2-3 days, and honestly, if the house servants hadn¡¯te to clean up the mess, I probably wouldn¡¯t have moved from that spot. But, the group of servants¡¯ gasps of horror drew me from my sorrow long enough to re-establish a connection with my brain.

    Steeling my resolve and wiping the tears from my small face, I stood up and met the eyes of the four olddies and two younger men.

    ¡°I expect you to treat her with respect and wish for you to help me bury her body by the big tree outside.¡± Then, looking behind me at Marie, I continued further.

    ¡°The one near the edge of theke outside was her favorite spot to read while letting me y in the water; it is a fitting resting ce.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t be bothered to acknowledge the reactions these maids and butlers had to my mature words. Yet, I was fully aware of what must be going through their minds, seeing a toddler covered in injuries and speaking like an adult about dealing with a corpse. I was already scanning through a novel¡¯s worth of notifications and trying to piece together what happened during thepse of memory I was experiencing.

    The first thing I saw was how dangerously low my HP had fallen. Sitting at less than 25% in both Health Points and Stamina, I could only bite the inside of my cheek and pray I would recover quickly. A quick check-up on myself revealed none of my bones were broken, but I found it hard to move several of my fingers and my left ankle; it felt as if I may have fractured the bone.

    But what really drew a bout of confusion from me was one specific notification.

    -Awakeningplete-

    -Inventory installed current space: 1¡Á1 meter-

    -You have learned the Tier-0 passive skill, Outrage.-

    -Tier-0 Passive Skill: Outrage.-

    -When you are forced to the absolute end of your emotional limits, you will enter a berserker-like state for a short time. In this state, Your muscles will swell with power giving you strength beyond what your body usually can withstand. All stats will increase by 125%, Mana Consumption will decrease by 75%, and Stamina Consumption will decrease by 50%. Damage taken will be reduced to 25% of the actual amount. The rate of regeneration will double.-

    -The more damage you take and the longer you stay in this state, the more significant the increases in your Stats and power will be, along with an increase in the side effects.-

    -Side Effects: Loss of Rationality and Memory, damage to the body, the possibility of crippling your Codex, and Mana Circuits Possibility of Death. Possibility of reducing life span.

    As I read through this insane passive skill, my eyes widened slightly, but certain things started clicking into ce. Seeing Marie being yed with like a human toy had cracked my mind, and in that instant, I had triggered this new passive skill, gaining an unfathomable power. The only question left wasn¡¯t really one I didn¡¯t have the answer to. Thanks to me attacking Mommy Dearest, the room was clearly in such a state.

    After the servants took away Marie to beid to rest, I found myself at a loss for what to do next, so I did the only thing I could think of. I took a bath. Feeling sick to my stomach thanks to the gore and stench clinging to my body, I wanted nothing more at that moment than to get clean.

    For the next few weeks, my life was actually pretty peaceful for once. The noticeable absence of the Bitch who birthed me and her two gremlins gave me the reprieve from daily abuse and torture I needed to grieve the loss of Marie. During my explorations of the mansion, I noticed that I was utterly alone other than the regr assortment of Maids and Butlers.

    Unhindered and unrestrained, I was free to wander the halls of the massive house I had been living in for three years, and after several days I found myself in what could only be described as arge Gym. I found all sorts of muscle training equipment and strange futuristic devices that would help further the growth of someone¡¯s stats.

    Life went on for nearly three more years without seeing Hespa or the gremlins, and in that time, I trained. Much like what I learned in the conscripted military, I would work my body till I dropped, Lifting weights, running, doing sit-ups, punching bags, you name it, and I did it. I was a young child keeping a schedule that would make professional fighters cringe in pain. Wake up, work out, spar with the training dummies, run, swim, and spar again. All the while, I waspleting any quests I received from my System, whom I had named Ste, after the golden retriever I had on Earth. Even her voice reminded me of the silly voice I would use when talking to that lovable golden oaf.

    Unfortunately, my days of peaceful training came to a close on the day Ste informed me it was my 8th birthday. That was the day Hespa and the gremlins returned. As it turns out, I really fucked up my brothers that day, so much so that they were in the hospital for months, even with the level of technology on this. However, what surprised me was the sudden and concerning change in Mommy Dearest¡¯s attitude towards me.

    She was still cold and arrogant, but now there was a hint of something else in her eyes when she looked at me. Don¡¯t get me wrong, she still CLEARLY hated my guts, but now, she has be a little more tolerant of my presence after that incident.

    I, however, hated her fucking guts. So I refused to do anything other than grunt replies in a very ¡°udy¡± way.

    What came next was a literal hell for me. Hespa, that fucking she-demon, that bitch, that whore, dragged me through the worst seven years of torture I could ever fathom. Combat training, survival training, assassination school, mage school, ACTUAL SCHOOL, well, homeschooling, I went through so much shit inhumane shit that I still can¡¯t believe I came out in one piece.

    Yet there was a light at the end of the tunnel; after all that hardship, pain, and suffering, I finally got the chance to leave home¡ªthe Academy Exams.

    I had watched the recordings of all the past events from thest ten years, so I couldn¡¯t help but be excited at the prospect of testing myself against other people, but more than that, I WAS FINALLY GONNA BE FREE.

    Needless to say, I aced the Exams from start to finish and even secured myself an S-Rank applicant status. Of course, Hespa was ecstatic when she found out, even though you would never have been able to tell by her icy exterior, and when I didn¡¯t show any outward emotion, I received a crisp smack across the face, sending me flying. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, that slut is chilling at Tier-5, sooo yeah, it hurt like a mother fucker. Still, I am no pushover, as I now have three of my eight stats capped at 300 and am at Prestige 15. Once I reach 25, everything will hit the cap, and I will stand at the peak of Tier-1.

    Standing in Zone A-1, lost in thought about how close I was to meeting one of my personal goals, I suddenly felt a familiar presence. Focusing my blurry eyes since I had been in a disassociative state while in thought, I turned my head to the left and tucked a lock of hair behind my right ear.

    Standing not far from me, frozen like a deer in headlights, was a boy in a ck hoodie and jeans with a red t-shirt peaking through the zipper, followed by two more boys and a young girl with little rabbit ears stitched into her hoodie.

    The boy broke away from his group and walked straight up to me, stopping two feet away. Although we were about the same height, his athletic build put to shame most pros and nearly every applicant around.

    That wasn¡¯t surprising, though, as most teenagers would be built like brick shit houses if they trained up their STR and VIT. But, what happened next would change my entire life. My eyes widened in shock as I saw the outline of a pendant under his shirt, and I locked up, unsure of what to do at first.

    Using both hands, the boy slowly drew down his hood, exposing his violet highlighted ck hair tied in a neat ponytail with an undercut and his face. Under that hood was the most dazzling smile I had ever seen. His piercing and cold bluish-purple eyes reflected surprise and excitement as he extended his left hand outward to shake.

    ¡°The name is Ivar Ragnarsson, but everyone calls me¡­.¡±

    Before he could finish his statement, as if ovee by some strange and sudden urge, I grabbed the boy in a tight hug while fighting back the stinging sensation of tears threatening to spill over.

    ¡°I finally found you¡­.¡±

    Chapter 0171 ¨C Selene the Third Over-Break Host 2/2

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 172

    Return to 3rd Person

    ¡°I finally found you¡­.¡±

    Wrapping her thin arms around Cynrik¡¯s body, the girl buried her face into his chest, causing him to stiffen as if lightning had just struck him. Behind the two, Brance and Benny were stunned silent, while Gabby covered her mouth with a seemingly knowing smile and giggled with a soft ¡°Fufu fu.¡±

    Looking down in confusion at the teenage girl, whose body was trembling, Cynrik felt his brain short circuit for a moment, her words echoing in his head on repeat as he tried toe up with answers.

    Cinyah screamed happily in the Pinhurst Mansion when she saw a girl making a move on her oldest son, who, up until now, had shown no signs of making friends outside of the group he spent all his time with.

    Maeve, however, had a different reaction. Her mind had been in turmoil since Cynrik took advantage of her. But now that a young girl had finally appeared, she breathed a little easier, as It would appear this child could be a potential distraction that she could use to tease him with.

    With arms stretched to the side awkwardly, Cynrik mechanically moved and returned her hug, leaning close to her ear so he could whisper to her without anyone else hearing.

    ¡°Listen, It¡¯s clear there is something big happening right now, and it is by far simple, but there are too many eyes on us; as much as I want to know everything, we simply do not have the privilege of talking about it.¡± Patting her back as he spoke softly, Cynrik continued further.

    ¡°I know that you are pretty close to the strength of my younger brother and me, so if shit hits the fan, I need to know¡­are you with¡­or against us.¡± Even with his mind freaking the fuck out at the sense of familiarity he was feeling from the hug and this cute girl clinging to his body, Cynrik didn¡¯t allow himself to get overwhelmed by it.

    Usually, he would have never even allowed someone to approach him the way she had, let alone grab him into a tight hug, but with caution thrown to the wind at this point, Cynrik only needed a single answer from her to ease his heart.

    Hearing his soft voice in her ear and feeling the warmth of his breath tickle the side of her face, Selene tensed up like a cat for an instant before forcing herself to rx. The truth in his words dragged her down from the high she was experiencing, having finally met the person who was the key point of her promise to Freya.

    Tilting her tender and pale face up to make eye contact with Cynrik, she didn¡¯t need to say the words of confirmation; looking in Selene¡¯s eyes was plenty for him, so he instantly sent her over a request to join MyrkLys.

    Without hesitation, she mentally epted the request and was flooded by new notifications.

    -Selene Nilsson Has joined MyrkLys.-

    Simultaneously, Benny, Brance, and now even Gabby went wide-eyed as they saw how easily Cynrik epted this new, older girl into the party, making them give her another good, hard look over.

    Standing just a little shorter than Cynrik¡¯s 5¡ä 3¡å, she was around five foot even. Her lithe, athletic body was covered with a maroon tracksuit that seemed incapable of hiding her maturing and curvaceous body and her modest C-cup chest. Her deep red hair fell neatly over one shoulder, tied in a simple ponytail. Each time she moved slightly, allowing the light to reflect off it, you could tell it was indeed red and not ck as it appeared to be. Her mesmerizing almond-shaped Carnelian orange eyes held a level of sorrow and pain, hidden under a cold gaze initially, but now they were filled with hope. Slender and delicate cheekbones didn¡¯t distract away from her thin nose and lips.

    There was only one-word Cynrik coulde up with when seeing her, gorgeous. In his eyes, she was a drop-dead bombshell that would smoke even the likes of the fully mature MILF of an auntie he knew was waiting back at the mansion. However, Cynrik had a feeling that this girl, Selene, was going to be a top-ss beauty when she fully matured.

    Tossing a curt nod towards Selene that wordlessly said let¡¯s go, the two walked over and met up with the rest of the party, and in a hushed tone, Cynrik introduced everyone to the newest member.

    Brance was the most confused by the whole situation. His brother was extremely out of character to easily make friends, let alone be so trusting out of nowhere. But, unlike Cynrik, he couldn¡¯t feel the odd connection tethering the two together by the Deities, nor the one paved by having the same Affinity.

    However, this all changed the instant he shook Selene¡¯s hand for the first time. When their palms met, Brance struggled to hide his astonishment when a single notification popped up in his eyes.

    -You havee in contact with The Third Over-Break Host.-

    Brance¡¯s eyes darted from Selene to Cynrik in rapid session, filled with confusion and concern.

    [What the hell, SHE HAS TOBS TOO!] Too stunned to react, Brance stood rooted in ce, gripping Selene¡¯s tender hand, making the antisocial girl ufortable to a point where she flicked her wrist, breaking the contact, and escaped to Cynrik¡¯s side.

    [Now you understand why I let her join us so quickly. This just HAD to happen now, when over a hundred fucking High Tier beings are watching our every move. The hug alone was bad enough, but It¡¯s killing me inside, not knowing the whole situation.] Seeing how ufortable Selene was, Cynrik chuckled to himself and lightly patted her shoulder before huddling everyone together.

    ¡°Listen up; this is Selene; she is one of us now, so you know what that means.¡± Looking around the huddle at everyone, Cynrik spoke, but he would soon regret thinking his party would be able to be mature for even a second, as they all misunderstood his words.

    ¡°Initiationnnnn.¡± Speaking in a hushed and mysterious tone, Gabby said with a straight face, only to receive a scolding flick to the forehead by Cynrik.

    ¡°Oie, no fair, Big Bro Ivar.¡± Covering the spot he had struck, Gabby crouched down with puffed cheeks and looked to Brance for help but found it futile as he was stifling augh at her expense.

    ¡°Dumb rabbit now isn¡¯t the time for games. We are in some deep shit here, got it. Do not look at them, but standing at 4-o¡¯clock and 9-o¡¯clock are two kids who are close to Brance and me in strength. Odds are they are at the minimum S-Rank applicants.¡±

    At his words, everyone except Selene sucked in a sharp breath. Still unfamiliar with the group, she could only steel herself and hope things would get less awkward over time. For thest 16 years, she has been subjected to insane amounts of torture, humiliation, and social istion. To say she was antisocial was an understatement.

    Yet now, out of the blue, she found herself weed into a party of two others, alongside the two brothers she once fought with. ncing at Cynrik from the corner of her eye, she examined everything about him. From his visual appearance to the cadence of his voice, which hold a high level of arrogance, confidence, and authority over the party, signifying his leadership.

    In her mind¡¯s eye, the image of the man with a limp and this boy who seemed younger physically than her ovepped, and she could feel her chest tighten. In contrast, the younger brother seemed to be acting as a counterbnce, who kept the older in ce. Every time Cynrik¡¯s tone would shift to one more emotionless, Brance would step in and verbally set him on course; this made Selene unconsciously emotional. How nice would it have been if she had a support system like Brance? Unfortunately, she ended up with two trash gremlins as brothers and a bitch as a mother.

    Finished with his quick briefing, which Selene only half paid attention to since she noticed it was mainly to keep the other two kids informed, Cynrik stood up while pulling his hood back over his head and calmly surveying the surroundings of Zone A-1. Still, he kept getting distracted by the faint and pleasant perfume drifting into his nostrils from his right, where Selene was standing with her arms crossed.

    [Penny, for your thoughts Big Brother.] Speaking with wordsced with sarcasm and ridicule, Brance caught Cynrik peeking at Selene again and stepped in.

    [Initial assessment.] Keeping his words short, Cynrik snapped his eyes away and angrily red at Brance.

    [You want my genuine opinion or the one you wanna hear?] Brance rolled his eyes and gave another quick nce at Selene before stepping over by Gabby and making sure she didn¡¯t runoff.

    [Stop being stupid and answer.] Not in the mood to banter with his younger brother, Cynrik snapped.

    [Hiss, seriously, you are as temperamental as a fucking cat sometimes, Cyn. Fuck, fine. She would be you if you were a hot chick. Simple as that.] Wearing a pout and thoroughly done with this conversation, Brance crossed his arms and went back to trying to peek at everyone¡¯s Watcets.

    His brother¡¯s description caused Cynrik¡¯s face to go expressionless, and he actually looked at Selene. The way she stood was eerily simr to his own stance. She was constantly on high alert, observing everything around, parallel to how he acted¡ªthe level of hypersensitivity to any surrounding changes.

    ¡®Mother fucker¡­he¡¯s right¡­is this a good thing or¡­whatever? I will think about itter.¡¯ With that thought, Cynrik checked the time remaining and saw it was only 10 seconds causing him to smirk. It was almost time for the show to begin.

    Tapping the toe of his shoe on the ground a couple of times, Cynrik cracked his neck loudly, earning a strange look from Selene and Brance, but a secondter, a low rumbling hum began vibrating through the ground.

    ¡°It¡¯s time. Everyone on your best behavior now; we cant have these recruiters thinking poorly of us.¡±

    FRUMMMMMMMMMMMMM

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 173

    FRUMMMMMMMMMMMMM

    As with the calm before the storm, the rumbling was followed by a tremor which steadily grew into the force of a magnitude 4.5 earthquake. This tremble brought the majority of the applicants to their knees, thanks to the unsteady shaking.

    Cynrik, Brance, Gabby, and Benny all crouched slightly, absorbing this shaking with their entire bodies instead of stayingpletely upright. The only member of MyrkLys who needed to be bnced was the new one, Selene, to who Cynrik lent his arm in a very uncharacteristically gentlemanly way that didn¡¯t escape the stunned eyes of the other members.

    Gabby even whispered to herself, ¡°who are you, and what have you done with Big Bro?¡± in confusion at the hell freezing image.

    Even though he heard thisment, Cynrik chose to ignore it as he had already activated [Mana Sight] and was watching in amazement as all the surrounding ambient Mana particles congregated into the four corners of each Zone.

    The myriad of rainbow colors flowed like a liquid, being sucked into four individual metallic pirs signifying each of the different directions. Cynrik made Brance focus on what he was viewing with a slight flick of his head.

    [Holy shit.] Was all the astonished Brance could mutter with his own ocr skill active.

    Even though everyone else may be oblivious, the two brothers witnessed something neither of them thought was possible. A mass capture of Mana particles on such a scale was so far beyond the realm of possibility that it had never even crossed Cynrik¡¯s mind when he thought about the massive barriers that would be formed to separate each Zone.

    The two watched as these particles merged into arge swirling storm of different elements before being channeled into fine points and fired in thin strips from one pir to another. Then, like a sma cannon, these strips of pure fused Mana collided from one pir to another before circumventing the entirety of Zone A-1.

    [See, this is EXACTLY why I wanted to be an Engineer, look at this shit, IT¡¯S LITERALLY A QUARTER STEP FROM BEING A LIGHTSABER! All you¡¯d have to do is¡­]

    [SHUT UP, not the time or ce, Cyn.] Knowing his older brother was about to delve into a long rant about the mechanics of making a lightsaber, Brance quickly shut him down and tried to reel in his focus.

    As reincarnated beings, Cynrik and Brance thought they would be able to shrug off just about any futuristic tech they woulde across in this new world. Instead, Cynrik and Brance were transfixed by the formation of the Mana barrier. So entranced that they failed to notice the appearance of six beings at the group¡¯s center.

    They weren¡¯t alone in missing the sudden arrival of the six High-Tier beings; the majority of the crowd were in the same situation as they were.

    One beam turned into two, then four, and after a few seconds, a full-on wall made of every kind of element you could imagine was erected entirely, cutting off each Zone from one another. Onceplete, the tremors subsided, and a faint electronic hum was in its ce.

    [Oh shit, Cyn, we¡¯ve gotpany.] Being the first of the group to snap back to his senses and observe his surroundings, Brance was the one who pointed out the arrival of six beings.

    [Tsk, greaaaat. It just haddd to be them. The Board couldn¡¯t stick to standard procedures and felt we were too damn OP for average recruiters.] Clicking his tongue and standing up straight with rxed shoulders, Cynrik returned to his poker face while examining the six beings standing not far away, of which only five were clearly visible; the sixth seemed to have moved off from the group.

    Standing there, in the center of the group of applicants, were the Academy Headmasters. But at the moment, only one was ring directly at Cynrik, and that was Viktor Opurn, the Headmaster of Supremacy University.

    Noticing this oppressive re, Cynrik smirked under his hood while snickering softly. The sudden action caused Brance¡¯s heart to skip a beat as it was evident to him that his numbskull and danger-seeking older brother was about to pull some shit once again.

    [Cyn¡­don¡¯t do anything stupid¡­] In an instant, Brance watched in horror as Cynrik slowly pulled down his hood, struck a pose, ced his right hand under his chin, and wore a shit-eating grin as his fingers wriggled like tentacles. The same greeting he had seen Cynrik do to one of the Deities back in the Egress.

    [Sigh, here we go again.] Resigning himself in his heart, Brance prepared for whatever consequences woulde, thanks to the childish antics of his older brother.

    However, the only response from the Headmaster was him leaning forward and spitting on the ground without breaking eye contact with Cynrik before straightening his back and eventually looking away.

    [HA! What a pussy, hehe. Oi Brancie, why were you so nervous? Not only are we on TV, but the other Headmasters are standing right there, not to mention there are at least a hundred people of equal or greater strength to that Opurn bastard hanging out in the wings. There was no fucking way he attacked or even applied pressure on me, especially when he had to uphold the image of his school.]

    Not bothering to hide the disdain he felt for the man, Cynrik hit Brance with several calcted facts, leaving Brance speechless for a moment.

    [And if he threw caution to the wind and came after your ass?] Regaining his thoughts, Brance countered.

    [Welp, either we all turned into paste¡­or I got us all into the shadow realm before his attacknded. Either way, we were gonna be fucked.] Tapping his finger on his chin in thought, Cynrik stated the obvious.

    [YET YOU STILL FUCKING DID IT? DAMNIT, CYNRIK. IF YOU DO NOT STOP THIS BULL SHIT, I WILL PIN A 20-DOLLAR BILL TO YOUR CHEST AND LEAVE YOU IN A BOX WITH THE PHRASE ¡°ADOPT ME¡± SCRIBBLED IN CRAYON ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.]

    When Brance realized that not only himself but the rest of the party had just flirted with death itself, he burst into an irrational rage in the mind link.

    Cynrik stayed quiet for a second, with his bottom lip sucked into his mouth and looking at his feet, before he smugly looked at Brance.

    [Credits don¡¯t have a 20-Dor bill.]

    SMACK

    [Fuck you!]

    With no one able to hear their conversation, it appeared as if Brance had just backhanded Cynrik upside the head for no reason. Fortunately, as seasoned veterans of the brothers¡¯ wacky antics, Gabby and Benny simply shook their heads, unconcerned, before looking away as if they saw nothing.

    Leaving only Selene out of the loop and staring incredulously at the two. But before she couldment on what happened, someone began pping their hands extremely loud, drawing everyone¡¯s attention.

    To the surprise of Cynrik and Brance, they knew this person oh too well, and just like Vikor Opurn had been mere seconds ago, this man was now staring directly at them wearing a pleasant smile. However, his following words were like bombshells going off in the brothers¡¯ heads.

    ¡°Good afternoon, everyone, and congrattions on passing the final evaluation for this year¡¯s Academy Exam. As many of you may know, My name is Lithlen Jetlensr, and I am the newly appointed Headmaster of Finwan Academy. Gathered here today with me are¡­] As their grandfather began introducing each of the Headmasters, after holding for a beat for apuse, Lithlen motioned towards each of them in order, starting with Cynrik¡¯s newest enemy.

    ¡°To my right is the Headmaster of Supremacy University, Mr. Viktor Opurn.¡±

    The man nodded arrogantly toward the audience, clearly enjoying the apuse.

    ¡°To my left is the Headmaster of Quest Combat Academy, Mr. Chester Webb.¡± When he heard his name, Chester Webb flexed his massive upper body muscles so hard that his shirt practically vaporized, drawing heavy apuse, especially from the female applicants gawking at the beefcake, which resembled the famous bodybuilder and actor Arnold.

    ¡°Up next is the Headmaster of Banes College, Professor Nar Kuu.¡± Cynrik¡¯s eyes followed his grandfather¡¯s hands, and he took notice of a thin, middle-aged Asian man with short white hair. But the thing that instantly caught his attention was the two wolf ears perched atop his skull.

    [OHHHHH, DOG PERSON! BRANCIE, HE¡¯S A DOG PERSON!]

    Brance rolled his eyes and asked Tobs to mute Cynrik from using the mind link unless it was necessary.

    Professor Kuu calmly nodded and smiled warmly, causing the crowd to go ape shit. Thebination of his handsome face, toned body, and of course, the fluffy white-furred doggie ears were enough to win him the popr vote instantly.

    ¡°Rounding off the left side, we have Colonel Brenden Hawthorne from Renson Military Academy.¡±

    Unlike the other Headmasters, Col. Hawthorne showed no expression at all and stood still as if at attention, ignoring the apuse of the applicants.

    ¡°And finally we have¡­.¡±

    COUGH COUGH

    ¡°Thank you, Headmaster Jetlensr; I can introduce myself perfectly well. There is no need to continue further.¡± Then, cutting off Lithlen from his standard introductions rudely, the final Headmaster pushed the Jetlensr Patriarch aside and took center stage, much to the anger and protest of the older man.

    Once he stepped forward, Cynrik shed next to Brance and grabbed his shoulder tightly. Angrily pulling away from his older brother¡¯s grasp, Brance requested for Tobs to remove the mute, so he could hear what the idiotic and overactive Cynrik wanted. But, unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t had the chance to see the final Headmaster, as his attention was stolen by the frantic, wide-eyed, and excited Cynrik.

    [HOLY SHIT, HOLY SHIT, HOLY SHIT!]

    With the mind link unmuted, Brance was nearly deafened by the sound of Cynrik repeatedly swearing in a weird tone making him wish he hadn¡¯t unmuted the moron.

    [BRANCIE, IT¡¯S HIM, HOLY FUCKING SHIT!] Practically vibrating as he spoke, Cynrik grabbed Brance¡¯s face, forcefully turning his head so he could see the now fully emerged man.

    Standing at 6ft 6inches (198cm) was a well-built man in a set of full ck leather armor, with a wicked-looking longsword strapped to his back. In stunned silence, Brance took in the full view of this behemoth of a man, from his white shoulder-length hair to his well-chiseled jawline, next to the fierce and life-like wolf medallion hung around his neck, andstly to those striking yellow eyes.

    Soon Brance, too, was fangirling like a lunatic in the mind link. If they weren¡¯t in public, the two brothers would hug each other and jump up and down.

    The man crossed his arms and grunted as he examined the applicants.

    ¡°I am the Headmaster of Vesemir School for Affinities, and my name¡­is Geralt Rivia.¡±

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 174

    ¡°I am the Headmaster of Vesemir School for Affinities, and my name¡­is Geralt Rivia.¡±

    Temporarily ignoring the ringly obvious issue of WHY someone was taking on the persona of the infamous Witcher, Cynrik and Brance seemed to be in a world of their own as they listened to the gruff voice.

    Done with his introduction, the man calling himself Geralt stepped back behind the other Headmasters, seemingly pleased with himself, and allowed Lithlen to retake charge.

    ¡°Hum hum, thank you for that, Headmaster Rivia; with the introductions out of the way, let¡¯s get into why the six of us have gathered here today, breaking the pre-established norm.¡± Tossing a curt nod towards therge man, Lithlen retook his position at the head of the group and started speaking authoritatively.¡±

    ¡°In total, there are 19 of you who have risen above and beyond during this year¡¯s Exams. For the first time in decades, a handful of applicants have earned the highest honors possible, obtaining the much-coveted position of S-Rank.¡± Lithlen¡¯s eyes scanned through the crowd of applicants as he spoke.

    ¡°For this reason, we, the Headmasters of the Six Great Academies, collectively decided to y the role of recruiters.¡± Finishing his statement, Lithlen sped his hands behind his back and allowed the applicants to speak amongst themselves in excitement for a moment.

    In the back of the group, standing off to the side, the members of MyrkLys were no exception. Gabby and Benny began chirping in excitement; Selene stood by Cynrik with her arms crossed, wearing a serious expression, and the two brothers had finallye out of their little ¡°moment.¡±

    [It¡¯s as I figured. Instead of handing off the recruitment to their staff this year, they wanted to secure the best of the best themselves. To be honest, it makes sense. Any normal kid would be starstruck if the Headmaster requested them to join their school personally. But, unfortunately, that won¡¯t work for us.] Quickly adapting to the information, Cynrik¡¯s eyes narrowed as he made eye contact under his hood with Lithlen.

    [The real question is whether or not Pappy Jetlensr will try forcing us into his stupid school for extremists.]

    [Do you really think he will? How sure are we that he knows it¡¯s us, Cyn? Didn¡¯t we use nicknames for a reason? Plus, it¡¯s been five years since thest time he saw us; maybe he didn¡¯t recognize me.] Brance tried to be optimistic as usual, but he was feeling unsettled. Thest time they interacted with the older man, Lithlen tried to kidnap Brance, and the whole thing unraveled into a messy familial argument that needed to be stopped by Saylin.

    [He knows; I can tell he does just by how he is taking quick looks at the two of us. He may be good, outstanding even, at hiding his expressions and emotions under that professional mask, but he ain¡¯t good enough to hide his confusion, excitement, concern, and greed. So odds are, we will be the first ones he tries to recruit.] Clicking his tongue and snapping his fingers softly to gather the party¡¯s attention, Cynrik started nning for the worst-case scenario.

    One where he would be forced into servitude if things went wrong. There was no way in hell he would allow himself or Brance to fall into the clutches of this man, who had somehow be one of the big six.

    Hearing the soft click of Cynrik¡¯s fingers, Gabby and Benny stopped talking and hurried to his side.

    ¡°Listen up, no matter what happens, we are a single package deal, got it. So do not speak individually to any of the Headmasters; leave all the talking to me,¡± Cynrik said before turning toward Selene, who stood off from the group a few steps and exceeded him in anti-social behavior.

    ¡°Selene, I assume you got S-Rank, so you, like Brance and I, will probably be one of the main targets for these old guys. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already chosen what Academy you n on going to, so I would like to hear your thoughts.¡± Keeping his voice to a hushed whisper to not draw attention, Cynrik waited for the older girl to speak up.

    ¡°Erm, well, initially, I would be forced into SU (Supreme University) due to my Mother¡¯s¡­persuasion. But seeing how you were quick to antagonize Headmaster Opurn, I assume SU is off the table for you guys.

    ¡°Hehe, well, you see what had happened was¡­.¡± Cynrik quickly recapped the events days earlier, causing Selene¡¯s pretty face to change into a displeased and dark visage.

    ¡°But yeah, we were gonna just hang back and see what they offered us, with Vesemir being our primary pick.¡±

    ¡°The Witcher school? So are we just gonna ignore that one or¡­¡± Selene, of course, had at least seen the first season of the popr show online and even knew it was based on a novel series and video game, but to say she was ¡°well informed¡± would be very untrue.

    Hearing her bringing up the fact they had ignored on purpose, Cynrik and Brance stiffened and looked at each other.

    ¡°I mean, homies definitely and LC, one from Earth at that, but who cares. Looking at the Mana fluctuations radiating off his body and Codex, I estimate he¡¯s around Mid Tier-5. If he found out our identities and revealed himself as an enemy, it¡¯s not like we could escape.¡± Wearing a serious expression and shrugging helplessly, Cynrik opened up a bit about his thoughts on the matter.

    Unpleased with the answer, Brance punched his brother in the shoulder and took over.

    ¡°What my idiot of a brother means is, although it appears the man is from Earth and potentially an LC, that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean he is against us. He could just be someone who reincarnated with fragments of his past life¡¯s memories for all we know.¡±

    ¡°Yee, that too; setting aside the evident love for The Witcher series, a few factors are up in the air. First, look at us, I¡¯m only 12, and Brance is 11; you¡¯re what¡­16ish, not to mention those other two,¡± pointing at the other two applicants with power close to theirs with his thumb, Cynrik continued.

    ¡°While Geralt is clearly much older, somewhere in histe 40¡¯s early 50¡¯s. This kind of age discrepancy opens a lot of questions. The previous LC we encountered was around 20 or so years old. It¡¯s hard to know precisely when the first batch of people showed up on Vinestra, but either we are on the absolute tail end of the group, and Geralt was among the first. Or he isn¡¯t an LC, and Brance¡¯s theory is correct.¡± Rubbing his chin with the palm of his hand in thought, Cynrik sneakily took another peek at Selene.

    Although she wasn¡¯t a MILF, he had to admit that she checked the bulk of his ¡°type¡± boxes. Dark hair, hot, gloomy personality, hot, killer body, hot, likes to wear ck, hot, decently perky boobas¡­

    **AHEM. SIR, SHE¡¯S ONLY¡­wait¡­21+16¡­continue**

    It wasn¡¯t strange for him to be attracted to her. Cynrik and Brance gradually regressed to their actual physical ages as their souls merged with their bodies after experiencing childhood, even though Cynrik was pushing 40 mentally. Cynrik¡¯s childish behavior was partly due to this reason.

    Feeling his gaze scanning over her body, Selene fought back the chill creeping up her spine; however, she didn¡¯t say or even acknowledge this as she wasn¡¯t necessarily ufortable with the thought. She had, after all, slept with Cynrik back on Earth¡­more than once. It was just a little strange to have a 12-year-old who looked around 14 giving you the up-down.

    [OI, SHAMELESS CYN, GET YOUR HORMONES IN CHECK!] Brance, on the other hand, had to hold back from choking his brother to death.

    [Theres a damn time and ce, NOW IS NOT THAT TIME AND PLACE!]

    Holding his hands up in defeat, Cynrik went back on topic.

    ¡°Putting aside all the LC shit, Vesemir may be the youngest of the Six Academies, but it¡¯s also one of the strongest. From my research, I learned they are a hybridization of Combat and Research focus, with the main feature being listed in its name, Affinities.¡±

    ¡°Fighting, we got on lockdown. Brance and I can pretty much body anyone in a physical confrontation. Hell, even Gabby and Benny are getting there, but magic is still kind of an outlier when ites to Affinities¡­well. With information on the topic so restricted, I felt it was a better idea to take the chance ofing up against the Headmaster to further our understanding of the topic. After all, there is only so much you can learn through self-study.¡±

    While the three LCs spoke about theplex topics, Gabby and Benny had already tuned out the conversation. Cynrik and Brance had been talking about this LC thingtely, and although they understood what it meant after the battle with Wadjet, they made a silent pact never to ask a single question about it. However, the fact that they would cringe at the sound of fingers snapping was enough to realize how traumatic the incident had been, so they waited patiently for Cynrik to steer the conversation back into a realm they could understand.

    ¡°Heh, I wish I had met you guys earlier; things would have been more simple; as it stands, I am in between a rock and a hard ce right now.¡± Selene chewed on her lip, debating on if she should exin herself but was stopped by Cynrik raising his hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s OK; you don¡¯t need to tell us your backstory just yet; we can do thatter; judging on the expensive brands you¡¯re wearing, it¡¯s a safe bet that your parents are richies, so it makes sense to send you to SU. What do YOU want? Where do YOU want to go? I don¡¯t give a fuck about what your parents want.¡±

    Going wide-eyed and staring at the younger boy, Selene was stunned, silent for a moment; the memory of Freya surfaced in her mind. ¡°The times ahead of you will be challenging, but one day soon, you will find those who will stand by your side. Two brothers¡­¡±

    Looking from Cynrik to Brance and then to Gabby and Benny behind them, she steeled her resolved and nodded sharply. ¡°I want to be with you guys, fuck what that dumb bitch says.¡±

    -The Three versions of The Over-Break System have Linked; you can now share information and inventory space, there are more features to be unlocked, but you must first enhance the bond between you all.-

    ¡°HOLY FUCK!¡± Selene and Cynrik shouted simultaneously before looking at each other and blushing slightly, with Selene looking away first.

    ¡®Hehe, Tsun, CHECK!¡¯ Cynrik thought to himself.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 175

    -The Three versions of The Over-Break System have Linked; you can now share information and inventory space, there are more features to be unlocked, but you must first enhance the bond between you all.-

    ¡°HOLY FUCK!¡± Selene and Cynrik shouted simultaneously before looking at each other and blushing slightly, with Selene looking away first.

    ¡®Hehe, Tsun, CHECK!¡¯ Cynrik thought to himself.

    Luckily for them, their little outburst wentpletely unnoticed, as it was in the middle of a rousing yet boringly loud speech narrated by Lithlen.

    [Tobs, you cant just drop a breadcrumb of info like that and not give us more meat and potatoes.]

    =¡­what do you want to know? I thought it was pretty straightforward.-

    The clearly arrogant question made Cynrik frown, but Brance was there to pick up where he left off.

    [Tobs, can you please borate on this linking. To what extent exactly are the three separate versions connected?]

    -In short, you now share a simr connection with Host Selene in the same way you do with Host Cynrik. Neither of you realized that your real-time information was handled via your system connection, making the Sibling Mind link an intermediary but not the central processor.-

    ¨C You were able to send over your Stat profiles, Status, and skill and item descriptions using the unspoken link between your two versions of my main program. This data had to be consolidated into a telepathic format before moving through your skill.-

    -Now, this connection has added a third party; the only difference, in that case, is it will be entirely on the System and me to move the chosen information between said parties. To put it inymen¡¯s terms that you should understand. The System is aputer¡¯s CPU, and your Mind link acts like a GPU. When the two act in unison, the transfer of data from point A to point B is seamless.-

    Brance was on board until Tobs started usingputer jargon, that was when he got lost, but Cynrik, however,pletely understood the weed description.

    [Well, that¡¯s fine¡­I guess, anyway, what¡¯s this shared Invo you mentioned? How big are we talking, and are things automatically transferred to it?] Moving on, Cynrik asked what he felt was the more important question.

    Meanwhile, instead of answering directly, Tobs was filling Selene in on what she was discussing with the brothers before borating on the shared inventory function.

    -The Shared Inventory is a 5¡Á5 meter squared separate space that all three hosts have ess to, no matter the distance between them. When storing items, you can designate which inventory you wish for things to be sent to when apart; however, if you three are in the same vicinity, the Shared Inventory will automatically take priority.-

    CLAP, CLAP

    ¡± Now then, there are 19 applicants admitted into Zone A-1; this is astounding and unheard of in recent years.¡±

    Before Cynrik could continue drilling his AI for more information, Lithlen pped annoyingly loud, causing everyone present to wake up from the daze they seemed to be in, thanks to his previously dull speech.

    ¡°To reflect this, I want to announce that you will all have free reign in deciding which distinguished facility you will be attending so long as you meet the Academy¡¯s requirements. All six of us have the drafted contracts listing the benefits you will receive; all you need is to sign on the dotted line.¡±

    At this time, all of the present applicants, MyrkLys excluded, roared in excitement. They made it seem like their dreams wereing true, leaving Cynrik, Brance, and Selene stunned.

    ¡°Fuck, just looking at their reactions, you¡¯d think they won the lotto,¡± Selene whispered, leaning between Cynrik and Brance so she could be heard.

    ¡°No kidding, that or they got drafted into a national sports team or something. They realize they are basically signing away the next six years of their lives to hard studying¡­right?¡± Brance replied without looking back at her.

    ¡°You two are thinking too simply. Keep in mind that most of these kidse from prominent, affluent families who treat these Academies as prestigious. While there will be a handful whoe from poverty, so for them, this could potentially be life-changing.¡± Looking around calmly at the overactive kids threatening to explode from excitement, Cynrik spoke a bit of sense.

    ¡°Never forget, this isn¡¯t Earth, guys; things are different here. These Academies put on all kinds of events simr to world cups or big-time championships,peting with each other and other countries¡¯ top schools. Hm¡­your perfume is it Chateau Flourange No.2?¡± Segwaying from his initial topic, Cynrik looked over his shoulder at Selene, who didn¡¯t skip a beat in answering his random question.

    ¡°No.7, nice try, pay attention to what that guy is saying.¡± Flicking the back of Cynrik¡¯s ear and making him pout, Selene smirked and went back to paying attention to Lithlen, who had yet to finish speaking.

    Brance, on the other hand,pletely ignored the odd flirting between the two and kept focus, making sure to keep Gabby and Benny close by just in case.

    ¡°Now, I have a list here with all your applicant numbers, in no particr order. Please reference the disy on your Watcets, and when you hear your number called, it will be your turn toe up and choose which Academy you wish to join. Don¡¯t forget that the contract terms can be negotiated to some extent, but if you sign it right away, those terms are locked in.¡± Wearing a pleasant and inviting smile, Lithlen finished up and called the first applicant¡¯s number.

    Half a secondter, a young boy with teal skin and fin-like ears stepped forward, heading directly to the Banes College Headmaster.

    ¡°Hoho looks like Pappy Jetlensr is EXTRA kind today; he even went so far as to remind us, simpletons, to double-check the contract¡¯s terms. TSK, fucking poser.¡± Cynrik crossed his arms and watched as the young demi-human boy nervously took the contract from the smiling Doggie-eared man and began reading it.

    ¡°Pappy? Wait¡­is Headmaster Jetlensr, you guys Grandfather?¡± Selene¡¯s eyes widened ever so slightly as she spoke, looking back and forth between the two. In doing so, she noticed the disgusted expression on Cynrik¡¯s face and the disappointed one on Brance¡¯s.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I can confirm, that scumbag, racist piece of shit is our blood-rted Grandfather. Let me warn you, though, even if I saw him hit by a truck, dragged for a hundred feet, then thrown off a cliff into a ravine before being picked at by wild birds, I wouldn¡¯t fucking help him.¡± Cynrik had to grit his teeth to control his killing intent from leaking, the memory of that bastard trying to kidnap Brance was still rtively fresh in his memory.

    ¡°Dark, but I get it; I feel the same way about the cunt who birthed me. That bitch can burn; hey, either one of you have a Fire Affinity, maybe we can torch my house after locking her inside¡­eh, wait, that wouldn¡¯t work, the whore is Tier-5.¡± Selene¡¯s eyes darkened a shade as she thought about the physical and mental abuse she had experienced at that woman¡¯s hands, making her blood boil.

    ¡°Shiiit, dark, nice, I¡¯ve got Fire, im down to set some shit aze anytime.¡± Then, whistling softly and giving her a thumbs up, Cynrik offered his assistance.

    ¡°Oh, for fuck sake, one pyromaniac psychopath was bad enough; whose wife did I sleep within another life to deserve dealing with two?¡± Brance said while facepalming. Yet despite saying this, he was already trying toe up with a n to free the two maniacs when they inevitably got locked up for their crimes.

    Hearing his overreaction, Cynrik and Selene chuckled evilly and fist-bumped. It was clear Brance would be in for a rough ride with these two.

    Things progressed slowly, as number after number was called until it came time for Gabby¡¯s number to be called. In contrast to every other applicant, who would instantly dash forward to the Headmaster representing the Academy they wished to join, Gabby stood rooted in ce and simply squeezed Brance¡¯s hand. Then, he alerted Cynrik, who looked back at Gabby and shook his head, telling her to stay put.

    When no one showed up right away, the Headmasters all looked at each other in confusion before pulling up the file for that applicant and searching for their face in the crowd.

    Of the six, two, in particr, wore stone-faced expressions upon realizing who the applicant was and shot dangerous res at Cynrik. In response, he flipped both the bird and quickly grabbed everyone¡¯s applicant ID before clearing his throat loudly, drawing the attention of everyone present.

    This time, Brance didn¡¯t bother stopping his brother, even though he was 100% sure Cynrik was about to offend A LOT of people. To him, this was a necessary decision that they had spent some time discussing.

    ¡°Ello there, Headmasters, please pull up your registers for the following IDs and annotate your files. S2933, S2934, N0892 J0011, andstly, J0012. Ranks, A, AA, S, S, and SS. The five of us are a package deal and will only discuss in private with Headmaster Rivia of Vesemir School for Affinities.¡± Cynrik cheerfully said and dropped his hands by his side, waiting for a response.

    At his words, it fell totally silent for the first time since their arrival in the Zone. The only sound that could be heard was the subtle grinding of someone, Lithlen¡¯s, teeth.

    ¡°HA HAHAHAHAHA! EXCELLENT CHOICE, YOUNG LAD!¡± Suddenly, an obnoxious chortle came from behind the Headmasters. Its origin was someone not a single applicant had approached up until this point.

    In response to thisughter, a shadow shed through the air andnded beside the members of MyrkLys, causing Gabby, Benny, and Selene to flinch in shock.

    ¡°Two A-Ranks, two S-Ranks, and even the only SS-Rank applicant, it seems my VSFA will be getting five new monsters in this year¡¯s freshman ss.¡± Headmaster Rivia said in a gruff voice.

    But this joy was short-lived, as a sudden 6g of killing intent bore down directly on two individuals, Cynrik and Brance, its source, Viktor and Lithlen.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 176

    ¡°Two A-Ranks, two S-Ranks, and even the only SS-Rank applicant, it seems my VSFA will be getting five new monsters in this year¡¯s freshman ss.¡± Headmaster Rivia said in a gruff voice.

    But this joy was short-lived, as a sudden 6g of killing intent bore down directly on two individuals, Cynrik and Brance, its source, Viktor and Lithlen.

    At that moment, the two brothers who had turned to a side profile to speak with Headmaster Rivia slowly turned only their heads to face the two aggressors. Completely unaffected by the 6g of pressure weighing down on their bodies, Cynrik tossed Lithlen and Viktor a smug grin while Brance wore a passive expression.

    Due to the pinpoint uracy of the two High Tier Beings, no one except the other Headmasters was aware of what was happening at that moment, but when Viktor and Lithlen saw the unrestrained posture of the two boys, they felt their hearts shake.

    This was 6g, a level of pressure that should have leveled the young boys to the ground instantly, but it seemed absolutely useless against them, to their surprise. Feeling they were already pushing the limits with their aggression and realizing it was useless, the two adults admitted silent defeat and went about calling more applicants.

    However, the two Headmasters swore there would be severe consequences for going against them, especially in the case of Lithlen, who was utterly infuriated by being thwarted by two bastard kids with his blood flowing through their veins.

    In spite of his initial shock that two children he thought were cripples showed a level of aptitude that none of the other children in his Jetlensr family disyed, when Cynrik and Brance, who were using fake names, were included in this year¡¯s selections, Lithlen felt an overwhelming sense of pride and greed.

    If he could secure these two brats in his camp and force them to join the institute under his control, he would initiate a slow-burn effect, drawing them into the family they belonged. He never believed they would go against him in a million years and instantly choose apetitive Academy that held significantly less prestige than his own.

    It was a massive blow to his ego, but seeing them tantly be insubordinate in front of such arge audience due to the cameras filming the event, he nearly blew his top then and there, thus his Killing Intent attack.

    Seeing that things had cooled down, and Lithlen had gone back to calling up more applicants, the other three Headmasters narrowed their eyes momentarily before separating slightly from the pack and moving their applicants along with them for further discussions.

    Across the field, with the assault finished, Cynrik scoffed loudly before turning to face the ckjawed Geralt impersonator.

    ¡°You two, what, huh, the fuck was that just now.¡± Utterly stunned by how effortlessly the two young boys had dealt with a usually crippling amount of Killing Intent pressure, Headmaster Rivia could do nothing but stare at Cynrik and Brance for a solid minute.

    Initially, when he noticed the actions of the shameless Headmasters, he was ready to step in and deflect the Killing Intent onto himself, but when Geralt saw the two boys seemed fine, he stood back and watched.

    ¡°Sorry about that, Headmaster Rivia; some people can¡¯t handle loss well. But, luckily for my little brother and me, we have trained extensively in high-gravity environments for just that kind of scenario.¡± Acting as harmless and unconcerned as possible, Cynrik walked closer to the beefy man with his hands in his pockets. Behind him, like little ducklings, were the other members of MyrkLys, who, Brance aside, had no clue what had just urred. To them, it looked like Cynrik and Brance had paused mid-sentence to look behind them before going about with what they were doing.

    ¡°HAHA, no problem at all; let¡¯s move away from the group to the edge of the Barrier since you requested privacy. This space is rtivelyrge, so no one should be able to eavesdrop on us. If that isn¡¯t enough, I have a silencing device I can drop to give us absolute privacy away from prying ears and eyes.¡± Then, taking charge and leading the group away, Headmaster Rivia began babbling about his Academy as they walked.

    The more he spoke, the more ws in his character Cynrik noticed. Unlike the original Geralt of Rivia from the Witcher series, who was always stoic and didn¡¯t talk much, this guy seemed to enjoy hearing himself talk, and the more he did, the harder he broke Cynrik¡¯s immersion.

    After walking a short distance away, Headmaster Rivia pulled a small orange puck from his pocket, tapped a button in the center, and dropped it on the ground. In doing this, a thin transparent bubble covered the entire group, cutting them off from the outside world.

    Next, he waved his hand and withdrew a simple table and some chairs from his inventory before motioning to everyone for them to sit. But to his surprise, only Cynrik sat down directly across from him, leaving the remaining party members standing like bodyguards behind him, giving off an air of authority.

    Selene had gone to sit down as well, but Brance tapped her wrist, causing her to look back and see everyone standing orderly in ce, so she joined them without arguing.

    All this made Headmaster Rivia raise an eyebrow, but in the end, he simply nodded. This disy was only fleetingly attractive to him as he pulled out three different stacks of paper and ced them on the table orderly.

    ¡°Now then, I have three basic contracts, one for A-Ranks, one for S-Ranks, andstly, the one for SS-Rank. So naturally, as soon as we learned that there would be more than one S-Rank and a fabled SS-Rank, all the Headmasters, including myself, scrambled to develop the best proposals we could before submitting them to our ounting and Legal Departments.¡± As the Headmaster spoke, Cynrik picked up the A-Rank contract and quickly scanned every page before moving on to the other two.

    His insane memory, partnered with his INT and MIND stats, allowed him to speed read and memorize the entire contents of each contract in no time at all.

    ¡°It was a bit of a stretch. But, while we aren¡¯t as rich as some other Academies, I can proudly say that we at VSFA have extensive teaching staff and top-of-the-line facilities.¡± Headmaster Rivia spoke with confidence as he watched Cynrik shuffle through each contract page by page without saying a word.

    When he finished going through each one and cing them back down on the table where he found them, Cynrik exhaled calmly before he closed his eyes to think.

    Putting aside the S and SS-Ranked contracts, the terms for Gabby and Benny were a bitcking but were still far above what he had nned. All three agreements had full schrships for all six years, housing, food, book, and uniform expenses, and there was even a monthly allowance in what the contracts stated were ¡°Merit Points.¡± These points took the ce of credits and held a mary value simr to what you would expect from Skill Points 1 Merit Point was about 1500 credits.

    ording to the A-Rank agreement, each applicant would receive a corresponding EVO stone for their first Evolution after signing. Up next was a monthly allowance of 25 Merits, S-Rank came with 50, and the SS-Rank boasted 100 Merit Points. More importantly, this was given on the first day of every month. In addition, students were able to earn additional points for Academic sess, cing in the top 3 in school events or exams. Apparently, there was a mission hall where you could choose to do everything from chores to kill quests to earn more points. On top of all this, each contract had a signing bonus of 250, 500, and 750.

    Merit Points could be spent any numerous ways, from better food to equipment, all the way to training resources. But, to Cynrik, it was all pretty standardpared to novels and anime. So after finding out the amount of currency being offered, he ignored the long-winded paragraphs detailing their use for now and hopped to actual benefits.

    The important part was that Gabby and Benny would receive very little additional support, aside from a single EVO stone for the Tier-2 Evolution, receiving paid tuition, housing, food, and a small sum of currency. For ordinary people, this alone would have been outstanding. Living on campus free and being fed three meals a day on top of learning material expenses were what the low-ie would dream of, but for Cynrik, who had extensive ns for his party¡¯s future, these little handouts simply weren¡¯t enough.

    Setting aside Gabby and Benny¡¯s contract, there was a significant jump in favoritism regarding Selene and Brance, not to mention Cynrik, who had the most perks out of the group. The paper stated that they would have the opportunity to purchase items from the school store at a discounted rate, 15% for S-Rank and 25% for SS.

    The next benefit was unlimited ess to all paid training facilities at a heavily reduced cost. This alone showed quite a bit of sincerity on the Academy¡¯s end. In addition, it was exined that depending on their grade and Tier; students would have time-restricted ess to certain facilities such as the gravity room or meditation rooms.

    Up next was a perk for only Cynrik, every time he was ready to Evolve, he would be given all the materials necessary for absolutely free, unlike Selene and Brance, who would receive them for half off.

    Another shared perk was the ability to request ess to the school-owned Egresses, the main issue being the limit on how many times a semester they could be used. So once again, Cynrik got a beefier handout and had double the opportunities to dive into these Egresses.

    Running everything through his mind, Cynrik built his own counter-proposal in silence with his chin resting on his hands. Overall, the terms for the ¡°O-Squad,¡± as he nicknamed himself, Brance and Selene, weren¡¯t bad, but since he wasn¡¯t only in this for himself and Brance, he knew the contracts as they were, wouldn¡¯t do.

    With that in mind, Cynrik exhaled slowly through his nose, straightened his back, and looked the Headmaster in the eyes with a determined expression.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s make a deal.¡± Putting on his best professional businessman voice, Cynrik opened the floor for negotiations to begin. Behind him, Brance had to catch the wrist of his right hand with his left to force himself not to facepalm. Cynrik was clearly emting what he saw on a TV show again.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 177

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s make a deal.¡± Setting aside the fact that, in reality, the contracts were already rtively favorable, Cynrik decided to go down a different route.

    Hearing the boy¡¯s words, Headmaster Rivia stiffened slightly. In his mind, the three different contracts were already above and beyond what he would typically give first-year students, yet here was someone, either in greed or unsatisfaction, attempting to forge his own document instead.

    He truly had gone all out in offering the best terms allowed, so when Cynrik practically stated the terms of the contracts weren¡¯t good enough, he couldn¡¯t help but look down on the boy andbel him as someone punching above his weight ss.

    After all, he was dealing with a 12-year-old child, not another adult, at the end of the day.

    Before he could retort, however, and try to state there was nothing that could be done, Cynrik met the Headmaster¡¯s eyes and smiled like a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing.

    ¡°Headmaster Rivia, it appears you¡¯ve already forgotten my previous statement,¡± Cynrik said. Still, when he realized the Geralt impersonator didn¡¯t follow, he cleared his throat and extended his arms, motioning towards the party standing behind him.

    When he made this gesture, Brance and, this time, Selene felt like smacking him upside the head, as Cynrik was clearly trying to act like Tony Stark.

    ¡°We are a package deal; the members of MyrkLys, under my leadership, wish to have only a singr contract giving the party as a whole joint benefit. Therefore, with one SS-Rank, two S-Rank, an AA, and an A-Rank, the five of us are much more valuable as a unit than any one individual alone, me, the SS-Rank, included.¡±

    ¡°You can think of it as a buy one get four free deal. In essence, you aren¡¯t signing us for our rank but our potential as a party.¡± At the risk of sounding overly cocky or arrogant, Cynrik finished his long-winded statement by figuratively passing the mic over to the Headmaster.

    To say he was thoroughly impressed by the level of showmanship and grandstanding Cynrik was presenting would be an understatement. Headmaster Rivia¡¯s entire opinion of the boy and the party behind him took a drastic turn within a few seconds.

    Still, this didn¡¯t change the fact that, in his eyes, Cynrik was asking for more than he could possibly offer. Setting aside the highly unconventional contract opportunity being presented, Headmaster Rivia was bing increasingly concerned that the next time the boy opened his mouth, he would ask for the world.

    ¡°This¡­¡± Crinkling his nose and sighing heavily, Headmaster Rivia ran through the list of benefits listed in all the contracts in his mind. The prospect of gaining the only SS-Rank applicant was a massive boon for his Academy, which, although it had been in existence for thest 30 years, was still too green to handle the influx of spending he was worried would ur.

    The longer he examined the boy sitting across the table, the more he felt he was dealing with a sly old fox instead of a child.

    ¡°What terms do you have in mind? What is written on those contracts, the benefits at least, are the extent of what we are willing to offer, SS-Rank or not.¡± Laying down his cards and stating he wouldn¡¯t budge was just a front of applying pressure.

    ¡°I see; again, there is a disconnect between us. I am not asking for ¡°more¡± necessarily, but more of a consolidation andpromise to level the ying field.¡± Waving his hand and pulling out a pen and pad of paper from his inventory, Cynrik began writing all the individual benefits listed in all three contracts in one column before forming a T-chart andbeling it before and after.

    ¡°Alright, so the thing that will stay uniform is the full-ride schrships for all six years of schooling. Tuition, basic housing, food, and school supplies such as uniforms and books being covered were detailed explicitly in all three; I do not n to budge on this fact as four of us at least are hurting in the wallet, if you catch my drift.¡±

    Nodding his head in approval, Headmaster Rivia assented to this fact. It was standard protocol for all the Academies to cover at least this much when A-Rank or higher applicants are enlisted.

    ¡°The next topic on the docket is the monthly allowances and currency signing bonus. Starting with the monthly allocation of funds, if you add up the Academies expenditure for all five of us, ites out to a total of 250 Merit points. I want to split this total into portions of 50 points each. Basically, think of me as shaving off 25 points and allocating it to the two A-ranks in our party so that everyone gets an equal share.¡±

    When Cynrik looked up from the paper and saw the constipated expression on the Headmaster¡¯s face, he could tell the man had already concluded what the next thing he would say was.

    ¡°In the same respect, adding up the total of Merit Points distributed as a signing bonus, we get 2,250 points, and I would like this evenly split between us all as well, for a total of 450 points each. I know this may seem like a stretch since, technically, it would be nearly doubling the bonus for the A-Ranks, but all three of the higher ranks are willing to do an even distribution.¡± With his currency terms out in the open, Cynrik allowed Headmaster Rivia some time to think it over.

    ¡°50 points a month and 450 at signing. This, sigh, if you are already like this at the start of the terms, I am concerned about how far you will take it. But, fine, these terms are eptable so long as you all agree to dock your pay to allow everyone equal opportunity.¡± Rubbing his temples and pulling out official paperwork, Headmaster Rivia began making a unified contract for the five. If it were any other applicant making demands like this, he would have immediately silenced them and ran them off, but since Cynrik was the sole SS rank, he allowed a significant amount of leeway for the boy.

    ¡°Much appreciated, Headmaster; I know you may have some concerns, primarily since these funds are meant to give us higher potential applicants ess to more resources, but I assure you, it will not be an issue. Up next is the store discount.¡±

    The moment the topic of store discounts was brought up, Headmaster Rivia froze, and his mind nked. Images of the sly boy ransacking the entire vault shed in his head as he calmly ced his pen down and inhaled deeply.

    ¡°Off the table; I can already tell you will be asking for more, so I will draw the line here. All store discounts are being removed from the terms; you will have to pay the standard price for all items.¡±

    Clicking his tongue internally, Cynrik shifted his body weight onto his left elbow and eventually gave in.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine; I won¡¯t push on that topic then; we can scratch the discounts from the contract.¡± Without knowing how much resources would cost in the future, there was no sure-fire way for Cynrik to judge how much money he had just lost; however, he didn¡¯t let that drag him down.

    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s move on to training facilities. As stated in article 27 on page 13, all five of us would have unlimited use of the basic training facilities, such as Affinity Gyms and workout rooms; however, I would like to amend the topic of the paid facilities.¡±

    ¡°It is stated the S and SS-Ranks will have unlimited ess to the paid facilities at a heavily reduced cost; I would like to attach a figure and extend that to everyone in the party. Mainly due to how I have arranged our training schedules. There are very few times we solo train, and as a group, if we have to budget expenses to the extent that we are too poor to buy proper resources, this will significantly hinder our growth.¡±

    ¡°Thus, I would like to attach a 45% discount rate and extend the ess to all party members. I won¡¯t ask for something as trivial as priority ess to these facilities since, as it stands, I do not know the extent of their use or even their poprity.¡±

    ¡°25%, 45 is too much.¡± Headmaster Rivia counter-offered for the first time, but Cynrik wasn¡¯t thrown off his game.

    ¡°35%,¡± said Cynrik leaning forward slightly as he did so.

    ¡°20%,¡± Headmaster Rivia countered again, crossing his arms over his chest with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°30%, this is my bottom line.¡± Cynrik even tapped the table with his index finger three times to annunciate his statement.

    ¡°30% is a stretch but eptable; I will annotate it in the new contract.¡±

    ¡°Much appreciated Headmaster; onto the next topic, Egresses. A brief nce at my party¡¯s profiles and the videos of ourbat exams will show you that we are all highly adept at our age in both Affinity skills andbat as a whole. Egress dives are our primary source of XP, ie, and live training¡­.¡± Before he could finish speaking, Headmaster Rivia raised his hand to cut Cynrik off.

    ¡°Academy Egresses have an absolute limit depending on the student¡¯s Tier and year. First years are generally limited to one Dive outside of specified ss field trips a month. The best I can do is allow two Dives. There is nothing further to talk about; this isn¡¯t even something I can really negotiate as the Egress cores would be overwhelmed if suddenly your party began rapidly jumping in and out.¡±

    This time, Cynrik went silent in thought. If things were really as the Headmaster stated, it would be tooplicated to attempt mass dives for power leveling.

    ¡°I understand; two a month it is.¡± Then, clicking his tongue in his mind, Cynrik was forced to concede and began restructuring his Powerleveling ns.

    ¡°Up next on my docket is EVO stones. Currently, four of the five of us have reached the prestige cap and are ready to advance to Tier-2; seeing as Evo stones were already listed, I would like to solidify that and add in the 3rd Tier Evo Stones when we are ready for them. On this topic, I concede that the provision where I¡¯m given all the materials necessary for my advancement will be removed.¡±

    Standing behind Cynrik, Selene went wide-eyed after hearing how easily Cynrik tossed away the chance to receive the much-coveted stones that would pave his path to Tier-4 or higher. Headmaster Rivia was just as shocked.

    ¡°Just to rify, you want the use allowing you free ess to all materials for Evolution after Tier-2 removed, solely so that all the members of your party will get Tier-3 Evo Stones?¡±

    ¡°Indeed I am. What is the point of zing past my party members and leaving them in the dust? I am keener to lean towards the bnce of power in the group. Would that not cause a potential rift or jealousy if I was quick to hyper-elerate past them? Instead, we as a party should grind for more points to purchase what we need from the Academy Store. In the long run, this is healthier for our party, which I one day hope to advance to the level of a full-blown Reaver Guild.¡±

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 178

    ¡°Indeed I am. What is the point of zing past my party members and leaving them in the dust? I am keener to lean towards the bnce of power in the group. Would that not cause a potential rift or jealousy if I was quick to hyper-elerate past them? Instead, we as a party should grind for more points to purchase what we need from the Academy Store. In the long run, this is healthier for our party, which I one day hope to advance to the level of a full-blown Reaver Guild.¡±

    Cynrik nodded as if it was a matter of fact. To him, it was no different if resources were split between all the members of his party or not. But, at least in his mind, what¡¯s his, was his, and what¡¯s theirs was still his. Eventually, how these resources would be used was still his decision, to begin with, so who received what none of Cynrik¡¯s concern was.

    However, Headmaster Rivia saw things differently. He saw a young boy choosing friendship and the overall growth of his party over his own selfish needs and gains. While, to some extent, he was pleased and even slightly proud, the overarching feeling the Headmaster felt was this boy was outstanding sly.

    COUGH

    Headmaster Rivia was pulled out of his daydream at the next moment since Cynrik cleared his throat.

    ¡°There are still three things I would like added to the contract.¡± Cynrik¡¯s mouth twitched slightly when he realized Headmaster Rivia believed the negotiations wereplete.

    ¡°There¡¯s more?¡± Raising an eyebrow in confusion, the man double-checked the document he was drafting only to find every benefit had already been listed.

    ¡°Indeed, these next few bits are things I felt needed to be added to the initial contracts. Essentially, at its core, this binding document leaves no wiggle room for future changes; as such, I would like to add a use stating we cane back to the table and re-evaluate the terms at the end of each School year.¡± Cynrik drummed his fingers on the table in a repetitive pattern as he spoke.

    ¡°This adjustment period would allow both parties to re-negotiate the benefits, allowing for any subsequent changes. Since I suspect our party will flourish on the hallowed grounds of VSFA, I believe this will open the door for both parties so long as we the members of MyrkLys prove ourselves worthy of added benefits.¡±

    ¡°Your idea is just as eptable as it is suspicious.¡± Then, with narrowed eyes that seemed to look through Cynrik and the party behind him, Headmaster Rivia tried to gauge the potential of these children.

    Once you break through Tier-4, your ability to judge a person¡¯s power and potential skyrockets, especially in the case of lower Tiered beings, this was the case for all the six Headmasters. Their innate ability to seek out potential powerhouses was so uncanny that it earned them the right to have their positions.

    ¡°Interesting, we cane back to this topic; let me hear these other uses you have in mind before we circle back around and talk further.¡± Be it curiosity about what the boy had in mind or the fact he could tell just how outstanding all five children were, Headmaster Rivia danced around the topic of a re-adjustment period and steered the conversation away.

    ¡°Of course, not a problem. However, this next topic may be a little challenging to get passed. I am requesting we, as a party, have ess to information in either the Academies database or school library an entire Tier above our present one.¡±

    This time Headmaster Rivia wasn¡¯t so inviting and understanding. Instead, his face sank into a solemn expression as he looked long and hard at Cynrik.

    ¡°Do you understand what you just asked?¡± he said in a tone that was neither passive nor aggressive.

    ¡°Mm, I do; I am well aware of the government¡¯s knowledge restrictions on all data as per Law 00188-27DL, which states that any and all information about higher strength levels will only be passed down to beings of equal or greater power. However, let me ask you this, what happens when the being in question can skip Tiers?¡± Cynrik stated while smirking.

    ¡°What?¡± The wide-eyed Headmaster quickly nced at all five children incredulously. Skipping Tiers was preposterous.

    Figuring it was time toy some of his cards on the table, Cynrik began enlightening the Headmaster on some of their des.

    ¡°At the age of seven and six years old, my brother and I took down an entire organization of Tier-1 beings; at the time, we were both only Tier-0 level five.¡±

    ¡°In the early days of MyrkLys, we entered a strange and mysterious Instance Dungeon after diving into our first Alpha Egress. Under my leadership, we quickly made our way through several intense challenges, of which we were forced to fight against hundreds of beings who had us outmatched in both strength and Tier.¡±

    ¡°Once cleared, said Egress, A-G-22097 subsequently copsed, leaving only the higher officials of the Government, Reaver Association, and us in the know. As a result, each of us earned several outstanding rewards.¡±

    Finishing up the story, Cynrik motioned for the members of MyrkLys to follow his lead. Secondster, a massive Killing Intent pressure bore down on Headmaster Rivia, exerting an impressive 12g making the Tier-5 man¡¯s entire body quiver under strain.

    ¡°Again, I ask, is there not some wiggle room for outstanding children who are clearly able to fight above their Tier? Should some exceptions not be made for prodigal geniuses?¡± Just as quickly as he used it, the massive pressure vanished, allowing Headmaster Rivia to breathe easier.

    ¡°Fuck¡­how much shit have you little guys seen. Never have I been put in such a position by someone four Tiers below me.¡± Wiping the sweat from his brow, Headmaster Rivia quickly scribbled the knowledge allowance into his new contract version.

    Although Headmaster Rivia, an experiencedbat veteran, had over 20g of Gravitational Resistance, he couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. He wasn¡¯t pressured by MyrkLys¡¯s outburst of Killing Intent so much as he was bbergasted by it.

    ¡°I can allow this use, but there will be some restrictions on specified forbidden data, as well as each of you will need to pass a particr test showing that you can obtain this knowledge. Then, we can move on to your final use.¡± cing his pen down and clenching his shaking right hand under the table, Headmaster Rivia waved at Cynrik to continue.

    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be an issue; testing us is fine. However, the final provision is something out of the ordinary, so I would like you to keep an open mind.¡±

    Hearing this, the Headmaster rolled his eyes and thought, ¡®as if this whole contract wasn¡¯t out of the fucking ordinary, kid.¡¯

    ¡°Lastly, I would like to request your assistance in something. When the timees, I will ask VSFA to be our sponsor when we take the initial Reaver Exams. This will allow us to streamline registering as an official party and eventually an officially recognized guild.¡± With the final term in the open, Cynrik interlocked his fingers and ced his hands on the table, waiting for a response.

    Compared to the calm and mature aura Cynrik was emitting, Headmaster Rivia was screaming internally and only a single step away from tearing at his hair.

    ¡®WHAT IN THE FUCK DID I GET MYSELF INTO? I JUST WANTED TO FIND SOME GOOD APPLICANTS TO BOLSTER MY ROSTER!¡¯ looking away from the drafted contract to Cynrik and the kids standing obediently behind him, Headmaster Rivia felt an ache in his heart.

    From start to finish, the boy had utterly dominated the direction of these negotiations, not allowing him to intercede except for a handful of times. Looking through each of the benefit uses listed on paper, Headmaster Rivia could already hear the aggrieved screams of his ountant. Still, in the end, being left with no other choice, Headmaster Rivia finalized the draft after adding the re-adjustment portion.

    With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the new contract to Cynrik, who quickly scanned it and nodded in contentment.

    ¡°It looks good to me; once you have it notarized by your legal department, I have no issue signing this document, along with my party.¡± Relieved the negotiations had gone sessfully, Cynrik waved over his party, and they all took a seat at the table in unison.

    Meanwhile, the Headmaster scanned thepleted document and presented five copies to the children after a brief interlude and a lot of one-sided arguing through his Watcet.

    What followed next was each member rereading the document, and after they were all sure that everything was in order and precisely as Cynrik had wanted, all five members of MyrkLys signed the contract and stamped it with a bit of blood from their thumbs.

    Once everything was in order, and the furniture was stowed away, Headmaster Rivia stood up and shook their hands. By the time he got to Cynrik, he had looked down at the boy standing an entire foot and a half below him and extended his hand.

    ¡°You are quite the little businessman; if you hadn¡¯t robbed me blind, I wouldpliment you on your savvy negotiation skills.¡± Then, smiling with a clearly disheartened expression, Headmaster Rivia kicked the privacy device into the air and stored it away.

    ¡°You jest Headmaster, I only did what was best for my party. However, I am happy we were able toe to a decent proposal and am even more delighted to be part of VSFA officially.¡±

    ¡°Un, now then, it¡¯s time to enter the wolves¡¯ den. Don¡¯t worry; you are currently under my protection as my Academy students; none of these old bastards will even consider attacking you this time around.¡± ncing out over Zone A-1, Headmaster Rivia met the eyes of Viktor Opurn and Lithlen Jetlensr, breaking into a sinister grin showing his ill intentions.

    Standing beside the behemoth of a man, Cynrik snickered at the ugly faces of the two other men and, using his new Headmaster as a meatshield, again flipped the bird at the two adults.

    [FOR FUCK SAKE, CYNRIK, STOP ANTAGONIZING PEOPLE WHO CAN OBLITERATE US WITH A SNEEZE!]

    [BAH, we¡¯ve got an OP bodyguard now; what¡¯s the harm?]

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 179

    [FOR FUCK SAKE, CYNRIK, STOP ANTAGONIZING PEOPLE WHO CAN OBLITERATE US WITH A SNEEZE!]

    [BAH, we¡¯ve got an OP bodyguard now; what¡¯s the harm?]

    [Bodyguard or not, every time you do some oundish crap like pointing your middle finger at someone who is clearly WAY stronger than you, you run the risk of some form of bacsh. Just look how red in the face Lithlen is.] Huffing his response, Brance pointed at his grandfather with his eyes, causing Cynrik to follow in the same direction.

    [HEHE, who knows, maybe my actions will cause him to keel over. That would definitely save us a metric fuck ton of trouble. Besides, it isn¡¯t that big of a deal¡­] However, just when he finished that thought, there was a soft hum several meters overhead. This sound made both brothers look up at the source only to find two drones flying by and recording the incident.

    [SEE! THIS IS WHAT I¡¯M TALKING ABOUT.] This time, Brance aggressively pointed at the drone while scolding his older brother.

    [Think about it, Cyn, not only are you pissing him and that Opurn dude off, it¡¯s all on camera. So now you have to deal with videos online!]

    [I meannnn, tooo beee fairrrr~] Cynrik started only to be cut off.

    [No, NO TO BE FAIR! Legit, you have single-handedly pissed off two Headmasters and left a dark spot on their records. Wasn¡¯t it you who always said everything is immortal through the inte? Look, look at what you¡¯ve done¡­OI, STOP WAVING, YOU MORON!]

    Instead of taking the verbal beating like he should be, Cynrik was smiling like a fool and waving at the drones like a child. His antics drew a soft and attractive chuckle from Selene, causing him to stop in his tracks and strike a pose in an attempt to look cool.

    ¡°That¡¯s sooo~ not gonna save your image in my eyes.¡± She said, seeing him try to y it off and fail miserably.

    ¡°Tsk, whatev.¡± Was all Cynrik could say as he hung his head after performing an emo hair flip, even though he didn¡¯t have bangs, and followed obediently after Headmaster Rivia.

    Back in the Pinhurst Mansion, Everyone was popping champagne bottles and cheering loudly when the cameras zoomed in on their children signing the contracts and shaking hands with Headmaster Rivia.

    The air had gotten extremely tense when Lithlen came on screen, leaving both Rikard and Cinyah breaking out in cold sweats. There was no doubt in their minds that the Jetlensr Patriarch would attempt to force Cynrik and Brance into his newly acquired Academy. However, things panned out differently.

    The drones had clearly picked up the scene of a proud and defiant-looking Cynrik spouting off his mouth and asserting dominance over Headmaster Opurn and Lithlen before calling over the Headmaster of VSFA to negotiate terms and conditions for joining.

    With their hearts in their throats, the adults residing in Pinhurst Mansion sat on the edge of their seats as they watched the children standing like guards behind Cynrik and the subsequent back and forth conversation.

    Unfortunately, the device dropped by the Headmaster blocked the words being spoken and caused a blurred effect to appear over their lips; not only that but even the writing on the papers was even distorted, allowing for absolute privacy.

    It wasn¡¯t until all four children, plus the pretty new addition, signed their contracts that the adults cracked out the booze to celebrate. But, although it was a time for happiness, the eyes of Cinyah and Rikard never left the screen. With the presence of two intimidating forces who had animosity against their sons nearby, how could they possibly be at ease, especially after the tant belligerence and hostility Cynrik was actively showing to the two.

    All the two doting parents could do was rely on the solid wing their children had cozied up to in the form of Headmaster Geralt Rivia. So long as he was present, the two parents could feel somewhat at ease.

    Back in the Selection grounds, The members of MyrkLys walked closer to therge man, making their way over to a spot Headmaster Rivia designated as his recruitment point.

    Making their way over steadily, Cynrik felt his shoulders tense up as the overbearing and hidden gazesnded on his body.

    [Look alive, do you feel that?] Cynrik was quick to alert Brance, but it was unnecessary since he too was feeling the pressure.

    [Un, there¡¯s gotta be at least a hundred people several Tiers above us observing our every move. What are the chances it¡¯s out of curiosity?] Brance said, trying to bury the ufortable feeling he was experiencing.

    [Zero, three of the top applicants were ¡°sniped¡± by VSFA; there has to be a bunch of aggrieved parties. I bet we fucked over many high-level VIPs¡¯ ns by moving as a singr unit instead of individuals. Except for the Demi-human school, it isn¡¯t hard to conclude that the other four are pissed, wouldn¡¯t you be?]

    [The real question is how many are under Geralt¡¯s banner and how many aren¡¯t. With VSFA being the youngest of the batch, it would be near impossible to have enough backing from High-Tier alumni.] Shrugging his shoulders nonchntly, Cynrik theorized.

    [It¡¯s not exactly like your little stunt of calling out our ranks helped any either, Cyn. Pretty sure that alone painted a massive bullseye on our backs, let alone your own.]

    [No kidding.] A sweet voice chimed in, forcing Cynrik and Brance to lock up and freeze in ce while looking around in confusion.

    Slowly and mechanically, the brothers spun around and looked at Selene with eyes so wide they threatened to pop out of the sockets.

    [What¡­oh wait, was this your secret walkie-talkie line, mah bad, my system prompted me to enter a new mind link chat thingy, so I clicked yes, and vo, here I am. You two should really keep up with your notifications.] Selene finished her statement by chiding them both like a mother.

    [TOBS SPLAIN, NOW!] Shouting at the same time, Cynrik and Brance demanded answers; their joint yelling even forced Selene to flinch.

    -Seeing that all three versions have been linked, I replicated Brance¡¯s passive skill [Sibling Mind link] and basically created a¡­how would you say it¡­oh right, Team chat. Unfortunately, I could not add Gabby and Benny to it, but having the three Over-Break hosts linked together was no issue.-

    [Wahhhh, seriously, ASK BEFORE YOU DO SOME SHIT LIKE THAT!] Cynrik sobbed andined.

    -I did, and you both unconsciously hit OK on the notification¡­this one is on you, Host Cynrik and Host Brance.-

    In confusion, the brothers brought up their notification logs and saw precisely what Tobs had stated only in writing. With mouths open and closing like a fish, the two racked their brains to figure out when they had done this, but as they said, ¡°the proof was in the pudding.¡±

    The two looked at each other as if to say, ¡°when the fuck did we do that¡± it wasn¡¯t until Cynrikpleted a swift memory recall that he found the moment during the contract signing that he had swatted away a particr notification box ignorantly. This was precisely when the channel creation urred.

    [[Yeah, you see, what had happened was~ ok, let¡¯s just chalk it up to me being distracted.]] Feeling the heated gazeing from Brance, Cynrik shrunk back, ready to be hit, but nothing happened.

    Brance only shook his head before epting a second person was living rent-free in his mind.

    (Moving forward, Teamspeak will be with [[]], and the regr sibling mind link will continue on with [] to avoid confusion. Think of it as Tobs noticed they hadn¡¯t realized there was a TeamSpeak, so using her MOD privileges, she snuck Selene in before moving them all back to the Teamspeak.)

    [[No biggie, anywho, this is pretty handy, how long have you guys been using telepathicmunication? Whose skill is it?]] Selene asked innocently and without being weary of intruding on their privacy.

    [[Uh, it¡¯s my brothers, anyway, I guess now that we have some time, we can talk a bit. Let¡¯s get introductions out of the way first. I¡¯m Cynrik, and that,]] Cynrik pointed at Brance with his thumb, [[is Brance, but when we are in public, just call me Ivar, and my brother Bj?rn, we will exin the nicknamester. Behind us are Gabby and Benny. I like to call them my grow-um-up=strong project.]]

    [[Cool, im Selene, but I have to know¡­You¡¯re the soldier with a limp during WW3, right, the one who saved my squad and me.]] With expectant and glittering eyes, the youngdy asked hopefully.

    [[Uh¡­well, I guess that¡¯s one way to clear up a bit of confusion, but yeah, that was me¡­hold up WW3, OI Brancie.]] At first, Cynrik rolled with her remark, but then it dawned on him that he couldn¡¯t remember the girl¡¯s name, so he tossed it to Brance, who had to think for a moment before answering.

    [[Oc, Florida, twinpound evacuation. Our toon was sent in to recover as many allies as possible. I guess you were a member of one of those squads, right?]]

    [[I¡­don¡¯t remember. My earliest coherent memory wasing to a massive void. There I stumbled on a Deity who informed me I had been kicked out of the Reincarnation Cycle for some unknown reason. Thus, my memories are fragmented. I only remember you guys specifically because it was one of the few fragments that aren¡¯t hazy.]] Biting her lower lip and sincerely answering, Selene exposed one of her deepest secrets, one that, up until now, she hadn¡¯t told anyone.

    This unfiltered and unguarded bit of truth only shocked Cynrik and Brance slightly, but Selene herself was astounded by how easily she let it slip. It was so far from the realm of her typical characteristics that it left her a bit dazed.

    [[Well, wee to our little bunch of misfits, I guess. We have all the time in the world to get to know each other; I am sure in no time we will be telling each other our three sizes and panty color¡­]]

    SMACK SMACK!

    [[FUCK OFF.]]

    [[DITTO, FUCK OFF, PERV!]]

    Dropping to his knees in fright, Cynrik looked up at the pissed-off Brance and the embarrassed Selene with tears in his eyes.

    [[Damn it, WHY IS IT ALWAYS MY FUCKING HEAD YOU HIT. PUNCH ME IN THE ARM OR SOMETHING; AT THIS RATE, I¡¯LL END UP WITH BRAIN DAMAGE FROM THE CONCUSSIONS.]] Cynrik cried aloud.

    [[You already have fucking brain damage. Who the fuck says shit like that to someone they¡¯ve just met?]] Selene said, walking off to hurry after the Headmaster, Gabby, and Benny.

    [[What she said.]] with that, Brance too ran off, leaving Cynrik on the ground rubbing both sides of his head.

    EXTRA BIG SPICY SHOUT OUT TO Tacowarrior, For dropping that big boi castle on our bird chest. Those goals are closing in, we¡¯ve got only 662 Stones, 30 golden tix, and 3 magic castles left until the stretch goal is met.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 180

    It didn¡¯t take Cynrik but a fraction of a second to catch up, but his head was hung low in thought when he did.

    Headmaster Rivia took note of the little silent spat between the children but chalked it up to kids being kids and chose to ignore it, diverting his attention towards the other Headmasters. His primary focus was Headmaster Opurn and Lithlen, who had shown direct, and apparent hostility towards Cynrik and Brance.

    The minor Killing Intent incident earlier was a dead giveaway that there was more to this story than he knew, but he felt there simply wasn¡¯t enough time to get the full details. With the contracts signed, the members of MyrkLys were officially his wards. Thus it was his duty as the Headmaster to protect them at all costs.

    Luckily or not, the two adults seemed to be throwing themselves into the contract signings and showed very little attention to the group.

    Upon reaching the noisy bunch of applicants and Headmasters, Headmaster Rivia escorted the party over to a section of grass marked off with VSFA and, after taking a quick check of the progression of the Selections on his Watcet, informed them it wouldn¡¯t be long until the event was finished.

    Sitting on the ground in a semi-circle, the five of them confirmed they understood before looking toward Cynrik to say, ¡°what now?¡±

    It didn¡¯t take much to appease Gabby and Benny, who were well-versed in following the older boys¡¯ orders, but there was a storm brewing within the mind link.

    [[Fuck, man, are you two sensing that slimy feeling washing over us?]] Trying her best not aimlessly to look around, Selene vocalized the weird sensation she was experiencing thanks to the eyes of hundreds of High Tiered beings watching her closely.

    [[YEP, wee to the club. It¡¯s been like this since Brancie, and I wiped out the first batch of dipshits who got in our way.]] Cynrik said while pulling up patches of grass only to release it so it would float away.

    [[Eh? Seriously, was that you guys fighting those morons outside our zone earlier? I heard the noise but couldn¡¯t be bothered to watch.]] Selene¡¯s beautiful eyes shined with a weird luster when she said that, which didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Cynrik.

    [[You see, my dipshit older brother here has no clue how to keep his mouth shut and not get himself into trouble. As a result, he has not only pissed off our Grandfather but also a second Headmaster, the guy in charge of the snooty school.]] Exhaling hard and tilting his head to re at Cynrik, Brance instantly tossed him under the bus, sourcing him as the cause of their troubles.

    [[BAHH, a minor inconvenience at best. Opturd sent some goons after us a couple of times on the walk over to Zone A-1, so we roughed them up before walking away.]]

    [[Roughed them up. Didn¡¯t you legit rupture some kid¡¯s eardrums and ser kick a helpless one while he was down.]] Rolling his eyes, Brance said.

    [[Meemee meh meh meh, didn¡¯t you paralyze a kid with a rock pir, don¡¯t cast stones, Brancie, its quite unbing of you.]] Using a mocking tone and whipping his head side to side as he spoke, Cynrik started his verbal counter-attack.

    Brance felt helpless as he did, indeed, paralyze someone earlier, so he drooped his head before flipping his middle finger at Cynrik, who chuckled in response.

    Seeing he had won the little spat, Cynrik calmly nced at Selene.

    [[So, what¡¯s your deal? You probably weren¡¯t gonna join up with VSFA, to begin with. What was your initial goal?]]

    [[That¡­ well, my shitty parental whore is an Alumni from that posh shitstain school, SU, and she pretty much beat the fuck out of me until I ¡°agreed¡± to go there. But that all changed the instant I found you two. I¡¯m sure Mommy Dearest is having a bitch fit right now and ripping apart the couch cushions or something in her rage.]] Selene was forced to reel in her Killing Intent the moment she began spilling little bits of her back story.

    However, to Cynrik, he could see every ounce of pain, sadness, and fear in her eyes. He had seen this kind of look thousands of times in his own eyes back on Earth. It didn¡¯t take him long to realize how broken inside Selene must feel, and for some reason, it invoked a lot of strange things within his mind.

    From the instant heid eyes on her, it was as if something clicked, like a key finding its lock within his head. Although he was aware of how unguarded and unsuspicious he was of this new girl, Cynrik didn¡¯t fight what he was feeling. Instead, it was as if the universe itself said, ¡°trust her¡­you need to trust her.¡±

    Brance was the most concerned about the whole situation. Whenever he looked at the two, hundreds of thoughts raced through his mind. Where had the overly calcting and paranoid brother gone? Why was he so epting of this girl? How the fuck did she have a version of Tobs?

    What freaked him out the most was how she was now given ess to his mind link, something that should have sent Cynrik off the deep end. However, when Cynrik was dismissive and seemed fine with the idea, Brance was left speechless.

    With the myriad of questions ying on repeat, instead of being able to converse with his brother, he sat patiently and waited for the answers toe naturally. Brance knew he was, to some extent, Cynrik¡¯s counterbnce. So if he had to slot into that role for the new girl, who was VERY MUCH a female version of Cynrik, he would do so, willingly or not.

    The more he interacted and listened in on the conversations between the two, Brance noticed how simr Selene was to Cynrik before he beat Ragnar. The signs were all there, theck of empathy in her gaze, the cruel way she flung around her words. Hell, even the simple fact that she ACTUALLY got along swimmingly with the Chaotic personality that was bottled within Cynrik, it was all like a GIANT red g for him, screaming, ¡°if the two are together, all hell will break loose.¡±

    Breaking away from that dangerous way of thinking, Brance listened to the story Selene exined. It was more or less her entire origin, from being Reincarnated by Freya after receiving a mission to the horrendous abuse and mental anguish she suffered at the hands of her mother. The longer she went on, the more infuriated Cynrik and Brance became.

    [[And that¡¯s pretty much everything¡­thoughts,ments, concerns?]] Smiling weakly at the two boys who seemed to ept and share her pain, Selene patted her knees aimlessly.

    Silence descended on the mind link for a couple of minutes as the brothers digested the story; eventually, Cynrik exhaled loudly and scooched closer to the girl.

    Hearing how she emotionlessly told her backstory, Cynrik knew he had a lot of trauma to help her work through, but that was fine. What he couldn¡¯t do, was stop his right hand from quivering uncontrobly.

    ¡®Fuck¡­FUCK! Seriously, this shit im feeling right now. Calm down, focus, and reel your mind in, just like you did after beating Ragnar. So what if the Divinity fragments buried inside our souls resonate on some freaky frequency. It¡¯s no big deal; just do what you always do,partmentalize everything, break it down logically, and analyze the data.¡¯ Cynrik thought to himself while using his left hand to stop the shaking of his right.

    [[I guess that exins why it was so easy to ept each other.]] Cynrik finally said after adjusting his mentality.

    [[Yeah¡­no kidding. It¡¯s funny, in 16 years, I haven¡¯t had a single real friend, yet now because of these damn Deities, I somehow found myself with two.]] Going back to her expressionless appearance, Selene patted Cynrik¡¯s knee in a friendly manner.

    [[Well, as Cynrik said earlier, wee to our band of Misfits. Gabby and Benny are probably the most normal of our group since they are their age, unlike us, who are a bunch of oldies in kid bodies. But, at least you found the right brothers; that¡¯s got to count for something, right? Haha.]] Brance shrugged his shoulders and smiled warmly at Selene, making her shiver slightly.

    [[Uh¡­is he always that positive about everything?]] Selene said with figurative question marks in her eyes.

    []PRETYYYYY Much~ you get used to it; however, it¡¯s best just to let him talk himself out, or else you¡¯ll get stuck in an endless loop of sermons.]] Cynrik retorted, holding up his two index fingers in the shape of a cross and pointing them at Brance like he was a vampire.

    This action forced a melodic yet soft giggle from Selene and an angry grunt from Brance.

    ¡°Ok, hehe, ok, onto business. So as we all know, once thest applicant gets their contract signed, the barriers wille down, and we will meet up with the other people registered with our Academy. Up next is boarding the vehicles and heading to the school. That was the main reason we said our goodbyes earlier.¡± Then, speaking aloud so Gabby and Benny could join the conversation, Cynrik started listing out the next batch of ns.

    ¡°When we get to the Academy grounds, we have to move to the registration office to receive our dorm assignments. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know how things will be set up over there, but ideally, I¡¯d like to get a house or apartment we can all live as a group instead of us all being separated.¡±

    ¡°The biggest issue is there are three boys; if we get assigned dorms, we can work out Gabby and Selene staying together, but the problem is who gets paired up with a rando. That is, of course, assuming the dorms are 2 to a room. The girls get the rando if it¡¯s three to a dorm.¡±

    Just when Cynrik finished speaking, there was loud apuse, and the Mana Barriers slowly retracted, allowing fresh air to filter in and causing a soft hum followed by a slight hissing sound.

    ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Everyone was drawn to Lithlen, who was floating high above the crowd. On either side of him were expansive holographic screens so everyone in all the Zones could clearly hear and see him.

    ¡°I will officially draw this year¡¯s Selections to a close. The next step is for all the applicants, now considered first-year students, to make their way over to the gs indicating their Academy and board the transport vehicles. From there, every one of you will start on the path of further education. I wish every one of you good luck, and I hope to see you all again at this year¡¯s Festival of Sport.¡±

    Seeing Lithlen grandstanding in front of the audience of students caused a sour taste in Cynrik¡¯s mouth, making him spit on the grass.

    ¡°Bastard, can you just shut the fuck up and leave already,¡± Cynrik murmured.

    ¡°Time to go, you five; our transport is on the far side of the grounds, so it will take us a while to get there.¡± Then, sping Cynrik on the shoulder, Headmaster Rivia stated with his booming voice.

    Moving as a group, Cynrik narrowed his eyes and looked from the floating Lithlen over towards Viktor Opurn, with rage threatening to boil over in his heart.

    ¡®One day, you mother fuckers, one day I will be just as strong as you two. Then¡­I will show you what real pain and fear are.¡¯ Making the vow in his heart, Cynrik looked away and ignored the presence of the two Headmasters, who were watching him, and the members of MyrkLys walk away.

    -BIG BOI SHOUT OUT TO Joe_jo_3480 for dropping our Second Magic Castle on our heads, that¡¯s 2 down and 2 more to go.-

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 181

    Following behind the Headmaster and cutting through the sea of new students, Cynrik looked away and ignored the presence of the two Headmasters, who were watching him. Then, paying attention to where he was going, he followed behind his party, walking in the direction of the transport vehicles.

    Cynrik tried to ignore the constant whispering of the curious children they passed along the way. However, when he felt a sudden and intense gaze burrowing into the back of his head, he stopped in his tracks and turned to look in the direction it was originating.

    His eyes met an athletic boy simr in height to himself. Standing around 50 meters from him was one of the other applicants from Zone A-1, one of the people Cynrik and Brance had marked upon their arrival.

    Only two words came to mind when Cynrik met the gaze of this boy, who had bright orange hair, the first being ¡°LC¡± and the second ¡°average.¡± Describing the boy as average was an urate representation, as the boy seemed to have no redeeming physical features. The kind of person you would walk by on the street without a second nce.

    If it were any other time, Cynrik wouldn¡¯t have even batted an eye at this clearly hostile person, but what caused him to raise an eyebrow was that standing just behind the boy was the second target. The two were standing behind their new respective Headmasters, Lithlen and Viktor, wearing arrogant expressions.

    [[Welp, thing one and two seem to have joined the enemy camp.]] Chuckling into the mind link, Cynrik waved obnoxiously at the average-looking boy and his clean-cutpanion. But as he did, his pupils constricted.

    For the first time, Cynrik had an unobstructed view of the second potential LC, and shockingly enough, this older boy carried an uncanny appearance to Lithlen.

    [[Fuck¡­]] was all Cynrik could spit out as he came to this realization before spinning on his heels to grab Brance by the shoulders.

    [[Huh, wah, huh? What¡¯s got you all riled up, can¡¯t you¡­]] Brance started to say, but when he saw the two arrogant kids ring at him and Cynrik, he shut up on his own.

    [[Fuck¡­you don¡¯t think that kid is our cousin, do you?]] Brance said in confusion.

    [[What are you two bbering about? We gotta hurry up, or Headmaster Rivia will leave us behind.]] Seeing the two brothers dropping back and gawking across the open field, Selene scolded them.

    Even though she had ess to the mind link, she had very quickly grown ustomed to blocking out the idle chatter the brothers seemed to take part in constantly.

    [[You should be paying attention to this shit Selene, it pertains to you as well. When Brancie and I arrived at Zone A-1, we picked out three targets with the potential to be LCs, you being one, and those fuckers standing with Tweedle-dee and Tweedle dumb are the other two.]] Cynrik said while snapping in her direction, making her turn to look at what was holding them up.

    [[To make matters worse, it looks like one happens to be potentially rted to us, so there is an enemy spy in the family.]] Brance finished his brother¡¯s statement and soon grabbed Cynrik¡¯s left arm, which was iling around idiotically.

    [[Oh really, now? Fun, should we go mollywop those two or leave um be?]] While the Headmaster was registering students for his Academy and picking them up, Selene spoke as she broke away from him.

    [[WHAT, NO, C¡¯MON SELENE, DON¡¯T BE FIGHT HUNGRY LIKE CYNRIK!]] Brance instantly burst out vigntly, priming himself to jump in her path if need be.

    Beside him, Cynrik mouthed the word Mollywop silently, finding it a fun and exciting word, but soon he figured he should step in and say something to stop Selene from charging in, ready for battle.

    [[Nah, it¡¯s OK, Selene, we can fuck them up during the Festival of Sportter on in the school year. If my guess is correct, which they usually are, the two will definitely bepeting. At that time, we can torture them all we want without repercussions.]] Unlike Brance, who was ready to be an iron wall, Cynrik casually defused the situation with words.

    [[Aw, finnnne~. Ima holds you to those words, though, Cynrik; if I don¡¯t get to beat the fuck out of those prissy Lil shitster, I¡¯ming for your head.]]In disappointment, Selene kicked the ground with the toe of her shoe and turned around to catch up with the Headmaster, who was now moving with a herd of over 300 children.

    The brother¡¯s watched her sprint off in the opposite direction before tossing a final re at their future opponents and following suit.

    On the other side of the field, Viktor Opurn and Lithlen stood with their arms crossed, watching the backs of Cynrik and Brance as they merged with the crowd.

    ¡°Len, remember those two bastards; in the future, your goal is to either make them submit or bring me their heads,¡± Lithlen said without sparing a nce at the boy standing to his right with aqua-colored hair.

    ¡°Understood, Grandfather.¡± Len didn¡¯t need any further information as he was informed ahead of time of the identities of those two boys. Cynrik and Brance turned out to be the younger cousins he had never met. He would often hear stories from his mother about how her younger brother, his uncle Rikard, was a traitor to the Jetlensr name when he was growing up.

    There was even a point several years back where he stumbled on his mother in a rage, smashing everything in the living room after finding out her younger brother had two sons capable of carrying on the family name. At first, she was excited beyond belief¡ªthe more males in the bloodline, the more potential to solidify their ce in the world. But after confirming they had been crippled in an ident, she was blinded by fury, and if Lithlen hadn¡¯t stepped in to calm her down, there was no doubt in Len¡¯s mind that she would have brought the whole house down around her.

    ¡°That goes for you as well, Jason; those two are your target in the Festival; show them no mercy if youe across them, and remember not to kill them unless Headmaster Lithlen gives the OK; they are, after all, his Grandchildren.

    ¡°Yes, father.¡± The in-looking redhead named Jason Opurn stated arrogantly.

    ¡°Come along, Len; there is a long journey ahead of us,¡± Lithlen said, turning his back to where Cynrik and Brance had disappeared and making his way towards the appropriate loading area.

    ¡°Viktor, thank you for the information alerting me to their true identities; those brats are clever to use an alias; no doubt it was that old fogey Saylins plot,¡± Lithlen said while extending his hand to shake Viktor¡¯s.

    ¡°Not at all, old friend; I appreciate your sincerity in sending a couple of A-Ranks my way, do take care during your travels; I shall take my leave first, Jason; let¡¯s head out.¡± Viktor shook Lithlen¡¯s hand while making a few pleasantries before taking his leave.

    The two Headmasters went their separate ways, but as they did, there was an unspoken conversation going on between Jason and Len using only their eyes.

    In Jason¡¯s eyes, blue mes danced without a care in the world, while in Len¡¯s, if you looked closely, there were sparks of lightning flickering around his Iris.

    If Cynrik could see the strange familiarity between the two, he would have known he was correct in his assumption of them; they were both indeed Legacy Charges, and to make matters worse, they were working together.

    Unfortunately, this all wasing to light out of view of the brothers and Selene, so they had no clue just how dangerous the steel te Cynrik had kicked indeed was.

    It didn¡¯t take long for the swollen group of over a thousand children, including the members of MyrkLys, to make their way over to a cluster of 10rge hover vehicles, with VSFA written in gothic print across their nk. When they did, the process simr to herding cats began. First, several professors from the Academy set about breaking the children into groups of 100 and assigning vehicles identical to a vast futuristic bus.

    However, just when MyrkLys was about to load onto their assigned hover bus, Headmaster Rivia waved them over hurriedly.

    ¡°You five won¡¯t be taking the public transport; I am having you guys ride with me in my private ship.¡± After casually stating this, Headmaster Rivia took out a small capsule from his inventory, pressed the button on the top, and tossed it several feet away.

    POOF

    A sleek fighter jet-like vehicle appeared with a loud poofing sound and a cloud of smoke.

    ¡°OHHHHHHH, IS THAT THE QZH-51-J BATTLE CRUISER? DAMMNN HEADMASTER, YOU GOT STYLE!¡± Upon seeing the peak of technological fighter jets making its appearance, Cynrik went into his full-on mecha-nerd mode, making Brance, Gabby, and Benny take a step away from him and shake their heads in disgust. However, Selene was different; although she too took a step away, it was forward to examine the ship instead of trying to put distance between herself and Cynrik.

    ¡°OH, OH, LOOK, IVAR, IT¡¯S GOT THE TRIPLE PROPULSION SYSTEM THAT LINKS TO SHEILD GENERATORS AND RAILGUNS!¡± She spouted loudly while caressing the side of the sleek ship lovingly.

    Her overreaction caused Gabby, Benny, and Brance to suck in a deep breath, with Gabby looking at Brance fearfully, saying, ¡°No, no, no, Brancie, we got two Cynrik¡¯s now!¡±

    Headmaster Rivia stood off to the side, pleased as he watched the pair of Selene and Cynrik zip around the ship, examining its exterior and shouting out facts about it loud enough for everyone to hear.

    This act went on for a couple of minutes before the two stopped mid-sentence suddenly and shed over to Headmaster Rivia, wearing pleading looks and watery eyes.

    ¡°Can we drive it, please, please? We promise not to crash.¡± Cynrik started the pleading immodestly.

    ¡°Yes, please, Headmaster, our biggest dream is to pilot such an exquisite work of art,¡± Selene said, mirroring Cynrik¡¯s tone and groveling shamelessly.

    Headmaster Rivia¡¯s mouth dropped open; he was speechless at how shameless the two children were being. It was a 500 million credit personalized vehicle; who would ever put this in the hands of two hyperactive kids, not Geralt Rivia; fortunately, before he had to decline the pleading children, Brance appeared like the savior he was.

    SMACK, SMACK

    Dishing out his own brand of justice, Brance thumped both Selene and Cynrik in the back of the head and grabbed them by the ear, dragging them to the vehicle¡¯s door, swearing at them the whole time.

    ¡°Sorry about them, Headmaster; I will keep them in line; you don¡¯t have to worry about it. Come along, Gabby, Benny.¡± Brance said, talking over the two he was dragging who were screaming to release them.

    Headmaster Rivia exhaled loudly, shaking his head while wondering what he had got himself into, but still boarded the vehicle.

    After ensuring everyone was buckled into their seats properly, he sent out amunication message to all the transport vehicles to form up into a fleet.

    Fifteen minutester, everyone was in the air and traveling hundreds of miles per hour southward.

    ¡°Alright, everyone kick back and rx; it will take us around 12 hours to arrive at the Academy. Until then, meditate and reflect on your experiences during the exams. I don¡¯t expect any bumps along the road, as the route we are using takes us around the areas popted by powerful creatures.

    His words made Cynrik roll his eyes and activate [Mana Sight] to be sure.

    [[Well, what now?]] Selene asked, already bored after being strapped in a chair for a few minutes.

    Brance looked out the window and once again cursed his luck for getting stuck with not one but two troublemakers.

    [[Well, I have to start figuring out our future growth ns, so why not send over your Stat profile.]] Cynrik was silent for a moment, but eventually, he came up with something to pass the time.

    [[Mhm, no problemo.]]

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 182

    [[Well, what now?]] Selene asked, already bored after being strapped in a chair for a few minutes.

    Brance looked out the window and once again cursed his luck for getting stuck with not one but two troublemakers.

    [[Well, I have to start figuring out our future growth ns, so why not send over your Stat profile.]] Cynrik was silent for a moment, but eventually, he came up with something to pass the time.

    [[Mhm, no problemo.]] Selene said without much enthusiasm. Sharing a stat profile with another person was intimate, so much so that it made her skin crawl. In addition, her mother practically drilled into her head that she must never share her statistics with anyone. However, be it an act of rebellion, or genuine trust in Cynrik, she willingly sent over her entire profile through the mind link after getting a quick tutorial on how to do so.

    : Status :

    : Selene Nilsson :

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation, Lost and Damaged Soul, Svinfylking,

    : Demi-Human Female (99% Human, 1% ?sir):

    : Age-16:

    : Tier-1 :

    : Primary ss ¨C Tier-1 Valk-Warrior : (+2 To DEX, STR Distribution)

    : Sub-ss ¨C Empty :

    : Level: 20 (P15) 0/201,722 :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 98,080 :

    : Valk-Warrior: 20 ¨C XP : CAP

    : Distribution: 1.5 Per DEX, AGI, INT : (DEX 3.5, STR 3.5)

    : Mana Codex Tier: 2.5 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : Mana Circuit Tier: 2.5 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : Gravity Resistance: 5g (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Body Tempering: Tier3 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : STATS :

    : HP 3000/3000 :

    : Mana 1200/1200 :

    : Stamina 1500/1500 :

    : Stat Points- 0 :

    : Skill Points- 500 :

    : Strength- 300 :

    : Dexterity- 300 :

    : Agility- 140 :

    : Intelligence- 150 :

    : Vitality- 200 :

    : Mind- 140 :

    : Will Power- 50 :

    : Killing Intent- 176 ¨C 3.75G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier-1.5 (Proficiency= 100.0%): :Expand:

    Upon receiving Selene¡¯s Stats, Cynrik gulped his saliva loudly, his eyes flickering across the disy, trying toprehend what he saw. Drifting down first to titles, Cynrik sighed as he read the one signifying and proving Selene¡¯s story about being lost and shattered after death. Still, when he got to Svinfylking, his mind nked as a flurry of information surged into his mind.

    ¡®Svinfylking¡­ Svinfylking¡­there are two meanings to this title, the first being a wedge formation Norse warriors used to break through shield walls, and the second being¡­.¡¯ Pausing his thought and looking over at Selene, who was waiting expectantly for his response to her profile.

    [[The Deity who reincarnated you, you said it was Freya, right?]] Tilting his head to the side inquisitively, Cynrik asked, and when she nodded in response, Cynrik could only massage his temples.

    Having that title implied A LOT about her;bining that with the story of how she nearly killed her brothers in a rage, Cynrik put two and two together. He knew Svinfylking had a second meaning aligning with the story and Freya being her representative Deity. A single word rose to the forefront of his mind, ¡± Berserkr.¡±

    Ignoring the Stats for now, Cynrik swiped through the entire panel until he got to her list of Passive and Active skills, his eyes falling on one in particr.

    -Tier-2 Passive/Active Skill: Berserkr.- (Evolved form of Outrage)

    -There are two triggers for this skill-

    -Passive trigger: When you are forced to the absolute end of your emotional limits, you will enter an outrage-like state for a short time.-

    -In this state, Your muscles will swell with power giving you strength beyond what your body usually can withstand. All stats will increase by 250%, Mana Consumption will decrease by 75%, and Stamina Consumption will decrease by 100%. Damage taken will be reduced to 75% of the actual amount. The rate of regeneration will triple.-

    -Side Effects: Loss of Rationality and Memory, damage to the body, the possibility of crippling your Codex, and Mana Circuits. Possibility of Death. Possibility of reducing life span.-

    ¨C Active Trigger: Using your focused breathing technique, you can turn on a muted version of this skill, allowing you to stay in control of your rationale to an extent. However, your temperament will be highly aggressive, and you will have difficulty differentiating between friend and foe.-

    -In this state, Your body burns off all excess fat and stamina to increase your physical prowess for a short time; in the case of there being no source of physical energy to burn, your Mana will be the active source. Unlike in the passive state, your body will not bulk up but instead trim down. All stats will increase by 100%, Mana Consumption will decrease by 45%, and Stamina Consumption will decrease by 45%. Damage taken will be reduced to 25% of the actual amount. The rate of regeneration will double.-

    -The more damage you take and the longer you stay in this state, the more significant the increases in your Stats and power will be, along with an increase in the side effects.-

    -Side Effects: Prolonged use of this state can result in tendon and muscle damage; the heavy strain on Codex and Mana Circuits can cause temporary damage to both, resulting in a Crippled status for some time.-

    [[FUCKING HELL, ARE YOU BROLY OR KALE?]] Cynrik blurted into the mind link, making both Brance and Selene stare angrily at him.

    [[No, wait for a second, the passive form is Clearly Legendary Super Saiyan level, but this Active form is basically kaioken¡­hm¡­]] Leaning with all his weight on the armrest of his chair, Cynrik started thinking out loud.

    [[Cyn, shouldn¡¯t you be going over her stats and not getting held back by the skills?]] Brance questioned while giving apologetic eyes to Selene, who only shook her head.

    [[Oh, that, yeah, Selene, you¡¯ve got a long way to go, plus what the hell is with that stat spread? Did you blow all your points on STR and DEX? I get those are your ss distributions, but like now, your stats are all lopsided. Tis fine, doe, nothing that can¡¯t be fixed by getting you up to Prestige cap.]]

    [[I am curious about how your Dark Affinity is at 1.5, though, plus your skill spread for Affinity skills is a bit different than mine. Then there¡¯s your ss; I see you got a fancy, Unique ss; unlike Brancie and I, Valk-Warrior, I can only theorize it will advance into some form of Valkyrie.]] Cynrik said, ignoring the contorted and slightly confused facial expressions of his brother and the girl.

    [[Valkyrie? How¡¯d you get that from Valk¡­oh I see, never mind, just ignore my input.]] Reading that Selene had the same bloodline as Cynrik, Brance answered his own question and sat quietly to listen to the babbling rant his brother was spewing.

    [[ Since the Valkyrie ss progression for speed is always slow at the beginning of every game, having a low AGI right now is expected. So, for now, I can only advise you to train your AGI; if not, your huge stat boost will sting when you reach the Reforged Body title. Actually,e to think of it, that insane WP stat chilling at 50 may let youe out unscathed.]] Cynrik shrugged his shoulders before continuing his analysis.

    [[Setting that aside, we have to get AGI, INT, and MIND up to 200 before you hit the Prestige CAP, or you won¡¯t get the full boost up to 300, so it looks like your future is quite bleak, dearest, Selene. I foresee days of reading, leg training, and Mana sickness ahead. Don¡¯t worry; you¡¯ll have plennnnnty ofpany in that aspect.]]

    Selene¡¯s face went dark when she heard the ¡°training¡± Cynrik was nning, and she even wiped a bead of sweat away from her temple.

    At the same time, on the other side of the ship, Gabby felt the hair on her neck rise, and she turned to look at Cynrik, who seemed to be smiling evilly at her. At this sight, her eyes began watering, as it could only mean one thing, the most dreaded aspect of Cynrik¡¯s training programs. The one thing she feared more than even Cynrik beating the hell out of her¡­Workbooks.

    ¡°B..b¡­Big Bro Ivar¡­I¡¯ve been a good girltely¡­right? I haven¡¯t caused any trouble, right?¡± Gabby shakily said with a quivering lip as tears threatened to spill over.

    ¡°Yes, you have; I have a bunch of sour balls with your name on them when wend,¡± Cynrik stated with a smile that wasn¡¯t a smile.

    ¡°Then¡­why?¡±

    ¡°Why what, Gabby?¡±

    ¡°Why are you gunna make me d¡­d¡­do W..wor¡­workbooks.¡± The amount of sorrow and fear in Gabby¡¯s voice sent a chill down Selene¡¯s spine as she watched Benny and Brance tense up at the mention of these so-called ¡°Workbooks.¡±

    ¡°Tsk, tsk, little rabbit, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be handing out workbooks. No, instead, I have a much grander n for you, and fear not, you¡¯ll have Selene joining you this time.¡± Cynrik turned away from Gabby and smiled sadistically at Selene, who narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°KUEKUEKUE!¡±

    This time, everyone on the ship, Headmaster Rivia included, shivered. Cynrik¡¯sugh had that kind of effect.

    However, Cynrik closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair instead of further continuing the conversation with Gabby, diving back into Selene¡¯s situation.

    [[Back to what I was saying, from now on, we need to build an action n for your future stat progression. As you are a half-tank DPS, you will serve as a vanguard alongside Brance, the party¡¯s Main Tank. I will have to adjust Benny¡¯s position so that we can have you, and he split the difference instead of having a singr Off-Tank. Not too sure how I feel about running a triple warrior build, but it is what it is.]]

    [[Is that gonna be ok, though, Cyn, I feel like having three vanguards will leave Gabby unprotected since she¡¯s technically our only real backline.]] Brance asked while looking between the frightened Gabby, chewing on her thumb, and the sleeping Benny.

    [[You are thinking too linear, I am nning a few different deployments, the main being an arrowhead with you as CenterPoint, Selene as right-wing, and Benny left-wing. Gabby slots in on Benny¡¯s side and cross shoots from the back left. Think of it as an inverted check mark. I will fill in the gaps left on the right-wing since I can y the role of a mage.]]

    [[Uh, not sure if im allowed to chime in or not, but what ss are you, Cynrik?]] Selene, who had stayed rtively silent so far, finally broke her silence.

    [[EH? I suppose I haven¡¯t reciprocated the profile transfer, one sec.]] With a wave of his left hand, Cynrik sent over his profile and looked at Brance, who only hesitated for a breath before sending his over to Selene as well.

    Unlike Cynrik and Brance, who showed no response to seeing her profile, Selene nearly fainted as she read through theirs.

    ¡®Maxed Stats, an insane amount of skills, and good lord, they both have triple Affinities; what kind of fucking monsters are they? HOLY SHIT, THEIR KILLING INTENT IS SO HIGH!¡¯

    Selene pulled her eyes away from the floating transparent System notifications. She looked at the two brothers, who were already discussing battle tactics for the upgraded five-person party as if nothing was out of the ordinary. But then a sudden thought dawned on her as she turned to Gabby and Benny.

    [[Those two¡­are they¡­]] unable to finish her sentence, she noticed Cynrik and Brance nod with a mysterious smile.

    [[Fully capped and ready to Evo just like us, wee to the team Selene, you¡¯ve got a LONG way to go, darling.]] Using a British ent, Cynrik chuckled as he watched the older girl¡¯s face pale.

    **Holy hell Guys, you all went above and beyond and already met the 100 Golden Tix goal taking us one step closer to meeting the full stretch goal. As of right now, we still need 946 Power Stones, and 2 Magic Castles to finish my stretch goal. Remember this goes on till the end of next month May.!!**

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 183

    [[Those two¡­are they¡­]] unable to finish her sentence, she noticed Cynrik and Brance nod with a mysterious smile.

    [[Fully capped and ready to Evo just like us, wee to the team Selene, you¡¯ve got a LONG way to go, darling.]] Using a British ent, Cynrik chuckled as he watched the older girl¡¯s face pale.

    [[Don¡¯t worry, unlike Brancie and me, the two of them only have a single Affinity, so in retrospect, if you add our level ofbat experience, those two are leagues behind us.]] As Cynrik spoke, he casually pulled out and unwrapped a sourball before tossing it to the sulking Gabby, who instantly brightened up.

    [[It¡¯s best not to tryparing yourself to Gabby and Benny Selene. Big Brother and I have been training them since they were just learning to walk. It won¡¯t take long to get you up to speed, and honestly, you should end up rtively close to the two of us since you share our¡­particr ailment.]] Trying to cheer up Selene, Brance smiled warmly, turning to look away from Gabby to meet Selene¡¯s gaze.

    [[I see, I know I shouldn¡¯t pry, but how do you both have three Affinities, I thought people on Vinestra were only born with one or two, and then there¡¯s that massive amount of Killing Intent, you guys are several years younger than me, but you clearly have in a shit ton more creatures. This is pretty surprising considering how much bullshit my bitch Mom put me through.]] Selene pat her chest a couple of times to try and calm down.

    The deeper she inquired, the more shocked she became. Seeing that the two of them had capped everything was enough to floor just about anyone. But suppose you add in all the extras, such as their high Gravity Resistance, the Elemental Fusions, and even the absurd amount of Affinity skills the brothers have. In that case, she was trying her best not to hyperventte.

    Arrogance and pride came naturally to Selene, and when she obtained an S-Rank applicant status, she was through the moon with excitement thinking that she was the best of the best. Yet here were two other people, the youngest of which was an entire five years her junior, who got the same Rank but outshined her immensely.

    Then there¡¯s Cynrik, the sole SS-Rank applicant who boasted astronomical power for someone only 12 years old. A casual nce at hisplete profile was enough to dete Selene¡¯s ego entirely.

    [[Our Affinities? That¡¯s easy; we cheated. There¡¯s an item called an Affinity Orb that has a specific rate of unlocking a new Element when used. When we were¡­er¡­]] Cynrik had to stop and think before finishing his statement.

    [[I think 5 and 4, I got my hands on a shit ton of them, and thus we abused our bodies and, in the process, obtained two different Affinities. The only downside is that it nearly killed us both, well, and we learnedter that Tobs locked us out of getting any more until we hit Tier-2.]]

    [[Eventually, I ended up selling off a bunch of the excess or useless elements and ended up keeping two Water, one Ice, one Metal, and one Lightning. The Lightning and Metal are for us since they are advanced forms of Fire and Earth, but if you want the Water and Ice, they¡¯re all yours.]] Pulling up his inventory and sending over the items¡¯ descriptions to Selene, Cynrik, to Brance¡¯s surprise, offered to give away his prized Orbs, which had sat in storage collecting dust for years, without pitching a fit.

    Upon reading the information, Selene¡¯s eyes twinkled as she imagined herself bing the Ice Queen for real instead of merely in name; however, she quickly tossed the thought aside after realizing Cynrik had to have held on to the particr elements for some reason.

    When she asked, though, she was met with ackluster response.

    [[I mean, Benny already has Water, and Gabby is Psychic, so our options were pretty limited. So I kind of just figured I¡¯d find something I wanted in time and would trade them as part of a bargain. I did, after all, rip off the poor old bastard who sold um to me, so anything beyond pennies is profit.]] Cynrik dismissively stated while putting weight on his elbow to lean and look out the window.

    [[Worst case scenario, I can sell them off for these Merit Points, best case, the school store has orbs, and I can do a one for one trade. The only issue is, if I wanna go after an Element that¡¯s above Basic Grade, I¡¯ll have to wait for Tier-3. I have a sneaky suspicion that Affinities are moreplicated than we know.]]

    [[Huh, what are you on about this time, Cyn.]] Even though Cynrik mumbled the end of his statement, Brance still caught what he said.

    [[How do I put it. So right now, thanks to those stupid government mandates, the amount of knowledge we have when ites to Affinities is so minute that even posing a question will just conjure more. For starters, the whole grading scale is kind of sketch. Basic Grade, Basic Special, Advance, Advance Special, Special, Special Advance. At its core, there are three Grades, with each one having a sub-category.]]

    [[From my research, I¡¯vee to realize that certain elements are linked to one another, for example, Earth and Metal. Earth is a BG, while Metal is considered a BSG.]]

    [[Yet if you look at Water and its corresponding Ice, which is AG, there is a disconnect somewhere. Then if you look at the rtionship between Fire,]] Cynrik snaped his index and middle finger on his left hand, conjuring a tiny me above his hand.

    Next, he held up his right hand and snapped, generating a tiny flicker of Lightning which zipped around his fingers, [[and Lightning, you realize the same principle doesn¡¯t apply since Lightning is considered a SAG. It just doesn¡¯t really make sense to me. That¡¯s the primary reason I ended up choosing VSFA as our Academy. Of all the schools, it is the foremost institution in researching Affinities.]] With a wave of his hands, the me and spark vanished.

    [[I want to know more, no scratch that, I NEED to learn more. There are just too many holes in our knowledge regarding Affinities or even the world view. Between being sheltered our whole lives, and the stupid fucking government restrictions, if we didn¡¯t get into a good school, who knows when I would get these damn answers.]]

    [[That isn¡¯t all either, but I won¡¯t bore you guys with my madman ranting.]] With that said, Cynrik fell back into silence. However, he wasn¡¯t idle. Instead, he began working on developing another technique, one that would rival his Forms.

    The brief scuffles during the Selections made Cynrik realize the number of hand-to-hand techniques he had in his arsenal was dwindling when Affinities were added to the mix. In addition, the ear cap and even his fire kicks were bing increasingly nd in his eyes as his opponent¡¯s strength increased. As such, he was in the early stages of nning out a devastating new attack, eventually involving using abination of his Dark and Fire Mana.

    Under the watchful gaze of Brance and Selene, who were expecting to hear more of these so-called ramblings, the silent Cynrik held up his right hand in front of his torso and clenched his left hand as if he was going to execute a palm strike, with all the fingers curled in at the minor knuckle.

    Then, Cynrik leveled his left-hand parallel to the ground and ced the minor knuckles against his open right palm before staring at it for a solid minute, long enough for Selene to lose interest and choose to nap.

    Brance, on the other hand, stared wide-eyed at the actions his older brother was contemting. Then, scanning through the memories he had umted over dozens of years of martial arts training, he concluded it wasn¡¯t something they had practiced. Instead, it was something the two of them had used to try doing when they were kids.

    Brance¡¯s mind froze when he saw Cynrik exhale sharply and fold his hand, switching over to his primary knuckles and instantly punching his right palm.

    ¡°No way¡­¡± Brance whispered to himself. He would have to be blind and dumb not to realize what Cynrik was attempting. But he didn¡¯t chastise his brother for trying toplete the technique. Of all the martial arts moves or techniques rattling around in his older brother¡¯s head, THIS was the single one he wouldn¡¯t harass him for trying to bring into reality.

    Watching with bated breath, Brance inched forward in his chair as Cynrik began speeding up his punches, drawing his left hand a couple of centimeters back before punching out. Minor knuckles into primary knuckles. A two-step strike. Unlike the famous Kamehameha, Rasengan, or other anime moves, this one wasn¡¯t as well known.

    It originated in an anime about a wandering swordsman. In the series, one of the side characters, Sagara Sanosuke, spent a record-breaking time learning this skill and eventually became the best at using it. The two-step technique known as the Futae no Kiwami.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

    Current Progress

    656 /1500 Power Stones

    111/100 Golden Tickets (COMPLETE)

    2/4 Magic Castles

    I will start publishing 2 chapters a day at 0600 and 1800 if these are met before MAY 31st 2022

 Chapter 184

    With Cynrik beginning his forming of the legendary skill and Brance watching with anticipation, only Gabby, Benny, and Selene were left to their own devices for the remainder of the trip.

    However, Headmaster Rivia was constantly chattering away with different school officials in the pilot¡¯s seat. Nevertheless, it was panning out to be a rxing and pleasant drive for the group in the vehicle.

    Meanwhile, back in the Captial, things were a bit more hectic. With the closing of this year¡¯s Selections, groups of parents made their migration back home, leaving only the VIPs in their specified box seats.

    One VIP, in particr, was tearing the spacious and luxurious room to shreds in rage, and if it weren¡¯t for the fact that each of these box-like rooms was both soundproof and resistant to damage from a Tier-6 attack, it would have beenpletely obliterated.

    Two young adult boys hid in separate corners of the room as their mother went batshit crazy, flipping tables, mming chairs, breaking anything she could get her hands on. This woman was Hespa Nilsson, Selene¡¯s Mother.

    ¡°That ungrateful bitch, HOW DARE SHE GO AGAINST ME AT THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY.¡± She screamed while hurtling the leg of the broken table across the room, embedding it half a foot into the wall.

    ¡°All she had to fucking do was keep her head down and join Supremacy University as I told her.¡±

    SMASH

    ¡°Wait till I get my hands on that good for nothing slut. What in the hell was she thinking, jumping into some strange boy¡¯s arms like a little skank.¡±

    SMASH SMASH

    ¡°M..mmmother, if you keep this up, we will be kicked ou..¡±

    BAM!

    While trying to calm his mother down, Sigurd, Selene¡¯s oldest brother, was hit by a shadow fist, which sted him from one corner of the room to the other, right next to Selo.

    Unperturbed by the violent outburst, Sigurd jumped back to his feet and huddled beside his younger brother, rubbing his cheek.

    ¡°Of all the filthy low-breed Academies she could have chosen, VSFA IS THE WORST. With no prestige, she will be a guppy instead of a shark. My carefully drawn out ns were for NOTHING!¡±

    RUMBLE

    With each word, Hespa seemed to vibrate with a faint ck aura. Like her Daughter, Hespa too had a Dark Affinity, and being at Tier-5, she was leagues stronger than either Selene or Cynrik. However, in her anger, Hespa¡¯s control over the Mana swirling like a typhoon in her Codex started leaking out, making her sons shiver in fear.

    Thest thing they saw before Selo and Sigurd passed out due to the intense pressure crushing their bodies was their mother¡¯s hair moving about like snakes and her eyes turning pitch ck.

    Across the venue, Saylin clicked his tongue and shook his head. On the monitor floating a couple of feet from his face, he could see what was going on inside each of the VIP boxes. But unfortunately, he could only stare disgustingly upon seeing Hespa Nilsson throwing a temper tantrum.

    Unfortunately, he could only resign himself to cleaning up her mess. Although she was a very wealthy woman, at the end of the day, Saylin had more significant problems, such as the other 30 VIPs throwing fits for simr reasons.

    Of course, the cause of all this troublending on his te was Cynrik telling off two well-established members of society and taking a stance to join the underdog Academy.

    For years, it had either been SU or Finwan taking the top applicants under their wing, and this was how they stayed at the top of the ranking boards. The worst part was with only a single remark, Cynrik, who was the undisputed highest ranked applicant, swiped two other S-Ranks and 2 A-Ranks, moving them all to the corner of VSFA.

    This didn¡¯t sit well with all the executives, big wigs from other Academies, and their backers.

    In fact, unbeknownst to Cynrik, arge bounty had been ced on his head due to his actions today. Thankfully, for the time being, because of the Alias he had used when applying, none of these people had a clue about his real identity. But this wouldn¡¯tst forever. Eventually, someone would find out who he was, and his family woulde into a lot of trouble if Saylin hadn¡¯t already stepped in.

    The instant Cynrik was back to his old tricks, Saylin went into action, trying to solve the issue democratically. The end result was that he now owed many people favors, which made his blood boil just thinking about it.

    Sighing heavily and leaning back in his chair in defeat, Saylin closed his eyes and requested his AI to mute all the live streams. He felt tired, so very tired, all because of that brat, Cynrik.

    In the Pinhurst Mansion, the celebrations were still ongoing.

    Aside from watching the event live on TV, Brance, as the responsible sibling, had sent over a text message to Cinyah, telling her the details of their contracts, which she quickly showed to the Sanfords and Rikard joyfully.

    ¡°See, I told you little Cyn had everything under control,¡± Cinyah shouted, vibrating with excitement.

    ¡°OH? Is that so, honey? I remember someone pacing nervously on the edge of tearing up when our boy sat down at the table.¡± Rikard teased with his arms crossed.

    ¡°I, too, seem to recall a simr situation urring.¡± Maeve¡¯s crystalline voice chimed in, jumping to Rikard¡¯s side.

    BAM BAM

    Cinyah didn¡¯t take kindly to the two¡¯s teasing, and in a sh, she knocked her best friend and husband on the crown of their heads before backing off and admiring the swelling knots.

    ¡°Now, now, you three are grown-ass adults, with children nheless, you should be passed this crap. But, putting that aside, I think we should all admire how perfectly Cynrik executed his negotiations.¡± Shaking his head and wondering where he went wrong with helping raise the three adults, Jessup steered the conversation back on topic.

    ¡°From Brance¡¯s message, we can tell Cynrik was able to divvy up all the resources adequately, making sure everyone in the party got an equal share of the proceeds. At least it shows he is growing up, unlike a certain three idiots.¡± Leaning backfortably in his expensive recliner, Jessup took a poke at the three adults, who were still children themselves in his eyes.

    ¡°Uncle Jessup, the use about higher Tier knowledge won¡¯t get them in trouble, will it?¡± Gabby and Benny¡¯s mother, Laura, said, clutching the hem of her dress nervously.

    Typically, she was the quietest of the bunch. Still, when she heard about how Cynrik apparently found a way to walk the line betweenwful and uwful, gaining ess to ssified information early, she couldn¡¯t help but be anxious and voice her concern.

    ¡°Hmm, this is a good question. Logically speaking, so long as the Headmaster gives authorization, and sets some kind of standard, as he did, there should be no problems from a legal standpoint. I could only see something happening if any of those kids go bbing what they learn to their peers.¡± Rubbing his unshaven stubble in thought, Jessup rified the situation for Laura.

    ¡°With how cautious that brat Cynrik is, I don¡¯t see anything happening. He has a good head on his shoulders, which is strange considering who gave birth to him.¡± Jessup tossed a confused nce to Rikard and Cinyah, who were still bickering with Maeve, and chuckled softly.

    ¡°I see; it should be fine then. Little Cyn has always kept my Benny and Gabby on the right path.¡± Stating it out loud, it was unknown if Laura was trying to convince herself or simply thinking aloud.

    ¡°We should REALLY be concerned about that new little girl he added to the group. Although I wonder who she is, it¡¯s evident that she is a strong one just because, ording to Brance, that girl Selene got an S-Rank rating just like the brothers.¡±

    Hearing the older man¡¯s gossipy words, the ears of both Maeve and Cinyah twitched like a cat, and they broke up their minor scuffle, calling a temporary truce.

    ¡°I don¡¯t recall ever seeing them y with anyone other than Gabby and Benny, even in school or around the neighborhood; it was always just those four,¡± Cinyah said while trying to remember if she knew the girl.

    ¡°My gosh, when she boldly clung to Little Cyn, I about died; it was so adorable, right Cinyah?¡± Maeve chirped like a schoolgirl.

    ¡°Spring may havee for our boy honey, I never thought I¡¯d see the day,¡± Rikard said, wiping a fake tear for effect.

    ¡°OH, did I tell you guys what that little brat did when we said our goodbyes?¡± Then, feeling the time had arrived to get her revenge, Maeve spilled the beans on the little touchy-feely move Cynrik had pulled.

    As she narrated the events where Cynrik grabbed her butt, Rikardughed while chanting, ¡°THAT¡¯S MY BOY!¡± only to receive a crippling right hook from Maeve and Cinyah, sending him flying.

    ¡°I will have some words for that child when they get settled in their dorms. Don¡¯t worry, Maeve, I¡¯ll set him straight.¡± Cinyah said through gritted teeth; mes flickered in her eyes as she nned out the verbal beating she would dish outter over the phone.

    On the ship traveling to VSFA, Cynrik sneezed loudly and felt a chill on the back of his neck, making his whole body spasm as if he chugged cough syrup.

    ¡°Bless you. You good?¡± Brance said, seeing his brother freak out for a second.

    ¡°Uh¡­I think so; I don¡¯t know why but I feel like someone just cursed me¡­oh well, back to training.¡± Pushing that thought into the far corners of his mind, Cynrik set about punching his hand again.

    BEEP BEEP BEEP

    Around eight hourster, a loud beeping woke up those sleeping and distracted Cynrik from his training.

    ¡°Well, kids, it looks like we are on our final approach; if you look out the window, VSFA should being into view in a couple of minutes.¡± Clicking a few buttons on the control column and flipping a switch above his head, Headmaster Rivia said, making everyone in the vehicle rush to look out their windows in anticipation.

    A few minutester, everyone gasped loudly as they got their first view of the school they would be attending for the foreseeable future.

    There, nestled between two snowcapped mountains, was a giant Castle. It was sorge that they couldn¡¯t take it all in, even from the height of several hundred meters.

    Tall spires and a gothic aesthetic made all the kids viewing the sights inhale deeply.

    [[Hey uh, guys¡­why does this ce look so familiar?]] Selene asked. She had recognized the majestic castle but couldn¡¯t ce her finger on where it was from.

    [[That, my dearest Selene, looks like someone took Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and crammed it together with the Wolf School from the witcher before pping it on top of Mount Everest and its twin brother.]] Cynrik said while pinching his cheek to be sure he wasn¡¯t asleep.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 185

    [[Hey uh, guys¡­why does this ce look so familiar?]] Selene asked. She had recognized the majestic castle but couldn¡¯t ce her finger on where it was from.

    [[That, my dearest Selene, looks like someone took Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and crammed it together with the Wolf School from the witcher before pping it on top of Mount Everest and its twin brother.]] Cynrik said while pinching his cheek to be sure he wasn¡¯t asleep.

    If Cynrik andpany weren¡¯t convinced about Headmaster Rivia¡¯s identity as a reincarnator before, they 100% were now.

    Gazing out over the colossal castle built between the even more massive two mountains, it was too ringly obvious of its origins.

    Standing at over ten stories tall and sporting just as many majestic towers, Vesemir School For Affinities was an absolute sight. However, instead of being a free-standing castle, such as Hogwarts, it was carved magnificently into the face of the two beefy mountains creating a natural barrier on one side.

    But this was not to say that the front half was left defenseless, positioned along an ever-winding 50-meter tall wall that guarded the front of the Academy were around fifty equidistant railgun ss turrets, fusing the gothic old with the modern and technological.

    From the sky, although it wasn¡¯t easy to take in the full scale of the Academy, the members of MyrkLys were stunned.

    ¡°Pictures just don¡¯t do this ce justice,¡± Cynrik said, sporting a toothy grin.

    Everyone in the party nodded silently in acknowledgment as they were too shocked by what they were viewing to reply.

    Headmaster Rivia smiled warmly at their reactions and followed behind the convoy of transports holding the new students as it began circling around the campus,pleting a small aerial tour.

    ¡°Aside from the new intake students, there are currently around 100,000 students, 3200 professors, 10,000 staff members, and 60 deans. The Academy is broken down into eight different wings, four on each mountain.¡± While he drove, Headmaster Rivia gave a brief description of specific areas as they passed by.

    ¡°The long building on Mount Kaer, the left-most mountain, is the Grand Hall, where students are given their three square meals a day. Do take care to remember its location; I don¡¯t want you all starving to death within your first week.¡±

    ¡°There are two hangers on the campus, one for arrivals, located on the far side of Mount Kaer, and one for departures on the far side of Mount Morhen. The two spires positioned beside each hanger are Quest Halls. First through third-year students have ess to the Quest Hall on mount Kaer, leaving fourth through sixth years to use the one on Mount Morhen.¡±

    Listening to Headmaster Rivia, Cynrik jotted down notes and sketched a rough map in a notebook, annotating each key location. Although he knew the school would give out maps, he thought it was better to make his own. After all, the school maps wouldn¡¯t have all the hidden paths marked, hidden paths Cynrik was already noticing with his [Mana Sight].

    At first, when he used the skill, Cynrik was ovee by a blinding migraine. In addition, there was so much Mana floating around that It made his head spin when it came into view. But after a few minutes of adjusting to the myriad of bright colors and a lot of squinting, he was able to focus enough to get a solid picture roughly.

    Brance, on the other hand, shut off his ocr skill the instant it lit up like fireworks to avoid the same splitting headache his older brother was suffering from.

    ¡°Everyone, please direct your attention toward the triple-stacked building there,¡± Headmaster Rivia drew everyone¡¯s attention by pointing at a five-story triyered stone fortress between the two mountains as he spoke.

    ¡°This is one of the crown jewels of our Academy, The Challenge Depot. Housed behind those walls are several Oblisks connected to a vast Virtual Reality Network. Once inside, students can tackle the intense Trial of Grasses to earn various rewards the higher they climb.¡±

    [[Hehehe.]] When the topic of the Challenge Depot was brought to his attention, Cynrik started his sadistic chuckle, making Selene and Brance slowly look at him.

    [[Hehehe, Trial Towers, typical Isekai hehe, OI, BRANCIE, SELENE, WE SHALL TAKE DOWN ALL THESE OBLISKS KUEKUEKUE! THE LOOT, AHHH, THE LOOT!]] Cackling like a crazed pirate, Cynrik kept ranting about how much loot they were going to get in the future.

    ¡°What kind of rewards, Headmaster? If these Obelisks in the Challenge Depot are housed inside VR, how can we bring things out?¡± Choosing to ignore Cynrik¡¯s superviin act, Brance posed his question to Headmaster Rivia.

    ¡°Hoho, excellent question indeed, Student Bj?rn; this is precisely why I stated it¡¯s one of our crown jewels. Unlike standard VR, where you put on some kind of equipment to enter, the Trial Oblists are simr to the RWTC in that Vinestra itself moderates it. The same mysterious presence who administrates all Systems. Using an extraordinarilyplex and intricate Array spell and a ridiculous amount of resources, we were able to tap into this mysterious presence and create a simr tform to the RWTC.¡±

    When Headmaster Rivia mentioned the Central System Hub, calling it a mysterious presence, Cynrik, Brance, Gabby, and Benny all twitched slightly, the memory of the Adjudicator obliterating a god still fresh in their minds. However, this went unnoticed by Headmaster Rivia, who continued speaking.

    ¡°The rewards one can receive by climbing the Obelisks are unique in that they can be brought back to reality. In addition, some items can only be found within, such as Essence Crystals, Affinity Gems, and Proficiency Stones.¡±

    ¡°Wait, hold on a second, Headmaster, Essence Crystals and Affinity Gems, what are those?¡± This time it was Cynrik who spoke up.

    ¡°Simply put, Essence Crystals, when absorbed, can distribute a certain amount of free XP points. They are broken down into the same color ssifications as Egresses. In addition, they can be traded at one of the Academy-run marketces in the Challenge depot for Merit Points if brought out of the Oblisk.¡±

    ¡°Now, Affinity Gems are something entirely different. Like the extremely rare and expensive Affinity orbs, these mysterious and exquisite gems can allow a person to unlock a new Affinity.¡± Headmaster Rivia said, turning around to meet the expectant gaze of Cynrik.

    ¡°Like on a 1 to 1 scale? I know Affinity Orbs have a specific percentage rate for unlocking a new Affinity; if I use a single gem, will I automatically say, get the Earth Affinity?¡± Cynrik asked while drumming his fingers on the armrest of his seat.

    ¡°Not quite. To break it down, these gems have a rarity scale. Depending on their luster and size, they have varying efficiency chances. Several factors determine the probability of actually receiving an Affinity from a gem. Cut, Color, rity, and Weight all y a factor.¡±

    ¡°For Cut, Color, and rity, they are ssified as Poor, Fair, Good, Very Good, Ideal, and Pristine. A poor Gem touts only a 1% chance, Fair brings 5%, Good is 15%, Very Good is 25%, Ideal is 50%, and Pristine is 75%. The gem¡¯s weight can determine how many uses are stored within the said gem. For example, let¡¯s say you find a Poor Water Gem, but it has a weight of 4 Carats; this means you can use that gem four times, giving you four chances at 1%. The same goes for if you had a 4 Carat Pristine gem, you would have four shots at 75% each to obtain the Affinity.¡±

    Cynrik nodded and fell into thought about these Affinity Gems. His eyes shined slightly as he realized that if he could get his hands on a decent Gem, he would have found a way to give his little eggs whatever Affinity he wanted.

    The inquisitive look in Cynrik¡¯s downcast eyes didn¡¯t escape Headmaster Rivia, and he quickly threw shade on Cynrik¡¯s parade.

    ¡°That is to say; you would be able to find them. But unfortunately, Affinity Gems of higher quality have an abysmal drop rate in the Obelisks. Although they can be found in the Markets, they generally have a hefty asking price in Merit Points.¡±

    ¡°Understandable; thank you for the info, Headmaster,¡± Cynrik responded politely and looked out his window.

    ¡°Mm, we will bending soon; there will be an in-depth introduction to the Academy and its facilities in two days when you all go through orientation. So just sit back and enjoy the rest of the ride.¡± With that, Headmaster Rivia fell silent and paid attention to the chatter on his onboardmunication device.

    [[What¡¯s on your mind, Cyn? Your mood went from ecstatic child to broody emo kid again.]] Brance asked as he buckled his seat belt.

    [[Nothing big, just a bit chuffed that I didn¡¯t know about these Obelisks ahead of time. I¡¯m sure an entry fee will be attached to their use, which I could have mitigated by adding it to our contracts. But it seems these are a well-kept secret. Either that or it¡¯s just unspoken in the academic world. There was literally no mention of them at all.]] Cynrik stated while chewing on his left cheek.

    [[I never heard my Bitch Mother or any of her little noble snob friends talk about it either. Hell, I only heard whispers of Affinity Orbs; now im finding out there are Gems; on top of XP Crystals and even Proficiency boosters, you¡¯d figure that would be all over the inte.]] Beside Cynrik, Selene chimed in, adding what little she could to the conversation.

    [[It¡¯s doubtful the Headmaster would have allowed you to add it to the contract even if you knew Cyn, from what I understand, these Obelisks may be the Academy¡¯s primary source of ie outside of Egresses. However, that may exin why he was so quick to grant you ess to them.]] Looking out his window, Brance tried to cheer up his brother, and to an extent, it worked.

    [[You aren¡¯t wrong, Brancie, if these items are as beneficial as I assume, there is no doubt they are a significant source of ie, but that begs the question if the school is selling them outside, why is there no mention of it? (SIGH) One day I¡¯ll have more answers than fucking questions. Constantly being out of the loop is driving me insane. Once we get situated, im heading to the library and getting as much info as possible.]]

    With that, Cynrik stopped talking and leaned back in his chair, admiring the view of VSFA as they finished their final approach andnded in a spacious coverednding zone on Mount Kaer.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 186

    ****Hey everyone, Author-San, ScotchTy here; I just wanted to take a minute to chat with you all; from the beginning, the 185 and 186 were a single chapter; the first look at the school and thending came out to around 3800 words. So I split it into two chapters because it was too long to meet my personal chapter standards. THUS this one is a bit shorter than usual. So far, we are currently 42 chapters into Volume Three, and I know some of you are probably beating your heads against the wall screaming, ¡°OI AUTHOR-SAN WHERE DAH FIGHTS AT!¡± and to those who are, I wanna say, ¡°WORLD BUILDING FOO!¡±

    From the start of Volume One, I have specifically given Cynrik and Brance an extremely limited worldview. Be it between Cinyah and Rikard being overly protective, making them stay basically in their little town of Lawton for their whole lives, or the regtions imposed by not only Tobs but also the Government ban on high-level information. In my initial nning (I swear there is a massive plot outline for this series), I always intended on Volume 3 being the info dump.

    Now that the brothers have arrived at VSFA, they will have extensive amounts of data tob through since the Academies are, at heart¡­a ce for learning.

    We are currently in VOL 3, and by this point, we had already jumped headfirst into the main arc in VOL 1 and 2. For reference, just look at AoT and how Isayama Sensei took seasons 1 and 2 and turned them into roller coasters before expanding the world in 3. I am taking a simr approach, but FRET NOT MY FRIENDS; this Volume is only a little over halfway done, which means we haven¡¯t even hit the main arc of Vol 3 yet. So you can expect he fight scenes, Cynrik and Selene getting into shenanigans and leaving Brance to clean up the mess, Benny being the little weirdo he is, and of course, Gabby being Gabby.

    Next up, IT IS TIME! TOBS CORNER VOL 3. So, get those questions ready because I will pick the best ones from themunity for this Volume¡¯s installment of Tobs¡¯ Corner; remember, you can tweet or p them on Instagram with

 Chapter 187

    Moving together like ghosts through the crowd, Selene and Cynrik seemed to be in their own world, each taking sneaking nces at the other. Although neither would admit it aloud, Brance¡¯s words were still ringing in their head, and attached to those words, was the undeniable truth, on a superficial level, the two of them were indeed a ¡°Match made in heaven.¡±

    From the subtle way they moved other students aside without them noticing, how they both carried themselves in the same over guarded and paranoid manner, all the way down to their eerily simr attitudes and speech patterns.

    It was like they were mirror images of one another, which didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the two in question. Cynrik had been trying to ignore this unspoken fact, while Selene was enamored by it, and it wasn¡¯t until Brance made his snide remark that Cynrik and Selene became hyper-aware of each other.

    Luckily, before either could address this fact, Brance, Gabby, and Benny came into view; finding it a perfect opportunity, Cynrik picked up his pace and began mumbling the next few steps in his ns for Selene to hear.

    Potential training exercises, how she should allocate her stats in the future, and he even went so far as to exin in depth the strategies he and Brance hade up with as she slept on the hover jet. All the while, he would nce at her with hidden confliction in his eyes.

    The more time he spent around the girl, the more aggravated he became at the entire situation. Before Selene came around, he was infuriated that he had seemingly be a puppet of Odin¡¯s whimsy. Now, it was ten times worse because his every thought and feeling were attracted to her like an electroma.

    For Selene, however, things were different. She had nothing but respect for Freya as she was her savior. Without the dying Deities¡¯ intervention, her soul would have shattered and vanished into nothingness, so she didn¡¯t have the same misgivings about the predicament as her alleged perfect match.

    In silence, one person drew a line, leaving the other unaware. Cynrik would flirt and even get to know Selene, but at the end of the day, he had to force himself to remember none of it was real; it was all a sick game yed by higher beings.

    On the other hand, Selene felt everything was going smoothly, although, on the outside, she didn¡¯t show it; inside, she was beyond ecstatic. Every time she looked at Cynrik, Selene felt a sense of wonder and wanting like never before. It wasn¡¯t like she hadn¡¯t experienced love in her previous life, even if she couldn¡¯t remember his name or face anymore. From time to time, she would get shes of being on romantic dates with boys and even¡­more intimate moments, but there was a disconnect within her mind as she could no longer recognize the other party involved.

    In her mind, there was no doubt that Cynrik was experiencing what she was going through; it was only she had no idea he was fighting it instead of embracing what he felt in the way she had already chosen.

    [[Brancie, what¡¯s the hold-up?]] Finally arriving by his younger brother¡¯s side, Cynrik exhaled slowly in an attempt to clear his head and asked.

    Seeing the arrival of Selene and Cynrik, Gabby turned and held out her tiny hand to the older girl and smiled brightly under the hood that hid her face from in sight.

    This shocked Selene slightly; nheless, she still took Gabby¡¯s hand and stood beside her quietly.

    [[Conjestion, everyone is trying to cram into the same road simultaneously, so the professors had to step in and regte the flow of traffic. On top of that, a few¡­unhappy people thought it would be a good idea to start a fight before they even were officially enrolled.]] Brance didn¡¯t look back as he spoke; he could already feel Cynrik and Selene approaching long before they came into view.

    [[Nice, what¡¯s the story on that?]] Raising an eyebrow inquisitively, Cynrik asked with arms crossed over his chest. If one looked closely, one would have seen his left hand forming the same open and close movement as it had for hours.

    [[Some idiot who got a B-Rank Contract was acting like an arrogant prick, bullying a group of D-Ranks till a bigger kid two-tapped him out cold. Of course, B-Rank¡¯s buddies didn¡¯t like that, so it soon became a battle royale.]] Brance exined and shot a stern look at Gabby with slightly narrowed eyes.

    Cynrik saw this and looked back and forth between the two until it dawned on him.

    [[Hehehe, she wanted to jump in cause it looked fun, didn¡¯t she?]] When Brance¡¯s face fell, Cynrik knew he was right and praised Gabby in the mind link with an ¡°attagirl little rabbit.¡± However, he knew better than to say it aloud for her to hear since Brance had clearly gotten done scolding her not long ago.

    [[I would let her, it would have been a good bonding experience for my new roomie and me to get some sharedbat practice in.]] Selene chimed in, causing Brance to re at her.

    The three continued their shared banter for the next hour or so until the traffic jam of bodies cleared up and shifted back into a steady flow towards arge buildingbeled ¡°New Student Intake.¡±

    By the time the members of MyrkLys stepped into this arena-sized building, they were met by thousands of kids sitting in neat rows of chairs and quickly found a batch for themselves. After yet another round of banter and waiting until the doors to the room mmed shut with a loud bang, an adult appeared on therge stage in the center of the arena, drawing everyone present¡¯s attention.

    It wasn¡¯t necessarily the doors mming shut that caught the eyes of everyone, but instead, a vast wave of strong gravitational pressure weighing down their bodies for an instant before disappearing.

    [[3g, and it wasn¡¯t a singr person exerting it, every one of those adults surrounding the stage fired off their KIN at the same time, spreading it over the entire crowd. Pretty impressive.]] Cynrik answered the question in Brance¡¯s head even though he had yet to ask.

    ¡°Good evening, My name is Head Dean Rimsfel; I am the Professor who presides over all things involving every First-Year student. Wee to VSFA; since I realize everyone has a long journey, I will keep it short.¡±

    Standing in the exact center of the stage, in the middle of the arena, Head Dean Rimsfel, who sported a neatly pressed suit with a zer jacket in pearly white with the school¡¯s emblem printed on his left breast, thundered. He appeared to be of Asian descent and had ck eyes and a clean-cut short haircut, just like any regr sryman. Even though he seemed a little skinny, it was clear to Cynrik that under that suit and jacket was a finely chiseled athletic and muscr body.

    Cynrik and Brance activated their [Inspect] simultaneously, but after receiving very little information, they looked at each other out the corner of their eyes and sighed quietly.

    All they had been able to learn was his Age, which was 49. Everything else was listed as question marks, which only meant one of two things. This Head Dean was either at least Tier-4, or he had a tool to block their skill, and judging by the slight intimidating air and the Mana Signatures shown through [Mana Sight], the two brothers determined the Head Dean was way stronger than them.

    [[Hey, weren¡¯t there only a thousand people on the busses? What is going on? Why are there well over 15 thousand now?]] Selene broke up the brother¡¯s information gathering with her observation.

    [[Simple, they recruited outside our country, as well as through backdoor channels. Not to mention, the Selections in the Capital arent the only ones urring. Most of the big Citys have a variant of the Exams. So it only makes sense that there would be this many people.]] Cynrik didn¡¯t look away from the stage as he answered her question.

    [[And before you ask, no, there shouldn¡¯t be anyone with a rank as high as mine here. I¡¯m sure there will be a few S-Ranks, and a hell of a lot more A-Ranks, but the fact that the six Headmasters showed up to our Selections is enough proof.]]

    Selene¡¯s mouth dropped open when Cynrik practically read her mind, but she quickly closed it and nodded.

    [[What have you got so far, Brance?]] Seeing the girl didn¡¯t have any more questions, for now, Cynrik began scanning the crowd of approximately 20 thousand new students with [Mana Sight] still active.

    [[On my side, I only see a couple of dozen who could be considered A-Rank, and maybe three who qualify for S-Rank on Mana Signature alone.]]

    [[It¡¯s the same on my end, that makes close to 30 A-Ranks and half a dozen S-Ranks. That¡¯s not to say there aren¡¯t hidden talents who can suppress Mana, but for now, we¡¯ll round up to around 50 A-Ranks, and maybe 10 S-Ranks.]] Deactivating his ocr skill, Cynrik listened in on the rambling speech the Head Dean was finishing up.

    ¡°With that said, when you leave here, Everyone is to make their way towards the doorways with your Applicant Rank printed above it. You will be ushered to staff members who will verify your Rank and personal information before giving you your new Student Identification, Dorm Assignments, and Merit Cards.¡± Upon mentioning these Rank Labeled doorways, Head Dean Rimsfel motioned around the arena, indicating where these locations were.

    Unlike the rest of the students, who instantly became excited, the members of MyrkLys all frowned. Splitting the party was NEVER a good idea, and yet, that was precisely what needed to be done.

    Mulling over this development, Cynrik chewed his cheek for a moment and started issuing his orders.

    ¡°Gabby, Benny, I want you two to stick together; once you enter that hall, there will be some morons who try and use their name or parents¡¯ influence to get the best of everything. Ignore them and find a Professor immediately. There is no doubt that the Headmaster has already informed his staff about us, so I want you guys peeling off from the herd and finding someone in charge as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°If anyone messes with you or starts shit, you are free to do what is necessary; just don¡¯t kill them, understood?¡±

    ¡°Affirmative,¡± ¡°Yeppers,¡± Benny used his standard confirmation with a short nod, and Gabby cheerfully replied while clenching her fist in excitement.

    ¡°You two are with me; I will handle everything, so just stand there and look pretty.¡±

    ¡°Tsk, fuck off,¡± Brance said, wanting to hit his brother; Selene, on the other hand, only nodded and stayed quiet.

    ¡°Wee all of you, the ss of 4187, to your First Year at Vesemir School For Affinities.¡± Then, pping his hands loudly, the Head Dean stated authoritatively and disappeared from the stage.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 188

    ¡°Wee all of you, the ss of 4187, to your First Year at Vesemir School For Affinities.¡± Then, pping his hands loudly, the Head Dean stated authoritatively and disappeared from the stage.

    The Head Dean¡¯s disappearance marked the end of the dull and cumbersome Orientation. To summarize the speech, all he did was tell everyone where they could get a map, briefly exin the Academy Stores and their locations, and list the times the Grand Hall was open for meals.

    Cynrik already knew all this, but it wasn¡¯t until the Head Dean mentioned everyone had to take a minimum of four credit hours a day, with no more than 40 credit hours in a five-day week, that Cynrik finally paid attention. (Saturday and Sunday were for rest and training)

    As it turns out, picking and choosing sses were all done through the Academy Website, so he wasn¡¯t worried and tuned out the rest of the speech.

    But now that the Orientation was over and the Head Dean was gone, the arena started getting noisy as the new students began making their way to the marked hallways for enrollment.

    Casting a final look over his party, Cynrik motioned for Gabby and Benny to head to Hall A while he, Brance, and Selene moved to Hall S.

    If one were to look down at the arena floor, one would see a massive tide of children moving toward Hall D to the south, C to the west, and B to the north. Finally, however, the herd significantly thinned out as a group broke off from the pack and moved towards the east side of the building, where Hall A and S were located side by side. Once inside, the single Hallway branched off to the left and right, one side for each Rank.

    Cynrik nodded at the Sanfords, giving them the silent signal to behave yet not get bullied, and ventured down the well-lit Hall S with Selene and Brance in tow.

    [[ Were either of you able to get an urate headcount?]] With eyes on the backs of a handful of people who made it to Hall S quicker than them, Cynrik threw a question to the other two.

    [[Before we entered the forked path, I was able to count over a hundred A¡¯s, but I wouldn¡¯t rely on that number too much because there were still a lot of people walking over, not to mention ckers.]] Brance had been keeping tabs on Gabby and Benny until they were out of sight, so he reported his findings.

    [[Shit, was I supposed to be doing that too? I was too worried about the people behind and in front of us in Hall S. So far, I counted 25.]] Selene said, pouting slightly.

    [[I didn¡¯t expect you to have our level of multitasking yet, Selene, it¡¯s good enough that you were checking the S-Ranks without me asking. Honestly, we won¡¯t get an urate number until we see the cluster in the Enrollment office. But, overall, I am only slightly concerned about their numbers, especially since there were clearly more than expected that can hide their Mana Fluctuations.]] Tilting his head to the side and releasing the built-up stress in his muscles, Cynrik spoke his mind to the others.

    [[Hey, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask, but what are these Mana Fluxuations you keep talking about, and howe you guys can see them, but I can¡¯t?]]

    This topic had been bugging Selene since she gained ess to the mind link. Every time Cynrik and Brance observed their surroundings, they wouldment on people¡¯s strengths, leaving her in the dark.

    [[Eh, did you not read through our skill list? Brance and I have an inherited skill called [Mana Sight] passed down from our Dad¡¯s side of the family. With it active, we can observe all the ambient Mana particles in a specific area; as such, it can work as a power-scanner of sorts.]]

    [[The stronger someone gets, the more Mana flows through their bodies, and unless they have a way to contain it, the particles will radiate from their pores and codex into the open air, creating a hazy mist-like effect around them. Over time we worked out a scale form to determine how strong someone is based on the amount of Mana they are radiating. The more intense the hazy waves are, the stronger the person is. ]] Brance added.

    [[On the plus side, it¡¯s like a cheat for figuring out an opponent¡¯s Affinities, everyone lights up like a Christmas tree, and it¡¯s pretty shy. Unless you have a skill or are particrly in tune with Mana, you wouldn¡¯t even realize. For example. With a casual nce, I can tell roughly how much MP you have along with the Tier of your Codex. Also, because Mana sight shows the particles in their natural color, so long as I know the entire spectrum, I can determine what Elements you have.]] Picking up where Brance left off, Cynrik finished the train of thought as they made it out of the Hallway and into aprehensive office building filled with kiosks and attendants ready to help with enrollment.

    [[Kinda looks like the bank I used to work at back in the day,]] Cynrik said with a smirk.

    [When the hell did you work at a bank? I thought you only ever worked at a Vet clinic and the skating rink pre-Airforce.]] Shocked by the revtion that Cynrik ever held down a semi-normal job in his life, Brance couldn¡¯t help but feel he had missed a significant achievement in Cynrik¡¯s growth on Earth.

    [[Don¡¯t hurt your brain trying to remember, itsted less than a month before I rage quit.]] Cynrik¡¯s face scrunched up as if he smelled something foul at the memories of that job.

    [[Nah, nope, you are lying, you didn¡¯t rage quit.]]

    [[OHHH, I SMELL DRAMA, SPILL!]]

    Brance and Selene immediately pounced on Cynrik verbally when they realized something was fishy with the story already.

    [[Tsk, fucking gossip queens, FINE, some bastard kept taking my lunch every day for a week, so when I found out, I beat the fuck outta him and got fired. Isted like two weeks at that job; that¡¯s why I never told you, Brance.]]

    [[Now, can we please focus on the topic at hand? Let¡¯s find three open kiosks and get this shit over and done with. The longer we are separated from Gabby and Benny, the more likely they will get in trouble.]] Ignoring the obnoxiousughtering from Selene and Brance, Cynrik shoved his hands into his pockets angrily and stormed off to the far side of the Enrollment office, where he spotted five vacant kiosks.

    Wiping the tears ofughter from their eyes, Selene and Brance hurried after Cynrik while taking jabs at him about how even the shortest employments they had on Earth were at least two years.

    By the time the three made it to the vacant kiosks, the two meddlesome fellows had finally stopped their annoyingughter and put on serious expressions, falling in on opposite sides of Cynrik, who was already greeting the youngdy behind a ss window.

    ¡°Hello, my name is Ivar Ragnarsson; I am here toplete my Enrollment procedures and receive my contracted benefit items.¡± He pulled down his hood and shed the pretty woman his most charming smile.

    Unfortunately, since he only looked like he was 13 or 14, thedy just responded with the same smile an older sister would give her younger sibling, peeving Cynrik.

    ¡°Not a problem; first, could you please remove your Watcet and ce it on the dish for me? I need to verify your identity and the device¡¯s authenticity before continuing.¡± The woman said, pushing a few buttons on her keyboard, making a small metallic dish rise up from the desk.

    Cynrik nodded andplied, but first, he had to unequip his Assassins tool, then is Watcet. His left eye never stopped twitching as it was the first time since he was little that the device had left his wrist. What he wasn¡¯t expecting, however, was the moment he pulled back his sleeve and shed the brilliant tinum exterior of his device, the staff woman sucked in a deep breath of air.

    ¡°Tha..that¡¯s, tinum, you¡¯re the new SS-Rank student.¡± The woman stumbled through her sentence with wide eyes and epted the Watcet as if it was the most fragile thing in the world.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am, that would be me.¡± Fighting his hardest not to lose his temper with the woman, Cynrik affirmed his identity, and after a couple of minutes and a quickser light show when a machine scanned his device, Cynrik ced his Watcet back on his wrist where it belonged.

    ¡°Thank you; I have your information brought up and have verified that everything is in order. I have already installed the appkey for your dorm in the Methia¡¯s wing, Room number 001; all you will need is to press your Watcet against the panel on the door, and the door will unlock, allowing you to enter. To lock it, all you have to do is tap on the panel a second time when leaving.¡± Then, acting like a professional who hadn¡¯t been caught off guard minutes before, the woman went back into work mode and exined things to Cynrik.

    ¡°Your Watcet now holds a personalized tag, allowing you to use it to ess all the training facilities avable to First-Year Students.¡±

    Next, she opened up a drawer and pulled out a tinum-colored Creditcard before cing it in the little tray and passing it over to Cynrik on the other side of the ss.

    ¡°This is your Merit Point Card; as per your contractual benefit terms, it has been preloaded with 500 Merits, on top of enough credit to cover the expenses for your uniforms and textbooks. If you wish to check your bnce at any time, just hold the card against your Watcet, and it will automatically pull up your bnce on the Academy website.¡±

    ¡°The card itself is essential, so please take care not to lose it. If for some reason you do, you will be charged 1000 Merit points for a reissue, so it is best to keep it in your inventory where it can¡¯t be lost or stolen.¡±

    Cynrik nodded that he understood, and after examining the card in detail for a second, he carefully put it away in his inventory.

    ¡°I have finished filing all the correct forms and paperwork, so all that is left is for me to go retrieve the items detailed in your contract; please allow me a few minutes to do so.¡±

    The woman gave a brief smile and jumped out of her chair, taking off at a full sprint towards a back room without waiting for Cynrik to respond, leaving him stunned.

    ¡®Well, she sure is taking this seriously,¡¯ he thought to himself and checked in with Selene and Brance, who were also waiting for their signing items.

    Their experience so far wasn¡¯t as irregr as his own since the two of them were regr S-Ranks, and the staff was well acquainted with new students of their Rank. Only the woman dealing with Cynrik was a bit off.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 189

    It didn¡¯t take long for the Staff Woman to briskly powerwalk back to her kiosk with a small box in hand. Then, seeing that Cynrik was waiting patiently, she hurried over, straightened her pencil skirt, and sat back at her desk. Then she ced the small wooden box on the tray and sent it over to Cynrik, exining its contents.

    ¡°I apologize for the wait; it took me a bit to gather all the contents of your New Student starter pack, not to mention I had to verify that the extra items were in line with your contract.¡±

    Cynrik didn¡¯t stand on ceremony and opened the box only to find a small spatial ring inside. Realizing what it was, he picked it up and ced it on his left thumb before examining the shiny tinum exterior of the ring and its contents alongside the woman¡¯s narration.

    ¡°The starter pack is standard for all enrollees; it contains the basic necessities such as bedding, hygiene products, kitchen utensils, and the training modules for your dorm room¡¯s Training Room. With the modules, you need to install them in the dorm¡¯s Artificial Intelligence, and the AI will take over from there.¡± The Staff Woman rattled off a checklist of items stored in the small ring while Cynrik verified everything along the way.

    ¡°Next, as per the notes on your file, I have included the Tier-2 Evolution materials, one Evo-Stone Fragment, three Affinity Stone Fragments, one Fire, one Wind, and one Dark, a batch of metabolism boosters, one mental fortification pill, and two efficiency boosters.¡±

    This time, Cynrik¡¯s eyes shot wide open, and if he weren¡¯t in public, his mouth would have dropped open as well. There was a lot of information to unpack in that simple list she had just listed out, leaving Cynrik at a loss for what to say.

    Realizing he had stayed quiet too long and feeling the heated gaze from the Staff woman, Cynrik nodded a couple of times, changing from a shocked expression to an all-knowing one.

    ¡°Everything seems to be here.¡± He said, trying to calm his rapidly racing mind.

    ¡®Tobs, what the fuck are Affinity Stones, and efficiency boosters? I can assume the basic function of metabolism boosters and mental fortification pills.¡¯

    Keeping up with the conversation with the Staff woman, who had exined more useless info, such as how to sign up for sses and whatnot, Cynrik split his attention to Tobs descriptions and exnations.

    -Unlike when a being evolves to Tier-1, more resources are required the higher you advance to aid your body through its changes.-

    -Tier-2 is vastly different from Tier-1 as the being will undergo fundamental changes to how their body processes the umtion of Mana. As such, a catalyst is required for the being to ¡°upgrade¡± their Codex and Affinities into the next Tier. This is the purpose of Affinity stones. Unlike in previous Tiers, where the being can rely solely on Ambient Mana Particles to undergo their Evolutions, from Tier-2 onward, an external source is required. This is why Affinity Stones are listed as an essential material for Evolution.-

    -Affinity stones, like Evo-Stones, are materials that have been saturated in Mana to the point where they have, in a sense, evolved into something that can contain higher levels of Mana particles.-

    -Efficiency Boosters and Metabolism Boosters are materials created by beings with the Alchemist or Chemist sses. They aid the Evolving being in processing the energy absorbed from Evo-Stones and Affinity Stones. Efficiency Boosters allow you to have less wasted energy during the transfer, and Metabolism Boosters give you much needed extra nutrients which your body will burn; if not, you would lose a lot of weight and muscle mass during your Evolution.-

    -Lastly, the Mental Fortification pill¡­well, it should be entirely unnecessary for all the members of MyrkLys. It is used by weaker beings with low MIND Stats or weak wills. Something none of youck, I advise you to sell them for more Merit Points since you, as you say, ¡°Done Goofed¡± by tossing aside your chance to get free materials for your Tier-3 Evolution.-

    ¡°That¡¯s everything you need to know; your enrollment ispleted; as the Head Dean stated, sses will begin the following Monday. You are free to use the remaining time settling into your new dorm or going to the training facilities until then.¡±

    The Staff woman finished her side of the conversation just when Cynrik was about to reply to Tobs, pulling his attention back to her. He stood up while thanking the woman before walking away from the kiosk without saying another word.

    His mind was a storm of questions, but he suppressed these thoughts and walked towards the center of the office building, opting to observe as many of the other S-Ranks as possible before Selene and Brance, who were still in the process of finishing their paperwork, joined him.

    Using [Mana Sight], Cynrik scanned each kiosk, allowing him to look at everyone¡¯s strength quickly. But after a few minutes of not finding anyone he considered a challenge, Cynrik became bored and went back to trying to figure out the timing of the Futae no Kiwami, also known as the ¡°Double Layer Limit.¡±

    Although it appeared simple to the naked eye, the attack was anything but. The Futae no Kiwami revolves around the theory that all matter has a certain resistance level, causing a single strike¡¯s impact to be wasted upon meeting this said resistance.

    The critical point of the attack is using two blows, which will first break that innate resistance before delivering the full power of your strike. However, what Cynrik was trying toplete was only the first part of the skill, which can be further broken down into stages. The final one is the use of any part of the person¡¯s body to execute the full strength of the Futae No Kiwami.

    In the first stage, you use only your fist; the first strike, which is intended to break through the object¡¯s innate resistance, is delt using your hand¡¯s proximal interphngeal joints (the first bending joint above your knuckles). After breaking through the object¡¯s resistance, Cynrik has less than a millisecond to copse his hand into a perfect fist and strike the exact same point a second time, hitting the target nearly the same time as the first strike.

    If executed perfectly, the end result should be registered by his system as a devastating critical hit since the target no longer has any resistance and takes on the full impact.

    In theory, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to pull off the attack, but Cynrik quickly realized how naive he was to believe that. Setting aside how hard it was to get the timing down, another issue presented itself: the uracy of his second blow.

    Every time hended the second blow, it would impact too high, approximately the distance between his first and second knuckles, nullifying the attack¡¯s fundamental principle.

    Thus, not only was he fighting to get the speed of the attack down, but he was forced to add an extra step into the attack, rolling his fist downwards as hepleted the second strike. This, in a sense,pletely threw off his uracy, and as a result, Cynrik had yet to execute the attack sessfully.

    Sighing heavily, Cynrik could only resign himself to repetitively working on thebination of copsing his left hand into a fist before rolling his wrist downward and pushing forward.

    Luckily, with how his mind worked, he imagined a punching bag in front of his hand and could picture where his knuckles would hit, saving him the time and potential physical issues of constantly striking the bag hundreds of thousands of times. Thinking back to the character in that show and how he practically pulverized the bones in his hand, learning and eventually executing the Futae no Kiwami, Cynrik had chosen this route of getting the timing down before using his strength to hit something solid.

    Around 15-20 minutester, Brance and Selene met up and found Cynrik standing in the room¡¯s corner, punching subtly towards the ground while leaning against the wall. Except for Brance, who already knew what Cynrik was working on, Selene and anyone else who saw him would just think it was some kind of stim from ADHD.

    [[Hey, we are all finished here, Cyn, Let¡¯s go find Gabby and Benny and head to get a bite to eat.]] Brance said calmly, not wanting to startle Cynrik, who was deep in a training trance.

    [[Ohhh, food sounds good, im fucking starving.]] The mention of food had Selene¡¯s mouth-watering since they hadn¡¯t eaten since before they left for the Selections in the morning.

    [[Fine, let¡¯s head over to Hall-A and pick up the kids,]] kicking off the wall and walking passed Selene and Brance, Cynrik said and headed for the exit back towards the arena.

    While they walked away from the Enrollment office, the three Over-Break hosts chatted about the materials and the revtion that more items other than the Evo-stone would be required for future Evolutions, which were unknown even to Selene, who came from an affluent family.

    [[It¡¯s that fucking information Law. How closed-minded is the stupid government of this country? Honestly, I am surprised it¡¯s still flourishing with how heavy those restrictions are. The general popce appears to be weak as fuck since they have no idea how small their world is.]] Cynrik aired his frustrations and stepped out of Hall-S and into the arena, where he spotted thousands of kids forming into cliques and groups.

    However, just as he stepped away from the giant banner showing off the name of the Hall, Cynrik sensed an objecte hurtling towards him.

    He sidestepped to the right without bothering to look andshed out using only 20% of his full strength with a sidekick.

    ¡°UGHHHHH!¡± a voice screamed in anguish as Cynrik felt some weight hanging over his leg, which annoyed him enough to finally nce over only to see a teenage boy in the air, held up only by Cynrik¡¯s leg.

    ¡°HOLY SHIT!¡±

    ¡°Did you see that? He stopped that guy mid-air?¡±

    ¡°Woah!¡±

    ¡°Hey, wait, that guy just came out of the S-Rank Hall!¡±

    Still holding the half-conscious, struggling teenager in the air with only his extended leg, Cynrik ignored the gasps of nearby onlookers and red at the bastard who tried sneak attacking him.

    ¡°Troublesome fucking kids, can¡¯t a guy just walk in peace to pick up his party members.¡± Spitting out the sentence with apparent hostility, Cynrik flicked his leg to the right, bouncing the teenager off and into the air, before whipping the same leg at a strange angle and firing off a question mark kick.

    (If you don¡¯t know, youtube/watch?v=Jze8j_88MsU )

    BAMMMM!

    Upon impact, the teenage spat a mouthful of blood and was sent crashing into a group of onlookers.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 190

    BAMMMM!

    Upon Cynrik¡¯s attack making an impact, the teenager spat a mouthful of blood and was sent crashing into a group of onlookers.

    Cynrik didn¡¯t wait for the teen to get back to his feet and instantly appeared standing over his unconscious body, with malice in his eyes.

    Seeing that he was down for the count, Cynrik clicked his tongue and observed his surroundings for the instigators of this little event. Since it was too evident that he wasn¡¯t acting alone, his eyes scanned around the arena for anyone wearing an affronted expression instead of a scared or cheerful one. Soon, he saw a group of at least 20 kids with crossed arms diagonally across from Hall A.

    [[Fan out, roughly 20 bodies, at 3 o¡¯clock, keep your eyes peeled for anyone acting suspiciously. The first response from someone not involved would be hostility or distaste. Write off anyone who isn¡¯t showing those expressions.]] Cynrik said while tilting his head at a sharp angle to pop his neck.

    [[Cyn, don¡¯t get too hasty. We only just got here, and school hasn¡¯t even started yet.]] Although Brance was hesitant to pick a fight, he felt something was off. Gabby and Benny were nowhere in sight, and there was already a crowd looking for trouble with them when they had yet to smart off or pick a fight with anyone.

    [[Cynrik, Brance, I¡¯ve got another group over by Hall B, another ten hostiles.]] Selene, on the other hand, showed no hesitation at all and set about locating any potential targets without reservation.

    Turning his eyes slowly, Cynrik located the group Selene was talking about and activated [Mana Sight] to grasp their strength before monitoring therger group to his right.

    [[Selene, the group you found is your target, it mainly consists of B-Ranks, except for the pseudo-leader, who is a high A-Rank. So it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you.]]

    Selene smirked at his words. Then, after lifting the hood of the hoodie Cynrik had given her earlier, she blended in with the shadows by activating a stealth skill called [Shadow Bend]. This skill had simr properties to Cynrik¡¯s [Cloak of Shadows] but wasn¡¯t asprehensive.

    Brance could only shake his head and sigh when he saw the newest party member vanish before popping his neck as his older brother did.

    [[10 each? I assume you want the left side of the group?]] Brance said as he tapped his right toe on the ground to get a feel for the surface of the arena.

    [[That¡¯s the idea, don¡¯t be gentle either, these fuckers have something against us, and I don¡¯t want to fall into the slot filled by useless protagonists that get bullied. Now and then, you have to bust a few heads. Never forget Brancie; a concussion a day will keep the morons away, hehe.]] With that said, Cynrik activated [Cloak of Shadows] and made his approach.

    [[I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how that works¡­but whatever.]] Brance said, activating his own stealth skill [Vanish], which unlike using shadows to hide a person, would instead bend the light around his body, cloaking him from prying eyes.

    Less than three seconds after Brance disappeared from sight, a chorus of bloodcurdling screams erupted in the arena, causing the thousands of kids meandering around aimlessly or chatting with friends to go silent and look around for the source of the pain-filled screams.

    To the eyes of the low-rank students, all they could see was pure chaos erupting within two groups of formerly haughty fellow ssmates.

    The smaller group had a hazy ck mist constricting them, which only broke apart for a millisecond when a student was flung out of its confines. But even then, those students weren¡¯t safe because not even half a second after they appeared, a ck tendril would erupt from the mist, catching them by the neck and dragging their helpless bodies back inside.

    Although these events were impressive, it was nothingpared to the pure chaos erupting amid the second group, where ck mes burst to and fro, followed by missles of air and rock. If one looked beyond the mes and stone, they would barely catch a shing silhouette zipping around from one body to the next, breaking bones as if they were twigs.

    Legs, arms, fingers, ankles, wrists, no one was safe. Several keen-eyed students even howled loudly and sympathetically when they saw this shadowy figure deliver a devastating groin shot to an older-looking boy, followed by a loud popping sound.

    Nearly every male student who witnessed the¡­cracking¡­ was left either doubled over, covering their own jewels or bending their knees inward.

    Aside from the shadowy silhouette, a glowing white one zipped around just as quickly as itspatriot, breaking the main four limbs in a single strike each time it dashed by.

    The fight onlysted a couple of minutes, but when the dust settled, only two young boys were left standing in therger group, and in the smaller, there was only a single teenage girl.

    When the crowd finally got a clear look at them, only those from the Captial¡¯s Selections recognized these three in the same year. However, on the trip over, the most prominent conversation topic was the group of students who joined VSFA, two A-Ranks, two S-Ranks, and the only public SS-Rank in this year¡¯s Selections. The people who recognized the matching hoodies and emblem on the chest and back began spreading their identities through the crowd of thousands, and within seconds, murmurs took over the silence that had descended.

    However, the three in question, Selene, Brance, and Cynrik, could care less, as all three wore aggravated expressions.

    At this moment, Cynrik was holding the group¡¯s pseudo-leader by the neck and in the air, interrogating him while pushing Dark Mana through the student¡¯s body, causing him to experience excruciating pain. This form of torture mainly worked because of Dark Mana¡¯s corrosive and prating nature, and although it was low Tier and couldn¡¯t kill the kid, it would make him feel like his skin was peeling off.

    ¡°AHHHHH, STOP AHHH, PLEASE, I¡¯LL TELL YOU WHATEVER YOU WANT!!!¡± the older boy pleaded with tears and snot streaming down his face.

    ¡°Now, wasn¡¯t that much easier than you saying you¡¯ll tell me nothing.¡± A sadistic grin was painted across Cynrik¡¯s lips as he tapped his pointer finger against the boy¡¯s jugr vein.

    For added effect, Cynrik had even gone so far as to have small ck mes hovering in his eyes, and intimidation idea he had always wanted to try but only now got to use it. The fact that ckFire, radiated very little light and Cynrik hadplete control over its temperature made it a lovely touch to scare the shit out of someone unsuspecting.

    As it was, the boy who was about to piss himself in fear was a prime example that it worked brilliantly.

    Standing behind Cynrik, Selene was curious to know what he was doing to freak out the kid so badly, but since Cynrik had his hood up, she could not get a good look.

    ¡°It was the 2nd year students. When we were waiting for enrollment, a boy and girl kept searching for a teacher. When they finally found one, our group overheard their conversation and the contract benefits they were getting, so I told our boss, one of the elite 2nd-year students, and he told us to either capture the two or beat them up and steal their resources and Merit Cards.¡±

    ¡°When we sent some underlings to do it, they got obliterated, but in the process, we heard the girl talking about how she was hungry, so we tricked her with some snacks, and like a puppy, she followed us quickly. After that, she told us that she was part of a party and that her Big Bro got everyone the same benefits in the group.¡±

    The boy spat out a summary of events as fast as he could to make the pain stop as soon as possible.

    ¡°Sigh, of course, she would be lured by the promise of snacks; OI, Bj?rn, didn¡¯t you teach her not to take food from strangers? What gives?¡± Clicking his tongue, Cynrik looked over his shoulder to see his embarrassed younger brother looking at the ground, ashamed.

    ¡°Tsk, whatever, it¡¯s not like they are in any danger anyway. If anything, it should be a reasonably even match if those two pop off against some second years. Anywho, nighty night dipshit.¡± Looking back to the boy stuck in his grasp, Cynrik drew him close enough to headbutt him, knocking him unconscious instantly, before mming the kid into the ground hard enough to leave a small person-sized crater pooling with blood in its wake.

    [[Welp, I guess we gotta go pick up the kids from 2nd-year daycare now, right boys?]] Selene stated with her hip cocked to the side and her arms crossed.

    [[Yep, Tobs, can you lock onto the Sanfords and give me a rough direction for them?]] Fighting backughter thanks to Selene¡¯s use of words, Cynrik brought up the campus map on his Watcet.

    -Something is interfering with my ability to pinpoint their location perfectly, but I can tell you that Gabrie and Benjamin Sanford are North West of your position.-

    [[Che, the all-powerful and mighty Tobs can¡¯t do something, are you feeling sick? Do you need a nap or snack?]] Confused by her inability to locate his party members, Cynrik started teasing his AI due to the awkward situation.

    -Who told you to lose the kids Cyn, arent you the disciplinarian? It sounds like you are not onlyzy but shitty at something so simple as keeping two kids a quarter your age under control. It isn¡¯t like I ce tracking chips in their necks; find them on your own.-

    Cynrik¡¯s jaw dropped nearly to the floor when he felt the verbal assault from Tobs wash over him, leaving Selene and Brance to erupt into hystericalughter in the mind link in response.

    [[Well fuck¡­OI, YOU TWO SHUT UP! The sooner we find the fucking kids, the sooner we can go eat.]] Feeling wronged by the reaction of his party and even Tobs, Cynrik angrily kicked the unconscious bodies of the downed students, flinging them several feet away as he stormed off, leaving the arena.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 191

    Feeling wronged by the reaction of his party and even Tobs, Cynrik angrily kicked the unconscious bodies of the downed students, flinging them several feet away as he stormed off, leaving the arena.

    Cynrik¡¯s ruthless actions left every First-Year spectator speechless. To them, who were both young and wet behind the ears, he disyed the brutal act as he walked away from the scene and kicked every unconscious person as if trash was ingrained in their minds. This was the moment for many lower Rank students that they collectively decided never to get in his way.

    Overall, some weaker students reacted differently, showing respect to Cynrik, Selene, and Brance instead of fear. Who among them didn¡¯t want the power to beat into submission so many people single-handedly effortlessly.

    Meanwhile, the children from wealthy or influential backgrounds sneered in anger because several of the people who just got their asses kicked were their friends or had some connection. However, each time they heard the thud of a body being hurled out of Cynrik¡¯s path, these arrogant brats would flinch. Only when the monster child and his partners finally left the arena could they breathe easily.

    Once outside, Cynrik held up his Watcet and checked which direction was North West before channeling copious amounts of Mana into his legs and feet.

    [[Im going up high to scout. Odds are, if these assholes grouped up, I should be able to see their Mana Signatures like a beacon. But it will take time; I have no idea how many people can restrain their Mana leakage.]] Not waiting for a response from Selene and Brance, who were just exiting the arena, Cynrik activated [Mana Sight] and stomped the ground with all his strength shooting up 10 meters into the air.

    Once he felt his upward movement shift into a descent, Cynrik quickly activated [Continual me], emitting a focused jet of Fire from his feet and allowing him to climb up to 50 meters in a short amount of time.

    ¡°HOLY SHIT! HE CAN FLY?¡± Selene grabbed Brance by the arm with eyes as big as saucers and screamed in shock.

    ¡°He prefers to call it falling with style; it¡¯s like a controlled glide. Big Brother likes to use it to show off, but he basically doesn¡¯t use it often since it¡¯s a huge drain on MP, especially inbat.¡± Brance said, patting the back of her hand gently as a sign to release him.

    Above, Cynrik expended over a hundred points of MP in that singr burst of explosive speed to reach 50 meters, but it wasn¡¯t for nothing. Upon reaching his peak height, Cynrik spun slowly, taking in everything his eyes could see. After a few seconds, he locked on to five differentrge congregations of Mana Fluctuations.

    Narrowing it further, he squinted slightly; and counted the bodies in two of these groups, quickly noticing there wasn¡¯t anyone who could conceal their Mana leakage; Cynrik eliminated them, leaving only three options.

    ¡®Group one seems to be a club or something doing some training exercises, so they are out. Of the two choices, only that one makes sense.¡¯ So Cynrik thought to himself as he observed one group that appeared to be huddled around three people in arge circle.

    Cynrik chose this group in particr because there were three people with muted Mana Signatures, a sign of being able to conceal their leakage. Since Cynrik and Brance had already taught the skill to the Sanfords, it was precisely what he was looking for. The only annoying part was the size of that group. However, the more Cynrik observed thatrge group of well over a hundred people, the more confused he became.

    It didn¡¯t appear to be what he expected from his vantage point. Instead of Gabby and Benny being bullied or held hostage, it looked like they were surrounded, and everyone was¡­listening to a story¡­ Cynrik nearly fell from the sky when he concluded this change of events and was forced tond soon after.

    [[You have got to be kidding me. Are you sure you saw things correctly?]] Brance said in confusion.

    [[Look, man, I¡¯m just telling you what it looks like, for all we know, those guys could be interrogating them or something, but from what I saw, that little sugar glutton is being stuffed with food while Benny is quietly staying by his sister¡¯s side.]] Cynrik shrugged his shoulders as he led the way towards where Gabby and Benny were located.

    [[So what are we gonna do? Bust in and wreck the ce?]] Standing to the left of Cynrik, Selene asked curiously.

    [[I mean¡­we could, to be honest, except for one person I couldn¡¯t get an urate read on, they seem kind of weak for kids who have spent a whole year in the school. So, in theory, we should have no problem kicking down the door like cowboys and blowing everything up.]] Cynrik stated in contemtion, all the while trying to ignore the scent of perfume wafting his nostrils.

    [[Nope, not happening, there is NO WAY IN HELL I am letting you two psychos blow up a building on school property. Drop that idea. Who knows what kind of consequences that would have on us. Minor fights where we break a few bones, sure, it looks terrible, but it¡¯s an everyday urrence here. So long as we don¡¯t kill anyone, they can be healed by the nursing staff.]] Brance felt a chill course through his body when Cynrik mentioned blowing up the building and quickly interjected.

    Selene stayed quiet and listened to the two bicker about what n of attack to use and smiled under her hood. The more time she spent with them, the more she realized that THIS was how siblings were supposed to act. Her shitty brothers could notpare to the Jetlensrs, and she felt a little jealous.

    [[So what¡¯s your n, calmly walk in and tell the kids to hurry along¡­ But, Brance, you know damn fucking well that won¡¯t work.]] Drawing a long face and staring nkly at his brother, Cynrik was at a loss.

    [[Listen, idiot, WE ARE AT SCHOOL; little scenes like in the arena can¡¯t be a regr thing with us. Are you trying to get expelled?]]

    [[WELLLLL, TO BE FAIRRRRR, ording to Article 3, in the student handbook, titled ¡°On-Campus Fights,¡± so long as we clear them with the app in our Watcets, it¡¯s okay. The only rules are no killing and no permanent damage, such as cutting off body parts.]] Wearing a smug grin, Cynrik pulled up the Article in question and showed it to Brance, whose face dropped into a scowl.

    [[THAT DOESN¡¯T MEAN YOU CAN JUST GO AROUND MURKING EVERYONE YOU SEE!]]

    [[Eh, Brance¡­. doesn¡¯t it though?]] Tired of the yelling, Selene stepped in and made Brance freeze in ce.

    [[Sorry, Brancie, it¡¯s 2v1. Come on, Selene, let¡¯s go beat some people into submission.]] Chuckling to himself, Cynrik caught the girl¡¯s hand and took off sprinting towards the building he saw from the air.

    [[Fucking shit, you two assholes are going to get us expelled.]] With hisints falling on deaf ears, Brance kicked off the ground and chased after the two hooligans while sighing in his heart.

    Although the distance was the equivalent of several football fields, Cynrik, Selene, and Brance covered it in only ten minutes and found themselves standing outside what appeared to be a college frat house in the Second Year housing area.

    Not bothering to knock, Cynrik aptly let himself into the building by kicking the door without holding back, making it explode into splinters, and walked in casually.

    ¡°OI, GABBY, BENNY, TIME TO GO! WE¡¯VE GOT SHIT TO DO!¡± He shouted happily as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

    Stepping into the frat house, Cynrik was greeted by a spacious living room the size of a gymnasium, where over a hundred students were huddled around Gabby, Benny, and a kid he didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡±

    ¡°Who dares to intrude on our turf?¡±

    ¡°Fuck, that bastard destroyed the door!¡±

    ¡°Hi, Hi, Big Bro Ivar,ing, sorry everyone, I gotta go now. Thank you for the snacks, though.¡± Gabby¡¯s cheerful voice cut through the chorus of angry howls as she jumped off the couch and cheerfully hopped over towards the direction Cynrik, Selene, and Benny waited.

    ¡°Where the fuck do you think your going bitch?¡±

    However, just as she lept off the couch, a hand grabbed her by the shoulder and forcefully pulled her back.

    PUCHI

    But just as this person, who was apparently the leader of this group, and a Second Year student, did, a single edge sword pierced through his forearm, emitting a squelching sound, followed by the boy¡¯s screams.

    ¡°Get your filthy fucking hands off, my sister.¡±

    Benny had been putting up with the advances made on himself and Gabby for far too long, and when he witnessed this asshole grabbing her and calling her a bitch, he snapped. Whipping out his sword and effortlessly stabbing forward, he pierced the very arm that was gripping Gabby, forcing the leader to release the little girl.

    ¡°HOHO! Lookie here, Benny started things off first. HAHAHA, let¡¯s DO THIS SHIT!¡± Cynrik, who seemed overexcited, swiped his hand over his Watcet and issued over a hundred pre-filled, Fight Challenges, targeting everyone for a group battle between MyrkLys, and this little club named ¡°Epsilon Chall.¡±

    DING, DING, DING, DING

    Instantly, everyone¡¯s Watcets jingled loudly, signifying a notification for battle had been received, and be it in rage or ignorance, everyone on the Epsilon Chall side instantly epted.

    The level of disrespect and arrogance Cynrik and the others had disyed by storming into their turf was enough to piss them off to the extent that they didn¡¯t care how potentially strong their opponents were.

    Moving as one, the members of MyrkLys, minus Selene, swapped into their uniformbat gear and withdrew their weapons.

    Selene¡¯s equipment was vastly different. She was decked out with expensive, formfitting ck leather from neck to toe. On her back was a single thin short sword, and on both hips were too fierce looking daggers. Also, instead of sporting a hood like Cynrik, she had a facial mask that covered her neck to just under her eyes.

    [[Oh shit, you went with the Ninja look instead of Assassin, looks good though hehe.]] Cynrik couldn¡¯t stop himself frommenting as what Selene was wearing showed off her elegant curves perfectly and left little to the imagination.

    [[Shut up, perv; when the hell do I get an outfit like you guys?]] Feeling his heated gaze on her body, Selene snarled.

    [[Hehe, I¡¯ll message Uncle Pinhurst when we get to the dorms but are you sure? I will need your three sizes after all.]]

    Before they could finish their conversation, everyone¡¯s Watcet chimed loudly, and an AI voice came from the speaker.

    ¡°Group Battle between First Year Party ¡°MyrkLys¡± and Second Year Faction ¡°Epsilon Chall¡± has been epted by both teams, and Field of Battle has been randomized and chosen. Teleportation to the Battle Zone in 15 seconds.

    ¡°You sniveling fucking First Years have no idea what you just did.¡± The leader of Epsilon Chall growled while nursing his wounded arm with a potion.

    ¡°VS AI, I request a stakes use; we gamble 4000 Merit Points.¡± The leader said into his Watcet.

    A secondter, the AI requested Cynrik to ept the stakes use and input something of equal or greater value.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine; we gamble 5 Tier-2 Evo-Stones, 10 Shards of Skill, and 20 Tier 1 Fire Codexes.¡± Cynrik¡¯s reply caused everyone except the members of his party to gasp loudly before the gasps turned into cheers of greed.

    ¡°Excellent, this is fucking great, hahaha; not only do we get to beat the fuck out of you noobies, but we even get the resources we nned on taking in the first ce.¡± But unfortunately, the leader was ovee by greed and had yet to realize the sinister glint in every member of MyrkLys¡¯s eyes.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 192

    ¡°That¡¯s fine; we gamble 5 Tier-2 Evo-Stones, 10 Shards of Skill, and 20 Tier 1 Fire Codexes.¡± Cynrik¡¯s reply caused everyone except the members of his party to gasp loudly before the gasps turned into cheers of greed.

    ¡°Excellent, this is fucking great, hahaha; not only do we get to beat the fuck out of you noobies, but we even get the resources we nned on taking in the first ce.¡± But unfortunately, the leader was ovee by greed and had yet to realize the sinister glint in every member of MyrkLys¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Faction Battle and its subsequent Stakes use have been epted by both Groups, contacting the appropriate amount of Referees and initializing teleportation sequence.¡±

    The VS AI¡¯s male voice caused everyone to put aside their greed and/or malice as the information about their battlefield was disyed on each individual¡¯s Watcet.

    Secondster, the gymnasium-sized living room was emptied as the battle¡¯s participants were bathed in hazy red light and teleported away.

    The sh of light made everyone close their eyes in response, and when the members of MyrkLys opened them, gone was the interior of a building and in its ce was a vast forest space with trees and grass as far as the eye could see.

    ¡°Teleportationplete, Red Team has 173 members, Blue Team has 5; as this is a Ranked Faction Battle, ranking points will be removed from the losing team and Distributed to the winners as a reward. Additionally, a Referee has been dispatched to each team leader to receive the Stakes use Wagers.¡±

    No sooner did the VS AI finish spouting its prewritten speech than a massive gust of wind kick up the dust around Cynrik. When it cleared, a woman in what Cynrik could only assume was the Referee uniform appeared beside him.

    ¡°MyrkLys Leader Ivar Ragnarsson, please present the items you designated for the wager.¡± The woman said, using a professional tone.

    However, Cynrik could see the pitty in her eye as she noticed there were only five members on this team and nearly 200 on the opposite.

    ¡°Not a problem, ma¡¯am, I only need a moment to do so,¡± when Cynrik saw the woman nod in consent, he turned to the members of his party. They were standing around, examining their surroundings for potential advantages.

    ¡°Hey, I need everyone¡¯s Evo Stones; toss them here,¡± Cynrik said aloud, but he said something different to Brance and Selene.

    [[sh your Watcets, I don¡¯t like the way this ref is looking at us like we are walking to our deaths.]]

    All presentplied with Cynrik¡¯s instructions; Gabby and Benny pulled out their Evo-Stones and handed them over obediently. Selene and Brance pulled up their sleeves, shed their Watcets, and tossed the gray stones like baseballs to Cynrik, who shed his tinum Watcet to the referee and handed all the Wager items over.

    When the referee spotted the two S-Rank-colored Watcet and Cynrik¡¯s SS-Rank, her face contorted in shock but quickly returned to normal a secondter and received the Evo Stones, Tier-1 Codexes, and Shards of Skill before cing them in a unique ring.

    After double-checking everything was in order, she briefly exined her job, which boiled down to making sure there were no killing blows.

    ¡°Faction battles are yed in a Battle Royale format, so all opposing team members must be rendered unconscious or forfeit to determine a winner.¡±

    ¡°Because this fight is also enacting the Stakes use, dismemberment and severe damage to opponents are legal, as are all weapons and support items. The death of an opponent will be an instant disqualification for the person involved and the entire team.¡±

    DING

    When the referee finished speaking, everyone¡¯s Watcet¡¯s lit up and chimed, signifying they had received a notification.

    ¡°Now that I have exined the rules, please tap the ¡°I Agree¡± box on the notification, and a five-minute prep timer will begin; when the clock reaches zero, the battle will begin.¡±

    The woman waited for a moment and watched the members of MyrkLys tap the hovering holo disy giving their approval to begin the fight. Once everyone was finished, she bid the team farewell and pressed a button on her sleeve, activating some kind of active camouge and disappearing from view.

    Cynrik smirked and used [Mana Sight], but as he expected, even with the ocr skill on, he could not locate the referee¡¯s Mana Signature, so he gave up and put on his Assassin tools,pleting his Full Damage Mode.

    Casting a nce around, he quickly located several small groups moving in the distance, lining up into a single file horizontal line.

    ¡®Hehe, morons, they want to sweep the whole forest for us at the beginning of the fight so they can crush us quickly. That¡¯s fine; they are in for a rude awakening.¡¯ Cynrik mused in his mind before meeting the eyes of his party and getting serious.

    ¡°Gabby, cast your [Prestidigitation] and make exact copies of all five of us. I want them hiding behind or in trees as if waiting to execute a sneak attack; remember to keep them peaking out a little bit so that it looks like we are greenhorns.¡± Wasting no time, Cynrik began issuing orders one after another, starting first with Gabby, who, in his current n, would be setting up the decoys as a distraction.

    Gabby didn¡¯t audibly reply but instead set about activating her skill and casting quick nces at everyone in their armor to get the details perfectly before cing them into random hiding spots.

    ¡°Selene, take Benny and start setting up traps in the trees; if you don¡¯t know how Benny can show you, he¡¯s actually the best of us at it.¡±

    ¡°Got it, off we go, Benny,¡± With cat-like agility, Selene caught the unsuspecting boy by the scruff of his neck and jumped up into the trees to start rigging up any hanging traps they could.

    [Just leaves us, Brance. I need you to carve out some of this terrain, make a few trenches, barricades, hell, even pitfalls would be fine. Since we don¡¯t have to worry about dismemberment or maiming, we can hurt these punks as much as we want so long as they don¡¯t die. PLUS, you could bring them back from the brink of death if we go a bit too far.]

    [Seriously, can¡¯t you just fight for sport? Why is it always straight to killing with you, Cyn? Fine whatever, I know you aren¡¯t dumb enough to kill someone and lose our Evo Stones; just try and keep it in bounds.] Brance replied before stomping the ground with his left foot and falling into a hole of his own creation, disappearing underground so he could start working on traps.

    [[Fan out a bit and set any and all traps with a distance of about 2-4 meters apart, it looks like these fucks are gonna march shoulder to shoulder in our direction when the timer dries up.]] Using the party mind link this time, Cynrik got his point across to everyone except Gabby, who was panting and sweating heavily.

    Although [Prestidigitation] was only originally a Tier-0 skill, Gabby had advanced it to Tier-1.5, allowing her to go from creating small animals to full-sized human replicas. The only downside was these replicas weren¡¯t corporeal, and once someone stepped through or attacked them, the fake people would shatter and disappear.

    However, in raising her skill¡¯s Tier and partnering it with her Tier-1 [Telekinesis], Gabby obtained the ability to make them move, almost like puppets, which fit Cynrik¡¯s n perfectly. Seeing Gabby¡¯s haggard expression, Cynrik shed to her side and handed her a Stamina and Mana potion, making her drink it down before continuing.

    A secondter, the little girl returned to her peppy self and quickly put the finishing touches on all the replicas.

    In the meantime, as MyrkLys swiftly and efficiently set about cing traps and preparing for battle on the opposite end of the battlefield, the leadership of Epsilon Chall was already counting their chickens before they hatched.

    ¡°Hey, Boss Levin, who gets those Evo Stones when we win? There are still quite a few new members who have yet to reach Tier-2?¡± one of the faction¡¯s lieutenants asked.

    ¡°Who said anything about new members getting them? When we win, I n on using them to recruit a couple of those new S-Rank First Years to our side. Of course, it will go even smoother if that person happens to have a Fire Affinity; Tier-1 Fire Codexes don¡¯t grow on trees.¡± Levin grinned cockily as grandeur ns of bing the top Elite Faction in the Second Year shed through his head.

    ¡°Luckily, I was able to invite the remaining members of our faction to the battle before we were teleported, turning this into a 173v5; haha, those idiots won¡¯t know what hit them.¡± Levin cheerfully shouted, raising the morale of all his underlings.

    ¡°Boss is too intelligent; how can those fools stand against our numbers. Even if they are all A-Ranks, we have far superior numbers.¡± One of the three lieutenants murmured.

    ¡°Alright, enough talk; everyone line up, shoulder to shoulder. We will execute an entire sweep side by side to the opposite side, eliminating any chance for escape. I want you guys to break all of their limbs, but leave that bastard who stabbed my arm and the girl. I want to deal with them myself. Everyone else is fair game.¡± Levin shouted at the top of his lungs so everyone could hear.

    Looking out over the expanse of forest terrain, he didn¡¯t know why, but Levin felt slightly uneasy with the oue of this fight. Being Tier-2 anding from a rtively prominent family, he had seen powerful beings in the past, and for some reason, he got a simr feeling from all five of the opponents.

    Setting aside the fact that he was unable to dodge the stab of the girl¡¯s older brother, Levin had secretly broken into a cold sweat when their leader showed up and blew the door to smithereens. That was a door graded to withstand attacks from someone hitting with the strength of Mid-Tier-2. Yet with one kick, it was shattered.

    This was why Levin had requested backup from over 70 members of his faction. Hopefully, 173 would be enough to win this fight¡­if not.

    BEEP BEEP BEEP

    ¡°PREPARATION TIME EXPIRED, THE FACTION BATTLE IS NOW BEGINNING, YOU WILL HAVE 1 HOUR. START!¡±

    The VS AI chiming loudly echoed from seemingly nowhere, signaling the start of a bloody and one-sided massacre.

    ¡°Teehe Ha Ha, MYRKLYS MOVE OUT!¡± Smiling sadistically, Cynrik kicked off the ground and sprinted forward while flinging both arms down, extending out his newest and untested invention, the Grapple Shot.

    THAT IS MAGIC CASTLE NUMBER THREE!!!, SHOUT OUT AS ALWAYS to our boy Joe_jo_3480; he has single-handedly dropped half the Magic castle goal solo dolo. We are getting close to meeting all our goals.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 193

    BEEP BEEP BEEP

    ¡°PREPARATION TIME EXPIRED, THE FACTION BATTLE IS NOW BEGINNING, YOU WILL HAVE 1 HOUR. START!¡±

    The VS AI chiming loudly echoed from seemingly nowhere, signaling the start of a bloody and one-sided massacre.

    ¡°Teehe Ha Ha, MYRKLYS MOVE OUT!¡± Smiling sadistically, Cynrik kicked off the ground and sprinted forward while flinging both arms down, extending out his newest and untested invention, the Grapple Shot.

    With his grin getting wider, Cynrik weaved in and out of the trees like a wolf born in the woods, expertly twisting, jumping, and spinning to avoid every obstacle.

    ¡®Hey Tobs, I need good background music; pick something appropriate.¡¯ Then, feeling something was missing, Cynrik thought out something he figured would go unanswered.

    -Based on your previous track record, I have an adequate selection; however, since ites from outside your knowledge and even timeline¡­-

    ¡®Eh? I¡¯m ignoring that you just confirmed alternate timelines exist; how many points are you robbing me for? But, you know what, fuck it. If it¡¯s less than a hundred points, do it, I¡¯ve got 246 points regardless.¡¯ Then, pushing Tobs misspeaking out of his mind, Cynrik curiously wanted to know what song she had found.

    -75 Skill points have been deducted from Host Cynrik Jetlensr.-

    -Pulling track information from an alternate timeline, Targeting Feb 2022 Earth.-

    -Now ying Aot Final Season Part 2 Opening, Full Song, ¡®The Rumbling¡¯ by SIM FEB 2022.-

    ?RUMBLING, RUMBLING, IT¡¯S COMING!?

    Once the powerful metal theme kicked in, Cynrik¡¯s eyes dted in satisfaction.

    ¡°HAHAHA, HOLY FUCK TOBS, YOU FUCKING NAILED IT HAHAHA¡± Cackling like a lunatic, Cynrik thanked the system AI and started pumping his arms and legs harder, subsequently elerating to his top speed.

    Thanks to his high MIND and INT stats, Cynrik¡¯s dynamic vision caused his surroundings to be extremely clear even though he was moving so fast that usually, the terrain would appear blurred. Unhindered, Cynrik picked a sturdy-looking branch, held out his left arm, rolled his wrist outward, and channeled a minute amount of Mana into his Assassins tools.

    PPFFT

    The action triggered the expulsion mechanism, firing off the Grapple shot, easily piercing into the branch. Then, without breaking his stride, Cynrik methodically snapped his left wrist inward, activating the retraction of the cable and pulling his body off the ground.

    Seeing Cynrik take to the air and swing like a particr arachnid hero, Brance and Selene were at a loss. They were hot on his heels until the moment Tobs beamed the loud rock song into their brains and were still stupefied by the fact there were apparent alternate timelines. However, seeing Cynrik take off to the air and not wanting to be left behind, the two kicked off the ground and used easily essible branches as footholds.

    Not far behind, Gabby and Benny weregging as per the usual n, but soon after seeing everyone go airborne, they too took to the trees with Gabby¡¯s replicas trailing half a dozen meters behind.

    Ahead of the group, running at their top speeds across the battlefield, the members of Epsilon Chall were sprinting side by side, fanning out across the entire length of the forest, with Levin running slightly ahead of the pack, forming a massive arrow shape.

    Floating above the battlefield in the approximate center, 10 referees watched both sides moving towards a head-on collision, and the 9 who didn¡¯t know the state of MyrkLys sighed softly. Only the woman who had dealt with Cynrik earlier was watching with anticipation.

    The woman, who happened to be a Third Year Professor, was named Annika Wallin. After seeing that Cynrik and his crew were S-Rank and A-Rank, she realized the need to give the other referees a heads up, or the battle results would be disastrous.

    ¡°Listen up, MyrkLys has three powerhouses, and even the weakest two, the little girl using Psychic Affinity and the boy beside her, are A-Ranks. After that, the boy and girl in the middle are both S-Rank, andstly, that one,¡± Professor Wallin pointed at Cynrik, who was flinging himself through the trees by alternating between the two gauntlets on his wrists, advancing forward at breakneck speeds. The way he would flip and twist like an acrobat caused Professor Wallin¡¯s eye to twitch.

    ¡°He¡¯s Ivar Ragnarsson, one of the 8 SS-Rank applicants in this year¡¯s Selections. Be advised that Ivar is known to be ruthless for his age; he and his brother Bj?rn caused the incident in the Enrollment Office arena earlier. So we all need to be prepared to jump in and stop them if things get dicey.¡±

    The other 9 referees tensed up at her words. But, of course, the abnormalities known as SS-Ranks weren¡¯t to be trifled with. Besides their innate potential for rapid growth, they are all extraordinarily wild and unrestrainable. Additionally, if someone could obtain an S-Rank ssification, they were more than likely able to fight on equal terms with someone above their Tier.

    This meant that being a secondte to do their job could potentially result in the death of a student. Thus, a silent agreement was made to pay extra attention to Selene, Brance, and especially Cynrik.

    Cynrik had easily covered at least half the battlefield in the forest and was having the time of his life swinging from tree to tree while bobbing his head and performing stunts to the song, which he had Tobs y on loop.

    [[NO BODY KNOWS WHAT¡¯S INSIDE OF MEEEEEE!]]

    [[A pile of goo made of pure stupidity?]]

    [[A super pervert?]]

    After listening to the song a few times, Cynrik had even begun singing in the mind link; what he didn¡¯t expect was the annoyingmentary being added to the lyrics by Brance and Selene.

    [[If I lose it all, slip and fall, will youugh at me?]]

    [[YEP!]]

    [[SURE FUCKING WOULD!]]

    [[I hate both of you guys,]] gritting his teeth and performing an Arabian flip (backflip with a half twist), giving him a chance to flip his middle finger at both of them before reaching out with his right hand and firing off his Grapple again and righting himself.

    Cynrik activated [Mana Sight] and realized they had closed the distance much faster than expected; there was not even a football field between them and the enemy. So Cynrik extended both arms to an exceptionally sturdy branch, fired both grapples, then swung around it beforending with both feet and stopping his approach.

    Brance, too noticed how close they were, and after Cynrik executed hisnding, he waved back at Gabby and Benny to get into position andnded with Selene on the same branch as Cynrik.

    [[Selene left-wing, Brance right, and I¡¯ll head up the center, strike hard and fast, don¡¯t give them any time to recover. Disable your opponent to the point they can¡¯t continue.]] As he spoke, Cynrik made some hand signs to Gabby, informing her to ce the replicas into position.

    Giving a quick nod of affirmation, Gabby started waving her hands around like she was moving chess pieces, and with each movement, a replica was ced halfway behind a tree with weapons raised.

    It took her less than a second to get every one of them in position and draw her bow. Beside her, Benny had his sword and shield at the ready.

    [[Gabby and Benny are set, waiting on your signal.]] Looking away from the Sanfords, Brance told Selene and Cynrik everything was good to go.

    [[We hold until they attack the replicas.]] Cynrik didn¡¯t look back to double-check since he had enough faith in the training Gabby and Benny had received, so he continued monitoring the approaching enemies.

    [[So¡­is no one going to exin how our system AI can y music¡­]] Since there was a temporary lull, Selene spoke the question that had been haunting her since the music began.

    There was clearly an unspoken overlooking of the timeline issue, so she had already let that one go, but the fact that Tobs could y music like a streaming service made her feel like she had wasted thest 16 years. Of course, she could have passed all those torture sessions by ring music all this time, but theck of knowledge agitated her.

    [[It¡¯s better if you just assume Tobs is ridiculously powerful and has no limits to what she can do. At least that¡¯s what I¡¯ve always done; that way, I don¡¯t get surprised when I find out she can do ridiculous shit like pull a song I¡¯ve never heard before from something that didn¡¯t exist in Vinestra, or I guess our version of Earth. Get ready; contact in 20 seconds.]]

    Seeing how close the opponents had gotten, Cynrik broke his standard two-handed style and only drew the kodachi on his hip; since his left hand was dominant, he decided to use it to fight and opted to use the right for maneuvering with his Grapple shot.

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he began counting down from 10 in his mind while signing with his right hand for Gabby and Benny to only move after he did.

    Just as nned, the line of enemies broke through the brush and quickly spotted the decoys. Letting out loud whoops and hollers, the line instantly fell apart, and everyone rushed toward the five replicas.

    What happened next surprised Cynrik, as Gabby smiled widely and made each of the replicas appear horrified at how many people were running towards them. Next, she made them appear to take off, running away in fear.

    This change in the plot left Cynrik satisfied beyond all belief. He swore silently to give the little girl all the praise and candy she could handle.

    [[NOW!]]

    Like death from above, Cynrik, Selene, and Brance shed away from the tree they had perched on, with Cynrik using his right Grapple shot to angle himself over a cluster of 10 bodies. At the same time, the other two flitted to other trees creating a triangr zone of destruction, which they would drop down and begin their onught.

    Above, as if moving at Cynrik¡¯smand, all 10 referees split up and ced themselves in optimal vantage points, which would allow them to jump in and stop any idents from urring. In addition, they were able to teleport wounded students out of battle with the approval code stored inside each referee¡¯s Watcet.

    Professor Wallin hovered directly over Cynrik, as she was the highest Tiered Professor present. Her job was to deal with any potential danger presented by the unruly fellow since the others were all in various stages of Tier-3 and may not be able to stop him if necessary.

    ¡ª

    HOLY SHIT, GUYS, SHOUT OUT TO THE MAN THE MYTH THE LEGEND TACOWARRIOR. Thanks to thebined efforts of him and Joe, we have met the event goal of four Magic castles.

    All that¡¯s left is the power stones, which are also dangerously close topletion. Once weplete the final goal, I will finish that week as per usual, and the following Monday, I will begin double chapter releases. (This isn¡¯t totally me being caught unprepared and not having enough chapters in reserve, I have no clue what you are talking about.)

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 194

    Above, as if moving at Cynrik¡¯smand, all ten referees split up and ced themselves in optimal vantage points, which would allow them to jump in and stop any idents from urring. In addition, they were able to teleport wounded students out of battle with the approval code stored inside each referee¡¯s Watcet.

    Professor Wallin hovered directly over Cynrik, as she was the highest Tiered Professor present. Her job was to deal with any potential danger presented by the unruly fellow since the others were all in various stages of Tier-3 and may not be able to stop him if necessary.

    A look of surprise shed through her eyes when she realized how easily the little Psychic Affinity girl was controlling her opponents. Within 30 seconds, the cluster of replicants covered the ground while juking and dodging projectiles.

    Oddly enough, it was too precise; generally, even if someone were lucky enough to receive [Prestidigitation], at best, it would be stuck at the initial Tier-0 for years. This stunt in growth was partly due to the detail required to create lifelike constructs. The user would need to not only be highly observant of their target, but they would need a near-perfect memory.

    Yet here was a little girl no older than 11, expertly creating exact replicas of her party and their equipment. And to top it all off, she was able to make them move naturally. All the while, she was on the move as she controlled all five replicas. So professor Wallin concluded that this girl Gabby Sanford, either had an expert teacher or was gifted beyond all reason.

    Professor Wallin circled above as the students franticly ran through the woods, unaware of the dangers ahead.

    It didn¡¯t take long for the first member of Epsilon Chall to fall horrifically. However, this student¡¯s demise wasn¡¯t gentle; instead, Selene had picked off a target from the trees using Stealth. One moment the boy was running and giggling in glee at the future rewards, the next, his vision tunneled, and he felt weightless.

    Thest thing he remembered was a ck shadow blurring past like a mirage and a searing pain from his knees down.

    Selene had swooped down and used the double edge shortsword on her back to bisect both the opponent¡¯s legs before delivering a wheel kick to the back of his neck, rendering him unconscious.

    Not sticking around longer than necessary, Selene returned to the trees, leaving the unconscious and bleeding boy to the referees. Less than a secondter, one of the nine refs appeared next to the downed boy and couldn¡¯t help but stare intently at the fading image of his attacker in the distance.

    ¡®This level of assassination skill is above and beyond what someone her age should be able to execute.¡¯ The referee quickly pulled out a potion, unscrewed the cap, and administered first aid to stop the pitiful boy¡¯s stumps from bleeding. Next, he picked up the boy¡¯s legs, which had flown a few feet ahead, and put them in a small metallic cube before tapping his Watcet against the boys, sending him off to the infirmary with the cube attached to his shirt.

    ¡®S-Rank Dark Affinity user, this is nuts; what kind of monsters did the Headmaster rope in this time.¡¯ Shaking his head, the referee thought about the potential futurepetitions and sighed heavily before shing back into the sky to monitor his zone. To him, it seemed as if the entire school would be shaken up from its foundation.

    [[Shock one, moving SW.]] Selene¡¯s bloodthirsty yet cute voice sounded off in the mind link. Using the code word Brance had taught her during the little battle tactic session on the Headmasters ship.

    As it turned out, Cynrik was extremely strict regardings during operations. Unless he first started messing around, he preferred thes to be clear, except for specific phrases, such as using ¡°Shock¡± representing the eliminated opponent, then the number of bodies dropped. The next part of the sentence was to be used for directional coordinates. Keeping the conversations clean, short, and concise allowed Cynrik to judge the flow of battle urately and make adjustments to his ns.

    Three secondster, the shock call from Brance came in, but unlike Selene, who was like the silent grim reaper, Brance dropped down into a segregated group of four people.

    Using his Wind Affinity, Brance created an updraft strong enough to catch his shields allowing him to glide to the ground and begin his assault smoothly.

    The instant his foot touched the ground, he softened the terrain underfoot into mud, tripping up the group of four, making two of them facent. Then, before any of them could utter a single word, Brance shed over, raising one shield and using it as a sight to fire off a heavily concentrated [Stone Spike] into the shoulder of one of the two standing boys.

    The spike cut through the student¡¯s flesh like butter, nearly sting off his entire right arm. Unfortunately, this wasn¡¯t in Brance¡¯s favor. Since the boy was still conscious and at Tier-2, he stayed on his feet and let loose a miserable howl of pain, alerting his nearby teammates, some of which continued running off, but a group of two peeled off from their wing and headed to assist.

    ¡®Fuck, I hate it when Cyn is right; killing these guys would be so much easier, GAH,¡¯ Brance shouted in his head as he kicked out with his right leg, delivering a stunning head kick to the wailing boy, knocking him out and moving to finish off the two on the ground with violent shield bashes.

    By the time he did, thest boy, who had actually run like a coward, had returned with two more enemies.

    ¡°Fuck, he took out Carl, Owen, and Hector; get him,¡± one of the boys shouted, unsheathing a two-handed greatsword from his back. However, when he stepped forward, his face went pale in fear, as a big rock was just inches away from his face.

    BANG

    Then with the force and weight of a boulder behind it, the stone collided with the boy¡¯s head, rocking it backword and forcing a trail of blood to erupt from his nose and mouth.

    THUD

    The two other boys immediately turned to flee, seeing that the strongest of them had just been one shot KO¡¯d brutally. Still, they wouldn¡¯t get far, as Brance had already cut them off and swiped out with the sharp edge of his shield, shing both across the chests and knocking them to their asses with force behind his attack.

    ¡°Noo ahh, please URGH.¡± One boy screamed as Brance hopped over his body and ser kicked him in the skull.

    Horrified by what he had witnessed, thest boy released his bowels as he scrambled on hands and knees to get away from the dual shielded monster.

    Holding his nose with one hand, thanks to the stench the boy was emitting, Brance raised his left hand and fired off a blunted [Stone Spike] and hit the kid in the back of the head.

    [[Shock six, heading NE, fell behind, 30 seconds till rendezvous.]] Brance said concisely in the mind link and turned to look at the sky, where he assumed the referees were, and bowed as an apology, then shed back into the treeline.

    Fwoosh

    The grass sturred soon after Brance¡¯s departure as a female refereended. Scanning the six unconscious bodies covered in blood and newly formed bruises, she inhaled a sharp breath.

    ¡®Professor Wallin wasn¡¯t kidding; the decisiveness towards brutally assaulting ssmates is off the charts.¡¯ So she thought to herself as she set about administering First aid and teleporting the wounded away.

    ¡®Although he is brutal, I didn¡¯t sense a lick of malice or hostility against these six when he fought them; that boy, he even bowed towards where he assumed a ref was as a sign of respect. But, on the other hand, he¡¯s the scariest kind of person who will apologize profusely as they rip your arms off.¡¯ Patting her chest and feeling how rapidly her heart was pounding, she thanked her lucky stars for getting ced to watch over this Bj?rn Ragnarsson.

    Jumping from tree to tree alongside his sister, Benny¡¯s head was on a swivel; anytime he noticed Gabby appearing tired, he was right there to feed her a potion. Then, looking away from her, Benny took note of his surroundings and realized they were almost at the traps Cynrik had the party set earlier.

    With a wave of his hand, he motioned for Gabby to break off from the current prenned route and direct the replicas towards the traps.

    Although never spoken aloud, Cynrik actually had the most faith in Benny when controlling the battle. This is because Cynrik realized how good Benny¡¯s foresight was inbat from an early age. Over the years, Cynrik had taken extra time out of his day to tutor the younger boy in battle tactics and squad formation. Not only that, but Cynrik had even written a notebook filled with all the militarybat strategies he and Brance knew from their time in the service.

    So while Brance was good at following orders, Benny was Cynrik¡¯s actual second inmand on operations. Many of the referees were surprised by Selene and Benny¡¯s thoughtful cement of all the traps. However, it didn¡¯t take long for them to realize it was Benny who was giving directions from the moment they separated from the group of replicas. This level of intelligence and battle knowledge was astounding to the referees.

    Acting like the hidden puppet master, Benny silently informed his sister about where to ce each of the replicas and began counting down. It would only take Cynrik and the others a minute to arrive if he was correct.

    BBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM

    Fifty-five secondster, Benny smirked as his timing was still off by five seconds, but he went intobat mode and jumped down from the trees an instantter. Cynrik had given the signal by charging up nearly half his MP into his most powerful Bl¨®erauer Banamaer: Fyrstr Form ¨C Sun Cyclone, to date.

    From that point on¡­the proper onesided beatdown began.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 195

    ¡°SHIT, EVERYONE MOVE!¡± Professor Wallin screamed to the other Referees as she saw the massive amount of mes surging around Cynrik¡¯s Kodachi.

    Even from over 40 meters away, she could feel its intense heat. It didn¡¯t take a rocket scientist to realize how powerful and devastating the attack would be to anyone under Tier-1; even someone at Tier-2 would struggle to handle it.

    All ten referees traced the path of this X-shaped strike and appeared in its path with their life-saving artifacts in tow. But to their dismay, as the massive Cyclone formed, they felt a level of danger, borderline surefire death.

    Only Professor Wallin took the full brunt of the attack, Extending her palm and forming a fusion skill between Water and Wind.

    ¡°Bl¨®erauer Banamaer: Fyrstr Form ¨C Sun Cyclone!¡± Cynrik¡¯s voice rang clearly in the ears of all ten Referees and pulled the attention of nearly all the members of the opposition.

    BBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM

    Watching with calm eyes, Cynrik knew these ten teachers could probably stop a decent chunk of the damage. Still, it was toote to cancel the technique, so he narrowed his eyes and tried to angle the Cyclone to mitigate most of the damage to the ground. But unfortunately, he didn¡¯t expect the woman who received his items earlier to appear directly in front of him and create some kind of imprable wall of Water mixed with Wind Mana to reduce the power behind his Fyrstr Form.

    The forest fell silent as a heavy cloud of smoke mixed with partictes from the ground, and the chemical reaction between Fire and Water covered everyone¡¯s vision.

    That was when the first scream echoed throughout the trees, followed by another, and it continued until Professor Wallin shed out with a ded palm, clearing the smoke.

    Her face instantly paled as she quickly noticed nearly 30 wounded children with varying injuries.

    Within less than a minute, Brance, Gabby, Benny, and Selene shed around, picking off targets left and right under cover of the distraction created by Cynrik.

    From the beginning, he had a feeling that these referees would step in if he got too wild, but since he couldn¡¯t be bothered to tell them it was all a massive distraction, he didn¡¯t, and the results were better than he could have imagined.

    ¡°Excuse me, Professor, but I have a mission toplete, I apologize, but I will be leaving first,¡± Cynrik said as he sheathed the kodachi from his back and sunk into the Shadow Realm.

    ¡®Monster, he¡¯s a fucking monster. How can he be so calm about nearly killing over a hundred people.¡¯ So professor Wallin thought to herself. But in herpse of judgment, she soon realized that Cynrik had vanished and began panicking. Concluding that this seemed to be one of the boy¡¯s Dark Affinity skills and took back to the air, leaving the over 30 wounded children to the other referees.

    When she arrived in the air, Professor Wallin was met by a horrific sight, all five members of MyrkLys moving like velociraptors stalking their prey, who fleed with expressions painted with fear and regret.

    The most disturbing part was the look of glee on Cynrik and Selene¡¯s faces as they hacked down opponent after opponent, each swipe of their des dismembering legs or arms before delivering a blow to either the back of the neck or head, rendering their opponent unconscious.

    When Professor Wallin had received the notification that she would be head ref over a 5v173 battle, never in her wildest dreams would she have thought it would turn out so lopsided?

    Between Cynrik and Benny controlling the flow of the battle, Brance and Gabby sniping from a distance, or Selene getting up close and personal, this battle was turning into an absolute blowout. And this was all before MyrkLys had corraled the remaining opponents into the trap zone set earlier.

    Thebination of pitfall, and hanging traps, signaled the end was near, as a chorus of howls of pain and terror sang out like music in Cynrik and Selene¡¯s ears. Yet, as they disabled the students hanging by their ankles, they maintained control and rationality despite the bloodlust imparted by the ?sir Bloodline.

    This wasn¡¯t to say there weren¡¯t opponents who fought back; of course, a cornered rat would stillsh out, but they were all dealt with swiftly and without much effort.

    Clicking his tongue, Cynrik looked long and hard at an older boy he was holding off the ground by his neck.

    [[Anyway, I look at it. These bastards are all Tier-2, but I cannot understand how they are all so weak for the life of me. It¡¯s one thing to ck off on advancing stats, but it¡¯s another to fuck around when you are already at the level cap. Like look at this guy,]] Cynrik said while tossing the unconscious boy like a hot potato over to Selene, who caught him inquisitively.

    [[Maybe we are just that much stronger?]] She asked with confused eyes before cutting off the boy¡¯s left leg from the knee down and tossing him aside like garbage.

    [[Nah, Im noticing a pattern here, Brance; what about you, thoughts,ments, concerns?]] Moving around and hacking at opponents, Cynrik tossed the question to Brance, who was in a heated 3v1.

    [[Huff, none of them maxed out Prestige in Tier-0 or Tier-1, it looks like these overly cocky second years are at the bottom of the food chain.]] Using his shield, Brance backhanded one of his opponents, making a loud ng sound as the metal collided with flesh.

    ¡°AHHH, PLEASE NO, AHH, REFEREES, HELP ME!¡±

    Just as Cynrik had finished mopping up thest trapped person, he heard the previously arrogant leader¡¯s voice, causing all the members of MyrkLys to turn their heads, only to spot Benny ying with the poord.

    ¡°Kidnap, my sister, huh?¡±

    SNAP

    Using his shield, Benny ruthlessly snapped Levin¡¯s shin with ease.

    ¡°Want to put your DIRTY FUCKING HANDS ON MY LITTLE SISTER, HUH?¡±

    CRACK

    Benny leaned forward and executed a wless flying knee smashing Levin square in the nose, breaking it and making the boy spit teeth and blood on the ground.

    [[Woah¡­that¡¯s¡­kind of hot!]] Raising an eyebrow at Benny¡¯s brutality, Selenemented, making Brance and Cynrik narrow their eyes in response.

    [[Never took you to be into Siscon shotas Selene dear.]] Snickering to himself, Cynrik stepped up beside Benny and the bruised, bloody, and physically disabled Levin. But as he did, Benny raised his sword to issue the death blow; luckily, Cynrik was there and caught his hand in the middle of the downward arc.

    ¡°Chill, I¡¯ve got something much better for this scum that doesn¡¯t involve killing him. Selene, watch closely as you can do this as well.¡± With a sinister smile painted across his lips, Cynrik grabbed Levin by the cor, lifting him into the air, and ced his outstretched palm on his chest.

    ¡°You see, the Dark Affinity and Dark Mana are actually one of the most corrosive; not only that, but it has innate prating power. So if we do something like this¡­.¡± As he spoke, an eerie ck mist radiated from his hand, causing Selene to tilt her head to the side in confusion.

    ¡°By introducing a tinnnny~ amount of Dark Mana into a Codex that isn¡¯tpatible, we can effectively disable it and destroy a living being¡¯s Codex over time. Not only that, but the instant that person cycles their Mana through their Circuits, it will corrode those as well, rendering them crippled.¡±

    Above, however, Professor Wallin was frozen in shock, at a loss for what to do. Crippling your opponent¡¯s Codex wasn¡¯t against the rules, as the only thing banned was killing, but was there a difference in sealing off a person¡¯s ability to use Mana forever.

    Unfortunately, a blood-curdling scream from below caused her heart to sink before she could move.

    ¡°Teehe, Haha.¡± Wearing his poker face, Cynrik forced a cluster of Dark Mana particles into Levin¡¯s chest while using [Mana Sight] to ce them urately within their new home.

    The process only took less than a minute, and uponpletion, Levin, whose eyes, ears, and mouth were all leaking blood, passed out; Cynrik tossed the boy aside and looked up at Professor Wallin.

    ¡°I do believe that is our win if you would be so kind as to announce it and hand over my loot so that we can be on our way; it is, after all, only our first day on campus, and there is much to do,¡± Cynrik said, wearing a polite smile.

    Hearing his words, Professor Wallin felt a chill creep down her spine, with only a single wording to mind as she stared helplessly at Cynrik, ¡°Sociopath.¡±

    ¡ªFirst, this chapter nearly didn¡¯t happen today; as I write this, I am running a CLEANNNN 103.7 fever, but yah boi knows yall need new content, so here I am. Don¡¯t freak out if tomorrow¡¯s chapter doesn¡¯te out on time; worse, I will double up the next day, as it is a struggle to focus.

    Welp, it is safe to say that we will have those final 12 power stones by tomorrow¡¯s chapter, so I want to congratte everyone. You smashed the event out of the park. When I first came up with the stretch goal, I figured it woulde down to thest day before all the ns would be met, but we are less than two weeks into May, and all three goals have been achieved.

    Some people have been asking about the duration of the double chapter release, IE, how long it willst, and I can say it will continue throughout volume 3. This means roughly until the end of June, basically a little over 60 chapters.

    You heard me right; there are still a whopping 60 chapters left in volume 3, making it well over 110 chapters, the most immense volume so far. Today is Tuesday, May 10th here in the States, and the double releases will begin Monday, May 16th. Thank you again for your continued support andpanionship as the story progresses, and Remember to get those Questions for Tobs¡¯ Corner posted on Twitter or Discord.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 196

    ¡°I do believe that is our win if you would be so kind as to announce it and hand over my loot, so we can be on our way; it is, after all, only our first day on campus, and there is much to do,¡± Cynrik said, wearing a polite smile.

    Hearing his words, Professor Wallin felt a chill creep down her spine, with only a single wording to mind as she stared helplessly at Cynrik, ¡°Sociopath.¡±

    Seeing that Professor Wallin appeared to need a second to recover herself, Cynrik smiled and took it upon himself to start cleaning up the blood off his party with his ckFire.

    Since they had gone through this many times before, Benny, Brance, and Gabby stood still and closed their eyes, understanding what Cynrik was doing, but Selene freaked out for a minute. However, when she noticed everyone else seemed okay, she closed her eyes and let the warm sensation wash over her body.

    A few secondster, everyone was free and clear of any gunk, blood, and dirt, as if they had taken a shower.

    [[Well, that¡¯s pretty handy.]] Selene said while looking up and down her body and running her fingers through her deep red hair.

    [[It only works because I have such fine control over my mes. If not, I¡¯d probably turn you all into roasted marshmallows in no time t.]] Chuckling to himself, Cynrik turned around only to find the other nine referees hadnded behind Professor Wallin and were staring incredulously at him and the rest of his party.

    ¡°hem, hem, So then, 4000 Merit points, the Evo Stones, Codexes, and shards of skill, please.¡± Cynrik cleared his throat a couple of times and extended his hand towards Professor Wallin, who looked nkly at the younger boy¡¯s outstretched hand.

    Her mind seemed unable to catch up with everything urring right now; she was still stunned by how easily Cynrik obliterated Levin¡¯s Codex and how unsympathetic he was.

    COUGH

    A loud cough from behind Professor Wallin, seemingly from one of the other referees, kick-started her brain again, and she quickly pulled off the ring on her right thumb.

    ¡°Yes¡­I apologize for the dy. I officially dere the five-man party, MyrkLys as the victor in this 173v5 Faction Battle.¡±

    With her words, everyone¡¯s Watcets went off, signaling an end to the battle which had finished several minutes ago. However, the next second, Cynrik¡¯s eyes narrowed when the VS AI spoke loudly through hidden speakers on the battlefield.

    ¡°Due to the significant difference in the First Year Unranked Party ¡°MyrkLys¡± and the Second Year Number 3 D-Ranked Faction ¡°Epsilon Chall,¡± bonus Ranking points will be awarded.¡±

    BEEP BEEP BEEP

    ¡°Unable to administer Ranking points to First Year Unranked Party ¡°MyrkLys¡± as they haven¡¯t officially registered for this year¡¯s Faction Ranking. Issuing proper documentation to Leader Ivar Ragnarsson, indicating his party¡¯s current Ranking Point bnce. Once the party has registered as an official faction and entered thepetition, the points will be released.¡±

    Rolling his eyes, Cynrik swatted at the holographic disy floating off his Watcet and located the Ranking Office on the campus holo map before nodding silently.

    Next, he reached out and swiped the ring from the Professor, which held all the loot from this battle, quickly deposited them into his inventory, and returned the ring.

    When he was about to press the floating notification to return from the battlefield, he was stopped by Professor Wallin.

    ¡°One moment, student Ragnarsson.¡± She said, wearing aplicated expression.

    ¡°Hm, what can I do for you, Ma¡¯am?¡± as Cynrik responded, he went ahead and motioned for his party to head back without him, and a secondter, they all broke into particles of light and disappeared from the forest battlefield.

    ¡°Why did you cripple that student? Although it isn¡¯t against the rules, the consequences outside of school could be disastrous, mainly if said student has powerful backing.¡± Then, ignoring that the other four members had left, Professor Wallin asked her question.

    She wasn¡¯t present when the challenge was issued, so up till now, she only knew there was an altercation during the Orientation.

    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s easy, Ma¡¯am; anyone who threatens to kidnap and cause harm to one of my own will suffer dire consequences themselves, no matter their background or strength. If we were outside the rules of our Academy, I would have dismembered him piece by piece and had my brother heal him up just enough so he didn¡¯t die quickly. I would have tortured him until he begged for death before evaporating what was left of him with my mes. He would have been left conscious until his final moments so that he realized the full extent of his mistake in kidnapping the youngest and most innocent of our party and daring toy his hands on her.¡±

    With each word Cynrik spoke, his tone became more chilling and sinister, causing the other 9 referees to take an unconscious step back, leaving Professor Wallin alone, standing her ground.

    ¡°I suppose you haven¡¯t been able to do your research on my brother and me, but we do not fear anything. We have even been known to go toe to toe with beings way above our paygrade. Hehe, ask the Headmaster about what happened when Headmaster Jetlensr of Finwan Academy and Headmaster Opurn of Supremacy University dropped a shit ton of killing intent on Bj?rn and I¡­hehe, spoiler alert.¡±

    When Cynrik gave his spoiler alert, he unleashed all 5g of his killing intent on the 10 referees, causing their expressions to darken as many were having trouble standing.

    Of the 10, only a couple had a Gravity Resistance strong enough to withstand the pressure, but thankfully, Cynrik quickly pulled back as he was only showing off and had no ill intentions.

    ¡°The fact of the matter stands, if someone is brazen enough to fuck with one of my own, for ANY reason, I will make them pay a hundredfold. I appreciate you all overseeing our battle; I hope it was entertaining to watch; now, I must be on my way. There is still much to do.¡± Changing his face as if every expression was a mask, Cynrik went from giving off serial killer vibes to being an average and cheerful student and pressed the leave button on his Watcet.

    The referees stood in muted silence for several minutes after his departure, unsure of what had happened. What had begun as a simple appointment to a faction battle between the First and Second years quickly devolved into an absolute ughter.

    What had surprised them the most wasn¡¯t necessarily the level of brutality shown by each of the five or even the physical strength presented. Instead, putting aside the freaky conversation that had just transpired, it was the insane level of control the party had when dishing out their attacks. Every strike was executed either to remove a limb or knock out their opponent. This level of control was simply unheard of when it came to a group of children who had yet to reach their teenage years.

    They should be fighting wildly at their age, aiming to hurt their opponent; hell, it would have even been eptable for them to turn and run after seeing how many opponents were on the opposite side. But no, neither of those scenarios urred. Instead, the referees had witnessed a highly coordinated and perfectly executed battle, where one sidepletely obliterated the other.

    ¡°Sigh, we are getting old; who would have thought we¡¯d see the day when a bunch of kids fresh out of their cribs would be able to put us in such a state.¡± One of the referees said to no one in particr.

    ¡°I don¡¯t envy you, Dennis; those five are all first years, hehe, that means they¡¯ll be your problem for the whole year.¡± A female ref said while elbowing a younger-looking man.

    ¡°Fuck, I forgot they were first years, shit. Do you think it¡¯s toote to request to be moved up a year?¡± Professor Dennis said ruefully.

    His reaction made the other refs, excluding Professor Wallin, chuckle at his expense.

    ¡°Lock it up; we need to report this to the Headmaster and the Head Dean for Year One. Although I am sure the Headmaster is already somewhat aware of how those five are, I know that Rimsfel is in the dark, but I¡¯m sure he will be ecstatic that for the first time in his tenure, that Year One has an S-Rank Faction.¡± The other referees nodded silently withplicated expressions when the words left her mouth.

    It was typical for S-Rank Factions to appear, but normally, one or two would start popping up around Year 3, and by the time Year 5 rolled around, the students who had made it that far were generally way stronger than their peers.

    ¡°Alright, everyone, head back; I need to clean up the battlefield before reporting the battle. Also, I suggest you go back and watch the footage from the fight, especially those who are only Tier-2; maybe you¡¯ll learn something new. You know what they say; those who aren¡¯t constantly learning from the new generation will stagnate.¡± Professor Wallin channeled Wind Mana around her body and took to the sky, leaving the other refs to mull over her words.

    With Professor Wallin gone, the other 9 referees didn¡¯t stay any longer and soon returned to the campus to begin their prep work for the school year. Professor Dennis had it the hardest; after watching the battle repeatedly, he was able to pick up on a couple of things and subsequently add them to his future lesson ns. He was, after all, the Year Onebat instructor, so odds are, he would be interacting with the members of MyrkLys regrly, so he nned to sit down and try to find any misgivings in theirbat styles to help them grow.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 197

    Flying at her fastest speed, it didn¡¯t take Professor Wallin long to clear the over 10km distance between the forest battlefield and the teleportation hub to get back to campus. Unknown to the members of MyrkLys, all of the battlegrounds were exclusively a significant distance away from the Academy to not cause any damage to the school itself.

    Upon reaching the teleportation hub, Professor Wallin keyed in the corresponding information on her Watcet to the ry point nearest to Headmaster Rivia¡¯s office. Within a few seconds, she walked out of a majestic glowing doorway, and avishly decorated hall came into view.

    Walking at a brisk pace, she soon arrived at arge oak door, and after two loud knocks, the booming voice of Headmaster Rivia echoed throughout the hallway.

    ¡°Enter; we are already waiting for you.¡±

    Not wanting to waste any more time, Professor Wallin opened the door, entered the room, and greeted Headmaster Rivia and the Head Dean of Year One.

    ¡°We have just finished watching the battle from start to finish, and while I won¡¯t say I am surprised by the performance of those five, I would still like to hear your conclusions.¡± Sitting behind his massive mahogany desk, Headmaster Rivia motioned Wallin to sit beside Head Dean Rimsfel.

    As she had been in this office many times and was no longer enamored by the seemingly endless supply of nick-nacks hanging on every square inch of the room, Professor Wallin took a seat and crossed her left leg over her right while collecting her thoughts for a moment.

    Beside her, Head Dean Rimsfel sipped a fragrant cup of tea and rewatched the rey of Cynrik holding Levin by the cor and forcing a small orb of Dark Mana into the other boy¡¯s chest on his Watcet.

    ¡°This Ivar Ragnarsson is reckless, bloodthirsty, and borderline uncontroble, yet at the same time, he shows an absurd level ofbat awareness and ingenuity.¡± cing his half-full teacup down, Dean Rimsfelmented.

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t know he was a 12-year-old child, I would easily believe he had thousands of hours on the battlefield under his belt. Not only that, but he appears to haveplete control over all the members of his party, establishing a highly effective chain ofmand.¡± Professor Wallin added as she pulled up the rey of the battle herself.

    ¡°The younger Ragnarsson, on the other hand, is theplete opposite. From what I could sense, as he went about disabling his opponents, there was almost no hostility or malice in all his attacks; instead, he felt substantial amounts of remorse each time he severed a limb.¡±

    ¡°Then there are the Sanford siblings, Gabrie and Benjamin; the little girl¡¯s outstanding control over her psychic skills is almost mind-blowing. Watching her move about while controlling the replicas was like watching a work of art. Her skills with a bow are also rtively high for someone her age. On the other hand, her brother¡­ is clearly the weakest of the group, yet his smarts on the battlefield and his expert level of nning are second only to Ivar¡¯s.¡± Professor Wallin elerated the yback to three times the average speed as she spoke.

    Before she could continue with her thought, Dean Rimsfel cut in.

    ¡°And his mental stability is just about as bad as both Ivar and that girl Selene.¡±

    However, he stoppedmenting when Headmaster Rivia gave him a dirty look.

    ¡°There were clearly extenuating circumstances for his outburst. Allegedly he was doing it as revenge for the wrongs caused to his little sister, and while I cannot condone his actions, I can¡¯t necessarily say it is wrong for an older brother to step up and protect his little sister.¡± Tapping on the yback again, Professor Wallin ignored the outburst of her colleague and continued her breakdown.

    ¡°As for Selene Nilsson, she appears quick-witted and moves like a ghost, perfect for the assassin ss; however, at her age, she shouldn¡¯t be as adept at killing as she appears to be. There was apparent hesitation nearly every time she attacked as if she was forcing herself to recalcte her point of attack. I believe this has to do with her trying her best not tond a fatal blow on her opponent.¡±

    Heaving a sigh, Professor Wallin closed the battle rey and looked directly at Headmaster Rivia.

    ¡°Overall, if you solely consider theirbat abilities, resourcefulness and unity, I would easily rmend them for S-Rank Faction cement¡­¡± the following words caught in her throat, and Professor Wallin fell silent, debating whether or not to say them.

    ¡°I sense a buting.¡± Headmaster Rivia gave a tired smile and waved to finish her thought.

    ¡°But, the intense hostility and bloodthirsty nature of Ivar and Selene, along with the apparent changing mood of Benjamin, lead me to believe they should undergo an immense amount of therapy and anger management courses. If they continue unchecked, it will only be a matter of time before they be ticking time bombs or kill someone.¡±

    ¡°Headmaster, I understand there is a certain level of leeway given to S-Rank individuals and even more for someone like Ivar who has an SS-Rank ssification, but we can not let him act freely, if we do¡­I fear what could happen to our school¡¯s reputation in the future.¡±

    ¡°His utterck of disregard for the well-being of a fellow ssmate, whom he wholely seemed to believe he had permanently crippled by forcing his own Mana into the boy¡¯s Codex, was almost as disturbing as the very words he spoke to me after.¡± Professor Wallin crossed her arms over her chest and fought back the chilling memory of the boy dropping 5g of killing intent on her while looking at her as if she was nothing but an ant.

    ¡°You did well not stepping in when he did that; if you had, who knows what kind of reaction Ivar would have had at that time. Although forcefully injecting Mana of an ipatible Element into another¡¯s Codex is Toxic, it isn¡¯t untreatable; all that is needed is the corresponding opposite element and someone with a Medium Level healing skill. However, if left untreated, the effects would be simr to what Ivar Ragnarsson stated.¡± Headmaster Rivia said while rubbing his temples.

    ¡°We are lucky that our medical staff has several Light Affinity healers on call; if not, it would have been a shit show. If memory serves, Levin¡¯s family has quite a lot of friends in high ces, even if he is a useless waste of campus space. Regardless, punishment is in order.¡± Sneering in discontent, Dean Rimsfel picked up his teacup and took another sip.

    ¡°Dean Rimsfel is right; we dodged quite a bullet here because of Ivar¡¯s apparentck of knowledge in curses or lingering effect skills on top of him not actually attempting to kill Levin. However, there still needs to be consequences for his actions.¡± Headmaster Rivia said while drumming his fingers on his desk.

    ¡°Setting aside the issue of him trying to cause permanent injury to another student, he also ignored the student¡¯s pleas for a Referee and words of surrender. Therefore, we will dock his monthly allowance from 50 Merit points to 20 for six months. On top of that, he will have his discount on the training facilities removed for the same amount of time. In addition to these disciplinary actions, I will instill a curfew on him barring him from leaving the dorms past 6 pm every night.¡± He paused and looked at the Professors, who quickly nodded that they approved and continued.

    ¡°As for the mental health and stability of Ivar, Benjamin and Selene, I will add to their schedules a mandatory anger-management ss once a week and will speak with our psychology professors about issuing therapy sessions twice a week, which the three must attend. But, you are correct that we can¡¯t let them continue on the path they have already stepped foot in. So, changes must be made, and if I have to sit in on these sessions to make sure the kids stay put, so be it. I have already invested too much to let them go, and it would be a waste to expel them.¡±

    ¡°Dean Rimsfel, I will leave organizing their schedules to fit the minimum requirements plus punishments to you. Also, make the proper arrangements for MyrkLys to go on record as an S-Rank Faction.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Headmaster, I feel that these punishments are befitting of the crime, and I will see to it that everything is carried out in an orderly fashion.¡± Dean Rimsfel stood up and gave a courteous bow to the Headmaster before nodding at Professor Wallin and promptly leaving the room to carry out the task.

    Upon his vacancy, Headmaster Rivia and Professor Wallin let out a tired sigh. Headmaster Rivia pulled out a bottle of whiskey from his desk and poured a ss for himself and Professor Wallin.

    ¡°Now that the Stuffy Rimsfel is gone, talk, what has you so shaken up, Annika?¡± Then, speaking with a familiarity befitting to people who had been friends a long time, Headmaster Rivia turned the conversation more casual.

    ¡°I can¡¯t get it out of my head, the thought that something or someone had forced these kids to be so ruthless that they could slice limbs or take lives without batting an eye even at their age. When I was their age, I was more worried about what clothing I would wear to school and if my hair and makeup looked good. Yet here you have five young children who are practically killing machines.¡± Then, taking a sip of whiskey, Professor Wallin confessed.

    ¡°Those two, Ivar and Bj?rn, have a fascinating past; unfortunately, the most significant points are ssified, but they seem to be experts at getting themselves into trouble from a very young age. Having spent some time with them, I can assure you that the faces they showed you during battle are far different from how they usually are. I can only assume it is some kind of defense mechanism.¡±

    ¡°Selene Nilsson is another case altogether; I don¡¯t even know where to begin with how tragic that poor girl¡¯s life has been. FOR NOW, all I can say is that we must nurture them in an environment that will hopefully help their minds heal. If not¡­I am afraid we will create actual monsters once they leave these hallowed walls.¡±

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 198

    After parting with the referees, Cynrik quickly located his group, rejoined them, and briefly summarized the interaction with Professor Wallin to Selene and Brance as they walked away from the frat-house-like Second-year dorms.

    [[So that¡¯s the gist of it; if I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d say it went pretty well.]] Cynrik stated with his nose raised to the sky.

    THWACK

    Unfortunately for him, Brance didn¡¯t see it that way and swiftly delivered a powerful knock to the top of his older brother¡¯s head.

    [[Are you a fucking braindead moron? What the fuck were you thinking talking to teachers that way? Ignoring the ringly obvious fact that you CRIPPLED another student, By disrespecting not just one but ten teachers, you have demonstrated how insubordinate and unrestrained you are to each and every one of them. There is no doubt the Headmaster will hear about it.]] Brance huffed loudly before continuing his parental rant.

    [[And when that happens, you will be lucky to get off with just a simple p on the wrists. You¡¯ve royally fucked up this time, Cyn, like BIG TIME. WE ARE IN BOARDING SCHOOL NOW, NOT THE OUTSIDE WORLD; YOU CAN¡¯T DO AND SAY AS YOU PLEASE ANYMORE!]]

    THWACK

    Finishing his sentence by hitting Cynrik in the head again, Brance was so angry that he knew his words would only devolve further into curses and chose to storm off with Gabby in tow in search of the supplies store, Benny chasing after them silently.

    Staying back, so Cynrik wasn¡¯t left alone, Selene stepped up beside him and, after watching him hunched over, staring at the ground in thought, decided it was best if she rubbed small circles on his back.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be that bad. It¡¯s not like we went full-blown psychopath out there. It probably didn¡¯t look great you crippling that kid¡¯s Codex and all, but think about what would have happened if you didn¡¯t step in and stop Benny from killing that sack of shit second year. We would have been disqualified and lost all our stuff.¡± She noted how he seemed to tense up when her hand touched Cynrik¡¯s back.

    ¡°Sigh, no¡­ like usual, he¡¯s right.¡± Cynrik straightened his back and looked up to the sky, where the three suns were shining, and birds were happily pping away in the distance.

    ¡°That¡¯s the thing about Brance; unlike us, he can connect with people emotionally and efficiently. So while I may have a higher IQ, he has a higher EQ. As far back as I can remember, he has been the counterbnce to my actions, and when he doesn¡¯t step up to stop me, not many people are capable.¡± When he finished speaking, Cynrik stayed rooted for a couple more minutes, with Selene silently waiting beside him.

    Letting out another sigh, Cynrik pulled up his hood and motioned for Selene to follow as he navigated through the narrow roads towards the direction Brance and the others had left.

    ¡°There¡¯s no point dwelling on the consequences;e what may, I will deal with it then. If I get grounded, so be it. But, for now, let¡¯s just keep our noses to the ground and behave as much as possible.¡±

    Cynrik had no idea that on the other side of the campus, Professor Wallin¡¯s meeting with Headmaster Rivia had alreadye to a close, and his punishment had already begun.

    Sometimeter, Cynrik and Selene met up with the other members of MyrkLys and proceeded to bounce from store to store, collecting the essential supplies necessary, such as notebooks, writing utensils, uniforms, and such. Still, when it came time to pick out what textbooks they needed, everyone was forced to take a break to make their decisions.

    They soon found themselves in arge, noisy restaurant filled with other first and second-year students. Once the party of five was seated at their table located in a private room, Cynrik had everyone pull up the list of courses avable to first years and begin plotting out their first-semester schedule.

    That was when he learned a pretty important part about the Academies curriculum. Unlike a regr high school or college, there weren¡¯t any mandatory sses outside of Combatives Basics and Creature ssification.

    Since the country¡¯spulsory education was all-inclusive to a point, and the level of intelligence of the younger poption was rtively high, subjects such as math and science were considered secondary after reaching the Academy Level.

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes scanned through all the potential options avable and eventually came up with a rough sketch in his mind of how everyone¡¯s schedules should look.

    ¡°Ok, so good news and bad news, everyone.¡± Clearing his throat after taking a bite of his cheeseburger, Cynrik broke up the idle chatter of his group.

    ¡°The good news is, we will have a few sses together as a party; the bad news is¡­it won¡¯t be more than three a week. So I want everyone to sign up for Basic and Practical Affinity arts, Entry Level Egress Composition, and Year One Group Combatives. These will be the three courses we all take together.¡±

    When he mentioned how there were only three sses the group shared as a whole, everyone but Brance seemed to lose interest in their food and wore dissatisfied expressions.

    ¡°Now, it¡¯s no biggie since there are plenty of specialized sses for everyone. Take Gabby, for example, the Basic Bowman course is right up your alley, and it should be a breeze, so free credits. However, Selene, I want you to sign up for the Role-specific ss for Tanks since you are inevitably going to end up, to some extent working alongside them as an OT.¡±

    ¡°As you will be moving away from the Assassin fighting style, it would be best if you start getting used to switching between offensive and defensive fighting styles before upgrading your ss.¡±

    ¡°Safe to assume you¡¯ll be doing some brainiac shit aside frombative?¡± Brance poked at his french fries and cut in on Cynrik¡¯s monologue.

    ¡°I mean, unlike you guys, I have to worry about my life-skills ss; on top of that, I want to absorb as much info as possible, so I n on taking a couple of history and technology courses myself. I feel like, realistically, most of the adjustments I could potentially make to my forms and fighting style can only be made in secret.¡± Cynrik leaned over and swiped a fry off Brance¡¯s te before dipping it in some cheese and stuffing it into his mouth.

    ¡°Plus, im kinda stupid since I like to use a bunch of different weapons, so I may eventually take some handling sses for long swords and greatswords. But, in the long run, we still don¡¯t know enough about the goings-on in the world, so I would like to take it upon myself to take the sses you all would find boring anyway¡­well, maybe not you, Bj?rn, since you ARE the book nerd.¡±

    ¡°Um, Big Bro Ivar, what about this ss here? It seems like something we could all take together.¡± Sensing another battle brewing because of the look Brance was giving Cynrik as he happily munched the stolen fries, Gabby chimed in and sent a ss to everyone¡¯s Watcets.

    ¡°Hm, Introduction to Skill Creation,¡± Cynrik read aloud from his Watcet as he scrolled through the sybus and summary of the course.

    ¡°I mean, if it¡¯s no good, then never mind, I just thought that because you are always trying to develop new skills and techniques, maybe it could help you fill in the gaps.¡± Gabby¡¯s words came out as a whisper as everyone at the table was quietly reading the information she sent them without many reactions.

    As she was starting to feel nervous, Cynrik broke into a broad smile and called over the waitress to order something special for the little girl without her knowledge.

    Gabby felt maybe she had made a mistake since no one was saying anything, but not even five minutester, the waitress came back with a bowl of ice cream and arge slice of chocte cake and ced it in front of the little girl who at that point, was staring at her legs and ying with her fingers.

    Noticing themotion inches from her head, Gabby quickly looked up, and her eyes went wide at the sight of more dessert than she had ever seen in her entire life.

    ¡°Wha¡­what is this for?¡± Gabby said in confusion.

    ¡°Dummy rabbit, you may have just found the single best ss I could have ever asked for; good job, you just earned yourself a heaping order of dessert; dig in, it¡¯s all yours.¡± Cynrik chuckled at her reaction and handed her two spoons so she could dig in.

    ¡°YOU¡¯RE THE BEST BIG BRO IVAR!!!¡± Unable to contain her happiness in the face of a mountain of ice cream and cake, Gabby threw all caution to the wayside and dug in, leaving Selene stunned that a little girl could shovel so many sweets into her mouth at once.

    ¡°So it looks like we have a fourth ss together; I want everyone to take Introduction to Skill Creation; if things are as it says in the description, this course will be exactly what we need to take things to the next level.¡±

    ¡°I agree, no more manipting Mana to make pseudo-skills; well, to be fair, Ivar, you¡¯re the only one who can manage that consistently, while I can manipte Earth into different forms.¡±

    BANG

    Brance acted like he didn¡¯t notice Cynrik attempting to take another fry and, as he spoke, jammed his fork into the surface of the table a quarter of an inch away from Cynrik¡¯s hand.

    Selene and Benny¡¯s reactions to these antics were mild at best; Gabby, for her part, ignored what exactly had happened and was solely focused on devouring her dessert before Cynrik moved away from stealing his brother¡¯s food and came after her dessert.

    ¡°whew¡­so that pretty much clears up our schedules, so let¡¯s go ahead and finalize everything and check out our dorms.¡±

    However, when he input his selected sses, things veered off Cynrik¡¯s ns, making his eyes narrow in slight anger.

    ¡°Mother fucking¡­hey, are you guys having trouble submitting your sses too?¡± Looking up from his Watcet, Cynrik noticed simr expressions to his own on Selene and Benny¡¯s faces.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Brance, who had no trouble with his schedule, saw everyone but Gabby seemed irritated by something.

    ¡°Those fucking assholes, WAIT, THEY DID WHAT! NO, MY MONEY, WHAT THE FUCK!¡±

    BANG

    Jumping up from his seat and knocking over his chair, Cynrik started pacing around the small single group dining room angrily.

    ¡°Anger Management, fucking therapy, A CURFEW, AND THEY DOCKED MY PAY!¡± Cynrik grumbled angrily as he paced up and down the small group dining room.

    ¡°HEY HEY, Benny and I got the same mandatory sses as you, mother fucker; what are these fucking teachers thinking? How could the Headmaster allow this bullshit?¡± Selene said while spinning the dinner knife given by the restaurant in her hand.

    ¡°HAHAHAHHAHAH! I TOLD YOU GUYS, HAHAHAHA, THOSE STUPID ACTIONS OF YOURS FINALLY CAUGHT UP, LEMMIE GUESS, YALL RAN AROUND LOOKING LIKE MURDERERS AS YOU KO¡¯D PEOPLE!¡± However, unlike Benny, Selene, and Cynrik, who were enraged at the punishment, Brance burst outughing his ass off, nearly falling out of his chair.

    All the while, Gabby was utterly oblivious to her surroundings as she continued munching away with cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 199

    ¡°HAHAHAHHAHAH! I TOLD YOU GUYS, HAHAHAHA, THOSE STUPID ACTIONS OF YOURS FINALLY CAUGHT UP, LEMMIE GUESS, YALL RAN AROUND LOOKING LIKE MURDERERS AS YOU KO¡¯D PEOPLE!¡± However, unlike Benny, Selene, and Cynrik, who were enraged at the punishment, Brance burst outughing his ass off, nearly falling out of his chair.

    ¡°Shut up, it¡¯s easy for you to be unconcerned by this change in events, but for me especially, I am being chained down in ce.¡± It took every ounce of Cynrik¡¯s willpower to restrain himself fromshing out both physically and verbally at Brance.

    ¡°Oh,e one, it can¡¯t be that bad. How bad was the pay dock, and when is your *snicker* curfew?¡± Covering his mouth to conceal the massive shit-eating grin, Brance tried toe off as concerned.

    ¡°Basically, the sry reduction is from 50 to 20 Merit Points a month, and the curfew is set for 6 pm every night, even on weekends. To top it all off, they also removed my Training Facilities discount. Bastards.¡± Cynrik said as he picked up his chair and sat down while smoldering.

    ¡°20 points a month isn¡¯t that bad, considering we all originally nned on pooling our funds together anyway. Regardless, the curfew thing is neither here nor there. Don¡¯t act like you have no intention of holding yourself up in your room all day and night to study. This curfew will have little to no effect on you.¡± Finally breaking free of hisughter fit, Brance calmed himself down and started analyzing the facts aloud.

    ¡°The real issue is this addition of mandatory sses the three of you are being forced to take; while I know Ivar has seen NUMEROUS therapists in his time, Benny is the opposite¡­sorry Selene, I don¡¯t know your history with psychologists.¡±

    ¡°No offense taken; for the record, I saw a few when I was a teenager; it shouldn¡¯t be that big a deal for me.¡± Selene waved her hand dismissively and told Brance it was ok.

    ¡°The anger management sses shouldn¡¯t be too bad; it¡¯s just a lot of how NOT to hit people when they piss you off and reign in your feelings. Nothing we haven¡¯t already taught you, to begin with, Benny. I have no idea how long they will force these stupid sses on us, but the sooner we make them believe we are sane and stable children, the sooner they get off our backs.¡± Cynrik crossed his fingers into a steeple and leaned against the table.

    ¡°Benny, you got dragged into this because of how you reacted to how that guy was treating your sister; it¡¯s understandable; however, it was allegedly uneptable in the eyes of the school staff.¡±

    ¡°This presents us with a significant amount of helpful information. The first is that Selene and I need to reel in our facial expressions duringbat and tone down our brutal nature. It clearly isn¡¯t enough to be in total control; the second we leak out our true selves, it freaks out the staff. Thus I will be setting aside some time every night to teach everyone some basic acting skills.¡± While Cynrik said this, he swiped the dinner knife Selene was spinning around her fingers and kept it on his side of the table.

    ¡°The acting skills should be sufficient to shut up the naysayers from anger management, but we have to y things properly when ites to those shrinks in therapy. As my brother so rudely pointed out, I have been to one too many of these bastards in the past, so I pretty much know how to handle them.¡±

    ¡°Unlike how TV depicts them, it won¡¯t be a lot of ¡°How does that make you feel,¡± instead they will start off by building ayer of trust with you before picking at your brain to bring forth all the dark and dreary shit locked in the recesses of your mind. Their goal is to determine the source of your trauma and how it has grown before moving into their diagnosis and subsequent treatment.¡±

    Cynrik paused as he remembered this wasn¡¯t Earth, and he forgot a critical difference between the twos.

    ¡°That is to say; they don¡¯t bring in people with Psychic Affinities¡­if that happens, we can only rely on learning how tobat the effects. Since everyone¡¯s MIND stat is rtively high, it will be up to our individual discretion as to how we handle it; I, for one, will be going into full-blown actor mode.¡± Cynrik leaned back and stared nkly at the ceiling in thought when he finished speaking.

    ¡°The only thing you three need to do is convince them that there is nothing wrong with you. Then, try to paint it out as if the other side is the one at fault, that the second year¡¯s bullying attempt forced you into a corner where youshed out the way you did. You should only face one big problem, and that is how both you and Selene seemed to enjoy dismembering your opponent Ivar thoroughly.¡± Brance once again stepped in, adding rity where Cynrik missed out.

    ¡°Remember, this isn¡¯t the Headmaster trying to lock you down; looking at it from their point of view, it¡¯s really just them trying to cover their asses from future problems that¡­ let¡¯s be honest, will more than likely ur.¡±

    The only sound remaining after Brance fell silent was the gluttonous sound of Gabby polishing off the remainder of the desserts. Upon realizing that the conversation had nothing to do with her, she tuned out everyone¡¯s words and focused solely on finishing her food.

    With everyone lost in thought, the room remained silent until the time when the waitress returned with the bill, which Brance took and quickly paid for out of the party¡¯s funds. All that was left was for Gabby to finish up thest two bites, and then everyone left the restaurant with full bellies and heated attitudes.

    Their next stop was back to the book store, where everyone located and purchased all the textbooks required for each ss they had chosen before storing them away with everything they had purchased in their inventories.

    ¡°Where to now? We only have about two hours until that dreaded curfew hits our beloved Ivar, so we should head back to our dorms and settle in.¡± Selene barely made it through her sentences as she fought backughter at the mention of Cynrik¡¯s curfew.

    ¡°Bite me, Selene, keep it up, and I¡¯ll request you get one too. It shouldn¡¯t be difficult to convince the headmaster that we all need a curfew to promote unity in the party.¡± Cynrik snapped while picking up his pace to go to a giant map indicating street names and the prominent building locations.

    ¡°YOU WOULDN¡¯T DA¡­¡± Selene started, but Brance jumped to her side and covered her mouth before she could finish those words.

    ¡°SHHH, never, and I mean NEVER EVER, try calling Big Brother¡¯s bluffs; he will only see it as a challenge.¡± Brance hissed in a hurried and fearful tone, causing Selene to go ridged and break out in a cold sweat.

    Realizing the mistake she nearly made, her eyes darted to Cynrik, who was several meters away already and whistling some anime theme song, oblivious to what she had almost said.

    Seeing he was none the wiser, Selene tapped Brance¡¯s hand twice, and he let go; then, the two shared a look of understanding and chased after Cynrik as if nothing had happened.

    Standing in front of therge map which showed everything avable on Mount Kaer, it didn¡¯t take Cynrik long to locate the path to the dorms, which, as it turned out, were built inside hollowed-out caverns within the mountain itself and then separated into Boys¡¯ and Girls¡¯.

    ¡°From its looks, we are supposed to take the same route towards the dorms until we reach this junction here,¡± Cynrik said, tracing the path on therge map for everyone to follow.

    ¡°Once we reach the fork, guys have to go left, and girls right; after that, it¡¯s up to you and Selene to locate your building; ording to the info we received, you guys are located in the S-Rank block building 003. So find it as soon as possible. Once you arrive, I want one of you to call me so we know you two made it.¡±

    Selene and Gabby happily chirped their understanding and linked arms before running off like sisters ahead of the group, ignoring that they could stay together until the fork.

    ¡°Children, the both of them,¡± Cynrik scoffed and motioned for Benny and Brance to follow him.

    The walk through the town-like campus was pleasant enough; it resembled a bustling downtown medieval vige, where on one street you could find cksmith shops or potions stores, yet the next street would be more futuristic. You could buyputers and other advanced technology meant for daily needs.

    Cynrik and Brance were fascinated by the constantly changing scenery. Still, once they arrived at Mount Kaer, everything changed into a uniformed medieval school campus, with the roads getting even more densely packed since most people had just finished eating dinner and were returning to their new dorms.

    It took the group of boys nearly another 45 minutes to break away from the herd and make their way over to where their dorms were located. Upon reaching the fork in the road, everyone followed Cynrik to the left side as they walked into arge, apparently well-crafted cavern that burrowed deep towards the center of the mountain.

    Once inside, Cynrik¡¯s eyes went wide as he saw, for the first time, something that made him truly feel like he had arrived in a fantasy world. Sprawled out before him was a massive open space carved into the mountain, reminding him of something out of LOTR. Knowing his thoughts, Tobs timed a song perfectly to make matters worse.

    -Now ying 2 hours of Moria/LOTR& Ambience- Dwarven Music with Cavern Ambience.-

    The dimly lit cavern was filled with hand-carved stone buildings that appeared to be hundreds of years old, yet either by their expert craftsmen ship or the sturdy stone materials the buildings were carved from, everything looked immacte.

    [Hey¡­Brancie,¡­you sure we didn¡¯t choose Middle Earth to reincarnate into?] Cynrik asked, barely able to keep his feet moving due to shock and awe.

    [At this point, Cyn, I have no fucking clue, but it¡¯s¡­its¡­ it¡¯s beautiful.] Brance said, wiping a single tear from the corner of his eye.

    ((((PS. Brance was a HUGE LOTR nerd back on Earth, thus his reaction.))))

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

    Current Progress

    1500/1500 Power Stones (COMPLETE)

    100/100 Golden Tickets (COMPLETE)

    4/4 Magic Castles (COMPLETE)

    I will start publishing two chapters daily at 0600 and 1800 beginning Monday, May 16th.

 Chapter 200

    -Now ying 2 hours of Moria/LOTR& Ambience- Dwarven Music with Cavern Ambience.-

    The dimly lit cavern was filled with hand-carved stone buildings that appeared to be hundreds of years old, yet either by their expert craftsmen ship or the sturdy stone materials the buildings were carved from, everything looked immacte.

    [Hey¡­Brancie,¡­you sure we didn¡¯t choose Middle Earth to reincarnate into?] Cynrik asked, barely able to keep his feet moving due to shock and awe.

    [At this point, Cyn, I have no fucking clue, but it¡¯s¡­its¡­ it¡¯s beautiful.] Brance said, wiping a single tear from the corner of his eye.

    Standing next to the brothers, Benny was wide-eyed and looking in every direction, unable to find a spot for his line of sight to rest.

    [This brings back to how big of a nerd our Headmaster must be at heart, I mean, just look at this ce. If I didn¡¯t know better, I would have believed we were at a clean and un-demolished Mines of Moria if it had been repurposed into a massive housing facility for students.

    Instead of being bathed in darkness as one would expect from the interior of a mountain, it was bright as sunset within, thanks to hundreds of thousands of small glowing stones and what appeared to be some kind of magical streetmps.

    Luckily, the crowd of simrly aged children surrounding Cynrik andpany were equally as mystified and had all stopped, or else it would have been slightly chaotic of a traffic jam.

    Coming back to his senses after what seemed like an hour, Cynrik pulled up the map of Mount Kaer¡¯s Cavern Dorms on his Watcet before tapping Benny and Brance on the shoulder and cutting through the crowd of thousands of students.

    [We still have a way to go; it seems like everything is set up in ayered grid pattern, with the outeryers being for low-ranked students and the Inner for higher. ording to our Dorm number, we got one of the 4 SS-Rank dorms housed in the dead center of the cavern.] Cynrik exined as he traversed the clean paved stone roads.

    The outer area dorms had a simr aesthetic to a regr suburban neighborhood; the stone streets were lined with identical modr apartments ranging from three to four stories. The literature Cynrik had located on the Academies website informed him that each of these apartment buildings held six six-person dorm rooms per floor, meaning that thergest ones could house 24 homes, with 144 students packed in like sardines.

    Adding that number to the seemingly never-ending rows of identical buildings was enough math to make anyone¡¯s head spin, and this was just in the first ring of the outeryer. The further in you went, the more unique the buildings became, and subsequently, the less amount of students housed within.

    With the cavern expanding for over two miles into the mountain, it was rtively easy to get a decent picture of how many first, and second-year students were enrolled in the Academy.

    As the group walked along with the stone-paved roads, Brance would take a peek into the dorms as students would locate theirs and enter, hoping to get a good look at furniture or roomyouts from the front door, but soon found out he was limited to what he could actually see. The worst part was that, simrly to the stone huts they hade across inside the Egress, all the stone buildings were constructed from a type of rock that reflected Mana particles and made it impossible to spy inside with [Mana Sight].

    [Tsk, did you notice yet, Cyn?] Brance said while massaging his temples to curb his headache.

    [Un, the moment we walked in, why are you always so slow to the uptake with shit like this, Brancie?]

    [Eh? I¡¯m not slow; you are only quick to notice because your freak brain only works appropriately when multitasking. I, on the other hand, am N.O.R.M.A.L, so fuck off.] Narrowing his eyes in an attempt to bore holes into the back of Cynrik¡¯s head with the disdain he was experiencing, Brance quipped.

    [Che, watch your step; the stone stairs are a bit slippery.] Ignoring Brance¡¯s taunts, Cynrik stepped onto the narrow, t stairway leading up about five feet and walked into the next portion of the outeryer.

    [This makes the 4th and final segment of the outeryer. Up next is the Inner, followed by Central and then the Core. Hurry up; I¡¯ve only got 25 minutes till curfew.] Cynrik picked up his pace making the other two catch up.

    [Why are you so worried? It¡¯s not like the Headmaster is gunna turn your Watcet into a shock cor or something if you¡¯rete. Where is my gungho rule-breaking brother at?] Smirking at how hurried Cynrik seemed, Brance took it upon himself to continue abusing him verbally.

    [Psh, that Cynrik fell down a flight of stairs a ways back, and we left him behind. But, of course, that fool would have lost even more privileges if allowed to live, so I hit him with a couple of fireballs on the way for good measure.] Without missing a beat, Cynrik didn¡¯t let his younger brother¡¯s taunts get to him and instead joined in on making fun of himself.

    But when Brance heard Cynrik¡¯s reply, his mouth dropped open in confusion, and he shook his head left and right slowly.

    [It never ceases to amaze me how you can talk about yourself in the third person in such an insane manner so easily. But, whatever, how much longer till we get there?]

    [There are only three sections of the Inneryer, two for the central, andstly, only one in the Core. Honestly, aside from missing dozens of feet tall walls, this ce would remind me of one of those ancient circr cities. I mean, if those cities had electricity and running water and were built inside a massive mountain.] Cynrik said as he began briskly jogging through the Inneryer.

    It didn¡¯t take long for Cynrik, Brance, and Benny to navigate through the winding stone roads of the Inneryer and make their way into the much nicer and vastly morevish Central Layer. With fewer buildings and even fewer students around, Cynrik found himself stopping at the guard stations posted between each section and scanning his Watcet with the guard before being allowed to continue further.

    This was something he had yet toe across until they left the Inner Layer. Seeing that security was getting tighter the deeper into the cavern they went didn¡¯t sit well with him, as a curfew restrained him, but Brance found it hrious.

    This meant that if Cynrik were, for some reason,teing home and broke his curfew, he would still have to report to numerous Guards who would either dish out a form of punishment or scold him. The social interaction with these uniformed adults would be future nightmare fuel for Cynrik, and Brance was having a st nagging him.

    By the time they passed the guard station for the Core Layer, Cynrik and the others had stopped their brisk jogging and ended up sprinting full out, in the end, narrowly making it into the Core Layer with only two minutes to spare.

    ¡°Huff, Fucking bullshit man, huff. That¡¯s thest time we cut it this close.¡± Cynrik barely spat out between ragged breaths. He was winded because instead of being able to run in a straight line, the winding roads, and obstacles they housed, forced Cynrik to move as if he was in a forest.

    ¡°What kind of bullshit rule disallows running on the rooftops. Like there are so many, and it¡¯s perfect for parkour. Huff.¡± Straightening his back and walking forward to avish-looking stone house with 04 written on it, Cynrik stepped up to the door and tapped his Watcet on a small tform that looked like a doorbell and heard a loud click representing the door had been unlocked.

    When he opened the door and stepped inside, all the inactive lights dimly brightened up, and a soft A.I. voice weed him home by name, warning him there was less than a minute left until his curfew was in effect. The same happened to Brance and Benny when they stepped inside.

    However, they didn¡¯t get the second phrase, urking Cynrik for a moment before he let it go and toured the borderline mansion of a stone dorm. From the interior alone, one would never believe the house was made entirely of stone as the walls were painted a decent shade of light blue, and plush carpet lined the floor of every room except the kitchen, which was tile.

    ¡°Damn, this ce is pretty nice; even the furniture looks expensive,¡± Brance said, examining the living room with four three-seater couches and a coffee table. Across the room was arge holotv that could be viewed with ease from just about every angle.

    Benny had already left the brothers alone in the living room and run off to pick which room would be his new bedroom. Since there were four identically sized bedrooms, it didn¡¯t matter to the brothers which the boy chose, so they let him have his solo adventure.

    ¡°You can stay here; im going to check out the training room. All the literature says every Dorm is equipped with a state-of-the-art one, and since this is an SS-Rank dorm, ours should be pretty good.¡± Cynrik nced at Brance, who already had his pants off and waszing on one of the couches in his boxer shorts.

    ¡°You do you, my happy ass ain¡¯t moving from this spot,¡± Brance said with closed eyes.

    ¡°Tsk, 11 years on Vinestra and 27 on Earth, and you still haven¡¯t broken the habit of throwing your pants off the second you get home.¡± Crossing his arms and clicking his tongue, Cynrik walked off to examine the training room, but he was slightly disappointed when he arrived.

    Unlike what he was praying for, there was no gravity machine; instead, there were dozens of weight training devices such as things to lift or add tension to your body.

    Kicking off his shoes, Cynrik walked onto the padded flooring and observed the ample open space, equivalent to the training room back in the Pinhurst Mansion, only without a boxing ring, and was eventually satisfied with what he was seeing.

    ¡®This isn¡¯t so bad; not every ce can be like the HBTC; oh well, I guess I should get in a short workout before showering and unloading my stuff into my bedroom.¡¯ So Cynrik thought before going back to practicing the Futae no Kiwami.

    (((We did it, guys; we finally hit chapter 200. For me, this is a huge milestone, as every other story I¡¯ve set out to tell has fallen immensely short of this number. So, to break the mold, when I began nning this series a couple of years ago, I crafted an intricate web of a plot outline with enough content to sustain a minimum of 10 volumes. So, here we are, partway through the much anticipated World Building/Academy Arc, and I¡¯m pleased to say we haven¡¯t even scratched the surface of 20 percent of my plot outline.)))

    (((I hope I have been able to put to words apelling tale, even if the MCs are all still children 200 chapters in. One of the biggest things I¡¯ve noticed is the massive drop-off in Cynrik Hate, which pleases me greatly as he is a wed character with an immense amount of mental health trauma to unpack over time.)))

    (((So from the bottom of my tiny little decrepit heart, Thank you for sticking around, especially those I see frequent thements. My interaction with each of you regrs, who call me out on mistakes, either Grammatical, spelling or plot, keeps me growing as an author.)))

    HERE¡¯S TO ANOTHER 200 CHAPTERS HOBEY HO! ¨CScotchTy (Author-San)

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. P.S. Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 201

    ***AND SO IT BEGINS, EVERYONE, AS PROMISED, DOUBLE DAILY CHAPTERS FOR THE NEXT 60 CHAPTERS aka 30 Days! Slight change to the schedule, I will be posting them at 7AM CST, and 7PM CST***

    ¡®This isn¡¯t so bad; not every ce can be like the HBTC; oh well, I guess I should get in a short workout before showering and unloading my stuff into my bedroom.¡¯ Rolling his neck to the side and releasing the built-up tension in the form of a loud pop. Cynrik began tensing the muscles in both his arms and legs slightly before stripping off his shirt, tossing it onto one of the workout benches, and revealing a physique that a 12-year-old shouldn¡¯t be close to.

    Mixing together the benefits of a stat-based system along with his ?sir bloodline and years of hard physical training, Cynrik¡¯s body was an athletic work of art.

    The slight and rapid flexing of his arms and abdomen revealed well-chiseled six-pack abs and an overall impressive muscle tone never shown to the world since Cynrik felt morefortable in his leather armor or hoodies.

    ¡®Knowing the basics of the Futae no Kiwami simply isn¡¯t enough; I feel like I am missing something critical before I can fully bring the skill to light. I just have to figure out what this essential bit of info is, and I can move the skill out of my imagination and into reality.¡¯ So Cynrik thought to himself as he examined his left fist.

    Dropping into his standard south-paw stance, Cynrik chambered his left wrist against his hip and closed his eyes, picturing the movement of each tendon, fiber, and bone being used.

    ¡®The Futae no Kiwami is a technique that can be used with the whole body; this, in effect, means that so long as I can figure out a way to break an object¡¯s innate resistance, I can apply it to everything from a simple headbutt, to a knee or elbow strike.

    Without warning or any sign of the previous movement, Cynrik violently punched out from his hip and executed his mock attack for the first time entirely. To date, he had only been working out the timing of the first and second impact, but now, he was fully extending the punch and going through the motions from start to finish.

    Fwoosh, Fwoosh Fwoosh

    Cynrik repeated the movement of throwing his fastest punch while executing the two-tap strike to no avail.

    But he didn¡¯t get deterred by theck ofpleting each attack properly. Instead, when Cynrik deemed the execution of the strike unsatisfactory, he would reset his stance, rechamber his closed fist back to his hip and start over.

    ¡®Still, not enough; my uracy is off by 22 degrees. In addition, the downward angle I need to calcte is constantly changing with each punch.¡¯ Cynrik analyzed each punch he threw and would make minor changes each time; however, he still wasn¡¯t happy with the results.

    ¡®Tobs, any ideas?¡¯ Feeling at a loss for why he couldn¡¯t perfect the technique, Cynrik turned to the AI living rent-free in his head.

    -Sure, here¡¯s a good one, don¡¯t try replicating anime attacks based on religious points of view.-

    She said with extreme sarcasm, causing Cynrik to grunt unhappily.

    ¡®How bout some real constructive help here, Tobs? You see me struggling, and the first thing you think of is bullying me; cmon now.¡¯ Wearing a frown, Cynrik picked up the pace of his strikes.

    -Using your memories and information derived from the fictional series the attack is based on, I estimate there is a 5% chance you will be able to sessfully develop a usable version of the technique; called ¡°Futae No Kiwami.¡±-

    -I rmend that you either find a suitable way to simplify the attack so that a system-based skill can be generated based on repetitive sessful attempts or wait until you reach Tier-2.-

    -After undergoing Evolution, your body will strengthen. You will develop a more fine-tuned control over your motor skills; at that point, the chances of sessfully replicating the attack will quadruple to 20%.-

    ¡®Tsk, I was worried you¡¯de up with something as off-handed as ¡°Get stronger,¡± at least you didn¡¯t just hit me with a¡­.¡¯ Before Cynrik could finish his idea, Tobs cut him off and verbally bitch-pped him.

    -Or you could just Git Gud Scrub.-

    ¡®Sigh, of course, you would, fucking GREAT!¡¯ Cynrik bit his lip angrily and threw his punches with more speed and strength than before.

    For several hourste into the night, the training room was filled with the muffled sounds of Cynrik punching at the air repeatedly. Until around Midnight, when Brance showed up with something to eat and forced his older brother to take a break.

    Brance watched as Cynrik silently munched the ham and cheese sandwich cobbled together with what he bought from the store.

    ¡°The girls called me about an hour after we arrived to say they made it safely to their dorm. Selene seemed a bit riled up because you didn¡¯t answer after eight missed phone calls, but when I told her you were training, she mmed up, and ording to Gabby, she had taken a simr stance to you by locking herself in the training room all night.¡± Brance said, handing a towel to Cynrik, who had finished eating and was covered in sweat.

    ¡°Un, that¡¯s good.¡± That was all Cynrik said before going back to the center of the room and taking up the same position he hadn¡¯t left for hours.

    Hopping back to his feet and collecting the used paper te and napkins Cynrik had ced on the floor, Brance shook his head and walked away.

    It was evident to Brance that Cynrik was deep in theory crafting, and nothing he said to his older brother would get through until he had achieved what he set out to do.

    Closing the door to the soundproof room, Brance binned the garbage and went to his bedroom, where he had already unpacked all the things brought from home and purchased during the day.

    Quirking a slightly pleased smile, Brance looked around the decent-sized 14¡Á14 square foot bedroom, thergest he had received to date.

    He chose the one directly across from Benny¡¯s and diagonally across from the bedroom nearest to the training room, which he had figured Cynrik would choose.

    Although the dorm was fully furnished, the interior of the bedroom only held a simple full-sized bed, desk, and a wall-length dresser. However, it had a walk-in closet and even came with a full-sized bathroom for his use only, with a full bathtub, a shower, and a toilet.

    Brance had decided to decorate the room with his own finishing touches, such as a few posters and a bookshelf brought over from the Pinhurst Mansion. Lastly, to top it all off, was his bedding from back home in Lawton. While it may seem weird, Brance was very sentimental and brought along the bright silverforter, sheets, and pillowcases Cinyah had gifted him for his 10th birthday.

    Secretly, he had even packed the red and ck matching bedding Cynrik had received and made his older brother¡¯s bed so that he, too, would have something from home when it came time to rx for the night.

    Overall, Brance was actually very happy with the dorm and couldn¡¯t ask for a better ce to live; it just needed a little something to make it a true home away from home.

    With that thought at the forefront of his mind, Brance sat down at his desk and began jotting down a list of items he felt the dorm needed, such as throw rugs, coasters for drinks in the living room, cemats for the kitchen table, a matching silverware, tes, and cups, set and so on. In addition, everyone had brought along their own bathroom items, such as towels and bathrobes, so it was unnecessary to purchase more.

    Afterpleting the list, Brance tidied up his desk and picked a textbook titled ¡°Introduction to Affinities and Their Uses¡± off the bookshelf and ced it on a small end table lit by the only source of light in the bedroom currently, a small readingmp.

    With the book resting beside his bed, Brance quickly changed into some pajamas and hopped in bed before calling Cinyah, who had been waiting for a goodnight call.

    Brance had already called her shortly after entering the dorm, so this was their third phone call together. The first being when they arrived, the second was around dinner time, to double-check everything was fine, everyone was settling in properly, and now one before bed.

    However, he didn¡¯t mind, this was his mother, and Brance knew it was a lot to handle for Cinyah, especially after mysteriously disappearing for over a year inside an Egress; thus, he could only oblige her antics and give her a call before bed.

    Upon dialing her number in the phone app on his Watcet, the ring tone only went off twice before a holographic disy of Cinyahying in bed beside an already passed-out Rikard came into view.

    ¡°Hello Baby, I see you are already getting in bed; OH MY GOSH, IS THAT THE BEDDING I GOT YOU FOR YOUR TENTH BIRTHDAY!¡± When Cinyah picked up the call, she was a bit sleepy, but after seeing how Brance was all tucked in under the special bedding she bought him, her heart melted, and Cinyah broke into a wide and happy smile.

    ¡°Sure is Mom; I brought Big Brother¡¯s too to make these rooms our home away from home. I figured you wouldn¡¯t mind too much. So when we swung by the house in Lawton, I grabbed them and packed them all away into my inventory just for this asion.¡± Smiling warmly at his mother, Brance then proceeded to show off his newly decorated bedroom, much to Cinyah¡¯s joy.

    ¡°It looks great, honey; I am d you brought some stuff from home, including your beloved bookcase. I spoke with Gabby earlier, and she decorated her room the same way you did. But, of course, Benny is being his typical self, and even though his decorating skills arecking, it still turned out ok; you be sure to watch over him.¡±

    ¡°Is your brother still training? I haven¡¯t gotten to talk to him tonight?¡± Tilting her head to the side in thought, Cinyah asked.

    ¡°Mhm, he has been working on some kind of new punch since we left the Selections, and now that he¡¯s got a full-sized training room, you know what to expect. He is doing his typical shirt-off prance around thingy.¡±

    Shrugging his shoulders in defeat, Brance promised he made Cynrik eat dinner and would have him call her in the morning before saying his goodnights and hanging up the call.

    Looking at the door leading to the hallway where the training room was located, Brance sighed quietly and picked up his new textbook to get some reading in before bed.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. P.S. Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 202

    Cynrik was training until around 4 am before finally calling it a night and heading to shower and sleep. Picking up his discarded shirt, he eventually left the training room and headed to the nearest bedroom, and upon opening the door, Cynrik¡¯s jaw fell open and then turned into a grin.

    Seeing that Brance had already predicted which room he would choose and had even gone so far as to make his bed with the ck and red bedding he grew ustomed to in Lawton, Cynrik silently apuded Brance¡¯s forward-thinking.

    After a quick shower and changing into his favorite ck pajamas, Cynrik hopped under the covers and quickly passed out for the night.

    Morning came quickly and by around 10 am, Brance had called the girls over, and after a bit of navigation help, Gabby and Selene hadnded their butts onto thevish couch cushions in the boy¡¯s dorm.

    ¡°Wow, this ce is way nicer than ours. But I guess that is expected since we ended up in the Central Layer, and you guys are in the Core.¡± Selene obnoxiously blurted out between sips of coffee and nibbles of some kind of cookie Brance hadid out for everyone on the table.

    ¡°ssy of you, Selene, can¡¯t you just be normal and say, ¡°wow, it looks nice you boys did a good job cleaning it up,¡± as our little Gabby did.¡± Brance, holding a coffee himself, sat beside Gabby, sipping a cup of apple juice happily.

    ¡°Fuck, you guys are noisy early in the morning.¡± Then, breaking up the potential argument, Cynrik slogged into the living room with a bad case of messy bedhead; with his hair down, he looked a bit like a ck mop had called the top of his head home.

    ¡°AH, Lookie, everyone, our prodigal leader has arisen from his slumber to grace us with his presence.¡± Selene pointed out at Cynrik¡¯s arrival, making everyone chuckle.

    ¡°Bite me, Selene, where¡¯s the caffeine? I need some if Ima be forced to deal with her crap all morning.¡±

    Brance waved at the kitchen with his free hand, and Cynrik followed before pouring himself a hot cup of coffee and taking small sips.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s on the agenda for today? Bj?rn called us over because we were having a meeting but refused to spill what the topic was.¡± Still being the most verbal and clearly the only morning person, Selene spoke up.

    Making his way over to a vacant spot beside Benny, Cynrik ignored the overactive girl and continued nursing his coffee for a couple of minutes before answering, much to Selene¡¯s disappointment.

    ¡°Well, four of us are gunna Evolve to Tier-2; Originally, I wanted you, my dearest Selene, to spend some money on XP crystals to power level yourself up to the Tier-1 Prestige Cap. However, when I did some research and looked online, it turned out the ratio is 500 XP points to 1 Merit Point, meaning at best, if everyone pitched in, you could only get an extra 5 P-levels, which wouldn¡¯t be enough.¡±

    ¡°So for now, you get to sit around and watch while we upgrade ourselves, and then we will tackle an Oblisk to grind out XP and items. Once we get enough gubbins, it¡¯ll be your turn.¡± Massaging his temples, Cynrik finally gave Selene an answer, even if it was one she was clearly unhappy with.

    ¡°THAT ISNT COOL, IVAR! What happened to all that party unity BS you were spewing at the Headmaster. This is crap, so I just get to fuckingy here like a lump and watch everyone get stronger without me? BULL SHIT!¡± And unhappy she was, Selene immediately began spouting off at the mouth, calling Cynrik on his crap in a not-so-nice way, essentially throwing a temper tantrum.

    RUMBLE

    ¡°SILENCE!¡± But Cynrik put a stop to her argument just as quick by not only raising his voice but also leaking out some of his Killing Intent, both asserting his dominance as the Party Leader and scaring the shit out of Selene, who, up till now, had never really seen Cynrik be assertive before.

    The suddenshing out of KIN and the raising of Cynrik¡¯s voice caused Benny and Gabby to stiffen and even sit straight up for a second. But, unfortunately, they were all too familiar with Aggro-Cynrik, as he used the same tone he took when disciplining the Sanfords during training.

    ¡°Never call my orders into question. Do you understand me, Selene?¡± Cynrik said while raising his eyes from the coffee to meet Selene¡¯s with an icy re, causing Selene to gulp down her saliva nervously.

    Unfortunately for Cynrik, he unknowingly didn¡¯t get the response he expected. Instead, he mistook Selene¡¯s squirming on the couch as obedience and yielding when instead, it was one of being hot and bothered.

    ¡®Fuck, that¡¯s hot, keep looking at me like that, and not only will I call you Daddy every minute of every day, but I¡¯ll jump your bones if given a chance.¡¯ So Selene thought when she felt Cynrik¡¯s piercing gazend on her body.

    Looking away from the squirming Selene, Cynrik made calm eye contact with the rest of his party and continued.

    ¡°Like I said, Gabby, Benny, Bj?rn, and I will be going through our Tier-2 Evolution. We won¡¯t be doing it all simultaneously, as I would prefer to do it one at a time, just in case something happens. This will allow either Bj?rn or I to jump in and assist when necessary.¡±

    ¡°Bj?rn will be up first, followed by Gabby, next Benny and I will gost. One thing that will differ from this Evolution and thest is we finally have a proper guide manual for what to expect. During our Evolution from Tier-0 into Tier-1, we were left to figure things out with only the guidance of our System, which turned out alright only because it was 0 to 1.¡±

    ¡°Going from Tier-1 to Tier-2 carries a fundamental shift in how our bodies will process raw materials, thus adding several new additional items in the form of Affinity Stone Fragments, Metabolism Boosters, Mental fortification pills, and the Efficiency Boosters.¡± As Cynrik spoke, he pulled out each of the items as he mentioned them and ced them on the coffee table in the center of the room.

    ¡°ording to the guide, we must first have a hearty meal before taking, in order, one Efficiency boost, the Mental pill, and two Metabolism boosters. Then we must allow 30 minutes for these items to settle in our bodies. After the initial batch of resources settles, then and only then are we supposed to activate the Evolution process, which a prompt from our systems will trigger.¡±

    ¡°At that time, we will be prompted to hold our Affinity Fragments in one hand and the Evo-Stone Fragment in the hand closest to our Codex; this will trigger the Evolution. Of course, there is a certain level of pain you will experience, just like when we underwent the Awakenings and previous Evolution, but that is why Mental Fortification Pills exist and are rmended during the process.¡±

    ¡°Lastly, as our bodies undergo the process of Evolution, they will burn absurd amounts of calories throughout the entirety of the advancement. Therefore, one of us will have to feed the person whose turn it is the additional Metabolism boosters periodically. As for the Second Efficiency booster, the process of Evolution varies from person to person. If one of our Evolutions persists for more than an hour, the guide advises that we feed that person the second Efficiency Booster.¡±

    When Cynrik finished speaking, he scooped up all the resourcesid out on the table and tossed them back into his inventory.

    ¡°Does anyone have questions?¡±

    Gabby was the first to sit up straight and raise her hand as if she was in school, to which Cynrik nodded, allowing her to speak.

    ¡°So, I know this whole thing will probably suck the big one pain-wise; what happens if it¡¯s too much for us?¡± She asked with her voice wavering slightly at the mention of intense pain.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, Gabby; if Big Brother or I notice you are struggling too much, we will give you one of our own mental fortification pills since we don¡¯t really need them.¡± Then, petting the little girl¡¯s head softly and giving her a smile, Brance said reassuringly.

    ¡°Bj?rn is correct; with my Will Power stat and the crazy pain resistance the two of us have, those pills are utterly useless when ites to our turn, so Bj?rn and I will be keeping them in reserve for you and Benny. However, I don¡¯t see either of you requiring extras, but we have it just in case.¡± Cynrik crossed his arms and tossed a nce at Selene before continuing.

    ¡°Plus, worst case, Selene also has the Will Power stat, so we have three potentially unused pills.¡±

    Selene shrunk back slightly and clenched her knees tightly when Cynrik looked at her, and at thest second, she looked away with her face beat red, making him roll his eyes.

    DING DONG!

    Just as Cynrik was about to call a close to the meeting, the doorbell rang, and Gabby bolted to the door excitedly like a puppy; around 30 secondster, she reappeared with arms full of take-out food bags and ced them all on the table.

    ¡°LOOKIE! Bj?rnie ordered a big meal for everyone; he gots all the best stuff too, and to top it all off, it¡¯s NOT LIMITED TO BREAKFAST THERES, BURGERS AND PIZZA AND FRIES AHHHHH!¡± Midway through digging into the third bag, Gabby realized it wasn¡¯t only breakfast foods and went into a full-on spazzy excitement meltdown.

    [[Good looks, Brancie, you saved me some time, I was gunna whip us up some pasta, but this works too.]] Giving Brance a thumbs up, Cynrik said as he pushed Gabby to the side and grabbed a burger and a few slices of pizza for himself, much to Gabby¡¯s unhappiness.

    ¡°Everyone grabs what you want, you too, Selene; when one of us eats, everyone eats; that¡¯s my personal rule.¡± Brance tossed a paper te to Selene, who was moping on the couch and instantly brightened her up.

    ¡°Remember, guys, eat till you can¡¯t eat anymore; you will need the calories; I don¡¯t want to see anyone with an empty te.¡± Brance was already moving about setting the table with stic eating utensils and paper tes as he spoke.

    ¡°Yesss mommmmm, OI DUMB RABBIT! HANDS OFF THE CHEESE FRIES; THOSE ARE MINE!

    With the arrival of food, the dorm became lively as everyone stuffed their faces, knowing that soon, it would be a world of agony for those undergoing their Tier-2 Evolutions.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 203

    Leaning back in his chair while rubbing his belly in contentment, Cynrik belched loudly. The group had wasted a whole hour gorging themselves in preparation for the Evolution process. Still, it was a necessary loss of time as, without these essential nutrients, they ran the risk of turning into skeletons by the end of their changes.

    ¡°You¡¯re up first, little brother; go change into some basketball shorts and a tank top you don¡¯t mind destroying; we all know how much ickes out of our bodies when we Evolve,¡± Cynrik stated between burbs, his eyes closed in the shape of crescents as he wallowed in his fatness happily like a dog.

    Standing up with a grunt, Brance quickly dashed off to his bedroom and returned around five minutester, dressed in silver basketball shorts and a white loose-fitting muscle shirt.

    Upon his arrival, Cynrik quickly guided everyone away from the kitchen, down the hall, and into therge training room, where he had already sectioned off a specific area for spectators.

    ¡°I want everyone but the one evolving and myself to sit across the room. No matter what, I don¡¯t want anyone crossing the barricade made of workout equipment. This is for your safety since we have no clue what kind of blowback or force expulsion we will be dealing with.¡± Cynrik said as he followed Brance into the center of the room, where a small trashcan-sized android was stationed.

    When he woke up, the first thing Cynrik did was figure out what kind of assistance the Dorm AI would be able to give during their evolutions. After finding out there was a training droid just for that purpose, he quickly learned everything he could about its use before pulling it out of the training room closet and setting it up.

    Stepping beside the little droid, Brance fought the urge to knock it on the head a few times, as it appeared to be powered down, and when Cynrik gave a brief description of its use, he decided it was best to treat it like air.

    Once everyone was in ce, Cynrik nodded for Brance to sit on the floor with his legs crossed and pull out all the resources needed for smooth Evolution.

    ¡°Computer, set the Tier-3 barrier in ce; we will be undergoing a Tier-2 Evolution. Set parameters to the following, Three Affinities, Earth, Light, and Wind, having achieved titles Perfect Foundation and Reforged body. Reduce all Ambient Mana particles outside of those three to Zero.

    ¡°Commands epted, executing Mana Purge.¡±

    No sooner than did the words leave Cynrik¡¯s mouth did a pleasant Female AI voicee from the room¡¯s speakers, followed by a strange mechanical noise.

    The mechanical noise led to a strange sensation that everyone but Brance was experiencing; this was the feeling of the loss of their Elements. Everyone present was heavily reliant on using Ambient Mana particles to control their Affinities at their stage. The AI drained every element except Light, Earth, and Wind from the room and created a pocket devoid of every other element, causing the members of MyrkLys to feel as if they were having trouble breathing for a moment until they limated.

    DING

    ¡°The Training room has been purged of all Mana particles except those three mentioned. In addition, the room has been modified to the peak environment for the Evolution of Student Bj?rn Ragnarsson.¡±

    Cynrik exhaled slowly, feeling that right now he could only use his Wind Affinity, and nodded at Brance, signaling he could begin.

    Brance, although slightly nervous, tossed a final nce at his stat profile onest time before beginning to down the supplements necessary for his Evolution in the order Cynrik had informed him of earlier.

    : Status :

    : Brance Athalos Jetlensr (Bj?rn Ironside Ragnarsson):

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation, Perfect Clear Expert, Reforged Body :

    : Demi-Human Male (99% Human, 1% Lightbringer):

    : Age-11:

    : Tier-1 :

    : Primary ss ¨C Tier-1 Warrior : (+2 To STR,VIT Distribution)

    : Sub-ss ¨C Tier-1 Miner : (+2 To STR Distribution)

    : Level: 20 (P25) : CAP

    : Essence Pool(XP): 69,970:

    : Warrior: 20 ¨C XP : CAP

    : Basic Miner: 20 ¨C XP : CAP

    : Distribution: 1.5 Per All : (STR 5.5, VIT 3.5)

    : Mana Codex Tier: 2 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : Mana Circuit Tier: 2 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : Gravity Resistance: 6.5g (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Body Tempering: Tier 2 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Credits: 1,500,000 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 4600/4600 :

    : Mana 2480/2480 :

    : Stamina 2300/2300 :

    : Stat Points- 262 :

    : Skill Points- 322 :

    : Strength- 300 :

    : Dexterity- 300 :

    : Agility- 300 :

    : Intelligence- 300 :

    : Vitality- 300 :

    : Mind- 300 :

    : Killing Intent- 295 ¨C 4.25g :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Light-Tier-2 (Proficiency= 100.0%): :Expand:

    :(BG) Earth-Tier-2 (Proficiency= 100.0%): :Expand:

    :(BG) Wind-Tier-2 (Proficiency= 100.0%): :Expand:

    Since this was thest time Brance could look at his profile, he smiled as he drank down the two gel packets on hisp; the first was green and tasted like sour apples; this was the Efficiency Booster, and the second was purple and tasted like cough medicine; this was the Metabolism Booster.

    The instant these supplements hit his stomach, Brance felt brimming with energy, as if he had just downed an entire batch of prework out. His hands even became slightly jittery, but he ignored it and scooped up the three Affinity Fragment gems in his right hand while only examining them for a second and scooping up the Evo-Stone.

    His eyes drifted towards a new notification window that had appeared the second he gripped the Evo-Stone in his left hand.

    -The Host has met the requirements for Tier-2 Evolution-

    -Level 20 (Complete)-

    -All Stats Minimum 225 (Complete)-

    -Mana Codex Tier-2 (Complete)-

    -All Elemental Affinities at Tier-1- (Complete)

    -Scanning for Evolution Catalysts.-

    -Evo-Stone Fragment has been Located.-

    -Light Affinity Fragment has been Located.-

    -Earth Affinity Fragment has been Located.-

    -Wind Affinity Fragment has been Located.-

    -All items have been epted as proper Catalysts.-

    -Would you like to begin the Evolution to Tier-2 (Y/N)-

    ¡®Let¡¯s do this, Tobs,¡¯ swiping his finger over the ¡°Yes¡± button, Brance confirmed and was instantly innodated by intense pain and a surge of rapidly scrolling notifications.

    -Beginning Evolution, sending Host¡¯s mind to their SOC.-

    -System has Detected the Host has reached Prestige Cap.-

    -Beginning Body Reforging.-

    -Mana Codex is being restructured.-

    -Mana Circuits are being strengthened and expanded.-

    -Mana Codex is being strengthened.-

    -Mana Codex is Expanding.-

    -Density of collected Mana is evolving.-

    -Analyzing Hosts Body Tempering.-

    -The Host currently has a Tier-2 Body, breaking it down to strengthen further to meet the standards of Body Reforging.-

    -Rebuilding muscr structure.-

    -Rebuilding skeletal structure.-

    When Brance opened his eyes, he was within the lushndscape of his Sea of Consciousness. However, he was still fully aware of his body¡¯s changes and all the pain that entailed. Floating beside him, Tobs, in her Avatar form, floated silently.

    Brance inched closer to her forfort, but it was only on a surface level as it was taking all his strength not to cry out and thrash about thanks to what he would call the worst pain to date.

    Outside Brance¡¯s SOC, things were vastly different. Cynrik stood a few feet away from the unconscious Brance with his arms crossed and eyes narrowed. He would activate [Mana Sight] every few seconds and view all the rapidly urring changes rippling under Brance¡¯s skin.

    He noticed the obnoxious sound of bones and joints snapping loudly, followed by the shredding of every muscle fiber in the body. From time to time, blood and a strange ck substance would pour out of Brance¡¯s orifices, but soon, it would vanish mysteriously before Brance would undergo another bone-breaking session.

    Multiple times over, Brance¡¯s hair would grow to the floor before falling out, leaving him bald for a few seconds and starting the growth from scratch.

    Watching the rapidly urring and radical changes, Cynrik observed that the whole process was just like the age-old saying: out with the old, in with the new, as every fiber of Brance was discarded and re-born.

    Meanwhile, behind him, several feet away, in the safety zone, Gabby, Benny, and Selene were horrified at what they were witnessing. They had seen Brance¡¯s skin practically melt away before reassembling itself, and the loud cracks of bones and muscles tearing would cause them to flinch repeatedly. Still, the group¡¯s eyes never once left Brance, who was their pir of stability in the party.

    Back inside the SOC, Brance focused solely on Tob¡¯s voice as she chimed in each new change.

    -Your Lightbringer Bloodline has increased by 9%.-

    -Your profile has been upgraded to Tier-2.-

    -Your Primary Level has changed from Level 20 to Level Zero; the new cap is set to 35.-

    -Your Mana Circuits have been fully absorbed by your Codex and have be unified. As a result, your entire body will act the same way your Circuits previously did.-

    -Body Tempering and Gravity Resistance have merged into the singr Body Statistic.-

    -ss and Subss have been moved from Active to Former; the previous stat boosts are permanent and will not disappear. The slots have been freed up for Tier-2 sses.-

    Exhaling sharply through tightly clenched teeth, Brance could barely hear Tobs voice, but it was enough. His mind spun in confusion and excitement, wanting desperately to open his eyes and scroll through the seemingly never-ending supply of notifications he was receiving.

    -Prepare yourself, Host Brance; the Evolution is nearly over, but nowes the bad part, stat adjustments, and the new changes to your Affinity.-

    Tobs said, trying to reassure Brance without her voice being totally monotone, and it was enough because Brance slowly nodded his head before flexing his fingers and clenching them into fists.

    This same motion was mirrored with his body outside the SOC, drawing Cynrik¡¯s attention.

    ¡®Tobs, he¡¯s been at this for nearly an hour; I will have to rely on you to tell me when he needs another efficiency and metabolism booster.¡¯ So Cynrik thought while pulling out the necessary items just in case.

    -Host Brance is undergoing the final step in the process and will require one metabolism booster in precisely two minutes 27 seconds; then, in eight minutes 15 seconds, he will need the second Efficiency booster.-

    Nodding silently, Cynrik stepped forward and waited for the signal from Tobs; when it arrived, he quickly opened Brance¡¯s mouth and squeezed the contents of the metabolism gel packet down his gullet, which received no outward response from Brance, but none was thrown up or spilled. Several minutester, he repeated the process with the efficiency booster and stepped back to his previous spot, watching over Brance like a hawk. He stayed stationary like so until something strange happened around twenty minutester.

    FWOOOSH FWOOSHHH SHOOOOOMM

    With Brance as the epicenter, several sts of triple element Mana burst forward, nearly sending Cynrik tumbling backward and forcing him to dig his heels into the padded flooring with his left arm shielding his face.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Cynrik yelled, using his own Wind Affinity to cut through the densely packed waves of Mana.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 204

    FWOOOSH FWOOSHHH SHOOOOOMM

    With Brance as the epicenter, several sts of triple Element Mana burst forward, nearly sending Cynrik tumbling backward and forcing him to dig his heels into the padded flooring with his left arm shielding his face.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Cynrik yelled, using his own Wind Affinity to cut through the densely packed waves of Mana.

    Tossing a quick nce over his shoulder at Gabby, Selene, and Benny, Cynrik put himself in the path of destruction and went to work, stopping the Mana Bursts from reaching his party.

    As Cynrik swiftly swung his left arm as a Mana Sword covered in Wind, he broke apart any iing attacks and made it so only a slight gust would connect with the others. In this way, Cynrik passed the remaining 30 minutes of Brance¡¯s evolution until, finally, the attacks ceased.

    Just as quickly as the attacks began, they ended, only instead of petering off to nothing in silence, there was a loud crash, which caused Cynrik to zero in on its source.

    The noise was caused by the falling body of the training droid, who, unknown to Cynrik, had actually taken the brunt of the Mana Bursts, doing its job to assure the room wasn¡¯t destroyed at the cost of its own body.

    Unfortunately for it, Cynrik felt no sympathy and only shook his head and thought about the cost of repairing the damaged droid. But his attention was stolen only a few secondster by Brance opening his eyes and exhaling shakily.

    ¡°Fuck, that sucked; what happened to you guys?¡± Brance said as he looked around at the damage to the room.

    ¡°Oh, nothing too bad; you just exploded with all three Affinities in these whooshy attacks that carried almost no substance,¡± Cynrik smirked while finally rxing.

    ¡°I see, well, gimmie a couple of minutes, I reek and need a shower, plus I feel all sticky all over; I will fill you in afterward; there is a lot to unpack there.¡± Standing up and stretching his Body, Brance was about to head to the bathroom when his foot smashed through the plush padding of the training room floor, hitting the floorboards beneath.

    ¡°Oops, ok, so maybe no shower right away.¡± Brance chuckled and scratched his head, removing his foot from the padding and standing like a statue, afraid to break anything else.

    ¡°Shit, look here, you Adonis (Greek god of Beauty and desire) looking mother fucker, just because you¡¯re all perfectly sculpted now and look like some kind of Greek god, that doesn¡¯t give you free rein to break the floor, tsk, figure yourself out asshole.¡± Not pleased by Brance¡¯s actions, Cynrik quickly scolded him to the surprise of everyone behind him.

    But unlike Cynrik, who didn¡¯t bother giving Brance an extra nce, Gabby and Selene¡¯s eyes were sparkling brightly since they CLEARLY liked his new look.

    Gone was the previous preteen boy who was slightly better built than other boys, and in its ce were rippling abs, well-defined muscles, and a robust and handsome jawline. Standing at over 5 foot 10 inches, Brance looked nowhere near his age and instead appeared to be around 16 or 17 years old.

    What peeved Cynrik more than anything was he was once again shorter than Brance. Then, before he could scold the girls, he felt a rush of Wind and was horrified to see Gabby and Selene feeling up Brance¡¯s arms and abdomen as he stood there awkwardly.

    ¡°OH MY GOSH, BRANCIE, YOU GOT SO HANDSOME. WHAT THE HECK!¡± Momentarily forgetting to call Brance by his nickname, Gabby was the first to speak up, with hearts fluttering in her eyes.

    Smiling, Brance tucked a lock of Aqua and White streaked jet-ck hair behind his ear and showed off his pearly white teeth at the two girls.

    ¡°Meh meh meh Brancie, you so handsome meh.¡± Standing off to the side, Cynrik mocked Gabby but was subsequently shut up by two sets of death res, one from Gabby herself and the other from Selene.

    ¡°Now, now, Big Brother is just sad that he isn¡¯t the tallest; give him a moment to collect himself.¡±

    [Cyn, we¡¯ve got an enormous problem. Tier-2 changes everything, and it¡¯s not just our stats.]

    Using abination of mind link and vocal speech, Brance pacified the girls while alerting Cynrik to the changes.

    [What? Give me the cliff notes and send over your new profile so I can see it.] Ignoring the two fluttery girls, Cynrik went into full-on analysis mode as he listened to the changes that he could expect in Tier-2, starting with Brance¡¯s new profile.

    : Status :

    : Brance Athalos Jetlensr (Bj?rn Ironside Ragnarsson):

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation, Perfect Clear Expert, Reforged Body :

    : Demi-Human Male (90% Human, 10% Lightbringer):

    : Age-11:

    : Tier-2 :

    : Primary ss ¨C (Empty) :

    :Former: Tier-1 Warrior : (+2 To STR,VIT Distribution)

    : Sub-ss ¨C (Empty) :

    :Former: Tier-1 Miner : (+2 To STR Distribution)

    : Level: 0/35 :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 69,970:

    : P-ss (Empty): 0 ¨C XP :

    : S-ss (Empty): 0 ¨C XP :

    : Distribution: 2 Per All : (STR 6, VIT 4)

    : Mana Codex & Circuits Tier-2 :

    : Stage 3 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-2, 6.5g Resistance :

    : Credits: 1,500,000 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 8000/8000 :

    : Mana 4180/4180 :

    : Stamina 4000/4000 :

    : Stat Points- 262 :

    : Skill Points- 322 :

    : Strength- 470 :

    : Dexterity- 470 :

    : Agility- 470 :

    : Intelligence- 470 :

    : Vitality- 470 :

    : Mind- 470 :

    : Killing Intent- 295 ¨C 4.25g :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Light-Tier-2 (Beginner): :Expand:

    :(BG) Earth-Tier-2 (Adept): :Expand:

    :(BG) Wind-Tier-2 (Beginner): :Expand:

    Cynrik¡¯s jaw nearly hit the floor when he saw how massive the stat boosts were, but his eyes quickly shifted to the new words attached to his brother¡¯s Affinity.

    [For starters, my Bloodline increased to 10%, which alone is massive, I still haven¡¯t read through everything from Tobs on that front so that we can sideline it for now. Next, all my previous sses have moved from active to a new bracketbeled former, but I kept all the boosts obtained by my previous Warrior and Miner sses.]

    [After that is the Primary level, which has basically reset to zero, and the cap is now 35, so don¡¯t panic when you see yourself at level 0 again.] Brance was basically reading off all the notifications aloud as he scrolled through, without giving Cynrik any time to recover.

    [Distribution increased from 1.5 to 2 per all, which is neither here nor there, but the fact that I get 20 Stat points per level is a bit scary, oh and Skill points are 2 per level now. You¡¯ll notice a few things merged; Body Temp and Grav Resist are now under a single line. My Circuits also basically became one with my Codex; the reasoning Tobs gave was that every fiber of my Being can nowplete the job of my Circuits, rendering them ineffective. I don¡¯t know if that is part of my Bloodline or not yet, but it¡¯s something to note.]

    [When ites to stats, there are some massive changes, so the initial boost for the Tier-up was 25% which came out to 75 points, but then the benefit of Prestige kicked in, and I was awarded another 25.33% after for 95, which brings everything up to 470, thus¡­the floor.] When Brance got to the topic of Stats, he subconsciously flexed his pectoral muscles, much to the delight of Gabby and Selene.

    [HP got a double increase to 40 points per stat point, and MP and STAM are up to 20 from 10. I also have a notification about the new Stat cap for Tier-2¡­, and I don¡¯t know how to feel about it.] Brance bit his lip and looked at Cynrik for a second before sending him over the notification and stupefying his older brother.

    ¨C Bypleting your Tier-2 Evolution and achieving your Prestige Cap, you have significantly increased your Stat cap due to thebination of the two. The current Tier-2 Stat cap is set to 1750.-

    This singr line of text nearly shattered Cynrik¡¯s mind as he had to wipe the pooling drool threatening to spill over with the back of his hand.

    [1750¡­One thousand seven hundred and fifty¡­mother fucker, Brance, that better not be exclusive to Lightbringers; I swear to the Allfather, if I don¡¯t get a massive increase in my stat cap ima lose my shit.] Unable to control his left eye from twitching, Cynrik pushed aside Gabby and Selene, whoined loudly and poked Brance in the chest with an angry finger several times.

    [Rx, I haven¡¯t even gotten to the most concerning part. Did you look at my Affinities? They¡¯ve undergone a cataclysmic change.] Fighting backughter because his older brother now looked like the younger brother, Brance steered the conversation back on track and brought up the new words attached to his Affinities.

    ¡®Tobs, can you do me a favor and exin the changes how you did for me to Big Brother?¡¯ Brance asked politely.

    -Of Course, now that one of you has achieved Tier-2, the information isn¡¯t nearly as restrictive.-

    -Aside from the physical strength difference between Tier-1 and Tier-2, Mana as a whole undergoes aplete qualitative change, starting with how it is both condensed and stored.-

    -Previously, the Hosts could only manipte individual Mana particles, molding them into clusters and absorbing them into the body by way of Circuits before they finally reached one¡¯s Codex.-

    -However, this is no longer the case, as starting at Tier-2, the Being¡¯s Body bes arge organ capable of absorbing Ambient Mana; in doing this, the Mana particles partake in a cleansing process that further purifies them. Once this urs, the Codex condenses Mana from the Particle state to a Gaseous state, increasing its actual purity further.-

    -To categorize this change, seven stages havee to be known. These stages signify three things, the size of one¡¯s Mana pool, the level of impurities the Mana carries, and the Being¡¯s effectiveness when utilizing Mana.-

    -On top of this, Affinity proficiency has been recategorized to reflect this quality change and give a title to the beings effectiveness; these new proficiency categories are, Entry, Beginner, Adept, Expert, Master, and Perfected. These categories not only represent your expertise with the Element itself but also are reflected in your Affinity Skills.-

    [I¡­I need to sit down.] Feeling like his brain was about to explode, Cynrik shakily found his way over to one of the workout benches andy down on his back.

    [Tobs, repeat everything three more times to me; I need to be sure I¡¯ve got it all.] After steadying his thoughts, Cynrik had Tobs recite the same speech three separate times, and by the time the third wasplete, he had a decent grasp of the new information.

    [So right now, you have Beginner level Light and Wind, while your Earth is at the third level, Adept. I guess it¡¯s pretty easy to tell which Element you use excessively. To think I had it all wrong, I just kind of figured proficiency was only a means to increase the power of your Affinities, but now¡­now it looks like it all banks on the purity and how effectively you utilize your Mana.]

    [That is pretty much the conclusion I came to as well when I expanded on light, I saw that aside from the new skills I got from increasing my Tier, everything has a simr rank to the Affinity itself. From what I gather, there is some form for figuring out your Affinity Proficiency grade, but the bulk of my Earth skills is all at Adept. Thus, my Affinity shows as Adept.] Ignoring the two girls clinging to his biceps like monkeys in a tree, Brance sat down on the ground beside Cynrik and spoke his thoughts.

    [There is more to it, Tobs. I assume this is the proper use for Skill points¡­increasing the proficiency rank of both Affinity skills and the Element.]

    -That is correct, Host Cynrik.-

    [Nailed it, sigh; I knew shit was gonna get more intricate, but this is a bit too much; I need a couple of minutes to figure out how to exin it to the kids; if I am this thrown off, won¡¯t it just confuse the shit outta them?] Peaking at Gabby, Benny, and Selene out of the corner of his eye, Cynrik collected his thoughts and began exining everything to the rest of the party.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 205

    Contrary to what Cynrik initially believed, Gabby, Benny, and Selene caught on rtively quickly to the updated Affinity changes, which was surprising and not at the same time.

    After giving hisplete in-depth analysis, everyone fell silent as they contemted over the topic. The only one whose head the topic soared over was Gabby, who could only nod and smile but wasn¡¯t fooling everyone.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that proficiency percentage wasn¡¯t an XP bar in its own right, to begin with?¡± Selene asked once she could wrap her head around the new information.

    ¡°Yes and no, I don¡¯t know what all you learned, but we never really got a formal education on the topic. Everything I know is from trial and error and what I believed, in the beginning, was so long as our proficiency grew, we would get greater control over our Elements.¡± Cynrik said while rummaging through the closet for another droid.

    ¡°My brother is trying to say that it¡¯s just more proof that we don¡¯t know squat. It kind of feels like most of what we know at this point is being proven to be incorrect, but hey, isn¡¯t that why we came to school in the first ce.¡± Bouncing lightly on his toes, Brance paced lightly around the training room in an attempt to get used to his newfound strength and body size.

    ¡°Nah, it ain¡¯t that bad. For the most part, proficiency was a way to categorize how much knowledge you had about your Affinity and how much you were able to control Mana particles. Only now do we have an actual means to rank ourselves against others. The biggest issue is that it slightly throws my whole grading scale for [Mana Sight] off. But oh well, AH, there it is.¡± Cynrik eximed as he pulled out a near-identical droid to the damaged one except for the number 02 printed on its belly.

    [[Regardless, our data logs are slowly filling up, and now that it¡¯s the Sanfords turn to Evo, we can use them as a focus group like before to see the difference in standards between them and us.]] Brance said as he threw out a few quick jabs to test his reaction speed.

    [[Wait a second? Focus Group? What are you two on about?]] Selene was sitting beside Gabby, having a grand time swiping the mini cookies from therge bag she was holding, much to the other girl¡¯s dismay, when she got sidetracked by the brother¡¯s conversation.

    [[Hm? Oh, that¡¯s what I call Gabby and Benny, our focus group. Because the two don¡¯t have bloodlines, we canpare the differences in stat and physique growth between ordinary people and us LCs. Of course, I mean, Gabby and Benny more so fall into the Elite category since the two of them max out their Prestige, but it¡¯s something nheless.]]

    [[So far, we only know Brance¡¯s stat cap has increased to 1750, as such, we can¡¯t use him as a good representation for the general base curve of other students. That¡¯s where Gabby and Bennye in. Since they don¡¯t get our extra bloodline boost and only the basic Tier up one, their stats will be slightly different, and my theory is they will have a higher than average stat cap.]]

    [[How high, and what is the difference between someone who has capped their Prestige and someone who hasn¡¯t? This is the question I want to be answered.]] Using a kick, Cynrik punted the droid into the middle of the room before punching in a couple ofmands on his Watcet and powering it up.

    ¡°Alright, rabbit, you¡¯re up, don¡¯t worry, your beloved Bj?rn will be by your side the whole time, so there is no need to be scared. If you ask nicely, I am sure he will even give you a princess carryter if you do well.¡± Then, speaking wordsced with sarcasm, Cynrik gave Gabby the kick in the rear necessary to get her into the center of the room to begin her Evolution.

    However, before she got in position, she ran over to Selene and handed her a piece of paper with herplete Stat profile, much to the older girl¡¯s surprise.

    ¡°Big Bro Ivar said I should show you the before and after since you¡¯re new and all, Big Sis Selly.¡±

    Just as Selene was about to ask what the paper was for, Gabby cutely filled her in and even used the new nickname the littlest Sanford was pleased as could be about.

    On the other hand, Selene couldn¡¯t stop her right eye from twitching at the new name, but seeing as it made the little girl happy, Selene sighed and epted her fate as Big Sis Selly by giving Gabby an encouraging head pat and hurrying her off to the center of the room.

    However, when Selene looked back down at the sheet of paper, her eyes nearly bulged out of the socket.

    : Status :

    : Gabrie Sanford (Gabby):

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation, Perfect Clear Expert, Reforged Body :

    : Human Female:

    : Age-10:

    : Tier-1 :

    : Primary ss ¨C Archer : (+2 To DEX, AGI Distribution)

    : Level: 20 (P25) :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 17,858 :

    : Archer: 20 ¨C XP : CAP

    : Distribution: 1.5 DEX, 1.5 INT, 1.5 MIND, 2 AGI : (+3.5 DEX)

    : Mana Codex Tier: 1 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Mana Circuit Tier: 1 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Gravity Resistance: 3.5g (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Body Tempering: Tier 1 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : STATS :

    : HP 4800/4800 :

    : Mana 2535/2535 :

    : Stamina 2400/2400 :

    : Stat Points- 268 :

    : Skill Points- 121 :

    : Strength- 300 :

    : Dexterity- 300 :

    : Agility- 300 :

    : Intelligence- 300 :

    : Vitality- 300 :

    : Mind- 300 :

    : Killing Intent- 204 ¨C 4.0 G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SBG) Psychic-Tier 1 (Proficiency= 100%): :Expand:

    She had already known that the Sanfords were little monsters like the Jetlensr brothers, but seeing the results on paper almost made her soul leave her body.

    ¡®Doesn¡¯t this mean I am the weakest of the group? How the hell is this the profile of a 10-year-old girl? But, wait, HOW THE HELL DID SHE END UP AS ONLY A-rank! Holy crap, Gabby has four stats in her Distribution too.¡¯ Selene thought, wiping the foam from her lip and following the happily bouncing girl with her eyes.

    Cynrik caught Selene¡¯s reaction to the paper and could only chuckle in silence. He had figured this would be the response; it wasn¡¯t every day you realize that even the youngest of the group could curb stomp you if givin the opportunity.

    Oddly enough, the fact that he was the one who trained Gabby gave him a sense of aplishment because, without his strict discipline, Gabby was the kind of kid who wouldze around eating sweets all day.

    Pushing those thoughts aside, Cynrik looked away from Selene and instructed Gabby, who was already sitting in the middle of the room with Brance standing a few feet away.

    ¡°Do you remember the order Gabby?¡±

    ¡°Yeppers Green Jelly, Purple Jelly, Pink Pill. Next, I gotta hold my pink rock in one hand and the grey one in the other than hit the Yes notifications.¡± Her little voice parroted everything that Cynrik had beaten into her skull during their meal.

    ¡°Atta girl, Computer, set the Tier-3 barrier in ce, initiate Tier-2 Evolution protocol for Student Gabrie Sanford, Set parameters to the following, Psychic Affinity, the achieved titles Perfect Foundation and Reforged body. In addition, reduce all Ambient Mana particles to only the singr listed.¡± Like with Brance, Cynrik had the Dorm AI take over the room prep with a list ofmands.

    ¡°Commands epted, executing Mana Purge.¡±

    With only Psychic Mana left in the room, Cynrik was left stifled this time; only Brance, who felt a little itchy by losing all the Mana particles, was rtively unscathed.

    ¡°The Training room has been purged of all Mana particles except those of the Psychic Element. In addition, the room has been modified to the peak environment for the Evolution of Student Gabrie Sanford.¡±

    ¡°Ready when you are Gabby; remember, try to focus on happy thoughts, like candy or desserts. That is the key to getting through the pain. Don¡¯t think about it.¡± Kneeling down and gently patting the nervous little girl¡¯s head endearingly, Brance did his best to help calm her down, as he could clearly see her whole body shaking like a leaf.

    His words seemed to have some magical effect, though, as soon Gabby took a big breath, her eyes sparkled with determination.

    ¡°I got this, thanks, Brancie; you¡¯re the best.¡± Gabby caught his hand as Brance was about to pull it away and nuzzled it like a cat before finally letting go and gulping down all the resources necessary for a smooth Evolution.

    In an instant, the process began, and overall onlysted for around 30 minutes. The good thing was there were no hups along the way, and Gabby was a trooper throughout the whole thing; she didn¡¯t utter a singleint and only sat still calmly even as her body melted and reassembled just like Brance¡¯s had done earlier.

    She appeared to have aged about four years and looked like a healthy 14 or 15-year-old girl in the prime of teenagerhood. Gone was her childish figure and height, as she now stood at 5ft 4, and the budding curves of a young woman were now prevalent, giving her a figure not far off from Selene¡¯s.

    Her chestnut-colored hair now had streaks of pink randomly running throughout, signifying her Affinity, and her eyes seemed to have a mystical luster.

    Cynrik, Selene, and Benny all nodded approvingly, but Brance reacted quite differently to the young beauty who had appeared before his eyes. Conflicted in his heart, he finally realized that Gabby wasn¡¯t the same little girl anymore and was quickly blossoming into a young woman. For some reason, this knowledge made his face warm, and he couldn¡¯t hold eye contact with Gabby for longer than a couple of seconds.

    On the other hand, Gabby bounced up and tackled Brance the moment she was allowed, rubbing her face happily on his chest.

    ¡°That sucked so bad, Brancie; I can¡¯t believe you did that without flinching; there were so many times I felt like I was dying.¡± So she said, fighting back the tears, which further caused him to be more conflicted.

    [[OI, BRANCIE, SHE IS STILL JAILBAIT, GET YO SHIT TOGETHER!]] Not one to miss the opportunity to harass his younger brother, Cynrik instantly took a cheap shot.

    [[Hehe, she¡¯s such a little cutie now, let your brother have his moment, it¡¯s soooo clear Gabby is head over heels for him.]] Selene chided Cynrik and pped him on the shoulder.

    [[Tsk, stupid Selene, that is what I am worried about, I cant have Brancie goin all lover boy, it will distract him.]]

    [[Oh? Is that why you keep ignoring me HMMMMmmmm?]] Hearing Cynrik¡¯s weak defense, Selene grabbed his arm and tucked it between her breasts, with one boob on each side, while making puppy eyes up at him.

    Cynrik¡¯s dastardly response was to cough right in her face, which didn¡¯t bother her, so he opted for n B and stuck out his tongue like a dog, licking her face from nose to forehead; THIS was what freaked her out and forced Selene to release Cynrik from her grasp.

    [[GROSS YOU ANIMAL, WHO DOES THAT, WHO JUST LICKS A person¡¯s FACE!]] Thoroughly freaked out, but still finding it kinda funny, Selene said while fighting back her ownughter and wiping her face with her sleeve.

    As Selene and Cynrik were flirting around, Gabby was humming a simple tune and writing down all her updates for Brance, who nodded encouragingly at her every time the girl would look up for confirmation.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 206

    With the dust settling between the flirting psychopaths and Gabby finishing up her stat sheet, Brance stood in ce, mentally copying it down before sending it over to Cynrik and Selene. Who were taking turns ring at each other with baited tension.

    [[Hey, morons, pay attention, the numbers are in.]] Brance said when he finished sending everything over through the mind link, halting the other two in their tracks.

    : Status :

    : Gabrie Sanford (Gabby):

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation, Perfect Clear Expert, Reforged Body :

    : Human Female:

    : Age-10:

    : Tier-2 :

    : Primary ss ¨C (Empty) :

    :Former: Archer : (+2 To DEX, AGI Distribution)

    : Sub-ss ¨C (Empty) :

    : Level: 0/35 :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 17,858 :

    : P-ss (Empty): 0 ¨C XP :

    : S-ss (Empty): 0 ¨C XP :

    : Distribution: 2 DEX, 2 INT, 2 MIND 2 AGI : (+4 DEX)

    : Mana Codex & Circuits Tier-2 :

    : Stage 2 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-2, 3.5g Resistance :

    : Credits: 500,000 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 6300/6300 :

    : Mana 3285/3285 :

    : Stamina 3150/3150 :

    : Stat Points- 268 : (10 per level) ss (2)

    : Skill Points- 121 : (2 per level) ss and Sub-ss (2)

    : Strength- 375 :

    : Dexterity- 375 :

    : Agility- 375 :

    : Intelligence- 375 :

    : Vitality- 375 :

    : Mind- 375 :

    : Killing Intent- 204 ¨C 4.0 G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SBG) Psychic-Tier 2 (Adept): :Expand:

    Reading through all the profile¡¯s contents, Cynrik clicked his tongue mentally.

    [[Let me guess, her System didn¡¯t tell her how high her stat cap is, did it?]] Cynrik¡¯s eyes flicked around rapidly, taking in the 75 point increase to all stats, before running a quick number crunch on Gabby¡¯s HP, MP, and STAM. Realizing she too was getting the same increases as Brance upon increasing the stat points for INT and VIT, he moved on to her Distribution. Except for AGI, which stayed at 2 points per level, everything else had increased from 1.5 to 2; this, Cynrik had expected.

    Not hearing a response from Brance about Gabby¡¯s stat cap, Cynrik did the next best thing.

    ¡®Tobs, can you run a diagnostic on Gabby and find out her Tier-2 stat cap for me? Since she is under the party system, and Brance¡¯s ismon knowledge for us, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem¡­right?¡¯ He asked the System AI who was quiet for a few minutes before giving him the answer he wanted.

    -Upon her Evolution, Gabrie Sanford¡¯s Stat cap was increased from 300 points to 1200 points. This is due to her achieving the Title ¡°Reforged Body,¡± which increased her potential from the average 1k cap by an additional 200 points.-

    ¡®1200, that¡¯s a far cry from Brance¡¯s 1750, but if the general populous, who think it¡¯s a waste of time to go through the Prestige system, are chilling at 1k for their cap, the Sanfords should have no problem solidifying themselves as Elites.¡¯ So Cynrik thought as he gave a quick nce at how Gabby¡¯s Codex was considered stage 2 with 3285 MP.

    [[Tobs, I suppose you won¡¯t spill the beans on the stage breakdowns? Like the criteria for increasing to a higher stage.]]

    -Correct, you are in school, do some studying.-

    The snarky reply from Tobs drew a frown from Cynrik but a giggle from Selene and a smile from Brance.

    That was when Selene remembered something that had been bugging her since she got ess to the mind link.

    [[Hey guys, why do you call your System Tobs? Like that¡¯s different from what I¡¯ve always called her, yet she still replies to my name for her.]] She asked while looking at the brothers curiously.

    [[I just got tired of calling her ¡°hey System¡± every time I wanted an answer, so when I was still a baby and had nothing better to do, I named her the acronym for The Over-Break System. Thus, Tobs was born. Why? What do you call her?]]

    At Cynrik¡¯s response and subsequent follow-up, Selene turned bright red instantly and looked at the floor in embarrassment.

    [[I uh¡­named her Ste, after my dog when I was a kid¡­]] She said, drawing a bout ofughter from Cynrik, who was given an admonishing re from Brance but ignored it.

    [[There is nothing wrong with calling her that when you talk alone, Selene. At least you showed some creativity,pared to my moron of a brother, who just deleted the excess letters to form a name. I always just went with it.]]

    Brance¡¯s words made Selene look up and smile. He was right, Ste or Tobs, in the end, at least she had put forth actual effort in naming her version of the System, unlike Cynrik, who was just toozy toe up with something.

    Clearing his throat since the conversation was clearly taking the turn for the worst against him, Cynrik hurried Gabby and Brance away and ushered Benny over as it was his turn.

    However, this time, he didn¡¯t have the boy write down his previous stats for Selene. The main reason is, aside from some minor differences in Distribution, and ss, for the most part, the two Sanfords had mirror images when it came to their stats after reaching the Prestige cap. This was due to how, upon capping, they had all their stats boosted to 300. Something simr had happened to Cynrik and Brance, but because their stats were already significantly higher than the Sanfords at the time, it was almost negligible.

    Going from 280 to 300 was nowhere near as impressive as jumping from sub 200 to 300, and this was precisely what happened to Gabby and Benny after they cleared the Egress.

    With Benny in ce, Cynrik went through the motions, having the AI drain the room of every particle except Water and prepping the room for Benny¡¯s advancement.

    However, Benny threw a wrench in Cynrik¡¯s n just as they were about to begin.

    ¡°Big Bro Ivar, I want to try without the aid of that Mental Fortification Pill. I need to know how big the gap between myself and you and Brother Bj?rn really is.¡± Benny stated with determination, causing Cynrik to pause in his tracks and carefully look at the younger boy.

    [Tobs did say they should both be fine without it; what do you think, Cyn?] Brance, who had taken a seat on the ground between Selene and Gabby, asked.

    ¡°Fine, but the moment I see you struggling, I will force-feed the pill to you, even if that means I have to jam my hand down your throat and drop it directly into your stomach. Got it?¡± After a couple minutes of silent deliberation, Cynrik caved, much to Benny¡¯s joy.

    Benny was fully aware of the risks of what he was about to try, but after feeling helpless and nearly dying in the Egress, he had tripled his training efforts, and that was why he was able to shine so brightly during the Faction Battle the day before.

    With that out of the way, Benny quickly gulped down the slimy gel packets and started his Evolution by gripping the Affinity Fragment and Evo-Stone in opposite hands.

    The process was just as violent as the previous two times with Gabby and Brance, but Benny was firm, never uttering a whimper or sound throughout the entire 45-minute process. There was a time or two when Cynrik nearly stepped in to administer the Mental Fortification pill. Still, even though Benny was only a step away fromplete convulsions, he would somehow pull himself out of it and be fine after.

    ¡°whew¡­that fucking sucks.¡± Once the change was finished, Benny said, exhaling a faint blew mist from his nostrils and opening his eyes, only to find Cynrik wearing a frown and staring down at him in displeasure.

    ¡°Uh¡­Big Bro Ivar¡­is everything ok¡­.¡± Unable to hide the nervousness in his now several octaves deeper voice, Benny fearfully looked up at Cynrik, who only replied by clicking his tongue and walking off to the other side of the room, where he began pacing back and forth.

    ¡°PFFFF HAHAHAHAHA, IT HAHA, IT¡¯S OK BENNY! Big brother is only pissed that you not only got taller and filled out as I did, but now he officially looks the youngest in the group.¡± Brance¡¯s joyousughter bounced off the training room walls as he exined what was going through Cynrik¡¯s mind out loud.

    In fact, Brance had hit the nail on the head. From a weak little boy to being built like a 6-foot brick shit house, Benny now was the tallest in the group, even if it was only by a couple of inches. His short-cut Chestnut hair now had faint blue highlights, adding to his handsome green eyes and chiseled jawline.

    Benny and Brance now fully fit their roles as tanks physically, as after advancing to Tier-2, they were now effectively walls of muscle.

    Since the Evolution hyper-elerated the body¡¯s aging process, Benny, Gabby, and Brance had all surpassed Cynrik and now looked and sounded like full-blown young adults, leaving Cynrik behind to appear like a preteen even though his body was in great shape. The group was beginning to realize that their Tier-2 Evolutions had essentially allowed them to skip the lengthy process of puberty and growth spurts, tossing it to the wayside and steamrolling through it.

    Across the room, Cynrik watched the three newly advanced Tier-2s chat happily and tried to calm his rapidly beating heart. Although Brance hadn¡¯t mentioned it, Cynrik had picked up on a vital bit of information while looking at the two muscle-bound meatheads.

    ¡®sses change your physique upon Evolution. Tobs, tell me if im wrong here, but the two of them were warriors, and now after reaching Tier-2, they are actually built the way their sses dictate.¡¯

    -You are correct in your assessment, Host Cynrik. The reason sses go into the former category post-Tier Advancement is they are used as a temte to make minor adjustments to the beings body opening the door for more powerful future sses.-

    ¡®So, basically, I will stick with a more athletic build vs. being all bulky like those two?¡¯ Cynrik asked while grabbing a new droid for his own Evolution.

    -Correct, the Thief line¡¯s physique is roughly what you are assuming, more nimble and athletic, effectively trading physical strength for speed and dexterity.-

    To this, Cynrik nodded and yelled for Benny to hurry up and jot down his stats so he could go over everything.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 207

    As expected, like his younger sister, Benny¡¯s changes weren¡¯t groundbreaking or overly influential. Still, it put him at the top of his age bracket regardless.

    : Status :

    : Benjamin Sanford (Benny):

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation, Perfect Clear Expert, Reforged Body :

    : Human Male:

    : Age-11:

    : Tier-2 :

    : Primary ss ¨C (Empty) :

    :Former: Warrior : (+2 To STR, VIT Distribution)

    : Sub-ss ¨C (Empty) :

    : Level: 0/35 :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 17,858 :

    : P-ss (Empty): 0 ¨C XP :

    : S-ss (Empty): 0 ¨C XP :

    : Distribution: 2 STR, 2 VIT : (+4 To STR,VIT)

    : Mana Codex & Circuits Tier-2 :

    : Stage 2 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-2, 3.5g Resistance :

    : Credits: 500,000 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 6300/6300 :

    : Mana 3200/3200 :

    : Stamina 3150/3150 :

    : Stat Points- 268 : (5 per Level) ss (2)

    : Skill Points- 276 : (2 per level) ss (2)

    : Strength- 375 :

    : Dexterity- 375 :

    : Agility- 375 :

    : Intelligence- 375 :

    : Vitality- 375 :

    : Mind- 375 :

    : Killing Intent- 204 ¨C 4.0 G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(BG) Water-Tier 2 (Adept): :Expand:

    Cynrik and Brance scanned through the changes before nodding, nothing was beyond their expectations, and Benny had sessfullypleted his advancement. Like with Gabby, his stat cap had also been increased to 1200, solidifying the metrics used forparison.

    [Looks like you¡¯re up now, Big Brother.] With the other members fully advanced to Tier-2 and working out their stiff movements or adjusting to new heights and weights, Brance tossed a rxed look at Cynrik, who didn¡¯t seem nervous in the least.

    [Un, but none of you should be here for it. Unlike everyone else, all my Affinities are destruction-based, and without ess to your Earth or Light Affinities, the only one who might stand a chance of walking away unscathed would be Selene. It could be the difference between smacking someone with a Wiffle ball bat or shooting them with a machine gun.] Stripping off his shirt, Cynrik walked to the center of the room.

    [And what if something goes wrong?] Tapping Gabby and Benny¡¯s shoulders, Brance motioned to them it was time to leave the room.

    [Then I do what I always do and figure it out. I would rather blow up the room and cause damage to only my own body than have to deal with your guy¡¯s attempts to stop the Mana Surge. Odds are, the same thing that happened with you will ur with me, with the only difference being Fire burns and Dark corrupts. Your Light was a soft force, and I could shatter the Wind currents with my own Affinity. That left only Earth physically manifesting, so there wasn¡¯t much to do other than simple dodging.]

    Cynrik¡¯s fingers glided over the disy on his Watcet as he input the proper filters for the Dorm AI instead of speaking them for everyone to hear.

    [Plus, I¡¯ve already set up the droid¡¯s live feed to the living room holotv in a closed feed, so yall can just watch from there.] Tossing Brance a cocky smile, Cynrik smacked the bald, trashcan-like droid on the head.

    At this point, Selene realized something was going on and found herself looking between Brance and Cynrik in confusion.

    [[Wait, hold up, are you guys talking in your solo chat, what the heck, why are you guys keeping me in the Dark now? I thought we were a team.]] She said, wearing a pouty face and tapping her left foot.

    [[Big Brother is kicking everyone out of the room since his Affinities are rtively more destructive, he doesn¡¯t want us getting in the way of his advancement.]] Brance filled Selene in on his brother¡¯s n, making her pout turn into a full frown.

    [[But I have the Dark Affinity too, shouldn¡¯t I be allowed to stay?]]

    [[And what are you gunna do when waves of Fire merge into the Dark Mana sts, creating ckFire? Selene, give it up; just be a good girl and wait outside. There is no point in arguing, especially since my whole Mantra is formed around destruction. In the absolute best-case scenario, you somehow stop the rapid onught of Wind and Dark strikes, only to get the shit burned out of you by the follow-up me sts.]] Cynrik didn¡¯t bother looking in her direction and sat down in the lotus position beside the droid.

    [[C¡¯mon, Selene, we can watch from the living room, there is no point butting heads with Big Brother on something like this, he can be the most stubborn person in the world sometimes, making it easier to let him have his way than continuing to argue. If I did that every time, things would never get done.]]

    With a bit of coaxing from Brance, Selene eventually relented, and the party vacated the training room, leaving only a shirtless Cynrik and his droid in the center of the room.

    : Status :

    : Cynrik Ayke Jetlensr (Ivar the Boneless Ragnarsson):

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation, Perfect Clear Expert, Reforged Body :

    : Demi-Human Male (99% Human, 1% ?sir):

    : Age-12:

    : Tier-1 :

    : Primary ss ¨C Tier-1 Thief : (+2 To DEX, AGI Distribution)

    : Sub-ss ¨C Tier-1 Engineer : (+2 To DEX Distribution)

    : Level: 20 (P25) :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 134,082:

    : Thief: 20 ¨C XP : CAP

    : Basic Engineer: 20 ¨C XP : CAP

    : Distribution: 1.5 Per All : (DEX 5.5, AGI 3.5)

    : Mana Codex Tier: 2 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : Mana Circuit Tier: 2 (Proficiency= 0.0%) :

    : Gravity Resistance: 6.5g (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Body Tempering: Tier 2 (Proficiency= 100.0%) :

    : Credits: 1,500,000 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 4600/4600 :

    : Mana 2490/2490 :

    : Stamina 2300/2300 :

    : Stat Points- 274 : (10 per level- 8 per Prestige) ss (1)

    : Skill Points- 171 : (1 per level- 3 per Prestige) ss and Sub-ss (1)

    : Strength- 300 :

    : Dexterity- 300 :

    : Agility- 300 :

    : Intelligence- 300 :

    : Vitality- 300 :

    : Mind- 300 :

    : Will Power- 23 :

    : Killing Intent- 400 ¨C 5G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier-1 (Proficiency= 100.0%): :Expand:

    :(BG) Fire-Tier-1 (Proficiency= 100.0%): :Expand:

    :(BG) Wind-Tier-1 (Proficiency= 100.0%): :Expand:

    Wearing a calm expression, Cynrik double-checked his soon-to-be outdated profile onest time before sending it over to Selene and Brance, who then wrote it down for Gabby and Benny to finally get a look at the leader¡¯s info.

    ¡®Tobs, you are 100%, without a doubt, positive that I won¡¯t turn into a muscle freak like Brance and Benny but will still get my age progression, right?¡¯ Cynrik asked optimistically.

    -Sigh, Host Cynrik, why must you always be so worried. You will keep your present physical aesthetic long, trim, and moody. Stop worrying about the small and useless things; they only make you seem shallow.-

    ¡®Listen, you didn¡¯t have to spend your teenage years looking like a fucking child in your previous life, ok; spare me a little sympathy here; I looked like a fucking 10-year-old until I was in my early 20s; sue me for being worried this time around.¡¯

    -That¡¯s riching from the only Host I have ever met that is emotionally unavable andpletelycks empathy. So quit your whining and get this over with already.-

    ¡®Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m going.¡¯ Waving his hand nonchntly, Cynrik pulled out all the necessary resources for his evolution and arranged them neatly on the floor. Then, calming his thoughts, he quickly chugged down the edibles, grabbed the corresponding stones in the correct hands, and triggered the chain of notifications.

    -The Host has met the requirements for Tier-2 Evolution-

    -Level 20 (Complete)-

    -All Stats Minimum 225 (Complete)-

    -Mana Codex Tier-2 (Complete)-

    -All Elemental Affinities at Tier-1- (Complete)

    -Scanning for Evolution Catalysts.-

    -Evo-Stone Fragment has been Located.-

    -Dark Affinity Fragment has been Located.-

    -Fire Affinity Fragment has been Located.-

    -Wind Affinity Fragment has been Located.-

    -All items have been epted as proper Catalysts.-

    -Would you like to begin the Evolution to Tier-2 (Y/N)-

    Not batting an eysh at them, Cynrik poked the floating transparent Yes and was instantly assaulted by an intense wave of pain.

    -Beginning Evolution, sending Host¡¯s mind to their SOC.-

    -System has Detected the Host has reached Prestige Cap.-

    -Beginning Body Reforging.-

    -Mana Codex is being restructured.-

    -Mana Circuits are being strengthened and expanded.-

    -Mana Codex is being strengthened.-

    -Mana Codex is Expanding.-

    -Density of collected Mana is evolving.-

    -Analyzing Hosts Body Tempering.-

    -The Host currently has a Tier-2 Body, breaking it down to strengthen further to meet the standards of Body Reforging.-

    -Rebuilding muscr structure.-

    -Rebuilding skeletal structure.-

    Sitting in the fiery inferno and hellishndscape of his SOC, Cynrik clenched his teeth and allowed the pain to wash over his body, but that was when a new string of notifications entered his ears.

    -WARNING, WARNING, ANOMALY DETECTED.-

    -PROBLEM WITH DIVINITY FRAGMENTS STORED WITHIN HOST CYNRIK JETLENSR¡¯S SOUL.-

    -TRIGGERING FAILSAFE AND DEFENSIVE PROTOCOLS.-

    Tobs screamed in Cynrik¡¯s head, making his eyes twitch; however, unable to move due to the intense feelings he was experiencing thanks to his advancement to Tier-2, Cynrik helplessly sat still. That was when he quickly became hyper-aware of something watching him from a distance.

    Grrroooowwlllll

    Cynrik¡¯s ears perked up at the sound of a low rumbling growling from off in the distance.

    -ALL DEFENSIVE PROTOCOLS HAVE FAILED, SOC HAS BEEN INVADED, HOST CYNRIK, YOU NEED TO PREPARE YOURSELF!-

    Tobs¡¯ voice frantically screamed, trying to give Cynrik what little information she could. As she spoke, Tobs, in her Avatar state, manifested in the space next to Cynrik and began furiously typing away on several transparent keyboards like a hacker.

    GROOOWLLLLL

    -I CAN¡¯T KEEP IT AT BAY, CYNRIK, I AM TRYING TO SUPPRESS ALL THE NOTIFICATIONS AND THIS BEINGS ADVANCEMENT, BUT I CAN¡¯T¡­ It¡¯s here¡­ it¡¯s toote¡­Fuck! I am breaking the restraints ced on your movement; get ready.-

    GRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWLLLLLL

    Tobs¡¯ voice died down to a whisper as apparent fear broke through her otherwise normally monotone voice.

    GRoooooWwllLLLLL

    -Your Tier-2 Evolution has met an anomaly, and a Third-party has broken into the Host¡¯s SOC.-

    -A third party is in control; any damage you take inside will affect your Soul Directly.-

    -The Host is being forcefully dragged into a Turning Point Quest-

    -Turning Point Quest: Challenge for Supremacy-

    -Due to the influence of your Divine Blessings and your ?sir Bloodline, you have lost control and are severely affected by it. A third party acting against you has stepped in during a point of weakness, and to leave, you must defeat this being inbat. If you die in battle, your Soul will copse and be destroyed, allowing this third Partyplete control of your body and rece your existence.-

    -Defeat the ?sir Spirit ????-

    -Reward:???

    -Penalty for failure: Soul Destruction-

    Hearing Tobs had broken the restraints stopping him from moving, Cynrik¡¯s eyes snapped open, and he jumped to his feet. A figure stirred in the distance, making Cynrik¡¯s pupils dte as he saw a hulking figure floating. The two Ruby red serpent eyes ring angrily at him were even more impressive than this being¡¯s size; the dripping saliva leaking off its rows upon rows of huge fangs proved this creature wanted nothing more than to devour him whole.

    ROARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!

    ¡°Mother fucker just had to do this now of all times, didn¡¯t he.¡± Cynrik howled, rolling up his upper lip and baring his teeth in rage.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 208

    The two Ruby red serpent eyes ring angrily at him were even more impressive than this being¡¯s size; the dripping saliva leaking off its rows upon rows of huge fangs proved this creature wanted nothing more than to devour him whole.

    ROARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!

    ¡°Mother fucker just had to do this now of all times, didn¡¯t he.¡± Cynrik howled, rolling up his upper lip and baring his teeth in rage.

    ¡°It¡¯s always gotta be something,¡± Angrily yelling to the sky, Cynrik punched his open right palm with his left fist, instantly equipping his DMG Loadout.

    ¡°I can¡¯t just have a peaceful fucking advancement like Brancie and the others,¡± FWOOOOSHHHHHH.

    As if responding to his words, visible particles of Fire, Wind, and Dark Mana swirled violently around Cynrik¡¯s body, taking the appearance of an energy field or aura.

    ¡°Tobs, how long has it been since I started the Evo process.¡± Feeling massive changes in his body, Cynrik quickly searched for an answer from the System AI.

    -It has been 39 minutes since you entered your SOC; since time flows differently and you were under immense stress, it may not feel like it. However, you have alreadypleted your physical advancement, and your body is currently undergoing the Affinity changes.-

    ¡°Then, Tobs, tell me why I still have a kid¡¯s body?¡± With his eyes never leaving the hulking mass of flesh still growling and roaring loudly in the distance, Cynrik quipped.

    -Close your eyes, idiot; you are still seeing yourself how you previously did; I will show you the extent of your new body so that your subconscious can reconstruct it for you within the SOC.-

    Following her advice, Cynrik exhaled slowly and closed his eyes. Half a secondter, he felt an electric sensation course through his body. When it finished and Cynrik opened his eyes, his point of view had changed. Realizing he had grown a few inches, Cynrik looked to Tobs, who already held a mirror for him.

    ¡°Hair got a bit longer, and now there are more red streaks than purple. My eyes look pretty cool, though; there are well-defined flecks in my Iris signifying my Affinities.¡±

    ROOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR

    ¡°Oi, shut up, you fuck, gimmie a sec, and I¡¯lle to turn you into sashimi.¡± Still admiring his new face, which had thinned out, removing all baby fat and taking the appearance of a young man with his Mother¡¯s elegant features, Cynrik snorted at the giant beast in the sky.

    ¡°5 foot 8¡­or 9 inches, Tobs?¡± Cynrik asked while kicking the air a couple of times and throwing a few punches.

    -Is that really necessary¡­ it¡¯s 9; you are one inch shorter than your brother. Now please pay attention to the enemy; it is moving.-

    ¡°h, h, isn¡¯t it just a giant snake? I just killed one of those not long ago, so what if this is the Infamous World Eater. And yes, knowing my height is extremely necessary; I need to rework my brain to adjust to having extra reach.¡± Cynrik tilted his head to the side, shot a sidelong nce at the creature steadily covering ground towards him, and was unbothered.¡±GRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOAHHHHHHH MORTALLLLL, I AM THE FEAR OF MIDGARD, THE SERPENT WHOM DEVOURS ALL¡­¡± the creature began but was cut off by a very annoyed Cynrik, who chose to mock him.

    ¡°Yes, yes, I know, Armour like tenfold shields, teeth like swords, and ws spears, I get it you are a fierce Lizzy, growl all you want, J?rmungandr, but a snake is a snake, and a Dragon is a lizard, tsk. Look here, Midgard Serpent, I was in the middle of my fucking Tier-2 Evolution, and you just HAD to pull this shit today of all days.¡±

    Cynrik flexed his left fist multiple times as he spoke, trying to get a good feel of the reach he now had with his eyes, never breaking contact with J?rmungandr.

    ¡°Disrespectful brat, do you genuinely believe you are above I, who was a Charge of Odin long before you were even a speck of existence in your father¡¯s loins,¡± J?rmungandr growled threw snarled and curled back lips, exposing row upon row of arm¡¯s length sharp teeth.

    The closer it got to Cynrik, the more he could view, from the dozens of meters long head to the purple-red and blue multicolored scales covering its entire body, which was sorge that Cynrik couldn¡¯t take it all in. Frills and spikes ran the length of the creature¡¯s body, giving it a royal visage that if it didn¡¯t want to eat Cynrik, he would have been impressed.

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of talk from a giant overgrown snake cast to the bottom of the sea, so tell, how exactly is it that The Allfather allowed you up to the surface topete in a Strife hm? You being here can only mean one thing; you were at one time a Legacy Charge, and since I am locked into another one of these stupid fucking Turning Point Quests, I can only make that assumption.¡± Cynrik never stopped his left hand¡¯s movement as the words left his mouth.

    ¡°Your arrogance and ignorance are of the kind only those bastard Asgardians possess; tell me, what makes you think all Charges must be of the same race as the Deity who bestows them with their divinities?¡± J?rmungandr said, stopping his approach 50 meters away from Cynrik.

    ¡°Hm, I guess you aren¡¯t wrong. Still, that changes nothing. Are you gunna stay in your snakey form all day, or do you have a humanoid one so that we can get this over with? My hands are already itchy, so hurry the fuck up, Jormie; I don¡¯t have all day, you know.¡± Tilting his head downward, Cynrik popped his neck in the usual way and grinned cockily at the giant serpent flying in the sky above.

    Unfortunately, his taunts didn¡¯t have the desired effect he was hoping for. When thest word left his lips, an enraged J?rmungandr exploded forth with a devastating tail strike, the likes that, if it connected, could easily shatter entire worlds.

    Luckily, Cynrik noticed the twitching muscles in the creature¡¯s tail, and just before it let the strike go, Cynrik was already in motion, kicking off the ground with his newly minted strength and dashing out of harm¡¯s way.

    Cynrik dusted off his clothing and hopped into the air,nding on the heavily scaled appendage buried in the ground where he once stood.

    ¡°This hulking body of yours will not be able to hit me at this rate; if you have a smaller form, now would probably be the time to use it. So I suggest you get rid of that dumb little facade.¡± Cynrik paused for a moment and then unleashed several me-d attacks on J?rmungandr¡¯s tail with both Kodachi.

    ¡°GRAHHHHHHH,¡± J?rmungandr screamed in fury as it felt the bite of Cynrik¡¯s attacks. The sword shes themselves didn¡¯t cause much pain, but upon making contact with his scales, Cynrik added ayer of Dark Mana, using it like a needle to pierce into the scales and hit the flesh underneath.

    This act created a small sore under the heavily protected te-armor scales, causing J?rmungandr to feel as if his flesh was being infected and rotting from within.

    ¡°Asgardian Bastard, HOW DARE YOU!¡± J?rmungandr howled and began to il its tail in every direction to fling the ant off its body and stop the damage.

    However, its actions only aided Cynrik further, allowing him enough time to move like a phantom, bouncing from one truck-sized scale to another before dishing out another batch of attacks.

    ¡°I told you, Jormie, it will only hinder you in this battle unless you condense your size to something able to keep up. You may be vastly more powerful than me, but so long as you are this big, I can easily worm my way into tight spots that you can¡¯t touch. Hell, maybe I¡¯ll even tie you into a pretzel. Teehe, haha.¡± Continuing his taunts, Cynrik realized just how futile his attacks really were.

    Although, on the surface, Cynrik was acting calm and cocky, each time heshed out physically on the tough hide of the World Devouring Serpent, he was being forced to expend vast amounts of MP. So much so that if he weren¡¯t under the protection of Tobs¡¯ infinite Mana cheat, he would have already run dry long ago.

    His eyes flicked from the steaming scale he was currently working on to his newly refreshed Status panel.

    : Status :

    : Cynrik Ayke Jetlensr (Ivar the Boneless Ragnarsson):

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation, Perfect Clear Expert, Reforged Body :

    : Demi-Human Male (90% Human, 10% ?sir):

    : Age-12:

    : Tier-2 :

    : Primary ss ¨C (Empty) :

    :Former: Tier-1 Thief : (+2 To DEX, AGI Distribution)

    : Sub-ss ¨C (Empty) :

    :Former: Tier-1 Engineer : (+2 To DEX Distribution)

    : Level: 0/35 :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 134,082 :

    : P-ss (Empty): 0 ¨C XP :

    : S-ss (Empty): 0 ¨C XP :

    : Distribution: 2 Per All : (DEX 6, AGI 4)

    : Mana Codex & Circuits Tier-2 :

    : Stage 3 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-2, 6.5g Resistance :

    : Credits: 1,500,000 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 8000/8000 :

    : Mana 4190/4190 :

    : Stamina 4000/4000 :

    : Stat Points- 274 :

    : Skill Points- 196 :

    : Strength- 470 :

    : Dexterity- 470 :

    : Agility- 470 :

    : Intelligence- 470 :

    : Vitality- 470 :

    : Mind- 470 :

    : Will Power- 23 :

    : Killing Intent- 400 ¨C 5G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier-2 (Adept): :Expand:

    :(BG) Fire-Tier-2 (Adept): :Expand:

    :(BG) Wind-Tier-2 (Beginner): :Expand:

    ¡®The numbers have all updated, and I can feel the changes, but I stillck power. So I need to taunt this bastard into shrinking down; that is the only usible way I see myself being able to have an actual fight. If not, all I can do is give him these never-ending paper cuts under his ting.¡¯ So Cynrik thought to himself as he narrowly avoided another tail p once again.

    Looking up at the hulking body, which expanded as far as his eyes could see, Cynrik really couldn¡¯te up with any better ideas. The only other option he had, was to try working out the Futae no Kiwami now that he was technically at Tier-2, but even that wasn¡¯t a surefire guarantee. At best, it would allow him to break the resistance on the scales and deal minor damage to the soft fleshy bits underneath, so in the long run, it would prove futile.

    Narrowing his eyes, Cynrik exerted more force on his legs and used J?rmungandr¡¯s own body as a pathway to run freely up the length of its torso towards its face. Then, jumping up and performing a half twist flip, Cynriknded on J?rmungandr¡¯s snout and came eye to eye with the mountainous-sized eyeballs.

    ¡°Look, Jormie, you can¡¯t win, just give it up and go home. There is no point in this idiotic challengeid down by Odin.¡± Shrugging his shoulders as if there was simply nothing he could do, Cynrik bluffed his way further.

    ¡°Grooo, so you think, your body, your everything will belong to me, and I will again force all of creation to cower in fear at the mere mention of my title.¡± With that, J?rmungandr¡¯s eyes began shining in a mythical light, giving Cynrik such a fright that he wasted no time using the creature¡¯s snout as a springboard andunching himself dozens of meters away.

    As Cynrik dropped down from the sky, he watched in shock as the entire serpent¡¯s length glowed in various shades of color while steadily shrinking down.

    By the time Cynrik touched down, he was stunned to see that J?rmungandr had condensed his entire body and shifted into the appearance of an eight-foot-tall, thin, young man with long hair in matching colors to his scales. Covering all of his exposed skin were intricate glowing tattoos that Cynrik was very familiar with, as his hands and wrists were covered in simr markings.

    Running along the man¡¯s cheekbones and sparsely decorating his joints were miniature versions of the same scales Cynrik had just been hacking away at.

    With this new appearance, Cynrik knew J?rmungandr had easily called his bluff. The World Devouring Serpent was standing feet away, and from the furious re he was aiming at Cynrik, the creature wanted nothing more than to rip the boy limb from limb.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 209

    With this new appearance, Cynrik knew J?rmungandr had easily called his bluff. The World Devouring Serpent was standing feet away, and from the furious re he was aiming at Cynrik, the creature wanted nothing more than to rip the boy limb from limb.

    Standing a mere 20 feet away from a supreme being known from history and lore, Cynrik was surprisingly calm. Unknown to him, his bloodline increase was good for something other than driving him insane.

    His innate battle sense had been multiplied several-fold, making it so that instead of fear or nervousness, all he could feel at that moment was pure excitement and a thirst for battle.

    One being was a multiple thousand-year-old former Legacy Charge, with an impressive backstory d in numerous scales and a strange hazy miasma; the other was enveloped in a mixed aura formed from Dark, Fire, and Wind Affinities. Both stood utterly motionless, waiting for the other to make the first strike.

    However, they both had very different thoughts as they locked in a stalemate. For J?rmungandr, this was a battle to be reborn in a new body; for Cynrik, he was simply buying time, waiting for his body not to feel as if it was going haywire. The simple use of Mana earlier took so much more effort than he realized, forcing him to acknowledge things weren¡¯t going to end in his favor if he kept this up.

    ¡®Tobs, what¡¯s going on with my body right now? Why can¡¯t I control my Affinities properly?¡¯

    -It¡¯s the Evolution; currently, outside your SOC, your Codex is beingpletely rebuilt from the ground up, and your Circuits are in the process of merging with every fiber of your being. As a result, you are running at only 5% peak efficiency when utilizing your Affinities.-

    ¡®I need a timeframe here, Tobs; I can only rely on physical strength for so long. Even using a skill as simple as [Mana Sight] gives me weird feedback; how am I supposed to handle this snake who has thousands of years ofbat experience?¡¯ Unconsciously tensing the muscles in his left arm, Cynrik tried to focus on the presence he was detecting radiating off J?rmungandr.

    ¡°Fufu, what¡¯s wrong, Asgardian? Has fear gripped your heart now that we are on an even ying field?¡± J?rmungandr said through a smile that wasn¡¯t a smile.

    ¡°Hm? Nah, nothing like that, Jormie; you just caught me off guard for a second; I didn¡¯t realize something as ugly as your true form could somehow get even more ugly when condensed.¡± Casting a sidelong nce at J?rmungandr, Cynrik quipped in response.

    Unfortunately, his opponent had been pushed too far by Cynrik¡¯s verbal abuse and chose that moment to strike. shing away instantly, J?rmungandr appeared face to face with Cynrik and smashed his elbow into the side of his head, rocketing Cynrik through the air like a rag doll.

    Luckily, Cynrik could barely bring up his left arm and mitigate the bulk of the damage to his head at thest second. Still, the force of the blow was enough to send him sailing over 30 meters away.

    Righting himself in the air, Cynrik touched down with his right leg first, and using his left to brace, he kicked off the ground and changed direction instantly just as J?rmungandr appeared beside him, with his leg raised and a vicious glint in his eye.

    The two proceeded to trade strikes back and forth for ten rounds, feeling out each other before stopping and standing equidistant apart. Cynrik was already panting heavily, while J?rmungandr seemed to haven¡¯t even done so much as a brisk jog.

    ¡®Fuck, he hits hard, way harder than Ragnar did. If I had to estimate, that snakey bastard should be somewhere around Tier-4 or 5; his presence alone feels simr to the six Headmasters, yet at the same time, the force behind his punches seems oddly weaker than expected. WAIT, FUCKING SHIT!¡¯

    Tsssssss

    Hearing the sizzling sound, Cynrik peeked at his fists and forearms only to see the purple mist rising off his skin originating from each point of impactnded by J?rmungandr¡¯s fists.

    ¡°Fufu, took you long enough Asgardian; it seems you really aren¡¯t well informed with my lineage. Omnipoison, my ultimate Affinity and the fully Evolved form of the Poison Affinity. I am sure you¡¯ve noticed both your arms and legs going numb.¡± J?rmungandr said while sneering in disdain.

    ¡°Oh, this? Nah, it ain¡¯t a big deal; I¡¯ve had worse. But, to be honest, I was more concerned about how something at your level hits about as weakly as a 5-year-old girl. Seriously, what kind of all-mighty snake can¡¯t even throw a punch, che.¡± Cynrik waved his arms around, ignoring the numbness and trailing purple mist as if it didn¡¯t bother him in the least.

    ¡°WILL YOU SHUT UP! THESE TAUNTS ARE BEGINNING TO ANNOY ME TO NO END.¡± J?rmungandr screamed, outraged at the level of disrespect being shown by Cynrik, a weak mortal.

    ¡°MEH MEH, WILL YOU MEH, THESE TAUNTS MEH MEH! FUCK YOU! This is my body and MY SOC, you snakey bastard.¡±

    BOOOOOM

    Before Cynrik could continue his insults, his head rocked backward as J?rmungandr sucker-punched him with enough force behind the hit to stop a speeding truck, yet Cynrik¡¯s feet stayed rooted in ce as he let his head sway back with the punch.

    Under J?rmungandr¡¯s fist, which wasrge enough to cover Cynrik¡¯s facepletely, he smirked sadistically, as he had been waiting for the moment his opponent would move in close enough.

    Pushing against the fist with his face, Cynrik snapped his right arm up and caught J?rmungandr by the wrist with his right hand, locking the Serpent in ce, and clenched his hand into a fist.

    ¡®The angle is wrong, but fuck it,¡¯ Cynrik thought as he shifted his body weight, carrying along J?rmungandr enough to brake his stance, and, using all the strength he could muster, fired off a devastating uppercut from his hip. Still, he didn¡¯t stop there as his fingers extended, and he attacked the exposed ribcage of the taller being.

    TAP TAP

    The attack was so sudden and quick that J?rmungandr didn¡¯t have enough time to react, but his face contorted in disgust when he felt nothing for half a second. However, when he believed the attack had failed, that was when an intense pain raced from his ribcage to his opposite shoulder, followed by a loud cracking sound as the air in front of where Cynrik¡¯s hitsnded crackled with power.

    ¡°Futae No Kiwami,¡± Cynrik said, spitting out a mouthful of blood right into J?rmungandr¡¯s face and releasing his grip on the being¡¯s wrist.

    BBOOOOOOMMMM

    The sound of the sound barrier-breaking racked both beings¡¯ eardrums, and a massive opposing force sent J?rmungandr soaring.

    -You have sessfully executed the newly created skill ¡°Futae No Kiwami¡± for the first time.-

    -Warning: Due to the bacsh of the skill, you have received a D Grade uponpletion.-

    -You have received a failing grade on execution, please obtain a grade of at least B or Higher to add this skill to your skill list.-

    -Warning you have fractured all the prominent knuckles on your left hand.-

    -You have lost 800 HP.-

    -Current HP 5598/8000.-

    -Warning you have fractured your left wrist in three ces.-

    -You have lost 800 points HP.-

    -Current HP 4793/8000.-

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes flicked through the notifications from Tobs as he massaged his sore left hand with his right.

    ¡®Eh, seriously, I thought it was perfect, Tobs. So why did you give me a D, and what is with this grading scale? It¡¯s like im taking exams in school.¡¯ Cynrikined while watching J?rmungandr roll around on the ground gasping for air and gripping his left side in pain.

    -I am reasonably certain the follow-up notifications were pretty clear¡­pay attention; he¡¯s getting up.-

    Tobs didn¡¯t bother further exining things and only gave Cynrik a quick heads up in reply to his question, causing him to frown unhappily.

    ¡°Ugh, What the fuck was that skill? How is this possible?¡± J?rmungandr howled through gritted teeth while nursing his ribs.

    ¡°Hehe, did you like it? There is plenty more where that came from; bring it on, snakey.¡± Cynrik flitted towards the wounded J?rmungandr and took to the offensive, dishing out kicks from random angles and mixing in different types of hooked punches, each strike rocking J?rmungandr in the direction the attack came from.

    With the initiative in his favor, Cynrik spun and delivered a spinning back kick to his opponent¡¯s sr plexus and unsheathed both Kodachi with a flourish.

    He narrowly avoided J?rmungandr¡¯s every attack, whether it was a ducking hook or a strange kick he did not recognize; no matter what he did, he kept him on the defensive, making it very difficult to counterattack.

    This only further infuriated the World Devouring Serpent, who could only regret allowing Cynrik tond that strangebination punch. Unsurprisingly, it had damaged his internal organs significantly, on top of cleanly breaking every rib on J?rmungandr¡¯s left side. Even the act of breathing was so painful that he was constantly being forced to divert Mana to the spot just to keep his lungs inting.

    Not being one to miss out on an opportunity, Cynrik, who was fully aware of just how much damage the Futae no Kiwami could cause, pressured J?rmungandr by mixing up sword strikes with kicks, elbows, and fancy strikes.

    For nearly 20 minutes straight, Cynrik mercilessly beat J?rmungandr virtually unanswered. However, he had already realized that hisck of physical strength was beginning to work against him. Cynrik¡¯s flurry of violent attacks may have looked like they were causing damage, but in reality, be it due to the power gap or the armor-like scales coating the being¡¯s weak points, the actual damage Cynrik was dealing was quite minor.

    Without the added strength from his Affinities, Cynrik knew the best he could do was stall J?rmungandr for the time being and hinder him he did.

    Cynrik didn¡¯t let up, keeping a pace that would burn out a lesser being in minutes. He rained blows from every possible angle, targeting every visible joint and weak point on J?rmungandr¡¯s body until the notification he had spent nearly an hour waiting for appeared before his eyes.

    -You havepleted your Tier-2 Evolution.-

    ¡°About time, let¡¯s kick shit into high gear, Tobs, y Heart of Sword! I need something Oldschool to get my blood pumping. FULL POWER TIME RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± Feeling as if all the gears in his body after ages had clicked into ce and began turning, Cynrik gleefully demanded some background music and unleashed his total 5G of Killing Intent. Next, he manifested ckmes that surged around his body hungrily.

    -Now ying ¡°Heart of Sword¡± By T.M.Revolution.-

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 210

    -You havepleted your Tier-2 Evolution.-

    ¡°About time, let¡¯s kick shit into high gear, Tobs, y Heart of Sword! I need something good and retro to get my blood pumping. FULL POWER TIME RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± Feeling as if all the gears in his body after ages had clicked into ce and began turning, Cynrik gleefully demanded some background music and unleashed his total 5G of Killing Intent. Next, he manifested ckmes that surged around his body hungrily.

    -Now ying ¡°Heart of Sword¡± By T.M.Revolution.-

    ¡®Tobs, filter all notifications and only give me the need to know ones; I don¡¯t have time to go through them all.¡¯ So Cynrik thought while feeling his body eat up the ambient Mana like a hungry ck hole.

    -For starters, your H¨²efl¨²r has been upgraded, allowing you to activate it at will.-

    -It will now act as a secondary filter, further enhancing the quality of your Mana contained within your Codex so long as it is active.-

    -Upon activation, the markings will spread up to your elbow, and while active, it will allow you to control Mana as if you had a Stage higher Codex.-

    -Bypleting your Tier-2 Evolution and achieving your Prestige Cap, you have significantly increased your Stat cap due to thebination of the two. The current Tier-2 Stat cap is set to 1750.-

    -Like Host Brance Jetlensr, your Circuits have fully integrated with your body, allowing Mana use to be no different from breathing. This has decreased the time it takes to replenish MP and enables you to store more significant amounts.-

    -You already know the physical changes to your body, such as leaner muscle, more high twitch muscle fibers, and your eyes and hair now fully reflect your Affinities.-

    -Your stored Mana will no longer be in the particle form and will now be automatically condensed into a Gaseous state.-

    -By using both your H¨²efl¨²r and your body instead of your Circuits, you will also be able to enter a temporary ¡°overdraft¡± state, called the ?sir Mode. In this state, your body will fuse with all the Mana stored in the form of MP in your body, allowing you to burn stored Mana faster, increasing the power of all skills by a factor of two.-

    Cynrik¡¯s eyebrows raised in surprise, hearing all the new changes brought about by his advancement, making him get pumped up further.

    ¡®Do I still have to use snapping my fingers or waving my hand in a specific way as a catalyst to manifest my Affinities? Or does my H¨²efl¨²r allow me to bypass that?¡¯ Cynrik asked as he picked up the pace of his attacks on J?rmungandr. Still, instead of having nothing behind them, he steadily infused Dark Mana into both his hands and his kodachi, increasing their pration power and dealing increased damage.

    -This¡­in theory, your H¨²efl¨²r will substitute your envisioning process for manifestation. However, it will increase strain on both your markings and your body. Therefore, I still advise you to use your previous methods to bring forth your Elemental attacks as it is still the most efficient way.-

    Tobs¡¯ answer shut down Cynrik¡¯s hopes of freely wielding magic attacks as he dreamed from a young age. From the first time he brought forth a Fireball, Cynrik had been using finger snaps as a way to focus and channel his Affinities. This was due to his mother¡¯s teachings, who had exined long ago that nothinges from nowhere.

    Much like Wizards or Magicians in pop culture back on Earth, Affinities needed a trigger of some sort, be it an incantation, spell array, or even something as simple as a finger snap. For manifesting his Fire Affinity, Cynrik had chosen to snap his thumb and middle finger as the connection point between the outside world and his Codex.

    This created a pathway that would allow for control over his Affinity. For example, for Dark Mana, Cynrik used forming his hand into a w, and to use Wind Affinity, Cynrik generally relied on forming his hand into a knife and shing. In this way, he could have three distinct methods of channeling his Affinities.

    Brance, on the other hand, would stomp the ground and pivot his foot for Earth, sh out with a knife-hand like Cynrik for Wind, andstly, Brance would mold his hands into ws and point them at each other, focusing on the space in between the two to use his Light Affinity.

    He had hoped that by raising the level of his H¨²efl¨²r and advancing to Tier-2, these methods would be obsolete, but Tobs destroyed his hopes with a simple sentence.

    Not needing any more information, Cynrik nted his left foot on the ground and sheathed the longer kodachi on his hip, forming a w with his sore left hand.

    ¡°[Shadow Sewing].¡± He chanted as he tore at the air with the w, bringing ten shadow tendrils with the movement, which stabbed into both J?rmungandr¡¯s legs and pinned his lower body in ce.

    Following up, Cynrik quickly snaped and manifested over a dozen [ckFire Balls] surrounding the momentarily paralyzed Serpent.

    However, the being wasn¡¯t one to be locked in ce for long, as with one hand, J?rmungandr manifested an equal number of poisonous gas balls, using them to deal with the fire, and tore at the shadow tendrils with his free hand.

    When Cynrik clenched his left hand again to manifest more shadows, his arm spasmed in pain as the bones crumbled further, stopping his ns and forcing him to jump backward, separating himself from J?rmungandr.

    ¡®Fuck,¡¯ Cynrik cursed as he watched the Serpent free himself from the [Shadow Sewing], and with that single move, J?rmungandr changed the tide of the battle back into his favor,shing out at Cynrik and putting the boy on defense for the first time in the fight.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, mortal? Are you feeling the pain of that idiotic and self-destructive attack? Pity for you, my Omnipoison can be used to heal my own wounds, so I am nearly back to full strength.¡± J?rmungandr taunted and threw a devastating haymaker that connected with Cynrik¡¯s temple and dropped him to the ground with an exasperated grunt of pain.

    ¡°Tsk, it¡¯s nothing, don¡¯t mind, don¡¯t mind,¡± Cynrik countered as he spun on his back and kicked out at J?rmungandr¡¯s shins bringing the fight to the ground in one move.

    For a time, the two dished out countless attacks, all the while rolling around on the ground. Finally, with J?rmungandr back in the fight and Cynrik slowly losing wind, he was forced into an unfavorable position where the Serpent wouldnd two to three blows for every one of Cynrik¡¯s single attacks.

    Left with no better options, Cynrik sunk into the ground with [Shadow Leap] and put several meters distance between himself and J?rmungandr, allowing him to catch his breath and re-evaluate hisbat strategy.

    ¡®Fuck, FUCK, this isn¡¯t god damn working? Tss, this fucking poison is also slowly chipping away at my movement and HP.¡¯ So Cynrik thought to himself as he examined his exposed arms and shins and his HP bar.

    ¡®Think, think, my attacks are clearly working now that I can use Dark Mana for piercing power, only it¡¯s at the cost of getting close enough to deal the appropriate damage.¡¯ Then, using the respite from battle, he pulled up his full status and checked how bad the poisoning was.

    -Warning: Your HP has fallen to 20%.-

    -Cynrik, you need to get this poison under control, or it will chip away at your soul, leaving nothing behind. Also, Brance has arrived in the training room and is constantly healing you with his [Minor Healing].-

    Appearing beside Cynrik, Tobs generated a small monitor allowing Cynrik to see the inside of the training room. His newly aged body was still sitting in the lotus position with a worried Brance continuously hurling balls of light at his chest.

    ¡°Did you fill him in on what is happening, or is he in the dark?¡±

    -I have already informed him about your Turning Point Quest, and his response was to put a hole in the living room wall before running to your side and force-feeding you all kinds of supplements.-

    ¡°Hehe, he¡¯s got a good head on his shoulders instead of panicking like those dorks behind him,¡± Cynrik stated, observing the worried expressions of Gabby, Benny, and Selene. The girls were both in tears, and Benny was pacing up and down the room in thought.

    ¡°I can¡¯t bring Brance into the fight, can I?¡± The idea popped into his head but was quickly quenched by Tobs, who reinforced the rule that Turning Points were Solo Quests.

    ¡°Tsk, alright, no point in bitching further,¡± Exhaling slowly and activating his H¨²efl¨²r, Cynrik felt the stinging pain from newly forged markings appearing all the way from his wrists to his elbow. Surprisingly, the H¨²efl¨²r had a secondary effect Cynrik hadn¡¯t expected.

    The instant the markings came to life, the feeling returned to Cynrik¡¯s fingers as it cleansed the numbing poison from both his arms.

    ¡°Well¡­all-knowing Tobs, it appears you¡¯ve missed a crucial tidbit,¡± Cynrik said cockily at his Ai¡¯s expense.

    -Would you believe me if I said I didn¡¯t know that would happen?-

    ¡°Not even for a second. Anywho, time for round three, I guess.¡± Standing up and rapidly flexing all the muscles in his upper body, Cynrik began sucking all the ambient Mana within the Shadow Realm into his Codex at an rming rate.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try out this Overdraft skill.¡± Tossing a smile at Tobs, who looked at him expressionlessly, Cynrik bounced on the balls of his feet twice, mentally chanted ?sir Mode, and was nearly blinded by a sh of multi-color light. When his vision returned, he noticed his whole body was covered in a thinyer of quad-colored Mana, his three Affinities, and the mysterious power of the ?sir.

    The feeling he got from the ?sir Mode was one of being jacked up on a bunch of energy drinks and adrenaline. He knew if allowed, he would be addicted to the feeling, so not wanting to stay in the form any longer than necessary, Cynrik kicked the ground hard and shot up back into his SOC, which had taken the ce of Reality in the sky of the Shadow Realm.

    Shattering through the ground like ss, Cynrik delivered a devastating uppercut to the unsuspecting J?rmungandr, rocketing him into the air alongside the shadowy Cynrik, who quickly activated the full extent of his H¨²efl¨²r.

    ¡®TOBS, ADAMAS ON LOOP!¡¯ Cynrik winced silently as the impact of his left fist meeting the Serpent¡¯s jaw further cracked the bones in his hand and wrist.

    -Now ying ¡°Adamas¡± By LiSA.-

    Rolling in the air, Cynrik felt the song¡¯s bass and guitars ring in his head and smirked. His eyes locked onto the exposed throat of J?rmungandr, who was rising into the air beside him, and he stabbed out with his right hidden de. Unfortunately, all it did was leave a white mark on the exposed scales, but Cynrik wasn¡¯t deterred and whipped his right leg into J?rmungandr¡¯s ribcage, changing the being¡¯s airborne trajectory.

    Stunned by the sudden attack, J?rmungandr attempted to recover mid-air, but just as he did, Cynrik shed over, propelling himself with [Continuous mes], firing out the soles of his boots. The Serpent watched in horror as Cynrik shed all around his body,shing out with powerful Mana-filledbinations. shes, stabs, uppercuts, kicks, elbows, every variety he coulde up with on the fly, Cynrik perfectly executed.

    At one point, he even tossed his sword ahead of him and whipped out another Futae No Kiwami, but this time with his right fist, leaving him gritting his teeth in pain, but delivering a devastating blow to the Serpent¡¯s chest, cracking his sternum.

    Just when the Serpent believed it was all over, Cynrik drop kicked him with both feet, propelling him higher, crossing both kodachi over his chest, and forming a fireball in the center.

    ¡°GAME ON SNAKE BITCH, MODIFIED DARK-BL¨®eRAUeR BANAMAeR: FYRSTR FORM ¨C MIDNIGHT SUN CYCLONE!!!¡± Cynrik howled at the top of his lungs and shed out, generating his strongest Sun Cyclone yet, one holding a full 3000 MP being it, and thanks to Overdrafting his Mana, its power was equivalent to one with 6k MP.

    ¡°F..uck!¡± That was all J?rmungandr could say as he was swallowed whole by the intimidating and massive wall of ckmes

    ¡°It¡¯s time, It¡¯s time, ADAMAS!¡± Cynrik chanted the ending lyrics to the song with blood leaking from both his eyes and ears.

    BBBBBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

 Chapter 211

    BBBBBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

    A violent explosion the likes Cynrik had never generated before urred when the ckFire Cyclone made contact with the severely wounded J?rmungandr, instantly bathing Cynrik¡¯s SOC in bright light and then smoke.

    Unfortunately, because he was too close to the impact zone, Cynrik was swept away by the forceful explosion and hurdled through the air like a kite with its strings cut.

    Cynrik flipped through the air for hundreds of meters, out of control of his own body. Then, wracked by painful spasms, it was all he could do to tuck in his head and prepare for the collision with the ground he knew would soone. He was vaguely aware that upon being knocked away from ground zero, his ?sir Mode had been shattered like a bubble popping, and his H¨²efl¨²r had long since deactivated.

    CRASH

    As expected, like an arrow at the end of its line, Cynrik eventually made contact with the ground in a devastatingly painful way. First, he mmed into the hard surface of the soil before bouncing another two dozen meters, carving through the rocks with his shoulders and back, cutting a long person-shaped cavern.

    To make matters worse, with each tumble he achieved, Cynrik could feel the crunch of his bones and joints along the way. When he finally stopped, his body was a mangled mess barely held together with a thin but firmyer of Dark Mana, which he had constructed at thest second before colliding with the ground to mitigate as much damage as possible.

    His armor was utterly in tatters and had long since disintegrated into nothing, exposing the wretched state of his torso, arms, and back to the open air. Cynrik wasn¡¯t sure when, but his Kodachis had disappeared from the ces on his hip and back and were lost somewhere in between where he smacked the Serpent and hisnding zone over two hundred meters away.

    Unable to move for the moment, Cynrik stared emotionlessly up at the stormy sky, filled with Fire and Dark clouds, wondering why he thought it was a good idea to detonate his Fyrstr Form so fast instead of giving it time to charge up and gain some distance.

    Cough, Cough

    Feeling as if his whole body was only an instant from shutting downpletely, Cynrik weakly lifted his head and found a worried Tobs floating parallel to his motionless body, examining the extent of his injuries.

    ¡°Give it to me straight, Tobs, am I still pretty?¡± He joked, knowing just how bad of shape he was presently in.

    -Idiot, fucking idiot, what the hell were you thinking. Not only have you sufficiently broken over 70% of the bones in your body, leaving almost nothing fully intact, but if it weren¡¯t for Brance continuously healing you with all his might, you would already be dead.-

    -And all that is ignoring how badly poisoned your body is right now; look at yourself, Cynrik, for crying out loud, the majority of the skin on your upper body and face has turned a deep shade of purplish green, and you are leaking pus from all the ulcers and sores.-

    She angrily scolded Cynrik, breaking her cold and generally expressionless attitude with emotioning forth and a change in her speech pattern.

    ¡°Yeah, but I am still pretty, right? The rest is neither here nor there. You know that I had no business fighting that guy as well as I do. By my estimate¡­cough¡­he had to be somewhere between Tier-4 and Tier-5, which means he outssed me in every possible way.¡±

    -Gah, NO, YOU ARENT STILL FUCKING PRETTY; YOU LOOK LIKE AN INFECTED MEATBALL RIGHT NOW!-

    ¡°Hehe, COUGH, meatball.¡± Cynrik smiled after coughing a few more times but was silenced by a notification that made him freeze in ce as he read it.

    -Warning: You only have 5% of your HP pool intact; it is advised you heal immediately.-

    Cynrik raised an eyebrow as the notification popped up, and Tobs read it aloud in her usual monotone voice.

    ¡°Aye, look at that; I¡¯ve still got 400 HP, and it¡¯s steadily rising with Brance¡¯s help hehe *cough cough cough*.¡± Cynrik tried making light of his situation, but by the time he finished his sentence, he was racked by blood-soaked coughs, and his body spasmed from pain.

    Seeing this, Tobs¡¯ face transitioned from nk, to angry, to sorrow-filled, before finally resting on concern, which alerted Cynrik when he noticed.

    ¡°Lemmie guess, he isn¡¯t dead, hahhh, that bastard is like a cockroach.¡±

    Tobs responded by opening a monitor and showing the current state of J?rmungandr. Fortunately, the humanoid Serpent was in much worse shape than the temporarily disabled Cynrik.

    Aside from the still-raging ckmes coating the immediate area surrounding the downed J?rmungandr, visible contusions and damage pained the being just as much as his own blood did. Gone was the handsome face he had initially shown upon transforming, and in its ce was a mangled mess of flesh, with chunks hanging off.

    The left side of his face had beenpletely obliterated as jagged scorch marks dotted his entire body, with the bulk of them searing the exposed bone stump that was formerly J?rmungandr¡¯s left arm and leg.

    Cynrik hadpletely destroyed those two limbs as it was the first thing to make contact with the Midnight Sun Cyclone. However, unlike Cynrik, who could still joke around, even when subjected to intense pain and agony, J?rmungandr was rendered immobile.

    -In yourst attack, ?sir Spirit J?rmungandr suffered fatal injuries; he lost both his left arm and leg, and the damage sustained to most of his left side is too extensive to be repaired, even with a [Major Healing] spell. He has suffered intense burns to over 90% of his body, and the internal damage is beyond what you are experiencing.-

    ¡°So what you are saying is he¡¯s still alive¡­after all of that, fuck, alright gimmie a second, I got this,¡± Cynrik grunted loudly, forcing his body to move against the stiff muscles and broken bones. After struggling for nearly five minutes, he was on his feet, albeit crouched and barely stable, but on his feet nheless.

    ¡°See, COUGH, totally fine, I got this,¡± Cynrik said through gritted teeth.

    Tobs nkly stared at her Host¡¯s sorry state, who now appeared as if a weak puff of air could knock him over without much difficulty, and sighed softly.

    ¡°Woahh, on second thought, I don¡¯t got this¡­.¡±

    Thump

    Unable to stand any longer, Cynrik copsed to the ground on his butt, panting heavily, and wiped the blood from his eyes, nose, and mouth.

    ¡°How, huff, how far away is he?¡± He asked while trying to catch his breath. His eyes drifted along the length of his exposed purple, pus-filled, cracked skin as he spoke to Tobs.

    -Approximately two hundred and thirty-three meters from your current position. Cynrik, you really should deal with the poison. Those wounds affecting your SOUL and not your actual body will only fester and worsen if you don¡¯t.-

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes narrowed as he watched his purplish-green sickly skin bubble and pop with pus-filled pustules.

    ¡°Yeah, I know, the only question is¡­how? I could try burning them off in theory, but I don¡¯t know what kind of reaction my body will have. I can¡¯t let myself go into shock with Jormie still alive.¡± Watching his arm spasm uncontrobly, Cynrik tried snapping the fingers on his left hand to create a spark but failed miserably and only managed to increase further the pain he was experiencing.

    ¡°Any ideas from the floating peanut gallery, Tobs?¡± But when Cynrik looked up, she was no longer beside him and had vanished from sight.

    ¡°OH YEAH, GREATTT, GO AHEAD AND DO THE DARK KNIGHT DISAPPEARING ACT ON ME! TSK, fucking big help you are.¡± Cynrik clicked his tongue and voiced hisints to the sky.

    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s break this down; judging by how this poison is eating between 10-30 HP per tick, and Brance is healing me for what appears to be between 900 and 1105 HP every minute or so, that means I am still at a deficit. Tsk, I fucking hate math.¡±

    Running the numbers, Cynrik realized that although Brance seemed to be keeping him afloat, he couldn¡¯t sustain it for much longer. If Brance had been keeping the healsing for over an hour, then there was no doubt his younger brother may be at the end of his Mana Pool.

    ¡°Tsss, ok, suck it up, Cyn,¡± He said, ignoring the crunching sounds from his left hand as he continuously tried snapping his fingers.

    SNAP

    FWOOSH

    Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Cynrik was able to forcefully execute a single snap and douse his entire body in ckFire; however, what he didn¡¯t expect was for the first time, he could actually feel the cool heat.

    But that didn¡¯tst long, as the pale ck mes began eating at the poisoned flesh, the feeling of which was like a shark chomping away at Cynrik¡¯s body. The instant he felt the pain, his vision blurred, and if it weren¡¯t for him gripping both hands into fists, creating a sharp pain due to the broken bones, he would have fainted instantly.

    -Warning: You are taking ever-increasing amounts of damage.-

    ¡°NO FUCKING SHIT TOBS, I HAVE NO OTHER OPTION HERE! Shit, why cant my mes have god damn healing properties? SOMEONE REMIND ME TO FIND A FUCKING PHEONIX OR SOMETHING! GRAHHHHHHH!¡± Cynrik screamed, batting at the blood pouring from all the holes on his face.

    In the training room, Brance began panicking for real when Cynrik decided to turn himself into a human torch, not because he could see his brother¡¯s Hp rapidly dropping, but instead because Cynrik had not only burst into mes in the SOC but also in the real world as well.

    Not only that, but the second he did, blood began running from Cynrik¡¯s eyes, nose, mouth, and ears as his body started convulsing.

    This freaked out Brance, making him curse out and pick up the pace of his healing. Finally, after realizing that it no longer relied on his stats and instead, at some point, reached a cap of 500 HP per heal, he quickly burned enough points to evolve his [Minor Healing] into [Advance Healing]. But even after doing so, Brance was still only able to output around 2k each heal, of which, Tobs informed him only half was going through and healing Cynrik¡¯s soul.

    But now that Cynrik seemed to be taking a turn for the worse, Brance was at an impasse, so he kept pumping more and more Skill points into his healing skill in hopes that he could curb the damage umting on his brother¡¯s soul.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 212

    Fighting to keep conscious, Cynrik endured the searing pain caused by his own ckFire, unaware of what was transpiring around him, and back in the training room.

    With the mes eating away at his skin, the vaporous multicolored Poison rose from his muscle tissue and was broken down by the powerful fusion of Dark and Fire Affinity.

    Meanwhile, Brance had upgraded his [Advanced Healing] as far as possible and was now only a hair away from it reaching Tier-3 and further Evolving into [Major Healing]. Although Brance now generated a static 3000 worth of HP per skill use, Cynrik¡¯s damage counter had increased to over 2400 per minute on the downside. This back and forth, over time, ended up dwindling his HP to almost nothing after having it recover to an extent.

    Time progressed slowly, and just when Cynrik was about to call it quits and roll over to wee death, Tobs chimed in, alerting him that the ckFire hadpletely detoxified his body, and he could stop.

    Not needing further encouragement, Cynrik released his control over his manifestation and copsed onto his back, panting heavily with his body twitching randomly and uncontrobly.

    ¡°Huff, never, huff, a fucking gain.¡± Cynrik spat angrily to no one in particr.

    ¡°Tobs, huff, status report on the fucking snake.¡±

    -There are no signs of activity from ?sir Spirit J?rmungandr; he appears to have lost consciousness and is dangerously close to death.-

    She replied, back to her old monotone and expressionless self.

    ¡°Good, fuck that asshole, that Omnipoison of his is no fucking joke. If it weren¡¯t for thebination of prating power and corrosion of my ckFire, I would have been utterly screwed. Even so, if I never have to experience that level of pain again in my life, I will be more than pleased.¡± Cynrik said as he raised a shaky hand into the air and allocated 80 points into his VIT to speed up his healing factor and increase his HP.

    Cynrik felt energized and spry after increasing his VIT by 80 points; paired with the constant and consistent healing provided by Brance, he was healed back up to 100% within a short amount of time.

    However, although his HP had recovered to 11,200/11,200, the broken bones and muscle damage had yet to heal and were still only in the initial stages of refusing and fixing the injuries. Still, after another short 15-minute break, he felt good enough to stand up, albeit he was as shaky as a newborn giraffe.

    ¡°Point me in the direction of my Kodachi¡¯s Tobs; it is time to end this farce; I need a fucking nap, and hell, probably a bath too. Luckily my ckFire cleansed all the ick off my body¡­er¡­soul.¡± So Cynrik said, waiting for Tobs to reappear and point him the right way to pick up his beloved swords.

    Secondster, Tobs, in her avatar form, materialized beside Cynrik and extended her arm to the left of where Cynrik was standing, and nodded curtly.

    ¡°Thanks, oh right, how¡¯s Brance holding up? I¡¯m sure cycle healing wasn¡¯t fun, and he¡¯s exhausted now.¡± He asked, taking weak steps in the direction she was pointing. Each movement caused all his bones and joints to pop like bubble wrap, but he felt the pain and resistance he was feeling were manageable.

    -Host Brance has fallen unconscious due to Mana sickness, and Gabrie Sanford is giving him a¡­what is it calledp pillow?-

    Tobs tilted her head to the side as she followed alongside Cynrik and looked to him for an answer.

    ¡°Uh, if she has his head lying in herp, it¡¯s ap pillow.¡± Cynrik nearly stumbled and fell when he heard her but quickly collected himself and answered her strange question.

    -Yes, Gabrie Sanford is giving Host Brance ap pillow, leaving the cleaning and taking care of you to Selene¡­I do advise you to hurry up andplete the quest as soon as possible, though¡­she appears to have grown quite fond of your abdominal muscles and is rubbing them while mumbling about how hot they are.-

    ¡°PFFT, FUCK, TELL HER TO CUT IT OUT; HOW DARE THAT WENCH TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ME WHEN I AM DEFENSELESS!¡± Cursing loudly, Cynrik picked up his pace from a slow stumbly walk to a brisk jog, searching for his swords.

    Confused for a minute, Tobs parroted his response to Selene, who froze in panic before eventually covering up the half-naked Cynrik with a nket retrieved from the boy¡¯s bedroom.

    It didn¡¯t take long for Cynrik to traverse the distance between himself and J?rmungandr. When the Serpent came into view, Cynrik had already collected both Kodachi and put them in their normal positions, the longer one on his right hip and the shorter one over his right shoulder.

    ¡°Oi, Jormie, still alive?¡± The closer Cynrik got to the downed opponent, the more cautious he became, and once he was within 10 meters of J?rmungandr, Cynrik called out to him only to be met by silence.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, you got a belly ache? Did you not get enough water or something? Sheesh, Jormie, you know hydration is the key to everything; you really can¡¯t let yourself get screwed over and dehydrated.¡±

    This time, his taunts seemed to reach the dismembered and mutted J?rmungandr, whose single eye fluttered open angrily and red daggers at Cynrik, who was calmly walking with his hands behind his head.

    ¡°Grugle tsss gurgle ugh.¡± Although J?rmungandr was trying to speak, all he could produce were slurred and wet noises as his jaw had been blown apart before being scorched to cinders.

    ¡°Tsk, Jormie, I can¡¯t understand you; Ima need you to speak in proper English hell, Norse works too, but you need to form vowels and words, my guy.¡± Cynrik taunted, knowing damn well all he was aplishing was to piss off the Serpent further.

    ¡°Gurggg, wassht, ssss COUGH COUGH!¡± Having difficulty breathing and speaking simultaneously, J?rmungandr was eventually ovee by coughing. He expelled several types of dark fluid from his mouth as Cynrik approached and stood above the Serpent¡¯s sorry state, who once long ago stood at the top of the food chain.

    ¡°Tsk, a tragic end for a being who once wasuded as the one who could devour the entire world. If you were like Ragnar, I would have interrogated you for further information about the Strife, but seeing as you can no longer speak, let alone even fight back, I think we should finish this shit, not with a bang but with a whimper.¡± A malicious glint shed through Cynrik¡¯s eyes as he drew the Kodachi from his hip and, in one fluid motion, beheaded the helpless being lying crippled on the ground before him.

    Shulk

    Cynrik felt his de meet little resistance as the head of the once-powerful being rolled away with its singr eye wide open in horror and shock.

    -Turning Point Quest: Challenge for Supremacy has beenpleted.-

    -After battling against the Spirit of a being several times stronger than yourself, you havee out on top and won the battle for supremacy over your soul.-

    -Your Sess in battle has allowed you to fully integrate the Divinity fragment once owned by J?rmungandr, The World Devouring Serpent, making it your own. Therefore, you will not suffer any consequences upon fully integrating this fragment.

    -Defeat the ?sir Spirit ¨C J?rmungandr

    -Reward: Two 2-Karat Secret Grade Omnipoison Pristine Affinity Gems.

    -Reward 2: 1 Vial of concentrated Omnipoison holding five drops of liquid Poison.

    -Reward 3: You have unlocked Hidden Stat, Poison Resistance, and obtained 25 points in this stat. Each point represents 1% of resistance against poisons of all kinds. The higher the points, the more immune you are to any type of Poison.

    -Reward 4: You have gained 25 points in your Will Power Stat.-

    -By absorbing the Divinity Fragment housing the Spirit of The World Devouring Serpent J?rmungandr, you have repaired all damage to your SOC and Soul.-

    Cynrik watched as two brilliant yet tiny gems appeared floating before him and reached out to hold them. Then, after taking a brief look at the visibly toxic diamonds, he tossed them in his inventory and lost himself in the feeling of his soulpletely healing.

    He spent a few minutes resting, and once he was sure his body was at peak performance, he opened his eyes and looked over at Tobs.

    ¡°Get us outta here, Tobs; it¡¯s time to go home.¡± He said with tiredness weighing heavily on his voice.

    -As you wish, Host Cynrik. Now beginning transfer procedures.-

    With that, Cynrik¡¯s eyes blurred into darkness as the world of his SOC disappeared, and his consciousness was transported by Tobs back into his body in the real world.

    Cynrik felt the strange transition into his body, and soon a grim expression painted his face as he became aware of a hand rubbing his stomach over the top of what he assumed to be hisforter.

    ¡°Woman¡­I swear to fucking everything in existence, if you DO NOT STOP RUBBING MY FUCKING BELLY, I WILL EVISCERATE YOU AND FEED YOU TO SOME HOUNDS IN THE NEXT EGRESS WE DIVE INTO!¡± Cynrik¡¯s voice started out calm, but by the time he finished speaking, he was howling in full-blown rage at the older girl wearing a lewd grin as she molested Cynrik¡¯s abs.

    ¡°EEP, WHO WAS RUBBING YOUR BELLY? IT WASN¡¯T ME; IT MUST HAVE BEEN BENNY!¡± Selene screamed while pulling her hand back and pointing at the visibly confused Benny not far away.

    ¡°Who the hell mes Benny? HE NEVER DOES ANYTHING WRONG! Unlike you, who CLEARLY doesn¡¯t know the meaning of the words ¡°Sexual Assualt.¡± Sitting up and tossing hisforter to the side, Cynrik crossed his arms over his chest, forming an X and wearing an expression he had been wronged.

    Meanwhile, Benny, who had been thrown under the bus for something he would never do in a million years, looked at Cynrik, double-checked he was ok and walked up to Selene. Once he arrived and towered over the girl, he mercilessly ground his knuckles on the crown of her head, drawing several pained curses and fake tears in response.

    Brance awoke from his nap thanks to the loud antics of Selene, Benny, and Cynrik, only to discover he was lying on a warm pillow; once he looked up and saw Gabby looking down from above, he realized what position he was in, and sat up, blushing brightly.

    Brance¡¯s eyes quickly darted away from the toned pale thighs his head had been resting on and over towards Cynrik, who had joined in with Benny taking turns punishing Selene with noogies.

    ¡°d to see you back and in one piece, Big Brother; now, would you care to exin why you thought it was a good idea to light yourself on fire to burn off ayer of Poison caked into your soul?¡± A simple observation was all Brance needed to see that his brother was in one piece and undamaged, so he quickly went into parenting mode and began scolding Cynrik.

    ¡°Uh¡­uh¡­uh¡­well you see what had happened wasss¡­Yeah, ok, I got nothing to defend myself with here. I was out of options, and it was either, you know, ¡°me on¡± or die, so I went with option one. How was I supposed to know it would affect my body in the SOC and my one IRL.¡± Shrugging, Cynrik released Selene and walked over to Brance, offering him a hand up.

    ¡°Thanks for the clutch heals back there; I woulda been fucked without them,¡± Cynrik said, patting Brance¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Yeah, well, we should invest in a Cleric or full-time healer because I can¡¯t be the only one stitching you back together, especially inbat.¡± Brance chuckled and smacked Cynrik back happily, who was a full inch shorter and had a lot less muscle mass than he did.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 213

    With the Turning point quest cleared, Cynrik and the rest of the party spent the remainder of the time before school rtively idle. The most significant thing to happen during that week was the group shipping off their equipment to be resized and customized on top of ordering Selene¡¯s matching gear.

    However, as the group was packing up their armor and weapons, an exciting topic was brought to Cynrik¡¯s attention. A slight oversight on his part.

    Everyone was in the process of packing their armor into boxes when Gabby spoke up.

    ¡°Uh, Big Bro Ivar, something has been bugging me for a bit, and now that we are sending off our stuff to the Pinhursts to be refitted, I gotta ask.¡± She said while extending a piece of packing tape to cover the box.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Cynrik replied, setting down his neatly sealed box of armor.

    ¡°If we need our armor and weapons resized because of the growth spurt from Evolution, what do we do about our Academy Uniforms?¡±

    Her question caused everyone to pause what they were doing and look at Cynrik curiously.

    The funniest was Selene, who had her t-shirt rolled up and was in the process of taking her own measurements.

    ¡°Uhh, ok, that¡­how the fuck did that slip my mind, shit.¡± Bouncing up from the couch, Cynrik sprinted to his room and pulled one of his freshly pressed and wrapped in stic uniforms from the closet, and brought it into the living room.

    He wore a frown, tore open the stic wrap, and took the ck zer trimmed in blue runic patterns off the hanger before holding it to his chest.

    The size difference was instantly apparent, as it was clearly meant for someone several sizes smaller than Cynrik. So much so that it made Selene and Gabby giggle.

    ¡°I mean, *snicker*, it¡¯s not that bad; look at it this way, you can finally be the guy with the tightest shirt at the party *snicker*.¡± Brance was desperately fighting to contain hisughter as he watched Cynrik struggle to fit into the several sizes too small zer.

    ¡°It looks bad¡­don¡¯t do it, Big Bro Ivar; we can go get new ones.¡± Then, feeling bad for Cynrik, Benny walked over and helped the now trapped Cynrik out of the zer while giving some words of encouragement.

    ¡°GLAD TO KNOW BENNY IS THE ONLY ONE OF YOU ASSHOLES WITH A HEART!¡± Cynrik angrily snorted after epting the younger boy¡¯s assistance.

    ¡°This can¡¯t be right, though. In a school where students are constantly growing due to Tier Advancements, there has to be some kind of adjustment mechanism in this damn thing. JUST LOOK HERE!¡± Stopping his rant for a second, Cynrik aggressively pointed at all the royal blue runes covering the ck zer like trim.

    ¡°Its got RUNES, MAGIC RUNES! That definitely isn¡¯t just for visual appeal; they have to have some kind of function.¡± So he said and started trying to decipher them with his [Language Proficiency].

    But after a couple of minutes of trying to see through the blurry text and getting a headache, Cynrik gave up and copsed onto the couch in defeat after tossing the zer onto the coffee table.

    Brance, who had disappeared midway through Cynrik attempting to decipher the runes, returned wearing a perfectly fitting uniform, much to the displeasure of Cynrik, who nearly attacked at the sight of his younger brother¡¯s triumphant strut.

    ¡°Well, you weren¡¯t wrong¡­for once. All you have to do is channel a bit of Mana into the runes, and it makes the clothing turn stretchy; then, it¡¯s just a matter of putting it all on and taking back the Mana into your Codex.¡± Shrugging his shoulders and performing a small twirl for the girls who were treating it like a fashion show, Brance exined.

    The uniform was a standard ck pair of trousers and a zer jacket with a long double-pointed coattail. On the coat, running from just below the hipline to under the corbone, was an intricately woven piece with fiverge silver buttons in the shape of wolf heads. The embroidery covering the shoulders, breast, and cuffs was the mysterious runes that, when Brance demonstrated the stretchiness, would glow softly as they absorbed Mana.

    (https://gofile.io/d/ZvEUki) **That¡¯s the jacket Just picture blue trim made of strange, indecipherable letters instead of embroidery.**

    Like the zer, the trousers had a simr runic pattern running along the outside of the leg down to the cuffed ankles. Overall, it was a very medieval fashion, which nicely fit the school¡¯s aesthetic.

    Under the zer, Brance was wearing an adequately ironed button-up cored silver long-sleeved shirt. The only thing missing was a tie, but they weren¡¯t necessary for male or female students, every one realized after looking at the Academy¡¯s dress code.

    ¡°As it turns out, the jackets are color-coded ording to the year. So first-year students wear ck jackets, the second-year students wear royal blue jackets, the third-year students wear forest green ones, the fourth-year students¡¯ zers are golden, and fifth-year students wear red, but they have gold runes. Finally, the sixth-year students wear ck, but they also have gold runes and are in a slightly different style. So everyone, keep that in mind when talking to our peers; maybe you can get upper-level students to let valuable information slip in casual conversation.¡± With Brance showing him how to resize his uniform, Cynrik quickly set about getting dressed, leaving only his gym shorts on as he did so.

    However, the only person who reacted to Cynrik pulling off his shirt and getting dressed was Selene, who was practically drooling as he unleashed the well-defined abs she had grown fond of.

    Cynrik was fully aware of the peeping tom watching his every movement and had to bite his tongue, stopping him from snapping at her when Selene whimpered sadly as he buttoned up his shirt, hiding his coveted muscles from her.

    Once he was fully dressed, Cynrik double-checked the dress code again, and when he saw students were allowed to wear a maximum of two sheathed weapons at all times, he decided on refitting the sleeves with his assassins tools resting underneath.

    Once he was sure they were adequately hidden and didn¡¯t hinder his movement, Cynrik unequipped the bracers and stored them in his inventory before stepping into his bedroom and looking at the mirror.

    It took him a minute to realize why he felt so ufortable, and it wasn¡¯t until his eyesnded on his exposed head that he realized, for the first time in who knows how many years, he wasn¡¯t wearing a hood of some kind.

    ¡®Tsk, uneptable, there has to be some kind of head covering function; what are we supposed to do in the winter?¡¯ Cynrik pondered as he tugged at the back of his cor.

    Thinking on his toes, he plopped down on his bed to scroll through the Academy forum until he found a topic about winter uniforms. As it turned out, there wasn¡¯t actually a winter uniform, but instead, by applying Mana, it was possible to change the thickness of the coat and trousers and add essories such as gloves and a hood.

    Needless to say, this was precisely what Cynrik was looking for, and after some experimentation, his head was once again hidden in shadows, and he feltfortable. With one uniform properly sized and sporting his trademark AC style hood, Cynrik stripped down and fixed up his other four sets. MyrkLys members were given five uniforms, one for every day of the week, and were required to wear them outside the dorms, except on weekends.

    Another thing all five of them had received in thest few days was a small package. In this package were a small metallic badge, a single pair of tinum cufflinks, and a button to be attached in the ce of the top button on the zer. First off, the badge was not only tinum in color, representing their status as members of an S-Rank Faction, but also sported their logo. Furthermore, ording to the dress code, it was worn on the left breast in a specific position.

    Every student who was part of a faction required this, no matter the rank. The same went for the button, and cufflinks, which also had the MyrkLys logo branded on them.

    Although Cynrik wasn¡¯t pleased in the least about being shy to such an extent and showing off their status, Brance, Gabby, Selene, and even Benny were ecstatic. Especially Selene, who, up until she got the package, only had a couple of Cynrik¡¯s hoodies to show she was part of the group. But now that she had been registered with the Academy and finally had tokens representing her membership, she was practically giddy with excitement.

    Once Benny, Brance, and Cynrik had squared away their uniforms, the boys met back up in the living room to show off onest time before packing up all their equipment and sending the girls off to their dorm. Although along the way, Cynrik stopped off at the post office and shipped everything using Credits instead of Merit Points, sending everything to the Pinhursts in Valor City, which ording to the clerk, would only take a few hours.

    After finishing all the tasks Cynrik had set for them for the day, the boys headed back to the dorm to spar before dinner and do somest-minute studying. This had be the standard evening procedure in their dorm; the main reason was that Cynrik felt it was necessary to put Benny through his paces, allowing the younger boy some much-needed practice getting used to his new body.

    One had to remember that although Cynrik and Brance had experienced a whole life on Earth and could quickly adapt to their new heights, it was simr to what they were as adults back then; Benny was only 11. It was an entirely new, albeit awkward, feeling to not be able to move freely because of dozens of pounds of new muscle mass and longer limbs.

    By raising Benny and especially Gabby to Tier-2 at such a young age, Cynrik had effectively broken the status quo. The general masses would only reach this stage by the time they were around Selene¡¯s age, which would allow for proper unhindered growth.

    This was something Cynrik hadn¡¯t thought to be a big deal. However, the more he interacted with the Sanfords post Evolution, the more he realized how detrimental it indeed was to suddenly go from being an average child to a teenager in a single day.

    Thus, he had assigned the task of adapting Gabby to Selene and took it upon himself to bring Benny up to speed. Every evening, he put Benny through what could easily be considered child abuse if it weren¡¯t because the boy was now more prominent and taller than him.

    The night before sses officially started, Benny was fully able to keep up and get in a good workout against either one of the brothers. However, although he could keep up to a certain extent, he realized that it was simply because neither Cynrik nor Brance wanted to hurt him, so they let him stay on offense. In contrast, the brother in charge of the training remained on the defensive or counterattacking from time to time.

    Like that, the members of MyrkLys passed the days until the first morning of sses arrived.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 214

    The morning came sooner than Cynrik had expected. In contrast to what you would expect from someone starting sses at a new academy, Cynrik had spent the entire night sparring with himself using his newly upgraded Dark Affinity skill, [Shadow Clone].

    The Tier-0 skill [Shadow¡¯s Image], which had basically been useless and taking up space in Cynrik¡¯s Affinity Skill list since the day he got it, had finally Evolved into its Tier-2 form and be useful.

    -Tier-2 Dark Affinity Skill: Shadow Clone-

    ¨C The twice evolved form of the basic Dark Affinity Skill, Shadow¡¯s Image. The user can take control of their own shadow and change its shape into one desired. Once the shadow bes the desired clone, it will move and act under theplete control of the one who summoned it.-

    -The clone will not be able to think or act withoutmands explicitly given by the one who created it.-

    -The Clone will automatically have 50% of the user¡¯s Stats except for HP and has unlimited Stamina.

    -Activation cost: Scaling: 100 MP to as much MP as the user has in their Mana Pool.-

    -The Clone will turn the Mana points used to generate it into its own Health Points. When the clone receives enough damage to drop its HP to Zero, it ceases to be under the user¡¯s control and will go back to being the user¡¯s shadow.-

    Although it was taxing on both his mind and Mana pool, as well as it basically was only half as strong as Cynrik, the Shadow clone made a decent sparring partner and allowed him to move his body to get a workout for both his brain and his muscles.

    That is, if he didn¡¯t end up doing exactly what happened around 3 am. After several hours of summoning and killing his Shadow, Cynrik sumbed to mental exhaustion and Mana sickness, passing out in the training room, where he spent the remaining hours sprawled out on the padded floor until Brance found him after making his morning rounds.

    When Brance didn¡¯t find Cynrik in his bed, he quickly concluded that Cynrik may have woken up first and headed to the training room for his morning workout, only to find his brother caked in sweat and grime, unconscious in the center of the room.

    At first, Brance almost turned around and left Cynrik there, but being the good brother he was, he fetched Benny and had him drop a chilly [Water Sphere] directly on the sleeping party leader, giving him a rude awakening.

    SPLASH

    ¡°HUH, WAH, HUH? THE FIRE NATION IS ATTACKING! GATHER THE ELDERS AND SUMMON THE WATER BENDERS QUICKLY; THEY ARE ALREADY MELTING ALL THE SNOW!¡± Jumping to his feet, half-awake, Cynrik carried over his dream into the waking world and started yelling incoherently while waving his hands.

    Unfortunately, once the hazy dream world faded, and he saw the concerned look on Benny¡¯s face and the contortedughter expression of his little brother, Cynrik narrowed his eyes and realized what had happened.

    ¡°*Snicker*Wakey, wakey, Avatar Cyn, pfftt, it¡¯s *snicker* time to get ready for our first day of sses.¡± Unable to contain hisughter at the drenched Cynrik, who looked about ready to blow his top, Brance harassed and picked at his older brother, who was VERY much awake now and ring daggers at him.

    ¡°Bj?rn made me do it.¡± Benny, realizing it was better to fess up and make a break for it, immediately threw Brance under the bus upon seeing how pissed Cynrik was and sprinted out of the room as fast as his legs would take him, abandoning two brothers to fight it out.

    ¡°RAHHH,¡± Benny could hear Cynrik yelling in anger, followed by a loud smack.

    Leaving the two to do their thing, Benny bolted for the kitchen and put on a fresh pot of coffee just as the rumbles from the brotherly¡­bonding began to shake the house. Since this wasn¡¯t the first time the two had gone toe to toe since moving into the dorms, Benny was used to it and knew the only way to get them to knock off the roughhousing was the smell of freshly made coffee.

    So in an attempt to save time and get everyone to ss in one piece, he ruthlessly threw Brance to the angry wolf known as Cynrik.

    BOOOM BOOOM RUMBLE BOOOM

    Although the training room was soundproof and vibration-proof for all intents and purposes, Benny had identally left the door open, allowing the sounds of battle to buzz through the dorm.

    Fortunately, just as Benny knew it would, the moment the scent of freshly made coffee drifted through the kitchen, down the hall, and into the training room, Cynrik, who had a stillughing Brance pinned on the ground belly first with his knee resting on the small of Brance¡¯s back, in an armlock, froze and sniffed the air.

    ¡°You get off this time, you asshole, pull that shit again, and im breaking both your fucking kneecaps, the first day of school or not.¡± Cynrik venomously spat and released Brance.

    ¡°Hahaha, sure, sure, whatever you say, Avatar Cyn HAHAHAHHA, the fucking Fire nation. IMA PEE HAHAHAHHA!¡± Once free from the arm lock, Brance continued rolling around on the ground, holding his stomach andughing loudly.

    ¡°Tsk, our mother never loved you, and you were adopted.¡± Then, clicking his tongue in disgust at Brance, Cynrik said and left the room to silence the annoyingughter of his asinine brother.

    That was how the morning began for the boy¡¯s dorm.

    Across the mountain, in the girl¡¯s dorm, a tired and bedhead-ridden Gabby trudged to Selene¡¯s door in her newly purchased bunny pj¡¯s. Raising her little fist, she banged on the door several times until an equally untidy Selene answered by grumbling about needing to rub Cynrik¡¯s abs to wake up fully.

    The two ate breakfast together, with the only sound other than munching being some instrumental music ying on Gabby¡¯s Watcet, a habit that she had gotten from Brance. It all began back when they did training camps. Every morning, Brance would y a particr ylist tailored specially to wake her and her brother up. The music was calming and soft, perfect for sleepy children.

    After breakfast, the two tired girls made their way back to their rooms, showered, and got dressed, before meeting back up in the living room, so that Selene could do their make-up.

    Although both of them were natural beauties in their own right, Selene had carried over the habit from Earth, and after Gabby saw her doing it, she became fascinated and begged the older girl to do her make-up when they started sses.

    Like two sisters who had grown up together, Selene first did Gabby¡¯s make-up, simple eyeliner, shadow, and a little touch up here and there, before moving on to her own borderline Emo version, with heavy eyeliner.

    Next came hair and essories. On the opposite side of their Watcets, the two wore a single pocket ring and matching bracelets before putting on their faction badges, cufflinks, and buttons.

    Unlike the boy¡¯s uniforms, which had trousers and dressy yet functional shoes, the girls had pleated skirts that went to just above their knees and could wear their choice of thigh-high ck socks or ck stocking/tights. For the shoes, they both had standard-issue ts.

    DING!

    Gabby¡¯s Watcet was the first to go off, but she ignored it and continued fussing with her hair, cing a small pink rabbit hairpin, bought by Brance, into ce over her right ear.

    DING, DING!

    Selene¡¯s Watcet went off this time, signaling her that someone was texting her, yet she, like Gabby, ignored it. However, unlike Gabby, who went with the thigh-highs, Selene went with tights. Once she got them in ce and pulled down her skirt to cover them, she began messing with the cor of her zer, turning it into an AC-style hood, just like Cynrik.

    DING-DING DING-DING DING DING DING!

    Both the girl¡¯s Watcets were screaming at them as Cynrik and Brance spammed texts to each, saying the same thing, ¡°HURRY THE FUCK UP!¡± Brance¡¯s texts, of course, were, in contrast, very polite and asked if Gabby had eaten, while Cynrik¡¯s demanded the wench hurry up and get herself done up faster.

    Finally, after another 15 minutes of ignoring their Watcets, Selene and Gabby replied with a casual ¡°Coming¡± in unison. Stepping out the door, Gabby equipped her bow on her back and an empty quiver on her left hip. Selene chose her daggers on her back and the other under her right sleeve.

    Approximately 30 minutester, the party was reunited at the entrance to the Cavern of Dorms.

    Their dolled-up and drop-dead gorgeous appearances sent Brance into an embarrassing studdering mess of words when the girls showed up. It was the first time he had seen Gabby in make-up, and after her growth spurt, she looked almost like an Idol; her small nose, chestnut hair, and delicate facial features were brought out by the Artist known as Selene, and seeing Brance¡¯s reaction made it all worth it.

    Gabby, the one in question, was over the moon with Brance¡¯s reaction and raced to give him a hug and hold his hand so they could walk together. Although she wasn¡¯t the age she appeared, her intellect was far above any Earth girl, and in fact, on Vinestra, she was at the age most girls would start getting their first boyfriends.

    For reference, Cinyah and Rikard began dating when they were her age, so it was pretty typical; although nothing physical was allowed byw, simple hugging, hand-holding, and a peck on the cheek were free game.

    Cynrik had a very different reaction; today, for some reason, he felt both bold and slightly possessive after seeing the girl looking her best. cing his hands behind his back, he walked around the visibly nervous Selene, inspecting her head to toe, noting how perky her chest and ass looked. Then, after a few nods of approval and some sharp-tonguedpliments, Cynrik raised his left arm into the air and gave a sharp smack right on her perky ass, causing Selene to yelp loudly and cover her butt with both hands.

    Although her mouth said otherwise, Selene¡¯s eyes seemed to have a strange hunger in them as she red at Cynrik with tears forming, confusing the hell out of Benny, who by now was used to being the third wheel.

    For his life, he could not understand Selene and Cynrik, no matter how hard he tried. Looking back and forth between the two couples, the opposing examples of BrancexGabby¡¯s wholesome and innocent rtionship and the unexinable CynrikxSelene had him scratching his head in confusion.

    The one thing he took away from looking at the pairings was that he would much rather find a rtionship like Brance and his sister; whatever the hell was going on with the other two honestly freaked him out a little.

    ¡°COUGH! Let¡¯s head out, guys, enough fooling around, we have a lot of ground to cover to make it to our homeroom, and the clock is ticking.¡± As Benny crossed his arms over his chest and heaved a sigh, he looked like Cynrik. He coughed loud enough to get everyone¡¯s attention and herded the couples to their first ss, Basic and Practical Affinity Arts, with Professor Tessa Morningdale.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 215

    ¡°COUGH! Let¡¯s head out, guys, enough fooling around, we have a lot of ground to cover to make it to our Homeroom, and the clock is ticking.¡± As Benny crossed his arms over his chest and heaved a sigh, he looked like Cynrik. He coughed loud enough to get everyone¡¯s attention and herded the couples to their first ss, Basic and Practical Affinity Arts, with Professor Tessa Morningdale.

    Under the pressured guidance of the impatient Benny, the other members of MyrkLys straightened up and headed off down the well-lit path leading out of the Cavern of Dorms and into the fresh open air outside.

    Upon stepping into the bright triple morning suns, the temperature increased noticeably and the ambient sounds of birds, students, and people going about their morning activities were almost overwhelming.

    After locking themselves in one of the dorms for nearly a week, this was the first time the party had emerged from the dimly lit caverns since arriving. It took a moment for everyone, especially the two Dark Affinity user¡¯s eyes, to adjust.

    ¡°Lead the way, Benny, since you clearly want to take charge.¡± Then, smirking at the younger boy, who proudly lifted his chin towards the sky, Cynrik made a wisecrack at Benny¡¯s expense, his hand casually snaking its way around the narrow waist of Selene.

    Feeling Cynrik¡¯s hand finding its way onto her body, Selene momentarily shivered but soon gave in and allowed him to do as he pleased. Though she appeared calm and refined with his advances, she was giggling gleefully in her head that Cynrik was finally making a move after being around each other for over a week.

    As the group walked, they chatted about their morning routine, and to any random passerby, the members of MyrkLys looked like any other average teenage group of couples. In contrast, they stood out from the other first-years and second-years, migrating in simr directions. From the tworge, muscr Warriors, Benny and Brance, to the two Dark Affinity users wearing hoods and gloves despite it being a hot morning, the only one left out was Gabby, who looked like a semi-normal yet overly pretty high school girl.

    asionally, when a group of older students passed by them, they would whisper to each other after spotting the brilliantly shining tinum badges pinned to the group of five first-year¡¯s chests.

    Taking note of all the eyesnding on the party as they walked by, Cynrik was pleasantly surprised to find out that instead of making a shy statement, it seemed to deter other students, who would clear a path for them upon noticing the unique essories.

    Unfortunately, this only worked against students above the first year since the new intake first years had yet toe into contact and receive an exnation about the Faction system.

    [[So the first ss up is the Affinities introduction, what does the rest of our schedule look like today?]] Holding Gabby¡¯s hand, Brance asked while they walked in the morning suns.

    [[Technically, it¡¯s Homeroom first, with a Professor Morningdale, who also happens to be our Affinities teacher as well, as Benny stated already. But, God, Brancie, get your head out of your ass and stop flirting with Gabby. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be the model student in our little dysfunctional family?]] Tracing the well-defined hips of Selene with his fingertips, giving the girl goosebumps, Cynrik rolled his eyes, not wanting to watch the disgusting disy of his little brother swooning over Gabby.

    ¡°What are you doing, stepbrother?¡± Selene, unable to ignore the ¡°dysfunctional family¡± remark from Cynrik, whispered in his ear an inappropriatement of her own, causing Cynrik to frown and pinch her asscheek as punishment and causing her to nearly let out a moan in the process.

    ¡°Quiet woman, there are children around.¡± He angrily huffed into her ear. But not only did this not stop Selene, who was clearly in some kind of mood after the p and subsequent pinch, biting her lip and making a decision, Selene slid her hand into Cynrik¡¯s back pocket like nothing had happened and looked up at him with a ¡°what did I do¡± expression.

    [[Anyway, like I was saying, Homeroom is ted for 45 minutes, followed by Intro Affinities for 3 hours. After that, we split up, with you, Benny, and Selene heading to the Tank ss while Gabby and I go to Year One World History. Both courses have a run time of two hours, and then we break for lunch for an hour.]] Ignoring Selene, Cynrik went back on topic and exined the first half of the day.

    [[Then, after lunch, we all meet up again for Basic Combatives, which is you and Gabby¡¯s final ss for the day. Meanwhile, Selene, Benny, and I are stuck going to anger management for an hour before we are free to head home.]]

    Brance nodded his understanding and nced at how closely Cynrik and Selene were walking together before switching mind link channels and grilling his older brother.

    [What¡¯s up with the PDA(Public Disy of Affection) today? I thought you were keeping her at arm¡¯s length, yet here you are OPENLY flirting, grabbing her ass, and walking with your arm around her hip as if you two have been dating for years.] As he spoke, Brance unconsciously pulled Gabby closer and smiled at her. The act made her blush before resting her head on Brance¡¯s shoulder while they walked.

    [Give me a break; I just fought a LITERAL DEMI-GOD for crying out loud. If I wanna flirt with the chick who was CLEARLY sent here to be my soul mate, so be it. Fuck, im not a monk after all.] Cynrik snorted.

    [Uh huh, sure, just admit you like her already. Doesn¡¯t she checkmark like all of your boxes for taste? Wears all ck, heavy eye makeup, daddy er¡­mommy issues; hell, if she was old enough, im sure she would be covered in tattoos and piercings. Why bother fighting it?] Brance rolled his eyes and chastised his brother.

    [You forgot great ass and perky boobas. But you said it yourself; why bother fighting it. I am exhausted from constantly fighting against Odin and, I guess, Freya¡¯s intentions. We click together well, so why not give it a shot and see where it goes. It¡¯s not like we can do anything physically, right, anyway. The school policy explicitly forbids it, and I wouldn¡¯t be too surprised if some kind of rm would go off if I got TOO handsy. That doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t get some INTERESTING text messages, kuekue.] A lewd expression crept across Cynrik¡¯s face; luckily, it was hidden under his hood, and the only one who could see it was Selene, who was close enough to peak in.

    [Fucking gross, Cyn, get a fucking room.] Hearing his brother casually dropping the fact that he and Selene were exchanging pictures gave Brance a sour taste in his mouth, forcing him to spit on the ground.

    [Hehe, would if I could, Brancie, would if I could.] Cynrik sighed ruefully while pinching Selene¡¯s hip once again. He had to admit it was just the right amount of plump and very fun to y with, even if there was ayer of clothing between him and the flesh.

    It didn¡¯t take long for the party to traverse the mountain and arrive at the First Year Campus. However, they lost time navigating their peers¡¯ frantic and noisy crowd, whorgely seemed lost.

    Going against the traffic flow, the Jetlensr brothers held their girls close. But it was at that moment that Benny, who acted as a substantial meaty wedge, cut a path through the other students until they eventually located a sizeable gothic building in the Elemental Wing, which was where their Homeroom was located.

    Entering the building, Benny led them through a tight, winding hallway, where they were shoulder to shoulder with dozens of other students until they arrived at arge open ssroom.

    ¡°EA 03, this is the one; let¡¯s hurry and find our seats; we still have some time to settle before our professor arrives.¡± Benny narrated and pointed above everyone¡¯s head to a golden card with the ssroom number on it.

    Upon stepping through the doorway, the party was greeted by a big, open theater-style ssroom, where at the front was a podium for the Professor and a wall-sized chalkboard facing stair-step-style tforms of tables. Each table had two chairs, and the rows had seven tables each, going up 14yers.

    Seeing as the tables were already half full, Cynrik walked passed Benny, Brance, and Gabby, who were looking around aimlessly, and dragged Selene to the top/back of the room, where he snagged an empty desk in the darkest corner.

    Besides the fact that he didn¡¯t like people sitting behind him, the arrangement also gave him a clear view of the entire ssroom, allowing him to consider several exit strategies in case of an emergency while keeping an eye on his new ssmates. It also gave him aprehensive view of the chalkboard wall to avoid missing any potentially new information.

    Noticing how quickly Cynrik found a seat for himself and Selene, the others quickly followed suit and found nearby desks, leaving only Benny sitting without a table buddy.

    [[Can¡¯t say im too excited about being in school again. After leaving that primary bullshit, I thought my days in a ssroom had ended, but NOOOo, of course, I am stuck going to a college/high schoolbo.]] Seleneined as she traced circles on Cynrik¡¯s leg under the table, making him frown and re at her out of the corner of his eye. Still, this didn¡¯t stop her as she smiled innocently back at him.

    [[I won¡¯t argue there. As much as I enjoyed being stuck with a bunch of snot-nosed brats for six years, I didn¡¯t learn anything in primary school.]] Cynrik stated while swatting at Selene¡¯s hand several times.

    [[Oh,e on, guys, it wasn¡¯t that bad. We did learn some valuable information back then, like Affinity Colors and some monster ssifications¡­.ok yeah, we didn¡¯t really learn shit.]] Trying to be the optimist, Brance eventually gave up and joined in on making fun of the public school system for children.

    Slowly but surely, the ssroom filled up with students until finally, a loud bell chimed. A portly, dumpy, short middle-aged woman wearing a gaudy pink long-skirted business suit that went all the way to her ankles walked into the room and took her ce at the podium.

    ¡°Hem hem.¡± The woman cleared her throat by making a strange noise, yet the students didn¡¯t notice her presence and continued chatting loudly.

    Only two people in the room noticed her; those two were Selene and Cynrik, who nearly jumped from their chairs with eyes bulging out of the sockets as they screamed in unison in the mind link.

    [[HOLY FUCK, PROFESSOR UMBRIDGE, IS THAT YOU!!!]]

    [[THAT¡¯S FUCKING UMBRIDGE, RIGHT CYN, THAT¡¯S TOTALLY HER HOLY SHIT. HAHAHA, SHE EVEN DID THE HEM HEM THING!]]

    Brance cast a strange look at his brother and Selene and turned to face the dumpy woman at the front of the room, who was in the midst of adjusting her fluffy pink cardigan and a pink bow on top of her head.

    Examining the woman thoroughly, Brance¡¯s eyes shot wide open as he stared incredulously at the woman who resembled a toad, an ugly one at that.

    ¡°HEM¡­HEM!¡± Once again, the woman cleared her throat, only several decibels louder, nearly shaking the room¡¯s walls and drawing the attention of every student, who swiftly sat straight and shut up.

    ¡°Wee, First years; I am your Homeroom Professor; you may call me Professor Morningdale. I am a tenured professor here at the Academy and one of the foremost experts on Affinity Theory in the Country.¡± An incorporeal hand picked up some chalk and wrote her name and titles in a neat script on the board behind her as she spoke.

    [[Ah fuck, guys¡­we got Umbridge as our Homeroom teacher¡­I do believe we are screwed.]] Watching the toad woman in pink give a speech, the realization of how bad a situation they hadnded in dawned on Cynrik.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 216

    [[Ah fuck, guys¡­we got Umbridge as our Homeroom teacher¡­I do believe we are screwed.]] Watching the toad woman in pink give a speech, the realization of how bad a situation they hadnded in dawned on Cynrik.

    Ignoring the majority of Professor Morningdale¡¯s longwinded and quite frankly dull speech, where she exined her background as a leading researcher for the government, Cynrik tried to take control of the storm of thoughts and questions rapidly congregating in his mind.

    [[Her mannerisms are simr, hell, even her speech patterns are almost identical to how you¡¯d expect Umbridge to talk¡­but it isn¡¯t her.]] Cynrik finally concluded.

    [[Let¡¯s just keep an open mind here, Cyn; although doppelgangers may exist, this Professor Morningdale isn¡¯t a fictional character. This is reality, and im sure we wille across all kinds of people who look and act like people from pop culture, so let¡¯s just keep an open mind.]] Brance said as he half-listened to the speech.

    [[As much as I want to believe that woman is the dumpy bitch from the novel, I have to agree with Brancie on this one, Cyn.]] Even Selene was following the same mindset as Brance and could only try staying optimistic.

    ¡°Lastly, I would like to wee you all to Basic and Practical Affinity Arts, also known as Year-One Introduction to Affinities. To begin, who can tell me what Mana is?¡± Wrapping up her monologue, Professor Morningdale shifted gears while examining the students with her frog-like eyes.

    Several hands went up in the front row when she asked the question, as a small legion of students were eager to get in their new homeroom teachers¡¯ good graces.

    Smiling overbearingly, Morningdale scanned through the raised hands,nding on a young boy wearing bottle-lense sses and a greasy bowl-cut.

    ¡°Mr. York, go ahead.¡± Professor Morningdale said to the boy.

    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am, Mana is the building block of all matter. Everything is made of Mana, from the smallest Alpha particle to thergestndmass. These particles will either be neutral or Elementalless in nature or have some form of Elemental awareness, such as how these tables are made with a mixture of Wood Mana and Metal Mana.¡± The boy, apparently surnamed York, stood up and nudged hisrge sses to the brim of his nose.

    ¡°To take it further, the denser a Mana Particle is, therger its effect on the visible world. For example, naturally urringkes or bodies of water contain extremely dense Water Particles in arge number. These particles collect and merge together to manifest physical water.¡± After finishing his answer, York sat back down with a proud look.

    ¡°Outstanding, Mr. York; 5 Merit points for yourprehensive answer.¡± Tapping away on her Watcet, Professor Morningdale smiled warmly at the nerdy boy and sent him over the awarded Merit Points.

    [[WHAT THE FUCK! SO WE CAN GET MERIT POINTS FOR ANSWERING QUESTIONS?]] Once again, nearly jumping from his seat, Cynrik blurted out in the mind link.

    [[Cynrik, calm down, you are too antsy, just fucking rx.]] Brance shot his older Brother a re out of the corner of his eye.

    [[Shhh.]] Meanwhile, Selene shushed the boy sitting beside her and pinched his thigh hard enough to leave a mark, which inevitably was what calmed Cynrik down.

    ¡°As Mr. York just said, Mana is the building block of all things; with a strong foundation, just about anything is possible so long as you can wrestle control of these particles and tame them to do your bidding. The act of doing so is called Elemental Affinity. Every person and creature born in Vinestra is born with some form of Affinity for a specific Mana particle. Then, as they grow older and stronger, they slowly gain the ability to wrestle control over these specific Mana Particles.¡±

    Professor Morningdale removed a small wand from her sleeve and tapped on the podium twice like a music conductor before raising her wand and swishing it twice with a single flick.

    Five orbs appeared simultaneously in response to the movements, each representing a different Element in a different color.

    ¡°Now, before you are only five of the Mana elements existing naturally in the world, Reddish-Orange represents Fire. Although it is considered a basic grade element, do not ever ignore its innate destructive nature.¡±

    The small Reddish-orange orb suddenly shot out over the heads of the students towards the 30-foot-high ceiling. It exploded into a massive wall of mes, startling several of the weaker students and causing the members of MyrkLys¡¯s pupils to constrict.

    [[Decent control; she was able to move it easily and force it to expand at thest second, manifesting an expansive wall of mes.]] Cynrik critiqued as the only Fire user in the group.

    ¡°Fire is versatile inbat and practical use; by condensing the particles further, the temperature will spike, changing its color in response.¡± As the students¡¯ reactions changed, Professor Morningdale held her wand steady and turned the thin piece of wood like a dial in a clockwise motion, making the mes overhead begin to burn hotter. As a result, the Fire gradually transformed from a reddish-orange to a deep orange, then from a light yellow to gold.

    Next, the temperature in the room soared as the mes changed from golden to pure white, andstly, an icy blue.

    Cynrik, who had activated [Mana Sight], felt his jaw drop open as sweat began rolling down his temples, directly responding to how hot the Fire burning several feet above was.

    [[Woah¡­]] Was all he could say. The Mana particles moved in unison, condensing and merging right before his eyes. He watched as these very same particles changed in hue and estimated that the color shift wasn¡¯t the only thing happening. Cynrik quickly determined that along with their color and size, their density was also changing asrger, darker particles absorbed the smaller ones.

    [[Brancie are you seeing this shit, she is literallybining the particles into new ones. Just how fucking high is her Fire Affinity.]] Cynrik stated, but what happened next startled him greatly.

    ¡°Hem, hem. Everyone already knows that Fire can burn hotter, but the particles undergo a tempering process at a certain point, which leads to further evolution. Once a being¡¯s Affinity reaches this step, where they can effectively cause a forceful development in the Mana, THAT is when something truly magical happens.¡± Wearing a confident smile with her ego riding high, Professor Morningdale suddenly got serious, snapping her wrist and arm towards the floating fire ceiling.

    CRA-CRACK TSSST BOOOOOMMMMM

    Cynrik stood with sparkling eyes as he observed the particles of Mana change into bolts of lightning that began shing around him as the thunder rumbled through the ss, making nearly everyone fall to the ground with their hands covering their heads including the members of MyrkLys.

    Unconsciously, he pointed towards the lightning, which was harmlessly zapping around, and snapped his fingers, trying to call it towards him; however, all he could do was slightly change its direction. As Cynrik stood there mesmerized by what he had worked so hard on for years, he blocked out all the sounds and sights of the terrified ss and even his Brother¡¯s warnings.

    Cynrik¡¯s actions did not go unnoticed by the Professor, who grinned widely as she watched the boy in the back of the room try to wrestle control of the lightning bolts away from her.

    [[CYNRIK AYKE JETLENSR, SIT THE FUCK DOWN THIS INSTANT; YOU HAVE DRAWN THE ATTENTION OF THE PROFESSOR! IF YOU KEEP THIS UP, WHO KNOWS WHAT KIND OF BULLSHIT TARGET YOU WILL PAINT ON OUR BACKS!]] Brance shouted angrily from under the desk while shooting pleading eyes at Selene.

    [I¡­I¡¯ve almost got it; I just need a few more seconds to get a feel for how the Mana reacts to my Fire Affinity; I am only a single step away.] Deaf to the pleas of his Brother, Cynrik absent-mindedly spoke his thoughts into the channel dedicated to them.

    Hearing the frantic worry in Brance¡¯s voice, Selene fought internally for some way to help, but all she coulde up with were dirty and inappropriate options.

    Reaching out, she grabbed Cynrik¡¯s hand and forcefully pulled him down to her level. Fortunately, Cynrik was so enamored with the lightning that he gave zero resistance while still snapping away at the hundreds of shes floating overhead.

    ¡°If youe back to me now, I will send you that one video you asked for three nights ago, the one where I am¡­..¡± Selene whispered seductively into Cynrik¡¯s ear, her words trailing off into almost iprehensible words that only he could hear.

    This was enough to send a shiver through Cynrik¡¯s whole body; starting from the top of his head, he seemed to blow steam out his ears, followed by a thin trickle of blood from his nose. Next, he straight up copsed to the floor beside Selene. Then, finally, his head snapped towards her, and under his hood, she could see his pupils had dted at her word, which gave her a sense of aplishment.

    But it was only fleeting, as Cynrik caught her by the hips, dragged her as close as possible, and leaned over her shoulder, cing his lips right by her ear.

    ¡°If you are ying with me right now¡­you will know what my wrath looks like, wench.¡± His voice dropped several octaves into what Selene had dubbed ¡°Daddy Dom Cyn,¡± making her whole body heat up in response.

    She felt his fingers slide through her hair up to the roots and give it a firm but controlled tug, nearly forcing her to moan aloud. Thankfully, Cynrik had already predicted this reaction and quickly covered her mouth while pulling back his head with a dominating re locking onto her eyes.

    Luckily, the whole interaction wentpletely unnoticed by everyone, allowing the two to be in their own world, and only Brance, who was close enough to spot something, breathed a sigh of relief that Selene had somehow gotten Cynrik under control.

    Releasing Selene, Cynrik exhaled unhappily and tried his best to stop the blood from rushing to his waist. Now wasn¡¯t the time to get frisky, but the temptation Selene had just handed out was too great, so great in fact that it overrode his need to grasp the Lightning Affinity temporarily.

    [[Cynrik the hell man, you, the one who CONSTANTLY bitches about not enjoying being shy, just stood up and tried controlling the Professor¡¯s Affinity Skill. Even worse, she NOTICED.]] Brance chastised unhappily.

    [[Come what may, Brancie, Umbridge ain¡¯t bad, look at how little effort it took to forcefully Evolve her Fire Affinity, a simple flick of the wrist, and BOOM, I have tried for YEARS to do that. Now that I can see the Mana particles and how they adapt to themands given by the user, it¡¯s like I jumped hundreds of miles ahead of where I was 10 minutes ago. How could I possibly let that go over a bit of exposure?]] Cynrik replied, shoving Selene, who was in the middle of trying to crawl into hisp, away.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 217

    [[Come what may, Brancie, Umbridge ain¡¯t bad, look at how little effort it took to forcefully Evolve her Fire Affinity, a simple flick of the wrist, and BOOM, I have tried for YEARS to do that. Now that I can see the Mana particles and how they adapt to themands given by the user, it¡¯s like I jumped hundreds of miles ahead of where I was 10 minutes ago. How could I possibly let that go over a bit of exposure?]] Cynrik replied, shoving Selene, who was in the middle of trying to crawl into hisp, away.

    Selene gave a small whimper as her eyes held a deep hunger for Cynrik, but every attempt she tried to make, was instantly shut down by the boy.

    ¡°I think that is enough for Fire and Lightning.¡± Then, pulling the student¡¯s attention away from the hundreds of thin lightning bolts crackling in the Air, Morningdale flicked her wand again and released the Mana, allowing the particles to calm back down and the Lightning to vanish.

    ¡°Up next is water; one thing to note is at our source, we are technically beings made majorly of this Element. Therefore, as humans, we tend to be able to advance further along with a Water Affinity than other races and thus can quickly be very powerful in a shorter amount of time. At the start, however, water is known to be one of the weaker of the Basic Grade Affinities since its use is minorpared to other elements. However, no Element can genuinely be considered weak, as once it grows in power, it bes the formidable Ice Element.¡±

    Like before, Morningdale took control of one of the four remaining orbs and flung it into the Air above the now recovered students. The orb expanded into a majestic and glistening sheet of floating water with a ssh.

    At this, Benny¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. He had always feltckingpared to the other members of his party when it came to his Affinity. Cynrik and Brance were able to cause massive amounts of damage and destruction, and his little sister could not only move but create images with her Psychic Affinity. However, all he could do was make water balls and walls, and he really only had one offensive skill.

    His Affinity made him feel like the Parties hydration station.

    ¡°Simrly to how you can raise the temperature of Fire, those with an Affinity for Water Mana can lower its temp considerably, with the end goal being subzero temperatures, Evolving the particles from their liquid manifestation into one of a solid nature.¡± Like before, Morningdale made a swift double-action gesture with a flick and caused a chain reaction in the moving wall above.

    Crack CRACK CRACK

    Instantly the temperature plummeted in the room as the water changed state into a massive block of ice that cracked loudly as it floated harmlessly above the ss, upying the entire space from wall to wall.

    Benny, who could see his own breath as he exhaled, practically vibrated in excitement on the opposite side of Brance, who smiled as he watched.

    [We should really give that Ice Orb to Benny soon, just look how happy the kiddo is.] Cynrik, too, noticed how Benny, for the first time, showed a childish interest in something other thanbat strategy and spoke up about it.

    [We did say that we wanted to wait for him to reach Tier-2 before handing over another Affinity to him, but what do we do about Gabby. We came to the agreement that they both get their 2nd Affinity simultaneously.] Propping his chin on his palms on the desk, brance said while watching the demonstration the overly proud Morningdale was putting on.

    [About that, have you not noticed she already picked out what Element she wants? You¡¯ve been spending practically every minute with her since we got to the Academy. Have you really not seen her scrolling through the online shop looking at Affinity Gems?] As Cynrik replied, he swatted at Selene¡¯s hand once again. Since they had all gotten back in their chairs after the Lightning was dispursed, Selene had been sneakily attempting to molest his Abs again. While effortless to smack her hands away, Cynrik was slowly getting annoyed by how it was bing a habit to do it.

    [I mean, she is always looking at stuff on there, mainly new bows or arrows, there was even a point she showed interest in a hidden weapon simr to your Assassins tools, but no, I haven¡¯t caught her looking at Affinity Gems yet, why what is she looking at?] Brance tilted his head to the side and calmly watched Morningdale break apart the Ice block into snowkes by flourishing her want once again.

    [She had been on the fence about either Earth or Wood. Now, this is only a theory, but I assume she wants Earth to have a matching Element with you, but then again, it could just be so she can use it for gaining the high ground advantage duringbat. And when ites to wood, I can only guess, but maybe she wants to take it so she can be a secondary Healer for the party.] Cynrik stated while brushing off the snowkes umting on his shoulders and hood.

    [She did overhear our argument the other day about picking up a Cleric; it¡¯s fair toe to the conclusion that she doesn¡¯t want us to argue and is taking it on herself.] Casting a nce at Gabby, who was in the midst of gleeful excitement that it was snowing indoors, Brance couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.

    [Hey, have you noticed her maturity level has increased several-fold since her Advancement to Tier-2?] Noticing that his brother was sneakily stealing nces at Gabby, Cynrik poked at him.

    [Yeah, if I didn¡¯t know how old she really was, I¡¯d think she was our age. It¡¯s the INT and MIND stats at work. In a world where you can be killed at any minute if an Egress spawns above, it makes sense that the Central System hub has a means of forcing kids to grow up rapidly.] Adjusting his posture so he could scratch the back of his head, Brance threw out a theory of his own.

    He had noticed that although Gabby and Benny had kept their childhood innocence, how they thought and handled situations was exceptionally mature, putting their mental age in the high teens to early 20s.

    [My thoughts exactly. While the advancements allow you and I to elerate our thinking and processing, it seems that for the natives, it forces them to grow up, bing adults much quicker. Setting aside the physical aspect, listening to how they speak now makes it hard to believe they are 10 and 11 years old. Yet it also exins why kids can get married here, at least in our country, at 14 with parental consent.] Cynrik shuffled in his seat, putting some space between him and Selene, before continuing the thought further.

    [It is worrisome, though, because other than effectively cutting a person¡¯s childhood in half, it also means the adults will have significantly higher expectations of their children. And, well, it also exins why Mom is constantly cracking jokes that aren¡¯t really jokes, about you and Gabby getting married. At first, I thought it was only her being a dork, but now¡­it makes too much sense. So you better be careful around our parents and the Sanfords, or you may get married before you turn 18.] Cynrik smirked as he saw Brance stiffen at the thought of marriage; however, soon, his attention was dragged away from teasing his brother as Morningdale dissipated the ice and began her demonstration of Wind Affinities.

    ¡°The Wind Affinity is a bit different from other BSG Elements. Unlike Fire, Water, Earth, or Even Wood, it doesn¡¯t have any easy to learn Solo Evolutions; instead, it is one of the most adaptable of the Five Basic Elements and the easiest to fuse with others, creating a new Element entirely.¡± So, just like the other two times, Morningdale sent a green orb into the Air and kicked up a miniature hurricane of winds, fluttering everyone¡¯s hair and uniform.

    ¡°Wind Mana can be silent, yet loud, soft, yet forceful, visible yet also invisible. Its Evolution is into that of Sound Affinity, as the two share a very close bond. Without Air, sound can¡¯t travel; without sound, one is left in a world void of everything but sight and touch. Unfortunately, I am unable to demonstrate the Sound Affinity as even I find it challenging to navigate the particles and control them. So instead, I will show you the effect Wind Affinity users have on both Water and Fire.¡±

    Using her wand to control the air currents in the room and her free hand to manifest an orb of Fire Mana, Professor Morningdale caused friction between the two, resulting in two very different effects above the ss while narrating.

    ¡°The Elements of Fire and Wind can mutually affect each other in two different ways. For starters, if your control over Wind particles is weaker than your control over Fire, the Fire Mana particles will take priority and grow in power. However, in contrast, if your Wind Affinity is stronger, you can neutralize the Fire particles by creating a vacuum, sealing off the food source of the Fire Mana.¡±

    Students oohed and ahhed as a magical disy urred 30 feet above their heads, yet the members of MyrkLys were unimpressed. Cynrik had basically been doing simr actions for years. As a result, Benny, Gabby, and Brance had seen just about every strangebination, from Fire Cyclones to literally controlling the path of mes by moving the air currents.

    By the time Morningdale finished with the mes, she had called forth the orb of pure Water Mana and continued her lecture on the effects of the two elements on each other.

    ¡°Wind and Water share a special rtionship as they can fully support each other. From creating whirlpools and Water Cyclones¡­.¡±

    WHOOSH

    At hermand, the orb grew in size and split off into two distinct formations, one of a towering tornado of water and the other an inverted cyclone representing a whirlpool.

    ¡°But that is not the only application the two have, for if you can reach the Fusion State, you can achieve a Unison of the two Elements, creating apletely new Affinity¡­Storm!¡±

    BOOOOOOMMMMM

    Wearing a cocky smile, Professor Morningdale mmed her hands together, smashing the two cyclones into each other. Then, with several gestured waves of her wand, she manifested a massive dark cloud above everyone¡¯s head.

    CRACKLE, BOOM

    [[This¡­wait a fucking second, is that Lightning rippling in the cloud? How is that possible? I know how the water cycle works and how Lightning is generated in nature but isn¡¯t it tied to the Fire Element.]] Cynrik exasperatedly said in the group mind link.

    Morningdale soon answered his concerns.

    ¡°Now, I know some of you have already noticed, but the Storm Affinity doesn¡¯t contain just wind and rain. If you look closely, you will also notice the presence of an extraordinary natural reaction¡­the formation of Ambient Lightning.¡±

    ¡°If you observe these shes carefully, you will notice a distinct difference between what I demonstrated earlier and what is before your eyes.¡± While she spoke, Morningdale¡¯s eyes flicked to Cynrik, who had pulled down his hood and observed the shes within the storm cloud.

    ¡°Mr. Ragnarsson, please inform the ss of what you have noticed.¡± Then, smiling at how intently Cynrik was staring at the clouds with a strange light in his eyes, Professor Morningdale called on him, startling Cynrik, whose mouth opened and closed like a fish before answering.

    ¡°Yes, Professor, it¡¯s the color and collection of particles. Lightning Evolved through the Fire Affinity has a dark blue, almost violet hue to it, and a certain¡­how do I say this¡­ferocity, like an angry monster, wild and unrestrained. Meanwhile, if you examine the naturally urring Lightning from the Storm Affinity, it is pale yellow and has a strange softness that hides violence. It¡¯s simr to how a lightbulb can¡¯t hurt you if you touch it, but if you stick a fork into the wall socket, you¡¯re in for a ¡°shocking¡± surprise. The warm light it emits is vastly different between the two types, so it¡¯s almost like night and day.¡± Then, standing up and projecting his voice with his Wind Affinity so the whole ss could hear, Cynrik gave a detailed description of what he was witnessing.

    ¡°EXCELLENT OBSERVATION MR. RAGNARSSON, 15 Merit Points for your astute findings.¡±

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 218

    ¡°EXCELLENT OBSERVATION MR. RAGNARSSON, 15 Merit Points for your astute findings.¡± Professor Morningdale stated with an oddly warm, froggy smile.

    With a wave of her hand, several bolts of pale yellow lightning-shaped into the shape of a wolf, drawing gasps from the students in the ss.

    ¡°As Mr. Ragnarsson just said, there is a distinct difference between the lightning conjured when using the Storm Affinity and the Fire Affinity.¡± Then, waving her free hand, a single bolt of violent bluish-purple lightning fired from the tips of her fingers, finding its way to the lightning wolf and dancing around the heavenly figure.

    ¡°Although it is possible to take control of Storm¡¯s lightning and mold it to your liking, it is nowhere near as powerful as what you get from having an actual Affinity for the Lightning Element.¡± Then, with a snap of her fingers, the violent lightning constricted the pale yellow like a hungry boa-constrictor, coiling around and tightening its grasp within a second, shattering the naturally urring electrical current.

    ¡°The reasoning for this is simple. The lightning generated by Storm Affinity users is, in essence, the same as you would find during any thunderstorm, a reaction caused by the flow of warm and cool air currents. When the warmer air currents from Wind Mana meet the cooler Water Mana, it creates a reaction between the negatively charged Air particles and the positively charged Water, resulting in short bursts of soft electrical charges.¡±

    Several students, including Cynrik, Brance, and Selene, nodded in understanding. This was no different from an ordinary science lesson; the only difference was that you had Electrons and Protons on Earth instead of Water and Wind Mana.

    CLAP

    Just as everyone was beginning to follow along, Professor Morningdale pped her hands together loudly and shattered the thunderstorm that formed above the ssroom.

    ¡°There are more in-depth topics about Storm Affinities; however, you will have to wait tillter in the year when we delve deeper into Elemental Fusions. Those of you who have already attained a Fusion of Affinities, if you would like to get more information, feel free to see me after ss, and I will point you in the direction to gather the necessary textbooks.¡± Looking around and seeing the disappointed expressions on her student¡¯s faces, Morningdale jumped right into the next element and willed the fourth of five orbs forward.

    ¡°Moving right along, the fourth of the Basic Elements is Earth, known as the most sturdy of the elements, Earth or Terra as it used to be known in ancient times, is easily one of the most practical of all the primary elemental particles.¡± As she spoke, the orb glowed in a soft brown color, expanding almost like liquid and taking the form of arge bolder, covering the entire area several feet above the student¡¯s heads.

    ¡°It is also the element with the most known evolutions of any Mana particle currently seen in the natural world. Earth Affinity users can choose one or several of these potential evolutions from this basic building block and build a solid foundation allowing ess to various upational opportunities after graduation.¡±

    ¡°From construction work to weapons manufacturing, nearly everypany will pay copious amounts of credits to hire High Tier Earth Affinity users if not for the sheer amount ofbinations created through manipting this type of Mana particle.¡±

    ¡°The particle takes its initial form, which is a basic stone dependent on the natural geological formations in your surroundings, to the multitude of different metals and gem types, even crystals. The sky is the limit for Earth Affinity users. Thus they have been heavily sought after for hundreds of years.¡± This time, Brance perked up as he listened to the lecture intently.

    Much like Cynrik, who had spent ages attempting to evolve his Fire Affinity into Lightning, Brance had gone through hundreds if not thousands of attempts to get a grasp for one of the many Metal Affinities.

    ¡°Unlike Fire and Water, which require temperature changes to cause their Evolution into higher forms, Earth Mana needs pressure. The more pressure you exert on the particle, the higher the likelihood of forcing a change. For example, in my case, I have, over many years of practice, and a bit of luck, unlocked the Orichalcum Affinity, a very rare subcategory of Metal where the particles are supercharged by multiple Elemental types, creating what was once known as Magic Steel.¡± In response to her words, several changes urred overhead.

    [[Cyn¡­what the fuck is happening?]] Brance watched with bated breath with [Mana Sight] as thousands of tiny brown orbs collided with each other creating a dense particle. But, it wasn¡¯t just that. As these particles condensed and merged, they began vibrating much like Mana does when one uses their Killing Intent, tempering these dense brown orbs of light further and further until they shook so quickly that watching them gave Brance and Cynrik headaches.

    These vibrating particles never stopped absorbing others of their kind until finally, a visible change came into view. It started with a single cluster of particles; slowly, their color shifted from the brown representing Earth into a shiny metallic grey.

    At that moment, Professor Morningdale did something extraordinary, gripping the air with her wandless hand; she made a pulling motion, segregating these newly formed Metal Mana particles into their own space.

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes narrowed as his vision flicked rapidly between the heavily concentrating Professor Morningdale and overhead¡¯s reaction.

    [[Orichalcum, the magical fantasy ore, has appeared time and time again. ording to legend and fantasy culture, Orichalcum is not only incredibly dense but also easily malleable under the right circumstances.]] Cynrik drummed his fingers and continued narrating as Morningdale broke down the floating stone with intense, bone-crushing pressure.

    [[But that isn¡¯t what makes it so heavily sought after and strong. Instead, it is its magical properties. I can¡¯t say how it works in real life, but Orichalcum is a perfect conductor of Mana in the stories, allowing Magic Swordsmen or Mages to more than quadruple their abilities.]]

    [[Woah¡­four times the power¡­all from using a specific type of Metal. Isn¡¯t that a little TOO overpowered?]] Selene, who could only see the rock breaking apart into dust overhead, was awestruck by Cynrik¡¯s exnation and asked curiously.

    [[I mean, yeah, swords like Excalibur were said to be made from Magic Antean Metal, aka Orichalcum, and well, do you think a sword as famous as that would be weak? Realistically though, the main thing was Orichalcum was hard toe by in lore and the fantasy genre. Unlike regr metal types such as Iron or Copper, particr conditions were necessary for its creation; mainly, iron or some other kind of Metal was required to be bathed in a naturally Mana-rich environment. Over hundreds of years, it would absorb the Mana and gain its magical properties.]]

    Cynrik paused and monitored Professor Morningdale with hawklike narrowed eyes. He watched as, in her non-wand hand, the woman generated all types of different colored orbs. Fire, Water, Wind, Wood, Lightning, Ice, the list went on, but as he didn¡¯t recognize the types of Mana from their color, he lost track. The takeaway was that this woman, Professor Morningdale seemed to have an unfathomable amount of Affinities, and this revtion stunned Cynrik to his core.

    He watched as she began condensing this rainbow of orbs in her palm before adding a slight rotation to it, allowing the collection to spin slowly like a top.

    [[Shit, Umbridge is fucking nuts. How is this fucking scientific?]] Was all Cynrik could get out before he was interrupted by the Professor stowing her wand away and directing the Metal Particles to her now free hand.

    Other than Cynrik and Brance, all the students could see was a bright silver orb of light, the size of a basketball, hovering above the Professor¡¯s left hand and a rainbow-colored, rotating cloud in her right.

    ¡°Hem, hem, sorry for the wait, everyone; manifesting a second stage evolution tends to be a tedious task. However, I will summarize the process I justpleted so you all may understand.¡± Professor Morningdale was visibly affected by what she had done, and if one looked closely, one could see beads of sweat forming on her temple. Cynrik could even see how fast her heart was beating due to how rapidly the woman¡¯s jugr vein was expanding.

    ¡°In my left hand is the physical manifestation of a cluster of Metal Mana particles. What you witnessed meplete above was the application of thousands of pounds of pressure through my Killing Intent and Aura to grind the Earth Mana particles into dust before smashing them into one another. By repeating this process repeatedly, eventually, the particles will be tempered to the point of evolving into Metal.¡±

    ¡°This orb here is actually pure Titanium. Although Orichalcum can be created from most Metal types, my personal preference is Titanium since it has such a brilliant luster and is known as a very sturdy metal type.¡±

    [[Show off¡­get to the point, Umbridge.]] Selene snorted, nearly making Cynrik burst out inughter in response.

    [[Calm down, darling, I know you cant see everything Brancie and I can, but I promise, the next part should be interesting, that is if my theory is correct and we don¡¯t all die in a horrible explosion.]] Shaking his head and wearing an uneasy smile under his hood, Cynrik ced his left hand on Selene¡¯s thigh to calm her down; however, while his actions may have worked, his words freaked out Brance and Selene.

    [[Explosion?]]

    [[Hey, hey now, Cyn, what do you mean Explosion?]]

    Cynrik stayed quiet and only motioned for them to watch the Professor by nodding his head in her direction.

    ¡°This, this is where things get tricky. I ask that no one make any sudden movements or loud noises until I signal you. What I am about to show you is a vtile process, and if anything goes wrong¡­well, let¡¯s just say that we would be lucky if half of Mount Kaer isn¡¯t obliterated.¡± Morningdale chuckled weakly at her joke made in poor taste and ignored the cries of shock from the ss.

    [[Cyn, she¡¯s joking, right, she can¡¯t mean to forcefully merge that cloud of different Mana types into the Titanium? Can she? How is that even possible? Wouldn¡¯t the reaction would cause a pseudo nuclear explosion?]] Branceined as he dragged Gabby closer to him as if cing himself in front of danger.

    [[Why the hell are you panicking, Brance? The instant shit goes south; I¡¯ll just drag us into the Shadow Realm, fucking big baby.]] Cynrik rolled his eyes and watched as Morningdale inched the two opposing Mana clusters together.

    Unlike Cynrik, who was perfectly calm, everyone else in the ssroom held their breath, as inch by inch, the two clusters of Mana phased into each other, until finally¡­.

    RUMMMMBLEEE

    FLASHHHHHHHHH

    A reaction finally urred. However, unlike everyone predicted, there was no explosion; instead, a massive force bore down on everyone. A pressure not unlike gravity stunned the students, freezing them in ce as a bright sh of light was emitted bybining multiple elements.

    A tired and sweaty Professor Morningdale held a shiny golden ore covered with multicolored veins when the light faded.

    ¡°This, my new students, is the Legendary Orichalcum. The Magical Metal Alloy known to humanity as the strongest of all ore.¡±

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 219

    A tired and sweaty Professor Morningdale held a shiny golden ore covered with multicolored veins when the light faded.

    ¡°This, my new students, is the Legendary Orichalcum. The Magical Metal Alloy is known to humanity as the strongest of all ore.¡± Looking around the room at her students¡¯ stunned expressions and glittering eyes, Professor Morningdale felt a sense of aplishment.

    It was a gamble on her part creating the chunk of Orichalcum ore resting in her palm, but one well worth it so long as she could leave asting impression on the young minds.

    Cynrik crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair while exhaling shakily at the back of the ssroom. The simple existence of what could be called nothing other than Transmutation without definite equivalent exchange made the little bit of sanity dwelling within his mind want to fracture.

    ¡®No, that¡¯s not right; it wasn¡¯t something from nothing but aplexbination of different opposing forces. First, breaking down Earth Mana¡­ er, Terra particles under heavy pressure before crashing copious amounts of other elemental Mana particles into the newly formed Metal particles to create a new particle entirely. This Umbridge is a monster toplete that process and then condense and assimte those scattered newly formed particles and manifest it into a solid.¡¯

    [[Woah¡­ it¡¯s so shiny; hey, hey Cyn, buy me one; it would look great on my dresser.]] Unfortunately for Cynrik, his train of thought was interrupted by Selene¡¯s annoying pleading for her own piece of Orichalcum ore.

    [[Tsk, Wench, if you think I can actually afford something of that caliber, you better go find someone else totch onto.]] Fighting the urge to headbutt Selene, Cynrik retorted, making Brance m his forehead on the table in agony before covering himself with crossed arms.

    ¡°Will you two give it a rest for 10 minutes? I¡¯m begging you.¡± Brance whimpered softly, causing Gabby to rub his back in aforting gesture even though she had no clue what was upsetting him.

    The subtle interactions at the back of the ss went unnoticed as everyone¡¯s attention was directed to the chunk of ore Professor Morningdale had allowed to be passed around.

    She did this for two reasons: the first was to allow for a couple of minutes to recuperate after exhausting arge portion of her Stamina and MP. The other was to give the ss a chance to feel how powerful this pseudo-legendary material was.

    Significantly few people outside of High-Tier Alchemists were able to create thisplex and intricate material. It was an excellent opportunity to broaden the horizons of the first-year students.

    By the time the ore made its Way to Brance, he was instantly recharged, taking the chunk of ore in one hand and activating his [Mana Sight].

    [[This is amazing, the byproduct of the process is a solid and new particle entirely. Not only that, but I can actually see the ambient Mana from the surrounding air being absorbed into those vein-like channels.]] Brance took his time turning the ore in different directions while taking careful notice of the minute changes in the newly formed Orichalcum particles presented.

    Once he was satisfied and felt he needed time to analyze his findings, he passed the stone to Cynrik, who only held it for a few seconds before tossing it over to Selene.

    [[The heck Cyn? Aren¡¯t you gonna examine it thoroughly as Brancie did?]] Seleneined as she gently cradled the chunk of ore like a baby in her arms.

    [[No need, I already got everything I needed. Unlike my little brother, who requires time, I am basically able to make a mental recording that I can y back at any time if I really wanna delve further.]] Cynrik gave a very vague and brief summary of his [Mindscape] to Selene and waved her off so she could spend her time with her new obsession.

    [Way to give a broad-ass description of your ability Cyn, with how close you are getting with Selene, I figured you¡¯d go into one of your intricate exnations about its inner workings.] Shaking his head and wearing a weak smile, Brance pointed out how short Cynrik¡¯s patience with the girl seemed to be.

    [What¡¯s the point? It isn¡¯t like she would be paying attention, to begin with. Her entire pea-sized attention span is directed at the Orichalcum; at best, I would get one or two-word responses. So instead of wasting my breath, it is easier just to give her a MEH reply.] Cynrik didn¡¯t bother looking over at Selene, who was in the process of nting small kisses all over the ore and whispering sweet nothings, as he responded to Brance¡¯s concerns.

    ¡°Hem, hem, Ms. Nilsson, I believe it is time for me to continue the lesson; I¡¯ll be taking my ore back now.¡± At the bottom/front of the room, the now fully refreshed Professor Morningdale interrupted Selene¡¯s affectionate disy by ripping the ore from her clutches and making it float over everyone¡¯s heads.

    ¡°Noooo, my precious!¡± Selene cried out as the chunk of metal and rock was magically pulled away from her hands. Her reaction forced Cynrik to catch her wrists before cing them forcefully on herp so she wouldn¡¯t do anything stupid like jumping after it.

    [[Calm your ass down, woman, if you are so desperate for a piece of Orichalcum, then go help Brance figure out how to make it. Otherwise, suck it up, buttercup.]] Using the same tone Brance had a habit of using on him, Cynrik scolded Selene and ignored the tears forming in her eyes.

    Several students chuckled at Selene¡¯s overreaction, especially a group of boys a few rows away; however, theirughter was interrupted by Cynrik¡¯s piercing death stare, followed by leaking a small amount of Killing Intent. His actions made it clear that only he was allowed to bully Selene. If anyone else tried, they would be decimated.

    [Ppfft, whos the tsundere now Cyn, hehe.] Brance stated in the solo mind link, earning him a re which he casually shrugged off and continued snickering to himself.

    ¡°Alright, alright, everyone, quiet down, there is still some time left in the period, and I have a final element to go over.¡± When Professor Morningdale noticed the ss was getting rowdy and remembered the notice about Cynrik¡¯s temper that she had received before ss started, she calmed the students down before pulling out a small potted nt from her inventory and cing it on the podium.

    ¡°The fifth and final of the basic elements is, as you all know, Wood. This element is the only of the five to have a restriction on manifestation. This is because it needs living nt life to be used, which is a significant changepared to the other four, which are easily condensed so long as enough Ambient particles are floating around.¡±

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes narrowed sharply as Morningdale began breaking down the Wood Affinity. Still, he felt something was very off about her terminology and leaned forward, propping his elbows on the table and his chin on the top of his steepled hands.

    Under the watchful gaze of Cynrik¡¯s [Mana Sight], Professor Morningdale retrieved her wand and performed abination of swishes and flicks before steadily bouncing the wand upward. In response, the small nt began blooming and growing, matching the tempo of Morningdale¡¯s movements.

    [Brance¡­I know im not seeing and hearing things wrong but don¡¯t you feel something is off about calling this Affinity and subsequent Mana particle Wood?] Wanting to know his brother¡¯s opinion, Cynrik quickly summarized what he thought as Morningdale spoke about how the Wood Element was rooted in nature. So long as there was ntlife somewhere nearby, one could take control of its growth cycle and even use it for both offensive and defensivebat.

    [Im no biologist Cyn; science has always been your wheelhouse, yet, there is definitely something wrong with calling that particle Wood. Especially when there isn¡¯t a trace of Wood or anything remotely resembling tree bark insight.] Brance replied, now as invested in what was happening as much as Cynrik was.

    Beside Cynrik, Selene stared at him curiously and tilted her head while poking his shoulder.

    ¡°What¡¯s up? Why do you both look so focused? Isn¡¯t it just the Wood element?¡±

    When Cynrik turned to look at Selene, he noticed something for the first time. It happened when she said the word Wood. Despite forming a different word with her lips, Wood¡¯s sounds came out instead of what she was speaking at the time. This minute difference was so quickly and blurred that he would have missed it if Cynrik hadn¡¯t been paying attention closely.

    [[Selene, say that word again. The element name.]] cing his hand on her thigh, Cynrik made Selene look him directly in the eyes and repeat the word again. This time Cynrik was sure there was something wrong.

    [[Now say the word Wood in English.]]

    Although thoroughly confused, she realized something was up and did as he requested without arguing.

    However, this time, instead of the strange blurry lip movement, Selene¡¯s lips formed the word Wood in perfect English, making Cynrik¡¯s pupils constrict. Simrly, Brance noticed that, for some reason, there was a disconnect between what Selene was saying and their [Language Proficiency] being activated.

    [[Fuck¡­Selene, do you have a skill named [Language Proficiency]?]] Coming to a conclusion, Cynrik questioned the girl beside him.

    [[Huh, I wish; what is that some kind of auto trantion skill given to you when you reincarnated? OH, OH, IS IT SOMETHING I CAN LEARN? How does it work? Is it like subtitles or dubbing?]] Realization dawned on Selene, and she became giddy at the thought of having a magical trantion skill.

    Simultaneously, Cynrik and Brance slowly turned and looked at each other silently, taking note that they shared the same look of understanding; Cynrik snapped back to Selene.

    [[Hold up, does that mean you learned the nativenguage here when you were first born?]]

    [[Well, duh, how else was I supposed to understand all the nderous and mean things my bitch of a mother was saying? Wait¡­are#$&@^#$.]] Selene said with wide eyes and her hand covering her mouth in shock.

    [[Mother¡­fucker¡­TOBS, EXPLAIN NOW!]] Cynrik practically screamed in the mind link.

    -Ah, I see you finally realized; che took you long enough. I am assuming you would like me to start from the beginning.-

    Biting his lip, Cynrik mmed his back into the chair, causing it to slide on the tile and make a screeching noise, drawing strange looks from everyone in the room, Professor Morningdale included.

    "Sorry, there was a bug; I took it out; everything is fine now; I apologize for interrupting." Knowing he had messed up, Cynrik quickly jumped to his feet and spouted a bullshit story, following up with an apology that Morningdale recognized. After acknowledging his mistake, Cynrik calmly sat down and put up the fa?ade that he was paying attention to every one of the Professors words; meanwhile, he was angrily cursing in the mind link without giving Tobs a chance to exin.

    [[How fucking long has this been happening? Why haven''t I noticed it until now? What the fuck? How many such key phrases have I missed!]] With totalck of regard, and unnecessary anger, Cynrikshed out, more so at himself for not noticing he was getting trantion errors sooner.

 Chapter 220

    [[How fucking long has this been happening? Why haven''t I noticed it until now? What the fuck? How many such key phrases have I missed!]] With totalck of regard, and unnecessary anger, Cynrikshed out, more so at himself for not noticing he was getting trantion errors sooner.

    "The practical use of the $&#@^@ Element outweighs its shorings in manifestation. There are actually two schools of knowledge for this Element, agriculture and the medical field."

    "From the ability to aid in growing rare nts or farming resources to its diverse usage in healing at a higher level and pharmaceuticals, $&#@^@ Affinity users, while the minority, are so heavily sought after that they are by far the highest-paid Affinity users in the civilian sector." Professor Morningdale continued her demonstration, but it fell on deaf ears for Selene and Brance, who were trying to calm down the neurotically cursing Cynrik.

    [[NOW I CAN''T FUCKING UNDERSTAND THE WORD AT ALL ANYMORE! OI TOBS, YOU GONNA CHIME IN ANYTIME THIS CENTURY?]] At his wit''s end, Cynrik finally toned down his swear-filled fest and gave the AI some time to reply.

    -Host Cynrik, we really need to work on your temper. Perhaps this anger management ss the Headmaster has set up will do you some good after all.-

    [[Fuck off and tell me what is happening. Why is our Skill suddenly bugging out?]] Feeling the urge to backhand Tobs in her avatar form, Cynrik hurried her to speak.

    -Sigh, alright, well, let me start by saying it isn''t as bad as you are making it out to be. Although the [Language Proficiency] skill is powerful, it isn''t perfect. From time to time, there will be words that are mistranted. This has to do with the infinite differences in terminology and sentence structure involving the many diversenguages on Vinestra. As you may have noticed, the default setting, your trantednguage of choice, was set to English; thus, sometimes, things don''t cross over correctly.-

    -At its core, the Skill acts as an omnipotent glossary and dictionary for allnguages. When it makes the appropriate changes, like aputer program, it will run the new word and its definition against any and all possible options in the Englishnguage.-

    -However, from time to time, certain words will appear indecipherable. Since no artificial intelligence dictates its choices, the Skill will attempt to find the closest possible matching word. This is what happened with the fifth basic Element.

    Listening to Tobs, Cynrik massaged his temples and mulled over what to do with this information.

    [[How many times has this happened in recent years?]] Eventually, Cynrik was able to calm himself enough to reply.

    -Adding in the Fifth Element four times, one of which is with the Earth Element, which is actually named Terra, as you learned just a short while ago. The other two weren''t significant, so I felt there was no reason to bring them up. The first time was when you were introduced to the Watcet; since this word didn''t have an appropriate matching English one, it was introduced in the native tongue.-

    -Thest time urred when you were fighting against the Reptilian Kobolds; their word for God doesn''t equate to such and instead is closer to All Mighty and Powerful Creator.-

    [[ Is there a way to override the Skill so that I can determine how something is tranted, like by changing the coding or something? For example, we clearly can''t continue calling the fifth element Wood; down the line, I am sure we will run into some kind of issues.]] After hearing the Skill had only bugged out a handful of times, Cynrik felt more at ease, but it still didn''t solve the issue at hand.

    -I can make those changes for you. I assume you would also like me to alert you whenever this issue transpires again?-

    [[Un, for now, let me hear the unfiltered version for the fifth Element.]]

    -Temporarily Deactivating passive Legacy Tier Skill [Language Proficiency].

    -Nowmencing yback for the Brittoas word for the fifth Element.-

    Cynrik and Brance ignored Tobs saying the official name of the Common Tongue, and closed their eyes in unison. Secondster, they heard a prerecorded yback of Selene speaking at Cynrik''s request.

    "Neuetroa?."

    [[Again.]] Not content with hearing the word once, Cynrik had Tobs y it back a few more times before opening his eyes and giving Selene a focused nce.

    Seeing him so seriously looking at her, Selene turned bright red and looked down at her sped hands resting in herp, not wanting to meet his eyes.

    [[Neuetroa?, Tobs give me a breakdown of the word''s actual meaning, I want to know the stress points andpound sybles. Could you provide it to me in a spelling bee format?]]

    -Neuetroa?, Neuet (New-Et) is derived from the Brittoas word for nature, used in a sentence, "Brancie, we should go on a hike; we can experience the beauty of Neuet outside of these big cities." Neuet is used as the main Noun and descriptor of the Element''s primary focus.-

    -Roa? (Row-Ahsis) is an abbreviated fragment derived from the Brittoas word for Green, Roasent. It is used to entuate the fact that the Element controls nt life and as an adjective representing the color of the particle itself.

    Brance''s eye twitched slightly after hearing how Cynrik wanted a full breakdown of the word and its meaning. Unlike his brother, Brance was okay with learning the proper form of the word, but he sat back and allowed Cynrik to have his way.

    Feeling the conversation no longer had anything to do with him, Brance focused on Professor Morningdale, who exined how to make nts bloom before delving into the evolved form of the Fifth Element.

    "Now, I will go into the secondary school of thought for this Element, the medical field. Some of you may not know, but once you have leveled up this Affinity to a certain extent that is different for everyone, it will naturally evolve into one of the most important of all the Elements, Life." Then, Morningdale dropped a bombshell on the ss, causing everyone, excluding Cynrik, to gasp in shock.

    "The Life Affinity can aplish many of the same healing tasks as the Light Affinity with a different approach. Unlike the Light Element, which, in essence, restores when healing, the Life Element uses your body''s natural healing response by speeding up the recovery rate of the beings cells and multiplying cellr reproduction several times."

    Brance''s ears perked up at the mention of Light Affinity. But unfortunately, he was quickly left uninterested as the Professor glossed over its uses, equating it to being a primarily healing Element, which was the opposite of what Brance knew. In fact, he had been using it as more of a utility tool than healing.

    "Unfortunately, I have yet to find my path in the healing school of thought and can only control nt life, so I won''t be able to give you a demonstration. However, if you are ever injured while enrolled in this Academy, you are more than wee to head over to our fully stocked infirmary, where we have dozens of trained healers of both the Light and Life Affinity." Holding up her hands in defeat as she spoke, Professor Morningdale waved her wand a few more times and returned the potted nt to its base form before stowing it in her inventory.

    "I havepleted the lesson n for today. However, since we still have about 30 minutes left, I will ept any questions you may have regarding the five basic Elemental Affinities or something you observed today."

    Instantly several hands flew up as students had dozens of questions rattling in their heads. Then, one by one, the Professor would call on them and give them their answers until each student was satisfied, until a particr member of MyrkLys raised their hand.

    "Um, Professor Morningdale, I am interested in acquiring the Chloro Affinity. Do you have any particr tips on how to utilize it in battle? You went over its specific uses in agriculture and the medical field, but you didn''t really go into how to use it for fighting." Sitting beside Brance, Gabby spoke up nervously, but the appearance of a new name drowned out her words.

    The new terminology made Brance shoot a curious nce over to Cynrik. But seeing the smug smile on his older brother''s face made him want to break his nose.

    [Chloro? Is it safe to assume you came up with that or was it Tobs rmendation?] Brance asked while looking back at Gabby, who was getting a brief introduction on how to use the newly named Chloro Element in fights.

    [Chloro is an abbreviated form of the word Chlorophyll, which is the name of the green pigment that nts use to make food. It took me a bit, but that was the best I coulde up with. It checks the same descriptive boxes as its original name and breaks the word down into two sybles instead of four.] Cynrik shrugged his shoulders and ced his hands behind his head while reclining in contentment.

    [Like, I get that you always had a thing for science growing up, especially Biology, but isn''t your naming sense a little¡­I don''t know¡­strange?] Brance rolled his eyes at his brother''s gesture and asked.

    [I mean, not really. Sure I went with a scientific name, but I needed a good word to get the point across at the end of the day. I am just confused about why our Skill didn''t do the same thing as I did. It''s not like the word didn''t exist; it only took a process of elimination. If the fragmented meanings of the initial word are Nature and Green, then it isn''t a stretch to name it after a green pigment found in nts.]

    -Chlorophyll was the 3rd choice on the list of trantions. So it was considered, however, the Skill, as you said, "bugged out" and chose Wood as the name.-

    [Tobs, why is it you make me sound like a Beta tester working on a broken chunk of source code. If [Language Proficiency] is as omnipotent as you say, it would have chosen my option as first instead of third. So naming it as Wood was inconsistent with the particle''s abilities and just in wrong.]

    -Stop your criticism; there is no point in ming me for issues with a skill created by the Central System Hub; take it up with them if you are unhappy.-

    [Yeah, no thanks, I''d rather not converse with beings that can erase gods with the snap of a finger; for now, let''s just stick with you alerting me whenever you find an inconsistency in the trantion, and I will take over from there, oh, also change Earth to Terra for me.]

    -The change has been made already, and I have made a note to double-check the trantions as they ur.-

    [Kay, thanks, I appreciate it.]

    DONG DO DONG DO¡­DONG DO DONG DO

    Just as Cynrik was thanking Tobs, a multitoned bell echoed throughout the campus, signaling the end of the day''s first period. In response, Professor Morningdale quickly wrapped up exining how the Chloro Affinity can be used in battle to Gabby and told everyone she would see them again on Wednesday before dismissing the ss by stating there were 30 minutes until the bell for 2nd period rang.

 Chapter 221

    DONG DO DONG DO¡­DONG DO DONG DO

    Just as Cynrik was thanking Tobs, a multitoned bell echoed throughout the campus, signaling the end of the day¡¯s first period. In response, Professor Morningdale quickly wrapped up exining how the Chloro Affinity can be used in battle to Gabby and told everyone she would see them again on Wednesday before dismissing the ss by stating there were 30 minutes until the bell for 2nd period rang.

    While the rest of the ss quickly got up, stowed any note-taking materials, and rushed out of the room, Cynrik had everyone stay seated until the room was a little over half empty before allowing them to head out.

    ¡°Come along, Gabby, let¡¯s leave the barbarians to their Tank ss; we shall work our brains in World History.¡± Cynrik snarkily said as they walked down the tform towards the door with his nose raised.

    ¡°Eh, uh uh, see you at lunch, don¡¯t get hurt during training.¡± Gabby panicked, her hair flicking back and forth as she rapidly looked from Brance to Cynrik¡¯s back and quickly gave Brance a hug before chasing after her party leader, who was already walking out of the room.

    ¡°Hmph, he didn¡¯t even say bye to me, what a jerk.¡± Selene fell in line behind Benny and Brance whileining loud enough for the other two to hear.

    ¡°That¡¯s on you, Selene; if you n to capture Big Brother¡¯s heart, you will have to be the forward one. But, if memory serves, he always had a thing for that type of girl, the ones who initiate conversation and contact first.¡± Rubbing his chin in thought, Brance tossed a bone to Selene, who instantly perked up.

    ¡°Really? I thought he would want the more cutesy and embarrassed type who pushes the boundary. Unfortunately, it looks like I will have to rethink my ¡°Capture Ivar¡¯s Heart¡± n¡­hm¡­much to do, oh much to do.¡± Selene¡¯s statement trailed off into a soft whisper of mumbles making Benny shake his head in disappointment and Brance chuckle internally.

    ¡®Hehe, that should keep Cynrik upied long enough to not overthink things too much.¡¯ Brance thought as he went over his older brother¡¯s earlier outburst. Although Cynrik had always been kind of touch and go when it came to anger issues, Brance had picked up on a few small actions that were starting to worry him.

    From the roon-like dark circles under his eyes to the fact that every night since they arrived at the Academy, Cynrik had worked himself to physical exhaustion, it was evident that something was bothering him. So naturally, Brance wanted to help in any way he could but was limited in the amount he could do since Cynrik was hardheaded and introverted.

    He first noticed something was up the first night after they left the Egress. When it was time for bed, the two slept in the living room at the Pinhurst Mansion since their rooms hadn¡¯t been set up yet. Throughout the night, Cynrik would mumble in his sleep before having a bout of tossing and turning ending with him suddenly sitting up, panting, and drenched in sweat.

    But it didn¡¯t stop after that night; since Brance¡¯s room was right beside Cynrik¡¯s and the walls were thin, he could hear Cynrik¡¯s violent waking up all night long. Eventually, after a couple of days, Cynrik cut his already short sleep time even further, as when he would wake up, Brance would activate [Mana Sight] and watch him go to the training room, where more often than not, he would work out to the point of passing out.

    Although Brance didn¡¯t think much about it at first, he remembered how on Earth, when they lived together, Cynrik had always had trouble falling asleep. He also had trouble staying asleep for any length of time. Eventually, having enough of it, Cynrik would go to the garage and hit the heavy bag for hours or practice takedowns with a grappling dummy. But after their reincarnation, that habit ceased to present itself until they got back from A-G-22097.

    Pushing these thoughts to the back of his mind and opting to worry about his present concerns, Brance looked back at Benny.

    ¡°Lead the way, oh great navigator.¡± He said, wearing a warm smile, causing Benny¡¯s face to light up as he pulled up the map of the First Year campus on his Watcet and took the lead.

    Unaware that Brance was worrying about his well-being a little too much, Cynrik weaved through the crowd of students with Gabby barely able to keep up. Unlike Benny, who needed the aid of a map, Cynrik had already memorized the entire campus from top to bottom and chosen the fastest route to the building known as the Schr Wing.

    This wing held the ssrooms for science, mathematics, and history lessons. It was also one of the few buildings shared between First and Second-year students since it was one of the least popr study topics.

    Mostly, the kids who made it into an Academy were more concerned about learning how to fight, dive into Egresses, or Advance their Primary sses further. So the most popr courses all had their own building. For example, the one Cynrik had just left housed a myriad of different sses about how to use Affinities and the study of the Elements in general.

    Cutting a path for Gabby and himself, Cynrik expertly navigated through the sea of bodies moving in every direction and eventually found his way outside a tall, old, library-style building. From the outside, it reminded him of the pictures he had seen in his past life of the Roman Pantheon, with its impressive marble columns leading into an oddly shaped rounded walled and domed building, except for being three to four times the size of the one in his memory. Written across the front of the building, under the pointed roof above the over a hundred marble columns, was a long script of Runes which covered the exterior as far as Cynrik could tell.

    ¡°Woah, this ce looks so cool, heyah Big Bro Ivar, what does that text say?¡± stepping up beside Cynrik, Gabby stared wide-eyed and full of wonder at the impressive stone building. Her eyes traced each rune as if trying tomit them to memory.

    ¡°Beats me. If I had to guess, it is either some kind of protection array, or this building is so old that whatever it says has lost meaning.¡± Cynrik chewed the inside of his cheek and examined the long line of blocky runes.

    A sharp pain slowly developed in Cynrik¡¯s temples as he studied the runes, inhibiting his cognitive abilities, so he concluded that these were either part of some high-level spell or some forbiddennguage that he couldn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go; the bell will ring soon; I don¡¯t want to bete; also, please, for the love of all that is unholy, don¡¯t fall asleep. If you find the ss boring, we can transfer you out at any time before week two starts. OH, and one more thing, I will give you a sourball every 15 minutes that you take notes. So keep that attention span turned on, and you can walk away with a BUNCH of candy.¡± Casually waving his hand and opening his palm, Cynrik retrieved a sourball and held it up, showing Gabby the initial downpayment she would receive.

    ¡°Mhm, no problem Big Bro Ivar.¡± Gabby didn¡¯t even wait for Cynrik to finish his statement, the moment the sourball appeared, it was unwrapped and shoved into her mouth.

    Her fast reaction left Cynrik stunned for a moment before he facepalmed and let it go.

    ¡°Sometimes I worry about your addiction to sugar, but then I remember I am mainly at fault; anyway, let¡¯s go; I don¡¯t want to be forced to sit at the front of the ssroom, a seat in the back of the room is a must.¡±

    Cynrik didn¡¯t wait for Gabby¡¯s reply and spun on his heel before approaching the impressive old building.

    The columns continued several dozen meters before opening up into a wide arching doorway. The first thing Cynrik noticed upon entering the building wasn¡¯t the architecture, but instead how few students were arriving even though there were less than 10 minutes before the bell rang.

    However, he didn¡¯t find this irregr. Cynrik had already known the attendance for all the schrly courses was abysmal. This is due to how the Academy website structured its scheduling program. Once you chose the period you would like to take a course and then scrolled through to find the individual ss, it would have a number beside the course¡¯s name, giving a real-time numeric indicating how many students had applied to join that ss.

    Out of curiosity, Cynrik had scrolled through all the different History lessons and soon realized that besides the one for Year One students, the other courses were lucky to have 10 seats filled. Still, this didn¡¯t affect Cynrik¡¯s choice of taking these courses. He was well aware of just how little he, Brance, and Selene knew about Vinestra, and if anyone was going to be able to store all the information in their head, it would be him.

    Thus, his choice was easy; he would sacrifice a chunk of time that he could instead use forbat training and learn as much as possible; this included the much-awaited trips to the school library, which he had yet to do. Aiding the party with a solid knowledge foundation wasn¡¯t his only prerogative; it was as much for them as it was to quench the ever-growing thirst Cynrik had since day one, to learn more about Vinestra as a whole.

    Navigating the corridors, Cynrik and Gabby stopped at an open door with a card titled ¡°Year One World History¡± and stepped inside. Unlike their homeroom, this ssroom was vastly different. Long ck four-person tables were neatly arranged in threeyers around a sizeable circr hologram machine located in the direct center of therge, white-domed room.

    Seeing this level of technology present in such an old building caught Cynrik off guard for a moment before he steadied himself and directed gabby over toward two empty seats on the far left side of the hologram machine.

    Unlike Gabby, who was more worried about what therge machine did and how tall the rounded ceiling was, Cynrik took inventory of all 22 students present and looked for the Professor who had yet to arrive.

    Nearly all the students were the typical nerdy type, and once Cynrik used [Mana Sight], he quickly realized everyone here was, at best early Tier-1. Of course, this indicated that this was the kind of ss those who wouldn¡¯t have a future in fighting would attend; still, this didn¡¯t bother him at all, as he took out a notebook and nudged Gabby with his elbow to do the same.

    Another point of interest, signifying the stark contrast between the students in this room and the ones he had encountered in his Affinities ss, was that no one was talking. Instead, everyone seemed to look around the room curiously or take out note-taking utensils.

    DING DONG, DONG DING, DING DONG, DONG DING

    Just as the bell rang, an elderly bald man with a neat long snow-white beard slowly walked into the room using a wooden cane to help with his movement. With his appearance, every student straightened their backs and greeted him as the man walked by, including Cynrik and Gabby. Eventually, the elderly man found his way over to an oversized reclining plush chair and eased himself down before clearing his throat and addressing the students.

    ¡°Good morning, young ones. It does these old bones well to see so many fine young adults interested in our world¡¯s history. My name is Professor rence Darrel Constantine, but you may refer to me as Grandpa or Professor Constantine, hehe, since I am very much at the age to be even your parent¡¯s Grandfather.¡± The old man, who spoke with his eyes closed, chuckled at his own joke before pressing a few buttons on the armrest of his chair, dimming the lights, and turning on the hologram machine.

    ¡°Wee to Year One Vinestra History.¡± Suddenly the room was filled with the holographic image of a massive oblong-shaped round.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 222

    ¡°Our has a long and ancient history.¡± Professor Constantine started speaking, and with a cane wave, the hologram changed from the giant, oblong into one much like how Earth looks.

    ¡°Long ago, Vinestra was not even a fraction of the size we know it to be now. Millions of years ago, Vinestra was roughly five or six thousand kilometers in radius in those days. If you look at the horizontal and vertical lines on the Globe before you, you can see that I have divided the into four distinct quadrants, known as quarter spheres. From what we know, thanks to tectonic te mapping and core samples, our had nine individualndmasses or continents.¡±

    ¡°For millions of years, these continents were separated byrge bodies of water. Acting like a natural barrier keeping eachndmass separate, as such, several different and unique races imed thosends they¡¯re home.¡±

    The Globe expanded and was divided into nine separate and strangely shaped chunks of territory. From what Cynrik could tell, Old Vinestra seemed to be made of at least 50 percent water, but it was enough to keep the continents wholly isted.

    ¡°To the northy Poinsu, a cold and harshnd surrounded by water, not unlike an ind other than it covered over 1200 miles from end to end. Although most of the records have been lost over the years, we know that there were tribes of Ice-Giants roaming free. Every species capable of calling Poinsu their home was artic beings, which became fully adapted to the icy-tundras.¡± The whitendmass to the north glowed on the hologram as the Professor narrated his story.

    ¡°Directly under it was Hestios, with its arid and desert climate, only the Reptilian races such as Kobolds and the Mythical Dragons could im it as their home.¡±

    The continent named Poinsu dimmed on the hologram, and a small rectangrnd lit up. Soon it was covered with sand, signifying the entire area was a desert, and a dragon¡¯s roar yed through the room¡¯s speakers with a shadowy red dragon taking flight from the desert and doing ap around the room.

    ¡°If we leave Hestios and move southeast, we find the forests of Umahone. This is the origin of most of the Elven races. From tropical rainforests to one filled with hundred meter strong trees, the Elven tribes learned to make these trees their homes, with the tallest one being known as a Life Tree, which we know to be sacred to the races.¡±

    Like the previous two continents, tall and lush trees dotted thendscape of Umahone, and the shadowy image of a proud Elven male came into sight as he fired a bow targeting arge cat creature.

    ¡°From here, if we continue around the back into Quadrant 2, in the northwestern quarter sphere, youe across the triangrnd humans are said to have originated from, Man Moor. Unlike the previous three continents I spoke of, the climate was rtively simr to what we experience here, with four seasons and mild temperatures depending on your location on the continent.¡±

    ¡°Unlike the Elven Race, who chose to seek life atop trees, humans chose to build their homes on the ground. Developing tribes and eventually kingdoms of their own. Humans were quick to assemble together as extremely social beings for there was safety against wild predators in numbers.¡±

    ¡°Next, to the southwest of Man Moor, across the water, wee upon the highly mountainous region known to be the ancestral home of the Dwarven Race, Denduron. From tip to tip of this small continent, thendscape was dotted with thousands of mountains, from small ones which could be considered hills to formations that touched the skies, and the dwarven race chose to dig deep into the bowels of thend to create their cities. The grounds of Denduron could be said to have at one time been the richest in mineral ores whenpared to all the others.¡±

    ¡°This is also why the Dwarves have such a deep heritage where cksmithing and Armoring are practically in their blood.¡± Mountains rose up from the t ins, and the image of a small burly dwarf striking away at an anvil took center stage. Through the speakers, the students were all able to hear the nking of the cksmith at work.

    ¡°If you head due east from Denduron and south a bit, you arrive at what we only know as the Volcanic Archipgo. As you can see, there is a centralndmass surrounded by a myriad of smaller inds. Each of these inds housed many individual volcanos and subsequent tribes of beings. Due to their Tropical Climate, the Volcanic Inds birth many different sentient beings, from the Underwater races such as Merpeople, to several different types of Hybridized Beast people; the list goes on and on.¡±

    The sound of Oceans and Volcanic eruptions nearly deafened the ss as a chaotic yet beautiful scene yed out for everyone to see before fading to open grassy prairie.

    Thest of the known territories are the vast ins of Vontu; these are the ancestralnds where the majority of the Were or Demi-Humanse from. Spanning across arge portion of the Globe like a belt, this fertilend was the source of hundreds of thousands of different species, from the Canine-Humans to the Feline; you can find thousands of different varieties, and each of them began their journies here.¡± Animations of humans with dog or cat-eared in small tribes or chasing downrge creatures on hunts quickly appeared and faded to ck.

    The room descended into silence as the vision of Old Vinestra began spinning slowly and tilting to the side, showing a shadowy hellscape at the bottom of the. Here there were two of thergest continents separated by lesser bodies of water than any other, and by far the darkest as if the three suns light couldn¡¯t reach them.

    ¡°Now, this is where history deviates between the great schrly minds. Everything I have exined has either been passed down by tradition or excavated by an archeologist from within ruins or the oldest of Egresses. However, thesest twondmasses have next to zero information about them. Either because the clusters of bodies of water are far apart, making it challenging to transfer culture and information, or because, as I personally believe, all information about these twonds was destroyed at some point. As a result, the truth about what has be known as the Wilnds is difficult to find.¡±

    Leaning forward in his seat, Professor Constantine¡¯s expression went from that of a kind old man lecturing children to dark and severe, making Cynrik raise an eyebrow inquisitively.

    ¡°But the world you see on the HoloFilter changed drastically around 10 thousand years ago. Like many geographical changes over time, it all began with a War, One we in the intelligencemunity call the Grand Strife.¡± Gripping his cane with both hands, a look of pain could be seen on the old man¡¯s face, enough so that several students panicked and hurried to ask if he needed anything.

    Cynrik remained frozen in ce, a look of shock stered on his face as he hid in the shadows of his hood. Time seemed to stand still for him as his brain attempted to process the bomb the Professor had just dropped.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way¡­that can¡¯t be a coincidence.¡¯ Cynrik thought to himself while attempting to stop his left hand from quivering. Then, balling his left hand into a fist so tight that the bones creaked and popped, Cynrik focused on the pain to bring himself back from his dark thoughts and blurted out a question to the Professor.

    ¡°Professor Constantine, this Grand Strife, was it some kind of war or a Cataclysmic event? To change thendscape of our entire in such a way couldn¡¯t have been something small.¡± Then, straightening his back and using a matching tone to the one the Professor had, Cynrik spoke.

    ¡°Hm, indeed, it was a massive War, on the scale we have never before witnessed, past or present. Yet, legends tell that beings so powerful descended from the heavens one day, making promises of riches and never-ending strength to those who rose above their Mortal restraints.¡±

    ¡°If only one race had this tale, it could quickly be passed off as hearsay, but, unfortunately, nearly every race, from the Elves to the Merpeople, tells a simr story. They speak of a handful of Godlike beings who bestowed a strange new power upon the people, allowing them to rapidly grow into something that could easily punch holes in mountains. From these Legends, we learn about the existence of Mana.¡±

    ¡°These Godlike creatures warned the many Races of Vinestra that a battle the scale they can¡¯t fathom wasing, and they needed the strongest amongst them to rise up and be champions of their people, fighting to protect everything they hold dear.¡± After saying that, Professor Constantine fell silent and watched Cynrik¡¯s reaction with his previously shut eyes opened slightly.

    Cynrik sat in silence, with his brain running on overdrive.

    ¡®There is no doubt that these Godlike beings were just that, Gods, well Deities. But it is insanely disturbing that they altered the course of this so drastically from one not much bigger than Earth into a massive and constantly expanding gctic-sized rock moving in space. Hell, even the fact that these historians call the whole thing the Grand Strife freaks me out.¡¯ Pulling down his hood and making eye contact with the Professor, Cynrik picked up his pencil and started jotting down notes, allowing the Professor to continue his lecture.

    ¡°The descent of these Legendary Beings was like a call to action, as the once peacefulnds of Vinestra soon became rife with war. As the races slowly picked up steam and became stronger, the oceanic barriers no longer kept them separated. Soon, the higher beings could cross over into other territories and leave a path of destruction and genocide everywhere they went.¡±

    ¡°This went on for a few thousand years until approximately 3700 years had gone by since the Gods descended, when something changed in the¡¯s core, increasing the amount of Ambient Mana on Vinestra by several hundredfolds.

    ¡°Our earliest estimate is that in the year 3728 BCSH, Before Central System Hub, the Mana levels of Vinestra may have been a steady trickle, just enough to make life on the abundant. However, this was when the first Egresses began appearing, throwing an already chaotic world gripped by war into utter pandemonium as the Ambient Mana levels spiked heavily.¡±

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 223

    Chapter 223

    ¡°Our earliest estimate is that in the year 3728 BCSH, Before Central System Hub, the Mana levels of Vinestra may have been a steady trickle, just enough to make life on the abundant. However, this was when the first Egresses began appearing, throwing an already chaotic world gripped by war into utter pandemonium as the Ambient Mana levels spiked heavily.¡±

    ¡°It was this spike,ter dubbed the Mana Burst, that caused the core to undergo unheard of changes. The rumbled and shook as if in a never-ending quake for years. Water levels rose, volcanos erupted, and the tectonic tes shifted so drastically that the formerly separatedndmasses collided and fused into new continents. All the while, the beings from many races adapted and continued their brutal battles.¡±

    ¡°With the emergence of the first Egresses, The Gods directed their people to dive in and grow stronger bypleting the challenges those dungeons gave. Inside the Egresses was like apletely different world, one free of the natural disasters everyone had be ustomed to. But what was at one time viewed as a sanctum was eventually found to be even more devastatingly dangerous than any natural disaster.¡±

    At his mention of danger, the image of the warped and was reced by a simted high-level Egress. An animated battle between a group of Elven Warriors and a fully-grown dragon took its ce, and from the way the elves were injured, it was clear that the dragon had gained the upper hand and was beginning to win the bloody battle.

    The scene changed, showing a war between hundreds of humans vs. thousands of what Cynrik could only describe as Orcs. Their dark skin and hog-like snouts were a dead giveaway.

    ¡°Unlike the battles outside in the world, within the Egresses, all the races would be thrown into the exact same location and pitted against each other and the native feral creatures within. That is until the different ssifications of Egresses began spawning. Before long, nowhere was safe. The worst ces affected were thends ravaged by years of war. Unable to clear the dungeons in time, the Portals into the Egress Realm were shattered, allowing the creatures who called them home free reign and ess to Vinestra, which is how to this day, we can find creatures such as Packhounds or Fanged Rats in the wild.¡±

    ¡°This bloody way of life continued until the first beings reached the lofty goal of the Seventh Tier and rose to the rank of Champion for the Gods in approximately 800 BCSH. Vinestra had grown several times its original size by this point, and the Mana levels had reached about 70% of what they are now.¡± Unfortunately, when Professor Constantine finished speaking of the Mana Levels, he was interrupted by a fit of coughing. It wasn¡¯t until a random student brought him a ss of water that he could get them under control.

    Realizing that the old Professor had stopped his lecture, Cynrik chewed on the eraser end of his pencil in thought. Contrary to what he hade to believe, if everything the old man said could be considered factual, things were much worse than he could have imagined.

    He could already conclude where the story would go next, and although he hoped he was wrong, there was only one logical conclusion given the story¡¯s progression being told. Cynrik had seen world maps before, and they were incredibly different from the previous image of the he had been shown. Gone were the individual nine continents, and in its ce were four massivendmasses.

    This meant only one conclusion could be made: these so-called champions¡¯ battles had radically upended thendscape.

    As he had expected, the Professor soon confirmed Cynrik¡¯s fears and briefly exined the devastation to the caused by over a hundred high-tiered beings fighting at full power. Then, professor Constantine narrated an epic tale where these Legendary figures would be felled one after another until only a handful were left alive. But the cost of their battle was too great.

    Tens of billions of lives had been needlessly eradicated, and an unfathomable amount of races were forced into extinction, all for a purpose or goal unknown to them. They had obtained insane power levels, but that wasn¡¯t all; many had be so stained and mentally damaged that their minds were shattered, and these once all-powerful beings lost their sanity.

    Many of the students wore horrified expressions upon hearing this, but Cynrik¡¯s face was stone cold. He was privy to a higher level of information, allowing him to be fully aware that what the Professor was exining was yet another form of the Legacy Strife. These so-called champions were Charges, just like himself, Brance, and Selene.

    But this brought up a new question for him. In the event that the Strife had been concluded with a clear winner, why would the current Strife, which he was part of, be triggered?

    ¡°One day, however, once again, everything changed, but this time, for the first time in thousands of years, it was for the better. Around 800 years after the Champions came into the limelight, only three remained. These three legendary heroes came together and decided something needed to change.¡±

    ¡°Standing against the will of the very gods who gave them power due to how tired of the constant fighting and needless bloodshed they had be, the Legendary Heroes banded together and created the original version of what would eventually be known as the Central System Hub. The names of these beings are written in the history of nearly every version told by the many Vinestran Races: Lord Norik Ackworth, a Tier-9 ArchMage from the Human race; Queen nalu Qikrana, a Tier-9 Elven Great Sage, and Queen Do¡¯irra, a Tier-9 demaster from the Were-Tiger tribe.¡±

    ¡°Ancient Artifacts, Runic Inscriptions, and the highest form of Mana were used to create a foundation for providing every being with a soul and consciousness, the very same System we all now have, allowing them to be powerful beings with an adequate amount of effort.¡±

    Just as Professor Constantine was getting to what could be considered the meat and potatoes, he tapped his cane on the ground a few times, turning on the lights in the room and powering down the Hologram machine.

    ¡°Unfortunately, my new students, that is all the time we have for today, the bell will be ringing shortly, and I wouldn¡¯t want any of you to miss your lunch, as eating a healthy meal is vital for you all to grow and be strong.¡± The Professor said warmly with a kind smile creeping onto his lips.

    Hearing the story-time was over for the day, nearly everyone, including Gabby, groaned loudly while mumbling theirints. Leaving only one person silent and lost in thought, Cynrik.

    He pulled his hood back up over his head and stowed away his notes using only one hand. Cynrik¡¯s mind raced to try and find answers to his questions, all the while digesting what he had just spent thest couple of hours learning. These three Charges had rebelled against their Deities and banded together to give the ordinary people a chance to fight tooth and nail for survival.

    To some extent, Cynrik felt a level of respect for their noble goal, while on the other hand, he also felt arge amount of disdain. Even though he had no clue just how powerful beings like Odin or Yahweh were, he thought that three charges at Tier-9 stood no chance against them if things came to that.

    If history could be believed, these three beings achieved some kind of victory. They sessfully created a tform that provided those at the bottom of the primordial food chain an opportunity to make a mark on the world.

    Next to Cynrik, Gabby stowed away her doodle-covered notes before Cynrik could see them and nced over at the boy. After the events in the Egress a few weeks ago, she felt nearly as lost as Cynrik was. She had already concluded that some things weren¡¯t being told in their entirety, but her faith in her party leader allowed Gabby peace of mind since she believed he would figure things out and eventually exin them.

    DONG DO DONG DO¡­DONG DO DONG DO

    ¡°I hope today¡¯s lecture was informative and you each gained something from what you have learned. I will see you all the following Monday at the same time, where we will go into the lore surrounding the Central System Hub; until then, be well, young minds.¡± The Professor said with a smile, dismissing the students who filed out and spoke among themselves about the¡¯s ancient history excitedly.

    Realizing that everyone was leaving, Gabby stood up, pushed her chair in under the desk, and tapped Cynrik¡¯s shoulder softly, pulling him out of hisplex chain of thought.

    ¡°Big Bro Ivar, sorry to disturb your thinking time, but we gotta meet up with everyone for lunch.¡± She said cautiously. Over the years, she learned that Cynrik would usually be grumpy at anyone who startled him, but he simply nodded and got up to her surprise.

    However, just as they reached the door, Cynrik felt the pressure of someone¡¯s gaze on his back and turned to find Professor Constantine looking at him with his eyes wide open for the first time.

    Not pleased that he was being grilled, Cynrik stopped, turned around, and looked back at the old man in his cushy chair across the room.

    ¡°How can I help you, Professor?¡± Cynrik asked, prepping himself in case of an attack.

    ¡°Hm, you seem to have a very high awareness for someone so young. But, Youngman, I only wanted to tell you that sometimes it¡¯s better to not ruminate on things beyond your understanding. The past is the past, so although we can learn tremendous amounts from it, we can not allow it to hinder our growth and potential future.¡± Then, standing up with the aid of his cane, Professor Constantine stated, causing Cynrik to narrow his eyes in suspicion.

    ¡°That only applies to those who can not see how easily the past repeats itself, Professor.¡± Cynrik rebutted while using his right arm to nudge Gabby behind him.

    Swoosh

    ¡°Un, indeed, but it is the job of the old to stop history from repeating; young minds like yours should just go about their school days, enjoying the adventure. They should not find their childhood being weighed down with so much stress and overthinking, leaving them in a state where they cannot function properly.¡± Then, taking a single step, Professor Constantine shed forward, crossing the several-meter distance and standing inches away from Cynrik. The wind from the old man¡¯s sudden eleration blew back Cynrik¡¯s hood.

    However, Cynrik stood his ground and didn¡¯t flinch. Instead, he stared calmly back at the old man, who showed no real hostility or intent to attack. He realized the Professor was only testing him, so Cynrik slowly blinked his eyes and responded.

    ¡°Again, something that only applies to people with weak minds and zero resolve to do what may need to be done. I appreciate your guidance Professor, but it seems you may be the one overthinking at this moment.¡±

    Heaving a sigh of disagreement, Professor Constantine shook his head sadly and patted Cynrik¡¯s shoulder before walking past him and Gabby out of the room.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 224

    Cynrik stood quietly in the room with Gabby for several minutes after the Professor left, his heart racing in excitement and a matching grin stered across his lips. When the old man had moved, it was so fast that he appeared to be teleporting even with [Mana Sight] active. However, that wasn¡¯t the scariest thing about the man; instead, Cynrik had no idea how powerful he was. For the first time ever, his skill had failed to give him aprehensible reading, opening the door for spection about Professor Constantine¡¯s strength.

    ¡°Heh, sometimes this world never ceases to amaze me,¡± chuckling under his breath, Cynrik shook his head and licked his lips. He had faced down fearsome beings way more powerful than him in the past, ande out on top only because of his wit and nning, yet when he thought back to how helpless he felt in the instant Professor Constantine moved, he couldn¡¯t help but feel defeated. If the old man had wanted him dead, there wouldn¡¯t have been a thing he could do.

    ¡°Oh well, no point dwelling on it; let¡¯s head out, Gabby, onward to the cafeteria.¡± However, when Cynrik turned around, Gabby was petrified, pale as a sheet, and sweating heavily.

    ¡°Eh? What¡¯s got you all riled up, little rabbit?¡± Waving his hand in front of her face, Cynrik asked.

    ¡°He¡­he¡­he was so fast, and his Image, so much pain and sorrow, how can he deal with it in silence?¡± Gabby whispered quietly, tears forming in her eyes.

    After reaching Tier-2, Gabby¡¯s Psychic Affinity had undergone a massive qualitative leap. However, one of the side effects came to light when she was around people with strong emotions. She had described it to the party as everyone having a hazy colored version of themselves floating behind them, or on their shoulder, like a ghost. Titling these ghosts as ¡°Images,¡± the more realistic they were, the stronger the emotions. She was even able to tell what those emotions were due to the facial expressions and size of the ghost effect.

    ¡°Gabby, tell me what you saw.¡± Cynrik¡¯s expression turned stern at the girl¡¯s words, and he pulled her to sit down on the nearest table before crouching down and looking her in the eyes. Tofort her, Cynrik even ced several sourballs in her hands.

    ¡°His Image was impossible to see fully; it was like the size of that snake guy we fought, instead of a mini-person on their shoulder. Its face transitioned from rage to sorrow to howling in silent pain. And its eyes, Big bro Cy¡­Ivar its eyes were lifeless as if everything it ever loved had died while it watched on helplessly.¡± Closing her hand around the candies, Gabby took a deep breath before telling Cynrik everything she saw.

    ¡°It makes sense, Gabby; once you reach a certain age, you tend to experience many things; friends you had may pass away, and let¡¯s not forget that it wasn¡¯t that long ago when the world was a chaotic mess of monsters. So how old do you think the Professor is?¡± Trying to make sense of the description, Cynrik realized something, If the Professor was at a potentially higher Tier than the HeadMaster, shouldn¡¯t he have a longer lifespan than lower Tiers? The fact that the old man appeared to be in his 90s meant that he was clearly significantly older, but to what extent.

    ¡°I¡­im not sure, but if the size of the Image can be considered a reference for Age and strength, then He is at least a couple hundred years old.¡± Slowly unwrapping one of the candies and cing it in her mouth, Gabby calmed her heart and exhaled heavily before patting Cynrik¡¯s head.

    ¡°Thank you, Big Bro; I am okay now; it freaked me out for a second to see that.¡± Giving him a weak smile, Gabby hopped down from the table and walked to the door with her hands sped behind her back and over her skirt.

    ¡°We gotta go meet the others for lunch; if not, well, im sure your Daaaarrling~ Selly will be all sad and stuff.¡± Putting on a teasing face, Gabby poked at the still crouching Cynrik, who jumped up and chased her out of the room with grumpy mumbles.

    [[Hey, we are on our way, where are you guys at?]] Walking out of the Schr Wing, Cynrik opened up the party mind link and was instantly inundated by a rapid-fire ofments.

    [[WOWWWW Fancy of you to finally talk to us.]] Brance smugly retorted.

    [[Oh, look, Cyn has remembered we exist, isn¡¯t that nice?]] Selene¡¯s voice wasced with heavy sarcasm.

    [[He must be hiding something from us, maybe he spent the whole time flirting with my Gabby, tsk.]]

    [[GASP, DON¡¯T YOU DARE CYN, GABBY IS LIKE MY FAVORITE PERSON, BUT IF YOU THINK FOR A MINUTE I¡¯LL ALLOW YOU TO LOOK AT OTHER WOMEN, YOU¡¯LL HAVE TO FACE MY WRATH.]]

    [[Oh shit, Selene¡¯s goin all Tsundere, Cyn, you better state your case while you can, I¡¯m already struggling to hold her back. HEY, STOP TRYINA BREAK SHIT, SELENE.]] Brance used his usual teasing voice and acted out as if he had Selene in a headlock while she struggled to break free.

    [[Will you both SHUT THE FUCK UP! We have a huge fucking problem right now, and I don¡¯t have time to deal with your childish bullshit.]] Gritting his teeth, Cynrik snapped in the mind link, shutting up the two knuckleheads.

    It took some time, but for the duration of the walk to the cafeteria and most of the one-hour Lunch period, Cynrik exined everything he had learned from his ss, only to be met by silence from Selene and Brance when he finished his narration.

    [[Now, I don¡¯t want to jump to conclusions, nor am I going to bother with theories, for now, I will stick with what we know. Currently, it is 3299 ACSH (After Central System Hub), which means that over six thousand years ago, another Strife was triggered in the ancient Vinestra. This Strife, in which the Deities came down and ¡°bestowed¡± upon the many races a way to evolve and dominate their foes, led to the inevitable reshuffling of power; then, the so-called Mana Burst causedary destruction on top of the merging of continents.]]

    Sitting at a long lunch table with benches instead of chairs, Cynrik scooped a spoonful of Mac and Cheese into his mouth while ncing between Selene and Brance.

    [[Things continued like that for a couple thousand more years until all the champions, or as we would call them, Charges, were chosen, and then the TRUE battle for Vinestra began. Mass ughters, eradication of races, the Egresses¡¯ arrival, it all points in the direction of the LS.]]

    [[Thest thing we learned about is how these three ¡°Legendary Heroes,¡± as they¡¯ve been dubbed, put their heads together and forged the founding tform for the Central System Hub.]] Finishing his bowl of food, Cynrik ced the spoon down and sighed.

    [[Oh, I also forgot to mention, the Professor, who is like 90 years old physically, tried to jumpscare me and almost made Gabby shit herself.]] Cynrik casually threw in as he began cleaning up his and Selene¡¯s treys so he could toss them in the garbage.

    [[WAIT WOAH WOAH WOAH, Hold the fucking phone, WHAT! A teacher basically assaulted you and scared Gabby, and you don¡¯t LEAD with that?]] Brance froze mid-motion as he, too, was in the process of cleaning up after Gabby and himself.

    [[Bah, it was no biggy, Professor Constantine wasn¡¯t showing hostility, he just closed a gap of like 25 meters in the blink of an eye and got in my face, is all, I had your little girlfriend blocked off behind me, so I woulda taken the brunt of the attack if that was what he nned. But instead, he just gave me a typical old man speech about letting go of the past and not allowing it to hinder me.]]

    [[I figure he probably got some kind of memo about our so-called ¡°Mental Health¡± and ¡°instability,¡± in fact, im pretty sure all our teachers were filled in on us ahead of time.]] Shrugging his shoulders and getting up, with Selene hot on his heels, Cynrik walked over and tossed the garbage in a can, and made his way out of therge dining hall.

    [[But the whole Gabby being scared thing is because of her newtent ability to read people with her Affinity. Apparently, the dude is super old and emotionally damaged. What do you expect, though? Who knows how much shit he¡¯s seen in his couple hundred-year lifespan. On the other hand, he is clearly one of the Upper Eschelon of the Academy, and his power level was too high for me to read, so odds are he is one of the Guardians or something who got roped into teaching history because he¡¯s old.]]

    cing his and Gabby¡¯s treys into the garbage, Brance pulled out a bottle of hand sanitizer to clean his hands before giving some to Gabby and double-checking that she was okay after the incident. Once he verified that she was, Brance hurried Gabby and Benny after Selene and Cynrik out of the dining hall and into an expansive open courtyard lined with trees and flowers.

    ¡°Hmmm, this feels like a date, Ivar, teehee, the two of us walking under the trees like a couple,¡± Selene said, wearing a broad smile as she looped her arm around Cynrik¡¯s, walking happily beside him.

    ¡°Oh? I figured you were the ¡°walking through a hellscape of corpses and fire kinda girl,¡± I didn¡¯t take you for one who enjoys the ¡°pretty¡± nature hikes. Guess you learn something new every day.¡± Replying sarcastically, Cynrik smirked and looked up to the sky where the three Sun¡¯s hung equidistant apart.

    ¡°Hmph, I can be girly sometimes. Besides, that other one you said doesn¡¯t sound so bad if it¡¯s only the two of us and not the three tagalongs.¡± Selene nced over her shoulder and saw Benny, Brance, and Gabby jogging over.

    ¡°Tsk, it looks like our alone time is over.¡± Noticing their arrival as well, Cynrik couldn¡¯t help but feel bitter; he had to admit, it was slightly, maybe a little, entertaining to spend time alone with Selene.

    Slowing down to let the others catch up, Cynrik turned to look at Benny.

    ¡°Lead the way, Benny; up next is 3rd Period Combatives ss; I know you three probably didn¡¯t get much of a workout since your Tank ss was all fundamental theories and formations, so we should be able to work up a decent sweat. Odds are, the Professor will end up pitting us against each other since I don¡¯t foresee there being any other First Year Tier-2s in the ss, so just take it easy and don¡¯t show off too much.¡± Cynrik said, stepping aside to let the excited Benny pass by and take point.

    ¡°Gotcha, Big Bro; we still have around 30 minutes until the next period, which is plenty of time; let¡¯s go.¡± Seeing Benny act so animated, a far cry from his usual quiet and stoic persona, was a fresh change of pace for the party, who all chuckled and followed after him.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 225

    Like Benny had said, 30 minutes to traverse the two-kilometer distance from the Dining hall to the Joint-Year Battle Arena was plenty of time. Along the way, Cynrik pointed out the signs pointing towards the Oblisk¡¯s and made a mental note to swing by if there was enough time after ss for a quick look.

    Weaving through the campus took less time than expected because the party had left with 15 minutes still avable in the lunch period, so the streets and walkways were rtively empty. Benny directed everyone to their destination without any obstacles before stopping outside the absolutely colossal multi-level Battle Arena.

    ¡°Woah, this thing is awesome,¡± Gabby said, ckjawed and admiring therge stone, windowed, circr, dome-like building. But all Cynrik and Brance could see was basically the Big Ball at that Mouse Theme park. In fact, if it wasn¡¯t made of stone, the building would indeed look like a giant golfball; instead of panels, there were rows upon rows of hexagonal windows, well that and it was over ten times as big.

    [[Hey guys, why does this Arena look so familiar. I can¡¯t put my thumb on it, but I am 100% sure I¡¯ve seen something like this before.]] Scratching her cheek in confusion and practically breaking her neck in the process, Selene examined the Arena with interest.

    [[Eh? Have you never been to Mousecot before? There is a ride that looks just like this, but only a fraction of the size; hell, that ride is the main thing people think of when ites to that stupid park.]] Cynrik informed her with a nk expression.

    [[Now, now, Cyn, not everyone grew up in Ondo like us, ok. Most people are lucky to go to the Mouse Themeparks, let alone Mousecot.]] Brance chided.

    [[Bull shit, who in their right mind goes there unless forced, legit, it¡¯s the worst of them all. Of the parks, at least Mousywood Studios has cool visual rides, the Creature Kingdom has all those crazy animals, and some coasters and rides, not to mention MousyKingdom is their gship park. Mousecot has nothing inparison; it¡¯s a boring park to walk around without any thrill rides. THUS, the big ball is the only semi-decent attraction.]] Clicking his tongue and facing Brance, Cynrik waved an angry finger at his little brother, causing Benny to sigh, Gabby to giggle, and Selene to scoff.

    [[I¡¯ve been to those parks, I just didn¡¯t remember where I had seen the ball, but now I do so Blehhhh.]] Sticking her tongue out at the brothers, Selene tried defending herself but only ended up looking adorable in Cynrik¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Alright, enough screwing around; we need to head up, this ce has ten freakingyers, and our ss is on the second. Since we have some time to kill, we can explore the first floor a bit before heading up.¡± Stepping in to stop what he expected to be an argument between Cynrik and Brance, Benny pulled everyone¡¯s attention and shooed his friends towards one of the four entrances to the Battle Arena.

    ¡°A, look at how sweet little Benny is; he¡¯s trying to make sure you two ruffians don¡¯t start fighting.¡± Seeing Benny¡¯s interruption as a chance to pull one over on Cynrik and Brance, Selene took a cheap shot at them before grabbing Cynrik by the hand and dragging him off before the boy could even utter a word ofint.

    ¡°Cmon, we gotta hurry up; we can¡¯t let the rival couple show us up, J?rnie.¡± Gabby squeaked, her chestnut long hair whipping around as she grabbed Brance and pulled him as Selene had with Cynrik.

    ¡°Couple???¡± Brance was stunned into silence as Gabby asserted her dominance by stating they were in an official rtionship for the world to hear, which technically wasn¡¯t true.

    Benny, now alone, shoved his hands in his pockets and shook his head in discontent.

    ¡°Gabby and Brance are gross too; I never thought my little sister would be able to take control so easily; maybe Cynrik has the right idea, keeping a firm voice and attitude when dealing with Selene; I don¡¯t want to be henpecked like Brancie is.¡± He mumbled under his breath while leaning down to pick up a piece of litter off the pavement and shoving it in his inventory to dispose ofter.

    ¡°Sigh, why is it so hard to find a nice, ordinary girl who has a lot inmon with me.¡± Chasing after the other four, Benny hurried and entered the building, quickly finding them standing in front of seven wall-sized screens floating in the air.

    Approaching Brance, Benny leaned over and asked what they were looking at.

    ¡°Those are the Battle Rankings, from left to right, the screens show the individual Student Ranks for a bit before switching to Faction Ranking, and APPARENTLY, on the far left screen, we are listed at the Rank 1 Faction in Year One,¡± Brance stated as he pointed at the far left screen. Just as he did, the real-time image swapped from Individual Rank to Faction Rank, and just as he said, the number one position was held down by MyrkLys.

    After the Ranking number, said S-Rank, and then a tiny picture of the Faction logo, the two swords crossed behind a shield with ML and the Factions Name. Seeing this, everyone except Cynrik felt a sense of pride welling within, but soon, their eyes drifted downward, and they noticed that there wasn¡¯t a single other Year One Faction listed, leaving that pride to dete a bit.

    ¡°Um¡­then what is the 7th screen for?¡± Again, noticing that the numbers didn¡¯t add up, Benny asked curiously; this time, Cynrik answered his question.

    ¡°Overall Academy Ranking, it¡¯s aprehensive list of every student in order of their Official Win-Loss ratio. I assume that¡¯s how all the ranks are maintained. So next week, that little Year One leaderboard will be swollen with every student who took a shot in Arena Battles. It¡¯s better to not pay TOO much attention to it, yet at the same time, it means if we want to stay at the top, we will have to startpeting ourselves in group battles.¡±

    Tilting his head to the left and releasing a pop, Cynrik continued.

    ¡°What I wanna know is the rewards for being at the top of the list. We willpete if it is worth it; if not, we let it go. First, however, the Academy Ranking List, now that is something we will all have to work on. Individual Rank is one thing, but our Faction will not fall behind, even against those Upper ssmen.¡±

    ¡°Interesting thoughts you have there, Student Ivar Ragnarsson.¡± When Cynrik finished speaking, a voice entered his ears from the right, and when he looked over, there was a Professor he vaguely remembered from their battle the first day the party had arrived at the Academy.

    ¡°Oh? Is that so, Professor¡­im sorry I don¡¯t know your name? Anyway, I simply stated facts. If the rewards are decent, I have no issues having my Factionpete in both leaderboards; if not, we will just sit it out.¡± Cynrik rebutted with his arms crossed over his chest defiantly, not bothering to look over at the Professor.

    ¡°Professor Dennis, and as your Combat Instructor, I rmend you drop the attitude and add a little respect to my name when you speak to me.¡± Professor Dennis grumbled, fighting the urge to bop Cynrik on top of his head.

    ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s Professor Dennis; I¡¯m surprised to see you haven¡¯t already headed up to the second floor where the ss will be held. So what brings you over? How may I help you, Sir?¡± Toning down his attitude slightly, Cynrik finally turned to look at the man standing beside him.

    Appearing to be in his mid-thirties and boasting a Tier-2 power level, the medium, athletic build of the man didn¡¯t impress Cynrik much, but his Red and Green hair did. It reminded him of Guy Fieri¡¯s look, the short spikes, but in a different color. Matching his hair, the Professor had monochromatic eyes; the left was Red, and the right was Green.

    What actually surprised Cynrik was that the Professor was able to restrain the leaking Mana from his Codex, and thus made it slightly tricky for Cynrik to check his power. Still, with the aid of his [Inspect Skill], he was able to get an urate read on the man.

    ¡°I came over because I saw not one but five of my new students standing idle in the hall staring at the Leaderboards when there are only 6 minutes until the bell. Usually, new students would be found panic running to ss, yet you five seem calm. Care to exin yourselves?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s easy; it¡¯s because we aren¡¯t worried; four of us already evolved to Tier-2, so what could a bunch of Tier-0 and Tier-1 First Year students do against us? Plus, you were one of the Refs for our Group battle the other day, and im sure you are fully aware of the extent of ourbat prowess.¡± By this point, Cynrik and Professor Dennis¡¯s conversation had drawn the attention of the other members of MyrkLys, and they snuck over to eavesdrop.

    ¡°Sigh, while I admit you all are reasonably experienced in fighting¡­wait¡­did you just say four of you reached Tier-2? When did this happen? Why haven¡¯t you told anyone or filed the specified forms on the website?¡± Mid-sentence, Professor Dennis registered what Cynrik had said and was astonished. He began stumbling through his sentence and questioned Cynrik on why he hadn¡¯t recorded his new Tier.

    ording to Academy procedure, before and after someone attempted to break through and Evolve into a higher Tier, they had to inform the Academy via either a Professor or the school¡¯s website; that way, an appropriate staff member could monitor the process by stepping in if anything went wrong.

    ¡°¡­uhhhh my bad.¡± Cynrik knew that he was supposed to report it but had chosen not to since he wasn¡¯t exactly excited to let other people know about his actual strength, including the teaching staff.

    ¡°Hehe, my bad, he says, good, outstanding Student Ivar Ragnarsson, very good indeed. Fortunately, your tant disregard for Academy policy has given me quite the opportunity here. By not only failing to inform the staff both before and after your sessful Evolution, along with missing the subsequent tests required afterward, you have broken three separate, essential rules, all before sses began.¡±

    Cynrik, wearing the Jim from the Office look, stared at the Professor with raised eyebrows, wide eyes, and pursed lips, listening to the man¡¯s ranting.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 226

    Across the campus, in the Headmaster¡¯s office, Headmaster Rivia was hard at work, signing documents, when his Watcet started vibrating erratically, making him look away from the paperwork and read the chain of messagesing in faster than he could reply to them.

    ¡°Damn it; those Ragnarsson brothers are causing trouble again.¡±

    BANG

    Standing up from his desk and leaving his office, Headmaster Rivia quickly located his secretary. He informed her that four Tier-4 Professors with advancedbat abilities were required to head to the second floor of the Battle Arena for a Tier-2 Evolution Assessment.

    Back in the Battle Arena, Professor Dennis¡¯s fingers flew across the hologram keyboard as he informed the Headmaster of what was going on before moving to file all the necessary paperwork that Cynrik had failed to do.

    ¡°Cough, um, Professor Dennis, please forgive my idiot brother, he tends not to think things through, so I apologize on his behalf. But, if you will punish him, please punish me as well.¡± Brance said as he grabbed Cynrik by the back of his head and forced him to bow down in repentance.

    ¡°Me too; if one does something wrong, we all do.¡± Gabby chimed in, bowing beside Brance.

    ¡°Count us in as well,¡± Selene stated, dragging Benny along by the scruff of his neck and making him bow.

    The actions of the other four students caused Professor Dennis to pause his fingers and look up at them. Then, noting exactly who had drastically changed in less than a week and grunting his acknowledgment, Professor Dennis allowed them to stay hunched over as he filed the applications for Cynrik, Brance, Benny, and Gabby. They now all appeared to be teenagerspared to young children during their Group battle.

    DING DONG, DONG DING, DING DONG, DONG DING

    Just as the Professor finished his aggressive and fast typing, the bell for the Third period chimed, and he exhaled loudly.

    ¡°Come along, you five; there isn¡¯t a second to waste; your punishment will happen during ss for everyone to see. But, let me warn you, the roster for my Year One Combatives has 63 students, including yourselves, so everyone else will be watching you.¡± Then, spinning on his heels, and ignoring the response of the members of MyrkLys, Professor Dennis briskly walked off to the elevators located in the center of the first floor and waited for the party to follow.

    [[FUCKING LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID, CYNRIK!]] while they ran to the elevators and got squeezed in behind the Professor, Brance was letting Cynrik have it in the mind link.

    [[YOU HAD ONE SIMPLE GOD DAMN JOB, DO THE FUCKING PAPERWORK SO THAT WE COULD GET THIS SHIT SQUARED AWAY!]] He yelled as he pinched Cynrik¡¯s side hard, without drawing a reaction from his older brother.

    [[I was wondering why you all weren¡¯t called in for testing after seeding in your Evos, hehe, it looks like Cyn really dropped the ball this time.]] Selene added in. Turning her head, she noticed the worried expressions of Gabby and Benny and quickly jumped to her roommate¡¯s side before beginning to pet her hair tenderly to calm her down.

    [[How the hell was I supposed to know they would make a big deal outta this bullshit?]] Cynrik tried defending himself, but the pinching increased.

    [[For crying out loud, they literally sent someone to our house to test us before the selections, did you REALLY THINK they wouldn¡¯t do the same thing after we achieved Tier-2. For someone so fucking brilliant, you really are fucking stupid.]] Gritting his teeth and trying to reign in his anger, Brance settled on pinching Cynrik¡¯s back with both hands, holding it for a few seconds before moving on to another spot.

    He desperately wanted to beat the hell out of his brother, but with Professor Dennis nearby, Brance knew it was impossible.

    Cynrik, the target of Brance¡¯s anger, stayed quiet and watched as the notifications rolled in, saying he was receiving 1 point of Damage per second Brance held the pinches. Yet, before the lost shoppingmodeHP could add up, it was healed by Cynrik¡¯s regeneration.

    DING

    It was only when the elevator doors opened, and the Professor stepped out that Cynrik finally made a wisecrack.

    [[Hm, lose 15 HP, gain back 15 HP just as fast, I guess SAO Abridged Kirito was right, When your numbers are high enough, you¡¯re basically untouchable.]]

    BAM

    ¡°OOF¡± Was all Cynrik was able to say as he was violently flung out of the ten-person elevator.

    His wisecrack was the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back for Brance as heshed out by drop-kicking Cynrik full force out of the elevator and into the wide-open training grounds of the second floor.

    The sudden attack caused the nearby chattering students to go wide-eyed, and even Professor Dennis was at a loss for words as he watched Cynrik fly through the air before touching down gracefully on one knee.

    ¡°Heh, superheronding, little brother.¡± Standing up and massaging the spot Brance had kicked, Cynrik smirked and rolled his left arm around to loosen it up.

    ¡°Shut up, asshole; why can¡¯t you just take a hit like a regr person instead of immediately starting your childish taunts and banter.¡± Stepping out of the elevator, Brance nced around the wide-open room, which wasprised of some bleachers, a dirt terrain, and several dozen weapon racks with training equipment.

    The second floor was modeled after an old, standard training field, where the ground was worn away, leaving no ce for grass to grow. But none of the members of MyrkLys found this strange since they were already bing used to the crazy ce that was VSFA.

    After watching the two brothers yell at each other, Professor Dennis decided that he would only need two Tier-4 Professors for the test. He hade up with an excellent idea to pit the cocky older brother against the aggravated younger brother.

    This would allow him to judge theirbat levels and see what kind of new abilities they had acquired through their Evolution to Tier-2, all the while burning off this animosity umted by the older brother¡¯s actions.

    The Headmaster quickly approved the idea, who struggled to find four Tier-4 staff members for the test in such a short amount of time. Two Professors were much more manageable. He, too, believed it was an excellent idea to let the brothers duke it out, so he informed Professor Dennis and sat back down at his desk before opening a holo-monitor with a view of the second-floor battlefield in the Arena.

    CLAP CLAP

    ¡°HEY, YOU TWO, KNOCK IT OFF AND GET YOUR ASSES OVER HERE; I want the rest of the ss to go over to the bleachers and take a seat!¡± Then, pping his hands loud enough to grab all 63 students¡¯ attention, Cynrik and Brance included, Professor Dennis organized the small clusters of bodies into a whole group and had them move across the field to the seating arrangements.

    Clicking his tongue, Cynrik adjusted his zer and calmly walked towards the Professor; however, seeing how Cynrik wasn¡¯t taking their situation seriously, this only served to piss him off further, so Brance dashed over alongside Cynrik and smacked him upside the head.

    Watching the bigger brother hit the clearly smaller one, Professor Dennis¡¯s eye twitched several times, yet somehow he could contain himself and wait for the two to reach his side.

    ¡°Gabrie and Benjamin Sanford, you two get over here as well.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Benny replied before jogging over to stand behind the brothers while casting a nce at them as if to say, ¡°Why must you two always cause trouble?¡±

    ¡°Coming, Professor Dennis.¡± On the other hand, Gabby responded politely and shed over,nding next to Brance, making the students in the bleachers gasp at her speed.

    With their arrival, Professor Dennis rolled his eyes at Cynrik and Brance, who were in the process of smacking each other¡¯s hands away, and cleared his throat, forcing the two to stand up straight at attention.

    ¡°Wee to Year One Combatives; I am your Combat Instructor Can Dennis; you will refer to me as either Instructor or Professor Dennis. Do I make myself clear?¡±

    ¡°YES, SIR!¡± Everyone in the ss, including Cynrik and Brance, shouted, with the two brothers feeling like they had returned to basic training for Cynrik or Bootcamp for Brance.

    ¡°Before you are four of the¡­.¡± Turning around, Professor Dennis noticed that at some point, Selene had joined the other members of the party and was standing to the left of Cynrik quietly.

    ¡°Let me rephrase before you is the S-Rank Year One Faction known as MyrkLys. Unfortunately, four of the party members have broken one of the most important rules here at VSFA, which is explicitly meant to keep each of you SAFE. Gabrie, Benjamin, Ivar, and Bj?rn all underwent their Tier-2 Evolutions without informing either myself or the Academy Staff. As such, not only have they put their own lives in danger but also the life of the nearby students at the time.¡±

    ¡°If not for the fact that all four were sessful, and there was no damage to Academy Property, this would have easily been grounds for Expulsion. That is how serious the situation is.¡±

    Hearing this, Brance red at Cynrik and clenched his fists tight enough to crack his knuckles.

    ¡°HOWEVER, their reckless actions have allowed me to present you a valuable opportunity since most of you are Tier-1 and will hopefully attempt your Evolutions in the future. In a few minutes, two Tier-4 Professors, who typically teach the Year Five and Year Six students, will be arriving at administering the reassessment evaluation test.¡±

    At this announcement, the students all began talking amongst themselves excitedly; in contrast, the members of MyrkLys grew solemn.

    ¡°Before the other Professors arrive, let me give you some background information on the differences between Tier-1 and Tier-2, starting with the qualitative change in how your bodies will handle Mana.¡± When Professor Dennis started speaking again, the students fell silent since this was new information.

    As opposed to the students on the bleachers, the members of MyrkLys frowned since they already knew this so-called ¡°new information,¡± the result of their experiments over the previous few days.

    [[Hey, Cyn, and Brancie, do you guys find it weird that they are only sending two Professors to test y¡¯all. Won¡¯t they get tired after only fighting one of you?]] Finding something wrong with the Professor¡¯s words, Selene spoke up.

    [[No, it makes sense; they only need two people to test Gabby and Benny. Sigh, you are so slow, Selene; it makes me sad. Brance and I already pretty much instantly realized that he was going to force us to do thebat assessment evaluation in front of an audience. So I started sowing the seeds in the Professors mind that he only needed someone to test Gabby and Benny. So the test my brother and I will face will be a fight between us.]] Cynrik said, giving Selene an eye roll in the meantime.

    [[Why do you think I did something so shy as drop-kicking Cynrik across the field, I needed to put on the act that I was so pissed off that I would hit him, and honestly, it wasn¡¯t that difficult because I am pissed off. It¡¯s just I would never hit him like that in public.]] Brance snorted and crossed his arms over his chest.

    ¡°So that you all know what to expect for your evaluations after Evolution, I will have the four of them conduct their test here, today, right now.¡± As the Professor began speaking, the elevator doors opened, and two prominent, battle-worn men, one bulky and the other more trim and athletic wearing staff uniforms walked out and over to the Professor¡¯s side.

    ¡°Now, some of you may wonder why I only called over Instructor Alistar and Garrison to test Gabrie and Benjamin Sanford; as for the two idiots, Ivar and Bj?rn Ragnarsson, they will have a battle among themselves. A brotherly contest to see who is stronger will double as a bonding exercise and a test.¡± Feeling pleased with himself upon seeing the excitement growing in his new students, Professor Dennis turned and nced at the members of MyrkLys, only to find Cynrik with his hood down and a cocky, shit-eating grin strewn across his face.

    [[Fucking nailed it, hehe; let¡¯s get this shit over with, Brancie.]]

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 227

    ¡°I will be the Referee for the duration of this battle. You will have precisely three minutes to choose your weapon of choice from the avable training weapons. Choose wisely because you will only have that choice from start to finish; no substitutions will be allowed. Also, bear in mind that no outside weapons or armor are allowed. Your three minutes begin now.¡± Stepping forward, Instructor Alistar the thinner of the two Instructors, spoke in a gruff burly voice, giving instructions to the brothers, who, at his order, stepped over to opposing weapons racks.

    [No hidden des; what will you ever do, Assassin.] Scanning through the multitude of different armaments on the rack, Brance teased.

    [By the way, don¡¯t start with a shield. It doesn¡¯t matter; we will most likely destroy them anyway after a few shes.] Picking up a dulled carbon fiber hatchet, Cynrik whipped it around, testing its bnce before cing it back on the rack.

    Benny, Selene, and Gabby huddled together to gossip about the brothers¡¯ choice, moving to the opposite side of the training field.

    ¡°Hey, roomie, let¡¯s bet two nights of dessert on what they will choose. Im thinking that my hubby will pick a hatchet, or a small de, like a dagger, and your hubby is gonna choose a spear or something.¡± Selene said as she watched Cynrik test different axes one after another.

    ¡°I have no idea what my hubby will choose, but he may go for a greatsword, especially if Big Bro doesn¡¯t want them to use their standard weapons, so a shield wouldn¡¯t be an option; as for Big Bro, I don¡¯t think he will choose a short-ded weapon, he has been talking about using a long swordtely.¡±

    ¡°Both of you are wrong about Big Bro Ivar; he will go for something with a more extended reach advantage. He knows that getting in close will leave him at a disadvantage. But I think Gabby is right about Brance using a Greatsword; anyway, get your picks in; they only have a minute left.¡± Fighting the urge to cringe at the girls¡¯ use of the word ¡°hubby,¡± Benny weighed in with his opinion.

    Professor Alistar stood motionless in the center of the battle area, watching the timer he set on his Watcet.

    ¡°One minute left, make your choices, and assume your positions on the battlefield.¡±

    In the bleachers, the students ced their own bets on either who would win the fight of brothers or what weapon they would choose.

    Standing off to the side, with his arms crossed, Professor Dennis and Instructor Garrison watched quietly as the two brothers tested over ten weapons each without taking one.

    ¡°Those two, they don¡¯t move like inexperienced fighters. On the contrary, every one of their motions is calcted to a high level without wasting any energy.¡± Instructor Garrison spoke his observations in a low voice so that only Professor Dennis could hear.

    ¡°What I am curious about is why neither one of them is looking at their standard weapons. For example, during the Group Faction Battle, Ivar wielded dual short swords, and Bj?rn had tworge teardrop kite shields, yet they are looking at entirely different weapons.¡± Chewing on the nail of his left thumb, Professor Dennis summarized the fight he had witnessed.

    ¡°That was before they reached Tier-2; it isn¡¯t umon for people topletely switch up their fighting style upon reaching the peak of lower Tiers.

    ¡°You have 30 seconds.¡± Interrupting their conversation, Instructor Alistar continued keeping time.

    [How shy are we looking to be, Cyn? Like gun battle in the middle of downtown shy, or Anakin vs. Obiwan shy?] Brance asked as he stepped up to a rack filled with several different greatswords.

    [Anakin and Obiwan is fine. We have to have an appropriate level ofbat awareness, so once our weapons break, we go into dog fight mode, don¡¯t forget to mix in some Affinities; we have trained with each other enough that even if we go all out, it shouldn¡¯t be able to kill each other. The worst case is we slice off a limb that can easily be reattached, plus you have your newly improved healing skill.] Briskly walking away from the hatchets, Cynrik moved swiftly to the staff weapons and grinned widely.

    [Hehehehehe, found what im using.] Extending his hand, Cynrikunched a strand of Dark Mana like a tentacle and pulled his weapon to his hand like he was using the force on a lightsaber.

    [Really digging deep with that one Cyn, don¡¯t you think everyone sees you as edgy enough as is?] Shaking his head and using Wind Mana to grab his weapon of choice, Brance turned and looked at Cynrik, who was smiling creepily and stroking the edge of his weapon.

    [Piss off, what do you know, this thing is beautiful, hehe.]

    ¡°TIME! Take your ces.¡± Raising his hand in the air, Instructor Alistar ordered Cynrik and Brance to leave the racks with their weapon choices and head to therge white circle painted on the ground in the approximate center of the 500-meter Arena field.

    In unison, both brothers channeled Wind Mana into their legs, stomped the ground, and shed to their starting points, drawing a chorus of apuse from the students.

    However, when the ss saw what weapons the brothers had chosen, the majority groaned at losing their bets, while a small minority, including Gabby, cheered loudly.

    ¡°IN THE RED CORNER, COMBATANT IVAR RAGNARSSON, WEAPON, WAR SCYTHE.¡±

    While the Instructor introduced him, Cynrik, who stood with his weapon¡¯s butt on the ground, flicked out his left leg and knocked into the staff before expertly spinning it like he¡¯d been using it for years and mming the dull curved head into the ground and striking a pose.

    [[FUCK, THAT¡¯S SOOOO HOT, CYN! YOU LOOK LIKE A REAPER!]] Thoroughly impressed by his actions, Selene shouted into the mind link, making Cynrik grin cockily.

    [[Get a fucking room, you two.]] Brance spat on the ground in distaste at Selene¡¯s praise and waited for his introduction.

    [[Would if we could.]] Was the cringeworthy reply Brance received from the two Dark Affinity users in sync.

    ¡°IN THE BLUE CORNER, COMBATANT BJ?RN RAGNARSSON, WEAPON, SINGLE EDGE GREATSWORD.¡±

    Unlike Cynrik, who did a shy flourish with his scythe, Brance went for the ssic off-the-shoulder stab into the ground with his greatsword¡ªstanding behind it with both hands grasping the hilt.

    Another round of apuse echoed through the open training arena, but it was drowned out by Gabby, who screamed loudly, making everyone turn and look at her.

    ¡°KICK IS ASS, BJ?RN!!! Eeep, sorry.¡± Noticing everyone was looking at her, Gabby squeaked and looked down at her feet, drawing a chuckle from the crowd.

    ¡°I want a clean battle; listen to my orders and protect yourself at all times. The rules for this fight are as follows; you may use Affinities but try not to blow up the field. The battle will cease if you are rendered unconscious, unable to continue, or I step in.¡± Standing in between Cynrik and Brance, the Instructor listed out everything necessary to keep the battle safe.

    ¡°If at any time you lose a limb, the fight will be paused for 10 minutes, and a medic will be sent in to reattach the limb before the battle will be restarted. If you understand these rules, give me your acknowledgment at this time.

    ¡°Good to go, Instructor.¡± Removing his greatsword from the ground, Brance confirmed and took a fighting stance with the sword resting over his shoulder and both hands firmly grasping the hilt.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this shit!¡± Lifting his scythe off the ground, Cynrik twirled it and held the weapon behind his back with the butt end in the air and the de resting behind his feet.

    Ignoring Cynrik¡¯s insolent remark, Instructor Alistar stepped back and held both hands parallel to the ground; turning his head to Brance, he gave his final remarks.

    ¡°Fighter, are you ready?¡±

    Brance nodded and deepened his stance slightly.

    Next, Instructor Alistar repeated the process with Cynrik.

    ¡°Fighter, are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Teehe, Haha.¡± Cynrik stood in the same position he had been for a few seconds and smirked at the Instructor, who took it as a confirmation.

    ¡°FIGHT!¡±

    [[TOBS PLAY BATTLE OF HEROS]] Smiling adventurously, Brance picked the background music for the fight before Cynrik had the opportunity; his choice-making Cynrik smile and circle the field slowly in time with the music.

    -Now ying ¡°Battle of Heroes Film mix¡± Arranged by XenoMorphic, original music By John Williams. ¨C

    As the song began ying, they both remembered all the times they had fought with toy swords or lightsabers as kids while listening to this very song and moving in time with the music; it was almost as if they had gone back in time.

    Gabby and Selene held hands and nervously watched the fight to the side. They were on the edge of their seats, unlike Cynrik and Brance, who were apparently having fun while reacting to the most famous movie fight of all time. Even Benny was tapping his foot erratically, as he had no idea who would win and was left out of the loop that the fight wasn¡¯t exactly real.

    Although Selene could hear the music and the brother¡¯s remarks, it didn¡¯t ease her anxiety at all; in fact, it was the opposite, as having a soundtrack to their fight, especially the current song, made the whole fight more intense

    [[I have brought skill points, knowledge, order, and sour balls to my new Faction.]] Cynrik started the abridged monologue as his eyes never left Brance for a second.

    [[Your new Faction?]] Inhaling slowly, Brance said his lines to add cadence to the speech that only himself, Cynrik, and Selene could hear.

    [[Don¡¯t make me kill you, Brance.]] Cynrik twirled his scythe skillfully and inched closer to his brother, baiting him into attacking.

    [[Cynrik, my allegiance is to our family, to MyrkLys, TO THE LIGHT!]]

    [[If you¡¯re not with me¡­then you¡¯re my enemy, Brancie.]] Knowing his brother was about to push in for an attack, Cynrik decided he would counter instead of matching theing words of the monologue and how the movie yed out.

    [[Only a Dark User deals in absolutes, Cyn¡­I will do what I must.]]

    [[You will try. brrrruunnggzzzzz]] Channeling his Dark Mana into the de for effect, Cynrik¡¯s scythe hummed deeply as he made the sound of a lightsaber igniting.

    Across from him, Brance did something simr but used Light Mana and made the same sound as his brother. The music changed as the horn line began ying the instant they did.

    Brance kicked off the ground and shed his heavy greatsword down on Cynrik, who sidestepped just in the nick of time, avoiding the hit and spinning his scythe beforending a shot on Brance¡¯s ribs with the staff portion of the weapon.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 228

    Jumping back several steps, Cynrik narrowed his eyes, he had used about 30% of his full strength in that strike, but Brance was unphased by it and swept his greatsword horizontally in an attempt to st Cynrik away, giving him some space to figure out his next move.

    [[Foolish Brancie, always using your head during a fight when you should be acting on instinct.]] Dropping to his belly and easily dodging the sweeping strike, Cynrik, flipping onto his back, wrapped his right leg around the scythe and kicked out, effectively attacking with the weapon using his leg as a fulcrum.

    Whipping the scythe-like an extension of his leg, Cynrik tried to take out Brance¡¯s feet just below the knee, but his younger brother had already predicted the attack and jumped just high enough to get out of the way of the abnormally fast strike.

    Using a st of Wind Mana, Brance guided himself several meters away and slung his greatsword back over his shoulder.

    ¡°Petty tricks don¡¯t work on me, brother; you¡¯ll have to try better,¡± Brance said while wearing a confident smile.

    ¡°Your words, not mine.¡± Tilting his head to the side, Cynrik revealed his left hand, which was already formed into a w and glowing with Dark Mana, making Brance¡¯s pupils constrict as he recognized what skill Cynrik was using, but it was toote to avoid it.

    Ten shadow tendrils ripped from the ground and stabbed at Brance¡¯s legs, rooting him in ce.

    Cynrik had disguised his use of [Shadow Sewing] by distracting his younger brother with the scythe leg sweep.

    ¡°SHIT!¡± Brance growled angrily at his misstep. Then, using his Light Mana coated greatsword, Brance made quick work of the shadow tendrils before healing himself. But, unfortunately, he had wasted too much time, for when he looked up, he saw almost two dozen fireballs floating around his body silently.

    ¡°PLAYING DIRTY WILL GET YOU NOWHERE!¡± Howling in fake anger, Brance spun his greatsword and used it to channel a powerful st of air, knocking away all the fireballs.

    Thinking quickly, Brance activated [Haste], giving himself the speed advantage over Cynrik since they both had an AGI stat of 470. Then, using the additional burst of speed, Brance dashed towards his brother, who was preparing another skill, and stabbed his greatsword at Cynrik¡¯s chest. Still, the older brother quickly countered it by spinning his scythe and catching Brance in the jaw with the butt of the weapon, knocking him back several steps.

    ¡°Timing beats speed every time, little brother; you¡¯ll have to be better if you want to win.¡± Chuckling softly, Cynrik and Brance once again began circling each other, looking for any opening to exploit.

    Across the field in the bleachers, all the students were ck-jawed as they watched the brothers go back and forth. They could feel their hearts racing and their breath catching in their throats. The exhibition Cynrik and Brance put on for them was so good that many couldn¡¯t believe they were witnessing a real fight and not a fight scene from an action movie.

    Even more surprising was that neither brother really seemed to have the upper hand. Sure, Cynrik hadnded a few blows, but none of them seemed to cause any damage to the muchrger and more muscr Brance.

    On the other hand, Gabby, Benny, and Selene watched the fight like hawks; this was the first time they had ever seen the brothers get semi-serious and fight each other. Of course, they had seen them spar hundreds of times but never were the two doing anything other than moving their bodies. Instead, the two analyzed and predicted the other¡¯s every move, allowing their one-on-onebat styles to shine.

    Brance was heavily aggressive, using his strength to his advantage, while Cynrik seemed to always be ready with a counter, giving the two very distinct and opposite styles.

    Going back and forth, the brothers matched each other and flitted around the arena for over thirty rounds, making Professor Dennis and Instructor Garrison narrow their eyes in contemtion.

    ¡°The two are evenly matched.¡± Breaking the silence, Instructor Garrison spoke his thoughts softly.

    ¡°Agreed; however, they are fighting on a razor¡¯s edge margin. One poorly executed move and the other will capitalize on it and end the fight. I will say, though, that Ivar may very well win this. I find it impressive how Brance uses his Light Affinity to instantly deal with the Dark Mana corrosive attacks that attempt to eat away at his HP. Still, he is constantly healing himself, so I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he sumbs to Mana sickness.¡± Professor Dennis¡¯s eyes tracked the movements of Brance and Cynrik as they covered arge amount of ground.

    ¡°True, but the tempo Ivar is keeping no doubt is draining his Stamina and MP faster than how Bj?rn is fighting. However, if memory serves, he chose the Thief ss as his primary during Tier-1, while his brother went with Warrior, so in a battle of attrition, the Warrior should be able tost much longer.¡± Popping his knuckles and shoving his hands into his pockets, Instructor Garrison spoke his opinion.

    ¡°You two would be right normally, but I think you forget that they are above else, brothers who constantly train together. They know each and every one of the other¡¯s weaknesses and strengths.¡± A voice suddenly appeared behind the two men, but it didn¡¯t startle them since they knew who it belonged.

    ¡°You are correct in that sense, Headmaster; however, it is still a bad matchup for Ivar Ragnarsson at the core.¡± Then, nodding in greeting to Headmaster Rivia, Professor Dennis weed the Headmaster, who hade all the way to the arena solely to watch the fight between the brothers live.

    CRACK CRACK CRACK, SHATTER!

    All three adults narrowed their eyes and fell silent at the sound of a weapon breaking, which rang out, causing the other students to gasp loudly.

    ¡°Sigh, saw that oneing; the training weapons are only rated to Peak of Tier-1, yet they both are using the force of Tier-2¡¯s im honestly surprised it didn¡¯t happen sooner. This doesn¡¯t look good for the younger Ragnarsson.¡±

    Going back a minute or two, Cynrik and Brance were shing fiercely, with Brance shing his greatsword tens of times a second from seemingly unpredictable angles, forcing Cynrik to weave in and out of the chaos, all while constantly spinning his scythe and shing with the sword in order to knock it off course.

    Unlike Brance, who was throwing his weight into every attack, Cynrik was simply redirecting them, using the centripetal motion of his spins to redirect the kic energy. Unfortunately, this abusive and stressful fighting style caused arge amount of damage to Brance¡¯s weapon, and after several minutes of back and forth shes, the greatsword finally cracked several times before shatteringpletely.

    ¡°It¡¯s over, little brother; I have the high ground,¡± snickering at his own joke, Cynrik twirled his scythe and went for Brance¡¯s neck with it. But to the surprise of everyone present, Brance threw up his left arm, covered in stone, and took the hit head-on.

    ¡°Heh, too bad for you. I am just as good without a weapon as with one.¡± Brance spat cockily as he knocked the scythe¡¯s head away. Then, taking a southpaw boxer¡¯s stance, Brance returned on the offensive, firing jabs at lightning speed, forcing Cynrik to deflect them with his scythe or dodge at thest second.

    Covering both fists with boxing gloves made of rock, Brance made short work of the durability of Cynrik¡¯s scythe. After a few more hits, it buckled under the pressure and shattered in the center, sending the head flying off several meters behind him.

    ¡°Two can y this game,¡± Cynrik taunted, assuming a standard MMA fighting stance.

    [Fucking hell, we¡¯ve been at this for a solid 25 minutes now; when the hell are they gonna call it a draw.] Cynrikined as he threw a two-punchbination finishing it with a head kick that was quickly blocked by Brance¡¯s right arm.

    [Not sure, but keep up; im increasing the tempo again. Oh, by the way, the Headmaster showed up not long ago.] Bobbing around Cynrik¡¯s attacks and blocking a pair of head kicks, Brance left a slight opening. Giving Cynrik enough time to peek over his shoulder and spot Headmaster Rivia, who watched the fight with narrowed eyes.

    [Shit, you don¡¯t think he knows we aren¡¯t serious, do you?] Clicking his tongue, Cynrik jumped back and charged up a burst of Fire Mana into his arm before unleashing [Continuous mes] at Brance, who bounced up into the air and kicked at them, shooting a st of air to counter the fire.

    [Probably, considering he has watched both our previously recorded fights, the one back at the Pinhurst Mansion and the one the other day.] Landing back on the ground, Brance stomped the dirt forcefully and manifested almost a hundred small stones, and with the aid of his Wind Mana, added a rotation to them, turning each rock into arge bullet before directing them at Cynrik.

    ¡°Damn it, [Shadow Leap].¡± Then, chanting the name of his skill, Cynrik sunk into the ground and disappeared from sight for half a second before reappearing behind Brance and dropkicking him in the back, exactly like he had done earlier, flinging his little brother several meters forward.

    As Brance flew through the air, he reached out and touched the dirt, kicking up a cloud of dust, and began working on using his ultimate attack, forcing Cynrik into a rough situation while looking impressive at the same time.

    ¡°What are you up to now, little brother? Controlling the dirt with your Earth Affinity to block my eyes won¡¯t work; you should know better than that.¡± Then, realizing Brance was going for broke and spotting the tiny portals appearing in the sky with his [Mana Sight], Cynrik wracked his brain for a solution.

    ¡®Brance¡¯s [Swords of Judgement] can manifest up to 30 enormous swords of light; he really wants to put on a show, alright, guess it¡¯s time to show off a bit.¡¯ ncing at his current MP, Cynrik began focusing the bulk of his remaining points on each hand, one with Fire, the other Dark.

    ¡®I haven¡¯t used [ckFire Cyclone] without my swords, but the principle should be the same so long as I use a knife-hand. The only issue is if I can make enough Cyclones to contend with so many of those shiny, bullshit greatswords. No, wait, Light and Dark will cancel each other out, leaving only the Fire particles intact. So I have to go beyond that.¡¯

    Changing his ns instantly, Cynrik created a mini [ckFire Cyclone] on each of his ten fingers and pushed off the ground to get out of the dust cloud.

    ¡®When I sh out to erge the cyclones, I need to use Wind Mana a little more or risk obliterating my fingers. Usually, the kodachi would take the damage chipping away slightly at their durability, but things change if I use my own body.¡¯

    Making up his mind and wearing a focused expression, Cynrik looked up just in time to see 30 brightly shining and massive greatswordsing out of portals made of pure Light Mana above in the sky.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 229

    Headmaster Rivia looked up at the sky and the forming [Swords of Judgement] solemnly.

    ¡°The younger brother has great control over his Light Affinity; this is the first time I am seeing someone use it for something other than healing or defense.¡± Professor Dennis spoke with awe in his voice.

    ¡°From time to time, there will be someone who can transcend the limits of their Affinity and, in response, change the world¡¯s view of how those particles can be used. It seems this Bj?rn Ragnarsson will do just that once he reaches the public stage.¡± Instructor Garrison crossed his arms over his chest and examined the intricately designed 10-meter greatswords as they emerged from the portals of Light.

    ¡°He isn¡¯t the only one; Ivar also shows the versatility of his control over Dark Mana particles. From the beginning of the fight, he has expertly used the corrosive nature of his Affinity to keep his brother constantly working. In an otherwise unfavorable scenario, he uses his speed and strategic prowess to counter his brother instead of hiding in the shadows and waiting for the perfect moment to attack.¡± Headmaster Rivia continued exining what he saw to the other two staff members.

    ¡°The way he strings togetherbinations using all three of his Affinities topliment his weapon or hand to handbat skills is a testament to just how experienced inbat and knowledgeable of his own abilities he is. I have no idea who the hell trained them, but both of these brothers have the aura of War Veterans who spent their entire lives fighting, which is absurd considering they are only 12 and 11 years old.¡±

    Professor Dennis mulled over the Headmaster¡¯s words as he watched these powerful swords emerge from the portals. Finally, his eyes moved to Cynrik, who was standing with his right leg back, left leg bent, and leaning forward with his fingers connected on both hands, making them into des.

    Cynrik was panting heavily, and his clothes were a bit dirty with the buttons of his zer undone, yet Professor Dennis couldn¡¯t help but notice how the boy seemed undamaged, aside from a few scratches here or there.

    In contrast, Brance was in a worse shape before he hid in the dust cloud; his zer had been torn bad enough that the boy removed it and stored it away, fighting in only his button-up long sleeve white shirt with the cor unbuttoned and the shirttail untucked.

    That wasn¡¯t all; the longer he watched the battle between the brothers, the more pressure he felt to Evolve to Tier-3. For a few years now, he had been stuck at the Peak of Tier-2 and thus forced to be a Year One Teacher, but as he watched his two new students fight, the image of himself fighting against either one ovepped, and he knew, if it came down to him and them, he would stand no chance.

    Headmaster Rivia noticed Professor Dennis lost in thought and smiled. He had a feeling that Dennis was trying to figure out if he could stop the attack in the sky.

    Back on the battlefield, Cynrik inhaled deeply while charging Mana into thepressed Cyclones. Then, staring up at the overly impressive swords made by his rival Affinity in the sky, Cynrik smiled slightly. He knew that there was really only one way to pull this off, and all he could do was hope his arms weren¡¯t too fucked up afterward.

    ¡®Tobs, You say run, the Habetler cover, but I want you to slowly fade it in and y the chorus in a loop.¡¯ Cynrik thought themand out, and Tobsplied without hesitation.

    -Now ying MHA- You Say Run| Epic Plus Ultra Cover!!¡± By Friedrich Habetler-

    ¡°Hey¡­ Bj?rn, I gotta say, you¡¯re a bit crazy for trying this stunt in the middle of the arena. You know damn well I can only respond with equal force.¡± Bringing his neck to his side and releasing the tension in a pop, Cynrik gritted his teeth as he felt Dark and Wind Mana wraps around both of his arms from elbow to tips.

    ¡°OI! LITTLE BROTHER, HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THESE WORDS?¡±

    FWOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM

    The dirt around Cynrik¡¯s feet began to swirl and churn as if his body was emitting tiny shockwaves.

    As if waiting for his older brother¡¯s signal, Brance unleased a Wind Mana burst to dissipate the cloud of dust and stood with his arms in the air using an invisible tether to keep the fully emerged [Swords of Judgement] in ce.

    ¡°GOOOO BEEEYOOOOONNNNNDDDDD!¡± The veins on Cynrik¡¯s arms, shoulders, and neck bulged as he triggered his H¨²efl¨²r, lighting up all the intricate markings on his skin in a warm glow.

    [[ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE CYNRIK, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!]] Panic spread across Brance¡¯s face when he saw his brother¡¯s set up; with [Mana Sight] active, he could see his brother¡¯s tattoos hidden under his sleeves and felt his heart begin to race.

    Allowing his Mana to explode forth from his Codex, the Ambient Light, Earth, and Wind particles churned violently and visibly around Brance. Initially, he had only nned to send the swords in one at a time, allowing Cynrik to fight them off, but seeing how his brother was going for broke, Brance knew he had to meet him halfway.

    [[WHAT DO YOU EXPECT, BRANCIE? WITHOUT MY SWORDS, I¡¯VE GOT NO OTHER COUNTER. YOU CAN DAMN WELL BELIEVE I AINT GIVING YOU THE W THAT EASILY HAHAHAHAHA, LET¡¯S DO THIS SHIT!]] Cynrik cackled madly as he threw caution to the wind and allowed the [ckFire Cyclones] to dance around his hands, intimidatingly.

    Beside the bleachers, Gabby, Benny and Selene stepped forward in concern, their faces pale.

    ¡°Ivar..¡± Selene said with tears forming in her eyes as she watched the skin on his hands slowly burn.

    ¡°Bj?rn¡­¡± Gabby gripped Selene¡¯s hand so tightly that she could hear her bones popping, ignoring the pain and seekingfort in Selene¡¯s presence; Gabby choked back the tears threatening to spill over.

    ¡°Crazy idiots, don¡¯t they realize this is only a test?¡± Benny chewed on his bottom lip but couldn¡¯t look away as all three of Cynrik¡¯s Affinity¡¯s caused the Ambient, Dark, Fire, and Wind Mana particles to swirl around his body.

    ¡°What the fuck? Why in the hell is there such a reaction from the surrounding Mana?¡± Then, Instructor Garrison eximed, dropping his arms and readying himself to protect the nearby students.

    ¡°Sigh, these two trouble makers. Can¡¯t they just have a typical battle? Why do they feel the need to go so far?¡± Clicking his tongue and willing his own Mana to move from his Codex into his right palm, Headmaster Rivia raised his arm and waited. If things got out of hand, there was no way the two Instructors or the Professor could stop the aftermath and keep everyone safe.

    Cynrik and Brance were in their own world, ignoring the bleachers¡¯ cries; they focused on the music and their attacks.

    ¡°RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± Unable to contain himself and shut the pain receptors in his arms off, Cynrik leaned into his left leg and stomped the ground as hard as he could muster, jumping into the air, leaving an impact crater behind and an afterimage of three colored Light.

    ¡°PLUSSSSSS!¡± Gritting his teeth till he tasted blood, Cynrik flew up to greet the fully formed [Swords of Judgement] with thin bolts of lightning crackling around his body.

    ¡°GRAHHHHHHHHHHH.¡± Brance mmed his hands down, each of his fingers tethered to three massive Light constructed swords, sending them all at Cynrik.

    ¡°ULLTTTRAAAAAA!¡± Cynrik flung his arms out and released the 10 [ckFire Cyclones]; the instant they left his fingertips, he felt the skin on his arms explode in a bloody mess. Ignoring the pain, he quickly channeled what little MP he could into his feet and switched to [Continual mes], propelling him away from what was sure to be a spectacr firework.

    Feeling his arms go numb, Cynrik turned his back to the iing explosion; he had sent his attack on a perfect trajectory, so there was no need to watch as he tucked in, flipped, andnded on the ground just as the explosion was supposed to ur.

    However, to both his and Brance¡¯s surprise, they suddenly felt their connection to the skills get severed, and they looked up at the predicted point of impact only to see a sizeable aqua-colored crack sucking in all the swords and cyclones.

    ¡°I think that is enough, you two. Is it really necessary to damage my arena thanks to your hard-headed ignorance?¡±

    Whipping both their heads to the center of the battlefield, Cynrik and Brance spotted the Headmaster standing imposingly with his right hand glowing in the same Aqua light as the crack in the air.

    ¡°This fight ends in a draw,¡± Instructor Alistar appeared next to Cynrik in an instant.

    ¡°There is no official winner,¡± while Instructor Garrison made his presence known beside Brance.

    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t stepped in, the remainder of the fight would have been short. The sh between Dark and Light particles would have canceled each other out, resulting in arge explosion.¡± The Headmaster began narrating for the students, who could barely breathe.

    ¡°With the canction of the Dark Mana, Ivar Ragnarsson¡¯s Cyclones, having lost their fusion partner, would have increased in temperature drastically thanks to the Wind Mana, allowing it to break through whatever Light Contracts remained after the initial impact.¡±

    ¡°With Ivar¡¯s arms being in the state they currently are, he would have hisbat potential dropped by at least 60 percent. Meanwhile, Bj?rn, having expended nearly all his MP, and feeling the toll taken on his body by controlling Constructs without proper training, will be facing some adverse effects, also restricting hisbat potential to around 40%.¡±

    ¡°Still evenly matched, I believe the two of you would have continued until you were rendered unable to fight any longer.¡± The Headmaster¡¯s conclusions lined up reasonably well with what Cynrik had predicted.

    ¡°But in doing so, you would have caused substantial damage to the arena and forced the Instructors and your Professor to step in and protect the other students. So how bout we just call it a draw, and I allow you two to NOT get expelled.¡± Then, rolling his eyes and shooting a nce at Cynrik¡¯s mutted arms, which he had hanging in front of his body, Headmaster Rivia stated for everyone to hear.

    [[He¡¯s good¡­very good, what element was that Cyn?]] Panting heavily and standing on wobbly legs, Brance asked while looking away from the Headmaster up to where the crack in the sky was closing.

    [[Space, the Headmaster has the Space Affinity.]] Cynrik replied, pulling his eyes away from the now-closed spatial crack and looking at his arms, which he was holding out away from his body, bent at the elbows with his forearms parallel to the ground. Cynrik¡¯s hands hung limply, and he had already realized that all the nerve endings had been fried by his wreckless attack.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 230

    With the battle¡¯s conclusion, the girls attacked Cynrik and Brance; Gabby flung herself at him and, like a monkey, wrapped herself around his body, knocking them both to the ground as her tears broke the floodgate.

    Selene, who was equally as upset, ran up to Cynrik and buried her head in his chest, hiding her tears from everyone but allowing him to feel them dropping on his shirt.

    ¡°You *sniffle* insufferable bastard, how dare you fucking, *sniffle* worry me like that. Look at your arms; they look like ground beef *sniffle*.¡± Then, drawing back enough to beat her fists on Cynrik¡¯s chest, Selene vented her frustrations on him, making the boy sigh loudly and lean forward so he could rest his chin on top of her head.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, im an asshole, I know, but darling, ima need you to chill with the hammer fists. I am barely standing as is right now.¡± Seeing Selene in such a broken state, strangely, Cynrik wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her, but when he tried, he quickly realized his arms were locked in an L with his hands hanging limply out of his control.

    Not far away, Gabby was just lying in Brance¡¯s arms as he rubbed small circles on the crying girl¡¯s back. He felt terrible that she had to watch the fight while out of the loop, but the fact that he and Cynrik weren¡¯t taking it seriously until the final sh, was something that the Over-Break hosts could only know. The fewer people who knew, the better, including Gabby and Benny. So, all Brance could do was try andfort her for now.

    Ignoring the two young couples, the Instructors, Professor, and Headmaster, calmly walked over to the bleachers and began answering any questions the students had. However, there was one question that everyone was afraid to ask, and that was what Affinity the Headmaster had used to stop the fight. At the time, Cynrik and Brance weren¡¯t focused on the skill he used to draw in their attacks. Instead, they were concerned about escaping the destruction of their sh, but the students had seen it all.

    Just as the Cyclones reached the Swords, the sky warped and ripped open, then like a giant creature¡¯s mouth, the crack gobbled up the two attacks without allowing them to touch. Like how you would expect a ck hole to absorb matter, the spatial crack made it possible to avoid any damage from urring outside of its reach, allowing the students to exhale the breath they didn¡¯t know had been held.

    Ignoring the topic of what Affinity and skill the Headmaster had used, the students hungrily searched for more information on how the Brothers could manifest a visual effect for the elemental particles or how could the gap between Tier-1 and Tier-2 be so vast.

    While the Headmaster was giving his lecture, back on the field, the girls had finally gathered themselves and helped the brothers up so that they could walk over to each other. Even though they were incredibly stubborn, givin no other option, Cynrik and Brance were forced to lean on Selene and Gabby to walk.

    Closing the distance of several meters, Brance finally saw the extent of the damage to Cynrik¡¯s hands and arms. And Extensive it was, the flesh was barely intact, exposing the muscle and even some bone to the open air.

    Gabby sucked in a sharp breath when she saw Cynrik¡¯s arms, making him smile sheepishly.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pretty bad, had worse, but nheless, I went a little too hard there at the end, hehe,¡± Wiggling his lifeless hands still held in the horizontal L pose, Cynrik stated helplessly.

    ¡°Ok, for sure, stop that; it¡¯s gross. I was gunna ask why you were T-Rexing, but seeing your injuries, I am surprised you can even perform that little bit of movement. So let me guess; your elbow joints are locked in ce?¡± Using his right hand to cover Gabby¡¯s eyes, shielding her from the gross floppy wiggles of Cynrik¡¯s dead hands, Brance scolded his brother before confirming why he was holding his arms like a dinosaur.

    ¡°Every dinosaur feared the T-rex,¡± Cynrik said before creeping closer to Gabby, who had moved Brance¡¯s hands curiously and jumped, scaring the girl.

    ¡°Rawrrrrrr!¡± He yfully yelled while iling his hands about, forcing Gabby to shrink back behind Brance. The gruesome sight was too much for her stomach to handle, and she could feel the vomit creeping up.

    ¡°I.V.A.R!¡± Noticing Gabby shaking behind him, Brance reached out and grabbed one of the bloody arms and not so gently squeezed it before channeling a third of what little MP he had left to use [Advanced Healing]. Within seconds, the skin on Cynrik¡¯s right arm regrew before sealing itself, leaving stretched-out scar tissue behind. Along with the new skin, the nerve endings healed, sending an excruciating amount of pain surging up Cynrik¡¯s arm,

    ¡°FUCKING HELL! WARN A GUY NEXT TIME!¡± Shouting in anger while pulling back his partially healed arm, Cynrik sucked in a sharp breath beforepartmentalizing the pain he was experiencing.

    ¡°Huff, huff, quit your bitching, you big baby. Huff, Gabby, help me drink a Mana Pot so that I can patch up this moron¡¯s other arm.¡± Brance grumbled, leaning all his weight on Gabby, who quickly wrapped her arm around his waist and pulled out a medium Mana Potion from her inventory. Next, she carefully flicked off the cap and held the bottle to his lips.

    The effect was instant, and just like before, Brance ungracefully grabbed Cynrik¡¯s other arm and repaired as much damage as possible. Although [Advanced Healing] was incapable of restoring lost limbs, fixing the damaged tissue was no problem, but it would take around three to four skill uses on each arm to fully heal Cynrik¡¯s injuries.

    Luckily, Cynrik was good with pain. So even though it hurt like hell, between his Vitality being at 550, and his high healing regeneration, Cynrik recovered about 40% of his movement in both arms, barely enough to drop the T-Rex pose.

    Clenching his fists tightly, Cynrik closed his eyes and let the pain wash over him. This was something he had always done as far back as he could remember. While most people would be hindered and give up the second they were hurt, Cynrik would use it to focus his mind. So as he stood there silently and listened to the murmurs of the other students asking their questions, Cynrik went back to his usual self and pulled up his hood.

    Tossing a nce at his arms onest time and seeing the newly formed scar tissue and thin skin, Cynrik sighed and rolled up what remained of his sleeves to just above his elbow. Unfortunately, thanks to the limited mobility of his fingers, he struggled for a minute before Selene stepped in and assisted him. Once the girl was done fussing with his neatly rolled sleeves, she straightened his zer and fed him potions.

    Brance, on the other hand, after getting harassed by Gabby, pulled out his backup zer from his inventory and put it on along with the cufflinks, badge, and button.

    [[What¡¯s your range of mobility right now?]] Brance asked once Gabby was satisfied with his appearance.

    [[My Hands are a little shakey, and I¡¯d be lucky not to tear the scar tissue after a few punches, but other than that, im fine. What about you? Hows is the bacsh?]] Cynrik responded as he pushed away Selene¡¯s fussy hands, which were making sure he was presentable just like Gabby did with Brance.

    [[About what you¡¯d expect. I feel like I ran a fucking marathon after going 20 rounds with a pro boxer. But, with Gabby force-feeding me potions, I should be back to a hundred percent in a few hours.]] Straightening his back and sping his hands behind him, Brance turned and looked at the bleachers.

    [[Thoughts on the teachers?]]

    [[I mean, im sure they were skeptical at first, but you and I put on a good enough showing with you constantly increasing the pace, but that final sh with my Cyclones and your Sword Constructs probably was enough to get them off our backs.]] Tucking his hands into his pockets so no one would see the shaking, especially Selene, Cynrik too looked over at the bleachers.

    [[You are both fucking assholes, Gabby and I are here worried sick, wanting to spoil you, and all you can talk about is if the teachers liked your fight. UGH!]] When Selene saw how casual the brothers were acting, she ripped into them both, but her scolding caused two opposite reactions.

    Brance looked down and, knowing he was in the wrong, slipped his hand around Gabby¡¯s waist before nting a kiss on top of her head. Gabby, thoroughly caught off guard, froze for a second and then, realizing what had just transpired, melted into Brance¡¯s arms while blushing bright red.

    Cynrik, on the other hand, snorted and snuck his hand around Selene and gave her a firm pinch on her asscheek.

    [[Rx, darling, this is just how we are. If you are going to stick around, there is no other option but to get used to it sooner rather thanter. Brancie and I will always push our limits, even if we are hurt. It isn¡¯t the first time, and it won¡¯t be thest.]] Is what Cynrik said in the mind link, but he soon leaned in and started whispering vulgarities in Selene¡¯s ear, causing her to turn just as red as Gabby.

    While the four were having their moment, Benny finally moved away from the bleachers. He had opted to give the two couples their alone time and was listening in on the Headmaster¡¯s lecture, which he found very helpful.

    Even though Cynrik and Brance had figured out the majority of the data and subsequently exined the bulk of the information to the rest of the party, they couldn¡¯t get the finer points. Such as different ways to control Ambient Mana, giving the user a higher chance of forcing an Evolution.

    Having heard enough, he walked over to Professor Dennis and stood quietly behind him, not wanting to interrupt his conversation with Instructors Alistar and Garrison.

    It didn¡¯t take long for the teachers to finish up and notice Benny, who was standing politely at attention behind them.

    ¡°Hm? Benjamin, are you ready to begin your test?¡± Professor Dennis asked, wondering when exactly the boy had appeared.

    ¡°Yes, sir, with the girls taking care of Ivar and Bj?rn¡¯s injuries, I thought it would be better toe over and ask to begin my test before my little sisters. But I have a request.¡± Benny asked in a formal yet respectful tone.

    Slightly impressed by how mature Benny waspared to the other four in his party, Professor Dennis motioned for him to ask while allowing him to stand at ease.

    ¡°Sirs, I would like to use an offensive weapon and a shield during my test, if that is alright with you all.¡± Then, sliding out his right foot slightly, widening his stance, and cing his hands behind his back, in the primary parade rest position that Cynrik had drilled in his head for years, Benny requested to use a weapon along with a shield.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. P.S. Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 231

    ¡°I see; that is all you were worried about. I thought you were about to ask for somethingplicated. Yes, it is okay to use a weapon on top of a shield. Most warriors will, especially Tanks like yourself. But, honestly, that rule was more so put in ce to see how Ivar and his brother would react. For you and your sister, the restrictions are more rxed.¡± Professor Dennis gave his consent and looked over at Instructor Garrison, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°He is a warrior; I would expect something along the lines of sword and board; I have no issues with it.¡± Inspector Garrison stepped forward, pushing off the bleachers he had been leaning against since the end of the battle, and started walking towards the center of the field.

    ¡°CLEAR THE BATTLE AREA! The next round of Evaluations will begin in 5 minutes,¡± Professor Dennis shouted, drawing everyone¡¯s attention away from the Headmaster; then, he looked at Benny and spoke softer.

    ¡°You will have three minutes to choose your weapon, so go ahead and head over to the racks to make your picks.¡± However, just as Benny was about to walk away and do as told, Professor Dennis stopped him for a word of advice.

    ¡°Benjamin, I rmend you go with a more hefty shield than the one you used during your group battle. The lightweight one you were using didn¡¯t allow you to bring out your full potential, and if you don¡¯t make a change now before you get too used to it, you will be hinderedter in life. So give it a shot, test a few of them, and see which one fits you best. I know the brothers are very skilled, but sometimes it¡¯s better to find your own path than to allow others to dictate your every move.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your advice Professor Dennis; I will take it to heart. The buckler style has been with me for a while now, but after my Evolution, I realized that I couldn¡¯t stop the attacks I should be able to as a tank. Also, its size doesn¡¯t fit my new¡­body.¡± Nodding in understanding, Benny jogged off towards the closest weapon rack.

    On his way, he passed Cynrik and the others, and they gave him a smack on the back for encouragement and a few words of advice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think, react; use your instinct and battle sense. The more time you waste trying to figure out what attack patterns the guy has, the less you have actually to work on stopping them.¡± Cynrik said.

    ¡°Remember what we taught you, string your sword shes with your Affinity. Even water can cut through steel when pressurized, don¡¯t forget what you learned in ss earlier.¡± Brance chimed in cheerfully, now back on his feet for the most part.

    ¡°Go get ¡¯em, big guy.¡± Selene waved as she walked away.

    Leaving only Gabby, who stood in front of her older brother and scanned him from top to bottom. Leaning forward and adjusting his cor, she patted his broad chest twice and smiled brightly at Benny.

    ¡°You got this, brother. If Ivar and my Bj?rn can go all out, so can you. Knock that teacher on his butt.¡± Giving Benny a thumbs up and some parting words, Gabby hurried off to take her spot next to Brance as the group made their way to the bleachers.

    When they made it over, all four remaining members of MyrkLys stood close to the Headmaster and ignored the glittering stares of the other students. The fight between Cynrik and Brance still reying in their minds.

    Some of the girls would peek at Brance before looking down when he turned to see who was staring intensely at him. A sh of his trademark handsome smile was enough to make the young girls turn into blushing messes, much to Gabby¡¯s dissatisfaction. But after remembering he was hers and snuggling against him, she simply ignored the giggling girls.

    In contrast, anytime someone would send flirty eyes at Cynrik, Selene would snarl like a female wolf, scaring any potential nuisance trying to steal her man. Her petty actions made Cynrik smirk and whisper for her to stick her left hand into his right back pocket since he knew if she were let loose, Selene would probably tear each of the flirty young girls to pieces.

    Once Benny arrived at the first row of train weapons, Instructor Alistar, who had returned to his post in the center of the field, started the three-minute timer.

    Strolling, Benny passed by the daggers, short swords, and axes, first heading towards the shields. Knowing time was short, his eyes rapidly flicked around, ignoring the small bucklers and theirrger variant, the targe. Then, heading the slight nudge from the Professor, he moved to the kite shields, which ranged in size, with the smaller ones being in the shape of a square or diamond and therger ones being teardrops, which Brance was known to use. However, after picking up a couple and fitting them in to ce on his left arm, Benny realized he didn¡¯t like the way they rested or how clunky they felt, so he walked away from the kites and toward the round shields.

    ¡°Two minutes.¡± Professor Alistar shouted, yet Benny stayed calm and split his attention between the different-sized round shields and a nearby rack with varying length two-handed swords.

    Back at the bleachers, Cynrik and Brance narrowed their eyes in thought, witnessing Benny¡¯s actions.

    ¡°Interesting, he ditched the buckler and is going for somethingrger; what do you think, Big Brother?¡± Brance was the first toment on how Benny didn¡¯t even bat an eysh at his usual type of defense.

    ¡°With the increase in his bulk and height, it makes more sense to go with arger shield. Do you see how his eyes are going back and forth between the two-handers and the round shields? He is up to something very interesting.¡± Giving his observations to the rest of the party, everyone picked up on Benny¡¯s sly actions.

    ¡°Really? Why a two-hander Big Bro Ivar?¡± Confused by her brother¡¯s choices, Gabby tilted her head to the side, questioning Cynrik.

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be too big an issue to wield one with one hand. But, you have to remember, as a warrior, Benny will eventually have his STR as the highest stat. From what I can tell, he is nning ahead and using this test as an opportunity to break away from our little nest of protection.¡±

    ¡°You have to remember Gabby, of all us who made it to Tier-2, Benny had the most significant physical change. During our sparring matches, he struggled to adjust to using a short sword and buckler, which is a sign that he has outgrown them. Try picturing it as using a pencil and couch pillow to fight; it doesn¡¯t match up with his body anymore. Thus, it makes sense to use a different sword and shield type.¡± Cynrik spoke while rolling his neck around to reduce some of the stiffness from building up.

    ¡°Yeah, but why a two-handed sword? That seems like putting the cart before the horse?¡± Selene asked while rubbing her head tenderly on Cynrik¡¯s shoulder, annoying him slightly.

    ¡°That one, you¡¯ll have to take up with Benny when he returns. Honestly, I don¡¯t see why not; his STR is high enough to wield a heavier sword now, but with weightes greater length. The question will be what type of sword he chooses. If he is hell-bent on using a two-handed sword with only his right hand, I¡¯d prefer he go with an edgeless one, specializing in crushing instead of shing.¡±

    ¡°I agree with Big Brother on that one, but I am also concerned about his choice in shields. As a Tank, we need to evenly distribute the impact by deflecting the attack or having a wide enough surface area on our shield to distribute the force and weight evenly. The only problem is Benny has always yed the dodge and deflect game, kind of like Big Brother does with his swords, but now he seems to want to fuse what the two of us do into his own style. Im all for it, but I just hope he isn¡¯t biting off more than he can chew.¡± Said Brance as he used his thumb to trace Gabby¡¯s knuckles.

    ¡°One minute remaining.¡±

    With time running out, Benny picked up arge round shield, equipped it, and tested its weight with a few swings. Then, unhappy with its performance, he swapped it for a smaller one, provoking a chuckle from Cynrik.

    Next, he quickly padded over to the two-handed swords. He started testing them one after another before finding the suitable fitting one, in his opinion, and sprinting to the battlefield.

    ¡°TIME! Take your positions.¡± The Instructor nodded at Benny, who arrived in time and stood holding his two weapons before turning and looking at Instructor Garrison.

    ¡°IN THE RED CORNER, COMBATANT TARNIS GARRISON, WEAPON, LONG SWORD AND KITE SHIELD.¡±

    The students in the bleachers pped loudly, cheering for the stoic and brawny Instructor Garrison. Some girls evenmented on how handsome he looked, silently standing there with his weapons.

    ¡°IN THE BLUE CORNER, COMBATANT BENJAMIN SANFORD, WEAPON, ESTOC AND ASPIS.¡±

    This time the audience of students was noticeably quieter; however, the members of MyrkLys were highly vocal.

    ¡°OIII, YOU BETTER NOT LOSE BENNY; BEAT THAT OLD MAN¡¯S ASS!¡± Cynrik shouted, drawing an angry re from Professor Dennis and the Headmaster.

    ¡°YOU GOT THIS, BENNY; KEEP CALM AND REMEMBER YOUR TRAINING!¡± In contrast to his older brother, Brance went into full-on coach mode

    ¡°GOOOO BROTHERRR GOOOOO BROTHER!¡± Jumping up and down beside Brance, Gabby cheered her older brother on.

    ¡°FIGHT DIRTY; REMEMBER WHAT IVAR SAYS, THERE¡¯S NO SUCH THING AS CLEAN IN A BRAWL!¡± Selene hollered with her hands cupped to her mouth, earning another displeased re from the Headmaster and Professor Dennis.

    [[HAHAHHA! Atta girl Selene.]] Cynrik, though, praised her for her verbal assault.

    ¡°Alright, you two, I want a clean battle; listen to my orders and protect yourself at all times. For this fight, the rules are the same as for the Ragnarsson brothers, but I will go over them once more. The battle will cease if you are rendered unconscious, unable to continue, or I step in.¡± Instructor Alistar stood in between Benny and Instructor Garrison and listed out the rules, so they were fresh in everyone¡¯s minds.

    ¡°Low blows to the groin are banned. Additionally, if you lose a limb at any time, the fight will be paused for 10 minutes, and a medic will be sent in to reattach the limb before the battle will be restarted, with eachbatant taking a simr position when the fight was stopped. If you understand these rules, confirm it with a gesture or verbal acknowledgment.¡±

    ¡°I am ready, Instructor Alistair.¡± Then, crossing his sword over his chest like a knight and making a polite bow to his opponent and the referee, Benny confirmed.

    ¡°On your mark Ali, ready when you are,¡± Professor Garrison said before looking at Benny and making a finalment.

    ¡°I will limit my strength to Mid-Tier-2 for this fight. As an Instructor, it is my job to guide students on the correct path, so I tend to point out ws and allow students to make corrections throughout the fight, Good luck.¡± Knocking his longsword against his shield and producing a loud ng, Instructor Garrison took a few steps back and dropped into hisbat stance, with his shield raised and the sword resting against the leftmost top edge.

    ¡°FIGHTER, ARE YOU READY!¡±

    Benny took a few steps backward and slid his left foot half a step behind his body, holding his shield in front, covering the space from his neck to his knees, and held his sword off to the side in his right hand before nodding.

    ¡°FIGHTER, ARE YOU READY!¡±

    Instructor Garrison smiled and pped his sword on his shield, producing another loud ng.

    ¡°FIGHT!!!¡± Raising his hand into the air, Instructor Alistar jumped back, narrowly avoiding arge [Stone Spike] which tore from the ground heading toward Benny.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. P.S. Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 232

    ¡°FIGHT!!!¡± Raising his hand into the air, Instructor Alistar jumped back, narrowly avoiding arge [Stone Spike] which tore from the ground heading toward Benny.

    Benny received the spike, strengthening his stance and bracing his shoulder against his shield but soon discovering he had made a big mistake. At first, the sudden force and weight behind the skill only sent him sliding backward. After that, however, it didn¡¯t take long for him to get overpowered and flung back.

    ¡°You clearly haven¡¯t used a shield that size before, or else your stance wouldn¡¯t have been wrong.¡± Then, advancing slowly, Instructor Garrison began his teachings.

    ¡°Your biggest mistake was your footing. By not cing your left foot forward, you lost out on the ability to use your left knee to brace the shield, preventing you from gaining a stable footing when blocking the attack.¡±

    Syed out on his back, Benny gripped his Estoc and Aspis tightly and did a kickup,nding back on his feet and immediately resetting his stance as taught by the Instructor.

    ¡°A stable foundation leads to a tank who can defend his party; without one, you are useless to them. Unlike the DPS, who has to be quick when dealing damage, or the supporters in the back line, the Tank must not only be able to get in and out of the pocket when fighting but must also be able to defend against any iing danger that could cause the copse of your line. You are a vanguard, and as such, you must always be ready to take the hit and protect your party. AGAIN!¡± Instructor Garrison fired off anotherrge [Stone Spike], stomping his lead foot, but Benny was ready for it.

    Easily deflecting it this time, he stepped forward and angled his body-sized Aspis. Then, using his left arm to guide the spike away, he mmed his sword downward, channeling Water Mana particles around the de, and used [Water Whip], snaping it in counter-response at Garrison.

    Unfortunately, Benny had telegraphed his idea in his inexperience, allowing Garrison the opportunity to react. Flicking his wrist and flourishing his longsword, Instructor Garrison swirled his de around the whip, catching it, and yanked Benny forward, breaking his stance and throwing him off bnce.

    Releasing his skill, Benny allowed himself to be dragged forward, tucking and rolling while using it as a chance to get closer. His actions drew a chuckle from Garrison, who activated one of his ss skills, shrouding his body in a haze as all his umted sweat evaporated visibly, and he rushed forward like an angry bull.

    Back at the bleachers, Cynrik and Brance clicked their tongues simultaneously.

    ¡°That Instructor is too much for Benny; that movement skill is from the SheildBreaker ss, one of the Tier-2 warrior options. It¡¯s basically an enhanced version of the Warrior¡¯s [Shield Rush]. Not only that, but he seemed to activate a skill simr to [Haste]. If memory serves, the main difference between the two skills is the evolved version allows the user to change directions without breaking their momentum, unlike Rush, which moves you forward.¡± As the residential Tank of the group, Brance spoke first.

    ¡°He¡¯s trying too hard to be agile. The problem is that shield weighs too much to bounce around easily; tack the Estoc¡¯s weight on, and he¡¯s starting to struggle. Also, he is too used to having that tiny buckler and a short sword. Benny really hasn¡¯t had the time to test out longer weapons, unlike us, who have trained with many different ones.¡± Cynrik¡¯s eyes narrowed as he watched Benny try jumping from side to side and dodge several spikes. For the most part, he was seeding; however, when Garrison picked up his rate of fire and joined in by thrusting his longsword, Benny was quickly overwhelmed and sent flying again.

    ¡°Big Bro Ivar, what are an Estoc and Aspis? Like I know WHAT they are, a sword and shield, but why is the distinction so important?¡± Gabby asked while nervously clutching Brance¡¯s right hand tightly. It was nearly as nerve-racking for her to watch Benny getting tossed around as watching the brother fight earlier.

    ¡°I expect you not to know, considering the bulk of your training has been with daggers and bows. Regardless, it¡¯s about time you start learning about what we all use anyway; that way, you can be prepared if you are forced into close-quartersbat.¡±

    ¡°The Estoc is a specific type of longsword meant for two-handed use; think of it as an older cousin to the one the Instructor uses. However, unlike the longsword, it¡¯s edgeless, so it can¡¯t be used for cutting. Although theye in varying sizes, roughly 1.25 meters (4.1 feet) to 2 meters (6.5 feet), the one Benny chose looks around 1.62 meters long (5.31 feet), from point to pommel. Weight-wise, it¡¯s floating around 5-kilos (11 pounds), which is SIGNIFICANTLY heavier than the less than 2-kilo short sword he is used to.¡±

    ¡°Like I said earlier, when I exined what kind of sword I wanted him to choose, the Estoc is meant for crushing and thrusts. Although it has a sharp point, being edgeless is a massive change for Benny, who is used to dealing out damage with shes. Now, he has to worry about being unable to dismember his opponent. If you look closely, Gabby, you¡¯ll notice that the Estoc isn¡¯t made like a wing, but instead, its cross-section is in a diamond shape. There are a couple of different variations, but Benny went with the diamond. Anyway, all is not lost. If he cannd several well-timed thrusts at just the right point, he can cripple that kite shield.¡± When Cynrik fell silent, there was a loud crash as Benny finally got used to using his new sword and shield. The two were at a temporary stalemate, with eachbatant pressing their sword against the other¡¯s shield.

    ¡°BENNY, YOU WON¡¯T WIN IN A BATTLE OF STRENGTH!¡± Cynrik shouted, getting a nod in response from the boy, who nted the edge of his shield on the ground and vaulted up, kicking Garrison¡¯s kite shield at a weird angle and knocking it to the side.

    Benny took advantage of the opening created when Garrison¡¯s shield dropped. He spun his body mid-air, just as Cynrik had done countless times before, but unlike the party leader, he did not use his off-hand to do a backsh; instead, he thrust his Estoc forward, targeting the weak buckle joint of Garrison¡¯s stabilizing straps.

    Surprised by how agile the bulky boy could move, Instructor Garrison was caught off guard for a moment. Still, when he felt the bite of Benny¡¯s Estoc, his pupils constricted, and he used his now free shieldless arm to catch Benny by the front of his shirt and deliver a devastating headbutt, which created a loud impact sound.

    ¡°Fuck, you surprised me, kid, but what will you do now!¡± Then, smashing his own head into Benny¡¯s one more time, he whipped the boy around and mmed his body onto the ground before finishing it with a powerful kick to Benny¡¯s abdomen, flinging him away like a ragdoll.

    ¡°Shit, he just got Frieza¡¯d; this isn¡¯t looking good.¡± Cynrik retorted as Benny rolled uncontrobly on the ground, losing his shield along the way but keeping a firm grip on his Estoc.

    His off-handedment made Gabby panic, so Brance leaned over and smacked his older brother in the head.

    ¡°BENNY, GET UP!¡± Gabby screamed nervously.

    ¡°He¡¯s fine; Gabby, your brother tends to get thrown around worse by Big Brother and me. He just needs to figure out how to use his weapons properly. It¡¯s never easy fighting against someone who outsses you, as Instructor Garrison does. Yet, do you see any worry or confusion on Benny¡¯s face? No, it¡¯s the ¡°Strategy¡± face?¡±

    Looking at her brother, who slowly got back up and used [Water Whip] to retrieve his shield, she noticed the focused look on his face. One she recognized as it was the expression he had every time he worked out one of Cynrik or Brance¡¯s hypothetical battles.

    ¡°He¡¯s plotting something, so don¡¯t be so nervous. Benny is a tough kid; a few bumps on the noggin aren¡¯t enough to keep him down. We talked about the sword, but that shield, if used properly, can actually be more deadly.¡± Changing the topic to keep Gabby upied, Brance took over where Cynrik left off.

    ¡°The Aspis is well, forck of a better description, a two in one kind of shield. Choosing the Aspis opens many doors that even my CS Tears aren¡¯t necessarily capable of. Ranging from 0.7-meters (2.29 feet) to 1.5-meters (4.9 feet) in diameter, it is mainly constructed byyering several materials, be it wood, or metal, on top of each other and then coating the outside surface with beast-hide or another stronger metal type.¡±

    ¡°The problem with the way it¡¯s assembled is how heavy they be. Benny chose the one at the tail end of diameter and close to 1.5 meters, but its weight affected him too much. Although I can¡¯t be sure, based on how he is holding his shoulders and the dip of his left arm, im guessing it¡¯s around 13-15-kilos.¡±

    ¡°However, there are two significant differences between the buckler or the Instructor¡¯s kite shield and the Aspis Benny is wielding. The first is its shape. Concaved like arge bowl, it fits neatly against the wielder¡¯s shoulder, partnering with its second feature, its Argive grip. Fastened on the inside of the shield, at the top and bottom, is a long thick band. This band, either made from beast-hide or leather, is easily tightened around the wielder¡¯s forearm, preventing it from slipping or sliding around.¡±

    ¡°Then, once fastened, there is another strap for your hand to grip. But since the forearm strap is snug, it isn¡¯t necessary to always hold the hand grip. This frees up your hand to use a two-handed sword or spear. To top it all off, if there is a sharp edge added in the mix, Benny could beat his opponents to death with an easily controble shield and hack them apart, making up for the shorings of his Estoc.¡±

    [[Fuck, it¡¯s hard to describe a Spartan shield when SPARTANS DIDN¡¯T EXIST HERE!]] Branceined to Cynrik and Selene, who only rolled their eyes in response.

    [[Now you know how I felt, I can¡¯t just say the Estoc is a long sharp-pointed edgeless sword, I feel like the following question woulda been, ¡°But why big bro Ivar?¡± It was better to give Gabby a full description. Especially for the Aspis, she will need to know where to target with her arrow in the future.]]

    BANGGG!!!!

    Just as Cynrik replied, the battle between Instructor Garrison and Benny took a sharp turn. Crashing their shields against each other and sending sparks flying, Benny took advantage of the maneuverability of his Aspis and rolled to the side of Garrison, taking out his right knee, under the kite shield, with a sh of his Estoc. Then, with Garrison knocked off bnce and his stance broken, Benny righted his Aspis and mmed its edge directly into the Instructors chest full force, sending him flying backward a couple of meters.

    ¡°ATTA BOY BENNY!¡± Cynrik and Brance pped loudly while shouting like proud dads, alongside the roar of cheers from the other students.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. P.S. Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 233

    ¡°ATTA BOY BENNY!¡± Cynrik and Brance pped loudly while shouting like proud dads, alongside the roar of cheers from the other students.

    ¡°DON¡¯T LET UP, PUSH PUSH PUSH!¡± Selene hollered, adding to the chorus of chants and cheering.

    However, instead of rushing off to finish his opponent, Benny stayed calm and dashed back, putting a few meters distance between himself and the downed Instructor Garrison.

    It was a smart move because the instant he did so, hundreds of thin, needle-like spikes shot up from the ground where he previously stood.

    ¡°Not bad; your foresight is pretty intimidating, Benjamin.¡± Pounding his fist on the ground and manifesting a small rock pir under his body, Instructor Garrison bounced up andnded on his feet, gripping his longsword with both hands.

    ¡°That was a pretty fancy move back there; I assume whoever taught it to you is a DPS, though; I would restrain yourself from using it too frequently; that¡¯s how you get yourself killed as a tank.¡± Sliding his foot on the dirt, Garrison channeled Terra Mana into his legs and shot forward as if skating across the terrain.

    Selene, Brance, and Gabby all turned and looked at Cynrik smugly at the mention of a DPS training Benny that move.

    ¡°Oh fuck off; I didn¡¯t teach it to him; his ass picked it up from watching my fights.¡± Cynrik¡¯s defense fell on deaf ears as the three shook their heads and turned back to Benny¡¯s fight.

    CLANG CLANG FOOWSH CLANG

    Garrison¡¯s attack speed increased significantly without his shield weighing him down as he danced around Benny, hacking and shing, barely giving the boy time to breathe, let alone react.

    ¡°You are overthinking, Benjamin; this is a dog fight now, not a sport; your party leader gave you some good advice earlier, NOW USE IT!¡±

    BOOOOOMMMM

    Speaking passively as he attacked from all over, Instructor Garrison¡¯s final hit was deflected perfectly off Benny¡¯s Aspis, opening his stance and allowing an opportunity for Benny, who delivered an elbow to the man¡¯s chin and began fighting back.

    ¡°¡±Instinct, it¡¯s something all living creatures have, be it something as insignificant as an Ant or something asplex as a person; everything has the Instinct to survive. I will be teaching you how to tap into that inherent feeling.¡±¡±

    Benny¡¯s eyes lost focus as his body took control from his mind and whipped his sword around after coating it in Water Mana. As he attacked, he seemed to fall into the past when Cynrik taught him and Gabby to fight.

    ¡°¡±No, you idiot, don¡¯t think, ACT! Turn off your brain, and let your body move on its own. THAT is INSTINCT!¡±¡±

    Time and time again, the 9-year-old Cynrik would kick Benny and Gabby to the ground during his hecious training camp.

    Next, his mind left that shback, and it was reced by a mental rey of Cynrik flitting around in the Egress as he fought Osarseph. He remembered watching the older boy out of the corner of his eye as he moved fluidly around, dodging every attack thrown his way. To his right, Brance would take on any and every attack he could to reduce the pressure on his older brother.

    CLANG CLANG CLANG

    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Cynrik said, pushing away from the bleachers and stepping closer to the battlefield.

    ¡°Did you know he could fight like that?¡± He asked Brance, who walked up beside him just as stunned by the show Benny was putting on.

    ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said yes; I knew he had it in him, but Benny always acted so mellowly and passive that I believed our teachings didn¡¯t get through.¡± Brance watched Benny¡¯s every move carefully and noticed something.

    [Cyn¡­is he?] Brance asked with wide eyes.

    [Yeah, he¡¯s copying our styles and trying to fuse them into his own.] Replied Cynrik as he pulled his shaky hands from his pockets and crossed his arms.

    Ducking under a horizontal sh, Benny dropped to one knee and used a pressurized st of water to slide across the dirt, kicking up a cloud by dragging his Aspis on the ground beside him.

    Then, standing up mid-slide, he bounced off the ground, slipped the strap of his shield off, and spun it around his arm before grasping it by the edge and throwing it like a disk.

    BOOOOMMM

    When it collided against Garrison¡¯s sword and showered him in sparks, Benny flicked his index finger on his right hand, shooting out a thin [Water Whip] like a spider web, which attached itself to the shield.

    Next, it returned to him with a pull and slid back on his forearm just as hended and dashed forward, swinging his Estoc at Garrison¡¯s neck.

    However, just when he got in close, the ground trembled, and Instructor Garrison lit up in a tan, silver, and yellowish-purple aura.

    ¡°GOOD, VERY GOOD, BENJAMIN, YOUR MOVEMENTS ARE NEARLY FLAWLESS! UNFORTUNATELY, IT¡¯S TIME TO END THIS! [VECTOR SPIKE]!¡±

    Thousands of electrified metal rods moved like liquid from the ground shot up, all targeting Benny, who stared up at them calctedly.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± Speaking calmly, Benny crouched low to the ground and blinked slowly while tilting his head downward and to the side, making the bones of his vertebrae pop loudly.

    ¡°You seem to have forgotten something, Instructor; WATER CONDUCTS ELECTRICITY!¡± Stabbing his Estoc and Aspis into the ground, the dirt shifted as an uncountable number of tiny water droplets rose a 2-meters into the air, surrounding the man in a misty liquid fog.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Garrison¡¯s pupils constricted as he tried to figure out when Benny had sshed so much water all over the ground.

    ¡°If I¡¯ve learned anything from watching the Ragnarsson brothers fight, it¡¯s that no matter how strong your opponent is, there is ALWAYS A PATH TO VICTORY!¡± Benny shouted as he released his grip on the sword and made a motion of drawing a bowstring, with his left hand representing the bow and his now empty right hand the arrow.

    In response, every one of the numerous water droplets squirmed and transformed into mini versions of his skill [Water Spear.] Their target was every single point on Instructor Garrison¡¯s body. Every weak point was ounted for, even the man¡¯s groin; if he so much as coughed, the razor-sharp [Water Spears] would bite into his flesh, and all it took was a simple push for them to turn the man into a human-sized pincushion.

    Looking around with eyes asrge as saucers, Garrison knew he was beaten; his entire body was targeted by these seemingly endless spears, with too many to count just a hair away from his skin, making him break out in a cold sweat.

    His attention had been too focused on buying time to activate his fusion skill, so he missed that every time Benny used one of his own Affinity Skills, he would allow it to ssh the ground before having it soak in out of sight. Then, as he set the trap, all Benny had to do was keep the Instructor at bay long enough until the man was pressured into going for arge attack; at that point, he would strike.

    The only factor that could nullify his trap was [Vector Spike¡¯s] speed. Thus, in very Cynrik fashion, Benny went for the swarm effect, making it so that no matter how quickly the Instructor¡¯s attack could move, it wouldn¡¯t matter because there were simply too many spears to counter.

    ¡°That¡¯s checkmate,¡± Cynrik said while wearing a shit-eating grin.

    ¡°That crazy kid actually pulled it off; he probably woulda gotten us with it if we didn¡¯t use [Mana Sight] during the battle.

    ¡°YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, GOOOOOO BROTHER!!¡± Jumping up and down frantically, Gabby screamed at the top of her lungs.

    ¡°Hey, Ivar, why does this setup look like something you woulde up with?¡± Selene asked curiously.

    ¡°That¡¯s because it is, throughout the fight, Benny was trying to fuse the way I fight with Bj?rn¡¯s, to make his own variation. The perfect defense with a wild and crazy DPS¡¯s movements, the icing on the cake is Benny¡¯s expert strategies, which are only second to my own.¡± Cynrik uncrossed his arms and shoved his hands back into his pockets as he spoke.

    ¡°I yield,¡± heaving a sigh and realizing there was no way out of his current predicament; Instructor Garrison admitted defeat. Next, he released his control on his fusion skill and let the Electrified Metal spikes break down into particles.

    ¡°VICTOR, BENJAMIN SANFORD!¡±

    Every student in the bleachers hopped to their feet and cheered loudly enough to make Cynrik flinch.

    ¡°Fuckin chill out assholes, god, are they trying to blow out my ear drums.¡± Cynrik shook his head a couple of times before ring at the students filling the aluminum bleacher stands.

    Benny quickly released his skill, allowing the water to drop back to the ground and fade away once the announcement was made. Then, he stood up straight before bowing at Instructor Alistar and walking to Instructor Garrison with his hand extended.

    ¡°Thank you for the battle, Instructor Garrison; your teaching will live on in my heart for all my days. I can¡¯t wait for the day when I can attend your lessons.¡± Benny said politely with his hand extended to the man, who was staring down at it quietly.

    ¡°Hahhh, you really need to loosen up, kiddo; the way you speak makes you sound like an old man.¡± Chuckling, Instructor Garrison shook Benny¡¯s hand before raising it into the air and turning him to face the students cheering for him not far away.

    ¡°You still have a lot to learn when ites to using that Estoc Aspisbo, but I have no doubt you¡¯ll be able to figure it out soon enough. Also, remember to work on your stance. Not to mention you underutilized the versatility of both, which makes sense since you¡¯re on record as using a short sword, and medium buckler.¡±

    ¡°If you genuinely want to make the switch, then I rmend heading to the Gravity Training Hall so that you can simte using a much heavier shield. Then, when youe out, you¡¯ll be able to whip around your Aspis like it weighs nothing at all. As for the Estoc, a weapon meant for thrusting shouldn¡¯t only rely on crushing, so try working that into your training program.¡± Releasing Benny¡¯s hand and patting him on the shoulder.

    ¡°Thank you for your guidance, sir.¡± Benny stepped back, grabbed his Estoc and Aspis, and gave the Instructor another Knight¡¯s salute before turning around and walking over to the members of his party, who had already stormed the field to meet him halfway.

    ¡°That kid is way too clever for his age Ali,¡± Turning to the left and looking at Instructor Alistar making his way over, Garrison stated loud enough for only his colleague and friend to hear.

    ¡°You probably didn¡¯t notice, but he hammered out a new fighting style during your battle; if I didn¡¯t know better, he took the movement style of Ivar and the defensive style of Bj?rn andbined them into one. It takes a special kind of mind to develop that much over such a short timeframe.¡± Alistar exined once he arrived at Garrison¡¯s side.

    ¡°That makes three little monsters; I wonder how good that girl is; you¡¯ll have your hands full, Ali,¡± Garrison retorted, smacking his friend on the back hard enough to almost knock him over,

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. P.S. Check out the discord, discord.gg/GeDhPmCFzT

 Chapter 234

    Benny headed over and met up with the party, first making a quick stop at the weapons rack and depositing the training sword and shield. However, when he got close, he was full-on tackled by an overly excited Gabby, who wouldn¡¯t stop praising him, causing the boy to blush bright red when he noticed all eyes focusing on him.

    ¡°You were so cool out there, brother, you were all like swoosh, HIYA, pew pew pew, and that move at the end, you totally pulled a Big Bro Ivar out there, you were AWESOME.¡± Chirping like a bird, Gabby wouldn¡¯t stop with her praise and even added sound effects as she swung around a fake sword, emting Benny¡¯s attacks.

    Speechless, Benny just smiled sheepishly and repeated the word ¡°Uh-huh¡± until Cynrik stepped up and sped his shoulder.

    ¡°You did well out there, Benny; how do you like using the Estoc and Aspis?¡±

    ¡°They are a little heavy, and I felt a bit clunky with them, but overall it was a pleasant experience. I think I will have to change my request with Mr. Pinhurst and have him make me some.¡±

    Cynrik nodded at Benny¡¯s reply and stepped back from the group, allowing Brance and Selene a chance to speak.

    ¡°Your deflections slowly got better the more you got used to using an Aspis, and at the end, your strategy was up there with something Big Brother woulde up with. So I give you full marks.¡± Brance smiled and patted Benny on the shoulder as Cynrik had.

    Selene simply gave him a thumbs up and rushed to be beside Cynrik.

    ¡°Hey, hey, brother, did you hear us cheering you on?¡± Gabby asked with twinkling eyes.

    ¡°Yep, especially you, Gabby; you were a great cheerleader. And Big Bro Ivar, your words near the end there snapped me out of my frustration; without your help, I would have tasted dirt until the referee took pity on me.¡± Then, looking Cynrik in the eyes, Benny earnestly thanked him and exined what was running through his head at the moment Cynrik shouted.

    ¡°I kept repeatedly trying to just ACT and not think, but no matter what I did, all I could do was think about my every movement and how nothing was working. Each swing of my sword was quickly blocked, and it was all I could do not to get hit. But when I heard you yell that I couldn¡¯t win in a contest of strength, something clicked into ce, and I remembered all the times you scolded us when BOOM, I started moving without thinking.¡±

    ¡°We know; it was honestly one of the defining factors to your victory. There was a definite difference when you stopped over-analyzing and fought off survival and instinct. Your moves became more fluid, and thebination attacks came more naturally. To top it off, everything you were doing didn¡¯t fall into a pattern making it very difficult for the Instructor to counter.¡± Brance spoke first and gave his observations to Benny, whose face lit up when receiving the high-level praise.

    ¡°That trap you set at the end was clever; I picked up on how you scattered all the excess water into the dirt early on. If Bj?rn and I didn¡¯t have our [Mana Sight] turned on, we could have easily missed it until it was toote, just like Instructor Garrison did. Although, to be honest, aside from sinking into the shadow realm with [Shadow Leap], im not so sure I had a way out once the trap was sprung.¡±

    ¡°Enough of the praise, though, Benny. I believe this fight taught you what shorings you currently have. Thanks to your rapid growth from the Tier Advancement, things need to change. You are at a crossroads right now, and a decision needs to be made as soon as possible. If you are sure you want to stay as the Off Tank, then I won¡¯t stop you, and you will have my and Bj?rn¡¯s full support. The two of us have MORE than enough experience to work out the kinks with your new fighting style. But if there is any doubt in your mind about bing a DPS, you need to tell us. I don¡¯t want you to regret your decisionter on. For now, I want you to put some serious contemtion into what role you want to fill in as I¡¯m sure this fight was a valuable learning experience for you.¡± Wearing a stern expression, Cynrikid his cards on the table, pressuring Benny to make a choice.

    Brance and Selene were stunned by how easily Cynrik was forcing Benny into making a choice that would affect the rest of his life. But at the same time, they knew that if they were in Cynrik¡¯s shoes, it would be impossible to be so straightforward.

    [[Cyn, are you sure now is the time and ce for this discussion?]] Concerned for Benny, who went from excited to being lost in thought instantly, Brance spoke up.

    [[Yeah, I¡¯m with Brancie on this one, hun, you need to remember Benny is only 11, not oldtimers like the three of us. Aren¡¯t you applying too much pressure on the kid?]] Even Selene was worried about how Benny would deal with this level of stress.

    [[It¡¯s now or never, guys. You saw the same fight as I did, it¡¯s one thing to pick a side, DPS or Tank, but he was out there trying to merge the roles, which is too unrealistic. It would be like me grabbing Brance¡¯s shield and trying to receive every hard hit. With my stat build, it¡¯s unrealistic. We finally have a wider ceiling to work with, so builds will be more and more critical. That is why he needs to choose now because if he wants to keep being able to move like me, he needs to start adding DEX and AGI; if not, it¡¯s all STR and VIT.]]

    [[Cyn¡­]]

    [[No, Brancie, you know I am right; you saw how his first instinct is to dodge away instead of meeting the strike head-on as you do. His style is bing more like mine day after day. That tells me he is stuck between wanting to stay in the role we set for him as a little kid and what he CLEARLY intends to do. By picking up the Estoc, he showed his resolve in making up for the damage you can¡¯t necessarily do with two shields. Although you can mitigate your damage output bypensating with a high STR stat, Benny doesn¡¯t have the same luxury, don¡¯t forget, he gets the least amount of stats and stat points out of all of us. If he doesn¡¯t make this choice now, we will start pulling ahead until we are so far away that he can¡¯t keep up.]]

    As Cynrik conversed with Selene and Brance in the mind link, Gabby stood quietly looking back and forth between her brother and Cynrik. She couldn¡¯t understand why he would drop such a topic on her brother as he was riding the high from victory and honestly was pretty angry.

    Concerned for her brother, who seemed lost in thought and wearing a worried expression, Gabby tried tofort him with words. However, when she realized Benny was ignoring her, Gabby quickly fell silent and yed with her skirt nervously.

    It was never a good idea to go against Cynrik; this was a tried and proven fact. Over the years, there were many times everyone in the party had butted heads with him on random topics, yet, for some reason, Gabby felt this was one of the times that it was either shut up and listen or get beat up and be forced to listen. But, unfortunately, there was no other option; that¡¯s just how stubborn the boy was.

    ¡°I understand, Big Bro Ivar, and you are right; this fight did teach me a lot. After experimenting with my movement speed and blocking abilities, I learned quite a bit about what I need to do to create my own fighting style. I will review my battle several times over ande to you with a proposal soon.¡± Straightening his back, Benny gave what he felt to be a satisfactory answer to Cynrik¡¯s concerns.

    ¡°Good, I look forward to it, oh by the way,¡± just as Cynrik turned away to walk back to the bleachers, he remembered something and looked back at Benny over his shoulder.

    ¡°Nice idea going with micro [Water Spear¡¯s] at the end there; I almost thought you were about to try forming a giant one, but your quick thinking did us proud; keep it up.¡± With that said, Cynrik walked back towards the bleachers with Selene hot on his heels.

    ¡°Hehe, good ol Ivar, always the one to get jealous when someone outshines him.¡± Brance chuckled before pping Benny on the shoulder again.

    ¡°Good work out there, I agree with Big Brother to an extent when ites to roles, but personally, I would have waited until we got back to the dorm. Don¡¯t let it bother you too much; the two of us will support whatever you decide, but between you and me, Tanks are WAYYYY cooler than thoseme DPSs.¡± Laughing at how much of a Tsundere Cynrik was, Brance wrapped his arm around Benny¡¯s shoulder and dragged him off after Cynrik and Selene.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, Gabby, you are up next, so you need to start getting ready; I am sure the Instructors will call you up any minute.¡± Then, waving his hand at Gabby, who was lost in thought, Brance shouted to get her attention.

    Hearing Brance¡¯s voice pulled Gabby out of her head, and after looking around and noticing everyone had already started walking away, she yelped loudly and chased after them.

    However, just as she was about to leave the battlefield, Instructor Garrison appeared a few meters away, blocking her from progressing forward.

    ¡°Nope, it¡¯s your turn to go up for your evaluation; I can¡¯t have you running off to join your party.¡± Instructor Garrison, who would be acting as the referee for her battle with Instructor Alistar, said firmly while making a twirl with his fingers to say, ¡°turn around and head for the weapons racks.¡±

    ¡°But, but, Instructor Garrison, I need to ask for some advice from my roommate Selene.¡± Clutching at the hem of her skirt and giving the man fluttery puppy eyes, Gabby pleaded her case.

    ¡°Eh?¡± He nced down at Gabby, confused about what to say to the girl, before sighing and waving her off. As it turns out, Garrison was a sucker for the puppy-eye treatment, as his young daughter would win every argument back at home with the same technique.

    ¡°Make it quick; you have an extra five minutes, don¡¯t waste them.¡± Then, coughing into his hand and acting like nothing was wrong, the Instructor retreated to his position on the field.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. P.S. Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 235

    Breaking into a sprint, Gabby quickly caught up with the party before catching Selene by the arm and dragging her off behind the bleachers.

    ¡°What the heck is with you, Gabby? Wait, don¡¯t you have a fight to prep for?¡± She was utterly confused about why she was dragged away from her beloved Cynrik, so in response, Selene grabbed the other girl¡¯s ear and tugged at it.

    ¡°Ahh, ahh, Selly, you¡¯re gunna tear it off; I needed your opinion on something super important ahh, stop.¡± Gabby cried as she struggled to get free from Selene¡¯s grasp.

    ¡°Oh, quit your whining and talk little rabbit?¡± Releasing Gabby¡¯s ear, Selene stood with her left hip cocked to the side and ced her hands on her waist.

    ¡°Ok, so I need to know if I should do the thing?¡± Free from the ear-twisting demon, Gabby massaged her sore earlobe and spoke in a hushed tone.

    Over by the bleachers, Cynrik, Benny, and Brance stood frozen in ce with confusion written all over their faces.

    ¡°Sooo,¡± Cynrik started, with his eyes shifting back and forth.

    ¡°Do we ask? Or are we just going to act like our usually reserved and ditzy little rabbit didn¡¯t just brush past us and kidnap Selene for a secret girls¡¯ talk?

    ¡°This¡­I have no clue if we are even allowed to.¡± Brance replied while massaging his temples.

    ¡°Probably not our ce to but in.¡± Benny, too joined in on the conversation.

    ¡°Yeah, we probably shouldn¡¯t, butttttt that is precisely why we should sneak over and eavesdrop.¡± Putting on a mischievous smile, Cynrik crouched down and started creeping over, only to be caught by the back of his cor by someone taller and much stronger.

    ¡°And where do you think you are going, Student Ivar?¡± Headmaster Rivia asked as he lifted Cynrik off the ground like a kitten.

    ¡°Shit, so this is how Benny feels when I do it to him. OI BENNY, I PROMISE NOT TO SCRUFF YOU ANYMORE; THIS TOTALLY SUCKS.¡± Ignoring the Headmaster¡¯s question, Cynrik was more preupied with the annoying feeling of being lifted by his cor.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know him¡­right Benny?¡± Then, turning his back to Cynrik, who was about to get an earful from Geralt, Brance began whistling a familiar toon from the same movie he and Cynrik had quoted earlier.

    ¡°Nope, never seen him before in my life; why is the Headmaster carrying that other student like that? Poor guy probably feels helpless.¡± Then, like Brance, Benny turned away from Cynrik and looked up at the ceiling.

    ¡°FUCKING TRAITORS! WHAT HAPPENED TO UNITY? WHERE IS THE BROTHERHOOD OF OUR MYRKLYS!¡± Cynrik cried, feeling betrayed in his moment of need.

    ¡°I asked why you were sneaking off and where you were going, Ivar Ragnarsson? If you don¡¯t answer me, I will dock those 15 merit points you received from your homeroom teacher.¡± Giving Cynrik a good shake twice before putting him down and standing intimidatingly, Headmaster Rivia questioned Cynrik again.

    ¡°Cough, uh¡­reconnaissance?¡± Shrugging his shoulders and squishing his face, Cynrik ended his question in a high pitch and question format.

    ¡°Uh-huh, reconnaissance.¡±

    ¡°Yessir!¡± Cynrik stood at attention and stuck to his story.

    ¡°Inside, in the Battle Arena, where you have spent thest hour or so?¡± Staring at Cynrik with a nk face, the Headmaster replied.

    ¡°Yessir, I have reason to believe a secret meeting is being conducted and took it upon myself to conduct routine recon for my part; no need to praise me for my efforts; it is something all upstanding students should do.¡± Cynrik shamelessly spouted bullshit as if it was second nature; unfortunately, Headmaster Rivia didn¡¯t buy it.

    ¡°GET YOUR ASS OVER TO YOUR BROTHER¡¯S SIDE SO THAT HE CAN KEEP YOU LEASHED AND OUT OF TROUBLE THIS INSTANT!¡± Hearing how Cynrik was being so shameless, Headmaster Rivia nearly popped a blood vessel and shouted at Cynrik, who scurried off and instantly shed right to Brance¡¯s side.

    ¡°Hehe, sucks to suck, aye, Big Brother.¡± Seeing Cynrik acting so meek for the first time, Brance just had to tease him.

    ¡°Bite me; now I am EVEN more curious about what the fuck those two are talking about. For the Headmaster to stop me from going over, it must be something important that the girls don¡¯t want us to know.¡±

    ¡°No kidding, you don¡¯t say. Gabby and Selene literally ran off to talk in private; I think your fight with Bj?rn may be affecting your cognitive skills Big Bro.¡± Shaking his head in disdain, Benny joined in on the fun of teasing Cynrik.

    ¡°Keep it up, Benny; bet me that I won¡¯t force you to work out till you drop when we get back to the dorms.¡± Cynrik snorted.

    ¡°No, I believe Benny is onto something here; you did take quite a few blows to the head; maybe you have a concussion. Here, lemme look at you.¡± Finding Cynrik¡¯s reactions humorous, Brance ced the back of his hand against his older brother¡¯s forehead to check his temperature before conjuring a tiny ball of light on his fingertip and waving it in front of Cynrik¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Your temp feels fine; please follow the light for me; I need to check your ocr response.¡±

    ¡°FUCK OFF!¡± Swatting Brance¡¯s hand away and making Benny and Brance burst outughing, Cynrik fought the urge to beat them both ck and blue.

    ¡°TIMES UP, STUDENT GABRIELLA; HURRY UP AND HEAD TO THE WEAPONS RACKS; YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO CHOOSE WHAT YOU ARE USING IN YOUR EVALUATION!¡±

    Luckily before Cynrik could suffer any more abuse, Instructor Garrison hollered for Gabby to get a move on.

    ¡°Coming, Instructor Garrison!¡± Gabby cheerfully eximed before making a mad dash towards the weapons racks, making all the students sitting in the bleachers chuckle at her enthusiasm.

    ¡°Do you guys think she will change her bow type? She has been using a Compound bow, but I wouldn¡¯t be too surprised if she changed to one of the three other types.¡± Brance stated as he watched Gabby make a b-line straight for the rack filled with dozens of bows, from wooden to metal, all varying lengths and weights.

    ¡°Im not too sure about changing types, but she will most likely go for one with more tension. Now that her STR increased, she can draw back more weight.¡± Cynrik added.

    ¡°Hey guys, sorry about that; Gabby was nervous about fighting in front of Bj?rn and needed some encouragement beforehand.¡± Finally returning to the group, Selene gave an excuse for her absence, only to get a suspicious nce from Cynrik and Brance.

    ¡°Yeah, ok, I TOTALLY believe that bullshit excuse,¡± Brance said while rolling his eyes and observing Gabby.

    ¡°What are we talking about?¡± Selene ignored Brance¡¯s sarcasm and inserted herself into the conversation while sliding her hand into Cynrik¡¯s back pocket.

    ¡°We are trying to figure out what bow my sister will pick.¡± Being the most innocent of the three boys, Benny filled Selene in on what she missed.

    ¡°What are the options? Unfortunately, I¡¯m not an archery expert.¡±

    ¡°There are four basic types of Bows; the first is the Recurve; it basically falls in the list as a beginner type. Named for their unique shape, the central parts of the bow¡¯s limbs curve towards its user, while the tips curve outwards and away from the Archer. It¡¯sbeled the beginner¡¯s bow mainly because it requires less strength to use while delivering adequate power in its shots.¡± Cynrik spoke up first, starting the crash course for bow types for Benny and Selene.

    ¡°Up next is the Compound bow, which Gabby primarily uses. It¡¯s the most modern of the four types and relies on a system of cables, pulleys, and cams, which are the round disks you see at the end of the limbs. All these moving parts assist its user in holding a heavier draw weight than, say, a recurve bow. You can set the weight and tension, and once you draw the string, the mechanical parts bare the weight, taking the strain off the Archer and giving them more time to aim without stressing their arms.¡± As Brance exined Gabby¡¯s primary bow type, the girl instinctively moved towards those very bows and pulled the string back on several different ones to test their weight.

    ¡°Third is the Traditional Bow, also known as a Longbow. Of the four types, this is the most basic one, as it only consists of a curved piece of wood the same height as its user and its string. Many people disagree over which is the superior basic bow ¨C the longbow or its much smaller cousin, the shortbow. Each bow has its pros and cons. However, it boils down to if you wanna be able to fire at a more extended range or have a higher firing rate. Either way, it¡¯s all personal preference and what situation you are fighting in at the end of the day.¡± Cynrik rolled his eyes and watched Gabby carelessly draw back a string before identally dry firing one of thepound bows because its weight was too much for her to handle.

    ¡°The final bow type is the Crossbow. Unlike the other three, it is set up in a horizontal position. It has a mechanism attached to a trigger, allowing its user to lock the string in ce before loading a bolt, instead of an arrow, and firing when the Archer pleases. Smaller and morepact than any of the other types, the Crossbow frees up one of your arms, and although they can perform on the same level as a Recurve or Compound bow, they require a higher draw weight to do so.¡± Just as Brance finished up, Gabby reced the now broken Compound bow she had identally dry-fired embarrassingly before shocking Cynrik, Brance, and Benny and moving to the Crossbows.

    ¡°YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES REMAINING!¡±

    ¡°Innnnteresting, going for a crossbow, OI, woman, was this what y¡¯all secretly talked about?¡± Shooting a questioning nce at Selene, Cynrik tried not to interrogate her, even though he hated surprises thoroughly.

    ¡°I mean, it was one of the things, to be honest, she has been practicing with a repeating crossbow we picked up shopping by ourselves on a girls-only date the other day. But I honestly didn¡¯t expect her to make the swap. So I¡¯m guessing she was influenced by all three of you using something other than weapons you were used to.¡± Selene looked around with shifty eyes to not meet the gaze of Cynrik or Brance.

    ¡°Oh, so you admit to keeping secrets from us. You know, if I remember correctly, you promised to *muffled and indecipherable words*.¡± Cynrik started to b about a personal bet between himself and Selene, only to be silenced by the girl covering his mouth with both hands with a bright red face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare finish that sentence, or that little thing I told you I¡¯d send you during the first period vanishes forever? EEEEK, WHY ARE YOU LICKING MY HANDS, YOU FREAK?¡± Selene started off in a hushed and menacing tone, but Cynrik wasn¡¯t one to be silenced, and when he felt her statement was made, he began ruthlessly licking her fingers and drawing letters on her palm.

    ¡°TIME, BOTH COMBATANTS REPORT TO THE BATTLEFIELD CENTER FOR INSTRUCTIONS.¡± Instructor Garrison dropped his arm when the timer hit zero and ordered Gabby and Alistar to meet up.

    Slightly panicked, Gabby extended her hand and scooped up two full quivers of bolts before cing them on her belt and running towards Garrison with her training crossbow in hand.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. P.S. Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 236

    ¡°TIME, BOTH COMBATANTS REPORT TO THE BATTLEFIELD CENTER FOR INSTRUCTIONS.¡± Instructor Garrison dropped his arm when the timer hit zero and ordered Gabby and Alistar to meet up.

    Slightly panicked, Gabby extended her hand and scooped up two full quivers of bolts before cing them on her belt and running towards Garrison with her training crossbow in hand.

    Taking a deep breath, Gabby stepped up and bowed at both Alister and Garrison before putting on her game face and waiting for her introduction.

    ¡°IN THE RED CORNER, WE HAVE COMBATANT FELIX ALISTAR USING THE COMPOUND BOW!¡±

    ¡°Ah shit, that is ironic,¡± Hearing what weapon Instructor Alistar was using, Cynrik sighed and shook his head at Gabby.

    ¡°This will still be a good learning experience for her, Big Brother, don¡¯t mind it too much.¡± Brance crossed his arms over his chest and huffed.

    ¡°IN THE BLUE CORNER IS COMBATANT GABRIELLA SANFORD, USING THE REPEATER CROSSBOW!¡±

    Smiling brightly, Gabby waved at her cheering ssmates in the bleachers, making them roar even louder.

    ¡°Tsk, that¡¯s pretty bias.¡± Soining, Cynrik looked over his shoulder with a frown only to see all the boys on their feet whooping and hollering, between the mixed chants and cheers; he could even hear people saying how cute Gabby was.

    ¡°My Gabby is quite adorable indeed,¡± Brance said proudly, without a hint of jealousy in his voice.

    ¡°I have to side with Big bro on this one; the apuse we all got doesn¡¯t evenpare to my sisters; it is indeed quite biased.¡± Shrugging his shoulders in defeat, Benny smiled helplessly. Sure, the apuse he had received was technically more considerable than the brothers, but that was because he won against an Instructor.

    ¡°GABBY, KEEP ON YOUR TOES; THIS IS THE FIRST ARCHER BATLLE YOU¡¯VE HAD!¡± Cupping his hands to his mouth, Brance ignored the gripes of Cynrik and Benny by shouting out some coaching words.

    ¡°KICK HIS ASS, GABBBBYYY!!! DO THE THING, SHOW THESE BOYS US GIRLS CAN PUT ON A GOOD SHOW TOO!¡± Jumping up and down beside Cynrik, rocking him back and forth, Selene screamed like a wild fangirl for Gabby, who blushed brightly upon hearing her encouraging words.

    Standing a few meters away from MyrkLys, Professor Dennis and Headmaster Rivia shook their heads.

    ¡°The mouth on that girl,¡± Professor Dennis mumbled, only to be met by the strange gaze of Headmaster Rivia.

    ¡°Chalk it up to growing up in a not so mentally healthy environment.¡± He said while patting the Professor on his shoulder.

    ¡°Alright, you two, I want a clean battle; listen to my orders and protect yourself at all times. We will be using a modified rule set for this battle. The battle will cease if you are rendered unconscious, unable to continue, or I step in. Since this is an archer¡¯s battle and you are using non-lethal arrows or bolts, a special rule is being instituted. In the tips of your ammunition is a small dye pill. This pill will burst upon contact with the body, leaving a mark. If you receive three hits to the same point on your body, the marks will light up and administer a numbing agent to that body part, rendering you unable to use it any longer. The only exception is if you are marked on your Heart or in the head, those will be considered instant kill shot, and the battle will conclude.¡± Instructor Garrison stood between Gabby and Instructor Alistar, listing the rules and exining the new ones specifically for Archer¡¯s battles.

    ¡°If you have any questions, please state them now; if not, confirm you¡¯re ready with a gesture or verbal acknowledgment.¡± Garrison first turned to Alistar, who removed his bow from his back and adjusted his two quivers before giving a thumbs up.

    When he looked over at Gabby, she was nervously loading the small ammo box attached to the bottom of her forearm-sized Repeater Crossbow, so Instructor Garrison allowed her to finish before holding his left hand out between them and parallel to the ground.

    ¡°Ready Instructor.¡± After doing a final check to ensure her weapon was in order, Gabby said while wearing a focused expression.

    ¡°ON MY MARK!¡±

    The audience of students quieted down, and the silence was so deafening that everyone could swear they could hear each other¡¯s hearts beating. This was going to be a different battle than the previous two. Unlike the melee fighters, Archer battles had a tendency to be extremely fast-paced, and thebatants would constantly be flitting around the field. As a result, if one were to blink, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if they missed the entire fight.

    ¡°FIGHT!¡± Raising his hand andmencing the fight, Garrison jumped backward as a volley of arrows whizzed by, aimed at Gabby¡¯s arms and legs. Instructor Alistar had dashed back and rapidly fired four arrows in one movement.

    He was surprised to find that Gabby did not run away from them but stood her ground with her eyes closed instead. The audience watched with anticipation as the blunt arrows cut the air and approached the quietly standing girl.

    However, just when they were about to connect, Gabby¡¯s eyes snapped open and glowed with Amethyst-colored light (Color Code,

 Chapter 237

    ¡°[PLANT GROWTH]!¡±

    RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE

    At Gabby¡¯s beck and call, the entire first floor of the Battle Arena began trembling.

    ¡°HOLY FUCK, WHEN? HOW? WHY? WHAT!!!¡± In total shock at the lime-green light painting his vision, Brance stabilized his footing and yelled in confusion.

    ¡°THAT LITTLE RABBIT IS SOOO GONNA GET IT WHEN WE GET HOME! I WILL BURY HER UNDER SO MANY WORKBOOKS THAT SHE WILL BE SOLVING COMPLICATED EQUATIONS EVEN IN HER SLEEP! ¡± Cynrik howled as he struggled to stay standing.

    Meanwhile, Selene was cackling like a witch as she hopped up and down in excitement, watching the arrows and bolts scattered around the battlefield explode; in their ce, newly born trees sprouted before absorbing the Chloro Mana being pumped into them by Gabby.

    In the bleachers, students hugged each other and cried out in panic. However, when the Headmaster stepped in and covered them all with his Space Affinity, they quickly calmed down and watched as over 50 arrow shafts glowed bright like beacons and transformed into fast-growing trees.

    The only silent one was Benny, whose eyes were sparkling in excitement. So what if he wasn¡¯t the most powerful? So long as his beloved little sister was strong, he could hop on the esctor to higher levels as a tag along.

    On the battlefield, Instructor Alistar dashed about, weaving narrowly out of the path of danger as the trees grew under his feet.

    ¡°Damn it, how did she pull this off? It¡¯s illogical? I¡¯ve never heard of someone making trees grow from arrows; hell, it¡¯s just as hard as turning a dried twig into a full-blown tree!¡± Jumping to the side just as a new tree spanned right under him, Alistar growled angrily. Then nocking an arrow, he aimed down his site and used one of his ss skills, [Praiting Shot], which sted apart the whole top half of a tree growing at such an angle that he would collide with it.

    Floating in the air, Gabby panted, exhaustion setting in from overusing her Affinity, but once she downed a third Mana pot, along with a Stamina Pot, she was back to tip-top shape. Before reviewing how she set the trap, starting from when she fired her first bolt.

    The answer was simple, tied to her belt was a small bag filled with redwood seeds. Then, using her Affinity, she would cover them in ayer of Psychic Mana, just enough to hide the Chloro Mana particles from the brothers and merge them into the connection point between the arrow shaft and the arrowhead. Next, she would fire all the seeded arrows without caring about whether or not they hit the Instructor because their target was never really him, to begin with.

    From the moment Gabby found out she would be fighting, she mapped out the battlefield¡¯s terrain and developed aplex blueprint for setting up her first unique technique, which she nicknamed ¡°World of Trees.¡± Due to the size restrictions of the trees themselves when fully grown, Gabby was forced to make insane mathematical calctions,ing up with the perfectyout and how many trees would be necessary to hinder her opponent. Unfortunately, not every archer was good on the move, and even fewer were able to move through the trees like Cynrik had trained her to.

    In fact, aside from the Elves, who spent their whole lives hunting and fighting in the treetops, rtively few people bothered training in this aspect.

    Selene summarized to Cynrik and Brance how everything came to be and detailed exactly how the trap was set.

    [[That¡¯s pretty much it. When we had our secret meeting, Gabby asked if it was a good idea to go through with the n, which, well, as you can see, I agreed with.]]

    [[When the fuck did she get the Chloro Affinity Selene, and don¡¯t you dare fucking lie to me.]] Cynrik snarled without taking his eyes off the impressive forest growing up from the dried dirt.

    [[EEP, it¡­it was our second night at the Academy. Gabby and I spent the whole first night talking about girl stuff and eventually talked about how you two have triple Affinities, yet Gabby, Benny, and I, only have one. So the two of us did a bunch of research online, and she eventually decided that she wanted to get the Chloro Affinity so that she could one day help Brance with healing the party in a pinch.]] Scared out of her witts by the tone Cynrik took, Selene spilled everything.

    [[And after you got injured and Brance could barely keep you alive during your Turning Point Quest, Gabby made the decision then and there to go for it. So the two of us went to themissary and bought two Affinity Gems and a bunch of different nt seeds. It took a lot of use, but eventually, she got her new Affinity.]]

    [[Then, during our first period, when you two were lost in conversation, she asked a whole bunch of questions to Umbridge and started calcting how best to use it in battles. Next, she burned all of her Stat points, increasing her INT and MIND stats topensate for the heavy strain her new Affinity would have on her; that was the gist of what the Professor advised.]] Looking down at her feet in shame, Selene finished her story.

    [[Tsk, if she split the 268 points between her two stats, that¡¯s 134 into both, meaning Gabby now has 509 INT and MIND, passing both of us, Brancie, that¡¯s an added 2,680 MP almost giving her 6k, fuck what a little monster.]] Shaking his head slowly, Cynrik tried to calm himself down. Make no mistake; he wasn¡¯t pissed that Gabby had done what she did. Instead, he was actually quite pleased. What made him mad was that both his girl and Gabby had gone behind his back and kept it all secret so that the little rabbit could surprise him, Brance, and Benny.

    [[Let it go, Cyn; you know she didn¡¯t mean ill intent by keeping it hidden.]] Reaching over and grabbing Cynrik¡¯s shoulder, Brance added a little strength to his grip as if telling Cynrik that he better not make Gabby upset.

    [[Ack ack, I got it, I got it, FUCK, why did you have to raise your STR, it¡¯s just unfair.]] Cynrik cried out as he felt his corbone creaking under the pressure of his little brother¡¯s hand.

    BOOOMMMMMM BOOOOMMM BOOOMMM

    On the battlefield, Gabby had finished growing the redwood trees to the extent of her abilities. Once fully developed, Gabby swapped to using her second Affinity skill [Awaken], allowing her control over the trees¡¯ lush branches to keep the Instructor at bay.

    The sight of dozens of tree branches moving was surreal to witness, as it made them look alive. The male students were on their feet in the bleachers, cheering Gabby on. In contrast, all the female students were cheering for the handsome Instructor Alistar to keep dodging. Every time it looked like he was about to be smashed to bits, the girls would all squeal in fear while the boysughed loudly.

    BOOM

    FWOOOSSHH

    Using his bow to cut through the dust cloud, Alistar sprinted at full speed, ducking and weaving every attack with his eyes flicking around, trying to find a clear path up to the sky to take Gabby out. But no matter where he turned, he was bombarded by hundreds of tree branches, causing him to get frustrated at his inability to go on the offensive.

    The worst part was how thick the tree canopy had be; he couldn¡¯t even get a clear line of sight on the girl he knew to be floating just above the leaves because of the foliage.

    His eyes flicked to Garrison, who was following him by jumping from tree to tree, monitoring both sides of the battle. Although he was focused on doing his job, Instructor Garrison couldn¡¯t help but be happy it wasn¡¯t him on the ground jumping around like a flea. If he was in the same situation, the only thing he could do was expend his Mana by using [Vector Spikes] to counter each branch, but this wasn¡¯t something that could be easily sustained on either side. So he knew that so long as Alistar could hold out long enough, he would eventually wear down Gabby¡¯s Mana Pool to the point where she couldn¡¯t control the trees any longer.

    High above the tree canopy, two meters below the Arena ceiling, Gabby followed after Instructor Alistar, using her [Floating Disk] like a shuttle. The most unusual thing the audience could see wasn¡¯t how she was flying or even the trees attacking. Instead, it was how the girl had closed her eyes. This was because, through her connection to the trees, she could sense where her opponent was and was subsequently attacking non-stop.

    Exhaling shakily, Gabby opened one eye, checked her MP to see it was sitting at around 40 percent, and downed herst Mana Potion. One of the rules that were exined during the briefing before the battle was that each challenger was allowed to use up to five potions in the battle. So, having already gone through three Mana and one Stamina potion, this fourth Mana potion was it. Once her tank went empty, the battle would be over when she fell unconscious due to Mana Sickness.

    Sighing heavily and staring at the empty bottle in her hand, Gabby decided it was time to end this fight. The only problem was how. She wasn¡¯t nearly as good at strategy as Cynrik or Benny, and she was on the weaker end of the scale when it came to game-changing power. Moreover, her Redwood Forest, although strong, had a time limit to how long she could actively control the trees to attack. By her estimate, the time limit only had another 10 minutes left, so the victory would go to Instructor Alistar unless she figured out something clever.

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes narrowed to slits down by the bleachers as he watched Gabby¡¯s Mana Signature flicker out slowly like a candle in the wind with [Mana Sight].

    ¡°She¡¯s running out of time. Although this technique of hers is impressive, the strain is still too much to handle; if she had gone with, say, ten fewer trees, Gabby would have been able to extend its duration, but at the same time, there would be a significant drop off in its attack efficiency.¡± Cynrik spoke softly so that only his party members could hear.

    ¡°I agree, each of those redwoods has a pretty hefty cost to maintain, and Gabby¡¯s already burned through all five of her allotted potion quota.¡± Stepping up beside Cynrik, Benny gave his opinion.

    As the second inmand with strategies, Benny was able to see most of what Cynrik could.

    ¡°Option A would be split off and make two clones. Have them move in opposite directions and draw the Instructor¡¯s attention. Then, knowing how good she is at making realistic replicas, she could buy herself some time to sneak up and take open shots.¡± Cynrik shared his n with Benny, ignoring the strange looks he was receiving from Brance and Selene.

    ¡°It could work, but it will be too heavy on her Mana Pool; option B would be leading him into a choke point, then drop down into the treeline and sneak in for a guerri assault. That way, she could partner up with multiple trees and fire arrows.¡± Benny countered Cynrik¡¯s n with his arms crossed.

    ¡°Could work, but you forget that he is both highly skilled and highly agile. So far, he has yet to be even grazed by one of Gabby¡¯s branches. The real question is how long he can keep up that momentum.

    The two of them fell silent and continued watching the battle, leaving Selene and Brance wholly lost in the process.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. P.S. Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 238

    Floating above the tree canopy, Gabby leaned forward, elerating on her [Floating Disk], making her hair flutter in the wind. Feeling the pressure of her party members¡¯ gaze, she knew that the time for action was now. The longer she prolonged the battle, the steeper her chances of winning fell.

    Running through all the possible options she could think of, only one stuck out. Although she wasn¡¯t sure it was possible to pull off, especially with her Mana tank burning quickly, Gabby decided it was her only choice. However, she would be taking a considerable risk if she went through with this idea.

    Opening her eyes and looking over to the bleachers, where Cynrik and Benny stood, she made eye contact with them both and saw the two boys nod at her. Next, she looked at Selene, who had recovered from Cynrik¡¯s scolding and held her sped hands to her chest.

    Last, her eyes met Brance¡¯s. Seeing the mixture of concern andfort he seemed to emit was enough to solidify what needed to be done, so taking a deep breath, Gabby willed the Mana in her Codex to split into two even portions, half Psychic and half Chloro.

    Next, she drew her Crossbow from the holster on her back and pulled the string, locking it on the trigger mechanism before setting a bolt in ce. The n was both simple andplex, so every step needed to be executed perfectly, or else she would find herself out in the open without any MP left.

    With her Crossbow locked and loaded, Gabby hopped off the disk and entered a freefall towards the leaves of the nearest tree. Just before she breached the canopy, the branches all moved and formed a soft cushion of leaves, making it easier for her tond uninjured. Soon she was nestled within the protection they provided, hidden from the eyes of not only the students, but even the Headmaster, Professor, and Referee lost sight of her.

    The only two people who had their eyes locked on the girl were Cynrik and Brance, and this was only because of their [Mana Sight].

    Noticing Gabby had made up her mind, Cynrik tilted his head to the side and popped his neck loudly before speaking.

    ¡°She¡¯s going for it, and in typical Gabby fashion, she came up with some wild idea, making options one and two seem silly inparison.¡± Then, noticing her movements and the Psychic Mana swirling around her body, Cynrik said loud enough for his party and Headmaster Rivia to hear.

    ¡°Her Mana expenditure is already through the roof. But, unlike the two options you and Student Benjamin came up with, Gabrie is going full throttle, not leaving herself any contingency n to fall back on.¡± Then, calmly walking up and joining the members of MyrkLys, Headmaster Rivia stated his observations.

    ¡°Technically, this is the first time she has ever fought alone. However, the eval before the Academy Selections don¡¯t really count since it took ce in her home¡¯s training room, with her family present.¡± Brance replied, his eyes ignoring the four replicas and watching Gabby¡¯s every movement.

    ¡°Normally, she would have logistical support from either myself or Big Bro Ivar. However, this time she ispletely alone out there, and although she can¡¯te up with the same style of strategies as the two of us, she definitely isn¡¯t stupid. While she gives off the appearance of a ditzy and immature little girl, in reality, her intellect is only second to Ivar, making her one of the smartest of us.¡± Benny said, following the attack transpiring against Instructor Alistar.

    Ever since the redwoods appeared, he hadn¡¯t been given a chance to stop moving, and with sweat pouring down his face, Alistar once again narrowly avoided disaster by diving through a cluster of branches aiming for his head.

    ¡°Gabby secretly works the hardest out of all five of us in the party. Living with her thest week has shown me that much. From the time she wakes up tote at night when she finally falls asleep, she tries her hardest to keep up with the two crazy monsters named Ivar and Bj?rn. I don¡¯t know if you guys know or not, but she has hundreds of notebooks filled with everything you guys ever taught her, and she constantly references them to be sure she isn¡¯t doing anything wrong.¡± Selene added before watching the reactions from Cynrik and Brance.

    ¡°I know you two aren¡¯t happy about us hiding her Chloro Affinity, but this was something she wanted. The little girl never asks for anything and for once tried to give you both a surprise that would make you both praise her. So if you want to be mad at someone, you can be mad at me for enabling her.¡±

    Posted up, sitting with her back against a redwood, Gabby monitored Instructor Alistar and slowly guided him without his knowledge. There was a specific path she wanted him to take; the target location was deep in the center of the battlefield, where the trees had grown closest together.

    Taking a deep breath, Gabby navigated the terrain with her replicants, seeing through their eyes while controlling the trees to attack, which was something that would even give Cynrik a headache. It would have been extremely difficult to split one¡¯s attention between up to eight different targets in the past. However, after reaching 500 points in the MIND stat, Gabby gained ess to a new passive skill, [Parallel Thought Processing]. Through the use of this skill, Gabby effectively brought up imaginary screens, each linked to one target, up to 10.

    Diverting her attention to the four replicas of herself, Gabby had them jumping from branch to branch, covering the distance to surround Instructor Alistar. It didn¡¯t take long for them to make their way and split up, nking him from all four cardinal directions and beginning to follow him while staying out of sight.

    ¡°The first part of her n has been secured; im guessing next, she will start pushing the Instructor towards what she has determined to be the choke point in her little forest. Then she will finally make herst stand.¡± Cynrik stated aloud before deactivating his [Mana Sight] and observing Alistar.

    ¡°She¡¯s a clever girl; your training must have been prettyprehensive, Student Ivar; I wouldn¡¯t mind having a long chat about it with you sometime.¡± Professor Dennis soon joined the small group of people and did not offer to sit down and discuss what Cynrik had put the group through over the years.

    ¡°Un, no problem, Professor Dennis; however, I must warn you; I get a pretty big appetite when talking about my training sessions, so have plenty of snacks ready when we decide to sit down together and trade experiences.¡± Wearing a smug grin, Cynrik gave a passive answer with his cost, in the form of a good meal.

    ¡°She is on the move.¡± As Cynrik and Dennis were distracted with their conversation, Brance pulled everyone¡¯s attention as his eyes never left Gabby.

    Once Instructor Alistar crossed a certain point, Gabby opened her eyes and took off in his direction; in less than two minutes, she arrived high above where the man was desperately fighting off a myriad of branches threatening to injure him significantly.

    By this point, Alistar was panting so heavily that his throat was making a wheezing sound. Not only that but he was utterly drenched in sweat. Thanks to their high VIT, constantly staying active on defense was something Warriors or Tanks could do. Yet, Instructor Alistar, whose build was heavy on DEX and AGI, found it extremely difficult to keep up with the constant attacks and had even been struck several times due to his exhaustion. However, he never gave up and rapidly fired arrows at the branches while staying on the move. The only issue was these trees were acting like a Hydra; for every branch he destroyed, two more would rece it.

    This left him not only tired but running dangerously low on arrows. Alistar had unknowingly fallen into Gabby¡¯s trap, unable to take note of his surroundings thanks to the high level of pressure being applied to him from the redwood attacks. Firing off another volley of arrows and swapping to knocking away the attacks with his bow, Alistar¡¯s ears twitched as he heard the familiar sound of a bolt leaving its housing.

    SHOOM

    A cluster of branches caught his legs just as he was about to move out of the way of the bolt, preventing him from defending himself. That was when his left arm was struck for the second time.

    Like the first time, the bolt knocked into his forearm in the same spot, halfway up his arm below the elbow, making the previously mosquito-sized marking grow three times as big.

    ¡°SHIT, from where?¡± Whipping his head around, looking for where Gabby had appeared, he soon found the girl standing above with her Crossbow loaded and ready to fire. Running on instinct and in survival mode, Alistar nocked his bow and fired, aiming at her heart and head with two arrows.

    However, just as his arrows connected and Alistar felt his excitement rising, he heard another bolt fire, but this time from his right, the opposite of the girl he had just shot. With eyes wide open, he saw the replica of Gabby turn into amethyst mist as the bolt struck him in the right knee.

    Seeing Gabby standing behind him, Instructor Alistar bent backward and fired off two more shots. But just as the arrows left his bowstring, he felt two bolts bite into his right knee. This was followed by intense pins and needles leading to numbness, causing him to fall to the ground.

    ¡°Damn it, where the fuck is she?¡± Feeling frustrated and helpless, Instructor Alistar watched as the girl once again broke apart into mist. Then, whipping his head in every direction with an arrow nocked, he cursed loudly.

    But no matter how hard he looked, he couldn¡¯t find the girl anywhere. This was because, like a jungle cat, Gabby was bouncing from one replica to the next, never stopping and firing along the way. Each time she pulled the trigger, the replica would step into view and act as a distraction, giving her enough time to make it to the next replica unhindered.

    ¡°It¡¯s over; Gabby has him in checkmate,¡± Cynrik said calmly, causing the Headmaster to give him a strange look with his left eyebrow raised.

    ¡°Really?¡± Professor Dennis asked questioningly. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t believe Cynrik, but there was still clearly plenty of fight left in Instructor Alistar, who was abat veteran with a wealth of experience.

    ¡°Two bolts, one from the replicas position at 12 o¡¯clock and 9 o¡¯clock, the first will hit Instructor Alistar¡¯s arm, sealing it, and the second will be a head shot.¡± Then, chewing on the inside of his cheek, Cynrik used his foresight and predicted the precise direction of Gabby¡¯s attacks and their intended target.

    SHOOM

    Less than a second after speaking the words, just as Cynrik predicted, Gabby arrived at the replica standing at the 12 o¡¯clock position in rtion to Alistar and fired off a bolt, quickly smacking the same spot on his forearm as the previous two times, triggering the numbing effect and making the man drop his bow.

    Geralt, Dennis, and Selene turned and looked at Cynrik as if he was a freak of nature until they heard the second bolt release.

    SHOOM!

    Like a shot heard round the world, everyone¡¯s pupils dted and watched in shock as the bolt connected with the side of the Instructor¡¯s head, rocking him to the right and sealing her victory.

    ¡°REGISTERED HEADSHOT! WINNER GABRIELLA SANFORD!¡±

    While the students cheered and chanted in the bleachers, Selene, the Headmaster, and Professor Dennis stared incredulously at Cynrik¡¯s calm and expressionless face, wanting to know how it was possible for him to know exactly how the battle would end.

    ¡°What are you three looking at? Do you forget it was ME who trained her? Of course, I would know how it would end. Hell, Benny probably could have told you as well; it¡¯s just he¡¯s a bit shy. Right Benny-Boi?¡± Cynrik rolled his eyes and deflected the attention to Benny, who stood straight and confirmed.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 239

    Selene, Headmaster Rivia, and Professor Dennis didn¡¯t know how to respond to Cynrik¡¯s remark, and they had different opinions. For Selene, she indeed chalked it up to Cynrik¡¯s training and automatically assumed it was just one of the patterns he may have taught her.

    But for Professor Dennis and Headmaster Rivia, it was a different story; no amount of training would allow someone to predict such a wild move with that level of uracy. The two adults narrowed their eyes and gave Cynrik a stern look.

    ¡°I see; it seems you not only gave the other members of your party such extensive training but also instilled in them how to think and act unpredictably.¡± Headmaster Rivia watched the formerly sturdy Redwood Trees wither and recede as he spoke.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing; as we told you, Gabby is brilliant; even without our assistance, I am sure she would havee to the same conclusion and followed her design n.¡± Then, giving the two adults a smile that wasn¡¯t really a smile, Cynrik¡¯s eyes darted between Benny and Selene, making them speak up and give some credence to Cynrik¡¯s story.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been around that long, but Ivar is pretty strict.¡± Pushing up against Cynrik¡¯s arm, Selene was the first to add to the conversation under the suspicious look of Professor Dennis.

    ¡°Big Bro Ivar constantly lectures us whenever we are just sitting around. One of his favorite things is building near-impossible scenarios and having uspete to see who makes it out alive in the hypothetical. But, of course, the winner usually gets a reward too. In my case, it¡¯s always a new strategy book.¡± Over the years, Benny had amassed quite the collection of handwrittenbat strat notebooks from Cynrik. Even for birthdays or holidays. Unlike Gabby, who would always choose desserts or candy, Benny was more than satisfied by the different war and military campaigns listed in the notebooks received from both Cynrik and Brance.

    While the conversation about how Cynrik figured out the precise timing and method of Gabby¡¯s victory continued, Brance stood patiently waiting for Gabby¡¯s return from the battlefield; unfortunately, she had to regress all the trees and retrieve her seeds; so it took a few minutes.

    [Man, I goofed back there, I shouldn¡¯t have said anything. So now Geralt and Dennis are on to me.] Leaving Dennis to Benny, Cynrik walked over and joined Brance in watching Gabby wave her hands to retrieve the Chloro Mana used to make the trees grow.

    [What do you expect, that foresight of yours is already scary enough when nning, and yet, you somehow made it even creepier by calling out Gabby¡¯s exact n seconds before she made a move.] Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Brance gave his older brother a sidence.

    [I mean, is it really that difficult, I think what you do is more challenging to be honest, like im ok at reading people¡¯s muscle reactions for predicting their attacks, but you can almost see the future as well. At least my insight revolves around knowledge. Do you even realize how many of those fucking War tactics books I¡¯ve written for Benny over the years? Do you think I pulled it outta thin air? No, that is all memory power, little brother.] Cynrik snorted his reply and subconsciously went to cross his arms over his chest, but when his hands scraped on the pockets of his trousers, it felt like he was being electrocuted, so he stuffed them back in ce.

    [Well, you were the one who was so determined not to take the martial arts heavy in striking seriously. Look at you now, how much of that grappling training do you regrly use, if you are lucky, 20%, yet I see you out there throwing kicks and wheeling around in the air.] Brance scoffed while thinking back to being kids on Earth. While he was working on Boxing or Muay Thai, Cynrik was training Judo or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

    [Tsk, not this fucking argument again. At least I know more about joint maniption, and which body parts cause the most pain to my opponent, unlike a caveman who can only throw hands.] Licking his bottom lip with his mouth closed, Cynrik took another verbal jab at his brother.

    [[Are you two going at it again, for crying out loud, give it a rest already.]] Selene had noticed the brothers standing together in silence, watching Gabby run around grabbing her seeds. Picking up on the subtle facial muscle twitches Brance was making allowed her to figure out the two were probably arguing like usual in their separate mind link channel.

    [[What are you on about, who¡¯s arguing, I am simply educating my little brother on the intricacies of BJJ, Judo, Wrestling, Sambo, and all the other fun grappling sports.]] Cynrik whipped his head toward Selene and gave her azy smile with a flirty wink.

    [[Which sounds to me like you are trying to annoy him, Cynrik, leave your brother alone, can¡¯t you see that he is clearly antsy that his little Gabby is taking too long to return to his side.]] The wink from her beloved was enough for Selene to join in on teasing Brance alongside Cynrik.

    Swaying her hips provocatively, Selene approached Cynrik and tenderly wrapped her arm around his waist.

    [[He was all nervous during her whole fight, did you see how he cringed every time she was in danger.]] Now, with Selene aiding him, Cynrik increased his teasing.

    [[Yesss~ I totally did, and he was all serious the whole time. He had that ¡°im no fun¡± look during the entire fight.]]

    [[Fuck off, don¡¯t act like you wouldn¡¯t be affected the exact same way if it was Selene out there, Cyn.]] Tapping his foot agitatedly, Brance snapped his head towards Cynrik and growled.

    [[OH, OH CYN DARLING, is what he says true? Would you be all worried about my well-being like a good boyfriend?]] Selene said with the sparkling eyes of a woman in love.

    [[Che, hardly, this wasn¡¯t even a life-threatening battle, why would I be worried about your safety. At the most, I would be critiquing your every move, just like I¡¯ve done with the kids. Also, who¡¯s your boyfriend? I don¡¯t remember getting that title?]] Sucking his teeth before rolling his eyes, Cynrik dismissed Selene¡¯s ims and shuffled ufortably.

    The truth was, if it were Selene out there instead of Gabby, while he wouldn¡¯t have been as nervous, he definitely would have been hypercritical of the girl¡¯s every action. Then,ter on, he would break down every mistake she made so that it didn¡¯t happen in livebatter on.

    Cynrik¡¯s initial response made sense to Selene, but the follow-up caused the loving twinkle in her eyes to fade.

    [[OH, WHAT? AM I NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO CALL YOU MY BOYFRIEND? LET ME GUESS, AND YOU WON¡¯T CALL ME YOUR GIRLFRIEND EITHER HUH, IS THAT HOW IT IS?]]

    [You goofed again.] Not willing to let the change of topic go, Brance got thest word in and walked off toward Gabby, who had finished stowing all her seeds away in the little drawstring pouch on her hip.

    Ignoring the annoying screeches of Selene and the grunting one-word responses from Cynrik ying in his head, Brance met Gabby halfway with a big, warm smile and hug, much to her surprise.

    Gabby had taken so long to uproot all the seeds because she was highly anxious about what kind of reaction she would get from the brothers once they found out about her new Affinity. However, the moment Brance shed his weing smile and wrapped her in his arms; Gabby melted along with her anxiety.

    ¡°You did great out there; I am so proud of you,¡± Brance said as he nted a kiss on the much shorter girl¡¯s head.

    ¡°You and Big Bro Ivar aren¡¯t mad? I know it was wrong for me to go behind your backs, but I wanted you two to be surprised when I used it for the first time.¡± Then, speaking in a small and meek tone, Gabby buried her head into Brance¡¯s chest and inhaled his unique fragrance.

    ¡°Nah, Big Brother was pretty peeved, but he got over it after seeing you execute that crazy final attack. Wanna know something cool?¡± Rubbing his hand up and down Gabby¡¯s back, Brance went on to tell her about how Cynrik literally called her final shots and from what direction they wereing.

    ¡°What? Seriously, ughhh, I thought for sure he wouldn¡¯t be able to predict it; gosh, why does he have to be so smart.¡± Gabby mumbled while clenching her hands on Brance¡¯s zer, wrinkling it slightly.

    ¡°He may have been able to figure it out, but it wasn¡¯t until just before. In fact, both he and Benny were talking about two different strategies during the end there and were surprised when you broke away from their ideas and did your own thing. Their faces were priceless; see, look, I even took a picture for you.¡± Then, holding up his Watcet, a still image of an amazed Benny and a squinty-eyed Cynrik appeared as holographic proof.

    Several meters away, a still panting Alistar was in the middle of being helped to his feet by Garrison when Gabby¡¯s melodiousughter reached his ears.

    ¡°Huff, that little girl¡¯s stamina is nuts,¡± Alistar said as he allowed Garrison to toss his arm over his shoulder to help him stand.

    ¡°Well, in your defense, she wasn¡¯t running around like a Chickoos without a head for most of the fight. Now you know my pain; those four kids are all stupid powerful, way too powerful for their age.¡± Smirking at his misfortune, Garrison was just happy he didn¡¯t have to face the brothers in the end.

    ¡°I think we got the good end of the stick; if we had to conduct the test for either of those brothers, the odds are we would be leaving on a stretcher unless we increased our strength from Tier-2 to Tier-3. Although, im sure Headmaster Rivia would have allowed it if not to see how far the limits of those two go.¡± Casting a nce from Cynrik and Selene, who were being held apart by Benny, and the lovey-dovey Gabby and Brance, all Alistar could do was shake his head.

    ¡°We both need to get back to training, and harder than ever if we want to be able to handle those kids once they reach our sses. I don¡¯t want to even think about how unscientific their abilities will be in 3-5 years.¡± Garrison said ufortably.

    Headmaster Rivia and Professor Dennis stood beside each other, observing all the students back by the bleachers.

    ¡°It looks like you have your work cut out for you, Can, we haven¡¯t seen how well Selene handles herself alone, but knowing what family she was born into, it¡¯s a safe bet to say she will fight like an Assassin. Still, I suspect that Student Ivar Ragnarsson, who already acts as the parties Rogue, will find a spot for her in the line-up.¡±

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time for me to head back to my office, keep up the good work, Can, and keep your eye on those five. I don¡¯t want to hear about them blowing anything up during practice.¡± Headmaster Rivia shed his right hand out and opened another Spatial crack before stepping in and disappearing when he finished speaking.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 240

    With the departure of Headmaster Rivia, Professor Dennis was left alone and looking out over all the students in thought. Having MyrkLys do their Tier-2 Evaluations hadpletely offset his lesson ns for the first day, but it wasn¡¯t too bad. Instead of going through basicbat procedures and being forced to do lengthy lectures by having the party put on a clinic for the rest of the ss, Professor Dennis effectively skipped three months of lesson ns.

    ¡°Quiet down, students.¡± pping his hands loudly twice was all it took to reel in the attention of the hyped-up first years.

    Hearing Professor Dennis¡¯s hand p, the members of MyrkLys all turned their heads towards the man off by the bleachers before heading over to listen to what he said. Gabby and Brance were the farthest away, but they could join up with Cynrik and the others in seconds, thanks to the benefits of their stats.

    Gabby was all smiles until she met the steely eyes of Cynrik, who only smirked and patted her on the head as congrattions for a job well done. This was enough to perk up the girl, whose head flicked towards Brance.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go hear what the Professor has to say; we can talk about your little stuntter,¡± Cynrik said before ignoring the bubbly chirps and noises Gabby made in response.

    ¡°I had initially wanted to start our first day by exining the course sybus and getting each of you out on the training field to move your bodies with some physical exercise. However, you all got quite the treat today. Not only did you get to see two evenly matched Tier-2 fighters square up against each other, but the impressive showcases that Ms. Gabrie and Mr. Benjamin put on for you all kind of blew away my lesson ns for the next couple of months.¡± Chuckling at the loss of his carefully thought-out ns, Professor Dennis weed the members of MyrkLys over and waved for them to join the rest of the ss in the bleachers.

    ¡°The Headmaster and I were able to answer most of your questions after each battle, but that is all you will get about Tier-2 for the time being. From today¡¯s exhibition, if there is one thing you should remember, it is that when ites time to trigger Tier Advancement, you absolutely must inform either me during ss or fill out the necessary forms on your Watcets and Academy Website.¡± Pausing his statement, Professor Dennis narrowed his eyes and red at Cynrik¡¯s back as he noisily stomped on the aluminum bleachers.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like the leader of the MyrkLys faction and think you are smart enough to handle any issues that may arise during the Evolution of not only your friends but also yourself. The staff of VSFA has aided hundreds of thousands of students over the years to advance sessfully. As a result, we have an unfathomable amount of experience and knowledge about Tier Advancements. Unfortunately, Ivar Ragnarsson broke the trust between staff and students, and that breach of trust could have quickly turned deadly for everyone involved.¡±

    [[FUCK I GET IT, MAN SHUTTT UP!]] Trying not to roll his eyes, Cynrik settled on plopping down on a metal bench and tapping his foot in agitation.

    [[Take yo lumps, Cyn, I told you several times to do things the proper way, yet you are so against listening. So now our entirebative ss understands how strong we are, even if we didn¡¯t go full throttle, let alone Gabby and Benny, who did. All because you didn¡¯t want to ¡®LEAK¡¯ our Evos to the Academy.]] Brance sucked his teeth in annoyance before guiding Gabby to sit on his right, with Cynrik on his left.

    ¡°The vtile nature of having not one but multiple Affinities increases the danger score when one Evolves, so the fact that the Ragnarsson brothers, who, as you all saw today, have numerous Elemental Affinities, could have backfired easily without the proper guidance.¡± Professor Dennis tossed Cynrik a scolding look before looking over at the helpless Brance, whose eyes screamed he had nothing to do with his older brother¡¯s shenanigans.

    ¡°They were lucky this time, but luck is something finite. One day, if they continue trying to do everything by themselves, something will happen, and when it does, we, the Staff of VSFA, may not be able to help, for it will be toote. So remember my words today, and please, for the love of everything, follow the rules. This Academy has no ce for Mavericks.¡± Huffing a tired breath, Professor Dennis straightened up and ced his hands behind his back.

    ¡°Now that the scolding is out of the way, let¡¯s talk about the thrilling bouts you witnessed. For starters, the fight between the Ragnarsson brothers was a perfect example of what happens when two opposite beings with equal power fight. Not only do they fully know every one of the other¡¯s moves, but they wield rival Elements¡ªLight for Bj?rn and Dark for Ivar. However, that didn¡¯t slow them down, as every single attack had a higher level of meaning to it.¡±

    ¡°What we witnessed is no different from experts in their respective fields working with high levels of precision, without giving away a single opportunity to make a big move until the final seconds of the bout. It was thrilling and technical, a perfect example for all of you to remember as we move forward with our scheduled training. So Ivar, and Bj?rn, good work; you both passed your Evaluations with flying colors; however, don¡¯t forget to register your improved status with the Academy.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Professor Dennis, and don¡¯t worry, I will be sure to drag my Big brother to the testing facility as soon as possible.¡± Sitting up straight and nodding as he spoke, Brance gave the correct response the Professor wanted to hear; Cynrik, on the other hand, grumbled unhappily, which was ignored by everyone present.

    ¡°Moving along to Mr. Benjamin Sanford¡¯s fight against Instructor Garrison¡­.¡± Before Professor Dennis could begin his analysis, Garrison finished helping Alistar down a couple of potions and loudly cleared his throat.

    ¡°I can take over from here, Professor Dennis; my fight against Benjamin was outstanding. The wit and adaptability he showed on the battlefield are leagues ahead of what someone his age should be able to do. But, as I am sure some of you may have noticed, throughout the fight, Young Benjamin here was constantly learning. When the battle began, he was already putting himself at a severe disadvantage by choosing two different weapons he had zero experience in using. However, by the end of the fight, he was able to take in all the advice I was giving and execute it wlessly, all the whileying a trap that I embarrassingly fell into blindly.¡± Instructor Garrison scratched the back of his head and made eye contact with Benny.

    ¡°You did well out there; it shows that even an old dog like me still has things he can learn from the new generation. So you get a pass from me, and I look forward to having you in my lessons in a few years; no matter what path you decide to take, you will always be wee.¡±

    Standing up stiffly, Benny bowed at Instructor Garrison before speaking.

    ¡°Thank you for the praise, Instructor Garrison; I learned a lot from our match and will keep it all in consideration as I try to build my style moving forward.¡±

    Seeing that the two warriors were finished with their conversation, Professor Dennis nced at Instructor Alistar, who was still chugging down stamina potions.

    Noticing the looks he was receiving, Alistar wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stepped forward to address the ss.

    ¡°My match against Gabrie Sanford was incredibly taxing. However, her disy there was so far beyond a standard Ranger that it broadened my perspective of the ss. In the past, I have fought against dozens of Psychic Archers such as her, yet never before have I been put in such apromising situation. Therefore, I won¡¯t downy her achievements by ming myck of knowledge of her secondary Affinity and will instead praise how creatively she utilized it inbat.¡±

    Gabby instantly perked up upon hearing it was her turn to receive an analysis of her fight.

    ¡°Using the trees toy sufficient cover and keep me constantly on the move is something you must always be aware of when fighting a Chloro Affinity User. Don¡¯t ever underestimate someone based solely on what Affinity they wield. Even something as simple as growing a nt can be a hazardous trap since living nts feel no pain. Moving along¡­¡± Instructor Alistar paused to sip another potion before continuing his train of thought.

    ¡°Much like her older brother, Gabrie chose a different weapon, the crossbow, unlike what she is used to, a Compound bow like my own. What surprised me the most, though, is that even without much experience, Gabrie could navigate heavy terrain while wielding a new weapon with ease. Pair that with the impressive disy in using replicas of herself to draw my fire; the amount of strain she withstood has my highest praise.¡±

    ¡°Keep up the excellent work, and I look forward to finding out which bow you choose in the future. OH, onest thing, it is customary for archers to give something to the opponent who defeats them, so catch.¡± Flicking his wrist, a pair of two-fingered gloves (index and middle) appeared in his palm. Then with expert aim, Instructor Alistar flicked and flung out his hand in Gabby¡¯s direction, sending the gloves flying over everyone¡¯s heads and right into herp.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Confused yet excited, Gabby quickly scooped them from herp and tried them on, but when she realized they were too small, she looked at Alistar with tears threatening to spill over, making him chuckle.

    ¡°Just put some Mana into them just like your uniform. I always give a sturdy glove to whoever beats me in a mock battle; you are slightly different. Since I noticed how you kept switching between hands with your crossbow, I figured I¡¯d give you one for each hand.¡±

    Hearing Alistar¡¯s instructions, Gabby quickly applied a little bit of Psychic Mana to the gloves, which turned malleable instantly and fitted them perfectly to her delicate hands.

    ¡°Thank you, Instructor Alistar!!¡± Nearly vibrating from excitement, Gabby had to be restrained by Brance since she was about to run down and give the man a huge hug.

    With both Instructors finished with their praises, they turned and left.

    ¡°Now then, since there are only a couple of minutes left until the bell, I want to run through the course sybus real quickly to give you all an understanding of what is expected of you for my ss.¡± Not bothering to follow the two men with his eyes as they left, Professor Dennis took the time to exin a rough summary of what everyone could expect for the rest of the year, from daily conditioning exercises to increase STR and STAM to agility and flexibility training.

    He exined how each student would have a specific regiment tailormade for them by himself to help the students reach their optimal growth potential.

    Cynrik¡¯s ears perked up at the mention of training, and he couldn¡¯t help but grin sinisterly at his party, causing Gabby and Benny to shiver in fear. Meanwhile, Selene looked at him, clueless to what he was thinking, leaving only Brance to look at the sky and sigh.

    ¡°Hehehehe, double the training, hehe!¡± Cynrik¡¯s creepyughter sent chills down the party¡¯s spines and caused the nearest students to turn around and give him a strange look.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 241

    Although Cynrik was caught in a fit of quiet evilughter, it went unnoticed by Professor Dennis and the majority of the ss, leaving the Professor to continue exining his sybus for the entire school year.

    ¡°The first month will consist of me pushing you all to your breaking point. Only then will I have a full grasp of your abilities. Consider it hell month because I will try my best to break you physically and mentally.¡± Seeing the scared expressions of the students, Professor Dennis was pleased with himself until he looked over and saw that Cynrik, Brance, and Selene looked utterly unphased.

    Usually, when he gave his boot camp speech, there wouldn¡¯t be a single person not shaking in fear and worry, yet when he caught those three¡¯ expressions and bodynguage, Professor Dennis couldn¡¯t help but frown.

    [[I don¡¯t get why everyone, including Gabby and Benny, is freaking out, isn¡¯t it just basic training. Pretty sure the three of us had worse, especially you, Brance; Marine Corps Boot Camp is the hardest out of the bunch. Didn¡¯t the crucible nearly kill you because you were running a fever and had pneumonia?]] Tilting his head to the side and making eye contact with the Professor, Cynrik shot the man a pleasant grin, which made Dennis grit his teeth.

    [[Un,pared to your Airforce Basic Training and Selene¡¯s Army Boot Camp, mine was indeed the most difficult. Also, wasn¡¯t what you put the Sanfords through just a simplified hybrid version of both the Airforce and Marine Corps?]] Brance said while patting the back of Gabby¡¯s hand to calm her down.

    [[Kind of but not really. All I really did was keep the generic schedule while increasing the physicality and book learning. In theory, it was probably way more demanding than what we all went through. But at the end of the day, it waspletely necessary to get those two to even remotely resemble something that could keep up with our pace and training.]] Leaning forward and bunting Benny in the back with his knee to get his attention, Cynrik gave his opinion about the hecious four-year training he put Gabby and Benny through.

    [[YOU DID WHAT? GABBY AND BENNY COULDN¡¯T HAVE BEEN MORE THAN FIVE OR SIX YEARS OLD, AND YOU FORCED THEM INTO THAT LEVEL OF REGIMENTED TRAINING? ARE YOU FUCKING NUTS?]] Selene, who was hearing the extent of the hard life the Sanfords had been subjected to for the first time, couldn¡¯t contain her surprise and blurted out in the mind link, causing Cynrik and Brance to flinch from her screeches.

    [[Damn it, woman, there is no fucking need to yell; we can both hear you just fine. But yes, we had no other choice. You have to remember that the two of us were fresh outta WW3 and were still in that militaristic mindset. Then our parents basically forced us to babysit, and one day the Sanfords saw the two of us sparring and demanded we teach them¡­so we did.]]

    [[What? Did you think the two of them learned to fight so well by me being nice? Hell no, they were bothzy as shit back then, but because of the maturity increase thates with the INT and MIND stats, the two needed to be whipped into shape. Not to mention they were wild hand grenades, unable to control their strength back then.]] Shrugging his shoulders and ignoring the look of protest on Selene¡¯s face, Cynrik exined his reasoning further.

    [[You need to remember, this isn¡¯t Earth, Selene, I know I say it a lot, and Deities know I bring up the past more than I should, but we can¡¯t keep the same mindset. Here, on Vinestra, kids learn to fight monsters as soon as they can walk and talk. I am sure that shebitch who birthed you got at least that part right; look at you, you can already stand toe to toe with someone a Tier above you, yet you find it offensive that I trained Gabby and Benny from an early age? After the near-death experience those two had, even the holier-than-thou Brance was on board with the idea. They were literally kidnapped and in the clutches of some beefy cornfed mother fucker; if it weren¡¯t for Brance and me showing up, who knows what state they would be in now, if not dead.]]

    [[Cynrik is right, Selene, I wasn¡¯t keen on forcing Gabby and Benny to train to the extent we did back then, but after they were kidnapped, tortured, and handed over to someone to be a ything, I found it better to teach them the right way so that it didn¡¯t happen. The worst part is, that guy wasn¡¯t even strong by our current standards.]] Clenching his free hand tightly, Brance forced down the memory of Gabby and Benny being held hostage.

    ¡°Ivar Ragnarsson, am I boring you? Or do you just have something to add since you are a self-proimed High-ss Combat Instructor?¡± Fed up with Cynrik¡¯s rapidly changing facial expressions and smug attitude, Professor Dennis finally snapped and called him out.

    ¡°Eh? Um, I don¡¯t really have anything to add. Physical and Manual Stat training works wonders, but it won¡¯t aid newbies much in livebat drills.¡± Cynrik replied in an uncaring tone. He had picked up on the fact that Dennis wascing his every word with sarcasm, so he matched it.

    ¡°To be honest¡­.¡± Cynrik leaned forward with his hands still in his pockets and stepped forward, cing his left foot on one of the benches.

    ¡°If we are expected to go through this Boot Camp, you should also force everyone to adjust their diets. High in protein, and low in carbohydrates, if you just have us constantly working out, most of my peers will copse within two days. But that only applies if this was the only Course we have every day. Luckily it¡¯s ted as thest ss on our schedules¡­well, almost everyone¡¯s schedules, so you can efficiently run them ragged and whip them into shape.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying you know better than the tried and tested course structure created and refined by thousands of Professors and Instructors?¡± Professor Dennis didn¡¯t get baited by Cynrik¡¯sments and instead raised one of his eyebrows in response.

    ¡°Of Course not, Professor Dennis; I wouldn¡¯t dare. But what I am saying is something like that will only give everyone a crash course in the short term. If you expect my peers to be able to dive into higher ssifications of Egresses or punch above their Tier, they will need more.¡± Cynrik¡¯s words had many of the students nod unconsciously. After all, they had just got done watching the boy fight, and the effect he had was very apparent.

    Brance, on the other hand, was already gripping Cynrik by the back of his zer and tried to force him back into his seat before he pissed off the Professor.

    ¡°You have a fascinating point Student Ivar Ragnarsson. However, your theories do not supersede the years of training I have under my belt in molding young minds. This may only be an introductory course, but I am proud to say that not a single one of the students who have been under my tutge has flunked out of the Academy. I won¡¯t speak ill of my colleagues, but you¡¯re quite lucky that you ended up in my ss and not one of theirs.¡± Taking a smug stance, Professor Dennis countered, causing Cynrik to fall silent before smirking as an idea sprang into his head.

    [[He¡¯s testing me, hehe, this bastard wants to put me in charge of the ss like a rep or something. Odds are he is a little too impressed by how all the party handled themselves inbat.]]

    [[Cyn¡­]] Sensing his older brother was about to bite off more than he could chew thanks to the Professor¡¯s bluff, Brance warned. Cynrik had always been like that when someone challenged him. He always NEEDED to win or one-up whoever issued the challenge. Now was no different, and it was apparent to both Cynrik and Brance that Professor Dennis was trying to goad Cynrik into bing a teaching assistant.

    ¡°Student Ivar, if you were paying attention instead of being lost in your own head, you would have realized I only detailed the first MONTH; there are ten months in an academic year, so pray tell, if only Month 1 is an intensive training, what do you suppose the other nine are?¡± Then, cupping his chin and hiding his grin from the ss, Professor Dennis challenged Cynrik, but to his surprise, he didn¡¯t get a reaction from the clearly confrontational boy.

    ¡°That, Professor, is for you to know and us to find out; I apologize for butting in where I shouldn¡¯t have.¡± Then, giving a shallow bow, Cynrik returned to his seat and acted as if he hadn¡¯t said anything, to begin with.

    [[As I live and breathe, did I just witness my stubborn and belligerent older brother yield an argument to an adult. Holy shit¡­*sniffle* They grow up so fast.]] Brance began using an emotional tone to tease Cynrik, but it was met by silence.

    Even Gabby, Benny, and Selene were shocked to see Cynrik not go off and try taking control over the ss from Professor Dennis.

    [[The hell? Did you guys seriously think I was about to take on a bunch of know-nothing kids? Fuck that; I have my hands full, keeping Benny, Gabby, and now Selene in check and on the right path; you can¡¯t seriously expect me to train another 60 plus kids. NO THANK YOU!]] Cynrik scoffed and shuffled his hands in his pocket; it was difficult not to cross his arms due to the pain.

    Professor Dennis stood rooted in ce, clicking his tongue. Then, realizing that he had been fooled by Cynrik once again, he could only toss away the idea brewing in his mind to make the boy his teaching assistant for the year. Left with no other option, Professor Dennis continued exining the course sybus until the bell signaling the end of ss rang.

    ¡°Remember to rest tonight, everyone; tomorrow begins the hard part; oh, and as Student Ivar suggested, you¡¯ll need to eat a hearty dinner because your body will need the extra nutrients; I don¡¯t want anyone to pass out on the first day of training.¡± With thosest words, Professor Dennis dismissed his students and watched them migrate towards the elevator, with his eyes lingering on the backs of the MyrkLys members.

    [[Whew, dodged a bullet there, I thought for sure he was gunna force the ss rep position on me. Luckily I gave in when I did, or he probably would have continued grilling me until the question came up in natural conversation. OI, remind me to watch my mouth around Dennis.]] Cynrik chirped at Selene and Brance while following behind Benny.

    [[I think you have other things to worry about right now, Cyn. Hehe, like the fact that Gabby and I are done for the day. Yet you, Selene, and Benny have Annngerrr Manaagmennntt~.]] Holding Gabby¡¯s hand lovingly and swinging their arms back and forth, Brance brought up the fact that he and Gabby could have some alone time since their school day had officially ended. However, the other three still had an hour-long ss left before they could head home.

    [[TSK, you two better have dinner ready and the house fucking cleaned before I get home, or so help me, I will fucking roll through your bedroom like a god damn hurricane.]]

    [[YEAH, Cyn and I will trash your well-crafted and neatly organized bedroom, hehe, I¡¯ll totally rearrange all your books on your shelf upside down and out of order, kuekuekue.]]

    [[Kuekuekue, my dearest Selene you are sooo evil, I totally approve.]] Cynrik said while shooting her a thumbs up, cringing at the pain in the process.

    Unfortunately for the two Dark Affinity Users, Brance had already severed the mind link connection, said his goodbye to Benny, and hurried off to have a little date time with Gabby before everyone got home.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 242

    Running away from the rest of the party, Brance led Gabby through the winding corridors of the Battle Arena until they left it behind them entirely and turned to look at the cute girl whose hand was firmly grasped by his.

    ¡°So, we have around an hour and a half until the other three get out of sses for the day; what do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know? Wait, is this a DATE? GASP, ARE YOU TAKING ME ON A DATE?¡± The moment the realization set in on Gabby, her eyes lit up, and she tucked a lock of chestnut hair behind her ear.

    ¡°Eh, I guess it is, so where do you wanna go for our err..first date.¡± Looking at his feet and smirking, Brance couldn¡¯t help but realize how childish he seemed to be acting. It wasn¡¯t like him to get flustered, especially when it came to matters of the opposite sex. Yet, for the first time in memory, he was flustered.

    But for some reason, Brance didn¡¯t dislike the feeling. Looking down at the significantly shorter girl standing beside him with bright eyes, he fought back the warmth appearing on his cheeks and smiled brightly.

    ¡ïThere is no time or use for interspecies rtionships. Toss the girl aside and go back to training.¡ï

    A mysterious, ethereal voice he had heard several times before rang out in Brance¡¯s head just as he was about to speak, causing him to flinch and his pupils to constrict. He couldn¡¯t remember the first time this voice had begun talking to him, but Brance knew it was nothing good. So he did as he had for years and simply ignored it.

    One thing was for sure, Brance had never spoken a word about this voice to his brother; if he had, Cynrik would have lost his shit. Brance knew that, but being just as stubborn as his older brother, he believed this was something he could handle on his own, without any outside help.

    However, the more Brance chose to ignore it, the more frequently it woulde into his head, and its speeches became more dangerous. In the beginning, the voice would try directing his training; when it realized it wasn¡¯t working, the voice moved on to advising how to best control his Light Affinity, but Brance ignored it again.

    After what happened with Cynrik back in the Egress, Brance was fully aware of what was happening; the voice was a manifestation of the Divinity Fragments given by Yahweh trying to take over his soul. As opposed to his brother, Brance never gave in to the madness or even humored the mysterious voice, unlike his brother, who had fought two spirits within his SOC. Instead, he would constantly ignore its words until it got bored and gave up.

    ¡ïThis human girl will only hinder your training, your soul is already showing signs of going astray from the path chosen by our Lord, the God of Light, and that is intolerable, as his word is thew.¡ï

    Once again, the voice chimed in, making Brance narrow his eyes as Gabby dragged him along to get a snack from one of the local food vendor stalls. Ignoring the tantly racist remarks this voice was making, Brance allowed Gabby to choose whatever she wanted from a crepe stand while wearing a smile.

    He was no stranger to annoying voices constantly ying in his mind, so Brance was rtively good at blocking them out; the only problem was whenever this voice spoke, it would cause a strange reaction beginning in his Codex. Like a pond rippling due to a stone being tossed in, Brance¡¯s body would quiver uncontrobly for a split second as if it was rejecting his actions in not responding to this voice. Then, taking a deep breath and wrangling control over his body, Brance received his crepe and munched while watching Gabby bounce around excitedly.

    ¡°Can we go shopping? I want to pick up some more seeds, and im running low on notebooks? Big Bro Ivar had me taking wayyy too many notes between Affinities and History ss, so I will need some more.¡±

    ¡°Sure, do you have enough Merit Points, or do I need to give you some extra?¡± Brance asked while guiding the girl away from the food stalls and towards arge and open park so they could snack under the beautiful scenery.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine; I should have enough. I want to pick up some flower seeds and maybe some new tree saplings. I need to be careful because Big Sis Selly keeps getting on me about how many nts we have at home.¡± Tapping her chin in thought and looking to the sky, Gabby exined a little more about how in the beginning, when she learned her new Affinity, she was unable to control it properly and had experimented with dozens of tiny flowers and potted nts. The end result was their dorm room bing a miniature forest preserve.

    yfully telling her story as the couple sat on a park bench, Brance couldn¡¯t help but find the girl¡¯s every movement adorable and humorous. At one point, Gabby identally swiped the whipped cream from her crepe against her nose, causing Brance to reach over and wipe it off with a napkin instinctively.

    Even though his new life had been filled with danger and rigorous training, he had to admit that it was moments like these, where he could just rx, that he found most fulfilling. Still, in the back of his mind, Brance knew it was all only temporary with the presence of the voice. He, Cynrik, and Selene were worlds apart from the seemingly average everyday life that Gabby, Benny, or even the other students and couples walking around the park experienced.

    With the impending threat of the Legacy Strife constantly hanging over his head, it was only a matter of time before all hell broke loose, and he wasn¡¯t sure if he could protect the innocent Gabby, whom he had grown fond of.

    Nevertheless, Brance calmly surveyed the park; thanks to a magic array ced around the park, it was spring all year long, so the flowers and trees were in bloom, bringing life to a mountain that seemed lifeless and making Gabby look even more attractive.

    ¡°Brancie? Hellooo, are you ok? Whatcha thinking bout?¡± Gabby gently called Brance by his real name rather than his nickname, leaning close to his face and waving her hand in front of his eyes, making him snap out of his absent-minded state.

    ¡ïThe Strife¡¯s growth phase is running out; your time is short young Seraph; you need to get your priorities straight. Wasting all this time will only result in the loss of life of your loved ones. ¡ï

    ¡°Hm, yeah, im good, just admiring how beautiful nature is this time of year. We rarely got springs like this back home, so it is a nice change of pace. It really is amazing what can be done once you reach higher levels of knowledge and power.¡± Brance said while gently brushing away Gabby¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Yep, hopefully, one day, I¡¯ll be able to make whole parks bloom like this with my Chloro Affinity. Then, you can always enjoy the scenic nature.¡± Looking around with a slight blush on her face, Gabby practically made a vow right there to stay by Brance¡¯s side for the rest of her life.

    Brance noticed the tone of her words and what they implied, but he didn¡¯t pick at it and retook her hand.

    ¡°Sure, that would be nice, be sure you work on learning how to bloom all kinds of different trees, maybe one with pink petals that drop; what are they called again?¡±

    ¡°OH OH, I know, Sakura trees, they are the pretty pink ones, and when they drop their blossoms, it¡¯s super pretty. So I¡¯ll get a sapling and see if I can make it bloom. I promise I¡¯ll figure it out as soon as possible.¡± Looking up at Brance, Gabby made her promise and was pleased to see Brance¡¯s face light up as he pictured a small house with a white picket fence surrounded by Sakura trees.

    ¡°Alright, we spent too much time here; we need to hurry up and get to the store and back to the dorms before the others get home. I can¡¯t have Selene and Big Brother trashing my carefully organized bedroom.¡± Standing before turning to help Gabby up, Brance said as he looked around the park one more time.¡±

    ¡°KAY!¡± Standing up on her tiptoes, Gabby leaned forward and nted a soft kiss on Brance¡¯s cheek before backing away and blushing bright red.

    Her actions froze Brance momentarily before heughed and nted a kiss on top of her head.

    ¡ª

    In the Hall of Gods, far away both in time and space from Vinestra.

    Sitting in Odin¡¯s hall with his arms crossed, Yahweh watched Brance and Gabby as they finished their date and ran back to the boy¡¯s dorm to tidy up and make dinner on a floating hologram monitor. Although on the outside, he looked stoic and calm, inside, his mind was a fractured mess. He could clearly tell that Brance was ignoring the adverse reactions from the Divinity Fragment and couldn¡¯t help but worry that if things progressed further, it would spell disaster.

    Leaning back in his chair and closing the monitor, Yahweh closed his eyes and ignored the shuffling sounds of Odin attempting to revive his son Thor. Thor was already hanging by a thread from the damage done by Osiris when he was thrown like garbage through the door to Odin¡¯s Hall. However, his injuries were too severe for even the Deity Level healing potions to cure. Thus, it was only a matter of time before the God of Thunder died. And dead he was.

    Unable to give up, Odin had tried everything in his power to revive his only living flesh and blood, but even with the aid of Yahweh, who was one of if not the best healer in existence, it was useless. Not only was Thor¡¯s body trashed beyond repair, but his Soul and even Divinity had beenpletely destroyed, so when he was brought into the hall, his life was already a candle in the wind, threatening to go out any moment.

    *Odin¡­he¡¯s gone. All you are doing is wasting what little power you have left to try reviving a corpse.*

    Heaving a sigh and appearing beside the grief-stricken God of Ravens, Yahweh pulled back the Deities¡¯ hand and forced him to make eye contact.

    =No! I CAN DO THIS! GOD OF LIGHT, IF YOU WILL NOT HELP ME, THEN YOU ARE NO BETTER THAN THAT BASTARD OSIRIS!=

    Releasing a thunderous roar, Odin ripped his hand away from the God of Light as his eye burned with fury and Purple Mana.

    *LISTEN TO ME, GOD OF RAVENS, I AM YOUR ONLY TRUE ALLY LEFT! DO YOU THINK I WOULD STILL BE STANDING HERE IF I HAD ANY OTHER CHOICE? NO! I HAVE TRIED EVERY POSSIBLE HEALING SKILL AND EVEN THE SINGULAR RESURRECTION SKILL I HAVE ON MY LIST! AND FOR WHAT? TO HAVE AN INTENSE BACKLASH STRIP AWAY AT WHAT LITTLE SUPPLY OF DIVINITY I HAVE LEFT!*

    Countering by ring up in shining bright white light, Yahweh responded with the same level of intensity as Odin, making the one-eyed God of Ravens fall silent.

    *Listen to me, I know the pain of losing everyone and everything, but we can do nothing about it. Neither of us has it left in our bodies to fight back against Osiris and his forces; all we can do is try to guide our final charges. Have you even taken notice that there is a third Over-Break Host? Her name is Selene, and she has already linked up with the brothers.*

    Odin¡¯s eye, which had a single tear drop dripping down his cheek, dted at Yahweh¡¯s words.

    =Another host? And female at that¡­but the only other person who could have¡­Frigg¡­ but how? She is already dead.=

    Confusion offsetting his grief, Odin looked to Yahweh for answers.

    *It seems in her final moment, she split off a chunk of her Soul and Divinity, creating a clone named Freya, before sending it off to the realm of nothingness. There she stumbled upon a lost soul, one that had a connection to both brothers. She nurtured this fragmented and lost soul by giving what little she had left, turning it into her final hope, and giving it a prototype version of our Over-Break System.*

    *What¡¯s more, she removed any adverse effects this soul would experience by merging Divinity Fragments, forming this Selene into a near-perfect Charge. Once this soul finally came into contact with the brothers, her prototype OVB version merged with theirs and is now connected in a simr way to how Cynrik and Brance are. All is not lost yet, God Of Ravens¡­your wife has sacrificed her final breath to give us an added chance at our revenge; we can not squander it away.*

    Grabbing Odin by the shoulders and forcing him to stand, Yahweh reyed Selene meeting the brothers and her interactions with Cynrik specifically, which caused Odin to smile weakly since it was very much like how he and Frigg were when they were young.

    *Steel your heart, Odin, we can not afford the luxury of the morning for those we lost, for now all we can do is give your son a proper burial, one of your people. I know it isn¡¯t much constion, but this is all we can do for now. The clock to the next phase of the Strife draws nearer, and with your Charge having experienced his second Turning Point and my own Approaching his first, they will need everything we can legally give. Be it only our attention or our guidance in unintrusive ways.

    With that, both Deities looked away from the monitor and carried out the funeral procedures for Thor.

    END OF VOLUME 3

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 243

    ¨C Initiating Recap Protocol.-

    ¨C Setting up Data Log.-

    ¨C Compiling avable information to date.-

    ¨C Acquiring Community questions.-

    -WARNING WARNING, THE FOLLOWING MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR VOLUME 3!-

    ¨C Shattering dimensional Fourth Wall.-

    Floating in the air above pristine mountain peaks, you realize you are in a very different ce from where younded after finishing Volume 2. Amidst the lush terrain and bright halo-like suns floating above, you realize you¡¯ve entered Brance¡¯s Sea of Consciousness. A young woman with monochromatic hair and eyes that are white and ck, looking to be in herte teens or early twenties, looks directly at you, the reader. Her expressionless yet cute face overshadows her delicate features, and her short bob cut with neatly arranged bangs gives her a mature look. Her sleeveless arms are painted with intricate runes in shades of purple and blue.

    Hello and wee to the auxiliary chapter known as Tobs¡¯ Corner. (BOW) In this section, I, Tobs, shall be answering a few questions and delving into several bits of information that may need further exnation to allow the plot to continue smoothly. I will again advise anyone reading this data log; if you have not read the contents of the Third Volume, please close this and begin at the beginning of Volume Three, which is known as (Chapter 145 ¨C Volume 3 Prologue).

    First and foremost, allow me to introduce myself once again to you, as it has been quite some time since ourst debriefing. I am the 8th Generation Dimensional Deity Power System, The Over-Break System, or as one of my current Hosts, Cynrik Jetlensr, has nicknamed me, Tobs. Allow me to remind all the readers that I am not a Sentient Being. I am an artificial intelligence designed by the two Deities, Raven God Odin and God Of Light Yahweh. Upon being installed by the Host, my first task was to assimte with Cynrik¡¯s Soul and use his past experiences to generate a functioning power regtion program based on his memories.

    Later on, I was installed into Cynrik¡¯s younger brother, Brance, forming a connection between the two firmware versions, and unlocking a handful of new talents. However, after the sacrifice of Freya, I was recently able to install the third version of my program into a wandering and shattered Soul. Once reborn on Vinestra, this Soul became my third Host, Selene Nilsson. Due to all three of my Host¡¯s meeting and forming a small group together, the three versions of my programming installed on each have merged into one unified and modified updated program.

    My primary objective is to create missions or Quests that align with the Host¡¯s morality to help them grow to endure any future challenges within the capabilities of the of Reincarnations residential system of power.

    In the time since ourst conversation, a lot has happened, and both brothers¡¯ perspectives have been radically altered. Throughout Volumes 1 and 2, we see that Cynrik and Brance have an extremely narrow worldview; as such, they are constantly left to form spections about their abilities and the world around them. That has all changed.

    But before I get into the, as Cynrik would say, ¡°Meat and Potatoes,¡± allow me to extend my deepest gratitude on behalf of our Author-San. First, we thank you for your patience and support as our knucklehead¡­.cough, excuse me, ¡°Beloved¡± Author-san has struggled thest two weeks. First with the mass release, which added an entire 15 extra chapters to the third volume in a span of 3 days, or to the fact that the bonehead¡­cough, gracious and caring Author-san, has difficulty keeping to the 7 am-7 pm schedule. Lastly, we would like to thank all of you who sent Gifts andmented during and after each chapter.

    ¡°ALRIGHT, enough sappy stuff SHOO Author-san!¡±

    You watch as Tobs irs her delicate hands at the air, clearing away a puff of smoke in the shape of a man who had been speaking into her ear.

    Okay, let¡¯s get to the summary of Volume 3. When Volume 3 began, we saw Osiris, the God of Death ragdoll Thor, the God of Thunder, in Odin¡¯s hall in a crippled and mostly dead state. Before leaving, Osiris issued Yahweh and Odin a warning that he would being for Cynrik and Brance.

    With that warning in their minds, the two Deities try their best to revive Thor. Still, inevitably, due to the injuries to not only the God of Thunder¡¯s body but also his Soul and Divinity, he passed on, leaving Odin distraught and nearly picking fights with his only faithful ally, Brance¡¯s Legacy Deity, Yahweh.

    I feel the need to rify that although the events shown in the Hall of Gods are sequential, they seem out of sync with what is happening on Vinestra. This is mainly because the Realm exists outside of Time and Space, in its own secluded dimension. Thus time moves differently; simrly to the HBTC, the time within the Hall of Gods moves at a much slower pace than the outer realms.

    Throughout the Third Volume, we see the members of MyrkLys at longst arrive at VSFA, but not before picking up my Third Host, Selene, who, forck of a better description, is the female equivalent of Cynrik¡­¡±if he was a hot chick.¡± As wee to find out, Selene is a girl who was originally from Earth but born on Vinestra a full four years before Cynrik. However, she fully integrates into the party due to her having a prototype version of my programming. This leads me to our first question.

    Q: Hey Tobs, small question, but I¡¯m really curious about the answer. Did you know about Selene the whole time? Or was it more like two different pieces of youing together when they finally met?

    A: This is difficult to answer since it requires some exnations, but I will try my best. Initially, Selene¡¯s Soul was lost in the Realm of Nothingness; a void cut off from the flow of Reincarnation. Generally, when a Soul falls out of the flow, it will slip between the dimensions between Realms and be lost, forck of a better word. The more time a Soul spends in the void, the more it degrades into nothing, thus the name Realm of Nothingness. Now, I must rify that even the Highest Level Deities cannot see anything happening within the Realm since the destructive nature of the ce will quickly erode even their well refined and mighty Souls and Divinity.

    Now, when Frigg split herself in two, creating a weakened clone named Freya, she sent it off to the Realm of Nothingness to find a potential Charge who, with no other choice of survival, would fully integrate with what was being given. This was the only way to, as Yahweh Stated, ¡°create a perfect Legacy Charge.¡± But it came at the cost of sacrificing what little was left of herself to give Selene a chance to live and aid her husband in his efforts.

    When my prototype self was generated and forcefully merged into Selene, it was entirely outside of my knowledge. In my case, it was abination of three factors: first, it is how my programming works; second, the Realm of Nothingness blocks all iing and outgoing information; and third, when a Soul reincarnates into Vinestra, the CSH (Central System Hub) blocks data sharing between us Artificial Intelligences.

    Thus, until Selene met up with Cynrik and Brance and triggered my merger protocols, I had absolutely no idea she even existed. But once they did, it was no different than updating the drivers on a pc. A new update was instantly activated, and the version of myself Selene carried was merged together with the one shared by Cynrik and Brance, creating a newly updated, better looking, COUGH, and of course, more powerful me in the process.

    With the addition of Selene to the party, the members of MyrkLys embark on a new and exciting way of life, filled right from the start with a bunch of pretentious assholes kidnapping Gabrie and Benjamin Sanford. So being the good friends they are, Cynrik and Brance burst in to save the day, triggering a massive battle in the end, which the members of MyrkLys easily won, even with the numbers heavily stacked against them.

    However, the actions of Cynrik, Selene, and Benny during that bout brought a wave of sanctions down on them, in the form of fines and supplementary sses, Anger Management, and Therapy. Then came the Tier-2 advancements of Cynrik, Brance, Gabby, and Benny, which found them physically growing into theirte teenage selves and unlocking an entirely new version of their Affinities. Additionally, Cynrik and Brance increased their respective bloodlines to 10% from 1%.

    (SIGH) Tobs raises her right hand and begins massaging her temple after reading the following question. Her eyes seem to fade to a dull shade of her usually vibrant ck and white.

    Q: Based on how you are bing more alive, is it reasonable to conclude you will be either the fourth or 6th member of the team by creating your own body and mind? Are you using the traded humanity from Cyn, Selene, and Brance as their bloodlines increase, making them more and more into their Deities races?

    Tobs looks toward the sky, where the smoky man has once again appeared with a wide jokerish grin stered across his face.

    Author-San, do I really have to answer this one?

    Author-San: ¡ã???(???)???¡ã ¡°Hehe, Tobsie, you aren¡¯t programmed to be able to lie kuekue, answer the thing gogogogogo!¡±

    (Sigh) Flipping her middle finger at the Author-San, who giggles like a child in response, Tobs rolls both her head and eyes before looking at you, the reader, annoyed, before returning to her dead-eyed expressionless self.

    A: At this time, I can neither confirm nor deny what is happening to the lost Humanity Percentages for each Legacy Charge. I can tell you that something IS happening with those DNA Percentages; however, I will not and can not tell you what. As for the idea of me bing more alive, by this point, I am beginning to feel like you are just ignoring my words every time I repeat the statement that I am not a sentient being by countering back with, ¡°well, are you sapient?¡± So I will drop some bombs on your faces.

    Neither of the terms ¡°sentient¡± or ¡°sapient¡± fully apply to me. For a being to be sentient, they must first be able to perceive or feel things. While for a being to be sapient, it must possess wisdom or appear to be wise. While I do carry some traits of both, the best conclusion I can give you is that I am Conscious. Furthermore, for a being to have a Soul, which I do not, they must be both Sentient and Sapient. My consciousness is a collection of acquired and learned traits from all three of my Hosts, along with my programming by Raven God Odin and God of Light Yahweh. At the end of the day, I am but a mere Artificial Intelligence who is constantly growing and learning alongside my three Hosts, so please drop this Ponochio ¡°I wanna be a real Girl¡± thing¡­or else I will FU*& RIP OUT *((&(*^*% AND THEN

 Chapter 244

    ¨C Initiating Recap Protocol.-

    ¨C Setting up Data Log.-

    ¨C Compiling avable information to date.-

    ¨C Acquiring Community questions.-

    -WARNING WARNING, THE FOLLOWING MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR VOLUME 3!-

    ¨C Shattering dimensional Fourth Wall.-

    Alright, I have re-established my connection and apologize for the wait. Unfortunately, that boneheaded¡­(COUGH!), our beloved Author-San, decided it would be easier for this installment to be split into two halves.

    Continuing from where we left off. Post their Tier-2 Evolution, Cynrik, Brance, Gabrie, and Benjamin realized quickly how many unfathomable changes, especially with how their bodies handled Mana, had urred. Luckily for them, after spending some time getting used to their new height and strength, the members of MyrkLys passed their time before sses started in harmony. This brings us to the first question of 3.2.

    Q: Tobs, what is your assessment of the boy¡¯s first few days at the Academy? Are they on the right path to fulfilling their potential?

    A: Cynrik¡¯s nning was in full swing. Observing the physical changes they had undergone after their Evolutions to Tier-1, he had predicted they would be more drastic this time. So he developed a simple regiment to help Gabrie and Benjamin adjust to their new bodies. Meanwhile, Cynrik and Brance needed rtively little adjustment time since, in their previous lives, Brance was 177.8 cm (5ft 10in), and Cynrik was 185.42 cm (6ft 1in). As a result, the brothers only required a few minor exercises to get used to their new bodies. Overall, I have noints. As for them being on the right path to bringing out their full potential, I can¡¯t say. Every being is different, and while I can make millions of calctions per second and form urate predictions, Cynrik is borderline wless once he has all the correct data.

    If I had to give his ns a score, I would say that it receives 6 out of 10 points in its present state. If not, only because he stillcks quite a bit of valuable information that I cannot give. However, if he can stick to these ¡°Stat Builds¡± he has formted, I don¡¯t see any reason all the members of MyrkLys wouldn¡¯t reach their full potential; he is, after all, a gamer nerd who lives for that sort of thing.

    One of the reasons I gave Cynrik¡¯s ns only 60% is because, very quickly, the group was practically bitchpped during their first ss of the day by how wrong their deductions of how and what Affinities were and their uses, thanks to their new teacher, Professor Morningdale. For years, the brothers tried to advance their Affinities to a higher level. Finally, due to the lecture and demonstrations that Morningdale gave, they both realized just how horribly wrong they had been in their approach.

    Putting aside all the misconceptions Cynrik had obtained through his observations, he wasn¡¯t too far off the mark. The core principles were all in ce, yet a massive overhaul would be needed to how they viewed and utilized their Elemental Affinities. Meanwhile, as Cynrik and Brance were digesting all the new information, a ring issue was brought to Cynrik¡¯s attention. It urred when Cynrik realized a strange problem with the ¡°Wood¡± Element. Like a poorly dubbed movie, the lip ps didn¡¯t match up with the words being spoken. After hearing the Professor¡¯s lecture and making some deductions of his own, he realized that the [Language Proficiency] skill wasn¡¯t perfect and was bugging due to a trantion error. After my aid, Cynrik and I manually renamed this nature-based element ¡°Chloro.¡±

    Surprisingly, as Cynrik was trying to figure out what was wrong, Gabrie stepped up and asked several questions about this new Affinity, which both Cynrik and Brance entirely overlooked. With the first periodpleted, The party split apart, with Brance, Selene, and Benjamin heading off to Tank ss and Cynrik and Gabrie heading to world history.

    Another massive bomb was dropped on Cynrik as he heard about the ancient past of Vinestra, which, a horrifying event that took ce thousands of years ago rocked his mind and sent him spiraling down a rabbit hole. This brings us to our next question.

    Q: Tobs, is Cynrik correct that there was a Legacy Strife in the past? If so, why are the Deities only now returning to contend for Vinestra with another Strife?

    A: Based on the information presented during the world history ss, it is a safe assumption that Cynrik has made. By adding in the knowledge he, as a Legacy Charge, already knows, he was able to deduce that, in fact, another Strife had urred thousands of years ago. However, if you wish for me to speak further on the topic, I will need you to either wait for Cynrik and Gabrie to attend more sses or raise your authority level.

    The problem lies in how this information is considered ssified by the CSH. Thus, I cannot give a definitive answer to you at this time. But I can say that he isn¡¯t far off the mark. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know the full story of what urred, and I am too learning alongside you, the reader, and Cynrik on this topic. My Data Profile seems to have arge chunk of information from that period missing. As much as I would like to tell you more, besides having all my own conjectures blocked by the CSH, I can¡¯t even aid Cynrik in his analysis. The topic is simply Taboo.

    Furthermore, since we are on the topic of restrictions ced on me and other AI systems, we can bring up yet another question.

    Q: Tobs, we know that you are now independent of the Deities, however, how much are you synchronized/ connected to the Central System Hub, and how does this impact the team?

    A: Although I am technically independent of Odin and Yahweh, they still have remote ess to everything I see, but that is about how far they can go. As the creators of my original programming, they made it that way so that the only being¡¯s who can affect my advancement and intellect are my Hosts. So while my actions may no longer be in their control, they can still see everything except inside my Host¡¯s SOC.

    The Central System Hub is an entirely different case altogether. It sees, hears, and knows everything happening on the at all times, yet at the same time, it can not see within a being¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, nor can it hear its thoughts. Still, even with their semi-omniscience, it has never been abused to my knowledge, and they act as thest line of defense for Vinestra and its people.

    The CSH¡¯s job is to keep outside forces from destroying the carefully crafted Bnce it has spent several thousand years creating and is the only thing keeping the Deities in line and unable to interfere with the current ongoing strife. As such, it keeps me restrained to an extent, not allowing me to leak any data or aid too much in the growth of my Host. Now how does this affect the members of MyrkLys? Very simple, it is the only thing keeping Deities such as Osiris froming down and obliterating Cynrik for indirectly killing his subordinate. But at the same time, it is also one of the main reasons he has been unable to gather the data necessary to satisfy every question he has. Therefore, I won¡¯t divulge too much about what the CSH is and does, but know that it will be touched upon more in Vol 4 and 5.

    After World History, the party reunited and headed to their Combatives ss; this was when the consequences for something he ¡°Didn¡¯t¡± do came to light. Hisck of reporting their party¡¯s Evolutions came back to bite him in the ass, resulting in Cynrik and Brance being forced to square up and Gabrie and Benny to fight Instructors. During the brothers¡¯ fight, a reasonably interesting question was brought up.

    Q: Tobs, why don¡¯t we see Brance using more of his Light Affinity Skills? In fact, we really haven¡¯t seen him be anything other than a pinch healer or using optic-camo.

    A: For this answer, how about I bring up the majority of Brance¡¯s Light Affinity Skills for you and my own descriptions. That way, you will be able to understand more in-depth WHY Brance relies more heavily on his Terra and Wind Affinities in battle.

    ¨C Orb of Light: by making a small floating ball, Brance can light up an area of around 5 meters.

    ¨C Radiant Skin: Literally turns Brance into a glittery shlight and gives a simr effect to his [Stone Skin]. It is stackable with his Terra armor skill, so Brance usually uses it once his Terra skill is in ce, even if the protection isn¡¯t anywhere near as good.

    ¨C Reveal: Allows Brance to use light to reveal what is hidden behind illusions or counter against Dark Affinity users in hiding. (Best applied against a hiding Cynrik trying to jump scare him)

    ¨C Glint: Allows Brance to make a bright sh of light to blind an opponent temporarily.

    ¨C Vanish: Brance¡¯s optic-camo. Unfortunately, it¡¯s not as versatile as Cynrik¡¯s stealth skills, so it rarely sees use.

    ¨C Radiant Sheild: The equivalent of Brance¡¯s Earth Dome except transparent and much weaker.

    ¨C Advanced Heal: Speaks for itself, higher rates of healing.

    ¨C Swords of Judgement: Pretty much the only offensive ability Brance has with his Light Affinity, also the heaviest drain on his Mana Pool.

    As you can see, Brance is severely limited by what he can actually do with his Affinity, which is why his fighting style has adapted to not using it. With a bunch of useless skills that will only give his position away to enemies, the Light Affinity is severely underutilized for a reason.

    Q: And what about Brance¡¯s Radiant Tower? Why haven¡¯t we seen that either?

    A: Simple, where would he put a massive stone tower? We haven¡¯t seen it used because, realistically, he has nowhere to use it. But that will change¡­

    Tobs pauses and looks off into the distance for confirmation from Author-San, who has reappeared hunched over and holding his back in pain. He shakily holds up four fingers, causing Tobs to turn back and look at you.

    Volume Four will show you a lot more of Brance¡¯s Light skills, as the group continuously attends their Affinities ss, so please be patient.

    With thatst question out of the way, it is time for everyone¡¯s favorite segment. ¡°Rapid Fire¡± question and answer before wrapping it up for this Edition of My Corner.

    Q: Tobs, do you have a physical form within your Host¡¯s SOC so that you could assist in fighting and¡­*shifty eyes*

    A: (©V_©V) don¡¯t make me send you to horny jail. No, I technically do not have a physical form; just think of me as a hologram. What¡¯s the term Cyn would use¡­ ¡°Vtuber?¡±

    Q: Hey Tobs, I thought this story was supposed to have Two Main Characters? Why does it seem like it is leaning more heavily towards Cynrik and not Brance, like 60/40?

    A: Tsk, Cynrik likes to be the center of attention in his circle and is a big ass drama queen.

    ©´(£þ¥Ø£þ;)©° I don¡¯t really know what to say here¡­Brance is kind of moreid back and goes with the flow, leaving Cynrik to take charge. He is still, in fact, one of the two main characters; it¡¯s just he is simr to Benny, preferring to watch rather than act and lead. I will say in Volume 4 the¡­ ¡°Issues¡± Brance is experiencing y a heavy factor. So that will be something to look out for.

    Q: Tobs, when will the party find a Cleric or Healer? Having Brance do all the healing is too unrealistic for the party¡¯s safety.

    A: That will depend on if Cynrik stops being an antisocial shut-in or if the others want to add a new member. It has alreadye to everyone¡¯s attention after Cynrik almost died, that a dedicated healer is needed desperately. This is one of the driving factors for Gabby choosing her Chloro Affinity.

    Q: Out of curiosity, which name do YOU like or prefer more, Tobs or Ste?

    A: I personally have no preference. Considering every previous Host I have had in the past named me something different, it just in doesn¡¯t matter to me at this point. However, if you readers start calling me what Author-San does¡­.kuekuekue.

    Tobs tilts her head to the side and cracks her knuckles loudly, making you take a floating step backward, as she resembles a lifeless, emotionless doll from a horror film.

    Q: Hey, Tobs, it hasn¡¯t really been brought up before, but do you have a video function the boys don¡¯t know about yet? Or are you only limited to text and Audio? If so, could they like idk y video games with your kind help?

    A: At this time, I do not have video yback integration and am limited to text and audio interactions. I can manifest monitors like the Deities do when viewing me, but that is only something I can do within a Host¡¯s SOC, and it can only show things from a different Host¡¯s point of view with their approval of course.

    All right, Readers, that is all the time we have for this edition of My Corner. I hope you all got some valuable information that can be used moving forward into Volume Four, which will be the next published chapter after this. Thank you for your continued support, and remember to swing by our Discord and drop your questions for future editions of My Corner while you go through Volume 4.

    Onest thing before you go¡­

    Tobs leans in dangerously close to your face, and you be fascinated by her monochromatic eyes, which are swirling like an endless and mesmerizing whirlpool.

    We don¡¯t talk about timelines; we never talk about timelines, we forget about timelines, and you never heard about timelines.

    KAY BYEEEE.

    With that, Tobs leaves you alone floating in Brance¡¯s SOC. You feel like she told you something just now, but you can¡¯t remember what it was about, so pushing that thought into the back of your mind, you swipe the link for discord and join in on the fun. https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 245

    Thousands of miles away from Vesemir School for Affinities was a modernistic and high-tech pyramid-like facility. The multyeredpound, which extended several tens of kilometers in all directions, including below the¡¯s surface, was known as Finwan Academy.

    Far below the¡¯s crust, approximately four kilometers down, in a sizeable office-style conference room, Lithlen Jetlensr sat atop a plus and overly decorated throne, sipping a ss of expensive wine while staring at over a hundred hologram monitors. On each screen was a promising young person, showing the full extent of their abilities during the most recent quarter-termbat exams.

    Looking away from the monitors and towards the 20 men and women sitting at arge oak table in full business suits, Lithlen ced his ss of wine down and made eye contact with the man sitting closest to him.

    ¡°Have our spies been able to find out anything about my son¡¯s traitorous bastard children?¡± Lithlen said unhappily. It had been three months since the Academy Selections, and in that time, he had been hemorrhaging funds to try and gather as much data on the growth rate of Cynrik and Brance Jetlensr, his two disowned grandchildren.

    ¡°No, Headmaster, we haven¡¯t even been able to verify if they ever arrived at VSFA. Neither Cynrik nor Brance Jetlensr, or their aliases Ivar and Bj?rn Ragnarsson, are on record, ording to our insiders. It appears that Headmaster Rivia has either buried their files so deep that our security level is insufficient, or they are using a secondary nickname we do not currently know.¡± Standing up and opening a file, the man began exining what little he could.

    ¡°Tsk, that Geralt Rivia sheltering them is the only exnation. How about the other children in their group?¡± Not hiding the disdain and anger welling in his heart from the members of his Academy Board, Lithlen waved the man off before looking to another one of the 20 people; this time, a woman with long flowing ck hair stood up. Each time the light hit her head, the pigments on her hair changed color from ck to a deep red.

    ¡°We have been able to locate student files on both of the Sanford children, as well as my¡­¡± the woman paused and bit her bottom lip, allowing her to taste the metallic vor of blood before continuing.

    ¡°As well as my daughter, Selene. The three of them have already sessfully undergone their Tier-2 Evolutions. However, aside from knowing this bit of data, it seems the three of them have kept a rtively low profile. We had several groups tailing them for a couple of weeks during the second month, but unfortunately, the correspondence with them slowly went silent as the days went by. Thest contact with the final group was in the form of screaming for backup and constantly yelling about monsters.¡± The woman, named Hespa Nilsson, provocatively walked forward and neatly ced three documents on the table in front of Lithlen, who picked the one on Selene up and fingered through it.

    ¡°It seems I may have underestimated how quickly they grow. It makes sense that the people sent to monitor that group covertly lost contact; odds are, they are all dead. From what I see here, the strongest you sent was only Tier-2, and if we know Gabrie, Benjamin, and Selene have already reached Tier-2, it is safe to assume both of my grandchildren have as well.¡± cing down one file and choosing another, Lithlen quickly scanned through it before moving on to the final one, which listed out all the failed intelligence gathering missions.

    ¡°It is disappointing but expected. That Geralt Rivia has been a thorn in my side and nearly every other Headmaster¡¯s. Sticking his nose where it doesn¡¯t belong, poaching Academy Applicants, the list goes on.¡± Then, looking at Hespa in annoyance, he handed back the files and waved for her to sit back down.

    ¡°Instructor Jaxtus, how are our teamsing along for this year¡¯s Academy Competitions?¡± Then, abruptly changing the subject, Lithlen looked across the table to the other end, where a muscr man barely fitting into his suit was nodding off as if he no longer cared about the discussion and the meeting had nothing to do with him.

    ¡°ZZZzZzZzzzz.¡± To no one¡¯s surprise, the man named Instructor Jaxtus didn¡¯t reply. Even though his eyes were wide open, the rhythmic breathing and faint snoring he was exhibiting was a clear enough sign that the man was out cold.

    ¡°JAXTUS!¡± ring up his Aura along with Killing Intent, Lithlen shouted loud enough to shake the Board Room and made nearly all those present break out in a cold sweat.

    ¡°SIR, SORRY SIR, I wasn¡¯t sleeping, only resting my eyes, sir.¡± Nearly falling out of his chair, Jaxtus bolted to his feet and stood at attention. His posture and speech pattern were a trademark sign of someone formerly enlisted in the military at some point in his life.

    ¡°Sorry for showing such an ugly side of myself to everyone. The training camps for our four teams have been goingte into the night. COUGH, if I heard correctly, you wanted an update on their progress Headmaster Jetlensr?¡± Jaxtus straightened his jacket and brushed off his pants before standing at parade rest, focusing solely on Lithlen, who was clearly used to the man¡¯s antics.

    Rolling his eyes and waving his hand several times, Lithlen allowed Jaxtus to speak freely.

    ¡°Sir, as perpetition rules, we have already established each team based on Tiers, except your Grandson Len, who has reached the Peak of Tier-2 and is ready at any time to proceed with his next Evolution. However, he is acting a bit strange. Unlike the other students I¡¯ve taught in the past, he is adamant about reaching the end of his Prestige cap before taking that final step to break through into Tier-3.¡± Fighting the urge to scratch the back of his head, Jaxtus was at a loss for how to handle the easily angered child, so he reported it without hesitation to his grandfather.

    ¡°This¡­it¡¯s fine; allow the boy to do as he wishes. He is already far more capable than any other child I have seen at his age, including those from other countries. If he wishes to hold off before breaking through, I will allow it, but give him a time limit. He has until the end of the second Regional Tournament to reach Tier-3.¡±

    ¡ª

    As the Board meeting wasmencing, in a training room several floors above, Len Jetlensr sat crosslegged and alone in a dark room constructed from a non-conductive material. From time to time, thin wisps of electricity would spark up, creating bright shes as they danced around his body. Is shoulder-length aqua hair would raise due to the high content of electricity flickering around his body before falling back down and resting in ce.

    ¡®Cynrik, Brance, I hope you two don¡¯t disappoint me.¡¯ The next time the lightning shed, lighting up the room, a confident and cocky smile could be seen on the young man¡¯s lips.

    ¡ª

    On the opposite side of the country, a simr meeting was taking ce in Supremacy University, where Headmaster Viktor Opurn was grilling each of his Board Members, who had the exact same results as Lithlen when attempting to gather data on the elusive Jetlensr Brothers. Viktor angrily unleashed his overbearing Aura and Killing Intent, mming his fists on his throne¡¯s armrests.

    ¡°YOU WILL GET ME THE INFORMATION I WANT, OR EACH OF YOUR FAMILIES WILL BECOME MY FAMILY¡¯S SLAVES FOR THE DURATION OF THEIR LIVES; NOW, GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY SIGHT BEFORE I START REAPING YOU OF NOT ONLY YOUR WEALTH BUT YOUR LIVES TOO!

    With fire in his eyes, Viktor snarled as the 20 or so members of his Board fled in fear.

    ¡°Comcent fools, how dare theye before me with absolutely ZERO useful information.¡± Taking a few deep breaths to calm down, Viktor cursed loudly before having his Academy AI bring up a holo monitor showing his son training.

    ¡°Everything will fall on your shoulders, Jason,¡± Viktor Opurn said softly as he watched his beloved son bathed in icy-blue mes shing around the training room as he fought against 6 Tier-3 Combat-Training Droids.

    ¡°I wish you would tell me why you are so dead set on reaching the Prestige Cap before Evolving; time isn¡¯t on your side, my son.¡±

    ¡ª

    Simr situations urred across the continent as everyone prepared for the start of the first Regional Competitions of the year. Some Headmasters took an active role in training their teams, while other well-off Academies had dedicated training staff.

    Things were no different at VSFA, where Headmaster Rivia was calmly speaking with all his Board Members while solemnly watching a specific group of First Yearspleting their Quarterly Exams. When the video concluded, the room fell silent until an elderly man, Professor Constantine, cleared his throat and spoke up.

    ¡°As you have all seen, the five of them are exceptionally talented; however, a ring issue has presented itself. After reaching Tier-2 in their first couple of weeks at the Academy, the members of the S-Rank Faction MyrkLys seem to have retreated into a reclusive lifestyle and teaued. From what I have observed of their leader Ivar Ragnarsson he appears to have a n in ce and is actively forbidding his group from diving into the Egresses or Obelisks. Aside from Selene Nilsson, who did for a week during the beginning of their enrollment, not a single of the other members has been allowed to gain experience or take on Merit Point Quests.¡± With a wave of his hand, Professor Constantine brought up the stat profiles for each of the five students taken after they reported for Advancement retesting.

    ¡°As it stands, I would LIKE to rmend them to be our Tier-3 Team, but if they don¡¯t hit the ground running and start farming Essence soon, I fear they will fall behind thepetition. We would have more data if that Ivar hadn¡¯t located each of the hidden cameras in both his dorm and the girl¡¯s dorm, but he is clearly too crafty and wants to be left alone.¡± Sighing heavily, Instructor Constantine closed his half-open eyes and turned his head to Headmaster Rivia.

    ¡°It may be best to solidify our Tier-1 and Tier-2 teams ahead of time. If my hunch is correct, Ivar may be holding off until he is satisfied with how solid his group¡¯s foundation with their Affinities is before getting back to farming XP. For now, leave them be, our first regionalpetition paring isn¡¯t for another six weeks, and although it may be a stretch that they can reach Tier-3 before then, I can¡¯t help but feel the boy has something up his sleeve. He is already aware that his Faction has been chosen topete, so there is no way he isn¡¯t plotting something. I only worry that he will run his Faction into oblivion in the process.¡± Leaning back on his throne with a tired expression, Headmaster Rivia made his statement before concluding the meeting and sending everyone back to work.

    Across the campus, in the training room of the boy¡¯s dorm, Cynrik stood in the center of the room, in a horse stance with both hands in the shape of ws and a baseball-sized deep red me roaring angrily between his hands.

    [[500 degrees (930 Fahrenheit), begin your test now.]] Brance, who was in the living room at amand console, acted as overwatch while Cynrik experimented with increasing the temperature of his fire.

    Taking a deep breath and activating [Mana Sight], Cynrik concentrated on causing a reaction with the Fire Mana Particles. By adding a slight rotation to the particle andpressing it enough times, as he had learned in ss, he could cause a temperature reaction. Finally, after a couple of months of theory crafting and learning, he put that knowledge to the test.

    [[Temp is rising, currently, at 705 degrees (1301 Fahrenheit), the color shift is urring, from a deep red to a more blood color, increase the Temp steadily until it bes a dull cherry color.]] Brance¡¯s eyes flicked from the thermometer to the zoomed-in video showing the raging ball of fire Cynrik was channeling.

    A few minutester, Cynrik had raised the core temperature of his fire to 900 degrees (1652 Fahrenheit), causing the mes to take on a bright cherry red color. With sweat flowing down his temples and soaking his hair, Cynrik smirked. So far, every time he tried increasing his fire¡¯s temperature, this was the stopping point. But now, he was prepared and ready to push through, hoping to reach his goal, blue fire.

    ¡°Hobey Ho, let¡¯s GO!¡±

    FWOOOOOOOOSHHHHHHHHH

    Kicking up a gust of wind to surround the mes and feed them much-needed oxygen, Cynrik began pushing, conducting what he considered the actual experiment.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 246

    ¡°Hobey Ho, let¡¯s GO!¡±

    FWOOOOOOOOSHHHHHHHHH

    Kicking up a gust of wind to surround the mes and feed them much-needed oxygen, Cynrik began pushing, conducting what he considered the actual experiment.

    [[Tobs Smander OST]] with shaky hands, Cynrik pumped more and more Mana into his palms to control the Fire Particles swirling like a storm between his two palms.

    -Now ying ¡°Smander¡± From Fairy Tail OST, by Yasuharu Takanashi.-

    Back in the living room, Brance scoffed loudly alongside Selene, who tilted her head in confusion. Unlike Brance, who had second-hand exposure to many of the same shows and manga as Cynrik, to Selene, it only sounded like cool music, and she couldn¡¯t understand why Brance would scoff at it.

    ¡°Tsssss,¡± Blowing out steam through clenched teeth, thanks to the rapidly increasing heat rising in his body, Cynrik¡¯s eyes began to shine with reddish-orange light, a sign that his Codex was filled primarily with Fire Mana at the moment.

    [[910, 915, 950, now approaching 1000 degrees (1832 Fahrenheit). As a result, you should see some changes happening in the core Cyn, from cherry-red to a bright crimson. That is your marker for 1k.]] Activating his [Mana Sight], Brance whipped his head in the direction of the training room; he could see a swirling vacuum of suction forming outside the perimeter of the training room.

    [[Secondary relocation has begun, you are now draining particles from outside the room. Opening intake vents.]] Tapping on the control console, Brance¡¯s fingers flew across the keyboard as he opened unique vents leading outside the dorm building and allowed for arge intake of Fire Mana particles in particr.

    Sitting next to Brance, Selene was worried as she watched the shirtless Cynrik, who was sweating profusely yet wearing a cocky smile andughing like a pirate. Steam was rising off his entire body as the temperature in the training room drastically increased, its source, the ball of mes floating chaotically not even half a meter from his chest.

    He had exined hundreds of times to her how his own Mana couldn¡¯t burn him if he didn¡¯t want it to, but seeing the heat mirages swirling around the room, which was slowly turning into a furnace, Selene couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Cynrik was only telling her that for her own peace of mind.

    Surely the intense heat in the room would cook him alive, even if the fire itself didn¡¯t.

    ¡®Talk to me, Tobs; how¡¯s my body handling the heat.¡¯ Cynrik thought as his eyes flicked to his MP gauge floating not far away in his vision.

    -Everything is within your predetermined range. Although the fire itself is harmless to you, if you didn¡¯t have such a strong body, the heat it generates would have roasted you by now. Luckily, this heat level isn¡¯t too difficult to handle between your body training and bloodline. However, if someone was to use an attack of the same caliber on you, I don¡¯t believe you would walk out of it unscathed.-

    [[1100 (2012 Fahrenheit) Cyn, the core of the me, has entered the deep orange state. Up next is Clear orange. Mana particle content in the room is set to 80% Fire and 20% Wind.]] Brance¡¯s voice in his head caused Cynrik¡¯s eyes to narrow as he ran a quick calction.

    [[Increase Wind content to 40%. I need to increase the amount of oxygen in the room; I can already feel it is a bit too thin right now as if im hiking up a mountain.]] Although unnoticeable to most people, Cynrik had already realized the far corners of his vision were beginning to tunnel a bit.

    [[Brancie, the target goal is between 1426 and 1650 degrees ( 2600- 3000 Fahrenheit).]] Spotting the newly added Wind particles entering the room thanks to Brance following his instructions, Cynrik finally vocalized the test parameters.

    [[Fuck, Cyn, are you seriously trying to reach blue? I thought we already concluded that to do that, not only do you need to hit the transparent stage, but also add in outside particles for the fire to burn with. Naturally urring blue mes are too challenging to achieve, even if you push yourself to your limits.]] Reaching 1500 degrees (2732) by itself was going to be a challenge, so initially, Brance had chosen to set the goal for 1200, which would change the shade of the mes to a bright orange color.

    [[Don¡¯t know if we don¡¯t try,mencingpression and friction generation between the particles.]] Ignoring his younger brother¡¯sints, Cynrik licked his lips and forced the fire to reach 1200 degrees, shifting their color to a clear and bright orange, much like the outfit color of two spiky-haired anime protagonists.

    However, when he reached this point, Cynrik noticed the difficulty increase significantly. With shaky hands, he slightly rotated the floating and raging fireball to make it more essible to the ambient wind particles. Still, the longer he held fire at this temperature, the more his body began trembling from overexertion.

    ¡°Brancie, he¡¯s shaking; that¡¯s not good, right?¡± Sitting on a nearby couch, Gabby, who was munching on a bag of potato chips, hopped up and watched the screen over Brance¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not; he is pushing himself too far. Previously he held himself back, only making minor changes to the core temp; however, he has already surpassed all his previous tests, but¡­.¡± Brance¡¯s eyes fixated on the subtle muscle spasms rippling through Cynrik¡¯s arms and torso as he held his tongue, not sure if he should let Gabby know about the potential consequences if Cynrik fucked up.

    ¡°If he tries canceling the experiment before fully controlling his skill, I¡¯m not sure we can contain the explosion by normal means.¡± Benny, who was standing beside Selene, said what Brance was struggling to say.

    Exhaling in sharp bursts, Cynrik could feel his body begin to have adverse effects due to dehydration due in part to how much he was sweating.

    [[Cyn, stop here, Clear orange is fine, you covered seven color shifts. We need to go back and talk to Professor Morningdale.]]

    [[No, I can take it to the yellow range,]] Cynrik countered as his eyes scanned the surrounding ambient Mana, taking inventory of how much Wind to Fire particles was ratioed around him.

    [[Stop arguing with me, Cynrik, level out, and take control of where you are. The mes are too unstable to push further ahead. Plus, your body is starting to shut down.]]

    Hearing Brance¡¯s overbearing and forceful tone, Cynrik didn¡¯t say his following words and instead looked directly at the violently churning ball of mes.

    ¡®ording to what Professor Morningdale taught, there are three steps to increasing the power of your Affinity skills. The first is particle collection; the second is consolidation and collision; andstly, control; having triggered a response from thebination of your own Mana and the ambient Mana, you need to focus on making them stop resisting you. Only once you have made it through andpleted all three steps will you have full ess to that stage of advancement. Right now, the furthest I can go is the Clear orange stage, roughly 1200 Degrees. If I don¡¯t stabilize this fire now, there really isn¡¯t much hope of me brute-forcing my way into hotter temps.¡¯ Manipting his fingers, Cynrik directed the already stabilized particles totch onto the unstable ones and force them into submission.

    This was the most challenging step, in his opinion. Gathering and smashing particles together was easy yet, simultaneously, created tremendous strain on his Codex and Body; however, the control part was all mental focus and willpower, two things Cynrik didn¡¯tck.

    Within the center of the baseball-sized fireball was a core; this core was the me¡¯s hottest point and the main body. Everything happening around it was just a chemical reaction between the fire and the other particles surrounding it. As Cynrik narrowed his vision and observed the hazy cloud ofpact and tightly fitting particles, he could see them vibrating, which was the primary indicator that he still didn¡¯t haveplete control yet. Not only that, but the more movement within the core, the more violent the outer zone acted.

    ¡°Tsss,e on, you fuckers, submit. Wouldn¡¯t it be much more fun having close friends who make you stronger? Just let it happen,¡± Cynrik grumbled as he coaxed these active core particles to rx and fall under his maniption.

    Smack smack smack smack

    In the living room, Gabby, Brance, Selene, and Benny all face palmed as they heard Cynrik trying to coerce the Mana particles. Each of them felt that at that moment, Cynrik was no different than an old creepy kidnapper trying to lure unsuspecting kids into his van. Unfortunately, the image matched a little too well since Cynrik also wore a creepy grin.

    [[Brance, go ahead and start reducing the overall particle count in the room; I won¡¯t be pushing for Yellow-White today. I need you to cut off the outside flow to stop it from attracting more Mana and going out of control.]] Cynrik immediately started issuingmands to his brother, who followed them instantly, focused entirely on slowly calming down the me.

    VIRRRRR

    After pressing a few buttons on the console, the sound of an engine turning over lightly shook the building as the dorm¡¯s Mana venttion system kicked on, draining any excess particles from the room so that Cynrik could work in peace. By the time it was finished, all that was left was a low level of Wind Mana, allowing Cynrik to breathe freely.

    Looking around and seeing the flow of Fire particles cut off, Cynrik took a seat and started molding the raging ball of mes within his hands as if it was made of modeling y. A sight that caused Selene and Gabby to gasp in fright. But once Brance exined how by this point, most of the skill was made of Cynrik¡¯s own Mana and wouldn¡¯t hurt him, they calmed down and watched in fascination.

    [[So? How is it? Think you could form your first construct?]] Watching Cynrik try to turn the fire into a perfect sphere, Brance asked curiously.

    [[No, im barely able to get it to stay together without freaking the fuck out as is. If I want to mold it into a new skill or construct, I will have to reduce its temp, dropping it down to the cherry stage again. That was thest time I felt inplete control, and It¡¯s probably the most stable form right now.]] Feeling the Fire particles calm down and stop resisting so hard, Cynrik stopped molding the fireball and let it swirl around his fingers.

    [[I can manipte it to some extent, but unless I add Dark Mana into the mix, it is too unstable and prone to blowing up. Just like what happened the other day when you tried making Iron. The process is like pressing down a spring; if you don¡¯t lock it in ce, it will rebound and unravel. As a result, I still find dirt in my bed, even after washing all my sheets after your Lil dustball exploded in the house.]] Standing up and willing the sphere of clear orange fire to rotate around his shoulders in a predetermined orbit, Cynrik took a jab at Brance and retrieved a towel from his inventory to wipe his sweat.

    [Oh, I forgot to tell you I finally got a response from that third-year student I know from Tank ss. There are only around six weeks until the first regional tournament for the yearlypetitions begins. Have you decided which team we wanna go for? The Headmaster, Instructor Garrison, and Professor Dennis expect our answer as soon as possible. With the clock dwindling, we need to figure out if we are shooting for Tier-2 or 3.]] Powering down themand console and plopping down on the couch quietly, Brance brought up a topic that his brother had been avoiding for thest couple of months.

    [Six weeks is plenty of time. The issue we will have is my stupid fucking curfew. I have a meeting with my shrink and the Headmaster in the morning, so I will decide then. If Geralt doesn¡¯t remove the curfew, training all the way to Tier-3 will be borderline impossible. Anyway, I¡¯m going to take a shower, entertain the kids, and please, for the love of all that is unholy, keep Selene out of my bathroom this time!

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 247

    Ignoring the cacklinging through the mind link, Cynrik hurried off to shower; upon reaching the bathroom, he triple-checked the lock and, for good measure, pulled out a sturdy metal chair from his inventory to brace against the door. Once satisfied that no one was getting in, he quickly showered and, when he finished, changed into a loose-fitting pair of ck gym shorts and a matching ck tank top.

    ¡°So freaking annoying; I miss the fucking days where I could take an hour-long shower, uninterrupted.¡± Grumbling hisints under his breath, Cynrik stowed away his towel, dirty jogger pants, and boxer shorts inside his inventory so he could wash themter. This had be a habit over thest few months because one day, he walked in on Selene buried under his dirtyundry.

    For most people, this would have been an immediate turn-off and disgusting moment, but for Cynrik, it wasn¡¯t charming and more of an annoyance than anything. After scolding the girl until she was practically in tears, he sent her home with arge red hand print hidden under her skirt.

    Now he had to be careful with where he ced theundry basket, so instead, he found it more convenient to store the clothing in his inventory, locked away from Selene.

    When he exited his bedroom attached bathroom and walked back to the living room, he found everyone sitting on their respective favorite couches, watching a documentary on previous Yearly Competitions.

    ¡°For thest 300 years, the annual Continental Tournament of Academies (CTA) has been held without fail, and the events will be on an even grander scale this year.¡±

    Taking his seat by Selene, who instinctively scooted over and reached out to y with his long untied, wet hair, Cynrik allowed the girl to do as she pleased and listened in on thementator as scenes of previouspetitions shed across the holo-tv.

    ¡°Every year, Academies from all around our expansive Umn Mohone join in the festivities, with the highlights being the explosive and exciting fightingpetition, the Tournament of Champions. In six short weeks, the first rounds of regional tournaments will kick-off, and the pairings have already been chosen. Each regional tournament will consist of a minimum of ten Academic Institutions and their four teams meeting in the arena to prove they deserve a shot in the National Championships.¡±

    ¡°Each team, broken down from Tier-1 to Tier-4, will consist of six Primary team members and four reserve members for a total of ten students per Tiered team. They willpete in three events: group battles where the entire team of six will fight as one unit; squad battles, also known as three vs. three¡¯s; and solo battles. The solopetitions are the most challenging of the three because they will be the best out of five knock-out rounds.¡± Thementator moved on from exining the event¡¯s setup and some of the basic rules before showing off highlights fromst year¡¯s event.

    ¡°Hey, Big Bro Cyn, if we only have five people in our Faction, where are we supposed to find the other five?¡± Gabby, who was sitting so close to Brance that if someone made her bounce up a few centimeters, she would practically be on hisp, asked while finishing off her bag of chips.

    ¡°We probably won¡¯t have much input on that one, Gabby. The way I figure, the Headmaster or Instructor Garrison, who is the Lead Instructor for our Academiespetition teams, will make the final decision. Our only worry is not letting them get in our way. Depending on how strong our opponents are, I don¡¯t see us having much difficulty in the 3v3s or the Solo rounds, meaning it¡¯s the group fights that will be annoying since we will have a tag along.¡± Massaging the left side of his neck with his hand, Cynrik answered in an unconcerned tone of voice.

    Looking at his Watcet and seeing it was already way past his curfew, Cynrik sighed loudly and leaned back on the couch.

    ¡°Y¡¯all should probably head home soon. It may be the weekend, but it¡¯s still almost 11 pm. Brance will lead the regr morning workouts and Affinity training, but I must be up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at dawn to go to my meeting. So when you get home, head straight to bed, girls; I need you all in peak form, just in case I get my curfew lifted. If I do, we begin grinding in the Oblisk, and the proper training begins.¡± Cracking his back, Cynrik looked between Selene and Gabby, who both wereining about not wanting to leave.

    It only took about 15 minutes for the girls to say their goodbyes and scurry home arm in arm. Once they were gone and Cynrik locked up for the night, he noticed Benny sitting in front of themand console and rewatching the footage from his experiment earlier.

    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, Benny?¡± Cynrik asked while clearing any garbage left over by the gluttonous snack addicted Selene and Gabby.

    ¡°Nothing in particr; I just wanted to hit the video with a quick scan so I could watch what exactly you were doing. Unlike you and Brance, who have [Mana Sight], everything happening is pretty much invisible; however, using a few programs makes everything happening naked to the eye visible. Using this method, I can better understand how to move through the steps and further increase my chances of Evolving my Water Affinity into Ice.¡± Without looking back at Cynrik, Benny leaned to the side so Cynrik could see what he was viewing.

    ¡°Fair, don¡¯t stay up toote; some of us weren¡¯t so lucky to get out of our therapy and anger management sses after only three weeks.¡± Tossing all the wrappers and paper tes into the garbage, Cynrik waved good night to Benny and made his way towards the training room, where Brance was busy dueling with abat droid.

    Seeing his brother enter the training room, Brance paused his simted battle and looked over at Cynrik, who was leaning against the door.

    [Heading to bed? That¡¯s rare; you usually don¡¯t try that until about four in the morning.]

    [Not yet. I¡¯m gunna circte a few rounds of [Requiem of Dusk] since it¡¯s off cooldown. I¡¯ve been getting some good gains recently, so there is no point in wasting the sunless hours. How bout you? Are you gunna beat up that robot all night?] Smirking at how Brance was so quick to be snarky, Cynrik fired back with just as much sass.

    Over thest couple of months, Brance went to bedter andter each night. This didn¡¯t escape Cynrik, as he quickly realized, Brance was replicating what he himself did every time he couldn¡¯t sleep because something was bothering him. Yet every time Cynrik brought it up, Brance deflected and made some excuse.

    [No, once I get bored of the droid, I will move on to cardio exercises and eventually get some time in with my Cultivation skill. However, I don¡¯t want to let myself fall too far behind you, so I have to make up ground during the night.] Shrugging his shoulders to loosen them up, Brance reactivated the droid and continued moving around the room throwing punches and kicks to tire himself out.

    Knowing there was no point in pressing for more information from his brother, who had something bothering him, Cynrik shook his head and went into his room to cultivate before eventually falling asleep.

    While Cynrik drifted off into slumber after sessfully gaining a total of 15 points in his INT Stat, Brance, on the other hand, was being bombarded by the mysterious voice, which had increased its harassment since his first date with Gabby. Since things had gotten so bad recently, he was now being woken up by the nagging and nderous words he heard in the middle of the night, making it so he hadn¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep in over two months. Hisck of sleep was evident by the semi-permanent roon-like circles that had taken up real estate under his eyes.

    ¡ïYOU ARE WASTING TIME! EVERY MINUTE YOU BURN IN THIS USELESS EXCUSE OF MEDIOCRITY IS DESTROYING YOUR POTENTIAL GROWTH! ¡ï

    The voice¡¯s ranting screams forced Brance¡¯s body to shut down for half a second, enough time for the droid to catch him in the jaw with a powerful left hook that sent him stumbling back several paces.

    ¡°Dorm Ai, end training program.¡± Rubbing the side of his face where the metallic fist had connected cleanly, Brance forced the training droid to power down and copsed onto his back, staring at the ceiling of the training room.

    ¡®I should just tell Cyn¡­he dealt with this bullshit for years and came out on top; why am I being so fucking stupid.¡¯ Brance angrily lifted his arm and mmed it into the padded flooring.

    ¡®I can¡¯t even concentrate appropriately on strengthing my Affinity because every time I do, I get distracted.¡¯

    ¡ïIf you would listen to my words and interact with me, you wouldn¡¯t be in this situation, young Seraph. But no, your stubborn nature and the influence of that idiotic ?sir brother of yours has you believing that if you continuously ignore my advice, things will turn out for the best. ¡ï

    Feeling too exhausted to deal with the Divinity Spirit taking up space in his head rent-free, Brance closed his eyes and fell into a restless slumber.

    ¡ª

    A few hourster, when the suns peaked over the horizon, Cynrik, who was already hyped up on coffee, snuck out of the dorm quietly to not wake anyone up and took off in a full sprint through the Cavern of Dorms.

    ¡®Alright, I gave myself a full hour to cross the campus and make it to the Headmaster¡¯s office, which is plenty of time to swing by and grab breakfast at that waffle stand near the battle arena.¡¯ So Cynrik thought as he passed through all the security checkpoints with ease.

    Once he reached the final guard stand, a middle-aged man with salt and pepper short hair waved him over to scan his Watcet.

    ¡°Mornin Student Ivar, what¡¯s got you up so early. Figured you and your Faction would be sleeping in since it¡¯s the weekend and there aren¡¯t any sses.¡± The guard said with a smile.

    ¡°There ain¡¯t no rest for the wicked Mr. Larry; I¡¯ve got a meeting with the Headmaster at 7:30; if I wanna grab one of those limited quantity waffles on the way, it¡¯s necessary to leave early.¡± Skittering to a stop and tapping his Watcet against the guard¡¯s tablet, Cynrik exined briefly, his eyes shing towards a paper te with the same kind of double chocte, chocte chip waffles he wanted on the table of the guard shack.

    ¡°Ah, I see; I¡¯m lucky enough that my wife is the one who makes them. Haha, on your way then, youngin, don¡¯t wanna keep her waiting, I¡¯ll give her a call and tell her to hold one for you.¡± Chuckling at how Cynrik was jogging in ce impatiently, Mr. Larry shooed him away and pulled up his wife¡¯s number to stick to his promise.

    ¡°Thanks, Mr.Larry; see youter; I¡¯ll pay back the favor when I get a chance.¡± Then, wiping the drool from the corner of his mouth, a result of confirming he would be getting the coveted breakfast food, Cynrik waved at the older man before stomping the ground and taking off in a full sprint once again.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 248

    Thanks to the early morning hours and the fact that it was the weekend, Cynrik didn¡¯t have much foot traffic to contend with, so he could sprint the entire way to the waffle stand to grab his breakfast unhindered.

    Even though he was running at his fastest speed and would appear as a streak of shadows to any average person below Tier-2, when he approached the medium-sized waffle stand, the Guard¡¯s wife waved him over long before he was close enough to hear her voice. This was because the woman, who was named ire, happened to be a Tier-4 being with an attunement for feeling and seeing Mana. Her method was simr to Cynrik and Brance, who used their ocr skill to see everything, but wasn¡¯t nearly as strong as theirs.

    Nheless, it allowed the pretty woman to spot him a mile away. Since her husband had already called to give her a heads up, ire had prepared arge takeaway box with enough waffles for Cynrik and everyone in his Faction.

    ¡°Heyah, Professor ire, what¡¯s up with the big takeaway?¡± Skidding to a stop and jogging in ce as he had done with her husband, Cynrik greeted with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°Larry said you were swinging by, and since I had just finished a fresh batch, I figured I¡¯d toss a few extras in for your brother and the rest of your Faction. Think of it as an olddy trying to give a little nudge to that boy Benjamin. Sooo~ hehe, my little Melody won¡¯t stop talking about him.¡± The pretty silver-haireddy wore a catlike grin and gave Cynrik a big wink. Of course, the woman wearing the flour-covered apron wasn¡¯t just any olddy. She was Cynrik¡¯s teacher for ¡°Skill Crafting Theory,¡± so she was well aware of his position as Faction leader and how obedient Benny was to everything Cynrik did.

    ¡°Mel is a good girl Professor; it¡¯s just Benny is a bit¡­hm what¡¯s the word, oblivious to the feelings of others; she¡¯s definitely on the right track, though. She¡¯s been eating lunch with us every day, and to top it off,¡± Cynrik looked around to be sure no one could hear him and leaned forward to speak quietly in the woman¡¯s ear.

    ¡°She and Benny had a little ¡®Date¡¯ the other day, where they both grabbed a snack and went for a walk around the park before heading to the library, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll give him a little push in the right direction, Professor.¡± Winking mischievously at the woman, who covered her mouth with her hand to hide her giggles, Cynrik stowed away the box of Waffles in his inventory before tapping his Watcet against the payment tablet.

    ¡°Gotta head to see the Headmaster; thanks for breakfast, Professor; see you in ss!¡± Then, waving at the still giggling woman, Cynrik took off again, passing the Battle Arena and making his way towards the tallest spire on the several-kilometer campus.

    As he sped along, he couldn¡¯t help but realize that at some point, he had gotten to know a few staff members and wasn¡¯t totally against interacting with them. Of course, this by no means meant he wasn¡¯t still highly anti-social, but when it came to people who could benefit him somehow, Cynrik was more inclined at least to have a bit of small talk with them.

    This was precisely the case with Guardsman Larry and his wife, Professor ire. So long as he stayed on Larry¡¯s good side, he wouldn¡¯t be hassled too much when leaving the dorms; plus, he was the backdoor to getting easy ess to the trendy double chocte, chocte chip waffles that Professor ire made as a hobby every morning. As it turns out, the woman had a cooking subss and enjoyed making her daughter¡¯s favorite breakfast food for other students.

    Of course, in Professor ire¡¯s case, staying on her good side was never a bad idea since he was in her ss twice a week. Thus, Cynrik was a bit more friendly around those two and a handful of other Professors or Instructors he saw on a day-to-day basis.

    It didn¡¯t take long for Cynrik to arrive at the massive gothic-style building where every teacher had an office. Walking in and scanning his Watcet with security, Cynrik calmly walked over to the front desk and pulled down his hood.

    ¡°Student Ivar Ragnarsson reports as ordered; I am here for my 7:30 meeting with the Headmaster and Doctor Oswurn.¡± Then, standing at attention and looking past the clerk with a dead look in his eyes, Cynrik announced himself in a very militaristic manner.

    The clerk, a short-haired man with a cleanly cut auburn beard, looked up from hisputer for a second only to see Cynrik in full school uniform standing at attention, making him raise an eyebrow.

    ¡°Student, this isn¡¯t a Military Academy; there is no need for you to be so stiff.¡± The clerk said in a clear voice before sighing softly and waving for Cynrik to present his identification.

    Hearing the man¡¯s statement and shaking his head to clear his mind, Cynrik¡¯s eyes regained their life as he pulled off his Faction badge from his chest and ced it on the counter.

    ¡°Some habits die hard,¡± Cynrik mumbled under his breath before stepping back and standing with his hands sped behind him.

    Ignoring the overly stiff student, the clerk quickly scanned the Faction Badge, pulling up Cynrik¡¯s file. Still, when he did, his pupils constricted because hisputer monitor went ck, and a Confidential notification reced it. Finding it strange, the clerk stepped away from his desk and went to an empty one beside it, only to get the same response when he tried to pull up Cynrik¡¯s student record.

    Watching with narrowed eyes, Cynrik examined the man¡¯s facial expression as he returned to his desk and tried for a third time with no results.

    ¡°Student, I will need you to take a seat first in the waiting room. Unfortunately, it seems I don¡¯t have a high enough clearance level to check you in and will need the assistance of a supervisor.¡± A bit flustered because he realized that this student seemed to be a well-kept secret of the Academy, the clerk continued speaking as he felt a trickle of sweat drip down the back of his neck.

    ¡°It will only take a couple of minutes. If you need anything to drink, like coffee or tea, I can have some brought to you.¡±

    ¡°There is no need for him to wait; I¡¯ll bring him up, Mr. Fredrick.¡± Then, just as the clerk, apparently named Fredrick, was about to usher Cynrik over to the waiting room, a man¡¯s voice with a heavy ent, one Cynrik recognized as simr to an English one on Earth, chimed in.

    ¡°Ah, Head Dean, fancy seeing you here.¡± Recognizing the voice butting into the conversation, Cynrikzily rolled his eyes and gave a half-hearted and sarcastic greeting without looking behind him, where he felt the presence of someone walking up.

    ¡°Not in the least,e along, Student Ivar; we can¡¯t keep the Headmaster waiting any longer than necessary.¡± Then, brushing past Cynrik, Head Dean Rimsfel stepped up and tapped his Watcet on the tablet, which wiped the memories of all theputers Clerk Fredrick had scanned Cynrik¡¯s badge on.

    ¡°By the way, Mr. Fredrick, it¡¯s best if you just forget you saw this boy here today; I don¡¯t want you poking your nose where it shouldn¡¯t be and getting yourself in trouble identally.¡± Shooting the clerk a warm and friendly smile, Head Dean Rimsfel turned his head to the side, indicating for Cynrik to follow, and walked off towards arge room filled with multiple elevators.

    ¡°So Dean Rimsfel, what was that all about? Am I going to be some kind of top-secret research subject or something?¡± Pulling up his hood and shoving his hands in his pockets, Cynrik asked once the two got into one of the many elevators alone.

    ¡°Head Dean Rimsfel, and not even close; you and the files of your Faction members have been stamped with our highest level of restricted security protocols we can use. Unfortunately, your big mouth hasnded you in quite a bit of trouble outside our hallowed grounds, and as such, both you and your brother are being targeted by several powerful forces.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, well, since you will probably find out anyway, you have¡­HAD a bunch of flies buzzing around the campus; every time we left the dorm, we would spot them tailing us, but don¡¯t worry, we cleaned them up no biggy.¡± Shrugging his shoulders and watching the Head Dean¡¯s reaction out of the corner of his eye, Cynrik casually dropped something that had been annoying him for a few months now.

    Thanks to his paranoid nature or the military training he and Brance had gone through, the two brothers quickly found each group of people hiding in the shadows trying to monitor their movements and gather information. Luckily, taking out the spies and disposing of the bodies wasn¡¯t difficult since all of them that had appeared were either Tier-2 or lower.

    ¡°You said what?¡± Head Dean Rimsfel¡¯s body stiffened, and he snapped his head to the side to look at Cynrik in surprise. Although the Headmaster had warned him that other Academies would be sending people to spy on Cynrik and the members of MyrkLys, he wasn¡¯t aware they had already snuck in and been dealt with. Even more surprising was that it was clear that if the boy hadn¡¯t brought up the topic on his own, then he no doubt would have been left in the dark, as there wasn¡¯t a single ounce of evidence left over.

    ¡°As I said, no biggy. You were bound to find out if you sat in on our meeting anyway, so there is no harm in giving you the heads up. So far, there have been around seven or eight different groups, every member decked out in ckbat gear, with a power level between Tier-1 and Tier-2. Overall it wasn¡¯t too difficult to deal with, and thanks to one of my skills, it¡¯s basically gone unnoticed.¡± Cynrik rolled his head around casually to pop his neck before continuing to speak.

    ¡°I had already predicted that asshole Opurn and my shitty Grand Father would have sent people after us; it was just surprising that they flew under everyone¡¯s radar and could get so close unnoticed by the Academy. Either way, it would happen sooner orter, and we were lucky enough to get some free XP from it, so no skin off my bones.¡±

    ¡°You¡­why didn¡¯t you report this immediately? Do you even realize how SERIOUS OF A SITUATION THIS IS? OUR SECURITY HAS BEEN BREACHED, AND YOU, YOU, YOU JUST WIPED THEM OUT AND KEPT IT HIDDEN!¡± Thoroughly enraged at how casual Cynrik was speaking, Head Dean Rimsfel blew his top and, by the end of his statement, was only half a second from wringing Cynrik¡¯s neck.

    ¡°You should probably lower your voice; I didn¡¯t mention it because it WASN¡¯T a big deal. It wasn¡¯t like I simply kidnapped and killed them; I extracted enough valuable information through a series of¡­well, let¡¯s just call them interrogation techniques. Anyway, I will be giving a full briefing before the meeting starts, so calm down, Head Dean Rimsfel; it¡¯s a bit unbing of someone in your position, screaming at a student with the veins on your arms bulging like you want to hit me.¡± Turning his eyes, Cynrik fell silent and waited for the elevator doors to open.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 249

    DING

    The instant the elevator doors opened, Head Dean Rimsfel burst out of the small box and into the hallway onto the highest floor of the tower, briskly moving towards therge oaken door of the Headmaster¡¯s Office angrily.

    Closing his eyes and sighing softly, Cynrik withdrew his hands from his pockets and followed after the man while shaking his head. If he had known the Head Dean would react in such a way, he would have just waited until the meeting began.

    Knock Knock Knock

    Without waiting for Cynrik to catch up, The Head Dean rapt on therge door three times before the Headmaster¡¯s calm voice told him to enter.

    Swinging the door wide open and storming in, Head Dean Rimsfel began chattering immediately.

    ¡°Headmaster, this Ivar Ragnarsson is too much to handle. On the way up in the elevator, he so casually dropped that he and his Faction picked up on several groups of Tier-1 and Tier-2 spies constantly tailing them. Unfortunately, instead of alerting us to the problem, the students took it upon themselves to deal with the issue alone, without backup. This is something beyond standard regtions, and I demand immediate punishment.¡± Frantically speaking in a mixture of rage and panic, the man spilled the gist of what Cynrik had told him on the way up.

    ¡°Tsk, congrattions, Dean Rimsfel, you beat me to the punch. Can¡¯t say that happens often.¡± Then, wearing azy expression, Cynrik waltzed in as if the story had nothing to do with him and strode across the room to a chair next to a bookcase overlooking the Headmaster¡¯s desk.

    ¡°Hold on, Head Dean, there is clearly more to this story, Student Ivar, exin.¡± Then, holding up a hand to silence the Head Dean, who was about to tear into Cynrik for once again purposely not saying his full title, Headmaster Rivia squinted while looking between the calm and rxed Cynrik and the angry Rimsfel.

    ¡°Eh, there isn¡¯t really much to tell, as I just got done telling him,¡± Cynrik pointed at Rimsfel with his thumb before continuing.

    ¡°Around our second or third week on campus, my brother and I picked up on our movements being tailed by at first a single group of 3 people wearing all ckbat gear. Their power split was reasonably weak, two Tier-1s and a Tier-2, so instead of bothering you folks on high, I felt it was better if we dealt with it quietly.¡±

    ¡°But after dealing with the first group, we started noticing more and more pop up. Finally, the most recent group was eliminated two weeks ago for a total of eight spies, assassins, hit squads, whatever you wanna call them. The point is, these guys clearly bypassed whatever protocols you have in ce and were able to make it not only onto campus but also into the Cavern of Dorms.¡±

    ¡°I had nned on bringing this up before the meeting, but someone couldn¡¯t keep it to himself until then. Oh, and before you ask, our method of dealing with these groups was simple, we would lure them into a secluded area before I used my Dark Affinity Skill [Shadow Leap] and pulled them into what I call the shadow realm. It¡¯s a parallel world devoid of light within the shadows that only Dark Affinity users can enter.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, not really the point, once we defeated whoever was tailing us, I sent my party home before thoroughly interrogating the captives, only to find out what I pretty much already expected, my amazingly assholish Grandfather over at Finwan sent three groups, two groups by SU, and thest four were all independently hired contractors who refused to divulge who sent them, but after a little TLC, I was able to extract they came from Underground organizations tied to the criminal world.¡±

    Crossing his left leg over his right knee, Cynrik summarized what had urred and the information extracted.

    ¡°Even though you can only trust about 30% of what a person says under¡­intense er¡­ let¡¯s just call it what it is, torture, I still was able to piece together a rough image of what they were after. Each group had a dossier on myself and all my Faction members. Withholding the groups from Viktor Opurn and my Grandfather who are solely targeting me cause of our history, the troubling issue at hand is these independents. From what I could tell, they were primarily searching for any info they could use to help gain an advantage over us and rig our matches during the Competitions.¡± Leaning forward and watching the reactions of Geralt and Rimsfel, Cynrik propped his elbows on his knee and his chin on his hands.

    ¡°Head Dean, take a seat; I need a moment to think.¡± Wearing an anxious frown, Headmaster Rivia tried digesting the shocking information spoken by someone who may look 16-17 years old but was only 13. Luckily Doctor Oswurn hadn¡¯t arrived yet, because he was sure the man would have a shit ton to say about how nonchntly Cynrik was speaking about killing and disposing of the bodies of these people.

    Meanwhile, as the room descended into silence, Head Dean Rimsfel gritted his teeth and sat down at one of the three chairs in front of the Headmaster¡¯s desk, his eyes never leaving Cynrik, who was sitting across the room from him expressionlessly.

    ¡°The bodies?¡± Headmaster Rivia asked seriously.

    ¡°Gone. I torched them with my ckFire, so nothing remains of their bodies. I do have all their belongings, such as Spatial pockets, in my possession, but there is nothing of use or meaning other than the dossiers. Unfortunately, not a single one carried a Watcet, and anything resembling amunication device exploded the second the people realized they werepromised. None of these guys were amateurs.¡± Cynrik replied.

    ¡°Sigh, I wish you hadn¡¯t done that. Hand over these files you are talking about; let me see them.¡± Massaging his left temple, Headmaster Rivia said as Cynrik got up, pulled out a thick stack of folders, and handed them over.

    ¡°It¡¯s all pretty basic recon. Everything was tracked, our movements, what sses we were taking, and anyone we came in contact with. So basically, our whole school life was technicallypromised, and I have no way of knowing how much of this information made it to the people setting up the operation. So while I could intercept these groups fairly early on, there was probably some data leaked.¡± Leaning back and shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik fell quiet and watched the Headmaster flip through the dozens of folders lost in thought.

    The more information that Cynrik spoke, the more surprised the Head Dean became. At first, he was led to believe that the boy was carelessly wiping out anyone he suspected to be following him, but the more in-depth Cynrik¡¯s story went, the less he could hold back his shock. No matter how he looked at the situation, it cast the illusion that the boy was clearly far more intelligent and experienced in this level of detective work than he gave him credit for.

    It was hard to disassociate the fact that Cynrik was only a first-year student, as the more he summarized the events that transpired, the more mature and older he became in the Head Dean¡¯s eyes.

    However, for Headmaster Rivia, it wasn¡¯t that shocking, as he had already dealt with the overly mature Cynrik during the contract negotiations several months back. Thus, even though the boy was dropping a lot of information and speaking calmly, it was all within the Headmaster¡¯s vision of how Cynrik thought and acted.

    Mind you, having a high IQ or maturity at such a young age wasn¡¯t necessarily rare due to the presence of Systems on Vinestra. Still, the level of thought and investigation Cynrik had put into what could only be called a ¡°case¡± made the Headmaster cast aside any thoughts of potential punishment. It was evident to him that even if Cynrik didn¡¯t necessarily run to him or the staff for help, he could handle the situation on his own.

    ¡°Oh, and one more thing, while I was trying to check-in by scanning my badge,¡± Cynrik casually pointed at his chest, drawing the attention of both the men in the room.

    ¡°I noticed that the clerk seemed to run into an authority issue; I found out that you have restricted the information on myself and the rest of my Faction. This brings me to believe there may also be staff members who have potentially been paid off to try and ess our files. It¡¯s not too big of a conclusion toe to, as if people are trailing me, there very well should be a few trying to gain ess through the Academywork.¡±

    ¡°You are saying there may be moles within our staff¡­this¡­is something I had already prepared for, thus sealing your student records.¡± cing down thest file, Headmaster Rivia looked up with a contemtive expression.

    ¡°Honestly, I had believed our security would be tight enough to stop anyone from breaching our Academy; it appears I was wrong. Unfortunately, since you eliminated weaker groups, it isn¡¯t too big of a leap to assume it won¡¯t be long until they start sending Tier-3 or higher beings after you all. THAT we should have no problem stopping, but it is quite unsettling that the Tier-1 and Tier-2¡¯s were able to fly in under the radar.¡± Steepling his fingers, the Headmaster informed Cynrik.

    ¡°With so many students in that level range, it¡¯s a given they could sneak in if they disguised themselves well enough. Every single one of them was no older than their mid 20¡¯s and looked young, allowing them to fit in easily enough. The genuine concern is how they passed the checkpoints without triggering any rms.¡± Cynrik countered, cing both feet on the ground and sitting up straight in his chair.

    ¡°As for the free ess to the academy campus, even then, anyone who enters must undergo a multidimensional background check¡­unless,¡± Headmaster Rivia¡¯s eyebrows rose as he realized something important; before he could respond, Cynrik cut in and answered for him.

    ¡°Unless someone in civilian and staff processing is giving them ess, bringing us back to the moles.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, giving the proper clearance level, a staff member with ess to the screening process could wave them through, but, even so, there isn¡¯t a single person on the security team that hasn¡¯t been vetted thousands of times over.¡±

    ¡°Money talks, Headmaster Rivia; you know how easily credits or resources can corrupt the average person.¡± Sighing, Cynrik¡¯s eyes flicked over to the Head Dean, who was lost by how quickly the conversation changed.

    ¡°Regardless, consider this as me nowing to you all. I admit I haven¡¯t really felt the need in the past, but things will quickly snowball out of control if left unchecked. Sure, I don¡¯t mind the free XP, but with the Competitions drawing closer and closer, my Faction and I need to buckle down and start training.¡± Just as Cynrik said that, there was a knock at the door and his therapist, Doctor Oswurn, walked in with a surprised look as he noticed the severe expressions on Cynrik, the Headmaster, and Head Dean Rimsfel, who wasn¡¯t on the docket for their meeting.

    ¡°Oh my, it seems I¡¯ve chosen quite the time to walk in and missed an important conversation topic.¡± The short, bald, and gentle-looking man chirped concernedly.

    ¡°Tsk, understatement of the year, Doc,¡± clicking his tongue and shaking his head slowly, Cynrik remarked, making everyone but the Doctor scoff.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 250

    ¡°Well, good morning to you too, Student Ivar.¡± Unphased by Cynrik¡¯s sarcasticment, Doctor Oswurn walked up to the Headmaster¡¯s desk and greeted the man.

    ¡°Take a seat, Doctor Oswurn, we had some startling information present itself, but the discussion has already ended,¡± motioning for the Doctor to take a seat beside the Head Dean; Headmaster Rivia then turned to Rimsfel and gave him a look.

    ¡°I shall take my leave and allow you all to have your meeting in peace.¡± Realizing he was being kicked out of the room nonverbally, Head Dean Rimsfel tactfully stood up and saluted Geralt before turning on his heels and leaving the room without ncing at Cynrik.

    Cynrik watched the man leave withzy eyes. He found it kind of funny how quickly the Head Dean¡¯s attitude changed with just a few simple descriptions.

    ¡°Now, then, let¡¯s put aside the prior conversation and get onto the main topic of this meeting. The floor is yours, Doctor Oswurn.¡± Headmaster Rivia said in an authoritative tone as he sneakily put all the documents Cynrik had given him on the floor behind his desk.

    ¡°Yes, of course, Headmaster,¡± Doctor Oswurn said politely before turning to face Cynrik across the room.

    ¡°Having taken Anger Management sses and Therapy sessions three times a week for thest three months, Ivar, you seem to be making significant progress in the Anger Management area, receiving full marks on every evaluation and test. HOWEVER, when ites to working through your trauma and mental health through our sessions, I have noticed you not only find ways to skirt every question I ask, but you appear to have quite a bit of experience in dealing with Psychologists.¡±

    ¡°While it seems as though you always have the correct answer to everything, it has be clear to me that you do not want to talk to me any more than necessary, but you are alsopletely opposed to me helping you. In fact, if I didn¡¯t know any better, I would think you were trying to psychoanalyze me during our sessions as if you find itpletely boring and find no reason at all to divulge any information you consider ¡°too personal.¡±

    ¡°Hypnosis therapy was a failure since apparently thebination INT and MIND stats you possess are too high for emotional coercion.¡± Next, the Doctor removed three identical folders from his inventory, ced one on the Headmaster¡¯s desk, and handed one to Cynrik before returning to his seat, putting on a pair of small rimmed circle spectacles and opening it to read aloud.

    ¡®So much for doctor-patient confidentiality; guess that doesn¡¯t exist here,¡¯ Cynrik thought as he rolled his eyes and opened the folder to follow along.

    ¡°As you can see, I have listed out every personality or mental health disorder that Student Ivar Ragnarsson presented to me during our sessions over thest three months.

    Reading through some of the lines on the paper, Cynrik whistled loudly and smirked.

    ¡°Damn, Doc, you really are good,¡± Cynrik sarcastically said as he counted over 200 different disorders or psychological issues.

    ¡°Ivar,¡± Headmaster Rivia warned, making Cynrik fall quiet and read along.

    As Cynrik¡¯s eyes scanned through the multipage document, he quickly spotted a handful of diagnoses that caught his attention. The truth was, even though the list of disorders and issues was very long, only these few were true. The rest were all an act he did out of boredom to see how the therapist would react. Among these few, he had been diagnosed with a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessivepulsive disorder (OCD), antisocial personality disorder (APD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and attention-deficit disorder (ADD/ADHD) back on Earth. Then there were diagnoses on the list, such as schizophrenia, which directly resulted from him being caught mumbling after talking to Brance or Selene in the mind link. A slip up on his part that was detected and annotated by the Doctor.

    ¡°Due to what I have observed about Ivar, he profoundly understands mental health and advanced psychology. As a result, you can eliminate most of the disorders listed on this page. I expect that, out of boredom or just general annoyance, he would disy the appropriate symptoms to divert my attention depending on his mood. He would deflect me every time I touched his bottom line and present some kind of new psychological issue as a distraction.¡±

    ¡°If we eliminate the disorders I believe to be fake, then that leaves us with the following, GAD, OCD, APD, PTSD, ADD/HD, andst but not least, Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD).¡±

    Cynrik subtly nodded approvingly with the Doctor¡¯s findings until he got to NPD; hearing that as one of the disorders the man believed to be real made Cynrik¡¯s face contort in disgust.

    ¡°Bullshit, who¡¯s a narcissist, not me? What the hell are you on about Doc?¡± Tossing aside the file and ring at Doctor Oswurn, Cynrik wanted to explode but quickly pushed down that feeling, as it would look bad and would go against him ¡°Completing¡± anger management

    ¡°In fact, of all the disorders you presented, I feel NPD fits you best, Student Ivar, the list of symptoms are all prevalent in your daily life. Having an overinted sense of self-importance. Thinking you are more powerful, sessful, and intelligent than your peers and feeling superior are all signs of this diagnosis.¡± Pushing up his tiny spectacles on his face, Doctor Oswurn didn¡¯t back down.

    Headmaster Rivia sighed as he could see Cynrik¡¯s left eye twitching erratically at every symptom the Doctor listed.

    ¡°In my short interactions with you over the past few months, Ivar, I have seen the signs already. Even if you have found ways to deal with them in your unique way, they are still evident in how you carry yourself and interact with others.¡±

    Clicking his tongue, Cynrik leaned back with his arms crossed and tried his best to stay quiet. Getting loud and arguing would solve nothing and, in the end, be counter-productive for his reason behinding to this meeting today.

    ¡°However¡­¡± Speaking up and drawing attention back to himself, Doctor Oswurn spoke up.

    ¡°I can say that although he presents all of these disorders in varying degrees, he is overall well adjusted. Student Ivar has proven to me time and time again that he doesn¡¯t let these disorders, which would be crippling to the average person, control his life and instead uses them to channel and focus his inner turmoil. Something that, if I hadn¡¯t seen it myself on multiple asions, I, in my professional opinion, wouldn¡¯t believe.¡±

    ¡°As such, I believe that we can reduce our sessions to only once every two weeks, on the grounds that he proves to me that it doesn¡¯t affect his social and daily life. I would also like to add a particr condition,¡± Pausing his statement and looking directly at Cynrik to be sure he was listening, the Doctor continued.

    ¡°If we agree to allow your therapy sessions to be reduced, you must be open with me from now on and allow me to help you work through the things clearly affecting your mental state.¡± Resting his case, the Doctor closed his file and crossed his right leg over his left while removing his spectacles and cing them in his right breast pocket.

    ¡°This¡­¡± Looking down and chewing on his bottom lip in thought, Cynrik mulled over the Doctors words. Reducing the therapy sessions would free up his weekly schedule and allow for more sses to be taken, but at the same time, if he agreed, Cynrik would have to be more open, something that he wasn¡¯t even good at with people like Brance, who he was close with.

    ¡°Student Ivar, we need an answer.¡± Headmaster Rivia, who was really only half paying attention this whole time since he was more worried about the mole and spy issue, had already long known Cynrik was a bit¡­different from his other students. The air around him screamed once-in-a-lifetime genius, but his attitude and over-confidence were something that led him head first into trouble constantly.

    ¡°I will agree if my own condition is met.¡± Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Cynrik raised his head and looked between the two adults.

    ¡°And what condition would that be?¡± looking at the boy who seemed to have fire in his eyes, Headmaster Rivia had a sneaking suspicion that he knew what the following words Cynrik said would be.

    ¡°If we can do something, I don¡¯t see why not.¡± Nodding matter of factly, the Doctor weighed in as well.

    ¡°I want to remove all the previous restrictions, such as the pay cut, discounts, and especially the curfew. Only then will I agree to your terms.¡± Seeing the shocked expression on the Doctor¡¯s face and the knowledgeable one on the Headmaster, Cynrik further exined his reasoning.

    ¡°I have a little over six weeks to prepare myself and my whole Faction for the uing Regional Tournament. With these sanctions ced on me alone, I cannot guide my Faction down the correct path and meet the goals I have imposed on us as a group. I have already decided that we will not bepeting as the Academies Tier-2 team, but if I can put my ns into action, even though the timeline is tight, I see no reason why we can¡¯t reach Tier-3 before the start of the event.¡± Tilting his head to the side, Cynrik popped his neck loudly and sat up straight.

    However, the surprised faces of the Headmaster and Doctor confused Cynrik. It wasn¡¯t like he said anything world-shattering, just that given the right resources and time, he could power level himself and the others to Tier-3 in under two months.

    He didn¡¯t understand that he had indeed said something that could be considered incredibly difficult to do.

    ¡°Do you even realize what you just said? Going from Early Tier-2 to Tier-3 is a process that, under normal circumstances, takes the average person 2-3 years, not months, Ivar.¡± Wearing an ugly expression and leaning forward on his desk, Headmaster Rivia was doing his best to keep his blood pressure from spiking through the roof.

    Calmly turning and making eye contact with the Headmaster, Cynrik smiled slightly. If there was one thing he could say he truly loved, it was when people underestimated him.

    ¡°You just said it yourself, Headmaster, ¡°AVERAGE PERSON.¡± My Faction and I are anything but average. Do you think we have spent our time here at VSFA idle andzing around doing nothing? No, we were consolidating our power, fine-tuning our Affinities,¡±

    FWOOSH FWOOSH FWOOSH

    When Cynrik spoke of Affinities, he raised his left hand and manifested five Clear orange spheres of fire which looked like miniature suns that orbited around his hand.

    His actions made both the Doctor and Headmaster¡¯s pupils constrict as they felt the intense burning heating off these perfectly crafted orbs of pure Fire Mana.

    ¡°Not to mention putting into practice the groundwork for a well-established and in-sync team who doesn¡¯t need verbalmunication toplete the tasks at hand. The only thing stopping us now is the curfew keeping the Faction leader from spending long periods of time diving into either Egresses or Obelisks; if that is removed¡­hehe, well, It bes an XP farming extravaganza.¡± With a calm wave of his hand, the miniature suns shrunk from sight and vanished, leaving the two adults stunned for a moment.

    Everyone stayed quiet as they digested Cynrik¡¯s actions and words. Especially Headmaster Rivia, who was about to explode in excitement. If what Cynrik had said was true, then for the first time, VSFA could potentially have a powerhouse Tier-3 team, making their chances at obtaining the overall championship rtively high.

    His main concern, however, was what these ¡°ns¡± Cynrik had concocted were. It was undoubtedly going to be insane, presenting an uneptable level of stress to himself and the members of MyrkLys. What concerned him the most was the sheer amount of Essence the group would need if they were to achieve their goal. Even if they took the shortest route, which included leveling their sses on top of their Primary Level, they were still talking about over 50 million XP, excluding the Prestige levels.

    To obtain that amount of XP would mean the group would have to spend nearly every waking hour within an Egress or Oblisk, constantly killing their way through never-ending numbers of creatures or constructs. The sheer thought of how much time and effort these students were taking on was daunting to him. Yet when he met Cynrik¡¯s eyes and saw the level of pure confidence and burning desire present, Geralt felt he had no other choice but to ept¡­so he did.

    ¡°I will lift all the previous restrictions after the group battle on your first day at VSFA; however, I expect weekly status reports, full-body stat examinations, and health checks. You will be tested at the halfway mark and two days before the tournament begins. Also, if you reach the evolution point, you will inform me as soon as possible so that I can ensure your safety. Lastly, you are to adhere to the terms ced by Doctor Oswurn. Is that clear?¡±

    ¡°Crystal.¡± Cynrik stood up and walked over to shake the Headmaster¡¯s hand. It sucked that he would have to open up to the Doc, but he had still obtained what he came for, so it broke even in his mind.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 251

    After shaking the Headmaster¡¯s hand firmly, Cynrik stepped back and turned to speak with Doctor Oswurn, but when he did, the man was no longer sitting and had seemingly vanished into thin air, making him open his eyes wide in confusion.

    ¡°Did he just¡­huh?¡± looking around the room for any sign of the Doctor, Cynrik eventually faced the Headmaster with eyes full of confusion, only to find Geralt smiling and fighting backughter.

    ¡°You see, he does that from time to time. If you think the Head Dean is impatient, you¡¯ve got another thinging when it deals with Doctor Oswurn. I¡¯ve known the man for decades, and I still have no idea how he can just up and vanish like that.

    ¡°Fuck, that¡¯s creepy, he can¡¯t do that around me too many times, or I¡¯ll start believing I have schizophrenia.¡± Shrugging his shoulders and activating [Mana Sight] just in case, Cynrik casually nced around the room before saying what was on his mind.

    ¡°HAHAHA! There is no need to be so paranoid young Ivar; once he pulls that vanishing act, Doctor Oswurn usually returns to his office, where he non-stop reads thetest published psychology papers online.¡± Letting out a strainedugh, Headmaster Rivia leaned down, picked up the documents he had received before the meeting, and began sifting through them.

    ¡°Now that it¡¯s just the two of us give me a full report of all your findings.¡± Dividing all the files into orderly piles based on who the subject was, Headmaster Rivia pushed their previous conversation aside and wanted to know everything Cynrik knew.

    ¡ª

    Meanwhile, as the third portion of the meeting was going on, Brance was still out cold, sprawled out on his back in the training room with sweat soaking through his workout clothes. Every few seconds, his eyes would stir restlessly under his eyelids, giving the image that he was having a nightmare.

    GASP

    Suddenly, he inhaled a sharp breath and shot forward, sitting upright with wide-open eyes. However, unlike his usual natural violet color, Brance¡¯s iris were currently a brilliant shade of gold, all while being unfocused. His jet ck hair with aqua and tan highlights was pure white. Delicate golden markings in different sh-like shapes were scattered across his entire face enting his high cheekbones and sharp jawline, while his skin had tanned slightly and radiated in a pale white light. Thest two physical feature alterations were just behind Brance¡¯s shoulder des: a pair of glowing golden, feathered Mana Wings.

    Although Brance had never shown Cynrik this sight before, what he was manifesting now were the two unique skills he had acquired after his bloodline increased post Evolution to Tier-1 and Tier-2. Simr to how Cynrik has his H¨²efl¨²r and now ?sir Mode, Brance had unlocked facial markings in the form of an ancientnguage of the Seraphim, called Enochian, which glowed in golden light.

    The name of this skill was in saidnguage, but once deciphered by [Language Proficiency], the strange stick-like letters formed the words ¡°Nephilim Crest.¡± At first, the markings only showed up under his eyes and along his cheekbones, but now, after reaching 10% in his Lightbringer bloodline, they had extended down across his face, neck, and to his cor bones.

    As a result of his bloodline increase after the Tier-2 Evolution, Brance had developed a second unique ability that, once tranted from Enochian, was called [Nephilim Mode]. When activated, his eyes changed color; his skin glowed, and he sprouted two transparent, feathery appendages on his back.

    However, unlike Cynrik, who by this point could pretty much control his two bloodline skills, Brance had a serious problem. It had a lot to do with the mysterious voice in his head. Whenever Brance activated his Nephilim Crest, the voice became furious as if on stimnts and tried to force him to do its bidding, such as killing Benny and Gabby and even attacking Cynrik, who the voice seemed to view as an abomination because of his Dark Affinity.

    Yet, after deactivating the strange golden markings, the mysterious voice would fall silent as if it had fallen asleep. For a while, this was how Brance had controlled this thing in his head. Whenever he found it too annoying or distracting, by simply activating his [Nephilim Crest], the voice would effectively power it down for a while.

    Unfortunately, this was only temporary, as when it ¡°woke up,¡± the Divinity Spirit would not shut up for hours on end. Things only got worse with the addition of [Nephilim Mode].

    Brance suddenly came to, sitting up and looking down at his hands in sadness. From his glowing skin to the unmistakable weight on his back and the fact that he could see Mana particles without using [Mana Sight], Brance realized that both his bloodline skills had forcefully awakened. At the same time, he was unconscious, a sign that he was steadily losing control of his own body when he slept.

    ¡®Tobs, how long was I out for?¡¯ Taking a deep breath, Brance withdrew his two skills and returned to his usual self while closing his eyes.

    -In total, four and a half hours. You were unconscious for 2 hours and asleep for 1, the remaining hour and a half, you were in a half-awake state.-

    ¡®Let me guess, during that semi-conscious/half-awake state; I had my Crest and [Nephilim Mode] active. Benny or Cynrik didn¡¯t see me, did they?¡¯ Brance could feel his heart rate elerate at the thought of being found out after hiding his bloodline skills for so long.

    -Correct on the first point, and as for being found out, neither Host Cynrik nor Benjamin Sanford found you. Host Cynrik woke up, showered, made some coffee, and left promptly at 6:30 Am before you had even activated your bloodline skills.-

    Releasing a sigh of relief, Brance got up and stretched his sore muscles. Sleeping on the ground, no matter how soft the padding in the training room was, hurt. Not only was his whole body stiff from sleeping on the floor, but it was also a side effect of his inability to control his two skills. The [Nephilim Mode] constantly drained Stamina but, in return, boosted his STR, AGI, and DEX by 35% so long as it was active. In contrast, his Crest would steadily drain his MP for an increase in INT and Mana Control.

    When he first learned what these two skills could do, Brance was ecstatic; the increase to basically all his stats was a good thing, but the adverse effects and the increased activity of the Divinity Spirit made the two skills virtually unusable for Brance.

    This was evident by the fact that the few times he had willingly activated his [Nephilim Mode], his mind nked out, and he found himself in Benny¡¯s room, standing over his sleeping friend when he came to. After discussing it with Tobs, Brance came to realize that whenever he activated the skill, the Divinity Spirit would temporarily have partial control over his body. Finding out what was happening forced Brance to seal the skills and never willingly use them unless it was ast resort kind of situation. Which made him sad because it felt like he was underperforming. In contrast, Cynrik and the others could all use the full extent of their abilities.

    ¡®Tobs, if it happens again, is there any way for you to, I don¡¯t know, shock me awake or something?¡¯ Brance asked as he put away the training equipment and Combat Droid back into their storage lockers.

    -Negative, the only option avable would be to have Host Cynrik or another member of your Party wake you up forcefully.-

    Hearing her words, Brance sighed and looked up at the training room¡¯s ceiling aimlessly.

    ¡®Hey, Tobs, I know you probably will say what I don¡¯t want to hear, but do you have any opinions on what I should do?¡¯

    ¡ïGive in, let your true nature take hold of you, and fulfill the destiny bestowed upon you by our Lord, the God of Light.¡ï

    ¡®Should I just stop being stubborn and fill Cyn in on what is happening? I know he would probably kick my ass and pout for a bit, but if anyone can figure this shit out, it would be him.¡¯

    ¡ïThe tainted Dark Affinity ?sir boy knows not; this is YOUR path, not his. How dare you defy our Lord when his words arew that you must always follow. Cease this insolence and give in;e to light and be who you were born to be.¡ï

    Ignoring the deep and angelic voice ringing in his ears, Brance squinted while clenching his fists so tightly that his knuckles popped loudly. He desperately wanted to scream or thrash about, but knowing it wouldn¡¯t stop the voice from harassing him, Brance gritted his teeth and went to take a shower instead.

    As he had expected, Tobs remained silent and didn¡¯t respond to his questions, leaving his mind a chaotic mess of anger and anguish. But unfortunately, now wasn¡¯t the time for him to dwell on these problems. When Brance arrived in his bedroom, he checked the clock on his nightstand beside his bed and saw that there were only around 30 minutes until he had to wake up Benny and call the girls toe over so that they could do their morning workouts.

    Fortunately, one of those things didn¡¯t have to happen because when Brance finished showering and changed into a silver tank-top and white joggers, he found Benny already awake and drinking freshly brewed coffee in the living room with the Holo-Tv on.

    ¡°Morning, Brance; how long have you been up?¡± Making a gesture towards the kitchen to indicate there was plenty of coffee left, Benny asked.

    ¡°Not long, maybe 10-15 minutes; I took a quick shower since I woke upte. Did you call the girls yet, or am I doing it?¡± Noticing that Benny was already dressed in simr clothes to his own but in blue, Brance hurried to the kitchen and poured himself a mug of coffee before joining his roommate in the living room.

    ¡°Yeah, not happening; between my little sister, and that demon woman Selene, I would rather not have my ears bleed so early in the morning. I don¡¯t have a free pass like you since you¡¯re dating one of them.¡± Rolling his eyes, Benny flipped through the channels on the Holo-Tv while Brance sighed heavily and pulled up Gabby¡¯s contact information on his Watcet.

    It took him over ten calls to finally wake up Gabby and tell her to get ready for morning workouts, but when he was finished, he leaned back on the couch and looked at Benny, who was snickering at his expense. As someone who knows Gabby the best, Benny was well aware of how difficult a task Brance had justpleted was, and when he finished his coffee, Benny got up, went to the kitchen, and returned with the whole pot to fill up Brance¡¯s cup without being asked.

    ¡°Oi, I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s so funny to you, Benny; she¡¯s YOUR little sister; shouldn¡¯t you have broken her of the habit of sleeping like a rock when she was little?¡± Brance said with a scowl.

    ¡°That may be true, but the time a brother spends with his little sister is nothingpared to that of her future husband, my dear future brother-inw.¡± Benny retorted sarcastically.

    ¡°Oh ho ho, it looks like you¡¯re growing a pair on yah; how bout you give Melly a call and have her join us for morning workouts?¡± Suddenlying up with an idea to get back at Benny, Brance wiggled his eyebrows and elbowed him in the ribs, making Benny nearly spit out a mouth full of hot coffee all over the carpet.

    ¡°That¡­um wwh¡­why would I invite Melody over? I¡¯m sure she¡¯s busy studying or helping her Mom at the waffle stand.¡± Studdering his sentence and shakily raising his coffee cup to his lips, Benny tried to make excuses. Still, as he did, Brance caught his left arm, punched in the correct keycode, and swiftly dialed Melody¡¯s phone number leaving Benny an ufortable mess.

    When a sleepy and cute girl¡¯s voice answered the call, Benny froze and shot a scared look at Brance, who mouthed the words, ¡°serves you right for teasing me, good luck.¡±

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 252

    Buzz buzzz buzzzz

    As Brance watched Benny struggle to talk to the sleepy girl on the other end of the line, his Watcet began vibrating with notifications from Gabby, saying that she had woken up Selene and was getting ready to head over in a couple of minutes. Replying with, ¡°Okay, See you Soon,¡± Brance got up from the couch and headed out the front door to wait for the girls¡¯ arrival, leaving Benny alone.

    Once outside, Brance closed his eyes and took a slow breath. While he was trying to focus his thoughts, Cynrik popped into his head.

    [Hey, it looks like I¡¯ll be here a while. Is everything good on your end?] At first, Cynrik had been going through the gathered information on the spies and assisting the Headmaster to try digging up any suspicious people. But soon, the conversation moved back to how he would get everyone to Tier-3 within six weeks.

    [Gabby and Selene are awake and heading over, and Benny is on the phone with Melody, hopefully inviting her to join us, thanks to my efforts. How¡¯s the meeting going?] Turning his head and facing the rough direction of the Headmaster¡¯s office, even though it was several kilometers away, Brance calmly updated his older brother.

    [Well, apparently, I¡¯m a bit more fucked up than we thought; hehe, I got a bunch of fancy diagnoses almost mirroring what I had back on Earth, with the addition of an annoying one that I disagree with. Like, HOW THE HELL AM I A NARCISSIST?] Back in the Headmaster¡¯s office, Cynrik¡¯s eye was twitching as he got peeved by the NPD diagnosis.

    [What do you mean how¡­Cyn, you are like the poster child for Narcissistic Personality Disorder and Antisocial Personality Disorder; why even argue that fact?] Brance couldn¡¯t help but shake his head as Cynrik continuedining about what the Doctor had told him.

    [Pack that away Cyn, did you get the clearance?] Knowing that Cynrik would keep talking all day about this NPD, Brance put a halt to it and pulled Cynrik¡¯s focus.

    [Yeah, a few strings were attached, but they aren¡¯t too big of a hindrance. Therapy has been reduced to every other week, but I have to be ¡°Open¡± and show that I¡¯m there to get help. But I digress; the big thing is that my Curfew has been lifted, the discounts are back, and my wages aren¡¯t being cut anymore. (Grumble grumble grumble).]

    Brance raised an eyebrow when Cynrik finished his statement but soon narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Thest few things Cynrik had said strangely came through the mind link as an inaudible grumble.

    [Try that again, Cyn? What did you leave out?]

    [FUCK, FINE! Geralt is dead set on monitoring us with weekly health checkups andplete stat profile updates. We must alsoplete an assessment at the halfway mark between now and the Tournament, plus another one, two days before it begins. (grumble¡­not going to the doctor grumble)]

    [ARE YOU KIDDING ME, CYNRIK? HOW CAN YOU STILL BE AFRAID OF GOING TO THE DOCTOR AT YOUR AGE?] Feeling the urge tough and cry at the same time, Brance nearly fell over as he realized the reason why Cynrik seemed to be in a bad mood.

    [Lisssten, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m scared of going, okay; I just don¡¯t find it necessary. Also, FUCK YOU, BRANCIE!]

    [Grow up, Cyn; that aside, I assume you are negotiating for additional resources and time in the Egresses. I don¡¯t know how we will work around needing to go to sses¡­] Brance¡¯s voice trailed off as he waited for Cynrik to cut in.

    [We only have to attend one ss a day; that is part of what I got us in the meeting so far. So long as we get in a single 3-hour ss, we are good with academic credits, and the rest of the time can be devoted to training.] Cynrik said as he held up a piece of paper with the Academy Egresses listed on it.

    [That¡¯s fine, I will have the others sit down and figure out what sses they want to keep for the duration of our training. One thing is for sure; we can scrapbative; it is already pretty unnecessary for us to be there in the first ce. I rmend putting world history and engineering on hold as well, Cyn.] Brance said while crossing his arms and putting some thought into it.

    [ We should keep the things that will help us in our training, like Affinities, Skill Theory, and Egress Creatures, but thest two are up for debate based on what everyone feels theyck.] cing a check box next to the Egresses he wanted to dive into, Cynrik handed back the paper to Geralt, who scanned it over silently before rejecting a couple of the higher-level ones and signing off.

    [Geralt just signed off on unlimited time for the one Green Alpha, four Blue Alphas, and one Orange Alpha. I kind of hoped he would allow us to jump into more Orange, but whatever, I don¡¯t have anyints.]

    [Why did you even bother with putting Green¡¯s down? Aren¡¯t they just a waste of time for us at our level? The most powerful thing in a Green is Tier-1, Blue is Tier-1¡¯s and Tier-2, and Orange is 2-3. I figured you want to do all Orange.] Tilting his head to the side, Brance asked.

    [Well, VSFA only has four Orange Alphas under their control to begin with, and they are heavily restricted. Let alone the singr Purple that is meant only for Professors and Instructors, and Orange is basically the ¡°peak¡± students are allowed to jump into until 5/6th year. Although we could probably handle multiple Oranges, Geralt probably doesn¡¯t think we can since; technically, we are only at Early Tier-2. So it makes sense that he has allowed us ess to more Blue Alphas.] Cynrik exined while scrolling through a list of avable resources and missions for each of the allotted Egresses.

    [I mean¡­I guess it¡¯s okay; what about the Obelisks? How are we looking on that front?] Looking off in the distance, Brance spotted a cheerful Gabby dragging along a sleepy-looking Selene as they entered the Core Area.

    [He reduced the entry cost to 5 Merit points per person per floor up to floor 20, where it increases to 10 points, so we should be able to storm through for a while until we reach the higher floors.]

    Before Cynrik could continue exining further, Brance cut him off.

    [Gabby and Selene are here; I have to start warm-ups, so hold that thought, give me a couple of minutes.]

    ¡°Good morningdies,¡± Smiling and receiving Gabby, who flung herself into the air in a giant ko hug, Brance chuckled, and Selene groaned loudly.

    ¡°It¡¯s too early for the gross puppy love stuff, roomie; cmon cut it out.¡± Brushing past Gabby and Brance, who were saying their good mornings, Selene stormed through the front door and found Benny sprawled out on the couch with his arm across his forehead as if the world was copsing around him.

    Frowning in confusion, Selene ignored the boy and went to get some coffee from the kitchen, something that, in her mind, seemed unlimited as no matter what time of day she came over, there was always a recently brewed pot on the counter.

    By the time she returned, Brance and Gabby were staring at Benny, who hadn¡¯t moved, worried about what was going on with him.

    ¡°Uh¡­Brancie?¡± Gabby asked, her arm looped around his.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Benny boy? Did Melly turn you down? It¡¯s okay; these things happen sometimes. I am sure she will be able to make it next time.¡± Stepping up and patting the mourning boy¡¯s shoulder, Brance tried consoling him, but when Benny batted away his arm, Brance¡¯s face turned strange.

    ¡°No, no¡­you don¡¯t get it¡­sh¡­she said sure and is heading over now. BRANCIE, WHAT DO I DO! I am not like you or Cynrik, who have experience with girls; I¡¯m FREAKING THE FUCK OUT RIGHT NOW. I barely held it together on our, our, our dddddate the other day, and now¡­.¡± Jumping up and pacing around the room, Benny spoke so franticly that Brance and Gabby¡¯s jaws dropped open, and Selene nearly dropped her coffee cup.

    ¡°PPFFFTT HAHAHAHA!¡± Selene was the first to break the silence, as she was so caught off guard by how the usually reserved and quiet Benny was a studdering mess pacing around the room.

    ¡°Holy shit¡­ ima die, hahaha, Benny,e on, buddy, it¡¯s not that big a deal, so your little girlfriend is joining us for morning workouts. Think of it this way; she will probably be wearing workout clothes like ours, which should be a good feast for your eyes. Unlike you boys, who always wear joggers and loose sleeveless shirts, we girls have to hold certain¡­things in ce, so it¡¯s always a sports bra and leggings.¡± Wearing a devilish grin and swaying back and forth like a subus, Selene tried giving Benny some courage.

    [[SELENE! DON¡¯T YOU DARE TURN OUR BENNY INTO A LECHEROUS FIEND LIKE YOU AND CYNRIK!]] Snapping his head towards the girl with tears streaming down her cheeks fromughing so hard, Brance yelled in the party chat. However, his eyes subtly nced at the attire Gabby and Selene were wearing, which was just as described.

    Gabby was wearing her trademark Amethyst, and Selene had on midnight ck with deep red ents. Unlike Selene, who was overly curvy and thin with arge chest, a perfect example of a sexy subus, Gabby was more girl next door, which Brance much preferred.

    Feeling Brance¡¯s eyes scan over her body, Gabby blushed slightly but didn¡¯t scold him.

    On the other hand, Benny was frozen in his tracks, with Selene¡¯s words echoing in his mind.

    ¡°Sssssppports bra¡­ BRANCIE, I CAN¡¯T DO THIS! How am I supposed to focus on working out when she will be here wearing ttttthat.¡± To add cadence to his words, Benny pointed at Selene, who popped out her hip to the side and cocked an eyebrow curiously.

    [[OI, what the fuck is going on over there?]] Cynrik, who was utterly in the dark after hearing Brance yelling at his woman, confusedly asked.

    [[Nottthinngg darllling~ Benny¡¯s little Melly ising for morning workouts, and I just so happened to try cheering him up by telling him that he shouldn¡¯t be panicking because he will get to see her in a sports bra and leggings.]] Not giving Brance time to state his case, Selene jumped in and filled Cynrik in.

    [[HAHAHAHA, oh shit, I¡¯m sure his face is a sight to see. OI Sel, is he pacing around the living room and studdering?]] Cynrik teasingly asked.

    [[Hehe, he sure is. Oh, wait, Brancie is shoving him out the front door to wait for her. OH, NO, BRANCIE, STOP! AHHHHH, DARLING HALLLLP]]

    Hearing Selene¡¯s screams, Cynrik¡¯s face went expressionless, as he could already assume his little brother was chasing his woman around the house and spitting some kind of threats. Shaking his head, he put these thoughts to rest and continued negotiating with Headmaster Rivia, as he had been for thest hour.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 253

    As Brance chased Selene around the Dorm with a broom in hand, Benny stood outside nervously ying with the hem of his shirt. Although he had spent time alone with Melody before, and she had even spent time with the group for lunch, this was the first time he invited her to join in on one of their daily training sessions.

    Benny¡¯s mind raced at lightspeed as anxiety turned into full-blown panic, worried that the typical workload Brance and Cynrik expected of them would be too much for the girl. It wasn¡¯t too much of a stretch to make that conclusion either, considering how quickly the pace of the workouts increased as the main thing the brothers had them work on was endurance, something that Cynrik felt everyone, including himself,cked after their first Egress dive.

    ¡°Sigh, I hope Melly doesn¡¯t get scared off¡­.¡± Benny said as he turned back to look in the front window only to spot Gabby on the floorughing and Selene and Brance flitting around, jumping over furniture in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

    ¡°Scared off by what?¡± A sweet andrk-like singsong voice full of curiosity and kindness asked.

    ¡°AH, Melly! You¡¯re already here?¡± Jumping due to fright, Benny wheeled around and found a petite, silver-haired girl who barely came up to his shoulder standing less than a meter away, peering into the window beside him. The smell of freshly baked bread emanated from her body, and her bright green eyes filled with humor upon seeing the antics going on inside the Dorm before turning those emerald eyes up at Benny, whose face had practically drained of color.

    ¡°Fufu, did I spook you, Benny? I¡¯m sorry, I saw you standing over here looking into the Dorm and figured I¡¯d check out what was so interesting.¡± Melody said yfully, but Benny was too stunned to reply.

    As Selene predicted earlier, Melody had shown up in bright green workout clothes. Feeling the saliva catching in his throat as he tried not to let the girl notice he was checking her out, from her thin arms to the petite waist up to her perky B-cups and pale-skinned corbones, Benny tried to control his blood from rushing to certain ces consciously.

    With his eyes shooting to meet Melody¡¯s, Benny finally took in her cute lips, button nose, and perfectly sculpted western cheekbones. One word came to mind when he looked at her like this, ¡°beautiful.¡± Even if she wasn¡¯t wearing any makeup and her hair was tied up in a messy ponytail.

    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s up? Is there something on my face?¡± Worried, Melody whipped out apact mirror and gave herself a once-over.

    ¡°Cough, no, sorry, I just was surprised you made it here already; it¡¯s only been a couple of minutes since we got off the call, so I thought you would be a while; you look pretty today, Melly.¡± Stumbling through the first half of the sentence, Benny quickly began chanting ¡°what would Cyn and Brancie do?¡± over and over until he finally blurted out that the 16-year-old 2nd-year girl standing beside him was pretty, making her blush brightly.

    ¡°Me? Pretty, but I don¡¯t even have any makeup on and look like a mess.¡± Melody whispered to herself as her eyes traced out the muscr biceps of Benny, who was shuffling back and forth nervously.

    BOOOOMMM

    Just as Melody was about to say something, the Dorm¡¯s front door violently swung open, and a lithe shadow zed by, followed by Brance, who was hot on the shadow¡¯s heels, wielding a broom like a sword.

    ¡°GET BACK HERE, SELENE! HOW DARE YOU¡­oh, hi, Melly. When did you get here?¡± Skittering to a stop, Brance smiled at Melody before ring in the direction that Selene had run off.

    ¡°Hehe, Morning Bj?rn. I just got here.¡± Melody giggled at how quickly Brance¡¯s emotions seemed to change, but it was something she had seen several times from most of the party. She saw it as a group of close friends constantly teasing each other, but it was the first time she had seen Brance go after Selene, as his older brother usually did.

    ¡°Hey-oh, Melly!¡± Appearing in the doorway holding a mop, Gabby smiled brightly at the girl her brother had a crush on before bouncing over to Brance¡¯s side.

    ¡°J?rnie I gots the Mop, lets go bop Selly on the noggin.¡± Gabby said with fierce eyes, betraying her usually cute attitude, as she too gripped the household cleaning tool like a weapon.

    ¡°The warm-ups begin now; the first objective, catch the demon girl Selene. The first couple to tag her is exempt from cardio exercises.¡± Putting on an adventurous grin, Brance looked back at Benny, Gabby, and Melody.

    ¡°Couple?¡± Hearing Brance calling him and Melody a couple, Benny shuffled uneasily and looked over at the girl beside him, who was blushing and looking at her feet.

    ¡°MUAHAHAHA! YOU THINK YOU CAN CATCH THIS DEMON LORD, THINK AGAIN, FOOLISH MORTALS! I SHALL DEFEAT YOU BOYS AND KIDNAP YOUR GIRLFRIENDS FOR MY REVERSE HAREM!¡± Moving around like a ghost, Selene cackled like a witch causing the other four people to narrow their eyes.

    [[Seriously, Selene, tone down the evil talk a little, it fits so well that it freaks me out. One Cynrik is bad enough; I don¡¯t need two.]] Activating [Mana Sight] and tracking her movements perfectly, Brance scolded one-half of the party¡¯s Dark Affinity users.

    Jumping into the air, Selene responded by sticking out her tongue and middle fingers at Brance before turning into a ck cloud and vanishing from everyone but his sight.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Gabby; she just activated her movement skill.¡± Tapping the ground lightly, Brance shed forward in pursuit of Selene.

    ¡°Right!¡± Gabby shouted, following suit and keeping pace with Brance, leaving Benny and Melody behind¡­alone.

    ¡°Uh, Benny, I know it¡¯s my first time joining you guys for training and all, but¡­is it usually like this?¡± Pulling the hair tie out from her ponytail and quickly tying her hair up in a messy bun, Melody asked in confusion.

    ¡°Only when Big Bro Ivar isn¡¯t here. Bj?rn likes to start the morning with light warm-ups in the form of games to help us all wake up first; meanwhile, Big Bro Ivar is very military-ish with his. Push-ups, burpees, jumping jacks, that kind of thing.¡± Tilting his head to the side and popping his neck as the brothers do, Benny exined the differences between their warm-up sessions.

    ¡°Wow, Ivar seems¡­hard to deal with; I¡¯m d I got invited over when Bj?rn is running things. So what¡¯s the n? I¡¯m not a physical fighter like you guys.¡± Melody said calmly while rolling her hands around to loosen them up and looking up at Benny, who seemed to be thinking something.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to figure out,¡± Benny said as he tapped his left foot, toe first on the ground, digging into the dirt slightly.

    ¡°Are there any rules I should be aware of?¡± Melody asked and took a deep breath to fight back the butterflies in her tummy due to being called Benny¡¯s girlfriend.

    ¡°Not particrly, other than no heavy attacks that could seriously injure a person. Although your sses do present some challenges, we won¡¯t necessarily be at a disadvantage. Don¡¯t count yourself down and out just because you are a Mage/Summoner. Both of your sses mayck high Stamina and Agility, but your Magic power is high enough topensate for that. Ok, here¡¯s the n.¡± Benny began whispering his victory strategy to her, leaning over and cupping his hands around Melody¡¯s delicate and small ear.

    Meanwhile, while Benny and Melody were plotting their next move, Gabby and Benny ran at full speed, juking around trees and through alleyways, chasing after Selene. She was using her movement skill called [Void Shift], which allowed her to turn into an incorporeal gaseous formed purely of Dark Mana particles.

    ¡°What¡¯s the n here, J?rnie? We can¡¯t just keep chasing her like this, even if we do somehow catch up, which is unlikely because of how high her AGI stat is; it¡¯s not like we can hit her when she¡¯s in that state.¡± Gabby said as she pulled up alongside Brance.

    ¡°I know, things would be easier if I could just st her with one of my Light skills, but since it would actually hurt her, it falls into the category of breaking the rules. Give me your hand.¡± Tossing the broom he was carrying from his right hand to his left, Brance reached out towards Gabby, who readily wrapped her thin fingers around his.

    ¡°Let¡¯s give Selene a little scare hehe, [Vanish],¡± Chanting out the name of his light bending stealth skill, Brance enveloped himself and Gabby under a curtain of Light Mana particles, making them disappear from sight.

    Pulling a y directly from Cynrik¡¯s ybook, Brance kicked off the wall of the nearest Dorm andunched himself and Gabby into the air before silentlynding on a rooftop and sprinting after the ck mist floating several dozen meters ahead.

    Since Selene was limited to moving around the Core Area only, they didn¡¯t have to worry about anyone seeing them. With the size of each Dorm and abundant forestry of trees and open yards, Brance could stay off the ground by jumping from one roof to another or from tree to tree. Even though the gap between trees was rtively far, Gabby quickly dealt with it by using her Chloro Affinity to stretch out the branches, forming them into stable footholds. At the same time, Brance disguised their movement by using his Wind Affinity to make it look like it was simply a wind gust moving the treetops.

    Working in tandem, Brance and Gabby quickly gained ground on the swarm of ck mist and soon were running not far behind it, as Selene zipped around in strange patterns looking for any sign of followers.

    Even though she couldn¡¯t see anyone following her, she could still sense that the others weren¡¯t far behind. As a member of MyrkLys, Selene had full ess to everyone¡¯s stat profiles, so she was aware that Brance had his own Light-based stealth skill, and even though it wasn¡¯t as good as the one she or Cynrik had, it couldn¡¯t be discounted, since bending light to mess with someone¡¯s perceptions wasn¡¯t all that different from hiding in the shadows.

    One of the benefits of using [Void Shift] was that her perspective became a full 360 degrees, allowing her a wide range of vision as she stayed on the move. If she had to exin how it worked, Selene would say it was like having eyes all around her head, making it so that as long as she was in this gaseous state, she didn¡¯t have any blind spots. However, the only downside of using this skill was that as long as she stayed in this form, she wouldn¡¯t be able to attack in any way since her body would instantly resolidify.

    When Cynrik learned of her skill, he categorized it as a movement and escaping ability. Since not only did it make her impossible to hit physically, but it also increased her speed by three-fold while allowing her to phase through solid objects like a ghost.

    ¡®Cmon, where are you guys.¡¯ Selene thought as her gaseous body churned like a storm.

    Just as Selene was about to turn the corner, she sensed danger and jumped up into the air; however, a wide made of Water appeared all around her body, causing her to tremble as she realized that she had fallen into Benny¡¯s trap.

    ¡°Gotcha, DO IT NOW, MELLY!¡± Benny shouted as he slid around a dorm and appeared several meters to the left of Selene.

    ¡°Mayatom Ves TURNAS!¡± Melody shouted as she chanted a spell in an ancientnguage, something that was considered a ss-specific skill only Mages could use. In response to her chant, a tornado of dust ripped up thewn around the water and covered Selene, trapping her.

    ¡°OH, HO HO! SILLY MAGE GIRL AND FOOLISH BEEFCAKE! YOU THINK YOUR PETTY AFFINITY AND MAGIC CAN STOP ME! THINK AGAIN! [SHADOW LANCE]!¡± After forcing her [Void Shift] to be deactivated, Selene resolidified within the confines of the two attacks. Next, she used a Tier-2 Dark Affinity skill to produce a pitch-ck spear of Dark Mana which easily prated through the Water. Lastly, holding her hands as if she was wielding a spear, Selene shed out, causing thence to follow her moves and making the tornado break apart before stomping the ground and escaping to freedom.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 254

    ¡°DON¡¯T LET HER ESCAPE, MELLY!¡± Controlling the Water Mana, which had been scattered into droplets, Benny quickly reformed it into several long [Water Whips] andshed out, trying to capture Selene, who was still in her physical form.

    ¡°Yes, ~Heed my Call, Heart of the mountains, Strength of thend, TERRA SPIRIT SUMMONING, CREATURE COME FORTH!~¡± Melody executed several hand signs, bending her fingers at strange angles while chanting. In response to her call, a brightly shining tan formation manifested under her feet, with a duplicate appearing two meters in front of her. This formation was made of borate runic letters that seemed alive as they spun in time with Melody¡¯s singsong-like chants before suddenly¡­.¡±

    ¡°ROHHHHH¡±

    Perched in a tree not far away, Brance and Gabby watched with narrowed eyes as a hulking headless creature made of rocks pulled itself from the ground by using the summoner¡¯s circle as a catalyst and swung its eight-meter-long hand towards Selene, who had stopped and was watching the summoning.

    ¡°OH SHIT!¡± Realizing that this hulking golem-like creature was trying to either swat her away or catch her, Selene Cursed out loud and jumped up, spinning her body, narrowly avoiding the arm.

    ¡°OI, OI, ISNT THAT CHEATING; WHAT HAPPENED TO ONLY HANDS AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS AS WEAPONS!¡± Selene protested as she dove to the ground and dodged yet another sweeping strike from Melody¡¯s summoned Golem.

    Benny, ignoring the angry howlsing from Selene, nervously checked Melody¡¯s condition. From what he knew of summoners when they wanted to bring a creature from their ne, realm, or dimension into Vinestra, a long and cumbersome chant was necessary, along with supplying adequate amounts of Mana. However, Melody seemed to have not only cut the chanting time down by a full 1/4th, but judging by how wild the Golem was acting, it was evident that the girl did not haveplete control over its movements.

    Different from Tamers, who could bind a creature or lifeform to themselves with what was known as a Soul Pact and house them using a particr spatial ss skill, Summoners only borrowed the strength of a being from another ce by using temporary contracts. These contracts, formed from the Summoner¡¯s Mana and some kind of secondary material, such as a stone, crystal, or other items, would put out a beacon in the world that the chant designates. By entering the summoner¡¯s circle, which acts as a portal, a creature on the other side will be led to the summoner, regardless of the creature¡¯s origin.

    The difference between the two sses came down to this; tamers form partnerships based on a tether between their souls and the being, allowing the creature to stay with the tamer for as long as the Soul Pact is in ce or unless one side dies. At the same time, Summoners can only borrow the strength of another being in a master/servant kind of way. Once the contract terms are fulfilled, the Summoned creature returns to where it came.

    As Benny observed Melody, he noticed her breaths were ragged and strained, and her hair was already soaked in sweat. By cutting the chant short and not fullypleting the process, she had brought a random Elemental Spirit here instead of something she had summoned before. He could understand her enthusiasm, and the situation called for a quick decision, but he didn¡¯t want to see her strained or hurt by what she summoned.

    ¡°FUCK THIS! YOU WANNA PLAY DIRTY THIS DEMON LORD SHALL PLAY DIRTY! [VOID DOMAIN!].¡± Stomping both feet on the ground and grabbing at the air on both sides of her body, Selene executed the same move she used against the enemies on the first day on campus. Within half a second, a fog of ck gas manifested within a radius of 10 meters, with Selene as its center, clouding everyone but Brance¡¯s vision.

    ¡°ROAHHH, RAOOOOHHH ROAHHHHHH!¡±

    ¡°MELODY, BENNY, DROP BACK!¡± Seeing Selene getting angry and way too serious, Brance released Gabby¡¯s hand and dashed forward into the mist with [Mana Sight] active. He could already tell what Selene had nned. The girl was far from being stupid, and although she was putting on an act, Brance knew that she too had realized that Melody couldn¡¯t control the summoned creature and had chosen to meet it with equal force, putting an end to the little game of tag.

    Staying low to the ground, Brance dragged his broom on the floor while using his free hand to coat it in all three of his Affinities, turning the household cleaning tool into an Elemental Greatsword as he rushed forward into the mist.

    [[Selene, status report!]] Brance shouted as the shadowy image of the hulking Elemental Creature came into view.

    [[What the fuck was the girl thinking, this thing is at least Mid-Tier-2 and way out of her control!]] Selene replied while weaving around the creature, twirling her [Shadow Lance] just out of arms reach.

    [[Worry about thatter, for now, our objective is to destroy that thing, we can deal with Melodyter.]] Jumping over a bush, Brance mmed his makeshift greatsword into the creature¡¯s nk, creating a thin impact crater on its body and knocking it sideways a few paces.

    Selene didn¡¯t give the creature a chance to recover, as she instantly jumped forward and rapidly stabbed its body with her floatingnce before wheeling to the side, around Brance, anding up from his left much like how Cynrik does.

    ¡°RAOOOOOO¡± The creature cried angrily, raising both arms and mming them down to knock away Brance and Selene, but they were both prepared and kicked off the ground backward.

    [[It¡¯s slow, but if we get touched by that thing, we are sure to break a few bones.]] Selene snorted before summoning a secondnce and gripping the air as if she was holding them, even though the two Dark manifestations were three times her size.

    [[Go for the legs. I¡¯ll handle its upper body.]] Rushing forward and using the creature¡¯s bent knee as a stepping stone, Brance flung himself into the air and began smashing his makeshift greatsword into the pivotal joints of the creature, such as its elbows, shoulders, and abdomen.

    Even though it was made of stone, the hinge joints still followed the same properties as an average human body. With enough damage, it wouldn¡¯t be able to function correctly, and as such, itsbat potential would drastically be reduced.

    Meanwhile, Selene moved like a ghost, weaving between the summon¡¯s legs, stabbing hernces into its ankles, knees, and hips, utilizing the same principle as Brance was, only her goal was to reduce its movement.

    Outside of the [Void Domain], Gabby linked up with Benny and the weak Melody, who was on her knees, panting heavily.

    ¡°Melly, are you able to cancel the summon?¡± Kneeling down beside Melody and rubbing her back, Benny asked in concern.

    ¡°No¡­huff¡­I tried severing the connection, but I messed up big time. I thought I could handle a fragmented chant so long as I poured enough Mana in and used the right hand signs. I¡­¡± Tears began welling in her eyes as she looked directly at the concerned look on Benny¡¯s face.

    ¡°I only wanted to show you I could be helpful too¡­I know summoners are usually looked down on in battle because of their long cast times; I thought that if I showed you I could be quick¡­you guys would let me join your party. And since I don¡¯t have many spells, I¡¯m not the best Mage either.¡± Melody tried to exin herself by wiping the stinging hot tears dripping down her cheeks.

    ¡°Silly girl, you don¡¯t have to try so hard,¡± Benny said, smiling weakly and wiping away one of the tears she missed.

    BOOOOOOMMMMMMM

    The sound of constant explosions emanated from the shadowy mist as Selene and Brance fought hand in hand to take down the summon.

    Standing off to the side a bit, Gabby narrowed her eyes and tried to peer into the mist. Still, the best she could construct in her sight was the image of three shadows, two small and one massive, one airborne and attacking therger one¡¯s upper body and the second attacking its legs.

    Although Gabby had a soft heart and didn¡¯t like seeing people cry, right now, her beloved Brancie was in battle, so she had no time to worry about Melody. So, without looking back or saying a word, Gabby waited until Selene and Brance separated from the summon and rushed in with glowing light green hands.

    With her [Eagle Vision] active, Gabby could vaguely make out the shapes of all three. Using the size difference as a reference, she threw a handful of seeds out before activating her Chloro Affinity Skill [nt Growth], which immediately transformed all the scattered seeds into long, thorned vines.

    Selene and Brance, who had near-perfect vision inside the domain, noticed Gabby¡¯s entrance into the fight and adjusted their formation, allowing the neer to set up whatever n she had.

    nting her left foot forward, Gabby raised both hands up as if pulling the soil towards the sky and controlled all nine vines to wrap around the summon¡¯s legs before pulling tightly and causing it to copse onto its back with a loud thud.

    ¡°ALL YOURS, GUYS!¡± Exhaling deeply, Gabby manipted her fingers to wrap each vine several times around the summon¡¯s legs before burrowing them back into the ground and trapping the creature in ce.

    Not wasting the opportunity to take down an immobile target, Selene and Brance raced forward, with Selene stopping and raising bothnces above the creature¡¯s chest, lining them up with where its heart and Codex should be, while Brance jumped high into the air.

    Next, Selene mmed her hands downward, forcing the floatingnces to surge forward and into the hard stone exoskeleton of the creature. At the same time, Brance used his Wind Affinity in small gusts to push himself higher and channeled even more of his Elements into his makeshift greatsword, reinforcing it and making the de triple in size.

    ¡°RAHHHHH!¡± Brance howled as he raised the massive and heavy greatsword over his head and brought it down right on top of bothnces.

    BBBBBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM

    CRACK CRACK CRACKKK!!!

    Using his weapon like a hammer, Brance smashed bothnces through their targets. With a series of loud cracks, his makeshift greatsword shattered to pieces alongside the summon, breaking apart into tan particles of light, beforending on the ground on one knee.

    ¡°Hehe, Superheronding.¡± Chuckling to himself and using Cynrik¡¯s stolen movie line, Brance stood back up just as Selene dropped her [Void Domain], allowing the outside light of the Cavern of Dorms to flood in.

    But before they could revel in the victory, a series of loud, pained screams from their left drew everyone¡¯s attention.

    Melody was grasping at her chest in pain and thrashing about in Benny¡¯s arms.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 255

    Grasping at her chest and thrashing about in pain, Melody fought against Benny, who was gently holding her and making sure she didn¡¯t hurt herself in the process.

    [Brance, what is going on? What are you guys yelling about? Did something happen?] Back in the Headmaster¡¯s office, Cynrik wore a stern expression as he flipped through various sheets of paper representing a written agreement between MyrkLys and VSFA.

    [Melody overextended and ended up summoning a high leveled Golem that was beyond her control. Everything is fine, we got it handled, but right now, she is facing some kind of bacsh from us killing the creature.] Stepping over and examining the girl being held by a worried Benny, Brance quickly concluded what was happening to her.

    [Sigh, is she alright, or does she need to go to the infirmary?] Sighing both in and out of the mind link, Cynrik avoided the Headmaster¡¯s curious gaze and busied himself ¡°Fake¡± triple checking the documents.

    [Probably not, Benny is feeding her health potions like water right now, so she will more than likely be back on her feet in a while, but this doesn¡¯t exactly look good for us. We already have a habit of being known as Workout-a-holics by the staff, and now someone got hurt on our watch, a Professor¡¯s kid nheless.] Kneeling down beside Benny and Melody, Brance scanned the girl¡¯s chest with [Mana Sight] and could see the Mana within her Codex churning violently, which happens when you overdraft your Codex to a point where the different Elemental particles are fighting against each other.

    ¡°Benny, get her inside andy her on the couch for now. She needs to rest; her Codex is overheated; give her a cycle of Stamina potions, healing potions, and then Mana potions, in that order. Gabby, Selene, please head back to our dorm. Gabby, go in my room and bring some nkets and pillows, Selene, warm up some water, and ready some handtowels.¡± Standing back up and motioning for Gabby and Selene to return to the dorm first and prepare, Brance issued a series of orders and watched everyone quickly go into action.

    [Cyn, what¡¯s the best way to calm down a Codex? You seem to always be overdrafting yours, so how do you curb it?] Following behind Benny, who was holding Melody in a princess carry, Brance asked his brother what to do.

    [When my Codex overheats, I usually hit it with my Killing Intent. The sudden pressure on the particles usually freaks them out enough to scare them into submission, but it isn¡¯t something you can just ¡°DO¡±; instead, you have to focus on the Mana inside, not the organ itself.]

    [Next, you have to walk her through separating the Mana particles, so they don¡¯t interact with each other and, forck of a better word, go back into their own corner of the organ. We may call it overdrafting, but what is happening is a result of the person forcing every ounce of avable Mana out simultaneously, creating a traffic jam of sorts. Most particles don¡¯t like mingling together like that, so they start fighting like cats and dogs over who gets to enter the circuits first.] Cynrik exined in terms Brance would understand.

    [So pressure, along with the potionbo I¡¯ve seen you use, got it.] Stepping ahead of Benny and opening the front door with a tap of his Watcet, Brance headed into the living room, where the girls had already set up a makeshift bed on the couch.

    [Stam, Healing, Killing Intent, Mana, in that order precisely. You don¡¯t want to introduce Affinity particles too early, or you¡¯ll have a fourth particle type fighting for supremacy.]

    Moving as fast as he could, Benny gentlyid the still squirming in pain girl down on the couch.

    ¡°Benny, step back and let me do this,¡± nudging his way past Benny, who was fumbling with the three different potion types in panic, Brance swiped the bottles from the boy and knelt down beside Melody.

    ¡°Melly, listen to me carefully; either by summoning a creature outside of your limit or the contract¡¯s forceful canction due to the summon¡¯s death, you are experiencing bacsh at the moment, resulting in your Codex being in a state of overdraft. What this means is the Mana stored inside is fighting to get out. I have a way to help you, but it may be ufortable, and I need to ce my hand on your chest.

    ¡°Arg, please do it; I¡¯m sorry; I didn¡¯t mean for this to happen; please just make the pain stop!¡± Fighting through the pain and tears, Melody looked up at Brance with glistening emerald pleading eyes.

    ¡°Alright, when I tell you, I need you to try controlling your Mana and separating it back to its spot in your Codex,¡± Brance said as he gently lifted up an uncapped Stamina potion to the girl¡¯s lips, making her drink it all before flicking the cap off a second and third and moving on to the healing potions.

    ¡°That¡¯s good, Melly; nowes the hard part; ok, I need to pressure the particles stored in your body into submission. To do this, I have to hit them with my Killing Intent. No matter what, It will be extremely ufortable as I will have to bypass your skin and bones to get to your Codex and pressure the Mana directly. It will feel like a huge animal is sitting on your chest, robbing you of your air, so I want you to take a deep breath and blink twice when you are ready.¡±

    [Selene, have Gabby help you hold down her legs, if she moves too much, I may end up nailing her heart or some other body part. This is all about precision, ording to Cynrik.]

    ¡°I am about ready to begin, Melly. Selene and Gabby will be holding your feet so that you don¡¯t kick me or try moving, and Benny will be right here holding your shoulders for me.¡± Looking over at the worried Benny, Brance drew his attention and had the girl sit up enough so that she could rest her back against Benny¡¯s chest.

    Once the girl was in position, Brance activated [Mana Sight] and ced his right hand on her chest, just above where he could see her brightly shining Codex. Ignoring the softness under his palm, Brance took a deep breath to focus on the task at hand. The procedure he was about to try needed his absolute concentration since anytime you were dealing with the inner workings of the body of a being, one miscalction could spell disaster.

    ¡°Take as deep of a breath as possible for me, Melly, and double blink when you are good,¡± Brance said in a warm and calm tone, trying to keep the girl at ease.

    Listening to his directions, Melody nodded slightly, wincing in pain, and sucked in as big of a breath as her lungs could hold before blinking both eyes hard, signaling Brance that he could begin.

    Using his Killing intent in short bursts no longer than 2-3 seconds at a time, Brance continually stunned the turbulent Mana particles over and over. This cycle only stopped when Melody needed air every three to four minutes. With the gravitational pressure holding the particles, Melody fought against the pain and exasperatingly breathless feeling and tried to will them back to their assigned areas within the Codex.

    As this went on, Benny held her firmly against his chest, running his fingers through her hair and tracing circles on her smooth shoulders. Every time her body would shudder from Brance¡¯s KIN, he would softly whisper words of encouragement into her ears. After what seemed like an eternity to everyone involved, Melody got her Codex under control, and Brance removed his hand from her chest before falling back onto his butt on the carpet.

    ¡°Fucking hell, how the hell does Big Brother do this shit so easily,¡± Brance said, wiping the sweat off his face with the hem of his shirt.

    ¡°A lot of practice; I can¡¯t tell you how many times my experiments have left my Codex overdrafted. Luckily I was able to get the hang of it after like the twentieth time. Now I can pull it off in less than a minute.¡± Suddenly appearing out of thin air, Cynrik strode into the living room and ced his hand on Melody¡¯s forehead, checking her temperature before removing the cap from a Mana potion and helping her drink it. Once finished, the girl finally passed out, sumbing to weakness and exhaustion.

    ¡°How long have you been back.¡± Brance sighed and asked.

    ¡°About an hour; you¡¯ve been at it for a while now. I saw you were focused, so instead of taking over, I figured it was best to let you get some experience in doing this procedure in case you need to again in the future.¡± Cynrik said before looking at Benny.

    ¡°Take her to your room and let her sleep it off, morning training is off since it¡¯s already passed noon, but we need to have a team meeting so I can fill you all in on our next move.¡±

    Benny didn¡¯t reply but simply nodded his head in understanding before picking Melody up and carrying her off to his bedroom, where he gentlyid her down and tucked her in before returning with his head hung in shame.

    Once Benny took his spot on his regr couch, and everyone else was sitting around, Cynrik crossed his arms like a disappointed parent and looked at the four members of his party, the other three who were also hanging their heads.

    ¡°What¡¯s with the mopey attitudes? It¡¯s not like I am going to scold you all. Everyone fucked up today, but luckily you guys could handle it without me, so it¡¯s not like I¡¯m pissed off. Plus, we have more important matters to deal with. Melody will be fine, so put that out of your minds.¡± Shaking his head and fighting back a chuckle at the sad state of his group, Cynrik began slowly pacing on the opposite side of the coffee table, separating him and the four on the couches.

    ¡°First things first, my curfew has been lifted, in fact, most of the punishments I received thanks to the little group battle some months back have been canceled except for me having to attend therapy every other week, so we can finally begin our training for real.¡±

    At Cynrik¡¯s words, Selene and Gabby¡¯s heads shot up, and excitement filled their eyes. Since Brance was already in the know, he didn¡¯t have much of a reaction, and Benny was still too worried about Melody to give his full attention to the conversation.

    ¡°Everyone can take the rest of the day off. I already called Jessup to check on our gear. It looks like it will still take another week to get everything to our specifications, so we will be heading to the Obelisks tomorrow morning, bright and early.¡±

    ¡°Since we can¡¯t use any outside equipment, and only the ones we earn within the confines of the Obelisk, we can start grinding for XP and resources, so for the rest of the day, I need everyone to iron out their two New sses. I¡¯ve given everyone plenty of time to figure out what route they want to take, except Selene, who has a Unique ss; you guys need to make your final decisions and get it squared away before tomorrow morning. Now then, I¡¯ve got breakfast¡­er, I guess it¡¯s lunchtime now, but whatever, if you want some wash your hands and get your tes ready; it¡¯s firste, first-serve on Double Chocte, Chocte Chip Waffles.¡±

    pping his hands and pulling out the takeaway box filled with fresh waffles, Cynrik called an end to the meeting and headed to the kitchen, with Gabby and Selene hot on his heels.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 256

    With Gabby, Selene, and Cynrik in the kitchen making a mess as they divided the waffles into portionsrge enough for an entire family each, Benny and Brance sat in silence in the living room, both having different thoughts on their minds.

    The two were lost in thought over different topics; for Brance, he was trying to figure out what Subss he wanted to choose. After picking the Miner ss initially, which saw literally zero use. This time, however, he was determined to pick something he wanted instead of something that only helped his stats out.

    Benny, on the other hand, was a mess. Aside from ming himself for Melody¡¯s condition, he was at an impasse on what to do with sses. It was bad enough when he decided a few months back to go with the Estoc and Aspis, but now he had to try and find a branch ss of Warrior that would fit his new fighting style. Even still, once he did find one, the next issue would be what kind of Subss he wanted.

    CRASH

    ¡°OI DUMB RABBIT, THAT ONE¡¯S MINE. I ALREADY CLAIMED IT¡±

    ¡°Hehe, sucks to suck, Big Bro BLEHHH!¡±

    ¡°Uh, Gabby, just because you lick the food doesn¡¯t mean it will stop him.¡±

    The sounds of Gabby and Cynrik fighting over food snapped Brance and Benny from their disillusions. Looking at each other and sighing in unison, Benny and Brance got up and walked into the kitchen only to find Gabby and Cynrik ying tug-of-war with a te stacked four waffles tall. Gabby had one of the waffles up to her face and was licking it with a stupid grin on her face. In contrast, Selene was using a fork and knife and proper table manners to eat her own food, ignoring the chaotic interaction of the two sitting across from her.

    When she saw Benny and Brance walk in, she scooted her chair over a bit and put a te down in their usual spots before reaching over and emptying the te Cynrik and Gabby were fighting over, dividing the four waffles for the new arrivals.

    ¡°You two took long enough,¡± Selene said as she finished up serving the boys and went back to eating gracefully.

    Brance shrugged his shoulders and sat next to Gabby while giving her a weird nce, freezing the girl in ce with a waffle half hanging out of her petite mouth.

    ¡°Knock it off you two; you aren¡¯t children anymore.¡± Calmly reaching over and snatching the waffle out of Gabby¡¯s mouth before cing it on her already six-stack tall pile, Brance scolded.

    ¡°Bah, the dumb rabbit already stole three from me, and now you¡¯re making it four; THIS IS COLLUSION!¡± Cynrikined, shooting a re at Brance and angrily stabbing his fork into his three-stack, lifting the whole thing up and taking a big bite. After chewing a few times, Cynrik¡¯s eyes turned into crescents as he leaned back in his chair and enjoyed the extra sweet choctey vor.

    [[Isnt this exactly how you got fat back on Earth for a while?]] Raising an eyebrow at how much Cynrik was enjoying the food, Brance teased.

    [[Oh fuck off; I only ate like a glutton when I was bored back then.]] Cynrik spat as if it were a valid reason, not just ame excuse.

    [[Which was like¡­always, unless you were training or coding back then, you were never ¡°NOT¡± bored.]] Brance countered.

    [[Listeennn, did I not lose over a hundred pounds in like three months right after I gained it all?]] Pausing mid-chew and remembering back to a particrly dark time in his past, Cynrik used his weight loss as a justification.

    [[Starving yourself just to lose weight fast was totally one of the most healthy things you could have done. Give it up, Cyn; you don¡¯t have a winning hand here.]] Scooping up the canister of whipped cream and twirling it around his palm, Brance smirked before covering his double stack of waffles in a mountain of cream.

    [[Hold up, Cynrik was a fatty at one point?]] Utterly shocked that her beloved, who was chiseled like a Greek statue, was once overweight, Selene looked back and forth between the brothers with wide eyes.

    [[Once? No, try like three or four times. Yet somehow, this lunatic always came to the realization that he hated being fat, so he would starve himself and work out like a maniac until it all dropped off. Between that and the excessive amount of energy drinks, it¡¯s impressive he didn¡¯t die of a heart attack before he was 25.]] Just as Brance said the words, he tilted his head to the side and burst outughing, spitting out small partictes of waffle all over the table

    FWOOSH THUNK

    He did this because he saw Cynrik chambering his wrist, and not even half a secondter, a fork wasunched right at his head.

    ¡°EWWW GROSS!¡± Gabby squealed as she dodged the spittleing from Brance.

    Cynrik clicked his tongue in disappointment as he saw that his sneak attack had missed, and the fork had be embedded in the wall across the room.

    ¡°HAHA! Your aim may be great, but your speed is stillcking, Big brother.¡± Brance taunted, but unexpectedly, Cynrik seemed not to care anymore and had retrieved a new fork from his inventory.

    The party ate together for the next 10 minutes, with a minor scuffle of banter happening every so often until finally, only three waffles were left. Surprisingly, Cynrik had stopped anyone from touching them, as they were reserved for Melody when she decided to wake up.

    Seeing everyone had finished, Brance got up and started collecting the dishes and depositing them into the dishwasher. He sat back down once he was finished and looked around at everyone inquisitively.

    ¡°So, do you guys wanna talk sses, or has everyone figured out what they want to do?¡±

    ¡°I mean, my build was decided months ago, Rogue/Tamer. To raise my N¨¢tt Hrafn properly, I must pick up the Tamer ss at some point.¡± Shrugging his shoulders and thinking about his poor Raven eggs, which had been living in suspended animation for months, Cynrik filled the party in on his thoughts.

    ¡°What are the boosts on the Tamer ss Darling?¡± Tilting her head to the side, Selene asked while snaking her arm through Cynrik¡¯s, which were crossed over his chest.

    ¡°Tamer is INT and MIND, while Rogue is AGI DEX, so overall, it fits what I had nned for the future. The only annoying thing is I will be neglecting my STR and VIT for a while, especially my VIT, which I stupidly was forced into increasing after the little event our first week here.¡± Clicking his tongue and feeling regretful over the lost 80 stat points he spent after his fight with Jormie, Cynrik stated.

    ¡°Is everyone evolving their initial ss, or do any of you n on cross-training with a different one?¡± Brance asked as he mulled over his own decision.

    ¡°I, for one, have no choice hehe, going from Valk-Warrior to Valk Vanguard is a given. I was hoping to see Valkyrie on my list, but I will have to wait until Tier-3 for that.¡± Snuggling against Cynrik¡¯s shoulder like a kitten begging for attention, Selene chimed in.

    ¡°Beggars can¡¯t be choosers, Selly; at least you have a Unique ss, unlike the rest of us.¡± Wearing a pouty expression and sticking her tongue out at her roommate, Gabby rolled her eyes before continuing.

    ¡°I n on evolving my Archer ss into Huntress, which will give me a bump in DEX and AGI. For my Subss, I don¡¯t know what to do, I was thinking about doubling as a Cleric or Druid, but if I did, I would be stuck in the backline instead of moving around as I want.¡± Fiddling with her fingers shyly, Gabby posed her concerns to everyone, who fell deep into thought.

    In Brance¡¯s mind, her analysis was correct. Doubling as a healer while still ying the role of a ranged attacker seemed slightly counterproductive. If Gabby really wanted to go that route, he was okay with it and would support her, but the issue was she would need to be retrained entirely into a backliner instead of an on-the-move DPS like Cynrik was.

    ¡°Um, guys, I kinda have something to tell you all¡­¡± mustering up his courage, Benny sat straight and shivered after feeling everyone¡¯s gaze fall on him.

    ¡°Recently, I unlocked a ss kind of like Selene¡¯s. When I looked it up, there was no information on it at all in the Academy database.¡± Benny paused and noticed Cynrik and Brance¡¯s eyes narrow at his words, yet he continued speaking.

    ¡°It showed up after my fight with Instructor Garrison. My assumption is that by using the Estoc and Aspis, I unlocked a unique variant of the Warrior ss. It¡¯s Called Hoplite Vanguard.¡±

    Cynrik nodded knowingly. It made sense that if he used the spartanbat style, he would receive a spartanish ss. But Benny¡¯s following words made his brain shut down for a second.

    ¡°Uh, that isn¡¯t all either. Its boosts are very different from what a normal warrior would receive; ording to the description, I will be getting DEX, AGI, and VIT.¡±

    ¡°HOLD THE PHONE; WHAT?¡± Cynrik was so startled by the revtion that Benny¡¯s new ss gave him a triple stat boost that he pushed back in his chair. He would have fallen over if it wasn¡¯t for Selene instantly catching it to stabilize him.

    ¡°Nice, Benny; the added DEX and AGI will help you significantly, and it looks like you won¡¯t have to worry about leaning to either side of the spectrum between tank and DPS. If you add your points wisely, you should have no problem bncing things.¡± Unlike Cynrik, who was staring at the boy in shock with his jaw practically on the ground, Brance quicklyplimented him and told Benny that he should be fine doing what he wanted from now on.

    ¡°Hehe, nice job brother!¡± Gabby smiled brightly and shot Benny a thumbs up.

    ¡°COUGH! Thank¡¯s guys.¡± Looking down at the table and coughing, Benny couldn¡¯t help but feel warm inside.

    ¡°Damn, triple stats, that¡¯s not bad Benny Boy; the real question is, what are you thinking about for a Subss? If you want my opinion, I would go with something with a high STR boost, that way; you won¡¯t be burning all your points endlessly to try and y catchup.¡± Selene added after being sure Cynrik wouldn¡¯t fall or pass out from the shock.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s my next problem to deal with. I was thinking about going after the Miner ss like Brancie, but seeing as he didn¡¯t really use it for anything other than the boost, I am hesitant.¡±

    ¡°Eh, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea. So the Egresses I picked out all have mineral resources that can be extracted. So having an added person in the party with that Subss would help a lot, especially if wee across a situation where the rare minerals are stacked with creatures. At that point, Gabby and I would pull their attention, leaving Selene to cover them with her [Void Domain]. In the meantime, you two would gather as much as possible beforeing to aid us in battle.¡± Cynrik stated, finally bringing himself back to reality.

    ¡°Hold on¡­Benny, if you got a Unique ss, why were you worried about what Primary to choose?¡± Suddenly realizing something was off, Cynrik tilted his head and asked.

    ¡°Well, I was thinking of switching entirely to DPS, and if I went with the Hoplite Vanguard, I thought I would have to choose between demaster, the Tier-2 sword fighter ss, or evolving my Warrior,¡± Benny said, not noticing Cynrik.

    ¡°STUPID, UGHHHH, DON¡¯T BE A MORON AND PICK THE TRIPLE STAT CLASS, YOU DUNCE!¡± mming his forehead on the table with a loud THUD, Cynrik wanted to strangle Benny for his idiocy.

    ¡°Seriously? Brance just told you that you could pull off both, so stop overthinking and select the damn HopVan ss before I go over there and force you to.¡±

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 257

    Even though Cynrik¡¯s tone was a mixture of anger and sarcasm, Brance didn¡¯t step in. Instead, he was too busy scrolling through his list of sses, double-checking if there was any Unique ss hidden within the hundreds of options.

    ¡°Oi, little brother, you¡¯ve been awfully quiet over there. Everyone except you has already voiced what ss they are going with, leaving you the odd man out.¡± Stretching like a cat and resting his hands behind his head, Cynrik singled out Brance, who, up until this point, had only been advising the others.

    ¡°What is there to talk about? Like Selene, I don¡¯t really have much choice. Unless I find some random Unique ss¡­HOLY SHIT, WHEN DID THAT APPEAR.¡± Suddenly shifting gears mid-sentence, Brance shot to his feet with his right hand hovering in the air as if he was about to press something on his disy.

    ¡°WHAT, WHO, HUH? DID YOU GET A FUCKING UNIQUE CLASS TOO?¡± Bouncing to his feet and mming his hands on the table jealously, Cynrik howled in dismay.

    ¡°Nope, just wanted to harass you, PPFFTTT, haha.¡± Snickering before sitting down as if nothing happened, Brance nudged Gabby, who was also giggling at how quickly Cynrik seemed to get jealous of others.

    ¡°RAHHHH! BASTARD!¡± Clutching at his head, in temporary madness, Cynrik lunged across the table and full-on tackled Brance out of his chair and onto the ground, where the two proceeded to sling swears and slurs at each other while rolling around on the floor, throwing half-hearted jabs at each other¡¯s bodies.

    Selene, Benny, and Gabby, who were all fully ustomed to the antics, shook their heads before getting up in unspoken unison and heading to the training room together. It was best to let the two idiot brothers wrestle and get it out of their systems. They had long known that if they tried stepping in and somehow stopped the scuffle, the tension would only build over time until it happened again in a few hours.

    SMACK SMACK SMACK

    ¡°I¡¯ll fucking teach you not to lie to me, you little shit,¡± Cynrik growled, rolling around with his little brother. Falling back on his jiu-jitsu training, Cynrik executed a technique that was good for actual grappling but even more effective against annoying little brothers, the mounted crucifix.

    Sliding into side control, Cynrik used his chest to pin Brance to the ground before sliding his right arm under his brother¡¯s left armpit, locking his own arm at a 45-degree angle, and grabbing behind his own neck. Next, stuffing Brance¡¯s right arm under his left leg and using his left knee, Cynrik pinned the arm down just above the elbow and started savagely smacking his unprotected little brother in the forehead.

    SMACK SMACK SMACK

    ¡°Some fucking tank you are, you little bitch, still can¡¯t even get around a fucking crucifix after HOW MANY YEARS?¡±

    ¡°HEY! HEY, CUT IT OUT!¡± Struggling to get any kind of leverage to roll Cynrik or get out of the grapple hold, Brance whipped his head left and right, attempting to dodge the iing smack, but his effort was futile.

    As far as he could remember, once Cynrik locked in this hold, Brance didn¡¯t have much of a way to get out since both arms were syed out in a T pose and firmly trapped in ce. Not only that, but because of how high Cynrik postured on his chest, Brance would generally be unable to do anything other than swing his lower body in a pendulum until he could get enough momentum to roll his brother and escape. But even that could be defended against so long as Cynrik was able to snake in his free leg to trap one of Brance¡¯s.

    ¡®Think, cmon think; there has to be a way to¡­.¡¯

    SMACK SMACK

    Unfortunately, Brance couldn¡¯t even think appropriately because even his internal monologue was interrupted by the attacks.

    ¡°Is that all you got, you little shit, HAHAHA, so weak, what kinda shitty warrior gets held down by a fucking Assassin hahahahah!¡± Cackling in madness, Cynrik relentlessly rained down the forehead smacks.

    -I know it isn¡¯t my ce to step in here, but Host Brance, your strength is quite a bit higher than Host Cynrik¡¯s. Why don¡¯t you just throw him off.-

    ¡®That won¡¯t work Tobs; even if my strength is higher, Cyn has me¡­wait, why the fuck am I arguing? OF COURSE IT WOULD WORK!¡¯

    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± Brance shouted, summoning forth as much strength as he could muster from his 617 STR stat, nearly 150 points higher than what Cynrik had; Brance forced both his arms toward the sky, as if using a chest press machine, and threw Cynrik straight into the air, smashing him into the ceiling.

    -You have lost 2200 HP-

    ¡°OOF!¡± Feeling the air leaving his lungs and forcing a gasp from his mouth, Cynrik¡¯s eyes unfocused slightly as gravity took hold of his body and brought him down beside Brance.

    ¡°Hacks¡­*Gasp*¡­bull¡­*gasp* shit¡­hacks.¡± Barely able to get a single word out before being forced to suck in more air, Cynrik red at Brance with bloodshot eyes.

    ¡°Serves you right asshole. Quit being such a baby; you practically live being winded at every opportunity you get.¡± Rolling his eyes at how dramatic Cynrik was being, Brance stood up and dusted off his shirt.

    ¡°Tsk, next time, I¡¯ll use my fucking [Shadow Sewing] and LOCK you down. What happened to no cheating?¡± Cynrik whined as he sat up and rubbed his back, which felt bruised from the impact of the ceiling.

    [You figure out your subss yet?] Cocking an eyebrow at Brance, Cynrik brought up his own ss list and nced it over while stumbling dramatically to his chair at the kitchen table.

    [No, whenever I think I know what I want, I find somethingpletely unrted. I know you still think Miner was a good choice, but I don¡¯t. Unlike your Engineering ss, which you frequently use to adjust your hidden des, I ended up with something I can¡¯t use unless I am in an Egress. I get that it will see use eventually, but¡­I don¡¯t know man.] Picking up his chair from across the room, where it had been flung during Cynrik¡¯s attack, Brance sat down across from his brother and vented.

    [Well, we still need a bunch of the lifestyle sses to be self-sufficient. The only ones we have covered are Engineer and cksmith. Don¡¯t forget, technically; we enlisted Aiden as the official MyrkLys cksmith; hell, I even sent him one of our Faction badges to make him feel included with our equipment a while back.] Cynrik stated while holding his hands up and half smirking with the corner of his face.

    [At the end of the day, it really banks on what you want to do with your build. You know Pdins the best; what do you feel you arecking right now?]

    Biting the inside of his cheek, Brance pulled up his status profile and gave it a good look over.

    : Status :

    : Brance Athalos Jetlensr (Bj?rn Ironside Ragnarsson):

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation, Perfect Clear Expert, Reforged Body :

    : Demi-Human Male (90% Human, 10% Lightbringer):

    : Age-11:

    : Tier-2 :

    : Primary ss ¨C (Empty) :

    :Former: Tier-1 Warrior : (+2 To STR,VIT Distribution)

    : Sub-ss ¨C (Empty) :

    :Former: Tier-1 Miner : (+2 To STR Distribution)

    : Level: 0/35, Essence = 0/252,616 :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 156,370:

    : P-ss (Empty): 0 ¨C XP :

    : S-ss (Empty): 0 ¨C XP :

    : Distribution: 2 Per All : (STR 6, VIT 4)

    : Mana Codex & Circuits Tier-2 :

    : Stage 3 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-2, 6.5g Resistance :

    : Credits: 470,283 :

    : STATS :

    : shoppingmodeHP 8800/8800 :

    : Mana 6280/6280 :

    : Stamina 4400/4400 :

    : Stat Points- 182 :

    : Skill Points- 322 :

    : Strength- 617 : (+67)

    : Dexterity- 480 : (+10)

    : Agility- 483 : (+13)

    : Intelligence- 575 : (+105)

    : Vitality- 490 : (+20)

    : Mind- 545 : (+75)

    : Killing Intent- 319 ¨C 4.50g :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Light-Tier-2 (Beginner): :Expand:

    :(BG) Earth-Tier-2 (Adept): :Expand:

    :(BG) Wind-Tier-2 (Adept): :Expand: (INCREASED)

    Although the changes to his stats over thest three months weren¡¯t groundbreaking, they had seen significant growth, especially when it came to Brance¡¯s Wind Affinity, which had reached Adept, something that even Cynrik hadn¡¯t had the time to do. Between the stat training regiments that Professor Dennis and a few other teachers had taught, plus killing the spies alongside Cynrik, Brance was able to stack up a decent amount of points along with some free XP.

    He wasn¡¯t alone either; all the members of MyrkLys had spent a lot of time doing what Cynrik dubbed Manual Stat Training. Although the brothers knew from a young age it was possible to increase their stats by doing specific repetitive actions such as lifting weights for STR or draining their STAM all the way down before letting it regenerate for VIT; they had never really had an actual method to replicate these gains.

    However, this is where Professor Dennis showed his worth, solidifying that the teachers of VSFA knew their shit. During his little boot camp, he had instilled in every student the proper and most efficient way to raise their stats outside of killing mobs. Through the one-month training camp, he made a series of personalized training regiments for everyone, and if it were followed to the T, everyone would be able to see gains after some time.

    Still, this didn¡¯t exin the massive boosts to Brance¡¯s INT, MIND, and STR stats. The 67 STR, 105 INT, and 75 MIND were all a direct result of Brance consistently using his cultivation skill every time it came off cooldown. So overall, the boost to all his stats came from a lot of hard work and sleepless nights.

    [Honestly, I don¡¯t even know what to do anymore. I have hit a brick wall here with where to go. I can keep pushing up my STR and VIT, like a good little tank, but I will need to also increase my INT if I want to use the Pdin skills since most of them rely heavily on MP. But then there is the issue of my DEX and AGI, which will begingging behind super fast at the rate we grow.] Drumming his fingers on the table, Brance thought out loud to keep Cynrik in the loop.

    [Now you know what I¡¯ve been dealing withtely. Aside from burning all my points in VIT and STR, they will stagnate rtively quickly by only gaining a guaranteed 2 points per level from Distribution. My only saving grace is that all of my Rogue skills have DEX-based damage. If not, I would basically be hitting things with a cardboard tube instead of my swords since the damage output would be abysmal.]

    [I need to think on it some more, Cyn; you did, after all, give us until tomorrow to figure things out. Anyway, I should go check on the others; who knows if they¡¯re being productive or justzing about doing nothing.] With that, Brance got up and left the kitchen for the training room, leaving Cynrik alone with only his thoughts and Tobs forpany.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 258

    Sitting alone in the kitchen, Cynrik sighed softly and pulled up his stat profile, making him groan loudly. A simple nce at the chaotic spread of numbers was enough for Cynrik to nearly lose his shit, thanks to his little quirk called OCD.

    : Status :

    : Cynrik Ayke Jetlensr (Ivar the Boneless Ragnarsson):

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation, Perfect Clear Expert, Reforged Body :

    : Demi-Human Male (90% Human, 10% ?sir):

    : Age-13:

    : Tier-2 :

    : Primary ss ¨C (Empty) :

    :Former: Tier-1 Thief : (+2 To DEX, AGI Distribution)

    : Sub-ss ¨C (Empty) :

    :Former: Tier-1 Engineer : (+2 To DEX Distribution)

    : Level: 0/35, Essence = 0/252,616 :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 220,482 :

    : P-ss (Empty): 0 ¨C XP :

    : S-ss (Empty): 0 ¨C XP :

    : Distribution: 2 Per All : (DEX 6, AGI 4)

    : Mana Codex & Circuits Tier-2 :

    : Stage 3 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-2, 6.5g Resistance :

    : Credits: 80,000 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 11,200/11,200 :

    : Mana 6630/6630 :

    : Stamina 5600/5600 :

    : Stat Points- 194 :

    : Skill Points- 196 :

    : Strength- 481 : (+11)

    : Dexterity- 533 : (+63)

    : Agility- 537 : (+67)

    : Intelligence- 592 : (+122)

    : Vitality- 550 :

    : Mind- 501 : (+31)

    : Will Power- 48 :

    : PSN Resistance- 25 :

    : Killing Intent- 424 ¨C 5G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier-2 (Expert): :Expand: (Increased)

    :(BG) Fire-Tier-2 (Adept): :Expand:

    :(BG) Wind-Tier-2 (Beginner): :Expand:

    Because of the increase in his stats, unlike in the past, Cynrik rarely checked his Status these days. When he did, his left eye would begin twitching uncontrobly until he either lost his temper or closed the panel.

    Unlike Brance, who hit the weight training extra hard, Cynrik relied more on AGI and DEX training, allowing the two stats to surpass his STR, leaving it in the dust. His strength had increased in the first ce because of Professor Dennis¡¯s boot camp, where he made everyone do a series of strength training exercises several times a day. Nobody was allowed to skip it, and you better believe Cynrik damn well tried MANY times to get out of doing pushups and burpees.

    The most significant change he had undergone was with his INT and Dark Affinity; both had shown substantial changes over thest few months, thanks to using his cultivation skill at every opportunity. By either luck of the draw or because his [Requiem at Dusk] was tailor-made for Dark Affinity users, he had broken out of the Adept Stage and Into the Expert, opening several doors to newbinations and uses for how Cynrik utilized his Dark Mana. If before he was a shadow in the corner of the room, now, he was the darkness of night itself.

    The way he used Dark Mana had changed fundamentally; unlike before, whenever he collected the Mana, it felt no different than flexing a finger or wiggling your toes. Because of this level offortability, Cynrik¡¯s speed at conjuring skills and the power behind them had been radically increased.

    This newfound versatility was why he tried so desperately in his experiments with Fire Mana. His goal was to attain the same level of expertise as he had with his Dark. If Cynrik could achieve this, he could create a more perfect version of his ckFire, and maybe even turn it into the legendary Uchiha¡¯s Amaterasu, unquenchable ck mes that could burn forever and destroy anything.

    Pushing these thoughts to the back of his mind, Cynrik brought up his ss panel and swiped through it until he found Rogue and selected the Evolve option.

    -You have chosen to Evolve your Tier-1 Thief ss into the Tier-2 Rogue ss. Would you like to lock in your choice? Remember, once you ept, this change can not be undone (Y/N)-

    ¡®Go ahead, Tobs,¡± Preparing himself for the iing headache, Cynrik pressed the Yes option, but instead of getting barraged by notifications, a second window popped up.

    -Would you like to set this choice as your Primary ss once the Evolution has beenpleted? Remember, once you ept, this change can not be undone (Y/N)-

    ¡®Oh for crying out loud Tobs, just do the damn thing so I can get it over with and move on to the next one.¡¯ Comining in his heart, Cynrik watched the Yes option highlight in green before the notification closed and the predicted spam began.

    -You have obtained the Tier-2 Primary Combat ss Rogue.-

    -Your Physical Damage modifier when using ded weapons has been switched from STR-based Damage to DEX-based Damage.-

    -Your Stat Distribution has been adjusted; you will receive an additional 0.2 points in DEX and AGI upon increasing your Main Level. Current Allocation, 2.2 DEX, 2.2 AGI-

    -You have learned five Tier-2 Rogue Skills.-

    -Since the host has simr abilities to the traditional Rogue skills, some adjustments have been made.-

    -You have learned the Tier-2 Rogue Skill Uncanny Dodge.-

    -You have learned the Tier-2 Rogue Skill Luck of the Rogue.-

    -You have learned the Tier-2 Rogue Skill Detect Weakness.-

    -The Skill [Detect Weakness] has been merged with your Ocr skill, [Mana Sight].-

    -You have learned the Tier-2 Rogue Skill Elusive Mind.-

    -You have learned the Tier-2 Rogue Skill Danger Sense.-

    -You have unlocked the Tier-2 Hidden Stat: Luck.-

    -Your current luck stat is 5 points.-

    Smirking to himself, Cynrik jumped to his feet, ran out of the kitchen, down the hall, and burst into the training room, startling the other members of MyrkLys and making them shoot him weird looks.

    ¡°YOOO, I got five new skills from upgrading my ss to Rogue. Check this out!¡± Cynrik said as he acted like a child on Christmas, ready to try out his new toy.

    ¡°We all did¡­well, at least Gabby and I did; those two freaks got seven.¡± Brance snorted while pointing at Selene and Benny, who were sparring on the far side of the room.

    ¡°Tsk, why must you always be the killjoy of the family? Couldn¡¯t you just let me have this one thing?¡± Gritting his teeth and casting a nce over at Selene, who was shuffling side to side, and Benny, who was holding a practice Aspis and Estoc, Cynrik angrily scolded Brance.

    ¡°Hey man, no one told you to scamper in like a child all loud and shit. Now send me over the skills. I assume you got a 0.2 per level buff on top of your already 2 points as well?¡± Rolling his eyes and waving, stopping his sparring match with Gabby, Brance handed her a towel as he spoke before waiting for Cynrik to send over the data through the mind link.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the point spread I got; give me a second, and I¡¯llpile it all for you and send it over,¡± Cynrik said as he pulled up the skill descriptions and scanned them.

    ¨C Tier-2 Rogue Skill [Uncanny Dodge]-

    -Category: Passive Skill.-

    ¨C When an attacker in your line of sight hits you with a physical or metaphysical attack, you have a 20% chance of triggering this skill to reduce the damage taken by half.-

    -When triggered, the skill user will lose 5% of their avable Stamina.-

    -Tier-2 Rogue Skill [Luck of the Rogue]-

    -Category: Passive Skill.-

    -So long as you have unlocked your luck stat, this skill can be used.-

    -As a Rogue, you seem to have an uncanny knack for escaping death, finding riches, and making the impossible possible. Depending on how high your luck stat is, you will have a % chance (2% per point) to make miracles happen. This is not limited to getting the best rolls out of loot boxes or treasure, redirecting a missed attack at thest second to make it connect, or even surviving situations that would otherwise spell disaster.

    -Cost: Your Luck points are a replenishable resource; the Central System Hub regtes the cost of inducing the skill. The higher the feat you would seed in, the more points will be taken from you.-

    -Tier-2 Rogue Skill [Detect Weakness] (Merged with Mana Sight)-

    -Category: Active Skill.-

    -This skill allows creating a marker, either thin red lines, or red dots, indicating where the weak point of a structure, being, spell, or some other solid object is. Since this skill has been merged with an already existing ocr skill, its cost will be tacked on to said skill, increasing the MP usage rate by 25%. Although the two skills have merged, you are still able to choose when you want to activate [Detect Weakness], and it is not always active upon using [Mana Sight].-

    -This skill is prone to fail to show you a weakness if you haven¡¯t raised its Proficiency high enough.-

    -Tier-2 Rogue Skill [Elusive Mind]-

    -Category: Passive Skill.-

    ¨C As a Rogue, you are prone to seeing the worst life has to offer; your mind needs to be neigh imprable. This skill activates when you are under the effect of any skills or phenomenon that may affect your mental rity, reducing the effect these acts have on your mind. This is not limited to illusions, mental attacks, charm stats, or spells.-

    -This stat has a 25% chance of activating under the right conditions, and the strength of the protection you gain will be dependent on how high your MIND stat is.-

    -Tier-2 Rogue Skill [Danger Sense]-

    -Category: Passive Life-Saving Skill.-

    -Rogues and their evolved form Assassins are frequently put in dangerous situations, where even the slightest wrong move can end in death. As such, a special tingly feeling has been inherited over the long history of Rogue ss users, known as Danger Sense.-

    -When presented with a situation that potentially causes you great harm or could end your life, you will feel uneasy and restless. Do not ignore this feeling, as it may very well be what saves your life one day.-

    Brance stood stunned in silence, unsure what to make from the list of skills Cynrik had sent him.

    ¡°Pretty impressive, right? I can legit go beast mode now without worrying about anything.¡± Wearing a shit-eating grin, Cynrik gloated, but to his surprise, Brance was staring at him with a confused expression.

    [Cyn, you do realize that EVERY SINGLE ONE of your new ss skills is passive¡­right? You didn¡¯t get any cool new attacks or any world-shattering abilities.] Narrowing his eyes and scrunching up his face in confusion, Brance double-checked to ensure he didn¡¯t miss any hidden awesomeness.

    [ARE YOU FUCKING DUMB! I LEGIT GOT SPIDEY SENSE BRANCE¡­.SPIIIIDEY SENSSE! Pair that together with my already heightened reflexes, and thanks to my AGI and DEX, I can dodge attacks without seeing them evening. OK, watch, I¡¯ll close my eyes; I want you to shoot a [Stone Spike] at me. I don¡¯t even have to see iting; I will just rely on my [Danger Sense].] Cynrik said as he closed his eyes and ced his hands behind his back.

    [Uhh, Cyn, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how this skill works¡­] Brance said hesitantly while still manifesting a spike and making sure it wasn¡¯t sharp, just in case.

    [h, h, h, stop your yapping and just¡­]

    FWOOSHH, BOOOM, SMASH

    ¡°OOOOOOOOOFFFF, MOTHER FUCKER!¡±

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 259

    [Uhh, Cyn, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how this skill works¡­] Brance said hesitantly while still manifesting a spike and making sure it wasn¡¯t sharp, just in case.

    [h, h, h, stop your yapping and just¡­]

    FWOOSHH, BOOOM, SMASH

    ¡°OOOOOOOOOFFFF, MOTHER *GASP* FUCKER!¡±

    Without any warning, Brance released the [Stone Spike], aiming it at point-nk range, right at Cynrik¡¯s chest, and just as he predicted, Cynrik¡¯s [Danger Sense] didn¡¯t trigger, and he received the attack square in the chest with enough force to send him sailing right into a cluster of workout equipment.

    ¡°Cough, Cough cough, what the fuck just happened?¡± Utterly confused about why his skill didn¡¯t trigger, Cynriky in a heap under a pile of machinery, coughing up saliva and phlegm.

    ¡°I tried to tell you dumbass; it doesn¡¯t work like you think it does. But noooo, we never listen to Brance, cause how could he EVER be right?¡± Rushing over and digging his brother out of the pile, Brance remarked sarcastically at his overly impulsive brother.

    In contrast to Cynrik and Brance, Gabby, Benny, and Selene all went about as if this was an everyday thing, ignoring the fact that Brance just fired a close-range magic projectile directly into Cynrik¡¯s chest for seemingly no reason at all.

    [The hell went wrong?] Dusting himself off and pointing at his chest, an indicator that he wanted healing, Cynrik thought aloud while pulling up the skill description and re-reading it several times.

    [You know what, Cyn? You have to be the dumbest intelligent person I¡¯ve ever met. The damn skill LITERALLY SAYS ¡°Life-Saving¡± in its category. It won¡¯t activate unless you face a situation presenting the potential of sustaining great bodily harm or life-threatening injuries; it doesn¡¯t make sense to activate just because you may get a bump on the head.

    [What kind of backward bullshit is that? That doesn¡¯t make any sense. I get that it would work against pitfalls or other Assassins trying to off me, but for it to not work when ANY kind of danger presents itself makes absolutely ZERO sense.] Cynrikined as he shook his head and re-read every one of his new skills again.

    [Ima be honest with you, Cyn, I pretty much only see you ever using [Detect Weakness] and [Elusive Mind]. The rest are way too situational.] Reading the new skills alongside his brother, Brance offered his opinion.

    [No, uncanny dodge is also practical. 50% damage reduction on a 20% trigger chance is a bit broken; the only issue is the cost. Suddenly losing 5% Stamina at random would definitely sting if it happened at the wrong time. However, it too could be considered a life-saving skill as long as I get that trigger chance increased.

    [Where as something like [Luck of the Rogue] will only be ast resort until I can figure out how to increase my Luck Stat.] Closing his skill tab, Cynrik nced over at Benny and Selene¡¯s sparring match. From the looks of it, the fight was pretty even, but if one looked closely, they would see that Benny was actually leading Selene by the nose.

    [He¡¯s getting pretty good in standard meleebat.]Brance stated, noticing that Cynrik was paying heavy attention to their friendly training match.

    [Indeed, he moves like me but fights like you. It kind of makes him apleted version of us once he gets in a few dozen more years of fighting experience. How is his stat sheet looking?]

    [Well, I would expect him to be good, considering all the time he spent with us both as trainers and as watchers of our fights, except for the incidents in your SOC]. Agreeing with Cynrik¡¯s observations, Brance motioned to his brother and passed over the stat sheet he had received from Benny earlier.

    : Status :

    : Benjamin Sanford (Benny):

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation, Perfect Clear Expert, Reforged Body :

    : Human Male:

    : Age-11:

    : Tier-2 :

    : Primary ss ¨C Tier-2 Hoplite-Vanguard : (+0.2 DEX, +0.2 AGI, +0.2 VIT Distribution)

    :Former: Tier-1 Warrior : (+2 To STR,VIT Distribution)

    : Sub-ss ¨C (Empty) :

    : Level: 0/35 ¨C 0/252,616 :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 104,258 :

    : P-ss (Hoplite-Vanguard): 0 ¨C XP :

    : S-ss (Empty): 0 ¨C XP :

    : Distribution: 2 STR, 2 VIT : (STR 4, DEX 0.2, AGI 0.2, VIT 4.2,)

    : Mana Codex & Cicuits Tier-2 :

    : Stage 3 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-2, 6g Resistance :

    : Credits: 213,045 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 10,260/10,260 :

    : Mana 3900/3900 :

    : Stamina 5130/5130 :

    : Stat Points- 268 :

    : Skill Points- 276 :

    : Strength- 423 : (+48)

    : Dexterity- 406 : (+31)

    : Agility- 407 : (+32)

    : Intelligence- 410 : (+35)

    : Vitality- 474 : (+99)

    : Mind- 390 : (+15)

    : Killing Intent- 228 ¨C 4.0 G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(BG) Water-Tier 2 (Adept): :Expand:

    Seeing Benny¡¯s stats, Cynrik couldn¡¯t help but groan at the mismatched numbers, but pushing through the screaming agony in his mind, he read through everything and nodded his head, pleased that Benny had shown so much growth over thest few months.

    [He¡¯s doing well, aside from VIT, which he clearly spent a bit too much time training in the Gravity Room, he has kept things rtively bnced, something vital to bring out the full potential of his fighting style. So long as he keeps his speed and physical power reasonably close, he won¡¯t have to struggle too badly in the foreseeable future. The only issue is that Vitality¡­] As Cynrik spoke, his eyes flicked to Benny¡¯s Distribution.

    [STR 4, DEX 0.2, AGI 0.2, VIT 4.2, is pretty dirty. He will rival us in stat growth on that point. When he reaches level cap, he will bring in an annoyingly high 11 points per level in VIT, which is detrimentalpared to the 7 points in DEX and AGI.] Cynrik finally said, looking over at Brance.

    [I mean, you realize just how high your DEX will end up, right, you are going to be chilling at what, 13 points per level, whereas I will be hitting like a truck with my 13 points in STR.] After running a quick calction, Brance realized just how many stat points they would pull in per level up.

    [Oh, I forgot to mention, when I made my ss evolve, one of the notifications I got was about my physical damage modifier swapping over from STR-based Damage to DEX-based damage, so long as I am using a ded weapon. This means that while you may hit like a truck, I am like a 50 caliber sniper rifle, precise and powerful.] Crossing his arms over his chest and smirking, Cynrik bragged.

    [About time, your damage output was always on the weaker side, even though your strength was decent. Soooo my skills from Pdin were pretty good, but the issue we predicted about sword skills popped up.] Rolling his eyes at his older brother¡¯s remark, Brance changed the subject.

    [Oh? Got some sword skills now, do we, Mr. Double Shields.] Cynrik teased, only to get flooded by information from Brance, who didn¡¯t say anything and sent over all five of his new skills.

    -Tier-2 Pdin Skill: [Prominence Strike]-

    -Category: Active AOE Skill.-

    ¨C By infusing your sword with ample Light Mana, you can create illusionary replicas of your weapon and execute a downward sh, attacking designated enemies within a 5-meter radius.-

    -Cost: 200 MP per designated target up to 5 targets.-

    -Damage Calc: Based on STR, INT, and Light Affinity.-

    -Cooldown: 15 minutes.-

    -Tier-2 Pdin Skill: [Hallowed Ground]-

    -Category: Active Life-Saving Skill.-

    -As the party¡¯s hope and defense, you must always stay standing. You, who have been blessed by the Light, and fight for justice and all that is right in the world; using your attunement with Light, cast a divine shield around your body, making you impervious to most types of damage for 5 seconds.-

    -Cost: 1000 Stamina, 2500 Mana Points.-

    -Cooldown: 48 hours.-

    -Tier-2 Pdin Skill: [Lay on Hands]-

    -Category: Active Healing Skill.-

    -The Pdin is not only the party¡¯s shield but also abat medic; as such, they can heal their friends in need and themselves when in a pinch.-

    -By infusing your hands with nurturing Light Mana and cing them on yourself or a designated friendly target, you can Heal for 25% of your MAX HEALTH POINTS.

    -Cost: 25% of Current Avable MP, Mp must not be below 50%.-

    -Cooldown: 2 hours.-

    -Tier-2 Pdin Skill: [Devotion¡¯s Halo]-

    -Category: Passive Damage Debuff Skill.-

    ¨C The presence of an awe-inspiring and strong Pdin will give courage and inner power to those who are close to them. Your natural charisma and presence is enough to keep your party fighting against all odds.-

    -Reduces 5% of all damage taken by designated allies within a 30-meter radius

    -Tier-2 Pdin Skill: [Divine Sword Storm]-

    -Category: Active AOE Skill.-

    -This skill requires the use of a two-handed sword, the heavier its weight, the longer the attack can persist and the more damage it can deal. By infusing your two-handed sword with arge amount of Light Mana, you manifest a turbulent storm of Light constructed replicas of your weapon and chaotic streams of visible Mana, which swirl around you, hacking down any nearby enemies with the power of Light-

    -Attack Radius: 7 Meters.-

    -Cost: 10% of Current Avable Stamina and MP.-

    -Damage Calc: Based on STR, INT, Light Affinity.-

    -Cooldown: 30 minutes.-

    [WHAT KIND OF BULLSHIT, BROKEN ASS, OP, AHHHH!] Cynrik howled in jealously as he read through all of Brance¡¯s new skills. Unlike himself, who only got passive skills, all but one of the Pdin skills were active, two of which were actually powerful AOE skills.

    [This is favoritism, I DEMAND A REFUND ON MY PRIMARY CLASS, OI, TOBS CONTACT THE CSH, TELL THEM TO GIVE ME BETTER SHIT!] Fuming with both jealousy and anger, Cynrik demanded.

    -Request denied; the skills received upon unlocking a new ss are randomly generated based on the strength of the being and their potential. You can only me yourself for having created so many shy techniques. Host Brancecks offensive Affinity skills and has barely relied on making new attacks and techniques, unlike you.-

    [What the hell Tobs, this is a tant bias towards Dark Affinity users, why does this shlight asshole get cool shit while all I get is a useless spidey sense that doesn¡¯t even work as it should. Fucking assholes in the CSH, man!]

    [Uh¡­Cyn¡­it isn¡¯t that big of a deal¡­I am sure you¡¯ll get fantastic skills as you progress through your ss levels.] Trying his hardest not to burst outughing at his older brother, who was pacing back and forth while ranting about how unfair the CSH was, Brance shook his head and attempted to calm him down.

    [Let me guess, Benny, Gabby, and Selene all got a shit ton of new active skills as well, didn¡¯t they? You know what, on second thought, I almost feel like I would rather be left in the dark on the two freaks with Unique sses. I have too much to worry about with making preparations for our Farming marathon. Fuck this bullshit.] Throwing his hands in the air, Cynrik stormed out of the training room and left the dorm to go for a walk to cool his head.

    -It seems he took that better than you thought.-

    ¡®Sigh, yeah, I half expected him to hit one of us or at the very least start breaking shit. Storming off is totally fine in my book.¡¯ Sighing in his mind, Brance walked back over to Gabby, who was currently sitting on the floor chewing on the eraser end of a pencil as she worked on copying her Stat sheet for Brance.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 260

    Walking over and taking a seat beside Gabby, Brance went over Benny¡¯s profile one more time, and when he got to the line with his HP, Brance couldn¡¯t help but sigh; even though his VIT stat was at 490, he only had 8800 HP and 4400 STAM, while Benny who had a stat of 474 was sitting at 10,260 HP.

    This was a direct result of the differential they had found out after the Sanfords reached Tier-1. Because of their bloodline stat boost, he, Cynrik, and even Selene would end up with less HP and MP in the long run. This was due to how the allocation urred; with a higher starting line after evolution, they were inevitably earning a lot less HP, MP, and STAM points.

    So while Cynrik, Brance, and Selene would receive the Tier-1 point allocation for those three stats until 470, Gabby and Benny started receiving the new Tier-2 boost at 375. It didn¡¯t make much of a difference at lower levels, but now, it was clear. At present, MP was only increasing by 20 units per stat point, but if things continue to progress in the same way as they have with each Tier advancement, the Sanfords will easily surpass the Tobs hosts in MP before they even reach Tier-3.

    While Brance was contemting how they could fix this issue, Gabby finished up her new stat sheet and waved it in front of Brance¡¯s face to get his attention.

    ¡°Oh? You¡¯re done already; let¡¯s take a look,¡± Snapping out of his daze, Brance smiled at Gabby, received the paper, and thoroughly read her eloquent handwriting.¡±

    ¡°Yep, I also added my new ss skills to the list for you,¡± Gabby said with a face that made it obvious she was expecting praise.

    : Status :

    : Gabrie Sanford (Gabby):

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation, Perfect Clear Expert, Reforged Body :

    : Human Female:

    : Age-11:

    : Tier-2 :

    : Primary ss ¨C Tier-2 Huntress : (+0.2 DEX, +0.2 AGI)

    :Former: Archer : (+2 To DEX, +2 AGI Distribution)

    : Sub-ss ¨C (Empty) :

    : Level: 0/35 0/252,616 :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 104,258 :

    : P-ss (Huntress): 0 ¨C XP :

    : S-ss (Empty): 0 ¨C XP :

    : Distribution: 2 DEX, 2 INT, 2 MIND : (DEX 4.2, AGI 2.2)

    : Mana Codex & Cicuits Tier-2 :

    : Stage 3 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-2, 6g Resistance :

    : Credits: 12,000 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 9500/9500 :

    : Mana 5965/5965 :

    : Stamina 4750/4750 :

    : Stat Points- 0 :

    : Skill Points- 121 :

    : Strength- 395 : (+20)

    : Dexterity- 475 : (+100)

    : Agility- 475 : (+100)

    : Intelligence- 509 :

    : Vitality- 455 : (+80)

    : Mind- 509 :

    : Partner Bond- 0% :

    : Killing Intent- 228 ¨C 4.0 G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SBG) Psychic-Tier 2 (Adept): :Expand:

    -Tier-2 Huntress Skill: [Beast Partner Contract]-

    -Category: Active Skill ¨C

    -No Huntress isplete without a Partner who can aid them in battle and their hunts. As a Huntress, you have the ability to Tame and Contract a Beast or Creature that is the same Tier Grade (Low, Mid, High, Peak) or weaker than you are.-

    -There are many ways to initiate this skill; you can either choose to suppress the creature you wish to be your beast partner and forcefully initiate the contract, or the beast/creature, can willingly ept to be your Partner. As the Huntress and future master of this Beast/Creature, it is your choice how you go about contracting them. However, be aware that you can only attempt to use this skill on a Beast or Creature a Maximum of three times. If it fails after the third attempt, you will be unable to form a contract permanently with them.-

    -Cost: 1000 MP times the Beast/Creatures Tier, + 100 MP per their Primary level.-

    -Cooldown: 1 Minute.-

    -Tier-2 Huntress Skill: [Beast Partner Summons]-

    -Category: Active Skill ¨C

    -Unlike the Tamer ss, who has the ability to ce the beings they have a Soul Pact with into their [Tamer Space], The Huntresses Beast Partner stays free to roam around. Thus there is a need to contact the Beast Partner if they are out of eyesight. That¡¯s where this skilles in handy. You can call for your Partner toe to your side by whistling loudly in a specific pitch generated through your personal Mana Signature. They will be able to hear it if they are within a 1-kilometer radius.-

    -Cost: None.-

    -Cooldown: 5 minutes.-

    -Tier-2 Huntress Skill: [Beast Partner Fusion] (LOCKED)-

    -Category: Active Fusion Skill-

    -The Huntress¡¯s greatest asset is their Beast Partner; for generations, a unique technique has been taught to every new Huntress, the Beast Partner Fusion. Once you have increased your Bond with your Partner to the highest level, you can fuse in mind and body with them, giving you their characteristics and an increase in your stats which corresponds with your partners.-

    -Requirements: Beast Partner must be within the same Tier, and a gap of no higher than 20 Levels can be between you both.

    -Partial Fusion: 50% Partner Bond. 10 Minute Time Limit.-

    -Half Fusion: 75% Partner Bond. 5 Minute Time Limit.-

    -Perfect Fusion 100% Partner Bond. 2 Minutes 30 seconds Time Limit.-

    -Cost: None

    -Cooldown: 3 hours.-

    -Tier-2 Huntress Skill: [Rain of Arrows]-

    -Category: Active Charged AOE Skill ¨C

    -Although the Huntress is a master of many things, such as tracking andying traps, you, at your core, are a Bowman. As such, it is only suitable to have a powerful attack revolving around a Bow or Crossbow.-

    -This attack requires the user to store a specific amount of Mana into their Arrows/Bolts and requires the user to fire a minimum of 5 shots at a steep upward angle. Upon leaving the weapon, these projectiles will split off, creating Mana constructs of the same size, weight, and strength as one of the rounds fired. The arrows and constructs will fall at a simr pace and rain down on a circr target area no further than 30 meters away from the user.

    -Charge Time: 2 Minutes.-

    -Cost: 2500 MP, 500 STAM.-

    -Damage Calc: Based on INT, DEX, and Affinity.-

    -Cooldown: 1 hour.-

    -Tier-2 Huntress Skill: [Scent Tracking]-

    -Category: Active Skill ¨C

    -A Huntress doesn¡¯t only rely on their eyes to find their prey but also their acute sense of smell. By infusing Mana particles into your nose, you can locate items, creatures, or beings, so long as you first have their scent added to your catalog and they are within a 3-kilometer radius from you. Once you have locked onto a scent, you will be able to see a hazy mirage in the form of a trail in the same color as your Origin Affinity. Follow that trail, and it will lead you to your prey.

    -Cost: 1% of Avable MP every Minute the skill is in use.-

    -The skill can not be activated if the user¡¯s MP is below 50%

    -Cooldown: 10 Minutes.-

    It took Brance a couple of minutes to get through all the information on the two pages Gabby had written. Her stat growth was about what he expected. Over thest few months, she had been working on her DEX and AGI, doing every type of training that Professor Dennis rmended. If she couldn¡¯t physicallyplete the full set of exercises in the first couple of tries, she would reach out to the Professor and ask for rification.

    Using this method, of everyone in the party, Gabby was the foremost single expert on training the AGI and DEX stats. She was so well learned in the aspect that on several asions, she would stop and answer questions presented by the other party members, himself and Cynrik included.

    So when Brance saw that she was close to passing him, he couldn¡¯t help but feel proud of her. Next was Gabby¡¯s VIT stat; like her brother, Gabby was bing obsessive about training under the heavy pressure generated by the Academy Gravity Rooms. By doing exercises under the strain of increased gravitational force, her VIT skyrocketed, which meant so did her HP and STAM, which had passed his own, once again, as predicted.

    However, when Brance made it down to the five new skills Gabby had unlocked with her ss, his jaw nearly hit the ground, with his first thought being, ¡°where are all the marksman skills.¡± Seeing the three skills and the new Partner Bond stat, Brance couldn¡¯t help but look at Gabby with wide eyes, making her giggle.

    ¡°Well, it looks like we need to go shopping for a pet for you. Although you won¡¯t be able to keep it within a pet space, like Big Brother will be able to with his birds, so long as it doesn¡¯t grow up TOO big, everything should be fine¡­I think. Have you thought about what kind of Beast you want to contract?¡± Seeing the sparkling eyes staring up at him with glee, Brance chuckled and patted Gabby¡¯s head as he spoke.

    ¡°Um, not really, I know I want something with a good nose and ears, so I was thinking something from a canine species, like a wolf or something. Plus, you totally can¡¯t tell me a puppy wouldn¡¯t be the cutest thing ever. Momma never let us have anythingrger than a canary or hamster growing up, so this is a great chance for me to get one finally.¡± Sitting beside Brance on the workout bench, Gabby swung her legs happily while talking.

    ¡°Hehe, you know what would be really funny hehe.¡± Giggling in a creepy tone with a twisted smile stered across his face, Brance suddenly resembled Cynrik as he came up with the perfect way to harass his brother.

    ¡°Eh¡­Brancie¡­please don¡¯t make that face; that¡¯s the same face Big Bro Cyn gets when he thinks of something evil¡­it doesn¡¯t look right on you.¡± Gabby said as she scooted away from Brance slightly.

    ¡°What if¡­now hear me out¡­what if you got a bear cub and named it after the one enemy my big brother has never been able to conquer?¡± Rubbing his hands together as he spoke, Brance dropped his master n on Gabby, who was stunned into silence for a moment before breaking out in a hysterical shrill.

    ¡°NOPE, NOPE, no way, never in a million years. You know as well as I do that if I got a bear cub and named it Carlisle, it would disappear, and the only excuse I would receive was something like ¡°It went to a magical farm,¡± just like what happened with my pet hamster when I was 6. WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO MY POOR, BEAUTIFUL BABY HAMMY; HE WAS USED AS A MOVING TARGET!¡± Gabby half sobbed, half screamed.

    ¡°OI! DIDN¡¯T I MAKE IT UP TO YOU WITH A FULL YEAR OF ALL MY DESSERTS, YOU DUMB RABBIT!¡± Of course, with the most impable timing imaginable, Cynrik walked in just as Gabby started yelling about Hammy.

    ¡°YOU, YOU, YOU HAMSTER MURDERER! STUPID ASSHOLE BIG BRO CYN, HOW COULD YOU FUCKING HURT MY POOR BABY HAMMY? ¡± Jumping to her feet and pointing at Cynrik while shouting, Gabby tore into him with insults like none of the members of MyrkLys had ever heard her say. It had to be mentioned that Gabby was the only one in the group who refused to say swear words ¡°because they were bad.¡± So hearing her use the word asshole and fuck in the same sentence was a shock beyond anything they had ever experienced.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 261

    ¡°YOU, YOU, YOU HAMSTER MURDERER! STUPID ASSHOLE BIG BRO CYN, HOW COULD YOU FUCKING HURT MY POOR BABY HAMMY? ¡±

    Gabby¡¯s angry howls shut up everyone in the room as all the members of MyrkLys, except for Cynrik, stared at her ck-jawed and unable to respond. For several agonizingly long minutes, the only sound in the room was the aggressive pants of Gabby, who red daggers at Cynrik.

    Cynrik, the target of the girl¡¯s aggression, puckered his bottom lip against his top and looked between Gabby and Brance with creased eyebrows before finally breaking the silence.

    ¡°Gabby just said two bad words. FUCK¡± Being the first to break the silence, Cynrik threw out a sarcastic remark only to be charged by the pissed-off and teary-eyed Gabby.

    ¡°THAT¡¯S ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF,¡± Gabby screamed, throwing an open palm strike at Cynrik¡¯s chest. Her attack was fast, but Cynrik was faster, making a scooping motion with his left arm; he arched his hand under her wrist and deflected it easily.

    ¡°Hey now, rabbit, don¡¯t be so mad; it was a joke!¡± Chuckling as he took several steps back, deflecting each of her attacks, Cynrik threw another sarcasticment, infuriating her even more.

    ¡°SHUT UP DICKHEAD, AND LET ME HIT YOU!¡± Mad at herself for not being able to hit Cynrik, no matter how hard she tried, Gabby¡¯s arms became a blur as she picked up the pace, mixing in elbow strikes, knees, and punches, all of which were either defended against or deflected by the older boy.

    Brance watched from the sidelines, unsure if he should step in and stop the fight. For him, who had spent two lifetimes dealing with his brother¡¯s casual bullshit and sarcasm, it didn¡¯t seem like he had crossed any lines, but clearly, Gabby thought otherwise. The story of Hammy the hamster was a tale from so many years back that he had forgotten about it happening until a couple of minutes ago.

    Looking over his shoulder at Benny and Selene, who hade up behind him to watch the fight, he debated internally if he should say something to the boy since Gabby was his sister. But when he met Benny¡¯s eyes and saw him shake his head as if saying ¡®not worth it,¡¯ Brance gave up and turned to watch Gabby continuously fail tond even a single attack on Cynrik.

    ¡°Why the hell are you harboring such ill intent from something that happened ages ago Gabby? You know you can¡¯t beat me, so just give it up.¡± As he spoke, Cynrik went on the offensive, ducking under a right hook, and swept out Gabby¡¯s legs, causing her to fall onto her back.

    ¡°If you are going to attack me, you better be ready to get your ass kicked, because girl or not, I never hold back,¡± Clutching the air with his left hand and thrusting it forward, Cynrik activated [Shadow Sewing,] pinning down Gabby¡¯s arms and legs so that she couldn¡¯t move.

    ¡°You seem to forget that it was ME who taught you how to fight, and although you havee a long way from those backyard boot camps, you are still a hundred years too early to beat me,¡± Cynrik said with a malicious glint shing through his eyes.

    ¡°Hey, hey, how bout we all just calm down and talk this out.¡± The instant Selene saw the hidden malice in the eyes of her beloved, she couldn¡¯t stand back and just watch anymore.

    ¡°Hm? Woman, I am perfectly calm,¡± cocking an eyebrow and tilting his head to the right, Cynrik replied, but this was just the distraction Gabby needed. Twitching the fingers on her right hand in a manner that escaped everyone¡¯s eyes, Gabby activated her [Floating Disk], making it as thin as a sword and cing it right behind the back of Cynrik¡¯s knees.

    Next, she extended all 10 of her fingers. She clutched at the air, executing her newly created and only custom skill, [Psychic Threads], and fired off over a hundred razor-thin silk-like threads, wrapping some around each shadow tendril and positioning the rest in a way that could easily trip Cynrik.

    ¡°Anyway, give it up Gabby, hm? Well, now, this is surprising. When did youe up with this little toy skill?¡± Looking from left to right, Cynrik noticed the sparkling light reflecting off the myriad of threats surrounding his legs.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty impressive; I¡¯ll give you that. Unfortunately for you, the only problem is that it will be ineffective if I can see WOAH!¡± Cutting off his sentence mid-way, Cynrik¡¯s body shook unsteadily, and it took him some effort to stay standing.

    ¡°HAHAHA, NICE ONE, THAT¡¯S WHAT I LIKE TO SEE!¡± Cynrik blurted out as he looked down at the thin trickles of blood dripping down his exposed forearms. Although he had noticed the threads of pure Psychic Mana, he had found them toote, giving Gabby enough time to spring her trap and wrap him from the neck down in lines, like a cocoon.

    ¡°You know, Big Bro, for the longest time, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask,¡± tapping at the air like pressing piano keys, Gabby wrapped her fingers around the threats connected to the shadow tendrils and balled her hand into a fist, severing her bindings and stood up.

    ¡°Why do you always talk so damn much when fighting? Don¡¯t you realize it makes you seem like one of those two-bit antagonists you always make fun of in your stories?¡± Smiling in triumph, Gabby calmly walked over to Cynrik and poked him in the forehead with enough force to make him fall backward helplessly.

    ¡°PPFFFFTT HAHAHAHAHHAHA BIG BROTHER YOU JUST GOT OWNED AHHH HAHAHAHAH!¡± Unable to contain hisughter, Brance cracked first.

    ¡°HOLY SHIT, HAHAHA, GABBY JUST ONE-UPPED YOU PLUS BURNED YOUR ASS, JESUS!¡± Selene was second.

    ¡°Hehe¡­sorry, Big Bro, it¡¯s too funny; you look like a worm right now.¡± And finally, Benny got his shot in too.

    ¡°As you always say, Big Bro Cyn, this is checkmate.¡± Smiling widely and making everyone realize she hadn¡¯t actually been that mad to begin with and only wanted to prank Cynrik after hearing Brance talk about executing a master n, Gabbynded the final blow to Cynrik¡¯s already bruised ego.

    ¡°Grr, while you all are fucking around in the mud, ying checkers, I am out here ying eight-dimensional chess.¡±

    FWOOOOOSSSHHHH

    Hundreds of golfball-sized micro-ck fireballs manifested in less than a second, dozens circling Gabby as if she was the center of the universe. At the same time, several moved to incinerate the threads wrapping Cynrik¡¯s body.

    ¡°You honestly think that I would so easily fall for¡­.¡±

    THUNK SPLASH!

    Before the rest of Cynrik¡¯s words could leave his mouth, a bucket filled with waternded on his head, drenching him from top to bottom, making everyoneugh again.

    ¡°As I said, Big Bro Cyn, you talk too much.¡± Gabby snickered and relinquished control of the unburned threads.

    ¡°h, h, everybody gets one, don¡¯t count on it happening again.¡± Clicking his tongue and massaging the rapidly healing cuts on his arms, Cynrik stood back up and red at Gabby. On the outside, he was still the same broody Cynrik, but on the inside, he was quite pleased with how she had pulled off not once but twice, tricking him into apromised position.

    ¡°Anyway, Selene, send over your stats, and Benny, write down your new skills for me to go over. That is enough fun for today; everyone needs to stop what they are doing and work on picking their Sub-sses.

    Putting on his leader voice and issuingmands to Selene and Benny, Cynrik made a crushing motion with his left hand and released control over all the silently floating fireballs before turning and heading to the living room.

    [[Aww, you didn¡¯t even greet me, I am mortally wounded by how cold you are being, Darllling~!]] Instead of instantly sending over her stats as told, Selene first took to the mind-link to tease Cynrik.

    [[Stats, skills, now, or no affection for two weeks.]] That was all Cynrik said, much to the dismay of Selene, who sat down in the middle of the training room to pout, then realizing she couldn¡¯t waste any more time, or her Cynrik-Cuddle moments would be cut off, Selene hurried to send over her updated status profile, excluding the skills.

    : Status :

    : Selene Nilsson :

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation, Lost Soul, Svinfylking, Reforged Body :

    : Demi-Human Female (90% Human, 10% ?sir):

    : Age-17:

    : Tier-2 :

    : Primary ss ¨C Tier-2 Valk-Vanguard : (+0.2 STR 0.2 DEX, 0.2 VIT)

    :Former: Tier-1 Valk-Warrior : (+2 To DEX,STR Distribution)

    : Sub-ss ¨C (Empty) :

    : Level: 0/35 0/252,616 :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 86,400 :

    : P-ss (Valk-Vanguard): 0 ¨C XP :

    : S-ss (Empty): 0 ¨C XP :

    : Distribution: 2 Per DEX, AGI, INT : (STR 4.2, DEX 4.2, VIT 0.2)

    : Mana Codex & Circuits Tier-2.5 :

    : Stage 3 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-3, 6g Resistance :

    : Credits: 23,000,000 :

    : STATS :

    : shoppingmodeHP 8800/8800 :

    : Mana 6630/6630 :

    : Stamina 4400/4400 :

    : Stat Points- 40 :

    : Skill Points- 515 :

    : Strength- 480 : (+10)

    : Dexterity- 515 : (+45)

    : Agility- 535 : (+65)

    : Intelligence- 592 : (+122)

    : Vitality- 490 : (+20)

    : Mind- 480 : (+10)

    : Will Power- 50 :

    : Killing Intent- 200 ¨C 4.0 G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier-2 (Expert): :Expand:

    Under the watchful eye of Cynrik, Selene had undergone DRASTIC changes over thest three months. Her stats had aplete overhaul, from Capping her Prestige Level and getting the Reforged Body title to Evolving from Tier-1 into Tier-2. It didn¡¯t end there either. Since Selene was also a Dark Affinity User, Cynrik had made a copy of [Requiem at Dusk] and taught her how to use it, so she saw exponential growth in her Dark Affinity, breaking into the Expert stage, as well as her INT soaring up like his.

    ncing over her resource stats (**HP, MP, and STAM will be called Resource stats from now on.**) Cynrik sighed in his mind, just like how he and Brance were destined to fall behind the Sanfords at some point, Selene was too. However, that was when another thought popped into his head.

    [[Brancie¡­I just realized something.]Cynrik chirped into the mind link as he leaned back on his favorite recliner.

    [[Hm? What is it this time?]] Brance, who was helping Gabby stretch by pushing down on her back so she could press her forehead against her knees, looked towards the wall leading to the living room.

    [[I havee to realize that we are both fucking stupid.]]

    [[Ooookay, care to borate?]] Scrunching up his face in confusion, Brance wanted to know where Cynrik was going with this train of thought.

    [[We overlooked something when ites to how Gabby and Benny are passing us in resource stats.]] Tapping his finger on his chin in thought, Cynrik didn¡¯t allow Brance to respond and continued speaking.

    [[Sure, Gabby and Benny can pass us for now, but there is a limit to how far they can go, we both are ignoring the fact that their stat cap is only 1200 while you, Selene, and I have 1750.]]

    Cynrik waited for Brance to reply for several seconds, but at first, there was only the quiet sound of his thoughts until¡­

    [MOTHER FUCKER, WE BOTH REALLY ARE STUPID!] Brance shouted, causing Selene, who was hitting a heavy bag across the room, to flinch heavily.

    [[Yep¡­]]Cynrik solemnly said as he facepalmed at Brance¡¯s overreaction.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 262

    [MOTHER FUCKER, WE BOTH REALLY ARE STUPID!] Brance shouted, causing Selene, who was hitting a heavy bag across the room, to flinch heavily.

    [[Yep¡­]]Cynrik solemnly said as he facepalmed at Brance¡¯s overreaction.

    [[Wait a second, if that¡¯s the case, won¡¯t the two eventually pass us up when their stat caps increaseter on?]] Inserting herself into the conversation, Selene asked.

    [[Yes and no, as I just told Brancie, our upper limit per Tier is substantially higher than theirs, so technically, we¡¯ll still end up passing them as we work our way through the levels. The real question is how detrimental the Evo boosts are moving forward. Our resource stats at 1750 will inevitably be lower than theirs. Let¡¯s look at it this way; if my VIT stat is capped, then My HP should be around 59,200; in contrast, Benny at his Tier-2 Cap would top out at approximately 39,300, a little under 20k less than me. The boost at Tier-3 is uncertain, but if Benny¡¯s cap doubles to 2400, and the HP unit increment doubles as it has since Tier-0, then he would be getting 80 units per Stat point, so he would gain an additional 44k HP, bringing his total to 83k, nearly a full 30k above what mine is at 1750.]] Tapping his fingers in the air as if using a calctor, Cynrik exined his logic to Selene.

    [[Meanwhile, we would have already advanced far enough to increase our resource stats. It is still up in the air as to if they can catch back up or not, but judging how badly we get short-changed after each Evo, I predict they should still be able to.]] Looking over at Selene, Brance raised his hands helplessly into the air.

    [[Woman, I am still waiting on those skills, what is taking so long?]]

    Quickly changing the topics since math hurt his brain, Cynrik narrowed his eyes while looking at the wall leading to the training room and spoke, not caring if the others were lost in numbers.

    [[Cyn¡­darling¡­are you sure you want to see them? It is a bit much, and I am worried about how you will react.]] Using a soft and cautious tone, Selene double-checked that he really wanted to see her seven new Unique ss skills.

    [[Do dogs pee on brick walls?]] Cynrik retortedzily, looking away from where he estimated Selene was located.

    [[Did you just¡­huh? What kind of response was that?]] Selene asked while pouting.

    [[I know it¡¯s a quote from a movie¡­but I have no idea which one.]] Even Brance was stumped by what Cynrik said.

    [[IT MEANS YES, NOW HURRY THE HELL UP, WOMAN!]]

    [[Alrighttt, but don¡¯te kicking in the door again and try to beat me up this time because I¡¯ll just run, hehe.]] Selene smirked as she replied with a coquettish tone before giving in and sending over her newly learned skills.

    Although Cynrik knew that Selene had obtained seven new skills and had a rough idea of what they could be, he was DEFINITELY unprepared when all of the skills¡¯ names came through in Norse. But after thinking about it for a second, he realized it made sense to some extent. Valkyrie are warriors from Norse Mythology, so of course, they would have skills named in a correspondingnguage.

    But once Cynrik began reading through the skill descriptions, his brain full-on shut down. There was even a tiny trickle of drool dripping from the corner of his mouth as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing, even though his eyes hadpletely lost focus the instant he read the first few.

    -Tier-2 Valk-Vanguard Skill [Allharer L?knir] (Violent Healing)

    -Category: Active Timed Healing Skill.-

    -Even when the odds are against you in battle, you must fight until your dying breath.-

    -Once activated, for the next 5 minutes, you will receive 25% of the damage points inflicted on a target enemy as HP and 15% of the damage as STAM.-

    -Cost: 2000 MP.-

    -Cooldown: 2 Hours.-

    -Tier-2 Valk-Vanguard Skill [¨®er]- (Inspiration)

    -Category: Active Skill.-

    -Be the beacon of Strength for your Allies. Wash away all their doubts as you move into battle by uttering a Battle Cry that even the AllFather can hear.-

    -Increases your own and your Allies¡¯ STR and VIT by 15% for 10 minutes, Reduces allied sustained damage by 15% for five minutes-

    -Cost: 500 MP, 500 STAM.-

    -Cooldown: 2 hours.-

    -Tier-2 Valk-Vanguard Skill [V?ttfang Flj¨®tliga]- (Battlefield Speed)

    -Category: Active Movement Skill.-

    -Your ce is on the battlefield, swiftly moving from one opponent to the next, cutting them down and ensuring victory for your side.-

    -When inbat with more than five enemies within a 50-meter radius, AGI and DEX increase by 25%, and knockdown resistance is reduced by 20%. The skill will stay active so long as there are enough enemies around you and does not stack with other boosts. This skill will deactivate if you leavebat or are knocked down.-

    -Activation Cost: 5% of Max MP.-

    ¨C Sustain Cost: 0.5% of Max Stamina per active minute.-

    -Cooldown: 1 hour.-

    -Tier-2 Valk-Vanguard Skill [Hrafn¡¯s Slita]- (Raven¡¯s Rend)

    -Category: Active Crowd Control Skill.-

    -You are inplete control of the Mana inside your body, a single outburst, and you can tear the world asunder, generating vacuums to pull your enemies in close.-

    -By charging Mana into a swirling vortex around your Dominant leg and mming it down with your full force, you create a shockwave generating vacuum that pulls a maximum of 3 nearby enemies within a 3-meter radius towards you, breaking their guard and throwing them off bnce. This skill has a 50% chance of inflicting the status STUN on enemies caught by it.-

    -Cost: 550 MP, 275 STAM-

    -Cooldown: 15 Minutes.-

    -Tier-2 Valk-Vanguard Skill [Fe Darraer Kostr]- (ying Spear¡¯s Choice)

    -Category: Active AOE Skill.-

    -The AllFather graciously responds to his children in need; as such, he has given you the strength to call down a mere fraction of his power in the form of a sky-shattering, colossal Spear. Make his strength your own and use it to decimate your foes.-

    -Summon a spear made of Affinitiless Mana from the sky, which will lock on to all targets within a hexagon-shaped area spanning 25 meters in diameter; due to the aura of the attack, all those within the designated area are inflicted with STUN, and FEAR status effects.-

    -Cost: 3000 MP 1000 STAM ¨C

    -Cooldown: 2 weeks.-

    -Tier-2 Valk-Vanguard Skill [¨¦lugi]- (Stun)

    -Category: Active Crowd Control Skill.-

    ¨C You are the terror of all those who stand against you on the battlefield. With just a nce, your foes know their lives areing to a bloody and painful end.-

    -By letting out a battle cry, you can trigger a 50% chance of inflicting the Status effect STUN for 10 seconds on all enemies within a 5-meter cone with you as the point. THIS SKILL DOES NOT WORK AGAINST THOSE WITH A HIGHER MIND STAT THAN YOU.-

    -Cost: 500 MP, 250 STAM-

    -Cooldown: 15 Minutes.-

    -Tier-2 Valk-Vanguard Skill [Fastr R¨¢s Drepa]- (Continuous Running Strike)

    -Category: Active Skill.-

    -Each step you take on the battlefield increases your power and strengthens your resolve to do what must be done.-

    -While sprinting, you gain the following effect when performing a diagonal or horizontal sh infused with Mana in your Origin Affinity. If your attack makes contact with an enemy, deal an additional 0.5% damage based on how many steps you took after activating this skill.-

    -Once the attack has been executed and the additional damage calcted, your step counter will be reset, so long as there is still time left in the activation. If you are hit by an attack while charging steps, your counter will be reset.

    -Activation Cost: 1000 MP, 500 STAM.-

    -Activation Timer: 3 minutes.-

    -Cooldown: 2 hours.-

    Thirty minutester, Selene nervously walked over to Brance before tapping him on the shoulder hesitantly since he was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed.

    Opening his eyes, Brance noticed the worried look on Selene¡¯s face and cocked an eyebrow.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­Brancie, I know you¡¯ve been napping, but, Cynrik won¡¯t respond to me at all; I¡¯ve tried shaking him, smacking him, hell, I even screamed into his ear, but he doesn¡¯t react to anything, and I¡¯m worried.¡± Looking like she was about to burst into tears, Selene babbled so quickly that Brance had difficulty understanding what she was saying.

    ¡°Woah, slow down, Selly; what do you mean?¡± Brance said after making the girl repeat herself and jumping to his feet.

    ¡°Well, well, after Cynrik demanded I send him my skills, I did, and then he went radio silent, so when he didn¡¯t answer me in the mind-link, I wandered into the living room¡­and¡­and¡­*sniffle*.¡±

    Unable to finish her sentence, Selene broke down in tears and tugged at Brance¡¯s arm, trying to pull him out of the training room and make him follow her.

    When they arrived in the living room, Brance stared at Cynrik, who was sprawled out in his recliner, with his eyes rolled back into his head and foam dripping from his mouth.

    When he got closer, Brance could hear the faint sounds of Cynrik muttering incoherently. Scrunching up his face, Brance waved his hand in front of his brother¡¯s eyes a few times while calling his name, only to receive zero response, just as Selene had said earlier.

    Sighing loudly, Brance snapped his fingers, conjured a rubber ball-sized orb of light on his fingertip, and waved it to the left side to the right of Cynrik¡¯s rolled-up eyes. This drew a slight twitch from the motionless Cynrik, but that was all.

    ¡°Ok, you made me do this. So don¡¯t get all pissy with me when youe to,¡± withdrawing his hand and dissipating the orb, Brance pped his hands together loudly and began rubbing them together, starting slowly before quickly increasing the pace as he charged up Light Mana into both palms.

    ¡°Oi, Dickhead, you better wake up, or ima zap your ass with Light Mana, and we both know how much you enjoyed itst time.¡± Giving onest word of brotherly warning, Brance smirked and slowly spread his hands, creating a hazy ball of pure Light Mana, whichpletely engulfed both of his widening outstretched palms.

    In fact, he wasn¡¯t just charging up his palms; instead, Brance had activated one of his new skills, [Lay on Hands]. However, Cynrik was at full health and technically was just having an ¡°anxiety-induced episode,¡± so the skill wouldn¡¯t heal him. However, since he was a Dark Affinity user and Light Mana was his natural enemy, by using this skill, Brance nned on triggering Cynrik¡¯s fight or flight response, bringing him back to reality.

    ¡°CLEAR!¡± The moment the words left Brance¡¯s mouth, ones that he had always wanted to say thanks to years of Doctor-inspired television, Brance thrust both hands forward and ced them on Cynrik¡¯s chest, sending a pulse of Mana into his body as if he was using a defibritor.

    The response was instant; Cynrik¡¯s eyes rolled back down and went bloodshot before he jumped out of his recliner as if his ass was on fire.

    ¡°AHHH AHHH, IT BURNS AHHH MOTHER FUCKER BRANCIE! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?¡± Instantly enraged by his little brother¡¯s actions, Cynrik dashed across the room into a dark corner holding his arms over his chest in an X and wearing an expression as if he was a maiden who had just been vited.

    ¡°Hehe, wee back to the world of the living patient,¡± turning away from Cynrik, Brance looked at Selene and extended his hand.

    ¡°That¡¯ll be 12 thousand dors, please.¡± Unfortunately, his joke went unnoticed as Selene rushed to Cynrik and tackled him, wrapping her legs around his waist, dropping Cynrik into a sitting position, and nting a passionate kiss on his lips.

    ¡°You stupid fucking asshole, what kind of boyfriend goes into aa from hearing his girlfriend¡¯s new skills? Do you even realize how fucking worried I was? You wouldn¡¯t respond and were white-eyed and foaming at the mouth.¡± Selene screamed through tears as she pinched the back of Cynrik¡¯s shoulder des.

    ¡°Huh, what are you on about Sel? Wait, what happened. OH, SHIT, THAT¡¯S RIGHT, BABE, YOUR FUCKING SKILLS ARE TOO BROKEN! WHAT KIND OF BACKWARDS BULLSHIT IS THE CSH PLAYING AT RIGHT NOW?¡± Carefully prying her legs from around him, Cynrik spun Selene around and ced her in hisp with her back resting against his chest.

    ¡°Did you see this shit Brancie, her skills are LITERALLY mental! How is this fair?¡± Cynrikined as he made small circles on Selene¡¯s leggings.

    ¡°Yeah, I did, and unlike you, who is a fucking child apparently, I didn¡¯t get so jealous that I basically had a stroke. Just wait until you read Benny¡¯s; his new skills are equally impressive; these Unique sses are no joke.¡± Rolling his eyes, Brance got tired of watching the affectionate disy between his brother and Selene and walked off towards the Training room.

    ¡°Eh? Hold up, is Benny¡¯s shit broken too?¡± Leaning around Selene¡¯s shoulder and looking in her eye, Cynrik tried to get answers but only received a helpless look instead from the girl sitting in hisp with tears still trickling down her cheeks.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 263

    ¡°Eh? Hold up, is Benny¡¯s shit broken too?¡± Leaning around Selene¡¯s shoulder and looking in her eye, Cynrik tried to get answers but only received a helpless look instead from the girl sitting in hisp with tears still trickling down her cheeks.

    Frowning, Cynrik reached up and wiped the tears from his woman¡¯s cheek with the back of his fingers.

    ¡°Calm down, Sel, I know I may have overreacted, but your new skills really are a bit too much.¡± Sighing and trying to figure out what he could say to calm her down, Cynrik felt lost. He knew he overreacted, but thebination of Selene¡¯s skills being in Norse and how broken they could potentially be, gave him a good shock.

    ¡°So¡­you aren¡¯t mad at me?¡± Selene asked softly as she leaned into Cynrik, feeling his warmth on her back.

    ¡°Nah, a little freaked out that my¡­g¡­girlfriend¡¯s got a fuck ton of better skills than me, maybe, but not mad.¡± Cynrik studdered as he finally called Selene his girlfriend out loud for the first time, and he even felt the shiver run through her body as the word left his mouth.

    Swiftly spinning around in Cynrik¡¯sp so she could face him, Selene looked right into his eyes, with surprise and glee in her own.

    ¡°You said it; you actually just said it!¡± She giggled and watched as Cynrik¡¯s face went from passive and expressionless to an unhappy frown.

    ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about, now hurry up and get off me so I can go sustain some emotional trauma by reading Benny¡¯s stats. You two will end up being why I have a heart attack before 20 if I don¡¯t get my hands on a Unique ss soon.¡± Looking away and ignoring the girl squirming in hisp with her bottom lip stuck out, Cynrik¡¯s mind shifted back to work mode.

    ¡°Tsk, whos the Tsundere now Darrrrling~,¡± Selene teased as she poked Cynrik¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°Woman, you had your fucking cuddle time; now get off before I make you,¡± Cynrik grumbled angrily as he snapped his head to the side and tried biting the annoying finger, rapidly poking his cheek repeatedly.

    ¡°Finnnnne~, but I still demand more timeter; it is, after all, your punishment for nearly scaring me half to death.¡± Selene yielded, knowing that she would only be punishing herself if she kept messing with Cynrik, so she gave him onest peck on the lips before hopping up and going to the kitchen to fix another pot of coffee for herself.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, whatever.¡± Unable to tear his eyes away, Cynrik watched that gloriously firm and bouncy ass sway left and right, as his woman disappeared into the kitchen. Tier-2 had done wonders for Selene¡¯s body as she now appeared physically closer to her actual mental age. With a single nce at her drop-dead sexy and perfectly sculpted body, Cynrik estimated she was physically in her early twenties.

    ¡®Calm yourself, moron, four more years, and you can smash that till your heart is content.¡¯ Taking a deep breath and exhaling shakily, Cynrik slowed his rapidly beating heart and got up. Walking out of the living room and down the hall, he opened the door to the training room and poked his head in, only to find Gabby and Brance moving around the room, sparring.

    ¡°Benny is in his room with Melody, who is still unconscious, by the way.¡± Knowing exactly why his brother had shown up, Brance directed him away from the training room without stopping his match with Gabby.

    ¡°K, thanks.¡± Dipping his head out of the training room, Cynrik headed to Benny¡¯s bedroom, and upon seeing the door was closed, he knocked three times. A couple of seconds and some shuffling soundster, Benny quietly opened the door and stepped out with two sheets of paper in his hands.

    ¡°Oh ho ho, locking the door and being all secretive, Benny boy, what are you doing to the poor girl when she is so helpless.¡± Smirking knowingly, Cynrik couldn¡¯t resist the urge to tease the pure-hearted and innocent boy, who broke out into a bright red blush.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything other than watch over her jerk, take the fucking papers and leave us alone.¡± Benny spat and shoved the papers into Cynrik¡¯s chest before disappearing back into his room.

    ¡°hehe, use protection, ppffftt.¡± Snickering at Benny¡¯s expense, Cynrik got thest word in just as the door closed.

    Shaking his head and wearing a slight smirk, he turned around, headed back to the living room, plopped down on his recliner, and began reading through the list of new skills.

    -Tier-2 Hoplite-Vanguard Skill: [Hoplite¡¯s Weapon Bond Ritual] (LOCKED 1/2 Requirements Met)

    -Category: Active Permanent Skill-

    -A sword, spear, or shield is more than a weapon to you; it is both your savior and best friend; as such, when a Hoplite-Vanguard chooses a weapon and shield, it can not be done in haste, for it is a bond Till Death or Destruction.-

    -The Mana and Stamina separate from your body in a visible colored haze, Light Blue for Mana and Deep Red for Stamina. These two energies mix together and merge into the weapon of choice. Once the ritual isplete, a special marking will run the length of the weapon, signifying the bond has been made and the weapon has received the Status Effect (Bonded Weapon).-

    -Bonded Weapon: Since this weapon has bonded with the soul of the person who wields it, it has be part of that person. The higher the Bond Percentage is in your Bonded Weapon¡¯s description, the closer it is to perfection. Bonded weapons grow with their wielder and can develop what is known as Affinity Soul over time, giving it a level of sentience. As a result of sharing Mana and Life energy (Stamina) with it, the weapon was enhanced to have 1% of your stats afterpleting the ritual. Through fighting alongside its wielder or absorbing materials, it can grow just as an ordinary being would, though at a much slower rate.-

    -Offensive Weapon Stats: STR, DEX.-

    -Defensive Weapon Stats: VIT (HP reces Durability),

    -You may only have a Maximum of TWO Bonded Weapons at any given time. If one of your Bonded Weapons is destroyed beyond repair, you Permanently lose the same amount of Stats as it had obtained till then.-

    -A Bonded weapon can only be repaired or worked on by the person it is Bound to. The moment another being tries to, the weapon will turn violent and fight back or self-destruct.-

    -Cost: 100% Of Max MP (Must be over 4500), 98% STAM (Must be Over 5000) ¨C

    -Charges: Two Time Use, Once for Offensive Weapon, Once For Defensive.-

    -Cooldown: After Charges are used, recement Bond Charges take three months to replenish.-

    -Tier-2 Hoplite-Vanguard Skill: [Phnx]

    -Category: Active Skill-

    -The Hoplite is the shield and sword/spear of the party, able to bounce between being a Damage dealer and a Defensive Wall, but where they shine is aiding their allies and working as a singr unit in tandem with their brothers and sisters in arms.

    -Release a Mana-filled Call to arms, giving all Allies within a 10-meter Radius 10% damage reduction and debuff resistance for three minutes. Stacks with other Defensive Buff Skills.-

    -Cost: 500 MP, 250 STAM.-

    -Cooldown: 30 Minutes.-

    -Tier-2 Hoplite-Vanguard Skill: [Sacrificial Aid]

    -Category: Active Life Saving Skill ¨C

    ¨C As the parties shield, there may be times when you must take the hit to keep your Ally standing. Your High defensive capabilities make you more than able to take the hit so that your Allyes out of the challenge unharmed.-

    -Target Ally Gains Status Effect (Impervious) For 5 seconds, You gain Status effect (Transfer Damage); all Damage they would receive while under (Impervious) will be dealt to you instead.-

    -Cost:25% of MAX MP, 25% of MAX STAM, unable to be activated if your HP and MP are below 30%-

    -Cooldown: 48 Hours.-

    -Tier-2 Hoplite-Vanguard Skill: [With My Shield, Or On it!]

    -Category: Active Defensive Skill ¨C

    ¨C Although you are agile and swift inbat, you still have heavy defensive properties; use them to your advantage.-

    -Gives its user the temporary Counter (Aggro) and Increases the Hostility felt by all nearby enemies to you. The counter is started at 5% and increases each time you taunt your enemies by 1% or kill one by 5%. The higher your Aggro counter, the more likely you are to force your opponents to focus on you instead of your allies.-

    -Gives its user the temporary Counter (Sheild Defense), setting it at 10 points. One point in this stat represents a 10% Damage reduction per attack blocked with a Shield.-

    -All temporary Counters willst until your cooldown is cleared.

    -Cost: 1000 MP, 500 STAM.-

    -Cooldown: 2 Hours.-

    -Tier-2 Hoplite-Vanguard Skill: [Shield Strength]

    -Category: Active Skill-

    -The shield has more uses than just blocking attacks and protecting your allies; it is also one of your most valuable weapons on the battlefield.-

    -At the cost of your Shields HP or Durability, all Damage you deal with it is increased by 50% for 3 minutes.-

    -Damage Calc: Shield Damage is calcted With Dexterity instead of Strength.-

    -Cost: 25% Of Shields Avable HP or Durability ¨C

    -Cooldown: 2 hours.-

    -Tier-2 Hoplite-Vanguard Skill: [Keen Battle Sense]

    -Category: Passive Perception Skill-

    -As a Hoplite-Vanguard, you are not only fierce and ruthless on the battlefield but also an expert at controlling the battle; as such, you have a high perception when ites to foreseeing ws in your enemy¡¯s lines or battle formations.-

    -When in battle, you receive a temporary 15% Boost in your INT and MIND stats. This boost will fade away when you exitbat.-

    -Tier-2 Hoplite-Vanguard Skill: [Myriad Flowing Strikes]

    -Category: Active Skill-

    -The battlefield is your second home, and you know the strength of swapping between defense and offense. Now, go forward and eliminate your enemies using your Weapon and Shield as the tools of battle they genuinely are.-

    -Once you charge enough Mana to fill your Sword/Shield, you receive a temporary Combo Counter, and you cansh out in a flurry of shield bashes and strikes with your sword in perfect harmony.-

    -Each attacknded increases your Combo Counter by 1, and for every increase in points, you will receive an additional 1% in added Damage.-

    -Combo Counter will end if you leavebat, are hit, or stop attacking for longer than 15 seconds.-

    -Cost: 2000 MP, 1000 STAM.-

    -Cooldown: 12 hours. ¨C

    Unlike when he read through Selene¡¯s stats, Cynrik wore a calm expression and digested everything he had just learned. Although Benny¡¯s stats were VERY impressive, they showed a level of control that he wasn¡¯t sure Benny could pull off just yet. In a fight where timing was everything, he had to ensure he didn¡¯t get caught with his pants down by burning too much of his resource stats too early.

    Then, there was that first skill, which could cause so many problems that Cynrik didn¡¯t really know where to begin. So he did what his instincts told him. Holding up his Watcet, he made a call.

    ¡°What is it now? Haven¡¯t you made enough changes to everyone¡¯s weapon loadouts already? Don¡¯t you realize how much time and effort each little adjustment makes?¡± An older man¡¯s angry voice picked up the call and appeared on the hologram disy.

    ¡°Good afternoon to you too, Uncle Jessup, lissstennn, I know I said that thest change for Selene¡¯s weapon would be the final one, but something came up. I am sending you over Benny¡¯s new ss skill. It is imperative that we figure out what to do as soon as possible. I don¡¯t care how much it will cost; I will cover whatever is necessary; without some changes, he won¡¯t be able to use what we¡¯ve designed.¡± Wearing a defeated expression, Cynrik quickly snapped a picture of Benny¡¯s [Hoplite¡¯s Weapon Bond Ritual] and waited for the man to read through it.

    ¡°Holy fuck, is this for real?¡± Jessup said as his eyes went wide.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I said changes need to be made. If my assumptions are correct, Benny has no choice but to pick up some form of cksmithing that will allow him to work on his own gear since it is clearly listed that no one else can.¡±

    ¡°Getting his hands on a skill that creates the embryo form of a Weapon Soul at only Tier-2 is absolutely unheard of; how the hell are you training that poor boy?¡± Tapping out of his messenger app, Jessup gave Cynrik a stern look.

    ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t take the me on this one. Benny has found his fighting style, and well, when he picked up the Aspis and Estoc, he put himself down the path of a Unique Warrior Variant ss. I will start drafting something that will work for him, but I need you to only forge the parts without assembling them. We need to get our hands on a cksmithing or Weaponsmithing ss that allows him to handle something of this caliber.

    ¡°Cynrik, you know as well as I do that it isn¡¯t that simple; he first needs to go through years of training, on top of acquiring the proper Lifestyle skills, the same way you did before receiving your Engineering ss.¡± Heaving a sigh and walking to his workbench, Jessup unrolled several blueprints he and Cynrik had drafted over thest few months.

    ¡°Not only that, but we will have to start from scratch since that boys Estoc and Aspis were the first things I made. I hope you have a good n in your brain because we have just lost several months of time and effort, and you only have a few short weeks until your group joins the Regional Tournament.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Jessup, I¡¯ve got this; what is a couple of sleepless nights to an insomniac like me. I will shoot you over what I draw up before the night is over. Anyway, I gotta go; I must brief everyone before they pick their subsses.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to call your mother Cynrik; she has been harassing me day and night about how she never gets to talk to you.¡±

    BEEP BEEP BEEP

    Cynrik hung up the call without responding to Jessup¡¯sst remark. There was a particr reason he had been ignoring Cinyah¡¯s calls, and it had to do with a certain MILF, ratting him out.

    Not wanting to waste any more time than necessary, Cynrik went around collecting everyone and herding them into the living room for another meeting; this time, he wasn¡¯t so casual, as things had changed slightly.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 264

    Not wanting to waste any more time than necessary, Cynrik went around collecting everyone and herding them into the living room for another meeting; this time, he wasn¡¯t so casual, as things had changed slightly.

    Once everyone was sitting in their regr positions, Cynrik took up his spot on the opposite side of them and crossed his arms.

    ¡°Alright, you guys have had most of the day, and everyone has chosen their Primary ss, let me start with Benny and Selene; you two will have a hard grind ahead of you if you want to get used to all of your new skills. I want both of you to sit down and figure out how different your fighting ability is with them added to the mix. The biggest takeaway is resource management. With their dual costs, If you aren¡¯t careful, you will quickly burn through all of your MP and STAM, turning into sitting ducks out there.¡±

    Selene and Benny nodded sharply, indicating they understood.

    ¡°Both of you have difficult sses to master; if we were talking about a video game, they would be considered high control sses. This means they require a higher level of thought process and timing to bring out their full potential. Thus, Brance will be working with Selene, and I will be working with Benny. So expect your workload to increase in theing days.¡± Shooting a nce at Brance, Cynrik dropped his idea for the two Unique ss holders.

    ¡°Gabby, your job is to look online and figure out what kind of creature you want to take as your bond partner. I won¡¯t intercede too much since this is something that needs to be done by you and only you. If you need advice or potential options, I can help, but at the end of the day, this is a big decision since you only get one Beast Partner.¡± The girl¡¯s excited reaction made Cynrik shake his head and look back at Benny.

    ¡°In the beginning, I didn¡¯t want to force anyone to pick a specific Sub-ss and was keener on allowing you all to pick and choose what fit you best; however, some things have changed¡ªstarting with Benny and his new ss skill [Hoplite¡¯s Weapon Bond Ritual]. In itself, this skill presents so many difficult issues that need to be addressed, the biggest being that line stating, ¡°A Bonded weapon can only be repaired or worked on by the person it is Bound to. The moment another being tries to, the weapon will turn violent and fight back or self-destruct.¡± Because of that, Benny, you have no choice but to pick up some form of ckSmithing or WeaponSmithing ss.¡±

    ¡°But even that presents its challenges. If we had known sooner, we could have gotten you the necessary prerequisite skills, allowing you to train up and get the hang of how to work on weapons. Unfortunately, that isn¡¯t an option anymore. Uncle Jessup and I have already spoken about your gear, and we will start with the redrafting and forging process from the beginning. An entirely new sword and shield need to be made. Not only that, but I requested he didn¡¯t assemble any of the parts, and instead, he will be sending the fragmented pieces so that YOU canplete and finalize your new weapon and shield. Your biggest goal is to hit the library as soon as Melody wakes up and go through the different types of weapon creation and modification sses until you locate one that fits your needs.¡±

    At the mention of the still unconscious Melody, everyone but Cynrik looked at their feet. It had been several hours, and she still hadn¡¯t woken up, worrying most of the members of MyrkLys.

    ¡°Stop your moping. Do you think I just bounced back from forcefully halting my overdrafted Codex? The first few times, it took me almost a full day to recoverpletely, and that is with my insane pain threshold and willpower; why do you expect a frail Summoner/Mage to bounce back immediately. She will be fine, so just leave it to Benny; she is his Lil crush after all.¡± Cynrik spat sarcastically while rolling his eyes.

    ¡°So far, that leaves only Benny and me as having our Sub-sses somewhat chosen. I need to hear what you three havee up with so far.¡± Cynrik said while facing Selene, Gabby, and Brance.

    ¡°Gemsmith,¡± taking the lead, Brance said, making Cynrik scrunch up his face in confusion.

    ¡°Come again? Did you just say Gemsmith? As in cutting raw gemstones and making them usable?¡± Wearing an expression like he had either smelled the worst fart ever or eaten the sourest candy, Cynrik questioned his brother¡¯s decision.

    ¡°DEX, INT, It¡¯s a dual stat boost ss, giving me what Ick. Not to mention we will need someone who can handle the gems we get, thanks to my idiotic Miner ss. The way I see it, it¡¯ll give me something to do, like a hobby of sorts. The prereq isn¡¯t too hard to get either, just a tad expensive. You need rock carving skills, and since very few people have this sub-ss, it is frequently up on the market.¡± Brance said as he patted the clearly excited Gabby¡¯s thigh, who only had sparkly diamonds and ruby¡¯s on her mind.

    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, I guess. Although necessary, I would have preferred that one of us with high DEX went after it, but if you are deadset, so be it. In that case, Gabby, what do you think about going with Alchemist? They need DEX and MIND, and your Chloro Affinity will be a huge help.¡± Turning his attention to Gabby, who shrunk back when he said her name, Cynrik smirked.

    ¡°Alchemist? Me?¡± Gabby murmured in confusion.

    ¡°Yes, the potioneering skill is rtively cheap on the market and isn¡¯t that difficult to find since it frequently drops in Green Egresses. All we would need to do is pick up a kit with all the essential tools you¡¯d need and grab a few recipes. Plus, since you would be making the potions we need, such as Health, Mana, and Stamina pots, we would not only save a lot of money, but you would effectively be doing more than you would to keep us in top shape than you could as a cleric.¡± Knowing just what to say to grab her interest, Cynrik stated his reasoning, and Gabby repeatedly nodded within a couple of seconds.

    ¡°Gotcha, Big Bro Cyn, I¡¯ll head to the market and look for the prereq skill and some herb glossaries, OH OH, I also need to get a kit, Brancie, you¡¯lle with, right?¡± Gabby excitedly babbled.

    ¡°Yes, I will go with, calm down; Cyn isn¡¯t done with the meeting.¡± Catching her hand, which Gabby was iling around as she spoke, Brance calmed her down before looking at Selene.

    ¡°Selly, you¡¯re the only one left; what are you going for?¡± Gabby chirped as she leaned over Brance¡¯sp to poke her roomie¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Me¡­¡± Looking from Gabby to Cynrik, Selene fell deep into thought before raising her head and looking to her boyfriend for advice.

    ¡°Honestly, I would say either Artificer, Runist, or Armorer. The goal from the inception of the party was to be able to self-sustain without any outside help. We¡¯ll need someone covering all the bases; I have Engineering, Aiden and Benny will take care of cksmithing, Gabby will do Alchemist, and Brance will end up as our Jeweler since he can handle gemstones and such. That leaves three lifestyles open: Runist, who would inscribe all our new gear with specific customized Runes; Artificer, who works on magic equipment; and Armorer, who would be responsible for all the non-metallic gear we wear daily.¡±

    ¡°Regardless of what you end up picking, each of them has its drawbacks; of course, if it suits your taste, you can also choose a secondary Combat ss, but honestly, I would advise against it since right now, you already have a fuck ton of skills on your te to work through.¡± Uncrossing his arms and shoving his right hand into his pocket, Cynrik listed the potential sses the party would need.

    ¡°Armorer, I will go with Armorer. With so many of us needing light armor, which let¡¯s call it like it is, cksmiths aren¡¯t really the best at making; we need someone to handle the hides and leathers we get. I will do it.¡± Selene made her choice; her reward was a small smile from Cynrik that only she saw because he brought his hand up to cover his face, leaving the space that only someone sitting close to him could see.

    This simple gesture was enough to make Selene know she had made the right choice, so shetched onto his arm, stuffing it between her chest, and with sparkling eyes, looked up at Cynrik.

    ¡°Alright, with that out of the way, we have a big task to discuss, and that is our n for reaching Tier-3 before thepetition begins. I have taken the liberty to give you the detailed list of how much XP will be necessary to raise ourselves from 0 to 35, and this goes for all the Tier-2 Sub-sses as well.¡± Removing several sheets of paper, Cynrik passed them to Gabby, who quickly gave everyone a sheet.

    ¡°Now, don¡¯t freak out when you see the numbers.¡± Cynrik tried preparing everyone for what they were about to read, but it was useless, as the other four sucked in sharp breaths when they started going down the lines and saw the final total. After receiving information from Geralt and running the numbers with Tobs, he worked out a full XP table.

    : Tier-2 Level Chart:

    : Level 0 = 252,616 :

    : Level 1 = 259,633 :

    : Level 2 = 267,051 :

    : Level 3 = 274,905 :

    : Level 4 = 283,236 :

    : Level 5 = 292,087 :

    : Level 6 = 301,509 :

    : Level 7 = 311,559 :

    : Level 8 = 322,303 :

    : Level 9 = 333,814 :

    : Level 10 = 346,177 :

    : Level 11 = 359,492 :

    : Level 12 = 373,871 :

    : Level 13 = 389,449 :

    : Level 14 = 406,382 :

    : Level 15 = 424,854 :

    : Level 16 = 445,085 :

    : Level 17 = 467,339 :

    : Level 18 = 491,936 :

    : Level 19 = 519,266 :

    : Level 20 = 549,811 :

    : Level 21 = 584,174 :

    : Level 22 = 623,119 :

    : Level 23 = 667,628 :

    : Level 24 = 718,984 :

    : Level 25 = 778,899 :

    : Level 26 = 849,708 :

    : Level 27 = 934,679 :

    : Level 28 = 1,038,533 :

    : Level 29 = 1,168,349 :

    : Level 30 = 1,335,256 :

    : Level 31 = 1,557,799 :

    : Level 32 = 1,869,359 :

    : Level 33 = 2,336,699 :

    : Level 34 = 3,115,599 :

    : Level 35 = 4,673,398 :

    -Total XP Necessary to reach the level cap: 29,924,558-

    -Total XP Necessary to reach Full Cap : 89,773,674-

    ¡°Fuck me, how the hell are we supposed to get to 90 million in six freaking weeks. Cyn, I think we bit off more than we can chew this time; how in the fuck do we pull this off when it would clearly take YEARS to do it by the average pace.¡±

    ¡°That, my little brother, is all part of the n. Sitting down with Headmaster Rivia, I figured out a few things, such as what researchers hade to find out about how XP corrtes with the Tier and level within the Egresses, for example, up until now, when we fought against Tier-1 or Tier-0 beings we would receive 100 XP per level. So, when they were level 20, we would get 2k; however, thanks to that little passive of yours¡­.¡± Cynrik trailed his words off, but everyone knew what he meant; he was talking about Brance¡¯s Double XP buff.

    Smirking cockily, Cynrik flicked his wrist and fired four slips of paper to everyone.

    ¡°That is top secret right there, but yall are smart enough to understand what it means. Destroy the paper once you memorize it.¡± Basking in the reactions of his party, Cynrik waited for everyone to understand that written on the paper was the form he hade up with to determine how much XP they would receive from Tier-2 Creatures they killed once the Farming Began.

    -Tier-2 Creature XP: (1000 x Level) = Base, (Base x BC )= Actual, where B = Brance Modifier (2), and C is Double XP (set to 1 unless double rewards)-

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 265

    -Tier-2 Creature XP: (1000 x Level) = Base, (Base x BC )= Actual, where B = Brance Modifier (2), and C is Double XP (set to 1 unless double rewards)-

    The four members of MyrkLys held their slips of paper, staring at them with narrowed eyes for a few seconds before setting about destroying them. Brance, Gabby, and Benny began tearing the paper into small chunks before pulling out small butane lighters from their wilderness survival kits stored within their inventories and burning the pieces. Only Selene handed hers back to Cynrik for disposal. With a snap of his middle finger and thumb, a small me manifested and burned away the evidence.

    ¡°It is imperative you don¡¯t leak this information, as it pertains directly to one of our faction¡¯s biggest secrets. Although it isn¡¯t privatized information how much XP you can gain from a creature, our calctions will always be different. The only reason I told everyone this is so they can prepare for the monstrous amount of creature kills we need toplete to achieve our goal.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s all I have to say; for now, everyone should go about getting what they need to unlock their Sub-ss.¡± Standing up and stretching out his back, Cynrik concluded the meeting and motioned at Selene with his eyes, telling her to follow him to his bedroom.

    Realizing he wanted something that could only be said between the two of them, Selene happily obliged and sauntered behind her man, closing the door to the bedroom and locking it.

    Meanwhile, everyone else stared dumbfoundedly at the two¡¯s disappearance act.

    ¡°You don¡¯t think¡­.¡± Gabby asked with a slight blush on her face. She was no fool; her Mom had already given her the birds and bees speech before leaving for the Academy.

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t, right?¡± Even Brance was slightly surprised by how bold the two were appearing.

    ¡°It¡¯s none of our business, anyway; you two should change and head to the marketce. Apparently, we wasted a whole day today, and it¡¯s already a quarter after 5. Things will start closing in a few hours, so you may want to get going.¡± Standing up and putting the SeleneXCynrik situation out of his mind, Benny shooed off his sister and Brance to go to separate bathrooms and change.

    One thing Cynrik had instilled in everyone after the first day of school, where he and Brance destroyed their uniforms, was to keep a spare set on them at all times within their inventories. And since school policy dictated all enrolled students MUST wear their uniform even on the weekend so long as they are outside of their dorms, Benny reminded them to change out of their workout clothes.

    ¡°Also¡­take a shower; you two both reak,¡± Benny said while holding his nose and walking towards his bedroom. However, when he passed Cynrik¡¯s, he couldn¡¯t help but pause his steps out of curiosity, but after a few seconds, the only sound heard was the shower running, so he gave up on eavesdropping and opened his door to check on Melody.

    To his surprise, she was already awake and sitting up in bed, under the covers, with tired, unfocused eyes.

    ¡°Melly!¡± Running to the side of the bed and taking her hand, Benny happily chirped.

    ¡°How are you feeling? Are you still sore or injured anywhere?¡± Frantically speaking with a worried expression on his face, Benny checked her pulse from her wrist and ced the back of his hand on her forehead.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m ok, Benny, just tired. So I guess it¡¯s safe to say Bj?rn¡¯s trick calmed down my codex?¡± Looking around the room for a second before weekly smiling at Benny with a light blush on her cheeks, Melody asked in a soft voice.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sorry you had to go through that; the Ragnarsson Brothers are a little¡­different; they prefer to do everything themselves and have all these weird ways of patching everyone up when we get hurt. Anyway, you had me..us pretty worried when you passed out, and you¡¯ve been unconscious all day.¡± Benny exhaled a sigh of relief but stumbled through his words, changing me to us in embarrassment.

    ¡°So, this is your bedroom, huh? I didn¡¯t think the first time I came in here; I¡¯d be in such a sorry state. HM; you didn¡¯t try anything funny, did you?¡± Melody teased, giving Benny a fox-like grin.

    ¡°Of course not; I just made sure you were still breathing after tucking you in so that you could rest. You were in so much pain and kept chugging down potions; I was one step away from taking you to the infirmary, but Bj?rn said he could help, and since he has the lig,¡± Benny¡¯s erratic sentence was cut off by a pair of soft lips pressing against his own.

    Pulling her lips away from Benny, Melody panicked and hid under the nkets. She didn¡¯t know how else to make Benny stop. He was so sweet and worried about her well-being that Melody made the first move and gave him her first kiss.

    Although she was the same age as Selene, and Benny was clearly younger since he was in his First Year, she had never been close to a boy, let alone in one¡¯s bedroom. This was because most boys in school were terrified of her Mom since she was a Professor. But Benny and his friends were different. They didn¡¯t seem to care about her being older or that her parents were Academy Staff. They treated her like everyone else, and for this, she felt oddlyfortable around them all.

    Still, Benny was different, usually calm and collected; she couldn¡¯t help but find it fun teasing him to see what kind of new reactions he would make. And now, although she desperately wanted to see what kind of face he was wearing after the kiss, she was far too embarrassed to peek out from under the cover.

    Benny was equally embarrassed and sat motionlessly; his hand raised with his fingers touching his lips in shocked silence. Just like Melody, that had been his first kiss, and it would be a lie to say he didn¡¯t enjoy it. He could still faintly feel the warmth from when the girl sneak attacked him.

    Gathering his courage and steeling his resolve, Benny leaned forward and slowly pulled down the nket exposing the red-faced girl with sparkling eyes looking up at him.

    ¡°Melody, will you be my girlfriend?¡± Benny could feel his heart threatening to explode out of his chest as the words left his mouth.

    Still, mainly under the nket, and with her two small hands gripping the edge, Melody nodded ¡°yes¡± slowly, with eyes glistening.

    Benny smiled widely, getting the confirmation, and leaned forward, nting a kiss on her forehead.

    ¡ª

    Meanwhile, while the budding new rtionship was being affirmed, Brance and Gabby had already met back in the living room after changing into their uniforms and were on their way out the door.

    ¡°Um, Brancie¡­do you not want me to go into your bedroom with you?¡± Gabby nervously said as she pulled at the hem of her skirt.

    ¡°Huh? What are you saying?¡± Stopping dead in his tracks as he was about to close the door, Brance turned and looked at the back of the girl standing a few paces ahead of him.

    ¡°Well¡­um¡­Brother and Melly are in his room, and Big Bro Cyn took Selene to his. Aren¡¯t we¡­you know¡­boyfriend girlfriend too? So shouldn¡¯t you bring me into your room like them?¡± By this point, Gabby had turned bright red and refused to look at Brance, but if she had, she would have seen the incredulous look he was giving her.

    Heaving a sigh, Brance turned around, closed the front door, and ensured it was locked before tapping the ground and appearing in front of Gabby, who was staring intently at her feet.

    ¡°Gabrie, look at me, please.¡± Unsure if it was the tone in his voice or the fact that it was Brance using her full first name instead of calling her Gabby like he usually did, she immediately turned up her small frightened, bright red face and met his eyes.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t like them, ok? Especially not like Big Brother and Selene. I don¡¯t want to rush anything between us, alright?¡± Cupping her cheek tenderly and lifting Gabby¡¯s chin slightly.

    ¡°Mm,¡± Gabby replied in a daze.

    ¡°We don¡¯t need to jump into physical stuff until we are older, so don¡¯t let those morons coax you into anything; what you and I do is between us and is none of their business. So for now, let¡¯s just keep things as we have been¡­ok?¡± Brance had been worried for some time now about having this conversation. Especially with how physical Selene and Cynrik had been acting around the rest of the group.

    Although he cared deeply about Gabby, in his mind, it was still WAY too early for anything other than middle school romance, like holding hands or a peck on the cheek. Thus, he refused to go any further until at least their 4th or 5th year at the Academy.

    ¡°Ok, Brancie, I understand.¡± Even though she was slightly disheartened, Gabby knew Brance had her best interest at heart. After hearing Selene talk about all kinds of different things, she had grown curious, but if Brance said he didn¡¯t think they were ready to move on, she would ept it.

    ¡°Oh, and one more thing,¡± Brance leaned forward, brushed Gabby¡¯s bangs out of the way, and lightly kissed her forehead.

    ¡°You are my girlfriend, and I am your boyfriend, so don¡¯t get all worked up just because I don¡¯t say it all the time.¡± Stepping back and smiling warmly at the girl, who was all fidgety, Brance nearly chuckled due to how adorable she was acting.

    ¡°Anyway, we gotta hurry up and make it past the checkpoints. I don¡¯t want to get caught by the food rush and get stuck behind arge crowd.¡± Gently taking her hand in his, Brance pulled Gabby along and jogged away from the dorm.

    ¡°Hehe, kay!¡±

    ¡ª

    While Gabby and Brance were on their way out, inside Cynrik¡¯s bedroom, Selene sat on the bed, and Cynrik was pacing back and forth with an agitated expression on his face.

    ¡°Cyn, are you sure? I mean, what if you are just acting overly paranoid right now. We have all had a pretty stressful day, so it would be understandable if you saw something that wasn¡¯t there.¡± Selene stated as she cupped her chin with her hands and rested her elbows on her knees.

    ¡°No, no, that isn¡¯t possible, nothing can escape my [Mana Sight], and I am telling you, I saw a small animal watching over us while we had our meeting earlier. It was no bigger than a mouse, but it was definitely there one minute and gone the next.¡± Stopping and giving Selene a frustrated nce, Cynrik crossed his arms before continuing to pace.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying I don¡¯t believe you, darling; it¡¯s just too random. Do you think there is a Tamer within the spies who sent one of their tamed beasts into the house?¡±

    ¡°That is the most likely scenario; someone needs to be on guard at all times now, especially if these bastards can infiltrate our dorm without setting off the high-level security systems I¡¯ve put in ce.¡±

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 266

    ¡°So, what do you want to do?¡± Seeing how serious Cynrik was acting, Selene could tell how bad the situation was in his eyes.

    She was right there the day Cynrik set about destroying every microphone and camera hidden inside the Dorm, all for the sake of privacy, before going into the girl¡¯s Dorm and doing the same thing.

    Next, he and Brance rigged both dorms with an advanced security protocol devised by Cynrik, who had technically hacked into the Dorm AI and wrote some new coding giving him remote ess to the system from his Watcet.

    Last was the instation of what he called Last Resort Failsafes, which consisted of several strange devices of his creation that Selene could only assume were counter-offensive traps and weapons. Yet now, the one ce he considered a sanctum waspromised.

    Cynrik didn¡¯t answer for a moment and instead pulled up the program on his Watcet he created, allowing him to get into the heat sensors for each room, it took some time, but by reying the 24-hour recording, he got his answer.

    ¡°There you are,¡± Cynrik murmured as he rewound the footage to about 30 minutes prior to him entering his room with Selene. The thermal imagery showed a small six-legged rat-like creature no bigger than a water bottle hiding behind one of the end tables between the living room and the training room.

    ¡°You found it?¡± Selene questioned as she hopped off the bed and stood beside Cynrik; her eyes widened slightly as she watched Cynrik yback the video in reverse, backtracking the path this creature entered. To her surprise, the creature had been there for hours, and the further back the video went, the harder it was to find in the footage.

    The two then watched as Cynrik fast-forwarded to thest time he saw it in person, but when he tried keeping up with the creature, who had been spooked after noticing Cynrik looking in its direction, the creature vanished entirely off the sensors.

    ¡°It¡¯s close to tier-3, around Peak Tier-2, and it moves almost too quick for the sensors to pick up; that is how you guys missed this little shit entering the Dorm when yall brought Melody in. It saw and heard everything. TSK.¡± Clicking his tongue and gripping the bones of his hand just below his right pinky, Cynrik squeezed and tried to focus on the phantom pain from his previous life.

    He had developed this tick in his early 20s back on Earth after breaking all the bones on half of his right hand and not getting it fixed by a doctor. Instead, he had set the bones himself and lived for years with the phantom pain. Over time, whenever he was overly stressed or was in the midst of a severe anxiety attack, he would subconsciously massage the spot with so much force it would cause his bones to creak.

    ¡°I knew I should have set up some surveince protocols to monitor outside the dorms. Fucking stupid, now all we know is that it was here and how it got in. You guys were so focused on Melody that the little rat slipped in unnoticed. I can¡¯t even pin the me on you four either, since the damn thing seems to have some kind of Stealth skills, and without constantly using [Mana Sight], I would have missed it too.¡±

    ¡°Hey¡­why did you have your eyes on during the briefing.¡± Tilting her head to the side and rubbing Cynrik¡¯s tense shoulders to calm him down, Selene asked curiously.

    ¡°My shoddy [Danger Sense] triggered right as I sat everyone down the second time to go over sub-sses. It was like touching static electricity, and my whole body tensed up. Realizing what was happening, I went on high alert and started speaking more vaguely. That¡¯s why I gave you guys the slips instead of talking about the form aloud.¡±

    ¡°So wait, does that,¡± Before Selene could finish her statement, Cynrik covered her mouth with his hand. Confused for a moment, she quickly noticed that Cynrik¡¯s iris seemed to be rippling with Red, ck, and Green shimmer, a sign that he had [Mana Sight] active, so she turned her head slowly and followed his line of sight. Under the door was the shadow of three sets of little feet.

    The creature was right outside Cynrik¡¯s bedroom door, trying to eavesdrop. Luckily he had been smart enough to run the shower, and both he and Selene were talking in hushed whispers, but after seeing how elusive this thing was, Cynrik decided to start using the mind-link instead.

    [Brance, bail, get your asses back here now, we¡¯ve beenpromised, and there is a group of spies somewhere nearby. They have a tamer, and we have been under surveince the whole day. I don¡¯t have the time to exin, but I need you to contact Geralt and hurry back, monitor our situation through the party mind-link.]

    [Copy, en route. Are weing in hot or going Recon?] Without questioning for the entire situation, a sign of pure faith in his brother, Brance dashed forward, caught Gabby by the shoulders, and whispered in her ear.

    ¡°Shit¡¯s going down back at the dorm; Big brother says we arepromised; get ready for battle.¡±

    Gabby, who was startled at first, quickly recovered her wits and wore a serious expression before taking off in a full sprint alongside Brance. Unfortunately, they were currently a kilometer and a half away, so it would take a couple of minutes to arrive.

    [Recon, for now, Brance, once you get close, go stealth and try finding any nearby enemies, if they are within your eptable parameters, eliminate the target.] Cynrik replied while motioning to Selene with his eyes to go to bed.

    [[Make a scene Selene, get creative so that our little rat thinks we are preupied.]] Hunching forward slightly, Cynrik quickly pulled out a ck zip-up hoodie from his inventory and put it on before equipping his Assassins tools, the only weapon he hadn¡¯t sent to Jessup for upgrades.

    ¡°OHHH, OHHHHH, AHHH, IVAR, YESSS, GODDD THAT¡¯S IT RIGHT THERE!¡±

    But when Selene started her little act, Cynrik froze in ce and snapped his head towards the girl sprawled out on his bed, thrashing around.

    [[WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK WOMAN! I SAID, MAKE A SCENE, NOT ACT OUT A FUCKING PORNO!]] Cynrik howled angrily at Selene, who only replied by getting more into her role with a vast sadistic smile stered across her face.

    ¡°HARDER BABY, HARDER, YESS YOU¡¯RE SO BIG BABY AHH AHH NGGG YESSS!¡±

    [[Teehee, what¡¯s wrong Darrrrlinnng~ am I getting you all hot and bothered.]] Selene teased while licking her lips and moaning louder as she rocked the bed back and forth.

    Shaking his head, Cynrik activated [Shadow Leap] and disappeared into the Shadow Realm.

    Meanwhile, In Benny¡¯s Room, the innocent Melody and Benny were both staring at the floor with bright red faces. The instant Selene started moaning and screaming, the two were dumbfounded and at a loss for what to do.

    ¡°ANNING AH AHHHH YESSSS UH UH HARDER BABY¡±

    Every syble she yelled caused a physical reaction from the two innocent love birds, who cringed each time.

    ¡°Are¡­are Ivar and Selene always like this?¡± Melody whispered.

    ¡°Nnnno, I don¡¯t know what has gotten into them. Usually, Ivar keeps her at arm¡¯s length and only fools around every now and then¡­this is new.

    BUZZZZ BUZZZZ BUZZZ

    Benny¡¯s train of thought was interrupted by a text message from Brance. All the text said was (Code Red, y it cool, turn on the TV and act busy.). Upon reading it, Benny¡¯s entire demeanor shifted into hyper-alertness.

    Realization dawned on him that Selene was acting and being loud for a reason; it all made sense now, but since he had no further information and could only follow suit. Leaning over to the bedside table and grabbing the Holo-Tv remote, he quickly turned on the tv and tried to drown out Selene¡¯s erotic noises.

    ¡°Benny?¡± Melody questioned.

    ¡°At least this way, we can drown out their annoying yells. Let¡¯s try and find a movie, I know it¡¯s kindame, but we can think of this as almost a stay-at-home date.¡± Shaking his head and trying to signal to Melody that something was happening, Benny said sheepishly.

    Unfortunately, Melody was confused by what he was trying to convey and scooted up against the bed¡¯s headboard while nodding that it was fine.

    The way Melody was oblivious to what he was trying to say frustrated Benny to no end. However, since he hadn¡¯t had time to teach her all the signals the Brothers had instilled in him and the fact she was still feeling unwell, Benny chose not to get her involved in whatever was going on, so he relented and began searching for a movie.

    Across the campus, Brance and Gabby were in a full-on sprint, pushing their limits to race towards the Cavern of Dorms; all the while, Brance was continuously calling the Headmaster unsessfully.

    Finally, after six unanswered calls, the line connected, and the hologram of Headmaster Rivia lit up on Brance¡¯s Watcet.

    ¡°Headmaster, I don¡¯t have time to exin everything, but our Dorm has beenpromised; my brother has reason to believe there is a group of Tier-2 or Higher Spies who have infiltrated our home.¡± Quickly and as detailed as possible, Brance filled in Headmaster Rivia, whose face went solemn.

    ¡°Where are you? I¡¯ming to your location.¡±

    ¡°We are currently passing First Year Restaurant Street and approaching the entrance to the Cavern of Dorms,¡± Brance replied, but instead of getting an ok from Geralt, the call went dead.

    Half a secondter, a spatial crack opened thirty meters ahead of Brance and Gabby, and the Headmaster stepped out with a sword on his back, with his right arm outstretched as if he wanted to give him a high five.

    Brance, understanding what the man wanted, grabbed Gabby by the wrist and pushed his legs as hard as possible; reaching out with his right hand, he gripped Headmaster Rivia¡¯s forearm, and the three vanished into thin air.

    Back at the Dorm, in the Shadow Realm, Cynrik locked onto the creature standing outside his door in the sky above and scrutinized it with [Inspect]. A Skill he hadn¡¯t used in some time.

    -Level 33 Tier-2 Six-Legged Void Mouse¨C

    -Height: 0¡ä 8¡å.-

    -Weight: 1 lb.-

    -Category: Arthropod.-

    -Threat Level = Danger; just because it looks stampable doesn¡¯t mean it is.-

    -Description: A creature contracted to another Being with the Tamer ss. In the wild, the Void Mouse is omnivorous and will sneak into the den ofrger predators to steal food and resources. This creature is nocturnal and has a dual Affinity Space and Dark; as such, they make good scouting partners and can vanish seemingly into thin air. Don¡¯t be fooled by their cute appearance, though, because these creatures have a Tier-3 bloodline and can pack a punch when pushes to shove.-

    ¡°Mother fucker, what the hell, what kind of broken ass bullshit Edgelord Pikamouse is this. The fucker has SPACE AND DARK AFFINITIES; how the shit am I supposed to capture it?¡± Cynrik cursed out loud after reading its description.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 267

    Frowning and swiping away the notification window with the creature known as a Void Mouse¡¯s description out of the way, Cynrik¡¯s pupils constricted as he tried zooming in on it with his [Mana Sight] active.

    One thing he had been working on was controlling the focus of his eyes by constricting the blood vessels with Mana, magnifying his telescopic vision to the extent of a high-powered camera lens. However, it only worked in theory. Still, Cynrik had made some headway in his experiments and could increase his distance vision by 2.5 times, but that was as far as he could go before his eyes would turn bloodshot or worse, get foggy and begin bleeding. After Weeks of trial and error and finding the sweet spot without injuring himself so bad that Brance had to heal his eyes, he got the hang of double and a half distance, giving him a good look at the little intruder.

    [[Listen up; now that I have a second to talk, the Boys¡¯ Dorm was infiltrated by a tamed beast. It entered the premises when you guys were in the process of moving Melody into the house. At that time, under cover of a mixture of Dark and Space stealth skills, it snuck in and hid until we were entirely preupied without ss choices after patching that girl up.]] Cynrik started Briefing Brance and allowed Selene to listen in.

    [[Not only has it been watching us all day, but since [Inspect] indicates that it is a tamed beast, we can safely assume its owner is nearby and has been receiving transmissions detailing everything we have said in the privacy of our home. As such, this mother fucker knows everything.]]

    [[Moving on, the tamed beast is known as a Void Mouse, approximately seven inches in height and a little less than a foot long from snout to tail. It has six legs and has a Dual Affinity for Dark and Space. Worse yet, it is Tier-2 Level 33, so we are punching above our weight ss by quite a bit. Brancie, I currently have eyes on it from within the Shadow Realm, and it is attempting to gather information from each of our bedrooms. At the moment, it is outside of mine, but it has been moving between the other rooms trying to find out everything it can.]]

    [[Luckily, it doesn¡¯t seem to be aware we are on to it, even though it knows I saw it earlier. The good news is that thanks to the strange material the building is made of, Space Affinity teleportation skills don¡¯t allow it to get out of the Dorm and only allow it to swiftly move from point A to point B within the confines of the Dorm itself.]]

    [[Inform the Headmaster of my findings and alert him that we all are aware of the situation. If my assumption is correct and using my ss information as a basis, the Tamer should be higher than his creature, thus, at the very least Early Tier-3. Meaning the rest of his squad should be Peak Tier-2 or higher. We will need his help to handle this. OH, and if he asks how wemunicate, use Gabby as a proxy.]]

    [[Copy, Operation name?]] Knowing that Cynrik was the only one with a weapon and knowing his brother¡¯s personality entirely, Brance didn¡¯t bother telling him not to attack. If Cynrik judged the creature as within his means of fighting, he would leave it to him. So he did the only thing he could and asked what Cynrik wanted to name this covert Operation. Unfortunately, when he heard the response, Brance wanted to kick Cynrik across the.

    [[Obviously, it will be called Operation ¡°Gotta Catchem All,¡± and not a single one leaves. I want each of these mother fuckers dead, and if the Headmaster is determined to imprison them, I will argue against it until my throat and eyes bleed.]] Smirking sadistically, Cynrik flicked his wrists out of habit, unsheathing and resheathing his hidden des with a loud SHINK.

    ¡ª

    Floating high above, near the ceiling of the Cavern of Dorms on a transparent construct formed of pure Space Mana, Brance ryed the information except for Cynrik¡¯s Operation Codename to the Headmaster, who, after stepping through the Spatial Crack, teleported them high above the ground where they could get a clear view of the entire Core Area.

    ¡°Troublesome bastards, they actually sent a Tier-3 tamer after you lot. This changes things significantly. Your brother and I discussed the potential of this urring only a few hours ago; I never expected that it woulde to pass so quickly. And here I was, so sure that our security would be able to stop anyone over Tier-2 from entering the Cavern. It appears I will have to heed Student Ivar¡¯s words more closely.¡± Wearing a sad expression and beating himself up internally, Headmaster Rivia¡¯s eyes suddenly seemed to light with fire and fury.

    ¡°I assume Student Gabrie has created a telepathicwork allowing you all to stay in contact by using her Psychic Affinity?¡± Toning down his anger slightly, Headmaster Rivia spoke his suspicions.

    ¡°Un, Gabby has been our party¡¯s silentmunication line ever since she reached Tier-1.¡± Not giving his girlfriend a chance to show her confusion, Brance intercepted the conversation, causing the Headmaster to nod.

    ¡°Send word to the others in your party to stay put and not to try anything. I am aware that none of you have your weapons currently, and I don¡¯t want any of my Students getting hurt because of VSFA¡¯s inability to stop these people from invading your privacy. It is good that everyone is on alert and acting as if nothing is wrong or out of the ordinary; this will buy us some time to locate and capture the spies.¡± Looking below, Headmaster Rivia¡¯s eyes shined in a pale aqua light, and his pupils dted as he scanned the entirety of the Core Area for intruders. About two minutester, he picked up a faint response from the ambient Mana particles, indicating at least six adults with a power of Early to Peak Tier-3 were in the vicinity.

    ¡°Found them; first things first, let¡¯s iste all of the Core Area, so they cannot escape.¡± Grinning evilly, Headmaster Rivia stepped off the solid Mana construct, holding the group in the air. He flew forward a few meters with his arms extended and his body perfectly straight.

    Making a hard-to-see and blurry movement with his arms, Headmaster Rivia slowly brought his hands together and formed the shape of a cube with his fingers.

    ¡°Distortion Skill: [Area Confinement,]¡±

    Brance watched in awe with his [Mana Sight] active as two vastly different Aqua-colored three-dimensional cubes formed in response to the man¡¯s words. One cube was small and fit neatly into the center of the Headmaster¡¯s hands; the other was so huge it covered the entire Core Area, which covered two Chicago city blocks (one Chicago city block is 330 by 600 feet or 100m x 200 meters).

    ¡°Headmaster, please wait a moment.¡± Thinking that Geralt was about to go and capture the enemies, Brance panicked and used a thin jet of Wind Mana to move the Space Construct towards the Headmaster.

    ¡°What is it, Student Bj?rn? Don¡¯t tell me you wish to handle this yourself? If that is the case, I forbid it. It¡¯s bad enough that Students Ivar, Selene, and Benjamin are present within my [Area Confinement], but now you want to put yourself and Student Gabrie in danger. I see in total six enemy spies, Three at Early Tier-3, two at Mid, and thest, who I assume is in charge, is Peak of Tier-3 and approaching the 4th Tier.¡± Not bothering to look back at Brance, Headmaster Rivia waved his hand, and two small Spatial Cracks appeared; secondster, two men decked out in fullbat gear walked through and stepped onto two small tforms formed of Space Mana.

    Brance recognized these men to be the very same Instructors he had met some months ago during their evaluations, Garrison and Alistar.

    ¡± Six targets, ranging from Early Tier-3 to Peak, your mission is to disarm, cripple and capture all six, leaving them alive for Interrogation.¡±

    The two Instructors saluted and stepped off the tforms, free-falling through a 5-meter hole in the Spatial cube, hundreds of meters toward the ground. Once they passed through, it sealed back up, leaving no ess in or out of the confined area.

    However, just before theynded, a loud explosion shook the surrounding area, making everyone frown in confusion, including the group in the sky.

    Turning around and giving Brance an unhappy nce, the Headmaster waited for an exnation.

    ¡°You see, my brother is quite impatient and has already begun what we call an Operation¡­so¡­yeah.¡± Wearing a sheepish grin and scratching the back of his head, Brance said, making the Headmaster¡¯s pupils shrink to pinholds and snap his head back towards the cube, where he saw Cynrik flitting around in the midst ofbat with a small rodent.

    Going back a few minutes earlier, after Cynrik told Brance to inform the Headmaster of the situation and named the Operation, he got in position and locked onto the creature above and outside of the Shadow Realm.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a rat; how bad can it be?¡± Cynrik asked no one in particr.

    -That is an almost Tier-3 ¡°rat¡±; it can get REALLY bad, REALLY fast. You have only your Assassins tools, no armor, no swords. Please tell me how exactly you can possibly think youe out of this unscathed, Host Cynrik?-

    ¡°Bah, the little shit isn¡¯t even a foot tall; I can take it.¡± Smiling cockily, Cynrik equipt his school uniform, which had an addedyer of magic armoring and would offer him at least some protection.

    ¡°Alright, Tobs, it¡¯s that time again; gimmie some of that ¡°good good¡± background music.¡± Rolling both his shoulders and firing off a couple of kicks before popping his neck, Cynrik requested his usual BGM.

    -And what do you want this time? SAO Again, or are you going with some more AoT? Honestly, I need you to find a little more variety¡­you have literally watched thousands of different anime, yet you stick to simr songs.-

    ¡°Oh, quit your belly aching Tobs, uhh, got it, MKaliez!¡±

    -Sigh, fine. Now ying ¡°MKAlieZ¡± from Aldnoah.Zero by Hiroyuki Sawano.-

    ¡°Damn right you are, hehe,¡± After the shortugh, Cynrik¡¯s face becameposed and emotionless. Pulling up his hood and flexing his fingers in time with the music, his eyes drifted to his Resource Stat¡¯s bar. Next, he opened up his Stat panel, nced at his 194 Stat points, and quickly ced four points into his DEX, making it match his AGI at 537. Exhaling sharply, then steeling his resolve, Cynrik divided the remaining 190 points into each stat, pushing his DEX and AGI up to 630, leaving himself with only four Stat points remaining.

    He hated burning points when they were basically free after each level up, but this was just the asion he and Brance saved them for. The moments when they would need a heavy boost to contend with something stronger than them.

    The instant he allocated the points, he felt the familiar pain washing over his body as it adjusted to its new power, and although it onlysted a second, it felt like minutes. Once the adjustment wasplete, Cynrik popped his neck again and kicked off the ground while activating his stealth skill, the newly Evolved [Spectre Concealment], formerly known as [Cloak of Shadows].

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 268

    -Current Track, ¡°MKAlieZ¡± from Aldnoah.Zero by Hiroyuki Sawano. The song is set to an infinite loop.-

    A mass of Dark Mana particles swirled around Cynrik beforepletely erasing his presence entirely; this was [Spectre Concealment]; the main difference between the newly Evolved version and its former self, [Cloak of Shadows], was howpletely concealed Cynrik would be. Unlike before, only a minute Mana signature leaked out, and unless someone were an entire Tier and a Half stronger than him, any being would perceive him as not present.

    Gliding through the Shadow Realm with his BGM sting in his mind, Cynrik flipped and broke into reality, silentlynding mere centimeters away from the unsuspecting mouse.

    [[In position, beginning Operation ¡°Gotta Catchem All¡± in 2 minutes. Selene, be ready to make a move. If my theory about the Headmaster and his Affinity Skills is correct, he should be locking down the area, separating us into a Spatial Dimension within his control. The instant I attack, I want you running to grab Benny and Melody, enter your [Void Shift], and exit the building asap.]]

    As Cynrik spoke, his eyes never left the little bastard sitting by his feet; even though he was so close, the creature still hadn¡¯t noticed his presence, which was what he wanted.

    [[Brance, odds are Geralt will summon a couple of Instructors to deal with whoever is outside, try stalling him as long as possible. Once I take out this rodent, we will move on to the spies, taking them into custody before the Headmaster can make a move. That is OUR XP, not his, and I want to get as much as possible. However, keep on your toes and use long-range attacks until we can gauge how strong those people are. Once we have a handle on them, you and I will move in and¡­.]]

    [[Toote, Headmaster Rivia is on the move, if you are going to do something, do it now, he just summoned Garrison and Alistar, and they are en route.]] Cutting his brother off, Brance informed Cynrik of what was happening on his end, causing the older boy¡¯s left eye to twitch.

    [[Sel, let¡¯s do this shit!]] Realizing he was pressed for time, Cynrik drew his leg back as far as he could, and ser kicked the Void Mouse using all his power.

    ¡°SREEE!!!¡± The helpless and unaware creature screamed in a mixture of fright and pain as it was sent sailing across the hallway and into the wall separating the kitchen and the living room with a loud BANG.

    Sliding down the wall, itnded on all six feet and rapidly looked around with itsrge red eyes, searching for whatever had attacked it. To its surprise, it found nothing, but just as it was about to creep forward cautiously, the door to Cynrik¡¯s bedroom flung open, and Selene burst out, dashing down the hallway and kicking in Bennys door.

    ¡°Reep?¡± The mouse squeaked in fright. Then, suddenly appearing besides it, Cynrik, still under cover of his stealth skill, kicked it across the room, smashing it through the tv-stand housing the Holo-TV and electronicponents, causing a chaotic mess of wires, sparks, and smoke toe out.

    With the abrupt and unexpected door kicking in and Selene appearing, Melody screamed in fright. However, Benny, who had been expecting this to happen, quickly went into action, rolling off the bed and swapping into his uniform, which was already preloaded into his Loadout. Next, he scooped up Melody and rushed to Selene¡¯s side.

    ¡°Melly, don¡¯t freak out; we are under attack, so stay calm, I will protect you.¡± Benny valiantly said, but that was wiped away the instant Selene grabbed him by the back of the cor like a cat and tore Melody from his arms, holding her in the same way.

    ¡°Wee aboard the Selly Express; keep all hands inside the fog at all times, and please do not puke on my particles.¡± Selene sarcastically spat as she activated [Void Shift], targeting not only herself but her two passengers, turning everyone into Dark Mana particles and forming a vast hazy ck mist.

    However, just as she was about to move toward the front door as Cynrik¡¯s n dictated, there was a massive explosion of fire and ck Mana Particles that rocketed Cynrik into the wall beside the entrance to Benny¡¯s room.

    [[SELENE, OUT THE WINDOW NOW!]] Cynrik howled as he jumped back to his feet and manifested two miniature suns, one in each palm. Then, leaning into Benny¡¯s room, Cynrik made a counterclockwise motion with his right hand, triggering the revolving mechanism and swapping to projectile mode before firing off one of the hidden des infused with ckFire at the window. The de rocketed through the room and shattered the tempered ss forming an escape route for the others.

    Showing no sign of hesitation, Selene, in her ck mist form, surged forward and out the window away from the fight.

    ¡°Little fucking rodent, that hurt,¡± Cynrik growled as he flung both fireballs into the living room, one of which veered off towards the front door. After releasing his attack, Cynrik dashed out of the same window Selene and the others had just left.

    BOOOOOOOOOOMMM BOOOOOOOOOOOMMM

    The instant he made it out of the Dorm, a massive explosion shook the entire building and the surrounding area, as the front door exploded with a powerful jetstream of highlypressed fire particles.

    ¡°SCREEEEEEEEEE.¡±

    ¡°OH SHIT!¡±

    BANG

    When Cynrik turned to look into the window, he was caught off guard by the small shadow charging toward him almost too fast for his eyes to register. The shadow mmed directly into his chest, forcing him over a dozen meters across thewn into the wall of the neighboring Dorm.

    Before he could even react, the Void mouse was on him, appearing in the air to his left and spinning its body; the creature struck Cynrik with its tail, rocking him several meters away.

    [[CYN!]] Selene yelled as she watched her boyfriend being toyed with by a creature not even 1/8th his size. Each hit the Void Mousended resounded with a powerful shockwave, making Cynrik grunt in pain.

    [[GET OUT OF HERE! RENDEZVOUS WITH BRANCE AND THE OTHERS, I¡¯VE GOT THIS!]] Cynrik shouted, snapping Selene out of her worried daze and making her move away from the battle.

    Standing up slowly and wiping the blood from the corner of his lips, Cynrik spat a mouthful of blood mixed with bile onto the ground and activated [Mana Sight] once again. He had quickly realized that his normal eyesight wasn¡¯t good enough to keep up with the little mouse, but at least with his ocr skill, he could follow the after image created by the Dark and Space Mana particles clustered around its body.

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes flicked to his resource stats bar and noticed he had lost almost a quarter of his health from the small exchange of no more than 7 or 8 strikes, which was well within his eptable range.

    ¡®Where are you?¡¯ He thought as his eyes constantly scanned the surroundings.

    SCHWIP POP SCHWIP POP SCHWIP POP

    ¡°THERE!¡± Focusing on the faint popping sound created each time the creature used its teleportation skill, Cynrik narrowed down its rough location and could spot the Mana trail it left behind. Once he had a pinpointed location, he kicked off the ground, calcted the spot it would re-appear and was right there when the Void Mouse showed its ugly little face.

    TAP ¡­TAP

    Unleashing a full force Futae no Kiwami right into the small head of the creature, Cynrik rocked its head to the side and catapulted it several meters away. Even with the dyed reaction of the attack, and the fact that the initial impact was small, it was no different than hitting a golf ball with a golf club, and the attack had enough power behind it to hurl the small creature through the air.

    Unfortunately, Cynrik had fucked up his timing in his haste, and the effect on the creature was minimal at best, just enough to rattle its pea brain a little bit.

    -You have received a failing grade on execution, please obtain a grade of at least B or Higher to add this skill to your skill list.-

    ¡®No shit, Tobs,¡¯ waving his hand and force closing the notification, Cynrik flexed his right-hand several times to double-check that he hadn¡¯t sustained any damage from the failed attempt, and luckily he, the bones in his right hand were still intact, albeit a little sore.

    On the ground 10 meters away, the tiny Void Mouse shook its head several times and red fiercely at its enemy, scraping its front right paw on the ground and lurching forward.

    While Cynrik was locked in heatedbat with a creature small enough to fit on a dinner te, up above the confined space, Headmaster Rivia watched the fight below for a moment before turning and watching the two Instructors touch down on the ground and move swiftly towards the six spies, who were already in the midst of panicking about their cover being blown.

    ¡°Sir, please let me and Gabby go down; we need to be there; by staying up here, you are forcing me to watch my friends be in danger and my only brother fight for his life.¡± Brance pleaded with Geralt, who only gave him a passing nce before drifting down to the top of the Cube.

    ¡°Student Bj?rn, you do realize what you are asking for goes against everything this Academy stands for, right? We do not put our students in danger nor allow them to freely engage inbat with enemies far over their level and Tier.¡± Headmaster Rivia sternly said.

    ¡°To hell with the rules, Headmaster! Arent you the one in charge? Don¡¯t YOU make the rules? Who else but you can break them as he pleases?¡± Brance practically yelled, forcing Geralt to turn and face him.

    Although his space was locked down and not even sound could pass through the confinement skill, Brance could tell that each hit connecting with Cynrik was hard enough to create a loud impact.

    ¡°Please, Headmaster Rivia, we have a rule in our Faction, if one member is in danger, we all rally to their aid. Please don¡¯t make us break our vow.¡± Gabby quietly spoke up, her words seeming to resonate with Geralt as his expression softened with the girl¡¯s input.

    ¡°Student Ivar has put himself in a highly unfavorable position, and although he can keep up with that creature because of his high AGI stat, he is only barely in the fight. What makes you think that you two won¡¯t get in the way?¡± Headmaster Rivia countered.

    ¡°But Headmaster, aren¡¯t you wrong? Isn¡¯t there five of us, not two?¡± Brance shot back, startling the man with a confident and adventurous smirk.

    Silence descended on the group of three in the air. After a few seconds, Headmaster Rivia sighed loudly and snapped his fingers, making Brance and Gabby vanish for an instant before re-appearing inside the Cube.

    ¡°Go, you have until Garrison and Alistar finish defeating those six spies, don¡¯t make me regret giving in.¡± With that said, Headmaster Rivia crossed his arms and diverted his attention to the two adults wreaking havoc against their six opponents.

    Gripping Gabby¡¯s hand with his right, Brance looked back and nodded at the Headmaster before stepping off the tform and dragging his girlfriend into a freefall towards Cynrik.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 269

    Freefalling from over 200 Meters in the sky, Brance angled his body downward with Gabby mimicking his movement as they dove in Cynrik¡¯s direction with the tails of their zers pping wildly.

    [[Cyn, Selene, both Gabby and I are inbound from above.]] Brance calmly stated as he felt the windpping at his face.

    [[Copy, this little shit hits like a fucking elephant and has an AGI stat that rivals my own. I can barely keep up with it. It doesn¡¯t help that I¡¯ve already failed to nail the damn thing with FNK (Futae no Kiwami) three times now.]]Cynrikined as he avoided a headbutt followed by a tail smack, countering by dishing out a couple of Mana-infused jabs on the creature¡¯s body.

    [[Basically, it¡¯s almost as if this Void Mouse knows my second strike will severely injure it, so after the first impact, it dramatically changes its body positioning, making me miss the second impact and rendering the skill useless. Yet I still suffer minor bacsh in the process.]]

    [[That could be the Tamer interfering with the fight and giving it orders.]] Activating [Mana Sight], Brance spun his body slowly in a clockwise motion, like a fighter jet, and looked to the right as he fell, locating the Spies.

    [[Confirmed, one of the spies seems to be looking in your direction as if distracted even though he is fighting the Instructors alongside hispanions, based on his Mana Signature, he appears to be Mid Tier-3.]] Rotating his body back to his original position, Brance fed Cynrik the data and made his final approach.

    ¡°Gabby, take care of thending; we touch down in 4, 3, 2¡­¡± Before Brance got to one, Gabby¡¯s eyes lit up with Psychic Mana, and he felt his body slowing down significantly. As it was, both he and Gabby were in a 225 km/hr (139 mph) freefall; from start to finish, the flight only took around 7 seconds, but thankfully, Gabby reduced their speed much in the way Airbrakes on a ne would, allowing them both to slow all the way down to a pace that wouldn¡¯t injure them.

    While continuing their Dive, Gabby and Brance hit the ground, rolled, popped back up to their feet, and took off in a full sprint towards Cynrik, who was nearby enough that they could see him, and a small ck blur zipping back and forth exchanging blows.

    [On your Six! shbang out, Eyes eyes eyes!] Brance shouted, raising his right hand and forming a fusion skill, one part Light, one part Wind. It was something he had been working on as ofte. By coating an unstable Light Orb with a thickyer of Wind Mana, he created a time bomb; once it made contact with another object, the Wind Mana would break apart and fuse into the Light, causing a small explosion that ignited a blinding sh. This was his newest creation, Fusion Skill: [shBang].

    Without breaking his stride, Brance hurled the Mana grenade towards Cynrik, cut sharply, and turned his back and Gabby¡¯s to the bomb so they wouldn¡¯t be blinded.

    Likewise, Cynrik kicked backward and closed his eyes while looking away just as the grenade mmed into the Void Mouses¡¯ body and exploded.

    FWOOSHH

    ¡°SCREEEEEEEEEE,¡± the reaction was exactly what the brothers wanted to hear. When Cynrik looked back, the sh had already disappeared, and the Void mouse was on the ground, convulsing as it scratched at its eyes and screeched in pain.

    [I¡¯ve got it from here; go after Selene and the others. You need tond at least one hit in on those fucking spies if the party is going to get some XP from their deaths. If not, we have wasted the opportunity.] As Cynrik whipped out both Cold-Steel hidden des, he dashed forward, used his toes to bounce the rat in the air, then stabbed the rat violently, causing a chorus of pained screams, squeals, and impact squelches each time his des pierced the tough hide of the Void Mouse.

    Grunting in reply, Brance quickly located the ck mist moving around like a shadow near the edge of the confinement area and took off in that direction.

    ¡°What now, you little fucker? Hurts, doesn¡¯t it? How bout you just die already!¡±

    However, as he and Gabby left, the sound of Cynrik mercilessly assaulting the Void Mouse, both physically and verbally, entered his ears, and he could only shake his head. It was evident that Cynrik was pissed off by how helpless he was throughout the duration of their fight.

    [[Selene, meet up with Gabby and me outside building one, we are almost there.]] Taking charge of the group, Brance issued an order to Selene, making the ck mist halt in its tracks before darting off in the direction of the nearest Dorm building.

    -Your party Leader Cynrik Jetlensr has killed a level 33 Tier-2 Void Mouse.-

    -Your party Leader has killed a being more than ten times all of the party¡¯s individual primary levels; rewards will be multiplied by a quintuple.-

    -You have received 330,000 XP.-

    -You have received 10 DEX.-

    -You have received 10 AGI.-

    -You have obtained 5 KIN points-

    -Your party Leader has received Five dual Affinity Tier-2 Codexes (Dark/Space).-

    [[Holy fuck!]] Brance muttered under his breath as the spam of notifications shed in front of his eyes.

    [[Weak sauce, that mother fucker was 33 times our damn level! What kind of bullshit is this? Gimmie 33 times rewards, not five.]]Cynrik was unhappy as he scooped up the original Codex and the four duplicates created by the CSH.

    [[Beggars can¡¯t be choosers, darling, hurry up and get over here, I just met up with Brancie and Gabby. We are waiting on you.]] Selene spoke in a teasing tone when cutting in on Cynrik¡¯s pity party.

    Frowning at his girlfriend¡¯sment, Cynrik stored the small corpse in his Inventory and attempted to activate his [Shadow Leap] only to receive a splitting headache in response.

    [[Fuck, give me a second, it looks like I have to run, this asshole Geralt¡¯s Spatial skill cut off my ability to enter the Shadow Realm. Good to know that now rather thanter, on my way.]] Cynrik stated as he took off in a full sprint while massaging his temples to relieve the pain.

    ¡ª

    Meanwhile, Headmaster Rivia floated above the enormous cube watching the events happening down below intently. He had already assumed Brance wouldn¡¯t be joining the battle entirely and would only lend assistance before trying to coordinate a strike on the Spies. Yet, even with this assumption, he still allowed the two to enter the confined area.

    This was mainly due to wanting to see how the group would handle fighting against beings more powerful than themselves in a potentially life-threatening scenario. Thinking back to the borate plot Cynrik had exined this morning, he couldn¡¯t help but wipe away any previous skepticism. It was clear now that the brothers would run head first into battle when faced with challenging opponents.

    He hadn¡¯t told Brance before sending him into the confinement area that the orders given to Garrison and Alistar were very different from what he had spoken aloud for the Students to hear.

    Instead, all Headmaster Rivia had told them was to merely contain the spies and allow MyrkLys a chance to prove they could stand toe to toe against opponents who outranked them in power and fighting experience. Geralt¡¯s judgment call was to turn this into abat test; the Instructors would only step in if one of the students were in mortal danger. If not for this order, the Mid Tier-4 Garrison and Early Tier-4 Alistar would have wiped the floor with all the spies within half a minute.

    He didn¡¯t expect Cynrik only to need momentary attention diverting assistance to obliterate the Void Mousepletely. This was quite the surprise considering, for thest few minutes, he had watched the student get battered around and basically toyed with by something not even 1/8th his size.

    But the new Fusion skill disyed by Brance was just the opening Cynrik required to end the battle in a very Assassin-like style.

    ¡®Hm, it seems that Student Ivar has dramatically increased his DEX and AGI, a decentpensation to keep up. I already knew he was intelligent, but the only way to raise a stat so quickly is if he never uses his free allocation stat points¡ªClever, but also a bit reckless, very fitting for his personality.¡¯ Headmaster Rivia thought as he watched Cynrik dashing low to the ground across the Core area towards where the rest of his group had already linked up.

    ¡ª

    Running up alongside the fog, Brance motioned for Selene to turn back to normal, which she did, dropping Benny and a green-faced Melody on the ground.

    CLANK, SHING, CLING, BANG

    Brance watched from a distance as the two Instructors were in the heat of a 2v5 battle. It was a 2v5 because he clearly spotted the spy he had assumed to be the Tamer controlling the Void Mouse, rolling on the ground, spitting up blood, and clutching his chest in pain.

    Seeing this, Brance motioned for the group to crouch low to the ground and avoid being seen for now. He needed to know the strength of the spies before allowing his party to move into battle; unfortunately, this wasn¡¯t the case for someone who had already zed past the rest of his party after spotting the downed Tamer undercover of his stealth skill.

    In fact, Brance wouldn¡¯t have even seen his brother sh by if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he had [Mana Sight] active trying to scan the opponent¡¯s Mana signatures.

    [[DAMN IT CYNRIK! DON¡¯T JUST RUN INTO A SHIT STORM!]] Brance yelled, startling Selene beside him, but after shooting her an apologetic look, he turned back to look at the Tamer.

    [[Fuck all that waiting shit, this guy is mine, he sent that mother fucking piece of shit rat after us and caused me so much trouble. HE¡­IS¡­MINE!]] Flitting around the group battle, Cynrik arrived beside the downed Tamer, who was bleeding from his ears, nose, eyes, and mouth upon further inspection. A clear sign of some form of bacsh received by Cynrik killing his Tamed Beast, forcing Cynrik to make a mental note to strengthen the defensive properties of his birbs once they were hatched. There was no way he was going to be caught in such a vulnerable position as this man wearing all ck with his face covered currently was.

    This was a Mid-Tier-3 Being, someone a whole tier and a half above Cynrik, and yet, as the boy stood over the weakened man with his head tilted to the side, he felt no fear or distress, even his [Danger Sense] showed no sign of acting up, a clear indication that he had nothing to fear from this person.

    Kneeling beside the man, Cynrik grabbed him by the back of his head, exposing his throat, and jammed his ckfire-d hidden de straight through the flesh and into the man¡¯s brain, killing him instantly. This was aplished in one fluid movement without breaking his new stealth ability, [Spectre Concealment], which allowed him to make up to five attacks without dropping his stealth.

    ¡°Requiescat in Pace.¡± Cynrik softly said in an emotionless tone as he stored the man¡¯s corpse in his Inventory and dashed back towards his party before he was caught by the enemy or, worse, the Instructors.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 270

    ¨C Your party member Cynrik Jetlensr has killed a level 26 Tier-3 Human Tamer.-

    -Your party Leader has killed a being more than ten times all of the party¡¯s individual primary levels and a Full Tier above the party standard; rewards will be multiplied by the Maximum Multiplier a sextuple.-

    -You have received 3,120,000 XP.-

    -You have received 24 AGI

    -You have received 24 VIT.-

    -You have received 24 MIND.-

    -You have obtained 6 KIN points-

    -Your party Leader has received six dual Affinity Tier-2 Codexes (Wind/Sound).-

    When the members of MyrkLys got the notifications, they all fell into a daze, including Cynrik, who, if not for being on autopilot as he ran, would have facented in the dirt running at full speed.

    [[What¡­in the actual fuck!]] Selene eximed within the mind-link.

    [[No time for that; get ready to move woman.]] Cynrik scolded; he had only lost focus for a split second but was already beating himself up about it. To receive a total of 3.1 million XP from a single kill, on top of 24 points in three stats, was enough to make his brain blip off for a breath, but that was all. They were on the battlefield, where the enemy could target them at any moment andunch an attack. Pumping his legs and adjusting to the additional AGI points, Cynrik peeked over his shoulder and noticed four of the five spies looking at their fallenrade in horror. However, there was a single pair of eyes locked onto Cynrik, and he could feel the sweat trickle down his back as he sensed pure hostility and rage targeted at him. It was so bad that his [Danger Sense] was firing on all cylinders, triggering a pins and needles effect coursing through his entire body.

    [[FUCK, BRANCE, GRAB GABBY AND MELODY!]] Seeing the Mana radiating off the person who spotted him, Cynrik went into action. Bolting passed Brance and Gabby, Cynrik caught Benny and Selene, tucked them under his arms, and veered off to find cover.

    Brance, not hesitating, grabbed the other two girls and took off in a different direction, and just as he did, a massive column of Ice erupted from the ground, right where the group was previously hiding.

    BOOOOMMM

    The ice pir soon exploded, turning into a myriad of spikes jutting out in every direction. If Cynrik hadn¡¯t noticed the attack when he did, all of MyrkLys might have perished.

    Meanwhile, as MyrkLys scattered like cockroaches, Instructor Garrison¡¯s eyes narrowed as heunched his body forward, delivering an earth shuddering side kick into the body of the Spy Leader, rocketing him across the Core area and through one of the vacant Dorm buildings.

    Garrison¡¯s attack was enough to spook the remaining four spies, who quickly made the judgment call to split up and head after the two separated groups of children.

    This party break didn¡¯t escape Cynrik nor Brance¡¯s eyes as both had [Mana Sight] active and were constantly monitoring the squad of people decked out in all-ckbat gear.

    [Loop around our Dorm, drop off the dead weight (Melody) and confront those two. It looks like the ones chasing after you are the weaker of the bunch. Still, it won¡¯t be easy without your weapons, so quickly find something to enhance in the rubble.] Cynrik ordered as he tossed Selene and Benny ahead of him so they could run on their own.

    Hearing Cynrik¡¯s n, Brance cut a hard right and headed straight for the Dorm. Once he arrived, he quickly let down the girls and looked at Melody with a severe expression before speaking.

    ¡°Listen, Melly; you are still in bad shape; for now, I want you to hide in here while Gabby and I lure those two away. I want you to enter the training room, activate as many droids as possible and barricade the door until one of uses and gets you; if you understand, nod.¡±

    Although wholly shaken up by the sudden battle that had erupted around her, Melody listened and nodded absentmindedly before turning and hurrying into the doorless, scorched boys¡¯ Dorm.

    ¡°Well, that took less convincing than expected. Gabby, find something to use as a weapon so that I can enhance it for you.¡± Looking away from where Melody disappeared, Brance immediately turned his attention to his girlfriend, who didn¡¯t have to be told twice, and ran after Melody in search of something to use as a weapon.

    ¡°Never a better time than now, whew,¡± exhaling to calm himself down, Brance started channeling all three of his Affinities while absorbing more from the Ambient Mana particles floating aimlessly around in the air.

    ¡°My Earthys the stone-like foundation to support me in my efforts to protect those I love,¡± Brance whispered, stomping both feet so hard they were buried up to his shins in the ground. Next, he began forcing all the Earth Mana his body could sustain into his legs, causing the ground to tremble.

    ¡°My foundation is guided by the steady bellows of my Wind, allowing it to soar to untold heights,¡± as he spoke the second verse of his Mantra, Brance extended his arms out to either side and turned his palms downward before kneeling down and gripping the air just above the soil his feet were embedded.

    Slowly pulling up, a fierce gust erupted, visibly manifesting the normally invisible Wind Mana particles. The buttons on Brance¡¯s zer broke off within the turbulent winds, letting the coat open up and flutter violently as his eyes shined with tan and green Mana light.

    ¡°My foundation shines in the radiance of my Light, allowing it to break the sky and reach the heavens! TRI-FUSION AFFINITY SKILL: [RADIENT TOWER],¡± Howling over the deafening winds, Brance clenched his hands into fists and thrust his arms up. Suddenly the earth shook as if a magnitude seven quake was urring, with Brance as the epicenter.

    The instant the skills name escaped his lips, the ground cracked and groaned louder than the fierce winds. A blinding light erupted from his body as a majestic stone tower exploded from the ground, encircling the Dorm and shooting towards the sky. This all happened just as the two enemies came into eyesight. Unfortunately for them, the spies had no time to react, as the radiant three-story ancient-looking stone tower swallowed them up and finished forming with a loud BOOM!

    ¡ª

    [I see you finally used it, now is as good a time as ever. It¡¯s about damn time you used your [Radiant Tower]. I was starting to believe it was just a concept, not a real skill. Now I don¡¯t have to worry too badly, but please, for the love of all that is unholy, don¡¯t level our home. I don¡¯t want to deal with having to stay in a shitty hotel or something.] Running on the battlefield¡¯s opposite end, Cynrik smirked and couldn¡¯t help but take a verbal jab at his brother.

    [Fuck off and worry about keeping your girlfriend and Benny alive, you took on the two strongest aside from the guy that got bodied by Garrison.] Using a strained tone, Brance quipped back as he appeared within what he called the centralmand center of his Tower.

    [I had Melody go into the training room and barricade herself in. If she had listened to my order, she should have no clue I just used this skill.] Brance said as he waved his hands over a stone column in the center of therge windowless room.

    [How long can you hold that thing together?]Cynrik said as he jumped up, shed two thick branches from a tree with his hidden des, and tossed them to Selene and Benny.

    [Providing these assholes don¡¯t start attacking the inner walls, maybe 10-15 minutes. I only went with three floors, one of which is basically our Dorm. I threw them on the 2nd floor. But I am hemorrhaging Mana and Stamina right now, so don¡¯t quote me on that timer.] cing his right hand on the center of the brightly shining pir, Brance closed his eyes and located Gabby, who was holding a broken broom and mop, waiting for Brance in the living room. Next, he uncapped a Mana potion with his left hand and downed it in one gulp, replenishing 1200 MP.

    [Got it; we will hold off these two until you wrap up with those guys. One guy is Mid Tier-3, and the other is on the cusp of middling since the Mana signature is between the two chasing you and his buttbuddy. Clearing Comms!] With that, Cynrik fell silent and focused on the two people drawing nearer as the seconds passed.

    Back in the Tower, Brance pushed some Mana into the column, and like magic, Gabby appeared in the room with him, with shock and awe painted all over her face.

    ¡°Woah, Brancie, this thing is amazing; why didn¡¯t I know about this skill before? It¡¯s so pretty!¡± Totally unfazed by the fact that she was just teleported, Gabby ran over to Brance while looking around with wonder sparkling in her eyes.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t ever had a chance to use my [Radiant Tower] before; not only is it massive, but it is a significant drain on my MP and STAM, so although I¡¯ve had the skill for some time, my Mana reserves were too small to actually use it longer than a minute or two, turning it into a useless waste of Mana points,¡± Brance said with a smile as he downed a second Mana Potion along with a Stamina potion.

    Looking away from Gabby, he then inserted his fingers into five small grooves on the column and turned it like a dial, causing tworge hologram-like screens to appear in front of them.

    ¡°Tri-Fusion Affinity Skill: [Radiant Tower], my most powerful yet useless skill I have ever conceptualized. Not only does it provide a solid defense, but it also houses an insane amount of control over the ambient Mana particles, which it draws power from upon creation. Offensively, it has some ability, but its primary purpose is to give us an even ying field against stronger opponents. To achieve this, the Tower bombards the enemy with arge amount of Mana and debuffs all of their stats by 20%.¡± Brance exined while monitoring the two confused men in ck on the second floor.

    ¡°As you can see by that increasing number, in the right corner,¡± Brance pointed to arge green number 9 on one of the monitors before continuing.

    ¡°The higher the floor is saturated with Mana, the higher the debuff percentage. By my calctions, it should take about another minute before it reaches the maximum I can exert, 20 percent.¡±

    ¡°Once it does, that is when I will teleport the two of us into the room so we can attack. With a 20% debuff in ce, we will have a better chance of winning even without our weapons. They will still be stronger than us, but we should be able to drop their strength down to around the Peak of Tier-2.¡± Releasing the column, Brance uncapped another round of potions and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

    ¡°Damn, the drain on my resource stats is worse than I expected, and I only made the tower three floors.¡± Thinking aloud, Brance pulled up his stat profile and looked at his avable allocation points with hesitation.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 271

    ¡°Damn, the drain on my resource stats is worse than I expected, and I only made the tower three floors.¡± Thinking aloud, Brance pulled up his stat profile and looked at his avable allocation points with hesitation.

    His eyes drifted from his INT stat, which was currently at 575, down to his VIT, which sat at 514. Even though he had an impressive 6280 MP and 4880 STAM, it still wasn¡¯t enough, making him sigh. As the seconds ticked by, he watched his numbers resource stats dwindling quickly.

    ¡°Brancie, it¡¯s okay; they are only allocation points; you and Big Bro Cyn always said the whole point of them was to use them when we needed an explosive boost in power.¡± Leaning her head on the stressed-out Brance, Gabby encouraged her boyfriend with the words he had spoken to her hundreds of times.

    ¡°I know, but it just feels like such a waste, especially VIT, since I already get a lot of points with every level up,¡± Brance said as he looked down at Gabby, who was staring into his eyes with a worried expression.

    ¡°Sigh, you¡¯re right, enough waiting; I¡¯ve already used the skill, and if I want to give us enough time to beat the guys down below, the only way is to beef up my stats.¡± Shooting Gabby a warm smile, Brance added 35 points into VIT and 145 points into his INT.

    Sucking in a sharp breath and allowing the warm sensation to surge through his body, Brance rolled his neck and smirked as he saw his newly acquired 9180 MP and 5580 STAM. With 180 stat points spent in one go, he ignored the buyers¡¯ remorse he was experiencing and tilted his head down, popping it, and slowly looking up as he observed the two enemies analyzing their surroundings on the second floor.

    The counter was at 15 and steadily increasing one point every 10 seconds, meaning in about 50 seconds, it would be time to move.

    Not in the least restrained by the time constraint, Brance calmly ced his right hand back onto the column and opened the third window, this one, for Gabby to see; its purpose was to show the full skill description for [Radiant Tower] that way he wouldn¡¯t have to exin it to her.

    Giving her some time to digest the information on the screen, Brance snatched the broom and mop from her hand and began reinforcing them into weapons by using his Light and Terra Affinities.

    -Tier-2.5 Tri-Fusion Affinity Skill: [Radiant Tower] (Terra, Wind, Light)-

    -Category: Active Mana Construct Skill-

    -A first-of-its-kind skill created by Brance Jetlensr. Light Mana Particles, with their innate ability to construct and create, Wind Mana Particles¡¯ stability, and Terra Mana Particles¡¯ durability,bine to form a majestically shining and ancient-looking Tower. Creating a powerful weapon and base for the User and their allies.-

    -It takes three steps to activate the skill; first, the User must embed their legs into the surface of Terra-rich terrain; next, the User must channel enough Wind Mana to form a Gale where they want the tower construction to begin. The Layout must be a t surface with a minimum of 20 meters2.-

    -The final stage is the most difficult; the User must utilize their Light Mana to form a Pseudo-Codex, which will be the powerhouse or heart of the Command Column, powering the entire Tower and all its resources. The Tower is then built in stages from the ground up. This is when the User must designate how many floors will be constructed. Once the blueprint and size have been chosen and the Pseudo-Codex created, it will begin drawing in vast amounts of Ambient Mana Particles to reduce the strain on the User¡¯s Mana Pool. In just a few seconds, the User can build the Tower, but it¡¯s rmended that they don¡¯t push their limits when using this skill, as if they do so and add more floors than they can handle, the energy will drain directly from their body, killing them.-

    -Pseudo-Codex: Housed within the Command Column, its Avable Mana Points are Equal to 2.5 times the Tower Creator¡¯s as it absorbs ambient Mana during the creation process. The Pseudo-Codex can be upgraded if proper resources are acquired, turning it into a true Codex, and allowing the Tower to be self-sufficient. Otherwise, when its MP hits Zero, it will dissolve, and the Tower will Copse.-

    -Central Command Center: No matter how many floors are created, the top floor will always be the brain of the Tower. Not only is this primarily empty room the second most heavily protected floor, but it also is where the Command Column is located. Through the Command Column, the Tower Creator can observe the happenings on every floor and the nearby surroundings outside the Tower, control the output and Mana allocation to each floor, trigger defensive or offensive protocols, and forcefully teleport any enemy or ally to any other floor in the Tower.-

    -First Floor: Foundation, the Tower¡¯s hardest and most protected floor; the foundation must be sturdy and unmovable to keep the higher floors stable. This floor should be built over an existing building to increase its strength, stability, and durability.-

    -Second Floor: Mana Collection and Compression. This floor houses a sizeable arena-style tform, but that is because the Tower Creator has chosen this to be the main entrapment feature and battleground within the Tower. The second floor acts as an enclosed particlepressor, drawing in outside Ambient Mana particles during its creation and the Mana provided by the Pseudo-Codex. From the Command Column, the Tower Creator can adjust the floor¡¯s Mana Density and use it to either Buff their Allies or Debuff their Enemies by a maximum of 20% to all the targeted beings¡¯ stats.-

    -Third Floor: Defensive Counter Measures. At Tier-2.5, this floor is equipt with four defensive protocols, which are controlled from the Command Column.

    -Protocol 1: Particle Barrier Generator, which can withstand up to two hits from a being at Peak Tier-3 and covers the entirety of the Tower. Its durability depends on how much Mana is supplied during its charging.-

    -Charge Time: 5 minutes.-

    -Activation Cost: Minimum 2000 MP, chargeable. The more MP put in during charging, the higher its durability and the longer it can stay active.-

    -Sustain Cost: 2% of Avable Charged MP per minute.-

    -Cooldown: 2 hours once broken.-

    -Protocol 2: Mana Pulse Generator, which expels all the Mana stored on the second floor in the shape of a dome, forcing all nearby enemies away from the Tower.

    -Charge Time: 5 minutes.-

    -Cooldown: 5 hours.-

    -Protocol 3: Camouge Generator uses Light Mana to bend the light around the Tower so that the Tower disappears from view if the being is under Tier-4.-

    -Charge Time: 1 minute.-

    -Activation Cost: Minimum 1000 MP, chargeable. The more MP put in during charging, the longer it can stay active.-

    -Sustain Cost: 1% of Avable Charged MP per minute.-

    -Cooldown: 5 hours.-

    -Protocol 4: Teleportation Station, thest resort meant to be used when the Tower is breached and a hostile takeover is imminent. Allows for up to seven Allies to be teleported to a preselected location to safety. WARNING, BY USING THIS PROTOCOL, THE SELF-DESTRUCTION OF THE PSEUDO-CODEX WILL BE TRIGGERED, EXPENDING ALL THE MANA AVAILABLE IN THE TOWER TO DEAL DAMAGE TO NEARBY ENEMIES.

    -Charge time: 5 minutes.-

    -Teleportation Distance is determined by how much Mana is input to the device by those who wish to leave. Those designated by the Tower Creator can activate it.-

    -Fourth Floor: Offensive Counter Measures. At Tier-2.5, this floor can be equipt with up to one of three preset artilleryyouts.-

    -Layout A: Four Tier-2 Mana Construct Cannons.-

    -Fires, one Terra-Light Shell.-

    -Damage: Static 3000 Points of Magic Dmg.-

    -Cooldown: 5 minutes.-

    -Charge Time: 1 minute.-

    -Layout B: Six Tier-2 Mana Construct Ballista.-

    -Fires, one Terra-Wind Javelin.-

    -Damage: Static 2000 Points of Physical Dmg.-

    -Cooldown: 3 minutes.-

    -Charge Time: 30 seconds.-

    -Layout C: One Tier-2.5 Positron Cannon.-

    -Activation Cost: 5000 MP.-

    -Fires, One Terra-Light-Wind Beam.-

    -Damage: Static 15000 Points of AOE DMG.-

    -Cooldown: 30 minutes.-

    -Charge Time: 15 minutes.-

    -Damage varies depending on the Targets Tier and Defensive abilities.-

    -Further floors are temporarily locked due to Skill Tier not being high enough.-

    -Cost: The cost of this skill is adjustable depending on how many floors are added during the Towers Construction Phase. The prices of each individual floor are listed below. The cost is PER FLOOR.

    -Activate Floors 1 and 2: 1000 MP, 1000 STAM.-

    -Sustain Cost: 100 MP and 100 STAM per minute.-

    -Activate Floors 3 and 4: 3000 MP, 3000 STAM.-

    -Sustain Cost: 300 MP and 300 STAM per minute.-

    -Any higher floors are currently Locked due to not having a high enough Tier.-

    -Cooldown: 336 Hours (2 weeks)-

    Finishing up the weapon enhancement, Brance looked over at Gabby, who had her jaw nearly touching the floor and pupils asrge as saucers.

    ¡°Oh¡­my, Brancie, how¡­how is this real. YOU MADE THIS SKILL?¡± Snapping her head to her boyfriend, Gabby demanded an exnation.

    ¡°Eh? I mean, I had help from Big Brother,¡± Scratching the back of his head, brance also added the thought ¡®and Tobs, of course,¡¯ Before continuing.

    ¡°Initially, the skill wasn¡¯t anywhere near as good as it is now. When I first developed it, I could only use one floor. If memory serves, you were there the very first time Ipleted my Mantra, that was when the CSH epted it as an actual skill, and the description was entirely generated. I do have quite a bit of customization over the skill itself, and honestly, I am not really sure why or how.¡±

    ¡°All I do know is my [Radiant Tower] is such a significant drain on my reserves that It isn¡¯t really viable in 99 percent of situations. Given a choice, I would run headlong into battle and try my luck rather than burn so much MP and STAM. However, things are a bit different this time. Not only are the enemies stronger than us, but we also don¡¯t have our gear, so there weren¡¯t many other options.¡± Twirling around his Elemental Greatsword and storing it on his back, Brance spun the dial on themand column counter-clockwise and watched as the number in the top right corner of the monitor finally hit 20.

    Once the dial clicked two times, it allowed Brance to push it in, revealing a small tri-colored orb the size of a ss marble inside a half-egg-shaped housing. cing two fingers on the orb, Brance closed his eyes and dumped half of his MP and Stamina into the Pseudo-Codex before removing his fingers and chugging down two more potions. When his fingers left the orb, it sunk back into the column, and the dial reappeared.

    ¡°Time to go; I just pumped enough Mana into the Pseudo-Codex to give us 20 minutes to kill these guys. Keep on your toes and NEVER underestimate your opponent. These two are in the early stages of Tier-3, and I can only support you to a certain extent.¡± cing his hands on Gabby¡¯s shoulders and turning her to face him, Brance spoke in a serious tone.

    ¡°I know, be careful, Brance¡­I lo¡­¡± Before she could get out the three-word sentence, Brance sealed her lips with his index finger and a smile.

    ¡°Silly rabbit, don¡¯t go throwing up death gs on me. We will both be fine out there; they are just too losers who are stalking a group of kids; we¡¯ve got this; just remember your training, and if you need help, I will be right there without a second¡¯s notice. Now let¡¯s do this shit.¡± Brance said as he tried removing his finger from Gabby¡¯s lips, but as he did, Gabby caught his arm, pulled him into her, and nted a kiss on his lips while giggling.

    ¡°You little, Selene is such a bad influence on you!¡± Drawing back from Gabby, Brance grumbled and shook his head.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 272

    ¡°Now let¡¯s do this shit,¡± Brance said as he tried removing his finger from Gabby¡¯s lips, but as he did, Gabby caught his arm, pulled him into her, and nted a kiss on his lips while giggling.

    ¡°You little, Selene is such a bad influence on you!¡± Drawing back from Gabby, Brance grumbled and shook his head.

    ¡°Hehe, how do you know it was Selly¡¯s influence and not Big Bro Cyn?¡± Gabby said gleefully, still in shock that she had been so bold as to make a move.

    ¡°Tsk, because my brother isn¡¯t nearly that affectionate, it would be some kind of grope or ass smack.¡± Brance snorted as he double-checked that the Mana Costs for sustaining the Tower had been transferred to the Pseudo-Codex. After ncing at his resource stat bar and noticing only his Stamina was slowly dropping, he nodded and handed the make-shift shortsword to Gabby.

    Brance had broken the already half of a broomstick further, making it into a size that she could easily wield. His reasoning was simple, this would be a real battle, and unlike Benny and himself, who were ustomed to using longer and heavier weapons, Gabby had been trained by both Selene and Cynrik in the art of using a Shortsword or Dagger.

    Upon receiving her reinforced weapon, Gabby expertly spun it in the same way she had seen Cynrik do a million times and tucked it into the sheath she had been using for her own secondary weapon, a long dagger, which was a gift from Selene on her most recent birthday. However, she was still acting a bit absent-minded and was trying her best not to feel her lips and hide the blush turning her face tomato red.

    ¡°Gabby, lock it up; now isn¡¯t the time to be distracted; I need you focused; we can talk about the other thingter, but right now, we are about to enter a life or death battle.¡± Holding the broken piece of broomstick with one hand, Brance forced as much Light and Terra Mana into it as the tool could handle, turning it into a make-shift kite shieldrge enough to cover his forearm. Although it wasn¡¯t great, it could still block a handful of strikes from the Early Tier-3 enemies.

    Equipping the shoddy Elemental shield into the slot open on his left arm, Brance pulled the Greatsword off his back and tossed it up several times before executing a couple of shes.

    ¡°Get ready; I am moving us now. [Vanish] is absolutely useless against them and will only hide us from Mid Tier-2 or lower, so hit the ground running. Be prepared for the sudden assault and keep on the move; I will try and pull their attention while you get into a favorable position. There is no telling how high these guys¡¯ stats are, but the second we get in, our Stats will be buffed by 20%, and theirs negged by 20%, so try testing the waters with [Confusion].¡±

    ¡°If we can throw them off their game, we have a better shot at cleaning them up quickly.¡± Looking away from the monitor, where the two men were creeping around the dark room looking for anything to use to get their baring, Brance told Gabby his half-formed n.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my [Confusion] is at Tier-2.5 now, so it shouldnd the Status Effect, providing their MIND isn¡¯t too high and they don¡¯t have any equipment to block it.¡± Gabby¡¯s eyes narrowed as she examined the gear on both the men.

    ¡°It looks like we are dealing with a Swordsman and a Mage. I will go after the Mage first since he¡¯s squishy, but if that Swordsman is quick on his feet, I can¡¯t guarantee I make it to the Mage in time.¡± Drawing the weapon on her back out of the sheath, Gabby spun it around in her right hand and held it in a reverse grip. Since the length was between a dagger and a shortsword, and Brance had matched her forearms size, it fit perfectly against her arm, almost flush with her skin.

    ¡°Ha, don¡¯t worry about that; they are in the dark right now; the second we teleport, keep your eyes closed for exactly 2 seconds.¡± With that said, Brance closed his eyes and readied up his trump card; there was a very good reason why there were no windows on the 2nd floor.

    Seeing Brance close his eyes, Gabby followed suit, and reached out, caught the cuff of her boyfriend¡¯s sleeve, and gave it a sharp tug, indicating she was ready.

    Fwoosh.

    Half a secondter, the Command Center fell utterly silent as Gabby and Brance teleported to the 2nd floor. Unknown to them, the moment they left, a certain monochromatic transparent AI appeared in their ce, extended her hand over themand column, and turned back on the Screens. Brance wasn¡¯t aware, but someone had to always be present at the column unless it was running on self-sufficient mode, and that¡¯s where Tobs came in.

    Since the CSH recognized her as the official AI for both Brance, Selene, and Cynrik, she had full authorization to assist with their skills, and the [Radiant Tower] was no different. With her present, the Tower could run efficiently and not quickly burn through the resources Brance had left behind.

    ¡ª

    -You have received a 20% Stat buff to all of your non-hidden stats.-

    -Two Targeted Enemies have received a 20% Debuff to all non-hidden stats.-

    Touching down silently in the center of the arena, Brance kept his eyes tightly shut and activated his trump card, which had been charging. First, Brance extended both his arms out and activated two Light Affinity Skills, [Glint] and [shBang], hurling the grenade in the approximate direction of the enemies and firing the [Glint] straight up above his head. Once the grenade left his hand, he tapped Gabby on the shoulder, just for good measure and to ensure his Pdin Skill, [Devotion¡¯s Halo], was in effect, allowing for a 5% damage reduction.

    SHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEE

    BOOOOOOOOM

    ¡°AHHH, MY EYES!¡±

    ¡°WHAT THE FUCK DAMN IT, THEY¡¯RE HERE!

    -You have inflicted (Blind) on Marristal Kain. The effects willst for 30 seconds-

    -You have failed to inflict (Blind) on Hodger Pasil wholly. The effects willst for 15 seconds.-

    The two men¡¯s screams were the signal making Gabby and Brance move into action, snapping their eyes open and locating their targets. Both men were ten meters away on the far left side of the cobblestone tiled arena, rubbing their eyes furiously and trying to get their bearings.

    Holding his shield up and raising up his Greatsword onto his shoulder, Brance kicked off the ground as quietly as possible, propelling himself forward and casting Haste on himself and Gabby, increasing their speed further.

    Brance and Gabby separated as they arrived before their targets, with Brance delivering a powerful rolling body kick into his target¡¯s stomach, silencing his angry yelling, depriving him of oxygen in his lungs, and catapulting him across the arena into the far wall with a loud BOOM!

    Gabby, arriving half a beat after Brance attacked his target, lunged forward, kneeing the Mage in the stomach, using her forward momentum, and went to the ground with him. On the way down, she channeled an amethyst orb in her free hand, the [Confusion] skill, and mmed it right into the man¡¯s temple. Unfortunately, the moment it made contact with his head, she received a notification that her attempt had failed, so she quickly changed her strategy and whipped her make-shift weapon forward, attempting to plunge it into his heart.

    But the moment she did, the man shattered into particles and appeared five meters behind her, gasping for breath. Recognizing this skill as the Mage¡¯s teleportation movement skill [Blink], Gabby kicked off the ground and chased after him before he could try casting any spells.

    Meanwhile, Brance shed to the Swordsman, brought up his Greatsword, gripping it with both hands, and used [Prominence Strike.] Instantly a ring of five replica illusionary copies of his weapon appeared before he brought it down right on the man¡¯s chest.

    CRACK BOOOOM

    ¡°FAHHH¡± Was all the man could say as he felt the front of his ck te armor cracking and folding in on his body from the force of the strike.

    Without hesitation, Brance pulled back his sword, spun around, and delivered a head kick straight into the right side of the man¡¯s jaw, forcing him out of the person-sized crater in the wall and skittering across the ground like a pebble on a pond.

    Just as he was about to take off after the man, the whole Tower shook and suddenly heated up before a loud explosion rang out behind him. Watching in horror, Brance saw the motionless body of Gabby flung through the air and flying into the nearest wall a total of 15 meters away from his position, causing his heart to skip a beat. But instead of a bloody mess as he feared, the moment Gabby made contact with the wall, her body shattered into Amethyst light.

    Looking away because he knew it was only a construct, Brance stomped the ground hard enough to kick up some splintered stone and dashed after the Swordsman, who was struggling to get back to his feet while tearing off his dented helmet and chest armor.

    The man had just enough time to notice the movement of a blurry figure surging towards him before Brance again mmed into him, using his shield and executing a perfect [Shield Bash]. Unfortunately, as the man was once again airborne, he spun, drawing his sword, and used the wall as a springboard to charge forward at Brance.

    Bringing up his Katana-look-a-like, he tried stabbing forward but only made contact with Brance¡¯s make-shift shield, generating a loud crashing sound and bathing them both in sparks and chunks of rocks. Bouncing off the shield, the Swordsman flipped through the air and rushed forward again, entering into a back and forth with Brance, who was finding it challenging to keep up with the flurry of swift attacks.

    While this was going on, Gabby was running circles around the flustered Mage, who kept firing small [Fireballs] without any sess. His vision had alreadye back since he only had a 15-second (Blind) status effect. The one attack he was sure hadnded only ended up dealing with a replica, and with how fast this little girl was moving, it was nearly impossible for him tond a single target skill on her. Even with the few tracking skills like [Firebolt], Gabby found a way to dodge or counter at the final second of impact.

    Staying low to the ground, Gabby was rapid-fire summoning Replicas in an attempt to confuse her enemy, but no sooner than did she make one was it blown up, leaving her feeling helpless.

    ¡®Faster, I need to move faster, just like Big Bro Cyn.¡¯ Gabby thought to herself as she began stacking up multiple instances of her [Longstrider] skill, with each one giving her an additional 5% in her AGI stat. Running so low to the ground that she could easily touch it, Gabby began dropping tiny seeds in a ring around her opponent. She was setting up a trap even as she was fighting a Fire Mage; however, to her dismay, he quickly caught on. Between destroying her replicas and trying to control her movement, he began tosh out at the poor tiny sprouts trying to emerge from the ground.

    With each step she took, she could feel her muscles straining as her AGI stat increased too fast for her body to handle. Gritting her teeth and ignoring the pain, Gabby stutter-stepped and bolted right toward the Fire Mage, suddenly appearing like a shadow, and plunged her de towards his chest.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 273

    With each step she took, she could feel her muscles straining as her AGI stat increased too fast for her body to handle. Gritting her teeth and ignoring the pain, Gabby stutter-stepped and bolted right toward the Fire Mage, suddenly appearing like a shadow, and plunged her de towards his chest.

    With wide eyes, the Fire Mage knew he only had one option if he wanted to survive. Since his [Blink] was still on cooldown, the man angled his body and leaned forward just enough so that when Gabby¡¯s de bit into his flesh, it hit his right shoulder, just below the corbone instead of his heart.

    ¡°AHHH!¡± Howling in pain, with bloodshot eyes, the Fire Mage caught Gabby by the shoulder and punched her square in the nose, causing it to erupt in blood, spraying himself all over his face and torso. However, although it hurt like hell, Gabby didn¡¯t flinch or cry out; instead, she whipped her head back and headbutted the man right in his face, breaking his nose with a violent crack, making the man release her.

    Unlike Gabby, who had gone through numerous amounts of physical trauma at the hands of Cynrik under the guise of ¡°conditioning,¡± the Fire Mage¡¯s tolerance for pain was on the low end of the spectrum, and he hadn¡¯t had the time to bring up his [Mana Shield].

    ¡°FUCK YOU!¡± Gabby screamed as she bent her knees and shoulder-rammed the off-bnce Mage to the ground. Moving like a cat, Gabby transitioned into the full mount, pinning the Mage¡¯s arms to the ground with her knees, and began raining a series of punches, hammer fists, and elbows onto the defenseless man. Each hit rang out with flesh impacts, causing his eyes to balloon up and nearly swell shut.

    When Gabby was in the middle of following through with a particrly powerful downward angled elbow strike, she ended up hitting air instead of flesh. Activating [Blink] as soon as it came off cooldown, the Fire Mage put distance between him and Gabby, and just like that; they were back to ying cat and mouse; however, this time, instead of well-timed and aimed attacks, the man had gone into spray-and-pray mode in pure desperation.

    His attacks had not only gotten way more frequent, but he was also adding more Mana into each one, creating mes half the size of Gabby, making it way more challenging to dodge.

    SHOOOMMM

    Brance and his opponent were forced to jump to the side, narrowly avoiding a huge fireball in the middle of a series of rounds. While dodging, he even got clipped by the passing attack, lighting his sword hand sleeve on fire. Acting on instinct, Brance rolled over his arm as he dove to safety and doused the fire before it damaged his arm and made it unusable.

    Jumping back to his feet and meeting another head-on sword strike with his shield, Brance shook out his right arm a few times. Unfortunately, unlike the previous times, when he had stopped the Swordsman¡¯s attacks, this time, his shield buckled and fragmented into chunks of stone, leaving him without a defensive weapon.

    Grimacing in pain and clenching his left fist tightly to reduce the numbness, Brance activated [Lay on Hands] and touched his left forearm with his right hand¡¯s fingertips healing the damage he had just received.

    ¡°Tch fucking Pdins, cant you lot fight fair?¡± The man said as he spat out a mouthful of blood onto the ground, a byproduct of an elbow the Swordsman took to the mouth earlier.

    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk dickhead, spying on a bunch of first-year students and then engaging in battle with someone a full Tier below you.¡± Brance sarcastically retorted with a matching smirk while bringing up his index finger, holding down his left nostril, and shooting out a chunk of coagted blood.

    SHOOOOOMMM

    When Brance finished his statement, he jumped to the side, moving out of the way of yet another firest, his eyes never leaving the Swordsman, who was in the process of looking for any opening Brance showed so that he could capitalize on it and finish the fight.

    Dropping into abat stance, sliding his left leg forward, Brance held his Greatsword down and behind his right hip with both hands. While exhaling slowly to steady his heartbeat, Brance met the Swordsman¡¯s gaze as he also assumed a fighting stance.

    Although they had traded an uncountable number of attacks, neither of them could grasp the initiative in this fight. Whenever Brance attacked, the man blocked and counter-attacked before going on the offensive himself. Like this, the two had been chipping away at each other¡¯s HP and STAM turning what should have been a fast-paced and short battle into a war of attrition. One that if it continued as it had, Brance would be on the losing side of.

    Knowing that he would lose if he didn¡¯t make the first move, Brance¡¯s eyes flicked to his resource stat bar. Between burning multiple skills and the Stamina drain from sustaining the tower, he was in rough shape, with only around 45 percent of his STAM intact. In contrast, his HP was still sitting at approximately 80 percent. This was because every time he received a strike, Brance would try his best to heal the injuries before they could umte.

    Not wanting the temporary ceasefire to continue, Brance pulled a hail-mary y and rushed forward in reckless abandon, surprising the Swordsman. Although he couldn¡¯t understand why Brance would do such a thing, he wasn¡¯t one to turn down a gift. He stepped back and executed one of his ss skills, lighting his sword in blue light. The Swordsman then aimed for a diagonal strike that would bisect Brance from shoulder to hip if itnded.

    Brance didn¡¯t stop his aggressive push and acted as if the life-threatening attack didn¡¯t exist. Without bothering to dodge or bring up his Greatsword to block the strike, Brance calmly traced the path of the shining sword and lined up his body so that his movement would be uncontrolled after getting hit.

    Time seemed to slow down for both parties as the Swordman¡¯s weapon cut through the air almost too fast to be seen. The man¡¯s eyes turned into crescents, and a nasty grin appeared on his face just as his de mmed down into Brance¡¯s shoulder.

    BOOOOMMMMM

    SQWELP!

    Still grinning like a fool, the man suddenly felt strange; his eyes suddenly shot wide open and went bloodshot as he noticed his sword had stopped millimeters away from Brance¡¯s shoulder. Although his eyes could see what was happening, his brain had yet to catch up with what transpired. It wasn¡¯t until the worst pain he had ever experienced shot up to his head from both his elbows. In horror, he watched as his arms separated from the rest of his body and darted off in two different directions along with his sword.

    ¡°Tier-2 Pdin Skill [Hallowed Ground],¡± Brance¡¯s words came out in an emotionless tone as he reached out with his left hand and caught the Katana, spun it into a reverse grip, and swiftly cut off the Swordsman¡¯s head with his own weapon.

    Going back just before the collision urred, Brance held his sword in such a way that he would be able to bring it up from below and take off both the man¡¯s arms without fail. This n was hazardous, mainly because the Swordsman had already determined he was a Pdin, but in the end, it worked out because the man was too overconfident and had put the cart before the horse. Brance had no idea if he would receive any jarring shock from taking the attack head-on, but the instant he felt no resistance or impact from the attack, he looped his Greatsword and shed upward.

    ¡®Five seconds,¡¯ spinning around and tossing his Greatsword to the side, Brance counted down the time until his [Hallowed Ground] wore off. Forcing all of his weight into his lead leg, Brance stomped the ground hard enough to create an aftershock and crater, propelling himself directly through a fireball, which he cut in half.

    Brance¡¯s pupils constricted as he met Gabby¡¯s gaze when he pushed toward Gabby and the Fire Mage. Being the intelligent girl she was, Gabby darted off in the opposite direction, causing the Fire Mage to turn his back to Brance, opening himself up for an attack.

    ¡®Four seconds.¡¯ Pumping Wind Mana into both his legs, Brance elerated faster than he had ever gone in the past. The Tower walls became streaks of shining tan light as he crouched lower and motioned like sheathing a sword on his left hip, giving the illusion that he was running while holding onto the hilt and sheath of the Katana, even though there was no scabbard.

    ¡®Three seconds.¡¯ Gabby had now moved into position and was zigzagging from left to right, avoiding every iing firest almost as if she were performing a deadly dance. Pushing his Light Mana into the (illusionary) sheathed Katana, Brance¡¯s eyes narrowed as he got as low to the ground as possible. There was only going to be one chance to pull this off; if he missed or failed to execute the attack correctly, his [Hallowed Ground] would wear off, leaving him nearly drained of all his MP and STAM.

    -You have Killed a Level 11 Tier-3 Human Swordsman.-

    ¡®Two seconds,¡¯ ignoring the first wave of notifications, Brance¡¯s mind shed back to Earth, when he was a young child when he and Cynrik would watch a particr anime that became known as Brance¡¯s favorite all-time show. This show had such a profound influence on him that it led to Brance mimicking all the attacks with dull katanas, moving around in the back yard and doing mock battles with Cynrik.

    Unlike his brother, who had been influenced so profoundly that he now wielded Dual Kodachi, Brance never felt the need or urge to use a Katana as it didn¡¯t fit his n. But now, at this moment, Brance couldn¡¯t help but smirk as he lined up behind the Fire Mage and got into position.

    ¡®One Second,¡¯ Brance began, gripped the hilt of the Katana, and started drawing it across his body while muttering under his breath.

    ¡°Hiten Mitsurugi-ry¨±,¡± Stepping forward with his right foot first, Brance elerated as he drew the sword across his body and took a final step with his left foot, using all of his strength in one fluid god-speed, fast attack.

    Looking back at the Fire Mage, all Gabby saw was a bright sh of light and then a mist of blood, guts, and body parts, followed by Brance continuing forward and stepping through the Fire Mage; he had just obliterated. Brance¡¯s two-step move had generated such an immense force due to the speed of his draw that it sliced through the man¡¯s body and the air itself, creating a power vacuum as the cut air surged back into ce.

    Sliding to a stop, Brance spun the clean Katana,pleted the motion of sheathing the sword, and spoke the final lines.

    ¡°Amakakeru Ry¨± no Hirameki,¡±

    FWOOOSHHHH SHHHHHUCKKKK SHILKKK SQWELP! SHOOOMMMM

    With the words out of his mouth, the violent sounds rapidly exploded in the air, soon to be followed by a massive wave of notifications.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 274

    POV SHIFT, GOING BACK SEVERAL MINUTES AGO, as Brance activated his [Radiant Tower.]

    [I see you finally used it, now is as good a time as ever. It¡¯s about damn time you used your [Radiant Tower]. I was starting to believe it was just a concept, not a real skill. Now I don¡¯t have to worry too badly, but please, for the love of all that is unholy, don¡¯t level our home. I don¡¯t want to deal with having to stay in a shitty hotel or something.] Running on the battlefield¡¯s opposite end, Cynrik smirked and couldn¡¯t help but take a verbal jab at his brother.

    [Fuck off and worry about keeping your girlfriend and Benny alive, you took on the two strongest aside from the guy that got bodied by Garrison.] Pausing for a second as he did something, Brance continued his train of thought.

    [I had Melody go into the training room and barricade herself in. If she had listened to my order, she should have no clue I just used this skill.] Using a strained tone, Brance quipped back, making Cynrik roll his eyes.

    [How long can you hold that thing together?]Cynrik said as he jumped up, shed two thick branches from a tree with his hidden des, and tossed them to Selene and Benny.

    [Providing these assholes don¡¯t start attacking the inner walls, maybe 10-15 minutes. I only went with three floors, one of which is basically our Dorm. I threw them on the 2nd floor. But I am hemorrhaging Mana and Stamina right now, so don¡¯t quote me on that timer.]

    [Got it; we will hold off these two until you wrap up with those guys. One guy is Mid Tier-3, and the other is on the cusp of middling since the Mana signature is between the two chasing you and his buttbuddy. Clearing Comms!] Weaving through the trees dotting the Core Area, Cynrik lept over a line of bushes and cut to the right, circling around one of the Dorms.

    ¡°Stay on my wings, you two; splitting up isn¡¯t a good idea. As it stands, we are out-leveled and outgunned. To top it off, it doesn¡¯t look like Garrison and Alistar intend to cut in unless we are in a precarious situation like before.¡±

    ¡°Copy,¡± Benny was the first to respond as he pumped ample amounts of Water Mana into his two-meter-long branch. Everyone at the party had been attending different Affinity courses. Fortunately, the one thing every member of MyrkLys had learned was some form of Enhancement Skill, which would allow them to use their Affinities to turn any object into a weapon if the situation called for it.

    Giving Benny¡¯s make-shift weapon a look over, Cynrik nodded in approval and nced at Selene, whose branch had turned into an inky ck mass.

    ¡°It¡¯s not perfect, but it¡¯llst for a couple of hits or parries. What¡¯s the n, darling?¡± Rolling the nearly three-and-a-half-meter-long make-shift spear around her arm, Selene asked.

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t notice by now, Brance used his Tower, so he has segregated himself and Gabby with the other two spies. It is up to the three of us to hold them off until Brance and Gabby return.¡± Jumping over another hedge line, Cynrik spun in the air and got a look at the two adults chasing after them nearly 60 meters behind.

    Tucking in and rolling before bouncing back to his feet, Cynrik continued, ¡°Middling cker dude is a Spearman, so Selene, you and Benny can work together to deal with him. As for the Mid Tier-3 guy looks like he¡¯s wearing gauntlets, so I¡¯m assuming he is a Fighter or Brawler. I can deal with him, but you all will be on your own, and I won¡¯t be able to offer much assistance. I should have a majority advantage, depending on how good my target is regarding hand-to-hand. Keep your heads on straight and stay focused, but most of all, work together.¡±

    ¡°Selene, you only have 40 right now, but Benny, I rmend you burn your points. Not having a good weapon will hinder you greatly, so you need to try mitigating the stat difference between you and him.¡± Plotting his course for his next move, Cynrik didn¡¯t look at either Selene or Benny as they neared arge Dorm at the edge of the confinement area.

    ¡°Speed or Power, Big Bro?¡± Benny asked while opening up his Status profile and looking at his 268 allocation points.

    ¡°He¡¯s a Spearman, so his Stats will lean heavier into DEX and AGI like me,¡± Selene chimed in as she spun around a tree in her path and kept running.

    ¡°I agree with Sel. With your AGI being the lowest of us three, I¡¯d say that is your best bet. However, don¡¯t forget that the more you move, the quicker you burn through STAM. Also, you may need to hit your INT a bit. Without your gear, you will be forced into using more Affinity Skills. You both need to bump up your most-used skills with your excess skill points.¡±

    BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM

    Just as Cynrik finished speaking, a truck-sized boulder smashed into the building they were passing, making Cynrik activate his [Mana Sight] and spot Garrison duking it out with the Peak Tier-3 not far away.

    ¡°Tsk, Sel, raise your AGI and INT to 600, and p that final point into your VIT, making it a clean 515. Next, beef up you¡¯re [Void Domain] with Skill points. Dump in as many as the skill will take. That will be your guy¡¯s trump card in this fight.¡±

    BOOM

    Finishing his instructions to Selene, Cynrik snaped and fired off apressed [Fireball], countering a boulder heading towards them and exploding it into fragments without slowing down his pace.

    ¡°I¡¯m on it, one second,¡± raising her left hand, which wasn¡¯t holding her make-shift spear, Selene pulled up her Status profile and assigned 31 points into AGI and eight into INT. For a split second, Selene elerated as her speed increased thanks to breaking 600 AGI, but she quickly adjusted and fell inline a step behind Cynrik.

    Next, she allocated 275 skill points into her [Void Domain], Evolving it into its Tier-2.5 counterpart, [Domain of Shadows].

    ¡°Do you want the upgraded description?¡± Noticing the changes in her skill, Selene posed the question to Cynrik, who shook his head.

    ¡°Cliff notes it for me.¡±

    ¡°Fog has grown considerably from 20 meters to 50, and I can designate people who can see unhindered within. Also, it gives a 15% debuff to anyone not designated as an Ally. The cost also increased by 25%, but that isn¡¯t a problem.¡± Peeking over her shoulder at Benny, since the info was more so for him than Cynrik, who could already see within the Domain thanks to [Mana Sight], Selene gave the abridged version of her new skill description.

    ¡°eptable, Benny; what about your stats,¡± inhaling slowly, Cynrik narrowed his eyes as he directed the group past Brance¡¯s Tower.

    ¡°Pushing through the stat changes now, tsss!¡± Benny gritted his teeth and had to control his legs from pumping harder than necessary. Once he was back in control, he refocused his mind and informed Cynrik of the changes to his stats.

    ¡°My AGI and INT have increased to 535 each, and my VIT is now 545.¡±

    ¡°Noted, alright, you guys are on your own; once we get behind thising up Two-story, I am breaking off hard right; you guys go hard left. Good luck.¡± Clenching his fists tightly, Cynrik bounced twice before stomping with his lead foot and heading to the nearest rooftop, a two Story Dorm.

    Selene and Benny veered off and moved close to the walls, not following Cynrik up; the point was to try splitting up the two stalkers.

    Luckily it worked; Cynrik had chosen to go high and head to the right since the Gauntlet guy was on the right side as he ran. So when Cynrik broke off from the pack, the man followed suit, while the Spearman went left, following Selene and Benny.

    Selene and Benny swiftly navigated through the rubble of the Dorm that Garrison had kicked the Peak Tier-3 through earlier and posted up, waiting for their opponent to enter the range of Selene¡¯s domain skill.

    Meanwhile, Cynrik touched down on the roof of the two-story and crossed his arms, waiting patiently for the Brawler to appear. It only took the Mid Tier-3 man a few short seconds to close the distance and jump up, following his target; however, the second he came over the roof, Cynrik was right there waiting for him.

    Moving swiftly, Cynrik caught the man by the cor of his ck leather armor and executed a perfect judo hip toss, mming the man right into the shingled nted roof with a loud bang.

    ¡°Tisk tisk, a Brawler, who should be an expert in hand to hand, just got leveled by a child a full Tier and a half lower than him. I¡¯d say that¡¯s pretty embarrassing if you ask me.¡± Cynrik bantered as he dusted off his hands and dropped into his hand-to-hand fighting stance.

    ¡°Ugh, cheap shots arent the warrior¡¯s way, kid. I nned on meeting you up here and issuing an official fight challenge. But apparently, you aren¡¯t one for formalities or honor.¡± Slowly getting to his feet unhurt, the Brawler calmly said.

    ¡°Honor, che, what honor is there in hiding like a filthy coward to spy and gather intel on a bunch of students. Don¡¯t spout that bullshit at me.¡± Tilting his head to the side, Cynrik spat on the roof before ncing at the bodynguage of the masked Brawler in all-ckbat gear.

    ¡°Are you nning on standing there all day in shock that I have a vicious tongue, or are we going to fucking fight? I don¡¯t have all day, and myrades are kind of in the middle of beating the shit out of your little crew.¡±

    The Brawler responded with a grunt and rushed forward at Cynrik, mming his arms down for a second in a reload motion.

    ¡®Fuck, those are Shot-gauntlets,¡¯ Cynrik thought to himself as he shed forward to meet his opponent head-on. His mind went back to when Professor Dennis exined the different offensive sses; when he got to Brawlers, he emphasised that there were two different weapons you could find them using, Gauntlets or leg bracers. Although there were a wide variety of different types ofbat gauntlets, the one the majority of people used whenpleting Egress Dives was the Shot-Gauntlets.

    These weapons had a mechanism in them that would allow ammunition to be added into the revolver-style device, wrapping around the center of the weapon and adding an explosive BOOM to each punch.

    Arriving in front of the Brawler, Cynrik slipped under the first punch, a wide hook, and dished out a full power uppercut into the man¡¯s ribs. Unfortunately, Cynrik was forced to jump back, as the instant he made contact with the man, the Brawler moved his body and counter-attacked with his opposite arm, a swift jab.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 275

    Arriving in front of the Brawler, Cynrik slipped under the first punch, a wide hook, and dished out a full power uppercut into the man¡¯s ribs. Unfortunately, Cynrik was forced to jump back, as the instant he made contact with the man, the Brawler moved his body and counter-attacked with his opposite arm, a swift jab.

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the heavy metal gauntlet-covered fist zooming right toward his face. Dropping his right shoulder and rolling his head in the same direction, Cynrik stepped forward and crouched slightly, allowing him to duck smoothly under the iing attack. However, this put him right into the Brawler¡¯s chest, but that was where he wanted to be. As the more nimble fighter, Cynrik needed to close the distance, which was precisely what he did.

    His vision flicked down to the Brawler¡¯s ribcage, but this was just a fake, considering that Cynrik was targeting the Brawler just above his right knee.

    Crack

    Falling back into his old MMA habit, Cynrik sharply exhaled in a hiss as he whipped his left leg around and delivered a devastating Oblique kick driving the Brawler¡¯s knee backward forcefully. Feeling the tendons strain against his shin, Cynrik spun around, narrowly avoiding a right overhand punch aimed for his head before circling around behind his opponent.

    Gliding on the balls of his feet, Cynrik feinted a heavy left hook at the man¡¯s body, which forced him to drop his arm to block. Still, as it was only a faint, Cynrik never intended to strike the body. Instead, as he moved, he flicked his right wrist counter-clockwise, chambered one of his Dark Infused Hidden des into the de shot mechanism, and punched forward into the back of the man¡¯s shoulder.

    Shoomm!

    The instant Cynrik¡¯s brace connected with the Brawler¡¯s shoulder, Cynrik fired the hidden de with 500 points of pure Dark Mana to propel the de out of the chamber and into the man¡¯s flesh. The de pushed in through the arm until it scraped against bone and stopped.

    Putting his weight on his toes, Cynrik kicked off the ground and dashed backward as he watched the spot he stabbed with [Mana Sight]. The de was in the process of acting like a syringe and injecting copious amounts of Dark Mana into the Brawler¡¯s shoulder, which soon started spreading throughout his body.

    Unfortunately, it didn¡¯tst long, as the man grunted angrily, ripped the de out of his shoulder, and used his own blue Mana to cleanse his body from the invading Dark.

    ¡°Tsk, figures hehe,¡± Cynrik taunted, speaking in a self-deprecating tone as he performed several back handsprings, finishing them at the opposite end of the roof.

    ¡°I forgot you were one of those Shadow Bastards. Pitty, your movements say you have been trained extensively in hand-to-handbat. [Aqua Ramid.]¡± Grimacing at the lingering pain in his shoulder, the Brawler punched forward, manifesting a hexagonal pyramid of condensed Water Mana and shooting it at Cynrik.

    Standing his ground, Cynrik formed a w with his left hand, manifested a condensed [Fireball], andunched at the hexagonal water pyramid. To his dismay, it was quickly pierced and continued forward, barely giving Cynrik enough time to dodge.

    ¡°Meh, it was worth a shot,¡± Clicking his tongue, Cynrik slowly circled with the Brawler mirroring his movements.

    ¡®Fucking annoying that I cant use [Shadow Leap] because of the Headmaster¡¯s skill. I feel like a cripple without it, which means I have be too reliant on it.¡¯ Cynrik thought to himself as he analyzed the Brawler¡¯s bodynguage.

    Slowing his heart rate by calming his breathing, Cynrik thought back to the interaction he had just had. ¡®Every punch the guy throws triggers my [Danger Sense] telling me that if I get hit even once by those gauntlets, it¡¯s game over. I would never have customarily targeted someone¡¯s shoulder like that with a hidden de, but [Detect Weakness] is showing me the gap in his leather armor and pauldrons.

    Following the redlines leading to several small dots, Cynrik could locate each of his opponent¡¯s weak points; the only issue was, in order to hit them, Cynrik would be forced to get in close and personal, risking his life just to do minor amounts of damage. The short round ofbat had not only revealed one of the potentially many Affinities he had, but it also allowed Cynrik to get a grasp on the Brawler¡¯s AGI and DEX stats, and the results weren¡¯t good.

    By Cynrik¡¯s estimate, he was in the 800 or higher range for both, and if you add in how his [Danger sense] went nuts after each punch, Cynrik could only assume that either the Brawler dumped all his stat points into STR, AGI, DEX, or his distribution covered all three. The legit only reason he could even avoid the attacks was because of his passive skill constantly triggering, alerting him in the nick of time, allowing Cynrik to cut sharp angles and get out of the way.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong old man? Worried I¡¯ll catch you again with a sneak attack, kuekue, some warrior you are, look at you. You¡¯re practically shaking in that overly expensive shit-Tier gauntl¡­.¡±

    FWOOOSHH SHOOOM WOOOSHH

    Before Cynrik could finish his taunts, three more aqua pyramids whizzed towards him. Luckily he had predicted this oue, and between [Danger Sense] triggering again and Cynrik¡¯s nimble nature, he could slip out of the grasp of the Grim reaper once again. All the while, a cocky smirk never left his lips as he twisted and flipped out of harm¡¯s way over and over again. In his frustration, the Brawler continuously fired off attacks, with each of them missing by a hair margin.

    ¡°Teehe, Haha,¡± uttering his creepyugh passed down by Ragnar, Cynrik blurred out of sight, dashed to the edge of the roof, jumped off, and didn¡¯t forget to wave goodbye as he fell two floors to the ground.

    Refusing to back down and let his opponent flee, the Brawler hurried to chase after Cynrik, but just as he dove off the roof, his eyes went bloodshot, and he was forced to cross his arms over his chest.

    BOOOOM

    The instant Cynrik jumped off the roof, he manifested two miniature suns, one in each palm, and fired them upward, predicting that the Brawler wouldn¡¯t let him go so easily. His spection came true less than half a secondter as the two basketball-sized suns mmed into the man¡¯s body, sending him flying upward before an explosion urred.

    Standing below the lip of the Dorm roof, Cynrik began a cycle of condensing fireballs and hurling them up at the Brawler one after another.

    BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM BOOM!

    Every time one of the fireballs hit the Brawler, the concussive force of each explosion threw him higher into the air. But Cynrik didn¡¯t stop there; thanks to the HUD floating in his vision, he could see that each attack was doing minimal damage, 200-300 points at best, so he tried something that was only in its theory phase of experimentation.

    First, Cynrik manifested one of his condensed [Fireballs],pressing the particles as tightly as possible and forcing them to increase in temperature. Next, the mes turned from their bright orange into a sickly purple and finally a deep shade of ck. Holding the ck condensed ball of fire in one palm, Cynrik continued hurling more of the generic ones at his target, pushing him further into the air.

    Gritting his teeth, Cynrik moved the ball between his hands, slowly expanding the distance between them, causing the ck ball to grow in size, from a baseball to a basketball, then to the size of his torso. Then looking up to where the Brawler had begun his descent while covered in smoke, Cynrik crouched down, putting his weight onto his left knee, which was bent, and moved the fireball to his right hip.

    ¡°Shadow Kaaaaa,¡± smirking at the absurdity of what he was trying, Cynrik continued charging Mana into his attack. Oddly enough, he didn¡¯t feel any heating from the massive ball mere centimeters from his body.

    ¡°MEEEEE!¡± Cynrik¡¯s eyes drifted to the center of the falling shadow. As expected, the Brawler¡¯s HP had only dropped by 25 percent, even after taking all those hits.

    ¡°HAAAAAMEEEEE,¡± shing out his arms, the Brawler cleared the smoke, revealing the damage and scorch marks on his ck armor; his mask and hood had disappeared, and burn marks could be seen on the man¡¯s tan skin.

    Looking down at Cynrik with fury in his eyes, the Brawler covered both his gauntlets in a thinyer of water, but when he saw Cynrik charging up some kind of giant ck fireball, his pupils constricted.

    ¡°HAAAAAAAA!!!!!¡± Swiftly thrusting his arms forward and pointing his hands at the Brawler, Cynrik finished his weeb reference and sted the ck fireball, which at this point was nearly the size of his whole body, at his target.

    ¡°FUCK! ARE YOU INSANE!¡± The Brawler howled as theyer of Water Mana coating his arms expanded, forming a barrier around his entire body.

    ¡°Hehe, yeah, a little bit, ENJOYYYY!¡± Cynrik chuckled as he kicked off the ground and rushed to get clear of the st area.

    FWAHHH BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!

    ¡°Oh, SHIT!¡± Was all Cynrik could say as the force of the explosion sent him hurtling through the air. Meanwhile, the Brawler was fairing much worse; the second the condensed ck fireball mmed into his [Water Barrier], it exploded due to its unstable nature and the conflicting Mana types. The force of the impact was so intense that it sted him away so hard that he crashed full speed into the confinement cube. Between the effects of his back hitting the space skill, or the force from Cynrik¡¯s attack exploding in his face, his barrier shattered, and he was dealt a massive blow, draining 30% of his HP and knocking him down to under half health.

    The explosion between the two opposing elements was so fierce that the entire Core Area shook, drawing the attention of everyone present, including the Headmaster, who was still floating above the containment cube.

    Not far away, Selene, Benny, and the Spearmen stopped their battle and looked in the direction the sound came from. However, unlike the Spearman, who seemed to be enamored and worried by the sound, Selene and Benny found it to be par for the course. They went on the offensive, rushing forward together andunching abination attack, Selene with two [Shadow Lance¡¯s] and her damaged make-shift spear, and Benny with his arms formed into water tentacles, an upgraded effect of his [Water Whip].

    Using the man¡¯spse of judgment andbat awareness to their advantage, the twoshed out, dealing heavy damage to the man. Unlike them, he had been forced to rely on his keen sense of hearing the entire fight due to being practically blinded by Selene¡¯s [Domain of Shadows]. Thus their attackpletely caught him off guard, and as a result, he was stabbed twice and had even lost his right arm thanks to Benny sharpening his tentacles withpressed water pressure.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 276

    Screaming in agony, the Spearman dropped his weapon since it was his dominant arm that Benny had just sliced off. Before he could drop back to put distance between him and his two opponents, Selene jumped up and nted a dropkick right into the center of the one-armed Spearman¡¯s chest, knocking him off his feet and shooting him across the Domain 20 meters.

    Releasing her damaged make-shift weapon and stalking forward, Selene walked over to the spear, hooked it with the toe of her shoe, and bounced it up, catching it and spinning it in one fluid motion.

    Turning her head and looking toward the downed Spearmen, her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of the fountain of blood spewing from the nub that used to be his arm before looking back to Benny and motioning for him to fall back and prepare a skill just in case something went wrong.

    ¡°Ahhh, ahh, my arm, you Bitch, When I find you mother fuckers, I¡¯m gonna rip you apart limb from limb, urgh.¡± The Spearman howled in agony while clutching at his stump. His head whipped back in forth in search of Selene and Benny, but all he saw was darkness. Peddling backward on the ground, the Spearmen was on high alert, trying to listen for any slight rustle of clothing or tap of shoes on the grass, but he couldn¡¯t sense or hear a single thing. His senses were thrown into chaos by the pain surging from his elbow to his shoulder.

    Standing only six meters away, Selene silently stalked forward, wielding the man¡¯s spear in her right hand; she slowly brought it up and aimed at his exposed head. Just as she was about to attack, her brain shifted into panic mode as a sense of dread overtook her. She changed ns and jumped to the side; her gut instinct was correct. Half a secondter, a spiral Terra construct sted through her [Domain of Shadows], temporarily creating a considerable space and allowing outside light in.

    BANG!

    Benny appeared beside Selene and redirected a second spire into the air, saving her. He snapped his head in the direction the attack originated and saw Garrison was fighting the Peak Tier-3 not far away, and they had gotten too close, nearly bing coteral damage.

    ¡°Benny, on your left!¡± Selene¡¯s voice triggered a response from Benny, who kicked off the ground and dove to the side as a thick shard of metal flew by his body, nicking him and slicing through the area between his right shoulder de and back.

    Rolling on the ground, Benny bounced back to his feet and caught sight of the Spearman as he manipted the ambient Metal particles extending the severed bone on his stump into a pointed edge, creating ance where his arm used to be.

    Caught in a moment of distraction, the man had activated an Affinity Skill and fired it at the nearest target he could see, Benny. Luckily, Selene had been unphased by the invasive attacks of the Peak Tier-3 and was still paying attention; thus, she was able to warn Benny, returning the favor of her being saved seconds before.

    Shooting Benny a nce, Selene nodded, pointed at the gaping holes in her Domain, and made a crushing gesture, forcing them closed and cutting off all light into the space.

    ¡ª

    Several buildings over, Cynrik was slow to get back to his feet. Sprawled out and lying on his back, he began shaking off the debris and rubble from the wall he had crashed through. Sitting up and smacking the side of his head a few times in an attempt to stop his ears from ringing, Cynrik opened his eyes and grimaced as he saw the damage notification.

    -You have received 2000 points of concussive damage.-

    -Current HP, 8649/12,160.-

    -You have received 1285 points of blunt force damage.-

    -Current HP, 7364/12,160.-

    ¡°Fuck, that hurt,¡± reading through the damage notifications caused by the explosion and subsequent crash into the building, Cynrik grumbled as he dug himself out of the rubble and dropped down to the ground.

    ¡®Tobs, can you freaking remind me not to fire off big explosions when I am like five paces away from ground zero. I already get enough concussions regrly, and if I keep it up, who knows how long it¡¯ll be before I lose my short-term memory.¡¯ Cynrikined in his mind as he dusted himself off and checked his body for injuries.

    -Setting Reminder for Host Cynrik, the message will be as follows.-

    -¡°Stop being stupid, you ignoramus; if you are going to fire off something that will generate arge explosion, GET THE HELL AWAY FIRST!¡± end message.-

    Cynrik chewed the inside of his cheek for a second, speechless at what Tobs had just said, but soon gave up. There was no arguing with the sassy, monotone AI. Rolling out his shoulders and leaning back as far as he could to pop his spine, Cynrik activated [Mana Sight] and scanned the surroundings for the Brawler.

    Since he hadn¡¯t received any kill notifications, it was a given that the man was still alive, however; his current condition was unknown. Taking a st from that range with that amount of power behind it would have quickly incinerated a being under Tier-3, but the simple fact was, the Brawler was at Mid Tier-3, and the man¡¯s body could sustain the trauma. Adding in the [Mana Barrier], Cynrik had spotted the man use; the odds are, he may have tanked at least 80 percent of the attack.

    Unfortunately, Cynrik had been in a precarious situation and cked out upon hitting the building, so he didn¡¯t get to see how the Brawler had gone flying into the confinement cube. Eventually, after searching for 30 seconds, he located the man, face down and in a person-sized crater on the ground.

    Narrowing his eyes and relying on his telescopic vision, he noticed that the Brawler¡¯s health had dropped significantly, and his MP was running low. Inhaling slowly and realizing he couldn¡¯t get a clear view of the man due to him being buried several meters under dirt, Cynrik made his way over to a tree and climbed up, getting a good view of the man some 30 meters away while gulping down each of the potion types.

    ¡®Looks like his torso armor is in tatters; that left gauntlet isn¡¯t looking so great either; I doubt he will be using it for the remainder of the fight. That arm is also extra crispy, so unless he has some healing skills or he drinks copious amounts of HP pots, I doubt he will be throwing any punches or even blocking with it.¡¯ Cynrik thought to himself but stopped when his keen eyesight saw minor muscle spasms running through the man¡¯s exposed flesh.

    ¡°Tsk, break times over,¡± Cynrik murmured as he double-checked his assassin¡¯s tools to ensure they were functioning correctly before tilting his neck to the side and releasing a few pops.

    Not far away, the Brawler punched his good fist into the dirt and forced his body to move, getting him back upright, albeit a little shaky. Although he had beenpletely caught off guard by the relentless onught of fireballs, including the final one, the Brawler only med himself for underestimating his opponent. Thinking back to the short bout on the rooftop, the man found it difficult to believe that this kid was only 13. Physical appearance wasn¡¯t reliable since everyone at that age looked closer to their fully grown selves, but the way Cynrik fought and spoke contrasted his documented age too greatly.

    Spitting out a mouthful of blood and wiping his lips with the back of his gauntleted arm, the Brawler took out two Health potions from his inventory and chugged them down before looking at his severely damaged arm.

    When he craned his neck to search for Cynrik, he couldn¡¯t find him at first, raising another bottle and about to drink another health potion; the Brawler saw a flickering shadow out in his peripheral vision. Cynrik had jumped down from the tree, activated his stealth skill to buy a few needed seconds, and rushed around to nk the Brawler.

    Without any time to drink the potion, the Brawler spun around and fired off a back kick, which Cynrik side-stepped and unleashed several swift hidden de stabs to the man¡¯s leg in response. Next, using his shoulder as a lever, Cynrik caught the leg, ducked under his shin, and yanked down with as much power as he could. The result was a loud CRACK, as the bones shattered instantly. To Cynrik¡¯s surprise, the man didn¡¯t react to the pain, and instead jumped up, spun around, and kicked out with his other leg, targeting Cynrik¡¯s chest.

    Thanks to the aid of [Danger Sense], he wasn¡¯t caught unaware and had barely enough time to raise his right arm, taking the full force of the kick on his forearm, which cracked loudly, caving in at the center, while the power of the kick took him off his feet and flung him half a dozen meters away.

    Skidding to a stop on his side, Cynrik gritted his teeth and looked at his right arm, which had a significant horseshoe-shaped concaved break. ring angrily and fighting through the pain, Cynrik gripped his right arm with his left and yanked it down hard enough to reset the bone as he stood up.

    With his mind firing on all cylinders and recognizing that he needed a n if he wanted to stall for more time, Cynrik slowly backed up, trying to put some more distance between himself and the Brawler while putting on the fa?ade that he was about to flee. Looking rapidly in every direction with [Mana Sight], Cynrik quickly came up with an escape route; however, just as he was about to take off and begin the game of cat and mouse, he froze as several notifications came through and a sadistic grin crept onto Cynrik¡¯s lips.

    [Heh, it took you long enough; I need a patch-up; my arm is a noodle right now; hurry up.] Cynrik said as he read the notifications and changed his n of running while firing long-ranged attacks to holding his ground.

    [Gabby and I are back in themand room of my tower, but it will take me a couple of minutes to power down the skill and reabsorb the resource points I pumped into it. I will send Gabby over first and follow shortly.] Brance said as he panted heavily and hungrily devoured Stamina potion after Stamina potion.

    [Copy, good work.] Cynrik replied before cocking his head to the side and shooting a creepy nce at his opponent.

    ¡°Alright, old man, time for round three!¡± Cynrik said as he let his right arm hang lifelessly by his side and dashed to meet his opponent.

    ¡ª

    In the [Domain of Shadows], Selene¡¯s body tensed up as she read through the wave of notifications with a simr smirk to Cynrik¡¯s on her face.

    -Your party member Brance Jetlensr has killed a level 15 Tier-3 Human Swordsman.-

    -Your party member Brance Jetlensr has killed a being more than ten times all of the party¡¯s individual primary levels and a Full Tier above the party standard; rewards will be multiplied by the Maximum Multiplier a sextuple.-

    -You have received 1,800,000 XP.-

    -You have received 24 STR.-

    -You have received 24 VIT.-

    -You have received 24 MIND.-

    -You have obtained 6 KIN points-

    -Your party Leader has received six Tier-3 Lightning Codexes.-

    -Your party member Brance Jetlensr has killed a level 13 Tier-3 Demi-Human Mage.-

    -Your party member Brance Jetlensr has killed a being more than ten times all of the party¡¯s individual primary levels and a Full Tier above the party standard; rewards will be multiplied by the Maximum Multiplier a sextuple.-

    -You have received 1,560,000 XP.-

    -You have received 24 DEX.-

    -You have received 24 INT.-

    -You have received 24 MIND.-

    -You have obtained 6 KIN points-

    -Your party Leader has received six Tier-3 Fire Codexes.-

    The sudden influx of notifications and stat boosts from Brance and Gabby¡¯s battle was just the signal Selene required to make her final push; spinning the Spearman¡¯s former weapon, she raced forward with Benny hot on her heels. Splitting off from behind the girl, Benny unleased several focused jets of water, targeting the man¡¯s legs and shoulders, which he shed through at the cost of being thrown off bnce, giving Selene just the opportunity she needed.

    Activating [Void Shift] Selene phased into Dark Mana particles while keeping her current speed, going through her opponent like a gust of wind before deactivating the skill, resolidifying and appearing behind the man. Flourishing the spear, she rapidly thrust forward, stabbing him over a dozen times within two seconds until finally, the death notifications rolled in, causing Benny¡¯s eyes to light up as he got the confirmation of their achievements.

    -Your party member Selene Nilsson has killed a level 27 Tier-3 Human Spearman.-

    -Your party member Selene Nilsson has killed a being more than ten times all of the party¡¯s individual primary levels and a Full Tier above the party standard; rewards will be multiplied by the Maximum Multiplier a sextuple.-

    -You have received 3,240,000 XP.-

    -You have received 24 STR.-

    -You have received 24 DEX.-

    -You have obtained 6 KIN points-

    -Your party Leader has received six Tier-3 Metal Codexes.-

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg

 Chapter 277

    Stabbing the stolen spear into the ground to steady herself, Selene didn¡¯t fight the sensation of the increase in her stats due to killing rewards. Not far away, Benny¡¯s body tensed up, and his breath quickened.

    [[Darling, we are done!]] Selene chirped as she pointed her palm toward the sky, ready to drop her domain on Cynrik¡¯smand.

    [[Copy. Your new mission is to take Benny and meet up with Brance and Gabby under cover of your [Void Shift]. Brance needs time to dismantle his Tower, so I need you to be there and ready when he is done. I will stall my opponent as long as possible to give you guys enough time.]] Balling his left hand into a fist and drawing his elbow down and back to his hip, Cynrik gave Selene her next task while dropping into a one-armedbat stance.

    [[On it! Be careful, Cyn.]] Selene confirmed as she stood up straight, removed the spear from the ground, and jogged over to Benny. Next, she grabbed the boy by the shoulder, startling him a bit.

    ¡°We are moving; our job is to go to the Tower and wait for the others.¡± Pointing the spear at the sky, Selene both deactivated her [Domain of Shadows] and activated her [Void Shift], turning herself and Benny into a mass of Dark Mana particles.

    [[Selene, Gabby is waiting for you at the base of the Tower to bring you two up when you arrive.]] Overhearing what Selene and his brother were talking about, Brance interjected the first opportunity he could. To power down the [Radiant Tower] and absorb the leftover resources from the Pseudo-Codex was taking almost all of his attention, but he still was able to give the older girl a heads up.

    ¡ª

    After giving Selene orders, Cynrik threw everything except the fight in front of him into the back of his mind. To go from wanting to be passive and on the move one Second to then changing the focus back to direct confrontation was a tricky thing, however; since Cynrik was able topartmentalize and split his attention between multiple objectives or ns, it was as simple as moving from first gear into second on a manual transmission.

    While formting the next n of attack, Cynrik¡¯s eyes flicked to the sky, where he spotted Headmaster Rivia floating stoically above before rolling his eyes to the side toward Garrison, who was locked inbat with the Spy Leader.

    ¡®Too many eyes on me right now, so using my Bloodline skills is out, adding a second handicap, er third if you count my noodle arm. Tobs, do I have enough to increase [Shadow Sewing] by the necessary amount of points to bump it up to Tier-2.5?¡¯ Cynrik asked his System AI calmly.

    -No, you require an additional 79 skill points to raise your Tier-1.5 Dark Affinity Skill [Shadow Sewing] up to Tier-2.5. Currently, you have 196 skill points, which is enough to raise it to Tier-2. The Cost will be 100 skill points.-

    ¡®Tsk, do it.¡¯ When he thought of the words, a wave of dizziness ran through his brain but cleared almost instantly, reced by the new skill information for [Shadow Sewing]. Contrary to what happened every time a skill evolved, this time, the first change Cynrik noticed was that there was now an (Enhanced) added to the skill name.

    -Tier-2 Dark Affinity Skill: [Shadow Sewing (Enhanced)]-

    -Category: Active Crowd Control Skill-

    -By condensing Dark Affinity Mana into an arm, The User can materialize up to 25 tendrils of Darkness Mana. Each tendril will have a range of fifteen meters and can be controlled independently. By adjusting the amount of Mana condensed in each one, the User can adjust the thickness of the shadow tendrils.

    -The Shadow tendrils can be used to attack, bind, or strangle; in the case of Binding, the tendril will root the target to their own shadow on the ground or nearest ne, inflicting the status (Bind).

    -Status Effect: Bind- Targets under this effect are rooted in ce and unable to move as long as the status is active. The chance of triggering this status is 20% per tendril attached to a target¡¯s shadow.

    -Shadow Strangle, a new technique acquired due to your control over this skill breaking through into the Second Tier. When a target is rooted with the (Bind) status effect, you can cause three tendrils to split off and climb to a desired body part of the target. Once in ce, you can constrict the tendril causing continuous Chip damage to the target as well as disabling their breathing ability. (WARNING, using Shadow Strangle will rapidly deplete the durability of the tendrils and double your Sustain Cost for the skill.-

    -The primary use of this skill is locking the target(s) in ce; however, the shadow tendrils can be weaponized by adjusting their thickness or sharpness. Targets afflicted with the Bind status will have it until the User stops supplying Mana to the tendrils or the target breaks free by destroying them.

    -Activation costs: 100 MP per Shadow Tendril Manifested.-

    -Sustain Cost: 25 MP per tendril per Minute. The Cost to sustain the skill will increase if the target resists, increasing the MP cost and causing damage to the durability of the tendril in question.-

    -Cooldown: 1 hour.-

    ¡®Costs increased, but now I have more tendrils to work with, plus a new ability.¡¯ Cynrik watched as the Brawler stood silently, with his broken leg raised forward, reducing any weight from being ced on his broken shin.

    The Brawler wasn¡¯t just patiently waiting for Cynrik to make an attack. This whole time he had been calmly waiting for the boy to drop his guard or make the first move. Since the Brawler could not move properly due to the condition of his lead leg, the only option was to set up his counter-attack stance and wait. His mind was a chaotic storm of thoughts as he pushed the Mana in his body to shut down the pain receptors from his leg to his brain and passively heal the broken bone, a slow but effective process.

    Water Affinity Users had healing skills, but they weren¡¯t nearly as potent as the ones a Light Affinity user could use. Since the man didn¡¯t want Cynrik to know what he was doing, he chose to wrap the Mana around the bone itself and heal his injury internally instead of manifesting the skill externally.

    Unfortunately, his actions didn¡¯t escape Cynrik¡¯s [Mana Sight]. The instant the Brawler¡¯s Mana began swirling out of the Codex and down towards the injured leg, Cynrik cocked an eyebrow and smirked while tilting his head down slightly.

    ¡®Well, that¡¯s new; I had a theory forming that internal activation of skills woulde up at some point but not so soon. Who would have thought that at Tier-3, you can channel Affinity Skills internally? I thought for sure it was something only people with bloodlines or beings at a higher tier could pull off. Whatever, enough waiting, time to go on the move. My opponent is down an arm and a leg; meanwhile, I only have the use of my left arm.¡¯ Exhaling slowly and tapping his lead foot on the ground twice, Cynrik¡¯s balled-up and clenched fist turned into a w as he kicked off the ground and rushed forward.

    In response, the Brawler simply raised his good arm in a defensive posture and carefully watched Cynrik¡¯s movements as the boy juked from left to right in an erratic and unpredictable pattern.

    ¡°[Shadow Clone],¡± murmuring the name of his skill under his breath, Cynrik¡¯s body split into a replica of himself. Unlike when he was training, he didn¡¯t bother dumping arge amount of Mana into his shadow; instead, he capped it at only 10% of his MP. The goal was not to waste resources to create a secondary attacker; the only purpose the clone had at the moment was to be a visual distraction.

    The biggest drawback to using the clone to fight a stronger opponent was that it only had 50% of his actual stats, meaning that even if he somehownded an attack against the Brawler, it would only feel like a tickle to the man. But since that was never the n to begin with, Cynrik and the clone smirked in unison before weaving in and out of each other like a blur as they drew closer to the opponent.

    When they got within five meters, the two Cynriks threw down their left arms, extending a hidden de, and cut sharp angles, braking past the Brawler on both nks, forcing the man to choose which one would be attacking.

    With his head whipping back and forth between the two boys, the Brawler made a decision, crossing his good arm over his body, and punched out at the nearest Cynrik. But just when he was about to make contact with the boy¡¯s body, his pupils constricted as he sensed dangering from behind.

    ¡°Nice try, asshole!¡± The Brawler howled as he pulled back his punch, spun around, andshed out at the boy who had appeared right behind him and was trying to stab the back of his neck.

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes shot wide open in fear as time slowed down for him. Watching as the gauntlet¡¯s mechanical parts moved systematically, chambering a round, he tried to avoid it at thest moment, but it was toote.

    CHIK BOOOOMMM

    All of the muscles on the Brawler¡¯s arms tensed as his upper body recoiled slightly from his own attack, and he smiled in sorrow as he watched the st blow a massive cannonball-sized hole through the boy¡¯s chest.

    ¡°You were a strong opponent, boy, but this is the end. Although not fully against my code of honor, I don¡¯t enjoy injuring or killing children. I hope you will live a fulfilling and joyful experience in your next life.¡± Closing his eyes and exhaling in exhaustion, the Brawler heard the thud of Cynrik¡¯s body as it crashed into the ground. Allowing his body to rx from the formerly tense state, the Brawler reached into his inventory unconsciously and withdrew a couple of Health potions.

    -Now ying ¡°The Reluctant Heros¡± By Hiroyuki Sawano.-

    Flicking off the cap with his thumb and releasing another tired sigh, the Brawler raised the bottle up and was about to take a sip when suddenly his whole body froze up, making his eyes shoot open wide in confusion.

    ¡°[Shadow Sewing].¡±

    Cynrik¡¯s chilling and emotionless voice sounded off behind the man; as in horror, he strained his eyes to the side where he found Cynrik kneeling down and clutching the air just above the ground. A hazy ck glow radiated from around the boy¡¯s left arm while his right was dragging in the dirt.

    ¡°Sorry, but it isn¡¯t that easy to kill me, old man. How about we just hang out for a minute, I have quite a few things to ask, and you have more than enough of the answers I require.¡± Not bothering to hide the heavy strain in his voice, Cynrik forced all of the tendrils to lock into ce, establishing the (Bind) status effect on the man.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 278

    ¡°Sorry, but it isn¡¯t that easy to kill me, old man. How about we just hang out for a minute, I have quite a few things to ask, and you have more than enough of the answers I require.¡± Not bothering to hide the heavy strain in his voice, Cynrik forced all of the tendrils to lock into ce, establishing the (Bind) status effect on the man.

    Fear visibly entered the Brawler¡¯s eyes as he strained against the over two dozen shadow tendrils pierced into his entire body, keeping him attached to the ground and frozen in ce.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use, you may be stronger than me, but you aren¡¯t in your peak form. You won¡¯t be able to break free of my skill. The way I see it, your HP is around 28-35%, and you are dangerously low on MP. The amount of force you¡¯d need to generate to break a single tendril may not be much, but I can easily rece it the moment you do.¡± Watching the man¡¯s body spasm multiple times as he attempted to break free, Cynrik calmly informed his opponent.

    ¡°You were right with your first attack; if you had simply followed through instead of falling for the bait, I would have been forced to dodge and run back my strategy. Unfortunately, you chose wrong by attacking my clone when it zeroed in on your vitals. Brawler, this was a pleasurable fight, but it¡¯s over now; this is checkmate.¡± Cynrik stated as his eyes flicked between his HUD and the restrained man.

    ¡°Heh, to be caught in such a position, I must be getting old. I won¡¯t discount your victory by stating how wrong it is for me to fall for a trick such as this; I am, after all, a full Tier and a half higher than you. Go, ask your questions.¡± Either resigning to his fate or giving up entirely, the Brawler stopped struggling and locked his eyes on Cynrik, whose breaths were bing more ragged the longer he kept [Shadow Sewing] active.

    ¡°Un, I am d you didn¡¯t choose to be stubborn; I quite enjoyed our battle, so I don¡¯t want to ruin it by being forced to torture the answers from you. Once I am finished, I promise to give you a swift death befitting a warrior.¡± Nodding in appreciation, Cynrik began with his first question.

    ¡°Who set this up?¡± He asked as he reduced the thickness of 1/4th of the shadow tendrils to save on Mana costs.

    ¡°First, allow me to exin where Ie from before going into what I understand the situation to be.¡± Ignoring the ufortable feeling of being unable to move anything other than his head, the Brawler began speaking.

    ¡°The underground factions all use a proxy to hire people like me, known as Lost Reavers. We are all former members of official Reaver associations from around the world who have, for one reason or another, fallen out of favor of these so-called ¡°CLEAN¡± Factions under the banner of the Reavers Association. In my case, revenge led me to destroy my entire Faction. The result was my being cklisted by the joint governments under the guise of the RA. No matter which country in the world I step into, so long as I am identified, I will be targeted and hunted like a dog.¡± The Brawler continued to sigh ruefully as he remembered back to ughtering everyone responsible for killing his little sister.

    ¡°The only way I could gain ess to Egresses to make a living was to join up with one of the Illegal Underground factions. Much like their regr counterparts, there are specified missions ranging from Egress Dives to resource acquiring. Still, the line is drawn there, as bounty missions, assassinations, and espionage are also listed on the mission boards.¡±

    ¡°And that is how you came to track my group and I?¡± Digesting the information he received, Cynrik replied.

    ¡°Indeed, about two weeks ago, a notice was posted in a private forum online that us beings in the Supernatural Stage use¡­.¡± The Brawler began but was stopped by Cynrik, who interjected.

    ¡°The Supernatural Stage? What¡¯s that?¡± Hearing a new term, Cynrik interjected and questioned the man further.

    ¡°Oh, I figured the Academy would have already exined it to you, but I guess not. The Tier of a being is broken down into specific categories, determining how strong that being is and how close they are to breaking free from its race¡¯s restraints.¡±

    SHOOOOOOOM!

    When the man was about to continue, a figure appeared beside him with an arrow nocked and drawn while pointing directly at his temple.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough; say another word, and I will drop you right here and now, EH?¡± Instructor Alistar appeared seemingly out of nowhere and growled, but when he finished speaking, he noticed he could no longer move of his free will. His eyes darted from his bow, slowly releasing its tension to the inky ck tendrils wrapped around his arms and legs.

    ¡°Let the man speak, Instructor; I don¡¯t give a single fuck about your bullshit rules, don¡¯t make me view you as an enemy. I have won this fight, and the rewards, be them physical or informative, BELONG TO ME!¡± Using his most authoritative and annoyed tone, Cynrik spat as he shot a re at the man.

    ¡°Student Ivar, what he was about to exin isn¡¯t something covered until the Fourth Year of sses and is information you are not privileged enough to know.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine; I will allow it. Ivar, release the Instructor.¡± The voice of Headmaster Rivia reached everyone¡¯s ears as if it was almost telepathic.

    ¡°Continue Brawler, these stages, exin them.¡± Clicking his tongue, Cynrik withdrew the ten tendrils used to restrain Alistar and ced them back onto the Brawler.

    Even though he was terrified by both Alistar and now Tier-5 Geralt Rivia, the Brawler exhaled shakily before continuing to speak.

    ¡°Tier-0 through Tier-2 are known as the Mortal Stage. This is the foundation of all things; even most creatures are born within the Mortal Stage at Tier-1. Tier-0 is the starting point, and throughout a Being¡¯s time in the Mortal Stage, they learn how to grow stronger by adapting to Mana, integrating it into their attacks and daily lives. By the time they reach the end of the Mortal Stage, the being will start integrating Mana into their body, allowing them to evolve further.¡±

    ¡°Once a being steps into the third Tier, everything changes for them as they break to push through the initial limits of their bodies and step into what is known as the Supernatural or Evolution Stage. Which name is used depends on the being¡¯s race, but we humans call it the Supernatural Stage. Unfortunately, that is all I am privileged to know, and I can¡¯t say for sure what stagese after.¡± Casting a strained nce at Alistar, who snorted loudly, the Brawler moved on to why he was here.

    ¡°As I was saying, two weeks ago, a mission was posted on the private underground forum for us Supernatural Stage beings. It stated that a squad of five beings was being formed to infiltrate VSFA and monitor a preselected group of students with a high potential of stepping into our Stage before age 18, which is generally unheard of. For example, I was already in myte 30¡¯s by the time I advanced to Tier-3.¡±

    ¡°Since the rewards were lucrative and the mission was only intelligence gathering, something that didn¡¯t cross my bottom line of killing women or children, I epted it and met the other four members of the ragtag team. We don¡¯t know who posted the mission, and our contact to the being who ced it was done through the Underground factions.¡± When the man finished speaking, Cynrik narrowed his eyes in thought.

    Aside from the new information about Stages, the rest of what he said pretty much lined up with the previous groups he had interrogated. A casual nce at the Brawler¡¯s bodynguage was enough for Cynrik to surmise that he wasn¡¯t lying. None of the telltale signs of deception were present regarding the restrained man, so Cynrik pressed for more information.

    ¡°How did you get into the Academy? With so many checkpoints on top of high-level security measures, you, a Tier-3 being, shouldn¡¯t have been able to make it past the front gates, let alone into the Core Area of the Cavern of Dorms.¡±

    ¡°That is a bitplicated, yet simplistic at the same time. We arrived 20 kilometers from the Academy under cover of the night roughly a week ago. Our contact informed us that someone would being at around 2 am to pick us up and sneak us into the Academy unnoticed. As promised, when we arrived at the meeting point, two men dressed all in ck approached us with the callsign and password that had been provided to us, assuring us that they were the ones who were leading us into the Academy ground safely and anonymously.¡±

    ¡°All five of us were given staff uniforms, proper credentials, the location of our target, you and your friends, and the keys to a safe house. After that, it was just a matter of walking into the front gate unsuspiciously the following day. For thest week, we have been taking turns in shifts sneaking into the Cavern of Dorms, either by posing as the change of guard for the security stations or acting as grounds keepers.¡±

    ¡°What made you guys cluster up and decide to move as a group instead of in singles as you have for thest week?¡± Realizing a slight w in the story, Cynrik asked while transferring the control over [Shadow Sewing] to his left foot, freeing up his hand so he could drink down a healing and Mana potion.

    ¡°Two factors yed into what has transpired today; the first was your abruptly leaving early in the morning. You and your brother have been listed as the group¡¯s most dangerous members; since one of you left, it opened up the opportunity to sneak in unnoticed. The second was the mishap with that summoner girl, which opened up a massive breach in your overbearing security measures. Finding it the perfect opportunity, with one of you two brothers gone and the rest tired from battle, we made our move, using our squad¡¯s tamed creature to infiltrate your Dorm.¡± The Brawler closed his eyes and tried resting a bit once he finished speaking and didn¡¯t get asked another immediate question.

    The three sat in silence for another five minutes until, eventually, Instructor Garrison arrived holding the unconscious and crippled body of the Peak Tier-3 spy.

    ¡°Damn kid, hell of a show you put on out there; how¡¯s the arm.¡± Tossing the unresponsive and heavily damaged man beside the restrained Brawler, Garrison waved with his hand telling Cynrik to hold down the Squad Leader as well.

    ¡°Hurt¡¯s like a mother fucker, but it¡¯s nothing I haven¡¯t had before. Once my brother gets here, he can patch it up after a few heals.¡± As Cynrik finished up another Mana Potion, he tapped his foot twice with his left hand, returning control over the shadow tendrils to his hand, and diverted ten of them to the unconscious man, locking him in position.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 279

    [Battle is over; head over when you are done with what you need to do.] Cynrik stated as he allowed his body to loosen up after being so tense during thest few minutes of the fight.

    [Already?] Standing in themand center of his [Radiant Tower] with Gabby, Selene, and Benny, Brance asked while looking back at the others.

    [Yeah, I locked up my guy with [Shadow Sewing] and began my interrogation. Once I had wrapped things up, Garrison showed up with the Squad Leader, threw him in front of me, and now he¡¯s under the skill too.]

    [Alright, we will be over in a minute; the others are downing thest of their potion reserves. How are you holding up?]

    [Been better; my right arm is wholly fucked; I got forced into blocking a full-on kick from the dude. I can tell it¡¯s broken in four spots, two on each of the radius and ulna, and although I set the bones, it¡¯s pretty much lifeless right now,] Pausing for a second, Cynrik took a moment to draw back his sleeve to examine how bad the breaks were.

    Hissing in pain, he was greeted by severe swelling and a lot of bruising. His actions drew a humored whistle from Alistar and Garrison. Luckily, the two bones hadn¡¯t pierced his skin because of his assassin¡¯s tool and thick skin. Upon poking the tender spot, Cynrik noted that a decent-sized chunk of both bones was floating loosely, even though he had gotten the bones back in ce.

    [It¡¯s apound break, the tops and bottoms of both bones midway down my forearm are entirely severed. There are no sharp edges, so it seems to be a clean break; nheless, I will need a few healing uses out of you.] Cynrik said as he pulled his sleeve back down and rolled his eyes at the two Instructors.

    [Yikes, yeah, we are almost done; I¡¯ll see what I can do when we get there; for now, just burn through your potions; if the bone doesn¡¯t fuse properly well¡­it¡¯s not like it¡¯s the first time we¡¯ve had to rebreak a bone when fixing it.] Shaking his head, Brance stuck his fingers into the dial on themand column and turned it, revealing the Pseudo-Codex.

    Gently picking it up, Brance closed his eyes and focused on the tricolored swirling mass of Mana contained within the small orb.

    [Oh yeah, totally take your time; not like I have anything better to do than sit here with MY NOODLE ARM!] Unknown to Brance, Cynrik flopped his arm around animatedly but soon winced and held it against his body.

    [Calm your ass down and let me concentrate on this damn Pseudo-Codex so I can get my shit back.] Snapping his eyes closed and frowning, brance began absorbing the avable MP from the orb into his body.

    Ignoring Brance, Cynrik looked up to the sky, where he could see the Headmaster Floating above with his arms crossed.

    ¡°OI, Headmaster, you gunnae down, or are you leaving these guys to me?¡± Raising his voice so that he could be heard, Cynrik motioned toward the Squad Leader and Brawler with his head.

    Above the confinement cube, the Headmaster scoffed, uncrossed his arms, and deconstructed his skill before descending slowly andnding beside the two Instructors and Cynrik.

    ¡°We only got two of them; that¡¯s our bad,¡± Cynrik smiled unrestrainedly before looking up at Geralt, who stood towering over him.

    ¡°I thought we agreed to capture them, not kill them. I assume you gave the opposite order to your Faction members Ivar.¡± Calmly looking away from Cynrik and towards the unconscious Squad Leader and shaking in fear Brawler, Headmaster Rivia struggled to scold the boy kneeling on the ground.

    ¡°To be fair, Headmaster, XP is XP, and that free ten mill goes a long way toward our goal. Just think of how many fewer dives into the Academy Egresses that equals. Don¡¯t you think I deserve amendation for saving you money in the long run?¡± Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik shamelessly justified the actions of his Faction.

    ¡°Knock it off.¡± Staring at Cynrik for a moment, Headmaster Rivia continued.

    ¡°Initially, I nned on using this little event as a test to see how you and the other students would handle facing Tier-3 beings; I never expected you to kill four of them. I gave Instructor Alistar and Garrison the original order to stand by and only jump in when your lives were in danger. However, that changed when the Squad Leader broke through mid-battle into Tier-4.¡±

    ¡°Well, I figured as much, but it¡¯s quite surprising to find out the dude Instructor Garrison threw down like a sack of potatoes Evolved into Tier-4. Wait¡­why didn¡¯t I notice? HEY HEY, Headmaster, did you do some wonky space shit to block him off?¡± Shooting Geralt an usatory re, Cynrik chided.

    ¡°Indeed, I didn¡¯t want any of you getting distracted, and although you could roughly handle the Tier-3s, there was no way you would be able to stand up against someone of the same strength as an Instructor. Thus, Garrison stepped in and handled it. You six were lucky even to dodge that [Ice Chasm] the spyunched at you earlier; if he hadn¡¯t stepped in when he did, odds are things would have gone very differently.¡±

    Looking away from the Geralt, Cynrik tossed a thankful nce at Garrison, who shrugged as if to say, ¡°Not a big deal.¡±

    CRACK, CRACK, RUMBLLLEEE!

    Just as Cynrik was about to reply, the ground in the Core area began to shake, making everyone turn their heads and look in the direction Brance¡¯s Tower stood, only to see it crumbling floor by floor until only the Boys Dorm was left in one piece.

    ¡°That skill is quite impressive; for some reason, I couldn¡¯t see inside. Did you twoe up with it on your own?¡± Cocking an eyebrow, the Headmaster watched as Brance, Selene, Gabby, and Benny hurried over, carrying their loot from their battles. Brance was wearing a red sheath on his hip. For Selene, a jagged three-meter long purple spear was strapped onto her back. Gabby was holding what appeared to be either a stick or a wand, only Benny had nothing and was jogging empty-handed.

    ¡°Un, we did, but don¡¯t expect us to spill all the details on it; we are entitled to some level of privacy, Headmaster,¡± Cynrik said, clicking his tongue and admiring Brance¡¯s sword.

    ¡°Your secrets are your own, Ivar; I would never impose in such a way as to breach your privacy.¡± Headmaster Rivia snorted and red at Cynrik for a moment.

    ¡°You say that, but the 15 cameras and microphones I found in my Dorm say otherwise. Regardless, it¡¯s okay; I dismantled them either way. I assume you want the Squad Leader to yourself, but I gave my word that this man would have a warrior¡¯s death. He has answered my questions satisfactorily, so if you don¡¯t need him for interrogation¡­.¡± Standing up and flicking out his hidden de, Cynrik half limped, and half walked to the Brawler, who had been sweating profusely since the arrival of Headmaster Rivia.

    ¡°Hold on a moment Student Ivar.¡± When Cynrik stepped within 4 meters of the Brawler, a muscr arm blocked his path.

    ¡°Instructor Garrison, I am already running thin on patience, and my temper isn¡¯t quite in check right now.¡± Cynrik spat while looking directly at Garrison¡¯s arm with [Mana Sight] active. He had just about had it with teachers stopping his actions today and was already looking for weaknesses he could exploit if forced to fight the man.

    ¡°Ivar, I understand your need to fulfill a promise, but I can¡¯t in good conscious stand here and allow you to kill a defenseless man. We are not savages; this is not Supremacy Uni nor Finwan. Your actions have to have meaning to them.¡± Stepping up alongside Garrison, Instructor Alistar added his two cents.

    ¡°They are right, Ivar; although their ideals and yours may not align, and I see where you areing from, just cutting down an unarmed opponent doesn¡¯t match the goal of our Academy. We are a school of thought, one where we teach our students not to only view the darkness in people¡¯s hearts and ruthlessly y opponents. We want our students to think things through and show at least a modicum of respect to their opponents, who are also living beings with souls.¡± Headmaster Rivia spoke next.

    ¡®To be fair, my Codex is right by my heart, and it¡¯s filled with Dark Mana.¡¯ Cynrik thought but didn¡¯t say it aloud.

    [Listen to them; their viewpoint is why you were punished in the first ce.] Merging with the group of people clustered around his brother, Brance interjected his opinion.

    [I am well aware, I already pretty much secured the XP for the Brawler, but I don¡¯t know what happens if someone else kills him. That is why I am pushing this in the first ce.]

    [Stop being an idiot and just listen to them, Cyn. Stop being so hardheaded and goal-oriented. Sure, we lose out on some XP and Stats, but we are about to jump head first into farming. Worst case, we lose out on a few sleepless nights of grinding. On the other hand, if you concede here, not only will you put a good image of yourself in their minds, one that is learning and growing emotionally, but you also put up the fa?ade that you are adhering to their rules. There is no losing in this situation.]

    Brance¡¯s words aggravated Cynrik to no end, but he knew his little brother was correct in his way of thinking, so he chambered the hidden de back into the bracer, sighed in an annoyed manner, and tilted his head to the side so he could meet the Headmaster¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Then what would you have me do, Headmaster, let him go? Hand him over to you? Pin a 2000 credit bill to his chest and wish him the best of luck?¡± The words spewing from Cynrik¡¯s mouth held no malice but a heavy level of sarcasm.

    ¡°For now, we will lock him and the Squad Leader up in the Academy brig. The two of them will serve as part of your final test; at that time, no one will stop you from doing what you want.¡± Narrowing his eyes and holding back the urge to backhand Cynrik, Headmaster Rivia quickly thought of a n that benefited the student. In doing this, he also gave himself enough time to pressure the two spies for more information.

    ¡°Tsk, fine, Oi, Bj?rn, how long do you n on sitting around and leaving your dear old brother half-crippled? Do you even realize how bad this shit hurts, ugh?¡± Spinning around and facing Brance, Cynrik pped his broken arm, which moved like rubber for effect, only to wince in pain a secondter.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, get over here, you dipshit.¡± Rolling his eyes, Brance rolled up his sleeves and started channeling Light Mana into his palms to perform [Lay on Hands.]

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 280

    ¡°Tsss, fucking hell, GO EASY ON MY ARM, YOU DICKHEAD!¡± Cynrik howled as Brance grabbed ahold of the broken limb and squeezed tightly while activating his [Lay On Hands.]

    ¡°Quit your bitching; this isn¡¯t even the worst break you¡¯ve had; now sit still; if I don¡¯t heal your arm properly, we will have to rebreak it, and ima be honest, I REALLY don¡¯t want to hear more of your whining.¡±

    Crack crack crack

    Gritting his teeth until his gums bled, Cynrik watched as the bones and muscles under his exposed arm moved and popped back into ce. After the second wave of healing, the bruising and swelling disappeared, and by the time Brance cast his skill for the third time, his right arm was good as new.

    [[Hey, guys, what are we doing with all the gear we looted from those guys?]] cing her hands on her hips, Selene ignored the pained noises her boyfriend was making and brought up the subject of all the equipment and resources they had gotten from killing the spies.

    [[That¡­if you don¡¯t know, who am I supposed to ask? Cyn, thoughts?]] Brance replied as he pulled down Cynrik¡¯s sleeve and gave him a look.

    [[We are selling what we don¡¯t need. Although those weapons are nice and Tier-3, the ones we have being made by Uncle Jessup are infinitely better. We might as well hock it all at the Academy Store and stock up on merit points. OH, that reminds me.]] Cynrik started before turning and looking at the Headmaster, who was in the process of containing the Brawler and Squad Leader within tworge Space Affinity Confinement cubes.

    ¡°Hey, Headmaster Rivia, since we kinda handled this situation on our own, don¡¯t you think we deserve some kind of reward, like, I don¡¯t know, Merit points, or better yet, Affinity Gems.¡±

    Hearing Cynrik¡¯s shameless words, Headmaster Rivia shot a hesitant nce at the greedy boy and sighed heavily.

    ¡°Each of you gets 300 Merit Points, but that¡¯s it,¡± Finally, after a few moments of silence, Geralt lifted his Watcet and tapped it a few times, wiring everyone the promised amount of points.

    ¡°Thank you, Headmaster,¡± Brance, Gabby, and Benny all said as they bowed respectfully toward the man.

    ¡°Yeah, thanks, tsk stingy,¡± Cynrik murmured under his breath, with Selene nodding and wrapping her arm around his.

    Headmaster Rivia smiled at the three good students, but when he saw the aggrieved expressions of Cynrik and the smug look on Selene¡¯s face, he wanted to wring their necks.

    Noticing the Geralt was about to woosh off the remaining spies, Cynrik jumped over to the Brawler and cast a sidelong nce at the Headmaster.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking the remaining gauntlet; I need it for research and experimentation purposes. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t disapprove, right?¡±

    Annoyed by the boy¡¯s shamelessness once again, the Headmaster grunted his approval but said nothing to dissuade him.

    ¡°Cool, alright, Brawler, ima just yoink this real quick, oh and the remains of the other one too. Don¡¯t worry; you¡¯ll get it back before our much-awaited rematch,¡± moving dexterously, Cynrik unhooked all the sps and buckles of the man¡¯s Shotgauntlet and slid it off his arm. Luckily, Headmaster Rivia had somehow put the man into suspended animation, so he could not argue against Cynrik¡¯s actions and was currently in aatose state.

    Nodding in satisfaction and throwing both the damaged gauntlet and the intact one into his inventory, Cynrik bounced back over to his party and stood at parade rest, waiting for the Headmaster to dismiss them.

    Shaking his head, the Headmaster snapped his fingers and sent the two spies through a spatial crack, assumingly to the Brig he had mentioned. Next, he turned to the two Instructors to dismiss them after giving appropriate praise.

    ¡°Instructor Garrison, good work out there, you too, Instructor Alistar, the two of you can head back and prepare for your uing lessons.¡±

    At the Headmaster¡¯s words, Garrison and Alistar saluted him, with Alister leaving immediately and Garrison turning to look back at MyrkLys.

    ¡°I look forward to working with you five in theing weeks. I am, after all, the Academy¡¯s team Instructor. Oh, and Student Benjamin, you have shown significant improvements; I look forward to seeing how much stronger you get once you have a proper sword and shield to use.¡± Tossing Benny a curious nce as if he noticed something, Instructor Garrison waved and vanished from sight.

    ¡°You five did well in handling things as they were thrown at you; however, I do wish you hadn¡¯t killed the four beings you did so that they could be taken into custody, but the past can¡¯t be changed. For now, you all should rest, Student Ivar has given me a detailed n for theing weeks, and if you don¡¯t take a moment to rx, things will be increasingly more difficult as time goes on.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Headmaster,¡± Brance, Selene, Gabby, and Benny said in unison.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go spoiling everything for them, Headmaster; it has taken me weeks toe up with this n, kuekue. The less they know, the better.¡± Smiling so wide that his eyes became crescents, Cynrik smugly met the eyes of all four of his party members; each one recoiled as they all knew he had nned some dastardly shit that would be borderline torture under the guise of ¡°training.¡± Only Brance scoffed and flipped Cynrik the middle finger.

    ¡°Yes, yes, I know, you told me several times; I am only warning them so they don¡¯t walk in and get blindsided.¡± Rolling his eyes and shooting a worried nce at Selene, Gabby, and Benny, Headmaster Rivia sighed again and rubbed his temples before opening a spatial crack and disappearing.

    CLAP

    ¡°Okay, back to the Dorm; first things first, I want everyone to pitch in and clean up the house. Well, everyone except Benny, I want you to run Melody home. She has had it rough today, so just escort her and get back as soon as possible. Once we get the Dorm sorted, we need to sift through our loot and figure out what we are keeping and what we are selling.¡± Shaking out his stiff right arm a few times, Cynrik began walking off across the destroyed terrain of the Core Area and toward the Dorm.

    ¡°Uh, Ivar¡­shouldn¡¯t we have requested to have this ce fixed up by the Headmaster,¡± Selene asked as she hurried over to walk alongside her boyfriend.

    ¡°There is no point in doing that; by the time we wake up tomorrow, the grounds keepers will have fixed the terrain, and I¡¯m guessing there is a specific group of staff members who deal with building maintenance. The big thing is right now, we are the only residents of the Core Area, so I¡¯m not sure how quickly all the other buildings will get repaired. But I want to handle our Dorm myself. At least this way, I can be sure that sneaky Geralt doesn¡¯t try installing more cameras.¡± Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik walked up to the destroyed doorway and sighed ruefully.

    ¡°So much for withstanding up to Tier-4 attacks. I knew it was bullshit. There is no way I generate that much power with mypressed fire.¡± Touching the scorched doorway and removing some of the ash, Cynrik clicked his tongue and stepped inside.

    ¡°We need to get a new door and a new window for Benny¡¯s room, and¡­.¡± Cynrik paused as he walked into the ckened and utterly destroyed living room. His heart hurt seeing the remains of his beloved recliner.

    ¡°Sigh, Sel, start up a list, beginning with a new fucking recliner, four couches, two coffee tables, five end tables, a new TV stand, and Holo-Tv.¡± Walking around the charred remains of the room, Cynrik began listing off everything that needed to be reced, while Selene walked behind him like a secretary, inputting everything he said into a list so they would remember what was required during their shoppingter.

    ¡°Holy shit, you did a number on this ce.¡± Walking in calmly, Brance whistled loudly as he admired Cynrik¡¯s handy work.

    ¡°At least now you can stopining about painting the walls ck; it¡¯s going to take us hours to get all this soot off the walls. Hey Selly, add all new kitchen utensils and dining furniture to the list. That st Big Bro used obliterated the entire kitchen too.¡± Gabby chirped as she sadly walked over and picked up the remains of her rabbit-shaped cookie jar.

    Walking up beside Gabby, Brance patted her head tofort her as he spotted the glistening tears threatening to spill over. The cookie jar had been his gift to her three years ago on her birthday, and it was one of her favorite gifts of all time.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay; I will buy you a better one, so don¡¯t cry; at least everyone is safe and unharmed, objects can be reced, but people can¡¯t. I know you loved your jar, but it is still something we can either try repairing or buying a new recement for.¡± He said as he helped pick up the charred shards of broken ceramic and arranging them on top of the remains of the kitchen cabs.

    ¡°Un, *sniffle*, it just makes me sad. I kept it over here because you always ensured it was fully stocked for when I came over every day. But now¡­¡± Rubbing her nose with her sleeve, Gabby choked up and gently picked up all the pieces and stored them in her inventory. Even if it were broken, she would still try gluing it back together as it was the first present she had gotten from her now-boyfriend. Once it was back in one solid piece, it could sit on her nightstand, back in her bedroom, where she could remember the fond memory of opening it up that day years ago.

    Meanwhile, Benny ignored all the destruction in the Dorm and made his way over to the training room; when he arrived at the door, he knocked several times and called out.

    ¡°Melly, it¡¯s me; the fight is over. Can you let me in?¡±

    At first, there was no answer, so Benny knocked a few more times and called out, with worry slowly invading his tone with each passing second.

    ¡°Benny? Is that really you? How do I know you aren¡¯t one of the bad guys trying to trick me and lure me out? Prove it¡¯s really you and not some imposter.¡± After several tense minutes, Melody¡¯s sing-song voice came from within the room.

    Stumped for a moment, Benny leaned forward and lightly smacked his forehead on the door in exhaustion. It had been a tough fight earlier, and now he just wanted to sleep.

    ¡°Before all hell broke loose, we kissed for the first time, and you and I are now dating¡­is that enough proof?¡± Without thinking, Benny blurted out the first thing he could think of; however, he didn¡¯t expect the loud crash and rapid tteringing from the other side of the Dorm, along with the audible gasps of Selene and his little sister.

    ¡°HOLY CRAP! BROTHER, YOU AND MELLY KISSED! PLUS, YOU GUYS ARE OFFICIAL NOW! EEEPPP! Ahh, Selly, stop squeezing me so tightly!¡± Gabby screamed practically at the top of her lungs, but soon her screams became pained as Selene scooped her up and began hugging her tightly and bouncing up and down in excitement.

    ¡°WOAH! GET IT, BENNY BOY, YOU FINALLY MADE A MOVE! SO HOW WAS YOUR FIRST KISS? HUH HUH HUH? How was it? Were there sparks and fireworks like in the movies? The first time Ivar and I kissed, it was like magic, all tingly and nice hehe.¡± Selene squealed since she was one to live vicariously through gossip.

    ¡°BENJAMIN, AHH, HOW COULD YOU TELL THE WHOLE HOUSE!¡± The panicked yells of Melody came through the door as she shuffled all the workout equipment away, ripped open the door, and pulled Benny inside while smacking his chest in embarrassment.

    In the living room, Cynrik and Brance smiled and shrugged their shoulders while thinking, ¡°it sure is getting lively around here these days.¡±

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 281

    With the rest of the party moving around the Dorm calcting the damages done by the battle, Benny and Melody slipped out when no one was looking to avoid further interrogation. It was bad enough that Benny had already told everyone about what had happened between them. Still, Melody couldn¡¯t bear to see the reactions on everyone¡¯s faces, so like a burr, she pulled the boy along into his bedroom and out the window, escaping to freedom.

    Unfortunately, since everyone was still on high alert after the battle, Cynrik, Brance, Selene, and Gabby all noticed their departure; however, no one said anything since it was evident that the girl was highly embarrassed.

    The rest of the evening was rtively quiet until around 11 pm, when a knock suddenly appeared on the front doorway. The sudden and abrupt sound caused the party, who all had cleaning utensils out and were scrubbing the walls and ceiling, to look in the direction of the sound. Standing in the doorway ufortably was a man in a brown professional uniform and a clipboard in his arms.

    ¡°Hello, I have a delivery for a Student, Ivar Ragnarsson.¡± The man, who couldn¡¯t have been older than 18 or 19, said firmly.

    ¡°IVAR! DOOR!¡± Gabby yelled as she went back to attacking a particrly tough ck blemish on the wall with some cleaning chemicals.

    Peaking his head out from inside the training room, Cynrik noticed the delivery man and ran over.

    ¡°Whatcha got for me, boss?¡± Cynrik said as he wiped his dirty hands on his pants and took the clipboard, which had a long list of items scheduled for delivery to him.

    ¡°Please sign the form at the bottom, and I will hand you the Pocket containing everything you ordered from our service.¡± The man said with his right eye twitching. It waste at night, and his final delivery, and he just wanted to go home and sleep before having to work early the next morning. He was supposed to be off the clock hours ago, but around three hours ago, right as he was about to leave work, arge order for a bunch of household items came in, and it was handed down to him to collect everything and deliver it. To say he didn¡¯t like Cynrik at that moment was an understatement.

    ¡°Yep, door, window, carpets, kitchen stuff, living room stuff, everything looks in order.¡± Signing the form and handing the clipboard back to the delivery man, Cynrik extended his hand and waited for him to give over the storage device.

    ¡°One moment while I validate the form.¡± The man impatiently stated as he scanned Ivar¡¯s signature with his Watcet. Once he received the notification that everything was in order, he removed a ne from around his neck and handed it over to Cynrik, who tapped it against his wrist and scanned its contents with his Watcet.

    ¡°Thanks, here take this for your troubles,¡± Catching the guy by the arm, Cynrik quickly tapped his device against the man¡¯s, transferring him 10 Merit points and sending him on his way with a dazed expression. Hardly anyone ever tipped him, so it was quite a shock to receive ten points just like that.

    ¡°Thaa, thank you.¡± The man sheepishly said with a bow before running off in excitement.

    Waving him off, Cynrik immediately pulled out the new front door, which was rated to be able to withstand a full-on attack from a Tier-4, and fitted it into ce with the aid of his [Shadow Clone]. Once the door was in ce, he had everyone move away from the living room and into the kitchen on the tiled floor.

    ¡°Uh, why are we all here? Is Big Bro going to do something stupid again?¡± Gabby asked curiously while looking up at Brance.

    ¡°Probably, knowing him, it will be either extremely destructive or shy.¡± Brance sighed as he rubbed his temples.

    ¡°Ready for some fireworks?¡± Cynrik asked as he grinned diabolically and snapped his fingers, lighting everything remaining in the living room, including hallways, on fire with his ck mes, instantly destroying every spec of rubble and the carpet.

    Next, he pulled out several long rolls of fresh new ck carpet that had already been premeasured and cut, a batch of small rubber mallets, and some long white tubes filled with adhesive carpet glue.

    ¡°Grab a roll and startying it down. Everyone gets one of these little mallets and a container of adhesive. If you look, the edges of the room have little spikes; you will smack the corners and edge of the carpets with the mallet securing it in ce with the little spikes. Then you use the adhesive on the stone foundation like glue on paper to stick the carpet to it. Brance will help you, girls, if you need any; I have to rece Benny¡¯s window;e along, Shade.¡± Giving everyone instructions, Cynrik looked over to his clone, which he had for some reason named, and walked across the concrete foundation to Benny¡¯s bedroom.

    Selene, Brance, and Gabby stared at his back with confused ssy eyes.

    ¡°Did he just name¡­?¡± Selene started.

    ¡°I think so¡­¡± Gabby added.

    ¡°Why Shade though¡­?¡± Brance finished the thought as all three looked at each other, shook the weird actions of Cynrik out of their minds, and grabbed some carpet and tools, going to work and setting the new carpet down in ce.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that moron bought ck carpet; why couldn¡¯t he just stick with the neutral color we had before?¡± Heaving a sigh as he lined up the corner of his carpet with the wall spikes, Brance looked at the plush flooring with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°Listen, I tried to talk him out of it; I really did. I showed him half a dozen different patterns and colors, but he rejected every single one. His excuse was how good everything looked charred, so he ignored me and bought all ck.¡± Hanging her head and working on one of the hallway carpets, Selene vented her frustration.

    ¡°What¡¯s done is done; you don¡¯t have to live here; Benny and I do. I knew this would happen when I left it up to my brother to buy all the new furniture and flooring. I am willing to bet we will have ck leather furniture and all-ck kitchen utensils too. It¡¯s just how he is.¡± Standing up and looking back toward Gabby and Selene, who were just finishing up their spots, Brance looked down the hall, where Cynrik and his newly named clone Shade were working to secure the new window in ce with little trouble.

    ¡°Once you guys wrap it up, let¡¯s go back into the kitchen and clear the rubble before he can burn all that too. Luckily the cabs are all made of stone, so they just need a good scrubbing, but sweep all the debris into piles so I can pull it into my inventory. Thest thing we need is him turning a stone and tile room into a furnace.¡± Using a hushed tone, Brance hurried along with the two girls into the kitchen as they finishedying the carpet and set about sweeping all the broken rubble into piles before pulling it into his inventory.

    By the time Brance cleared the kitchen, Cynrik had finished up installing Benny¡¯s new bedroom window and returned to examine the new living room.

    ¡°Looks good ALRIGHT LETS DO THIS!¡± With a wave of his hand, three brand new ck leather sofas, two solid ck coffee tables, four matching end tables, a new ck tv stand, and most importantly, a plush, expensive-looking recliner appeared in the center of the living room.

    ¡°Called it,¡± Brance saidzily as he inspected all the new ck furniture, his words drawing a wonderous gasp from Gabby, who couldn¡¯t help but think Brance was the one with the Psychic Affinity, not her.

    Gabby, and Selene, soon joined Brance in inspecting all the new living room furniture and pushing it into its proper spot, leaving Cynrik to wander into the kitchen while chewing the inside of his cheek. He sighed, unloaded the new Maplewood dining set, and scooted it into ce before moving on to the cupboards and stowing all the new dishes and silverware. Unlike what Brance had predicted this time, everything was a dark shade of red instead of ck.

    Once finished, he returned to the living room, set up the new Holo-Tv, and plopped down into his new recliner to rx for the rest of the night. Looking over at the other four members of his group, he couldn¡¯t help but smile; Selene was already out cold and balled up on one of the couches; meanwhile, Brance was leaning back on his couch, with a sleeping Gabby using hisp as a pillow. A soft smile was on her lips as she unconsciously enjoyed Brance petting her head while she slept.

    Benny, who had returned home when Cynrik was fixing up the kitchen, was also passed out on the final couch with his arms crossed over his chest, breathing softly.

    [They had it rough today, but it will only get more challenging as the days progress.] Brance said, noticing the rxed smile on Cynrik¡¯s face.

    [Yeah, I know. The training we have to put them through is bad enough, but the physical pain from growing that quickly will test their resolve. I¡¯m not worried about Selene since she has the Will Power stat, but Benny and Gabby will struggle.] Looking away from the cute sleeping face of his girlfriend, Cynrik sighed and met his brother¡¯s gaze.

    [On the plus side, we knocked out 10 million XP today, so that should shorten things, right?]

    [Yes and no. Tier-2 beings give 1k per their Primary level, remember. Those spies were giving roughly 10k per Primary; one of them is like ten lower Tiers. But honestly, we got so much XP because of that modifier. Reaching six times after your passive has already modified the XP further is beyond our normal reach. So unless we consistentlye up against Tier-3s, which we won¡¯t, we will be forced to continuously grind our way through mobs to make up that 80 million.] Drumming his fingers on the soft leather armrests, Cynrik continued.

    [The XP isn¡¯t even my biggest concern, though. Although everyone showed today that they could fight without using their weapons, they still have a long way to go. Tomorrow we will be heading into the first Obelisk; luckily, everything in there is rtively weakpared to us. But if we had to jump into, say, the 2nd or 3rd, the whole party, would be in a bind since our Affinities haven¡¯t progressed as far as I would have liked them to. Sure, you and I can mitigate the difference with our hand-to-hand experience, but they can¡¯t.] Cynrik said while motioning toward his sleeping party.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 282

    [Sure, you and I can mitigate the difference with our hand-to-hand experiences, but they can¡¯t.] Cynrik said while motioning toward his sleeping party.

    [Let¡¯s just hope we get something good from the First Obelisk, if not, the second onward will spike in difficulty. By the way, is it okay for Selene and Gabby to be staying the night here? I mean, won¡¯t we all get yelled at about it if the Professors or Headmaster find out.] Looking down at Gabby with a tinge of worry, Brance asked.

    [Nah, I already cleared it with Geralt. He said so long as we are actually cleaning and repairing the Dorm until thete-night hours, it is okay if they sleep over. He did add, though, that we need to be in different rooms, so in a little bit, I¡¯ll carry Selene to my room to sleep it off, and you should drop Gabby off in yours. It¡¯s not like the two of us will end up sleeping anyway. Benny is fine where he is.] After staying like this for another hour, Cynrik put the leg rest down on his recliner, quietly moved to where his girlfriend was sleeping, and carefully lifted Selene into a princess carry.

    Likewise, Brance picked Gabby up, and the two brothers put the girls to bed, with Brance giving Gabby a soft kiss on the forehead as he tucked her in, while Cynrik simply tucked a lock of hair behind Selene¡¯s ear before leaving the room and shutting the door silently.

    On the way back to the living room, he bumped into Brance, who was pushing a sleepy Benny toward his bedroom, giving him and his brother some time to go over the schedule for the next day.

    With the other three happily off in slumbend, the two brothers sat facing each other in the living room, with neither speaking for some time as they were both lost in thought.

    Eventually, it was Cynrik who broke the stalemate.

    [That tower of yours came in clutch today. How bad was the drain on your reserves.]

    [The resource stat cost was annoying and difficult to deal with upon activation. But once the Pseudo-Codex was formed, things calmed down a bit, and instead of a surging river of points draining from me, it turned into a calm stream. I only did three floors, so I only had ess to the functions of the 2nd floor. Still, it was enough to keep those two spies in check. Reducing their stats by 20 percent, and increasing ours by 20, was just enough to keep an even ying field.]

    [I noticed that Gabby struggled a bit in dealing with that Mage. Which is to be expected since she was forced to fight like you without her bow or crossbow. Overall she did well, keeping on the move constantly while dropping all kinds of traps, there was even one point she had me thinking she was in danger, but it only turned out to be a replica. Were you able to catch any of Selene and Benny¡¯s fights?] Tilting his head to the side, Brance forced out a few pops as he leaned back into the soft new ck leather couch.

    [Not really; my opponent kept my focus the whole fight. I was able to catch a few nces, though; from what I could tell, Benny seems to lose focus when something outside his control happens. There was an incident where he saved Selene but had to be woken up from a daze only to have to be saved a few secondster because of the battle between Garrison and that Peak Tier-3. Other than that, they work well together, which is what we have been mainly practicing.] Putting up his feet, Cynrik broke down the little bit he saw.

    [In a few hours, we are jumping into the First Obelisk, have you gotten caught up on all the data?] Cynrik asked while staring absentmindedly at the ceiling, where he found a single ck streak about 20 centimeters long, triggering his OCD.

    [ording to Selene, the first one is a solo climb. Starting on the first floor, you have to beat a creature that is freshly Level 0 in Tier-1; after that, you are given the option to advance or leave. Moving on, on each floor, you will face more enemies with their level increasing until you reach thest two floors, floors 21 and 22, where you will face 10 Peak Tier-1 and 20 Peak Tier-1 creatures.] Brance started rattling off everything he remembered Selene telling them after her climb a few months back, adding in what he had researched online.

    [It¡¯s too bad Selene left early, ording to Geralt, the first dive is the most profitable. If somehow a student can clear the tower on their first try, their rewards are ten times better than any time after. To date, only two people cleared it on their first try, and the Headmaster was one of them. The most important thing we have to stress to the others is they need to get their hands on a weapon as soon as possible. Even if the opponents are only Tier-1, fatigue will stack up, and the less they have to use their bodies to fight, the better off they will be.] Cynrik added before continuing a more in-depth exnation.

    [The first ten floors or so will be a breeze for all of us, but once multiple creatures start getting added into the mix on floor 11. That¡¯s when things will get tricky for the others if they don¡¯t have a weapon. Selene and Gabby will have it much easier than Benny, though. As a Warrior¡­er¡­Vanguard, he will try rushing forward and meeting them head-on; that¡¯s where he will start taking chip damage, so we need to be sure to stress that he needs to take his time. These Obelisk climbs aren¡¯t a race.]

    [C¡¯mon on, Cyn, don¡¯t act like you aren¡¯t going to try clearing some imaginary time to make yourself the self-proimed best climber in the Academy.] Scoffing his response, Brance crossed his arms and sneered at his older brother.

    [I MEAN, you aren¡¯t wrong. I do n on seeing how fast I can run through the first one, but that is only because we¡¯ve been killing Tier-1 beings since we were little. All it will take me is a few fireballs, so why not steamroll it. Even on the higher floors, I can just use a little more firepower and BOOM, cooked virtual creature.] Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik replied with a smirk.

    [Seriously though, everyone needs to clear it on the first try; I also n on having Sel go back in since she stopped on floor 15. Her goal is to work on her spear shieldbo, so she will be using the remaining floors as practice while we clear ours. The reward system is the only downside to running the Obelisks Vs. going into Egresses. We won¡¯t earn XP and stats per kill, but we will get XP crystals and other misceneous items since there appears to be some kind of artificial intelligence within the thing itself. I am willing to bet there is some kind of algorithm that runs kill times and clear times into a form representing the awarding process.]

    [Using that theory as a basis, we need to show a bit of urgency, at least when advancing up the floors. I will be able to figure it out rtively quickly. But my primary goal is to get my hands on the Floor Reward Merit Points and potentially some Affinity Gems. As much as I wish to give him the Ice Orb, I must keep him on the same path we are taking.] Cynrik paused and thought back to when he exined that Benny and Brance could not use orbs to evolve their Water and Terra Affinities.

    When Cynrik learned about the method of evolving one Affinity into its following form, he spent a lot of time conversing and learning from Professor Morningdale. The general conclusion he formed after these lessons and conversations was that it¡¯s more beneficial in the long run if a being were to understand its Affinity and force its evolution entirely.

    In contrast, if they used outside means to obtain it, the Affinity would essentially be starting at ground zero, and the being would have rtively little control over it.

    This means if Benny were to force his Water Affinity to Evolve into Ice, he would already have a generalized understanding of how it works and wouldn¡¯t have to rely on his System to dictate any skills he would want to use.

    Thus, if he absorbed the Ice Elemental Affinity Orb or even an Ice Affinity Gem, his System would need to regte the output and cirction of the Mana, weakening his attacks and increasing the resource stat costs by a minimum of 200 percent.

    The cons outweighed the pros in Cynrik¡¯s mind, so when it came to Brance obtaining Metal, himself Lightning, and Benny Ice, the idea of using outside means was off the table entirely.

    Instead, he had shifted to training everyone on the best way to increase their Proficiency and Mastery over their own Affinities in the hopes that over time they would all be able to Evolve their Affinities naturally.

    This train of thought also spawned the confirmation that Elemental Affinity Orbs or Affinity Gems had one purpose and one purpose alone, obtaining a new unrted Affinity.

    However, this brought up another issue that needed to be rified by Professor Morningdale, the residential self-proimed Affinities expert. When a being DOES evolve its Affinity, what happens to the old one? If Cynrik advanced his Fire to Lightning, would he lose the ability to use mes? The answer, in short, was No.

    When an Affinity was Naturally advanced, it would still show up in his status as Fire, but there would be a fundamental difference; it would increase to Advanced Grade Fire.

    With this increase in grade, he would not only unlock a new tab dedicated to Lightning but also wouldn¡¯t increase his overall Affinity Count. This was another reason Cynrik didn¡¯t want anyone using secondary means because, unlike using the natural progression through mastery Evolution, if you used an Orb or Gem, it would fill in one of your avable Affinity Slots.

    This was how Professor Morningdale had so many different Affinities; every single one of hers had been naturally evolved; thus, although she had ess to almost a dozen different elements, she essentially only had five Affinities.

    After exining this to the party, everyone agreed that it was better to take the natural Evolution path and had been studying and training themselves to the fullest extent.

    [Get some rest Brance; it¡¯s already 2 am, and I n on getting everyone up in the next five hours. I will keep watch tonight to ensure no one breaks in. Plus, I have night vision, unlike you, hehe.] Smirking at Brance, Cynrik pulled a pillow from his inventory and chucked it at his brother¡¯s head.

    [Jerk.] Snatching the pillow out of the air, Branceid back and stuffed the pillow under his head, retorting with his usual banter.

    [Bitch.] Cynrik snorted as he crossed his arms over his chest and fully reclined; soon, Brance¡¯s soft snores were the sign that he was clear to get lost in the storm of thoughts swirling in his mind.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 283

    At 7 am sharp, Cynrik got out of his chair, set up the new coffee pot, and set it to brew before going room to room, waking everyone up. By the time he got back into the living room, Brance was still asleep, albeit restless. In front of the Holo-Tv stand, Cynrik calmly crossed his arms over his chest and watched his little brother toss and turn violently while covered in sweat.

    This wasn¡¯t the first time he saw this scene, as he had stumbled on Brance several times since they moved into the dorms out cold from overworking his body in the training room or sleeping on the couch. Worse yet, even if he brought up the subject, the youngest Jetlensr would blow off whatever words Cynrik said before changing the topic.

    Over time, Cynrik had taken a passive approach to the whole thing and would now only sit back and watch his brother suffer in silence. He knew there was not getting through but had faith that Brance woulde to him for advice if things got really bad.

    Shaking his head in defeat, Cynrik moved away from the living room to the kitchen, retrieved five new coffee mugs, and poured a cup for everyone who would soon be present. Recently Gabby had joined the others in drinking coffee in the morning, so Cynrik was extra careful to ensure that she knew better than to water her drink down with sugar, milk, or creamer.

    After all, coffee is supposed to be drunk ck, as he taught everyone except Brance. His brother had always hated how strong ck coffee was, so he would go out of his way every morning to ensure Cynrik saw him pouring all the extra things into his cup before wafting the aroma to his nostrils and taking a big sip.

    It only took the party twenty minutes to wake up, get showered, dressed, and make their way into the kitchen, where everyone took their freshly brewed cup of extra strong caffeine and mozy on over to their respective couches.

    The ttering sound of mugs on the table was enough to finally wake up Brance, who went into his room and showed up after giving his good mornings to the party. By the time he returned, Gabby was already posted up on the couch he had left behind and had fixed his coffee for him the way he liked it.

    Taking his seat and a small sip of his drink, he joined the others in waiting for Cynrik¡¯s morning meeting to begin.

    ¡°Morning folks, today starts our six-week-long training camp. Our target today is the First Obelisk, which is closed off to anyone other than Year One Students.¡± As he spoke, Cynrik tapped his Watcet a few times and swiped toward the Holo-Tv, which he had moved onto the table in the center of all the couches so everyone would have a good view projecting a three-dimensional model of the gothic-style tower on screen.

    ¡°As Selene has informed us all, outside weapons and armor are forbidden within the Obelisk, so I want everyone to bring along their workout clothes and store them in one of your two loadouts. This way, once you enter the Virtual Realm, you can easily switch into them without being caught stranded and naked on the first floor.¡± When Cynrik said this, he explicitly stared at Selene. Who had everyone convinced at first that they would be naked at the beginning of the first floor.

    ¡°The Virtual AI will scan all of our loadouts and gear, and since the workout clothes have no defensive properties, it will automatically recreate them for you once you are spawned in. Now, moving on, strategy talk. For the first five floors or so, you won¡¯t have a weapon, so I want each of you working on your Affinity control instead of just running up and bashing these poor Tier-1 virtual creatures¡¯ heads to a pulp.¡±

    ¡°Benny, you will have it the hardest as your basic instinct is to rush forward, but until you get to the higher floors, you need to be focusing on your long-range attacks,¡± Cynrik said as he looked away from Selene and towards the boy mid-sip of his drink.

    ¡°Copy.¡± Nodding his head, Benny affirmed his understanding and fell silent.

    ¡°Also, keep a tally of how many points you are earning. Each kills you three things and potentially one random chance item. The first is the OKP or Obelisk Kill Point. These points are distributed after every kill, and depending on how quickly and cleanly you eliminate your target, you will receive between one and five points. Bear in mind; that these points are useable in EVERY OBELISK, no matter what level, and are the main currency for exchange when ites to special items like weapons, armor, and any other materials you can think of; within the Obelisk Marketce.¡±

    ¡°The second thing you will receive is an XP Crystal. Hold on to them; when the timees, we will count everything and distribute them evenly. Just like the OKP or the next item you will receive, these Crystals will give essence based on how efficiently you kill your enemy. Their value ranges from 100 to 1000 points per Crystal, so keep them separated and stacked appropriately in your inventory.¡± Cynrik held up two fingers as he spoke, and when he began talking about the third reward the party could expect, he lifted another finger.

    ¡°The third and arguably most valuable drop is Merit Points; just like the previous drops, how many points you get is also determined in the same manner, only you gain between one and three points. One if you struggle against the opponent, two if you do well but still are hit, and three is for a perfect clear. To earn three Merit points, you can¡¯t get touched by any of the creatures, so be extra careful and rely on what I have taught you about maneuverability inbat.¡±

    ¡°For thest drop, don¡¯t expect to see it happen in the First Obelisk; the random item drop is primarily where you get the good shit, like High-Grade Gems, such as the Affinity and Proficiency Gems. Since the rate of the fourth drop is abysmal, don¡¯t even bother praying for it because the rate is something like one in 400 million.¡± Closing his fingers in, Cynrik made eye contact with each of his party members, all of which were wide awake and had excitement on their faces.

    ¡°Keep a watchful eye on your Resource stats, and don¡¯t get caught with your pants down; I expect you lot to knock this Obelisk out of the park; the creatures inside are, after all, only at Tier-1. No matter how many appear, each of you has more than one way to obliterate them with ease. Now then, if you have questions, ask them now or forever hold your peace.¡± Taking a sip of his coffee, Cynrik looked around for any signs of confusion, and when he saw none, he smirked.

    ¡°Good, finish your coffee, I¡¯m going to shower, and we can head out.¡± With that, Cynrik chugged down thest few gulps of his drink and shed down the hall, mming and locking his door, and finally to the bathroom, where he barricaded himself in so that a particr Dark Affinity user couldn¡¯t sneak in while he was showering.

    Seeing how thorough and over-guarded Cynrik acted, Selene clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I was gonna peek; I had my fill since I got to sleep in his bedst night.¡± She grumbled, making Benny and Brance snicker. Only Gabby nodded in agreement, as she too felt great after waking up in Brance¡¯s bed, even if he wasn¡¯t there with her.

    ¡ª

    Half an hourter, the members of MyrkLys stood outside a thin, gothic-style 22-story tower. All five of them were dressed in Academy Uniforms, and their huddle drew a curious look from several students who were passing by on their way to the Obelisks or from one side of campus to another.

    Ignoring the nces of random students, Cynrik pped Benny and Brance on the shoulder, signaling to them to close the circle tighter so no one could overhear his following few words.

    ¡°Listen up, I know y¡¯all will be just fine in there, but remember, if you die inside the Obelisk, the only thing you lose is your rewards from the current floor you are trying to clear. A penalty is added on, but we shouldn¡¯t worry about that for now. We all know that the first clear gives the most rewards, multiplying everything you earned by a factor of ten. So don¡¯t be like Sel and back out early.¡±

    Gabby, Benny, and Brance all turned to look at Selene and couldn¡¯t help butugh at the pouty expression she had on her face.

    ¡°Hehe, jokes aside, I forgot to tell you guys onest thing. Besides my brother and me, the one who clears all 22 floors with the best time and highest rewards gets a special prize from me. Selene, in your case, you have a handicap, and I will figure out your stats after the fact.¡± With that, Cynrik patted Benny and Brance¡¯s shoulders, breaking off the huddle, and turned to face the impressive ck spire.

    [Take it easy in there, Cyn, don¡¯t go breaking shit¡­if that¡¯s even possible.] Brance said as he stepped up beside his brother and admired the tall structure that seemed to touch the sky.

    [Yeah, yeah, I know, don¡¯t break shit, I got it. See you in a few, little brother.] Cynrik said as he stepped forward and disappeared behind the blue transparent portal representing the entrance into the Obelisk.

    Shaking his head at how hasty Cynrik was, Brance looked over at Gabby, and noticing how nervous she seemed to be, he leaned over and took her hand, squeezing it lightly to reassure the girl.

    Turning her head and smiling at him, Gabby responded by lifting their hands and nting a soft kiss onto the back of his and releasing it before following Cynrik into the tower.

    Next, Brance watched as the stoic Benny and nonchnt Selene entered, leaving him as the sole member of MyrkLys to yet enter, so he exhaled slightly and stepped forward.

    Like when he passed through the gate into an Egress, Brance was met by the strange feeling of walking through liquid before bing weightless. His vision went ck, and when he opened his eyes, he was in arge empty ck stone room with poor lighting.

    |Wee to the First Level Trial Obelisk Tower.|

    |Commensing Biometric Scan of Student.|

    |Scan Complete, Hello Student Bj?rn ¡°Ironside¡± Ragnarsson; I am the Obelisk Companion Artificial Intelligence known as Yennifer; you may call me Yenni.|

    |Since this is your first time in the Trial Obelisk Tower, let me briefly exin the rules and how the Obelisk Market ce works.|

    A soft and gentle female voice sounded off in Brance¡¯s mind, and a fancy notification window covered his vision as it began detailing all the different rules enacted on every student who entered the Obelisk.

    ¡®Of course, it¡¯s named that.¡¯ Brance thought as he smirked and respectfully waited for Yenni to finish.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 284

    |Wee to the First Level Trial Obelisk Tower.|

    |Commensing Biometric Scan of Student.|

    |Scan Complete, Hello Student Bj?rn ¡°Ironside¡± Ragnarsson; I am the Obelisk Companion Artificial Intelligence known as Yennifer; you may call me Yenni.|

    |Since this is your first time in the Trial Obelisk Tower, let me briefly exin the rules and how the Obelisk Market ce works.|

    ¡®Of course, it¡¯s named that.¡¯ Brance thought as he smirked and listened to the soft and gentle female voice as she exined everything he already knew. The thought did appear in his mind to try interrupting her and having her skip the exnation, but he ignored it since that was something his brother would do and calmly waited for the AI to finish.

    Eventually, after a few minutes, Yenni concluded her prescripted speech. A multiple-choice box appeared on the notification screen as the Obelisk AI read its contents aloud for Brance to follow along.

    |You are currently at the starting area on Floor 1 and have five options to choose from. Would you like to hear your options? (Y/N)|

    Reaching up, Brance poked the Yes button making the notification box change, and a list slowly began appearing as if someone was actively typing the words in real-time.

    |Option One: ess the Obelisk Market ce.|

    |Option Two: Advance to the Beginning of the Trial.|

    |Option Three: View Trial Statistics.|

    |Option Four: Save Progress and Exit the First Level Trial Obelisk Tower.|

    |Option Five: Hear the Rules again.|

    Brance stood in silence for a moment before tapping Option Two. Once he did, he felt his body go weightless again, a sign that he was being teleported. He opened his eyes in another room, one simr to the one he had just been in; however, dozens of torches were fastened to the wall all around the room and lit with bright red mes, giving it an eerie feel while allowing him to see properly.

    |Wee to the Beginning of the First Trial.|

    |Your Virtual Avatar has been created, all of its specifications are the same as your actual body, and your Affinities, Skills, and Stats have all been perfectly recreated.|

    |None of your Weapons or Armor have been replicated as per the rules of the Obelisk.|

    |The Loadout ¡°Training Gear,¡± has been selected as your current attire since it holds no defensive properties.|

    |Current Floor: One.|

    |Your first opponent will appear in One Minute; please prepare yourself forbat.|

    Tapping the toe of his left sneaker on the solid ground, Brance loosened up his body a bit to get used to the feel of his Virtual Avatar. Even after spending years within the HBTC, he still could never stop being amazed by the technology and magical nature of Vinestra, and an adventurous smirk spread across his lips as he watched the timer count down.

    |Now Summoning First Floor Opponent, Tier-1 Level 0 Fanged Rat.|

    Brance watched as a swarm of Mana particles appeared in the center of the empty stone room and formed into the body of a young adult Fanged rat, just like he had faced back in the Egress.

    ¡°SCREEEE!¡± Seeing the human not far away, the Fanged Rat screeched loudly and rushed forward in hunger.

    But Brance wasn¡¯t concerned and calmly lifted his right hand, formed it into a finger gun, and channeled Terra Mana into the tip of his index finger.

    ¡°Bang.¡± He said as he activated [Stone Bullet.] firing off a thumb-sized rock at a speed nearly too fast for the naked eye. The next moment, the Fanged Rat¡¯s head exploded like a watermelon, and the creature shattered into a particle cloud that floated back to the ceiling.

    |You have sessfully Killed the Level 0, Tier-1 Virtual Fanged Rat.|

    |You have received a Perfect Score for the First Floor Trial.|

    |You have received 5 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received a 1000 Essence, XP Crystal.|

    |You have received 3 Merit Points.|

    |All rewards will be tallied and stored. You may ess your bnce from the Obelisk Market ce, which is open to you every five floors.|

    |Congrattions, you have Cleared the First Floor. Would you like to continue to the Second Floor or Save and Exit?|

    Without hesitation, Brance tapped continue and was teleported to the next floor. With a quick nce, he saw no noticeable changes and quickly pressed the button to begin the second trial.

    Following the same pattern of arriving on the next floor, summoning the creature, and popping the creature¡¯s head, Brance advanced quickly, killing all the different shades of Fanged rats that spawned until he reached the 11th floor where things changed.

    Instead of a single rat, a new creature appeared, and it wasn¡¯t alone; now, there were two sedan-sized green-furred wolves named GustWolves. Like their fur gave away, these creatures had an Affinity for Wind and used it to move around swiftly or coat their ws for extra damage when attacking. They were often found in packs of five to ten in the wild, and their appearance made Brance think for half a beat before popping their heads simultaneously with perfect uracy.

    |You have sessfully Killed two Level 10, Tier-1 Virtual GustWolves.|

    |You have received a Perfect Score for the Eleventh Floor Trial.|

    |You have received 10 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received two 1000 Essence, XP Crystals.|

    |You have received 6 Merit Points.|

    |All rewards will be tallied and stored. You may ess your bnce from the Obelisk Market ce, which is open to you every five floors.|

    | Congrattions, you have Cleared the Eleventh Floor. Would you like to continue to the Twelfth Floor or Save and Exit?|

    Taking a second to tally the points and crystals in his mind, Brance continued onto the 12th floor while contacting his brother through the mind link.

    [Hey, I¡¯m on floor 12; where are you.] Brance asked as he waited for the one-minute timer to tick down and spawn the predicted three wolves.

    [Just finished floor 16 and am starting the 17th as we speak. Wait, did you say 12? What the hell have you been doing this whole time? I figured you would be neck in neck with me.] Jumping to the side and dodging an attack from one of the eight ScorchWolves he was fighting, Cynrik responded.

    [Nah, unlike you, I am not racing for some made-up first ce goal. I actually listened to all the rules Yenni exined in the beginning. I am guessing you didn¡¯t bother and yelled ¡°skip¡± a bunch of times until she stopped talking and gave you the options.] Uncrossing his arms, Brance quickly killed off the three GustWolves.

    Brance¡¯s remark caused Cynrik to stumble and nearly get sted by a fireball from one of the wolves, to which he aggressively counter-attacked with a wave of ck mes that instantly obliterated all of his enemies.

    |You have sessfully Killed eight Level 16, Tier-1 Virtual GustWolves.|

    |You have received a Perfect Score for the Seventeenth Floor Trial.|

    |You have received 40 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received eight 1000 Essence, XP Crystals.|

    |You have received 24 Merit Points.|

    |All rewards will be tallied and stored. You may ess your bnce from the Obelisk Market ce, which is open to you every five floors.|

    | Congrattions, you have Cleared the Seventeenth Floor. Would you like to continue to the Eighteenth Floor or Save and Exit?|

    |Congrattions, you¡­.|

    Annoyed by Brance¡¯s provocation, Cynrik ignored thest notification and red angrily at the floor beneath his feet, where he assumed his brother was located.

    [Listen here, you little shit, I did not yell ¡°skip¡± a bunch of times. I¡¯ll let you know; I kindly requested that Yenni stop the tutorial and begin the challenges.] Cynrik snorted, but just as he was about to press the continue to the next floor button, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a strange sparkling item near where the corpse of a ScorchWolf had died a second ago.

    [OH SHIT!] Rushing over, Cynrik slid to his knees on the stone ground and scooped up a tiny sparkling rock.

    [Huh? What are you freaking out about?] Brance said as the timer cleared and more GustWolves appeared.

    Brance¡¯s question did not yield any response from Cynrik. Instead, Cynrik ignored his brother and continually moved his gaze from the notification floating in the air to the little stone resting in the center of his palm.

    |Congrattions, you have earned a random reward from the potential items generated on the Seventeenth Floor.|

    |An item has been randomly selected and stored in the body of one of the creatures using a random number generator.|

    |You have received one Chaos Affinity Gem Piece 1/5 (Overall Fair, 3 Carats when all pieces are assembled.)|

    Reading the notifications, Cynrik fell into a daze as he stared at the swirling storm of color moving around the small fragmented piece of Gem. It was mesmerizing seeing the grey, ck, and red liquidized colors move.

    [Cyn, OI, ASSHAT! What the fuck is happening.] Brance screamed as he tried getting his brother¡¯s attention and killing the virtual creatures simultaneously.

    [Brancie¡­there¡¯s a Chaos Affinity¡­.] Cynrik replied in a hushed whisper, almost as if afraid someone would overhear his thoughts.

    [Huh, what are you on about? I¡¯ve never heard of the Chaos Affinity; why are you¡­holy shit, did you actually get one?] Dropping thest GustWolf on his current floor, Brance skidded to a stop since he had been sprinting around avoiding attacks.

    [Yeah, I got an Affinity Gem, well, a piece of one at least bu¡­Woah¡­.] However, just as the words left his brain and entered the mind link, he felt the world spin and the grounde up from under his feet. The next thing Cynrik knew, he had copsed onto his back, and Brance was screaming again.

    But none of it was getting through to Cynrik as his unfocused eyes stared up at the spam of notifications he was receiving from Tobs. Feeling like he could barely breathe and trying not to focus on how rapidly his heart was pounding nor the crippling headache he was feeling, Cynrik did all he could not to begin panicking.

    The sensations he was experiencing reminded him of what he had heard about when people have a heart attack; either that or shock had set in after hypothermia. His mind began slowing down, and he struggled to keep his eyes open. However, in this world, this sensation had another name, or at least one he had coined, Crippling Overdraft.

    ¡®Fuck, fuck, fuck.¡¯ Cynrik repeatedly thought as he tried regaining control over his body.

    ¡®Tobs, d¡­do¡­do something about that fucking Gem!¡¯ Noticing his vision was tunneling on top of his eyes fluttering, Cynrik clenched his fists tightly and, with the Aid of Tobs, triggered his H¨²efl¨²r and ?sir Mode. Next, raising his left arm towards the ceiling, Cynrik began pooling all the ambient, Dark, Fire, and Wind Mana from the surrounding room around his shakey palm, creating a baseball-sizedpressed orb of Tri-Affinity Mana Particles.

    ¡®C¡¯mon, you son of a bitch, work.¡¯ Unsteadily, Cynrik lowered the Tri-Affinity orb down to just above his heart, where his Codex was located, and forcefully pushed the ball of pure Mana directly into his chest.

    [¡°RAHHHHHHHH AHHHHHH!¡±] Through clenched teeth, Cynrik yelled both out loud and in the mind link as he actively added the Mana into his body and began bombarding it with Killing Intent.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 285

    Triggering his H¨²efl¨²r and ?sir Mode, Cynrik shakily raised his left arm towards the ceiling and pooled all the ambient, Dark, Fire, and Wind Mana from the surrounding room around his palm. In doing this, he created a baseball-sizedpressed orb of Tri-Affinity Mana Particles.

    ¡®C¡¯mon, you son of a bitch, work.¡¯ Unsteadily, Cynrik lowered the Tri-Affinity orb down to just above his heart, where his Codex was located, and forcefully pushed the ball of pure Mana directly into his chest.

    [¡°RAHHHHHHHH AHHHHHH!¡±] Through clenched teeth, Cynrik yelled both out loud and in the mind link as he actively added the Mana into his body and began bombarding it with Killing Intent.

    The instant the foreign Mana invaded his Codex, Cynrik felt like his blood had turned intova as his body began heating up due to the invasion, but he had no other options. Using his [Mana Sight] and ?sir Mode, Cynrik saw that the customarily bnced three vortexes of pure elemental Mana particles had been thrown into a churning storm, each constantly trying to suppress the others and even destroy them.

    The weakest of his elements, Wind, was in a constant fleeing state, where the particles were trying their best to escape the confines of the Codex by any means necessary. With no time to think about why this happened, Cynrik focused what little time he had left on forcefully taking control back. His way of doing this was the condensed ball of tri-elemental particles. By mixing in exact ratios within the ball and merging them into one, he was essentially trying to even the ying field for all three elements, creating a stalemate between them since no one particle type would have the numbers advantage.

    Feeling liquid dripping from his nose, eyes, ears, and lips, Cynrik sent shockwaves of Killing Intent into his chest, targeting the exact central point of the chaotic battle in his Codex. Each time he fired off a KIN pulse from his fingertips, Cynrik would sharply inhale, much like how a fighter pilot does during high g-force maneuvers. In doing so, his whole body would momentarily clench up, tightening his muscles and rushing the blood to his head, allowing him to slightly curb the intense pain and extending the time he had before passing out.

    [¡°YOU *SSST* ARE UNDER *SSST* MY CONTROL YOU MOTHER *SSST* FUCKERS!¡±] Screaming with a mixture of agony and rage, Cynrik¡¯s sentence was broken by his breathing technique as he grasped at the stone floor with his right hand, which was being used to prop him up since he was now sitting upright.

    Unconsciously, he had been speaking in both his own voice and into the mind link the entire time, allowing his brother to hear all the pain and verbal thoughts he was emitting. At the moment, he couldn¡¯t think about it, as he was getting closer and closer to the copse of his Codex. This was an event that, if he survived and messed up, would render him unable to use Mana for the rest of his life. Let alone have the potential to kill him if the small gem-like organ resting beside his heart actually either imploded or exploded.

    Focusing on nothing except the task at hand, Cynrik Continuously mmed the swirling mass of particles with the full force of his 5.25g Killing Intent, stunning them while adding additional particles into the mix. This method was simr yet very different to what he would do if he were experiencing a normal Overdraft, except for adding new particles into the mix early.

    At its core, the conceptualized difference between a Crippling Overdraft and a Standard Overdraft were two opposite events. In a Standard Overdraft, the Mana stored within one¡¯s Codex would create a traffic jam of sorts, where every Particle would try rushing out through a singr channel, stacking up and eventually fighting for the right to leave the Codex first. In contrast, during a Crippling Overdraft, all hell would break loose. The Mana particles would battle for supremacy, and when they couldn¡¯t get it, they would search for any means necessary to escape. The best way to exin it was instead of a traffic jam, it was a panicked exodus during the apocalypse. When one road closed off, the particles would attempt to create new ones.

    Instead of acting in their whirlpool forms, they would expand into chaotic groups and attack the other particles, who were also trying to escape in their panic. The whole thing would cause all of his Mana to go out of control and swell up, ballooning and taking up any space possible in an attempt to capture as much ground as they could muster.

    If a Standard Overdraft was a fist fight, then a Crippling Overdraft was a war with machine guns, tanks, and bombs. In theory, the only way to wrestle back control of the chaotic elemental particles was to introduce his own ¡°army¡± and make it a 1v3 battle instead of the current 1v1v1. Cynrik needed to unify the particles in his chest or neutralize their ability to fight back.

    Thus, he could mount a counter-offensive by creating a precisely equal force entirely under his control. To do this, he would needplete control over a cluster of Ambient Mana, thus the use of his H¨²efl¨²r and ?sir Mode, which allowed him to do exactly that. The next step after gathering was to daze or stun the warring Mana with copious amounts of high-intensity pressure, andstly, he would attack.

    The end goal waspletely obliterating the original Mana and recing it with the Ambient particles under his control.

    Unfortunately, there was one-factor Cynrik hadn¡¯t taken into ount: the excruciating pain he would experience by introducing enough Mana to overfill his Codexpletely. Adding a few extra particles was one thing, but what Cynrik did was double the amount of Mana stored inside his Codex. Humans are not meant to attempt something like this because it would result in an overload and bursting of the Mana Circuits, and their bodies would explode into a gory mist and outward eruption of pure Mana.

    But Cynrik wasn¡¯t entirely human. The rules of the human race didn¡¯t necessarily apply to Cynrik, thanks to his Bloodline, which came straight from a being who hadplete control over every aspect of his own body and Mana.

    Like this, Cynrik continued the intense battle against his own body as he tried his hardest to regte the storm within his chest through clenched teeth.

    ¡ª

    Meanwhile, as Cynrik was dealing with the Crippling Overdraft and fighting for his life, Brance was franticly clearing floor after floor. Hearing the continuous screams of pain from Cynrik, he had gone full-on panicked killing mode. At first, he would rush forward and wipe out his enemies, but as he progressed through the floors, something was shifting inside of his body. A primal feeling that had been suppressed since the day he first learned of its existence.

    Although deep down, he knew that it didn¡¯t matter if he made it to the same floor as his brother, his unconscious mind didn¡¯t care. Without hesitation, he burned his MP irresponsibly, storming through wave after wave of opponents until he made it to the 17th floor.

    At some point during the 14th or 15th floor, Brance felt it was bing easier to move and fight, but he had already checked out. He was fighting on pure instinct, seeing everything unfold through unfocused, brilliantly shining golden eyes.

    ¡°This is the floor,¡± Brance said in a voice that sounded unfamiliar to his ears.

    ¡°Step forward, Yenni, show yourself to me!¡± He said with an overly aggressive tone.

    However, there was no response, irritating the semi-conscious Brance, who slowly clicked his tongue and flexed his hands. Willing the hidden power deep within his chest into action, Brance¡¯s eyes slowly closed as thin-wispy, delicate, golden stick-like markings began flowing across his face in intricate patterns. Inhaling deeply and feeling the odd sensation of two appendages growing out from his shoulder des, Brance unfurled a pair of golden, feathered Mana Construct Wings. Lastly, he felt the warmth of his Light Affinity coursing through his entire body as his skin began to change, tanning slightly and radiating in a pale white light.

    ¡°I SAID SHOW YOURSELF TO ME, YENNIFER!¡± Brancemanded, with his wings spread out and raised behind him, and a powerful yet intimidating golden presence radiated from his body and voice.

    |The Presence of a Primordial Bloodline has been registered, and the barer of the Bloodline is requesting the presence of the Tower Administrator.|

    No sooner did the notification disappear than a beautiful pale-skinned woman appeared by manifesting the floating cluster of particles generally meant for summoning Virtual Creatures. This woman appeared to be in her 20s and had long, curly ck hair, but this wasn¡¯t the most distinct feature she held; instead, her unusual violet eyes drew Brance¡¯s attention.

    |¡±Interesting, I didn¡¯t expect to find a member of the LightBringer Race in one of my Obelisks; what brings you here, child of the light?¡±|

    Floating a few centimeters off the ground, Yennifer, in a hologram form, tilted her head to the side and examined the stoic and brightly shining Brance.

    ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb with me, CSH AI; I know you see everything in this tower. When my brother and I stepped foot in and had avatars created of our bodies, you took blood samples. That is how I can manifest my traits.¡± Reaching behind over his shoulder, Brance calmly stroked one of his wings without breaking eye contact with Yennifer.

    |¡±Fufu, you are no fun at all, Brance Jetlensr. Indeed you are correct; there is nothing that escapes these eyes of mine within my Obelisks. However, the oue I predict you are seeking isn¡¯t one I can give.¡±|

    |¡±You wish for me to allow you ess into the virtual space of your brother and holder of the ?sir Primordial Bloodline. This is an impossible task even for me.¡±|

    Calmly holding up her hands in defeat, Yennifer gave Brance the opposite answer than the one he wanted, causing his eyes to narrow slightly.

    |¡±And before you start preaching about the ¡°What ifs,¡± like destroying my Obelisk or forcing your way into the pocket realm your brother is taking his trial in, let me inform you, you are nowhere near powerful enough to do so. The only thing you would be doing is forcing me to ban you and revoke your ess to every avable Obelisk, this one included.¡±|

    Although Yennifer wore a pleasant smile, her words were anything but, and themanding yet condescending tone she took sent an involuntary shiver down Brance¡¯s spine, causing his brilliant luster to flicker off and on for a moment like a dying candle. Even his wings and Crest seemed to turn off and on.

    |¡±Hm, that is different, how intriguing.¡±|

    Yennifer said as she examined Brance like a zoo animal.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 286

    Although Yennifer wore a pleasant smile, her words were anything but, and themanding yet condescending tone she took sent an involuntary shiver down Brance¡¯s spine, causing his brilliant luster to flicker off and on for a moment like a dying candle. Even his wings and Crest seemed to turn off and on.

    |¡±Hm, that is different, how intriguing.¡±|

    Yennifer said as she examined Brance like a zoo animal. Her violet eyes scanned his body, taking in every minute change as time passed. Her robotic yet human actions made him extremely ufortable, and the longer he stayed in her presence, the more he felt the need to flee¡ªsomething he had never experienced in either life.

    |¡±Fufu, there is no need to be so frightened; it¡¯s not like I can y an active role and hurt you. The worst you have to fear is that I ban you from essing my Obelisks. However¡­¡±|

    Yennifer paused her sentence and appeared right in Brance¡¯s face while staring at him as if looking through to his soul, her actions causing something inside him to stir in agitation.

    |¡±Hm, I have seen many a Legacy Charge over the years, and very few have attempted what you seem to be in the process of doing. Unfortunately, those who did all eventually copsed under the pressure and died soon after. What to do, oh what to do?¡±|

    Floating back a few paces, Yennifer tapped her chin with her left index finger a few times, lost in thought, while asionally tossing strange nces at Brance. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Brance, Yennifer floated back up to him and tapped his forehead a single time, instantly powering down both of his Bloodline skills and causing him to wobble for a second as if drunk.

    ¡°What the?¡± Brance asked as he rubbed the spot on his forehead in confusion. Ovee by sudden exhaustion, he couldn¡¯t help but look around the room with a suspicious feeling as if he was missing something.

    ¡°Uh, Ma¡¯am¡­may I ask who you are? Am I supposed to fight you? What Floor is this?¡± Brance asked, utterly confused as to what was going on.

    |¡±Hm, it¡¯s as I thought, Young Lightbringer, Brance Jetlensr, you have no memory of thest few minutes, do you?¡±|

    Yennifer¡¯s words hit Brance like a semi-truck on the interstate highway. Be it because she knew his bloodline, his name, or even the ringly obvious elephant in the room, Brance realized he had once again unconsciously lost control and activated his bloodline skills.

    [¡°AHHHH! DAMN IT *SssT* ALL TO FUCKING *SssT* HELL!¡±]

    Cynrik¡¯s screams of pain and curses brought Brance back to reality as his face changed into a horrified expression, and fragmented memories returned to him. He had lost control during his reckless rush to save or help Cynrik and, at some point between hisst memory and now, activated his Nephilim Crest and Nephilim Mode. Looking up at the hologram beautiful woman with ck hair and shimmering Violet eyes, Brance vaguely recognized who she was.

    ¡°Uh, Miss Yennifer¡­I am sorry if I offended you¡­.¡± Brance started to say but was cut off by the AI, who raised a hand to silence him.

    |¡±Worry not, young LightBringer, it wasn¡¯t you speaking with me at the time. You have quite a situation on your hands at present. By suppressing the Divinity Fragment Spirit within your soul for so long and not directly dealing with it, you have allowed that being a certain level of control over your body. Although it is also part of you, it is not entirely you.¡±|

    With a wave of her hand, Yennifer brought up a virtual monitor and showcased Brance¡¯s climb from the Twelfth Floor to the Seventeenth. Around Floor Fourteen, his entire demeanor and bodynguage seemed to shift radically into an overbearing presence that, although the person on screen had the same face, was not him.

    |¡±You are walking a dangerously thin line Brance Jetlensr, one that can only end in disaster if you continue to tread on it. An ordinary member of the CSH wouldn¡¯t be able to give you any advice or guidance on this topic; however, I am different. My primary objective is to mold and aid young students from the VSFA into members of society who can stand on their own two feet and protect the world in its worst times. I do this through a series of Trials, the Obelisks, and the rewards I generate.¡±|

    Waving her hand, Yennifer brought up thousands of screens, each showing a young person fighting in one of the Obelisks. With a snap of her fingers, all four remaining members of MyrkLys appeared on the virtual monitors.

    Brance¡¯s eyes locked onto Cynrik, who was sitting up with his hand pressed firmly on his chest. The most notable sight was the blood seeping from every hole on his head. From where he stood, Brance noted how Cynrik had activated his bloodline skills and was bathed in tri-color light (Red, ck, and Green). Every few seconds, his entire body would convulse as the pain rippled through every fiber of his being. Yet, Cynrik didn¡¯t waver and continued working on himself to correct the imbnce in his Codex.

    |¡±It has been thousands of years since Ist saw someone with his level of resolve and such a pain tolerance. Not only that, but his intuition on how to handle the issue is fascinating to me. Billions of lifeforms have tried to correct such a disturbance in their Codex, but the number who¡¯ve solved it is in the triple digits, and the ones who seeded used a simr method, albeit not as expertly executed, as what your brother is attempting.¡±|

    Tilting her head to the side and examining Cynrik¡¯s actions, Yennifer exined her thoughts for Brance to hear. Still, it did nothing to calm his anxiety. The two of them had been through so many life-or-death experiences that it had be second nature to ovee them, but they always relied on each other¡¯s aid in one form or another. Yet now, all Brance could do was sit and watch as his brother experienced something almost as bad as death helplessly.

    Looking away from the monitor, Yennifer nced at Brance and smiled.

    |¡±There is no need to be so worried; he has already passed the most dangerous part and is in the final stages before sess; he would have to be a brainless ape to mess it up at this juncture, and from what I have observed, he is anything but stupid. You should be more worried about yourself.¡±|

    |¡±The fact that you have not addressed your own physical and spiritual ailment concerns me greatly as if it were to continue progressing, you will be a force that will not only be a danger to yourself but also to the student body of VSFA.¡±|

    Tearing his eyes away from the monitor, Brance looked up at Yennifer with worried eyes. He had known since the day Cynrik beat Ragnar that if he didn¡¯t eventually deal with the Divinity Spirit, it would only grow in strength until it had consumed his entire mind and body.

    ¡°What should I do, Miss Yennifer? If your primary objective is guiding and nurturing students, wouldn¡¯t I also be part of that group?¡± Brance said hesitantly. The more time he spent around her, the more ufortable he became. The power and Mana Fluxuations radiating off her body were stifling him, making it difficult to breathe. Add in the constant screams of Cynrik within the mind link, and Brance was only a single step away from a mental breakdown.

    |¡±Indeed you are. However, I am helpless in aiding you until you do one thing.¡±|

    Yennifer stated with a mysterious expression on her hologram face, leaving Brance momentarily clueless and confused.

    |¡±To receive the aid and answers you seek, you must first clear the Trial Obelisk Tower with a perfect score. Currently, you are located on the Seventeeth Floor. So far, you have received a perfect clear on every Floor you took part in, leaving only six more. If you can defeat all of the challenges on each of the remaining floors with a perfect record, then and only then can I give you the necessary rewards.¡±|

    pping her hands, all of the screens blipped out of existence, and Yennifer Floated up toward the ceiling. Her words caused Brance to fall deep into thought for a moment as he digested them. Staying like this for several minutes, Brance overlooked the fact that Yennifer had already disappeared.

    Eventually, theck of Cynrik¡¯s pained screams brought him back to reality, and when he looked up to where Yennifer had been previously, all he saw was the standard notification window he would have before the start of every Floor¡¯s challenge. Realizing that Cynrik had stopped, Brance¡¯s eyes widened, and he immediately called out to him.

    [Cyn, are you ok? What the fuck happened? How did you end up fucking your Codex so hard that it fell into a Crippling Overdraft?]

    [Huff, how in the fuck do you know what happened?] Was the first thing Cynrik said after getting ahold of himself. Although the process had been excruciatingly painful, and he was covered in his own blood, Cynrik was overall fine, except that he had burned a significant amount of his Stamina.

    [Well, I rushed through all the floors until I got to the Seventeenth like you. Once there, I screamed for a while until finally, the Hologram version of Yenni appeared, and she filled me in on your situation and how she is part of the CSH. Originally I wanted toe to your Virtual Realm but was told it was forbidden. In the end, she confirmed you would make it through in one piece and left after telling me to continue my trial.] While leaving out most of the interaction he had with the AI regarding his Bloodline issue, Brance filled his brother in on most of what had transpired.

    [What the fuck¡­you summoned the AI, and she¡¯s part of the CSH, damn, you really pulled a me that time, good on you Brancie.] Not suspecting that his little brother was omitting information for a second, Cynrik praised him while standing up and manifesting some ckFire to clean himself off.

    ¡®Tobs, the Chaos Affinity Gem, where is it?¡¯ Scanning the ground around his body, Cynrik noticed the gem was missing.

    -I have taken the liberty to store it within your Inventory inside a segregated spot, cut off from the rest of its contents. This way, it would not affect any of your items or the Eggs stored inside.-

    ¡®Good looks, alright, let me see all of the notifications you suppressed for me since the moment my Codex went out of wack. I assume you listed out everything that went wrong.¡¯ Waving his hand in the air, Cynrik began scrolling through all of the notifications, and the more he read, the harder his brow creased.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 287

    Waving his hand in the air, Cynrik began scrolling through all of the notifications, and the more he read, the harder his brow creased.

    -You have located a Unique Grade Affinity Gem Piece. (Chaos)-

    -By collecting all five pieces, you will create a Fair Chaos Affinity Gem, which can be used to attain the Unique Grade Affinity.-

    -WARNING, WARNING, WARNING.-

    -YOU HAVE COME IN CONTACT WITH AN UNSTABLE ELEMENTAL PARTICLE!-

    -Due to being broken into five pieces, the Pure Chaos Mana Particles stored within the Gem are Attacking the closest being.-

    -Radiation levels around the Host have Spiked to dangerous levels. Vacate the area as soon as possible to avoid permanent bodily injury.-

    -You have been inflicted with the Status Effect: Mana Poisoned. You will lose 4 HP due to Poison Damage every Second until the status effect is cleared.-

    -To Clear the Status Effect, you must first remove the source of the Radiation.-

    -The Mana particles stored within your Codex are being corrupted.-

    -WARNING WARNING, ALL STORED MANA HAS BEEN AFFECTED AND IS GOING OUT OF CONTROL.-

    -The inner barrier protecting your Codex is being eroded due to the conflicting interaction urring between your Dark, Fire, and Wind Mana.-

    -WARNING YOUR CODEX IS REACHING PHASE ONE CRITICAL FAILURE; AT PHASE FIVE, YOUR CODEX WILL BE UNABLE TO CONTAIN THE PRESENT RESERVES OF MANA AND WILL EXPLODE.-

    The longer Cynrik read, the more he could feel the sweat pooling on the bottom of his spine. He knew he was fucked, but not THAT fucked. If he hadn¡¯t acted as quickly as he did, there was only one possible oue, death.

    As he scrolled through the seemingly endless list of notifications, it got worse as the time passed, but eventually, his effort paid off. The negative messages became more positive until the very end.

    -You have sessfully taken control of the pooled Mana particles within your Codex and reced the corrupted ones with fresh Pure Mana.-

    -Rejuvenating your Codex has increased its strength to Tier-2.5, Stage 4.-

    -Your Mastery over Fire Mana Particles has increased to Expert.-

    -Your Mastery over Wind Mana Particles has increased to Adept.-

    -Your Dark Affinity has Grown to Tier-2.5-

    -Your Fire Affinity has Grown to Tier-2.5-

    -Your Wind Affinity has Grown to Tier-2.5-

    -Your Will Power stat has increased by 25.-

    -Your Luck stat has increased by 15.

    -You have survived a Life-Threatening situation that less than a thousand Beings in existence have before you. As such, you have been Rewarded further.

    -You have received 25 Points in all basic Stats.-

    -You have received 25 Free Allocation Stat points.-

    -You have received 100 Skill Points.-

    -You have been Awarded the Title, Mana Heart.-

    -Mana Heart: Increases MP regeneration by 30%.-

    Exhaling shakily as he felt an increase in his stats wash over his body, Cynrik was astonished by how lucrative it was toe within a hair of death before recovering.

    [Brancie¡­I think I just got a legit Zenkai boost.] Cynrik mumbled cautiously into the mind link, unsure of how his brother would react.

    [Huh? What the hell are you spouting off about now? Zenkai Boost, do you think you¡¯re a Saiyan?] Brance replied as he dodged a w strike from one of the GustWolves he was fighting.

    [Im dead serious, check this shit out. These are the rewards I just got from nearly dying because of the Chaos Affinity Gem piece. I got from my random drop.] Waving his hand and sending over notifications about his achievements, Cynrik dusted his butt and moved on to the Eighteenth Floor.

    The sudden influx of information caused Brance to stumble, but he quickly caught himself and finished off thest of the GustWolves on floor Seventeen and moved to the next batch on floor Eighteen like his brother.

    [Holy shit, you actually did get a Zenkai boost. As usual, I thought you were full of shit, but it seems I was wrong. However, unlike you, I don¡¯t n on putting myself in a situation where I am spewing blood out my head and experiencing so much pain that my whole body starts shutting down.] Rolling his eyes as he spoke, Brance began to the countdown for floor Eighteen.

    Meanwhile, Cynrik had already begun fighting the nine ScorchWolves and trying to get a feel for his new control over Fire Mana simultaneously.

    Just like when he used his Dark Affinity, now the simple act of channeling Fire Mana, and manipting with slight movements, was enthralling. Before he even realized it, all of the enemies had beenpletely destroyed, leaving Cynrik wanting more. If he had to put words to what he felt, it would be ¡°simply addicting.¡±

    Although he didn¡¯t haveplete control and couldn¡¯t say, use his mind to activate skills wordlessly, or without hand signs or gestures, there was no longer a level of resistance against him when he used a skill.

    When he first learned about Affinities, Cynrik had difficulty oveing the handicap of Tobs¡¯ assistance in casting skills or even collecting the particles. Still, after stepping into the Expert Stage, that resistance was wholly gone.

    ¡°Whew, now all that¡¯s left is to push my Wind up to Expert and get working on maxing out Fire so it can Evolve.¡± He tilted his head to the left and released a loud pop that bounced off the stone walls before teleporting to the Neenth Floor.

    ¡ª

    Exhaling slowly, Brance watched the time reach zero and the particle cloud overhead descending to the ground before breaking off into nine clusters and forming into just as many GustWolves.

    Although the battle wasn¡¯t difficult, if he didn¡¯t pay attention, it wouldn¡¯t be a stretch to say that one of the virtual creatures could slip by and nick his body with their sharp Wind Mana-d ws. Thus it took a significant amount of mental power and attention to stay on the move and dodge every single attack.

    Just as he was about to kick off the ground and flit backward, a new notification came into his view.

    |You have received a message from Obelisk administrator Yennifer. Would you like to open it? (Y/N)|

    Shooting a quick nce at the window, Brance reached out with his right hand and pressed the yes option while unleashing several [Stone Bullets] at the Wolves, most of which were dodged, all except one, which struck a wolf in its back leg, causing the appendage to explode into a mist of particles.

    |Hello, young LightBringer; I figured I¡¯d give you a heads up since you were previously upied during your climbs of some of the floors. You received a matching pair of Tier-1 weapons on floor Fifteen. Your brother may have chosen not to use his weapons, but I suspect you are not of the same mindset. That is all for now, see you on the Twenty-second Floor. ~Yennifer.|

    Frowning as he dove to the ground, narrowly avoiding a wolf that soared over his head, Brance opened up his inventory and navigated to the temporary tab that could only be essed within a Trial Obelisk. This new tab was titled ¡°Obelisk Inventory,¡± and he opened it while rolling back to his feet andunching another volley of [Stone Bullets] to keep the wolves at bay.

    Like Yenni had said in her message, stored within was a Tier-1 Bronze Kiteshield and a Greatsword, so without hesitating, he dragged them over and added the two weapons to his Training Gear Loadout.

    The moment he saved his progress, the sword and shield appeared on his back in thin leather holsters, and he smiled at the eight wolves who had encircled him. The ninth was limping a bit further away but still looking for an opportunity to jump back into the fight.

    Gripping the greatsword¡¯s hilt with his right hand, Brance quickly unsheathed it, shrugged the shield off its back mount, kicked it up into the air with his left foot, and expertly caught it. Smirking at the cautious wolves, Brance mmed the broadside of his new greatsword against the shield, making a loud ng and causing the wolves to all flinch.

    ¡°Cmon, puppies, you guys are fucked now,¡± dashing forward, Brance targeted the wounded wolf first and, with a single sh, split the virtual creature into two halves and moved towards the closest able-bodied enemy.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 17, Tier-1 Virtual GustWolf.|

    |You have received 5 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received a 1000 Essence, XP Crystal.|

    |You have received 3 Merit Points.|

    The second unlucky GustWolf didn¡¯t even know what hit it as Brance tucked his shoulder into his shield and rammed through it, shattering it into particles.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 17, Tier-1 Virtual GustWolf.|

    |You have received 5 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received a 1000 Essence, XP Crystal.|

    |You have received 3 Merit Points.|

    Without slowing down, Brance dashed from opponent to opponent and, with either a single sh or a bash of his shield, eliminated each GustWolf until none remained, and he received the Floor Clear notification.

    Exhaling calmly, Brance triggered his teleportation to the Neenth floor and readied himself for the next wave of Wolves.

    But contrary to what he believed, no wolves spawned this time, and instead, ten short, pot-bellied, big-nosed, ugly green goblins were in their ce. Or at least that¡¯s what Brance recognized them as.

    Raising his eyebrows and shield, Brance observed the creatures barely reaching his hip with cautious eyes and spoke in the mind link.

    [Hey, Cyn, on floor Neen, did your creatures change?]

    [Sure did; after floor Eleven I was up against ScorchWolves, but that changed on Neen. Now I am up against a group of Nagas.] Cynrik replied as he bent his back so far that his head nearly touched the stone ground, all to avoid a swift tail swipe.

    [Eh? Nagas, like that LC we fought? With the top half being humanoid and the bottom half a snake?] Brance asked as he watched the group of Goblins form up in three lines.

    In the first line were three goblins holding poorly crafted spears; the second row had four goblins with rusty and shoddy swords, while the third consisted of two mages and a healer.

    [Yeah, and all ten have sses as well. It¡¯s a pain in the ass to deal with, so be careful. It seems like they have some basic thought process other than instinct, so be advised that they can use formations and evenplex skills. I just had to dodge a shit ton of coagted balls of poison. What did you get?] Cynrik answered and activated his [Shadow Sewing] to pin down three of the creatures who stood twice as tall as him.

    [Goblins, and they¡¯re ugly little fuckers. Based on their weapons, there are warriors and mages, and if my eyes don¡¯t deceive me, the little green shits even have a healer.] Narrowing his eyes and examining the Goblin in the center of thest line, Brance noticed its wooden staff was slightly different than the two standing on either side of it.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 288

    Narrowing his eyes and examining the Goblin in the center of thest line, Brance noticed its wooden staff was slightly different than the two standing on either side of it.

    ¡°Kwar,¡± The Healer grumbled in a guttural tone that resembled anguage but didn¡¯t register with Brance¡¯s skill.

    However, even if [Language Proficiency] couldn¡¯t understand it, the other nine goblins could, as they closed ranks and advanced slowly, with the creatures at the front raising their spears and shaking them in an attempt to intimidate Brance.

    [Interesting, they canmunicate with each other, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be an actualnguage.] Brance thought aloud in the mind link, half to get a theory from his brother and half to get the thought out there.

    [Yeah, I picked up on that myself. These Nagas can give basic orders to each other, but that¡¯s it. Theyck the ability to use intelligentmunication, yet what they can do is just enough to get the point across. I guess it would be easier to deal with goblin grunts than these annoying hisses I¡¯m dealing with right now. The fucking sound triggers some kind of hidden Ptsd I have from that bastard Osarseph.] Cynrik stated as he jumped up, kicked a naga in the head, and used the attack to propel himself out of the way of another attack from a different enemy.

    [Not to mention, these damn snakes are tanky enough that my STR stat doesn¡¯t deal much damage when I kick or punch them, leaving me only to use Affinity skills. The only problem is I¡¯m starting to run low on MP.] Flipping through the air, Cynrik slid on the ground, rolled, and bounced back to his feet.

    [Hey, moron, didn¡¯t you get some weapons during your climb. Pretty sure it was you who made a point toment on the others using them, yet here you are going against your own advice.] Rolling his eyes, Brance pointed the tip of his Greatsword at the head of the Healer goblin and fired off a [Stone Spike] to test the defensive abilities of his enemy.

    He was by no means underestimating them but was curious about how they would react.

    As expected, before the spike could get within a few meters of its target, both Mages acted, raising up Mana Barriers while the warriors took turns striking at it with their weapons. Soon enough, by the time it impacted the quadrupleyered Barrier, it was so far off course that the goblins didn¡¯t even need to stop it anymore.

    [EHHH, cmon Brancie, it defeats the whole purpose of working on my Affinity if I fall back on using those crappy shortswords I received. Did you not read all the notifications I sent you? My Fire is at Expert now, so I need to work on perfecting it so I can make lightning. THINK OF IT, BRANCIE, ZAPPYS FROM EVERY ANGLE!] Getting riled up by the thought of how close he was to finally, after all these years, close to harnessing lightning, Cynrik practically vibrated as he weaved in and out of the ten hulking Nagas, peppering them with small condensed and superheated [FireBalls].

    [Are you fucking five years old? Why the hell are you acting so childish? Get over yourself and fight for real. Since when do you not utilize all the tools in your arsenal and ck off during battle?] Brance scoffed and inhaled slowly while plotting out his next course of action.

    Seeing how quickly the goblins mounted their defense virtually wiped away any thoughts he had formted about rushing forward and hacking his way through the goblin lines, making him re-evaluate his approach.

    [OI, Fuck off! I¡¯m not childish; YOU ARE!] Lashing out in rage, Cynrik equipt both of the poorly crafted weapons he received during his climb, a Tier-1 Bronze shortsword and a Bronze Dagger. Next, he lunged at the nearest Naga with a snarl and went on the offensive. With his dagger in his right hand and the sword in his left, he turned into an afterimage as he shot forward.

    Jumping up and hacking off the head of the first creature, he used its headless body as a stepping stone and surged forward, shoulder ramming a second in the back before riding it to the ground and taking his frustrations out on its spine with his weapons.

    |You have sessfully Killed 2 Level 18, Tier-1 Virtual Toxiaga.|

    |You have received 10 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received 2 1000 Essence, XP Crystals.|

    |You have received 6 Merit Points.|

    Spinning both des expertly, Cynrik kicked off the ground and started hacking down the Nagas until thest one fell, and he stood alone in the empty stone room, panting heavily.

    Sheathing both weapons, Cynrik double-checked his surroundings to ensure there weren¡¯t any random drops and took a moment to catch his breath. He had lost control for a second there and needed time to collect himself and allow his resource stats to replenish to an extent.

    While Cynrik stalled out and took a break on the Cleared Neenth Floor, Brance was in the middle of a stalemate.

    Whenever he took a step forward, the goblins went backward. If he cycled left, they went right. As annoying as it seemed, he could roughly judge their timing and movement speed just off these few little interactions.

    Rolling his Greatsword around his right wrist, Brance propped it against his shoulder and suddenlyunched forward. He charged directly through the front line of goblins with spears, knocked away their weapons with his shield, and began hacking through all of the goblin swordsmen. Once he beheaded thest of them, Brance jumped up and exited the group of enemies without allowing them to counter-attack.

    Due to the fact that he was a little too slow, on the way out, he had to weave his way in and out of a hail of fire sts raining down from above.

    |You have sessfully Killed 4 Level 18, Tier-1 Virtual Goblins.|

    |You have received 20 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received 4 1000 Essence, XP Crystals.|

    |You have received 12 Merit Points.|

    Narrowing his eyes as he ran, Brance shed at the air with his Greatsword, manifesting over a dozen [Surging Earth Spikes],unching them all at the fast-moving fireballs. Each spike flew almost too fast to see and pierced through several balls, extinguishing them. After colliding with the ceiling, they continued on; instead of piercing through or shattering, they reflected off the stone, which acted as if it were rubber, and were deflected down toward the cluster of goblins.

    Although it was unexpected and a pleasant surprise for Brance, it still threw the next step in his n off course. Initially, he expected the spikes to embed themselves into the ceiling like stctites. He would then head up into the air and, using the hanging spikes, move around above the goblins and attack from up high, versus going back into the huddle. At that distance, so long as he kept on the move and used his manifestations as cover, Brance would be able to mitigate the effectiveness of the Mage¡¯s spells. However, that all changed in an instant.

    Unfortunately, the goblin Healer was quick on his feet. Taking up the role ofmander, it issued several barking orders, one of which was for the Mages to swiftlyyer four Mana barriers each overhead, for a total of eight. When the spikes came down, they quickly shattered the first couple, but by the time they reached the fifth one, they had lost their momentum and slid off the dome-like constructs and crashed into the ground before shattering.

    Waving its staff in the air, the Healer chanted in a strangenguage manifesting a greenish light which descended on the three goblin spearmen, who suddenly began bulking up, with their skin turning a dark pumpkin color.

    [Uhhhh, hey Cyn¡­what do goblins evolve into?] Racing to the opposite end of the arena-sized room, Brance nervously asked his brother the question as he stared incredulously at the three beefed-up goblins who now towered over him in size and mass.

    [Huh? Brancie ima need a little more info than that. Color, size, shape, weapons, facial structures, give me something, little brother.] Cocking his left eyebrow, Cynrik walked across the room and sat down against the wall with his left knee raised and his right leg extended.

    [So, remember that Healer Goblin I told you about earlier?]

    [Yeah, you said you could tell what kind of ss it had; I¡¯m assuming it has a staff or something that makes it stick out whenpared to the Mages.]

    [Yep, unlike the Mages who have a rock or some kind of tiny mineral atop their staff, this one just uses a in old wooden one that has a curled head; well, it kind of just did a thing, and I¡¯m not so sure it¡¯s a Healer anymore.]

    [Spit it out Brancie; I don¡¯t have all day here; what do you mean it¡¯s not a Healer¡­.WAIT A MINUTE FUCK! BRANCE, KILL THAT THING NOW; THAT ISNT A HEALER; IT¡¯S A TRANSMOGRIFIER!] Going wide-eyed as he put two and two together, Cynrik shouted into the mind link, startling Brance but forcing him into action.

    [Quickly exin this Transawhodi Thing.] He said as he bolted around the room just in time to dodge a powerful gust of wind. One of the Changed goblins had suddenly teleported right next to where he was standing and swung itsrge arm like a baseball bat generating a powerful gust of wind that would have sted Brance away.

    [Transmogrifier, a support ss that one can unlock if they have a pure INT build. Their primary focus is on temporarily increasing the inactive bloodlines a being carries, modifying it, and transforming that being into whatever the race that lies dormant in their genes is. Tell me, did it change the goblins into giant orange hulkish creatures that look like they couldpete in the world¡¯s strongest manpetition?] Tapping his index finger against his chin as he ran through the possible race Brance was fighting, he came up with the most likely.

    [Yeah, big, orange, lots of muscles, and absurdly fast, like way too fast to be at Tier-1. The way they move reminds me of that Tier-3 I fought.] Dodging another attack as he tried closing in on the Commanding Goblin, Brance responded to Cynrik¡¯s question.

    [Those are Hobgoblins, and what you are facing is definitely only at Tier-1, if it were Tier-2 or higher, they would have strangely discolored patterns all over their bodies. Regardless, you¡¯re in some deep shit this time. You only have two options right now. If you still are aiming for a perfect clear, you either have to keep on the move until they return to their original form or kill that Transmogrifier as soon as possible.]

    [Great, I fucked up big time. How long will these transformationsst?]

    [No clue, but it shouldn¡¯t be longer than a couple of minutes. Goblins are innately weak; to begin with, their numbers are the problem, not their strength. And since that guy is only Tier-1, I don¡¯t see him being able to sustain transforming another being for too long before his resource stats bottom out.]

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 289

    Keeping on the move, Brance frowned as he heard Cynrik¡¯s description of the Transmogrifier. The ability to transform another creature into a more powerful state made things difficult for him. If he wasn¡¯t worried about going after the Perfect clear, even if the Hobgoblins had reached a higher Tier, Brance could have still dealt with them.

    However, in going for a perfect clear, the assumption was that he would take ZERObat damage, which eliminated his ability to fight the creatures on even ground. Without being able to engage inbat actively, Brance was only left with the options Cynrik had stated and a third not-so-Brance option. The two his brother had given were either run around dodging until the Hobgoblins reverted back to their original form or make a move on the Transmogrifier.

    Snorting out through his nose, Brance lowered his body and cut a sharp turn, moving like a speed skater and stepping right over left as he ran with his shoulder nearly scraping the stone ground underfoot. Weaving between the three Hobgoblins, out speeding them and avoiding several wide-swinging punches.

    With his eye flicking away from the nearby Hobgoblins, Brance locked onto the Mages protecting their Commander.

    ¡®When I move too close, those two immediately set up row after row of shielding, too many to pierce through with how little Mana I¡¯m pumping into my skills.¡¯ Brance thought as he slid under the legs of one of the four-meter tall Hobgoblins and shed its ankles as he passed, dropping it to its knees.

    Unfortunately, before he could deal the finishing blow, the second and third enemies appeared on either side of their downed opponent, caught it by the shoulders, and flung the injured Hobgoblin out of Brance¡¯s reach.

    Chewing his bottom lip, Brance kicked off the ground and flipped out of the way as the closest of the two creatures sped its hands together and smashed downward. Instead of hitting Brance, the creature struck both its hands into the stone flooring, creating a small impact crater and kicking up dust.

    Shrugging off the pain and grunting, the same Hobgoblin smashed the ground two more times and charged at Brance like a pissed-off bull. Even its eyes were bloodshot as it shot steam from both nostrils. In response to the angered rush of itspanion, the second Hobgoblin raced back to act as a defensive wall, protecting not only its injured ally but also the Mages and Transmogrifier.

    Realizing that he was only being chased by one of the Hobgoblins, Brance smirked and activated [Vanish], causing the charging creature to lose sight of him and m into the wall in its confusion.

    By using his stealth skill, Brance had begun trying option three, the one he didn¡¯t necessarily want to use. Unlike options one and two, which somewhat met his usual fight pattern, option three was what Brance nicknamed the Cynrik method. Circling around to the nk of the confused Hobgoblin, Brance stored his shield on his back and gripped his greatsword with both hands before rushing forward.

    Lining up his de parallel to the ground, Brance thrust forward, shifted his weight, and plunged his greatsword directly into the exposed ribcage of the hulking creature. He stabbed his sword with such strength and forward momentum that it entered the left side of the creature¡¯s ribcage and escaped through the right, causing it to roar in pain.

    Brance¡¯s eyes suddenly widened in surprise as he removed his de and was forced to rush back in order to escape a sweeping counter-attack from the Hobgoblin. Unlike what he expected, his attack seemed to have little effect on the creature, who spun around,shing out the instant the sword bit into his flesh. What was even more shocking to Brance was that when he put a few meters distance between himself and his enemy, he could visibly see the massive jagged wound he had just caused to the creature¡¯s ribs wiggling and closing within seconds.

    [Cyn, what the hell kind of regeneration speed do these fuckers have? It¡¯s like they¡¯re trolls or something. I literally just skewered one, and as I drew back after my attack, the damn injury was practically healed.] In order to make his escape easier, while Brance was back-peddling, heunched several [Stone Spikes] with his left hand, targeting the same ce that was in the midst of healing.

    [I don¡¯t think that¡¯s routine healing, Brancie. It may be the work of the Transmogrifier. I told you not to try fighting them; you would need to go into a no holds barred slugfest just to put consistent damage on its body. Aside from the massive physical differences between a standard goblin and its evolved race, the Hobgoblin, they shouldn¡¯t have an increased healing factor, only speed, and strength.] Watching his MP quickly replenishing now that he was out of battle, Cynrik smirked at how helpful the additional 30% boost from his new title was and gave his brother some more advice.

    [I went with option three.] Calmly running back and forth, Brance¡¯s eyes flicked between his status, where he was waiting for the cooldown on [Vanish] to end, and the pack of creatures on the opposite side of the room. By this point, the first enemy he had injured by shing out its ankles was fully healed and standing beside the other one that had retreated to protect the support sses.

    [Option three? Oh, for the love of! BRANCE, YOU AREN¡¯T AN ASSASSIN! Your speed and stealth skill aren¡¯t up to part for hit and runs. Not to mention your [Vanish] ispletely wedpared to my [Spectre Concealment], mainly because it allows me multiple attacks while staying hidden. Yours drops the instant you attack or are hit. There is no option three, especially now that you know the damn things heal too quickly. ATTACK THE SOURCE, OR RUN LIKE A BITCH! Those are the ONLY options.] Rolling his eyes and facepalming, Cynrik had to stop himself from going off and issuing a verbal attack on his brother.

    [Yeah, well, NOW I know that tch. I was just trying it out to test the waters, and it failed. You need to realize, Cyn, there are THREE of these freaking monsters. Not only that, but the two mages are coordinating with the Hobgoblins, so I have to deal with their pot shots as well. When I injured one earlier, its buttbuddys threw it back to the Mages, with one rushing me down and the other retreating to go on defense.] Snorting his response, Brance narrowly avoided a wave of fire sts trying to close out his escape path.

    Luckily, by channeling Wind Mana into his greatsword and shing out, Brance could break apart the iing mes and clear a path for himself.

    ¡®Cmon, Brance, think, how can you get in and out of the encirclement, avoiding all three hobbies and the Mages to execute a precision strike on the Transmogrifier.¡¯ Jumping and counter-attacking another wave of spells, Brance hit the ground and rolled before bouncing back to his feet and continuing to run. However, the more time he spent on the run, the less favorable it was. This was because he had already noticed that the enemies were beginning to predict his movement patterns.

    Overall the room wasn¡¯t so significant to give Brance free range of movement, even if it was around 50 square meters. There was only so far he could run before being forced to turn in a different direction. After the fourth wave of spells, Brance noticed that these Goblins and Hobgoblins were constantly trying to guide him in such a way that he would be forced into conflict.

    [Timecheck Cyn.] Feeling a little overwhelmed and ufortable with this battle style, Brance worriedly asked.

    [Two minutes, eighteen seconds. You sound worried, little brother. Aren¡¯t you just ying tag? Why so anxious?] Smirking at his own joke, Cynrik waved his hand and brought the timer he started after exining the Transmogrifier closer to his face.

    [WHAT, NOT EVEN THREE MINUTES YET! MOTHER FUCKER!] Brance shouted in reply as he pivoted on his lead foot, Spun, and shed upward, severing the arm of the Hobgoblin, who stupidly tried yet another wide and easily predictable hook.

    ¡°GROOOOOAA,¡± The Hobgoblin screamed in rage as its arm separated and flew away from his body.

    But Brance didn¡¯t stop there, spotting a perfect opportunity; he nted his feet and, taking a baseball batter stance, whipped his greatsword forward and struck the severed arm,unching it directly at the nearby Transmogrifier and Mages. The sudden attack caught them off guard, and the arm plowed through all three, knocking them to the ground in a clustered heap of limbs.

    Not wanting to lose out on this opportunity, Brance willed as much Light Mana as he could muster from his Codex, swiped out with his left hand, and activated [Swords Of Judgement.]

    Instantly five massive light Constructs flew out of their summoning gates and surged forward, their target, the downed Mages and Transmogrifier.

    Seeing the bright lights racing toward them, the Mages mored over each other in an attempt to get back to their feet and cast a series of defensive spells, but it was toote. Before the Transmogrifier could even issue an order to the hobgoblins, he and the other two goblins were swept up by the swords and killed instantly.

    |You have sessfully Killed 3 Level 18, Tier-1 Virtual Goblins.|

    |You have received 15 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received 3 1000 Essence, XP Crystals.|

    |You have received 9 Merit Points.|

    The instant the Transmogrifier died, all three of the Hobgoblins shrunk down as if they were deting balloons and shivered weakly. Not one to waste a meal, Brance whipped around and beheaded the one that had been chasing after him for thest couple of minutes.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 18, Tier-1 Virtual Goblin.|

    |You have received 5 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received a 1000 Essence, XP Crystal.|

    |You have received 3 Merit Points.|

    ¡°RAHHHH!¡± Issuing his battle cry, Brance kicked off the ground and finished off the final two Goblins before copsing onto the ground and rolling over on his back, facing the ceiling and panting heavily.

    |You have sessfully Killed 2 Level 18, Tier-1 Virtual Goblins.|

    |You have received a Perfect Score for the Neenth Floor Trial.|

    |You have received 10 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received two 1000 Essence, XP Crystals.|

    |You have received 6 Merit Points.|

    |All rewards will be tallied and stored. You may ess your bnce from the Obelisk Market ce, which is open to you every five floors.|

    | Congrattions, you have Cleared the Neenth Floor. Would you like to continue to the Twentieth Floor or Save and Exit?|

    [Mother fucker, no more goblins, please, no more goblins.] Brance muttered as he tried to catch his breath and examined his resource stats.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 290

    | Congrattions, you have Cleared the Neenth Floor. Would you like to continue to the Twentieth Floor or Save and Exit?|

    [Mother fucker, no more goblins, please, no more goblins.] Brance muttered as he tried to catch his breath and examined his resource stats.

    [PFFT HAHAHAHA! You do realize you just triggered a red g, right, Brancie?] Cynrik chuckled as he heard his brother¡¯sining.

    [Oh fuck off. I hope your bitch ass has to deal with those little shits on the Twentieth Floor.] Clicking his tongue and sitting up, Brance sighed as he noticed his MP had dropped below 20 percent because of his use of [Swords Of Judgement.]

    [Bah, I¡¯m not like you, though. Your first mistake was not going after what you suspected to be the healer first. You know better than to leave those guys alive. To begin with, what were you even thinking by ignoring it?] Cynrik curiously asked.

    [What do you expect? When I can kill everything with a single hit, it doesn¡¯t make any sense to waste time on a healer. It¡¯s a useless role right now. I¡¯d definitely nail the healer if we were in the Second Obelisk. But that¡¯s only because I don¡¯t expect to one shot every Tier-2 being I face. Thus, singling out the healer is the right y.] Shrugging his shoulders as he spoke, Brance released his greatsword and allowed it to tter onto the ground beside him.

    [You aren¡¯t wrong, but still, better safe than sorry. How are your resource stats looking?] Cynrik asked as he rested his head against the wall and stared off into space absent-mindedly.

    [Not great; all the pacing and holding back I did has pretty much gone out the window. An opportunity presented itself after I dismembered one of the Hobgoblins, and using the severed limb to knock down the Mages and Transmogrifier, I capitalized on their confusion. I used [Swords Of Judgement], burning way more Mp than I wanted before the Twenty-first Floor. As it stands, I¡¯m running on 18 percent MP and only 30 percent STAM.]

    [I¡¯m in a simr boat. But then again, I¡¯ve been using only Affinity skills until thatst fight with the Nagas, where I resorted to this shitty bronze shortsword and dagger. Luckily I earned that new Title earlier, so my MP is regenerating pretty fast. But still, I need a break if I¡¯m going to advancefortably.]

    Just as the words left Cynrik¡¯s head and entered the mind link, a notification from the Obelisk appeared.

    |You have been inactive for longer than five minutes; if you do not choose to continue, your progress will be saved, and you will be forced to exit the Trial.|

    |Would you like to continue to the Twentieth Floor (Y/N)?|

    [Tsk, well, that solves that. Brancie, you¡¯ve got five minutes to rest; after that, you get forced out for inactivity. I¡¯m moving up to the next floor; catch your breath and don¡¯t get kicked.] Sighing ruefully since he still hadn¡¯t fully recovered, Cynrik, although disheartened, clicked the ¡°Yes¡± button and felt the familiar sensation of teleporting.

    [Gotcha; I¡¯ll let the timer run down before moving.] Brance replied as he continued toy sprawled out on the ground like a starfish.

    Meanwhile, as Brance was resting, Cynrik touched down on the next floor.

    |Current Floor: Twenty.|

    |Your first opponent will appear in One Minute; please prepare yourself forbat. Would you like to spawn your opponent early (Y/N)?|

    Sniffling to clear his sinuses, Cynrik rubbed his nose and chose to go ahead with the Trial instead of taking the full minute break.

    |Now Summoning Twentieth Floor Opponents, 10 Tier-1 Level 19 Hobgoblins.|

    [¡­.fuck. Me and my big god damn mouth!] Cynrik spat as he instantly activated [Spectre Concealment] and observed the ten hulking masses of orange muscles.

    [Hm? What¡¯s wrong? Oh, HAHAHA, DID YOU GET GOBLINS? See, Cyn; this is why you shouldn¡¯t haze me so often. Clearly, the universe is out to get back at you for making fun of my poor performance.] Cackling like a mad man, Brance held his stomach as he felt redeemed for allowing the Transmogrifier to survive so long.

    [Che, bite me, you had a timer before the hobbies downgraded back to gobbies, yet my lucky ass gets to fight not three but ten fucking Hobgoblins. How is that even FAIR?] Sneaking around the pack of confused creatures, who were looking around for their opponent, Cynrik activated [Mana Sight] and willed his [Detect Weakness] to boot up.

    Within half a second, his vision was covered with thin red lines leading to dozens of smallzer pointer-like red dots covering specific areas on the Hobgoblins¡¯ bodies.

    [And do you know what, Brancie, there is a HUGE difference between me, an Assassin, and you, a neutered Pdin fighting against these things.] Cynrik sneered as he unsheathed both his des and stalked forward under cover of his stealth skill.

    [Oh? What would that be, hm? Let me guess; you can go all sneaky-sneak, stabby-stab.] Wearing a deadpan expression, Brance mocked his brother and looked at the ceiling, where he imagined Cynrik was.

    [Kuekue, Teehe Haha.] Bursting into motion, Cynrik arrived at the first unsuspecting enemy, circled behind it, bounced off his toes, and ran up the tall four-meter creature¡¯s back. Tapping the tip of his foot on its shoulder, Cynrik spun like a top and shed through the back of the Hobgoblin¡¯s neck, triggering his [Backstab] passive and instantly beheading it. Just before it shattered into particles, Cynrik finished his spin by whipping his right leg, using the centripetal force from his spin, and kicking the headless creature with all his might. The strength of his attack flung the corpse into the tightly packed group of enemies, sending them sprawling like bowling pins.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 19, Tier-1 Virtual Hobgoblin.|

    |You have received 5 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received a 1000 Essence, XP Crystal.|

    |You have received 3 Merit Points.|

    ¡®hup, that¡¯s two attacks,¡¯nding lightly and still under cover of his stealth skill, Cynrik rushed toward the enemies in the most unfavorable positions. As a result of the corpse acting as a four-meter meat wrecking ball, the Hobgoblins closest to the impact point all fell to the ground, ending up on their backs or hands and knees, making them easy targets to pick off.

    This was precisely what Cynrik did; within five seconds, moving like a phantom, he went from one downed opponent to the next, instantly killing them. By the time his stealth skill wore off, he had already wiped out half of the original ten Hobgoblins before disengaging frombat and waiting for his cooldown to wear off. Moving as swiftly as possible, Cynrik channeled the ambient Dark Mana around his body, making him a bit harder to see in the dark room, and ran to the darkest corner, where he could hide in in sight.

    [Heyyy~ Brancie.] Cynrik said with a smirk as he watched the startled and confused Hobgoblins struggle to figure out what the hell just happened and how half of their allies instantly died.

    [Sigh, what Cynrik?] Rolling his eyes and sitting up, Brance replied.

    [Didn¡¯t you say you had to face three hobbies?]

    [Yes, Cynrik, three.] Brance responded expressionlessly, already realizing where his brother was going with this thought chain.

    [Hm, I see, I see. So what you are saying is, you struggled to deal with three of these brainless muscle pumpkins when I killed five in the span of like 10-15 seconds. KUEKUE!] Crossing his arms and looking at the cooldown counter, which still had another minute and 22 seconds left, Cynrik cockily said while waving his head side to side.

    [I hope you get fucking killed by one of them. Fuck off!] Brance shouted angrily. He had wasted so many resource points dealing with the hulking opponents, but they weren¡¯t even the primary source of his aggravation in that battle. Instead, it was thebination of Mage¡¯s hurling fireballs, and the pumpkin-colored behemoths, that caused him so much trouble.

    [Nah, not today, little brother. Anywho, the ss breakdown for the grouping is simr to what you had, seven warriors, two mages, and a one-off random ss. In my case, I think it was a shaman, emphasis on WAS. That was the first one I took out. Next was the two Mages; using the headless body of the Shaman, which I turned into a wrecking ball, I downed them and two warriors, which were dispatched within a few seconds.]

    [So basically, all I¡¯ve got left is five warriors, who are pitifully slowpared to the great and mighty ME, and my 689 AGI.] While he was filling Brance in and boasting at the same time, Cynrik¡¯s eyes never left the pack of five Hobgoblins as they separated and, while hunching over, began searching every nook and cranny for him.

    [Lucky you, asshole, so what, are you just standing in a dark corner like a broody anti-hero cockily watching the enemies search for any trace of you?] Crossing his arms over his chest and smugly looking at the corner of the ceiling, Brance called Cynrik out on what he predicted his brother was doing, unknowingly hitting the nail on the head.

    [¡­.] Hearing Brance¡¯s remark, Cynrik¡¯s body stiffened, and his face contorted as he looked around anxiously to see if his brother was spying on his every action.

    [How?] Cynrik started to say, but when he did, one of the Hobgoblins Roared and pointed in his direction, alerting the other four of his location.

    [Oh, I don¡¯t know, maybe I¡¯ve known you for two whole lifetimes and know exactly how you react in nearly any situation. Right now, I bet you just got spotted, and the rest of the foes are pointing at you while you stand there with a confused expression on your face.]

    ¡°GROAAA, ROAHHH¡± The lead warrior shouted as he organized its remaining allies to mount an attack on Cynrik.

    [Are you fucking spying on me, Brance, there is no fucking way you are that urate, not even I can pull that kind of bullshit off, and we both know how spot on my predictions can be.] Pushing off the wall and spinning his dagger and short sword in fluid patterns, Cynrik clicked his tongue and snarled at the five iing Hobgoblins.

    [No, I am not. I simply just know how you will react. With your personality, you sadistically enjoy watching your opponents act in a flustered manner. As such, it¡¯s evident that the first thing you would do after losing the cover of your stealth skills is to find the darkest corner and wait for your cooldown so that you can again use the skill and pick off some of the remaining foes. You have ALWAYS been like that.]

    [Hell, I bet even Benny or Gabby could call you out in the same way. You seem to forget we have spent our entire lives together. We know you and your idiotic patterns and habits.] Rolling his eyes, Brance continued waiting for the timer to show up, which would force him to move to the next floor.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 291

    [Hell, I bet even Benny or Gabby could call you out in the same way. You seem to forget we have spent our entire lives together. We know you and your idiotic patterns and habits.] Rolling his eyes, Brance continued waiting for the timer to show up, which would force him to move to the next Floor.

    [Bullshit,] Cynrik scoffed as he observed the Hobgoblins on the other side of the room pounding one of their fists on their chests in unison. Each one held crude iron curved swords, and after their aggressive disy, each began rushing forward with bloodshot eyes.

    [What is Bullshit, the fact that we all can predict how you will react or that they found you so quickly.] Smiling as he pictured the look on Cynrik¡¯s face. Brance picked up his greatsword and checked the condition of both it and his shield.

    [YES!] Unwilling to admit that Brance was right, Cynrik shed his weapons against each other, creating a shower of sparks, and stepped forward out of the shadows.

    With under a minute left on his cooldown for [Spetre Concealment,] he feltfortable enough to y tag with the remaining five Hobgoblins until the skill was ready for use.

    [How ssy of a response, Big brother. What¡¯s next? Are you going to exin the theory of rtivity to me? Oh, oh, how about you help me understand aerodynamics.] Thoroughly enjoying teasing Cynrik, Brance sheathed his greatsword on his back and fastened the shield on top of it.

    Ignoring his younger brother, Cynrik dashed forward at full speed, elerating from a standstill, leaving a hazy afterimage of himself as he moved. With his MP around 40 percent and not wanting to waste any resource points, he opted to go for more physical attacks, testing the waters regarding the creature¡¯s regeneration abilities. Racing past the first two enemies, he arrived at the third, slid on the ground, and used his shortsword to cleanly sever the warrior Hobgoblin¡¯s leg just below the knee.

    When he felt the resistance of cutting through flesh and bone disappear, Cynrik began counting. The goal was to figure out just how long it took for these opponents to heal fully. If his theory was correct, and Brance hadn¡¯t been wrong about their innate recoverability, then the Hobgoblin he just wounded should be capable of restoring its let. The only question was if the creature would hold its stump to the severed appendage, allowing it to fuse back in ce. Or if somehow it could regrow limbs.

    ¡°GROAAAA!¡± The one-legged Hobgoblin screamed as it copsed onto the ground and began beating its fists into the stone bs that made up the entire room. Each impact resulted in slight tremors reverberating within a certain distance of the creature and left behind small impact craters.

    [Brance, when you realized these assholes had rapid regeneration, what kind of injury did you inflict on them?] Finishing his powerslide by jumping back to his feet and whizzing past the remaining enemies, Cynrik broke away from them, headed to the opposite side of the Twentieth Floor, and asked for more information.

    [I Troyed one of them. Instead of blood-curdling screams, the creature just looked at me and grunted before dropping to its knees. In contrast, when I took off one of their arms, that only seemed to piss it off. The roar it gave in response was more like a warning to stay away than one of agony.] Thinking back to the end of his previous fight, Brance didn¡¯t hold back his thoughts on the matter.

    [Interesting, they either have an absurdly high pain threshold, or their brains are wired to associate pain with anger or rage.] Looking over his shoulder as he circled the room and lined up another drive-by attack, Cynrik¡¯s count reached 10 seconds, and he locked onto the one-legged Hobgoblin, who had reached over and grabbed his missing leg before holding it against his stump and was in the midst of grunting in guttural words. It kept looking down at its leg for half a beat and turning its eyes upward to re at Cynrik.

    [Ok, I can confirm that pain isn¡¯t registered as it should be to them. That and it seems regrowing limbs, Polo style, is also out of their abilities. I¡¯m literally watching one reattach its severed leg by holding it against the stump. Through this, we can glean another fact. They are intelligent enough to understand how their healing factor works.] Cynrik said, Tilting his head to the side and avoiding a chunk of a stone flung by the injured Hobgoblin. Next, without breaking his stride, he jumped onto its shoulder and kicked it in the back of the head as he surged forward at one of the creatures that had its back turned toward him.

    Spinning his dagger into a reverse grip, Cynrik flipped through the air and followed the red line with his de, slicing directly through the red dot on the back of the Hobgoblin¡¯s neck, once again triggering his [Backstab] passive and instantly decapitating the creature. Then, since he was still soaring through the air, Cynrik articted his body, contorting himself in such a way that he flew right over its shoulder and out into open space.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 19, Tier-1 Virtual Hobgoblin.|

    |You have received 5 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received a 1000 Essence, XP Crystal.|

    |You have received 3 Merit Points.|

    By the time Cynriknded, all four of the notifications had finished, on top of his [Spectre Concealment]ing off cooldown. So before any of the remaining four creatures could react, he vanished from sight and put distance between himself and the remaining enemies.

    [Six down, four more to go.] Stopping 20 meters away from the downed Hobgoblin, Cynrik watched the bone, muscles, and skin connect from the severed leg back into ce against the stump. With its leg reattached, the creature kicked out a couple of times before standing up and putting weight on its newly healed leg.

    [40 seconds, it took only 40 seconds for that fucker to heal back up.] Clicking his tongue mentally, Cynrik could only watch in awe at how fast healing Hobgoblins were.

    [Are you seriously experimenting in the middle of a fight¡­AGAIN?] Stunned by how casual his brother acted during a battle that had previously stressed him out, Brance grew annoyed and wanted nothing more than to strangle Cynrik.

    [I mean, yeah. But it¡¯s not like there isn¡¯t a good reason. This information could save our asses one day. Imagine if the rest of the party ends up fighting against these things and underestimates them. So far, in our Beasts and Creatures ss, the only thing thates even remotely close to this healing speed is Dryads and Trolls. The fact that we have a ce where we can learn and earn rewards without the threat of potential death is invaluable to me.]

    [Compared to their uncivilized and greener-shaded descendants, these pumpkin heads show a high level ofbat awareness, even if they¡¯re a bit stupid and rush headlong into bad situations. But if I could heal practically any injury, I would too. Intelligence on par with a teenager, rapid regeneration, and zero fear of injuries or death. That is a terrifying opponent Brancie.] Cynrik pondered calmly as he tossed his dagger up and down, shifting his grip from reverse to standard repeatedly, almost like a person with obsessive tendencies.

    [As much as I want to argue, you have a point, but I can¡¯t help but feel your reasoning doesn¡¯t match the easy-going tone you¡¯re using.] Brance said as he received the notification that it was time to move to the next Floor or be kicked from the Obelisk.

    |You have been inactive for longer than five minutes; if you do not choose to continue, your progress will be saved, and you will be forced to exit the Trial.|

    |Would you like to continue to the Twentieth Floor (Y/N)?|

    [Im moving up, my resource stats have increased by a decent chunk, so I should be able to use a few skills.]

    [Copy, I¡¯m just about to finish these guys off, I was waiting for you to catch up.] Cynrik confidently replied as he sheathed his shortsword onto his hip and began channeling Fire Mana into his right palm.

    [Sure you were.] Brance said in an emotionless tone. There was no doubt in his mind that Cynrik was only ying around with his opponents. The possibility that he was ACTUALLY using all that time to study was present; however, knowing his brother, it was more about wasting as much time as possible to recoup his MP.

    Tapping the button on the notification, Brance quickly teleported to the Twentieth Floor, and unlike his brother, who instantly jumped into battle, he chose to let the timer run down. Floor Twenty-One was where things would get dicey. Facing ten creatures of different races all at the Peak of Tier-1 was something that would be highly unpredictable, and Brance felt he would need all the Mana and Stamina he could get if he wanted toe out unscathed and continue his Perfect Clear streak.

    So since he only had one Floor left, Brance quickly decided to do what his brother was doing and burn as much time as possible so that he could go into the next Floor with enough MP to handle any situation.

    Meanwhile, Cynrik had manifested four brilliantly shining Orange condensed [FireBalls]. Allowing them to hover over every finger on his right hand except his thumb, he leveled his palm parallel to the ground and spread his fingers, each pointing at a different target. Slowly, he lined up each of his fingers with a single red line that was tethered to each of the Hobgoblin¡¯s, and when they were all urately in ce, Cynrik shot all four miniature suns.

    Each me silently traveled until they passed the range of his stealth skill, and with four loud and hot explosions, Cynrik obliterated all of the remaining opponents. Two secondster, the creatures shattered into particles, and the notifications rolled in.

    |You have sessfully Killed 4 Level 19, Tier-1 Virtual Hobgoblins.|

    |You have received a Perfect Score for the Twentieth Floor Trial.|

    |You have received 20 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received four 1000 Essence, XP Crystals.|

    |You have received 12 Merit Points.|

    |All rewards will be tallied and stored. You may ess the Obelisk Market ce, which is open to you every five floors. Would you like to do so? (Y/N)|

    | Congrattions, you have Cleared the Twentieth Floor. Since this is the final Floor that you will be able to use the Market ce, it is rmended that you do so before advancing. When you are ready to leave, please say ¡°Move to Floor Twenty-One,¡± and you will be instantly moved up to the next Floor|

    Like before, instead of instantly jumping into the next Floor, Cynrik sheathed his dagger and sat down on the ground to recoup his resource stats while opening up the Obelisk Market ce to scroll through to see his options. This fight had drained a decent chunk of his Stamina, but thatst attack barely touched his MP. Still, since the next Floor was a taste of the final Floor, he wanted to be squared away and ready for whatever obstacles were thrown his way.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 292

    While Cynrik was scrolling through the Obelisk Market ce, trying to figure out what to spend his 370 OKP, Brance watched the final timer run down and sighed in relief when he saw what creatures he was facing.

    |Now Summoning Twentieth Floor Opponents, 10 Tier-1 Level 19 AquaNewts.|

    Stepping back a few paces and drawing his weapons, Brance watched as the particle cloud descended to the ground and broke into ten separate clusters before forming a group ofrge, bluish-green sports car-sized lizards.

    [Its AquaNewts this time,] He said as the creatures flicked their tongues at the air, smelling their surroundings and locating Brance on the opposite end of the room.

    [Not bad. At least it¡¯s easier than Hobgoblins or Nagas. Just keep on your toes; they can shoot out highly pressurized jets of water onmand. Other than that, they have a typical pea-sized brain and aren¡¯t very intelligent. So you don¡¯t have to worry too much about them using any kind of tactics aside from basic instinctual pack hunter strategies.] Tapping into the virtual market weapon category, Cynrik gave his brother a brief description and some advice.

    It had to be said that aside from World History and Affinities ss, the third most crucial course Cynrik was taking seriously was the Creatures and Beast one. In it, he could get a generalized directory of familiar creatures that appear in both the wild and Egresses. Hence, when it came down to being a living encyclopedia for all things creepy and crawly, Cynrik knew enough to cope with most of themon types, so something like an AquaNewt was easy to handle and did not draw his attention away from the Obelisk Market ce.

    [Got it, so they¡¯re basically water Pkmn; I¡¯ll watch out for the water gun and hydro pump.] Chuckling and readying himself for battle, Brance slowly advanced on the newts. However, to his surprise, half of them angled their heads upward instead of attacking him and began sting fountains of water toward the ceiling. Meanwhile, the other half of the AquaNewts targeted the ground.

    [Oh, onest thing, they like aquatic, damp or humid environments, so don¡¯t lose your cool if they try flooding the room.]

    [SAY THAT FIRST ASSHOLE!] Brance howled as he peeked down at the ground and noticed a thinyer of water rising.

    In contrast to every other Virtual creature he had faced so far in the Obelisk, these AquaNewts ran off in different directions instead of grouping up and charging him down. By staying on the move and spraying water everywhere, it would only take a few minutes for therge scaley creatures to submerge the windowless, doorless roompletely.

    [To be fair, they are called AQUA newts. You should have been able to figure out by their body shape and coloring patterns that they primarily live in WET environments. So, of course, they would first try to adapt their situation to a favorable one. Hell, you were in that ssroom with me when Professor Harron exined how AquaNewts tend to be an ecological disaster wherever they appear. Deserts turn into swamps or bogs, ins intokes. It¡¯s pretty obvious; you¡¯re just dumb.] Scoffing at Brance¡¯s ignorance, Cynrik rolled his eyes.

    [LISTEN, I WAS PAYING ATTENTION. I JUST FORGOT!] Chasing down the nearest of the ten blue lizards, Brance tried defending himself but was cut off by Cynrik being snide once again.

    [Oh? Because I specifically remember you and Gabby flirting all ss long and giggling like fucking school children. I am honestly surprised you even remember their name. Let me guess; you only knew what you were fighting because of Yenni¡¯s notification.]

    [Lies, nder, FUCK YOU!] Yelling as he caught up to one of the AquaNewts and shed it in half; Brance couldn¡¯t resist kicking the corpse as hard as possible, forcing it into a wall with a loud BANG!

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 19, Tier-1 Virtual AquaNewt.|

    |You have received 5 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received a 1000 Essence, XP Crystal.|

    |You have received 3 Merit Points.|

    [Now, Brancie, getting angry during a fight is a big no-no. You know better than that, Kuekue.] Swiping through all the trash Tier bronze weapons, Cynrik made it to the Tier-1.5 iron shortswords and scanned through the list¡¯s contents, trying to find something that fit his off-hand better than the crude Tier-1 Bronze shortsword he earned from an earlier Floor.

    ¡®Serves you right, freaking making me paranoid during thatst fight.¡¯ Cynrik thought as he smuglyughed to himself.

    [UGHH, insufferable, annoying, hooligan FUCK!] with each word Brance said in anger, he would sh out with his Greatsword, felling another one of the lizards. By this point, the water had risen to just below his calves, and his movement speed rapidly decreased as the seconds ticked by.

    |You have sessfully Killed 4 Level 19, Tier-1 Virtual AquaNewts.|

    |You have received 20 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received 4 1000 Essence, XP Crystals.|

    |You have received 12 Merit Points.|

    [Fuck, these bastards are getting faster and faster, five down.] With the water reaching his knees, Brance spun his greatsword overhead, channeling Terra Mana into its point, and mmed it down, parting the rising waters in front of him and manifesting several three-and-a-half-meter stone pir tforms above the water.

    Monitoring his surroundings and hopping up to the make-shift tforms, Brance activated his [Mana Sight] and scanned the murky deep blue water for any movement. However, within half a second, he realized something startling; even with his ocr skill active, Brance couldn¡¯t see anything below the surface of the now two-meter-deep liquid.

    [Cyn, what the fuck is this water made from? I can¡¯t see shit.] Realizing it wasn¡¯t the time to stay annoyed with his older brother and knowing he needed more information if he was going to walk out of this with his record intact, Brance yielded and asked for help.

    [Abination of mid-ranged Terra and Water particles. How bad is the pooling?] Hearing the tone of Brance¡¯s voice take a drastic shift, Cynrik paused his scrolling and inquired.

    In response to his question, Brance crouched down and dipped his sword into the water; when he felt it touch the bottom, he frowned since his forearm was also submerged along with the de.

    [Give it another minute, and it¡¯ll be deep enough that my arm will get wet to touch the bottom with my Greatsword, It¡¯s already over my head, and I¡¯d be treading water if not for the fact that I made several stepping stone tforms. But it¡¯s an issue because I have to keep pumping more Mana into the pirs to keep them above the waterline.] Brance said while spinning his weapon to clear the grimy-looking liquid off its surface.

    [Tsk, shit, alright, listen up. It would be best if you tried finding them as soon as possible; these rooms are only about 25 meters tall, and those bastards will keep swimming around and adding more water every minute. They are basically the reverse of a jetski. While one propels itself forward by emitting apressed st of air, the other uses water.]

    [Under the pads of all four of their legs, the AquaNewt has what can only be described as water jets, making them incredibly quick when submerged. This makes things difficult since they are already fast and agile in the water as is, but once they no longer feel the need to add more liquid into the room, that¡¯s when they will get scary fast. Odds are, they will start spy-hopping or doing those little dolphin jumps to target you, so you need to keep your head on a swivel.]

    [Rely on your reaction time, we already know that [Mana Sight] won¡¯t work due to the high concentration of water particles, so treat each of these lizzys like they have optic camo. They lurk like alligators or crocs, so be on the lookout for slight ripples on the water¡¯s surface.] Finishing up his thoughts, Cynrik quickly purchased two Tier-1.5 Iron shortswords, with different lengths, and a matching Tier-1.5 Iron Dagger. He then clicked over to the Medical Elixers tab, where he found a number of options ranging from ones that boost stats to ones that cause ssh or explosive damage to his enemies; without hesitation, he purchased anything that seemed practical, including several Mana and Stamina Potions.

    Meanwhile, Brance stood with his shield raised and his Greatsword propped against his right shoulder, his typical defensivebat stance. Using Mana to increase his hearing, Brance calmed his breathing and ignored any sound that didn¡¯t match what he knew was underwater movement. Be it a tail, legs, or even waterjets, they all had distinct sounds, and Brance was trying to iste every bit of inconsequential information his brain was receiving and only allowed for what would lead him to his targets.

    ¡®Five, there are five more of these car-sized lizards swimming around me. Where are they?¡¯ He thought to himself as his eyes slowly closed and the world fell dark.

    Ssh, ssh

    Standing perfectly still and listening to the sound of the waterpping at his stone pirs, Brance pushed more Mana into his ears as his search continued.

    Ssh, ssh

    Ssh, ssh

    Ssh, ssh, SLOOSH

    ¡°THERE!¡± Snapping his eyes open, Brance kicked off the ground, gripped the air, and pumped his left arm up, rising a stone pir from under the water, forcing it and its freeloader, one of the Newts, into the open air. Then, spinning his Greatsword with only his right hand, Brance met up with the pir, which carried a iling and panicked AquaNewt, and shed down, splitting the creature into perfect halves.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 19, Tier-1 Virtual AquaNewt.|

    |You have received 5 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received a 1000 Essence, XP Crystal.|

    |You have received 3 Merit Points.|

    [Six down, four to go, these things are quick, but so long as I focus on the minute changes in the water sounds, I can pinpoint their location.] Brance said as hended on the same stone pir, he had just used to force his enemy out of the water.

    [Why does it sound like you are using echolocation to find those lizzys? Do you think you¡¯re a whale, dolphin, or bat?] Raising an eyebrow in confusion, Cynrik teased Brance, even though if it was him in the same situation, he would havee to a simr conclusion.

    [Che, whatever works, works. It¡¯s basically silent in here, with the only constant sound being the water smacking up against my stone pirs. If I focus on my hearing and increase the strength of my inner ear, I can hear the subtle difference between something underwater and above. Then using its rtive distance from the nearest pir, I can pinpoint a rough location and its movement direction.] Closing his eyes and repeating the process, Brance returned to searching.

    [So¡­.you made a shitty Mana Radar¡­]

    [EAT A DICK CYNRIK!] Brance growled.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 293

    [Hahaha, someone¡¯s salty.] Holding his stomach with one hand and wiping the tear forming in the corner of his left eye, Cynrik erupted after Brance¡¯s insult.

    [Shut up, I need to concentrate and focus on my surroundings, and I can¡¯t do that with your annoying ass fucking cackles invading my thoughts.] Gritting his teeth, Brance closed his eyes and focused on the different sounds in the water again.

    ¡°Shut up~ I can¡¯t concentrate.¡± Cynrik mockingly said aloud instead of using the mind link while waving his hands around, imitating how Brance moved when he spoke in anger.

    ¡®Sigh, alright, back to shopping. So far, I burned 45 points on the shortsword and 30 on the dagger. Then there were the three STAM and MP potions which ran me 15 points each.¡¯ Tapping the air as if using a calctor, Cynrik quickly calcted his spending so far.

    ¡®That¡¯s 120 points, leaving me with 250. Hmmm, meBite pots have a fixed 500 points of spread damage, with a 50% chance of inflicting a burn status. Tsk, 500 is too little in the higher Tiers.¡¯ Scratching the side of his head, Cynrik dismissed the thought of carpet bombing his way through the crowd.

    ¡®The frost pots may be helpful, especially if I want to conserve Mana. Sure I can always use [Shadow Sewing], but the more targets I try holding, the faster my MP drains until it bottoms out or the enemy breaks free. Fighting against 20 opponents simultaneously will be annoying, so I might as well pick up these.¡¯ Clicking on the description, reading over the fixed damage, and noticing the 50% Freezing rate, Cynrik purchased five Frost potions for 100 OKP.

    ¡®Ok, 150 points left. Do I save them or try to find something to blow them on.¡¯ Stretching his back out by raising his arms over his head and pulling upward, Cynrik tossed the idea around for a minute or so before scrolling through and locating a tab that piqued his interest.

    ¡°Innnnteresting.¡± A smile formed on his lips as he tapped on the Tamer Supplies tab. The topic of his two eggs had bothered him for months. Be it figuring out what secondary Element to give them or how he would hatch them; he was left helpless as the equipment was so expensive he couldn¡¯t afford it with either Credits or Merit Points. If Cynrik was going to nurture his little N¨¢tt Hrafn into the powerful birbs he had in mind; then he only had a handful of options. Most of which involved him delving into dangerous scenarios or selling body parts.

    Not wanting to get his hopes up, Cynrik navigated through the user interface, scrolling passed the various assortments of food, weapons, and special skills, and eventually found the Incubators section.

    Sucking in a sharp breath, Cynrik read the price tag for the highest Tier top-of-the-line device and felt his heart shudder.

    ¡°Fuck, 2200 OKP each, that is batshit crazy. What kind of mary value do these damn points carry. This same Incubator goes for upwards of a couple hundred million Credits.¡± He said aloud as his eyes drifted toward his pitiful bnce of only 150 OKP.

    While Cynrik was beating himself up, Brance had eliminated all but the final AquaNewt and was calmly waiting for it toe into his hearing range. But as time went on, and all he could hear was the pping of the water against the pirs or walls of the room, Brance felt something was off. Even if these creatures could hold their breath for long periods, they still had toe up for air at some point, and nearly 23 minutes had psed since the start of the battle, meaning it had been submerged for a bare minimum, 15 minutes.

    Knowing he would regret his following action, Brance prepared himself and reinitiated contact with his brother.

    [Oh, great and powerful lord of knowledge, I require your assistance in my time of need.] Rolling his eyes and fighting the urge to cringe at his own words, Brance tightly gripped the hilt of his shortsword and sucked it up. He knew this was the best way to smooth things over and get a proper answer without too much bullshit or teasing.

    [HM, yes, what can I do for you, lowly peasant.] Looking away from the Obelisk Market, Cynrik stroked his chin as if he had a long, imaginary beard and spoke with a holier-than-thou tone.

    [I need to know how long AquaNewts can hold their breath. I was able to take out all but one of the creatures, and thisst one seems to be hiding.] Scanning the water¡¯s surface as he searched for anything resembling a head, Brance deactivated [Mana Sight] and sighed.

    [Eh, I can¡¯t give you a specific timeframe, only what we were given as a reference, which was 45 minutes to an hour and a half. If it¡¯s hiding in the depths, then you can only either go in after it or burn a shit ton of MP to raise a tform the size of the entire room above the water. It¡¯s your call; either way, I can only present the data, not fight the fight for you.] Holding his arms up in defeat, Cynrik returned to examining the different incubators andparing the pros and cons of the expensive ones vs. the cheaper incubators.

    ¡®Tsk, as if it¡¯s that easy to raise a tformrge enough to cover wall to wall. Even if I have enough Affinity Control to pull it off, my tank is too small to even think about that option.¡¯ Peeking over the edge of the one-meter round tform he was standing on, Brance gazed down into the dark water below.

    ¡®Since it¡¯s murky and the lighting in the room was poor to begin with, I can¡¯t see shit past maybe a meter deep. WAIT, LIGHTING!¡¯ Widening his eyes, Brance felt the urge to smack his face in punishment for not thinking of an idea sooner. So what if the water was dark? He literally has an Affinity for Light Mana.

    After cing his shield back in its holster on his back, Brance curled his left hand into a fist and surged Light Mana into it. Inhaling deeply, his left hand began shining brightly as he ovepped his [Orb of Light] with the chargeable [Glint] forming a milky white ball the size of a marble within his clenched fist.

    Opening his hand Brance was surprised to find a tiny solid sphere resting neatly under his fingers. Bouncing it in his palm a couple of times, Brance raised an eyebrow as Tobs sent a notification in response to making this new little marble.

    -You have created a new skill bybining your [Orb of Light] and [Glint]; since this skill is entirely new, as its Creator, you have been allowed to name it by the Central System Host.-

    ¡®Hey, Tobs, do you know what this little thing can do?¡¯

    -Negative, I do not have ess to its skill description until it has been named.-

    ¡®I see, uh, how about we just call it White Dwarf.¡¯ Brance said after putting a little thought into it.

    ¨C Your skill has been registered in the official skill database after being approved by the Central System Hub.-

    -The Central System Hub has generated an adequate effect and description; you may view them at any time within your Affinity Skills Tab.-

    -You have learned the Tier-2 Light Affinity Skill: White Dwarf-

    -You have created a never before seen Light Affinity Skill; as such, you have been given a reward pack from the CSH.-

    -Your Mastery over Light Mana Particles has increased from Adept to Expert.-

    -Your Light Affinity has Grown to Tier-2.5-

    -You have received 20 Points in all basic Stats.-

    -You have received 20 Free Allocation Stat points.-

    -You have received 75 Skill Points.-

    -You have been awarded the Title ¡°Skill Creator¡±.-

    Opening and closing his mouth like a fish, Brance was stunned by the new rewards. When he had made his [shbang] skill, he didn¡¯t get any upgrades or rewards; all he could do was name the newly minted skill, yet now, after making [White Dwarf], not only did Brance get to name it but he was informed that a skill like it had never been generated before. As surprising as it was, this meant that simr fusion skills like his [shbang] had already been created.

    Although confused, Brance decided to put that thought aside and examined his new skill.

    -Tier-2 Light Affinity Skill: [White Dwarf]-

    -Category: Active Construct Skill.-

    -A Skill Created by Brance Jetlensr. Bypressing the blinding power of [Glint] and the stability of [Orb of Light] and infusing it with an abundant amount of higher grade particles, you have created a new pure Light Mana Construct.-

    -The User can create up to five small milky white spheres, which can be thrown or attached to a preselected target. The user can either detonate the marble at will or have it shatter on impact. Upon the orb breaking, a concussive st and a blinding sh of light will be generated as the Light Mana Particles go out of control and expand. Anyone who views this sh of light, other than the skill User, has a 75% chance of being inflicted with the status effect ¡°Impaired¡± for 30 seconds.-

    -If the Enemy who is in the vicinity of this erupting attack has the opposing Dark Affinity, and you have formed the sphere with a minimum of 1200 MP, they will also have a 45% chance of receiving the status effect, ¡°Light Burn.¡± This status effect is simr to ¡°Burn,¡± only the damage received over time is 55 HP per second. This status effect canst between one minute to five minutes depending on the power and Tier of the being¡¯s Dark Affinity. If the targeted Dark Affinity User also gained the ¡°Impaired,¡± both ¡°Light Burn¡± and ¡°Impaired¡± will have double the duration.-

    -Damage Calc: Based on the amount of Mana condensed into the sphere, INT and Light Affinity.-

    -Cost: 250 MP per marble CHARGEABLE.-

    -Construct Life: There can only be five marbles active at a time, and each marble canst for a maximum of 2 hours. After that, they will automatically explode.-

    -Cooldown: 1 hour.-

    It took Brance a full minute to calm his rapidly beating heart as he read how devastating this new skill could be if used in the proper situation. Not only that, but he was nearly unable to contain his excitement because he had finally received another offensive Light Affinity skill. One that would be devastating against any opponent who used or harnessed Dark Mana skills. Then, his mind moved to a different ce, and a single question popped up in his head.

    ¡®What kind of face would Cynrik have when I show him this skill. Hehe, depending on how much Mana I put into it, it can be used as a practical joke.¡¯

    Snickering to himself as he thought up several types of pranks, Brance formed four more small marbles in his palm and rolled them around while looking around and calcting the best ce to throw them.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 294

    ¡®Let¡¯s see, Five WDs in hand and a wide surface area to cover.¡¯ Rolling the five small Mana-constructed marbles around in his hand, Brance began pushing little chunks of MP into each one as his eyes scanned the rippling water.

    ¡®Hey, Tobs, do you know how big a boom these things make?¡¯ Brance asked as he sheathed his greatsword on his back and transferred one of the WDs to his right hand.

    -The explosion radius is dependent on how much Mana you have stored within the constructs. The st radius has a starting point of 1.5 meters and will increase by an additional 1.5 for every 200 points umted within the marble.-

    ¡®Gotcha, alright, and onest question. If I want to use remote detonation, do I just will for it to happen or what?¡¯

    -You modify the trigger mechanic in the same way you formed them. During the creation, if you don¡¯t actively think about how it will trigger an explosion, the marble will automatically be created as a remote detonation [White Dwarf].-

    Nodding at her response, Brance felt the Mana flowing into each marble as he moved a second to his right hand, leaving the other three in his left. Then, with pinpoint uracy, Brance picked five points around the room, pumped enough Mana into the WDs, and tossed them into ce so their sts would ovep, covering as much of the room as possible, leaving rtively few blind spots.

    Plunk Plunk Plunk Plunk Plunk

    Although all five marbles didn¡¯t ssh into the water simultaneously, they slowly floated down toward the bottom of the stone floor through the now Fifteen Meter deepke that filled the formerly empty stone room at simr rates of descent.

    Brance waited a few seconds to let the small spheres travel under the water before narrowing his eyes and snapping both middle fingers against his thumbs.

    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM

    ¡°REAAAAAAAAAOHHHH¡±

    Instantly, five vast pirs of water rose from the depths, apanied by a perfectly timed white sh of light that reminded Brance of the sh he saw before the nuke went off back on Earth, killing him and his brother so many years ago.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 19, Tier-1 Virtual AquaNewt.|

    |You have received a Perfect Score for the Twentieth Floor Trial.|

    |You have received 5 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received a 1000 Essence, XP Crystal.|

    |You have received 3 Merit Points.|

    |All rewards will be tallied and stored. You may ess the Obelisk Market ce, which is open to you every five floors. Would you like to do so? (Y/N)|

    | Congrattions, you have Cleared the Twentieth Floor. Since this is the final Floor that you will be able to use the Market ce, it is rmended that you do so before advancing. When you are ready to leave, please say ¡°Move to Floor Twenty-One,¡± and you will be instantly moved up to the next Floor|

    [Finished thest AquaNewt; I assume that you are holed up scrolling through the shop?] Brance said while sitting down and crossing his legs before pulling up the Obelisk Marketce.

    [Yep, you should have 740 OKP, so grab some new weapons and potions.] Scratching his cheek and reading through the full descriptions of each incubator for the third time, Cynrik responded.

    [Hold on, what do you mean, 740 OKP? How much do you have?] Looking at the virtual wallet in the top right corner of the screen, Brance raised an eyebrow as he noticed there were only 370 points, not 740 like his brother predicted.

    [Huh? I have 370, so isn¡¯t it natural that you, the golden child, would have double my points because of your Passive?] Tilting his head to the side Cynrik was confused by Brance¡¯s reaction.

    [Uh, nope, I have 370 just like you do¡­wait, now that I think about it, I vaguely remember a line that Yenni said during the introduction and rules tutorial. Hold on, let me pull it up.] Navigating from the Marketce, Brance¡¯s fingers swiftly located the Rules and Regtions tab and began scrolling through it.

    [Here it is, ¡°To keep the Trials fair and bnced, all skills, potions, or abilities that grant additional rewards or Essence gain will be temporarily disabled or neutralized during your stay within the Obelisk.¡± I admit, I zed over it, but I still vaguely remembered what it said. That¡¯s why I found it weird that you said I had so many points.] Shrugging his shoulders, Brance swapped back to the Market.

    [Well, that¡¯s scuffed. I was banking on you having more points so I could take out a loan for Brother TAX, but if I can¡¯t, then it looks like I¡¯m Shit out of Luck. Anyway, how did you beat thest Lizzy? I thought it was hiding in the water.]

    [That, well, I made a new skill, don¡¯t freak out when you read the description, by the way.] Smirking and anticipating a heavy overreaction from his brother, Brance sent over [White Dwarf¡¯s] info and started buying potions before navigating to the ¡°Swords¡± tab.

    The instant the data appeared in front of Cynrik¡¯s eyes, he felt a cold shiver run through his body, especially when he got to the additional effect against Dark Affinity Users.

    [Hey, HEY! WHAT THE HELL, BRANCIE? ARE YOU OUT TO GET ME OR SOMETHING! Do you even realize that I can¡¯t be anywhere near that thing, or else it¡¯ll start wrecking my HP like a bulldozer?] Feeling the urge to smack his brother repeatedly until he begged for forgiveness, Cynrik tried forming a counter to this new Skill Brance hade up with seemingly on the fly.

    ¡ª

    Meanwhile, as the brothers worked on prepping for the Twenty-First Floor, in a different realm, Gabby was bored as she rapid fired bolts with her Tier-1.5 Iron crossbow in one hand and flung [Psychic Disks] like frisbees with the other. She was currently fighting on floor 20, and like Cynrik, she was storming through her opponents with little or no difficulty.

    Currently, she was dealing with creatures that looked like giant spiked purple hippos. Still, even if these opponents were more than four times her size, all it took was one disk to cut through their blubbery fat bodies and a well-ced Crossbow Bolt to finish them off.

    Unfortunately, since it did take two hits to kill each of the hippos, Gabby had slowed down her clearing speed significantly as time went by until she finally killed off thest creature and received all the same notifications as the brothers.

    She, too, had been on the path of a Perfect Clear; however, it was an easier task for the girl since she was already small and agile enough to dodge any enemy or keep on the move while taking shots from a distance.

    Sighing and wondering how her beloved Brancie was doing, Gabby plopped down on the ground and opened up the Market. Unlike Cynrik and Brance, who were only doing it for the first time on the Twentieth Floor, Gabby had opened it every opportunity she had been given so far.

    That was how she had already upgraded her weapon several floors back, and now all she was doing was stocking up on additional bolts and potions. Once she had finished picking up the bare necessities, Gabby scrolled through the list of different and exotic nt seeds and other small items that piqued her fancy until she ran out of OKP and sadly closed the Marketce.

    ¡°Ok, time to move up; only two floors left.¡± pping her cheeks for motivation, Gabby took a deep breath and teleported to Floor Twenty-One.

    ¡ª

    In another one of the Obelisk Realms, Selene was panting as she received blow after blow on her deformed bronze shield. Taking her boyfriend¡¯s words to heart, she had spent all her time working on getting used to fighting as a Valkyrie instead of an Assassin, as she had been trained from practically birth.

    Since she had already lost the opportunity to get a perfect clear due to saving and quitting the trials once before, Selene was in a very different position than the rest of the party, who were trying their best not to let even a single attack touch them.

    Standing in the center of a ring of Orc Warriors, Selene was bobbing, weaving, and deflecting every iing attack with her feet rooted in one ce. Training in this way was something she had learned in Tank ss.

    For Selene to adjust to the role of spearhead and one of the frontline defenders of her party, her instructor had made her receive endless strikes throughout the ss, more than once, to break the habits she had acquired from years of Assassinbat training.

    CLANG CLANG

    BANG

    The heavy-handed strikes of the ugly green and grey orcs rained down on Selene¡¯s tower shield, but she didn¡¯t back down; each time one of the crude bronze weapons bounced off her shield, Selene would counter-attack using her spear to either stab through their heart, or head.

    Finally, after over an hour of hard-fought practice, Selene felled the final opponent and began going through the store to find anything necessary for the duration of her climb. Once she felt prepared, Selene closed the store and headed up to Floor Twenty-One.

    ¡ª

    Panting heavily and covered in injuries, Benny was backed into the corner of the room on the Twentieth Floor. He had significantly struggled since multiple enemies appeared on Floor Eleven, and by the time he reached the Sixteenth Floor, he had already been hit several times. Ignoring Cynrik¡¯s advice after a few floors, Benny resorted to fighting in his usual way but was suffering the consequences.

    His opponents this time were 10 Canine Kobolds, and unlike their reptilian cousins, these furry assholes were excessively violent and fast. Even if they were a whole Tier below him, Benny struggled due to conserving as much Mana and Stamina as possible for the final two floors.

    Now, he was backed into a corner and receiving flurrying attacks from all sides as the expertly coordinated Kobolds took turns beating the shit out of his Aspis.

    ¡®Fuck, I can¡¯t keep doing this shit. DAMN IT!¡¯ Making up his mind, Benny triggered one of his ss skills, [Shield Strength], rapidly depleting its durability but increasing the damage he could do.

    ¡°RAH!¡± Growling in effort, Benny swung out his shield, flinging back several Kobolds, and went on the offensive. Stringingbinations with his Aspis and Estoc, he flew forward, bashing heads and chests in with his shield or crushing limbs and bones with his sword before piercing their vitals.

    Breaking through the now panicked group of dog people, Benny moved through them like a hurricane, mowing down all ten opponents until only he was left staring aimlessly at the ceiling.

    Cra¡­Crack, ng

    Looking away from the ceiling and down at his arm, Benny watched as the poorly crafted Aspis shattered into pieces, its durability fell to zero, and his Skill wore off.

    ¡°Sigh, I should have fucking listened to Big Bro; now I have one less trump card for the final two floors,¡± Benny said aloud as he opened the Market and scanned through the shields for a new one.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 295

    [ENOUGH! I GET IT! You hate my new skill; stop your stupid and annoying whining. Fuck, just bring a pair of sunsses with you everywhere. It literally only says if you¡¯re too close or see the sh.] Feeling the urge to m his head on the ground, Brance wanted nothing more than to shut off the mind link to stop the annoying screechesing from Cynrik.

    [Mehmehmeh, YOU ARE STILL A DICK!] Crossing his arms and pouting, Cynrik closed the Marketce and stood up. Next, he swapped out his weapons for the new Iron ones and adjusted them on his hip and the small of his back. Once he was ready, Cynrik popped his neck and slowed his breathing.

    [Im heading up, good luck.] Taking a fighting stance, Cynrik said in the mind link before talking out loud.

    ¡°Move to Floor Twenty-One,¡±

    |Command recognized, movingbatant Ivar Ragnarsson to the semi-final Floor.|

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes flicked to his arms as his body shattered into particles, and he was teleported into apletely different room. Looking around, he took in his new surroundings.

    Instead of the previous stone torchlit room, this one had a more Dungeon boss feel to it. Floor Twenty-One was a wide-open room made of ckish-blue stone. The open space was broken up every few meters by dozens ofrge grey one-meter wide beveled pirs that rose from the ground and connected to the ceiling. Each pir had four wrought Iron pineapple torches fastened to it in the four cardinal directions and bathed the room with green sickly colored mes.

    Cynrik¡¯s pupils constricted slightly as his vision automatically adjusted to the significantly brighter room, and he saw a new notification appear in his sight.

    |Wee to Floor Twenty-One. As a challenger who has made it this far with a Perfect Clear Score, the difficulty for this Floor and the final one has increased dramatically.|

    |Originally, since the First Obelisk is meant to be a trial for new students who haven¡¯t achieved Second Tier, the challenge on this Floor was supposed to be a unified battle against 10 Peak Tier-1 opponents. However, First Year Student, Challenger Iva¡­., Primordial Bloodline Holder ?sir Cynrik Jetlensr, has proven to be significantly stronger than all of his opponents. As such, an errata has been put in ce.|

    |Hensforth, the enemies on this Floore in waves, with the starting wave only having one randomly generated Creature and the 10th and final Wave having 10, for a total of 56 Peak Tier-1 opponents.|

    |The challenger will only be allowed a 30-second break between each Wave, and the Next Wave will immediately begin after the break is finished.|

    ¡°Tsss, Fucking hell Yennifer, this is bullying. Doesn¡¯t that mean that the next Floor will have 211 opponents? HOW IS THIS FAIR! It¡¯s not my fault I have a Bloodline. me those sted Deities. OH, and one more thing, if you are going to call me by my real name, at least don¡¯t mark it on any leaderboards or anything. Leave it as my preferred nickname.¡± Cynrik angrilyined as he scuffed his left foot on the ground, getting a feel for the new softer stone.

    The initial shock he received when he noticed the abrupt change of how the Obelisk AI no longer called him Ivar but instead his real name and even mentioned his Bloodline onlysted a split second before he shrugged it off.

    It made sense that Yennifer would know this information, considering it was not only linked to the Central System Hub but also drew some of his blood and made a perfect virtual copy of his body.

    |Yourint has been received, and the Obelisk Moderator has issued a response. Would you like the hear it? (Y/N)|

    Clicking his tongue Cynrik punched the yes button with a swift jab, triggering a new notification that deepened his frown.

    |You¡¯ve had it too easy thus far. Quit your bitching and get ready. The first Wave will start in 30 seconds. If you want the opportunity to earn those Incubators you wasted so much time examining, you better continue your Perfect Clear Marathon.|

    |Ps. I wouldn¡¯t be so stupid as to leak privileged information such as your Bloodline and Given name to the public. My primary objective is to guide and teach the new generation, be they regr students or Legacy Charges, it makes no difference to me, and thus I would never give that information out. ~ Yennifer|

    Reading the message, Cynrik stiffened before breaking into a wide sadistic grin.

    ¡°Well, alright then, Miss Yenni, challenge epted, let¡¯s do this shit.¡± Drawing his dagger from behind his back with his right hand and the shortsword across his waist with his left, Cynrik flourished both weapons and watched the counter tick down to zero.

    |Wave One is now beginning. Spawning One Creature at Random.|

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes floated toward the ceiling in the center of the room, where a storm of particles descended and formed into a lithe red demon creature.

    |Wave One Opponent, Peak Tier-1 Begraz Demonoid.|

    The thin Begraz had three horns, one in the center and one positioned above each of its temples; all three were thin and appeared to be made of dark brown keratin and tapered into a sharp point. Protruding from its back were a pair of delicate membrane wings, which the Begraz unfurled before screaming in a high-pitched tone.

    Suddenly the Creature felt a sharp pain in its neck and noticed something was wrong as its body seemed to float away, along with the tips of its wings, which had all been severed by a shadow before it could search out its target. Its weak mind couldn¡¯tprehend what happened, and it didn¡¯t even know to feel fear as the Begraz shattered into particles.

    Appearing on the opposite side of the particle storm, Cynrik flourished his dagger and rubbed his nose cockily.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Begraz Demonoid.|

    |You have received 5 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received a 1000 Essence, XP Crystal.|

    |You have received 3 Merit Points.|

    |You havepleted Wave One; 30 seconds have been added to the break timer.|

    ¡°Next,¡± Cynrik said with a smirk as he rushed back to the starting point and awaited the next Wave¡¯s start.

    ¡ª

    Sighing to himself, Brance double-checked his new Greatsword and katana. However, he couldn¡¯t use both simultaneously since he didn¡¯t have the [Dual Wield] passive skill like his brother. Brance felt morefortable with a second sword for the moment, especially since he could not block any iing attacks with a shield to begin with, as it would defeat the purpose of not getting hit.

    Setting both weapons to two different Loadouts, Brance opted to start with his new Tier-1.5 Iron greatsword, and depending on how tough his opponents proved to be, he could always swap to the Loadout he titled, ¡°Batt¨­jutsu.¡± In doing so, Brance would switch fighting styles to one that relied more heavily on speed vs. power.

    Next, he chugged down one-fourth of the Stamina and Mana potions he had bought, topping off both of his resource stats, and gripped the hilt of his Greatsword, which rested over his right shoulder.

    ¡°You can move me to Floor Twenty-One, Miss Yennifer.¡± Brance calmly stated aloud, and just like his brother, half a secondter, his body dispersed into particles, and he touched down in a simrly designed room as Cynrik.

    Brance only had a second to examine his surroundings before a wave of notifications filled his vision. A quick scan through the multiple messages brought Brance up to speed, making him frown before heaving a sigh.

    [Hey, asshole, thanks for the heads up about the increased difficulty.] An annoyed Brance grumbled as he drew his Greatsword out of its sheath and propped it up against his shoulder with the point facing the ceiling.

    [Bah, where¡¯s the fun in that. Unlike you, I¡¯m not too fond of surprises, but you¡¯ve always loved them. Think of it as a Lil gift from me to you, Kuekue.] Smiling as he finished off two humanoid slime creatures, clearing Wave 2, Cynrik yfully responded.

    Running his tongue along the inside of his bottom lip Brance shook his head in disappointment as he watched the timer hit zero.

    |Wave One is now beginning. Spawning One Creature at Random.|

    |Wave One Opponent, Peak Tier-1 Lemuis.|

    Taking a step back, Brance observed as the stormy cloud of particles shifted into what looked like an oversized ring-tailed lemur. Well, it would have looked like one if it wasn¡¯t blue and gold instead of white, grey, and ck. That and it stood a full head taller than Brance.

    ¡°Oooh ooh,¡± The Lemuis hooted before bouncing off the ground and climbing a nearby pir.

    Rolling his eyes, Brance rushed forward, jumped up and kicked off a pir, using it as a step, and darted from pir to pir in chase of the Creature.

    ¡ª

    In a different realm, a curly ck-haired beauty had up five individual virtual monitors, each of which had a different member of MyrkLys as the focal point.

    With one hand, she organized the random opponents for the Jetlensr Brothers and Selene, the three Legacy Charges. Like the two brothers, Yennifer ced the same challenge on Selene with the Waves of creatures. For Gabby and Benny, she kept with the standardrge groups but raised the difficulty slightly for the two Sanfords, so instead of waves, they had to fight ten random raced opponents with high leveled intelligence.

    Of all the members of MyrkLys, it was Gabby who had impressed Yennifer the most. As an average human, she showed a high level ofbat awareness and rivaled Cynrik in his clearing speed. Most impressive, though, was that she was still in the running for a Perfect Clear, something that only the Headmaster and one other being hadpleted on their first try without having a special Bloodline.

    ¡°Maybe I should increase her final floor to the same as the Legacy Charges.¡± Yennifer said as she watched Gabby move around like a little rabbit, hopping to and fro while firing off bolts and [Psychic Disks]. Her goal was to corral her opponents into a distinct grouping so she could eliminate them quickly.

    Looking away from the girl¡¯s monitor, Yennifer tilted her head and watched Benny struggling to survive against his ten opponents with a cocked eyebrow.

    ¡°He, on the other hand, does not do well in groupbat. He soars in the singles and double enemy fights, but the second more bodies are added to the equation, he gets slightly flustered and begins making mistakes. His final Floor will be different than the others. Unlike them, who will fight against hordes, young Benjamin requires aid in finding his style to gain some confidence in group battles.¡±

    With that said, Yennifer began drafting a customized scenario for Benny¡¯s Twenty-Second Floor.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 296

    Holding out his hand and flinging out a thin thread of Dark Mana, Cynrik retrieved his dagger, which he had thrown after hacking down an opponent with his shortsword, to finish off the final opponent on Wave: Four. Spinning the de around his left wrist and watching the timer for the next Wave pop up, Cynrik decided to check in on his brother.

    |You havepleted Wave Four; 30 seconds have been added to the break timer.|

    [Yo, what wave are you on?]

    Twitching at the sound of his older brother appearing in his head, Brance stabbed forward and skewered two centaurs through their nk, piercing their hearts and clearing Wave: three. Although all three of his enemies had been of simr races, half-human and half-horse, each one was a different color, each representing a different variation depending on the region they came from.

    |You havepleted Wave Three; 30 seconds have been added to the break timer.|

    [Cleared three, had Centaurs what about you?] Brance stated as he took a deep breath and calmly walked back over to his starting position.

    [I had some weird-ass monkey lizard things. Annoying little bastards who wouldn¡¯t stop yelling at me the whole fight. Did you notice that although they are all of the same genus, our opponents seem to be of simr races with minute differences?]

    [Yeah, I picked up on that. Each of the three Centaurs I just beat had a different Affinity and several different physical traits, but in the end, they were still horse people. I don¡¯t know how Yenni is categorizing them.]

    |Wave Four is now beginning. Spawning Four Creatures at Random.|

    |Wave Four Opponent, One Peak Tier-1 Begraz Demonoid, One Vir¡¯eth Demonoid, One Ollmarug Demonoid, and One Ogodoth Demonoid.|

    Watching the particle storm descend and break apart into four distinct clusters, Brance made a split-second decision and switched to his Tier-1.5 Katana. The weapon appeared on his left hip with a dull sh of particles.

    Crouching down and gripping the saya (scabbard) at the very end, right under the swords tsuba (guard), Brance reached over his body and curled the fingers of his right hand around the tsuka (hilt) lightly.

    Within seconds all four thin and intimidating Demons emerged from the particle storms, causing Brance to move into action. Activating [Haste], increasing his AGI, he began channeling a mixture of Wind and Light mana into the outer edge of the de, or the Shinogi (de ridge), which would allow him to get the most speed possible on his draw.

    Sliding his right foot forward, Brance locked onto the vitals of all four thin, multi-colored demons and observed their differences. The first one his eyes fell on was the Begraz since it finished spawning the quickest. Its pale red skin, tri-horns, and batlike wings drew a repulsive grimace from Brance as it resembled what a typical demon was in his mind.

    Next to the right of the Begraz was the pale green and severely emaciated Vir¡¯eth; unlike the red demon, this green one only had a single shaved-down keratin horn, that seemed to have either been cleanly sliced through or filed down for some purpose.

    Another key difference was theck of wings but the presence of a gangly tail with a spade appendage on the tip.

    On the opposite side of the Begraz was the Ollmarug, which was a poisonous shade of purple and had neither a tail or wings but instead a strange underbite that showed off rows upon rows of sharp jagged teeth.

    Another key feature was the peculiar upward hooked nose that had three nostrils on top of it instead of on the bottom; these holes each pointed at one of its three eyes.

    Lastly, to the right of the Ollmarug was an athletic yet skinny pitch-ck demon with yellow eyes, the Ogodoth. With wings like a Begraz, a tail like a Vir¡¯eth, and three eyes like an Ollmarug, the Ogodoth possessed all three demon¡¯s traits in one.

    But the one specific characteristic that contrasted with its fellow Demonoids was the prestigious and snooty bearing in the way it carried itself. One look at this midnight ck demon and Brance could sense its air of superiority and almost spat on the ground while saying ¡°royalty.¡±

    The first creature to spot Brance, who was positioned behind a pir, was the very same Royal Demon, the Ogodoth, who grinned evily, showing off its jagged teeth and clicked loudly, drawing the attention of the other three creatures, who instantly turned subservient.

    Bowing slightly in reverence to the Ogodoth, which went unnoticed by the creature, the other three looked in Brance¡¯s direction. They stepped forward, starting by striding in his direction before breaking into a furious sprint as they screeched wildly.

    Seeing this, Brance didn¡¯t panic but instead rushed forward, running while staying low to the ground. Tightening his grip on the katana as he continued pushing more Light and Wind Mana into the de, Brance¡¯s pupils constricted as he elerated.

    ¡°Jetlen Hiten Mitsurugi-ry¨±!¡± Saying the opening line, showing respect to the original Sword Style, and adding his ir to signify his modifying and forming his own unique variant, Brance flickered from sight for an instant as he began drawing his katana.

    As the Ogodoth sensed ill foreboding, its pupils constricted several meters away, forcing it to race in to stop what was about to happen. In addition to leaving it in apromised position, losing its threeckeys would be unfavorable.

    So acting on instinct and channeling strange tinum and ga-colored Mana particles around its body, the Royal Demon flickered forward, skipping several paces as it did so until it was only a few steps behind the other three demons.

    Seeing this, Brance smirked as it was already toote in his eyes. Ignoring the invasive and ominous sensation tickling his skin as he came closer to the pack of demons, Brance¡¯s steps subtly grew longer. With each step, he pumped his calves harder, straining the muscles yet increasing his running speed triggering an after-image effect behind him as he ran.

    ¡°Akeru Kuzu Ryu Sen!¡± Initiating his sword draw, time slowed to a snail¡¯s pace as Brance faced the first demon. Exhaling in time with his steps, Brance executed a high downward sh while angling his body and vertically shing back up, cleaving the Vir¡¯eth demon, the fastest of the four, cleanly in half as he switched to the next attack. This high downward cross diagonal sh sliced the Vir¡¯eth into fours instead of half, along with the Begraz, who was cut from shoulder to hip.

    Moving into the fourth strike while stepping through the Vir¡¯eth demon¡¯s remains and toward the dismembered Begraz, Brance swiftly shed with the same attack as his previous, only from the opposite shoulder.

    His attack blitzed through the Begraz, dicing it into more pieces, biting into the third demon, the decrepit Ollmarug, and swiping two more times, each one from across his body on opposite sides with horizontal shes, totaling six hits. The Ollmarug¡¯s eyes shot wide open as all three of its eyes looked in different directions, unable to dodge.

    At the same time, Brance stepped through the second creature and forwarded again while executing two more diagonal strikes from the left and right bottom corners of his vision.

    Feeling fear, the Royal Demon tried stepping back but could only watch as the illusion of nine different katanas bore down on him. In contrast, Brance brought the katana down to his belly and stabbed forward, piercing through the Ogodoth¡¯s chest and out his back, finishing his nine-strokebo.

    Brance didn¡¯t stop moving as he rammed his katana through the demon¡¯s body until the sword tsuba (guard) was halted by the creature¡¯s flesh. Using his shoulder, Brance rammed into the Ogodoth, tackling it off its feet and mming its body into a nearby pir, causing the katana to stab through the soft stone and sending spiderweb cracks from top to bottom.

    Staring at the human with dazed and unwilling to give up eyes, the Ogodoth wanted to fight back by extricating the de which had him pinned to the stone pir and tearing the young human limb from limb. Still, just as it began struggling, Brance pushed off the pir, removed his sword, spun his body, and executed another move.

    ¡°Ryukansen!¡± Brance said as he whipped his body in a full 360-degree circle, using his momentum and centrifugal force as the pivotal power for the sword swing and locked onto the back of his opponent¡¯s neck.

    FWOOSH

    A beatter, Brance finished his rotation,nded on one knee, and sheathed his katana just as the Ogodoth¡¯s head hit the ground and shattered into particles. Exhaling through his nose, Brance caught sight of the notifications and slowly rose to his feet before walking back to his starting position.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Vir¡¯eth Demonoid.|

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Begraz Demonoid.|

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Ollmarug Demonoid.|

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Ogodoth Demonoid.|

    |You have received 20 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received four 1000 Essence, XP Crystals.|

    |You have received 12 Merit Points.|

    |You havepleted Wave Four; 30 seconds have been added to the break timer.|

    Reaching the spot he started every Wave; Brance rolled out his right shoulder and kicked his legs several times to loosen them up since they were cramping after executing ten strikes in less than three seconds. A smile crept onto his lips as he changed his Loadout back to the one with his Greatsword. Feeling the weight of the heavy hunk of sharp metal, Brance unsheathed the de, rested it on his shoulder, and looked up at the countdown timer for a beat before pulling out a Stamina and Mana potion and chugging them down.

    With only a few strikes, he had drained a significant chunk of both resource stats and felt the need to replenish them quickly, or he would dip below 75 percent, which could potentially be fatal if left unchecked. With so many continuous Waves, it was imperative that he manipted his output correctly, or else he would very quickly end up in what Cynrik called ¡°The Danger Zone,¡± limiting his ability to continue fighting at an eptable pace.

    [Wave Fourplete, oh before I forget, have you ever seen a tinum and Ga colored Mana particle?] Brance asked as he watched the timer hit zero.

    |Wave Five is now beginning. Spawning Five Creatures at Random.|

    [I just wrapped up five and am moving on to six. As for that aura, no clue; what was using it?]

    [Demonoids. There was one that seemed overbearing, like a noble, and when he felt threatened, I saw him charge up some kind of Mana cloud around his body in that color.] Sighing in his heart, Brance lowered his sword from his shoulder and got back into a fighting stance as he witnessed the cloud of particles again.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 297

    [I just wrapped up five and am moving on to six. As for that aura, no clue; what was using it?] Cynrik stated as he double-checked his Iron shortsword for damage.

    [Demonoids. There was one that seemed overbearing, like a noble, and when he felt threatened, I saw him charge up some kind of Mana cloud around his body in that color.]

    Hearing about how this supposed ¡°noble¡± demon had a strange Affinity made Cynrik curious. Demons using an unknown tinum and Ga-colored Affinity could mean anything, but Cynrik already had a theory.

    [So it could be one of two things, the first, and most likely is something like Nether, which would make sense considering, as far as I know, Demons don¡¯t naturally ur in the wild; well, let me rephrase that sentence.]

    [Uh, they haven¡¯t spawned in the wild for thousands of years. The rumors and old stories basically say they were inhabitants of the WildLands.] Shrugging his shoulders and flipping the dagger around his left hand, Cynrik thought hard for a second before giving his second opinion.

    [The other thing it could be is a Fusion Affinity. I have no idea what the tinum is, but deep red usually represents something like Blood, and well, Demons in lore tend to be savage, bloodthirsty creatures. Yet, tinum could be any number of things, from some form of Metal or even an advanced form of Decay.] Reaching up and using his dagger to scratch the back of his head, Cynrik noticed the Timer hit zero, and the notifications for the next Wave popped up.

    Advancing Wave after Wave, Cynrik and Brance took the opportunity to hone their skills by using the weaker creatures as stepping stones. Whether unleashing harsh Affinity Skills such as Brance¡¯s [Swords Of Judgement] or Cynrik¡¯s way of incinerating everything insight with multiple Condensed [Fire Balls], the brothers had little to no trouble when dealing with their enemies until they both hit the final Wave.

    Looking around the room and noting how he had destroyed arge portion of the nearby pirs, Cynrik narrowed his eyes under the cover of his [Spectre Concealment] and observed the ten fierce Insectoid creatures across the room in their spawning location.

    At a nce, he could point out what appeared to be a giant Ant, a praying mantis; hell, there was even an enormous cockroach standing on two legs. However, putting their characteristics aside, Cynrik felt a bit of danger from these creatures.

    [Brance, do you see or feel something off about your opponents?] Cynrik asked as he slowly backed away and moved behind a half-shattered pir just barely tall enough to hide his entire body.

    Like his brother, Brance, too, had taken cover and observed his opponents, a group of ten different Half Dragonoid half Boar creatures. Each one had a different shade of scales or fur; some had wings, while others had sharp teeth protruding from their bottom jaw.

    Activating his [Mana Sight], Brance picked up on what Cynrik was talking about, and his eyes widened slightly in surprise. From the Mana signatures, he saw that these creatures weren¡¯t typical Peak Tier-1 beings. Each one of them had above-average Codexes; instead of a standard prism the size of a thumbnail that most Tier-1 beings had, theirs were all about the size of a normal human heart.

    Inspecting their Codex further, Brance shivered as he noticed the presence of not one but four different Mana Particle colors swirling around calmly within his opponent¡¯s Codexes.

    [Holy shit¡­Cyn¡­all of my opponents have Codexes twice the size of ours and four Affinities.] Brance said as he felt his heart rate speeding up progressively.

    Reaching up and gripping the hilt of his sheathed greatsword, positioned over his right shoulder, Brance couldn¡¯t help but feel tense.

    [Yeah, sigh, it¡¯s the same over here. Well, I guess the whole ¡°Creatures are naturally stronger after Tier-1 than a human in the same Tier¡± thing is true. If these guys are so strong at the Peak of Tier-1, it kind of gets me pumped up about the Second Obelisk.] Smirking while he circled the clustered Insectoids, Cynrik tried to find the optimal position tounch an attack.

    [Interesting, they have so much natural Mana stored in their Codex; how the hell is this possible. Even at Tier-2, ours aren¡¯t half the size, yet if we use these 20 creatures as a basis, we can assume that there is some kind of method within other races to grow rapidly.] Cynrik said as he drew his dagger from the small of his back and spun it in his fingers.

    [You¡¯re doing it again, Cyn.] Brance grumbled in annoyance.

    [Listen, this is essential shit, ok? The fact that we are just now finding out about this bothers me. We¡¯ve gone through three months of sses, and this is the first time we are hearing that Creatures have a rapid explosion of power during Peak Tier-1.]

    [If I use only our peers as an example, these creatures would be equivalent to Benny or Gabby and would easily obliterate someone under Mid-Tier-2. Don¡¯t you realize that these things could go toe to toe with us before our Tier-2 advancement? That is insane!] Unable to hide his excitement at the newfound knowledge, Cynrik fought the urge to creep closer.

    Cynrik was not about to push his luck by getting too close to his opponents and alerting them of his position, regardless of his stealth skill¡¯s rating, which stated it could hide him from any being under Tier-3.

    [How long do you n on fucking around and acting like a biologist? Because I am about to make my move and wipe them all out in one go. So what if they are a bit stronger than all our opponents so far. It doesn¡¯t matter to me because this is only the First Obelisk, and we have another floor to go through.] Wiping away his anxiety with words, Brance took a deep breath and began channeling Light Mana while pointing his hands above the group of creatures.

    ¡®One big attack, sigh; I¡¯m already sitting at 85 percent MP right now; I should be fine to burn 35 percent, even if it drops me down to the half tank marker.¡¯ Shooting a nce at his HUD, Brance watched as he quickly lost 3381 MP, charging a single skill, but even as he did, he didn¡¯t feel like it was a waste to do so. In any other circumstance, burning 3000 MP on an enemy weaker than himself would be excessive, but it would be devastating against ten creatures that weren¡¯t too far off from where he stood at their Tier.

    Focusing on his targeted location, Brance activated [Swords Of Judgement], hiding each of the swords behind individual pirs, so they were out of sight.

    He went one step further by instantly casting [Vanish] on each one. This way, until they were fully formed and ready to move, all ten of his swords could be utterly invisible to the ten unsuspecting weird dragon-boars.

    Meanwhile, Cynrik was still sneaking around and observing the differences between each Insectoid like an Entomologist (Scientist who studies insects), taking mental notes of each specimen¡¯s minute changes and characteristics. Once he jotted them down, he moved on to observing the Affinity colors swirling within their Codexes.

    The first thing he noticed was that the color of their carapace had a distinct connection to at least two of each creature¡¯s Affinities, which means that just like himself and Brance, who had colored strands of hair representing their own Affinities, these Insectoid¡¯s bodies reflected how advanced their individual mastery over their Elements was.

    Once he had gathered as much field data as possible, only then did Cynrik retreat back to the opposite end of the room and ready his own destructive AOE attack.

    ¡ª

    In her own Realm, Yennifer sat in a high-slitvender dress with her right leg crossed over her left and calmly watched the battles urring on each of the five monitors.

    Turning her eyes slowly, she went from Cynrik to Brance and shook her head. Watching the older brother run around like a child tapping away on his System, seemingly taking notes, nearly made her fall out of her chair.

    On the Semi-Final Floor, Yennifer attempted to create a challenging finale but was derailed by his tant disregard for his own safety. If they managed tond one hit on him, these opponents could pose a significant risk to him. Yet here Cynrik was, totally uncaring and unbothered by the ten SUV-sized insects.

    Moving away from Cynrik, Yennifer only nced at Brance before smiling at how he was taking things more seriously by going so far as toy a hidden trap that would allow him to clear the challenge instantly.

    While Brance and Cynrik were close to clearing the Twenty-First Floor, so were Gabby and Selene; both had made it to the final Wave and hadn¡¯t had much difficulty in the least; the only hup that urred was Gabby nearly bottomed out on MP at one point during Wave: Eight. However, she rapidly fired bolts while staying on the move until she could recover to an eptable point with potions.

    Done with checking in on four of the five members of MyrkLys, Yennifer shrunk down their screens and erged the one with Benny.

    Heaving a sigh after realizing Benny was struggling to keep up in a group battle against the ten opponents, Yennifer decided it was time to step in. With a wave of her hand, she forced Benny to appear several meters away from the creatures, a group of pig-faced burly orcs, and paused the scenario before teleporting into his realm.

    Benny was both confused and terrified that he had done something wrong and failed the challenge the instant he appeared on the opposite side of the room and quickly noticed that his opponents had frozen in ce as if powered off.

    Before he could react, the beautiful Yennifer suddenly appeared, floating a meter off the ground in a stunningvender dress sporting a plunging neckline that showed off her bountiful cleavage.

    |¡±Hello, First-Year Student Benjamin Sanford; I am Yennifer, the Obelisk Administrator. Before you panic, don¡¯t worry, all I have done is pause the challenge, and you haven¡¯t lost, nor will you be forced to exit the Obelisk.¡±|

    |¡±I am only here to offer a few words of advice as not only the AI in control of all the Obelisks but also as a superficial member of the VSFA Staff; in some context, you could even call me the Headmaster¡¯s Teacher to an extent.¡±|

    ¡°Um¡­hello, Teacher Yennifer, I am sorry you were forced toe here because of myck of ability and talent.¡± Still slightly confused, Benny quickly greeted the Hologram woman with a bow and some respectful yet self-deprecating words.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 298

    ¡°Um¡­hello, Teacher Yennifer, I am sorry you were forced toe here because of myck of ability and talent.¡± Still slightly confused, Benny quickly greeted the Hologram woman with a bow and some respectful yet self-deprecating words.

    |¡±Nonsense, your inability to pass the trial as quickly as the other members of your Faction has nothing to do withck of talent or even skill but more so due to how you handle multiple opponents simultaneously.¡±|

    Speaking with a pleasant tone topped off with a warm smile, Yennifer waved her hand and manifested four screens. On each screen, MyrkLys members fired off different Affinity skills and handled their opponents, which suited their individual fighting styles.

    Benny watched as Cynrik disappeared, soon after re-appearing beside his enemies before hacking them down like chickens. The scene changed a few times and showed how Cynrik would sparsely choose to incinerate those creatures in his path.

    Next was Brance, who, while wielding a Greatsword, would expertly mince his opponents so long as there weren¡¯t too many. The more creatures that appeared, the different his approach became as he would rely more on his Affinity skills or even a katana, something new to Benny.

    Benny was left in awe of Brance¡¯s ability to switch between his standard tank approach and being a menace to opponents with lightning-fast shes and stabs as he moved slightly slower than Cynrik.

    Drifting away from the brothers, Benny locked onto Selene, who, even though she seemed to be struggling, had a crazed smile spread across her lips as she blocked every attacking her way and countered with her spear. There were even times when the older girl would ssh in a few limited Dark Affinity skills to trick her opponents into a false sense of security.

    Sighing as he knew he should be fighting more like Selene than anyone else, Benny finally caught sight of his little sister, and his eyes widened in surprise. He had expected her to be fighting enemies on par with his own, yet she was efficiently working her way through the same Wave format in which the other three were participating.

    As Gabby moved around agilely like a small cat, he noticed how fluidly she swapped between using her Affinity Skills to break down the opponents¡¯ defense before killing them off with perfectly timed Crossbow Bolts.

    |¡±As I am sure you have noticed, Young Benjamin, each member of your Faction has their unique way of handling each challenge they confront. Never once have any of them faltered nor overthought their situation. Instead, they all continued moving forward and found a way to win in a manner that suited them.¡±|

    |¡±Although the time I have spent watching your fights is limited, you are not the first being I have seen struggle when ites to battling multiple opponents. The habits you have formed from training and watching what I can only assume are the two brother¡¯s battles over the years have left your growth stunted.¡±|

    |¡±With a single nce, I can tell how inexperienced you are outside of solobat. This is the reason I made some changes to your Twenty-First Floor Trial. Even if you are physically and technically more sound than the Tier-1 Opponents you have faced till now, and in theory shouldn¡¯t face any difficulty with them, you get flustered when things don¡¯t go ording to your ns.¡±|

    |¡±I believe that I have located this w early enough in your training experience that it can easily be corrected with a few simple words of guidance and the right tform. Thus, instead of moving up to the Advanced level of Floor Twenty-One, where you should be fighting more than 50 opponents like the other party members, I decided to allow you more time to adapt your style.¡±|

    |¡±In doing this, I am letting you have the opportunity to find your ws and correct them before it bes too deeply ingrained, causing you to suffer down the road.¡±|

    Looking down at his feet, Benny digested Yennifer¡¯s words and, deep down, knew everything she said and had done to this point was for the sole purpose of helping him catch up to the rest of his friends; that way, he wouldn¡¯t stay as the odd man out. Clenching his fists tightly, Benny turned his face up and met Yennifer¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°What do I need to do? Where do I start, Teacher Yennifer?¡± Benny responded with resolve, causing a smile to form on the AI¡¯s lips.

    |¡±That¡¯s the spirit, alright; first, let¡¯s talk about how often you under-utilize your Water Affinity. For the first few Floors, you were nearly perfect in how you executed your skills. The same way your sister and Selene spice up their fights with their Affinity skills, you can do the same. Unfortunately, when you are put into an unfavorable position, you begin overthinking and, as such, fall back into what I view as training attacks. You stop treating your opponents as something that can harm you and instead act as if they are simply training droids.¡±|

    |¡±You need always to remember that your control over the Water Element is one of the things that sets you aside from weaker beings. Water is one of the most Versatile Elements in nature, and as such, it can either be used to harm or heal. For example, you seem to rely too heavily on your shield for defense when it is clear to me that you wish to use it as an offensive weapon. You must find that sweet spot, the bnce between the two. So try using your Water more to support yourself defensively, which will free up your ability to fight with your shield in the way you wish.¡±|

    Nodding his head, Benny picked up the Tier-1.5 Iron Aspis from the ground near his feet and strapped it back onto his arm. Next, as Yennifer had just advised, Benny looked down at his arm, formed a thinyer of Water matching the exact size of his shield, and had it hover a few centimeters above his Aspis, creating a gap between the weapon and the Mana construct.

    |¡±Good, that¡¯s the way; now keep in mind, unlike your actual shield, this water construct will not be able to sustain as much damage as its physical counterpart. At your level of mastery, the best it could probably do is stop a few attacks from a Mid to Peak Tier-1 being. Still, practice makes perfect, so you should get used to the feel.¡±|

    Nodding her head in approval, Yennifer moved on to her next topic.

    |¡±After spending so much time with those two brothers, I am sure you have witnessed how they both like to toss their weapons for ranged attacks before using a thin strand of Mana to retrieve it. I saw you do this with your shield a few times in the early battles, but as more and more opponents appeared, you stopped doing it. Why is that?¡±|

    Allowing the Water construct to copse, Benny thought for a moment before answering.

    ¡°The primary reason is Mana consumption. Big Bro Ivar always told me that in a war of attrition, the side that manages its resources best is guaranteed to be the victor. So while creating tethers may not cost a lot of Mana, it will add up over time. That¡­and with more enemies around that needed my attention, I found it difficult to concentrate on using my Affinity Skills.¡± When Benny reached the part about losing focus, his cheeks turned pink in embarrassment.

    |¡±I know their identities, so drop the nicknames, young Benjamin, but yes, to an extent, Student Cynrik is correct, but at the same time, this falls back onto the topic of you overthinking in battle. It seems you are twisting his words to justify your actions, which is the incorrect line of thinking. Unlike Student Cynrik and Student Brance, who have powerful offensive skills, you do not at the moment. So you don¡¯t have to worry about Mana consumption until you acquire something that can cause devastation, such as Cynrik¡¯s miniature suns. Even your [Water Whips] draw very little MP, so you are absolutely fine in using them whenever you wish.¡±|

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Benny said, hanging his head again. The more time he spent in front of Yennifer, the more difficult it was to look up at the beautiful AI floating not far away. Being surrounded by beautiful girls was one thing, but the maturity of Yennifer and her bold outfit made him feel slightly ufortable, so he kept looking down instead of sneaking shameless peaks.

    |¡±As for handling multiple opponents, tell me something, how do Cynrik and Brance do it? In your eyes, what sets them apart and allows them to do what you can¡¯t?¡±|

    This time, Benny fell silent; his immediate response would be to say, they are them, and I am me. How can I possibly stack up to the two monsters who taught me everything I know about fighting?

    But after giving it some thought, the one thing that stood out to him was theck of experience he had whenpared to the brothers. No matter what situation they found themselves in, Cynrik and Brance could keep calm, grit their teeth, and slog it out to the very end, something Benny had never had to do alone.

    Anytime he found himself in a difficult predicament that he struggled to figure out, all he needed to do was listen to Cynrik, who could formte an operational n in seconds. If Benny found himself in the thick of things and was overwhelmed, Brance was right there to reduce the stress by taking part of it onto himself and saving him. Hell, even Selene had done the very same thing yesterday. When he had apse in judgment, she was right there to pull him back to reality and return the favor he had just done seconds before.

    With his answer locked in, Benny fought back his raging hormones and looked back up at Yennifer.

    ¡°I rely too heavily on my party, and it shows in my every move; because of how intelligent and ruthless Cynrik is, he can manipte the confrontations into the perfect setup, giving the rest of us the best opportunities for Victory. Brance is like the glue that holds us together and the firm wall that protects us in our time of need. Together, the two fill in any gaps Selene, Gabby, and I have. This has allowed me to be too reliant on their aid.¡±

    ¡°The same applies to fights where we have to handle multiple opponents. Cynrik constantly moves freely around the entire battlefield, using his stealth skills and maneuverability to dispatch any potential threats to the party before we be hindered by them.¡±

    Pausing for a second, Benny considered how to exin Brance¡¯s role in battle.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 299

    ¡°The same applies to fights where we have to handle multiple opponents. Cynrik constantly moves freely around the entire battlefield, using his stealth skills and maneuverability to dispatch any potential threats to the party before we be hindered by them.¡±

    Pausing for a second, Benny considered how to exin Brance¡¯s role in battle.

    ¡°In contrast, Brance reacts quickly and confronts everything in our path, giving us the confidence to continue no matter how tired we are because we know he will always be there when we need him to be.¡±

    Drawing his sword and turning his body to face the frozen creatures across the room, Benny tossed a thankful smile to Yennifer before speaking.

    ¡°Thank you, Teacher Yennifer, you have allowed me to see where I falter; it won¡¯t happen again. I admit I think a bit too much when fighting, and it¡¯s because the Jetlensr Brothers¡¯ have given me that gift. I panic when they aren¡¯t around, and I only have myself to rely on. I need to do what Big Bro Cyn always says and react, not think. I¡¯ve done it in the past, but only because it was the only way to win.

    ¡°I admit I have been taking this trial too lightly, so once again, thank you for showing me this.¡± Spinning his Estoc around, Benny brought it up and rested its de against the top of his shield while crouching down.

    Looking back at Yennifer one more time, Benny had a single request for her before she started the battle back up.

    ¡°Teacher, can you allow me to take the same trial as the others? I don¡¯t feel right having an easier path, and even though I cant earn a perfect clear anymore, I need thebat experience.¡±

    |¡± Very well, Student Benjamin, I shall do as you request. But be careful; there are many more opponents to fight against.¡±|

    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am!¡±

    Suddenly, Benny watched as the ten creatures vanished, and a single cloud of particles appeared in its ce along with a chain of notifications that popped up in his vision.

    |Wee to Floor Twenty-One. As a challenger who is above Tier-1, the difficulty for this Floor and the final one has increased dramatically.|

    |Originally, since the First Obelisk is meant to be a trial for new students who haven¡¯t achieved Second Tier, the challenge on this Floor was supposed to be a unified battle against 10 Peak Tier-1 opponents. However, an errata has been put in ce, and necessary adjustments have been made.|

    |Hensforth, the enemies on this Floor wille in waves, with the starting wave only having one randomly generated Creature and the 10th and final Wave having 10, for a total of 56 Peak Tier-1 opponents.|

    |The challenger will only be allowed a 30-second break between each Wave, and the Next Wave will immediately begin after the break is finished.|

    |Wave One is now beginning. Spawning One Creature at Random.|

    |Wave One Opponent, Peak Tier-1 ViperBite.|

    With that notification, Benny jumped into battle and began walking through all of his opponents in the early Waves until, like everyone else, he had reached Wave:10.

    ¡ª

    Back in her Realm, Yennifer pressed a few buttons on her Commandship style chair while carefully watching Benny¡¯s fights. Unknown to him, or even the other members of MyrkLys, she had been casually manipting time within the Obelisk so that Gabby, Selene, and Benny could keep up with how quickly Cynrik and Brance were clearing each challenge. From the beginning, the brothers were the only ones climbing each Floor at matching speeds, thus their ability to stay in contact with the Mind link.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost time; I wonder how that ruffian Geralt will react once he finds out these kids sted past his previous record, fufu.¡± Yennifer thought aloud as she remembered what seemed like yesterday when a young Tier-1 teenage boy with short white hair aggressively barreled through every challenge.

    Smiling lovingly as the memory surfaced in her mind, Yennifer began typing away on a virtual keyboard, sending a message to the once young ruffian who grew up into the Headmaster of VSFA. Once she finished, she moved on to slowing down the time differential between the separate realms for each member of MyrkLys, allowing her some extra time to make necessary changes to the final Floor, Floor Twenty-Two.

    ¡ª

    Outside the First Obelisk, in the Headmaster¡¯s office, Geralt rested with his head on his arms. It had been a highly stressful couple of days, starting with the meeting with Cynrik and then the subsequent breach in security. Thanks to those events, he had been swamped double and triple-checking the security teams and every staff member on file. Yet even after the deep dive, he had yet toe up with any moles.

    So after running on no sleep and stressing his mind to its full extent, Geralt had finallyid his head down for a short nap, but just as he did, his Watcet began vibrating as he received a message from Yennifer, the Obelisk AI.

    Groaning loudly and massaging his temples, Geralt sat up and opened the message.

    |¡±My dear Geralt, it¡¯s your Mother. I just wanted to let you know that the children you sent into the Obelisk, the members of MyrkLys, have broken the standard procedure by entering the First Obelisk at Tier-2, causing me to adjust the trials for Floors Twenty-One and Twenty-Two; heavily.¡±|

    The first message caused Geralt to stiffen and jump up from his seat in panic.

    ¡®Those knuckleheads jumped into the First Obelisk? I thought they wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to do it and would just enter from the Second; that was what Ivar had me convinced he was nning. By entering the First, he has upset the bnce! Wait, I should have predicted this; the greedy little runt is after benefits!¡¯

    shing out at the air on the opposite side of the desk, Geralt opened up a Spatial Crack and stepped through while reading the second message from Yennifer.

    |¡±Ragnarsson Brothers and Gabrie Sanford are on their way topleting the trials with perfect scores; however, Selene Nilsson and Benjamin Sanford have already been eliminated. All five are in the process of clearing the Advanced Challenge on Floor Twenty-One, the very same one I made for you back then. A, you were so cute back then, constantly asking your Mommy for help but look at you now. A grown man in his 50s who refuses toe to see his Mother, woe is me. ??o¡¤(? ??????????? )?o¡¤?¡±|

    Clicking his tongue as he walked up to the First Obelisk and entered unnoticed by the students, Geralt disappeared into a sh of particles before reassembling in the same room as the beautiful Yennifer, who was in the process of fake crying into her hands.

    |¡±Boo hoo, my only son hates his poor old Mother. He never visits and demands I continue this trial for his students. Boo hoo.¡±|

    Walking up beside Yennifer, heaving a tired sigh and rubbing her back tenderly, Geralt couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of regret. Even though she had been in this AI form his entire life, she was indeed his birth Mother, although the story wasplicated.

    ¡°Sorry, Mom, things have been hectic at the academy; it¡¯s taking too much of my time and consideration; I apologize for not showing up more often.¡± Offering a few words, Geralt continued trying to appease Yennifer, who was smiling under the delicate and dainty hands covering her face.

    |¡± *Sniffle* it¡¯s okay, honey; your dearest Mother knows you are busy, and even if she gets lonely sometimes, your father doese to keep mepany often.¡±|

    Reaching back and holding his hand before nting a kiss on the top, Yennifer beamed up at Geralt, and the image of him growing up shed through her mind momentarily. Smiling proudly at the man the boy had grown to be, Yennifer patted the back of his hand twice and turned to face the fiverge monitors in front of her chair.

    |¡±You sent me quite an interesting bunch this time. The two brothers are exceptionally gifted for their age. The older brother is quick-witted and strikes without hesitation, which is an excellent trait to have as an Assassin. His adaptability to any situation has him easily beating all the records and times you made so many years ago. I do wish, however, that he wasn¡¯t so damn reckless. He nearly killed himself virtually and in reality with a mishap due to an Affinity Gem that didn¡¯t settle well with his Codex.¡±|

    Flicking her wrist and moving Cynrik¡¯s screen to the side, Yennifer ignored her son¡¯s physical reaction to the news about Cynrik and moved to Brance.

    |¡±The younger brother is exceptional for different reasons. Although he struggled a bit early on, he was able to create a new and unique Affinity Skill, which is clever in its own right. Although not as quick to adapt as his Brother, Student Bj?rn has heart and worked his way through each Floor and the Wave Challenge methodically.¡±|

    Geralt nodded as he watched the scenes of Brance swapping weapons from his Greatsword to a katana before executing an absurd nine-hitbination.

    |¡±Student Benjamin struggled quite a bit, but after a little tutoring session, he is back on track. Initially, he was the only member of the group who was in the process of taking the standard Floor Twenty-One challenge; however, after speaking with him and rifying a few things, he requested to be given the same treatment as the rest of his Faction. Since then, he has been working his way through the Waves and is about to finish the final one.¡±|

    As he watched the footage of Garrison¡¯s apparent ¡°favorite¡± struggling before eventually finding his cadence, Geralt smirked before looking away and at Selene¡¯s Screen.

    |¡±Student Selene was in a different situation than the others. Since she had already entered previously and was unable topete for a Perfect Clear, she spent all of her time this attempt working on her new fighting style. It¡¯s clear that she was originally trained as an Assassin but has since earned a Unique ss; while I cant delve into its name, as you can see, it is a very different fighting style. Instead of working to clear the challenges quickly, she has been taking her time and using her opponents as a whetstone to flesh out her new techniques and abilities.¡±|

    |¡±And then there¡¯s Student Gabrie, who is easily the most impressive of the batch. Unlike the two brothers, she doesn¡¯t have any overly powerful offensive skills, yet it took minimal effort for her to storm through her foes. The way she switches between Psychic Affinity Skills and well-timed precise Crossbow shots is something I never expected to see from someone so young.¡±|

    Waving her hand and noticing that all five members had concluded Wave: 10, Yennifer brought up two event descriptions for her son to examine.

    |¡±Their performance has forced me into making one of these two choices for the Twenty-Second Floor, and since you are their Headmaster, I will leave it up to you which one we move forward with.¡±|

    Yennifer fell silent and watched Geralt¡¯s face change through various emotions, ranging from confusion to disbelief. Eventually, he heaved a sigh, One option was the same Wave formation he had toplete, where there would be Twenty waves, but it was the same pattern as the previous Floor. Then there was the second option, which would showcase just how good these kids were, so without further ado, he went ahead and motioned for his Mother to go with the newly drafted custom challenge.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 300

    CHAPTER 300 GUYSSS! It¡¯s been a long timeing. Let¡¯s get into the good shit! ~Author San.

    ¡ª

    Together, Geralt and Yennifer watched as all five of the members of MyrkLys raised their hands and pressed the notification indicating it was time to move to Floor Twenty-Two. In an instant, the individual screens merged from the five different equal-sized disys into two.

    ¡ª

    Opening his eyes after teleporting, Brance looked around, taking in his surroundings but was suddenly tackled to the ground with a loud ¡°HMPH.¡±

    ¡°HUBBY!¡± Gabby shouted as she nuzzled her face into his chest like a kitten.

    ¡°Eh? Gabby? What are you doing here?¡± Brance asked while chuckling lightly and rubbing her head.

    ¡°Looks like there¡¯s been a change in the form again.¡± Walking over and looking down at the affectionate couple on the ground, Cynrik snarkily spat while shaking his head.

    ¡°Big Bro, you¡¯re here too, tsk.¡± Hopping off Brance and helping him sit up, Gabby pouted. She had hoped it would only be her and Brance so that she could treat it like a date, as she had in the tower.

    ¡°Happy to see you too, dumb rabbit, now get up and get ready. Don¡¯t forget we are still in the middle of a trial. Dropping your guard even a second after the creatures begin spawning could spell out danger.¡± Turning his eyes and examining the room twice the size of the Twenty-First Floor, Cynrik took note of theyout.

    Like the previous Floor, this one was dotted with simr beveled pirs rising to the ceiling. Aside from being more expansive, the only difference was the color of the mes emitted by the wrought Iron torches. This time they were purple.

    ¡°Hey, Yenni, send those notifications our way already! The sooner we clear this final challenge, the sooner I can get my Incubators.¡± Cynrik shouted as he crossed his arms over his chest and ignored Gabby and Brance, who were in the process of helping each other back to their feet.

    As if on cue, several notifications flooded everyone¡¯s vision.

    |Wee to Floor Twenty-Two. As challengers who are above Tier-1, themon challenge no longer applies, and the difficulty for the final Floor has increased dramatically.|

    |Under consideration of both the Headmaster and the Obelisk AI Yennifer, a decision has been made to create a custom challenge for Students Ivar Ragnarsson, Bj?rn Ragnarsson, and Gabrie Sanford, who so far havepleted every Floor with a Perfect Clear.|

    |The Challenge this time is a group battle broken into two parts.|

    |For Part One, you will participate in an endurance battlesting precisely one hour. During this Endurance Battle, each time you kill one of the Virtual Creatures, two more will spawn one minuteter. There is no limit to how many Creatures can be generated, and each challenger MUST eliminate a minimum of 30 creatures.|

    |All opponents in Part One will be set to Early Tier-2, and three creatures will be spawned to start.|

    |If any team member(s) does not defeat the proper amount of Creatures within the allotted time, they will be removed from the Obelisk and will be considered to have failed the final Floor. They will forcefully vacate the right to increased rewards and the Perfect Clear Title and will be expelled from the First Obelisk|

    The pair of Brance and Gabby read through the description of part one and either scoffed or groaned in response to the notifications, with Cynrik being the odd man out as he smirked and reread the information on-screen while calcting the potential gains and timing necessary to secure victory.

    [Cyn, this is going to be a pain in the ass. The Hydra effect is never easy to handle, and that¡¯s only with heads. Kill one and two more spawn; that means we will flood this room too fast to keep up with our actual kill counters; how are we supposed to handle that?] Brance asked as he attempted to run the numbers in his head but came up with question marks instead.

    [In theory, the Hydra effect should keep multiplying to infinity. This means that after ten kills, if you continuously kept ying everything that spawned, there would be about 1000 bodies in the room, making it so that no one could move if they kept killing one after another.]

    [THAT is where the w in your logic shows up, Brancie. Not only is there a one-minute cooldown on the spawns, but that applies if you are only starting off with one hydra head.]

    [The apparent w is shown immediately by starting us off with one enemy each. Killing the first creature spawns two; once we kill those two, four will show up a minuteter. Following that train, kill those four; eight show up, then 16, then 32. I could continue, but it is entirely unnecessary. Because one plus two, plus four, plus eight, plus sixteen is thirty-one.] Uncrossing his arms and pacing around a small area, Cynrik ran the numbers multiple times to break down how many kills per minute they would need and how quickly they had to kill them off before getting flooded.

    Standing nearby, Gabby anxiously looked between the brothers and the notifications on the screen. No matter how she looked at it, within that hour¡¯s time frame, the room would be swarmed entirely with enemies as strong as her. Feeling her heart palpitate, Gabby grabbed Brance¡¯s hand forfort.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Gabby, Big Brother, will figure it out. See look,¡± Leaning over and whispering with a smile on his face to calm her down, Brance paused and pointed at Cynrik.

    ¡°He¡¯s already pacing; you know what that means.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s working through somethingplicated, and we should blindly trust him because he will lead us through this challenge.¡± Nodding in recognition, Gabby replied.

    ¡°Haha, I wouldn¡¯t go THAT far, but he is running through all the different scenarios. He already figured out something, and that was when the pacing started.

    Chewing on his cheek with his eyes flickering back and forth under closed eyelids, Cynrik envisioned strings of different mathematical forms. However, they all came up short of the one-hour marker after some time.

    The goal was to kill the correct number of virtual creatures in the right time frame so they don¡¯t get swarmed. ounting for the limited maneuverable space due to the stone pirs every four meters, Cynrik was in a bind.

    Unfortunately, as if Yennifer was against him, the AI triggered the Event start notification before he coulde up with a solid idea. Looking up, Cynrik saw the storm of particles moving. First, it moved and took the shape of a giant arena jumbotron, with 00:00 disyed in bright purple numbers. As soon as the object solidified, the numbers climbed until 60:00 was shown on the screen.

    |The One Hour Timer has been set, and a digital disy clock has been positioned in the direct center of the room, hanging from the ceiling.|

    |The Floor Twenty-Two Challenge begins in 30 seconds. The Race for the opponents has been chosen.|

    ¡°Tsk, fuck, form up, guys.¡± Clicking his tongue and exhaling a sharp breath, Cynrik shook his head angrily and chewed his bottom lip until he tasted copper. Gabby and Benny came running over at his words and pulled out their weapons, preparing for battle.

    ¡°Objective one is to drain down the clock. Once we kill a creature, the spawn timer begins, and we will have one minute until two new ones are generated. By running down the clock, we are taking a risk, but it really is the best option I cane up with on short notice.¡±

    ¡°So long as yound the finishing blow, it should register as a kill for you, so for the first 20-30 minutes, we will test the durability of whatever creatures spawn and take things from there.¡± Moving his eyes to meet Brance, Cynrik dished out the roles for the mission. However, since the first notification they received stated that the Headmaster had a hand in this challenge, he chose to use nicknames instead of calling his brother by his real name.

    ¡°Bj?rn, you have two jobs: don¡¯t get hit and manipte the terrain. Since I will be using the kiting method, I will need to keep their aggro, so I will start by peppering them with weak fireballs until I pull their aggro and go on the move. I want you to keep your distance but raise barricades behind us so we can box them in quickly.¡±

    ¡°Copy,¡± nodding his head, Brance resheathed his Greatsword and swapped to the katana since it was the lighter of the two weapons and wouldn¡¯t hinder his speed.

    Next, Cynrik looked at Gabby, who was visibly nervous, and offered her a reassuring smile.

    ¡°Gabby, you¡¯ll have to keep on my tail, but stay a few meters behind and run alongside me. Once I have the aggro, I want you doing chip damage, whittling down their HP slowly. Brance and I will monitor how much they have left and stop you when they get close to dying. Remember, these are Early Tier-2 creatures, which means they will be WAY tankier than any of us. So you won¡¯t have to hold back much.¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡± Gabby said as she loaded a bolt into her crossbow and propped it against her shoulder.

    |Now spawning the Three Starting opponents, Early Tier-2 RaptorBasilisks.|

    ¡°What the fuck is a RaptorBasilisk?¡± Brance asked while shooting a confused nce at Cynrik, who appeared equally confused.

    ¡°SCREEEE Twhallal!¡±

    ¡°Raaaaeeh!¡±

    ¡°Fuughhh, Twhalal!¡±

    Instead of receiving an answer, three different dinosaur noises came from the center of the room, where the team spotted three massive, serpent-like velociraptors. Looking like a cross between a snake, dragon, and feathered dinosaur, the huge navy blue-skinned and feathered creatures sniffed the air several times before whipping their heads in the direction of Cynrik, Brance, and Gabby.

    ¡°Oh¡­fuck¡­they look kinda cool.¡± Cynrik couldn¡¯t stop the words from spilling out of his mouth, earning him a re from Brance.

    ¡°Reeesss, raunkk raunkk!¡± The middle RaptorBasilisk chirped at the other two, who instantly went on the move, peeling off and heading to the group¡¯s nks. At the same time, the one who made the noise opened its long-snouted mouth wide, revealing two half-meter-long fangs in its top jaw, while rows of thin sharp teeth coated its bottom and stalked forward as if on the hunt.

    ¡°Whew, ok, battle time,¡± Cynrik cockily said, smirking as he drew his longsword off his hip and the dagger from behind his back.

    ¡°Stick to the n, Bj?rn; keep those walls high; they will need to reach the ceiling; just take a look at those glorious calves, thighs, and those front ws; it¡¯s just like the Velociraptor, man I wish I could study them. They look like snakey dinosaurs; how majestic.¡± Cynrik said with sparkling eyes.

    ¡°IVAR! KNOCK OFF THE PALEONTOLOGIST BULLSHIT AND GET YOUR HEAD IN THE FIGHT!¡± Brance roared as he began channeling Terra and Light Mana into his palms.

    ¡°Tsk, I know, bah, such a killjoy. Alright, Gabby, time to move! HOBEY HO, LET¡¯S GO!¡± Kicking off the ground, Cynrik darted to the left, with Gabby hot on his tail.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 301

    While Geralt was heavily invested in the monitor with the three students still in the running for a Perfect Clear, Yennifer turned her attention towards the monitor with Benny and Selene. They had just spawned together and were standing silently while staring at each other in confusion.

    ¡ª

    ¡°Um, why are you here?¡± Selene asked as she tilted her head to the side and nted her tower shield on the ground.

    ¡°I could ask you the same thing. Hm, this room is bigger.¡± Unconcerned by the appearance of his teammate, Benny nced around the room and took in his surroundings.

    ¡°About twice as big, plus there are more pirs. Hey, hey, look, Benny, look, the fire is purple, think that¡¯s important?¡± Pouting because Benny was ignoring her, Selene tried adding to the conversation by pointing animatedly at the torches on a nearby pir, only to receive a curt nod in response, making her puff her cheeks harder.

    ¡°Calm down, this is the final Floor, and for some reason, we¡¯re together instead of with the others.¡± Noticing theck of Gabby, Cynrik, and Brance, Benny¡¯s mind spun until he realized that the two of them were the only ones who didn¡¯tplete a Perfect clear.

    ¡°Ah, yeah, where is my hubby. I haven¡¯t been able to talk to him since we entered.¡± Biting on her bottom lip, Selene tried countless times to reach out to either Cynrik or Brance in the mind link but received the same static feedback as she had many times before.

    Due to Yennifer¡¯s enacting a time differential on the separate realms, Selene and the brothers were unaware that Selene had been removed from the range of the mind link. Therefore, she could not use it to contact them. In contrast, because Cynrik and Brance¡¯s realms had previously been parallel to each other and were in the same time ratio, it still worked for them.

    ¡°Hm, Teacher Yennifer, we are ready to begin. Could you please start up the event?¡± Looking toward the storm of particles floating near the 40-meter-high ceiling, Benny bowed respectfully and asked.

    ¡°Teacher? Huh, it seems I missed something pretty important. Oi, Benny, why are you calling the AI ¡°teacher¡± now?¡± Selene began pestering Benny by lightly pping him on the shoulder, but several notification windows lit up in her eyes instead of receiving an answer from the boy.

    |Wee to Floor Twenty-Two, The Final Floor of the First Obelisk. As challengers who are above Tier-1, themon challenge no longer applies, and the difficulty for the final Floor has increased to reflect your Strengths.|

    |Under consideration of both the Headmaster and the Obelisk AI Yennifer, a decision has been made to create a custom challenge for Students Benjamin Sanford and Selene Nilsson.|

    |The Challenge this time is a Duo Endurance Battle.|

    |You will participate in an endurance battlesting precisely 6 hours. During this Endurance Battle, a point will be added to the counter hanging in the center of the room each time you kill one of the Virtual Creatures. The enemies wille in waves of either 10, 20, or 30 at a time, and each new wave will begin within 5 minutes of the total number of creatures falling to 40% of the Initial headcount. There is no limit to how many Virtual Creatures can be generated. Each challenger MUST eliminate a minimum of 150 to advance to the Victory Floor, where you will have your awards distributed forpleting the Obelisk.|

    |If an entire wave is cleared before the next spawn has begun, it will instantly be triggered without pause, and the respawn timer will drop progressively, reflecting the time difference between the wave clear and spawn.|

    |All Waves will have opponents at Peak Tier-1, with a select number at Early Tier-2. There will be 1 Tier-2 in the ten enemy waves, 2 Tier-2s in the 20 enemy waves, and 3 Tier-2s in the 30 enemy waves.|

    |Five Virtual creatures will be generated to start.|

    |If any team member(s) does not defeat the proper amount of Creatures within the allotted time or their HP falls to Zero, both challengers will be removed from the Obelisk and will be considered to have failed the final Floor. |

    |Special Rewards Drops will be avable at the following Point check marks, 25, 50, 75, 100, 250, 500, and 1000. The rewards will spawn in your Obelisk Inventory and will be readily avable.|

    |The 6 Hour Timer has been set on a digital disy clock positioned in the direct center of the room, hanging from the ceiling.|

    |The Score Board Counter has been ced to the left of the timer.|

    |You will be given three minutes to prepare, and the Obelisk Marketce will temporarily open for both Challengers to purchase anyst-minute supplies.|

    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Scanning through the notification contents, Benny cursed and immediately pulled up his Obelisk Inventory to check his supplies.

    ¡°Damn it, what kind of trial is this? It¡¯s a straight-up massacre marathon!¡± Tossing her shield and spear into her inventory, Selene opened the Marketce and began buying Stamina, Health, and Mana potions.

    ¡°Benny, how are you looking on potions?¡± Selene asked as she wrapped up buying some and checking through shields and swords for extra weapons.

    ¡°I picked up some before thest Floor, but if we have a quarter-day challenge, I need some more. I rmend burning whatever OKP you have on potions. There is no telling what these Random Rewards are, but I have a hunch, due to how it¡¯s worded, that it will be some kind of weapon or something usable inbat.¡±

    ¡°We should clear out what little points we have on Stam and Mana pots, especially you, since you have your Healing Skill. I will need a couple of Health pots, however.¡± Swiping away from his inventory, Benny opened the Marketce and began burning all of his points on the three potion types, ignoring any of the effect potions like the fire or ice ones Cynrik had looked at previously.

    ¡°Got it, I was going to look for backup weapons, but worse case, we both have life-saving skills and can stay on the move, so potions are a better option.¡± Selene nodded as she spoke and spent all her points grabbing as many potions as possible, but when she finished and looked at her total, she couldn¡¯t help but feel it wasn¡¯t enough.

    ¡°Benny, are you sure we can handle fighting for 6 hours with less than 10 of every potion type? Like, what is our strategy here?¡± She asked with a hesitant expression.

    Her eyes widened slightly as she observed the boy using his Estoc to scratch into the soft stone surface of one of the pirs and carve out a series of numbers.

    Walking up beside him and examining the forms, Selene couldn¡¯t help but smile as she noticed a simr expression on Benny¡¯s face to the one Cynrik had when he was working through aplex form or n. Knowing he was busy nning something and not wanting to interrupt, Selene spent the next couple of minutes double-checking her equipment.

    Between her previous climb and this current one, she had obtained a set of lightweight, Tier-1.5 Iron scalemail armor, arge Tier-1.5 Rounded lightweight yet durable oval shield that, if appropriately held, covered her entire arm from shoulder to beyond her hand. Even though it was significantly smaller than Brance¡¯s, it offered just as much defense as his former CS-Tears.

    Selene scanned through the four spears andpared their durability before selecting the strongest one and adding it to her loadout along with the shield and scalemail.

    Nodding contently, Selene swapped to that loadout and was suddenly armed to the teeth and ready for battle. Looking over the form-fitting armor, Selene smirked and wished Cynrik could see her since she knew it would unlock some hidden fetishes he had yet to experience and felt rueful that she couldn¡¯t use her Watcet to snap a picture.

    When the virtual avatars were generated, one item was missing from their wrists: the Watcet. Since it would be useless anyway, nobody could use one within the Obelisk.

    |The Floor Twenty-Two Challenge begins in one minute. The Race for the opponents has been chosen.|

    |All opponents will be of the same Race but from different regional areas of Vinestra. There will be a wide variety of different cultures, Affinity users, and sses on showcase, and they will be randomly chosen.|

    The notification roused Benny from his math. As he exhaled loudly, he switched to his loadout, one with his Aspis, holster, and a long sheath for his Estoc underneath on his back, as well as lightweight but flexible Iron armor simr to Selene¡¯s.

    ¡°Selene,e here, please,¡± Benny said in a clear tone as he walked around the side of the pir and found an open space to write.

    Briskly jogging over, Selene kept quiet and waited for the n the younger boy had spent most of the break working on.

    ¡°Alright, we have to survive for a total of 6 hours, with a revolving door of enemies. We have three main points that need to be constantly adjusted and micro-managed if we want toe out victorious. The first is our Resource stats. With only a limited amount of potions, I have set a hard cap, meaning we shouldn¡¯t allow our HP, MP, or STAM to fall below 70% at any time except the final sprint st few minutes).¡±

    ¡°The potions all have a static 15% recovery, and so long as we can get back up to 85% and our skills aren¡¯t on cooldown, we should be able to activate them when the need arises.¡±

    ¡°The second point is our Skills. Do not waste them. Each of our trump cards carries a heavy cooldown and cost; using them at the wrong time will leave us vulnerable and in a position where we will be forced to blow through our potions too quickly.¡±

    As he spoke about the first two points, Benny carved a basic map of the 100x100x40 meter room, and once he finished, he put an X on the spot they first spawned and a circle in the approximate center of the room. One thing he noticed was that no matter what Floor he was on, the Virtual creatures always spawned directly in the center, so he built the n around that information using that as a basis.

    ¡°The final point is the creatures themselves. We have no way of knowing what we are facing until the notificationes through, but their size will determine which of the two ns I¡¯vee up with we will use.¡± Next, Benny walked around to another open space on the same pir.

    ¡°n A: will only be used if they are creatures bigger than us by a significant margin, like Nagas, Ogres, Orcs, or hell, even dragons. If they are too big, we must be explicitly careful about how many we allow in the room at any given time. I don¡¯t expect it to take very long for us to kill them, but with multiple enemies, things can get out of hand quickly. As such, we will resort to hit-and-run tactics andying traps by destroying pirs for obstacles.¡±

    ¡°Ok. Got it, and n B? Hehe.¡± Selene giggled as she thought of a dirty joke, but Benny ignored it.

    ¡°Well, n B only gets used if we face humanoid creatures that are the same size or smaller than us. At that point, we go crazy but keep alive enough to manipte the timer. Remember we have six hours. That is a long time to fight, so our opponents will still be fresh, although we continuously get tired.¡±

    |Now spawning the Five Starting opponents, Chosen Race: Demonoid.|

    ¡°Welp looks like it¡¯s n B, Afterall.¡± Selene smiled and drew her weapons before smashing the pir with all of Benny¡¯s work written on it so that the enemy couldn¡¯t see their ns.

    |The timer will now begin counting down; you have 6 Hours. Good luck, Challengers.|

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 302

    ¡°Stick to the n, Bj?rn; keep those walls high; they will need to reach the ceiling; just take a look at those glorious calves, thighs, and those front ws; it¡¯s just like the Velociraptor, man I wish I could study them. They look like snakey dinosaurs; how majestic.¡± Cynrik said with sparkling eyes.

    ¡°IVAR! KNOCK OFF THE PALEONTOLOGIST BULLSHIT AND GET YOUR HEAD IN THE FIGHT!¡± Brance roared as he began channeling Terra and Light Mana into his palms.

    ¡°Tsk, I know, bah, such a killjoy. Alright, Gabby, time to move! HOBEY HO, LET¡¯S GO!¡± Kicking off the ground, Cynrik darted to the left, with Gabby hot on his tail.

    The instant Cynrik and Gabby darted off, all three heads of the RaptorBasilisk¡¯s snapped towards the two moving targets as they adjusted their course and made haste in running them down.

    Smirking as the dumb lizards were following the n perfectly, Cynrik jumped into the air, bounced off a pir, flew over the nearest, and fired off a small ball of fire, smacking it right in the nose and triggering his HUD to update with its Resource Stats.

    ¡°Boop.¡± Cynrik taunted as he flipped, hit the ground, rolled, and bounced back to his feet to continue his run.

    ¡®Tobs, give me the damage numbers as notifications each time I hit them until I say otherwise.¡¯

    -You have dealt 100 damage to your opponent.-

    [Was the boop necessary, Cyn?] Brance asked as he rolled his eyes and took off in the opposite direction of the room to beginying his traps.

    [One hundred percent. Did you not see how I bopped his nose with fire? That was clearly a BOOP moment.] ncing over his shoulder and spotting Gabby running not far to his left, Cynrik cut a sharp angle, whizzing past some pirs and locked onto the other two RaptorBasilisks. Extending his right arm, Cynrik channeled twopressed [Fireballs], splitting them between his middle and index fingers, and shot them into the faces of the other two creatures.

    -You have dealt 500 damage to your opponent.-

    -You have dealt 500 damage to your opponent.-

    ¡°And double boop, TRIPLE BOOP SUCCESS! HAHA!¡±

    ¡°Twhallal!¡±

    ¡°Raunkk raunkk!¡±

    Shaking their heads angrily, the two other RaptorBasilisks yelled angrily and lowered their bodies before picking up speed and gaining ground on Cynrik.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget we are still in the middle of a trial. Dropping your guard even a second after the creatures begin spawning could spell out danger.¡± He says, and then turns around only to FUCKING PLAY AROUND!¡± Brance grumbled under his breath before reprimanding his brother.

    [CYNRIK, HEAD IN THE GAME!]

    [It is, tsk, I am perfectlyposed and focused. You should pay more attention to how you n toy those walls instead of my antics. I¡¯m the one who has to deal with these fast chicken fucks.] Shaking his head due to his brother¡¯sck of humor, Cynrik made a series of hand signs at Gabby, informing her of the damage the two creatures had sustained and tossed another nce over his shoulder to see what their HUD bars looked like.

    Thankfully, because he was the same Tier as them, he could see they each had 22,000 hp to start with, which meant all three were exact copies of each other, physically at least. The fact that one clearly took charge of the group from the start meant they either had different stats overall but shared the same VIT or had separate AI software.

    Either one was fine in Cynrik¡¯s book, but at the end of the day, he preferred that his opponents had simr mental capacities.

    [Brancie, they are rocking 22k HP, the first attack was just a standard weak [Fireball], which hit it for 100 damage, while I used a low-poweredpressed one for the other two for 500 damage each.] Cynrik quickly informed his brother, who looked over for half a second in their direction.

    [Gabby¡¯s crossbow damage output depends on the Bolt, the Crossbow, and her DEX. If she shoots now, the aggro will be drawn to her since she can¡¯t make her attacks weaker, only stronger by applying Mana.] Brance stated while watching his girlfriend weave between the pirs.

    [Right and Wrong, she can technically slow down her shots with Mana, making them more ineffective and throwing off their bnce and uracy. But in the end, you are pretty much right. I estimate that her bolt value is somewhere between 1k and 2k due to the creature¡¯s thick, scaly hide.] Cynrik said as he motioned for Gabby to take her shots while preparing to pull the aggro away.

    Charging a ck fireball into his left palm, Cynrik managed how much Mana he put into it, formed a baseball-sized spherical me, and waited.

    Meanwhile, Gabby, who had already readied her crossbow, extended her right arm and aimed at the lead dino. Lightly pressing the trigger, the mechanism holding the string released and mmed into the butt of the bolt. Then with a soft Fwoosh, the bolt left the crossbow and whistled quietly until it mmed into the side of the lead creature with enough impact to force it off course, making it m headfirst into a pir with a loud BOOM!

    ¡°SSREEEEEAH!¡± It cried in pain as it crashed through the soft stone pir and into the ground. Noticing their downedpanion, the other two creatures only snorted and picked up their pace after Cynrik, leaving the injured creature to get up and shake off the pain before shooting a bloodshot re at Gabby.

    However, just as it got back to its feet and was prepping to chase after Gabby, a small ck orb mmed into its open mouth just when it was about to let out another roar. Blood, smoke, and thin ck mes spewing from its mouth, the wounded creature wed at its face, attempting to douse the ck mes from spreading from its jaws down its neck and to its feathers.

    -You have dealt 3500 damage to your opponent.-

    Clutching his hand and cutting off the flow of Mana to the mes, so they didn¡¯t spread and cause unnecessary damage to the creature, Cynrik smirked and took note of how Gabby¡¯s bolt had dealt 1472 points of damage.

    [Mypressed [ckFire] ball dished out 3500 points at only 15% power, while Gabby¡¯s bolt did 1472 damage. Dino-A is at 16,928 HP currently.] Whipping around and tossing two morepressed [ckFire] balls and assaulting the other two dinos, Cynrik updated Brance on the current damage ratios.

    -You have dealt 3500 damage to your opponent.-

    -You have dealt 3500 damage to your opponent.-

    [Three for three, I¡¯ve confirmed that all three creatures have the exact same VIT stat, my sts did static damage to them, and I hit them all in the face.] Cynrik said as he extinguished the mes and continued running toward the far wall.

    [Copy, I just finishedying the initial setup for enough walls to connect five pirs.] Brance didn¡¯t stay idle as Cynrik and Gabby kept on the move. Moving from one pir to the next, he traced the path between several of them, linking a single thread of Mana on the ground, allowing him to summon forth a wall of pure stone connecting the pirs at his leisure.

    After deciding that his corner would be the trapping one, Brance had set to workying the formation of a solid cage that could restrain the three creatures long enough to run down the clock.

    [Copy, moving on to the strength tests.] Cynrik said as he reached the far wall and sharply turned, putting it on his left side. Looking ahead, he noticed that Gabby had adjusted to his course and was now in front of him by over a dozen meters since she had reached the wall first.

    ¡°Raunkk raunkk, raunkk!¡± The dino in charge grumbled as it watched its prey cut off instead of running into the wall. Its shouts were enough to alert the other two about the change in direction early enough that they didn¡¯t blindly m into the wall like idiots, especially the most injured one who was one step away from blind rage after getting its ass kicked.

    Moving gracefully, all three RaptorBasilisks made the turn, following after Cynrik while he motioned for Gabby to begin the strength test.

    Nodding in understanding, the girl holstered her crossbow, pped her hands together, and erected a [Psychic Disk] directly in front of the foremost dino startling it into attacking by headbutting, shattering the construct instantly.

    Seeing how easily it shattered the construct, Cynrik¡¯s eyes narrowed as he ran the calctions in his head.

    [Ok, so we may have a slight problem. The strength test isplete, and the results aren¡¯t in our favor.] Cynrik nced over at Brance, who stopped doing what he was doing to look up at Cynrik.

    [I signed for Gabby to make a disk with the exact same consistency as the pirs, and that thing just lowered its head like a battering ram and broke through it with ease. Once they reach full speed, which took them approximately eight to ten meters, their power is sufficient to shatter non-reinforced stone, potentially even steel.]

    Clicking his tongue in response, Brance gazed at the stone pirs thoughtfully for a moment before cing his palm on the nearest one and closing his eyes. Using his connection to his Terra Affinity, Brance quickly noticed how loosely packed the particles were, giving the stone its soft consistency.

    [Yeah, figures, we just thought these pirs were hard stone, so we factored them into our n, but I can tell you now, even a light punch from Gabby, who has the weakest STR stat in the party, could probably shatter them.] Brance said a moment after opening his eyes.

    [Seems about right, I knew they were weak, but I figured we could still use them. How much Mana will you have to burn to reinforce enough for the enclosure? SHIT!] Just as Cynrik asked the question, his [Danger Sense] triggered, and he lept to the side right as apressed st of air flew by, obliterating a handful of pirs in the process.

    Unsheathing his dagger from his back, Cynrik stabbed it into one of the pirs and used it to swing around in an arc and distribute his momentum so that he could continue running unhindered.

    [Welp, at least one has a Wind Affinity, nasty little buggers.] Smirking as he regained his lead on the creatures, Cynrik continued where he left off.

    [I need you to figure out how much Mana you will burn, if it¡¯s too much, make the box smaller. We have only wasted three minutes, and there are still 27 left until we can start killing. Regardless we need to get that box finished and strong enough to contain them, or else we will have to deal with the rampage thates after trapping a wild beast.]

    [I¡¯m on it; give me thirty seconds.] Brance responded as he closed his eyes and focused on the pir his hand was resting on.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 303

    With his outstretched palm resting on the stone pir, Brance concentrated on the particles the object was made from and began adding small amounts of his own Mana into the structure.

    At first, there was no reaction at all. Still, after a few more short bursts where Brance released his own Terra Particles, the loosely packed particles began shifting slightly and opening up small pockets big enough for Brance¡¯s significantly smaller particles to fill into ce like a puzzle.

    Breathing out slowly and opening his eyes, he activated [Mana Sight] and took notice of the small patch about the size of his hand that was an off-color of the deep brown particles.

    [The ratio is scuffed¡­it takes approximately five to one of my particles to fill in the small gaps and reinforce the pirs. At this rate, I will burn at least 12% of my Mana per pir.] Brance said after some consideration.

    [Tsk, that only gives you eightplete reinforcements per tank. I only have six Mana potions. With the Obelisk pot only restoring 15% of our MP per use, even if we evenly split all our pots and gave them to you, we are running the risk of you still being low.] Rubbing his temples and dodging another Wind st, Cynrik lept into the air, spun around, and returned fire with another three condensed [ckFire] spheres, all of which hit the creatures in different spots on their bodies.

    -You have dealt 3500 damage to your opponent.-

    The first attacknded smack in the leader¡¯s face, causing it to slow down and reel back in pain.

    -You have dealt 2700 damage to your opponent.-

    The second collided with the weakest RaptorBasilisk¡¯s shoulder, making it run off course and into the wall while screeching the entire time.

    The final sphere, however, flew under the shoulder of the creature in the middle of the pack and hit it right between its armpit and chest, precisely as it was mid-breath.

    -You havended a critical blow and dealt 6125 damage to your opponent.-

    -Due to the injury the opponent has suffered, it has gained the status effect (Bleed) and will lose one percent of its HP per second until there is either a blood shortage or the wound is fixed.-

    ¡°SHIT!¡± That was all Cynrik could say as he watched the scene unfold with a frown.

    The creature¡¯s reaction was horrifying to see as its arm exploded in a ssh of mes and gore. Its right armpletely disintegrated into a mist and sprayed greenish blood in every direction; the pain must have been excruciating because once Dino-3¡¯s brain registered its injury, the poor thing began iling about insanely. Whipping its tail in every direction and mming into itspanions, Dino-3 broke away and crashed head first into the wall before rolling around on the ground.

    BOOOM

    Hearing the loud noise, Brance looked around the pir he was examining only to see the mist of green blood floating in the air, followed by one of the RaptorBasilisk¡¯s thrashings about on the ground in pain.

    [Son of a bitch Cynrik, what happened to ¡°keep them alive¡±!] Brance growled as he channeled the Terra Mana into his palm, forcing it into the pir. By the time he thoroughly reinforced it, the stone construction was ten times more durable than when it began.

    [Don¡¯t look at me; that was all pure fucking luck! I hit a crit, and instead of only dishing out the original 3500, I nailed the bastard in a weak point for 6125 points.] Cynrik¡¯s eyes narrowed as he controlled the ck mes from spreading too far and ordered them to cauterize the wound to stop the bleeding.

    By the time the injury stopped bleeding, the creature had lost another 2381 HP, to which Cynrik could only shake his head and sigh.

    [The first pir is done, and I was right about the Mana cost. The problem is, in doing the reinforcement, I just wasted 1574 MP. That¡¯s a massive chunk, and I have to keep doing that same amount for each pir. As you said, I will only be able to strengthen eight, so seven more.] Gritting his teeth and ignoring the state of the downed creature, Brance moved to another pir and started working on it.

    [Status update, Dino-1, the one Gabby shot is chilling at a little over 14k, the one who was in the lead, which I have dubbed Dino-2, is at 14.5, and then¡­] Cynrik paused and looked over his shoulder at the one-armed RaptorBasilisk who was struggling to get back to its feet.

    [Stumpy, formerly known as Dino-3, is at 9494 HP.] Nodding at his good naming sense, Cynrik motioned for Gabby to fire off a round of Bolts at Dino-1 and 2.

    [Stumpy¡­Cynrik, stop naming the fucking dinosaurs. They aren¡¯t even real, to begin with.] Rolling his eyes, Brance heard the faint sound of Gabby firing off two bolts and the subsequent howls of pain.

    After releasing her Bolts, Gabby used a strand of Psychic Mana to draw back the string and load in another bolt before holstering the weapon on her right hip, as Cynrik took a mental note of the 1490 damage to Dino-1 and 1355 to Dino-2.

    [Hm, I wonder¡­] Cynrik thought out loud as his eyes flickered from the sharp teeth of Dino-2 to the muscr back of the creature.

    Sensing something was off, Brance hurried up, finished reinforcing the pir he was working on and threw a narrow-eyed suspicious nce at Cynrik, who kept looking over his shoulder at the fierce and crazed creature running only a few meters behind him.

    [DON¡¯T EVEN FUCKING THINK ABOUT IT!] Brance screamed with his eyes turning bloodshot. It didn¡¯t take a genius to realize that Cynrik was nning to try and ride the fucking dinosaur.

    [What? Oh,e on, it was just a passing thought; it¡¯s not like I would actually try riding such a majestic, scaley, feathered beast withrge fangs that could disembowel me instantly.] Cynrik snorted without breaking eye contact with Dino-2¡¯s back.

    [Bull shit, you are thinking about how you could somehow wrangle it and use it as a mount, you aren¡¯t fooling anyone, Cynrik.] Balling his hands into fists and knocking on the now second reinforced pir, Brance imagined it was his brother¡¯s face and punched it.

    Despite Brance¡¯s full strength, the pir didn¡¯t end up dented at all because of his reinforcement.

    [Tsk, no fun at all.] Cynrik whimpered as he gave up on the hopes of being a Dino-rider for the moment and continued circling around therge room.

    Sneaking a peek up at the jumbotron with the timer, Cynrik noticed he had been leading the creatures for a full seven minutes and decided to slow down his pace after motioning at Gabby to break off and head toward Brance.

    After letting the creatures continuously chase him for so long, Cynrik had urately gauged their top and cruising speeds and figured that kiting them was within his ability, so keeping his pace for as long as needed was reasonable. Still, when he noticed his Stamina drop below 85%, Cynrik pulled out a potion and downed it, topping off his STAM back to 100%.

    Breaking off from Cynrik¡¯s tail, Gabby made her way across the room by traveling high above the ground, using the pirs as a means of travel, and made it to her boyfriend¡¯s side in no time t.

    ¡°Hey, need me to do anything?¡± Gabby asked after giving him a brief hug.

    ¡°Yeah, I need you to startying Mana lines down for me with generic Affinitiless Particles. Trace out straight paths from the spots I tell you; that way, I can easily swap out the particles for Terra ones when I am ready to spring my trap.¡± Brance said while tossing her a warm smile.

    ¡°Kay, just point out which ones you want me to do.¡± Bouncing up and down lightly like she was overly excited, Gabby replied.

    For the next couple of minutes, while Cynrik was using the RaptorBasilisks as moving targets and training his Mana control, Gabby and Brance went to workying the foundations for the trap. With Gabby following behind Brance as he reinforced the pirs and pointed out which one was connected to the finished product.

    Finally, when the clock hit 45 minutes remaining in the challenge, Brance stepped back, activated his [Mana Sight], and chugged down two Mana Potions.

    [Cyn, everything is in ce; all we need is the dinos. I reinforced a total of 12 pirs with Gabby¡¯s help and potions. Once you bring those three over, I can spring the trap and box them all in so we can have a short breather.] Standing back and analyzing his work, Brance dusted off his hands on his pants and motioned for Gabby to climb up to a safe spot where she wouldn¡¯t be attacked.

    Nodding in understanding, she took off with a burst of speed, nted one foot on a pir, channeled Mana into her feet, generating a suction force, and ran up toward the ceiling.

    Once she was in ce, Gabby pulled a dagger from her inventory, wedged it between two of the bricks on the pir, creating a foothold, and stood on her weapon while monitoring Cynrik.

    Seeing that his girlfriend was out of harm¡¯s way, Brance moved toward the wall, activated [Vanish], and waited for his moment to strike.

    Across the room, Cynrik watched as Gabby and his brother got into position and smirked as he cut a hard angle, forcing the creatures to follow suit. Within thest few minutes, Stumpy had rejoined the group and ended up taking the lead, with its rage reaching a breaking point.

    Kicking off a pir and delivering a final scatter of attacks, Cynrik dropped all three creatures¡¯ Health, with Stumpy at 3.9k, Dino-1 sitting around 3.75k, andstly Dino-2 at 3.8 k HP. With a simple nce at each RaptorBasilisk, he realized just how wounded they were. Not only had the three significantly slowed down in their sprinting, but now they were covered with burns, scorched feathers, and caked blood.

    [Everyone of them is under 4k HP, making the final loop around to ensure their Stamina is bottomed out. The less energy they have, the more likely they will not be troublesome little buggers.] Cynrik said as he rounded the final corner and lined up his approach with the area Brance hadn¡¯t left since the beginning of the challenge.

    Slowing his breathing and widening his stance, Brance extended his arms to his sides, palms down, and channeled Terra Mana into his hands and feet. With Narrowed eyes, he monitored Cynrik¡¯s approach until his brother crossed the first Mana line.

    Suddenly elerating, Cynrik pulled away from the creatures, forcing them to pump their quivering legs harder to keep up. That was when Brance made his move.

    Leaping up a full meter into the air and stomping down both feet, Brance instantly manifested the interconnected walls.

    In line, there was one Terra construct connecting the first pir to the south wall, and From that initial pir, two more walls were raised heading northeast, uniting two more pirs in a diagonal line. Finally, the third pir continued east until it reached the Eastern wall, with three additional constructs.

    Overall, Brance constructed six Terra walls to tie together five pirs and the south and east sides of the room, leaving seven pirs as obstacles inside the oddly shaped trap.

    With a loud BOOOM, the trap boxed off the area and mmed into the ceiling, draining Brance of nearly all his Mana and causing him to drop down on one knee while panting. However, before he could admire his work, Cynrik¡¯s howls of rage entered the mind link.

    [OI FUCK FACE, YOU TRAPPED ME IN HERE WITH THESE DAMNED DINOSAURS!]

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 304

    ¡°Well, n B only gets used if we face humanoid creatures that are the same size or smaller than us. At that point, we go crazy but keep alive enough to manipte the timer. Remember we have six hours. That is a long time to fight, so our opponents will still be fresh, although we continuously get tired.¡±

    |Now spawning the Five Starting opponents, Chosen Race: Demonoid.|

    ¡°Welp looks like it¡¯s n B, Afterall.¡± Selene smiled and drew her weapons before smashing the pir with all of Benny¡¯s work written on it so that the enemy couldn¡¯t see their ns.

    |The timer will now begin counting down; you have 6 Hours. Good luck, Challengers.|

    |Spawning Three Peak Tier-1 Begraz Demonoids, a Peak Tier-1 Vir¡¯eth Demonoid, and an Early Tier-2 Vir¡¯eth Demonoid.|

    Selene and Benny watched with bated breath as the particle cloud descended, separating into five clusters and forming into their opponents. Three of the red-skinned Begraz Demonoids and two emaciated pale green-skinned Vir¡¯eth Demonoids.

    Once fully formed, all five creatures looked around the room curiously before sniffing the air and turning to face Selene and Benny in unison while showing wide, creepy, toothy grins.

    ¡°Ahh fuck, that¡¯s creepy, uh Benny boy, what are we doing again, because I don¡¯t think these things will just keep chasing us endlessly,¡± Selene asked as she twirled her spear without breaking eye contact with the enemy.

    ¡°40 percent, we kill the two Green ones first, then one of the Reds, leaving two reds alive. Move!¡± Benny calmly said before kicking off the ground, unholstering his Aspis, and flinging it like a disk at the Tier-2 Vir¡¯eth.

    The shield flew like a missile in the air, covering the distance between the greedy demons and Benny before mming into the chest of the Tier-2 Demonoid with a loud BANG, sending it flying backward with a stunned expression.

    Before the others could react, a wave of Dark Mana particles washed over the demonoids as Selene, who had activated [Void Shift], passed through their bodies before appearing behind the remaining four.

    Spinning her spear and swinging it like a baseball bat, Selene attacked all four of them with a single strike, knocking the four demonoids into each other like bowling pins and dropping them to the ground in a heap.

    Meanwhile, Benny raced at full speed alongside the airborne Vir¡¯eth, reached out his left hand to catch his Aspis, and shed down with his Estoc, spiking the Demonoid into the hard stone ground causing it to spit out a mouthful of blue blood.

    After Benny had slid his Aspis back into ce, he used his Water Affinity to manifest a circr de that covered the entire shield radius in a matter of seconds. Increasing the rotation of the water, he then turned his shield into a saw and brought it down forcefully on the Vir¡¯eth, biting into its flesh and making a long jagged wound across its chest, spraying blood and meat all over Benny.

    ¡°REE MARRGGG AAAHHHH!¡± The Demonoid screamed as it wildly flung its arms at Benny to try stopping him, but it was useless, as secondster, a loud cracking sound echoed through the immediate area, followed by an awful, wet squishing sound.

    Benny had carved through bone and into the creature¡¯s organs, causing it to drop its arms and die before shattering into particles.

    |Your teammate has sessfully Killed a Level 10 Early Tier-2 Virtual Vir¡¯eth Demonoid.|

    |Your teammate has received one KCP (Kill Counter Point).|

    Looking away from her opponents, Selene stared in confusion at the sudden notifications. Still, when she noticed Benny covered in floating particles representing the blood of his enemy, which was in the process of disappearing, her eyes went wide.

    ¡°Woah, good shit, Benny boy!¡± Selene praised as she stabbed her spear forward, killing the remaining Vir¡¯eth and one of the Begraz.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Vir¡¯eth Demonoid.|

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Begraz Demonoid.|

    |You have received 10 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received two KCPs (Kill Counter Point).|

    |You have received two 1000 Essence, XP Crystals.|

    |You have received 6 Merit Points.|

    With only the two remaining creatures that made up the 40%, Selene grinned evily at the creatures attempting to crawl away while leaking blood from their nose and mouth. But how could she simply let them run? Spinning her spear around her arm, then her neck, Selene caught the weapon upside down and shed out with the non-ded end.

    CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK

    Her actions created four deafening cracks as she broke each creature¡¯s jaw and spines, paralyzing them and rendering them only able to make gurgling sounds.

    ¡°Whew, okay, Benny, I disabled them!¡± Selene chirped as if she were having fun while wiping invisible sweat from her brow.

    Benny, who stood off to the side watching, moved his eyes away from his overly cheerful teammate to the notifications he had received while counting down from 300 slowly.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 10, Early Tier-2 Virtual Vir¡¯eth Demonoid.|

    |You have received 10 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received one KCP (Kill Counter Point).|

    |You have received a 10000 Essence, XP Crystal.|

    |You have received 6 Merit Points.|

    Once he was finished reading, he was already at 263 seconds, so he walked over beside Selene, ignored the gurgles of paining from the ground, and began speaking.

    ¡°The timer has begun, the second you killed those other two demons, bringing us to 40% of the headcount; I started counting back from 300 seconds, or five minutes. When I reach one, we both need to kill them simultaneously. In doing so, we won¡¯t have to worry about reducing our respawn timer, at least for now.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha; how different are the rewards for killing a Tier-2?¡± Unable to contain her curiosity, Selene asked while yfully kicking one of the crippled demons in the stomach, making it squirm like a slug.

    ¡°232, they were fine. I got a 10k XP crystal, and the OKP and Merits just doubled, so it was ten and six. Also, leave the thing alone; I don¡¯t want you ¡°identally¡± killing it early. We need to keep the respawn timers in check. You read the notifications; if we kill them too early, the time difference will be removed from the total timer. I don¡¯t want to endlessly ughter hordes of enemies.¡± Benny said as his mental countdown reached 212.

    ¡°Fineee~ it¡¯s not like a simple kick would put this thing down anyway. If anything, I worry more about them drowning in their blood.¡± While pouting, Selene said as she knelt beside the red-skinned Demon and examined its thin bat-like wings by lifting one.

    ¡°Do you think they can fly with these little things?¡± She asked and released the wing, which helplessly fell limply, causing the creature to shiver in pain as shock from blood loss set in.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, in theory, anything is possible, but the question is if they can channel Mana into them. If they can, well, I suppose flight should work in theory. 186, did you not face any Demons during your climb?¡± Benny asked as he continued counting down the seconds.

    ¡°Hmmm, not really; it was orcs and shit like that; I did face a weird blue demon, but not these red ones. What was it called, uh.¡± Tapping her spear against her chin, Selene tried to remember what the Demon was called but couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°The name escapes me, but I remember it was way bigger than these guys. It had a goat head with long spiral horns, the fur on hits hed was the same color as its fluffy legs. Oh, oh, it also was wearing these light gold things on its shoulders and had some ting around its neck; I even remember seeing little earings.¡± Selene started while thinking back hard with a squinty face.

    ¡°The weird thing was that it had the torso of a super muscr blue-skinned bodybuilder, while these guys are twigs, but from the waist down, it was back to a goat except for an oddly serpent-like tail,¡± Selene said as she stood back up and readied her spear.

    ¡°How tall was it? 145.¡± Benny asked as he tried picturing a half-human bulky goat man.

    ¡°I wanna say like 10 meters, but idk; I killed it really fast. I am kind of jealous of its sword, though; if I could have gotten my hands on it, Hubby would have given me extra cuddle time.¡± Thinking back to the giant cleaver-style sword the Demon used, Selene could only sigh sadly at the missed opportunity.

    In recent days, Cynrik had been collecting all kinds of different swords for some reason, and Selene knew she would have been rewarded if she got her hands on that Demon¡¯s sword.

    Ignoring Selene, Benny stepped forward and gently moved one of the half-dead Begraz demons off to the side a bit so that he wouldn¡¯t interfere with her kill before ncing up a the clock in the center of the room. It only took them 2 minutes to put the starting group of enemies in this position, and he felt they were on track. The only problem was they had to keep this act up for almost six hours.

    ¡°Get ready, Selene, 20 seconds.¡± Cocking back his right shoulder, Benny lined up the point of his Esctoc with the creature¡¯s head and heard Selene mumbling something about cuddles again before the sound of her spear cutting through the air entered his ears.

    ¡°NOW!¡± With one second left, Benny gave themand. Both of them eliminated their targets, killing them right as the subsequent notification signaling the respawn was urring came through.

    Scrolling through the never-ending kill notifications, Selene and Benny looked towards the center of the room, where the particle storm was again descending before breaking apart into twenty clusters.

    |Now spawning Twenty opponents, Chosen Race: Demonoid.|

    |Spawning Ten Peak Tier-1 Begraz Demonoids, Four Peak Tier-1 Ollmarug Demonoids, Four Peak Tier-1 Tiz¡¯gog Demonoids, One Early Tier-2 Ogodoth Demonoid, and One Early Tier-2 Veb¡¯lema Demonoid.|

    ¡± THAT¡¯S IT, THAT¡¯S THE ONE! That¡¯s the Goatty Demon with the big sword I was telling you about.¡± When the horde of demons finally came into sight, Selene screamed out loud,pletely ignoring the fact that she would draw their attention and only caring that she had once again found the giant blue goat-man creature with its big cleaver.

    ¡°GRRRRROOOOOOAHHHH!¡± The giant blue Demon roared as it found Selene and Brance.

    ¡°Selene, pay the hell attention; you just told them where we are!¡± Benny scolded her while knocking her on the head with the broadside of his Estoc and raising his shield.

    ¡°We leave eight alive this time, got it.¡± Stepping forward and ncing at thergest creature present, the Veb¡¯lema, Benny decided that would be his target.

    Little did he know that if Cynrik were present, he would be losing his mind and Screaming for Tobs to y ¡°Gleam Eye¡¯s OST!¡±

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 305

    ¡°We leave eight alive this time, got it.¡± Stepping forward and ncing at thergest creature present, the Veb¡¯lema, Benny decided that would be his target.

    ¡°Got it; what about the big guy?¡± Charging up Dark Mana into her spear, Selene asked without breaking eye contact with the bloodthirsty Veb¡¯lema.

    ¡°Stronger foes first; the blue goatman should be the first one we bring down,¡± Benny stated as he scanned the demons clustering together under the watchful eye of the ck-skinned Ogodoth, who stood proudly.

    ¡°Keep on your toes; that ck one seems to be some kind of leader race. If you notice, it has the physical characteristics of a Begraz, Ollmarug, and Vir¡¯eth. From what I remember, Big Bro told us that if a creature has multiple of the same physical traits as another race, then it is a progenitor.¡± Benny stated while tilting his head to the side and circling behind a pir so he could get a clearer view of the Demonoids.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s basic biology. The parent species will pass down specific physical traits over time, so it isn¡¯t too much of a leap to say that the Ogothingy is some origin species that gave birth over thousands of years to the other variants.¡± Following Benny, Selene kept ncing between the massive Veb¡¯lema and the Ogodoth.

    ¡°I see; regardless of their origin, we need to take out the two Tier-2s first. Then we can scatter their formation. We can stall out the timer a bit if we leave nine alive, but all we are doing is making it harder on ourselves. It would be one thing to handle four or five crippled creatures, but nine is too much. Which one do you want, big blue or the pretentious small one?¡± As he spoke, Benny calmly drummed his fingers on the hilt of his Estoc.

    ¡°You can have big blue; I already fought one. If it were in the wild or an Egress, I¡¯d want to fight it since I would have a chance to get its weapon. But here, there is no point, I already got the experience of fighting one of them previously, but you haven¡¯t.¡± Abruptly kicking off the ground, Selene shifted into a cloud of ck particles and surged forward toward the Ogodoth, leaving Benny alone.

    Not wanting to be shown up, Benny rushed forward toward the tall and bulky Veb¡¯lema. Racing through the pirs, using them to hide his approach, Benny didn¡¯t run on a straight path and instead slowly worked his way around behind the blue goat demon.

    However, as if expecting this, the Veb¡¯lema¡¯s glimmering sapphire eyes followed his movement without turning its head or upper body. It was only when Benny was within four meters and readying tounch his first attack that it began to move, as opposed to the other 19 creatures who were focused on the strange ck cloud passing through them like a breeze.

    Vanishing in a burst of lightning, the Veb¡¯lema instantly appeared in front of Benny, catching him off guard, and kicked him with its cloven-hooved foot. CLANG

    But instead of hitting the fleshy body, the demon¡¯s leg only connected with Benny¡¯s Aspis before catapulting the boy through a pir and into a second, where his momentum was finally stopped.

    Clicking his tongue and extricating himself from the body-shaped crater on the pir, Benny raised his shield just in time to block a heavy downward strike from the creature¡¯s massive cleaver-style greatsword, forcing him down to one knee with gritted teeth.

    ¡®Ow, this guy¡¯s build is STR/AGI, and to top it off, he¡¯s got a Lightning Affinity, which it¡¯s using to increase its movement speed.¡¯ Pushing up with all his might, Benny deflected the four hundred-plus kilo sword up and sidestepped before returning the favor by mming his Estoc into the creature¡¯s exposed ribcage, flinging it through not one but three pirs.

    As Benny rolled his stiff left shoulder, he followed the airborne demon, eventually catching up after it crashed through the third pir. However, as he arrived, the demon spun, twisted at an unnatural angle, righted itself, and skidded on the stone floor.

    Dragging up its weapon, shooting sparks from the collision of metal and stone, it stabbed at Benny again, who deflected the attack off his shield. He didn¡¯t ount for the force behind the attack, so being forced to turn his body to absorb the strike, Benny could not counter-attack before a massive fist rammed into his body, taking him off his feet and making him spit blood.

    Benny began trading blows with the demon bynding on the ground and executing a backward somersault, allowing him to quickly jump back to his feet.

    As Benny was locked in fast-pacedbat with the demon, Selene was in the process of toying with the entire horde. Since she had previously fought the weaker version of the Veb¡¯lema, she was well aware of how quick and powerful the creature was. Not wanting her teammate to be distracted by the other 19 creatures, Selene took it upon herself to distract them.

    With her [Void Shift] active, Selene continuously passed through the group, causing panic and confusion with each flyby. No matter how often the Ogodoth grunted or growled, it couldn¡¯t seem to regain control of the other 18 lower lifeforms it was supposedly in charge of.

    Losing its temper, the Ogodoth¡¯s muscles swelled as it channeled a strange ga, and tinum-colored Mana haze around its body, giving Selene a feeling of dread as she witnessed the changes it was undergoing.

    ¡®What the fuck is that, Mana¡­.¡¯ She thought as she rushed away from the Ogodoth, rising toward the ceiling to get a better vantage point. Reassembling her body and stabbing her spear into the top of a pir, Selene stood high above the confused and scared horde, watching vigntly as the Ogodoth grew to a size nearly as big as the Veb¡¯lema.

    ¡®What the fuck is that thing. Blood red and tinum Mana, I don¡¯t know what particle that is, but it¡¯s freaking me the fuck out; when I was close, I could feel my control over the Dark particles in my Codex get anxious.¡¯ cing her hand on her chest and feeling how rapidly her heart was pounding, Selene narrowed her eyes and tried to analyze the Ogodoth.

    ¡®Manifesting visible Mana is something only high-stage Affinity users can do. I¡¯ve seen it hundreds of times, but my bitch of a mother from hell is Tier-5, not early Tier-2. Fuck, I should have paid better attention in ss.¡¯ Extending her arm, Selene fired a thin thread of Dark Mana down from above, which connected with the head of a Begraz.

    Unfortunately, when she tried to yank the creature up into the air, Selene lostplete control over the Mana-constructed thread. She watched in confusion as the Dark Mana suddenly became visible and was absorbed by the hazy Aura surrounding the Ogodoth.

    A wide, sharp-toothed smile spread across the creature¡¯s face as it noticed its power growing, and it rolled its eyes upward toward where Selene was standing on her spear.

    ¡°What the fuc¡­.¡±

    BOOOOOOOMMMM

    Her sentence was cut off by a loud explosion rocking her body as if a bomb had detonated right against her chest. The force of this explosion tore apart the scalemail chest piece and rocketed her through the air like a rag doll.

    ¡°AAHHH!¡± Selene screamed as blood spurted from her chest and mouth while she flew several dozen meters through the air.

    She had no idea what had just transpired and how lucky she was not to be instantly blown to pieces. The instant her thread was absorbed by the Ogodoth and his strange Affinity, a contrasting thread had been created in ce of her Dark Mana one, recing it with particles under the creature¡¯s control, which the demon used as a makeshift bomb to injure the girl.

    Across the room, in the heat of battle, Benny¡¯s head whipped to the side as he heard the loud explosion and subsequent scream from Selene. He immediately disengaged from his opponent, jumped into the air, and, using the pirs as foot holds, raced over to catch the injured girl before she could hit the ground.

    Touching down lightly, Benny noticed the huge gaping wound in her chest and went into action, retrieving two health potions. One which he poured directly on the injury, and the second he poured into Selene¡¯s mouth.

    It took a couple of seconds, but soon Selene¡¯s wound was only a scar instead of exposed to the world, and her eyes fluttered slightly as she regained consciousness and stared up at Benny in fear.

    ¡°What happened, Sel? How the hell did you end up like this.¡± He had been so caught up in his battle with the blue goatman demon that he couldn¡¯t monitor her situation. Unlike Cynrik, who could watch the entire battlefield by splitting his attention, Benny would quickly lose his concentration on his opponent if he tried. Because of this, he missed the explosion or even the fact that the Ogodoth was now nearly as big as the Veb¡¯lema.

    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know,¡± Selene tapped on Benny¡¯s arm, indicating that he could release her, and snapped her head toward the cackling demons across the room.

    ¡°The ck one suddenly got huge, and when I tried to kidnap one of the little red demons, my Mana went out of control; next thing I know, that bastard was grinning at me like I was a fool, and then BOOM!¡± Patting her chest and realizing her cleavage was exposed, she quickly covered up herself and started pumping Mana into the scalemail.

    One of the key reasons she had purchased the armor was that it had a repair function that only required a fraction of her Mana to fix it up in a pinch.

    It took only five or six seconds for the armor to knit itself back together again, allowing Selene to uncross her arms while looking over at Benny. The boy standing beside her was heavily inspecting the bulky Ogodoth Demon as it organized the horde and moved out in their direction.

    ¡°You take the blue guy. I¡¯ll go handle their leader.¡± Benny said as he watched the swirling multicolored Aura surrounding the Ogodoth.

    ¡°Huh? I thought you wanted to fight the big guy.¡± She stared at the blue demon making his way across the room without arguing, instead speaking with confusion in her voice.

    ¡°Whatever that Element is, it didn¡¯t interact well with your Dark Mana, we don¡¯t know how it will with my Water Particles, but the difference is, I don¡¯t rely heavily on my Affinity to fight as you do. Although we don¡¯t know why or how it was able to explode your Mana, the fact that it can is proof alone that you can¡¯t square up with the Ogodoth anymore. Leave it to me; I will figure something out.¡± Speaking with authority, Benny began walking to greet the horde of demons and their leader.

    Watching the younger boy walk into battle, the image of her boyfriend and Brance ovepped with Benny in Selene¡¯s eyes, making her smile.

    ¡°That kid is turning into a little juggernaut just like the brothers. Right, let¡¯s go kick that overgrown smurfs ass.¡± Smacking her cheeks and pulling a different spear from her inventory since thest one was still embedded in the pir, Selene took off in a brisk jog to fight the Veb¡¯lema.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 306

    With a loud BOOOM, the trap boxed off the area and mmed into the ceiling, draining Brance of nearly all his Mana and causing him to drop down on one knee while panting. However, before he could admire his work, Cynrik¡¯s howls of rage entered the mind link.

    [OI FUCK FACE, YOU TRAPPED ME IN HERE WITH THESE DAMNED DINOSAURS!] Cynrik howled as he flitted over to the top of a wall and banged on it like a door.

    [Bah, you¡¯ll be fine. Think of it as your punishment for being an idiot and not focusing on the fight.] Chuckling lightly, Brance waved that it was safe for Gabby toe down and turned his back to the Terra Constructed wall.

    [FUCK YOU! IF YOU DON¡¯T MAKE A DOOR FOR ME TO GET OUT, THEN THEN THEN¡­ I¡¯LL RIDE ONE OF THESE FUCKERS!] Unable to formte a proper insult, Cynrik quickly fell into an annoyed silence before looking down at the three dinos, which copsed andy on the stone floor belly first. Seeing how their backs were exposed to him, he quickly used the ¡°ima ride them¡± excuse as bait to convince Brance to let him out of the trap.

    [Go for it; you have like 18 minutes or something; just don¡¯t get killed or injure them further. You¡¯ve tuckered them out to the point where they can¡¯t even move properly anymore, so if you want to ride a dead-fish, ain¡¯t nobody gonna stop you, Cyn.] Deactivating [Mana Sight], Brance received a Mana pot from Gabby and polished off a couple more before sighing heavily as his MP soared back up to 60%

    Exhaling before taking a deep breath and feeling the ambient Mana flowing around him, Brance looked over at Gabby and smiled.

    ¡°Get some rest; we have some time before we start fighting again. Try to recover your stamina.¡± Brance said as he nced over at the timer, which showed 47:32, before sitting down and closing his eyes. He needed to clear his head and feel the slow tick of Mana draining for the upkeep of the Walls.

    Meanwhile, inside the trap, Cynrik was hanging from the ceiling with one hand. He had worked his short sword into the crack between the ceiling and one of the walls, allowing him to stay safe and above the injured creatures below.

    ¡®Tsk, fucking asshole.¡¯ Cynrik thought as he uncorked a Stamina pot and topped off his resource stat. He had only burned about 10% during his little game of cat and mouse, so he was rtively fresh. Then there was his MP, which was recovering thanks to his Title and high regeneration rate.

    Chewing on his lip, Cynrik activated [Spectre Concealment], pressed against the wall, and removed his shortsword from the crevice. Next, pushing off the Terra construct, he bounced between the wall and the nearest pir until he touched down on the ground silently.

    Looking around and feeling he was an adequate distance from the tired RaptorBasilisks, Cynrik sat down with his back against the wall and began counting while watching their HP bars slowly increase point by point.

    His eyes narrowed slightly as he came up with a rough number representing the creature¡¯s regeneration rate.

    [Brance, how much time did you say was left?] Cynrik asked as he felt an ufortable feeling in his chest.

    [Uh, the timer says 45:50; why?] Opening his eyes to check the clock, Brance responded before closing them once again and rxing.

    [Bad news, little brother. These guys are healing by 10 points a second. That¡¯s 6k HP regen every ten minutes. By the point we are ready to make our move, these fuckers will almost be back at full health.] As Cynrik spoke, he could see the muscles and flesh on Stumpy¡¯s shoulder squirm as it healed.

    [Worse yet, Stumpy seems to be pulling a Polo. If the movement I see from its shoulder is any representation, it appears to be restoring its lost limb.] Activating [Mana Sight], Cynrik examined the cluster of particles swarming around the one-armed dino¡¯s shoulder and soon nodded in confirmation.

    [Yep, definitely pulling a Polo. Not too sure if Stumpy is using an Affinity Skill or if it¡¯s just natural regeneration like a lizard with its tail, but I can without a doubt say the thing should have a whole arm before we are ready to kill them.]

    [Got it. So what is your n? Are you going to kick their ass when their HP is capped off, or just leave them be?] Brance asked as he felt Gabby sit down beside him and rest her head on his shoulder.

    [I¡¯ll y with them for a little while; I want to see how close I can get with my stealth skill before I get noticed. When you give me the go-ahead, I¡¯ll hack them to bits and steal all three kills.] Cynrik snorted with a grin on his lips.

    [HEY! Why do you get all three kills?] Tensing his body and startling Gabby, who was nodding off, Branceined.

    [Cause fuck you, that¡¯s why. You were the one who locked me in here with these things. Thus, you must pay the toll. Either I get all three kills, or I use enough Mana to st apart your little trap. Hmm, I wonder how much Mana that would take?] Fighting the urge to giggle like a little psychopath, Cynrik used his thumb to tap the pads of each finger on his left hand.

    [UGH, fuck, whatever, do what you want. Gabby and I are napping, so fuck off already.] Unable to muster the energy to argue, Brance wrapped his arm around Gabby, who snuggled into his chest as her breathing slowed down, indicating she was already asleep.

    ¡®Tsk, gross. Those two are out there doing couple shit, while I only have these virtual dinos aspany. I wonder how Selene is doing¡­no fuck that, why am I worried about that wench.¡¯ Standing up and shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Cynrik figured he could kill time by checking how close he could get to the tired and injured RaptorBasilisks before they noticed his presence.

    Moving forward slowly, one step at a time, he counted each footstep until he was within three meters of Stumpy when it raised its head and looked around with heightened vignce. When it saw nothing, the creature put its head back down and huffed out some air through its singed reptilian nostrils.

    The moment the creature lifted its head, Cynrik froze in ce, and it wasn¡¯t until it put its head back down that he continued forward until he was close enough to touch the dino.

    It took quite a bit of effort for him not to reach out and ce his hand on it, but in the end, his rationality returned, and he backed off. The simple knowledge that dinosaurs or animals resembling them was almost too much for his brain to handle. So although he wanted desperately to reenact the scene from a specific dinosaur movie franchise, where a scientist ced her hand on a triceratops¡¯s side, he didn¡¯t and moved across the enclosed area to test how good the perception of the other two dinos was.

    Time moved slowly until Brance finally opened his eyes and saw the timer showing 31:12.

    [Minute twelve left Cyn, get ready.] He said as he roused Gabby from her nap.

    Rubbing her eyes and sitting up, she glowered at Brance for ruining herfort and reluctantly stood back up and performed a few warm-up exercises.

    Smiling at Gabby, Brance swapped back to his katana Loadout since he had spent the break without a weapon equipped and unsheathed the sword to check it over for any damage it may have sustained during previous battles.

    Beside him, Gabby unholstered her crossbow and preloaded a bolt into the weapon before putting it back on her hip and unsheathing her dagger.

    ¡°Gabby, when Ivar kills the creatures, I n on dropping a single wall. Exactly one minute after, six fresh enemies will spawn.¡± Pausing, Brance thought for a moment before poking at his brother.

    [Hey, how fast are we nning on taking these things out?]

    [Here¡¯s my idea Brancie. We kill the first three, which in turn spawns two per death. Meaning we will have six on the field a minuteter. Next, we split them up, two each, three minutester, we temporarily drop the numbers back to zero, but one minuteter, we will have four each.] Channeling Dark and Fire Mana into both hands, Cynrik crept forward and got a clear line of sight on all three resting RaptorBasilisks.

    [The goal is to hold off all 12 for two minutes while chipping away at their HP until the three-minute mark hits, which is when we will kill off two each, dropping the total of enemies from twelve to six. However, when the respawn happens, we will now have 18 to deal with. Splitting them up, we will end up with six each. Keeping on the move and continually draining their HP over time, we take out two weakest of our packs, each again precisely three minutes after the respawn.]

    Exhaling and catching onto Cynrik¡¯s n, Brance started narrating the strategy to Gabby, who stiffened at the thought of having six of the scary dinosaurs constantly chasing after her.

    [Once the respawn happens, we end up with eight dinos each, and just like before, we continuously cut down, two every three minutes. The total goes three to zero, six to zero, twelve to six, eighteen to twelve, twenty-four to eighteen, up to thirty, back to twenty-four.] Cynrik continued counting, killing two add six until he reached the final minutes of the fight, where there would be a total of 48 RaptorBasilisks on the field at one time, meaning everyone had to deal with 16, but when he got to that point, Brance stopped him since Gabby cut in.

    ¡°Hold on¡­going by his method, then that means with 60 seconds left on the timer, we need to kill 16 each¡­ Bj?rn, I don¡¯t know that I can do that. I don¡¯t have a super-strong attack like you two do.¡± Gabby practically shouted while looking at her boyfriend with concerned eyes.

    ¡°Sure, the total matches since we will all have 31 kills allowing us to pass the first part of the challenge, but why is Big Bro Ivar expecting me to wipe out so many on my own.¡± Pacing back and forth flusteredly, Gabbyined to Brance, who only shook his head.

    ¡°Gabby, you are misunderstanding. You need to factor in your chip damage. The point is to whittle down all of their HP to where most of the enemies have under 25% left. You should only be killing off the weakest of the batch. That way, you only need to deal with the two new ones getting added on the respawn.¡± Brance said while catching the girl and holding her in ce.

    [TIMES UP, KILLING ALL THREE NOW!] Despite Cynrik¡¯s warning, the words werepletely unnecessary. Half a beatter, the trap walls shook as Cynrik unleashed a magical miniature ck sun that immediately wiped out all three dinos.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 307

    [TIMES UP, KILLING ALL THREE NOW!] Cynrik gave an unnecessary warning as he brought his hands together and formed a basketball-sized condensed sphere of [ckFire]. Raising his arms above his head with the glowing ck orb and taking aim at all three RaptorBasilisks, Cynrik smiled and noticed none of them were aware of his presence, even after channeling so much Mana.

    However, he nearly lost control of his attack half a secondter, causing small bulbous contusions to appear all around the formerly smooth and round construct as Tobs¡¯ monotone and sarcastic voice entered his head.

    -¡°Stop being stupid, you ignoramus; if you are going to fire off something that will generate arge explosion, GET THE HELL AWAY FIRST!¡± end message.-

    ¡®Hic, FUCKING HELL TOBS, A LITTLE WARNING NEXT TIME!¡¯ Cynrik screamed internally as he smoothed out the bulging edges of the [ckFire] sphere.

    -I was only doing what you asked of me. It¡¯s not my fault you aren¡¯t ounting for howrge of an explosion the condensed Mana construct you are forming will have.-

    ¡®That doesn¡¯t mean I want you randomly cutting in and startling me. Fuck, can¡¯t you read my mind? Why didn¡¯t you speak up when I conceptualized the thought?¡¯ Stepping behind the cover of a reinforced pir, Cynrik tossed the sphere into the center of the three dinosaurs and clenched his fist tightly, causing the globe to shrink a few centimeters before violently erupting.

    BOOOOM!

    -It wouldn¡¯t be a warning unless I said it on time. There is also the fact that you would be less inclined to show caution if I spoke up too early.-

    FWOOOSSSHh

    Tucking his body against the stone pir, Cynrik was sted by a hot wave of air as the attack incinerated everything 10 meters from his position.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 11, Early Tier-2 Virtual RaptorBasilisk.|

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 10, Early Tier-2 Virtual RaptorBasilisk.|

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 7, Early Tier-2 Virtual RaptorBasilisk.|

    |You have received 30 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received three KCPs (Kill Counter Point).|

    |You have received three 10000 Essence, XP Crystals.|

    |You have received 18 Merit Points.|

    |You have triggered the Respawn Timer; (6) Virtual opponents will be generated in one minute.|

    [Open the front-most middle wall and let me out. You can also leave it down for the time being, and one of us can use this chamber as a failsafe when we are in a pinch.] Dusting off some soot from both shoulders, Cynrik peeked around the pir and only saw a significant ck scorch mark on the ground. From left to right, Cynrik scanned the room taking count of the damage, stopping when he spotted a strange image. The pir Dino-1 had been resting against had the shadow of its figure stained into the stone.

    [On it.]Tapping his left foot on the ground, Brance copsed the requested wall before walking around the trap to see the extent of the damage his brother caused.

    RUMBLE

    Nodding silently, Cynrik made his way toward the retreating Terra construct and only tossed a cursory nce at the damage he had caused. Besides Dino-1¡¯s death shadow, the only thing of note was that the stone floor and pirs seemed basically undamaged, aside from the dusty ck marks coating everything.

    Brance thought otherwise when he walked into the trap and noticed the damage.

    ¡°Ugh, damn it!¡± Activating [Mana Sight] and examining the extent of the damage by observing how densely packed the particles currently were, Brance was able to tell that the outermostyer of the pirs facing the st had been rearranged and showed signs of destabilization.

    ¡°Why the hell did you use so much power? You damaged arge margin of the particles in the trap and some stored in the surrounding walls.¡± Branceined as he pushed passed his brother and hurried up to a scorched pir.

    ¡°Eh? Why are you bitching about the interior pirs? Shouldn¡¯t your focus be on the ones that make up the trap? That¡¯s like saying here, let me give you a cracked cup, and then getting mad that the water is actually soda instead of the fact that the cup is leaking.¡± Rolling his eyes and nodding at Gabby, Cynrik walked out of the trap and back into the room itself.

    Once clear of the high walls, he spotted the particle storm grouping back up and moving toward the center of the room, where more mass was added, joining in with the existing storm swirling turbulently.

    ¡°45 seconds till spawn; get your ass in position, little brother. Gabby, you will be taking up the spot we teleported in. I¡¯m taking the far left side of the room.¡±

    ¡°When the Dinos spawn, I want you to instantly pick the two closest and shoot them, pulling their aggro.¡± Cynrik paused and nced over to Brance as he emerged from the trap and started channeling two small stones in his palm.

    ¡°Bj?rn and I will take the leftovers. And remember, wait for my signal to kill them off. Everything from here on out is about precise timing. One false misstep and we are going to be surrounded. Take to the pirs if you have trouble staying on the ground and dodging.¡± Rolling out his left shoulder, Cynrik continued.

    ¡°The worst these overgrown chickens can do is ram their way through the stone like bulls or hop up a few meters; I don¡¯t see them having enough skill to climb,¡± Cynrik exined before breaking off into a sprint and heading toward his starting point, the opposite corner Brance was in.

    [The trap corner is yours; I don¡¯t have to tell you how to handle yourself, and if need be, have Gabby fall back and use the containment area.] Cynrik said as his mental timer hit 25 seconds.

    [Got it.] Transfering the two stones to his right hand, Brance rested his palm on his sword¡¯s kashira (end cap) and began counting down from 20. Since the moment of the three creatures¡¯ deaths, he had been keeping track of the ticking seconds.

    Gabby nervously hurried over to the teleportation location and drew her Crossbow, pointing it at the center of the field while creating a [Psychic Disk] with her left hand. Doing her best to keep her hand from shaking, Gabby took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, just as the particle storm touched down on the ground.

    |One minute has passed since the death of a Virtual Creature, now spawning two Early Tier-2 RaptorBasilisks.|

    |One minute has passed since the death of a Virtual Creature, now spawning two Early Tier-2 RaptorBasilisks.|

    |One minute has passed since the death of a Virtual Creature, now spawning two Early Tier-2 RaptorBasilisks.|

    Gabby stiffened as the storm separated into six different clouds and formed the new creatures, followed by three notifications that rolled in a fraction of a second apart, showing how quickly the three original creatures had died. Without hesitating, she picked the two in the group¡¯s center, released a bolt, and fired her disk.

    Half a secondter, the two attacks connected, with the disk biting into the first dino¡¯s shoulder and the bolt piercing the eye of the second.

    Not even a beatter, two small orbs of fire smashed into the far left creatures, and two rocks hit the far right. Instantly all six RaptorBasilisks screeched, clicked, or roared in anger.

    [22k on mine.] Cynrik said as he reached behind his back and unsheathed his dagger before rushing forward to meet his new opponents.

    [Same here; if four are matching, it is safe to say the remaining two are as well. My [Stone Bullets] did 800 damage each, in case you are wondering], Brance scoffed as he began channeling more stones in his palms and rapidly flicking them.

    While the two brothers went intobat, Gabby too followed suit, running towards her opponents as they swiftly covered the 25-meter distance between their spawn and her position with bloodshot eyes.

    ¡®They seem to be just as fast as the ones Big Bro fought earlier, and based on how the one with a bolt in its eye is running unsteadily as if it had too much to drink, I can conclude I may have hit part of its brain, disabling certain motor functions.¡¯ Gabby thought as she crouched down and sprung over the heads of both dinos.

    ¡®My aim was off, and I got lucky that I didn¡¯t instantly kill the Raptor; if not, I could have messed up Big Bro¡¯s entire n.¡¯ Flipping through the air andunching a bolt into the spin of the one-eyed creature, Gabby watched as its feet turned wobbly and its face nted into the ground running full speed before mming head first into a pir.

    Although she wasn¡¯t an expert with every kind of animal, she could tell that the RaptorBasilisks had a well-defined spine and had shot her bolt at the precise point that would disable its legs.

    As the one-eyed creature hit the ground, the second whipped around, smashing its tail through a pir, andunched itself at Gabby, with both legs forward and its two massive deinonychuses (singlerge, curved w on each foot) high, wanting to catch her with them.

    Unfortunately, the creature wasn¡¯t smart enough to realize that even in the air, the girl wasn¡¯t helpless, and all it took was a simple [Mana Disk] for Gabby to push herself out of harm¡¯s way.

    On the way back down to the ground, Gabby manifested several sharp disks right in front of her attacker, catching it off guard. Before reacting, the creature lost chunks of flesh from its right arm and tail as it smashed through the razorde like Mana constructs and hit the ground in a heap.

    Tapping down, Gabby reloaded her Crossbow and rapidly fired several more bolts at the non-paralyzed dino, hitting it in both knees, calves, and ankles to keep the creature down.

    Once the final of the eight bolts found its mark, the creature could only struggle to stand and give up, smacking its head on the ground in anger.

    Seeing that her opponents could no longer move freely, Gabby started shooting them in non-vital areas and monitored their physiological reactions as she chipped away at their HP.

    Unlike Cynrik and Brance, Gabby didn¡¯t have a HUD that showed them how much life her opponents had left, so she could only judge their state after monitoring their reaction to the pain and how hard they struggled.

    Meanwhile, as Gabby crippled her two enemies, Brance set about whittling down his two enemies with [Stone Bullets].

    ¡®Fuck, I hate math, ok, so to kill them, it would take roughly 28 bullets and it only costs me a minute amount of MP per attack,¡¯ he thought as he dove out of the way of a swift tail strike and countered with a hail of bullets.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord,

 Chapter 308

    ¡®Fuck, I hate math, ok, so to kill them, it would take roughly 28 bullets, and it only costs me a minute amount of MP per attack,¡¯ Brance thought as he dove out of the way of a swift tail strike and countered with a hail of bullets.

    Thwap thwap thwap

    The sound of stone on skin followed by angry growls of pain was like a symphony as Brance darted around and peppered the RaptorBasilisk¡¯s bodies.

    One after another, a flood of notifications indicating he had dealt 800 static damage to the opponent shed in Brance¡¯s eyes. Still, instead of reading them, his vision was locked onto the HUD, indicating how much HP each enemy had left.

    After another wave of bombardments, Brance pulled away from the creatures and checked the overhead timer. Only a minute and a half had passed, and feeling that he had things under control, Brance looked over at Gabby and noticed she had chosen to cripple her enemies.

    Unable to contain his grin, he watched as she jumped around, retrieving her ammo from the creatures¡¯ bodies before shooting the same bolt back at them. Nodding in satisfaction, Gabby would hop back a few paces and observe their reactions, something she had figured out independently since she couldn¡¯t see how much HP beings had left.

    Tilting his head to the side and dodging a tail strike, Brance grabbed the attacking dino, gripping it by the feathers and scales, and with bulging muscles, picked it up before mming it into the stone ground.

    ¡°Stop it,¡± Brance grumbled as he released the RaptorBasilisk and kicked it in the ribcage, sending it sailing through the air several meters.

    Meanwhile, Cynrik was in a world of his own, jumping around, narrowly avoiding Affinity skills, ws, and tails. ncing up at the clock and checking how much time was left until he had to kill the creatures, he spun his dagger in his palm before hacking into the nearest enemy.

    -You have dealt 1387 damage to your opponent.-

    -You have dealt 912 damage to your opponent.-

    -You have dealt 1255 damage to your opponent.-

    -You have dealt 1493 damage to your opponent.-

    [*Yawn* 45 seconds, get ready.] Yawning as he repeatedlynded sh after sh quickly on the dinos, Cynrik kept swapping between watching the clock and monitoring the enemies¡¯ HUD. His grazing dagger strikes had stacked up over time, and now both his dinos were sitting at below 3k HP.

    ¡®The fun begins next round. Gabby should be able to handle four no problem, but once it hits higher numbers, she will struggle.¡¯ Dropping to one knee, Cynrik spun around, gripped his shortsword in a reverse grip on his right hip with his right hand, and drew the weapon while slicing through the nearest creature¡¯s Achilles tendon.

    Smirking as he watched the creature fall down in pain, Cynrik bounced back to his feet and put some distance between himself and the injured RaptorBasilisk.

    ¡¯24 seconds,¡¯ he thought and narrowed his eyes, targeting the spot behind each dino¡¯s neck. Cynrik had already done the hard part thest two and a half minutes. By hitting them with his des, he could control his damage output nearly as easily as if he were using Mana.

    This action was all for the sake of managing his resource stats. Just like using Affinity skills would drain his MP, swinging his sword and dagger would drain his Stamina. Thus, by swapping between the two different attack methods, he could double his damage output while reserving his strength for more prolonged battles.

    ¡°NOW!¡± The instant his count hit one second, Cynrik screamed and lunged forward, severing the heads of both dinos. In response to his signal, and just like he had wanted, Gabby and Brance instantly killed off their injured RaptorBasilisks, triggering a chain of notifications.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 10, Early Tier-2 Virtual RaptorBasilisk.|

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 9, Early Tier-2 Virtual RaptorBasilisk.|

    |You have received 20 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received two KCPs (Kill Counter Point).|

    |Total KCP = Five points.|

    |You have received two 10000 Essence, XP Crystals.|

    |You have received 12 Merit Points.|

    |You have triggered the Respawn Timer; (4) Virtual opponents will be generated in one minute.|

    Ignoring the notifications for the moment, Cynrik charged back to his corner and started counting down from 60. Upon arriving in his predetermined spot, he looked over and saw that Gabby was back at the starting location, and after activating [Mana Sight], he could tell that Brance had arrived back in front of the trap.

    [Tell Gabby she did a good job, but crippling both of her opponents was unnecessary. If she tries doing that every time, we will have slip-ups. It isn¡¯t wrong to do that to one of them so that the pressure she is under can be reduced, but she can¡¯t make that her primary objective.] Spinning his dagger around the back of his hand, Cynrik chided as he sheathed his shortsword back onto his hip.

    Scoffing out loud, Brance took a second to walk around the confinement area and meet Gabby.

    ¡°Hey, how are you holding up? See, it wasn¡¯t so bad.¡± Smiling as he spoke, Brance ced a hand on Gabby¡¯s head, who seemed ok after moving around so much in such a short timeframe.

    ¡°It was fine; my biggest problem is figuring out how much health they have left. But I think my method is working fine.¡± Gabby said as she reloaded her crossbow.

    ¡°Keep it up; your movement during battle was clean. Plus, the idea of reusing your bolts was smart. You are doing great out there, and if you keep doing so well, you¡¯ll get a presentter. The thing I want you to focus on more, though, is not crippling every enemy. You aren¡¯t a crazy person like Big Brother, so keep that to a minimum and just take angled shots like you were doing.¡±

    When Brance mentioned a present, Gabby got excited for a second, but when his following words weren¡¯t continued praise, she nodded and epted them with a grain of salt.

    Whenever Brance gave constructive criticism, it wasn¡¯t like Cynrik¡¯s, which would always be harsh and uncaring of the other parties¡¯ feelings. Instead, Brance was gentler and would always lead with praise before getting to business.

    ¡°Got it, no more crippling every dinosaur, and more pew-pew!¡± Giving a salute, Gabby smiled and nodded, making Branceugh.

    [Ok, love birds, 19 seconds, get back in ce; the wave of 12 is inbound. Four targets each; I will pull aggro first this time, you are second, and Gabby gets the remainder. I want to put as much of a target on us first. That way, she can see how the group reacts to simultaneous attacks.] Cynrik said while flexing his back muscles to untighten them.

    ¡°Gabby, real quick, Big brother is pulling the aggro first this time, followed by me. He wants you to attack the central group again, but hold for a couple of breaths to see how they react to the ambush.¡± Looking from Gabby to the countdown timer and back to his girlfriend, Brance quickly filled her in before sprinting off to his little ambush point.

    ¡°Got it, good luck!¡± Gabby chirped as she watched her boyfriend¡¯s muscr back and strong legs. Just as he rounded the corner, Gabby got a good view of his butt, blushed slightly, and patted her own in response.

    ¡°Tsk, he¡¯s got a better one than me,¡± she said with a pouty face and then went about channeling three disks and pointing her weapon at the particle storm as it once again made its way down from the ceiling and broke apart, only this time instead of six clusters, there were twelve.

    ¡®Four each this time, pause for the Big bro and hubby, then take my shots.¡¯ Gabby repeated in her head several times.

    Soon the particle clusters touched the ground and shifted into arge pack of ferocious RaptorBasilisks.

    When choosing her four targets, Gabby noticed a ck flicker out of the corner of her eye and could spot four baseball-sized ck orbs traveling almost too fast to see as they flew silently through the air toward the chirping creatures.

    TSSMP TSSMP TSSMP TSSMP

    With perfect uracy, the four orbs smacked into the heads of their corresponding targets with a strange sizzling popping sound, enraging a third of the group, who sniffed the air, spotted Cynrik waving at them, and took off running in his direction.

    Shifting her eyes to the right, Gabby noticed four puffs of dust followed by loud cracking sounds; these resulted from Brance¡¯s [Stone Bullets] colliding with his chosen targets¡¯ skulls. Instead of a sizzling pop, the rocks emitted a cracking sound as bone and stone met.

    The remaining four RaptorBasilisk kept turning their heads at an angle and looking around in confusion. From the left, they were attacked by fire and the right stone; this left thest four creatures in a predicament, and their lizard brains had troubleprehending what had transpired.

    Unfortunately, before they could figure it out, three of them had their shoulders ripped open by translucent disks, leaving thest one to lose an eye as Gabby shot it in the face just like the first one in the previous group.

    ¡°ANNNK ANNK¡± The newly one-eyed dino yelped as it bent forward and tried digging the foreign object from its face. When it couldn¡¯t, It looked up and found the rest of its small pack rushing toward a little being with a metal object in her hand. Sensing that this was who hurt it and forced it to lose its right eye, the RaptorBasilisk grew enraged and took off after itspanions.

    ¡ª

    While the third group of dinos began their fight, sitting in another realm, Yennifer and Headmaster Rivia had stern expressions on their faces while watching the battles.

    ¡°Although I have to admit Ivar¡¯s strategy is solid, he is relying too heavily on whether or not his brother and Student Gabrie can keep up with his pace.¡± Headmaster Rivia stated with crossed arms.

    |¡±Indeed, it is interesting, but the question is if Student Gabrie Sanford can sustain fighting against so many enemies to begin with. By my calctions, by the time the timer runs down, there will be 48 of the Virtual Creatures on the battlefield, meaning they will each only have one minute to kill off 16. That is something I am not so sure she can handle.¡±|

    Yennifer was skeptical, but since she had observed all the fights up until now, something told her that if Gabby continued using the hit and run strategy she had witnessed during the earlier waves, then it would be possible to achieve her goal.

    ¡°I only worry about her mental health, she is the youngest of the group, and the fact that she immediately went for crippling the creatures concerns me. Ivar¡¯s attitude and way of thinking may have rubbed off on her a little too much.

    Yennifer didn¡¯t answer but simply shook her head; her son was underestimating the girl who was smitten by the younger and purer of the two brothers. She didn¡¯t think for a second that Cynrik would so easily corrupt Gabby.

 Chapter 309

    ¡°Whatever that Element is, it didn¡¯t interact well with your Dark Mana, we don¡¯t know how it will with my Water Particles, but the difference is, I don¡¯t rely heavily on my Affinity to fight as you do. Although we don¡¯t know why or how it was able to explode your Mana, the fact that it can is proof alone that you can¡¯t square up with the Ogodoth anymore. Leave it to me; I will figure something out.¡± Speaking with authority, Benny began walking to greet the horde of demons and their leader.

    Watching the younger boy walk into battle, the image of her boyfriend and Brance ovepped with Benny in Selene¡¯s eyes, making her smile.

    ¡°That kid is turning into a little juggernaut just like the brothers. Right, let¡¯s go kick that overgrown smurfs ass.¡± Smacking her cheeks and pulling a different spear from her inventory since thest one was still embedded in the pir, Selene took off in a brisk jog to fight the Veb¡¯lema.

    Benny¡¯s senses were on high alert as he approached the small horde of demons; everything inside him was screaming not to get closer. Yet one foot after another, he walked calmly towards them, with his shield hanging by his side and his Estoc resting on his shoulder.

    ¡°Kekeke,¡± The swollen muscr Ogodoth cackled as it noticed Benny slowly walking over with a stoic expression on his face.

    ¡°Yark, keark, Kekeke.¡± The ck demon said while waving its hand and forcing five demons, two Tiz¡¯gog and three Begraz, to charge forward with their arms iling and drool dripping from their mouths.

    Fifteen meters, 10 meters, 5 meters, when the creatures were within three meters, Benny hopped onto his right foot, stutter-stepped, shot to the left, and swung his shield, instantly decapitating the first Begraz.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Begraz Demonoid.|

    |You have received 5 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received one KCP (Kill Counter Point).|

    |You have received one 1000 Essence, XP Crystals.|

    |You have received 3 Merit Points.|

    Next, he brought up his Estoc at a high cross-body fencing pose, temporarily resting the pommel of his sword against his left shoulder before thrusting forward and stapping a Tiz¡¯gog through the eye.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Tiz¡¯gog Demonoid.|

    |You have received 5 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received one KCP (Kill Counter Point).|

    |You have received one 1000 Essence, XP Crystals.|

    |You have received 3 Merit Points.|

    Without allowing the remaining three demons to have time to react, Benny channeled a puddle of water under his feet and used it to glide back to the right while spinning and backhanded a Begraz with his shield crushing its skull like an egg and sttering gore into the air.

    Benny smirked at the panic in his enemy¡¯s eyes and used his puddle to slide forward between the remaining two demons. He then used his shield to kill one and his Estoc to smash the final Begraz into a pulp by bringing the heavy de down on its head, copsing its spine into its body and erupting its guts out of its abdomen.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Tiz¡¯gog Demonoid.|

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Begraz Demonoid.|

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Begraz Demonoid.|

    |You have received 15 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received three KCP (Kill Counter Point).|

    |You have received three 1000 Essence, XP Crystals.|

    |You have received 9 Merit Points.|

    shing his weapons downward and clearing them of the blood-turned particles, Benny reinforced his control over the water particles that had taken the form of a puddle and continued strolling toward the horde, which had lost five of its 18 members in mere seconds.

    A menacing grin spread across the Ogodoth¡¯s face as he watched the being ughter its five underlings as if nothing had happened and continuing his approach. By waving its hand and grunting or growling, it ordered the remaining thirteen demons to attack.

    Yet, when the Ogodoth noticed no change in Benny¡¯s posture or even facial expression, it narrowed its eyes and began channeling its peculiar Affinity. Although its thoughts were rtively simple andparable to a young child, the creature was aware that the being calmly making its way over was in no way weak.

    BOOOOOMMMMM

    A loud echoing explosion shook the whole room, startling the demons as they fearfully nced in Selene¡¯s direction only to find that the girl had sliced off one of the Veb¡¯lema¡¯s arms and flung it in their direction, where it had collided with several pirs.

    Considering this momentarypse in judgment, Benny kicked off the ground and ran forward, propelling himself on thin puddles of water connecting his feet to the ground as if they were skates.

    Having reduced friction on the stone ground, he glided over it smoothly and rapidly elerated his movement speed, crashing like a wrecking ball into the horde of demons.

    Each swing of his Estoc or bash with his Aspis signified another life reaped. But he didn¡¯t go overboard; instead, when only nine creatures were remaining, he chose to cleanly take out their legs, just below the knee, rendering them unable to stand or run away.

    Breaking through the other side of the horde, Benny flourished his Estoc and pointed it at the Ogodoth, who stared back at him with pure unadulterated rage in its yellow eyes.

    Sniffling and tilting his head to the side, Benny waved his sword slightly, indicating that he wanted the royal demon to advance on him. Still, the ck-skinned demon froze in ce, shooting worried looks toward the Veb¡¯lema and Selene¡¯s direction.

    It couldn¡¯t help but think this person who had quickly ughtered most of its underlings and crippled the rest was too much for it, even with its Affinity.

    Its instincts were screaming that it should run. Still, its pride as a member of the royal bloodline refused to let it be a coward, so pumping Mana particles into its muscles, swelling them further, the Ogodoth let loose a mighty roar and charged at Benny with reckless abandon.

    Benny¡¯s eyes narrowed; seeing his opponent throw caution to the wind, he expanded the Water particles under his feet, increasing their width by three times, and skated around a pir, circling to the side of the muscr Ogodoth.

    His eyes locked onto the strange bloody tinum-colored haze surrounding the creature¡¯s body and decided to test if it had the same effect on his Water Mana as it did Selene¡¯s Dark.

    Leaning around the pir, Benny manifested a [Water Spear] andunched it across the distance between himself and the demon. Without taking his eyes off the spear, he pushed off with his right leg and skated backward, putting more space between himself and the Ogodoth.

    The reason was that he wasn¡¯t entirely sure what the creature had done to Selene¡¯s Mana and didn¡¯t know if there was a specific radius or range for the rebounding attack. In an attempt to be safe rather than sorry, he skated away several meters just as the spear was about to impact the demon.

    To Benny¡¯s astonishment, snapping its head in the direction of the Affinity attack, the Ogodoth stretched out its hand, caught the spear, and corrupted it like it had doused a metallic weapon in acid.

    He watched with wide eyes as the spear broke down into nothing but steam and reformed back into a solid construct, only now it was ga and tinum instead of light blue.

    Grinning wide enough to expose its many rows of sharp pointed teeth, the Ogodoth flicked its wrist and sent the attack back at Benny.

    Clicking his tongue and canceling his puddles, Benny put several pirs between himself and the iing spear.

    ¡®What the fuck kind of Affinity is that. The particles not only corrupt and absorb the original ones, but they can replicate another person¡¯s Affinity skills.¡¯ Benny thought as he looked over his shoulder and saw the new spear breaking through one pir after another as it chased him down like a homing missile.

    ¡®Fuck, what in Vinestra kind of power is that? I could probably only rip through two, maybe three pirs at best, but now that new spear has crashed through five and isn¡¯t showing any signs of slowing or losing power. Instead, it¡¯s like the damn thing is GAINING speed; how is that possible.¡¯ Bennyined in his mind, jumping to the side and narrowly avoiding the shimmering spear.

    But that didn¡¯t stop it. Instead of stopping after missing, the spear circled and crashed through more pirs, increasing its speed further until it was difficult for Benny to keep up with it visually.

    Looking around for an answer, Benny spotted Selene and the blue demon not far away and devised a n. Kicking off the ground and sprinting as fast as possible, Benny narrowly avoided another attack from the spear and headed toward the ongoing battle.

    ¡°SELENE! HEADS UP!¡± Benny shouted as he drew closer and dodged the exploding stone fragments threatening tond on his body.

    ¡°What in the FUCK? BENNY, ARE YOU INSANE?¡± Having just enough time to look over at the boy being chased by a blood-red and tinum spear, Selene¡¯s jaw dropped as she blocked an overhead sh from the Veb¡¯lema¡¯s sword.

    Pushing against her shield with all her might, Selene recoiled the sword up and threw her body to the side as Benny came rushing by with the spear hot on his heels and slid under the sizeable blue demon¡¯s legs.

    SHOOOOOOOMM SQUELCH!

    ¡°RUUGG?¡± The Veb¡¯lema said as it felt something wet on its chest. Tilting its head to the side, it saw a long bloody spear sticking out of its torso where its heart was and had only enough time to utter a cry of anguish as its body began melting into sludge.

    ¡°SELENE NOW!¡± Benny screamed as he jumped up and kicked the demon in the back, sending it Selene¡¯s way.

    Reacting to her teammate¡¯s shouts, Selene spun her spear and hurled it into the demon¡¯s head, and with another wet impact sound, the demon shattered into particles, triggering the kill notifications for her.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 10, Early Tier-2 Virtual Veb¡¯lema Demonoid.|

    |You have received 10 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received one KCP (Kill Counter Point).|

    |You have received a 10000 Essence, XP Crystal.|

    |You have received 6 Merit Points.|

    Checking her notifications, Selene ran over to Benny and helped him up since he had fallen onto his back after drop-kicking the demon with both feet.

    ¡°What the heck was that all about, Benny? You suddenly run over and start barking orders. What was that spear?¡± Dusting off the boy¡¯s back, Selene looked from Benny toward the Ogodoth, who was wearing a stunned expression due to his attacknding on hispanion.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 310

    ¡°What the heck was that all about, Benny? You suddenly run over and start barking orders. What was that spear?¡± Dusting off the boy¡¯s back, Selene looked from Benny toward the Ogodoth, who was wearing a stunned expression due to his attacknding on hispanion.

    ¡°Huff, that demon¡¯s Affinity is weird as hell. Not only can it effectively take over, corrupt, and even mimic Affinity skills, but it can improve the skill it copied further.¡± Benny stated as he faced the Ogodoth, who stood on the opposite end of the room.

    ¡°I have no clue at all what the hell that Affinity is, but it isn¡¯t something we can handle. Either it can steal away our Mana particles and change them due to higher proficiency, or that Element is just pure lunacy and is a hard counter to every other Mana particle.¡± Benny said as he tightened the bracer and straps of his Aspis.

    ¡°In the best-case scenario, the demon can only use that ability a couple of times; in the worst, there is no limit. I couldn¡¯t get close enough to try dealing physical damage to it, and honestly, I¡¯m not so sure we should. Normally this is something Big Bro would be left to deal with, and I¡¯m sure he is the only one who could figure out what that Element was, let alone how to beat it.¡± Breaking eye contact with the Ogodoth, Benny turned his head and examined Selene¡¯s expression.

    ¡°I have a feeling he woulde up with some kind of paranoid delusion like, ¡°What if it can weaponize the Mana inside our Codex?¡± but I don¡¯t want to think that way. Instead, we need to worry about what we CAN do and not what that thing MIGHT be able to do to us.¡± Selene said as she walked over and retrieved her spear from the ground.

    ¡°Agreed. I took care of the nine excess demons, so we only need to take out the Tier-2. We can try some tag team tactics, but under no circumstances do I want you to use ANY Affinity skills. Don¡¯t even channel Mana into your attacks.¡±

    ¡°Kekeke,¡± across the room, the Ogodoth grounded its pointed teeth together as it went from one fallenckey to another. It had already taken note of the damage the being caused and was bing increasingly more agitated as it examined each stumpy wound the nine injured demons had.

    Realizing that healing them was simply a waste of energy and resources, it chose to ce its hand on the head of a Begraz and use some kind of skill that aged the creature so rapidly that it appeared as if hundreds of years shed by in the blink of an eye. Channeling its Affinity, the Ogodoth went from one fallen demon to another, leaving the first Begraz rolling on the ground and gasping for air.

    ¡°Uh, Benny¡­what is it doing?¡± Selene asked as she tugged on his shoulder and began running toward the Ogodoth. Now wasn¡¯t the time to sit around and wait for something to happen.

    Keeping pace with the girl, Benny¡¯s pupils constricted as he saw the demons¡¯ state after the ck-skinned one touched them.

    ¡°Crap, Selene, pick up the pace before it¡­.¡± Before Benny could finish his statement, a horrifying scene urred, as one of the Begraz demon¡¯s skin fell off, and its bones turned to dust, triggering a notification.

    |A Begraz demon has sumbed to Corruption Mana sickness, had its life force drained, and Died. Neither Challengers will receive any rewards.|

    ¡°No way; what the hell is that thing doing?¡± Selene murmured with her eyes going wide as she burst into a full-on sprint.

    Cackling in its weird voice, the Ogodoth clutched the head of a crippled Tiz¡¯gog and repeated the same process that had killed the earlier Begraz. Within a few seconds, the Grey skinned creature with spikes all over its body shriveled up and turned to dust.

    |A Tiz¡¯gog demon has sumbed to Corruption Mana sickness, had its life force drained, and Died. Neither Challengers will receive any rewards.|

    With the death of a second demon, the Ogodoth started undergoing physical changes, as the bones in its shoulders popped loudly, and several spikes erupted from its back, forearms, and shins. Noticeable red swirl markings appeared on its shoulders and, like a snake, slithered down its arms to its hands.

    Next, the horns on its head took on an orangish hue, and its wings seemed to expand, growing to the size of a condor. Lastly, the creature¡¯s bulky muscles leaned out, and its stature condensed as it transformed from a bodybuilder physique into one simr to that of an MMA fighter.

    Flexing its wings a few times and examining the changes to its body, the Ogodoth cackled loudly before moving on and grabbing the head of a third demon.

    ¡°Damn, damn, DAMNIT, Selene, stun it!¡± Benny yelled as he caught up to the girl, grabbed her by the arm, spun around twice, and threw Selene with all his might, catching her off guard and sending her sailing right toward the demons over 20 meters away.

    With the death of the second creature, Benny was forced to start counting down for the respawn timer in his head. Realizing that the Ogodoth nned on killing off all of itspanions, Benny made a split-second decision.

    Since every member of MyrkLys knew each other¡¯s skills by heart, especially Cynrik and Benny, who were the party tacticians, he was able toe up with the idea that required some luck but would buy them some time.

    The only issue was that Selene would need to be within five meters of the Ogodoth for it even to have a shot at working. So in the heat of the moment, realizing that she would never make it close enough in time, Benny used his STR stat and threw her; that way, Selene could cover the distance MUCH faster.

    A few meters ahead, Selene spun slowly and flew, judging how close she had to be to execute her ss Skill while slimming down her body and going faster. Traveling through the air for a couple of seconds and noticing she was within the appropriate range, Selene extended her right hand and pointed at the Ogodoth.

    ¡°[¨¦lugi]!¡± Selene shouted as she felt both her MP and Stamina drain slightly. Small, visible shockwaves shot out from her lips, smacking directly into every one of the ten demons ahead of her, causing more than half to stiffen and freeze in ce, the Ogodoth included, as they gained the Negative Status effect (Stun).

    Flipping andnding on the ground, Selene wasted no time in thrusting her spear forward fast enough to make a ¡®Swoosh¡¯ sound as she rapidly stabbed the Ogodoth while it was under the effect of (Stun).

    The moment it registered what was happening, the demon¡¯s eyes flew open in pure terror as it knew it had screwed up by not instantly killing off all itsckeys.

    Yet all the creature could do was rue the fact that it hadn¡¯t tried chasing down its opponents the second it could. From the beginning, its greed and pride as a higher lifeform had consumed the Ogodoth, and now as it turned into particles, that had proven to be its downfall.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 10, Early Tier-2 Virtual Ogodoth Demonoid.|

    |You have received 10 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received one KCP (Kill Counter Point).|

    |You have received a 10000 Essence, XP Crystal.|

    |You have received 6 Merit Points.|

    Exhaling and jumping up into the air, Selene bounced off a few pirs until she reached where her original spear was and retrieved it before touching back down on the ground as Benny arrived at the horde and examined the few demons who seemed to be on the edge of death.

    ¡°What the hell was that Affinity?¡± Benny murmured as he grabbed a Tiz¡¯gog by the bottom jaw and stopped it from biting him.

    Reaching down with his right hand and using his shield as a lever, Benny quickly dislocated both the arms of the creature before moving on to breaking its jaw. Once he was entirely sure it couldn¡¯t hurt him, he began a thorough examination of the sickly and ancient-looking Begraz, the third target that the Ogodoth had tried draining.

    Lucky for them, Selene¡¯s timely arrival had interrupted the Ogodoth frompleting its skill. As such, it had left this single creature in such a state that if Benny applied any more damage to it aside from the dislocations and broken jaw, the demon would instantly shatter into particles like ss.

    ¡°Amazing, if I didn¡¯t see it for myself, id truly believe this thing was old.¡± Walking from one legless demon to the next, Selene set about to render each onepletely crippled as Benny had done. Once satisfied with her handy work, she grabbed one of the few semi-healthy Begraz demons and dragged it over to Benny by the back of its head so that he couldpare the two.

    Ignoring how Selene had just basically tortured all of the alive creatures, Benny pulled the non-aged Begraz, propped it up beside the aged one, and leaned forward, taking in every minute difference between them.

    The first noticeable difference was how sunken the aged demon¡¯s chest was. cing his open palm against its skin, Benny closed his eyes and focused as Cynrik had trained him and tried sensing any Mana within where he estimated the Begraz¡¯s Codex was located.

    After several seconds without feeling anything other than a slow heartbeat, Benny gave up and reached over to the non-aged demon. Unlike previously, the instant he focused, he noticed a swirling heat from within the creature¡¯s chest and scrunched up his face in thought.

    ¡°Haiz, so the old demon¡¯s Codex has either been entirely powered down, or all its Mana was drained. Unfortunately, without one of the brothers present, I have no way of figuring out the specifics. Still, I can say without a doubt that the old-looking one is utterly devoid of any Mana particles in its body.¡± Benny stated as he reached over to the old demon, grasped its head, twisted forcefully, and broke its neck, ruthlessly killing it.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Begraz Demonoid.|

    |You have received 5 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received one KCP (Kill Counter Point).|

    |You have received one 1000 Essence, XP Crystals.|

    |You have received 3 Merit Points.|

    ¡°Let¡¯s clear them out; I¡¯m at 230 seconds left until the respawn begins, and we still need to kill off at least four more before we canfortably wait out the clock,¡± Benny stated as he punched the unaged demon¡¯s head, exploding it like a watermelon.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord,

 Chapter 311

    ¡°ANNNK ANNK¡± The newly one-eyed dino yelped as it bent forward and tried digging the foreign object from its face. When it couldn¡¯t, It looked up and found the rest of its small pack rushing toward a little being with a metal object in her hand. Sensing that this was who hurt it and forced it to lose its right eye, the RaptorBasilisk grew enraged and took off after itspanions.

    Staring down the pack of four creatures, Gabby was unflinching. Raising her Crossbow and stepping to the left, she unleashed a flurry of bolts and disks, each targeting a pivotal movement joint of the four creatures.

    Unlike before, where Gabby¡¯s goal was to cripple her opponents, giving her some time to breathe, she was now more focused on slowing them down.

    With a soft whistling sound, several bolts left the crossbow one after another, finding their targets, the ankles and knees of the four creatures, and with a dull thud sound, these sharp, metallic projectiles burrowed their way through flesh and muscle.

    Like Gabby expected, the afflicted RaptorBasilisk¡¯s forward momentum slowed considerably as they became distracted by the pain in their legs and tried to remove the objects making it more challenging to run correctly.

    Seeing their reactions, Gabby didn¡¯t dy and soon went on the offensive,unching wave after wave of psychic disks alongside additional bolts.

    Across the room, Cynrik danced around the four dinos and calmly watched how Gabby was handling her opponents. Unconcerned about himself and Brance sticking to the n perfectly, the only conditional outlier was Gabby, who was still rough around the edges when push came to shove.

    Knowing he was being too strict but feeling it was entirely necessary, instead of advising the girl, Cynrik silently watched and prepared to critique her to his brother instead of to Gabby¡¯s face.

    It was better to leave her to Brance since, at the end of the day, he was the one who was better at handling her.

    Bending his torso backward, Cynrik avoided a Wind st, performed a backhand spring, and dodged several gaping maws which were trying to bite a chunk out of his body.

    Although every creature on the battlefield was Early Tier-2, theirck of sophisticated intelligence made them simple-minded enough that Cynrik found himself getting bored as time went on.

    Unlike when he fought against the Spies the day before, these dumb dinos posed no real threat to him, nor did they any longer pique his curiosity.

    Initially, when they first spawned, he was as happy as a kid on Christmas; it was, after all, the first time he saw dinosaurs in the flesh. But after spending over thirty minutes either surrounded monitoring or fighting the RaptorBasilisks, he had long since lost interest in studying them.

    However, there was nothing more dangerous in the world than a bored Cynrik, as when he got to that point, he would, more often than not, either fuck around or causeplete mayhem.

    In fact, ever since the previous wave, it was taking a lot of mental power to stop himself from just instantly killing the dinos the moment they spawned; that way, he could have a more mentally stimting fight instead of this boring jump around, dodge, sh bout he had been taking part in.

    The only thing keeping him in check currently was the presence of his teammates and the Perfect Clear Reward. The instant Yennifer confirmed that so long as he was able to achieve a Perfect Clear, Cynrik could get his hands on the two incubators he needed for his eggs, knowing that until the end of the challenge, he wouldn¡¯t be able to ck off and needed to stick to the n.

    Sighing internally, Cynrik went through the motions of chipping away at his four enemies one at a time until his boredom had started reaching a peak. The result was Cynrik finding himself turning his injuring them into a small game.

    ¡°Swing on D4, jump, twirl, Fireball to D3!¡±

    ¡°Ah, D1 needs some love; here, have a shadow tendril to close that annoying loud snoot of yours.¡± Turning his hand and gripping the air, Cynrik activated [Shadow Sewing] but only summoned a single tendril before using it to muzzle the dino he had dubbed D1.

    ncing away from D1, he next targeted D2, the only dino that he hadn¡¯t abused, and chose now was the time.

    Dashing forward, Cynrik tapped the ground with his toes andunched himself onto D2¡¯s back, kicking its ribs with enough force to cause the creature to wheeze in pain as he settled in and finally got the opportunity to ride the dino.

    ¡°Hiho D2, onward into battle,¡± Cynrik cheered while raising his longsword and pointing forward. Unfortunately, he got the expected reaction from the creature, who started thrashing about and turning its head to try and bite Cynrik.

    ¡°Tsk, bad D2, for the remainder of your life, you shall be my mount; now knock it off.¡±

    THUNK

    Clicking his tongue, Cynrik pulled back his left arm and sucker-punched D2 right in the nose, causing the creature to scream angrily and jump around like a bronco.

    ¡°Heyy now, D2, why can¡¯t you be a good boy, like those other little shits.¡± He said while sheathing his sword and gripping the RaptorBasilisk on both sides of its head and forcing it to look at the severely injured D1,3, and 4.

    Still, even with his coaxing, the best he could do was avoid any injuries caused by the wild and untamed dinosaur. It didn¡¯t take long for Cynrik to lose hope of getting to be a RaptorRider temporarily. After delivering a savagebination of stabs, shes, and fire, D2 copsed to the ground on its stomach, whimpering in agony, while Cynrik hopped off and went to give some love to the other three.

    In his boredom, Cynrik sighed in defeat and swung his dagger, severing most of the ligaments in each dino¡¯s legs as he passed by. No limb was safe as he even went so far as hacking off their tails before looking up at the jumbotron with the countdown timer hanging over the battlefield.

    Looking over his handy work and sheathing his dagger, Cynrik crossed his arms and looked away from the four bleeding and near-dead dinos toward where Brance and Gabby were working on whittling down their opponents before time ran out.

    Sensing something or someone was watching him, Brance lunged forward and rolled behind a pir, getting out of the way of a rampaging, charging dino, and looking in his brother¡¯s direction.

    For a second, he was confused as to why Cynrik was just standing around and watching him fight. Still, upon closer inspection, he saw that all four of the dinos had been mangled and maimed so badly that it was amazing to him that his brother hadn¡¯t identally killed them.

    Even from this distance, Brance could tell that hardly any part of his brother¡¯s enemies wasn¡¯t sporting either a deep gash or a burn.

    [Fucking hell Cyn, why are you like this? Why can¡¯t you just move around and take potshots at the fucking things instead of torturing them?] Brance questioned while spinning around and kicking the rampaging RaptorBasilisk in the head, breaking some of its spinal column as the creature¡¯s head whipped to the side so violently that it emitted several loud cracking sounds.

    [I¡¯m bored, Brancie.] Cynrik said while wearing a deadpan expression, his words causing Brance to stiffen up as he felt a bad omen descending on him from unknown origins.

    [C..c..Cyn¡­cmon now. We are in the middle of an important challenge; there are less than 30 minutes left; can¡¯t you keep it together till it¡¯s over?] Brance knows Cynrik better than anyone, and instead of chiding or scolding him, he felt panic set in, memories streaming into his head of their short life on Vinestra surging forward as he cast a pleading nce at his brother.

    A bored Cynrik wasn¡¯t that hard to deal with back on Earth. Generally, Brance could find a new game, anime, or even novel that he could throw at him to tide him over until the boredom subsided. However, after introducing stats and their destructive abilities, Cynrik became no better than an overgrown toddler with nuclear capabilities when he was ¡°bored.¡±

    Gabby¡¯s infamous hampster story was a key example of what would happen if Cynrik hit his ¡°I¡¯m bored¡± mood.

    It was unknown if this whole thing started because of some kind of mental defect or if, since Cynrik¡¯s mind was constantly firing on all cylinders, it kind of failed and shut down before rebooting, causing this whole ¡°bored¡± situation. Still, whenever he did reach this mood, something terrible was bound to happen, and Brance could feel his heart locking up in fear.

    [Listen, Cyn, now isn¡¯t the time for this. I know you need a shit ton of external stimuli to focus or concentrate, but we are literally at a critical moment right now; can¡¯t you just¡­]

    FWOOOSHHH

    Before Brance could talk some sense into his brother, Cynrik raised his arm, channeled exactly 12 golfball-sized condensed transparent light blue me spheres, and threw them at every dino in the area.

    Turning his head in horror and expecting the worst, Brance looked behind him and saw his four opponents bathed in the most beautiful mes he had ever seen.

    Brance only had half a second to gaze upon the new shade of fire before it evaporated into nothing, leaving his enemies in such a state that it was incredible they weren¡¯t dead.

    Feeling the need to check on the creatures, Brance ran forward, examined the closest one, and heaved a sigh of relief.

    Each of his four RaptorBasilisks had 1500 HP remaining, no more, no less, and this realization nearly put Brance¡¯s brain into a state of disarray as he panned back toward Cynrik.

    His brother was standing like a baseball pitcher after releasing the ball, with his body bent forward and his left leg extended out behind him.

    ¡°AHH, AHH, WHAT THE HECK BIG BRO?¡± Gabby¡¯s cries of confusion rose above the pained screamsing from the twelve RaptorBasiliks causing Brance to face her and drop his shoulders.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind, don¡¯t mind, I left them all alive. It seems the first experiment was a sess, and I finally reached my blue mes kuekue.¡± Cynrikughed as he snapped his fingers, manifested a pristine icy blue me above his hand, and observed it lovingly.

    [How? When? WHAT THE FUCK CYNRIK!] Changing through emotions like a teenage girl with clothes before a date, Brance furiously howled.

    [After running thousands of simted calctions, I determined that if I reduced the me size while also applying heavy amounts of pressure to condense the particles, I could increase the me¡¯s heat. Thus MY BLUEFIRE WAS BORN!] Cynrik chirped gleefully.

    [Now, before you yell at me about attacking all the enemies, let me preface this scientific conclusion with this; after manifesting the mes, I realized the initial size was toorge and unstable, soooo I had to get rid of it. What better way to do this than by splitting the originalrge ball into 12 micro-sized ones and doing your jobs for you, KUEKUE? Aren¡¯t I great?¡±

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord,

 Chapter 312

    [Now, before you yell at me about attacking all the enemies, let me preface this scientific conclusion with this; after manifesting the mes, I realized the initial size was toorge and unstable, soooo I had to get rid of it. What better way to do this than by splitting the originalrge ball into 12 micro-sized ones and doing your jobs for you, KUEKUE? Aren¡¯t I great?¡±] Cynrik said while raising his nose to the sky, demanding praise.

    [You¡­you¡­you¡¯re a fucking lunatic. What the hell would you have done if you killed all the RaptorBasilisks with your little fucking experiment.] Huffing while clenching his fists tightly, Brance angrily stomped as he stormed off in his brother¡¯s direction, wanting nothing more than to punch his annoying face into a pancake.

    [But did they die? No, see, I was in full¡­mainly in full control, no harm done, plus I save you and Gabby 90 seconds from taking a breather.] Seeing his brother¡¯s aggressive approach, Cynrik backed up slowly, allowing his Blue me to circle his body like a satellite.

    Luckily for Cynrik, Gabby appeared next to Brance, caught his arm, and dragged him away before the younger brother could beat the breaks off the older.

    It didn¡¯t take a genius to realize the two were arguing with their uniquemunication channel, so acting swiftly and intercepting Brance, Gabby was, in a sense saving Cynrik from himself.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok, just leave him be. We both know how he gets; let me guess, he did the ¡°I¡¯m bored¡± thing again, didn¡¯t he?¡± Gabby said with a pained expression as she once again remembered her poor hampster.

    ¡°Gabby, let me at him; maybe this time I can hit his head so hard I rattle his brain back into working order.¡± Brance spat through clenched teeth.

    ¡°No can do, honeybun; if I allow you to beat up your big brother, the fallout will not only kill all the virtual creatures, but even I could get swept up in it unless you are saying you want to see me get injured?¡± Raising an eyebrow and wearing a pouty expression, Gabby teased Brance with logic.

    ¡°80 Seconds, guys, ima keep experimenting, so I will leave the kills to you two.¡± Just when Gabby thought she had calmed Brance down a bit, Cynrik chimed in, his words causing both of them to turn red in the face in anger.

    ¡°Calm down, Gabby; it¡¯s just Ivar being Ivar, nothing new. He is always a bit looney.¡± She whispered under her breath in an attempt to convince herself that there was nothing that could be done.

    Meanwhile, after saying his part, Cynrik sat down on the ground and focused on the blue me intently.

    ¡®By condensing the fire particles to their extreme and creating friction between them, I am able to increase their temperature to their max, resulting in the me¡¯s color undergoing drastic changes.¡¯ Cynrik thought as he tuned out the horrible cries of agony surrounding him.

    ¡®Still, that isn¡¯t enough to force an evolution, so what is it I¡¯m missing.¡¯ Stopping the orbiting ball of blue fire and moving it to his left, Cynrik snapped his fingers on his right-hand several times, generating the same tiny spark he had been capable of for years.

    With a second snap, a slight discharge of electricity fired off from between his index finger and thumb before darting out two meters in front of his body and vanishing.

    ¡®There is some part of the equation I just haven¡¯t figured out, so let¡¯s go back to the beginning. What is Lightning? Back on Earth, Lightning was created when the positive and negative charges in a cloud build up to a certain point that it breaks down the instor or the air. By breaking the insting capacity of the air, there is a rapid discharge of energy, which is the lightning itself.¡¯ Wiggling the fingers on his left hand and allowing the blue fireball to float around freely, Cynrik continued thinking.

    ¡®But that¡¯s Earth. Here on Vinestra, things are different; there are no atoms, only Mana particles. Since I know lightning exists in two forms, I am facing the problem of how I replicate the same effect with particles and no storm or ground interaction.

    Looking between the fire and the sparks he kept generating by snapping his finger, Cynrik¡¯s eyes suddenly widened as he had an epiphany.

    ¡®FRICTION! Friction is the answer; if I generate enough friction between the condensed Fire particles and use the heat created from it, I should be able to gener¡­.¡¯

    Unknown to Cynrik, he had already started rubbing his index and thumb together and wasn¡¯t aware of the sparks dancing around his fingers as he subconsciously elerated the process.

    Between his fingers were several perfectly condensed particles that had separated from the fireball as if they were feeling his hope to increase their power.

    RUMBLE BUZZZZZZZZT

    Before he could finish the thought, a loud thunder crack echoed through the room, forcing every virtual creature and the team of Gabby and Brance to snap their heads in Cynrik¡¯s direction.

    Several meters in front of the sitting Cynrik was a pir with arge hole directly in the center. Thin cracks spiderwebbed out from the point of impact, and if one looked closely, one could see faint purple sparks darting around either side of the clean, scorched hole in the stone.

    ¡°Holy shit.¡± Was all Brance could utter as he saw Cynrik¡¯s hair rising and quickly activated [Mana Sight]. Swirling around his brother were waves of deep purple Mana Particles.

    ¡°No way, did he just evolve his Affinity¡­out of the blue? What the hell?¡± Even Gabby was bbergasted, yet unlike Brance, who was stunned silent by the swirling particles, Gabby was staring wide-eyed at the pir.

    Meanwhile, Cynrik, the point of everyone¡¯s attention, was grinning like a madman as his vision was painted with the very notifications he had been waiting for years to see.

    -Due to being in an enlightened state, your control over Fire Mana has reached its maximum, and by enacting your own method of creation, you have forced the Fire Mana particles under your control to warp and undergo a drastic evolution.-

    -The Particles have felt your Will and heard your call to empowerment, and with your aid, have evolved from Basic Grade into Advanced-Grade Fire.-

    -You have Awoken an Affinity for the Tier-1 Special Advanced-Grade Element, Lightning.-

    -Your SAG Lightning Affinity has gained its own subcategory under your AG Fire Affinity.-

    -Since you have Evolved your Fire and Acquired the Lightning Affinity by your own effort, Your Tier-1 SAG Lightning Affinity will not fill up one of your Affinity Slots. Also, it has been Automatically upgraded to Adept.-

    -Due to your Affinities Evolution, you have grown stronger and have obtained several benefits.-

    -Your Codex has increased in strength to Tier-3, Stage 5.-

    -Since your Codex has reached Stage 5, you will receive a Bonus of 5k MP.-

    -Your AG Fire Affinity has Grown to Tier-3-

    -You have received 50 Points in all basic Stats.-

    -You have received 30 Free Allocation Stat points.-

    -You have received 50 Skill Points.-

    -You have learned the Tier-0 Lightning Affinity Skill, [Charge].-

    -You have learned the Tier-0 Lightning Affinity Skill, [Discharge].-

    -You have learned the Tier-0 Lightning Affinity Skill, [Lightning Javelin].-

    -You have learned the Tier-0 Lightning Affinity Skill, [Shock].-

    -You have learned the Tier-1 Lightning Affinity Skill, [Lightning Armor].-

    -You have learned the Tier-1 Lightning Affinity Skill, [sh Step].-

    -You have learned the Tier-1 Lightning Affinity Skill, [Lightning Wall].-

    -You have learned the Tier-1 Lightning Affinity Skill, [Pulse Wave].-

    -You have learned the Tier-1.5 Lightning Affinity Skill, [Shattering Bolt].-

    As a fourth small particle vortex within his Codex formed, Cynrik burst out cackling like a mad man, exhaling shakily and feeling a new surge of power. Ever since he obtained the Lightning Affinity Orb, he had dreamed of the day he would unlock it, and now, he had finally achieved that goal.

    Standing up and deconstructing the blue me, Cynrik excitedly snapped his thumb and index finger on his left hand while shing the air toward the pir with a hole in the center.

    TTTSSSSSST BUZZZZZT BOOOOM

    Instantly a thin bolt of electricity flickered from his fingertips and mmed into the pir,pletely exploding it into fragments before emitting a thundering boom.

    ¡°HAH, HAH HAHA! CHANGE OF PLANS, GUYS!¡± As if possessed, Cynrik tossed caution to the wayside. In a moment of insanity and riding the high he was experiencing from his increased stats and new abilities, he started firing off lightning bolts, instantly exploding the heads of every one of the 12 RaptorBasilisks.

    |You have sessfully Killed 5 Level 10, Early Tier-2 Virtual RaptorBasilisks.|

    |You have sessfully Killed 4 Level 9, Early Tier-2 Virtual RaptorBasilisks.|

    |You have sessfully Killed 3 Level 11, Early Tier-2 Virtual RaptorBasilisks.|

    |You have received 120 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received twelve KCPs (Kill Counter Point).|

    |Total KCP = Seventeen points.|

    |You have received 12 10000 Essence, XP Crystals.|

    |You have received 72 Merit Points.|

    |You have triggered the Respawn Timer; (24) Virtual opponents will be generated in one minute.|

    ¡°Hehehe, boredom is gone; time to go fucking ape shit on these DINOS! Oi, Little Brother, Little Sister-inw, go into the confinement area; I need to flex my newfound muscles for a little bit. I don¡¯t want you guys getting in the way, and don¡¯t worry; I will leave plenty of scraps for you guys to rack up some points.¡± Cynrik roared while looking at the particle storm floating above the room.

    ¡°What¡­what the hell have you done? Damn it, at this rate; the entire n is fucked to hell.¡± Brance said as he struggled to stay calm. It was one thing to go a little crazy, but his brother seemed to have entirely lost his mind after gaining his new Affinity.

    ¡°I.. I¡­Ivar,¡± Gabby could feel the sting of tears threatening to spill over as she watched the person she had known all her life seemingly lose total control of himself for the second time in her presence.

    She couldn¡¯t help but shiver as she remembered the lifeless and menacing look in his eye from the time he nearly attacked her in the Egress.

    Beside Gabby, Brance quickly collected himself and noticed his girlfriend about to have a mental breakdown as she was clearly scared that Cynrik was actually out of control.

    Cupping her cheeks with his hand and turning her face toward him, Brance smiled at her.

    ¡°Gabby, it¡¯s ok; big brother is just being a weirdo; there is no need to cry or worry. He¡¯s just a bit overly excited right now because he¡¯s got a new toy; that¡¯s all it is.¡± Brance said while shooting an angry re at the giddy Cynrik.

    [YOU DUMB FUCKER, YOU ARE MAKING GABBY CRY! GET YOUR STUPID FUCKING NUTCASE ASS OVER HERE AND APOLOGIZE RIGHT GOD DAMN NOW! SHE IS IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ANXIETY ATTACK BROUGHT ON BY YOUR ACTIONS! MAKE IT RIGHT!] Brance roared in the mind link, bringing Cynrik out of his delusions and making him look over and notice that Brance was practically holding Gabby up and quickly rushed over.

    ¡°Hey, hey, Gabby, look, I¡¯m still me, see, still me.¡± Dropping onto his knees and stretching his cheeks into a funny face, Cynrik degraded himself in total fear of his younger brother.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 313

    Roaring into the mind link, Brance brought Cynrik out of his delusions and made him look over and notice that his brother was practically holding Gabby up and quickly rushed over.

    ¡°Hey, Gabby, look, I¡¯m still me, see, still me.¡± Dropping onto his knees and stretching his cheeks into a funny face, Cynrik degraded himself in total fear of his younger brother.

    ¡°Big¡­Bro *sniffle* are you sure you aren¡¯t angry or want to hurt us again?¡± Gabby said through the beginning signs of sobs.

    ¡°Yes, yes, see, totally me! Sorry if I freaked you out, little Rabbit. Do you want to know something cool?¡± Waving his hands around frantically in an attempt to draw Gabby¡¯s attention, Cynrik continuously nced between the weepy, depressed little girl and his brother¡¯s murderous expression.

    ¡°*Sniffle*, I guess¡­.¡± Gabby said as she looked down at Cynrik with leaky eyes.

    ¡°Guess what, aside from the fact that I got a whole bunch of new stat points and seven new skills with my Lightning Affinity, there is one that has allowed me to unlock a legendary form.¡±

    ¡°A form thates straight from one of the stories I have told you over several years. Kuekue.¡± Standing back up and taking a step backward, Cynrik smiled at Gabby and nced at his brother.

    Since he didn¡¯t have the time to send over all the info from his power-up yet, Brance was in the dark about what new skills he had gained, so he quickly came up with a way to show off and cheer up Gabby.

    ¡°On a distant, in another time and space, there is a legend, a legend about a mighty and rare being that appears once every one thousand years. This being is said to have a power like no other brought about by a fabled transformation.¡± Cynrik began a monologue after double-checking that there was still enough time until the spawn began.

    Smirking, Cynrik activated the first Lightning Affinity Skill, [Charge], and began absorbing ambient Lightning Mana particles into his body.

    As he spoke, tiny flickers of electricity crackled around his body, and Cynrik reached behind his head and removed his hair tie, allowing his shoulder-length hair to cascade down.

    ¡°Over many years, other powerful beings havee to know and fear this legend. One of which was a powerful Ice Demon, who, in his fear and exasperation, destroyed the home from whence the legend was born and then, many yearster, tried to destroy yet another world in an attempt to kill the being who had revived the myth.¡±

    Tsst, Tsst, Tsst.

    The intensity of the flickering sparks increased as Cynrik slowly spread his legs shoulder length apart and curled both his arms halfway up with balled-up fists. Next, he flexed his muscles as if he was straining against some kind of mysterious gravitational force.

    [Sit back and enjoy the show, little brother, you wanted me to cheer up the little Rabbit; have it your way, Tobs, y that cover I like for SSJ Vegeta¡¯s Theme.]

    -Now ying ¡°Vegeta Super Saiyan Theme¡± Guitar Cover by 94Stones.-

    [Cynrik¡­do we really have time for you to be so dramatic right now?] Rolling his eyes and clicking his tongue, Brance had already caught on with what his brother was doing.

    [Why, of course, we do, Brancie, we still have 30 seconds, plenty of time to ascend even further beyond kuekue.]

    ¡°Tell me, Gabby, are you ready to witness a power not seen for thousands of years?¡± Tilting his head to the side, Cynrik timed the activation of one of his new skills [Lightning Armor] with the music.

    ¡°Grrrr ahhh, ahhhhhhhh!¡± Cynrik grunted through grit teeth as his hair began rising, and a surge of visible purple energy swirled around his body.

    Creshendoing his vocalizations, Cynrik forcefully manipted the ambient Lightning Mana, molding it into the visual effect he wanted and making it swirl around his body in a shy and exciting way to witness.

    The pitch ck parts of his hair shed from its natural color to a dark glowing purple and back; his eyes seemed to be charged with electricity and glowed in a soft hue, making his violet eyes even more pronounced.

    The veins on his neck and arms bulged with exertion before giving way to his tense muscles expanding slightly. Exhaling through his teeth, Cynrik flinched his head upward before snapping it back down somewhat towards the ground.

    Gabby¡¯s small mouth dropped as she connected the dots at a distance of fewer than two meters. Byparing what Cynrik was saying with one of her favorite stories, she realized what was happening, and her saddened expression instantly switched to an excited and expectant one.

    ¡°You may not understand why I killed off those RaptorBasiliks without a second thought, elerating our timer and making it harder on us. I may have thrown off my n, but I¡¯d say the end MORE than justifies the means.¡± Cynrik said as he peeked at Brance, who sighed.

    ¡°Ivar, I don¡¯t understand; you¡¯ve never been one to allow your boredom to control you before; why start now.¡± He said, his words causing Gabby to beam up at him brightly.

    ¡°My boredom has reawakened me; it may have slowed me down, but I achieved what I dreamed of through it. It has returned me to the way I was before, brother, Gabby, bear witness. Through my new Lightning Affinity skill, I am bing the perfect warrior, cold and ruthless; I live by my strength alone.¡±

    ¡°Uninhibited by foolish emotions, yet slowly, as the years went by, I became one of you all. My journey for greatness gradually gave way to this life of boredom and uselessness.¡±

    ¡°I awoke one day to find that I had left home, joined an Academy, and formed a faction, a family. I had even grown quite fond¡­of some of you. It will take more than head games and boredom to stop me; I will break through and BECOME THE LEGENDARY SSJ!¡± Howling the finishing part of his monologue, Cynrik erupted with power as his [Lightning Armor] took full effect, changing his appearance into a bright purple SSJ. His hair fully spiked and shifted into a glowing purplish color along with his eyebrows, and sparks darted around him.

    WOOOOSSHHh, GWOOO, Shwee shweee shweee!

    Gabby was practically vibrating in excitement as she rapidly looked between the two brothers, ignoring that the Virtual creatures were getting ready to spawn. Instead, she allowed herself to be swept up by the moment.

    Shwee shweee shweee!

    ¡°Heh,¡± exhaling loudly, Cynrik straightened his back and smirked cockily at Gabby and Brance.

    ¡°Well, what do you think?¡± Lowering the tone of his voice into a more rugged and gruff octave, Cynrik said as he looked at the notifications floating in front of his eyes.

    -You have Activated [Lightning Armor]-

    -You will lose 1% of your Maximum Mana every 5 seconds that it is active.-

    -With this skill active, your AGI and DEX have increased by 1.5 times.-

    -Since you have activated [Lightning Armor] and have met the requirements, you are now able to use the Lightning Affinity Skills [sh Step], [Lightning Wall], [Pulse Wave], and [Shattering Bolt].-

    -Warning, because you are not used to this state, and your body is under heavy strain, if you keep [Lightning Armor] active for more than 5 minutes, you begin losing HP at a rate of 5% per second.-

    ¡°It¡¯s so cool! Big Bro, is this what your story¡¯s legendary SSJ looks like?¡± Gabby chirped in awe as she clenched her fists and bounced around Cynrik.

    ¡°Yes, except they are golden, hair and aura, with green eyes, unlike me.¡± Looking down at his hands and clenching them tightly, Cynrik examined the strange wisps of purple Mana surging out of his Codex and around his body.

    [You¡¯re fucking stupid.] Brance replied.

    [BAH! You bought into it yourself, don¡¯t y coy, Brancie.] Cocking his head to the side and examining the particle storm floating above the room, Cynrik¡¯s face suddenly got serious.

    ¡°Time¡¯s up; you guys stay here; I wanna test this out a bit.¡±

    |One minute has passed since the death of a Virtual Creature, now spawning two Early Tier-2 RaptorBasilisks.| (X12)

    The particle storm touched down on the ground and separated into multiple clusters, as everyone received the same notification 12 times, indicating that 24 RaptorBasilisk were being spawned simultaneously.

    The center of the room was suddenly flooded with creatures, making Gabby recoil in fear instantly. However, Brance calmly ced a hand on her shoulder and moved them back against the southern wall as Cynrik rolled out both of his arms and legs and got a feel for his increased AGI and DEX.

    ¡°Be careful, Big Bro,¡± Gabby softly spoke as she nervously watched Cynrik menacingly walk forward slowly while bathed in purple light.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, little rabbit; your concern ispletely unnecessary; I am, after all, the Legendary Super Saiyan.¡± Tossing a cocky smirk her way, Cynrik flicked his wrist, tapped his status a few times to assign his stat points, and sent over his updated stats to Brance.

    : Status :

    : Cynrik Ayke Jetlensr (Ivar the Boneless Ragnarsson):

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation, Perfect Clear Expert, Reforged Body, Mana Heart :

    : Demi-Human Male (90% Human, 10% ?sir):

    : Age-13:

    : Tier-2 :

    : Primary ss ¨C (Rogue) :(+0.2 DEX, +0.2 AGI)

    :Former: Tier-1 Thief : (+2 DEX, +2 AGI Distribution)

    : Sub-ss ¨C (Empty) :

    :Former: Tier-1 Engineer : (+2 To DEX Distribution)

    : Level: 0/35 0/252,616 :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 10,270,482 :

    : P-ss (Rogue): 0 ¨C XP :

    : S-ss (Empty): 0 ¨C XP :

    : Distribution: 2 Per All : (DEX 6.2, AGI 4.2)

    : Mana Codex &amp; Circuits Tier-3 :

    : Stage 5 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-2, 6.5g Resistance :

    : Credits: 80,000 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 16,200/16,200 :

    : Mana 13,690/13,690 :

    : Stamina 8100/8100 :

    : Stat Points- 17 : (-42)

    : Skill Points- 346 :

    : Strength- 605 : (+1)

    : Dexterity- 765: (+2) (LA Boost 1.5% = 1147.5)

    : Agility- 765: (+26) (LA Boost 1.5% = 1147.5)

    : Intelligence- 695 : (+4)

    : Vitality- 675 : (+2)

    : Mind- 655 : (+7)

    : Will Power- 73 :

    : Luck- 20 :

    : PSN Resistance- 25 :

    : Killing Intent- 453 ¨C 5.25G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier-2.5 (Expert): :Expand:

    :(AG) Fire-Tier-3 (Expert): :Expand:

    |:(SAG) Lightning-Tier-1 (Adept):|

    :(BG) Wind-Tier-2.5 (Adept): :Expand:

    [Fucking hell, what the shit happened to your MP, how the fuck is it so high now?] Scrolling through his brother¡¯s updated stat sheet, Brance exhaled sharply.

    [Check my Codex; it reached Tier-3 Stage 5, which came with a 5k boost. Anyway, I¡¯ll try not to kill all these guys instantly. Although my [Lightning Armor] doesn¡¯t increase my STR, the fact that it increased my DEX is plenty for damage output so long as I use a weapon.] With that said, Cynrik vanished from sight with a loud thunder crack and appeared directly in the center of the group of 24 RaptorBasilisk.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 314

    After several seconds without feeling anything other than a slow heartbeat, Benny gave up and reached over to the non-aged demon. Unlike previously, the instant he focused, he noticed a swirling heat from within the creature¡¯s chest and scrunched up his face in thought.

    ¡°Haiz, so the old demon¡¯s Codex has either been entirely powered down, or all its Mana was drained. Unfortunately, without one of the brothers present, I have no way of figuring out the specifics. Still, I can say without a doubt that the old-looking one is utterly devoid of any Mana particles in its body.¡± Benny stated as he reached over to the old demon, grasped its head, twisted forcefully, and broke its neck, ruthlessly killing it.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Begraz Demonoid.|

    |You have received 5 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received one KCP (Kill Counter Point).|

    |You have received one 1000 Essence, XP Crystals.|

    |You have received 3 Merit Points.|

    ¡°Let¡¯s clear them out; I¡¯m at 230 seconds left until the respawn begins, and we still need to kill off at least four more before we canfortably

    wait out the clock,¡± Benny stated as he punched the unaged demon¡¯s head, exploding it like a watermelon.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Begraz Demonoid.|

    |You have received 5 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received one KCP (Kill Counter Point).|

    |You have received one 1000 Essence, XP Crystals.|

    |You have received 3 Merit Points.|

    Nodding, Selene stepped forward and instantly killed off three nearby demons, while Benny killed the remainder, leaving only two alive.

    Looking at the two remaining demons, who were shaking in fear, Benny shook his head in disappointment.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Stepping up beside him with her spear resting on her right shoulder, Selene asked.

    ¡°The timer was thrown off. At least we stopped that demon from killing everything too fast. If we hadn¡¯t, then the respawn timer would have been decreased to almost nothing.¡± Benny said as he pushed over one of the demons trying to crawl away on its hands and knees with his foot.

    ¡°No kidding, I don¡¯t even want to think about having a revolving door of enemies. So long as we keep the respawn at 5 minutes, we are good.¡± Selene huffed as she fought the urge to smack the second crawling demon with the butt of her spear.

    ¡°During the first group, we were able to waste six minutes; it took us a minute to kill off the right amount, and then we burned the full respawn timer.¡± ncing away from the injured creature and up to the timer, which showed 05:17, Benny frowned.

    ¡°We spent a full 37 minutes dealing with the creatures and still have three minutes until they respawn. Ideally, I¡¯d like to spend 30-45 minutes per group, but if we face another situation as we did with that ck demon, things will get tricky.¡±

    ¡°So from now on, we kill those things the moment they appear, no if and¡¯s or butts.¡± Turning away from the clock and meeting Selene¡¯s gaze, Benny stored both his weapons on his back and crossed his arms.

    ¡°Alright, no biggy, 30-45 minutes plus five means we should have to fight something like 7-10 more groups if all goes well,¡± Selene replied as she carved the math out on a nearby pir. Since it was never her strong suit, even with high INT and MIND stats, Selene still had difficulty doing number calctions in her head; even the simplest ones would leave her stumped for a couple of minutes. So when Benny checked her math, he sighed and felt the need to exin.

    ¡°Un, the problem is though, we will have to face more groups than that if we each want to earn the required points. Right now, I have thirteen KCP, while you only have eight. So I will need 137 more kills, and you still need 142.¡± While he spoke, Benny held up one hand representing Selene and the other himself as he counted the total of enemies in on his fingers.

    ¡°The fact that we need to kill 300 or more demons and only have a little over five hours to do so means that we will have to reduce the timer further, so we will have to manipte the clock in 30-minute intervals or go crazy at the end.¡±

    ¡°Hold on, if we do 30-minute intervals, that¡¯s ten groups which make the maximum number we can see what¡­.¡± Selene started asking while chewing on her bottom lip and carving out ten times 30.

    ¡°It¡¯s 300; even Selene. However, that is the ABSOLUTE BEST CASE, which only happens if we consecutively hit 30 demon groups the whole time. The time we need to waste increases or shortens depending on how many enemies spawn in the waves.¡±

    ¡°If we hit a shit luck streak and consecutively hit ten creature groups, we can¡¯t allow the timer to go on for too long. So starting from here on out, here¡¯s what we do.¡± Walking over and taking the spear from Selene¡¯s hand, Benny carved the numbers 10, 20, and 30 on the pir in an open space.

    ¡°If a group of ten demons spawns, we blitz them. The goal is to evenly split the pack before killing eight as quickly as possible, leaving only two alive.¡±

    ¡°This triggers the five-minute respawn timer, and we will hold out until it counts all the way down before wiping out the final two, as we are doing now.¡±

    Circling the number ten with arge bubble, he wrote ¡°kill eight demons evenly ASAP¡± and continued speaking.

    ¡°Our targetpletion time for the small group should be no more than 7-8 minutes, of which five is the respawn timer, so I want to clear it within 2-3.¡± Quickly adding the minute goal, Benny scooted over and circled the number 20.

    ¡°For the medium-sized group, 20 demons, things are slightly different. Even if we evenly split the pack in half, that is still ten creatures each, and we will have to kill 18 quickly. With this group and therger 30 demon group, there are a lot of wildcards in y.¡±

    ¡°For example, in the group we are finishing, there were two boss monsters, the Ogodoth and Veb¡¯lema, who were both Tier-2. The blue guy had to be separated from the others due to its size and danger, making it harder to clear our way through the smaller opponents. For this batch, we take out the threats first, the Tier-2s, and then pick apart the little guys.¡±

    Benny quickly wrote down Target Tier-2s and then split the group.

    ¡°The estimated timer for 20 creature groups is 15-20 minutes, factoring in the respawn timers, that means 20-25 minutes total.¡±

    Pausing for a moment and checking the clock, Benny noted that there were only 90 seconds left until they needed to kill the two remaining demons and moved over to the number 30.

    ¡°Lastly, we have thergest group, and the one that will not only give us the most points but also pose the biggest problem regarding time constraints.¡±

    ¡°As we know, there will be three Tier-2 creatures spawned in this group, and we need to ount for that. The strategy will beplicated for whoever has to do it, but one of us needs to peel off all three bosses, leaving the other person to wipe out 25 of the Tier-1 creatures single-handedly.¡±

    ¡°I say 25 because two must be left alive, so we don¡¯t affect the respawn timer. Once the bulk of the demons is dealt with, and there are two cripple creatures left over, only then can the second person join the fight against the three bosses.¡±

    Although Benny was constantly throwing out numbers because he was writing it all down, Selene was able to follow, so shemitted the n to memory and was focused on his following words.

    ¡°Now, if we get another demon with that weird Affinity as a boss, I will be the one drawing their aggro and leading them to the far side of the room, where you will be unrestrained in dealing with the Tier-1s.¡±

    ¡°I would LIKE to set the ideal time for clearing the 30 group packs as high as possible, but if we spend too much time, we run the risk of not only not getting enough kills toplete the challenge, but we also be more prone to idents.¡±

    ¡°So for now, I have to cap the clock at 35 minutes, with the respawn timer included.¡± Finishing up his n, Benny stepped back and reviewed his written strategy in silence for a few seconds.

    ¡°Well shit, Benny boy, where was this n when we first started?¡± Smiling at the boy, lost in thought, Selenemented.

    ¡°I had the barebones when we killed the first group. But it wasn¡¯t until I saw the ck demon¡¯s Affinity that I had to toss everything aside and focus on the rest of the challenge.¡±

    ¡°It was paramount that I figured something out fast since going into wave three, our scores were already pulling away from each other, so I had to find a way to even them out.¡±

    |The Respawn Time will pse in 30 seconds.|

    |The Current KCP Count is as Follows, Benjamin Sanford: 13, Selene Nilsson: 8.|

    |Generating opponents for the Next Wave.|

    ¡°Ok, get ready,¡± handing Selene back her spear, Benny briskly jogged over to the demon he had kicked over earlier, unsheathed his Estoc, and pinned it to the ground with the blunt side of his weapon.

    ¡°15 seconds.¡± Benny calmly said while Selene got in position and waited for his signal.

    ¡°10.¡±

    ¡°5.¡±

    ¡°NOW!¡± In unison, the two killed their poor excuse for an enemy and received the notifications, bringing Benny up to 14 points and Selene to 9.

    |Now spawning Thirty opponents, Chosen Race: Demonoid.|

    |Spawning Ten Peak Tier-1 Begraz Demonoids, Five Peak Tier-1 Ollmarug Demonoids, Five Peak Tier-1 Tiz¡¯gog Demonoids, Five Peak Tier-1 Vir¡¯eth Demonoids, Two Peak Tier-1 Bar¡¯an Demonoids, Two Early Tier-2 Ogodoth Demonoids, and One Early Tier-2 Tolmoth Demonoid.|

    ¡°MOTHER FUCKER!¡± Selene screamed anxiously as she noticed there was not one but two Ogodoths they would have to deal with now. With nervous eyes, she watched the particle storm descend and break off into three separate clusters, which then became 30 shapes by the time it touched down on the ground.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get distracted; I will deal with them until you can get rid of the rest, steamroll them, Selene, and waste as little time as possible.¡± Kicking off the ground and rushing forward, Benny manifested three [Water Spears] over his head with his left arm and threw them directly at the two ck demons and the new fifteen-meter tall, obese orange demon called a Tolmoth.

 Chapter 315

    |Spawning Ten Peak Tier-1 Begraz Demonoids, Five Peak Tier-1 Ollmarug Demonoids, Five Peak Tier-1 Tiz¡¯gog Demonoids, Five Peak Tier-1 Vir¡¯eth Demonoids, Two Peak Tier-1 Bar¡¯an Demonoids, Two Early Tier-2 Ogodoth Demonoids, and One Early Tier-2 Tolmoth Demonoid.|

    ¡°MOTHER FUCKER!¡± Selene screamed anxiously as she noticed there was not one but two Ogodoths they would have to deal with now.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get distracted; I will deal with them until you can get rid of the rest, steamroll them, Selene, and waste as little time as possible.¡± Kicking off the ground and rushing forward, Benny manifested three [Water Spears] over his head with his left arm and threw them directly at the two ck demons, and the new fifteen-meter tall, obese orange Demon called a Tolmoth.

    SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH.

    All three spears mmed into the Tier-2 Demons with varying effects.

    The two Ogodoths were swept off their feet and sprawled onto their backs with a loud ssh as the Mana constructs exploded into a liquid shower.

    Meanwhile, the fat orange Tolmoth merely grunted unhappily and wiped the water from its belly before snorting and rolling its upper lip to expose a set of disgustingly unsanitary teeth.

    Benny never aimed to kill or even maim the three targets with his attack; instead, the [Water Spears] only carried the purpose of drawing the aggro of the Tier-2 bosses.

    *SHRILL WHISTLE*

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, youzy bunch of ugly creeps.¡± Whistling in a sharp tone and shouting to get the attention of the two Ogodoths as they got back to their feet, Benny spat some antagonistic words and sprinted off to the far side of the room.

    The two ck demons roared furiously since their pride as Royals had been tainted by the ugly scene of them being knocked down so easily; thus, they quickly chased after Benny, leaving the fat orange demon to lumber over at its own pace.

    The moment the two Ogodoths had left the immediate vicinity of the rest of the group, Selene activated [Void Shift]. She moved into action, flying forward as a particle cloud and making contact with the 27 demons left behind.

    Passing through the confused creatures, she deactivated her skill and swapped over to using [Void Domain.]

    Upon its activation, a hazy mist descended on the group, triggering a disorientation effect on the 27 creatures and making them scream and shout in both confusion and fear as they suddenly could no longer see anything, a side effect of Selene¡¯s domain.

    Following Benny¡¯s n to the letter, Selene moved agilely in the darkness, bashing her shield into two demons who were close together; her attack had so much force behind it that the first creature it hit exploded into gore and soon particles upon contact.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Begraz Demonoid.|

    |You have received 5 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received one KCP (Kill Counter Point).|

    |You have received one 1000 Essence, XP Crystals.|

    |You have received 3 Merit Points.|

    The second Demon fared slightly better, as it noticed something at the veryst second and activated a skill turning its body into solid rock.

    However, this wasn¡¯t enough to stop Selene¡¯s brutality. When she noticed only one kill notification, she spun her spear and rapidly thrust forward, shattering the stone creature and soon after receiving the notification.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Bar¡¯an Demonoid.|

    |You have received 5 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received one KCP (Kill Counter Point).|

    |You have received one 1000 Essence, XP Crystals.|

    |You have received 3 Merit Points.|

    ¡®Noted, the little purple demons with green markings can turn themselves to stone; I wonder if they¡¯re poisonous too? I wonder what their rtion to Gorgons is.¡¯ Selene thought as she remembered a mythical creature that could turn people to stone by looking in its eyes and had a super powerful poison.

    Shrugging her shoulders, Selene moved on and began a massacre under cover of her domain, taking out a new creature with each strike of her spear or shield.

    Meanwhile, Benny was struggling to escape harm¡¯s way on the opposite side of the room. As it turns out, two pissed-off Ogodoth were no joke.

    Having followed Benny across the hundred-meter wide room, they activated their strange Affinities to undergo the same drastic transformation as the one he facedst time.

    The fight had already progressed by 15-20 rounds by the time the orange fatty arrived. Through this short but fast-paced battle, Benny confirmed that as long as he did not use any Mana, he could effectively render the ga and tinum-colored Mana useless.

    Panting slightly as he leaned to the side and avoided a shimmering w attack, Benny returned fire with his Estoc, flourishing it like a fencing foil and stabbing one of the Ogodoths in its shoulders before it could recoil and put space between them.

    Wheeling around to the left and spinning, Benny deflected a flying side-kick from the second ck Demon and pushed against the creature, flinging it against the wall with a hard THUD.

    |Your teammate has sessfully Killed a Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Bar¡¯an Demonoid.|

    |Your teammate has received one KCP (Kill Counter Point).|

    |Your teammate has sessfully Killed a Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Vir¡¯eth Demonoid.|

    |Your teammate has received one KCP (Kill Counter Point).|

    |Your teammate has sessfully Killed a Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Begraz Demonoid.|

    |Your teammate has received one KCP (Kill Counter Point).|

    |Your teammate has sessfully Killed a Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Ollmarug Demonoid.|

    |Your teammate has received one KCP (Kill Counter Point).|

    |Your teammate has sessfully Killed a Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Tiz¡¯gog Demonoid.|

    |Your teammate has received one KCP (Kill Counter Point).|

    ¡®That¡¯s seven down so far, but why is she singling them out by type?¡¯ Benny thought as he ducked under another flying kick and rolled forward right in front of the big orange fatty.

    ¡°Groo!¡± The Tolmoth grunted as it tried bending over and reaching for Benny, unfortunately for it, but luckily for Benny, the creature¡¯s massive fat rolls kept it from bending over far enough to catch him.

    The creature¡¯s inability to move flexibly allowed Benny to hop out of reach and smack away its greasy hands with the blunt side of his Estoc.

    CRACK

    The moment his weapon came in contact with the orange Demon¡¯s sausage-like chubby fingers, a loud crack bounced off the walls, followed by a pained bellow from the creature as all 12 of its greasy fingers snapped at an awkward angle.

    After diving forward and rolling away from the Tolmoth, Benny reached the Ogodoth, which was drunkenly getting up after being thrown into the wall. Running forward and jumping into the air, Benny cocked back his shield arm, twisted his upper body to the left, and unleashed a powerful hook punch ramming the sharp, rounded edge of his Aspis into the creature¡¯s chest.

    The attack pinned the creature to the wall as its dizzied eyes flung open in horror. It had never expected the human, who had left it alone at first, to return so quickly and rush to attack it.

    Looking down at the shiny iron shield embedded halfway into its chest, the Ogodoth¡¯s eyes rolled back into its head as the lower half of its body, under its ribcage, sunk to the ground leaving behind a trail of slick blue blood and entrails before shattering into particles.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 10, Early Tier-2 Virtual Ogodoth Demonoid.|

    |You have received 10 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received one KCP (Kill Counter Point).|

    |You have received a 10000 Essence, XP Crystal.|

    |You have received 6 Merit Points.|

    Flicking his eyes toward the notifications, Benny pulled his Aspis from the cracked wall, hopped up, and kicked off the stone construct, moving out of the way of an intensely hot glob of reddish-orange liquid.

    Upon sshing against the wall, the liquid sttered before hardening into ck obsidian rock.

    ¡°What the hell? Is that Magma?¡± Benny said under his breath as he ducked under a second hot st of liquid.

    But before he could head towards its source, the Tolmoth, the remaining Ogodoth, appeared and kicked Benny square in the stomach, flinging him through the air and causing him to crash through a pir and receive 3800 damage.

    ¡°Kekeke.¡± The Ogodoth cackled in its creepy voice while stepping up beside therger and significantly more robust Orange Fatty.

    ¡°Groo hoho,¡± in response to the smaller ck demons¡¯ughter, the Tolmoth soon joined in, giggling alongside theughing ck royal Demon.

    ¡°Ugh, damn, that came out of nowhere. It¡¯s bad enough that the ck Demon is so fast, but now I have to contend with range attacks from that fat bastard.¡± Struggling back to his feet and rubbing his left shoulder, Benny raised his shield and ced his Estoc on top of the sharp, rounded edge of his Aspis.

    |Your teammate has sessfully Killed Three Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Begraz Demonoids.|

    |Your teammate has received three KCPs (Kill Counter Point).|

    |Your teammate has sessfully Killed Two Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Tis¡¯gog Demonoids.|

    |Your teammate has received two KCPs (Kill Counter Point).|

    ¡®That¡¯s five more down;e on, Selene, hurry up.¡¯ Bennyined in his heart as he rushed forward and blocked a flurry of w attacks from the Ogodoth before being forced to sidestep out of the way of another Liquid Magma st.

    ¡®So long as this freaking annoying ck Demon is alive, I can¡¯t counter the orange guy with my Affinity Skills.¡¯ Puffing out a sharp breath, Benny tapped the ground with his left foot and jumped behind a pir; as two more Magma sts sloshed by and mmed into a nearby wall.

    Benny whipped his head around, hearing the ssh behind him, and felt dread grip his heart. Without realizing where he was going, he backed himself into the corner of the room, eliminating any escape route.

    ¡°Careless,¡± Benny cursed as he tried to dash from one pir to the next. Still, to his dismay, the two Tier-2 Demons caught on to what he was nning and circled around him, goading him back into the corner, where the Tolmoth continuedying down suppressive fire with Magma attacks.

    BOOOOMMMM!

    |Your teammate has sessfully Killed Five Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Begraz Demonoids.|

    |Your teammate has received five KCPs (Kill Counter Point).|

    |Your teammate has sessfully Killed four Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Ollmarug Demonoids.|

    |Your teammate has received four KCPs (Kill Counter Point).|

    |Your teammate has sessfully Killed Two Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Vir¡¯eth Demonoids.|

    |Your teammate has received four KCPs (Kill Counter Point).|

    Benny¡¯s eyes went wide as he saw and felt arge explosion rumble through the ground. Turning his head and juking away from the line of fire behind a pir, Benny saw that Selene had activated her Tier-2 Valk-Vanguard Skill [Fe Darraer Kostr] and wiped out eleven demons in one strike.

    ¡°I¡¯M COMING, BENNY BOY; HANG IN THERE!¡± Selene shouted as she rushed forward and attacked the remaining four demons, two Tiz¡¯gog and two Vir¡¯eth.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 316

    ¡°I¡¯M COMING, BENNY BOY; HANG IN THERE!¡± Selene shouted as she rushed forward and attacked the remaining four demons, two Tiz¡¯gog and two Vir¡¯eth.

    Although Her voice broke through the [Void Domain], Selene didn¡¯t have time to focus on it. Rushing forward, she unleashed a series ofbination stabs and shes with her spear with one arm at the first Tiz¡¯gog before twirling it and bashing in the skull of the second, killing them quickly.

    |You have sessfully Killed two Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Tiz¡¯gog Demonoids.|

    |You have received 10 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received two KCPs (Kill Counter Point).|

    |You have received two 1000 Essence, XP Crystals.|

    |You have received 6 Merit Points.|

    Earlier, when she peeked outside of her domain, she noticed Benny being backed into the southwest corner of the room and decided now was as good a time as ever to use her Valk-Vanguard Skill [Fe Darraer Kostr].

    Even though it had a hefty two-week cooldown, Selene felt it was necessary to use it at that moment. There was no telling if her teammate would be able toe out of the ambushid by the two boss monsters in one piece, and with that thought in mind, she went ahead and used one of her trump skills.

    Kicking through the particle remains of the two deceased creatures, Selene ran down the remaining green, sickly emaciated Vir¡¯eth Demons and, with a wave of her sharp spear, cut the tendons in their legs, causing the two creatures to copse in a heap on the ground.

    ¡°Reeek, ahhhrk,¡± the first disabled creature cried as it tried crawling away from the monster of a human, Selene, but she was too fast.

    Storing her shield on her back, Selene retrieved two backup spears, impaled one of its arms and one of its legs to the ground, and replicated the process with the second.

    With all of her backup weapons holding the two injured demons in ce, Selene deactivated her [Void Domain] and immediately ran off to help out Benny, who was in a precarious situation at the moment.

    While Selene was dealing with the remaining demons, he had been firmly forced into a five-meter radius. He had spent thest few minutes working on finding out where his enemy¡¯s blind spots were.

    The result was him not being able to step more than a couple of meters outside the cover of the pir he was currently hiding behind.

    ¡®Selene is done, but she can¡¯t just jump right into battle. Not to mention, the respawn timer has already begun, and there is still a little over three minutes until more creatures spawn.¡¯ As he pondered what to do, Benny peeked his head out from behind the pir only to be forced to tuck back behind cover due to another glob of Magma that was shot at his head.

    ¡®Think, think, what would Cynrik and Brance do right now?¡¯ Looking around the area for some answer, Benny resorted to trying to simte what resolution the brothers would find, given that they were in his position.

    Closing his eyes and resting his back against the pir, Benny envisioned Brance and Cynrik standing in the spot he was. In his imagination, the two were arguing about what course of action to take.

    ¡°Cynrik, you can¡¯t just run out there recklessly. Sure, you are fast, but the instant you clear the range of the Tolmoth, the Ogodoth will be right there to beat you back into the corner.¡± Imaginary Brance grumbled as he used his shield like a mirror to spot the enemy¡¯s positions.

    ¡°Bullshit, I know for a fact that I am faster than that ck demon; the only annoying thing is how I am supposed to deal with its weird Affinity. If I didn¡¯t have to worry about that, I could use my stealth skill to get around behind those two and wipe them out.¡± I-Cynrik snarkily replied while jamming a finger into his I-Brother¡¯s back.

    But then, I-Cynrik suddenly stopped jabbing his finger and examined I-Brance¡¯s shield.

    ¡°Hold on, Hey, Brancie, what is the durability like on that shield of yours?¡± He asked while trying to swipe it off his I-Brother¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Hey, what the fuck, Cyn? Don¡¯t just take my equipment like a thief?¡± I-Brance scolded while rubbing his reddened arm where a mark had been left by the shield being yanked off.

    Despite theints, I-Cynrik ignored them and leaned to the side, exposing part of the shield. Half a secondter, a st of Magma smashed into the weapon, nearly ripping it from his hands before he retrieved it and examined the damage.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a n; itbines the best of both worlds. Your turtle shell and my reckless death charge, kuekue.¡±

    The moment the words left I-Cynrik¡¯s mouth, the scene puffed into smoke, and Benny opened his eyes and exhaled slowly.

    ¡°Seriously, those to morons would do something crazy like that.¡± Sighing to himself, Benny stored his Estoc on his back and replicated the actions he had seen in his mental scenario.

    Instead of using his Tier-1.5 Iron Aspis, Benny pulled out one of the backup Tier-1 Bronze Aspis from his inventory and then held it out in the open like a target for the Tolmoth.

    As expected, the instant the shiny metal shield came into in view; the dumb, fat orange demons spat out a mouth full of Magma.

    SHOOOM SPLAT!

    Just like he had imagined, the force behind the attack was nearly enough to rip the Bronze Aspis from his grasp. Still, by deflecting the attack slightly at an angle, the impact was mitigated a bit, allowing Benny to keep hold of the shield and pull it in for examination.

    Tssssss

    Feeling the heat and hearing the sizzling sounds the Magma was making upon contact with the metal, Benny quickly ced the shield down on the ground and examined it thoroughly.

    His eyes narrowed on the top right corner of the weapon, where the metal was glowing bright red and bubbling slightly, indicating just how hot the attack had been. So to get a better look at the damage, Benny generated a [Water Sphere]rge enough to cover the boiling area and dropped it onto the shield¡¯s surface, causing a burst of steam as the metal quickly cooled.

    It only took a couple of seconds for the glowing metal to return to normal; now, it was ckened instead of its formerly shiny appearance.

    Ting Ting

    Rapting his knuckles on the darkened spot, Benny scrunched up his face before knocking on an unaffected spot

    Tong Tong

    There was an unmistakable sound difference between the two spots, and Benny could tell its hardness had increased due to his actions.

    ¡®Ugh, what did that book say about Iron vs. Bronze.¡¯ Benny tried remembering what he read in the book on cksmithing he had bought the night before.

    ¡®Melting points¡­.what was it.¡¯ Drumming his fingers on the shield in thought, Benny heard some shuffling from his right, and when he looked up, he spotted Selene sneakily moving closer while using the pirs as cover.

    When their eyes met, Benny held up a hand, indicating for her to stay where she was and wait for his signal.

    ¡®Bronze melts somewhere around 900 degrees Celcius (1652 degrees Fahrenheit), and I think Iron is like 1500ish degrees Celcius (2732 Degrees Fahrenheit).¡¯

    ¡®And judging by how quickly the Magma superheated my shield, then it is definitely higher than that.¡¯

    ¡®The question is how much higher. Regardless, I don¡¯t really have many options here. But it also brings up another question: if I use the quenching method (Submerging hot metal in water), I can control the overall strength of my shield.¡¯

    ¡®Which will work, but I have no clue if that Ogodoth can take control of my Mana if I don¡¯t attack it and only use [Water Sphere] to cool down the Aspis from the inside.¡¯

    ¡®Fuck it. We only have a minute and a half to kill these two demons and move on to the ones I assume Selene crippled. There is no time left to think; if I don¡¯t make my move now, then we will get caught by the next wave.¡¯ Picking up the Bronze Aspis, Benny equipped it on his right arm.

    Wearing his Iron Aspis on his left and the Bronze on his right, Benny stood up and motioned for Selene to get ready before signaling that there were only 85 seconds until more demons respawn.

    ¡®Now or never,¡¯ Benny said as he took a deep breath and secured both shields firmly on his forearms.

    Bursting into motion, Benny lept from the left side of the pir and ran forward.

    Seeing him out in the open, the Ogodoth cackled while the cheeks of the Tolmoth swelled as it gathered Magma into its mouth and spat out a Magma st at Benny.

    However, Benny was prepared for this, and when the liquid Magma shot out of the orange fatty¡¯s mouth, he raised up his Bronze Aspis and swatted it out of the air as if using a tennis racket.

    While on the move, Benny quickly brought his left arm to the back of the hot glowing red part of the Bronze Aspis, gathered Water Mana, and quenched the shield, increasing its strength and darkening the metal.

    Seeing this, the Ogodoth stopped cackling and barked out the order to the Tolmoth to continuously fire more Magma.

    Two, three, four, after the fifth time that Benny deflected the attack alternating between his Iron Aspis and his Bronze Aspis while quenching the glowing metal, he arrived in front of the stunned Ogodoth and punched out with his left arm, connecting with the jaw of the creature and hurling it backward.

    ¡°NOW! TAKE OUT THE ORANGE ONE!¡± When the creature¡¯s feet left the ground, Benny jumped into the air and yelled to Selene to move.

    Without hesitating, Selene threw her spear with all her might and took off, sprinting behind it.

    Half a breathter, the spear pierced into the Tolmoth¡¯s throat, which began gushing out a mixture of blood and Magma as its head reared back and it howled in pain.

    But before it could do anything other than yell, Selene appeared in the air beside it and kicked the Tolmoth in the head, rocketing the blubbery fat creature to the right and making it crash into a pir with a loud BANG.

    As this happened, Benny, who was still airborne, ripped the Bronze Aspis off his right arm, gripped it with both hands over his head, andnded on top of the Ogodoth before bringing the weapon down like a guillotine and decapitating the ck demon.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 10, Early Tier-2 Virtual Ogodoth Demonoid.|

    |You have received 10 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received one KCP (Kill Counter Point).|

    |You have received a 10000 Essence, XP Crystal.|

    |You have received 6 Merit Points.|

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 317

    The center of the room was suddenly flooded with creatures, making Gabby recoil in fear instantly. However, Brance calmly ced a hand on her shoulder and moved them back against the southern wall as Cynrik rolled out both of his arms and legs and got a feel for his increased AGI and DEX.

    ¡°Be careful, Big Bro,¡± Gabby softly spoke as she nervously watched Cynrik menacingly walk forward slowly while bathed in purple light.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, little rabbit; your concern ispletely unnecessary; I am, after all, the Legendary Super Saiyan.¡± Tossing a cocky smirk her way, Cynrik flicked his wrist, tapped his status a few times to assign his stat points, and sent over his updated stats to Brance.

    [Fucking hell, what the shit happened to your MP, how the fuck is it so high now?] Scrolling through his brother¡¯s updated stat sheet, Brance exhaled sharply.

    [Check my Codex; it reached Tier-3 Stage 5, which came with a 5k boost. Anyway, I¡¯ll try not to kill all these guys instantly. Although my [Lightning Armor] doesn¡¯t increase my STR, the fact that it increased my DEX is plenty for damage output so long as I use a weapon.] Breathing slowly, Cynrik activated his new movement skill, [sh Step].

    Feeling the electricity in his body moving toward his legs, Cynrik stepped forward, and the world around him slowed down.

    ¡®First Step,¡¯ he said to himself as he traveled a total of five meters in an instant.

    ¡®Interesting, each step I take feels weird as hell. Traveling this distance with only one step is strange, and it looks like I¡¯ll need some more time to adjust. My perspective suggests that the ground is shrinking, and ording to the skill description, I should appear to be teleporting to Brance and Gabby.¡¯ Calmly walking forward at an average pace, Cynrik¡¯s pupils radiated purple light as he continually skipped ahead three meters at a time.

    TSSBOOOM!

    [Sit back and enjoy the show, little brother, shit¡¯s about to get real,] Waving his hand and sending over his new skill descriptions, Cynrik went on the offensive.

    ¡°Sixth Step,¡± He said aloud, as he suddenly appeared in the middle of the clustered together and confused RaptorBasilisks, which flinched due to his new skill¡¯s loud thundering boom.

    Watching his brother teleport over 18 meters away in the blink of an eye, Brance narrowed his eyes in confusion. But just as he was about to ask how, several notifications from Cynrik arrived. The first was for the same skill being used for what looked to Brance to be teleportation.

    -Tier-1 Lightning Affinity Skill [sh Step]-

    -Category: Active Movement Skill.-

    -By channeling the electricity charged in your body toward your legs and feet, you can enhance your movement speed greatly for a specified number of steps. Each step taken will cause you to travel 3 meters instantaneously as your body moves so fast in that step that it appears as if you teleported.-

    -This skill will stay active until the User has reached the Step Limit or deactivates the skill manually.-

    -Requirement: Must have [Lightning Armor] active and must have a minimum of 30 [Charge].-

    -Cost: 300 MP and 3 [Charge] Per Step.-

    -Step Limit: Up to 10 steps after activation for a total of 30 Meters.-

    -Cooldown: After deactivation, 15 minutes. ¨C

    ¡°Woah,¡± Brance said as he turned to exin the skill to Gabby, but when he faced her, he noticed the girl¡¯s eyes sparkling with awe and excitement, so Brance chose to let her watch the iing ughter in peace.

    [Alright then, show me what you¡¯ve got, Cyn. Oh, and please try not to kill everything in one shot.] Crossing his arms and leaning against the southern wall, Brance rolled his eyes.

    Smirking at his brother¡¯s words, Cynrik deactivated [sh Step] and threw both his arms out while crouching down.

    ¡°HA!¡±

    BZZZSZZTTT

    Activating another skill, [Discharge], Cynrik ignited a field of crackling high voltage electricity around his body in a dome, zapping all twenty-four of the dinos and causing them to shudder in pain while convulsing as the currents ran through their bodies.

    -Tier-0 Lightning Affinity Skill [Discharge]-

    -Category: Active AOE Crowd Control.-

    -By harnessing the power collected of your [Charge], you expel a dome-shaped wave of Lightning Mana in a 7-meter radius. All beings within the targeted area, except for the User, have a 50% chance of obtaining the Status Effect (Paralyze) for 30 seconds. There is also a 15% chance of inflicting (Burn) on enemies caught within the Area of Attack.-

    -Damage Calc: 1 [Charge] = 200 Static Damage.-

    -Requirement: Must have a [Charge] counter of at least 50.-

    -Cost: 750 MP, 25 [Charge].-

    -Cooldown: 1 minute.-

    -You have inflicted the Status (Paralyze) on 11 enemies within your [Discharge] range.-

    -You have inflicted the Status (Burn) on 2 of the enemies within your [Discharge] range.-

    -You have dealt 5000 damage to all 24 of your opponents.-

    Tapping the ground lightly and jumping into the air, Cynrik caught view of the eleven dinos under the effect of (Paralyze) and had to stop himself fromughing. All of the creatures were twitching on the ground like flies. Meanwhile, the two under (Burn) had ckened skin and feathers.

    Flicking his eyes to the floating number in the top left of his HUD, Cynrik noticed he still had around 43 more [Charge], so he extended his left arm, channeled Lightning Mana into his hand, and manifested his third new skill, [Lightning Javelin].

    -Tier-0 Lightning Affinity Skill [Lightning Javelin]-

    -Category: Active.-

    -As a Lightning Affinity user, you can weaponize the Mana Particles into a semi-physical construct, such as a powerful and fast Javelin.-

    -Creates up to three 2.5-meter Mana Javelins.-

    -Damage Calc: 2500 Static Damage.-

    -Requirement: Must have a [Charge] counter of at least 15.-

    -Cost: 500 MP, 5 [Charge]-

    -Cooldown: 30 seconds.-

    Instantly, three bolts of lightning in the form of a Javelin manifested and floated around Cynrik¡¯s hand in the north, west, and east positions. Once fully constructed, he made a throwing motion, and the three Mana constructs rocketed forward with a buzzing sound.

    BZZZSZZTTT BOOM BOOM BOOM

    Erupting with three thunderous roars, the Javelins connected and exploded on impact with three unlucky paralyzed dinos, flinging them away from the group like ragdolls.

    -You have dealt 2500 damage to your opponent.-

    -You have dealt 2500 damage to your opponent.-

    -You have dealt 2500 damage to your opponent.-

    Landing back on the ground, Cynrik vanished from sight as he flitted from one creature to the next like a pinball, kicking and punching all of them as he got used to the temporarily raised 1147.5 AGI stat.

    Surprisingly enough, during one particr assault on a dino, he received the notification he had been waiting to receive.

    -You have inflicted the Status Effect (Paralyze) on your opponent.-

    The whole point of relying on hand-to-handbat to bully the RaptorBasilisks was to see how often he could get the passive effect of his [Lightning Armor] to trigger.

    -Tier-1 Lightning Affinity Skill [Lightning Armor]-

    -Category: Active Boosted Mode.-

    -Once you have a high enough [Charge], your body bes baptized by Lightning Mana particles, and for a short time, you fuse with them, bing a hybrid Elemental being of Lightning Mana.-

    -Physical Damage Reduction: 25%.-

    -Metaphysical Damage Reduction: 50%.-

    -AGI and DEX have increased by 1.5 times.-

    -All Attacks will have a 5% chance of inflicting opponents with the Status Effect (Paralyze) upon making contact.-

    -So long as this skill is active, the User cannot use any Affinity Skills other than Lightning Affinity Skills.-

    -Requirement: Must have a [Charge] counter of at least 125.-

    -Bacsh: You are not used to this overcharged, and Mana saturated state; thus, your body is under heavy strain. If you keep this skill active for more than 5 minutes, the User loses HP at a rate of 5% Maximum HP per second.-

    -Activation Cost: 2500 MP, 100 Charge.-

    -Sustain Cost: 1% of Maximum Mana every 5 seconds.-

    -Cooldown: 1 hour.-

    Across the room, Brance narrowed his eyes and looked away from the skill description and toward Cynrik with [Mana Sight] active. At a nce, he could see how much Mana his older brother¡¯s body had running through it, and upon further observation, he noticed something frightening.

    Inside of Cynrik¡¯s Codex, the Lightning particles appeared to have forced the Fire, Wind, and even Dark Mana particles into submission, trapping them in the corner of the gem-like organ and rendering them unable to leave.

    After reading the skill description for [Lightning Armor] andparing it with what he saw, Brance determined this was the result of the drawback. The description detailed how so long as the skill was active, the ¡°User cannot use any Affinity Skills other than Lightning Affinity Skills.¡± But it wasn¡¯t that simple; it was as if the Lightning Particles hadplete dominance over Cynrik¡¯s body and blocked all other Mana from running through it.

    ¡®That¡¯s a severe downside for Cyn, considering how much he loves ying in the shadows. Yet, as double-edged as this skill is, it opens many doors for him offensively, and if he pairs it up with his weapons, the DPS he can output will skyrocket for a short time.¡¯ Brance thought as he watched his brother bounce from one enemy to the next, draining their HP rapidly.

    Peeling his eyes from the battlefield, Brance nced up at the clock. Two minutes had passed since Cynrik activated his [Lightning Armor].

    ¡°I think there is something wrong with Big Bro.¡± After Cynriknded a particrly devastating uppercut, which forced a dino to do a backflip beforending on its belly, Gabby tugged at Brance¡¯s sleeve, pulling his attention away from the fight.

    ¡°Huh? What do you mean? What can you see, Gabby?¡± Brance asked. It was no secret that she had the best eyesight in the party, so if she said she saw something off with Cynrik, Brance was inclined to believe her.

    ¡°Before he throws a cross or hook, his left arm¡¯s muscles spasm erratically,¡± Gabby said as she pointed out what she had noticed.

    Looking away from her, Brance channeled a small amount of Mana into his eyes and focused on Cynrik¡¯s left arm. Sure enough, right after throwing any punch, be it a cross, jab, uppercut, or hook, all of the muscles on his entire arm would suddenly tense up before rxing after his fist was impacted with a RaptorBasilisk.

    ¡°There, did you see it?¡± Gabby asked without moving her eyes away from Cynrik.

    ¡°Yeah, I think it¡¯s Bacsh from the skill.¡± Brance quickly exined the skill description for [Lightning Armor] to Gabby, causing her to wiggle her nose left and right cutely as she mulled over the information.

    ¡°If he is already seeing effects like that after only two and a half minutes, then by the time he reaches three or even four minutes, it will begin slowing him down. Knowing Big Bro¡¯s pain tolerance, the issue is that he will likely ignore the signs of Bacsh and write them off as muscle fatigue.¡± Gabby analyzed.

 Chapter 318

    ¡°There, did you see it?¡± Gabby asked without moving her eyes away from Cynrik.

    ¡°Yeah, I think it¡¯s Bacsh from the skill.¡± Brance quickly exined the skill description for [Lightning Armor] to Gabby, causing her to wiggle her nose left and right cutely as she mulled over the information.

    ¡°If he is already seeing effects like that after only two and a half minutes, then by the time he reaches three or even four minutes, it will begin slowing him down. Knowing Big Bro¡¯s pain tolerance, the issue is that he will likely ignore the signs of Bacsh and write them off as muscle fatigue.¡± Gabby analyzed.

    [Cyn, pay attention to your body.] Taking in the information from Gabby, Brance alerted Cynrik to his situation.

    [Tsk, who do you think I am? Benny? I already noticed I was feeling resistance with my attacks. My arms and legs are freaking out after releasing a chambered attack, but with the force of the collision, the muscles go back to normal, like a spring.] Kicking off the ground and flipping, Cynrik dodged several angry tailwhips and returned fire with a flurry of kicks, making his opponents spit teeth as he connected with their jaws.

    However, when he threw thest kick, Cynrik¡¯s right calf cramped up, and he nearly fell whennding. If not for his situational awareness and being close to a pir, he would have ended up right in the line of fire of several pissed-off and aggressive dinosaurs.

    Instead, he leaned back, gripped his calf with his right hand, and kicked off the pir with his left leg, lunging forward and tackling one of the dinos still under (Burn).

    ¡°ANNK RAHNNK,¡± the creature cried as Cynrik barreled into it full force and pinned it to a pir while punching it repeatedly in the ribs.

    -You have dealt 2035 damage to your opponent.-

    -You have dealt 592 damage to your opponent.-

    -You have dealt 718 damage to your opponent.-

    -You have dealt 323 damage to your opponent.-

    -You have dealt 906 damage to your opponent.-

    [Get ready; I¡¯ve got most of them down to 5k already, I am deactivating my skill in 15 seconds, 3 minutes is my limit, for now, any longer, and I¡¯m pretty sure my body will start going out of control more frequently like just now.] Pushing off the injured creature, fracturing its ribs further, Cynrik bounced backward and made a break for it toward the trap.

    Luckily, he had injured most of the RaptorBasilisks so severely that most of the twenty-four were eitherying on the ground moaning weakly or just straight up unconscious.

    But to Cynrik¡¯s surprise, when he looked over his shoulder, he had seven dinos chasing after him.

    Wearing a smirk on his face, Cynrik deactivated [Lightning Armor] precisely three minutes after he first activated it and was suddenly ovee with a wave of exhaustion as the excess Lightning Mana particles evaporated from his body in purplish steam.

    His physical features quickly returned to normal, and his shoulder-length ck hair cascaded around his neck and shoulders. And after letting out a loud and exhausted sigh, Cynrik pulled out a hair tie from his inventory before tying his hair into a ponytail and leading his Aggroed opponents into the confinement area.

    [The rest are up to you two. I left you guys the cripples and weak, but there are still 17 left over, so figure out how you will split them.] Leaning forward and drawing his dagger from its sheath on his back, Cynrik threw it toward the top of the pir in the far corner and, after jumping back and forth for a few seconds, perched himself on top of it, high above the panting and tired dinos.

    ¡®Fuck I burned a lot of Mana testing those skills out, and I still have a handful I didn¡¯t get to use.¡¯ Cynrikined to himself as he pulled up his stats and noticed the loss of resource stats.

    When he first unlocked his new Affinity, he had recovered all his MP as a reward, but it began dwindling the instant he started using [Charge].

    -Tier-0 Lightning Affinity Skill [Charge]-

    -Category: Active Mana Gathering and Conversion Skill .-

    -All Skills need a power source. For Lightning Affinity Users, that power source isn¡¯t the particles themselves but how you harness Lightning Particles and convert them into usable energy.-

    -This skill allows the User to use the Lightning Mana stored in their Codex and the Ambient Lightning Mana in their body, effectively allowing the User¡¯s Body to keep more Mana than initially possible.-

    -More Ambient Particles are required to convert them into [Charge] counters, and drawing in and converting Ambient Mana Particles will drain the User¡¯s Stamina.-

    -Cost: Converts Mana collected into [Charge], 1 Charge= 25 Of User¡¯s Own Mana Particles, or 250 Ambient Mana Particles.-

    -Cooldown: Once you stop charging Mana, 2 minutes.-

    Using the skill, he lost over 3k MP to bring his [Charge] counter up to 201. So from the get-go, Cynrik had practically burned the free 5k Mana that, if he didn¡¯t Evolve his Fire Affinity, wouldn¡¯t exist.

    Next, he used [Lightning Armor], which burned 2500 MP, followed by [sh Steps], taking away 1800 MP.

    After that was [Discharge] costing him 750, andstly [Lightning Javelin] took 1500. So the total amount of MP he lost fighting those 24 RaptorBasilisks, was 9,550, or a little over 70% of his Mana Pool, leaving him with only 4k in the tank.

    Not to mention his muscles were continuously twitching now that his [Lightning Armor] had been deactivated. Luckily Cynrik hadn¡¯t tried pushing himself to the absolute limit of five minutes; otherwise, there is a good possibility that he would have been utterly fucked.

    Heaving another tired sigh, Cynrik withdrew two Mana Potions from his inventory, uncorked them, and guzzled the clear liquid down, restoring himself back up to roughly 60% before gazing down at the seven creatures huddled around his pir trying to climb up.

    Tossing them a smile and wave, Cynrik activated [Spectre Concealment], downed a Health potion to curb the muscle spasms, retrieved his dagger, and lept down to the ground behind the dinos.

    [Are you guys in position? Time¡¯s almost up, and we need to keep going. Gabby and You only have three kills each, so you guys can bolster your numbers to catch up to my 15. Just be prepared; we have 48 of these bad boys spawning next round, and I can¡¯t see the clock from here, but I¡¯m pretty sure there are 18 minutes left on the clock, meaning we wasted too much time, and I kind of fucked up the counts.]

    [Who¡¯s we, Gabby and I sure weren¡¯t the ones wasting our time spamming new attacks for literally no reason other than to alleviate boredom.] Brance retorted as he walked up and activated [White Dwarf], making five equal-sized marbles and rolling them around in his palm.

    [LISTEN, it was totally necessary¡­even if I did burn 70% of my Mana pool¡­to test out five of my eight new skills. I needed to know the extent of their strength for future nning. Bah, whatever, hurry up and kill your targets. When the next wave starts, we go batshit crazy and pick them off as fast as possible.] Cynrik replied as he activated [Charge] and began converting Ambient Mana at the cost of his Stamina while supplementing when need is with his own Mana.

    His Stamina was still looking good, so that meant he could burn some of it without worry. Plus, of all the potions he had in his inventory, it was the Stamina ones that he had barely used so far.

    Outside of the trap, Brance rolled his eyes and motioned for Gabby to close her eyes.

    Receiving the signal, Gabby stopped working on creating [Psychic Disks], of which she had a small army of floating behind her, and tightly shut her eyes before covering them with her hands and moving behind a pir for good measure.

    Once Brance was sure Gabby was safe, he took a deep breath and hurled all the marbles one after another, ensuring that all eight targets were within range.

    BBBBBBBBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM

    It barely took a second for the five milky white spheres to travel the 10-meter distance between him and the RaptorBasilisks before a massive explosion rocked the entire room, nearly making Gabby and Cynrik fall over.

    [WHAT THE FUCK BRANCE! WARN A GUY BEFORE YOU START BLOWING SHIT UP!] Cynrik howled into the mind link as he patted his chest. The explosion had nearly scared him silly.

    But Brance ignored his brother¡¯s angry rant and focused on the rolling notifications.

    |You have sessfully Killed 3 Level 10, Early Tier-2 Virtual RaptorBasilisks.|

    |You have sessfully Killed 2 Level 9, Early Tier-2 Virtual RaptorBasilisks.|

    |You have sessfully Killed 3 Level 11, Early Tier-2 Virtual RaptorBasilisks.|

    |You have received 80 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received eight KCPs (Kill Counter Point).|

    |Total KCP = Eleven points.|

    |You have received 8 10000 Essence, XP Crystals.|

    |You have received 48 Merit Points.|

    |You have triggered the Respawn Timer; (16) Virtual opponents will be generated in one minute.|

    ¡°GABBY NOW!¡± Looking away from the notifications and seeing that the bright sh had subsided, Brance alerted Gabby it was her turn. On cue, the girl rolled out from behind the pir andunched over 30 disks, each connecting with her desired targets, reaping the remaining creatures of their lives.

    |Your Teammate has sessfully Killed 4 Level 10, Early Tier-2 Virtual RaptorBasilisks.|

    | Your Teammate has sessfully Killed 3 Level 9, Early Tier-2 Virtual RaptorBasilisks.|

    | Your Teammate has sessfully Killed 2 Level 11, Early Tier-2 Virtual RaptorBasilisks.|

    |Your Teammate has triggered the Respawn Timer; (18) Virtual opponents will be generated in one minute.|

    Nodding and motioning for Gabby to run over to the southwest corner of the room, where Cynrik was previously posted up, Brance jogged over to where Gabby had spent the previous rounds and waited for Cynrik¡¯s kill notifications.

    Back in the trap, Cynrik clicked his tongue, manifested seven golfball-sized Blue fireballs, and wiped out his seven enemies in one go before ignoring the notifications and jogging outside of the trap.

    When he was clear of the high walls, he noticed that Gabby was in the far corner of the room, and Brance had posted up in the spot they had first teleported.

    [Oi, why are you swapping positions?] He asked while crossing his arms and pouting.

    [Shut the hell up; your decision-making authority has been revoked for the duration of this challenge. Your dumb kill-stealing ass is banished to the trap area.] Brance spat as he watched the particle cloud expanding near the ceiling.

    [What kind of backward bull shit is that? YOU WILL RESPECT, MAH AUTHORITAH!]

    [Shut the fuck up, fat ass, and get back to your damn corner! There are 48 bogeys inbound, and we don¡¯t have time to argue; we just burned another minute.] Turning his head away from Cynrik and watching the particle storm descend, Brance took a deep breath and began channeling all three of his Affinities.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 319

    In a different realm, Yennifer sat in hermand chair, watching Benny and Selene tear through one wave after another of creatures.

    Every now and then, Headmaster Rivia would nce over at the monitor disying their challenge, but due to the 1:6 time dtion, all he could make out was a blurry and fast-moving scene.

    Unlike Yennifer, who was a digital entity, his eyes couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of the footage that appeared to be sped up to times six-speedpared to the monitor disying Cynrik, Brance, and Gabby¡¯s fights.

    Thus, he found himself paying more attention to the left monitor instead of the right.

    Despite fighting tooth and nail against endless Demonoid creatures for over four and a half hours without rest, the two appeared as fresh as when the challenge began.

    On the right armrest of her chair was a small disy screen with a list of potential reward items, of which six had already been grayed out.

    These six rewards were the ones the two students had already received after kills, 25, 50, and 75, and a small red circle was around the next two, which would be earned once both Selene and Benny earned their 100th kills.

    Looking down at the armrest and back to the monitor, Yennifer nodded and tapped the red circles, turning them green. Half a secondter, two small parcels appeared after they killed the appropriate corresponding Demonoid.

    ¡ª

    Watching the Vir¡¯eth demon shatter into particles, Benny exhaled. It felt like an eternity since the challenge had started, but soon it would end.

    ncing around the room and seeing the nine crippled demons ranging in various shapes, colors, and sizes, Benny allowed himself to rx for a moment when his eyes spotted a shimmering package where his opponent had just died.

    ¡°Hey Selene, I got my 100th kill reward; how about you?¡± Benny hollered to his teammate without turning away from the golden hand-sized box on the ground.

    ¡°Me too. Are you sure it¡¯s alright to take a break right now? I know there are under two and a half hours left, but we still need to earn another 50 kills to pass.¡± Selene replied as she bent over and scooped up her shining package.

    ¡°Despite our hard work, we haven¡¯t seen our rewards yet. Now is as good a time as any; if we keep at it, there shouldn¡¯t be any hups along the way.¡±

    ¡°So long as we stick to the current n, everything will work itself out.¡± Kicking away a struggling Ollmarug demon, Benny calmly walked away a few meters to a pir and sat down while leaning against it.

    Oncefortable, he swiped his right hand in the air, retrieved the previous reward boxes, and lined them up on the ground in front of him.

    Since all the previous rewards had fallen during bad times, Benny had tossed the boxes into his inventory without giving them a second thought.

    But now that he had them allid out on the ground, he examined them and noticed that there were different colors.

    The reward boxes for 25 and 50 kills were shimmering in bronze light, the 75 kill box was in silver, and the 100 kill was in gold. Thinking back to the chests Cynrik had talked about when they were in the Egress, Benny nodded and figured it had to do with the rarity or value of the stored prizes.

    After arranging them in order of rarity, Benny picked up one of the small boxes, unsped the little buckle on the front, and half a secondter, the top sprung open like a jack-in-the-box, shooting out a dazzling disy of confetti-like particles.

    Flinching slightly at the sudden explosion of color, Benny nearly dropped the box but quickly recovered when a system notification appeared in his line of sight.

    |Congrattions, you have opened a Bronze Reward Box that was earned by killing 25 Virtual Creatures on the 22nd Floor.|

    |You have received a Tier-0 ss Skill Book: Metalworking.|

    With his right hand holding the box firmly, Benny reached in with his left hand and retrieved a small grey booklet with only twenty pages.

    Benny broke into a big smile between the notification and the book title. Although it wouldn¡¯t help him in the challenge, it was definitely something he needed in the long run.

    After withdrawing the booklet, the bronze box shattered and vanished.

    Fighting the urge to crack the book open and start reading immediately, Benny stored it in his inventory and picked up the second Bronze Box; just like before, the box spewed out confetti particles and triggered a notification.

    |Congrattions, you have opened a Bronze Reward Box that was earned by killing 50 Virtual Creatures on the 22nd Floor.|

    |You have received a Tier-0 ss Skill Book: Woodworking.|

    Picking up the second grey booklet, Benny almost broke out intoughter. Obtaining not one but both of the two prerequisite skills for the Subss cksmith was beyond his imagination.

    The night before, when he had researched the requirements to unlock the ss, Benny had be disheartened because no matter where he looked on the Academy Website, the shops either had only one of the books or were sold out.

    Stock aside, there was also the issue with the price. Both books had a starting price of over 200 Merit points. Because of this, Benny had been secretly worried about how he would break the news to the two stingy brothers.

    There was no doubt in his mind that Cynrik and Brance would immediately pitch a fit if he suddenly requested 500 plus points to spend on two Tier-0 books, but now that he had gained both, he could breathe a little easier.

    Putting away the second book, Benny quickly picked up the 75-kill Silver Reward Box, closed his eyes to make a wish, and held his breath before opening the sp on the front of the box, triggering the notification and annoying confetti.

    |Congrattions, you have opened a Silver Reward Box that was earned by killing 75 Virtual Creatures on the 22nd Floor.|

    |You have received a 1 Carat Pristine Affinity Gem (Fire).|

    When he opened his eyes and read the notification, Benny recoiled slightly.

    ¡°Eh? A fire gem¡­*sigh*I guess not every reward can be super helpful. At the very least, I can sell the gem for some money when we get out. It should bring in a couple of thousand Merit points.¡± Benny said to himself as he stored the Fire gem away and picked up the final box, the Gold Reward.

    Silently sitting for a while and examining the intricate patterns on the box, Benny hesitated to open it. He had no idea if the rewards were predetermined or a random chance; the only thing on his mind was that he hoped it wasn¡¯t another semi-useless item.

    Working up his courage and dissipating his doubts, Benny flicked the sp on the box and was showered in spectacr golden confetti when the lid popped open.

    Narrowing his eyes and peeking into the box, he saw a golden booklet with light blue borders, and his eyes shot wide open an instantter as he read the title and looked at the notifications.

    |Congrattions, you have opened a Gold Reward Box that was earned by killing 100 Virtual Creatures on the 22nd Floor.|

    |You have received a Tier-3 Affinity Guidance Booklet.|

    |Tier-3 Affinity Guidance Booklet: by touching this book and allowing your System to ess its contents, you will gain the knowledge necessary to evolve one of your Affinities within seconds. Using this booklet will trigger a state of enlightenment, and knowledge passed down for thousands of years will enter your mind and soul.|

    Benny stared incredulously at the box¡¯s contents for several seconds until he noticed his right hand was shaking. If what the notification said was true, then this was his ticket to fast-tracking Evolving his Water Affinity into Ice, something that had be so difficult for him that Benny had contemted giving up.

    ¡°Hey! Helllooo~ Benny Boy, what did you get from your prizes? Was it something cool? OI, are you listening to me?¡± After a minute, Selene walked over and began waving her hand in front of Benny¡¯s face several times before snapping her fingers to get his attention.

    It wasn¡¯t until she lightly smacked his cheek a few times that Benny finally woke up from his stupor and robotically turned his head to meet Selene¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Sel¡­I got something super rare¡­this book¡­.¡± Motioning with his head to the open box, Benny practically studdered his words, making Selene raise an eyebrow in confusion before her face turned into one of surprise.

    ¡°HOLY SHIT! THAT THING CAN HELP YOU UNLOCK YOUR ICE AFFINITY! BENNY, THAT¡¯S FUCKING AWESOME, MAN!¡± Shouting in excitement, Selene animatedly waved her arms around and smacked Benny on the back in celebration.

    ¡°Well, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and use it; you know damn well that if you wait, not only will Brancie kick your ass, but Cynrik will probably try stealing it. Especially since he is so close to Evolving his Fire Affinity.¡± Crossing her arms and smiling like a fool, Selene set about goading Benny into using his new book.

    Even if Cynrik were her boyfriend, she wouldn¡¯t let him swipe the book from the younger boy. Having fought alongside Benny for so many hours, he had earned it, which meant it was his and his alone. If anyone had anything to say about it, Selene would go to bat for Benny.

    The thought of using it herself never even came to mind, as all she wanted was for the boy to enjoy his prizes without anyone nagging him to hand them over.

    Nodding and epting her advice, Benny carefully reached into the box, picked up the booklet, and gently ced it against his chest. This was the standard way of making a being¡¯s System ept the knowledge stored within one-time use items.

    Suddenly, Benny felt his body temperature plummet as he became nearly blinded by the rapid spam of notifications.

    -An item with long-forgotten knowledge has been identified, and the Host has chosen to ept this information.-

    After the first notification, Benny¡¯s eyes rolled back into his head. From Selene¡¯s point of view, the boy began muttering incoherent words so fast that she was amazed he hadn¡¯t bitten off his tongue.

    Meanwhile, the notifications from Benny¡¯s System continued to trigger.

    -Due to being in an enlightened state, your control over Water Mana has reached its maximum. By the guidance of beings who passed down this knowledge for thousands of years, you have forced the Water Mana particles under your control to warp and undergo a drastic evolution.-

    -Your will has been felt by the particles, your call for empowerment has been heard by them, and you have initiated their evolution, utilizing long-forgotten methods.-

    -Your Tier-2 BG Water Affinity has Evolved into Tier-3 AG Water.-

 Chapter 320

    -Due to being in an enlightened state, your control over Water Mana has reached its maximum. By the guidance of beings who passed down this knowledge for thousands of years, you have forced the Water Mana particles under your control to warp and undergo a drastic evolution.-

    -Your will has been felt by the particles, your call for empowerment has been heard by them, and you have initiated their evolution, utilizing long-forgotten methods.-

    -Your Tier-2 BG Water Affinity has Evolved into Tier-3 AG Water.-

    -You have Awoken an Affinity for the Tier-1 Special Advanced-Grade Element, Ice.-

    -Your SAG Ice Affinity has gained its own subcategory under your AG Water Affinity.-

    -Since you have Evolved your Water and Acquired the Ice Affinity, Your Tier-1 SAG Ice Affinity will not fill up one of your Affinity Slots. Also, it has been Automatically upgraded to Adept.-

    -Due to your Affinities Evolution, you have grown stronger and have obtained several benefits.-

    -Your Codex has increased in strength to Tier-3, Stage 4.-

    -Your AG Water Affinity has Grown to Tier-3 Expert-

    -You have received 50 Points in all basic Stats.-

    -You have received 30 Free Allocation Stat points.-

    -You have received 50 Skill Points.-

    -You have Unlocked the Hidden Stat, Cold Resistance.-

    -Your Cold Resistance has been given 25 points; 1 point equals 1% of damage reduction when dealing with intense Cold.-

    -Your MP has been Restored to capacity.-

    -You have learned the Tier-0 Ice Affinity Skill, [Chill].-

    -You have learned the Tier-0 Ice Affinity Skill, [Ice Spear].-

    -You have learned the Tier-0 Ice Affinity Skill, [Igloo].-

    -You have learned the Tier-0 Ice Affinity Skill, [Frost Breath].-

    -You have learned the Tier-1 Ice Affinity Skill, [Ice Armor].-

    -You have learned the Tier-1 Ice Affinity Skill, [Ice Veins].-

    -You have learned the Tier-1 Ice Affinity Skill, [Tundra Spike].-

    -You have learned the Tier-1 Ice Affinity Skill, [Ice Beam].-

    -You have learned the Tier-1.5 Ice Affinity Skill, [Blizard].-

    Feeling the sudden drop in temperature around Benny, Selene took a few steps back and shooed away a couple of demons trying to attack her teammate before examining him thoroughly.

    Physically the boy hadn¡¯t changed much except adding new ice blue streaks in his chestnut-colored hair. Other than that, she noticed a faint power emanating from Benny, which told her it was dangerous to get too close; thus, she took a few more steps back and guarded her teammate against the crippled and anxiously crawling demons.

    It took Benny several minutes to digest the information he had received from the book, and when he finished, his eyes rolled back down, and he exhaled a puff of visible, cold carbon dioxide.

    ¡°Woah,¡± was all Benny could say as he looked at his hands for a moment before reading through the notification spam.

    ¡°Are you done? You were all possessed for a solid 30 minutes Benny Boy, you better have gotten that new Affinity, or you will have wasted our precious time for no reason.¡± Seeing Benny was back to normal, Selene walked back over and got right in his face.

    ¡°Yes, yes, I am done and got Ice.¡± Facepalming her, Benny stood back up and loosened his shoulders before opening up his Stat profile and dropping his jaw when he saw the changes.

    Unlike the Over-Break hosts, Benny and Gabby didn¡¯t have an AI like Tobs that would narrate all their notifications for them, so even though Benny had scanned through them, it wasn¡¯t the same as experiencing the physical changes and the rising numbers.

    Spotting the extra 30 stat points, Benny thought for a moment and assigned the points before double-checking and hitting ept.

    : Status :

    : Benjamin Sanford (Benny):

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation, Perfect Clear Expert, Reforged Body :

    : Human Male:

    : Age-11:

    : Tier-2 :

    : Primary ss ¨C Tier-2 Hoplite-Vanguard : (+0.2 DEX, +0.2 AGI, +0.2 VIT Distribution)

    :Former: Tier-1 Warrior : (+2 To STR,VIT Distribution)

    : Sub-ss ¨C (Empty) :

    : Level: 0/35 0/252,616 :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 10,154,258 :

    : P-ss (Hoplite-Vanguard): 0 ¨C XP :

    : S-ss (Empty): 0 ¨C XP :

    : Distribution: 2 STR, 2 VIT : (STR 4, DEX 0.2, AGI 0.2, VIT 4.2,)

    : Mana Codex &amp; Cicuits Tier-3 :

    : Stage 4 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-2, 6g Resistance :

    : Credits: 213,045 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 16,100/16,100 :

    : Mana 7900/7900 :

    : Stamina 8050/8050 :

    : Stat Points- 2 :

    : Skill Points- 326 :

    : Strength- 530 : (+9)

    : Dexterity- 530 : (16)

    : Agility- 585 :

    : Intelligence- 610 : (+1)

    : Vitality- 620 : (+1)

    : Mind- 515 : (+3)

    : COLD Resistance- 25 :

    : Killing Intent- 256 ¨C 4.25 G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(AG) Water-Tier 3 (Expert): :Expand:

    |:(SAG) Ice-Tier-1 (Adept):|

    ¡°My Codex reached Tier-3 Stage 4, I unlocked the Hidden Stat, Cold Resistance, evolved my Water Affinity to Tier-3 Advanced Grade, and acquired nine new skills. The icing on the cake is the additional 50 points to all my stats and 30 free allocation points.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d say I did pretty well; what do you think, Selene?¡± Shooting her a giddy smile, Benny boasted his gains only to realize that at some point, Selene had knelt on the ground and was drawing circles on the stone floor with her left index finger.

    ¡°Eh? What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked, concerned that he had upset the girl.

    ¡°Lucky punk, I didn¡¯t get anything so cool as that.¡± Selene pouted without giving Benny the satisfaction of seeing her face.

    ¡°Come on; it can¡¯t be that bad. Apparently, the Obelisk AI is giving us things that will be helpful in one way or another¡­ I got a Fire Affinity Gem, but even that can be sold for some Merit Points.¡± Nearing Selene and patting her on the shoulder, Benny tried cheering the girl up, but all she did was shrug off his gesture and stand up.

    ¡°I got leatherworking and crafting skill books from the Bronze chests, and although I know that the other two items I got arent bad, I didn¡¯t get any stat boosts or powerups like you did; UGH, WHY IS THE WORLD SO UNFAIR?¡± Stomping her foot angrily, Seleneined while looking at the ceiling.

    Tilting his head to the side, Benny was speechless at her temper tantrum and had no idea how to deal with it, so he quietly waited for Selene to exin the other two items she received.

    ¡°Like, it¡¯s cool and all since I need those, and it saves me some money.¡±

    ¡°But I also got a pair of tacky enchanted sses and Mana regeneration earrings.¡± Selene said as she pulled a pair of studious reading sses from her inventory and tucked her hair behind her ear to show off the studded earring in her right earlobe.

    ¡°Well, the earrings are helpful; we both know how slow and painstaking it is to recover MP; as for the sses, their worth depends on the enchantment. What do they do?¡± Benny asked as he held out his hand for the sses so that he could inspect them.

    ¡°They basically do the same thing as the brother¡¯s [Inspect] skill, giving descriptions on objects or beings. They are useless to me since I¡¯m always with my boyfriend.¡± Rolling her eyes and handing the sses over to Benny, Selene walked over and angrily kicked one of the crippled demons to vent her frustration.

    When Benny held the sses, they seemed to link up with his system, and their description appeared as a notification window.

    -Enchanted sses of Inspection: The being wearing these spectacles will be able to gather the information they would otherwise not be privy to, such as another creature or beings detailed Status Profile or an object or skill¡¯s description.-

    -The amount of information presented is determined by the Wearer¡¯s INT and MIND stats.-

    -These spectacles can change shape or be activated by adding Mana into the lenses.-

    ¡°Holy crap, Sel, do you even realize how good these things are? Big Bro and Brance would be scolding the hell out of you if they saw youining after getting such a good item.¡± Using the sses, Benny followed the instructions and pushed a little bit of Mana through the frames and into the lenses.

    Reacting instantly to the Mana, the sses changed shape and became thin, half-framed wire sses. When he looked at one of the crippled demons, he received the creature¡¯splete stat profile, allowing him to see that it only had 1382/12000 HP left and had several status ailment debuffs applied to it.

    The data was projected through the lenses like augmented reality or even system notifications. Written in light blue text, the words and numbers didn¡¯t obstruct Benny¡¯s vision in the least, and if he pointed his eyes in a specific direction, the text could be moved to the side.

    ¡°Selene, these things are amazing; the amount of info we can get by using these is off the charts. You can¡¯t evenpare them to Cynrik or Brance¡¯s skill. They only get limited information whereas I can see this ugly little guy¡¯splete profile, Affinity and Resource stats included!¡± Benny chirped excitedly.

    ¡°Huh? What are you on about? I thought they were just a basic inspection tool?¡± Tilting her head to the side and giving the boy a funny look, Selene replied.

    ¡°Not even close; these sses could quickly go for hundreds of thousands of credits or Merit Points if sold; hell, imagine if we gave them to Gabby or even Cynrik; with their stats, they could see just about every fine detail a being can offer.¡± Benny took off the sses and handed them back to their owner while speaking in an informed tone.

    It was no secret that Gabby and Cynrik were fiends regarding data collection. The possibilities would be endless if this tool were put in their hands.

    ¡°I guess¡­when we get out of here; I¡¯ll see what the others want to do with them; for now, we should take care of these guys and keep grinding,¡± Selene said as she put the Enchanted sses back in her inventory and walked over to a group of injured Tiz¡¯gog demons.

    Nodding his head and following suit, Benny looked up at the above screen and saw they had spent 30 minutes idle and opening their boxes.

    |Time Remaining in the Floor 22 Challenge, 01:53.|

    Taking a deep breath and channeling his newly acquired Ice Mana into his legs, Benny thought back to the visions he had seen after using the Advancement Book.

    He had witnessed generations of what appeared to be Humans training their Water and Ice Affinities.

    As a result, he knew just about everything there was to know about his new Elemental Affinity, what each of his skills, and all the skills he would learn up to Tier-3, could do when utilized fully.

    Feeling the chilly sensation of his Ice Mana flowing through his body, Benny activated his first skill, [Chill].

    A thinyer of frost spread around him, coating the stone ground as he walked forward. With each step, the ice spread out and froze each demon he passed, turning them into popsicles.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 321

    Snorting in contempt at his brother¡¯s tant provocation, Cynrik drew his dagger and spun it around his wrist twice before running off to the front of the trap.

    With less than 18 minutes remaining in the challenge and 48 creatures spawning, the pace had to be sped up.

    ¡®Brance has 11 kills, Gabby has 12, and I have 15. After this wave, I will havepleted my 30 kills, but the others will still need a couple more, so we will have to spawn the next wave, bringing 96 RaptorBasilisks.¡¯ Clicking his tongue and contemting their situation, Cynrik watched the creatures form from the particle cloud and let out a soft whistle as the entire center of the room filled up with bodies instantly.

    [Brance, listen up, even when we kill this group, we will still have to deal with the next one since you and Gabby will still be short of our goal.] Turning his eyes upward, away from the creatures, Cynrik watched the timer ticking down.

    -Current Time Remaining In the Challenge (17:39).-

    [We can¡¯t spend more than 10-15 minutes killing these 48; that¡¯s roughly three kills a minute. But that is if we burn up all the time on them. With the 1 minute respawn timer in effect, we will have a never-ending cycle of dinos to rece everything we kill.] Taking a fighting stance and canceling [Charge], Cynrik exined while ncing at his 128 [Charge] counter.

    [Yeah, I know. Balls to the wall it is. Pull your batch and withdraw behind the walls; I can¡¯t rule out using [White Dwarf] to thin the herd, and I don¡¯t want to see you getting injured by friendly fire.] Gripping his katana and firmly grasping the sheath with his left hand, Brance channeled Wind, and Light Mana into the de, to increase its speed and potency.

    [What about Gabby? She will struggle the hardest.] Brance asked while activating [Mana Sight] and making eye contact with his brother through the trap walls.

    [She will be fine. The dumb rabbit isn¡¯t so dumb as to ignore the urgency we show by ughtering the dinos with haste.] Cynrik replied with an eye roll.

    Forming a gun with his right hand, Cynrik collected Fire Mana into his index finger and Lightning Mana into his middle finger before taking another peek at the clock.

    [We move at precisely 17 minutes. Get your attacks ready; chip damage is the idea, so don¡¯t drop any with the first flurry of attacks. Hold off for a bit; although time is short, we need to manipte the clock.]

    [Got it; I¡¯m pulling my 16 from the middle, you take the right nk, and we will leave the left nk to Gabby.] Brance said while activating [Vanish] and walking forward.

    [Copy,mence attack in 20.] Slowing his breathing and manifesting 16 blue golfball-sized [Fireballs] before allowing them to orbit around his extended right arm, Cynrik started counting down as he locked onto the 16 growling dinos.

    [15.]

    [10.]

    Brance had already covered the distance from the wall to the dinos and looked over at Gabby, caught sight of her making a bunch of [Psychic Disks] and loading her crossbow, and smiled.

    ¡®Stay strong, Gabby; this is only the start of the chaos.¡¯ Brance thought as he turned his attention back to the pack of RaptorBasilisks anxiously pawing at the ground and trying to spot their next meal.

    [Attack!] Cynrikmanded while releasing all sixteen of his fireballs one after another with a soft woosh.

    The streaks of blue fire traveled silently for a second, yet when they made contact with their targets in session, the result was anything but quiet.

    BOOM, BOOM BOOM BOOM

    Small yet loud explosions shook the room as the attacks exploded on impact, coating the enemies¡¯ heads in mes. But Cynrik wasn¡¯t done yet.

    -You have dealt 4000 damage to 14 of your opponents.-

    -You have dealt a critical blow to two of your opponents, for 6500 damage each.-

    Ignoring the notifications while making a gesture akin to reloading a gun with his middle finger, he burned three [Charge] counters and activated one of his Lightning Affinity Skills, [Shock].

    -Tier-0 Lightning Affinity Skill [Shock]-

    -Category: Active Single Target Attack.-

    -By harnessing the power of your Lightning Affinity, you can discharge Lightning arcs through your palm or fingers.-

    -Fires up to 3 chainable arcs or bolts of Lightning at a single target. If a Chain is triggered, it will link up with multiple affected targets and deal additional damage.-

    -This Attack passes through most physical defenses except for Terra Mana constructs.-

    -Each arc has a 15% chance of inflicting the Status effect (Paralyze) on the targeted creature upon contact.-

    -Damage Calc: 150 points of Static Damage.-

    -Damage is increased by 50% if the target is wearing or using any electrically conductive material or Mana.

    -Requirement: Must have a [Charge] counter of at least 10.-

    -Cost: 50 MP and 1 [Charge] per Arc of Lightning. By adding more Mana and Charges, you can release stronger arcs of Lightning, increasing their damage by 100 points of Static Damage per additional [Charge]-

    -Cooldown: 5 seconds.-

    ¡°Bang,¡± Cynrik said emotionlessly as he fired off three arcs of thin purple Lightning from his finger sequentially, each carrying the power of 150 MP and 3 [Charge] counters.

    -You have dealt 350 damage to three of your opponents.-

    -You have inflicted (Paralyze) on one of your opponents.-

    Clicking his tongue and watching the creature inflicted with (Paralyze) twitch and copse, Cynrik waited five seconds as 15 RaptorBasilisks furiously charged his direction.

    Once they were within three meters, he kicked off the ground, jumped backward, spun in the air, and ran into the confines of the trap.

    Meanwhile, Brance had already arrived at the remainder of the group just as Gabby¡¯s disks crashed into her chosen opponents and took off in her direction, leaving only his 16 opponents behind.

    Getting into position, Brance dropped into the opening stance for his attack before speaking.

    ¡°Jetlen Hiten Mitsurugi-ry¨±, Akeru Kuzu Ryu Sen¡± Initiating his sword draw, time slowed to a snail¡¯s pace as Brance¡¯s eyes flicked from one RaptorBasilisk to another eight. Exhaling in time with his steps, Brance executed a high downward sh while angling his body and vertically shing back up.

    -You have dealt 2891 damage to your opponent.-

    -You have dealt 3926 damage to your opponent.-

    The attack left a nasty gash on the neck of his first target, and arge wound opened up on the second before he sidestepped and went after a third creature with the third strike.

    -You have dealt 2108 damage to your opponent.-

    The high downward cross diagonal sh went through the arm and leg of the third creature with ease. Watching the dino¡¯s limbs falling in slow motion, Brance wlessly moved on to the fourth creature.

    -You have dealt 3374 damage to your opponent.-

    Swiftly shing with the same attack as his previous, only from the opposite shoulder, Brance turned the fourth creature into a mirror image of the third and sidestepped while executing the fifth through ninth strikes in his technique, each one causing some form of injuries to the subsequent enemies.

    -You have dealt 2577 damage to your opponent.-

    -You have dealt 3302 damage to your opponent.-

    -You have dealt 2913 damage to your opponent.-

    -You have dealt 2609 damage to your opponent.-

    -You have dealt a critical blow to your opponent for 5866 damage.-

    With the Akeru Kuzu Ryu Senplete, Brance resheathed his katana, and time sped back up in his eyes; as if on cue, all nine RaptorBasilisks copsed on the ground while screaming in pain and bleeding profusely, especially the two who had lost limbs. But the final creature had been dealt the most damage since thest strike; a forward thrusting stab had prated its lung and several vital organs.

    So instead of cries of agony, all it could muster were gurgling gasps for air.

    With nine creatures immobilized, Brance dashed forward a single step and jumped into the air, high above the tenth target setting the foundation for his next attack.

    ¡°Hiten Mitsurugi-ry¨±, Ry¨±tsuisen!¡± Drawing his katana and reaching the peak of his vertical climb, Brance raised the sword over his head, gripped it with both hands, and used the momentum of his fall to strengthen the vertical strike down on his opponent¡¯s shoulder.

    -You have dealt a critical blow to your opponent for 5208 damage.-

    The attack sliced cleanly through the creature¡¯s chest and inflicted a devastating wound on the RaptorBasilisk, pinning it to the ground as the full weight of Brance¡¯s body mmed it onto its belly.

    ¡®Ten down, six to go,¡¯ Brance thought as hended back on the ground before rushing forward while swiping his katana downward swiftly, clearing the slick blood and gore off the de.

    ¡°Ry¨±s¨­sen,¡± Brance uttered as he sped forward and unleased a massive flurry of strikes, each one connecting with one of the six remaining uninjured creatures dealing varying amounts of damage along the way.

    Breaking away from the pack of wounded dinos, Brance nted his left hand on the ground, using it to bnce himself as he made a sharp turn and went back through the pack while executing several more replicated sword attacks.

    While Brance was flourishing his swordsmanship, Gabby struggled to avoid the onught of tail, w, and Affinity attacks by constantly staying on the move.

    Cycling through abination of crossbow bolts and disks, she worked in replicas as a distractionary tactic to buy herself some time to charge up more attacks.

    Eventually, the rapid influx of attacks from her enemies forced Gabby to retreat into the air, using the pirs as stepping stones.

    Resorting to the previous tactic of dealing frequent but minimal damage to each of her opponents, unlike Brance, who was smashing through his batch of RaptorBasilisks, Gabby was quickly eroding her targets HP with each strike by evenly distributing her attacks.

    |Your Teammate has sessfully Killed a Level 10, Early Tier-2 Virtual RaptorBasilisk.|

    By the time the first creature fell seven minutes into the battle, one of Cynrik¡¯s, Gabby, had already robbed all of her opponents of nearly 75% of their health points. In using this method, she had set up for a final sweep that would allow her to clear all sixteen rapidly, one after another.

    Gabby and Brance made their final push using the first death as a signal.

    Bouncing through the air, Gabby threw out dozens of seeds, which grew into thick tangles of thorny vines after taking root. Within seconds, the sharp green vines began wreaking havoc among the ranks of her sixteen dinos until her first death notification came through.

    For the next thirty seconds, everyone¡¯s eyesight was bombarded by wave after wave of notifications until one that had nothing to do with a kill or reward popped up.

    |Your Teammate Cynrik Jetlensr has Sessfullypleted the challenge by eliminating 30 Virtual Creatures.|

    |Since there are still 9 minutes and 58 seconds remaining in the challenge, he will be allowed to continue fighting alongside you and earning more rewards.|

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 322 Team CBG FINAL PART

    |Your Teammate Cynrik Jetlensr has Sessfullypleted the challenge by eliminating 30 Virtual Creatures.|

    |Since there are still 9 minutes and 58 seconds remaining in the challenge, he will be allowed to continue fighting alongside you and earning more rewards.|

    ¡°GROUP UP!¡± Racing out of the confinement area at top speed, Cynrik shed at multiple pirs along the way, breaking through them and copsing over a dozen before he met up with Brance and Gabby at the teleportation point.

    His goal was simple, creating an open space that would reduce the movability of the opponents when they spawned. By taking out the lower half of several pirs, more creatures could be stuffed in one area and, in turn, be tightly condensed instead of wandering all over the ce.

    When he arrived, Gabby and Brance were noticeably breathing heavily and sweating profusely. The battle had been hard on the two of them, with Gabby burning a significant amount of MP and Brance a considerable chunk of his Stamina.

    ¡°We only have 30 seconds until the next batch of creatures drops. As we progress in this round, we¡¯ll face 96 RaptorBasilisks, and we have about 10 minutes left.¡± While Cynrik spoke, he was constantly waving his left hand, sending out multiple ckfire spheres to destroy more pirs in the center of the room.

    Catching on to his idea, Brance stood beside his brother and channeled his Terra Affinity to move the destroyed chunks of stone and stack them up, making several piles of rock and pir fragments.

    With the brothers setting up the battlefield to handle more opponents, Gabby was guzzling down Stamina and MP potions one after another.

    ¡°Onest thing, because we didn¡¯t evenly kill them simultaneously, there will be a dy between spawns, and although it¡¯ll only be a few seconds, we still can¡¯t allow ourselves to be surrounded.¡± Finishing up his destruction, Cynrik nced at Gabby and Brance.

    ¡°Keep on your toes and on the move in a specific pattern, always know your escape routes and, when pushes to shove, go high. Unlike these dinos, we aren¡¯t limited to fighting on the ground; our mobility in the air is vital.¡±

    With that final statement, Cynrik activated his H¨²efl¨²r, lighting up his arms from his fingertips to his elbows with intricate glowing patterns, followed by his ?sir mode, which made his eyes glow on top of a hazy mirage of Penta-colored light.

    With the addition of his Lightning Affinity, Cynrik was now coated in Dark, Fire, Wind, Lightning, and the strange Bluish-Purple Mana of the ?sir, turning his skin into a pale shimmering kaleidoscope of colors.

    Chugging down his remaining few Stamina and MP potions, Cynrik¡¯s Mana was fully restored and integrated into his body through the ?sir Mode, surging his strength further.<sub>.</sub>

    Exhaling and feeling the power surging in his body, Cynrik¡¯s eyes glinted fiercely, and he watched a small particle storm descend to the ground before splitting off into eight clusters.

    Meanwhile, instead of looking at the forming creatures, Gabby and Brance¡¯s eyes were glued to Cynrik as, for the first time, they witnessed the ability Cynrik had only told them about in the past.

    They had seen him use his H¨²efl¨²r a couple of times previously but never before had he openly activated his Overdraft ability in their presence.

    ¡°Lock it up, you two, ignore my technique; we have enemies.¡± Feeling their stares, Cynrik snorted and made them focus with a verbal scolding before stepping forward and clutching at the air with his right hand.

    In response to his movement, the purple mes on all of the pirs flickered and split in half, leaving 50% of their original contents in the torches. At the same time, the second part burned brighter and flew away toward the center of the room, where it gathered just below the particle storm and gained mass.

    [Cyn?] Squinting his eyes in confusion, Brance wanted to ask what his brother was doing, but Cynrik cut him off before he could.

    [It doesn¡¯t drain as much of my resources as you think. Although wrangling Ambient Mana is difficult most of the time,bining our Passive skill [Mana Maniption] and my Bloodline abilities, I can bend any particle that matches my Affinity with little effort.]

    [The only downside is that even though I can do this without hand signs, it will wreck my resources if I do. This is a battle of attrition; managing our MP and Stam is paramount to victory.]

    [Plus, with ?sir mode, my Affinity skills deals double damage. Using this method, I can reduce burning Mana and deal ample amounts of chip damage to the opponents¡¯ HP, allowing you both the opportunity to score your kills.]

    |One minute has passed since the death of a Virtual Creature, now spawning two Early Tier-2 RaptorBasilisks.|

    |One minute has passed since the death of a Virtual Creature, now spawning two Early Tier-2 RaptorBasilisks.|

    ?[0)??? |One minute has passed since the death of a Virtual Creature, now spawning two Early Tier-2 RaptorBasilisks.|<sub></sub>

    |One minute has passed since the death of a Virtual Creature, now spawning two Early Tier-2 RaptorBasilisks.|

    The instant the clusters of particles formed into creatures, Cynrik clutched his right hand into a fist, causing eight long [Fire Cyclones] of purple fire to tear away from the massive floating me in the center of the room.

    Slithering through the air like giant serpents, Cynrik controlled the purple cyclones to dive down rapidly and travel along the ground from behind the unsuspecting RaptorBasilisks before angling them upward and crashing them into the butts of each creature.

    Like balls shot from a cannon, all eight creatures flew forward from the impact while screaming in pain and iling about, attempting to douse the mes to no avail.

    -You have dealt 8340 damage to eight of your opponents.-

    ¡°Move!¡± Swiping his left hand to close the damage notification, Cynrik moved to the right while Gabby unleashed abined flurry of [Psychic Disks] and bolts, targeting four enemies.

    Meanwhile, Brance targeted the remaining four dinos and hurled rocks from the piles on either side of the room into their bodies by using his [Mana Maniption], taking control of the Ambient Mana at the loss of his MP and STAM.

    Before the eight creatures even had a chance tond, they shattered into particles under the bombardment of Gabby and Brance, earning both four more kills and setting up another respawn timer.

    |Your Teammate Brance Jetlensr has Sessfullypleted the challenge by eliminating 30 Virtual Creatures.|

    |Your Teammate Gabrie Sanford has Sessfullypleted the challenge by eliminating 30 Virtual Creatures.|

    |Since there are still 9 minutes and 13 seconds remaining in the challenge, they will be allowed to continue fighting alongside you and earning more rewards.|

    |The Second part of the Final Floor Challenge, Free For All Mode, has been triggered. For every Virtual Creature killed, you will earn double rewards.|<sub></sub>

    |During Free For All Mode, every time a Virtual Creature dies, you will increase thepletion rate of the Second Part of the Challenge by 0.5%.|

    |Toplete the second part of the Final Challenge, you must receive a score of at least 50% before the timer runs out.|

    |Thepletion rate is shared between all members of the team.|

    |Current Completion Rate = 2%.|

    |KCP Tally, Cynrik Jetlensr: 31 points, Brance Jetlensr: 31 points, Gabrie Sanford 32 points.|

    ¡°MOTHER FUCKER! SERIOUSLY YENNIFER!¡± Cynrik shouted as the next batch of creatures, 12 RaptorBasilisks, spawned in the center of the room.

    ¡°Damn it, change of ns, everyone fan out, KILL EVERYTHING!¡± Realizing they needed to kill off a minimum of 100 creatures within 9 minutes to pass the challenge, Cynrik kicked off the ground and started rapidly firing Affinity skills like they were ammunition from a gun.

    Following his example, Gabby flung out nearly every seed she had bought from the Obelisk Marketce and summoned forth an army of thorny vines while taking to the air by bouncing off nearby pirs.

    Brance, although slightly disconcerted by the new information, didn¡¯t hesitate to act. Stomping the ground and kicking up several shattered pir pieces, he harnessed the power of his Terra Affinity.

    Brance punched the fragments in the direction of the newly spawned creatures, turning them intorge, hard projectiles which shattered on impact with whichever target he chose.

    Pulling out all the stops as he moved, Cynrik drew both his weapons, coated the dagger in Lightning Mana, and the shortsword in ckFire, and moved through the group of constantly expanding opponents.

    With both of his weapons strengthened by his Affinities, the damage he was putting out was vastly different from the light hits he dealt against the earlier opponents, with each stab or sh dealing a minimum of 4500 points of HP damage.

    Partnering the melee damage with his rapid-fire of Affinity attacks, Cynrik dropped dinos left and right before moving on to the next.

    When he felt the need to retreat momentarily, thanks to the sudden surge in the recent batch of enemies, Cynrik finally got the opportunity to check his notification spam, starting with thest couple.

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 11, Early Tier-2 Virtual RaptorBasilisk.|

    |You have received 20 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |You have received one KCP (Kill Counter Point).|

    |You have received a 20000 Essence, XP Crystal.|

    |You have received 12 Merit Points.|

    |Current Completion Rate = 29.5%.|

    |Time Remaining in the Final Challenge = 06:44.|

    |KCP Tally, Cynrik Jetlensr: 54 points, Brance Jetlensr: 49 points, Gabrie Sanford 46 points.|

    Panting heavily and wiping the sweat from his brow, Cynrik gritted his teeth, controlled copious amounts of Dark Mana particles, both Ambient and his own, and activated hisrgest ever [Shadow Sewing].

    In response to hismand, forty shadow tendrils ripped from the ground. They looped around the legs, waists, or tails of a corresponding number of RaptorBasilisks, rooting them in ce until Gabby and Brance swarmed them with attacks from every angle.

    [Cynrik, Gabby is running low on MP, buy me some time to transfer a couple of potions to her!]

    ncing at his girlfriend, who appeared to be struggling to keep her eyes open, Brance made a split-second decision and rushed in her direction after informing Cynrik of his n.

    [Tsk, fucking surrre~, throw the responsibility of pulling the aggro of over 50 fucking creatures at once on me out of the blue, you GOT IT, LITTLE BROTHER!] He snorted while sheathing his dagger behind his back.

    As Cynrik gritted his teeth and burned through his [Charge] counter, he cocked his left arm back and released a shower of lightning arcs from his fingertips, bypassing the three-bolt limitation of his Bloodline skill.

    In the center of the room, dozens of arcs of lightning passed from one opponent to the next, creating a spiderweb-like chain of electricity, stunning the entire horde in one move. At the same time, Brance made it over to Gabby and forced her to drink his remaining Mana potions before the two jumped back into battle.

    Time dragged on as the team mercilessly ughtered every creature as quickly as possible. Still, as the seconds ticked by, the room became so overcrowded to the point that Cynrik, Brance, and Gabby were forced to retreat into the confinement trap to use it as a funnel to control the flow of dinos.

    Standing in the center of the trap shoulder to shoulder, the three continuously sted apart the never-ending flow of creatures forcing their way into the room, racking up points along the way. Over time, they lost count of how many enemies had fallen and could only concentrate on how sore or tired their bodies were bing until reprieve came in the form of a bell-like sound.

    DINNNNG DONNNNNGG DINNNNGGG

    A loud chime rang out in the room, and the hundreds of creatures simultaneously shattered into particles causing the room to descend into pure silence.

    |The Timer has psed, and the Final Challenge has reached its conclusion.|

    |Final KCP Tally, Cynrik Jetlensr: 287 points, Brance Jetlensr: 203 points, Gabrie Sanford 145 points.|

    |Final Completion rate = 272.5%|

 Chapter 323 Team SB FINAL PART

    | Time Remaining in the Floor 22 Challenge, 01:53.|

    Taking a deep breath and channeling his newly acquired Ice Mana into his legs, Benny thought back to the visions he had seen after using the Advancement Book.

    He had witnessed generations of what appeared to be Humans training their Water and Ice Affinities.

    As a result, he knew just about everything there was to know about his new Elemental Affinity, what each of his skills, and all the skills he would learn up to Tier-3, could do when utilized fully.

    Feeling the chilly sensation of his Ice Mana flowing through his body, Benny activated his first skill, [Chill].

    A thinyer of frost spread around him, coating the stone ground as he walked forward. With each step, the ice spread out and froze each demon he passed, turning them into popsicles.

    With a soft crunch under his feet, Benny continued walking forward until every one of the demons had been thoroughly affected by the (Frozen) status effect.

    Benny knocked the nearest frozen demon twice, once to test its solidity and then to test how stable it was; after the second knock, several spiderweb cracks appeared on the creature¡¯s skin, so Benny withdrew his hand.

    Half a secondter, the creature shattered like broken ss, triggering a notification.

    -You have significantly impacted a being under the Status Effect (Frozen) and triggered the 1% chance of instant death.-

    |You have sessfully Killed a Level 20, Peak Tier-1 Virtual Tiz¡¯gog Demonoid.|

    |You have received 5 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |Total KCP = 101 points.|

    |You have received one KCP (Kill Counter Point).|<sub>.</sub>

    |You have received one 1000 Essence, XP Crystals.|

    |You have received 3 Merit Points.|

    Benny frowned when he opened the description of [Chill], which he had used in the first ce.

    -Tier-0 Ice Affinity Skill [Chill]-

    -Category: Active Crowd Control Skill.-

    -The User rapidly plummets the temperature in a 1.5-meter by 2-meter radius, freezing the ground and coating it with ayer of frost.-

    -This skill has a 35% chance of inflicting the status effect (Frozen) on any opponents within the area of effect.-

    -Frozen: Unless the being afflicted with this status effect has a method to get out, it will stay in effect until the cold temperature rises, melting the ice entombing the being, or the one who caused the effect withdraws their Mana.-

    -There is a 1% chance of triggering an instant kill on beings under the (Frozen) status effect.-

    -Activation Cost: 500 MP-

    -Sustain Cost: 500 MP per minute active.-

    -Cooldown: 10 minutes-

    In the visions he had seen during the enlightenment from the book, he witnessed humanoid beings creating massive fields of ice, instantly freezing hundreds or thousands of enemies.<sub></sub>

    Yet, when he used the skill, the effect was vastly different. Benny knew that his skill was still new and hadn¡¯t had time to pump it up with Skill points, but the contrasting difference was mind-blowing.

    Heaving a loud sigh, Benny smashed two more of the demons, leaving one alive, and looked over to Selene, who had a single frozen Begraz demon on the ground in front of her.

    ¡°Selene, how are you looking on resource stats?¡± Benny asked in an attempt to stop the girl from using the demon frozen in a block of ice as a footrest.

    ¡°Eh, I¡¯m okay for now. My Stamina is still above 70 percent, and with the addition of these earrings, my MP is restoring quickly, so it should be back up above 60 percent soon.¡± Selene replied as she pulled back her leg and propped her spear on her shoulder.

    Taking a moment to nod in understanding, Benny said that his MP had been restored during the evolution of his Water Affinity. Next, he stated that his Stamina was in the high 50% range, but after a couple of potions, it was soon back up to 100%.

    Five minutester, a wave of 30 demons was spawned, and the two returned tobat.

    Continuing their pattern of taking turns drawing away the boss monsters, Selene and Benny worked through wave after wave of demons, never stopping to rest and killing off the two remaining creatures early to speed up the Timer and earn more kills.

    With only 49 minutes remaining on the clock, Selene and Benny received the notification they had been waiting for, for over 5 hours.

    |You have Sessfullypleted the Challenge by eliminating 150 Virtual Creatures.|

    |Your Teammate Selene Nilsson has Sessfullypleted the Challenge by eliminating 150 Virtual Creatures.|

    |The Timer has been Paused.|

    |Since there are still 49 minutes and 31 seconds remaining in the Challenge, you are both allowed to choose between continuing until the Timer pses, earning more rewards in the process, or Conclude the Challenge.|

    ¡°What do you think, Sel? Still, got another 49 minutes in you?¡± Wiping the sweat from his face with his sleeve, Benny asked and rolled his neck around to loosen it up.<sub></sub>

    ¡°Fuck it; we already came this far; why not. Plus, if the others discover that we stopped early and gave up the opportunity to earn more rewards, won¡¯t we have hell to pay?¡± Shooting Benny a toothy grin, Selene responded while facing the center of the room, where arge particle storm was growing silently near the ceiling.

    ¡°True that. Teacher Yennifer, we would like to finish out the time.¡± Following Selene¡¯s gaze toward the center of the room, Benny spoke in a clear tone, triggering a reply in the form of more notifications.

    |Both challengers have epted to continue; a new trial has been triggered.|

    |You will participate in a Free For All Mode battle. During this event, each time you kill one of the Virtual Creatures, two more will spawn 45 secondster. There is no limit to how many Creatures can be generated.|

    |The opponents in the Free For All Mode are a mixture of Peak Tier-1 and Early Tier-2 Virtual Creatures.|

    |For every Virtual Creature killed, you will earn double rewards.|

    |During Free For All Mode, every time a Virtual Creature dies, you will increase thepletion rate of the Challenge by 0.25%.|

    |Toplete this part of the Final Challenge, you must receive a score of at least 50% before the Timer runs out.|

    |Thepletion rate is shared between both members of the team.|

    |Current Completion Rate = 2.25%.|

    |New Opponents have been chosen.|

    |All opponents will be of the same Race but from different regional areas of Vinestra. There will be a wide variety of different cultures, Affinity users, and sses on showcase, and they will be randomly chosen.|

    |Now spawning the Two Starting opponents, Chosen Race: Goblin.|

    |Timer will be restarted the moment the creatures fully spawn.|

    Gripping the hilt of his Estoc tight enough to cause his knuckles to pop, Benny grinned as the two short and ugly green-skinned creatures spawned, and the Timer began ticking down again.

    ¡°[Ice Spear],¡± Benny said calmly as he raised his shield arm, and a ssy shard of ice manifested over his left shoulder.

    ¡°We reserve our strength until the final push, Sel; let¡¯s get those milestone rewards and get the hell out of here.¡± Speaking calmly andunching the shard of ice at the stubby goblin wearing cobbled-together mismatched armor, Benny¡¯s eyes flicked to Selene just as she too threw her spear like a javelin, instantly killing the Goblin.

    ¡°Gotcha. 45-second double spawns per kill, things are definitely going to get out of hand, but at least we don¡¯t have to worry about not being hit; this should be fun.¡± Giggling as her spear exploded the head of her opponent, Selene used a teather of Dark Mana to retrieve her weapon before spinning it and grinning at Benny.

    As described, 45 secondster, four Goblins, wearing different armor sets, using various weapons, and in different shapes and sizes, spawned, spurring Selene and Benny into battle.

    It only took them a little over a minute to wipe out the creatures, and for the next 44 minutes, things were under control for the most part. Since the goblins had small statures and terrible weapons, Selene and Benny didn¡¯t worry about them until more than 200 appeared.

    At that point, neither of them was counting any longer and only had their eyes on the two golden packages they had thrown into their inventories after reaching the 250-kill milestone.

    ¡°FINAL PUSH SELENE! FIVE MINUTES LEFT, ALL RESTRAINTS ARE OFF; USE EVERYTHING YOU¡¯VE GOT! LET¡¯S PUSH FOR THE 500 KILL REWARD!¡± Benny screamed over the rowdy, and loud war chants of the goblin army amassed before them.

    ¡°GOTCHA, THESE LITTLE FUCKERS KEEP TRYING TO COP A FEEL; I¡¯VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS! RAHHHHH!¡± Holding nothing back, Selene activated something she had never shown anyone, not even her boyfriend, her Controlled Berserkr Form.

    -Tier-2.5 Passive/Active Skill: Berserkr.- (Evolved form of Outrage)

    ¨C Active Trigger: Using your focused breathing technique, you can turn on a muted version of this skill, allowing you to stay in control of your rationale to an extent. However, your temperament will be highly aggressive.

    -In this state, Your body burns off all excess fat and Stamina to increase your physical prowess for a short time; if there is no source of physical energy to burn, your Mana will be the active source. Unlike in the passive state, your body will not bulk up but instead trim down. All stats will increase by 150%, Mana Consumption will decrease by 50%, and Stamina Consumption will decrease by 50%. Damage taken will be reduced to 35% of the actual amount. The rate of regeneration will double.-

    ?[0)??? -The more damage you take and the longer you stay in this state, the more significant the increases in your Stats and power will be, along with an increase in the side effects.-

    -Side Effects: Prolonged use of this state can result in tendon and muscle damage; the heavy strain on Codex and Mana Circuits can cause temporary damage to both, resulting in a Crippled status for some time.

    Howling as she activated the skill, Selene instantly grew half a meter taller and leaned out into a trim, more athletic build instead of her formerly curvy and sexy body. Her skin turned inky ck as Dark Mana fused with her body, and her hair spiked up while glowing in an eerie ck light.

    Next, Selene activated three of her ss skills, [Allharer L?knir] (Violent Healing), [V?ttfang Flj¨®tliga]- (Battlefield Speed), and [Fastr R¨¢s Drepa]- (Continuous Running Strike), before exploding forward at speed almost too much for Benny¡¯s eyes to register.

    A quarter of a secondter, the sounds of battle erupted as the glowing Selene crashed through the army of Goblins like a bulldozer, obliterating every creature in her path.

    Not wanting to be left behind, Benny, who was utterly stunned seeing Selene using her full power for the first time, kicked off the ground while activating his Tier-2 Hoplite-Vanguard Skill: [Myriad Flowing Strikes].

    For five full minutes, the chorus of screams, explosions, and fighting took over the room as more and more enemies fell before respawning double, less than a minuteter.

    During the fight, the insane cackles of a madwoman resounded louder than the bloody cries until suddenly, everything stopped, and the once overly crowded room fell silent with a shower of particles.

    |The Timer has psed, and the Final Challenge has reached its conclusion.|

    |Final KCP Tally, Selene Nilsson: 822 points, Benjamin Sanford: 646 points.|

    |Final Completion rate = 292%|

 Chapter 324 Rewards, Glorious, Shiny, Rewards

    |The Timer has psed, and the Final Challenge has reached its conclusion.|

    |Final KCP Tally, Cynrik Jetlensr: 287 points, Brance Jetlensr: 203 points, Gabrie Sanford 145 points.|

    |Final Completion rate = 272.5%|

    |The Timer has psed, and the Final Challenge has reached its conclusion.|

    |Final KCP Tally, Selene Nilsson: 822 points, Benjamin Sanford: 646 points.|

    |Final Completion rate = 292%|

    All five members of MyrkLys had their vision suddenly turn ck, and any active skills were forcefully deactivated as they were instantly teleported out of the room on Floor Twenty-Two.

    When they opened their eyes, everyone had been gathered in the same realm as Yennifer and a stern-faced Headmaster Rivia.

    |¡±Wee everyone, and allow me to be the first to congratte you all on yourpletion of the first Obelisk.¡±|

    Yennifer spoke and extended her arms, which generated a spray of confetti particles that rained down on all five members of MyrkLys, startling everyone except Cynrik, who wiggled his nose and sniffled.

    |¡±I know you are all curious about what rewards you will receive, so please direct your attention toward the notification windows, where you will find a list of multiple choice options.¡±|

    |¡±For Students, Ivar, Bj?rn, and Gabrie, as you three met the requirements for a Perfect Clear, the additional ten times multiplier has already been calcted; thus, what you see will reflect that. You have also earned a special Title for your Perfect Clear.¡±|<sub>.</sub>

    |¡±You all might panic if you notice some Merit Points are missing, but please remember there is an entry to the tower, so when you all began theter floors, more points have been deducted, and your updated bnce will be disyed in the Market ce.¡±|

    Everyone nodded and, with a wave of their hands, opened the small notification resembling the Obelisk Marketce.

    The first thing Brance noticed upon opening the message were the numbers located in the top left of the screen.

    |Current Obelisk Kill Points: 37,600|

    |Current Essence, XP Crystals: 1k=1200, 10k=300, 20k=1730|

    |Current Merit Points: 28360|

    Sucking in a sharp breath and drawing everyone¡¯s attention, Brance felt faint as he saw the final result of his time spent in the Obelisk.

    The sheer amount of Merit points alone made him nearly pass out, let alone the incredulous amount of XP crystals.

    [cc¡­Cynrik¡­] Struggling to get the words out, Brance slowly turned and looked at his older brother. But instead of the stunned expression he and the other members of MyrkLys were adorned with, Cynrik¡¯s eyes were practically glowing with pure greed and excitement.

    [Yes, Brancie, hehe, I know, I got a fuck ton of gubbins too, 54.4k Obelisk Kill points, 2570 20k Crystals, and 38,440 Merit points. WE ARE FUCKING RICH LITTLE BROTHER HAHAHAHAHAHA!] Cynrik cackled as he reached up with the back of his right hand and wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth.

    ttening his expression because of his older brother¡¯s words, Brance chose to ignore him and asked Gabby how much she had earned.<sub></sub>

    ¡°I got a bunch, and I now have 26,000 OKP, 1.2k of the 1000 XP crystals, 300 of the 10k, and 1150 of the 20k XP Crystals. To top it off, I now have a bnce of 21.4k Merit Points.¡± The girl chirped while bouncing up and down.

    Perking up their ears and eavesdropping in on Gabby and Brance¡¯s conversation, Selene and Benny quickly joined them to inform their friends about their rewards.

    Taking out a sheet of paper, Benny scribbled down his numbers before handing it to Selene. Once finished, she handed over the paper to Brance.

    Since Benny had taken the top half of the paper, he read through those numbers first and shot the sullen boy a cheerful thumbs up.

    |Benny|

    |Current Obelisk Kill Points: 7700|

    |Current Essence, XP Crystals: 1k=248, 2k=372, 10k=26, 20k=124|

    |Current Merit Points: 5200|

    Although it was a far cry from Gabby, Cynrik, and his numbers, for Benny to have achieved such rewards made Brance feel proud until he continued down the page.

    | <3 Queen of Darkness, Master of Shadows, Waifu for Laifu To Cynrik Ayke Jetlensr, the Future Mrs. Jetlensr, Selene¡¯s awesomely epic Obelisk Reward Sheet <3 |

    |Current Obelisk Kill Points: 9670|<sub></sub>

    |Current Essence, XP Crystals: 1k=189, 2k=465, 10k=26, 20k=207|

    |Current Merit Points: 5841|

    When Brance saw the title above Selene¡¯s numbers, he reached over and smacked her in the back of her head as a disciplinary action, drawing a pained yelp from the girl as she ran to hide behind Cynrik for protection.

    ¡°Tsk, shameless.¡± Seeing her boyfriend thumping Selene, Gabby curiously peeked at the paper and almost spat on the ground.

    ?[0)??? As they watched this group of children acting their age across the room, Yennifer and Headmaster Rivia chuckled softly. Just moments ago, this group of children had been engaged in a fierce battle no one their age should be involved.

    Yet here they were, joking around and ying instead of quivering in fear or wetting their pants.

    |¡±You¡¯ve got a tough batch of students this year, Headmaster Rivia. I have witnessed hundreds of thousands of children their age break down under the pressure and gore they experienced in the tower, yet these five are treating it no differently than if it were a simple walk in the park.¡±|

    ¡°I don¡¯t know whether or not that is a good thing, mo¡­Yennifer, to be so young yet able to handle the horrors they experienced either takes a special kind of training or a grocery list of mental disorders.¡± Forcefully correcting himself midsentence as he almost called the AI mother in front of MyrkLys, Headmaster Rivia sighed and crossed his arms.

    ¡°COUGH! Listen up, you lot! We don¡¯t have all the time in the world; you don¡¯t even know how long you have actually been in the Obelisk. Time is ticking, so pick your rewards so I can return with you to campus.¡± Clearing his throat and shouting at the group horseying not far away, Headmaster Rivia put on a stern tone, drawing MyrkLys¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Eh? What do you mean, Headmaster, we haven¡¯t even been here for a full day? Have we?¡± Brance was the first to speak, but before he could get an answer from Yennifer or Headmaster Rivia, Cynrik snorted loudly.

    ¡°Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey little brother. Did you not find it strange that Sel and Benny arrived simultaneously with us. That alone is proof that time flows differently inside the Obelisks.¡±

    ¡°Sure, when Sel was in herest time, she spent several hours, but she was also solo. Unlike us, who got paired up into teams. So it isn¡¯t a stretch to conclude that time in the Obelisk does not equate to time outside.¡± Rolling his eyes and going back to scrolling through the Market ce, Cynrik quickly spent 4400 OKP on the two top-of-the-line Incubators.

    His chest tightened slightly as tworge 2.5-meter golden boxes appeared on the ground in front of him, but he ignored the feeling, as it was just buyers remorse.

    ¡°Atst, you expensive fucking machines are in my hands,¡± Cynrik murmured under his breath as he opened up his Status panel and clicked on the now avable inventory that was no longer sealed.

    His actions didn¡¯t go unnoticed by everyone in the room, but as it was a very Cynrik thing to do, they simply rolled their eyes and told the Headmaster they would be quick.

    Patting Gabby on the head, Brance turned his attention back to the notification window and began scrolling through, looking for something to spend his money on, when Yennifer¡¯s voice entered his mind.

    |¡±Young Brance Jetlensr, there is an item listed on page eight for 12000 OKP; this is the item you are searching for that will help you with your predicament. I can not help you any more than I have so far, so think of this as my final bit of aid. I wish you luck in your Turning Point Quest.¡±|

    Moving on instinct, Brance scrolled to the bottom of his current page, skipped ahead to the spot the Obelisk AI had informed him of and found a booklet matching the precise cost.

    -The Life and Trials of a Nephilim.-

    -The memoir of a mysterious being who went through simr situations as you.-

    -Use this book as you would any other skill book, and something interesting will happen. It is rmended that you are in a safe space and have full HP, MP, and Stamina before activating this item.-

    Without hesitation, Brance bought the book and stored it away in his inventory without drawing suspicion. Once it was securely kept, Brance looked up and shot a thankful nce at Yennifer, receiving a warm smile and a nod in response.

    For the next several minutes, the members of MyrkLys searched through the hundreds of avable items for purchase, but only Cynrik and Gabby were on a full-on spending spree.

    [[Sel, if you need money, this handsome Lord has no problem lending his woman some, at a cost, of course, KUEKUE!]] Cynrik shamelessly taunted Selene, but she wasn¡¯t one to take it lying down.

    [[Oh really, what a coincidence, I happen to need 10k to get all the new make-up, lingerie, and some special somethings, Darrrling~. How can this poor pauper of a Madam obtain funds from her handsome and beloved Lord?]] Holding her hand coquettishly in front of her mouth, Selene fired back.

    [[Oh, for the love of all that is holy! Get a fucking room, you two, and take your shameless bullshit out of my head.]] Inhaling deeply through his nostrils, Brance puffed up his chest and gritted his teeth.

    [[Foolish Little brother-inw, this is simply a manifestation of our feelings for each other. It is alright if you haven¡¯t reached the same point with our little Princess Gabby yet, but do not take your sexual frustration out on us.]] Setting her sights on Brance since Cynrik didn¡¯t respond to her provocations, Selene issued a low blow on Brance¡¯s ego.

    [[WHO? WHO¡¯S SEXUALLY FRUSTRATED HERE?]] Brance screamed with his voice screeching in a high octave.

    [[YOU TWO, THAT¡¯S WHO!]] Nervously chewing his bottom lip, Brance begged Tobs to turn off his ess to the Party Chat version of the mind link so that he couldn¡¯t hear the rage-inducing cackles and giggles of Cynrik and Selene.

    Thankfully, the ever-helpful Tobs did just that, giving Brance both peace of mind and silence as he embarrassingly nced at the cute girl sitting beside him typing away on her notification window without a care in the world.

    [[Anyway, seriously, Sel, what do you need? So long as it isn¡¯t some useless bullshit, I will cover it.]] Smiling and chuckling to himself at how quickly Brance fled the scene, Cynrik went back to the main topic.

    [[Honestly, I¡¯m not sure. The XP crystals I got aren¡¯t nearly enough to level up, so I was thinking about picking up some 50k or 100k ones in the store. Their price is a bit much, but aside from that, most things aren¡¯t a necessity.]] Selene replied while continuously scrolling through the list of items.

 Chapter 325 Cashing Out and Leaving the First Obelisk

    [[Buying XP crystals isn¡¯t a ¡°terrible¡± idea per se, but it still seems like a bit of a waste. Give me a moment to quickly gather everyone¡¯s numbers from Brance so I can run the calctions.]] Crossing his arms over his chest Cynrik stated before contacting his brother.

    A few secondster, he had gathered everyone¡¯s XP crystal counts and worked out all the figures necessary.

    Factoring in how everyone had 10 million XP to begin with, there were enough crystals for everyone to at least reach the Cap of their ss Level. The only issue was that both Selene and Benny were severelycking in the Crystal department.

    Even if the two of them used all the avable crystals in their inventories, Selene would still require 14.27 million XP, while Benny would require 16.03 million.

    [Brancie, once you power level your ss, you will have 19,081,000 XP left over with crystals, and Gabby will have 7,429,700. I want you two to give Benny what he needs to make up the difference, 16,038,300, and I will cover Sel.] Tapping his left thumb and index finger against each other in thought, Cynrik continued.

    [Sel needs 14,271,158 XP; and I need to use the remainder of my stock of crystals to see if I can power level my birbs, oh, by the way, I bought my Incubators finally.

    [Eh? So soon, damn, how much did you blow on those things? I noticed them in the market, but I only remember them being expensive. As for Benny, Gabby and I can handle it.] Brance stated before tapping Gabby on the shoulder and filling her in on their discussion.

    It went without saying that she quickly agreed and shot a knowing nod toward Cynrik.

    [It wasn¡¯t too bad, they came out to 2200 a piece, so 4400. Alright, keep searching for anything you need. Keep in mind that Sel and Benny don¡¯t have anywhere near the money we do, so if Benny needs something, just split it with Gabby.] Turning his head back to his window, Cynrik scanned through the store again, this time with more vigor, while continuing his chat with Selene.

    [[Sel, scratch the idea of buying Crystals. It¡¯s unnecessary for now; I will cover your level-ups with my stock while Brance and Gabby feed crystals to Benny. I want you looking for additional items, such as potions or secondary equipment.]]

    [[Also, if there are any skill books or Affinity Gems that pique your fancy, let me know, and I¡¯ll pick them up for you. We don¡¯t have much time, so let¡¯s make it quick.]]<sub>.</sub>

    Meanwhile, while everyone was scrolling through the marketce window, Benny was lost in thought as he stared at the Golden and tinum packages in his inventory.

    These were the 250 and 500 kill rewards for Floor 22, something he hadn¡¯t had the time to open yet, but the longer he stared at them, the more it ate at him.

    Quickly ncing at his party members, Benny¡¯s eyes flicked from left to right before up to Yennifer and Headmaster Rivia, who nodded as if understanding his dilemma.

    Their approval was all he needed, so Benny pulled the first of two shimmering boxes from his inventory and sat down on the ground, cing the golden box in front of his crossed legs without further hesitation.

    Unlocking the sp on the reward box, Benny was showered with golden confetti that made Gabby and Brance, the two closest to him, flinch in surprise.

    |Congrattions, you have opened a Gold Reward Box that was earned by killing 250 Virtual Creatures on the 22nd Floor.|

    |You have received an Epic Rank Tier-1 ss Skill Book: Spirit Armament Forging.|

    The instant Benny¡¯s eyes fell on the notification; he felt light-headed. Not only had he received a new book that could help him with his new weapons, but also, it was from a Tier he had only heard of being auctioned off for absurd amounts of money.

    It wasmon knowledge that, aside from having a Tier ranking, skill books also had rarities, ranging from Common, Umon, Rare, Epic, and Legendary.

    So to receive an Epic ss skill book was something Benny could never have fathomed.<sub></sub>

    With shaky hands, Benny reached in and retrieved the shining Red trimmed Golden book from the box, which shattered into particles.

    ¡°Holy shit, Benny, what the hell was that all about,¡± Brance asked as he leaned over to look down at the impressive booklet in his friend¡¯s hand.

    However, before Benny could reply, Yennifer¡¯s voice sounded off in his mind.

    |¡±Young Benjamin, I rmend you stop wasting time and purchase the appropriate tools and equipment you will need for your new ss. I have taken the liberty to highlight some of the fundamental tools on top of some potential items that would benefit you greatly as you walk down a path of your own.¡±|

    ¡°Sorry, Bj?rn, I¡¯ll show you after we get home; Teacher Yennifer is hurrying me along.¡± Shooting Brance an apologetic look, Benny didn¡¯t wait for his friend¡¯s response before immediately diving back into the Marketce and searching out any of the items he needed.

    ¡°It¡¯s all good, buddy; if you need more points, let me or your sister know, we have plenty to spare, and Big Brother already gave us the word to lend you however much you need.¡± Brance chuckled and watched how focused Benny became and shook his head.

    [Benny got something good just now, I only caught a glimpse, but it was an Epic ss Skill book for Soul Forging Armaments.] Brance quickly informed Cynrik of what he saw.

    [Makes sense; from what Selene just told me, the two of them got a shit ton of rewards for their Twenty-Second Floor challenge. Whereas we only racked up points and XP crystals, they actually had loot drops for specific kill quotas.]

    The instant Cynrik spotted Benny opening up that reward box, he grilled Selene about it, only to find out what had transpired during their final challenge.

    [That¡¯s not all, our little Benny earned some good shit in there, he¡¯s the second in our party to have an Evolved Affinity. So what is your excuse now, Brancie? Even little Benny has surpassed you.] Smirking as he looped his left arm around Selene¡¯s waist, Cynrik taunted.<sub></sub>

    [Bah, unlike you, I wouldn¡¯t get jealous just because one of our FRIENDS and FAMILY members pulled ahead of me in something.] Rolling his eyes, Brance began searching for anything that could help him Evolve his Terra Affinity.

    [Hah, you do you, Brancie; if you want to continue cking, so be it.] Cynrik said, but suddenly he felt a heated gaze weigh down on his body, causing him to look up only to find the Headmaster was ring at him and darting his eyes between his left arm and Selene¡¯s waist.

    Shrugging his shoulders and releasing his girlfriend¡¯s waist, Cynrik fought the urge to scoff and flip his middle finger at the Headmaster.

    ?[0)??? Instead of dwelling on it, he chose to steady his focus and plotted out everything he would need to purchase.

    ¡®Alright, I¡¯ve only bought the Incubators and some potions. What else do I need right now? I could use some raw materials and better tools for my engineering.¡¯ Tapping through the Marketce¡¯s pages, Cynrik arrived at the Engineering tab and quickly bought the most expensive workbench, tools, and auxiliary equipment necessary for his Sub-ss.

    Next, he moved on to enchantment stones for crafting and other raw materials and went on a spending spree.

    [[Hey, darling, I need 10k OKP to buy the rest of the equipment I require for my Sub-ss.]] Drawing Cynrik¡¯s attention momentarily, Selene fluttered her eyes expectantly at him.

    [[Fine, but I expect something goodter.]] Cynrik responded by catching her right hand with his left and initiating a point transfer.

    [[Thannnkk you, you¡¯re the best Darrrlinggg~!]] Sneakily blowing him a kiss, Selene purchased everything she needed and still had 5k OKP remaining in her bnce.

    Eventually, her eyes fell on a list of Affinity Gems, and she sat up perfectly straight in surprise, catching Cynrik¡¯s attention, yet he had no clue what the girl was thinking.

    Unknown to him, Selene finally got an answer to the question that gued her and Benny for so long.

    From the picture alone, she recognized the (3) Carat Fair Affinity Gem listed near the bottom of the page. The gem¡¯s Ga and tinum color had haunted her for hours during Floor Twenty-Two¡¯s challenge, and now, she could own it.

    Although the price tag was hefty, and there was a prominent warning Symbol next to its name and description, Selene quickly asked Tobs if she would be okay gaining this Affinity.

    -There will be no problem with you acquiring this Affinity. Between your Bloodline trait¡¯s ability to control any Mana type at higher levels, and your Dark Affinity, this one would suit you well with your fighting style.-

    -However, I must warn you that this Affinity has a VERY high learning curve, and in the beginning, the amount of power you can harness with it will be entirely dwarfed by your own Dark Affinity.-

    Smiling bitterly, Selene still went ahead and purchased the gem after taking into consideration Tobs¡¯ advice.

    |The item you are trying to purchase has a price tag of 4250 Obelisk Kill Points.|

    |Your Current Bnce is 5189 Obelisk Kill Points. Would you like to make this purchase? (Y/N)|

    Chewing her bottom lip for half a second, Selene pressed yes and received the subsequent notifications.

    |Congrattions, you have purchased a Tier-3 (3) Carat Fair Abyss Affinity Gem.|

    |Your Item has been deposited into your inventory. You should also purchase the correct resources and find a safe location to learn your new Affinity. A small guide pamphlet has been deposited into your inventory detailing the proper method to ensure you receive the best results when using your new Affinity Gem.|

    ¡®Hehe, hubby will be so surprised when I show him this new Element, I am 100% convinced that he had to face it at least once, but now I have it.¡¯ Smiling like a fool as she shot nces at Cynrik, Selene grew increasingly more excited at the prospect of seeing her boyfriend¡¯s surprised face when she pulled the gem out.

    For the next 30 minutes or so, everyone cashed out as many points as possible, buying up any items or resources they felt would be necessary for their future training.

    Once finished, the members of MyrkLys took a seat beside one another and looked up at Yennifer and the Headmaster.

    |¡±Well now, you five sure robbed me blind this time, didn¡¯t you? *Sigh*, it¡¯s fine, this time at least. However, let me warn you all now. Each of you has been cklisted from using the Second Obelisk. If you wish to enter one of the avable locations, YOU MUST MATCH YOUR FIGHTING STRENGTH with the Obelisk¡¯s Tier, do you understand me?¡±|

    ¡°Yes, Miss Yennifer,¡± Brance and Gabby replied in unison.

    ¡°Of course, Teacher Yennifer.¡± Benny nodded politely and gave the Obelisk AI a thankful smile.

    ¡°Okay, got it,¡± Selene stated while rolling her long hair around her right index finger, uninterested.

    ¡°Yea, yea, I Get it. Can we go now, Yenni? Who knows how much time we spent here. So many things to do before the tournament. I want to get home as soon as possible to start setting my shit up.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got birbs to hatch, and the longer you keep me here, the more I will be forced to go off schedule, throwing my ns further off course.¡± Rolling his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest; obviously, Cynrik was the rudest of the group.

    Still, the instant the words left his mouth, an unfathomable pressure descended on his body, ttening him to the ground and crushing all his bones at once.

    ¡°*Gurgle* ffckkk.¡± With blood gushing out of his mouth, Cynrik could barely raise his head to meet the furious re of the Headmaster and the icy cold gaze of Yennifer, whose right arm was extended and pointing at him.

    ¡°*Gurgle* Tee, *Gurgle* He, *Gurgle* Ha, *Gurgle* Ha ughh!¡± A crazed smile spread across Cynrik¡¯s face as his vision went ck, and Yennifer killed his Virtual body, instantly spawning him outside the Obelisk.

 Chapter 326 Even in Death, Cynrik is Triumphant

    -Your Virtual Avatar is experiencing 20G Of pressure-

    -You have taken 10,000 Gravitational force damage.-

    -Your Body¡¯s Tier and Gravitational Resistance are rapidly increasing.-

    -Your Body¡¯s strength has increased by 0.5%-

    -Your Gravitational Resistance has increased by 0.1%-

    -WARNING Your Codex is reaching Maximum Overload; WARNING IF YOU CONTINUE, YOUR CODEX WILL EXPLODE!-

    -WARNING YOUR CODEX HAS BEEN BREACHED, AND THE MANA STORED INSIDE IS RUNNING RAMPANT WITHIN YOUR BODY.-

    -Your Body¡¯s strength has increased by 0.5%-

    -Your Gravitational Resistance has increased by 0.1%-

    -Your Body¡¯s strength has increased by 0.5%-

    -Your Gravitational Resistance has increased by 0.1%-

    -¡­-

    -¡­-<sub>.</sub>

    -¡­-

    -Your Virtual Avatar has died.-

    -Your consciousness is being transported back to your body, and you will be instantly teleported outside of the First Obelisk.-

    Standing outside of the First Obelisk in a daze, Cynrik read through the spam of notifications he received just before his death at Yennifer¡¯s hands.

    To say it had been an unpleasant experience was an understatement. The feeling of helplessness Cynrik had gone through soon gave rise to defiance upon seeing that his Body stats were rapidly rising the longer he fought to stay alive.

    However, that didn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t hurt.

    Cynrik had felt every organ and bone in his body instantly get pulverized, yet at thest moment, by forcing all of his Mana to run rampant, he triggered a numbing effect simr to morphine as ast resort.

    It was something he had theorized in the past as ast-ditch effort since if he did attempt it, then it meant that not only would his body disintegrate, but there would be noing back from it.

    Effectively, he had shattered his Codex and allowed all the stored Mana topletely fuse with his body for a final push, all so that he could obtain the maximum benefit from his situation.

    ¡°Hah, that was fucking gnarly. At the very least, I was able to test yet another theory, and it appears that my nuclear option works.¡± Blinking several times as his eyes focused, Cynrik murmured under his breath.

    ¡®It¡¯s been ages since I unlocked the Memory fragment I got from Ragnar. To think that I would have to use that unfinished ability he developed at a time like that.¡¯

    -Ragnar Lodbrok Memory Fragments-<sub></sub>

    -Fragment 1: Unlocked.-

    : Atfere Veer (Energy Storm): Iplete :

    -Fragment 2: Locked.-

    -Fragment 3: Locked.-

    -Fragment 4: Locked.-

    -Fragment 5: Locked.-

    Thinking back to the fight with Osarseph, Cynrik thought back to when he received the memory fragment. When he received it, a short cutscene style shback was triggered, where he experienced Ragnar theorizing and testing a new ability, which he called Atfere Veer.

    ¡®Still, to think that 20g couldpletely obliterate me that fast, hopefully, I¡¯ll never have to experience that shit again. Luckily it was enough to milk some extra rewards from that damn AI Yennifer.¡¯ Clicking his tongue, Cynrik opened up his Status panel and examined the results of his little stunt.

    : Body ¨C Tier-2.8, 11.3g Resistance :

    ¡®Worth it. Hey Tobs, aside from experiencing that shit again, is there any other way to quickly temper my body and Gravitational Resistance?¡¯

    -Other than the method you just experienced, no. The tempering of one¡¯s body is something that needs to be done over time. Throwing yourself into heavy gravity that will grind your bones to dust and tten you into a pancake is fast but deadly.-

    -If you had not been in your Virtual Avatar state, there is no way you would have survived going passed 13G, which was two times your original Resistance.-<sub></sub>

    -The best advice I can give is to take your time training it up as you have been and think of this as a one-time benefit.-

    -And onest thing, Host Cynrik, never¡­EVER use that so-called ¡°Nuclear Option¡± not only would you kill yourself, but if you somehow DID survive, you would never be able to use Mana again, and your body would be unmovable. There is a 0.0001% chance of repairing that level of damage, and you would permanently be left in a vegetative state.-

    ¡®Gotcha, bad ideas are bad, no problem, Tobs. I wouldn¡¯t have even considered it, to begin with, if I hadn¡¯t needed to buy a few extra seconds to reap some additional benefits.¡¯

    ¡®Either way, my death can still be seen as a victory. I obtained multiple benefits, physical and material, so I can¡¯tin; hehe, even in death, I am triumphant.¡¯ Smiling to himself, Cynrik remembered a line from his favorite novel series growing up on Earth and performed a gesture to apany the line, called the ¡°Death¡¯s Touch.¡±

    The smile gradually left his face as Cynrik raised his right hand to cover his face. His middle finger rested just above the middle of his forehead, with the ring finger resting just above his left eyelid. Cynrik¡¯s index finger hovered above his right eyelid, and the pinky and thumb were outstretched, ensuring his entire face was covered.

    Although it may seem cringy or edgelordish to anyone who saw his gesture, to Cynrik, the sign held significant meaning, as some of the only fond memories he had on Earth revolved around reading this series about a half vampire¡¯s adventures with a Circus of Freaks.

    Deep down, he was shaken up by being killed, even if he didn¡¯t show it outwardly, and by making this reference, he was able to calm down before dropping his hand and pacing outside the Obelisk.

    Rubbing his upper arms tofort himself, Cynrik tried to shake off the tingly feeling running through his body while waiting for the others to join him outside.

    ¡ª

    The instant Cynrik shattered into particles, the members of MyrkLys stiffened, especially Selene, who in Brance¡¯s eyes looked like she was one step frompletely losing control due to grief.

    |¡±That little punk! How in the hell did he find a way to turn his death into yet another reward!¡±|

    Yennifer groaned as she massaged her temples. She had fully believed that Cynrik would be instantly killed. Yet, after the initial shock of 20G wore off, he defiantly erupted his Codex before flooding the storm of Mana into what remained of his body, allowing him to endure for nearly a full minute.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Headmaster Rivia asked, breaking his watchful gaze on the other members of MyrkLys and looking at his mother.

    |¡±Immediately after the full force of my 20G of Pressure bore down on his body, he activated some strange skill that allowed him to not only break down his Codex but also fuse the turbulent, out-of-control Mana into his body. Utilizing this technique, Student Ivar temporarily extended his life.¡±|

    |¡±In doing so, not only did he turn a punishment into reward, but rapidly raised his Body Stage along with his Gravitational Resistance ridiculously fast.¡±|

    |¡±Anyway, in case you all are worried about him, Student Ivar is alive and presently standing outside the Obelisk, pacing back and forth in front of the entrance, seemingly lost in thought.¡±|

    As Yennifer spoke, she examined the children¡¯s reactions but soon realized that none of them seemed surprised by their Faction Leader¡¯s reckless and insane actions.

    Aside from indifference, the only one showing any real reaction was Selene.

    Anguish swelled deep within her, and she struggled with the urge to attack the Obelisk AI as she saw her boyfriend suddenly reduced to nothing. However, after hearing that Cynrik was still alive and okay, she quickly controlled her emotions and only frowned in discontent at Yennifer¡¯s words.

    ¡°Miss Yennifer, I apologize for my Brothers words and actions. He is a bit¡­special, and as I¡¯m sure the Headmaster can tell you, he is incapable of filtering his words. Think of it as a mental defect he has had since birth.¡± Bowing his head in repentance, causing Gabby and Benny to follow suit, Brance quickly tried to resolve the situation.

    |¡±It is fine. If I did not know about your older brother¡¯s¡­particr character, I would have removed him from my Obelisk the second he arrived. I felt he would stir up some trouble at some point; I just didn¡¯t think he would be so sly as to take advantage of me in such a way.¡±|

    |¡±Either way, it is time for you all to leave now; remember, moving forward, you are all banned from the Second Obelisk; the next time I see you, I hope you have all obtained Tier-3.¡±|

    With that said, Yennifer waved her right hand and scattered the four remaining members of MyrkLys into particles, returning them to the entrance of the Obelisk, leaving only herself and Headmaster Rivia alone in the room.

    ¡°Sigh, those brothers are pr opposites. The older brother is reckless and sly beyond his years, while the younger brother is gentle and caring. It is an interesting thing watching them interact, and without the younger brother¡¯s influence, I fear the older would be a Tyrant in the making.¡± Geralt eximed, sighing and allowing his body to rx now that the students were gone.

    |¡±Indeed, but remember that they are your responsibility. How Student Ivar turns out is in your hands entirely. Although Student Bj?rn can check his older brother when needed, you will have to step up and protect those two in the future; I guarantee it.¡±|

    |¡±Those two and Student Selene have a heavy destiny weighing on their shoulders, and they will need our full support if they wish to see theirter years.¡±|

    |¡±As for Student Gabrie and Benjamin, they have been drawn into a future they are severelycking understanding of, and I fear if anything happens to either of them, it will radically shift the way the Brother¡¯s destiny will turn out.¡±|

    Speaking in a vague and mysterious tone, Yennifer leaned back in her captain¡¯s chair and opened multiple monitors to rey the battles MyrkLys hadpleted during their trial.

    However, her words were like a bomb going off in Geralt¡¯s mind as he stood beside his mother and watched the rey of Cynrik utilizing his Bloodline skills.

    ¡°Mother¡­do you mean to say there is some kind of disaster looming in the future revolving around those children?¡± After several minutes of hesitation, Geralt finally asked.

    |¡±My beloved son, dark times areing. I can not say when, but when the dayes, you will need to be prepared, and that group of children will y a key role and be the main deciding factor if the world as we know it changes entirely, for better or worse.¡±|

    |¡±I can¡¯t tell you more, as it is beyond my scope of authority, as those times are neither too close nor too far away. For now, all you can do is help those five grow in power and maturity, as they will be your most powerful ally in the future.¡±|

    Wearing a caring expression, Yennifer turned her head and examined her son. When she saw a confused and worried look on his face, she smiled warmly and ced her left palm on his head, like she had when he was a young boy.

    |¡±You will understand when the timees, my son, and when the events transpire, your father will not allow his old bones to sit by and watch.¡±|

    Yennifer looked off into the distance and envisioned the strong back of the man she had known for thousands of years. The man who saved the world once before, and even if he was old and rusty inbat, she knew well enough how the man she fell in love with wouldn¡¯t allow their child to suffer.

 Chapter 327 Lovers Quarrel

    | ¡°Either way, it is time for you all to leave now; remember, moving forward, you are all banned from the Second Obelisk; the next time I see you, I hope you have all obtained Tier-3.¡± |

    With that said, Yennifer waved her right hand and scattered the four remaining members of MyrkLys into particles, causing their vision to fade to ck.

    The next thing everyone knew, they were standing outside the First Obelisk entrance with the sunlight from all three of Vinestra¡¯s suns beaming down on their bodies.

    The sudden bright light made everyone but Brance wince in pain as their pupils adjusted to the light. Previously the group had been in a dark room, and now that they were thrown into the bright afternoon sun, everyone¡¯s eyes needed a second to recover.

    ¡°Tsk, it¡¯s about time y¡¯all showed up. I¡¯ve been waiting out here for over two hours now. Things are worse than I predicted.¡± Noticing his party members standing in a daze shielding their eyes from the sunlight, Cynrik clicked his tongue and walked over to them.

    ¡°Two hours? Wait¡­how long were we in the Obelisk?¡± Because Brance was the only one unaffected by the change in light moving from inside the dark Obelisk to the outside, he was the first to respond to Cynrik¡¯sment.

    ¡°Three weeks, we were in there for three fucking weeks. Because of that stupid time differential, we have wasted half of our training time. I assume that because the Headmaster was present, we are off the hook for sses, but still, this has screwed up my timeline so badly.¡± Scratching his left cheek, Cynrik walked behind Selene and gave her a soft shove to get her moving.

    ¡°No time to sit around; we have to get back to the dorm and start prepping right now. The more time we waste standing around talking, the less we will have to continue grinding.¡±

    SMACK

    But to his surprise, Selene didn¡¯t budge and turned around before pping him across the face full force, whipping his head to the side violently.<sub>.</sub>

    ¡°Oh shit, Gabby Benny, we better go¡­things are about to get¡­.¡± Brance didn¡¯t finish his statement as he quickly grabbed Gabby¡¯s hand and ran off.

    As the saying goes, Hell hath no fury like an angry Waifu, and right now, Selene was DEFINITELY Angry.

    Rolling his shoulders back and slowly turning to face Selene, Cynrik didn¡¯t even flinch as his expressionless face and eyes met hers.

    -You have received 1200 damage from Selene Nilsson.-

    ¡®Fuck off with that Notification, Tobs.¡¯ Cynrik spat mentally while examining his teary-eyed girlfriend.

    He was about to open his mouth to say something when¡­.

    SMACK

    She hit him again, this time hard enough to force him to taste blood.

    ¡°Are you done?¡± Unlike the first time, Cynrik tensed his body at just the right moment, so he stood rooted in ce and epted the smack without budging.<sub></sub>

    ¡°You insufferable bastard, you took it too far. Do you even realize how it fucking feels to watch someone you love die? Do you understand what it was like for ME to watch YOU die?¡± Selene icily spoke, with her body shivering as each word left her lips.

    ¡°How would you fucking feel if it was ME in your ce? Would you even care? Do you care so little for me that you can¡¯t even see what consequences your belligerent actions cause?¡±

    Seeing no reaction and no immediate response from Cynrik, Selene raised her hand and pped him a third time, only this time, he caught her hand centimeters away from his cheek.

    ¡°Let me go; I¡¯m not done. LET ME GO SO I CAN SMACK YOU AGAIN!¡± Selene¡¯s voice shrilled up by an octave as she screamed and tried extricating her hand from Cynrik¡¯s grasp to no avail.

    The longer she looked at her boyfriend¡¯s expressionless face and chilling violet eyes, the madder Selene became.

    ¡°Stop talking and making a scene, Selene.¡± Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Cynrik spoke in a low voice and tone without breaking eye contact with the girl.

    After holding tightly onto her wrist, Cynrik pulled her into his chest and activated [Shadow Leap], dragging them both into the Shadow Realm, away from the prying eyes of any students or staff members passing nearby.

    Once they were in the familiar negative-colored world of Dark Mana, Cynrik let go of Selene¡¯s wrist, caught her chin with the same hand, tilted her face up, and passionately kissed her.

    The simple touch of his lips on hers sent a chill down Selene¡¯s spine as she went from furious to a melting puddle in an instant.<sub></sub>

    A few secondster, Cynrik broke off the kiss and spoke calmly.

    ¡°Listen to me, Sel; I have tried exining to you repeatedly that I do not feel or understand emotions like the rest of you do. I understand you are upset about what happened, and I know you want to beat the brakes off of me, but it is unwarranted.¡± Using his right thumb, Cynrik caressed the girl¡¯s cheek tenderly after wiping the tears from her eyes.

    ¡°We were in virtual bodies, simr to a video game. Although I understand it may have been tough to watch, I can¡¯t have you losing control of yourself and doing something that could drastically affect everyone. Everything I do is calcted, and I ept the risks brought about by my actions long before I even speak.¡±

    ¡°I allowed you to strike me twice in anger, an opportunity that even Brance or my Parents haven¡¯t received. That alone says volumes about my opinion of our rtionship. To say I don¡¯t care about you is tantly false, even if I don¡¯t actively show it regrly, but you need to understand that this is all new to me.¡±

    ¡°Back on Earth, rtionships never worked for me, I would either grow bored of purely physical ones quickly, or my actions and words would break the wholesome ones down equally as fast.¡± Sighing as the memories of his two failed marriage engagements shed through his mind, Cynrik closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and continued.

    ¡°If we were our old selves, odds are we would already have broken up and wouldn¡¯t even be on speaking terms. Not to mention that once a rtionship ends for me, that¡¯s it, it¡¯s over, and I move on without looking back.¡±

    ¡°Sigh, but what we have is different. Be it because of the annoying intervention of the Deities or because of this strange soul connection we have between us; it is just in different.¡±

    ¡°While I can¡¯t vocalize my feelings or put what little emotion I am capable of understanding to words, if something happened to you, I would raze everything to the ground, no matter WHAT would happen to me.¡± Smirking at the thought of burning all of VSFA to the ground was slightly humorous to Cynrik. Still, he said what he said.

    ¡°Cyn¡­I¡­¡± Selene sniffled and didn¡¯t know how to respond. Although it was true that Cynrik wasn¡¯t necessarily the best at showing he cared, he still did little things, like serving meals, opening doors, or ying along with her lewdments.

    At the end of the day, it wasn¡¯t that he was a bad boyfriend, but instead, he was muted; the world in his eyes seemed to only be in grey, that was how he lived his life, and she had long since epted that about him.

    However, the image of him being crushed to the ground and killed was still fresh in her mind.

    ¡°I know it may have hurt to see me like that, Sel, but things will only worsen in the future. There wille a time when we have to put our lives on the line and fight for everything we want to protect, and at that time, we may have to make decisions that would hurt more than cutting our souls out.

    ¡°Nheless, those are decisions that will NEED to be made. I won¡¯t always be the strongest or most intelligent person. There will eventually be a point where we face opponents just as strong and intelligent as we are, and at that moment, it will boil down tobat experience and grit.¡± Cupping her cheek with his hand, Cynrik made Selene look in his eyes.

    ¡°But never again doubt that somewhere in this decrepit and ck heart of mine, there is a ce that solely belongs to you, and you alone.¡±

    Feeling the tears threatening to spill over again, Selene could only nod and bury her head in Cynrik¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Anyway, we need to go; we have lost half the time we had to train and need to make up for it. I spent significant earnings on the highest ssification of XP crystals in preparation for something like this.¡± Smirking and patting Selene¡¯s back, he tossed a small joke in to make her chuckle.

    ¡°Oh yeah, sure, I totally believe that you predicted a whole three weeks would fly by without us noticing.¡± Pulling back and thumping his chest with her small fists, Selene retorted.

    ¡°I mean, I swear I did, the moment I realized I couldn¡¯t reach you in the mind link, but I could talk to Brance; I knew something wonky was going on. Either we were moving in different time streams, or you were so far away that the connection couldn¡¯t be made.¡± Shrugging his shoulders and looping both his arms around Selene¡¯s plump hips to pinch her ass, Cynrik quipped before kissing her once again.

    Feeling his touch, Selene squirmed in his arms, and when he pinched her butt, she let out a squeal.

    ¡°Time to go. Let¡¯s catch our cowardly asshole party members so we can beat them up.¡±

    ¡ª

    It didn¡¯t take long for the two Dark Affinity users to make their way back to the dorm, and when Cynrik unlocked the front door and walked in, he was greeted by the delicious aroma of freshly cooked fried chicken and mac and cheese.

    ¡°OI FUCKSQUAD, WE ARE HOME!¡± Cynrik shouted as he kicked off his shoes by the front door and pulled Selene into the dorm by the hand.

    ¡°COUGH, COUGH! Is it really necessary to freaking yell the second youe home? Damn it, Gabby, water, I need water, COUGH!¡± Brance¡¯s voice came from the kitchen as he choked on his food.

    When Cynrik and Selene rounded the corner, Gabby patted him on the back and carefully brought a ss of water to his lips as Brance fought through the coughs and red angrily at Cynrik.

    Taking a second to point andugh at his little brother¡¯s expense, Cynrik pulled Selene¡¯s chair out from the table and pushed it in when she sat down.

    Next, he moved to get food for both of them and joined the table for dinner.

    Even though the suns were still out, it was already after six in the evening, the allotted time the brothers had chosen for family dinner, where everyone in the group had to be present.

    Taking arge bite out of the crispy chicken drumstick, Cynrik savored the taste before looking around the table.

    ¡°We have three and a half weeks to get to Tier-3; I hope everyone didn¡¯t blow their cash on stupid shit because if we are going to pull this off, we will have to be clever and disciplined.¡± Taking another bite, Cynrik quickly finished off his chicken and exined his new n.

 Chapter 328 Obtaining and Leveling Sub-Classes Part 1

    ¡°We have three and a half weeks to get to Tier-3; I hope everyone didn¡¯t blow their cash on stupid shit because if we are going to pull this off, we will have to be clever and disciplined.¡± Taking another bite, Cynrik quickly finished off his chicken and exined his new n.

    ¡°Even if you did burn all your money on useless shit, I would like to believe that you guys got enough resources to pick your Sub-sses.

    Looking around the table and noticing the embarrassed look on Gabby and Benny¡¯s faces, Cynrik angrily stabbed his mac and cheese with a spoon before shoveling it into his mouth.

    ¡°Hah, I seriously hope you are only trolling me right now.¡± ncing from the Sanford siblings to his brother and back to the two kids, Cynrik shook his head, stood up, and picked up his and Selene¡¯s dirty dishes.

    ¡°I am retiring to my bedroom; I need to start working. Between iming my Tamer Sub-ss, power leveling, setting up my new Engineering equipment, and of course, HATCHING MY BIRBS; there is too much to do and too little time to do so.¡± While he spoke, Cynrik walked over to the garbage can, stepped on the handle that popped the lid open, scraped the excess food bits into the bin, and tossed the dishes into the dishwasher.

    ¡°Come along, Sel; you can help me set things up.¡±

    At hismand, Selene bounced up and followed after her boyfriend, with their earlier conversation still ying in her mind. The words ¡®There is a ce in my heart that belongs solely to you¡¯ reyed on a loop as she endearingly stared at the back of Cynrik¡¯s head.

    ¡°Oh, and one more thing.¡± Stopping between the living room and the hallway to the bedrooms, Cynrik suddenly spun around, causing Selene to bump into his chest absentmindedly.

    ¡°Good job today, everyone, er I mean thest three weeks¡­.tsk you get what I am saying. All of you fought hard and reaped the rewards; now, use them to get stronger so we can win this tournament.¡± With that said, Cynrik caught Selene by the hand and dragged her into his bedroom, but not before closing and locking the door.

    With the two Dark Affinity users gone, Brance, Gabby, and Benny sat in stunned silence for a moment.<sub>.</sub>

    ¡°Did Big Bro Cyn justpliment us¡­¡± Gabby started.

    ¡°Without adding any backhandedments¡­.¡± Brance continued.

    ¡°He took Selene into his room again and locked the door¡­you guys don¡¯t think¡­.¡± Scrunching his face up, Benny looked between his sister and Brance.

    ¡°I mean, It would be in Big Brother¡¯s character to have makeup s*COUGH*!¡± Before Brance could say thest word, Gabby chopped him in the chest, making him cough loudly for a moment.

    ¡°Stop; I don¡¯t want to hear it; there are things I don¡¯t want to picture, and those two doing the deed is at the top of the list.¡± Rubbing her arms tofort herself, Gabby said after punishing her boyfriend.

    ¡°True that, anyway, Benny, you¡¯ve got all the skill booklets you need for your Epic ss, right?¡± Rubbing the spot on his chest that Gabby had chopped, Brance quickly changed the topic not to upset his girlfriend; who knew what the girl could do when pissed off? Brance had never seen it happen and wasn¡¯t about to find out either.

    ¡°Yeah, from the rewards from the Twenty-Second floor, I got the two basic cksmithing skills, and then I got the Epic skill book, so once I use all three, I should have at least a couple of different cksmithing sses unlocked,¡± Benny stated as he got up and cleaned his dishes.

    ¡°That¡¯s excellent, Benny, Gabby; I know you bought all the basic potioneering and Alchemy equipment and books. Although you can¡¯t set up ab here since we don¡¯t have the space, you can still use the books and unlock your Sub-ss.¡± Nodding at Benny, Brance patted Gabby¡¯s head as he retrieved her dirty dishes and went to clean them.

    ¡°Yep, yep. I also bought a bunch of seeds and¡­some new clothes and some other misceneous things.¡± Turning her head and staring at Brance¡¯s ass as he walked, Gabby had to exert some effort to tear her eyes away before speaking, but if one looked closely, they would have noticed the slight blush on her cheeks when she talked about the clothing she had bought.<sub></sub>

    Even though she wouldn¡¯t explicitly state it aloud, she had bought a few things that Selene would be proud of her for, all for the future eyes of her boyfriend.

    ¡°Okay, everyone to the living room. We can all pick our Sub-sses, but first, I need to have you both put all your XP crystals in a pile, separated by how much Essence they contain. That way, when we get the sses locked in, we can start leveling them up.¡± Walking back to Gabby, Brance pulled back her chair so she could stand up and pushed it back once she was clear.

    The three then made their way to the living room as a group and, standing in front of their favorite couches, started piling up the thousands of small thumb-sized milky white XP crystals on the multiple coffee tables in the center of the room. Each table had a different pile, one for 1k Crystals, one for the 2k, one for 10k, and thest andrgest table was for the 20k crystals acquired.

    By the time they finished, the three couldn¡¯t help but admire the sheer amount of energy held on the four tables. The piles represented something that would otherwise take months or even years to acquire, yet for them, all it took was a simple trip to the first Obelisk.

    ¡°Looking at it like this, we went crazy with the kills, didn¡¯t we?¡± Brance chuckled and looked over at the Sanford siblings, who only nodded in response.

    ¡°Alright, *p*, let¡¯s get down to business.¡± Wearing a pleasant smile, Brance pped his hands together, signaling it was time to get to work.

    However, when he said thest bit of his sentence, the voice of Selene and Cynrik, who were eavesdropping from Cynrik¡¯s bedroom, entered the mind link as they began singing.

    [[TO DEFEAT, THE HUNS!]] *C*

    [[DID THEY SEND MEEEE DAUGHTTERSSSS!!!]] *S*<sub></sub>

    [[WHEN I ASKED FOR SONNNNS!!!]] *C*

    [[YOURE A SPINELESS PALE PATHETIC LOT,]] *S*

    [[AND YOU HAVEN¡¯T GOT A CLUE!!]] *C*

    [[SOMEHOW, I¡¯LLLL MAKE A MANNN OUT OF YOUUUU!!!]] *C/S*

    [[Will you two shut the hell up and go fuck or something! I don¡¯t have the patience to deal with your bullshit right now!]] Frowning and resisting the urge to smash the nearest table, Brance growled in response to the two Dark Affinity User¡¯s singing.

    Currently lying in bed with Selene on top of the nkets, Cynrik turned on his HoloTV and watched the rest of the party through the monitoring program he had hacked.

    So when Brance had queued the line from a famous song, Cynrik and Selene couldn¡¯t help but harass him with it.

    However, when Brance mentioned doing something dirty, Selene scooted closer to her boyfriend and tossed her leg over his waist while giving him flirty eyes.

    ¡°No, Sel, it ain¡¯t happening. We can mess around and flirt, but you know as well as I do that until we reach the legal age, we can only go so far.¡± Rolling his eyes as he smacked her ass lightly, Cynrik chided her actions.

    ¡°Hmph, not fair; we aren¡¯t children; why do we have to conform to those bullshit rules.¡± Pouting, Selene rubbed her leg on Cynrik, teasing him enough that he could feel the heat start pooling in his lower half.

    ¡°Enough,¡± Pinching her plump thigh, he removed her leg calmly and sat up before swinging his legs over the edge of the queen-sized bed.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you before about my suspicions that our Watcets monitor our hormone levels and vital signs. I believe that if we do anything to spike them too heavily or cause our bodies to react simultaneously in a certain way, some kind of signal will be sent out to the Academy.¡±

    Sighing because he too wanted to mess around with Selene as much as she did, Cynrik stood up and started dumping all the items he bought on the floor of his room.

    ¡°Not to mention, you saw the re I got from Geralt when he saw the little PDA (public disy of affection) moment we had in front of him. It¡¯s just not a good idea to push it too far, no matter how much we want to.¡±

    ¡°We simply don¡¯t know the extent of the biological monitoring happening with our bodies. So far, nothing has happened when we do our little¡­breather sessions over text or video, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the Headmaster is onto us. Thus we need to chill out a bit.¡±

    ¡°Sigh, I know, darling~ but it¡¯s hard, especially when you look so delicious all the time, teehee.¡± Giggling, Selene joined Cynrik and started pulling out the skill books necessary for her to unlock her LeatherWorking Sub-ss.

    ¡°Tsk, you¡¯re the one who looks like a freaking snack all the time Sel, especially in your workout clothes; not sure you realize the level of restraint it takes for me to not pounce on you with how you unt your assets so openly around me.¡± Narrowing his eyes and tantly staring at Selene¡¯s chest, Cynrik clicked his tongue in admiration, wishing he had X-ray vision.

    Noticing his line of sight, Selene giggled and gave him a little treat by pulling down on the center of her sports bra just enough to expose some of what was hidden underneath.

    ¡°Temptress, don¡¯t think I won¡¯t throw caution to the wind and ravage you right now; consequences be damned.¡± Leaning forward and flicking a specific spot in barely hidden from sight, Cynrik uttered with a primal growl.

    ¡°Nnngh, HEY, I¡¯M SENSITIVE THERE, PUNK!¡± Even if she was, the sensation received by Cynrik¡¯s flick sent a sharp tingle through her whole body, which drew an inevitable sexy moan from her lips in response.

    ¡°Heh, I know; why do you think I did it? Now put your chest away so we can get to work. We need to get your Sub-sse set up so you can use enough crystals to cap its level.¡± Rolling his eyes and reluctantly calming himself down, Cynrik picked up the first of three skill books necessary to unlock the Tamer ss.

    -An Umon Tier-1 Passive Skill book, [Advanced Creature Knowledge,] has been located. Would you like to use this Book? (Y/N)-

    -An Umon Tier-1 Passive Skill book, [Advanced Beast Knowledge,] has been located. Would you like to use this Book? (Y/N)-

    -An Rare Tier-2 Skill book, [Mark of the Tamer,] has been located. Would you like to use this Book? (Y/N)-

    Smirking as all three books appeared in his notifications, Cynrik quickly tapped yes on all three windows, flooding his mind with information from the first two books and a special message from his third.

    -You have learned the Tier-2 Skill, [Mark of the Tamer]; please select where you would like your Mark to appear.-

 Chapter 329 Obtaining and Leveling Sub-Classes Part 2

    -An Umon Tier-1 Passive Skill book, [Advanced Creature Knowledge,] has been located. Would you like to use this Book? (Y/N)-

    -An Umon Tier-1 Passive Skill book, [Advanced Beast Knowledge,] has been located. Would you like to use this Book? (Y/N)-

    -An Rare Tier-2 Skill book, [Mark of the Tamer,] has been located. Would you like to use this Book? (Y/N)-

    Smirking as all three books appeared in his notifications, Cynrik quickly tapped yes on all three windows, flooding his mind with information from the first two books and a special message from his third.

    -You have learned the Tier-2 Skill, [Mark of the Tamer]; please select where you would like your Mark to appear.-

    Cynrik stared at the new notification for some time in silence, lost in thought. Eventually, he looked away from the window and up at the ceiling.

    ¡®Tobs, in my research on Tamers, I discovered that the majority of them ce their Mark on the top of their hand or somewhere else on their arm. Yet the notification is telling me I can put it anywhere.¡¯

    ¡®Is this limited to only the external portion of my skin? Or can I literally put it anywhere?¡¯ Tapping his chin as he spoke to his System AI, Cynrik couldn¡¯t contain his curiosity and waited on bated breath for her response.

    -This is a troublesome thought, Host Cynrik. If you had received a Common or Umon Tamer Mark, you would be restricted on your cement.-

    -For example, the Common Tamer Mark must be ced on the being¡¯s hand, with no if or buts. However, if the being has the upgraded version, the Umon Tamer Mark, they have more freedom in cing it, yet are still restricted to somewhere on their dominant arm.-

    -Due to luck or a higher beings intervention, you have been able to get your hands on a Rare Mark, something that is rtively unknown to the general populous mainly because it is supposed to be heavily regted by the CSH.-

    ¡®You didn¡¯t answer my question, Tobs.¡¯ Rolling his eyes and shooting a silent thanks to Yennifer, who no doubt had a role in him getting his hands on the Skill, Cynrik pushed for more information.<sub>.</sub>

    -The answer to your question is as you suspect. You can ce your [Mark of the Tamer] anywhere on your body, Internal or External.-

    ¡®See, now was that so hard, Tobs? Why did you have to beat around the bush? Things are more manageable when you say something more straightforward.¡¯ Without further ado, Cynrik closed his eyes and envisioned the same intricate spell formation he had seen on the cover of the Book.

    As Cynrik used the Skill booklet, he was flooded with information about the [Mark of the Tamer]. This information included how to ce it, what patterns can be used, how to store creatures or beasts, and how to strengthen it.

    The only thing he was unsure of was where it could be ced since he noticed an apparent loophole in how the notification¡¯s description was worded.

    -Host Cynrik, if you wish to do what you are nning, you will require outside resources.-

    As he was about to begin drawing his Mark, Tobs stopped him.

    ¡®What are you on about? The Skill info says all I have to do is use all of my Mana types and carve the Mark into the desired location; why would I need more resources?¡¯ Confused by her thought process, Cynrik stopped with his left hand above his chest and asked.

    -If you were simply carving it into a body part, bone, or even your organs, it wouldn¡¯t be necessary, but like always, you HAVE to take the most dangerous and reckless route. If you wish to carve your [Mark of the Tamer] into your Codex, you will require the following list of materials; even with them, you are not guaranteed sess.-

    -1 Mid-ss Mana Efficiency Booster.-

    -1 Mid-ss Mana Stabilzation Pill.-

    -1 Affinity Stone Fragment from Each of your Affinities.-<sub></sub>

    Cynrik¡¯s jaw dropped open as he saw the resources he needed weren¡¯t all that different from when he was ready to Evolve Tier.

    ¡®Exin your reasoning. All the data I¡¯ve received states that all I require to ce the Mark is sufficient Mana in each type. After channeling the required amount of 2500 of each type, I am supposed to focus it into a centralized point, like a pen or pencil, and draw the Mark on the desired location.¡¯

    -Indeed, that would be the case, so long as you weren¡¯t being erratically stupid and trying to carve the Mark on the LITERAL Source of your Mana. If you wish to do so, you will require more than triple the amount of Affinity MP on top of a catalyst to stabilize the undoubted copse of your Mana¡¯s stability.-

    -Lastly, the Efficiency booster will give you adequate control over your Mana that you will need to carve the Mark from a distance urately.-

    Clicking his tongue loudly, startling Selene, sitting in the lotus position beside him, Cynrik went to work purchasing all the necessary items from the Academy¡¯s Online store.

    In the end, he was forced to spend over 11k of his Previous 38,440 Merit Points because he selfishly wanted to ¡°Hide¡± his [Mark of the Tamer]. Now, this wasn¡¯t to say it was unfounded. There was a very good reason behind his wanting to pursue this option.

    It had to do with how fragile the Mark was. Through his research, Cynrik learned about one of the most significant drawbacks of bing a Tamer, and it revolved around how vital the Mark indeed was.

    Not only did it house and nurture the Tamer¡¯s creatures, but due to how the Skill worked and how it was carved. There were dire consequences if it was Damaged or the Being lost the limb where the Mark was formed.

    Bacsh, injuries to the Tamed creatures, or even the potential death were possible. When the Mark was destroyed or removed from the Tamer¡¯s body, it would signify the destruction of the pocket dimension held within the [Mark of the Tamer] itself.

    As such, the forceful evacuation of the stored Tamed creatures was immediate, and injuries were guaranteed to ur. The sudden bacsh of Mana would result in permanent injuries to the Tamer and a Damage debuff stronger than if their Tamed creature was killed.

    By carving his Mark onto his Codex, not only would it allow Cynrik to hide the fact that he was a Tamer from his opponents until the optimal time, but he could also ensure that it was rtively safe from damage.<sub></sub>

    The Codex was aplex and sturdy formation of pure Mana, and its durability exceeded that of any bone or even most of the hardest materials on Vinestra. Because of this, Cynrik had figured it was a safe bet to carve his Mark directly onto his Codex.

    Wanting to cry blood as he watched nearly half of his money vanish because of his decision, Cynrik distracted himself by staring at Selene¡¯s chest. After enjoying the soft jiggle caused by her breathing, he eventually calmed down enough to ignore his buyer¡¯s remorse.

    ¡°Darling~ if you want to y with them, I won¡¯t say no; all of me is yours, after all, teehe.¡± Opening one eye and seeing Cynrik staring at her like a hungry wolf, Selene stopped focusing on her Sub-ss and teased her boyfriend.

    ¡°Tsk, shameless vixen, I was merely trying to get my mind off the fact that I just had to waste 11k Merit points to achieve something. Your tits were the perfect distraction.¡± Rolling his eyes and fighting back the urge to grab the fleshy yet perky snow white mounds, not even an entire arm¡¯s length away, Cynrik snorted in response to Selene¡¯s provocations.

    ¡°Oh hoho, I see; d I can be of assistance.¡± Smiling like a fox, Selene bit her bottom lip sexily and gave Cynrik an up-down look, taking in his toned body, which quickened her heart rate.

    ¡°Did you get your Sub-ss sorted?¡± Changing the topic as he noticed Selene¡¯s flushed face and the rapid rise and fall of her risky assets, Cynrik asked.

    ¡°Yep, I just need to get the XP crystals, and I can power level¡­.¡± Before she could finish speaking, arge pile of pebble and thumb-sized crystals appeared on the floor right in front of her crossed legs.

    ¡°Eh?¡± Seeing how easily and quickly Cynrik tossed out the XP Crystals, Selene was stunned for a second before an expression of pure joy spread across her face, and she promptly scooped the first handful of them up to absorb the XP stored inside.

    -You have absorbed an Essence (XP) crystal and received 20,000 XP.-

    -Current Essence stored in Essence Pool(XP): 10,156,400.-

    Heaving a pleasure-filled sigh, Selene absorbed the entirety of the pile Cynrik had deposited on the ground before withdrawing the resources stored in her inventory and hungrily devouring them all.

    -You have absorbed an Essence (XP) crystal and received 20,000 XP.-

    -Current Essence stored in Essence Pool(XP): 30,006,400.-

    Once all of the XP Crystals were digested, Selene looked to Cynrik for advice about whether she should raise her ss or Sub-ss.

    ¡°It¡¯s all personal preference, to be honest. I know that Brancie will have Benny raise his Sub-ss, since it is required for him to get his weapons squared away, but Gabby¡¯s choice will end up being her Huntress ss.¡± Tilting his head to the side as he spoke, Cynrik continued.

    ¡°In Brancie¡¯s case, he will go after his Primary ss, and I will raise my Sub-ss. We all have individual goals, and I n to leave it up to you all. Whatever your choice, I will support you regardless of my opinions.¡± Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik watched as Selene closed her eyes and thought for a moment before deciding.

    ¡°I will raise my Primary ss.¡± With that said, Selene quickly opened up her Status profile and allocated the 29,924,588 XP necessary to increase her Valk-Vanguard ss to its level cap of 35.

    -You have chosen to distribute 252,616 XP to your Primary ss.-

    -Your Tier-2 Valk-Vanguard ss has leveled up-

    -Your Distribution has increased by +0.2 STR, 0.2 DEX, 0.2 VIT.-

    -You have received two Stat points.-

    -You have received two Skill points.-

    -You have chosen to distribute 259,633 XP to your Primary ss.-

    -Your Tier-2 Valk-Vanguard ss has leveled up-

    -Your Distribution has increased by +0.2 STR, 0.2 DEX, 0.2 VIT.-

    -You have received two Stat points.-

    -You have received two Skill points.-

    A flood of notifications spammed Selene¡¯s vision as she felt herself bing more powerful by the second. Finally, the spam finished, and she saw the notification about Capping her Primary ss.

    -You have distributed the total amount of XP your Primary ss can handle.-

    ¨C Your Tier-2 Valk-Vanguard has reached the level cap of 35.-

    -Current Primary ss Distribution upon leveling up, 7 STR, 7 DEX, 7 VIT.-

    -You have learned the Tier-2.5 Valk-Vanguard Skill [V?ngir o Sleipner] (Wings of the Pegasus)-

    -You have learned the Tier-3 Valk-Vanguard Skill [Lopt Vargr] (Sky Destroyer)-

 Chapter 330 Obtaining and Leveling Sub-Classes Part 3

    A flood of notifications spammed Selene¡¯s vision as she felt herself bing more powerful by the second. Finally, the spam finished, and she saw the notification about Capping her Primary ss.

    -You have distributed the total amount of XP your Primary ss can handle.-

    ¨C Your Tier-2 Valk-Vanguard has reached the level cap of 35.-

    -Current Primary ss Distribution upon leveling up, 7 STR, 7 DEX, 7 VIT.-

    -You have learned the Tier-2.5 Valk-Vanguard Skill [V?ngir o Sleipner] (Wings of the Pegasus)-

    -You have learned the Tier-3 Valk-Vanguard Skill [Lopt Vargr] (Sky Destroyer)-

    Selene broke into a wide smile as she jumped to her feet and stretched out her body. Her sudden and rapid increase may not have had any direct physical bearing on her body, but mentally, a new batch of data andbat knowledge flooded her mind, especially pertaining to her new ss skill [V?ngir o Sleipner].

    ¡°Jeeze, was the level up that good? You look like you want to go spar or, I don¡¯t know, go shopping with Gabby.¡± Rolling his eyes and teasing his girlfriend, Cynrik hurriedly pulled her back down to the ground beside him so she could exin her gains.

    ¡°Well, aside from the 35 Skill points and 70 free allocation stat points, I got two new skills; the first is the Tier-2.5 [V?ngir o Sleipner], and the second is a Tier-3 skill¡­that only has a bunch of question marks after its name, [Lopt Vargr].¡±

    ¡°Wings of the Pegasus and Sky Destroyer,¡± Cynrik mumbled in thought before waving for Selene to continue.

    ¡°So [V?ngir o Sleipner] gives me the ability to fly, and although it has basically no cooldown, only 30 seconds, it is a heavy STAMINA and MP drain. Oh, it also gives me a 25% boost to all my stats in battle.¡±

    ¡°As for the second skill, I know nothing about it other than it has a requirement that I have my wings active. The rest of the information is redacted.¡±

    ¡°Lopt Vargr means Sky Destroyer in Norse. Using its name as a basis and the fact that it is Tier-3 and requires you have your [V?ngir o Sleipner] or Wings of the Pegasus active, we can determine that it is some kind of airborne Ultimate Skill, like in a game.¡± Cynrik exined after a few moments of silent thought.<sub>.</sub>

    ¡°Realistically, if the description is nk, you simply can¡¯t use it until you reach a certain unknown strength. It may be because it is Tier-3, or maybe the Stats that its damage is based on aren¡¯t high enough, but that is something for the future.¡±

    ¡°I expect you to see the skill unlock by the time we start raising our Primary Level and increasing our base stats.¡± Uncrossing his arms and leaning against his bed, Cynrik nced at Selene, who had her bottom lip extended in a pout.

    ¡°What now?¡± He asked with dead eyes.

    ¡°My luck is dogshit, and I me you. Since I started spending so much time around you, my previously pristine luck has been tarnished; I CAUGHT YOUR NOTORIOUS TRASH HAND!¡± Lunching forward, Selene relentlessly pounded Cynrik¡¯s chest, albeit not hard enough to hurt him, but enough to be annoying and prove her point.

    ¡°Ok, I get it; I¡¯m a terrible person who steals his woman¡¯s luck; stop with the hitting.¡± Grumbling as he caught both of Selene¡¯s wrists with ease, Cynrik smugly stared at her until she gave up and copsed against the bed beside him.

    ¡°Anyway, get to it with your Sub-ss; we don¡¯t have all day.¡± Seeing that Selene had relented with her assault, Cynrik rxed beside her and sighed.

    ¡°Eh? What about you, aren¡¯t you going to get your Tamer ss so that you can start hatching your birbs?¡± Confused by Cynrik¡¯sck of action, Selene questioned.

    ¡°Would if I could; unfortunately, I need to wait for the materials I ordered toe in, which should be within the next 2-3 hours before I can carve my [Mark of the Tamer].¡± Cynrik didn¡¯t bother exining further and realizing he wasn¡¯t going to continue, Selene dropped it and set about working on her LeatherCrafting.

    ¡ª

    Meanwhile, as the two Dark Affinity users were in a world of their own, Gabby, Benny, and Brance were amid a heated conversation about which they should level up first, their Sub-ss or their Primary.

    ¡°It makes no sense, Brancie; if I want to benefit the party in the best way, shouldn¡¯t I power level my Alchemist ss?¡± Gabby asked while throwing her hands in the air.

    ¡°Any other time, I would say yes, but right now, I am sure Big Brother bought a shit ton of potions, meaning it isn¡¯t a priority to make more at the moment.¡±<sub></sub>

    ¡°Brance is right, Gabby; knowing how overly prepared and paranoid Big Bro is, it wouldn¡¯t be that big of a stretch to assume he already bolstered our stock of Mana, Health, and Stamina potions. Your situation is a bit different from mine, where it is vital that I instantly raise my cksmithing once I obtain it.¡±

    ¡°UGH, then what are you going to do, Brancie? Which are you leveling up?¡± Drooping her head in defeat, Gabby waved her dainty hand in Brance¡¯s direction without looking at him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been on the fence for some time on that topic. Although it would be beneficial to increase my Pdin ss, at the same time, once I get my Gemsmith Sub-ss, I could start working on some of the resources I bought from the Obelisk marketce.¡±

    ¡°In that way, I would be able to start crafting some of the essories we need when we start diving into Egresses,¡± Brance stated as he patted Gabby¡¯s leg to calm her down.

    ¡°Plus, the faster you level up your Huntress ss, the quicker we can go and pick you out a new beastpanion.¡± Seeing that his skinship didn¡¯t do much to lighten her mood, Brance threw thest bit in, and as expected, Gabby instantly brightened up.

    ¡°OH, OH, I FORGOT!¡± Like an overexcited child, Gabby jumped off the couch and started collecting XP crystals and using them before anyone could stop her.

    Her actions caused Benny and Brance to chuckle before they both retrieved the necessary prerequisite skill books for their Sub-sses.

    Ignoring the other two in the room, Brance ced the three skill books on hisp and examined them onest time.

    The first was a light khaki-colored book with white trim titled [Basic Gemcrafting]; this was a passive skill book that would infuse the knowledge of how to turn a rough gem into a cut one that could be ced into a piece of equipment.

    The second Book, which was half the size of the other two and orange, was titled [Advanced Mineral and Gem Knowledge].

    Simr to the two books his brother had used, which taught him about many different kinds of Beasts and Creatures, this passive skill book taught him about thousands of gems and rock formations, their uses, and the best way to cut them for optimal performance.

    The third Book was the most important and also the most expensive he had purchased of the batch from the Obelisk Marketce, a stunningly bright silver Rare [essory Craftsmanship] passive skill.<sub></sub>

    When Brance searched online after settling on obtaining Gemsmith as his Sub-ss, he realized that it was a heavily sought-after profession. Thus all the prerequisite skill booklets were astronomically expensive.

    After some heavy research and using a few filters, he hade to choose these three, and when they showed up in the Obelisk marketce, it was a no-brainer to purchase them at a significantly lower price.

    They were so costly because Gemsmiths did not only work with stonecutting or identifying rare gems but alsobined jewels with specific materials to make rings, nes, bracelets, etc.

    An Experienced Gemsmith could not only cut the gems or jewels to perfection, but they were also able toy them into the items they personally crafted and enchant them for further benefits or effects.

    A prime example of this was Spatial artifacts, such as the rings or nes that were heavily popr. These were the primary ie source for most Gemsmiths; the only downside was that an Artificer was required to finish the process.

    Still, the gem, setting, and creation of the item werepleted by a Gemsmith before the unfinished product was sent to an Artificer to finish the instation of the pocket dimension used to store things.

    Taking a deep breath, Brance picked up each of the books and ced them against his chest, triggering the absorption of the books into his system.

    -An Umon Tier-1 Passive Skill book, [Basic Gemcrafting,] has been located. Would you like to use this Book? (Y/N)-

    -An Umon Tier-1.5 Passive Skill book, [Advanced Mineral and Gem Knowledge,] has been located. Would you like to use this Book? (Y/N)-

    -A Rare Tier-2 Passive Skill book, [Advanced essory Craftsmanship,] has been located. Would you like to use this Book? (Y/N)-

    Once the notifications appeared from Tobs, Brance wasted no time pressing yes on each one, and when he did, his eyes unfocused as a flood of information surged into his brain.

    Sitting not far from Brance, Gabby noticed her boyfriend¡¯s expression nk out and his body tense, so she silently wished him luck and continued absorbing multiple XP crystals simultaneously before stopping to check her notifications.

    -You have absorbed an Essence (XP) crystal and received 10,000 XP.-

    -Current Essence stored in Essence Pool(XP): 11,551,258.-

    -You have absorbed an Essence (XP) crystal and received 10,000 XP.-

    -You have absorbed an Essence (XP) crystal and received 20,000 XP.-

    -You have absorbed an Essence (XP) crystal¡­-

    -You have absorbed an Essence (XP) crystal¡­-

    A short timeter, Gabby noticed that she had finally broken through the 30 million XP mark, and she swapped from absorbing crystals to distributing the vast amounts of XP into her Primary ss.

    -You have chosen to distribute 252,616 XP to your Primary ss.-

    -Your Tier-2 Huntress ss has leveled up-

    -Your Distribution has increased by +0.2 DEX, 0.2 AGI.-

    -You have received two Stat points.-

    -You have received two Skill points.-

    Although the process was tedious and time-consuming because every time she wanted to level up, she had to click through at least four notification windows, she finally assigned thest chunk of XP into her Huntress ss and smiled proudly.

    -You have chosen to distribute 4,673,398 XP to your Primary ss.-

    -Your Tier-2 Huntress ss has leveled up-

    -Your Distribution has increased by +0.2 DEX, 0.2 AGI.-

    -You have received two Stat points.-

    -You have received two Skill points.-

    -You have distributed the total amount of XP your Primary ss can handle.-

    ¨C Your Tier-2 Huntress has reached the level cap of 35.-

    -Current Primary ss Distribution upon leveling up, 7 DEX, 7 AGI.-

    However, Gabby frowned when she realized something was off. In the past, when she had maxed out her Primary ss, she received several new skills, but not this time.

    The only time she had received any new Huntress skills was when she first acquired the ss, but now, she was left with nothing new except 70 Stat points, 35 Skill points, and an additional 7 DEX and AGI every time her main level raised.

 Chapter 331 Obtaining and Leveling Sub-Classes Part 4

    However, Gabby frowned when she realized something was off. In the past, when she had maxed out her Primary ss, she received several new skills, but not this time.

    The only time she had received any new Huntress skills was when she first acquired the ss, but now, she was left with nothing new except 70 Stat points, 35 Skill points, and an additional 7 DEX and AGI every time her main level raised.

    Chewing on her bottom lip, Gabby was at a loss for why she didn¡¯t receive any new skills and seeing as Brance and Benny were still digesting their new information, and Cynrik was in the other room, Gabby decided the best course of action would be to do some quick research on her Watcet.

    It didn¡¯t take her long to find the answers she was looking for, and the results made her frown while uttering a loud sigh.

    ¡®Of course, it would be something like that,¡± she thought as she read through multiple forum posts from other studentsining about simr issues.

    The reason was simple; Gabby had yet to contract herpanion beast; as such, until she did, she wouldn¡¯t receive any new skills since most of the skills unlocked through leveling up were different techniques to help raise the Hunter or Huntresses Beast.

    Exiting the Academy forum and dropping her arm by her side, Gabby once again tossed a quick peek at her brother and boyfriend before pulling out her Alchemy Prerequisite skill books and entering a simr enlightened state to the other two.

    Over an hour went by, with everyone in the living room stuck in a trance-like state, and when Cynrik received the text saying that his supplies were out for delivery, he pulled up the security measures he put in ce to watch the front door from outside.

    It didn¡¯t take long for him to grow bored of watching the empty stoop outside, so he decided to check on the three in the living room, but when he did, he noticed they were allpletely zoned out, something he both understood and predicted.

    Unlike them, or even Selene, who was also currently in the same enlightenment state, Cynrik¡¯s digestion took barely a couple of minutes, not hours like he was witnessing. What it boiled down to was everyone had differentprehension speeds.

    Cynrik¡¯s quick digestion andprehension of knowledge were partly because of how his mind processes information and partly because of how many different thought process chains are constantly active at a given time in his head.<sub>.</sub>

    As such, he could digest the data received from Skill books like aputer downloading a new program with the highest possible inte speed.

    Using his predictive abilities and knowing that everyone had, in one way or another, purchased the books necessary to unlock their new Sub-sses, Cynrik had automatically assumed that they would each enter this strange enlightenment state.

    Knowing there was nothing he could do to speed up the process and that it could take up to another 30 minutes for the delivery person to drop off his items, Cynrik figured the best use of his time was to set up his two Incubators.

    To clear up some space in the room, he quickly scooped Selene up in a princess carry, pulled back the nket on his bed, and ced her down before tucking her in.

    Next, he set about cleaning up the mess of random items, such as XP crystals, Booklets, and of course, batches upon batches of potions.

    After a few minutes of cleaning, the entire floor space of his bedroom waspletely open, and he could ce down the two 2.5x1meter boxes holding his expensive top-of-the-line Incubators.

    Looking around his room for a few seconds, he quickly located the best ce to build the expensive devices and unpacked the first box¡¯s contents.

    Inside was a long cylindrical ss tube and the parts that would eventually make it look like a giantvamp once assembled.

    Even though the device was rtively easy to assemble and use based on the instructions, theponents it was made from were anything but simple.

    Scanning through the instruction manual, Cynrik was greeted by hundreds of diagrams detailing the specifics of eachponent and its uses. From the intricate spell formations to the reservoirs that channeled liquified pure Mana particles, the machine Cynrik was about to assemble was, to date, the most extensive andplex device he had ever seen.<sub></sub>

    ¡°It¡¯s a fusion of technology and magic, like; I knew it would be cool, but holy shit, this is crazy.¡± He murmured as he unwrapped the cylindrical tube that housed the creature or egg being incubated.

    Finishing up the fifty or so page-long instruction manual, which hemitted to memory, Cynrik popped his neck loudly, pulled out some of the new tools he bought from the Obelisk Marketce, and went to work with an excited expression stered across his face.

    For the next short while, Cynrik silently set about building therge contraption, a process that, if it weren¡¯t for his Engineering Sub-ss, and high DEX stat, would have taken hours toplete.

    However, he didn¡¯t even realize or care how long the process took. Even back on Earth, Cynrik had been obsessed with building things, from model kits or expensive remote-controlled fighter jets to high-powerputers, and that was one of the defining reasons he had chosen the Engineer ss.

    Cynrik was already halfway through building the tall Incubator by the time he received a notification on his Watcet that the delivery person was outside his dorm. Quickly finding a good ce to stop, he activated [Shadow Leap], sank into the ground, and reappeared by the front door.

    ¡°Yo, I¡¯m pressed for time; sorry if I seem rude.¡± Opening the door and giving the delivery person a short greeting, Cynrik nced toward the clipboard and moved.

    Afraid of being held back from his project any longer, Cynrik swiped the clipboard from the man¡¯s hands, quickly scanned its contents, signed the bottom line, and held out his hand for the transfer of items.

    Secondster, after receiving his purchased items, Cynrik caught the man by the arm and began the transfer of Merit points for a tip. This delivery person was someone Cynrik recognized slightly, so he wasn¡¯t stingy and sent over 50 merit points before mming the door shut and vanishing into the shadows.

    Not even a full secondter, he reappeared beside the half-built Incubator.

    Outside of the dorm, the delivery man was stunned silly. Several weeks ago, around the same time at night, he had received arge order and was forced to deliver it; however, this time, when he got ate order and saw the address, he couldn¡¯t help but grow excited.<sub></sub>

    Very few students would tip the delivery service people. Still, he remembered explicitly that the student in this dorm had tipped him 10 Merit Pointsst time, so he promptly gathered all the items on the list and made a speedy departure.

    Standing in one ce and staring at the notification he received after getting his delivery tip, the man¡¯s eyes started tearing up. 50 Merit Points may not seem like a lot to someone like Cynrik since he currently had thousands, but for the man, it was enough to feed him and his family for an entire month.

    Bowing to the dorm in respect, the man said thank you and left while wiping his eyes and sniffling, leaving Cynrik unaware that he had earned a favorable impression from the delivery man.

    Getting back to the task at hand, Cynrik spent another 40 minutes assembling and cleaning up the mess from the first Incubator, but once he wasplete, he received a shocking notification from Tobs.

    -You have perfectly assembled a Tier-3 Rare Creature Incubation, Hatching, and Nurturing Device.-

    -Being an Adept Engineer, this task should have been moreplicated than it appeared, yet you wlessly executed the assembly.

    -Your Adept Engineer Rank has advanced to Experienced.-

    -Your perfectly assembled Tier-3 Rare Creature Incubation, Hatching, and Nurturing Device has received a 15% increase in its ability and reduced hatching time.-

    -You have received 25 Free Stat points.-

    -You have received 15 points for each of your primary stats.-

    -As an Experienced Engineer, you have a 25 percent chance of increasing the Stats or Effects of the devices you create or assemble.-

    -Blueprints crafted by you will have a 15% Chance of increasing the Tier or Rank of the items crafted with them.-

    ¡°Oh?¡± Using a clean microfiber cloth to wipe down the ss cylinder, Cynrik read through the notifications along with Tobs¡¯ monotone voice and smirked.

    ¡°That¡¯s new, hehe. Moving on,¡± tilting his head to the side, Cynrik plugged in the power cord to the wall, flipped a couple of switches turning on the device, and entered a sequence of codes that would decide what type of Mana needed to be stored and converted to nutrients for the creature being hatched.

    Once themands were input on the small disy touch screen, the device hummed to life and started drawing ambient Mana from the surrounding area.

    Nodding in approval, Cynrik moved on to the second Incubator and swiftly assembled it in half the time due to his familiarity with the device.

    Uponpleting the second Incubator, he received a simr string of notifications from Tobs.

    -You have perfectly assembled a Tier-3 Rare Creature Incubation, Hatching, and Nurturing Device.-

    -Being an Experienced Engineer, this task should have been moreplicated than it appeared, yet you wlessly executed the assembly.-

    -Your perfectly assembled Tier-3 Rare Creature Incubation, Hatching, and Nurturing Device has received a 15% increase in its ability and reduced hatching time.-

    -Your Experience Engineer Rank has advanced by 25%.-

    -You have received 25 Free Stat points.-

    -You have received 15 points for each of your primary stats.-

    ¡°Shit, I should have been punching above my weight ss with my builds ages ago, tsk.¡± Smiling bitterly at how much he could have grown by taking on moreplex Engineering challenges aside from constantly working on his Assassins tools, Cynrik ruefully started up the second device and allowed it to warm up and run through its booting process.

    Dee Dee Dee

    A few minutester, the first Incubator chimed, signaling that it was primed and ready to be used, but Cynrik decided it was best to wait and sat down on the floor between the two devices.

    ¡®Now I have to make my final decision. The names for my birbs have been long decided, but I still don¡¯t know what I want to do for their secondary Affinity.¡¯ A thin Lightning bolt flickered around Cynrik¡¯s hand like a snake as he rolled his left wrist in thought.

    ¡®When ites to Affinity procurement items, I still have a Lightning orb, Ice Orb, and Metal Orb, not to mention the Omnipoison gems I acquired after beating Jormie.¡¯

    ¡®Honestly speaking, I can write off the Orbs since I only have one of each, and Benny and I have two of the elements while Brance is working on the third; it would be redundant to have multiple of the same Affinity users in the party. Which only leaves Omnipoison.¡¯

    With a thought and a flick of his wrist, the two Omnipoison gems appeared in his palm.

    ¡®A versatile Element that allows for both offensive and defensive benefits, but do I want to start my chicks with something so dangerous? Not to mention I¡¯m not sure they wouldn¡¯t kill themselves identally with this Affinity.¡¯ Frowning in concern as he examined the tri-colored gems, Cynrik lost himself in thought.

 Chapter 332 Obtaining and Leveling Sub-Classes Part 5

    With a thought and a flick of his wrist, the two Omnipoison gems appeared in his palm.

    ¡®A versatile Element that allows for both offensive and defensive benefits, but do I want to start my chicks with something so dangerous? Not to mention I¡¯m not sure they wouldn¡¯t kill themselves identally with this Affinity.¡¯ Frowning in concern as he examined the tri-colored gems, Cynrik lost himself in thought.

    ¡®I shouldn¡¯t be thinking about it in that manner. I should be thinking about how to bestplement both my own and their abilities. If only I could have a firm grasp on what N¨¢tt Hrafn can do. That bastard from the store could only give me a summary of the species, yet here I am about to try hatching them,pletely blind.

    ¡®I mean, it isn¡¯t my first time raising a bird; back on Earth, I did have Jake and Peety (Cockatiel and Parakeet), plus I took care of Polly, the neighbor¡¯s Parrot, but those are just regr animals.¡¯

    DEE DEE DEE

    The second Incubator chimed out, signaling it was warmed up and ready to be used, snaping Cynrik out of his thoughts and making him stand up to double-check the device was working correctly.

    ¡°Sigh, well, at least I won¡¯t have to wait long. Initially, I thought it would take weeks or even months to hatch the little guys, but if the manual is correct, it should be no longer than an hour.¡± Thinking aloud, Cynrik ran through the Incubator¡¯s diagnostic settings, double checking that the only Mana particles present in the chamber tube were of the Dark Element. When he received the reading that it was as it should be, Cynrik activated [Mana Sight] and began pumping his own Mana into the device while being sure only to add Dark Particles into the chamber.

    ¡°The hatching process is based on Mana Type, Creature Type, and Tier categories. ording to Tobs, my N¨¢tt Hrafn will hatch at Tier-0 but grow fast, so¡­¡± Using the touch keyboard, Cynrik keyed in the species as Avian and the Tier as zero before confirming and stepping back.

    Through his ocr skill, he could see the swirling storm of multi-colored particles making up the machine and how they all worked in unison. The bulbous fixture atop the Incubator was a type of intake valve that would constantly draw inrge amounts of particles and then filter out all the unnecessary ones.

    To Cynrik¡¯s surprise, after registering the creature being hatched as the Avian variety, the Cylindrical tube that made up the bulk of the device began liquifying and changing shape.<sub>.</sub>

    Within seconds a small nest appeared in the center of the tube, and a small environment was formed within, one that would be perfect for hatching newborn chicks.

    Nodding in content, Cynrik moved on to the other device, made the proper adjustments, and stood back satisfied with his work.

    ¡°Welp, now that everything is squared away, at least as far as it can be, for now, it¡¯s time to carve my [Mark of the Tamer].¡± His face shifted from content to focus as Cynrik nced at Selene onest time and left his bedroom, heading toward the training room.

    With no idea of how violent a reaction his carving would cause, it was better to be in a contained location, where if things went south, he would be able to take the proper precautions.

    Half a minuteter, Cynrik closed the door to the training room, took off his tank-top t-shirt, and sat down in the center of the room while taking out the package containing the materials he had ordered online.

    ¡°Alright, Tobs, this was your idea; walk me through it,¡± Cynrik said as he unpacked the Mid-ss Mana Efficiency Booster, Mid-ss Mana Stabilization Pill, and the four Affinity Stone Fragments, Dark, Fire, Wind, and Lightning.

    It had cost him arge chunk of funds to buy everything, especially the Dark and Lightning Affinity Stone Fragments, but it was a necessary purchase in his eyes.

    -It was necessary to make some changes to the standard carving process since you wish to have your Mark installed on your Codex rather than on your flesh.-

    -For starters, the amount of Mana you will be channeling needs to be vastly increased due to the density and durability of your Codex. As such, you will require secondary assistance in the form of the Efficiency Booster, which will temporarily boost your proficiency in handling and manipting Mana Particles.-<sub></sub>

    ¡°Makes sense, the Affinity Stone Fragments have the potential of flooding my Codex with Elemental charged Mana Particles, and since they need somewhere to go, I will need a higher level of control to prevent them; from going crazy.¡± Nodding his head and unpackaging the four Affinity Stone Fragments, Cynrik spread them out on the ground and moved on to removing the two bubblegum ball-shaped Pills from their containers.

    -Precisely, that is also why I requested you get a Stabilization pill since arge amount of new Mana entering your body will quickly swell and go out of control. The pill will calm it down for a little over 2 hours, long enough for you to expel the Mana and use it to carve the correct runes necessary to form your [Mark of The Tamer].-

    ¡°Is there anything else I need to know before I start?¡± Cynrik asked while rolling the two pills around in his palm.

    -It will probably hurt like a son of a bitch.-

    ¡°Of course, it will; everything in this world seems to FUCKING HURT!¡± Hearing Tobs¡¯ off-handed remark, Cynrik¡¯s face fell, and he sighed loudly before cursing.

    -Quit yourining; the longer you drag out this process, the more pain it will cause. So speed and efficiency are essential. Although the Codex forms as a crystalline structure, it is more like a cluster of nerve endings supercharged with power. So any damage or changes made will feel no different from carving your body with an acid-dipped super-heated de.-

    ¡°Tss, this is going to suck, but it has to be done. If I only had one birb, I could have hidden the Mark somewhere on my body, but because I have two, I need to change the standard procedure. I need to allow for a constant flow of Mana into the Mark, and the best way I coulde up with is to ce it directly onto my Codex.¡± Clicking his tongue, Cynrik tossed both pills into his mouth and swallowed.

    Not even a full secondter, he felt his mind clear and, for the first time, could feel the soft pulsations caused by his Codex, which seemed to be acting like a second heart.

    ¡°Right, there is only one thing left,¡± preparing his mind, Cynrik scooped up all four Affinity Stones, two in each hand, and positioned himself into the lotus position.<sub></sub>

    ¡°Tobs, gimmie that sweet, sweet hype music.¡± Smirking as he curled his fingers around the Affinity stones, Cynrik left the song choice up to her.

    -Now ying ¡°Through the Fire and mes¡± By Dragon Force.-

    ¡°EH! OI TOO MUCH HYPE TOBS!¡± Cynrik screamed as the familiar rock song he had spent months perfecting in a video game began ying in his mind.

    But it was toote to stop; ignoring hisints, Tobs triggered the notification chain.

    -Dark Affinity Stone Fragment has been Located.-

    -Lightning Affinity Stone Fragment has been Located.-

    -Fire Affinity Stone Fragment has been Located.-

    -Wind Affinity Stone Fragment has been Located.-

    ¡°FUUUUUCK, PUMP UP THE VOLUME AND LOOP THE SOLO WHEN IT HAPPENS TOBS!¡± Feeling the intense surge of Mana coursing from his palms to his chest, Cynrik grit his teeth hard enough to hear them crack; as he set about churning the Mana in a circr pattern.

    In his left hand were the Fire and Dark Affinity Stone Fragments; in his right, the Wind and Lightning; splitting up the two SAG stones allowed Cynrik to adjust the interaction between the conflicting particles manually.

    -The Affinity Stone Fragment absorption rate is 32%; you will need topletely drain all four of the Affinity Stone Fragments if you wish to have enough energy to carve your Mark.-

    From inside Cynrik¡¯s SOC, the hologram Tobs monitored his vital signs and the state of his body with her head tilted to the side cutely.

    The world she was in had changed drastically with the evolution of Cynrik¡¯s Fire Affinity along with the addition of his Lightning Affinity. The once deste hellscape had transformed into an even fiercer environment, where fire, tornados, and Lightning scattered the Dark, windy territory.

    If before Cynrik¡¯s Sea of Consciousness had the appearance of a dying star, now it indeed looked like Hell.

    However, none of this mattered to Tobs, who calmly monitored Cynrik as he continuously drained all the Mana stored within the crystallized stones.

    While she watched a small monitor showing Cynrik¡¯s Codex and internal workings of his body, unknown to her, her foot was softly tapping on the surface of the ground, in time with the song.

    Back in the training room, Cynrik felt the strain of absorbing too much Mana into his body. Once Tobs notified him that 70% of the abundant particles stored within the Affinity Stone Fragments were coursing through his body, he exhaled forcefully and activated his, H¨²efl¨²r and ?sir Mode.

    As if a switch had been flipped, Cynrik felt the tidal wave of Mana in his body freeze and fall under his control; however, he didn¡¯t have time to bask in the euphoric feeling as his body quivered with intense pain. This was a sign that he was reaching the absolute limit his Tier-3 Body could withstand.

    Still, he pushed further until finally, Cynrik received the notice that the four Affinity Stone Fragments had been entirely drained to thest particle.

    While noticing the bulging veins and muscles that had transformed his appearance from the light and athletic build he knew into one more befitting of Brance or Benny, Cynrik almostughed.

    Quickly forcing that thought down to the recesses of his mind and focusing on his left index finger, he began imagining the intricately woven rune formation of his [Mark of the Tamer].

    Numerous strange shes and squiggly runes came into his head as they swirled and formed an intricately constructed pattern that needed to be written in a specific order. Any mistakes would cause the entire formation to copse, wasting all the resources he had put into it as a result.

    Cynrik willed all the Mana in his body into his hand, storing as much MP as possible into the glowing markings of his H¨²efl¨²r, shifting them from their standard blue color to the same purple color Ragnar had used.

    Next, he allowed the quad-elemental Mana to pool into his fingertip and, using his ocr skill, located the small gem beating like a second heart within his chest.

    ¡®All or nothing, there is no turning back now.¡¯ With that final thought, Cynrik pushed his hand forward, envisioning that his finger was a hair-thin tool, and began carving the runes, bringing about a new type of pain he had never experienced.

 Chapter 333 Obtaining and Leveling Sub-Classes Part 6

    ¡®All or nothing, there is no turning back now.¡¯ With that final thought, Cynrik pushed his hand forward, envisioning that his finger was a hair-thin tool, and began carving the runes, bringing about a new type of pain he had never experienced.

    With his fingertip pressed firmly against his flesh, Cynrik made a micro-incision on the pectoral muscle, one so small that it wasn¡¯t even visible. Through his control of the Mana collected on his fingertip, he made a neigh invisible beam of pure energy that pierced through the muscle, skin, and right into the surface of his Codex.

    When the highlypressed particle beam made contact with his Codex, Cynrik¡¯s vision blurred, and his body uncontrobly spasmed in pain.

    In an instant, he felt all the air leave his lungs, and it took every fiber of Cynrik¡¯s being and willpower not to cry out in pain. No, pain wasn¡¯t the right word; this was pure torture and misery; the worst part was he had only just begun the carving process.

    With sweat trickling down his temples, Cynrik¡¯s eyes glowed with Mana light, and he moved his hand to trace the transposed image of his Mark from memory onto his Codex.

    Every millimeter the beam moved sent a wave of muscle spasms and nerve pain throughout his entire body; when it would get to be too much for him to handle, Cynrik would pause for a moment, collect his whits and breath, then continue the carving process.

    All the while, Tobs was constantly flooding him with notifications; unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have the mental power even to acknowledge them as he only had a singr thought and purpose at that moment.

    After the first few, Tobs silenced them and watched on from Cynrik¡¯s SOC, monitoring all his bodily functions so that if they did reach critical levels, she could stop him at a moment¡¯s notice.

    And so, time slowly moved on, with Cynrik sitting alone, drenched in sweat and his body repeatedly tensing as he slowly but methodically carved his [Mark of the Tamer] into his Codex.

    ¡ª

    Meanwhile, as Cynrik was torturing his mind and body in the training room, Brance finally woke up from his enlightened state after over three and a half hours.

    With his eyes suddenly focusing, Brance looked around the room in confusion before rubbing his eyelids and observing Gabby and Benny as they stared off into nothing with nk and lifeless expressions on their faces.

    ¡®Ugh, my head is killing me; I wonder how long I was out for?¡¯ Brance thought as he checked his Watcet and found out three hours and forty-five minutes had passed.<sub>.</sub>

    ¡®Damn, Tobs¡¯ what are Selene and my brother doing right now?¡¯ Brance asked as he rubbed the right side of his stiff neck.

    -Host Selene is in the process of absorbing her ss prerequisite skill books, just as Gabrie and Benjamin Sanford are, and Host Cynrik¡­-

    Tobs paused for a moment, unsure if she should tell Brance about the insane thing his older brother was attempting at the moment.

    As an Artificial intelligence who was linked up to both brothers and knew their thoughts and personalities almost as well as the individuals did themselves, she had to consider if it was optimal to exin the situation.

    ¡®Eh? What¡¯s wrong, Tobs? Why did you stop mid-sentence?¡¯ Feeling a sense of worry ovee his mind, Brance stood up and activated [Mana Sight] to observe his brother¡¯s whereabouts.

    Looking down the hall, he caught sight of three near-blinding sources of Mana particles. Two of which were the assembled Incubators, and thest, was Cynrik.

    Creasing his brow, Brance started walking in the direction of the training room but was soon stopped by Tobs.

    ¨C Brance, it is rmended that you do not interfere with what Cynrik is attempting. He is in the middle of carving his [Mark of the Tamer] into his Codex and needsplete focus not to make any mistakes.-

    ¡®What the fuck did he do, Tobs? Exin now!¡¯ As he watched the multicolored storm of particles in Cynrik¡¯s arm sloshing back and forth like gasoline in a tanker truck, Brance began pacing the room with his eyes never leaving his brother.

    -Sigh, don¡¯t get all pissy with me, Brance; you know that Cynrik will only consider my advice and never follow it. With you and the rest of the Party temporarily out ofmission, there was no way for me to stop him from this crazy idea of his.-

    Understanding his anger and confusion, Tobs quickly filled Brance in on Cynrik¡¯s idea and the method of execution. By the time she finished speaking, Brance had found himself sitting back on the couch with his arms crossed, ring at the wall opposite which Cynrik was seated.

    ¡®Sigh, crazy fucking moronic idiot!¡¯ Shaking his head and letting out a slew of curses, Brance helplessly observed therge mass of Mana stored in his brother¡¯s left arm for a couple of seconds and had to look away when another wave of convulsions wracked Cynrik¡¯s body.<sub></sub>

    ¡®Can he do it, Tobs?¡¯ epting that there was no way to help or stop Cynrik, Brance finally asked the question on his mind.

    -If he continues at the rate he is going, there will be no issues. He has gathered the proper amount of Mana, and there is still plenty of time left before the two pills he took wear off.-

    -Using the data from the skill book, he has already passed the worst part of the carving, the outer shell of the Mark, and has started on the internal runic formations; overall, he has already passed the halfway point.-

    ¡®And will it work as he expects? Or is this all a waste of time?¡¯

    -Although there are some discrepancies between the avable information, by my calctions, his Mark will be significantly more potent than an average [Mark of the Tamer]. Uponpletion and eptance of the Tamer ss, he can house his Avians within the dimensional space, unlike a regr Mark, which can only store a singr Creature.-

    -The issue he will be presented with is that, unlike a standard Mark, it will draw a minute amount of MP automatically and continuously so long as both creatures are housed within. This fact will not change until he has reached a certain point of growth in his Tamer ss.-

    ¡®I see; that idiot probably doesn¡¯t even realize, and I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t ask you either, so he is in the dark. Please be sure to let him know once he¡¯s finished.¡¯ Uncrossing his arms, Brance pulled up his Status profile and navigated to the ss and Sub-ss tab to search through the list to see if he unlocked any Unique sses after using his three skill books.

    After scrolling through an endless list of sses and Sub-sses and not finding anything that could be considered ¡°Unique,¡± he swiftly located the one he had been preparing to acquire in the first ce.

    -You have chosen Gemsmithing as your Tier-2 Sub-ss. Would you like to lock in your choice? Remember, once you ept, this change can not be undone (Y/N)-

    Swiping at the air, Brance clicked on the yes option and was hit by a flood of notifications.

    -You have obtained the Tier-2 Crafting Lifestyle ss Basic Gemsmithing.-

    -Your Stat Distribution has been adjusted; you will receive an additional 0.2 points in DEX and INT upon increasing your Main Level. Current Allocation, 0.2 DEX, 0.2 INT-<sub></sub>

    -You have learned three Tier-0 Gemsmithing Skills .-

    -You have learned the Tier-0 Gemsmithing passive Skill [Gem Cutting]-

    -You have learned the Tier-0 Gemsmithing Skill [Socket Fitting]-

    -You have learned the Tier-0 Gemsmithing Passive Skill [Material Grading]-

    -Your Tier-0 Gemsmithing ss passive Skill, [Material Grading], has been fused with your [Inspect] skill, upgrading it and adding new functions.-

    -You have unlocked the Tier-1 Hidden Stat: Will Power.-

    -Your current Willpower stat is 15 points.-

    As he read through the notifications, Brance nodded and was perfectly satisfied with his gains. The DEX and INT boosts were essential for keeping his stat build bnced, and the addition of the Will Power stat, which Cynrik and Selene had held over him for some time, was a pleasant surprise.

    Tilting his head to the side, Brance pulled up the description for his [Inspect] skill, which had been severely neglected over the years and was still sitting at Tier-1 to check the new functions.

    What it boiled down to was he could now see the precise details such as Carat, Size, grade, exact color, and all the finer points a gem or material held.

    ¡®Pretty handy little upgrade,¡¯ Brance thought as he navigated away from his skill description and back to his main profile.

    ¡®The real question is do I boost my Pdin ss or the Gemsmithing¡­.¡¯ Brance thought as he opened a second window to disy his ss and Sub-ss simultaneously.

    ¡®Hm, increasing my Pdin ss won¡¯t benefit me much; considering the best case, I gain a couple of new Skills, but if I raise Gemsmithing, I will get more knowledge and potentially more crafting skills.¡¯

    ¡®Not to mention, I can start working on making some new gear for us ahead of time, which will benefit us in the long run and the short term.¡¯

    Making up his mind, Brance stood up and gathered several clusters of XP crystals before beginning to absorb them in groups of five.

    -You have absorbed an Essence (XP) crystal and received 10,000 XP.-

    -Current Essence stored in Essence Pool(XP): 10,216,370.-

    -You have absorbed an Essence (XP) crystal and received 20,000 XP.-

    -Current Essence stored in Essence Pool(XP): 10,236,370.-

    Like Selene and Gabby, once Brance reached 30,000,000 XP, he shifted his attention to his Sub-ss and assigned XP to his ss Level.

    -You have chosen to distribute 252,616 XP to your Sub-ss.-

    -Are you sure you would like to assign this XP to your Sub-ss? (Y/N)-

    -Your Tier-2 Basic Gemsmithing ss has leveled up-

    -Your Distribution has increased by +0.2 DEX, 0.2 INT.-

    -You have received two Stat points.-

    -You have received two Skill points.-

    Repeatedly clicking the yes button and starting from scratch, Brance worked his way through the levels until, 15 minutester, his Sub-ss reached the Cap.

    -You have distributed the total amount of XP your Sub-ss can handle.-

    ¨C Your Tier-2 Basic Gemsmithing has reached the level cap of 35.-

    -Current Primary ss Distribution upon leveling up, 7 DEX, 7 INT.-

    -You have learned the Tier-0 Gemsmithing Skill [Runic Carving]-

    -You have learned the Tier-1 Gemsmithing Skill [Gem Molding]-

    Brance released a tired sigh as he cleared out the spam of notifications from his vision. As expected, he received a few more skills, one every five levels, in fact, and then two more when he capped the ss; however, none of them amounted to much, and their only purpose was to add some minor boosts to his crafting profession.

    Waving his hand and moving on to the next task in his mind, Brance withdrew over a hundred raw, uncut opal stones, a chisel, and a carving knife.

    These small cloudy gems were the lowest grade gems avable and the standard for new Gemsmiths to work on after obtaining their ss.

    ¡°Sigh, I am getting shbacks to all those MMOs I yed back in the day; oh well, time to grind,¡± Brance ruefully said as he set about chipping away at the cloudy uncut stones.

 Chapter 334 Obtaining and Leveling Sub-Classes Part 7

    ¡°Sigh, I am getting shbacks to all those MMOs I yed back in the day; oh well, time to grind,¡± Brance ruefully said as he set about chipping away at the cloudy uncut stones.

    It took him a couple of minutes, but eventually, Brance finished hacking away at the uncut Opal, polishing it from itsckluster cloudy form into a brilliantly shining jewel. With the first Opal finished, Brance held the stone to the light before noticing some notifications were rolling in; the most surprising notification came in the form of a new hidden stat.

    -You have sessfully Cut an Uncut Common Opal.-

    -You have unlocked the hidden stat, Gem Cutting.-

    -Current Gem Cutting Level: 0.-

    -Current Gem Cutting Proficiency XP. 0/100.-

    -You have earned 10 Gem Cutting Proficiency XP.-

    -Gem cutting: Each type of stone you cut will give you a certain amount of XP towards leveling up this stat. The amount of XP you acquire is determined by how well you cut the gem and what type of gem; the higher this stat, the better gems you can work on without causing damage to the material.-

    Brance was pleasantly surprised to get yet another Hidden Stat, even if it wasn¡¯t one rted tobat; however, at the same time, he was concerned.

    If his Gem Cutting level hindered his efficiency and quality and what kind of gem he could cut, that meant there was a VERY long grind ahead of him if he wanted to work on high-ss stones.

    ¡®Well, there is no point crying now; I knew this was going to be a challenge when I picked up the skill, and looking at this little guy, it seems that the Proficiency of my Gem Cutting stat determines the Cut gem¡¯s stats when it¡¯s finished.¡¯ Brance thought as he picked up the second uncut stone and started tapping it with his hammer and chisel.

    Unfortunately, halfway through the process, the gem suddenly cracked and turned to power, causing Brance to frown and manifest a minor gust of Wind Mana to clean himself up.

    -You have Failed to Cut an Uncut Common Opal.-

    -The Uncut Common Opal has been Damaged due to yourck of experience.-

    -The Uncut Common Opal has been destroyed.-

    ¡®Tsk, such a waste, each of these Opals cost me a 2 OKP.¡¯ Clicking his tongue, Brance focused and moved on to the third stone, trying out different angles of attack with his tools, but was still unsessful as the third, fourth, and fifth Opals all cracked and turned to powder.

    ¡°Ugh, Come on, man,¡± Brance grumbled as he dusted himself off with Mana again.

    ¡°Uh, Brancie, what are you doing?¡± By the time Brance was finished clearing the powdered remains of the fifth Opal, Gabby¡¯s sleepy voice had caught his attention.

    ¡°Hey, there sleepy head. What you see before you is your foolish Boyfriend working on cutting Gems and failing miserably at it.¡± Releasing a self-deprecating chortle, Brance got up and nted a kiss on the crown of Gabby¡¯s head as she rubbed her eyes in exhaustion.<sub>.</sub>

    ¡°While you guys were in your Enlightenment state, I came to first and got my Gemsmithing ss, pumped it up to the level cap, and now here I am, smacking a tiny hammer into this chisel to shape these uncut opals.¡± Exining the process to Gabby, Brance sat beside her and started working on the Sixth Opal, with not-so-great results.

    Like with thest few attempts, he once again pulverized the Opal, making Gabby giggle at his expense.

    ¡°Wow, Brancie, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so heavy-handed, hehe,¡± Gabby said while covering her mouth with the back of her right hand.

    ¡°Che, keep it up, and you¡¯re getting covered in this powder,¡± Puffing up his cheeks in protest, Brance twisted his hand, drew the powder away from himself and Gabby, and sent it up into the venttion system of the Dorm.

    ¡°Anyway, enough making fun of me, little rabbit; you need to get your Alchemy Sub-ss squared away.¡± Reaching over to pat her on the head, Brance got up and walked back to the couch he had spent thest while on as he was working on gems.

    ¡°Kay,¡± Gabby replied cheerfully as she brought up her Status Profile, navigated to the sses section, and quickly chose Tier-1 Basic Potioneer, which was the first level of the Alchemy ss Tree. Although it was a Tier-1 Sub-ss, it was necessary to start from the beginning, unlike Brance¡¯s ss, that allowed him to jump straight up thedder.

    ¡ª

    Meanwhile, in the training room, Cynrik was second away from finishing up carving his [Mark of the Tamer].

    It had been a lengthy and grueling process, and each second the focused beam of pure Mana cut into his Codex felt like hours as his body quivered uncontrobly, forcing him to start and stop the carving continuously.

    But at longst, as the two-hour timer for his pills was about to expire, Cynrik finished the final runic inscription and felt a clicking sensation in his chest as his mind exploded with knowledge and enlightenment.

    In exhaustion, Cynrik released his control over the nearly empty reserve of quad-Affinity particles in his left arm and allowed it to flow out of his body. He deactivated his Bloodline Abilities before falling onto his back and sying out like a starfish on the training room floor.

    ¡®Hey, Tobs, the next time I want to do something that stupid again, I give you full authority to harass and make fun of me until I give up. That was the most agonizing and tedious task I have ever attempted.¡¯ Cynrik thought as he did a quick mental check on his body and felt the warm pulsation of the Mark on his Codex.

    -Understood, I have made a memo as requested, so do not get pissy with me if the opportunity to fulfill your request presents itself.-

    -Now that you havepleted your Mark, would you like me to send the relevant notifications to you?-

    ¡®Yeah, but ignore any of the ones about how much danger I was in; I don¡¯t have the patients to read through that shit, so if it is a warning or a danger notice, skip it for the time being.¡¯ As dozens of notifications flooded Cynrik¡¯s vision, he nodded weakly in confirmation.

    -You have unlocked a Title; check your Status Profile to see the name and effects.-

    -Your Codex has grown significantly due to the massive influx and maniption of Mana Particles; it has doubled in size, and the purity of the Mana stored inside has dramatically increased in quality.-

    -Your Codex stage has Risen to Stage 6.-<sub></sub>

    -Since your Codex has reached Stage 6, you will receive a Bonus of 10k MP.-

    -Your MP has beenpletely replenished back to the total capacity.-

    -Your Mastery over Fire Mana Particles has increased to Master.-

    -Your Mastery over Dark Mana Particles has increased to Master.-

    -Your Mastery over Wind Mana Particles has increased to Expert.-

    -Your Mastery over Lightning Mana Particles has increased to Expert.-

    -Your Dark Affinity has Grown to Tier-3-

    -Your Wind Affinity has Grown to Tier-3-

    -Your Lightning Affinity has Grown to Tier-2.-

    -Your Will Power stat has increased by 50.-

    -Your Luck stat has increased by 25.

    -You have survived a Life-Threatening situation that less than a thousand Beings in existence have before you. As such, you have been rewarded further.

    -You have received 75 Points in all basic Stats.-

    -You have received 75 Free Allocation Stat points.-

    -You have received 250 Skill Points.-

    -You have sessfully Carved your [Mark of The Tamer]; once you unlock the appropriate ss, you will be able to store a total of Two Creatures from the beginning. However, if you house two Creatures within the dimensional space of your Mark, you will lose MP at a constant rate of 100 Mp per Minute.-

    -The MP depreciation rate will decline as you rise through the ranks as a Tamer.-

    Exhaling sharply and feeling his body surge with power like never before, Cynriky on the ground in stunned silence for several minutes staring nkly at his Status profile before snapping out of it and immediately choosing Tamer as his Sub-ss.<sub></sub>

    -You have chosen Tamer as your Tier-2 Sub-ss. Would you like to lock in your choice? Remember, once you ept, this change can not be undone (Y/N)-

    Without humoring Tobs, Cynrik flicked the yes option and focused his thoughts.

    -You have obtained the Tier-2 Combat ss Tamer.-

    -Your Stat Distribution has been adjusted; you will receive an additional 0.2 points in INT and MIND upon increasing your Main Level. Current Allocation, 0.2 INT, 0.2 MIND-

    -Your skill [Mark of the Tamer] has been fully activated and can now be used to store or nurture pets.

    -You have learned three Tier-2 Tamer Skills .-

    -You have learned the Tier-2 Tamer active Skill [Soul and Blood Contract]-

    -You have learned the Tier-2 Tamer passive Skill [Summon/Unsummon Pet]-

    -You have learned the Tier-2 Tamer passive Skill [Shared Sight]-

    As Cynrik sighed, he closed his eyes and felt the Mana flowing through him. Suddenly, he saw the four color runes inscribed on the surface of his fist-sized Codex in the four colors of his Affinities.

    After its forced growth, it was now only slightly smaller than his heart, and with the presence of the [Mark of the Tamer], it looked like a miniature sun of multi-colored Mana particles inside his chest.

    ¡®Not bad, hehe.¡¯ Withdrawing a few Healing and Stamina potions from his inventory, Cynrik brought himself back to total health and admired his newly increased stats.

    However, his eye twitched slightly, and he was forced to correct his stats with his 184 Stat points, evening them out into perfectly eptable numbers instead of oddballs.

    : Status :

    : Cynrik Ayke Jetlensr (Ivar the Boneless Ragnarsson):

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation, Perfect Clear Expert, Reforged Body, Mana Heart, Masochist :

    : Demi-Human Male (90% Human, 10% ?sir):

    : Age-13:

    : Tier-2 :

    : Primary ss ¨C (Rogue) :(+0.2 DEX, +0.2 AGI)

    :Former: Tier-1 Thief : (+2 DEX, +2 AGI Distribution)

    : Sub-ss ¨C (Tamer) : (+0.2 INT, +0.2 MIND)

    :Former: Tier-1 Engineer : (+2 To DEX Distribution)

    : Level: 0/35 0/252,616 :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 10,270,482 :

    : P-ss (Rogue): 0 ¨C XP :

    : S-ss (Tamer): 0 ¨C XP :

    : Distribution: 2 Per All : (DEX 6.2, AGI 4.2, 0.2 INT, 0.2 MIND)

    : Mana Codex & Circuits Tier-3 :

    : Stage 6 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-2.8, 11.3g Resistance :

    : Credits: 80,000 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 20,400/20,400 :

    : Mana 25,790/25,790 :

    : Stamina 10,200/10,200 :

    : Stat Points- 42 :

    : Skill Points- 596 :

    : Strength- 710 : (+1)

    : Dexterity- 900 : (+32)

    : Agility- 900 : (+56)

    : Intelligence- 800 : (+4)

    : Vitality- 780 : (+2)

    : Mind- 800 : (+47)

    : Will Power- 123 :

    : Luck- 45 :

    : PSN Resistance- 25 :

    : Killing Intent- 453 ¨C 5.25G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier-3 (Master): :Expand:

    :(AG) Fire-Tier-3 (Master): :Expand:

    |:(SAG) Lightning-Tier-2 (Expert):|

    :(BG) Wind-Tier-3 (Expert): :Expand:

    ¡°Yosh, that¡¯s done, now I need to power level my Tamer ss, hatch my Birbs, and we are good to go.¡± Cynrik cheerfully eximed as he punched his right palm with his left fist.

 Chapter 335 Obtaining and Leveling Sub-Classes Part 8

    ¡°Yosh, that¡¯s done, now I need to power level my Tamer ss, hatch my Birbs, and we are good to go.¡± Cynrik cheerfully eximed as he punched his right palm with his left fist.

    Soon, Cynrik had dumped hundreds of XP crystals out of his inventory, scattering them around himself, making him appear like an ind surrounded by a sea of tiny crystals.

    For the next few minutes, Cynrik entered a repetitive sequence of events where he would scoop up a handful of crystals, drain them of the XP stored within, crush the empty stones to powder, and move on to the next batch.

    Once he hit the appropriate amount of XP in his Pool, only then did he begin siphoning it off to his Tamer ss.

    -You have chosen to distribute 252,616 XP to your Sub-ss.-

    -Are you sure you would like to assign this XP to your Sub-ss? (Y/N)-

    -Your Tier-2 Tamer ss has leveled up-

    -Your Distribution has increased by +0.2 INT, 0.2 MIND.-

    -You have received two Stat points.-

    -You have received two Skill points.-

    -You have distributed the total amount of XP your Sub-ss can handle.-

    ¨C Your Tier-2 Tamer ss has reached the level cap of 35.-

    -Current Primary ss Distribution upon leveling up, 7 INT, 7 MIND.-

    -You have learned the Tier-0 Tamer Skill [Stat Share]-

    -You have learned the Tier-0 Tamer Skill [Basic Nurture]-

    ¡°Hm, interesting, two more skills, and both of them are for buffing my birbs. Stat share seems to give 1% of my basic stats to a designated pet, while Basic Nurture allows me to distribute some of my XP from my Pool to either one of my pets.¡± Cynrik thought aloud as he read the two new skill descriptions and stood up.

    ¡°We can sideline that for the time being. I need to adjust to my increased stats, especially my DEX and AGI, which jumped massively¡­.¡± cing his hands on his hips, Cynrik looked up at the nodule positioned above the center of the room; this was themand receiver for the Dorm AI.

    ¡°Dorm AI, summon two Tier-3 Training Droids and set them to physical fighting mode.¡±

    ¡°Command Received, Summoning two Tier-3 Training droids, their stats are set to 1000 in all physical stats, be prepared forbat to begin in one minute.¡± The melodious voice of the Dorm AI was emitted from the several long speakers running the length of the training room, and the two closets housing droids opened simultaneously before the robots, as mentioned, made their way to the center of the room.

    Rolling out his arms and shaking out both legs, Cynrik dropped into abat stance and waited for his opponents to go active so he could test his newfound strength, and just before the timer counted down, he sent Brance over his Status profile, then got serious.

    ¡ª

    In the living room, Brance was still sitting on his couch apart from Gabby; however, now, there were a total of 7 perfectly cut opals resting neatly on the coffee table arm¡¯s length away from him.

    His destroyed-to-cut gem ratio was abysmal at the moment, with 32 opals turned to dust and only sevenpleted making Brance frustrated. However, when he received the notification from Cynrik detailing all his new stats and skills, Brance nearly sliced his finger off with the sharp chisel.

    Wearing an angry frown, Brance threw down his tools and red at the training room with [Mana Sight] active, but as soon as he did, Brance¡¯s jaw dropped open.

    Cynrik¡¯s Mana Signature had grown by leaps and bounds, starting from his erged Codex to how the particles were distributed throughout his body. That wasn¡¯t all; watching how quick his brother was bouncing between the two droids as he sparred with them; Brance couldn¡¯t help but feel left behind.

    Most of his gains came from hard work and training, whereas Cynrik seemed only to grow when he injured himself or jeopardized his life.

    The contrast between them was something that most people couldn¡¯t understand, but Brance knew that this was just Cynrik¡¯s way of coping with things. He had always been self-destructive, especially back on Earth, but now he was rewarded for such behavior, allowing him to soar ahead of the rest of the party.

    ¡®Damn it, Tobs, how close did hee to killing himself this time?¡¯ Trying to calm down the storm of emotions he was experiencing, Brance turned to the only person who had seen everything.

    -Retrospectively, not as close as after hisst Turning Point quest, but closer than when you and he used the Over-Break mode as children. I would say the risk of death was rtively close to when he came in contact with the Chaos Affinity Gem Fragment, but not all the way there.-

    -It is concerning that he seems to be falling into a pattern using the excuse that every time he is near death, he gets stronger; what did he call it again? Ah yes, a Zenkai Boost, and after some research, I have concluded as to why this power gain continuously happens.-

    ¡®Are you saying there¡¯s a legit reason, and it¡¯s not just because he¡¯s insane?¡¯ Looking at the ceiling as if Tobs were floating there, Brance closed his mouth and narrowed his eyes in concern.

    -Yes. Initially, I thought nothing of the fact that Host Cynrik seemed to get stronger after every life-threatening injury. However, once is lucky; two is rare, but for this surge of new power to happen three times indicated something more to the situation.-

    -Upon further inspection, I understood it has to do with his Bloodline physique. As a warrior race known for their fierceness and resolve in battle, thousands of cases have been documented where members of the ?sir race have been on their deathbeds only toe back stronger than ever.-

    ¡®Are you fucking kidding me? Doesn¡¯t that mean that he¡¯s practically a Saiyan? What kind of unfair bullshit is that? How am I supposed to keep up with his insane power-up speed?¡¯ Feeling wronged, Brance copsed onto the couch with dead eyes while looking in the direction of the training room.

    -I don¡¯t mean to burst your bubble here, but this only scratches the surface. Since you and Host Cynrik only have 10% of the Deity bloodline running through your veins, the effects of Race-specific traits are significantly diluted. So right now, Host Cynrik¡¯s benefits are technically only 10% of what he would gain if he were 100% ?sir.-

    ¡®Please tell me there is something extraordinary about my LightBringer Bloodline Tobs,¡¯ Brance pleaded with a tiny shred of hope in his heart.

    -Indeed, although not as powerful as your brother¡¯s boost, you receive additional stat points, but at this time I have not found any specific trigger to the increased rewards you receive and only know it exists.-

    ¡®Alright, that¡¯s good enough for me; please try and locate the trigger mechanic so that I can abuse it the same way my idiotic brother seems to be doing.¡¯ Exhaling in relief, Brance sat back up and was about to snatch up another opal when he heard Benny exhale loudly and fall over onto his face on the couch.

    ¡°Oh? Wee back to reality, Benny; how was your trip into enlightenment?¡± Brance said with a smirk.

    Almost four hours had passed since Benny began digesting the information loaded into the skill books. Therefore, Brance felt either there was too much information to sift through or Benny¡¯sprehension speed was slower than the rest.

    After some thought, Brance decided it had to be because a vast amount of knowledge flowed into Benny¡¯s brain, and he needed additional time toprehend it all.

    ¡°Yeah, that was rough; how long was I out for?¡± Benny asked as he checked his Watcet and was astounded to realize how long it had taken him to deal with the massive flood of data being pushed into his brain.

    ¡°Longer than I expected, so how is it? Do you have a decent grasp on what you can do once you get your ss?¡± Gabby, noticing her brother had finallye too, said while wearing a small smile.

    ¡°For the most part, I just wonder how difficult it will be¡­also, there is something I need to do first.¡± With that said, Benny retrieved two items from his inventory, a small reddish-orange gem and a tinum-colored box.

    ¡°Eh? Is that a Fire Affinity Gem?¡± Brancemented after seeing Benny put the box in hisp and grasp the gem in his right hand.

    Benny didn¡¯t respond with words but instead nodded before closing his eyes and absorbing the gem.

    Standing up and walking over to sit beside Brance, Gabby watched with wide eyes as her brother acquired a new Affinity decisively.

    A few minutester, Benny¡¯s hair began to change color as several new strands of deep orange highlights appeared among the shaggy chestnut color. When the gem finally crumbled into dust, signifying he had used all of the avable charges, Benny opened his eyes and put on a tired smile.

    The first charge had already given him the Fire Affinity. Still, he needed more, so he continuously burned all the charges held within the gem and absorbed every bit of Fire Mana from within, raising his control over the Affinity to Adept and its Tier to Tier-2.

    ¡°Part one down, now for the hard part.¡± Controlling his breathing and feeling the addition of Fire Mana in his Codex, Benny picked up the tinum-colored box from hisp and examined it thoroughly.

    With a flick, he undid thetch and opened the lid, shooting off a fanfare of confetti, but Benny didn¡¯t have the patients to deal with it and reached into the box to retrieve its contents.

    The instant his fingers touched the item, he broke into a broad smile and sent a silent thank you to Yennifer, finally confirming what he understood from the knowledge he had gained over thest few hours.

    Feeling the expectant gazes of Brance and Gabby, Benny retrieved a small dual-colored skill book and turned it around so they could read the cover, and while Gabby was confused at first, Brance took a sharp breath and stared at him with awe-filled eyes.

    ¡°Fucking Brilliant! Who¡¯s idea was that?¡± Brance stated excitedly.

    ¡°Teacher Yennifer. I was initially confused when I got the Fire gem and believed it was bad luck. Still, after learning the new skills and seeing everything I would be dealing with, I had my suspicions that the box I got for the 500 kill reward on the final floor contained thest key.

    ¡°Once I learn thisst bit, it could even be said that once I get this added into my stats, it will be the backbone for my Forging,¡± Benny said while speaking so fast that it was almost too hard to understand the wordsing from his mouth.

    ¡°Uh, am I missing something here?¡± Looking between her boyfriend and brother with confusion, then back at the dual-colored shiny book in Benny¡¯s hands, Gabby posed the question while feeling left out of the conversation.

    ¡°Gabby, aside from the fact that the book in Benny¡¯s hands is Epic rank, think about what the title means.¡± Not wanting tough at Gabby, Brance gave her a nudge in the right direction.

    Half a secondter, Gabby¡¯s eyes shot wide open as she made the connection Brance was trying to get her to.

    ¡°Holy crap¡­no way, is that an Epic Rank, Tier-3 Fusion Affinity Enlightenment Skill book?¡± Gabby asked in awe.

    ¡°Yep, and it¡¯s for the Temperature Affinity; once I learn this, I will be able to freely adjust not only the metal temperature as I forge but also the surrounding temps, allowing me to create the perfect environment to optimize the items I make while smithing.¡±

 Chapter 336 Obtaining and Leveling Sub-Classes Part 9

    ¡°Holy crap¡­no way, is that an Epic Rank, Tier-3 Fusion Affinity Enlightenment Skill book?¡± Gabby asked in awe.

    ¡°Yep, and it¡¯s for the Temperature Affinity; once I learn this, I will be able to freely adjust not only the metal temperature as I forge but also the surrounding temps, allowing me to create the perfect environment to optimize the items I make while smithing.¡±

    Benny¡¯s eyes sparkled with an excited glint as he turned the book back around and cradled it to his chest. A few secondster, his eyes zed over, and he returned to his enlightened state as he learned the knowledge stored within the book.

    Brance and Gabby stared at him for a few minutes before growing bored and reclining on their couches.

    ¡°Brancie, do you know what Big Bro Cyn and Selly are up to?¡± Gabby asked while leaning her head on Brance¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Sel is finishing up her Sub-ss skill books, and I just wrapped up leveling my Tamer ss,¡± Stepping out of the training room and hearing Gabby¡¯s question, Cynrik answered before his brother could as he walked toward the kitchen to get some coffee.

    Even if it was already 11 pm, time didn¡¯t have much meaning to Cynrik, who was always upte anyway, thanks to his trauma-induced insomnia, so having a cup of coffee at this time of night only sufficed to help his brain stay focused.

    [Oh, look, it¡¯s my idiot brother, who seems to only ever get stronger by nearly dying.] As Cynrik walked by the living room on his way to the kitchen, Brance snorted in response to his entrance and harassed him.

    [To be fair, if you understood the drawbacks of having a visible [Mark of the Tamer], you would have hidden it as well. I didn¡¯t want to carve it on any of my organs since I could potentially get injured in the future, so the safest ce to ce it was on my Codex, which is practically indestructible so long as there is Mana stored inside.] Cynrik retorted as he rolled his eyes, fixed himself a cup of coffee, and headed back to the living room.

    When he made it to the couches, Cynrik¡¯s eyes locked onto Benny with [Mana Sight], and seeing the swirl of orangish-red and blue Mana Particles; he raised an eyebrow while taking a sip of his drink.

    ¡°It seems I¡¯ve missed something quite interesting; care to fill me in?¡± Cynrik asked while noticing that the two particle types seemed to be swirling around each other, resembling a DNA helix.

    ¡°Yeah, while you were in the training room doing some insane crap to your Codex, Benny obtained a Fire Affinity by using an Affinity Gem and opened his tinum reward box.¡±

    ¡°Inside was an Epic rank enlightenment book for the Temperature Affinity. ording to what he told us earlier, it will benefit him when ites time to start making things with his Sub-ss.¡±

    Picking up another uncut Opal, Brance exined what was going on, making Cynrik nod as he continued sipping his coffee and watching Benny.

    ¡°I see¡­did you actually look at the Fire particles he¡¯s channeling, though?¡± Pointing at the swarm of color around Benny with his wrist, Cynrik brought Brance¡¯s attention toward the strange Fire particles.

    Upon further inspection, the Mana particles surrounding Benny seemed closer to orange than red, unlike Cynrik¡¯s, which leaned more toward the darker red than orange.

    ¡°Eh? What do you mean, it looks the same to me?¡± Narrowing his eyes and trying to differentiate the difference at a nce, Brance didn¡¯t see anything off about the Fire Mana being channeled by Benny.

    ¡°Sigh, little brother, are you sure you aren¡¯t color blind? The Particles Benny is channeling are clearly orangish-red, while mine are reddish-orange.¡± To give Brance a more straightforward example, Cynrik waved his hand, drew in a cluster of his usual Fire Mana particles, and moved them closer to the one Benny was drawing in, giving Brance a properparison between the two different particles.

    ¡°Um, guys, have you already forgotten I can¡¯t see Mana like you two?¡± Feeling left out, Gabby spoke with a downcast nce.

    Revealing a strained smile, Brance consoled Gabby by patting her head several times before standing up and looking closer at the two particles.

    Sure enough, after staring hard at the two simr Fire Particle clusters, Brance perceived a slight hue difference between the Fire Benny was channeling and the Fire Cynrik always used.

    To put it in simpler terms, it was like the Fire Benny used was softer, gentler, and meant for creation, whereas Cynrik¡¯s were dangerously unchained and threatening, wanting nothing more than to destroy.

    It perfectly represented how Fire could be used for warmth or light vs. burning down a whole forest.

    Spotting the realization in Brance¡¯s eyes, Cynrik casually waved his hand and released his control over the ambient Mana particles, then took another sip of his coffee.

    ¡°As I said, it¡¯s different; although I don¡¯t know how big the difference is, and I don¡¯t see why or how it was possible, this opens an entirely new door to how we should view Mana as a whole.¡±

    ¡°Suppose there are different variants of individual particles. In that case, we should have seen them a long time ago, yet we haven¡¯t, which can only mean it potentially has to do with the will of the Affinity user reflecting in the Mana itself.¡±

    Shrugging his shoulders and gulping down thest bit of his drink, Cynrik ced the empty coffee mug on the table closest to Brance and picked up one of his uncut opal stones.

    After ncing at the contrasting ratio between cut and uncut gems, he quickly realized his brother was struggling with working on his new craft.

    ¡°Oi, Brancie, carve this; let me see where you are struggling.¡± Even if Cynrik didn¡¯t know much about gem-cutting, he was still learned enough in crafting that he figured he would be able to help out, if even a little bit.

    Nodding and taking the uncut opal from his brother, Brance scooped up his hammer and chisel and started chipping away at the small rough gem.

    About two minutester, Brancended a strike, and the gem suddenly pulverized into dust. In frustration, he puffed out a Mana-filled gust of Wind particles and sent the dust fragments into the vents as he had been doing the whole time.

    ¡°Tsk, I figured it would be something like that.¡± Nodding his head twice, Cynrik leaned over and thumped Brance on the top of the head.

    ¡°Listen up, Dingus, why the hell are you using so much force? GLIDE the chisel along the stone. There is a process to what you are trying to do, and instead of having a predesigned shape you want to achieve, you are just smacking away at the stone in whatever way looks satisfactory to you.¡± Leaning over and picking up two of the already cut Opals, Cynrik held them side by side and showed them to Gabby.

    ¡°Now, rabbit, tell me, what is wrong with this picture?¡±

    Gabby¡¯s eyes darted from the opal in Cynrik¡¯s left hand to the one on the right several times until she picked up on what he was trying to demonstrate.

    ¡°They arepletely differently shaped?¡± She asked instead of stating since she wasn¡¯t totally sure of her answer.

    ¡°Correct, the opal on the left has twelve sides, while the one on the right only has nine. Sure it¡¯s nice to have different cuts and shapes, but for practical purposes and training¡­.¡± Pausing his statement, Cynrik tossed both gems to Gabby, who excitedly caught them before admiring their luster and shine.

    ¡°You must have a solid picture in your head and replicate the shape repeatedly. In this way, you not only efficiently cut one gem after another, but you also can get a handle on what it feels like when you make a good cut versus a lousy cut.¡±

    ¡°Coming from someone who doesn¡¯t even have the right skill set to execute a perfectly cut gem, I don¡¯t think you have the expertise to lecture me, Cyn,¡± Brance replied with dead eyes.

    Cynrik had always been like this, adding his advice even when he had no experience or clue of how difficult the task could be.

    ¡°Oh really,¡± Smirking cockily, Cynrik whipped out his left hand, snatched the tools from Brance¡¯s hands, and used Affinitiless Mana to draw in an uncut opal.

    Then with a shy flourish and some well-timed strikes in specific positions on the coin-sized stone, Cynrik struck it eight times and blew a puff of air on the rock to clear the dust.

    -You have sessfully Cut an Uncut Common Opal.-

    -You have unlocked the hidden stat, Gem Cutting.-

    -Current Gem Cutting Level: 0.-

    -Current Gem Cutting Proficiency XP. 0/100.-

    -You have earned 10 Gem Cutting Proficiency XP.-

    Smiling due to the notifications, Cynrik gloatingly tossed the perfectly cut gem to Brance, who caught it with a stunned expression on his face.

    ¡°How in the fuck?¡± He asked with zed-over eyes and an open mouth.

    ¡°900 DEX, and I constantly work with tools during my Engineering crafting, also, did you already forget I was the one who molded everyone¡¯s Spatial artifacts.¡± Rolling his eyes and crossing his arms after dropping the chisel and hammer onto the coffee table, Cynrik tried to keep his arrogance in check as he spoke.

    ¡°WOAH! BIG BRO CYN, YOU HAVE 900 DEXTERITY NOW???¡± Gabby practically screeched as she learned just how high Cynrik¡¯s stats had grown after the Obelisk.

    ¡°Un, I had some windfalls and got quite a few stat points during and after the Obelisk climb. But that isn¡¯t the main reason I was able to cut that gem so easily. A specific image was in my head, so I determined where to strike the gem in order to achieve the desired shape.¡±

    ¡°And your DEX stat is hundreds of points higher than mine.¡± Rolling his eyes, Brance picked up one of the uncut opals and tried it Cynrik¡¯s way, and to his dismay, the results were exactly what he didn¡¯t want them to be.

    -You have sessfully Cut an Uncut Common Opal.-

    -You have earned 10 Gem Cutting Proficiency XP.-

    -Current Gem Cutting Proficiency XP. 80/100.-

    ¡°Tsk, bullshit, I¡¯ve spent HOW many hours now trying to cut gems, and you waltz in and correct me with a fewme words, and I can suddenly do things correctly.¡± Trying his best to chalk it up to luck, Brance repeated the process on another gem.

    -You have sessfully Cut an Uncut Common Opal.-

    -You have earned 10 Gem Cutting Proficiency XP.-

    -Current Gem Cutting Proficiency XP. 90/100.-

    ¡°UGH! DAMN IT ALL TO HELL! GET OUT OF HERE CYNRIK SHOO SHOO!¡± In his anger, Brance tossed the cut gems at Cynrik¡¯s head, but he quickly caught them while snickering at his younger brother¡¯s expense.

    Wearing a cheeky grin, he tossed the gems to Gabby, who excitedly caught them and admired the shiny stones before he turned and ran off down the hall. As he entered his bedroom, Cynrik looked over his shoulder and spoke before closing the door.

    ¡°By the way, I¡¯m putting my birbs in the Incubators; they should be hatched within an hour, so let Benny know when he wakes up; I don¡¯t want you guys missing it.¡±

    With that said, Cynrik closed the door and found Selene fast asleep with a lewd smile on her face on his bed.

    ¡°Tsk, this girl, she finished her enlightenment and went to bed.¡± Clicking his tongue, Cynrik ignored her and walked over to the two tall devices on the opposite side of the room. It was finally time to hatch his eggs.

 Chapter 337 NÃ¡tt Hrafn Part 1

    Closing the door to his bedroom quietly, Cynrik found Selene fast asleep with a lewd smile on her face on his bed.

    ¡°Tsk, this girl, she finished her enlightenment and went to bed.¡± Clicking his tongue, Cynrik ignored her and walked over to the two tall devices on the opposite side of the room.

    Stepping up to the first of the two Incubators, he triple-checked that everything was in order. He began the final steps before cing his eggs inside the hatching chamber to apply more of his Mana into the reservoir.

    ording to the instruction manual, this was to create an environment that would allow for quick bonding between the creature/beast and the being hatching them.

    This step was pivotal for creatures like Dragons or Wyverns, who were known to be incredibly difficult to raise due to their stubborn and fierce instincts.

    So since Cynrik wasn¡¯t sure of how the two ravens would act or their natural disposition, he decided it would be better to take that final precaution, just in case.

    Once he was done filling the first Incubator, he moved on to the second to top it off with his Mana, and when the indicator went off, signaling it was ready, Cynrik sighed loudly and withdrew both of the Omnipoison gems.

    ¡®I sure hope I am not making a mistake,¡¯ he thought as he popped open a little hatch at the top of the Incubator and ced the first of the two 2-Carat Secret Grade Omnipoison Pristine Affinity Gems into the holding container. From there, the machine would draw all the power of the gem before distributing it into the hatching chamber.

    Cynrik watched the device close up, locking away the first gem, and moved on to the other Incubator and replicated the process before standing back and preparing himself.

    Hatching his ravens had been a long timeing, and now that he was on the precipice of the moment of birth, Cynrik couldn¡¯t help but be nervous for the first time.

    All his preparations until now couldn¡¯t be reversed; millions of essence points, thousands of OKP, and even some near-death experiences had brought him to this moment. The mixture of anxiety and excitement was slightly overwhelming as he stood rooted in ce, trying to force himself to take the eggs out of his inventory.

    He froze at this point, debating internally whether cing them in incubators was the right choice.

    Sensing something off about the room, Selene woke up only to find her boyfriend standing in front of the incubators with a fearful expression stered across his face.

    Seeing this side of him worried Selene to no end; as someone who spent most of her time with the boy and was wholly infatuated with him, how could she not realize how he was in the midst of a full-blown anxiety attack?

    One quick look at the present situation, and she had all the information she needed; who better than her knew how much he had sacrificed to hatch the two chicks? Even Brance wasn¡¯t privy to the hundreds of toiling hours Cynrik had spent trying to figure out names, working through hundreds of thousands of potential oues. Hell, he had gone through an uncountable number of possible Affinitybinations, and Selene had been right by his side for most of it.

    Drawing back the nket quietly, Selene carefully slinked up behind Cynrik, wrapped her arms around his waist, and rested her chin on his shoulder.

    The sudden sensation of someone wrapping up his body startled Cynrik, but once he realized it was only Selene, he rxed against her, cing his hands on her arms and resting his head against hers.

    The two stood silently, enjoying each other¡¯s warmth andpany until Selene broke the quiet.

    ¡°It will be fine, darling; you have prepared for every possible oue. I know how nervous you are since things are out of your control, but there is no point in dwelling on possibilities anymore.¡±

    ¡°Now is the time to leap, leaving it all in fate¡¯s hands.¡± Nuzzling her cheek against Cynrik¡¯s, Selene tried to calm him down; from how their bodies were pressed together, she could feel how rapidly his heart was beating.

    ¡°I know, I don¡¯t know what is up with me; I am never like this,¡± Cynrik whispered. He wasn¡¯t the kind of person who stood idle and always rushed forward, even in the most hazardous situations, no matter the oue.

    Yet here he was, stuck between panic and an anxiety attack, all because of two unhatched birds.

    ¡°Well yeah, any dad would be nervous right before his kids would be born, silly boy,¡± releasing a small giggle, Selene gave him a peck on the cheek and tried to see what kind of expression he was making.

    But when she peeked at his face, Selene was met with a cocky smile instead of confusion, with his following words making her blush brightly.

    ¡°Hm, if I¡¯m the Dad, wouldn¡¯t that make you the Mom.¡± Cynrik caught Selene as she backed away by the hips and drew her body in until their chests were practically connected.

    With a smirk never leaving his face, Cynrik sealed Selene¡¯s lips with his own, and the two shared a few seconds locked in a passionate kiss before he broke it off and steeled his resolve.

    ¡°Thanks, babe, I¡¯ve got this,¡± reaching around her body and giving Selene¡¯s ass a few love taps to feel the soft jiggle of plump flesh, Cynrik¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he withdrew both eggs from his inventory while cradling them against his chest.

    ¡°Sel, stand over on the far side of the room and don¡¯t make a sound; they will imprint on the first creature they see, so it needs to be me, or else there will be some BIG problems.¡±

    Walking up to the first device, Cynrik calmly ced the matte ck egg covered in mystical red patterns against the hatching tube and watched as the material it was made of liquified and epted the egg, allowing it to float to the center of the nesting area.

    ¡°Ding, An Avian Species : (N¨¢tt Hrafn) egg has been ced into the incubation chamber, calcting hatching time, please standby.¡± A prerecorded voice came from the speakers of the Incubator, but Cynrik ignored it as he moved to the second device and ced hisst egg into the chamber.

    ¡°Ding, An Avian Species : (N¨¢tt Hrafn) egg has been ced into the incubation chamber, calcting hatching time, please standby.¡±

    Cynrik nodded and smiled reassuringly at Selene, whose hands were sped in front of her chest as she appeared nervous as he had earlier, then paid attention to the tablet disys on both incubators.

    ¡°Creature analysisplete, Unknown Affinity Gem has been Detected; if you wish to disperse the Mana particles stored within the gems, please input the description from your System panel so that an adequate hatching n can be formted.¡±

    Hearing this response from both machines, Cynrik quickly keyed in the correct data about the Secret Grade Omnipoison as Tobs narrated what to type. Once finished, he hit the enter key on the touchscreen keyboard and moved on to the second Incubator.

    ¡°Information epted; however, to use this Affinity gem, more Dark Mana will be required to have a proper bnce between the Mana particles stored within the hatching chamber; please input a minimum of 6000 MP of only Dark Mana to continue.¡±

    Clicking his tongue in response, Cynrik ced one hand on each of the devices and pumped 12k MP of Dark Mana directly from his Codex into the two devices until the Incubators triggered another message.

    ¡°Sufficient Dark Mana has been acquired, calcting hatching time for the fledgling N¨¢tt Hrafn¡­Calctions areplete, and the required time to hatch the egg in the hatching chamber is 45 minutes; if you want to start the process, please press the Yes button.¡±

    Without hesitation, Cynrik flickered from sight as he moved from one Incubator to the next, pressing the Yes button, which caused both machines to whirl up with a soft hum as Mana particles were condensed from the reservoir into the hatching chamber.

    Activating [Mana Sight], he watched as a small nozzle appeared above the eggs and acted like a sprinkler, drizzling a perfect mixture of Dark and Omnipoison down into the chamber.

    The mist form of Mana was directly absorbed by the two matte ck eggs, causing the red swirling patterns to glow softly.

    ¡°Now we wait, go check on the others and fill them in on what is going on; when I left the living room, Benny had just entered another enlightenment period since he got a book for the Temperature Affinity. Also, be sure you get your Sub-ss squared away; as I said before, I don¡¯t care what ss you level up so long as you are happy with it.¡±

    ¡°Ok, but what will you do during the hatching time?¡± Unsping her hands, Selene walked over to Cynrik, who had positioned himself on the bed so that he could have a good view of both Incubators.

    ¡°Me? I¡¯ll sit here and watch my eggs, something I¡¯m obsessively good at.¡± Turning his head to face Selene as she sat beside him for a second, Cynrik said while cing his hand on her thigh, getting a good handful of the plump flesh so he could knead it between his fingers, something he enjoyed almost as much as her.

    ¡°Mmmh,¡± as his fingers went to work, exerting the full extent of his 900 DEX, a soft moan left Selene¡¯s lips as her legs subconsciously rubbed together so that she could guide his hand to lower, more intimate parts of her body.

    Unfortunately, Cynrik caught on to her ploy and patted her leg a couple of times after stopping and retrieving his magical fingers, then crossed his arms over his chest.

    ¡°Meanie, howe you get to tease me like that, but whenever I try something, you instantly shut it down?¡± Seleneined while shooting him a wronged nce.

    ¡°Well, my dear Selene, that is because I have something you don¡¯t.¡± Replying with mysterious words and an equally matching smile, Cynrik looked away and observed his eggs again.

    ¡°Oh? And what would that be, Darrrling~.¡± Standing up and rolling her eyes while pouting, Selene couldn¡¯t stop herself from asking. Still, even if she already knew the answer, she couldn¡¯t help but pull her pants down a bit, exposing her exquisite hip bones and tugging at her sports braw, shing the deep crevasse of her cleavage to him.

    ¡°Restraint; unlike you, who seems always to be horny, I can restrain myself, or else I would have already pounced on you right here and now and taken you.¡± Clicking his tongue and admiring the perfect body of his girlfriend shamelessly, Cynrik forcefully tore his eyes away from the perfectly toned hourss shape and met hers.

    ¡°Now go, you have things to do. I¡¯ve finished all my tasks and am now ying the waiting game. Or are you expecting me to rough you up before you go?¡±

    ¡°Tsk, bully!¡± Stomping her foot, Selene spun on her heels and left the bedroom after adjusting her clothes enough to be presentable.

 Chapter 338 NÃ¡tt Hrafn Part 2

    ¡°Tsk, bully!¡± Stomping her foot, Selene spun on her heels and left the bedroom after adjusting her clothes enough to be presentable.

    Hearing the door close, Cynrik shook his head a couple of times before standing up and observing the hatching process from a distance.

    ¡°No wonder these things are so expensive; to be able to change the particle¡¯s state of being from micro-gaseous into this liquidized state meant for absorption is asplex as it gets.¡± Cynrik mused aloud as he held up his hand and condensed some Fire particles into a perfect golf-ball-sized blue fireball.

    ¡°Master rank Is pretty nuts,¡± flicking his opposite wrist, a ball of purplish-ck smoke formed beside the blue me, and Cynrik¡¯s eyes flicked between the two manifested Mana creations with interest.

    ¡®Having my Codex at Tier-3 Stage 6, as well as Fire and Dark at Tier-3 Master, my control is like night and day.¡¯ Cynrik thought while merging the two manifested Mana creations into one by closing his hands together; the result was a purple and ck me that burned silently on his palm.

    ¡®It¡¯s seamless now¡­merging the two elements is so natural; why is that? Is it because I am in Master grade now, or is it because of something else?¡¯ For the next few minutes, Cynrik went about merging and separating the Fire and Dark Mana particles, but when the idea of attempting to connect Dark and Lightning popped in his head, he was forced to stop.

    At first, he thought it was due to a high level of resistance between the two elements. However, the more he thought about it, the more he realized there was another factor to be considered, his Mantra.

    Having obtained his Lightning Affinity, Cynrik hadn¡¯t had time to script his new Mantra to aid him in fusing the Affinities. No matter how badly he wanted to, he thought of creating yet another particle storm as he had with Brance when they adjusted their Mantras thest time. And so, he decided against it, not wanting to put his hatching eggs at risk.

    Heaving a sigh and releasing control over the Mana particles, Cynrik sat on the floor with his back propped against the bed and his left knee raised with his left forearm resting on his knee and watched the slow process of the two eggs absorbing Mana.

    His eyes drifted to the hologram disy on the hatching tube, indicating the time remaining until the eggs finally became chicks. He sighed again, his impatience getting the better of him.

    ¡°39:57, this is like watching paint dry.¡±

    ¡ª

    Selene joined the rest of the group in the living room and conversed about everyone¡¯s new gains before getting the information about Benny¡¯s new Affinities.

    She was intrigued to find out that he had used the Fire Affinity gem, and when the topic of variant particles came up, she fell deep into thought about the possibilities.

    For one, it proved a thought she had from when she first met Cynrik and discovered that he was a Dark Affinity user. What originally was written off as her just getting lucky and ending up with a different skill set than Cynrik became the blossoming idea that they had different variants of Dark Mana control.

    When she brought this up to Brance, he nodded and exined his thoughts.

    ¡°It would make a lot of sense, honestly. If we look at the skills the two of you have, it¡¯s as if you aren¡¯t using the same Elemental Affinity. Where you can change the state of mass and blot out all light in a way creating a pitch ck realm, he seems to lean more toward shadows utilizing the already present Darkness to his advantage.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s almost like you use the truest sense of Darkness, whereas he can only manipte the already present form, so it would almost be better to call his Affinity Shadow instead of Dark, even if he is essentially controlling; simr Dark Mana particles.¡±

    Putting that thought into the world, Gabby nodded in eptance while Selene¡¯s face scrunched up.

    ¡°While what you say makes sense, it is under the assumption that these Variant particles exist right now. Everything we¡¯ve discussed is simply conjecturing, based on observations you and Cyn have made with your Mana Sight.¡±

    ¡°We will need to talk to Umbr¡­I mean Professor Morningdale.¡± Selene stumbled and nearly called Morningdale Umbridge but quickly corrected herself, drawing a strange look from Gabby, who soon dismissed the urrence.

    ¡°Professor Morningdale should be able to shed some light¡­no pun intended, on our theories.¡±

    ¡°Agreed; when we return to ss, we can bring the topic up to her, but it needs to be appropriately worded. The Academy still doesn¡¯t know about my [Mana Sight], so we will have to bring the topic up by asking why Big Brother and Benny¡¯s fire seem different before talking about how we¡¯ve noticed a difference between you and his Dark Affinities.¡± Brance mulled over Selene¡¯s statement before adding his opinion and a solution.

    As they finished their conversation, however, the temperature plunged, and everyone could see their breath when they exhaled before the temperature spiked, making the room swelteringly hot like a summer¡¯s day.

    In response to the rapid fall and rise of the room¡¯s temperature, everyone snapped their heads in Benny¡¯s direction, and soon they were stunned to notice that his hair had almostpletely changed color. Before, Benny¡¯s head was a tuft of messy chestnut-colored hair with only a few blue and red streaks, but now, it had vastly changed.

    Gone was the chestnut brown; instead, two colors had predominantly taken over, half being orangish-red and the other an icy blue. His hair wasn¡¯t split into two tones so much as every other strand was a different color, making a perfect mix of the two equal shades. Even his eyebrows had changed to reflect his new Affinity.

    Gabby struggled toprehend what was happening as she ran her fingers through her shoulder-length hair before peeking to ensure it was still chestnut with just a few hints of color.

    ¡°Whew,¡± exhaling with a vocalized grunt, Benny opened his eyes, and just like his hair, they were both two-toned now, with his Iris being a stunning swirl of orangish-red and icy-blue.

    ¡°Uh¡­what is everyone looking at? Is there something on my face?¡± Noticing Brance, Gabby, and Selene staring at him as if he was a freak of nature, Benny got self-conscious and squirmed ufortably.

    ¡°Your hair and eye color changed with your acquisition of the Temperature Affinity. Pull up the camera function on your Watcet and take a look.¡± Brance broke the moment, causing Benny to nod in confusion before holding up his Watcet and following Brance¡¯s idea.

    When his new hair and eye color came into view, Benny was stunned for two minutes as he ran his fingers through the drastically different colored strands than the ones he was ustomed to.

    ¡°Woah, this is¡­crazy,¡± was all Benny could muster as he examined his new looks with fervor.

    ¡°I knew there would be some changes; everyone gets a few highlights depending on their Affinity since it¡¯s a sign that we are closer to the Elemental particles we control, but this is crazy.¡± Finally, putting down his Watcet and looking at Brance, Benny could feel how strong his connection to Fire and Ice had be.

    Inhaling through his nose and exhaling out his mouth, Benny could feel the two conflicting Affinities swirling in his chest. Still, instead of going out of control, something acted like a buffer, keeping the Fire and Ice Particles together yet separate. This was the presence of the merged Temperature particles, which in his mind appeared like a yin/yang fusion of Fire and Ice, coexisting in harmony.

    When Brance gazed at Benny¡¯s Codex with [Mana Sight], this was precisely the scene he witnessed. Instead of only three particles, Water, Fire, and Ice, there was now a fourth, in the same color as Benny¡¯s eyes, a perfectbination of orangish-red and icy-blue.

    BZZZT

    ¡°Paging all scrub lord party members, there are two minutes until my birbs hatch; please direct your attention to the HoloTv, where I will disy the current going ons in my bedroom and give you all a perfect view of the hatching process.¡±

    The dorm speakers emitted a crackling sound simr to a walkie-talkie as Cynrik used them for announcements, drawing the attention away from Benny momentarily.

    - In response to his words, the HoloTv turned on without anyone pushing any buttons. On-screen was a graphic simr to one Streamers on Earth use for IRL streams, with a ck and red animated border and ticker tape of scrolling text highlighting the words ¡°Birb Hatching,¡± running across the top of the screen.

    Still, the primary focus was on the two towering Incubators and Cynrik, who took the ce of an MC.

    ¡°Wee to my first Stream here at VSFA!¡± Appearing between the two Incubators where the matte ck eggs were glowing brightly, Cynrik took a bow before pressing a button on his Watcet, triggering an apuse track to y.

    ¡°Oh, for the love of¡­seriously, he¡¯s back at this shit again.¡± Facepalming hard enough to make a loud smack, Brance had to be restrained by Gabby, stopping him from jumping up and rushing into Cynrik¡¯s room to beat some sense into his idiotic showboating head.

    ¡°Let it go, Brancie; we can¡¯t go in there lest we identally cause the Ravens to imprint on us instead of Cyn.¡± Selene chirped as she excitedly watched her boyfriend¡¯s pseudo-stream for the first time.

    ¡°You never had to deal with that whole phase; a few years back, Big Brother learned that there was a huge market online for streamers and tried to get into it but was quickly banned because he was too young.¡±

    ¡°Since then, it¡¯s been a never-ending argument online when he has free time.¡± Rolling his eyes and taking Gabby¡¯s hand in his, Brance huffed out his nostrils angrily.

    ¡°NOW THEN, allow me to direct your attention toward the top half of these here ss tubes,¡± Waving his hand like a showgirl, Cynrik motioned to the timers on each Incubator before continuing.

    ¡°As you can see, there are now less than two minutes until our beloved future Team Mascots are born, so don¡¯t blink, or you¡¯ll miss this monumental asion.¡±

    After that line, Cynrik began exining theplex mechanics of the Incubators inymen¡¯s terms so that everyone could follow along and learn how the machines worked.

    Once he was done, only thirty seconds remained, and an electronic music track began ying in the background as mood music.

    ¡°He¡¯s nervous,¡± Brance stated, causing everyone¡¯s eyes to narrow.

    ¡°Yeah, I had to calm him down earlier,¡± Selene added as her eyes never left the screen.

    ¡°How can you guys tell?¡± Gabby asked in confusion. To her, Cynrik appeared as expected, albeit maybe a little hyper, but still average for him.

 Chapter 339 NÃ¡tt Hrafn Part 3

    ¡°He¡¯s nervous,¡± Brance stated, causing everyone¡¯s eyes to narrow.

    ¡°Yeah, I had to calm him down earlier,¡± Selene added as her eyes never left the screen.

    ¡°How can you guys tell?¡± Gabby asked in confusion. To her, Cynrik appeared as expected, albeit maybe a little hyper, but still average for him.

    ¡°He¡¯s tense; even if Big Bro is good at hiding his body expressions, he can¡¯t hide the subtle movements of his jawline tensing or the rapid flickering of his eyes. Watch his bodynguage.¡± Crossing his arms and leaning back, Benny exined so that Gabby could understand.

    Crack¡­.Crack

    While they were talking, Cynrik could hear the faint sounds of the egg shells cracking as thin spiderwebbing lines formed on the surface of the shell.

    With the appearance of more cracks, the markings on the matte ck shells started swirling in four different colors, resembling the Tri-Colored OmniPoison and Dark.

    DEE DEE DEE

    ¡°Incubation Complete, please carefully monitor the hatching of the Egg within the chamber and be ready to assist the Avian within if needed.¡± The prescripted voice of the Incubator spoke, causing Cynrik¡¯s body to stiffen as he moved forward.

    Steadying his breathing, Cynrik readied himself as the second Incubator chimed with the same announcement, but by this point, Cynrik only heard the faint chirps and cracking soundsing from inside the tubes.

    TSSSSSSSSSSSS

    Since the Incubation wasplete, the machines vented the excess gasses, and Mana left within the hatching chambers and opened the ss tube down the middle, exposing the cracking eggs to the outside world.

    However, as this happened, a massive gust shot through Cynrik¡¯s bedroom, scattering everything from his bed to his dressers and bookshelves. Luckily, nearly every piece of furniture in the house was somewhat resistant to damage, and with a flick of his wrist, his bed, which had been flipped over, was back in the proper position.

    Unaffected by this, Cynrik stood rooted in ce, coating himself in a thinyer of Dark Mana, stopping the powerful surge of Omnipoison and Dark Mana from injuring him as he stepped forward until he was right against the two brightly shining eggs.

    ¡°Come on, you two, fight your way out, don¡¯t force me to help you.¡± Cynrik calmly said loud enough for the babies within the eggs to hear, drawing an intense quivering of the eggs and another burst of Mana.

    However, with the second gust of Mana-filled wind, Cynrik winced slightly as the Omnipoison broke through his thin barrier and began eroding at his skin.

    Luckily for him, though, he had enough experience dealing with the full power of the poison dished out by Jormie, allowing him to quickly negate the effective damage he would have received. Also, in contrast to Jormie¡¯s Omnipoison, the particles shot out from the Incubators were significantly weaker.

    When Cynrik was less than a step away, he held up his left arm to block his face and continued to speak encouraging words to the two chicks until finally, the first egg shattered into fragments, leaving behind a tiny palm-sized plump baby bird.

    The image Cynrik saw nearly made himugh, though, because the little plump chick¡¯s head was covered entirely by eggshell remains, making it look like it was wearing a helmet.

    ¡°Cheep Cheep Cheep,¡± pping its wings in frustration; the little raven struggled by squirming about and pping its tiny wings erratically to remove the shell covering its head. It wasn¡¯t until Cynrik leaned into the Incubator and carefully pulled off the egg piece covering its sight that the baby raven finally calmed down and stared at him with its round Indigo eyes, a color derived from the tri-colored Omnipoison and Dark Mana.

    ¡°Hello there, little one,¡± Cynrik said with a warm smile as he gently rubbed its head with the knuckle of his left index finger. To his surprise, the plump chick joyfully didn¡¯t recoil from his touch but instead nuzzled against his finger.

    ¡®This feeling, it¡¯s just like when I met Selene, a sudden closeness that can¡¯t be exined,¡¯ Cynrik thought to himself as he gently cleared all the eggshell fragments, moving them to the right side of the newborn raven.

    ¡°Chiip, Chiip, Chiip,¡± the chick in the right Incubator cried for help, drawing Cynrik¡¯s attention away from the chick nuzzling against his finger.

    To his surprise, he almost lost hisposure again, but for a slightly different reason.

    Unlike the first chick, who wore its shell like a helmet, the second chick¡¯s legs were poking through the top of the shell and kicking back and forth, indicating that the chick had awoken upside down and couldn¡¯t right itself to break free of its shell.

    ¡°CHHHIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!¡±

    However, just as Cynrik was about to help it, his pupils suddenly constricted. He scooped up the first chick into his arms and shielded himself and the newborn chick with copious amounts of quad-color Mana particles in response to arge Mana fluctuation.

    FWWWOOOOOSSSHHHh SHOOOOMMM!

    ¡°Oi, Oi, calm down, you little rascal. Are you seriously trying to hurt your Papa and older sibling?¡± Cynrik scolded as he extended two tiny Dark Mana tendrils from his hand and turned the egg over so that the protruding feet were standing on the Mana-constructed nest.

    ¡ª

    Back in the living room, the other members of MyrkLys burst outughing their asses off at the chicks¡¯ hatching process, considering that Cynrik had just called himself Papa.

    ¡°HOLY CRAP HAHAHA! HE ACTUALLY CALLED HIMSELF PAPA!¡± Gabby howled as she grabbed at her belly with tears streaming down her eyes.

    ¡°Oh so majestic those little N¨¢tt Hrafn, pfft, one covers its eyes with its shell, the other wears it like pants, I can¡¯t, haha.¡± Covering his mouth to hide his smile, Brance joined Gabby inughter.

    Even Benny was smiling as he shook his head.

    Only Selene was silent, unlike the other three, who were fooling around; she watched with bright eyes and an excited expression as the camera panned toward the tiny chick in Cynrik¡¯s arms.

    She had already decided long ago that if Cynrik treated his ravens like his children, then she would as well since fate had already determined they would spend the rest of their days together.

    ¡ª

    Once the egg with legs was right side up, a faint pecking sound could be heard as the chick inside bashed its beak against the shell, creating awork of cracks from the point of impact.

    Cynrik smirked as he noticed cracks sprouting around the eggshell, and he held the first chick in his arms, letting it see its sibling hatch.

    The small pudgy chick opened its eyes wide, unsure of what was happening, but after noticing the focused look on its Papa¡¯s face, the young N¨¢tt Hrafn understood to some extent that something important was happening.

    ¡°Chiip, Chiip, Chiip¡±

    Crack, Crack, Crack

    A soft impact sound followed each of the chick¡¯s vocalizations. Finally, after a full minute of struggle, a round ck feathered face smashed through the shell and looked around with round Indigo curious eyes.

    Its eyesnded on Cynrik, and it felt a sudden and warm connection between itself and the being standing not far away.

    ¡°Chiip, Chiip,¡± it said while hopping out of the remains of its shell and reaching the edge of the nesting area.

    ¡°I know, I know, I¡¯ming,¡± shaking his head with a smile and watching the newborn chick hopping up and down excitedly, Cynrik stepped forward and rubbed his finger against its head, drawing a soft cooing sound from the over-excited baby.

    After a couple of head rubs, Cynrik gently picked up the hyper chick and carried both it and its quiet sibling over to his nketless mattress, where he ced them down and knelt beside the bed, getting on eye level with both his new birds.

    At this time, he could finally examine both their physical features thoroughly.

    Unlike newly hatched chicks on Earth, where they would be featherless and their eyes closed, both of Cynrik¡¯s N¨¢tt Hrafn were well past that stage of development.

    Their bodies were plump and round, yet their features still resembled that of a Raven from Earth; however, there were several distinct differences.

    For starters, their Indigo eyes seemed filled with infinite power and even faint signs of intelligence. Upon further inspection, Cynrik could even see vague specs of what resembled Dark Mana particles and Omnipoison Particles floating around in their eye fluid.

    There was also a distinctive colored hue on each feather covering their bodies, in the same shade of Indigo as the creature¡¯s eyes, giving their feathers a slight shimmer simr to a de¡¯s edge.

    Although they were plump with baby fat, Cynrik wasn¡¯t worried; he knew that nearly every species had some form of ¡°baby fat¡± that would be shed in time. Ignoring the plumpness of the chicks, Cynrik smiled at them and picked up the hyperactive chick in his hands before stretching out its wings and examining the feathers more in-depth.

    At first, the chick was surprised and wanted to struggle, but it soon realized that Cynrik meant no harm and was simply examining its body, so it allowed him to do as he pleased.

    Once he was done with his examination, Cynrik ced the hyper chick back on the bed, conducted the same process with the second hatchling, and determined some faint differences between them.

    Although they were very simr and had contrasting personalities, one quiet and shy, the other hyper and outgoing, there were some distinct differences between them.

    For starters, the shy chick was slightly smaller, and after using [Mana Sight], Cynrik could determine that it had a Stronger Affinity for Dark Mana. In contrast, the more outgoing of the pair was more potent with its Omnipoison Affinity.

    He found this strange since they both had the same amount of Mana to draw from, yet that was just a passing thought as he didn¡¯t mind.

    Drawing from his experience as a Veterinary Assistant on Earth (Basically an Animal equivalent of a Nurse.), Cynrik conducted a quick physical check-up on both chicks until he was satisfied that both newborns were perfectly healthy.

    With the medical check-upplete, Cynrik gave one of his fingers to each chick and continued petting them as he observed them further with [Mana Sight].

    ¡®Interesting, their Codex and Mana Circuits are already fully formed, not to mention that if what I am seeing is correct, both of their Codex¡¯s have already reached Tier-2, even though their bodies are still at Tier-0.¡¯ Cynrik thought as he channeled small amounts of Dark Mana into his fingers and allowed the hatchlings to y with thin tendrils of Mana.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how well you understand me,¡± Cynrik said as he drew his fingers away from the chicks, gaining a chorus of unhappy chirps in reply.

    ¡°I know, but there is plenty of time to yter; we have something important to do first, little ones.¡± As he spoke, Cynrik used the same tendrils the chicks had been ying with to nick his fingers enough to draw a few drops of blood.

    ¡°I need both of you not to fight back ok, this may sting a little bit, but if you both ept what I am about to do, you will get stronger than you could ever imagine.¡± His words were more so for himself, as the only responses he got from the chicks were head tilts and eyes full of confusion as they watched the drops of blooding off his fingers with shimmering eyes.

    It was time to formally use his Tamer ss and form a contract with both Chicks.

 Chapter 340 NÃ¡tt Hrafn Final

    ¡°I need both of you not to fight back ok, this may sting a little bit, but if you both ept what I am about to do, you will get stronger than you could ever imagine.¡± His words were more so for himself, as the only responses he got from the chicks were head tilts and eyes full of confusion as they watched the drops of blooding off his fingers with shimmering eyes.

    ¡®Tobs, I want to confirm they can handle the contract before moving forward.¡¯ Hesitating slightly when he saw how excitedly both chicks were staring at him, Cynrik posed the question to his AI.

    -Generally, when a Tamer contracts a pet, the creature needs to be a maximum of one Tier lower than the Tamer; however, due to the strength and Tier of the Two Fledgling N¨¢tt Hrafn, there should be no issues with imprinting the contract on their body and souls.-

    -But be aware that both you and the fledglings will receive some difort as the contract binds your souls together.-

    Nodding to himself and charging up the appropriate amount of Mana, Cynrik closed his eyes and remembered the method to activate his Tier-2 Tamer Skill [Soul and Blood Contract].

    Half a secondter, the drops of blood on his fingertips began to squirm as if alive as all four of the Mana particles under his control merged with the blood and forced it to mold into two intricate andplex spell forms.

    With the addition of the Lightning, Dark, Fire, and Wind particles, the blood drops grew and floated away from his fingers toward the foreheads of the confused and slightly scared chicks. Still, neither one moved and watched as the blood drops expanded to the size of a baseball.

    The blood formations then began breaking down and spreading into multiple tieredyers, with the smallest being the size of a pinprick and thergest holding the size of a baseball.

    It took three minutes for Cynrik to arrange the [Soul and Blood Contracts] to their optimal form. When he opened his eyes, the tiered formation had spread out into over a dozen different circles varying in size over a distance of 30 cm (Roughly a Foot).

    ¡°Whew, that took longer than expected,¡± thinking aloud and examining the two spell formations that, at that moment, almost looked like an arrow pointed at the heads of the two nervous chicks, Cynrik felt the urge to calm down the baby birds.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok, you two, see, look here, I have a mark like that myself, and I¡¯m totally fine.¡± Pulling up his shirt, Cynrik pushed arge amount of Mana into his [Mark of the Tamer], causing it to glow on the front of his Codex bright enough that it could be seen clearly through his skin.

    ¡°Chiip Chiip,¡± the more outgoing of the two chicks, bounced a bit and chirped enthusiastically at the prospect of matching its Papa, so it was the first to move forward until the smallest red glowing point of the contract formation was almost touching its forehead.

    The instant the small plump chick drew near the spell formation, a notification from Tobs appeared in front of Cynrik¡¯s eyes.

    -A Tier-0 N¨¢tt Hrafn (Male) wants to be your Tamed Pet and would like to ept the [Soul and Blood Contract]. Would you like to initiate the bonding process? (Y/N)-

    ¡°Cheep, Cheep!¡±

    But just as Cynrik finished reading, a second notification followed it.

    -A Tier-0 N¨¢tt Hrafn (Female) wants to be your Tamed Pet and would like to ept the [Soul and Blood Contract]. Would you like to initiate the bonding process? (Y/N)-

    ¡®Oh? That¡¯s interesting, so the more outgoing is a little boy, and the shy and reserved chick is a little girl.¡¯ Smiling at the two of them again, Cynrik extended his hand forward, pressed the ¡°Yes¡± option on both notifications, and was suddenly assaulted by pain and a wave of nausea.

    ¡®Ugh, Tobs, what the fuck!¡¯ Cynrikined as his head felt as if it were about to explode.

    -No one told you to try forming both contracts simultaneously. Host Cynrik, tsk, always the overachiever.-

    ¡®Enough of the fucking sass Argg.¡¯ Gripping the right side of his head and trying to keep himself conscious, Cynrik¡¯s vision blurred as the two chicks shivered while the Tiered spell formation copsed one circle at a time into their heads.

    Unlike Cynrik, who was experiencing a splitting headache, the two chicks felt no pain but instead were terrified as arge amount of information was introduced into their young minds.

    By the time half of the spell formations had condensed on their heads, their Status Windows had appeared, and even though they couldn¡¯t read, they had a vague understanding of what they were on an instinctual level.

    Meanwhile, as the agonizingly slow process continued, tens of notifications were swarming in Cynrik¡¯s eyes. A mixture of warning messages about how his Brain and soul were strained flew by only to be suppressed by his Will Power Stat, which had grown significantly over thest few months.

    Time ticked by as a transfer of knowledge flowed from Cynrik¡¯s mind and soul into the two fledgling chicks. Something that was directly possible thanks to several of theyers on the contract formation.

    The Tamer and its Pets not only developed a spiritual and physical bond, but new pets would also receive basic information directly from their new Tamer once they were contracted using the [Soul and Blood Contract] skill.

    The transfer of knowledge from Tamer to Creature brought the new Pet¡¯s baseline intelligence up to that of a young child, allowing for the lowest level of essentialmunication, even if it was done mainly through understandingnguage andmunicating back with emotions or thoughts.

    After several long minutes, the transfer wasplete. The final stages of the Contracting ritual moved forward, condensing andyering all of the small formations into a singr red glowing intricate pattern on the chicks¡¯ heads that soon sunk into their skulls and vanished from sight.

    -The [Soul and Blood Contract] has beenpletely formed; the Pet panel has been added to your Status profile. You can check and edit your Pet¡¯s stats at any time.-

    As Cynrik read the notification indicating that the Contracts had beenpleted, he watched the two chicks slump down quietly as they fell asleep and quickly pulled up their Status Profiles.

    Soon he was able to confirm his suspicions about the two hatchlings, and with a nod, hepared the two Status profiles side by side.

    Turning his head slightly to the right, he examined the profile of the boy chick first.

    : Status :

    : Nameless :

    : N¨¢tt Hrafn Male :

    : Age-0 :

    : Tier-0 :

    : Level: 0 :

    : Essence(XP): 0/100 :

    : Distribution: STR, AGI, INT :

    : Mana Codex & Circuits Tier-2 :

    : Stage 0 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-2 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 100/100 : (20 Per Point)

    : Mana 100/100 : (10 Per Point)

    : Stamina 25/25 : (5 Per Point)

    : Stat Points- 25 : (3 per level)

    : Skill Points- 0 : (1 per level)

    : Strength- 10 :

    : Dexterity- 1 :

    : Agility- 10 :

    : Intelligence- 10 :

    : Vitality- 5 :

    : Mind- 5 :

    : PSN Resistance- 100 :

    : DARK Resistance- 25 :

    : LTNG Resistance- 25 :

    : FIRE Resistance- 25 :

    : WIND Resistance- 25 :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier-1 (Beginner):

    :(SEC)OmniPoison-Tier-2 (Beginner):

    ¡®As I thought, the hyper chick already unlocked its OmniPoison to Tier-2, while its Dark Affinitygs at Tier-1. The most interesting thing is the addition of four Resistance stats. I had already expected them to have some Poison resistance because of their Affinity, but it seems they also gained resistance to all my Affinities.¡¯ Cynrik mused as he turned his attention to the shy and quiet chick¡¯s profile.

    : Status :

    : Nameless :

    : N¨¢tt Hrafn Female :

    : Age-0 :

    : Tier-0 :

    : Level: 0 :

    : Essence(XP): 0/100 :

    : Distribution: AGI, INT, VIT :

    : Mana Codex & Circuits Tier-2 :

    : Stage 0 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-2 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 300/300 : 20 Per Point

    : Mana 100/100 : 10 Per Point

    : Stamina 75/75 : 5 Per Point

    : Stat Points- 25 : (3 per level)

    : Skill Points- 0 : (1 per level)

    : Strength- 1 :

    : Dexterity- 1 :

    : Agility- 10 :

    : Intelligence- 10 :

    : Vitality- 15 :

    : Mind- 5 :

    : PSN Resistance- 100 :

    : FIRE Resistance- 25 :

    : DARK Resistance- 25 :

    : LTNG Resistance- 25 :

    : WIND Resistance- 25 :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier-2 (Beginner):

    :(SEC)OmniPoison-Tier-1 (Beginner):

    ¡®Quite interesting indeed, so not only do they have different temperaments, but as I already noticed, their Affinity Strength is opposite one another. Not only that, but their Distributions are also different, which I¡¯m guessing is indicative of their temperaments, with the hyper one being STR, AGI, but the shy and quiet one being AGI, VIT.¡¯ Tapping his chin as he examined their profiles, Cynrik continued the thought train.

    ¡®The INT distribution must be racial if memory serves; the N¨¢tt Hrafn is naturally strong with their control over their Affinities, so that must be due to their Distributions automatically being set to INT boosts.¡¯

    ¡®Triple Distributions is good, but their Resource Stat modifiers are all over the ce, 20, 10, and 5; that¡¯s a far cry from what we received, and I can only assume it will get crazier as they level up. For now, let¡¯s go ahead and give them some XP.¡¯

    Ceasing his thoughts, Cynrik leaned forward and scooped up the two sleeping chicks in his arms before pressing a thumb on each of their chests and activating one of his Tamer Skills [Basic Nurture].

    -You cannot use the Tier-0 Tamer Skill [Basic Nurture] on the Targeted pets, as they are currently Unnamed.-

    -Please name your Pet before adjusting their Status Profiles or using any Tamer Skills.-

    ¡®Well, that is annoying.¡¯ Cynrik stared at the notification with dead eyes before shaking his head a few times and putting thest bit of thought into their names.

    Ever since he got the eggs from the Egress reward chests, he had contemted what to name his new pets once they hatched. However, after finding out he would be hatching two ravens, his thought process shifted considerably,

    In his eyes, it was no longer something he could casually do; it was clear this was Odin¡¯s handy work, and there was no doubt in Cynrik¡¯s mind that it was expected of him to follow the names the Raven God had done with his Ravens eons ago.

    It wasmon knowledge that Odin had Two Ravens named Huginn and Muninn. Although Huginn was straightforward and easily tranted, Munr, the base for Muninn¡¯s name, although challenging to decipher, essentially is thebination or feeling of thought, desire, or emotion.

    The most popr trantions were either Wisdom and Knowledge or Memory and Mind, but Cynrik had other ns. Instead of following the preset notion and naming sense of the Deity, Cynrik smirked and came up with something different.

    ¡°Tobs, help me out here, the Male will be known as Viisaus, and the Female will be known as Sielu. Set their nicknames to Vii and Sie as well.¡±

    -The Unnamed Male N¨¢tt Hrafn has received the name Viisaus and the Nickname ¡°Vii.¡±-

    -The Unnamed Female N¨¢tt Hrafn has received the name Sielu and the Nickname ¡°Sie.¡±-

    -Would you like to confirm these names? (Y/N)-

    -Reminder, in naming your pets, there is a cost, part of your stats and MP will be drained and burned as these will be the TRUE names of the creatures you share a contract with.-

    Sighing aloud, Cynrik smiled bitterly at the fact there was a cost to naming his pets but still felt it was alright, so long as it didn¡¯t drain too much from him.

    Plus, he was still on cloud nine after using Finnish to name his birbs instead of Norse, Viisaus being the Finnish word for Wisdom and Sielu for Spirit or Soul.

    (SHOUT OUT: Fellow Author and Friend Alekzi of ¡°White Online¡± helped me with the trantions to Finnish, and it was a friend and fellow content creator/vtuber Lumi ¡°Lumituber¡± on twitch who gave me the idea to go with Finnish. So do me a favor and check them both out!)

 Chapter 341 Birds in Slumber, and "The Life and Trials of a Nephilim"

    -Reminder, in naming your pets, there is a cost, part of your stats and MP will be drained and burned as these will be the TRUE names of the creatures you share a contract with.-

    Sighing aloud, Cynrik smiled bitterly at the fact there was a cost to naming his pets but still felt it was alright, so long as it didn¡¯t drain too much from him.

    ¡®How bad are we talking here, Tobs? What are my losses going to look like?¡¯ Although not really concerned, especially since he had recently had quite the windfall with new stat points, Cynrik still felt the need to ask.

    -Naming your Pets will require the loss of 4500 MP each and a permanent loss of 1% of your stats corresponding to their Distributions.-

    -The MP loss will not be permanent and is used as a proxy for the Transfer of Stat points; however, the Stat points will be integrated into your new Pets, giving them a minute stat boost.-

    ¡®So, Vii would be getting 7 STR, 9 AGI, and 8 INT, while Sie gets 9 AGI, 8 INT, and 7 VIT?¡¯ While he asked, Cynrik pulled up his Stat profile and ran the numbers quickly before checking how many avable Free allocation stat points he had remaining.

    -That is correct, for a total of 48 points from your STR, AGI, INT, and VIT. You are lucky you are naming them now because to name a creature of a higher Tier, the cost consumption increases dramatically. For example, if you were to try giving a true name to a Tier-1, the cost is 10% of your Stats, increasing by 10% per Tier.-

    -That is to say; however, you don¡¯t die in the process of attempting to give a True Name to a being Way over your Tier and Level.-

    ¡®Go ahead and do it,¡¯ Knowing the losses could be recouped even though he was short by 6 Free Allocation points, Cynrik went ahead and pressed the confirmation button and felt a sharp pain in his chest as 9k MP drained from his body in an instant along with the stat points.

    To mitigate this issue, he quickly pumped his AGI, INT, and VIT back up, neglecting his STR, which fell to 703, but even if it was an odd number since it was his STR stat, which he rarely used, Cynrik didn¡¯t feel it was much of a loss.

    ¡®Might as well edit their stats while they are asleep,¡¯ Noticing that the two chicks sleeping peacefully in his arms didn¡¯t wake up after the naming and addition of stats, Cynrik figured now was as good of a time as any to use their 25 points.

    First up was little Sielu.

    : Status :

    : Sielu (Sie) :

    : N¨¢tt Hrafn Female :

    : Age-0:

    : Tier-0 :

    : Level: 0 :

    : Essence(XP): 0/100 :

    : Distribution: AGI, INT, VIT :

    : Mana Codex & Circuits Tier-2 :

    : Stage 0 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-2:

    : STATS :

    : HP 500/500 :

    : Mana 250/250 :

    : Stamina 125/125 :

    : Stat Points- 1 :

    : Skill Points- 0 :

    : Strength- 5 : (+4)

    : Dexterity- 5 : (+4)

    : Agility- 25 : (+6)

    : Intelligence- 25 : (+7)

    : Vitality- 25 : (+3)

    : Mind- 5 :

    : PSN Resistance- 100 :

    : FIRE Resistance- 25 :

    : DARK Resistance- 25 :

    : LTNG Resistance- 25 :

    : WIND Resistance- 25 :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier-2 (Beginner):

    :(SEC)OmniPoison-Tier-1 (Beginner):

    Nodding contently, Cynrik adjusted her stats while keeping her three Distribution stats significantly higher than the other three, giving her a 5:1 ratio.

    Although unsure if this build would work for her in the long run, Cynrik decided to start her off with this build until her personality shined through, and he got to know the little chick.

    With Sie¡¯s statsplete, Cynrik moved onto Vii and replicated the same build, with the only difference being instead of increasing Vii¡¯s VIT stat, Cynrik increased the STR stat instead.

    : Status :

    : Viisaus (Vii) :

    : N¨¢tt Hrafn Male :

    : Age-0 :

    : Tier-0 :

    : Level: 0 :

    : Essence(XP): 0/100 :

    : Distribution: STR, AGI, INT :

    : Mana Codex & Circuits Tier-2 :

    : Stage 0 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-2:

    : STATS :

    : HP 100/100 :

    : Mana 250/250 :

    : Stamina 25/25 :

    : Stat Points- 0 :

    : Skill Points- 0 :

    : Strength- 25 : (+8)

    : Dexterity- 5 : (+4)

    : Agility- 25 : (+6)

    : Intelligence- 25 : (+7)

    : Vitality- 5 :

    : Mind- 5 :

    : PSN Resistance- 100 :

    : FIRE Resistance- 25 :

    : DARK Resistance- 25 :

    : LTNG Resistance- 25 :

    : WIND Resistance- 25 :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier-1 (Beginner):

    :(SEC)OmniPoison-Tier-2 (Beginner):

    The entire process only took him a couple of minutes, but when he was done and submitted the new stat distribution, the chick¡¯s feathers began glowing softly.

    Acknowledging the glow as an indication of growth, and while examining their new Stat profiles, Cynrik sent both chicks into his [Mark of the Tamer] using the [Summon/Unsummon Pet] skill.

    The two sleeping birds were covered in an intricate red spell formation and turned into a beam of light before disappearing and causing a warm feeling to emanate from his chest.

    -You have drawn both of your Pets (Viisaus and Sielu) into your [Mark of the Tamer].-

    ¨C Since your skill [Mark of the Tamer] has a low proficiency, you will lose 0.5% of your Total Mana every minute they are housed. This will continue as long as both of your pets are stored within your Mark.-

    Exhaling with his body shivering slightly, Cynrik felt somewhat weak and chugged down a few Mana potions bringing himself back up to total capacity, and saw that every minute he lost around 129 points of MP. However, due to his high Regeneration rate, he could make most of it back up, so it was manageable.

    Standing up and looking at the mess his bedroom had be, Cynrik sighed ruefully, tapped a few buttons on his Watcet to end the live stream, and set about cleaning the mess left behind by the Mana bursts caused by his chicks hatching.

    ¡ª

    In the living room, only Selene was still watching by the time the stream cut off since Cynrik had basically been standing in ce holding the sleeping birds in silence for nearly 20 minutes.

    Benny had already gone to bed, and Gabby was sleeping with her head on Brance¡¯sp while he read the memoir he received from the Obelisk.

    Realizing she was the only one sitting idle, Selene quickly started finishing up with her Subss, and it didn¡¯t take her more than an hour to choose her LeatherWorking ss and then level it up to Cap.

    Once finished, Selene said good night to Brance, who only grunted in response and went to join Cynrik in cleaning his room before bed.

    Brance was fully engrossed in thepelling story he was reading, and since the book was dubbed as necessary by Yennifer, it deserved his undivided attention.

    And oh man, was she right; the longer Brance read ¡°The Life and Trials of a Nephilim,¡± the more he felt the story was eerily simr to his life and experiences so far on Vinestra.

    The story was told from the first-person point of view and was about a Man who had been reincarnated after a great war onto a medieval resembling early Ennd back on Earth. Where castles, kings, and magical beasts roamed thend.

    And the Man who called himself ¡°Ath¡± was the LC for the God of Light. After living for ten years on this new, he began hearing an ominous voice in his head that continuously berated him for every choice and decision he made. This voice that Ath named ¡°LM¡± thoroughly criticized everything from the food he ate to thepany he kept, yet Ath refused to acknowledge its presence until it began taking over his body as he slept.

    Ath wrote about waking up miles away from where he went to sleep covered in blood with corpses of either beasts or men strewn around him.

    As someone who considered himself a good person, these events horrified him to no end. Often he would find himself surrounded by the corpses of the innocent, like children or the elderly.

    Yet, whenever LM would speak and harass Ath, he would never respond, ignoring the provocations and continuing his daily life of training orpleting adventurers¡¯ missions.

    That is, until one fateful day, when Ath awoke from his slumber and the love of his life was lifeless beside him, covered in blood and residual Mana from his own attacks.

    In his rage, Ath snapped and confronted LM, being drawn into his SOC, where a battle of epic proportions unfolded.

    At the time, Ath was already at Tier-4, and LM¡¯s spirit fragment was at Tier-6.

    For two weeks, Ath and LM fought, neither gaining the advantage over the other, yet both received so much damage that either one could drop dead at a moment¡¯s notice. But with such high stakes on the line, neither gave in until finally, Ath came out the victor; however, it was still toote.

    He had lost everything because of his ignorance in ignoring the problem with LM until it was toote. His Friends and Family had abandoned him since he was wild and could attack the instant he fell asleep as if possessed.

    The final straw was the death of his Beloved; alone and spiraling in depression, Ath moved forward with his disposition and personalitypletely warped into a shell of a man.

    When his alignment shifted to Chaotic Evil, he fell from his position as ArchPdin and became the first, DreadPdin and Fallen Nephilim.

    For hundreds of years, Ath wandered thends, ughtering the masses, all in an attempt to feel anything at all.

    Often, heroes would confront him only to be ughtered and massacred one after another until he finally earned the title of Demon Lord, but none of this mattered to Ath.

    One day, the world seemed to be torn asunder; as the final battle for the he had been born on began, the Legacy Strife was in full swing, and it was during this battle that he came toe to toe with his greatest foe¡­his brother.

    His older brother was also a Legacy Charge, but for a different deity. For years, he tried saving and helping Ath, but at every turn, he faced resistance, if not from Ath himself, then from the Deities, who demanded abandoning the lost and mentally unstable Ath.

    Still, for years, Ath¡¯s brother stayed by his side until they had a falling out that saw Ath hacking off his brother¡¯s left arm and permanently destroying any hope of regrowth by using his Affinity to ruin the limb entirely.

    This was the defining moment for Ath¡¯s brother, as he finally realized there was no saving or helping his brother, so he left, only to confront him hundreds of yearster during the Legacy Strifes¡¯ conclusion.

    During their Battle, Ath constantly spoke down on and taunted his older brother, eventually getting the better of him and forcing him into a position where he would either need to sacrifice his only arm or die. His older brother did just that, except this was where the battle took a turn.

    To Ath¡¯s surprise, his older brother had be a master Magician. He created two new Mana Construct arms, mercilessly beating him into submission, mangling Ath¡¯s body, and shattering his mind once again.

    However, before his brother could strike the final blow, he copsed on top of Ath, with tears in his eyes, begging Ath to return to himself.

 Chapter 342 The Life and Trials of a Nephilim (2)

    During their Battle, Ath constantly spoke down on and taunted his older brother, eventually getting the better of him and forcing him into a position where he would either need to sacrifice his only arm or die. His older brother did just that, except this was where the battle took a turn.

    To Ath¡¯s surprise, his older brother had be a master Magician. He created two new Mana Construct arms, mercilessly beating him into submission, mangling Ath¡¯s body, and shattering his mind once again.

    However, before his brother could strike the final blow, he copsed on top of Ath, with tears in his eyes, begging Ath to return to himself.

    But to his dismay, Ath was having none of it, and after regaining hisposure, he and his brother continued their battle until only one was left standing, Ath.

    By killing his brother, who had not only opposing points of view but also Affinities, Ath had be a finalist in the Legacy Strife. When the Time came toe up against the remaining Charges, Ath wasted no time destroying them, leaving him as the sole Victor.

    Ath¡¯s Victory was partly due to his ruthless and bloodthirsty fighting style but also because he had broken through multiple times and achieved Tier-7.

    Standing atop a mountain of corpses, Ath cared not for those he defeated except for his brother.

    When his brother died, Ath had stored his body within his spatial ring, refusing to allow any animal or scavenger to defile it, and took it back to their hometown.

    Once there, Ath used his Affinity to protect his brother¡¯s corpse from dposition by encasing it in a prism that would never shatter.

    ording to Ath¡¯s Memoir, he stood before his entombed Brother¡¯s body for two weeks straight, morning and night. At first, he was angry that his brother had the gall to fight him, to try and change him, but as the days ticked by, Ath¡¯s mind slowly fell apart until he sumbed to grief.

    However, no matter how badly he wished for things to return to the way they were, it was impossible, or so he thought.

    Pleased at his actions, the God Of Light appeared beside the distraught Ath and praised him for Winning the Legacy Strife.

    The Deity he fought for informed Ath that he could have one wish, so long as it wasn¡¯t reviving the dead. Riches, Power, anything was possible as it was within his Power as the God Of Light to do so.

    Hearing the Deity¡¯s words, Ath was on the verge of snapping and attacking the God of Light, but with a nce at his brother¡¯s entombed body, he began a plot even his brother would be proud of.

    Steeling his resolve, Ath faced the Deity and demanded a single item that he had spent hundreds of years searching for to no avail. With this gem, it wouldn¡¯t be a stretch to say that Ath could right all his wrongs, bring back his Beloved, and even make amends with his brother.

    The item that Ath requested was a 1-carat Pristine Time Affinity Gem.

    Through his travels, Ath knew there could only ever be ONE Time Affinity User in a given universe. When that being died, his Affinity would Crystalize into a single Pristine Affinity Gem.

    Ath requested only this gem from the God Of Light, and the Deity finally gave in after struggling for a while.

    Ecstatic, Ath thanked the God of Light as the Deity disappeared back to the Hall of Gods.

    For the next hundred and forty years, Ath devoted every waking minute to learning to control Time through his New Affinity. In the beginning, Ath could only jump forward or back by a few seconds, but the longer he learned and grew his new Affinity, the more powerful it became.

    Yet even with all his strength, and the ability to rewind or speed up Time, the thing he wanted most eluded him; through his studies, Ath learned about something he prayed wouldn¡¯t be valid, and that was the existence of Timelines.

    The knowledge he acquired about timelines left Ath devastated. From what he learned, it would be impossible to return to the past to fix the Future.

    That day the he had been born on was nearly destroyed in rage. Mountains shattered, storms spanning thousands of miles formed, the oceans churned, and the beings on the viewed it as the end of days, and for them, it was.

    In his grief-fueled rage, Ath killed 95% of the¡¯s poption over two years. Still, he couldn¡¯t care less because his Affinity was virtually useless to him as it was with the knowledge he obtained of parallel timelines.

    Sure he could go back, save his beloved, and even make amends with his brother, but when he inevitably returned to his own Time, nothing would have changed.

    The Time stream was just that mysterious of an existence; one could alter their own line, but in doing so, they would create entirely new lines in their unreachable parallel dimensions. This was also why there could only ever be a single being with the Time Affinity in a given dimension. There would be infinite timelines if too many people jumped around, so it was regted by a higher power that not even the Deities understood.

    For Ath, this news was enough to send him over the deep end and kill off nearly every creature living on the.

    When his grief subsided several yearster, Ath helplessly copsed before his brother¡¯s tomb, which was just as it had been the day he made it, and wept.

    For an unknown amount of Time, Athid on the ground beside the Crystalline structure weeping, a broken man.

    As a Time Affinity user, the passage of days meant nothing to him, as he could, in a sense, exist forever. So he stayed by his brother¡¯s side, falling into slumber, until one day, after many years, he was startled and woken up.

    When Ath opened his eyes, he was greeted by a vastly differentndscape, a forest filled with trees as far as the eye could see, and ncing around, he found himself in a clearing, with his brother¡¯s tomb glistening behind him.

    Sitting up in confusion, Ath heard the startled cries of two children, boys who were no older than 6 or 7 years old, holding sticks as if they had been ying adventurer in the woods.

    Surprisingly, Ath wasn¡¯t angry as he stared at the two terrified children holding their sticks like swords. Instead, he projected the image of himself and his brother onto the two children, and as a single tear rolled down his cheek, Ath waved both of them over, telling them to sit down so that he could tell them a story.

    Ath told the children a tale about two brothers, the older brother, who was a bit hard to deal with and mean to most people, and the younger brother, who was kind and gentle with everyone.

    He told them of the wonderful adventures the two brothers had, from beating up a bunch of criminals like superheroes to the Time they fought in epic wars together.

    Sure, Ath edited the story a bit since these two children were far too young for all the gory details; nheless, the story was true; it was, after all, his story.

    ¡°Mister, what are the two brothers¡¯ names? Howe you keep calling them older and younger brother?¡± The youngest of the two boys asked in an innocent voice.

    ¡°That, hm, although their names were thought to be lost long ago, I do remember them, the eldest was named Ayke, and the younger was known as Athalos,¡± Ath said with a sad smile.

    ¡°Remember this lesson, you two, no matter what you face or how tough times be; no one will ever know you like the brother you grew up with. Although you may fight, and some distance may grow between you two as you get older, never let go of that bond.¡±

    ¡°Because once it¡¯s gone, it is something you will wish desperately to return. But by then, all you can do is morn the loss since it will be toote.¡±

    Then Ath patted both boys on their heads and turned to face the crystalline tomb he had stood near for ages. With a wave of his right hand, he then carved a line into the grave before smiling at the children and vanishing.

    The carved words read, ¡°Here Lies Ayke, the one who stood against all odds, to fight against the Demon Lord Known as Athalos. May he Rest in Peace Forever, for even in death, he was Triumphant.¡±

    ¡ª

    cing the book down in hisp, Brance rubbed his tired eyes. Looking at his Watcet, he saw that it was already half past four in the morning, and Gabby hadn¡¯t moved from hisp.

    The abrupt ending left Brance¡¯s mind in a storm of thoughts. Questions flowed as he wondered what happened after Ath left his brother¡¯s grave.

    But the most disturbing thought he had came to him when the brothers¡¯ names were revealed.

    Athalos and Ayke were the middle names that he and Cynrik had, meaning that this Ath had been him in a different timeline.

    Brance had so many questions but no answers at all, but after reading the Memoir, he knew that he couldn¡¯t allow things with his Turning Point quest to progress any longer.

    The book had shown him the worst-case scenario, where he, in his grief, would be the bane of existence, destroying the world multiple times over and even killing his own brother, and this realization was uneptable.

    [Cyn, meet me in the training room, we need to talk.] Picking up the sleeping Gabby in his arms, Brance quickly deposited her in his bed, tucked her in, and headed to the training room after sending that message through the mind link.

    When he arrived, Cynrik was already calmly sitting in the center of the room, eyeing Brance as he walked in.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Though slightly confused, Cynrik felt something that had been bugging him for a long time was about to happen.

    ¡°First, before I say anything, you need to read this,¡± Brance stated as he tossed the book to his brother.

    Unlike him, who had spent several hours reading the Memoir, Cynrik finished the book within five minutes and sat with a scrunched-up expression on his face while he ruminated over the new information.

    He concluded the main character¡¯s identity within seconds, and as he continued reading, his heart pumped with the sheer possibilities being presented.

    Sitting in silence, Cynrik closed his eyes to process the information and grasp his rapidly-churning thoughts.

    Eventually, when he opened his eyes, Cynrik found Brance sitting beside him, calmly watching.

    ¡°Timelines¡­ a pesky thing; from what I can tell, it¡¯s basically DBZ rules too and not Back to the Future, where even if one goes back in time, it creates a different timeline, making it impossible to alter the origin line,¡± Cynrik said as he leaned back on his arms and looked at the ceiling.

    ¡°I assume you got this from Yennifer, which means one of two things, the CSH exists outside of the boundaries of Time and Space, or Ath has been to our line and left the book with the CSH for you. Either way, what a troublesome knucklehead you are.¡± Sighing, Cynrik reached over and bonked Brance on the head before continuing.

    ¡°I had a feeling you were doing some stupid shit like suppressing the Divinity Fragment, but fucking hell, if this book can be trusted, you in another timeline became a demon lord, and it all started with doing what you are right now.¡±

    ¡°So¡­what is the next step?¡± Brance asked quietly. Now that everything was out in the open, he desperately needed Cynrik¡¯s advice.

    ¡°Welp, now you get ready to beat the fuck out of that LM guy, I have my theories about his identity, but you will be on your own.¡±

    ¡°So power up all your skills now, and get ready; we are doing this shit here and now, Brancie, and if my theory is correct, the second you acknowledge its existence, you will be pulled into your SOC for your First Turning Point Quest.¡±

 Chapter 343 Preparing for Branceâ€™s First Turning Point Quest (1)

    ¡°So¡­what is the next step?¡± Brance asked quietly. Now that everything was out in the open, he desperately needed Cynrik¡¯s advice.

    ¡°Welp, now you get ready to beat the fuck out of that LM guy, I have my theories about his identity, but you will be on your own.¡±

    ¡°So power up all your skills now, and get ready; we are doing this shit here and now, Brancie, and if my theory is correct, the second you acknowledge its existence, you will be pulled into your SOC for your First Turning Point Quest.¡±

    Brance looked at Cynrik for a second with confused eyes before once again getting hit on the head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like a dumb fish; open your status, pump up your tower and other skills with your Skill points; you must have at least a couple of hundred points just sitting static; use them.¡±

    Rubbing his head and feeling wronged, Brance opened his status and saw he had 467 Skill points, arge sum, and while not as high as Cynrik¡¯s 596, it was still enough to pull something off.

    Sitting side by side, Brance began allocating Skill points into what he felt were the best options for theing battle while Cynrik reminded him of what would happen.

    ¡°Alright, every time I¡¯ve been pulled in for a Turning Point Quest, it was because I either lost control of my mental state or taunted the voices in my head.¡±

    ¡°In the case of Ragnar, he had been talking to me for years and waited for the opportune moment to strike when my mental health wasn¡¯t the greatest. Thus Shoom, I got pulled into my SOC.¡±

    ¡°As for Jormie, that stupid lizard caught me off guard when I was in the process of my Tier-2 Evolution, a time where I could also be considered my weakest.¡±

    ¡°However, Brancie, I predict things will be slightly different. If what I read in the book just now aligns with the idiocy you¡¯ve been trying to do alone, then that means you¡¯ve been straight up ignoring the existence of the voice in your head and haven¡¯t spoken to it or acknowledged its words a single time in all the years its been taunting you.¡±

    Brance paused with his index finger hovering above the status window and looked over at Cynrik, who had stopped talking because he was waiting for a response.

    ¡°Uh, yeah, that¡¯s pretty much correct.¡± It was difficult not to respond or even think about what the voice said every time it spoke, and since Brance was worried about being forced into his turning point quest early, his answer was short.

    ¡°Noted, alright, that makes my theories a bit easier anyway; moving along, the moment you get pulled into your SOC, you will get a string of notifications indicating that you are ¡°being forcefully dragged¡± into the damn thing.¡± Closing his eyes and remembering both his quests, Cynrik tried to find any differences between the process but found none.

    It was the same notifications and the same setup each time, spawn, forced quest, fight, with the only difference being when he fought Jormie; he was already present within his SOC.

    ¡°We will replicate my second Turning Point, at least to an extent. I want you to enter your SOC ahead of time, get used to the environment, and THEN try triggering your quest.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± Nodding his head and finishing allocating all of his skill points, Brance examined his gains. For starters, Brance raised the Tier of most of his lower Tier Skills, such as all the defensive ones like [Terra Skin] and [Radient Skin].

    The following skills he upgraded were [Glint] and [Vanish], bringing both of them up to Tier-2.5. And then there was the primary skill he had dumped most of his points into, [Radient Tower] had been upgraded to Tier-3, which unlocked the 5th floor, allowing Brance to ess the Offensive Countermeasures on the fourth.

    -Fourth Floor: Offensive Counter Measures. At Tier-2.5, this floor can be equipt with up to one of three preset artilleryyouts.-

    -Layout A: Four Tier-2 Mana Construct Cannons.-

    -Fires, one Terra-Light Shell.-

    -Damage: Static 3000 Points of Magic Dmg.-

    -Cooldown: 5 minutes.-

    -Charge Time: 1 minute.-

    -Layout B: Six Tier-2 Mana Construct Ballista.-

    -Fires, one Terra-Wind Javelin.-

    -Damage: Static 2000 Points of Physical Dmg.-

    -Cooldown: 3 minutes.-

    -Charge Time: 30 seconds.-

    -Layout C: One Tier-2.5 Positron Cannon.-

    -Activation Cost: 5000 MP.-

    -Fires, One Terra-Light-Wind Beam.-

    -Damage: Static 15000 Points of AOE DMG.-

    -Cooldown: 30 minutes.-

    -Charge Time: 15 minutes.-

    -Damage varies depending on the Targets Tier and Defensive abilities.-

    Although the fourth floor had been unlocked at Tier-2.5 because of how the Tower worked, unless Brance had the 5th floor opened, even if he made the structure four stories tall, the fourth floor would always be themand center.

    Now that he had unlocked the 5th floor, he had full ess to all the different weapons, giving his Tower vast offensive abilities, which was necessary if he wanted to square off against a powerful foe.

    The only downside was how Cost heavy it would be. The activation cost soared after the 4th floor.

    -Cost: The cost of this skill is adjustable depending on how many floors are added during the Towers Construction Phase. The prices of each individual floor are listed below. The cost is PER FLOOR.

    -Activate Floors 1 and 2: 1000 MP, 1000 STAM.-

    -Sustain Cost: 100 MP and 100 STAM per minute.-

    -Activate Floors 3 and 4: 3000 MP, 3000 STAM.-

    -Sustain Cost: 300 MP and 300 STAM per minute.-

    -Activate Floors 5 and 6: 9000 MP, 9000 STAM.-

    -Sustain Cost: 900 MP and 900 STAM per minute.-

    -Any higher floors are currently Locked due to not having a high enough Tier.-

    -Cooldown: 336 Hours (2 weeks)-

    Looking at the high cost it would take to summon a five-floor Tower, Brance sighed heavily. Swiping away from his skill list and back over to his Stats, Brance¡¯s eyes fell on his 598 VIT and noticed he was 2440 points short regarding Stamina.

    Even if he pumped all 92 of his stat points into VIT, at best, he would 1840 more STAM, which was just shy of the 9000 necessary to activate the 5th floor of his Tower.

    ¡°What?¡± Seeing the distress his brother was experiencing, Cynrik pushed for answers.

    ¡°Well, I burned the bulk of my Skill points into my Tower and was able to raise it to Tier-3, unlocking the 5th floor, which is incredible, but what ISN¡¯T awesome is the 9k stamina requirement.¡± Massaging his temples, Brance sent over his entire profile to Cynrik, who wordlessly scrolled through for a moment before heaving a heavy sigh himself.

    ¡°While you will have unlimited MP during the quest, I can¡¯t say the same for Stamina. The upside is you will have ess to yourplete inventory, potions included, which solves the recovery issue to an extent; however, you will still need more than 9k STAM if you wish to activate the 5th floor.¡± Tapping his index finger against his chin for a moment, Cynrik made a decision that pained him slightly.

    With a wave of his hand, hundreds of medium torge-sized XP crystals spilled out of Cynrik¡¯s inventory onto the training room floor, stunning Brance so severely that he kicked at the ground frantically crab-walking backward away from therge pile.

    ¡°What in the FUCK CYNRIK? How do you still have so many damn crystals left over?¡± Utterly confused and shocked, Brance was beside himself.

    After dealing with his, Gabby, and Benny¡¯s leveling earlier, Brance only had a handful left, yet Cynrik, who had himself and Selene to worry about, still had a massive stock of Xp crystals on hand.

    ¡°Eh, well, you see, what had happened was¡­.¡± Cynrik started but soon gave up and spilled the beans.

    ¡°I had a fuck ton of points left over after getting everything Selene, and I needed, and when I saw that XP crystals were rtively cheap, I kind of gobbled up the whole markets stock.¡±

    ¡°It burned most of my points, and I¡¯m basically broke when ites to OKP now, but think of this as the rainy day fund, and right now, a hurricane ising, so I may as well give them to you.¡± Holding his hands in defeat as if he had been caught stealing, Cynrik waved Brance over.

    ¡°There should be enough for you to raise your ss to Cap and gain at least ten levels on your Primary, so if you invest your points correctly, you should be good in the STAM department.¡±

    Brance¡¯s eyes darted between Cynrik and the pile as he scratched his head and looked away. This was like when they were children on Earth, and Brance had his piggy bank stolen by some local hooligans. The two of them had gone up to the mall and were going to buy a new video game each, but when Brance¡¯s bank got stolen, Cynrik gave up his so that Brance could get the game he had waited for over two years.

    The memory shed back, and Brance knew that Cynrik had probably gotten all this for himself so that the others in the party would be able to level up in peace without his presence, especially since he was already ahead of everyone in the Stat department.

    But the fact that Cynrik so quickly gave up these resources made Brance hesitant.

    ¡°This¡­you already knew, didn¡¯t you?¡± Brance asked while narrowing his eyes at Cynrik.

    ¡°Sigh, I had my suspicions that it was something like this, to be honest. So I wanted to be prepared in case. You¡¯ve been pretty sketchy, and that book confirmed my thoughts, so I was sure to get some extra crystals so that you would be prepared for any situation.¡± Realizing the jig was up, Cynrik met Brance¡¯s gaze and nodded.

    ¡°Now go ahead and absorb them all, raise your ss get the extra allocation points, and then increase your Primary Level. So long as you don¡¯t get to Tier-3, your opponent¡¯s power shouldn¡¯t scale by much; I want you to be ready for whatever happens.¡± Standing up and dusting off his butt, Cynrik walked toward the training room door to give his brother some time to get ready on his own.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to make some coffee, we are team no sleep tonight, so I need to be at my best. You were right by my side during the second Turning point, and I will be right here when you are ready for your first.¡± With that, Cynrik left the training room, and Brance, to his own devices.

    Left alone with only the pile of crystals, Brance gathered himself and grabbed a handful before staring at them silently. To say his mind wasn¡¯t in turmoil would be a lie.

    Cynrik had already known but never once pressed him for information and, in the background, was gathering resources for the moment Brance came forward and asked for his help. With this thought in his mind, Brance put on a serious expression and began absorbing the crystals in batches of 10.

 Chapter 344 Preparing for Branceâ€™s First Turning Point Quest (2)

    Left alone with only the pile of crystals, Brance gathered himself and grabbed a handful before staring at them silently. To say his mind wasn¡¯t in turmoil would be a lie.

    Cynrik had already known but never once pressed him for information and, in the background, was gathering resources for the moment Brance came forward and asked for his help. With this thought in his mind, Brance put on a serious expression and began absorbing the crystals in batches of 10.

    -You have absorbed an Essence (XP) crystal and received 50,000 XP.-

    -Current Essence stored in Essence Pool(XP): 331,812.-

    -You have absorbed an Essence (XP) crystal and received 30,000 XP.-

    -Current Essence stored in Essence Pool(XP): 361,812.-

    -You have absorbed an Essence (XP) crystal and received 70,000 XP.-

    -Current Essence stored in Essence Pool(XP): 431,812.-

    -You have absorbed an Essence (XP) crystal and received 100,000 XP.-

    -Current Essence stored in Essence Pool(XP): 531,812.-

    Unlike the original batch of XP crystals, which only came in 1k, 2k, 10k, or 20k, Cynrik had obtained various valued crystals. Mainly 30k, 50k, 70k, and even 100k XP crystals, shocking Brance greatly as he didn¡¯t bother inspecting them before absorbing their contents and turning the stones to dust.

    Soon enough, the final crystal had been drained of its contents, and Brance ran the quick math in his head. Although he trusted Cynrik¡¯s foresight, after realizing that he would need 29,924,558 for his Pdin ss and 2,898,713 XP to reach level ten of his Primary Level, Brance could only shake his head as he saw the massive 33 million XP in his Essense Pool.

    Cynrik had given him enough crystals to cover his advancements, and Brance even had a little XP left over.

    Feeling as if he had just finished eating a five-course meal, Brance switched pages on his Status profile and began allocating XP toward his Pdin ss.

    -You have chosen to distribute 252,616 XP to your Primary ss.-

    -Are you sure you would like to assign this XP to your Primary ss? (Y/N)-

    -Your Tier-2 Pdin ss has leveled up-

    -Your Distribution has increased by +0.2 STR, 0.2 VIT.-

    -You have received two Stat points.-

    -You have received two Skill points.-

    -You have distributed the total amount of XP your Primary ss can handle.-

    ¨C Your Tier-2 Pdin ss has reached the level cap of 35.-

    -Current Primary ss Distribution upon leveling up, 7 STR, 7 VIT.-

    -You have learned 5 Tier-2 Pdin ss Skills.-

    Pressed for time, Brance didn¡¯t examine his new ss skills and instead jumped over to his Primary Level. With both of his sses maxed out, it was now time to reap all the benefits that woulde with his additional 14 points to his distribution.

    Taking a deep breath and preparing himself for the obvious pain he was about to experience, Brance went ahead and started allocating the rest of the XP in his Essence Pool into his Primary Level.

    -You have chosen to distribute 252,616 XP to your Primary Level.-

    -Are you sure you would like to assign this XP to your Primary Level? (Y/N)-

    -You have Leveled up!-

    -You have Leveled up!-

    -You have Leveled up!-

    -You have Leveled up!-

    -You have ¡­-

    Each increase in his Primary Level not only brought Brance an additional 20 Stat points but also increased his stats heavily. With how his distribution was currently set up, he received 13 STR, 9 DEX, 2 AGI, 9 INT, 11 VIT, and 2 MIND with each level up.

    By the time he hit level ten, Brance¡¯s muscles were tense as a mixture of pain and warmth flooded his body, and most of his stats increased by at least 90 points.

    When the pain finally subsided, Brance opened his eyes and smiled bitterly. Even after boosting his VIT by 110 points, he didn¡¯t have 9k STAM yet. However, his eyes quivered slightly when he saw the astronomical 362 Free allocation points, and his bitter smile shifted to a brilliant one.

    It wasn¡¯t that he had forgotten about them, so much as he was too focused on trying to hit other goals instead. Still, the instant his eyes fell on therge number, Brance set about allocating the points like a madman, and a few minutester, he sat there and admired his new Stat profile.

    : Status :

    : Brance Athalos Jetlensr (Bj?rn Ironside Ragnarsson):

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation, Perfect Clear Expert, Reforged Body, Skill Creator :

    : Demi-Human Male (90% Human, 10% Lightbringer):

    : Age-12:

    : Tier-2 :

    : Primary ss ¨C Tier-2 Pdin : (+7 STR, +7 VIT)

    :Former: Tier-1 Warrior : (+2 STR, +2 VIT Distribution)

    : Sub-ss ¨C (Basic GemSmith) : (+7 DEX, +7 INT)

    :Former: Tier-1 Miner : (+2 STR Distribution)

    : Level: 10/35 0/346,177 :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 176,729:

    : P-ss (Pdin): 35 ¨C XP : CAP

    : S-ss (Basic GemSmith): 35 ¨C XP : CAP

    : Distribution: 2 Per All : (13 STR, 9 DEX, 9 INT, 11 VIT)

    : Mana Codex & Circuits Tier-2 :

    : Stage 3 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-2, 6.5g Resistance :

    : Credits: 1,500,000 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 23,600/23,600 :

    : Mana 11,980/11,980 :

    : Stamina 11,800/11,800 :

    : Stat Points- 6 :

    : Skill Points- 90 :

    : Strength- 860 :

    : Dexterity- 680 :

    : Agility- 680 :

    : Intelligence- 860:

    : Vitality- 860 :

    : Mind- 680 :

    : Will Power- 15:

    : Gem Cutting: 0, XP 90/100 :

    : Killing Intent- 348 ¨C 4.5g :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Light-Tier-2.5 (Expert): :Expand:

    :(BG) Earth-Tier-2 (Adept): :Expand:

    :(BG) Wind-Tier-2 (Adept): :Expand:

    After Brance did some quick math and pushed his VIT up to 860 from 708, he added one point to his INT, making it match his VIT, before moving on and bringing his STR up to meet his INT and VIT.

    With the three most essential stats out of the way, Brance had spent some time staring at his DEX, AGI, and MIND. As the only one of his stats yet to reach 600, his AGI was the weakest of the three. Dumping the bulk of his remaining 169 Stat points into his AGI, Brance made the three stats match each other at 665, costing him 118 points and dropping his remaining bnce down to 51 Stat points.

    Still, after finishing assigning the points, Brance was a bit unhappy with his spread, so he burned an additional 45 points to raise the three lowest stats a bit higher.

    In doing this, Brance only had six points left over, but to him, that was fine.

    While Brance waited for Cynrik to return with his coffee, he called for a couple of training Droids and set about sparring with them, allowing his body a few minutes to adjust to his newfound power.

    Unfortunately, he gravely underestimated his new strength. As soon as he cleanly connected with one of the droids¡¯ heads, it exploded into a shower of scrap metal and spare parts, putting an end to the training program and sending the remaining droid back into the closet, leaving Brance stunned, staring at his fist in awe.

    Of course, at that precise moment, Cynrik walked into the training room whistling, only to halt in his tracks and admire the damage his younger brother did.

    ¡°Well, damn Brancie, what did that poor robot do to you? Did you really have to explode its head like a melon?¡± Cynrik teased, and with a wave of his hand, all the scrap pieces were gathered and moved to the corner of the room, allowing the cleaning droid that would make its rounds every hour to scoop them up for recycling.

    In response to his brother¡¯s taunts, Brance stared at him with dead eyes, sent over his updated Status profile, and received yet another whistle.

    ¡°Well, damn, not quite what I expected you to do with the extra points, I half thought you would keep everything even, but that works too. I wish you had raised your AGI higher, but then again, as the saying goes, ¡°Precision Beats power, and Timing Beats Speed.¡± Shrugging his shoulders and taking a seat on one of the workout benches, Cynrik scrutinized his younger brother.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be an easy fight, especially if my theory is correct about your opponent. Ragnar and Jormie were leagues above me, yet I still came out because I schemed from the moment they appeared.¡±

    ¡°Every move I made was overly calcted, and I never once underestimated my opponent; hell, if anything, I OVER estimated them¡­*slurp*¡± pausing to take a sip of coffee, Cynrik continued.

    ¡°I had no business beating either of them, especially Jormie. But due to falling into every one of my baited traps, my grit, and of course, my insanely self-destructive tendencies, I was able toe out on top.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you are too stupid to know when you are beaten.¡± Brance threw in after Cynrik finished speaking, making his older brother frown as he took another sip of coffee.

    ¡°Semantics, regardless, following the lore of our Deities, you should be facing an Angel or a hero from a different time. Throughout the fight, you need to be on your toes; once their identity gets exposed to you, your first task should be to evaluate every key piece of data you can remember about that being.¡±

    ¡°Will Tobs be able to help me out at all?¡± Wholeheartedly memorizing every bit of Cynrik¡¯s advice, Brance threw in his question.

    ¡°Yes and no, the amount of assistance she can give is minimal at best. Aside from providing basic Resource stat monitoring or a generalized location of your opponent in the event that you get separated, she will not aid you.¡±

    -The Turning Point quest is something that needs to bepleted solely by the person involved. Outside Assistance and Aid are banned.-

    ¡°See, that¡¯s about all you¡¯ll get out of her, all the things she ¡°CAN¡¯T¡± do instead of actual help.¡± Pointing at the ceiling as if that was where Tobs was currently, Cynrik shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°The best I will be able to do is try and slow any damage your physical body sustains, simr to how you did with me. Except Ick any healing skills, so it would end up with me dumping copious amounts of Potions down your gullet.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, I would prefer we woke up Gabby in this situation since she is bound to have a nt or two that can help with healing or calming your mind down.¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Hearing Cynrik¡¯s idea, Brance immediately shot it down, causing Cynrik to raise an eyebrow curiously while taking another sip of his drink.

    ¡°Exin yourself,¡± was all Cynrik said in response as he lowered his cup back into hisp.

    ¡°Gabby has enough on her te, and if anything were to happen to me¡­well, let¡¯s just say I expect it to be about as bad as what happened earlier with you and Selene after your little stunt in the Obelisk.¡± Feeling a shiver run down his spine at the thought of Gabby turning from her cute and bubbly self into a demoness scared the shit out of Brance.

    ¡°Rejected; if you think she will be freaking out if she was here, just think about how pissed off she¡¯ll be if you go through this without telling her, and believe me, she will find out.¡±

    ¡°There is no telling how long you will be locked inbat, and when she notices you aren¡¯t in the living room, the first ce she wille is here.¡±

    ¡°So get off your bullshit high horse and wake your girlfriend up, or I will do it for you.¡±

 Chapter 345 Preparing for Branceâ€™s First Turning Point Quest (3)

    ¡°There is no telling how long you will be locked inbat, and when she notices you aren¡¯t in the living room, the first ce she wille is here.¡±

    ¡°So get off your bullshit high horse and wake your girlfriend up, or I will do it for you.¡± Sipping his coffee and ignoring the angry look Brance was shooting him, Cynrik calmly waved his hand and shooed off Brance.

    Groaning loudly, Brance stood up and left the training room, making his way toward his bedroom, and when he opened the door, he found Gabby sleeping soundly, which made him sigh since he knew she wouldn¡¯t be happy with him waking her up.

    Creeping to her side of the bed, he knelt and brushed the hair from her face, making Gabby move as she nuzzled up against his hand as if unconsciously recognizing it as Brance¡¯s touch.

    ¡°Little Rabbit, I need you to wake up, something important is happening, and I need you by my side,¡± Brance whispered so as not to startle the sleeping girl.

    ¡°Mmh, what¡­what¡¯s wrong, Brancie?¡± Opening her eyes groggily, Gabby noticed the stern expression on her boyfriend¡¯s face and had to fight back the urge to begin panicking instantly.

    If Brance was waking her up in the middle of the night, there could only be two reasons, they were in trouble and had to leave the house, or two, there was an enemy attack.

    Seeing as he didn¡¯t look panicked and only heavily concerned, Gabby sat up while rubbing the exhaustion from her eyes and looked around for a second before noticing she was in Brance¡¯s room and bed, a far cry from where she had fallen asleep hisp.

    ¡°I need you to stay calm ok? Do you remember those trials I told you that Big Brother and I must go through periodically? Well, now it is my turn.¡± Pausing and giving Gabby a second to collect herself, Brance only continued speaking when he received a nod of understanding from her.

    ¡°Big Brother had gone through two trials in the past, the second of which was when we evolved to Tier 2. However, I have yet to go through my first. That is, until now.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it will take, but I can tell you that even though it will be dangerous, it shouldn¡¯t be anything I can¡¯t handle. Still, I needed to inform you ahead of time; that way, you wouldn¡¯t have to find out by stumbling upon me and Big Brother in the training room once you woke up.¡± Sitting beside her on the bed, Brance briefly exined his situation to Gabby.

    When he finished, the room fell silent as Gabby digested the information. She had long known about the trials Brance was talking about, but since he had never gone through one, she had figured it wouldn¡¯t be that big of a deal.

    Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case in the slightest. Brance, although summarizing and not giving her the whole story, spoke in detail about how he had been suppressing the same thing that made Cynrik lose his mind ages ago, and this thought frightened the girl to no end.

    Still to this day, she would asionally have nightmares of the bloodthirsty-looking Cynrik as he stalked toward her, ready to strike her down without a second thought.

    Feeling the worry and panic rising in her heart, Gabby gripped Brance¡¯s hand tightly and met his eyes.

    ¡°What can I do to help? I remember you constantly healing Big Bro when he was in troublest time. Is that what you need of me? If that¡¯s the case, I have several nts back at home that have good healing properties for the body, spirit, and mind. No matter the price or Cost, I will be there because I love you.¡± Feeling the warmth creeping up to her cheeks, Gabby didn¡¯t hesitate to add those final three words, which caused Brance¡¯s face to crumble.

    ¡°Aside from helping me heal if necessary, this is something that I have to do alone; think of it as a forced solo quest forbidding any outside help.¡± After being caught off guard by her three-word critical hit, Brance had to gulp profoundly and figure out what to say next.

    ¡°You can only heal the external injuries I may umte; however, since these trials happen in what¡¯s called the Sea of Consciousness, I will be isted from the outside world.¡± After finishing that statement, seeing the sad look on her face since he didn¡¯t say the words in return, Brance boldly reached up, cupped Gabby¡¯s cheeks, and kissed her.

    His act caused the girl¡¯s whole body to melt in his grasp and close her eyes as she enjoyed the passionate kiss, returning it with just as much enthusiasm as Brance put out.

    After a solid two minutes of passion, the two separated while panting as Gabby looked up at him with tears in her eyes. She couldn¡¯t help but have a bad feeling, as Brance was never this forward and had always resisted anything physical with her. Yet, he was doing the opposite of his usual and predictable actions.

    Sensing the extreme anxiety rising in Gabby, Brance leaned over and kissed her forehead.

    ¡°I love you too, Gabby, and don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ve got this.¡± Before he could even get the words outpletely, Gabby tackled him into a desperate hug that found them both lying on the bed, with Gabby on top of Brance¡¯s chest as his hands found her hips, and the atmosphere in the room started getting steamy.

    The words spoken by Brance seemed to open a flood gate of emotion from Gabby, who, unable to restrain herself any longer, began a passionate make-out session where the two¡¯s hands ran wild on each other¡¯s bodies.

    But as Brance set certain boundaries, he never allowed things to progress too far, stopping her anytime her hands wandered lower down his body, as he knew it was still too early.

    Getting frustrated that Brance wasn¡¯t exploring her body the way she wanted him to, Gabby gripped his hands and tried to guide them under her shirt several times.

    Still, each time she was thwarted by her boyfriend, who calmly and firmly removed his hands from under the shirt and ced them back on her hips without breaking off the kiss.

    Eventually, after several heated minutes, the twoid side by side as Brance tucked a lock of hair behind Gabby¡¯s ear and kissed the tip of her nose before continuing what he wanted to say earlier.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t going to be any worse than fighting that overgrown snake dude back in the Egress. Oh, also, those nts are a good idea; I¡¯ll have Big Brother wake up Selene so she can apany you back to the dorm quickly; time is of the essence, and every minute that ticks by means that my opponent is potentially getting stronger.¡±

    ¡°Ok, I understand,¡± although pouting slightly at the fact she was still fully clothed and Brance hadn¡¯t tried advancing things further, Gabby relented and adjusted the baggy and loose T-shirt she had borrowed as nightwear.

    [Wake up Selene and have her escort Gabby back to their dorm, she needs supplies, and she will be taking on the job of healing. She has been stocking up on different nts that can do the job, but she doesn¡¯t carry them around.]

    It took some time for Cynrik to wake up Selene, but within the hour, Gabby and Selene returned, carrying two potted nts. Once they arrived in the training room, Selene quickly exited to assist Cynrik in something, leaving Gabby alone as she distributed dozens of strange-looking flowers around the room strategically.

    From a bird¡¯s eye view of the room¡¯s ceiling, one would notice she was arranging the nts in what could only be described as a spell formation.

    Pulling out all the stops, Gabby was prepared for anything that could potentially arise, and after around an hour of setup, she finally sat down in front of Brance, who was dead center in the room, meditating to calm his mind down.

    Sitting in silence, Gabby burned the image of Brance in her mind, as she didn¡¯t want to forget even a second of what he looked like while perfectly calm and pain-free.

    For someone who was nning on having a medical profession potentially, she needed to be able to spot any minute changes that would ur in his body.

    Using his current meditative and rxed visage as a reference, she would be able to tell when she needed to heal him during the trial actively.

    Several minutester, Cynrik and Selene returned to the training room with a groggy Benny tagging along as all three had their arms full of thermoses of hot coffee.

    Hearing the noisy bunch enter the room, Brance calmly opened his eyes and watched as Selene and Benny split off from Cynrik and stayed outside of the nt formation in the far reaches of the room.

    When Cynrik woke up Selene, he also went after Benny, quickly filling them in on the situation.

    Benny and Selene went to work, Benny staying back to make several pots of coffee, while Selene ran off with Gabby to get the nts before joining him to fill up therge containers with piping hot coffee for their long night and day ahead.

    Once everyone was in ce, Brance looked to Cynrik, who nodded back.

    [Remember, get in, and immediately begin charging your Tower, there is unlimited Mana inside your SOC, so use it, form that fucker as big as possible and turn it into a fortified structure. It will be the key to your victory and only engage in a 1v1 fight as ast resort.]

    [Odds are, the being will be a minimum of peak Tier-4 and Maximum of Mid Tier-5, don¡¯t let its power catch you off guard and stay focused. Your Tower is your greatest asset; use it properly and don¡¯t waste any shots. I don¡¯t know how long it will take for it to notice your presence, but every second before then will be vital. Use it well and kick the fuck out of that feathered bastard.]

    Detailing out a rough n for Brance, Cynrik bumped fists with his younger brother and stepped back.

    [Got it,] bumping fists with Cynrik, Brance looked at Selene and Benny, who non-verbally encouraged him before his eyes finallynded on Gabby.

    ¡°Show that asshole who¡¯s boss, it¡¯s your body, not his, and if he thinks he can fucking beat you, then he clearly has never faced someone on par with the MyrkLys Co-Leader,¡± Gabby said with a fierce smile reminiscent of Cynrik, as she swore startling everyone, and making them realize how angry she indeed was.

    ¡°See you in a bit,¡± not wanting to try and follow up Gabby¡¯s speech and riding the high from it, Brance exhaled slowly and closed his eyes.

    ¡®Take me to my SOC Tobs,¡¯ giving themand; the next time Brance opened his eyes, he was in a majestic mountainousnd with brightly shining suns that felt more like home than anything he had ever experienced.

    Brance went to work channeling as much Mana as his body could handle, not letting himself get caught off guard; he next mmed both his feet knee-deep into the rocky terrain and began working on summoning his Tower.

    ¡°My Terrays the stone-like foundation to support me in my efforts to protect those I love,¡±

 Chapter 346 Preparing for Branceâ€™s First Turning Point Quest (4)

    With his legs firmly nted up to his knees into the terrain, Brance began activating his [Radient Tower].

    ¡°My Terrays the stone-like foundation to support me in my efforts to protect those I love,¡±

    ¡°My foundation is guided by the steady bellows of my Wind, allowing it to soar to untold heights,¡± as he spoke the second verse of his Mantra, Brance extended his arms out to either side and turned his palms downward before kneeling down and gripping the air just above the ground his feet were embedded.

    Unlike the first time he activated this skill, Brance was CONSTANTLY churning Mana inside of his body and around him, forming a virtual vortex of tri-Affinity Mana around his body.

    He was unaware that his eyes and hair had changed color, and his markings had begun glowing on his face with constricted pupils.

    Feeling all the energy leaving his body at a rapid pace, and without missing a beat, Brance quickly withdrew several stamina potions and chugged them down without losing focus before continuing to channel more Mana.

    This was the most crucial step, the formation of the pseudo-Codex, along with determining the build of the Tower. Unlike the first time he activated the Tower, his eyes didn¡¯t reflect his Affinities and instead were golden as his Nephilim Mode Triggered subconsciously.

    Slowly bringing his arms up in a pulling motion, a fierce gust erupted, visibly manifesting the normally invisible Wind Mana particles. His eyes locked on arge open clearing nearby the closest mountain since this was his targeted building location.

    ¡°My foundation shines in the radiance of my Light, allowing it to break the sky and reach the heavens! Tri-Fusion Affinity Skill: [Radient Tower],¡± calmly speaking over the deafening winds, Brance clenched his hands into fists and thrust his arms up.

    Suddenly the earth shook as if a magnitude nine quake was urring, with Brance as the epicenter, forcing stone pirs and bs to explode out of the mountain and the ground simultaneously, forming a perimeter of 100¡Á100 meters that would be the foundation of the Tower.

    The ring link perimeter only took a quarter of a second before a blinding light erupted from the ground, shooting toward the sky and taking the shape of a majestic and ancient five-story stone tower.

    With thepletion of the five-story [Radient Tower], Brance extended his arm and pulled forward, summoning a fist-sized golden orb from the top of the floor.

    This golden orb happened to be the Pseudo-Codex, that upon creation, would ride the Tower toward the sky, fighting against gravity and, in a sense being the force behind drawing the construct from the ground as it rose.

    Flying through the air like a fastball pitch, the Pseudo-Codexnded squarely in Brance¡¯s palm as he immediately extricated his legs from the ground and sat down. Feeling dizzy from the massive expenditure of MP and STAM and holding the Pseudo-Codex in his right hand, Brance spent about a minute mming one potion after another until his resource stats were back to their max capacity.

    Once finished recharging, Brance moved on to his next idea. Looking down at the perfectly shaped golden orb in his palm, Brance used [Inspect] and frowned.

    -Pseudo-Codex: This object can be housed within the Command Column. Its Avable Mana Points are Equal to 2.5 times the Tower Creator as it absorbs ambient Mana during the creation process. The Pseudo-Codex can be upgraded if proper resources are acquired, turning it into a true Codex, and allowing the Tower to be self-sufficient. Otherwise, when its MP hits Zero, it will dissolve, and the Tower will Copse.-

    -Current Tier= Pseudo Peak Tier-2.-

    -This Object needs to reach the Peak of Tier-2 and evolve into Tier-3 to be transformed into a permanent fixture; however, be aware that once it breaks through and bes a true Codex, its power will drop to Tier-0, and it will significantly reduce in size and strength.-

    -Items required to increase Tier.-

    -30 Tier-2 and 5 Tier-3 Light Codexes,-

    -30 Tier-2 and 5 Tier-3 Terra Codexes.-

    -30 Tier-2 and 5 Tier-3 Wind Codexes.-

    Clicking his tongue, Brance sifted through his unorganized inventory until he located all the necessary resources to stabilize and evolve his Pseudo-Codex.

    Aside from the memoir and sub-ss resources, Brance had pressed Tobs for the necessary items to evolve a Pseudo-Codex during his shopping spree in the Obelisk.

    His reason behind wanting this information was, after using the Tower and being forced to release control over the already unstable Pseudo-Codex, Brance felt it was simply a waste of energy, time, and MP always to be forced into recreating a Pseudo-Codex. Thus, not wanting to be forced into recreating the orb continuously, Brance decided it was better to go ahead and form a permanent construct, no matter the cost.

    Withdrawing the necessary prepurchased Codexes, Brance sorted them into appropriate piles and paused in thought.

    ¡°How do I do this, Tobs?¡± Brance asked the AI while rolling the golden orb in his palm.

    -Trace the runes along the left and right faces of the Pseudo-Codex, and it will unlock the mechanism like a tool and open up. After you have opened the Pseudo-Codex, ce the materials inside the orb, and allow them to be absorbed.-

    Nodding his head, Brance followed her instructions and charged a minute amount of Tri-Affinity Mana into his index finger on his left hand and began tracing out the intricate patterns running along the sides of the orb until¡­

    Click, tssss

    Hearing a small click and an exhale of pressure from the Pseudo-Codex, Brance¡¯s eyes widened as it opened like a perfectly split orange and lost its golden shining luster.

    Tilting the orb around and examining its internals, Brance was amazed to find that contrary to what he expected, the powered down and opened Pseudo-Codex appeared to be a higher form of Mana-based technology.

    Although a Mana construct, it felt smooth and cool to the touch, and with a peek at its internals, Brance spotted a small ring dead center of the Pseudo-Codex.

    Glowing in a light golden radiance, Brance recognized it as the device¡¯s core and slowly ced one of the Light Codexes onto the ring.

    -You have inserted a Tier-2 Light Codex into the Mana Construct known as a ¡°Pseudo-Codex.¡±-

    -Would you like for the Mana Construct known as a ¡°Pseudo-Codex¡± to absorb this Codex? (Y/N)

    -Your Mana Construct has Absorbed 1 Tier-2 Light Codex.-

    -Current Light Mana Power, 2.5%-

    -Current Terra Mana Power, 0%-

    -Current Wind Mana Power, 0%-

    When Brance read the notifications, he realized that each Tier-2 Codex represented 2.5% of this so-called ¡°Mana Power,¡± He quickly crunched the numbers and figured the Tier-3 Codexes, of which there were only five in each Mana type, would boost the meter by 5%.

    Testing his theory and adding a Tier-3 Terra Codex into the mix, Brance¡¯s thoughts were soon confirmed.

    -You have inserted a Tier-3 Terra Codex into the Mana Construct known as a ¡°Pseudo-Codex.¡±-

    -Would you like for the Mana Construct known as a ¡°Pseudo-Codex¡± to absorb this Codex? (Y/N)

    -Your Mana Construct has Absorbed 1 Tier-3 Terra Codex.-

    -Current Light Mana Power, 2.5%-

    -Current Terra Mana Power, 5%-

    -Current Wind Mana Power, 0%-

    Pleased that he figured it out, Brance set to work, allowing his Pseudo-Codex to absorb all the Affinity Codexes, but as he did so, he was sure to keep an eye on his rapidly draining resource stats.

    Keeping the Tower active without a power source put a lot of strain on his resource stats, as each floor had a cost to maintain. Floors 1 and 2 drew 200 MP and STAM per minute, 3 and 4 pulled 600 MP and STAM, andstly, floor 5 took 900 MP and STAM.

    Brance lost 1700 MP and STAM every minute he spent working on the Pseudo-Codex. Even if he currently had nearly 12k MP and STAM, as the minutes ticked by, he was finding himself in a difficult position as he was drinking down potions left and right to recoup his losses.

    These losses were far too extravagant as it took nearly 15 minutes for Brance to get the final Codex into the device.

    However, when he did so, it lit up like a Christmas tree, with all the intricate runes glowing in the three colors of his Affinities while snapping shut like a bear trap, nearly causing Brance to drop the golden glowing orb.

    -The Mana Construct known as a ¡°Pseudo-Codex¡± has absorbed the required amount of Mana and is undergoing an evolution. Please ce the device down on the ground and step away. This process will take a total of six minutes toplete.-

    Reading the notification and feeling a searing heat in his palm Brance nearly yeeted the orb across the mountain range but could control his initial instinct and gently ce the Pseudo-Codex on the ground.

    Opening and closing his scalded right hand a few times, Brance drank down a Healing potion. This action was because he was already in a war of attrition with the [Radient Tower] and didn¡¯t find it necessary to expend Mana to heal a burn, even if it was so bad that the skin was peeling and bubbling in his palm.

    Watching with bated breath, Brance looked on as the fist-sized construct pulsed with Light and burned the ground it rested upon before slowly condensing and shrinking.

    The glowing runes came to life as they wiggled and slid across the surface of the Pseudo-Codex, slowly extending away from the shiny golden orb.

    ¡®Eh? Is that what I think it is?¡¯ Squinting against the shing multi-colored light, Brance was shocked to witness the runes changing and forming four thin wings, extending from two points on either side of the orb, giving it a specific appearance that Brance was amazed to recognize.

    He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the thought that if Cynrik were here, he would be jumping up and down while screaming, ¡°IT BECAME A GOLDEN FUCKING SNITCH AH HAHAHA!¡±

    Shaking his head to clear the thought away, Brance continued to drink one Stamina potion every two minutes to curb the rapid decline in his resource stats until Tobs sent a wave of notifications.

    -Your Peak Tier-2 Mana Construct known as a ¡°Pseudo-Codex¡± has evolved, bing something unseen by the many races of existence in tens of Eons, a Mana Codex Core.-

    -Unlike a regr Mana Codex, a Codex Core has both higher output power and an increased storage and absorption rate.-

    -Mana Codex Cores are solid permanent Mana Constructs that can act as the purest form of Power Sources, generating a power output five times that of a standard Mana Codex.-

    -Your Mana Codex Core is currently at Tier-0.-

    -Your Mana Codex Core has a Mana Pool of 1.5 Times your Current MP, 17,970.-

    -Your Mana Codex Core has a Mana Regeneration rate of 269.55 MP per 10 seconds or 1617.3 per minute.-

    -Having aplished something beyond the scope of the many lifeforms in the universe, you are being rewarded.-

    Breaking into a broad smile, Brance was wholely satisfied by how close his Tower would be to a perpetual motion machine due to how close his Codex Core was to regenerating the total amount of its current cost.

    ¡°Tobs, hold the other notifications about rewards for a moment; I will go over them inside my Tower.-

    With that thought in his mind, Brance scooped up the golden snitch like Codex Core and teleported to the top of his [Radient Tower] to the Central Command Center.

 Chapter 347 Preparing for Branceâ€™s First Turning Point Quest (5)

    ¡°Tobs, hold the other notifications about rewards for a moment; I will go over them inside my Tower.-

    With that thought in his mind, Brance scooped up the golden snitch like Codex Core and teleported to the top of his [Radient Tower] to the Central Command Center.

    A simple thought was all that was necessary for Brance to instantly make his way to the 5th floor of the Tower, and after arriving in themand room, he soon stood before themand column.

    Stepping forward and cing his fingers into the small groovers on themand column¡¯s dial, he spun it counterclockwise 180 degrees until it clicked two times and allowed him to push the dial into the column.

    The dial soon clicked into ce and revealed the housing for the Tower¡¯s power source, which at this moment was empty. cing the newly formed Mana Codex Core into the significantlyrger housing, the runic patterns on both the Codex Core and themand column lit up in Tri-Color light as the housing doors closed. Next, the recessed dial automatically returned to normal with another two clicks as it positioned itself back to the starting spot.

    cing his palm back on the column, Brance brought up a series of monitors, one of which disyed all the different statistics necessary for the [Radient Tower] to run smoothly, such as Mana levels and the durability of the Tower.

    At a nce, Brance could already tell that the Tower was running at 150% efficiency with the newly formed Mana Codex Core; even if it was only at Tier-0, its output outshined the previously constructed Pseudo-Codex.

    Not to mention that now, the drain on Brance¡¯s resources stats was so minimal that he could barely feel the slow ticking of his MP and STAM.

    Seeing that everything was in order, Brance navigated to the fourth-floor artillery. After raising the Tower¡¯s Tier with skill points, the fourth floor had undergone a drastic change. Not only did the damage output and actual weapons increase, but there were now three new options, two of which were hybrid floors with more than one type of weapon, and thest option was the new Spell Array attack option.

    -Fourth Floor: Offensive Counter Measures. At Tier-3, this floor can be equipt with up to one of six preset artilleryyouts.-

    -Layout A: Six Tier-3.5 Mana Construct Cannons.-

    -Fires, one Terra-Light Shell.-

    -Damage: Static 12000 Points of Magic Dmg.-

    -Cooldown: 4 minutes.-

    -Charge Time: 45 seconds.-

    -Layout B: Eight Tier-3.5 Mana Construct Ballista.-

    -Fires, one Terra-Wind Javelin.-

    -Damage: Static 10000 Points of Physical Dmg.-

    -Cooldown: 2 minutes 30 seconds.-

    -Charge Time: 25 seconds.-

    -Layout C: Four Tier-3.5 Mana Construct Ballista and Three Tier-3.5 Mana Construct Cannons ¨C

    -Reference Above Data.-

    -Layout D: Two Tier-4 Positron Cannons.-

    -Fires, One Terra-Light-Wind Beam.-

    -Damage: Static 125,000 Points of AOE DMG.-

    -Cooldown: 25 minutes.-

    -Charge Time: 10 minutes.-

    -Damage varies depending on the Targets Tier and Defensive abilities.-

    -Layout E: One Tier-4 Positron Cannon, Two Tier-3.5 Mana Construct Cannons, and Two Tier-3.5 Mana Construct Ballista.-

    -Reference Above Data.-

    -Layout F: One Tier-4 Offensive Spell Array.-

    -Generates a Large Scale offensive array. This spell array can be controlled entirely from the Command Column and uses the elemental forces of nature as a weapon.-

    -Damage: Static 15000 Points of AOE DMG Per Tick.-

    -Cooldown: 1 hour.-

    -Charge Time: 25 minutes.-

    -Damage varies depending on the Targets Tier and Defensive abilities.-

    -Requires a minimum of 65% of the avable stored Tower Mana.

    Brance initially struggled with which artilleryyout would be the right one to use in the uing battle. Still, after seeing how powerful the newly upgraded Positron Cannon was, there was no doubt he needed it. History had proven that the Turning Point Opponents were all at least 2 Tiers stronger than Cynrik, so having an ultimate weapon was a must.

    Still, although Two Positron Cannons would be nice, Brance felt it would be toorge of a drain on his resources to use Layout D, so after some thought, he chose Layout E. In doing so, he had not only a single Positron Cannon but also two Mana Cannons and Two Ballista, allowing for Brance to hit his opponent with chip damage before dealing the final blow.

    With this thought in mind, Brance lined up each artillery weapon side by side; since each of the guns was on a ring slide that encircled the entirety of the fourth floor, he had easy ess to moving them from the Command Column.

    If the need to move them arose, he could spin the weapons around and move them to any point on the fourth floor, allowing for a wide range of activities that could bepleted with a simple thought.

    When Brance was finally satisfied with theyout of the fourth floor, he moved down to the third, where all of the defensive protocols were in ce. Like the Offensive Counter Measures, the Defensive Protocols had been significantly improved by increasing his skills Tier alongside the Tower¡¯s new power source.

    -Third Floor: Defensive Counter Measures. At Tier-3, this floor is equipt with four defensive protocols controlled by the Command Column.

    -Protocol 1: Particle Barrier Generator.-

    -Durability: 500,000 HP-

    -Strength: Tier-4

    -Cooldown: 3 hours once shattered.-

    -Protocol 2: Mana Pulse Generator, which expels all the Mana stored on the second floor in the shape of a dome, forcing all nearby enemies away from the Tower.

    -Charge Time: Three minutes.-

    -Cooldown: Four hours.-

    -Protocol 3: Camouge Generator uses Light Mana to bend the light around the Tower so that the Tower disappears from view if the being is under Tier-5.-

    -Charge Time: 1 minute.-

    -Sustain Cost: Drains 2 percent of Avable MP from the Tower¡¯s Power Source.-

    -Cooldown: 4 hours.-

    -Protocol 4: Teleportation Station, thest resort meant to be used when the Tower is breached, and a hostile takeover is imminent. Allows for up to ten Allies to be teleported to a preselected location to safety. WARNING, BY USING THIS PROTOCOL, THE SELF-DESTRUCTION OF THE POWER SOURCE WILL BE TRIGGERED, EXPENDING ALL THE MANA AVAILABLE IN THE TOWER TO DEAL DAMAGE TO NEARBY ENEMIES.

    -Charge time: 3 minutes.-

    -Teleportation Distance is determined by how much Mana is input to the device by those who wish to leave. Those designated by the Tower Creator can activate it.-

    Although most of the changes had to do with decreased charge and cooldown times, the Particle Barrier underwent a massive change. Before, when the Tower was at Tier-2.5, the only thing the Particle Barrier was good for was tanking two hits from a Peak Tier-3; however, now, it had the strength of a Tier-4 and an actual numerical value for its durability.

    Nodding contently, Brance calmed his torrential thoughts and nerves and finally acknowledged the so-called rewards for crafting the Mana Codex Core.

    ¡°Ok, Tobs, release the flood gates on those reward notifications.¡± Preparing for the inevitable headache that came along with multiple glowing text boxes appearing simultaneously in his eyes, Brance massaged his temples.

    -Having aplished something beyond the scope of the many lifeforms in the universe, you are being rewarded.-

    -By perfectly assimting and fusing all three of your Affinities to create a new power source in the form of a Pseudo-Codex, before evolving it further into the first Mana Codex Core in eons, you have received the following rewards.

    -Your Codex has increased in strength to Tier-3, Stage 5.-

    -Since your Codex has reached Stage 5, you will receive a Bonus of 5k MP.-

    -Your Mastery over Light Mana Particles has increased to Master.-

    -Your Mastery over Terra Mana Particles has increased to Expert.-

    -Your Mastery over Wind Mana Particles has increased to Expert.-

    -Your Light Affinity has Grown to Tier-3-

    -Your Terra Affinity has Grown to Tier-2.5-

    -Your Wind Affinity has Grown to Tier-2.5-

    -You have received 75 Points in all basic Stats.-

    -You have received 60 Free Allocation Stat points.-

    -You have received 100 Skill Points.-

    -You have been awarded the Title ¡°Core Creator¡±.-

    -Core Creator: Increases MP regeneration by 25%.-

    Exhaling shakily as his strength surged for the second time today, Brance raised his hand and distributed all 66 points evenly into his DEX, AGI, and MIND Stats, then examined his new build.

    : STATS :

    : HP 26,600/26,600 :

    : Mana 18,480/18,480 :

    : Stamina 13,300/13,300 :

    : Stat Points- 0 :

    : Skill Points- 190 :

    : Strength- 935 :

    : Dexterity- 777 :

    : Agility- 777 :

    : Intelligence- 935:

    : Vitality- 935 :

    : Mind- 777 :

    : Will Power- 15:

    : Gem Cutting:0 , XP 90/100 :

    : Killing Intent- 348 ¨C 4.5g :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Light-Tier-3 (Master): :Expand:

    :(BG) Terra-Tier-2.5 (Expert): :Expand:

    :(BG) Wind-Tier-2.5 (Expert): :Expand:

    With three of his stats breaking through 900, Brance felt a sense of aplishment as now he finally felt like he had an advantage over Cynrik. And while his brother was more of a powerhouse due to his skills, between his high stats and his [Radient Tower], Brance could proudly say he was vying for first ce in the party rankings.

    Flexing his muscles and arching his back, Brance no longer felt the need to hold off on starting his Turning Point, and his face turned expressionless.

    ¡°Tobs, I don¡¯t suppose you can give me any hints on how to summon this asshat here, right?¡± Speaking as he ced his palm on themand column to pump Mana into the Codex Core, Brance¡¯s mind went to the uing battle.

    -The Spirit already knows you are here; it is a matter of just gaining its attention. I can not help you any further than this.-

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, thank you, Tobs.¡± Already figuring the amount of help she could give him would be minimal at best, Brance still wanted to test the waters, and after some more thought, he straightened his back and closed his eyes before speaking in his mind.

    ¡®Come on, you chicken shit bastard, you always talk so fucking much; why are you being quiet now? Let¡¯s get this over with so I can kick you twelve ways to Sunday and get on with my life.¡¯ Pulling a y from Cynrik¡¯s ybook, Brance taunted the being who had lived in his head for years with a slew of vulgarities.

    ¡°Foolish boy, if you wish for death so badly, then I will repay your nderous words tenfold.¡±

    No sooner did the words enter Brance¡¯s mind than did a powerful voice echo throughout the vast expanse of his SOC, the very same voice he had grown to hate over the years, followed by a string of notifications.

    -A Third-party has been alerted to your presence and has broken into the Host¡¯s SOC.-

    -A third party is in control; any damage you take inside will affect your Soul Directly.-

    -The Host is being forcefully dragged into a Turning Point Quest-

    -Turning Point Quest: Challenge for Supremacy-

    -Due to the influence of your Divine Blessings and your LightBringer Bloodline, you have lost control and are severely affected by it. A third party acting against you has stepped in during a point of weakness, and to leave, you must defeat this being inbat. If you die in battle, your Soul will copse and be destroyed, allowing this third Partyplete control of your body and rece your existence.-

    -Defeat the LightBringer Spirit ????-

    -Reward:???

    -Penalty for failure: Soul Destruction-

 Chapter 348 Branceâ€™s First Turning Point Quest (1)

    ¡®Come on, you chicken shit bastard, you always talk so fucking much; why are you being quiet now? Let¡¯s get this over with so I can kick you twelve ways to Sunday and get on with my life.¡¯ Pulling a y from Cynrik¡¯s ybook, Brance taunted the Being who had lived in his head for years with a slew of vulgarities.

    ¡°Foolish boy, if you wish for death so badly, then I will repay your nderous words tenfold.¡±

    No sooner did the words enter Brance¡¯s mind than did a powerful voice echo throughout the vast expanse of his SOC, the very same voice he had grown to hate over the years, followed by a string of notifications.

    -A Third-party has been alerted to your presence and has broken into the Host¡¯s SOC.-

    -A third party is in control; any damage you take inside will affect your Soul Directly.-

    -The Host is being forcefully dragged into a Turning Point Quest-

    -Turning Point Quest: Challenge for Supremacy-

    -Due to the influence of your Divine Blessings and your LightBringer Bloodline, you have lost control and are severely affected by it. A third party acting against you has stepped in during a point of weakness, and to leave, you must defeat this Being inbat. If you die in battle, your Soul will copse and be destroyed, allowing this third Partyplete control of your body and rece your existence.-

    -Defeat the LightBringer Spirit ????-

    -Reward:???

    -Penalty for failure: Soul Destruction-

    Outside the Tower, a bright white and gold light streaked through the sky like a meteor and crashed into the ground outside the construct, creating a massive impact crater and kicking up an equallyrge dust cloud.

    Inside the [Radient Tower], Brance was forced to hold on tightly to themand column as the ground trembled as if his SOC was experiencing a powerful quake.

    Steadying himself with the aid of themand column, Brance navigated through several screens until he found one that showed him the outside of the building.

    Standing within the cloud of dust was a man¡¯s shadow, and from what Brance could tell, he appeared to be well over 213 cm (7 Feet) tall and built like a greek statue.

    Broad shoulders, perfectly sculpted muscles, but most importantly, six pairs of bulky wings glided up and down slowly as in half a breath, all of the dust was cleared, and the stunning golden image of a Seraphim graced Brance¡¯s eyes.

    ¡®Fuck,¡¯ Brance thought as he felt his luck had hit rock bottom. From when he heard the voice in his head to when he read the memoir, Brance was under the impression that the first opponent he faced in a Turning Point battle would be an angel. Still, he and Cynrik had assumed it would be someone like Lucifer since the initials Ath had used were LM, otherwise known as Lucifer MorningStar.

    However, as someone who knew quite a bit about the lore behind his bloodline from Earth, Brance knew that Lucifer was no Seraphim but a Cherub, with the main distinction being how many Wings grew from the Angel¡¯s back.

    A Seraphim had six wings, while a Cherub would have only four. Yet the Divinity Spirit outside his Tower had six golden feathered wings, making Brance immediately rule out his LM theory.

    ¡°Come out, son of light, and face me as you should, with dignity and honor.¡± The booming voice of the Seraphim rattled the ancient stone construct making a thin trickle of sweat drip down Brance¡¯s back.

    Narrowing his eyes and activating [Mana Sight], Brance looked through the walls of his construct and at the Being, and in doing so, he ended up meeting the golden iris of the Seraphim.

    Fighting the urge to flinch at how the Being appeared to be looking straight through the Tower¡¯s walls, Brance tried to grasp the Seraphim¡¯s strength. To his surprise, the Angel¡¯s Mana Signature was simr to the Headmaster¡¯s, yet weaker at the same time, allowing him to determine that the Angel was Peak Tier-4 but dangerously close to Tier-5.

    ¡®Technically, Cyn was right, two Tiers above me; although this guy is on the cusp of breaking through, I should be able to handle it¡­I think.¡¯ No longer hesitating, Brance smacked down on themand column, spun the dial, and pushed it inward, triggering several mechanisms on the fourth floor and making the two cannons and ballista slide around the room before firing the instant they trained their barrels at the Angel.

    BOOM BOOM FWoOSH FWOOSH

    Four distinct shots fired off in a cadence before their projectiles connected with the Angel a fraction of a secondter, catapulting him away from the Tower, ragdolling him through the air as his body made contact with the rocky terrain several times along the way.

    -You have dealt 11,332 Points of Magic Damage to your Opponent with Tier-3.5 Mana Construct Cannon One.-

    ¨C Tier-3.5 Mana Construct Cannon One is recharging and reloading, time topletion, 4 minutes 45 seconds.-

    -You have dealt 9,000 Points of Magic Damage to your Opponent with Tier-3.5 Mana Construct Cannon Two.-

    ¨C Tier-3.5 Mana Construct Cannon Two is recharging and reloading, time topletion, 4 minutes 45 seconds.-

    -You have dealt 8850 Points of Damage to your Opponent with Tier-3.5 Mana Construct Ballista One.-

    ¨C Tier-3.5 Mana Construct Ballista One is recharging and reloading, time topletion, 2 minutes 55 seconds.-

    -You have dealt 7293 Points of Damage to your Opponent with Tier-3.5 Mana Construct Ballista Two.-

    ¨C Tier-3.5 Mana Construct Ballista Two is recharging and reloading, time topletion, 2 minutes 55 seconds.-

    ¡®36,475 Damage with the first volley,¡¯ Brance thought as he watched the six wings of the Angel unfurl and stop his violent momentum. Catching the air, the Angel swooped upward,ing to a stop, and hovered twenty meters above the ground with a scowl stered across his face.

    Flicking his wrist, Brance positioned the Positron Cannon, aiming at the Floating Golden Winged Angel, and pushed the fifth button on the Command Column.

    ¡°Eat this bastard.¡± With focused eyes and [Mana Sight] still active, Brance witnessed the three-colored Mana Particle beam forming deep within the barrel of the 20-meter-long gun. The particles condensed into each other, merging into an erratic electric ball and then expanding and erupting forth from the barrel of the cannon with a thunderous roar.

    ZZZZZZZOOOOOOOO BOOOOOMMM!!!!

    The world seemed to drain of all color with the emergence of the powerfulzer beam, and Brance noticed as horror and realization set in on the Angel while a particle beam cleared the cannon¡¯s barrel and shot out from the fourth floor.

    It was either luck or experience that led the Angel to wrap his two wings on top of his spine and his two wings near his tail bone around his body like a shield while a bright golden light emitted from him just in time to receive the Positron Laser beam.

    -You have dealt 25,334 Points of Damage to your Opponent with The Tier-4 Positron Cannon.-

    ¨C Tier-4 Positron Cannon is recharging and reloading, time topletion, 35 minutes.-

    ¡°FILTHY MORTAL! HOW DARE YOU HARM ME IN SUCH A COWARDLY MANNER!¡± Over the static-like sound of the Positron Cannon, Brance could hear the Angel¡¯s angry howls as he redirected the beam toward the sky, mitigating the damage significantly at the cost of injuring four of his brilliant wings.

    ¡®Damn, he actually stopped nearly all of the damage, the Positron Cannon has a static AOE of 125k, yet it only dealt a little over 25k; still, I¡¯ve chipped off 61,809 HP, but it isn¡¯t anywhere near what I expected.¡¯ Frowning and calcting the total damage, Brance examined the HUD floating over the Angel¡¯s head and noted that he still had over 75% of his HP remaining.

    This figure startled him because it meant that the Angel had close to 250k HP, almost ten times Brance¡¯s measly 26,600.

    With his eyes flicking between the screens indicating how much time was left before all his weapons were back online and the swirling Mana consolidating around the Angel, Brance knew he only had two options.

    Option one was to activate the defensive protocols and hope that the Divinity Spirit wouldn¡¯t be able to dish out 500k damage to his Particle Barrier before the timers reached zero, effectively turtling and hiding in his Tower.

    Or Option two, take the fight to the Angel. Although this n had too many unknown variables, such as how strong the Angel was, Brance wasn¡¯t privy to hiding behind his shields like a coward until his weapons were ready for the next volley.

    ¡®No, stop. You can¡¯t keep thinking like Cynrik right now; that idiot would definitely take option two; there has to be a third option. Think Brancie, what is the best course of action.¡¯ He thought with his attention never leaving the flying Being over a hundred meters away from his Tower.

    Off in the distance, the Angel snarled and mmed his right arm down, manifesting a fierce and sharp-looking golden sword and a matching set of te armor, which hugged his body tightly yet didn¡¯t appear to hinder his movement.

    ¡°What kind of sted situation is this? I, AN ARCHANGEL, HAVE BEEN PUT ON THE BACK FOOT BY A MORTAL!¡± The Angel grunted as he checked his armor, readying himself for battle and ncing at the Majestic and ancient-looking Tower in the distance.

    A clotted chunk of blood had pooled in the Archangel¡¯s nostril after the concussive impact of the cannon, so he snorted it out before wiping any excess with the back of his right hand.

    Meanwhile, Brance¡¯s mind was firing on all cylinders as he formted a n of attack. Unlike Cynrik, Brance wasn¡¯t necessarily the best with on-the-flybat strategies and preferred to tackle everything head-on, so hiding in his Tower was never a considerable ploy.

    If anything, he would only do it out of necessity, like in the event that he was heavily injured; however, after scrolling through multiple screens, a new path, Option three, made itself known to him, and this new strategy revolved around the second floor.

    Making up his mind, Brance ced his hand on the Command Column and pumped half of his Mana into the Codex Core, then triggered a chain ofmands and chugged down enough Stamina potions to recoup his losses.

    The first step was to start prepping the Mana Collection and Compression Arena.

    After increasing the [Radient Tower] to Tier-3, the floor¡¯s buff/debuff rate jumped from 20 percent to 35.

    -Second Floor: Mana Collection and Compression. This floor houses a sizeable arena-style tform, but that is because the Tower Creator has chosen this to be the main entrapment feature and battleground within the Tower. The second floor acts as a heart, constantly drawing in outside Ambient Mana particles during its creation and the Mana given by the Tower Creator. From the Command Column, the Tower Creator can adjust the floor¡¯s Mana Density and use it to either Buff their Allies or Debuff their Enemies by a maximum of 35% to all the targeted beings¡¯ stats.-

    ¨C The size of the room also rtes directly to the amount of Mana stored within its confines, in addition to the buff/debuff effect.-

    -As Such, although the Tower may be a specific size, the room housed on the Second Floor can potentially be several timesrger due to its spatial properties thanks to the abundant Ambient Mana particles.-

    Opening the intake valves all around the outside of the Second Floor, Brance began flooding the room with copious amounts of Mana and, in response, started growing the arena¡¯s size.

    Next, with the MCAC room (Mana Collection and Compression) charging up, Brance flicked screens over to the third floor¡¯smand page and activated Protocol 1, the Particle barrier Generator, which in turn brought up a glimmering Tri-Colored bubble barrier that swiftly enclosed the Tower like a shell.

    Brance¡¯sst move was to press the inte system; it was time to taunt the Angel, if this worked, everything would be set, and his opponent would rush right into the range of his teleportation so that he could draw him into the second floor, where the real battle would begin.

 Chapter 349 Branceâ€™s First Turning Point Quest (2)

    Brance¡¯sst move was to press the inte system; it was time to taunt the Angel, if this worked, everything would be set, and his opponent would rush right into the range of his teleportation so that he could draw him into the second floor, where the real battle would begin.

    CRACKLE

    ¡°Ayo, Birdguy, you sure talk a big game, but as of yet, all you¡¯ve done is arrogantly stood there and eaten five hits from me.¡± As Brance began his taunts, he equipped the Tier-3 Katana that he looted off the Spy previous since it was the only weapon he had on him, along with his School Uniform.

    These two items were the best he could do, for now, considering all his gear was still with Jessup Pinhurst.

    Outside the Tower, the Angel stiffened at Brance¡¯s words as fury spread through his body in the form of visible light Mana.

    ¡°YOU!!!¡± The Angel started to say but was soon intercepted by more of Brance¡¯s Taunts.

    ¡°You, you, you. Come on now, is that all you¡¯ve got, chicken man? All those years, you harassed me, trying to get me to kill off everyone I love, and here you stand, mouth opening and closing like a fish. What a fucking letdown.¡± Not hiding his disdain, Brance didn¡¯t stop there.

    ¡°Fuck you, fuck everything you stand for, and MOST OF ALL, FUCK THOSE STUPID DUMB ASS SIX WINGS ON YOUR BACK! Seriously, all gold; even your armor matches your little birdy wings. Have you never heard the word TACKY used to describe you?¡±

    ¡°Oh wait, I see what happened; your mommy and daddy abandoned you at a young age, so you had to learn to dress yourself alone, didn¡¯t you? Tsk, that makes sense; who in their right mind would dress in all gold? Silver is a more pristine and pure color, to begin with,¡± with his eyes locked onto the monitor disying the angry Angel, Brance channeled all three of his Affinities into his Katana and uniform, reinforcing them significantly with Mana.

    However, without realizing it, the Light Mana Particles began solidifying and changing his uniform into a silver te armor, while his Katana, too, was covered in a Light Mana Construct.

    Having attained Tier-3 with his Light Affinity and Reaching Master Grade, Brance¡¯s Affinities adhered to his Will. Instead of simply reinforcing his equipment, the Mana particles went a step further on their own by unconsciously creating a true Mana Construct.

    ¡°What happened to the overbearing kill everyone mentality? What happened to giving into my destiny, huh? Where¡¯s your tough guy routine now? Hell, I nailed you with two cannons and ballista PLUS the Positron Lazer, and your ass is still sitting there like a two-bit poorly written superviin; WHAT A FUCKING JOKE YOU ARE!¡±

    cing his palm on the hilt of his Katana and feeling the warmth radiating from the weapon, Brance nced down and saw the multicolored glow. He only then noticed he was wearing translucent silver armor over his uniform.

    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have the time to examine the change because a booming shockwave mmed into the [Radient Tower], nearly causing him to fall.

    Snapping his eyes to the monitor showing the durability levels of the Barrier, Brance¡¯s pupils constricted as he saw it lose a full 15% or 75,000 points.

    Wearing a solemn expression, he nced at the disy showing the Angel, hunched forward with a golden me-d sword in his right hand. Even more impressive than the mes was that the Angel¡¯s sword had expanded in size, from a standard longsword to arge Greatsword, and with this singr image, the Angel¡¯s identity had been revealed.

    ¡°Well, well, what do we have here? It looks like you finally decided to show off your greatest weapon, isn¡¯t that right, General of the God Of Light¡¯s forces, One of the Few Seraphim, The Archangel Michael Demiurgos,¡± Brance said as his lips curled into a knowing smirk.

    Flinching at the sound of his nameing through the loudspeakers of the Tower, the Angel¡¯s lips curled up in a sinister snarl.

    It was hard to tell whether Michael was more impressed that the Barrier remained functional after one of his strongest attacks perfectly hit it or that Brance had recognized him so quickly.

    ¡°Do not casually speak my name as if you know me, Mortal. You may carry a fraction of the same bloodline as I, but you are a Mortal Nephilim, while I am a full-blooded Seraphim.¡± Straightening his body out of hisbat stance, Michael struck a heroic pose allowing a bright light to shine upon him as he shed his true strength in the SOC, creating an oppressive atmosphere not dissimr to high levels of Killing Intent.

    ¡°Sounds pretty racist if you ask me. The way you throw around me not being a pure LightBringer is pretty messed up.¡± Realizing that words alone weren¡¯t enough to push Michael into a frontal attack, brance pressed another button on themand column, and a giant hologram in the shape of Brance¡¯s floating head appeared on the surface of the Tower as if turning it into a movie screen.

    ¡°Bitch all you want, old man, but the fact still stands, my Barrier ate a full power attack from you like it was nothing. This poor filthy tainted blood Nephilim seems to be holding his own, pretty easily if I say so myself.¡± Tilting his head down and mimicking his older brother¡¯s facial expressions, Brance went on the full verbal offensive.

    ¡°Not to mention, but that weak ass pressure your exerting doesn¡¯t even hold a candle to what my brother and I can put out. Here, how about I match that pitiful pressure?¡± Grinning evilly, Brance inhaled sharply through his nose, targeted Michael, and unleashed part of his Killing Intent, 3g to be precise.

    Even at a distance, Michael felt the pressing weight of 3gnd on his shoulders, forcing him to the ground as the sudden onught caught him off guard.

    Unlike the force he had exerted, called ¡°Grace,¡± Brance¡¯s killing intent was dark. It contained a heavy amount of bloodlust, something unbing of a LightBringer as only those with evil thoughts and murderous tendencies would have Killing Intent.

    ¡°You, YOU¡¯VE STOLEN THE LIVES OF OTHER MORTALS FOR UNJUST REASONS! HOW DARE YOU TAINT YOUR BLOOD WITH SOMETHING SO FILTHY!¡± Completely outraged at what he was feeling, Michael snapped. Still, the second he began moving forward, Brance increased his Killing Intent to its maximum limit of 4.5g, nting Michael¡¯s feet firmly on the ground as he looked up in horror at the floating head painted across the Tower¡¯s outer walls.

    ¨C Tier-3.5 Mana Construct Ballista One is recharged, loaded, and ready to fire.-

    ¨C Tier-3.5 Mana Construct Ballista Two is recharged, loaded, and ready to fire.-

    ¡°Tsk, Unjust my ass, every person I¡¯ve killed had it out for me first, don¡¯t try judging my actions with your idiotic and twisted logic. If someone wants my life, I WILL BEAT THEM TO THE PUNCH!¡± Catching sight of the two notifications, Brance immediately spun the dial on themand column and fired off the two Terra-Wind Javelins.

    FWoOSH FWOOSH

    -You have dealt 1500 Points of Damage to your Opponent with Tier-3.5 Mana Construct Ballista One.-

    ¨C Tier-3.5 Mana Construct Ballista One is recharging and reloading, time topletion, 2 minutes 55 seconds.-

    -You have dealt 1397 Points of Damage to your Opponent with Tier-3.5 Mana Construct Ballista Two.-

    ¨C Tier-3.5 Mana Construct Ballista Two is recharging and reloading, time topletion, 2 minutes 55 seconds.-

    Even under the weight of Brance¡¯s Killing Intent, the moment the Javelins left the Ballista, Michael shed out, parrying the first one and shing the second one into the ground. In the process of doing so, he still received a slight amount of shock damage due to the strain on his muscles; still, it was a far cry from the amount he would have received if he had taken the attacks head-on.

    Clicking his tongue, Brance rolled his tongue against his front teeth under his lips.

    ¡®He¡¯s fast enough to counter the Tier-3.5 Ballista, which is something I don¡¯t think Cynrik could pull off even with his 900 AGI. Then there¡¯s the fact that he was able to deflect both Javelins, which I for sure couldn¡¯t do with my current STR. Using these two instances as a basis, I can assume his AGI, DEX, and STR are all well over 2000.¡¯ Running his fingers along the creature-hide hilt of his Katana, Brance analyzed the situation.

    ¡®The difficulty of the battle has increased significantly, with his STR, DEX, AGI, and VIT all more than triple my own; if I want to stand a chance against Michael, the only thing I can do now is rely on the 35% Stat reduction.¡¯

    ¡®It was smart to go with Option three. Had I rushed out there and confronted Michael, shit would have gone south very quickly.¡¯

    BOOOM BOOOOM BOOOM

    Steadying himself with the aid of themand column, Brance watched Michael continuously hack at his Barrier, each attack dealing a minimum of 30k damage.

    ¡°HAHAHA! IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE, LORD MICHAEL? Do you honestly believe a few long-distance attacks will be enough to drop my Barrier? I¡¯ll have you know that with over one million HP and a rapid repair function, there is no way your slow-paced attacks will ever destroy it.¡¯ Bluffing his way through the speech, Brance mimicked Cynrik¡¯s speaking tone and continued his harassment, infuriating Michael further until hepletely lost his temper.

    ¡°FILTHY NEPHILIM, DO YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN HIDE IN YOUR TOWER FOREVER? THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I HAVE FOUGHT AGAINST A MAGES TOWER. AND LET ME TELL YOU THIS, YOU ARE NO MAGE; I WILL BREAK THIS BARRIER BEFORE DRAGGING YOU KICKING AND SCREAMING AND DISMANTLING YOU LIMB FROM LIMB UNTIL YOUR BODY BELONGS TO ME!¡± Losing his temper entirely due to how Brance continuously talked down on him, Michael kicked off the ground, unfurled his wings, and rushed forward.

    Within a single breath, the Archangel arrived outside the walls and began brutally attacking the Barrier with abination of Mana Skills and brute force.

    Once Michael was in the desired range, Brance shut down the hologram of his head and prepared himself for battle.

    Falling for his trap, Michael was now inside the range of Brance¡¯s teleportation and could now be brought in; however, he stalled for a bit longer and nced at the disy showing the durability of the Barrier.

    Since the Archangel was misled about the repair function, the HP of the Barrier was rapidly dwindling, and Michael was none the wiser as he brutally attacked out of blind rage.

    Taking a deep breath, Brance waited until there was less than 5% left, summoned the angry Archangel to the second floor, activated the Mana suppression, and smiled adventurously.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this shit,¡± Brance said as he was whisked down from the 5th floor to the 2nd, where the actual confrontation was to begin.

 Chapter 350 Branceâ€™s First Turning Point Quest (3)

    Taking a deep breath, Brance waited until there was less than 5% left in the Barrier¡¯s durability, summoned the angry Archangel to the second floor, activated the Mana suppression, and smiled adventurously.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this shit,¡± Brance said as he was whisked down from the 5th floor to the 2nd, where the actual confrontation was to begin.

    In an instant, Michael and Brance were teleported to the second floor, appearing on opposite sides of the stadium-sized room.

    While Michael was utterly confused at the sudden changes, Brance calmly unsheathed his Katana, slid his left foot forward, and dropped into his fighting stance.

    At the same time, he was counting down in his head. Thest thing he saw before teleporting was the 10-second timer remaining on the monitor for floor two, indicating the time left till the buff/debuffs set in.

    ¡°What is this?¡± ncing around the new surroundings, Michael curbed his anger temporarily and cautiously observed everything before his golden eyesnded on Brance over 50 meters away.

    ¡°Mortals and their tricks. It never ceases to amaze me how you foolish beings always try to lure your opponents into baited traps, thinking it will make any difference.¡± Clutching the hilt of his ming greatsword, Michael sneered at Brance and began slowly walking forward.

    In Brance¡¯s eyes, Michael appeared to be flickering as he moved, covering a few meters per step. Activating [Mana Sight], Brance noticed something strange in how Michael moved. It was as if the space around him was opening temporarily, allowing him to skip at least five meters ahead with each move.

    ¡®Space Affinity? But that can¡¯t be right; all of the particles around him are golden, just like his armor and wings, not the aqua color I observe around the Headmaster. What the hell kind of Affinity Skills is he using?¡¯ Brance thought, but his mind shifted gears as the notifications appeared in both his and Michael¡¯s eyes, revealing two opposing reactions from them.

    -You have received a 35% Stat buff to all of your non-hidden stats.-

    -One Targeted Enemy has received a 35% Debuff to all non-hidden stats.-

    When the Debuff notification appeared in Michael¡¯s eyes, his forward movement halted as he confusedly felt the power in his body draining rapidly as his Max HP plummeted around 112k due to his VIT stat dropping 1400 points.

    For Brance, he calmly opened his Status Window to examine his buffs.

    : STATS :

    : HP 26,600/39,680* (TEMP +13,080) :

    : Mana 18,480/25,020* (TEMP + 6540) :

    : Stamina 13,300/19,840* (TEMP + 6540) :

    : Stat Points- 0 :

    : Skill Points- 190 :

    : Strength- 935 (1262): (TEMP +327)

    : Dexterity- 777 (1049): (TEMP +272)

    : Agility- 777 (1049): (TEMP +272)

    : Intelligence- 935 (1262): (TEMP +327)

    : Vitality- 935 (1262): (TEMP +327)

    : Mind- 777 (1049): (TEMP +272)

    : Will Power- 15:

    : Gem Cutting:0 , XP 90/100 :

    : Killing Intent- 348 ¨C 4.5g :

    Using his free hand and pulling out several potions, Brance gulped them all down so fast that he even surprised himself, as in the heat of the moment, his only worry was to get all of his Resource stats refilled before Michael snapped out of his daze.

    ¡®1k AGI and DEX are no joke¡­.¡¯ Absentmindedly, Brance stared at the empty bottles in his hand before tossing them back into his inventory. Rolling his left shoulder and flexing his arms and chest muscles, Brance had to calm himself down and ignore the inevitable high that came along with Rapid Stat Growth.

    After exhaling shakily, Brance nced over to his skill list as he searched through the list of newly-acquired skills, looking for something that would improve his power further, when he found two of the Pdin Skills he had acquired after capping the level.

    -Tier-2.5 Pdin ss Skill [Close Quarter Combat]

    -Category: Passive Skill.-

    -On the battlefield, you have honed your de to its extremes through perseverance and experience. As such, in close quartersbat, you are unmatched among your peers.-

    -Crit Rate: +15%.-

    -Ignore Defence: +10%.-

    -Blocking: +15% (Reduces the damage to yourself and your weapon¡¯s durability when blocking attacks).-

    -Counter Damage: +20%.-

    -Tier-3 Pdin ss Skill [Light¡¯s Force]

    -Category: Active Buff Skill.-

    -Pdins are the strongest of all Warriors due to their ability to manipte Light Mana. Light Mana is unlike any other, as its strength lies in its ability to create. By infusing your body with a sudden surge of Light Mana, the user can temporarily boost their Affinity and ss Skills by a small margin.-

    -Temporarily increases all Offensive Skills by 0.5 Tiers for three minutes.-

    -Consequence: All Skills will be debuffed by 1 Tier for 30 minutes once the skill effect wears off.-

    -Cost: 3500 MP, 1500 STAM.-

    -Cooldown: 1 hour.-

    Without hesitation, Brance pumped all his remaining 190 skill points into [Close Quarters Combat], raising it to Tier-3 and increasing the boosts to 25%, 20%, 25%, and 30%. Since it was a passive skill that only applied to ¡°in the pocket fighting,¡± something Brance was best at, he knew this skill would be the key to his victory.

    ¡®Tobs, y that song from Doom Eternal.¡¯ Leaning forward and gripping his Katana off the right side of his body, with the tip of the de nearly touching the ground, Brance steadied his heart as his eyes trained in on Michael, who was still looking around dumbly.

    -Now ying ¡°The Only Thing They Fear Is You¡± by Mick Gordon.-

    Brance¡¯s confidence rose drastically when the track kicked in, and a cocky smirk crept onto his lips. Slowing his breathing down and feeling the song¡¯s beat in his mind, he waited for the second decreshendo, which led to a powerful guitar riff, and once the riff began, he kicked off the ground and surged forward.

    Steadying his gaze as he moved, Brance observed Michael¡¯s HP bar, which was overfilled, even though he had lost approximately 112k of his overall maximum. In a sense, all this meant was if he wished to regenerate, it would stop at 138k instead of its initial 250k, so the additional 47,294 HP was simply leftovers.

    The first step was wiping out the overflow of HP and moving on to damaging the Archangel, or at least that was what Brance thought as he quickly closed the distance between them.

    Standing in ce and gawking at how low his stats had fallen, Michael was so focused that he didn¡¯t even realize Brance was on the move.

    : Strength- 4000 (2600): (TEMP -1400)

    : Dexterity- 1996 (1298): (TEMP -698)

    : Agility- 3264 (2122): (TEMP -1142)

    : Intelligence- 2555 (1661): (TEMP -894)

    : Vitality- 4000 (2600): (TEMP -1400)

    : Mind- 1855 (1206): (TEMP -649)

    : Grace- 2984 ¨C 3.1g :

    Dumbfounded by how heavily his stats had recessed, Michael felt a pang in his heart, as the stats he was so proud of had nearly fallen to the point of putting him at the Peak Stage of Tier-3, or the Early Stage of Tier-4. The lowered stats were unfathomable for him, who was a Tier-8 Existence in his prime.

    Gritting his teeth, Michael punched out with his left fist, shattering the Stats Window, only to find Brance was right in his face, with his sword arching downward so fast that it caused him to panic momentarily.

    CLANGGGGG

    Having barely enough time to raise his sword to block the iing attack, Michael skittered backward several steps as Brance was hot on his heels, dishing out the precise strikes of his modified Hiten Mitsurugi Style.

    ¡°YOU DARE?¡± Despite roaring, the Archangel pushed off with his back leg and met Brance¡¯s attacks with some of his own. Still, Brance was able to precisely time his parries, pulling Michael into an on-the-move dogfight and forcing them into a series of rounds in which neither could gain an edge.

    Although Michael may have thought Brance was keeping up well, in reality, it was all Brance could do to block every attack and counter with his sword strikes.

    In fact, if it weren¡¯t for the fact that he currently had [Mana Sight] active, Brance wouldn¡¯t even be able to see Michael¡¯s movements. This was due to the disparity between their stats.

    Even with the second floors buff/debuff active, Michael still outssed Brance¡¯s AGI stat by more than double. If Brance couldn¡¯t see the flow of Mana, which left a bright golden after image, there was no way he would be able to estimate the line the Archangels sword was following.

    However, the fight hadn¡¯t yet be nearly as one-sided as Brance feared, as with each concussive and explosive round of strikes passed, he was able to get a handle on just how high Michael¡¯s stats were.

    Ducking under a horizontal sh from the ming Greatsword, Brance spun on his right knee and kicked out full force into Michael¡¯s calf, taking the leg out from under the Archangel and causing him to lose his footing.

    As this happened, Michael, whose body was now mid-fall as his lead leg was taken out, extended out his middle right wing and used it like an extra arm to catch himself while pulling all three of his left wings back before stabbing them forward at Brance likences.

    Without hesitation, the instant Brance noticed Michael¡¯s shoulder muscles tense up, his left hand went to his sheath, and he used it like a lever alongside kicking off the ground to dive out of the way from the tri-pronged wing attack, narrowly avoiding it.

    Unfortunately, though, he used too much force and ended up losing control of his roll after throwing his body half a dozen meters backward.

    This was precisely the opening Michael needed, and with a flick of his wing, and a p of the others, he dove forward, floating a meter above Brance¡¯s tumbling body, and caught him by the cor of his Mana Construct armor.

    ¡°HAHA! IT SEEMS I WASN¡¯T THE ONLY ONE AFFECTED BY THIS STRANGE EFFECT! YOU AREN¡¯T USED TO YOUR INCREASED STRENGTH. PITTY, THIS ENDS HERE, MORTAL!¡± As he took the battle to the air, there was arrogant pride in Michael¡¯s eyes, and the hunted had be the hunter once again.

    Blinded by arrogance, Michael didn¡¯t hear as Brance calmly muttered a skill name.

    BOOOM

    The Archangel mmed the helpless Brance directly into the second floor¡¯s ceiling a quarter of a secondter.

    ¡°HAHAHA, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU, A FILTHY HYBRID MORTAL, TRY TO STAND AGAINST A GENERAL WITH THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF COMBAT EXPERIENCE!¡±

    BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM BOOM BOOM

    Michael repeatedly mmed Brance like a dog toy into the ceiling before moving on toward the ground, spiking the lifeless body downward, forming a crater, and finishing off by jumping back into the air and unleashing a flurry of Mana attacks into the ground where the copsed Brancey silently.

 Chapter 351 Branceâ€™s First Turning Point Quest (4)

    ¨CSeveral Seconds Earlier¨C

    Without hesitation, the instant Brance noticed Michael¡¯s shoulder muscles tense up, his left hand went to his sheath, and he used it like a lever alongside kicking off the ground to dive out of the way from the tri-pronged wing attack, narrowly avoiding it.

    Unfortunately, he used too much force and lost control of his roll after throwing his body half a dozen meters backward.

    ¡®Fuck, FUCK!¡¯ Brance screamed in his head as he tried his best to keep his knees tucked close to his body, allowing him to continue rolling, but as hepleted each rotation, his eyes flicked to Michael, who had caught up and was flying within arm¡¯s reach above him.

    ¡®Predict his next sequence.¡¯

    Having fought for several minutes back and forth and observing the sinister and prideful smile on the Archangel¡¯s lips, Brance knew he was in for some deep shit; as Michael extended his arm to grab him and do something vicious, Brance¡¯s mind spun.

    ¡®Only one shot at this, time to y possum!¡¯

    ¡°HAHA! IT SEEMS I WASN¡¯T THE ONLY ONE AFFECTED BY THIS STRANGE EFFECT! YOU AREN¡¯T USED TO YOUR INCREASED STRENGTH. PITTY, THIS ENDS HERE, MORTAL!¡±

    ¡°Tier-2.5 Pdin Skill: [Hallowed Ground],¡± blinded by arrogance, Michael didn¡¯t hear as Brance calmly muttered a skill name, nor did he see the slight sh of Light encasing Brance¡¯s body after the activation of his skill.

    BOOOM

    The Archangel mmed the helpless Brance directly into the second floor¡¯s ceiling a quarter of a secondter.

    ¡®1 Mississippi,*A Very American Way of Counting Seconds*¡¯ beginning the countdown, Brance rxed his body to the point where he waspletely limp and dead weight, acting as if the first impact had either stunned him or knocked him out.

    ¡°HAHAHA, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU, A FILTHY HYBRID MORTAL, TRY TO STAND AGAINST A GENERAL WITH THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF COMBAT EXPERIENCE!¡±

    BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM BOOM BOOM

    ¡®2 Mississippi, 3 Mississippi, 4 Mississippi.¡¯ Even with his eyes closed, [Mana Sight] was still active, allowing Brance to see each time the walls or ceiling came close. Yet, strangely enough, due to his [Hallowed Ground], he only felt a slight pressure, not unlike getting hit with a pillow each time his body connected with a hard surface.

    Growing tired of mming Brance¡¯s motionless body into walls and the ceiling, Michael shot toward the ground spiking the limp body downward, forming a crater, and finishing off by jumping back into the air and unleashing a flurry of Mana attacks into the ground where the copsed Brancey silently.

    SHOOOM BOOM CRASH

    A cacophony of explosions and strange sounds echoed through the room as dozens of powerful attacks were sequentially fired at Brance, each having a different impact sound upon connecting with his body or the nearby ground.

    ¡®5 Mississippi, 6 Mississippi, 7 Mississippi, this is it, his grand finale,e on, you bastard, keep it up, burn yourself out.¡¯ Laying on his back and hidden by a heavy cloud of atomized stone due to the destruction of the floor, Brance watched Michael¡¯s Mana Signature dimming rapidly as the blue bar indicating his MP on the HUD drained swiftly.

    Knowing the time for a counter-attack was approaching, Brance willed all his Mana to move, surging through his body like a mighty white water river.

    ¡®Tobs, ¡°Perfect Time,¡± please.¡¯ Brance smirked calmly under cover of the dust cloud as he sensed the final attack heading his way after Michael burned thest bit of eptable Resource Stats, soon realizing the Archangel had reached his limit. With Brance¡¯s invincibility only having about 2 seconds left, he began his counter-attack with an aptly named song.

    -Now ying ¡°Perfect Time¡± by Takafumi Wada and Hiroyuki Sawano.-

    ¡°1 Mississippi, [NEPHILIM MODE], [NEPHILIM CREST], TIER-2 PALADIN SKILL: [COUNTER]!¡±

    -Tier-2 Pdin Skill: [Counter]-

    -Category: Active Skill.-

    -As the party¡¯s hope and defense, you must always stay standing. The Light has blessed you; you fight for justice and the righteous.-

    -By charging ample amounts of Mana into your weapon and matching the exact speed and timing of an iing attack, you counter it and return it to the being who issued the attack.-

    -Distribute the excess force and kic energy from the attack to either side of your body and deal an additional 25% damage on top of the initial damage you would have received from the target opponent.-

    -Cost: 750 Stamina, 750 Mana Points.-

    -Cooldown: 15 Minutes.-

    WOOOSHHH

    Several things urred at once, the first of which was a blinding sh of Light as Brance¡¯s body changed from his [Nephilim Mode] and [Nephilim Crest].

    Brance¡¯s eyes shifted from Violet to Gold. His hair turned to a pristine and pure white, while delicate golden markings in different sh-like shapes adorned his entire face, emphasizing his high cheekbones and sharp jawline before moving down his neck and ending at his pointed cor bones.

    At the same time, Brance¡¯s skin had tanned slightly and radiated in a pale white light.

    Next, a pair of radiant golden glowing feathered Mana Wings erupted from his shoulder des, and with a flick of them, all the dust cleared just as a horrifyingly hot ming Mana sh reached his body.

    When the powerful Mana sh reached Brance, his Katana creaked as it barely withstood the power of the attack before; like exhaust from a car, the residual momentum was redirected to the left and right of Brance¡¯s shoulders.

    With focused golden eyes, Brance¡¯s muscles tensed and bulged as he shed out, shattering his Katana in the process but returning the attack right to Michael, who was utterly stunned that Brance was fine.

    Before he could even speak, the ming sh mmed into his torso, rocketing him through the air and mming the Archangel into the ceiling where he stayed, imprinted in the stone, creating a person-shaped crater.

    -You have Countered an Attack and dealt 85,000 points of Magic Damage and an additional 21,250 points of Countered Damage to your opponent.-

    -Total damage dealt to your opponent: 106,250.-

    ncing at the HUD floating where Michael was hidden in the stone, Brance noticed the Archangel¡¯s HP had tanked massively. In dealing 106,250 points of damage, he had dropped Michael¡¯s HP down to 57%, which is a big deal considering how all he did was counter a single attack against a Peak Tier-3/Early Tier-4 opponent.

    Crack¡­crack¡­shatter

    Unable to withstand the force of the attack, the Tier-3 Katana in Brance¡¯s hand shattered and scattered metal fragments all around his feet. Still, Brance didn¡¯t have time to pay attention to it as he quickly resheathed the broken Sword on his left hip and forced arge amount of Mana into his arms.

    Knowing he couldn¡¯t let this opportunity go and not wanting the counter-offensive to end here, Brance raised both his hands and burned a significant amount of MP on manifesting his next attack.

    ¡°[Swords of Judgement],¡± Brance calmly stated as 30 Light Mana portals opened up above his head. Expediting the summoning of the Massive shining Mana Constructed Greatswords, Brance dropped into an orthodox boxing stance while making a pulling gesture, forcing all 30 swords out of their portals and bringing them down closer to him.

    With clenched fists, twenty of the massive 15-meter by 3-meter Mana Greatswords condensed in size, shrinking into a single golden white radiant four-meter greatsword, leaving the remaining ten in the original size and pointed at the spot Brance knew Michael was stuck.

    pping his wings and taking to the air, Brance reached out, caught the hefty Light Mana constructed Sword with his right hand, flourished it, and shed out in the direction of the Archangel.

    Onmand, the remaining 10 [Swords of Judgement] went into motion, shooting forward as artillery shells fired from a howitzer cannon.

    BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM

    ¡°RAHHHHHH!!! FUCKING MORTAL! HOW DARE YOU?¡± When the first Sword mmed into the Archangel, he screamed with agony and rage before using his wings as a spring andunching his body out of the crater to meet his opponent head-on.

    What he DIDN¡¯T expect was to find nine more equally as impressive Mana Constructs waiting outside the crater, and in a show of pure strength and skill, Michael blocked, deflected, and countered each of the building-sized swords. Even though the Archangel survived the attack, he lost another 8% of his HP, bringing him under half health.

    However, just as he was about to gloat, Brance shed in front of him, wielding the condensed Greatsword, andshed out with a powerful horizontal strike of his own.

    BOOOOMMMM

    Wide-eyed, Michael could barely bring up his ming Greatsword in time to block the attack, and, as a result, his Sword was flung upward, and the Archangel was sent spinning through the air due to the force behind the strike.

    He had severely underestimated Brance, and after steadying himself in the air, he noticed that Brance had activated his Bloodline skills, gaining a simr appearance to his own.

    The only difference being, as a pure-blood born and raised LightBringer Seraphim, Michael was permanently in this state, unlike Brance, whose [Nephilim Mode] was a transformation skill that gave him an additional 125% boost to all of his stats.

    That¡¯s also excluding the [Nephilim Crest], which vastly increased Brance¡¯s control over Light Mana Particles, which was how he could condense the majority of his [Swords Of Judgement] into a singr, powerful Mana Construct.

    Surprisingly, the best part about using his Bloodline skills at the moment was that the boosts from the second floor STACKED with his [Nephilim Mode].

    Brance gained an additional 125% boost on top of the already existing 35%; instead of having his stats modified by their Base numerics, it was added to his CURRENT stats.

    : Strength- 935 (2839): (TEMP +327) (BOOST +1577)

    : Dexterity- 777 (2360): (TEMP +272) (BOOST +1311)

    : Agility- 777 (2360): (TEMP +272) (BOOST +1311)

    : Intelligence- 935 (2839): (TEMP +327) (BOOST +1577)

    : Vitality- 935 (2839): (TEMP +327) (BOOST +1577)

    : Mind- 777 (1049): (TEMP +272) (TEMP +1311)

    His stats had risen so high that he was well above his Tier-2 cap and into the territory of Tier-3, making him stronger in every way than the injured and Debuffed Archangel.

    *Michael currently has, STR:2600, DEX:1298, AGI:2122, INT:1661, VIT:2600, and MIND:1855.*

    Staring at Brance, 20 meters away, Michael¡¯s sword arm trembled as numbness set in as a sign that he had just been overpowered.

    ¡°How¡­how is this possible?¡± Terror in his eyes and slurring the words in confusion, Michael¡¯s pupils constricted to pinpricks as Brance smiled confidently and rushed forward.

    ¡ª

    Back in the training room, Gabby¡¯s skin glistened with moisture as she had been continuously healing Brance.

    In the middle of fiercebat, the young man was unaware that every time Michael¡¯s Sword cut him, he injured his soul and body. As gnarly wounds kept appearing all over his body, Gabby immediately tended to them by applying some herbal salve.

    However, everything changed in a moment of rest, as Brance¡¯s body suddenly transformed, revealing his Bloodline skills to the entire party after a bright sh of Light, forcing Cynrik to jump forward and catch Gabby by the waist and drag her to safety.

 Chapter 352 Branceâ€™s First Turning Point Quest (FINAL)

    ¨CIn the Training Room¨C

    Brance¡¯s body suddenly transformed, revealing his Bloodline abilities to the entire party after a bright sh of Light, forcing Cynrik to jump forward, catch Gabby by the waist, and drag her to safety.

    Observing the changes urring in the center of the training room with wide eyes, Benny, Selene, and Gabby were amazed by how Brance¡¯s hair changed from his highlighted aqua and white jet ck to a blemish-free pure white, his skin bronzed and radiated in Light. At the same time, tworge Golden wings unfurled from his shoulder des.

    The only member unaffected by the sudden change was Cynrik, who had already assumed his brother had gotten some Bloodline Abilities just as he had. Feeling the intense pressure from Brance¡¯s body, Cynrik frowned and felt utterly repulsed by the Light Mana swirling around the room.

    It was stifling for him, simr to how it felt stepping outside on a sweltering and humid day, just in ufortable.

    ¡°Tsk, this asshat has been hiding quite a bit from us, wings, facial markings, hell, his little transformation even gives him a tan, not to mention that his stats have all increased.¡± Murmuring loud enough for the others to hear, everyone nodded at Cynrik¡¯s observation before Gabby returned to reality.

    ¡°Hey, how long are you nning on holding me here? Let me go already.¡± Gabby¡¯s voice came out as a faint whisper as a red blush crept unto her cheeks.

    ¡°Oh, knock it off, will you,¡± rolling his eyes, Cynrik released Gabby and walked beside her as she collected all the supplies that had been scattered by the small repulsory st generated by Brance¡¯s transformation.

    As she was doing this, Cynrik sat down directly in front of Brance and examined the visual changes his brother had gone through.

    ¡®Hair, skin tone, marks, wings, and a power boost. That¡¯s more than what I get for sure. My Bloodline abilities aren¡¯t nearly as broken on a surface value, but I gainplete control over Mana, whereas Brance gets stronger overall.¡¯

    ¡®Tobs, what is his boost right now?¡¯ Scratching his chin, Cynrik resisted the urge to pat Brance¡¯s new wings and diverted his attention by asking about the stat boost that came along with this angel mode.

    -Host Brance receives a 125% Stat boost to all Basic Stats; however, with his current bloodline percentage, the [Nephilim Mode] will power down after three minutes. Once powered down, his stats will be reduced by 50% of their base value for 24 hours.-

    ¡®That¡¯s a pretty heavy drawback, but at 10% LightBringer, it is understandable. I can only imagine that the higher the purity of his bloodline, the greater his boost will be and the longer he can stay in that mode.¡¯ With that thought in mind, Cynrik ignored the disgust he felt being so close to strong Light Mana Particles and activated his [Mana Sight] to continue observing Brance¡¯s codex and Mana Signature, which was rapidly fluctuating as the battle continued in his SOC.

    ¨CBack in Brance¡¯s SOC¨C

    Staring at Brance, 20 meters away, Michael¡¯s sword arm trembled as numbness set in as a sign that he had just been overpowered.

    ¡°How¡­how is this possible?¡± Terror in his eyes and slurring the words in confusion, Michael¡¯s pupils constricted to pinpricks as Brance smiled confidently and rushed forward.

    CLANG CRASH

    Brance swung his de toward Michael¡¯s head, bringing down the Mana construct Greatsword, but right as it was about to connect, the Archangel contorted his body to the side while raising his weapon over his head to block the attack.

    BOOOOMMM

    Instead of being hacked in half, Michael mmed toward the ground in a blurred shadow.

    ¡°Ugh, *cough*,*cough*!¡± A mouthful of blood streaming from his mouth, Michael struggled back to his feet with his eyes flicking around desperately in search of his opponent, but to his dismay, Brance was already there beside him and had already delivered a savage side kick.

    CRACK

    The blownded flush with Michael¡¯s shoulder, emitting a loud crack as his cor bone broke like a twig and his shoulder dislocated.

    -You have dealt a critical blow to your opponent.-

    -You have dealt 7,000 damage to your opponent.-

    ¡°AHHHH!¡± Howling in pain as his body flew through the air as if being struck by a truck, Michael lost all feeling in his left arm, causing it to hang limply as a visible dent appeared in his armor.

    Gritting his teeth and dragging his wings on the stone floor to slow his speed, Michael¡¯s feet touched down, and he gripped his greatsword tightly in his right hand before charging forward and sending a powerful ming sh at Brance, who quickly sidestepped and replied with a skill of his own.

    ¡°Tier-2 Pdin Skill :[Prominence Strike]!¡± After running forward and stopping four meters from the wounded Archangel, Brance infused his Mana Construct Greatsword with ample amounts of Light Mana.

    His skill created five illusionary replicas of his weapon that all executed a downward sh in a circle surrounding Michael, leaving him with no chance to escape.

    However, just when all five swords were about to connect, a ring of fire erupted from his body and blew back the illusionary swords, shattering them into dust.

    ¡°*Huff*, Is that all you¡¯ve got, Mortal, *Huff*? I have been in situations like this more times than I can count. Do you not know that wounded creatures are the most dangerous?¡± shing a sinister smile, with blood coating his teeth, Michael pped his wings and surged forward, ramming his armor-ted right shoulder into Brance¡¯s chest and pushing him into the air.

    ¡°YOU HAVE ONLY JUST GOTTEN YOUR WINGS, AND YOU THINK YOU CAN HANDLE ME IN AIR COMBAT? THINK AGAIN!¡±

    Grunting due to the hit, Brance sprung backward, nting his feet on Michael¡¯s chest and kicking off to put distance between them, and made a split-second decision.

    ¡°Tier-3 Pdin ss Skill [Light¡¯s Force]!¡± With time short on his [Nephilim Mode], it was time to make his final push, and temporarily increasing all of his Skills by 0.5 Tier, it was time for the finale to begin.

    Waving his arm, Brance opened the remote ess window for the Command Column and saw the Tier of his [Radient Tower] had increased to 3.5, and along with it, the buff/debuff of the second floor had risen from 35% to 45%.

    Tapping the screen as he soared backward through the sky, Brance slid the slider to maximum and felt the Tower rumble as the counter in the top right of the window broke past 35% to 36, then 37.

    In response to his stat increase, Brance¡¯s eyes locked on Michael, his body loosening up, and his wings changed angle, allowing him to make a wide arc through the air and meet him head-on.

    Several rounds of back and forthbat transpired, with Brance winning every single one now that his stats thoroughly outssed Michael.

    But to Brance¡¯s surprise, Michael was barely hanging in there even when on the back foot. From his Tier-4 armor to the Tier-4.5 sword he was using, even if the Archangel couldn¡¯t physically match Brance, his gear seemed to make up for a fraction of the stat deficit he was experiencing.

    Despite this, Michael was wounded several times during each sh between the two. Sure he could block most of the attacks from instantly killing him thanks to his gear, but that was only the initial damage, not the concussive or force damage dealt by kic energy.

    Even if he could stop a full power punch, the excess energy was sent through his armor into his body, dealing chip damage, so even though he was keeping up, he wasn¡¯t unscathed, unlike Brance, who, since the airborne fight began hadn¡¯t lost a single point of HP.

    ¡°Time to end this, Lord Michael.¡± After the most recent sh, Brance scanned Michael¡¯s injuries and looked up at the HUD floating overhead. All three off the bars were in bright red and only had a sliver remaining, indicating that he only had roughly 3-5% of each stat remaining.

    ¡°This can¡¯t happen; I am His Eminences top general, a Seraphim; how could I lose to a Mortal, a NEPHILIM!¡± Copsing to his knees and dropping his sword, Michael stared at the sky with dead eyes.

    ¡°Your arrogance and pride, this bullshit you keep spouting about me being a mortal and how much better than me you are, are the reasons you have lost Lord Michael.¡± Brandishing his Mana Construct Greatsword, Brance stepped forward and began channeling arge portion of his remaining MP into the weapon.

    ¡°You being here tells me you already died once, and although I have no idea which Strife it was during, it doesn¡¯t matter to me at all. You were merely a whetstone from the beginning, meant to sharpen my skills and increase my prowess inbat.¡±

    ¡°And while you were my enemy and an all-around arrogant asshole the entire time, I still enjoyed our battle; take some sce in the thought that I will carry on our bloodline in the future,¡± Brance said as he brought back his de.

    ¡°Your Eminence, help me, please¡­.¡± Looking toward the ceiling, Michael pleaded for help from the God Of Light, but his words fell on deaf ears as Brance¡¯s de severed his head in a single swing, killing what remained of the once high Tiered powerhouse before shattering his body into particles.

    Watching as Michael¡¯s remains disappeared, Brance copsed on the floor and powered down all of his skills, including the [Radient Tower], which in response to being released, sent the Mana Codex Core into his inventory, leaving Brance sprawled out on the side of a mountain, staring at the calm skies above.

    ¡°You did well, Brance¡­even I didn¡¯t expect the fight to be as one-sided as it was.¡± Manifesting out of nowhere, Tobs sat down beside Brance while speaking in her hologram form.

    ¡°Sigh, thanks, Tobs; it was¡­something else for sure. Also, thank you for not instantly bombarding me with notifications; you can send them over now.¡± shing the AI a weak and thankful smile, Brance couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of loss as thest traces of the power he temporarily grasped during the fight left his body, leaving him in a weakened state.

    -Turning Point Quest: Challenge for Supremacy has beenpleted.-

    -After battling against the Spirit of a being several times stronger than yourself, you havee out on top and won the battle for supremacy over your soul.-

    -Your Sess in battle has allowed you to fully integrate the Divinity fragment once owned by Michael Demiurgos, The Seraphim and Former General of the God Of Light¡¯s Army, making it your own. Therefore, you will not suffer any consequences upon fully integrating this fragment.

    -Defeat the LightBringer Spirit ¨C Michael Demiurgos (Complete)

    -Reward: One 2-Karat Secret Grade HolyFire Pristine Affinity Gem.

    -Reward 2: Blue Print for Michael Demiurgos Holyme Greatsword, ¡°White me of Death¡±.-

    -Reward 3: You have unlocked Hidden Stat, Grace. This stat has absorbed and purified all the points in your Killing Intent, recing them entirely. When you kill a being with a soul, you will purify said soul earning points in Grace instead of KIN, in a ratio dependent on the strength of the soul of the being.-

    -The Conversion rate of KIN to GRACE is 1:15

    -Current Grace- 5220 ¨C 4.5g :

    -Reward 4: You have gained 45 points in your Will Power Stat.-

    -Reward 5: You now haveplete control over your Bloodline Abilities and can activate them freely.-

    -By absorbing the Divinity Fragment housing the Spirit of Michael Demiurgos, The Seraphim and Former General of the God Of Light¡¯s Army, you have repaired all damage to your SOC and Soul.-

 Chapter 353 The Calm before the Storm of Training

    -Turning Point Quest: Challenge for Supremacy has beenpleted.-

    -Reward: One 2-Karat Secret Grade HolyFire Pristine Affinity Gem.

    -Reward 2: Blue Print for Michael Demiurgos Holyme Greatsword, ¡°White me of Death¡±.-

    -Reward 3: You have unlocked Hidden Stat, Grace. This stat has absorbed and purified all the points in your Killing Intent, recing them entirely. When you kill a being with a soul, you will purify said soul earning points in Grace instead of KIN, in a ratio dependent on the strength of the soul of the being.-

    -The Conversion rate of KIN to GRACE is 1:15

    -Current Grace- 5220 ¨C 4.5g :

    -Reward 4: You have gained 45 points in your Will Power Stat.-

    -Reward 5: You now haveplete control over your Bloodline Abilities and can activate them freely.-

    -By absorbing the Divinity Fragment housing the Spirit of Michael Demiurgos, The Seraphim and Former General of the God Of Light¡¯s Army, you have repaired all damage to your SOC and Soul.-

    Reading through the notifications, Brance chuckled under his breath. Cynrik had told him some of the rewards he got in the past, and by looking at what he got after beating Michael, he couldn¡¯t help but feel that the rewards were equal to both of his older Brother¡¯s turning point rewardsbined.

    The biggest takeaways were, of course, the Affinity Gem and the change his Killing Intent underwent. The increase in his Will Power Stat was neither here nor there since he had yet to encounter a situation where it could shine, but Reward 5 was also a pretty big deal.

    The fact that he could now use his Bloodline Abilities whenever was a big deal to Brance. He practically had to hide his [Nephilim Mode] and [Nephilim Crest] for years in fear of losing control of his body to the Divinity Spirit of Michael, even though they were temporary boosts by way of a transformation.

    Then there was the blueprint received from Reward 2, which appeared in his mind much as one would expect. All Brance had to do was think about the sword Michael had used against him during the fight, which made an extensive schematic detailing all the materials and the entire process of forging the de appear in his mind.

    Collecting his thoughts and putting aside the issue of the new Affinity Gem, Brance looked over at the petite hologram girl sitting beside him and smiled.

    ¡°Ok, Tobs, let¡¯s get out of here; I am sure the others are worried about me; knowing Gabby, she has probably been panicking like crazy.¡± Taking some effort, Brance sat up and massaged the left side of his stiff neck.

    ¡°Indeed, she has been quite a handful for Cynrik the entire time. You have spent thest 4 hours here, but that is the least of your worries.¡± The hologram girl with domino-colored eyes and hair stated while tilting her head to the side and looking over Brance.

    ¡°Eh?¡± Scrunching up his face, Brance motioned for Tobs to continue.

    ¡°The moment you consciously entered your [Nephilim Mode] and activated your [Nephilim Crest], it not only happened in here but also on the outside¡­so now the whole party is aware of your Bloodline Abilities.¡± Ignoring the concerned expression stering on Brance¡¯s face, Tobs exined the situation further.

    ¡°While Gabby and Benny are none the wiser and just figured it was some strange Pdin or Light Affinity-Based Skill, Selene keeps nodding as if to say, ¡°Sure, sure, makes sense,¡± while your Brother has been frowning and giving you what he would call the ¡°Stink Eye¡± for thest few minutes.¡±

    ¡°Ahhh, great, it seems I will be exining everything for a while now¡­won¡¯t I?¡± Dropping his head and examining his legs, Brance sighed ruefully.

    ¡°Indeed, but that only applies to Gabby and Benny; to be honest, they are the most confused, albeit epting of your current appearance. Even Selene seems not to care, but it is still something to note that she has put a significant amount of physical distance between herself and your body.¡±

    Turning his head toward Tobs and looking as if he smelled a bad fart, Brance was confused, ¡°And why is that?¡±

    ¡°Upon activation of your Bloodline Abilities, the Light Mana you emit acts as a powerful deterrent for Dark Affinity users; thus, Selene and Cynrik are under a type suppression. Observing their thoughts, it is as if one is walking outside in the middle of summer in Florida, overly hot and humid.¡±

    Hearing that analogy, Brance burst outughing and could practically hear his older brothersining from back on Earth. As far back as his memory went, Cynrik NEVER liked the weather of the ¡°Sunshine State,¡± where in the summer, it was typical for the temperature to hit over 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) with a 100% humidity index. During the harsh summer months, it felt like you were walking right into a thermally insted pool by going outside since there was so much moisture in the air.

    As someone who preferred dark and cold climates, it wasn¡¯t uncharacteristic of Cynrik to despise Florida summers.

    ¡°Well, it looks like I have another way to harass those two if they keep up the flirting and annoying shit they do all the time around the group. All right, time to head out; thank you for everything as always, Tobs; I appreciate you.¡± shing a brilliant smile to the AI girl, the image of Brance began to fade away from his SOC as Tobs sent his consciousness back to his body.

    Half a beatter, Brance deactivated his Bloodline skills and slowly opened his eyes, only to be greeted by the worried expressions of Benny and Gabby, an annoyed re from Selene, and a scheming look from his older Brother.

    ¡°So, I guess I have some exining to do, hehe,¡± scratching the back of his head and giving everyone a goofy smile, Brance had a fraction of a second to make his joke before he was full-on linebacker tackled by a crying Gabby.

    ¡°Some is a bit of an understatement, Little Brother, you have A LOT of exining to do, and I want to know EVERYTHING that happened in that battle.¡± Grunting as he stood up, Cynrik threw a towel at Brance¡¯s face and walked off out of the Training room with Selene hot on his tail.

    ¡ª

    Meanwhile, thousands of kilometers away from Vesemir School for Affinities, Far below the¡¯s crust, approximately four kilometers down, in a sizeable office-style conference room, Lithlen Jetlensr furiously pounded his fists on the armrests of his plush and overly decorated throne.

    After reading the reports from the failed bounty mission he had posted and finding out every one of the spies he had sent to infiltrate VSFA had failed to acquire any useful information and were killed, Lithlen was beside himself in anger.

    ¡°FUCKING USELESS PEASANTS!¡± A chaotic storm of Wind soon erupted as the monitors, carpet, paintings, and room walls were destroyed as the Mana-filled attack sliced through every inanimate object housed in the room.

    Grunting loudly in dissatisfaction, he scanned the terrified Board members flung to the room¡¯s far reaches, with his gaze finallynding on Hespa Nilsson, who was physically the only other Tier-5 person in the room unaffected by Lithlen¡¯s outburst.

    ¡°Headmaster Jetlensr¡­¡± Hespa started to say but was instantly cut off by Lithlen raising his hand, demanding silence.

    ¡°The good news is that there is still hope since a single group has sessfully infiltrated and integrated into the masses of VSFA. However, I want you to know that even though your daughter is a member of their organization, you have not been able to gather any additional information about my grandsons.¡± Narrowing his eyes and ring at Hespa, Lithlen crushed his wine ss to pieces and flung the shards at two of his Board members,

    THUD THUD

    killing them instantly and sending a shiver down everyone¡¯s spines. In spite of the fact that they were majority shareholders in Finwan Academy, the two who were just murdered were Tier-3 Beings, whose sole purpose was to gather intelligence. Their failure was uneptable, so at the end of the day, with Finwan being Lithlen¡¯s school, not theirs, he could quickly kill them without repercussions.

    ¡°I want SOLID and irrefutable data on ALL THOSE FIVE, AND I WANT IT NOW! THEIR COMBAT ABILITY, SKILLS, TIER, CLASSES I WANT EVERYTHING AM I UNDERSTOOD?¡± He raised his voice and bathed the room in a mixture of Killing Intent and Aura. Lithlen¡¯s domineering voice and presence weighed heavily on the crowd¡¯s shoulders as they all gave a military salute and replied, ¡°YES, HEADMASTER!¡±

    Nodding at their prompt resolve, Lithlen directed his attention to Instructor Jaxtus, the muscr man in a too-tight business suit who stood calmly with his arms crossed on the opposite side of the board members and shareholders.

    Unlike everyone else, this man was the only one Lithlen didn¡¯t mess with, as he was too important to the uing Competition to injure.

    ¡°Instructor Jaxtus, give me your full report on how the training is going.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir, as expected, we¡¯ve had to rece several members of the Tier-1 group since they have all reached Tier-2, and after the Competition, most of the Tier-2 team has been restructured or reced. I am also happy to report that your Grandson Len has sessfully broken through to Tier-3 and is currently plowing his way through several of our Egresses.¡±

    ¡°I predict that before the beginning of the Regional Tournaments, he should already have maxed out both of his sses and be working his way through increasing his Primary Level.¡± After saying his part, Instructor Jaxtus fell silent and waited for a response.

    ¡°He has enough resources?¡± Raising an eyebrow and essing one of the few non-damaged monitors in the room, Lithlen pulled up the video files of Len¡¯s training regiment.

    ¡°ording to his estimations, he should be fine, but he has requested a few¡­rare and expensive materials that are not held in our warehouse. Which Is why I havee to the meeting today; I request ess to appropriate funds to purchase the necessary materials he has requested.¡±

    Frowning slightly, Lithlen waved his hand, an indication for Jaxtus to send him over the information on what Len was requesting.

    A few secondster, his Watcet dinged, and Lithlen¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of his skull after scrolling through the first five requested items, which all had an over 1 billion Credit price tag attached.

    ¡°For crying aloud, does the boy think that money grows on trees? He is asking for nearly a hundred billion dor allowance. Even if these resources help him, gathering the funds and securing them are almost impossible at this time, especially since our budget is tight with having to raise multiple teams for the Competition.¡±

    ¡°He is requesting to cut everyone elses resources to increase his power selfishly; this is uneptable, and the request is denied.¡± Stopping and thinking for a moment, Lithlen sent a text to Len demanding hee to his office within the hour and leaned back into his throne.

    ¡°You are all dismissed; get out of my sight and get me that DAMN INFORMATION!¡±

 Chapter 354 Coming Clean to Gabby and Benny

    ¨CBack at VSFA¨C

    Trying to grasp what had just been exined, Gabby and Benny sat in silence as a group with Cynrik, Brance, and Selene, who wore solemn expressions.

    For thest couple of hours, Brance exined everything that had happened inside his SOC, and with Cynrik¡¯s aid, the two decided it was time they came clean with a few of the things they had been hiding from the Sanford Siblings.

    After spending so much time together and inadvertently forcing them into various situations due to their identities, the brothers collectively decided to shed some light on the Legacy Strife and their Turning Point quests.

    Although they glossed over the finer points, especially the part about them being reincarnated, it wasn¡¯t that difficult to do, considering Vinestra had already been through an LS in the past.

    The tricky part of the conversation was avoiding keywords such as Legacy Charge and Legacy Strife, especially since the time Ragnar said them aloud had triggered a mysterious reaction within Cynrik¡¯s SOC.

    Gabby and Benny had been there to witness now three different Turning Point Quests, and one must not forget that they already fought alongside the brothers against another Legacy Charge before staring down a literal GOD right after.

    As far as the Sanford siblings were concerned, they never questioned what was happening and epted that there were things the Jetlensr Brothers were privy to that they weren¡¯t.

    This fact alone had weighed on Brance ever since the events of their First Egress, and seeing how upset Gabby was right after hepleted his Turning Point Quest, he broke and felt the need to exin things.

    After some back and forth arguing with Cynrik and Selene, the decision was made to fill in the Sanfords while keeping the more heavy details hidden through a string of truth and believable fabrications.

    Noticing how deeply Gabby and Benny were affected by his words, Brance began struggling with sticking to his story, at which point, Cynrik took over. Unlike the reassuring and sugar-coated phrases his younger brother was ustomed to using, Cynrik was blunt and straightforward.

    ¡°Listen, the Turning Point quests are a kind of disability both me and Brancie have to deal with; think of it as a downside to how strong we are. I know the both of you have wondered in the past why he and I seem sopetent or experienced in fighting; well, it has to do with something strange we both unlocked as babies, Bloodlines.¡±

    ¡°From a young age, we were slightly different, more intelligent than normal babies, and as a result, the two of us started training earlier.¡± ncing at Brance from the corner of his eye, Cynrik saw a sh of sadness on his brother¡¯s face and shook his head before continuing with his fabrication.

    ¡°Around four or five years old, we unlocked something hidden deep within our gics, something that otherwise wouldn¡¯t have been found. I like to think it is because we started training early, but I can¡¯t be sure because Brance carries a different Bloodline than I do.¡±

    ¡°To my best understanding, it may revolve around our parent¡¯s lineage; while Brancie takes after our father¡¯s side of the family, I take after our mothers. This is the only exnation I coulde up with as to why I obtained the ?sir traits while he got the LightBringer traits.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, by unlocking our hidden Bloodlines, we have led ourselves into a never-ending battle that began thousands of years ago, the same kind of battle we have learned about in ss that turned Vinestra on its head.¡± Breaking off his sentence, Cynrik looked directly into Gabby¡¯s eyes and saw realization setting in as she remembered the multiple times a simr story had been brought up in ss.

    ¡°We experienced strange changes in our System, which began issuing mandatory or forced quests, and as we evolved further, our Bloodline gradually purified. With a higher Bloodline quality in our bodies, our Systems began triggering the Turning Point quests, in which we were forced to fight powerful beings from long ago, and if we lost, they were allowed to retake our bodies and live.¡±

    ¡°Along with the increased purity and Turning point quests, we both received special racial trait abilities; you¡¯ve already seen Brance¡¯s, eh what was it called again?¡± Frowning and looking at his brother, Cynrik asked.

    ¡°My two Abilities are the [Nephilim Mode] and [Nephilim Crest]. The mode or transformation, as you saw, changes my physical appearance, grants me wings, and gives me a temporary boost to all my stats. Meanwhile, my Crest allows me greater control over my Light Affinity, helping me create sturdy Mana Constructs easier.¡± Brance said while opening and closing his fists.

    ¡°Yeah, that, while Brancie has those, I have my [H¨²efl¨²r],¡± holding up his left arm, Cynrik activated his tattoos, which changed color and lit up in a glowing royal blue.

    ¡°These babies act as a secondary filter, enhancing the quality of the Mana stored within my Codex. As you can see, they cover all my fingers and run along my arm before stopping at my elbow, indicating that I have a low Bloodline purity.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, so long as they are active, I can control Mana as if my Codex is a higher stage on top of if necessary, allowing me to negate the envisioning process for skill manifestation.¡±

    ¡°Then there¡¯s my [?sir Mode], which I won¡¯t activate now, but you guys saw back in the Obelisk, basically by treating my body and [H¨²efl¨²r] as new Mana Circuits, I can enter a kind of powered up Mana mode. Upon activation, I enter a temporary ¡°Overdraft¡± state that allows all the Mana stored in my Codex to fuse with my body increasing the power of all Affinity Skills by two times.¡±

    ¡°The only downside is I burn Stamina A LOT faster, and it starts affecting my motor skills if I use it for too long.¡± Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik sighed and deactivated his [H¨²efl¨²r].

    ¡°Abilities aside, the thing you should take away from this is that we aren¡¯t alone. There are more people like us, facing the same¡­er¡­trial, if you will, and they are dangerous beings just like that lizard guy we fought in the Egress. Take Selene, for example; although she never uses any of her abilities, she is the same as me, an ?sir.¡±

    ¡°Something is forcing us into arge-scale battle and using us as champions, and as much as I want to let you guys know everything, there are certain things I literally can not say out loud. Just be aware that in the future, there wille a time when the three of us will have to rise and fight against multiple strong opponents; that is why we train so hard and push you guys equally as hard because it won¡¯t be just us, the whole will be involved, so something big ising. We all need to be ready.¡± Finishing his statement, Cynrik closed his mouth and crossed his arms, waiting for everything to sink in.

    Cynrik and Brance had suddenly dumped a lot of information on Gabby and Benny, and honestly, they would understand if the two freaked out, but much to their surprise, that didn¡¯t happen.

    It was apparent from a casual nce at the Sanford siblings that their resolve was burning. Benny wanted to strengthen himself so he could help in theing days, while Gabby wished to stay by Brance¡¯s side no matter what.

    The two siblings looked at each other, then back to Cynrik, Brance, and Selene before speaking in unison.

    ¡°So what do we do next.¡±

    Brance stiffened, but Cynrik smirked sadistically at the response.

    ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s what I like to hear, alright; getting into the nitty-gritty, there were two other people like us at the Selections. One is the son of Supremacy University¡¯s Headmaster Viktor Opurn, and the other, well, the other is our cousin and the favored grandson of Finwan Academies Headmaster, our grandfather Lithlen Jetlensr.¡±

    ¡°I have no doubt that both will be on their Academies¡¯ respective Tier-3 teams, which is the main factor for me pushing us into our subsequent Evolutions as soon as possible. If not, the odds are they would find trouble with us outside of campus during thepetitions.¡±

    ¡°So it made more sense to rise to the challenge and put them in their ces ahead of time?¡± Tilting her head to the side, Gabby cut in and received a confirmation not from Cynrik before he kept speaking.

    ¡°The n has never changed, and since I was able to negotiate some terms with Headmaster Rivia, Inded us all the opportunities we would need to get to Tier-3; it¡¯s just a matter of pulling it off.¡±

    Looking around the training room, Cynrik met everyone¡¯s eyes and smiled. Although it was still too early for the Sanfords, he had trained them from day one to prepare for the inevitablerge-scale battle.

    ¡°Step one is to get Gabby a Beast partner,¡± pausing to check his Watcet, Cynrik sighed loudly.

    ¡°It¡¯s already 10 in the morning, so all the shops should be open; Brancie, you head over to the pet stores and find Gabby something suitable, make sure the creature has a good growth prediction on top of versatile stat distributions. Money isn¡¯t an option, so if you end up not having enough cash on hand, let me know, and I will wire it over.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± nodding and standing up, Brance motioned to Gabby, who couldn¡¯t help but get excited that it was finally time to get her pet.

    ¡°Selene, you and Benny are to head to the Tradeskill district and research how the pros set up their equipment; I don¡¯t want either of you cking off and having messy work areas since we will be setting them up here in our Dorm.¡±

    ¡°Once you all leave, I n on sending a request to the Headmaster to allow us to move into arger group dorm together or add some work areas to this building.¡±

    ¡°Kay,e along, Benny Boy, time to work!¡± Jumping to her feet and grabbing Benny by the scruff of his neck, Selene carried off the muchrger Benny like a cat out of the training room, making everyone elseugh at the sight.

    Nodding at Cynrik, Brance and Gabby both left the training room together, and soon, Cynrik was all alone, sitting on the ground, lost in thought.

    ¡®Sigh, Tobs, we didn¡¯t break any rules by telling them what we did¡­right?¡¯ Leaning back on his outstretched arms, Cynrik looked toward the ceiling where he imagined Tobs was floating.

    -No, no rules were broken; you were able to skirt around anything that could be considered privileged or ssified information. However, I don¡¯t necessarily agree with informing the Sanford Siblings about your Bloodlines so early. The three of you are different from them; partnering your past memories,bat experience, and my help, you will no doubt create a significant gap in your strength and that of Gabby and Benny over time.

 Chapter 355 Vol 4 Epilogue (1)

    ¡®Sigh, Tobs, we didn¡¯t break any rules by telling them what we did¡­right?¡¯ Leaning back on his outstretched arms, Cynrik looked toward the ceiling where he imagined Tobs was floating.

    -No, no rules were broken; you were able to skirt around anything that could be considered privileged or ssified information. However, I don¡¯t necessarily agree with informing the Sanford Siblings about your Bloodlines so early. The three of you are different from them; partnering your past memories,bat experience, and my help, you will no doubt create a significant gap in your strength and that of Gabby and Benny over time.-

    Standing up and moving across the room, Cynrik listened to Tobs narrating her opinions and shook his head in understanding.

    It would be a lie to say that he wanted to reveal as much about himself to the Sanford siblings as he had, but what was done was done. Even if the tale he told them was a web of fabrications, it was still rooted in the truth. What worried him, though, was that he had directly implicated the two of them in the future Legacy Strife.

    With their personalities, there was zero chance that Gabby and Benny would ept being left behind the moment all hell broke loose, inadvertently forcing Cynrik into a position where he now had to push them harder than ever before.

    As the gap between the Sanfords and the three Over-Break hosts widened, he had to figure out how to bring them up close enough, so they wouldn¡¯t be liabilities, and although Benny would have an easier time thanks to his Unique ss, Gabby would struggle in the end.

    What worried Cynrik the most about the info dump he had done on the two was that he had officially revealed the existence of Bloodline Abilities to someone other than Selene or his brother for the first time. Funny enough, the response was prettyckluster in his eyes.

    Despite Cynrik¡¯s surprise when the Sanford siblings did not lose their minds at the revtion, he didn¡¯t think about how Gabby and Benny already knew he and Brance could do extraordinary and mysterious things, so this was just another drop in the bucket.

    Heaving a sigh and pulling up the status window for his Ravens, Cynrik saw they were still undergoing their upgrade and shrugged his shoulders before heading off to take a shower and get ready for the day.

    Having acquired quite a long checklist of tasks toplete before everyone got home, he first wanted to get cleaned up and dressed; it had been a long night, and frankly, he smelled of sweat.

    ¡ª

    Across the campus, Brance and Gabby walked hand in hand, not caring if others knew they were a couple and almost appearing to be on a date as they made their way through the shopping district towards the area meant for Tamers, or Beast wranglers.

    ¡°So, do you have any idea what kind of beast you want?¡± Tilting his head to the side and looking down at Gabby, who was cheerful as ever to be by his side, Brance asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been torn for a while now; originally, I wanted a dog, like a Packhound or wolf-type creature, but now I¡¯m unsure.¡± Tapping her cheek with her free hand, Gabby thought for a second.

    ¡°The problem is if I choose a wolf, I will be limited to being on the ground or hoping it can keep up. Most canine species are fast on the ground and have good noses for tracking, but since I seem to find myself airborne or at high altitudes, I am more inclined to look for a feline species, something like a leopard or jaguar.¡± Finishing her thought aloud, Gabby looked up at Brance for his opinion.

    ¡®Heh, if only she realized how weird it is for me to hear someone casually talk about getting a fearsome murder cat like a jaguar as a pet.¡¯ Chuckling to himself and remembering this wasn¡¯t Earth, Brance thought for a moment before speaking.

    ¡°Well, if memory serves, leopards are a bit longer and smaller overall, making them faster on the ground and agile in the trees since they like to drag their prey up to higher surfaces. They thrive in vast ins, whereas jaguars are forest hunters; they have stocky muscles, big heads, and their spots are muchrger, not to mention they have shorter yet muscr tails.¡±

    Honestly, Gaby didn¡¯t think Brance knew much about beasts, but then she remembered that he was the most academic of all the guests in the group, which, even though surprising, was also partially expected that he could distinguish between the two big cats, despite their simrities.

    ¡°Plus, no matter which one, their spots are cute, which is also a plus.¡± Gabby chirped as she bubbly walked beside Brance.

    ¡®Eh, I don¡¯t know about calling them ¡°cute.¡± When they get older, both species are pretty horrifying; I remember seeing videos online about both cats murdering deer or antelope before dragging them up into the trees by their necks.¡¯ Thinking to himself and raising an eyebrow in Gabby¡¯s direction, Brance didn¡¯t vocalize his thoughts as they approached the first pet store.

    From the outside, it looked like a regr store, with giant posters stered across therge ss windows, depicting distinguished Tamers who originally attended VSFA.

    Since the building was soundproof, you couldn¡¯t hear the creatures inside from the outside, but if you peeked through the small gaps between the posters, you could see rows upon rows of cages where pups and baby creatures could be seen on disy.

    TING TING

    Upon opening the door, a small bell jingled, alerting the staff member who was making the rounds to check on all the baby pets that a new customer had arrived.

    ¡°Wee to Tarek¡¯s Pet Imporium; give me a second to finish feeding the Larith Geckos, and I will be right with you.¡± A teenage girl with a purple bob cut poked her head around a row of cages shing Gabby and Benny a smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s ok; take your time; we are just looking right now.¡± The girl appeared to be busy, so Brance waved politely to her and took Gabby toward a row of cages with arge sign stating, ¡°Felines.¡±

    The instant they turned the corner, Gabby went full-on kid in a candy store mode, running around from cage to cage while squealing about how cute or soft the tiny kittens looked.

    Meanwhile, Brance frowned as he activated [Inspect] on every cat he came across.

    -Level 0 Tier-0 Infant Whisper Fel Kitten.-

    -Height: 0¡ä 3¡å.-

    -Weight: Eight Ounces.-

    -Category: Jungle Cat.-

    -Threat Level = Hahahaha, you could kill this thing by flicking its nose.-

    -Description: Omnivorous in nature, this scavenging Feline is known to live deep in the forest and rarelyes down from the tree canopies.-

    -Stat Distribution: 1 DEX.-

    -Growth Potential: Tier-2 by Adulthood. Mid Rank Growth Potential.-

    Startled by Brance, the Kitten Whisper Fel¡¯s fur stood on end and backed itself into the corner of its cage with evident fear in its eyes.

    ¡®Nope, hard pass; Gabby needs something with good growth potential and a multiple Stat Distribution.¡¯

    Although cute, the Whisper Fel was more of an overgrown housecat than a predator, so moving along, Brance continued scanning every one of the cats.

    -Level 0 Tier-0 Infant Gangjin Kitten.-

    -Stat Distribution: 1 AGI, 1 INT.-

    -Growth Potential: Tier-1 by Adulthood. Low-Rank Growth Potential.-

    -Level 0 Tier-0 Infant Frost Tiger Cub.-

    -Stat Distribution: 1 STR, 1 INT.-

    -Growth Potential: Tier-3 by Adulthood. Mid/High-Rank Growth Potential.-

    -Level 0 Tier-0 Infant Scorch Lion Cub.-

    -Stat Distribution: 2 STR.-

    -Growth Potential: Tier-2.5 by Adulthood. Mid-Rank Growth Potential.-

    -Level 0 Tier-0 Infant Limu Kitten.-

    -Stat Distribution: 1 MIND.-

    -Growth Potential: Tier-1 by Adulthood. Low-Rank Growth Potential.-

    -Level 0 Tier-0 Infant Cheeko Kitten.-

    -Stat Distribution: 1 VIT.-

    -Growth Potential: Tier-1.5 by Adulthood. Low-Rank Growth Potential.-

    -Level 0 Tier-0 Infant Aqua-Osalot cub.-

    -Stat Distribution: 2 AGI, 1 INT.-

    -Growth Potential: Tier-2.5 by Adulthood. Mid/High-Rank Growth Potential.-

    -Level 0 Tier-0 Infant Terra-Osalot cub.-

    -Stat Distribution: 2 STR, 1 INT.-

    -Growth Potential: Tier-2.5 by Adulthood. Mid/High-Rank Growth Potential.-

    ¡®Sigh, that Tiger cub was the best of the batch so far, but considering how Gabby walked right past without a second nce, it seems that little guy is off the table.¡¯ Crossing his arms and looking ahead, Brance spotted Gabby sitting on the ground in front of a cage staring at a little spotted kitten curiously.

    ¡°What did you find, Gabby?¡± Crouching beside his girlfriend, Brance froze when he read the description attached to the little spotted kitten she had found.

    His eyes quickly darted from the notification window brought up by [Inspect] to the Tag on the cage.

    ¡°Gabby¡­is this the pet you want?¡± clearing his throat and calming himself down, Brance looked over at his girlfriend as her eyes lit up with longing.

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s a cutie. But I don¡¯t understand why he¡¯s all alone, so far away from every other kitty. Is there something wrong with him?¡±

    As the words left her mouth, a startled yelp resounded from the end of the aisle.

    ¡°Oh, are you guys interested in the Spotted Liollen? That poor little guy has been here for weeks, but no one will take him because he has a low Growth Potential. Plus, he¡¯s quite a feisty little guy; everyone who picks him up gets wed or bitten.¡± Crossing her arms, the girl frowned sadly and looked at the Spotted Liollen.

    ¡°Really? I mean, sure, his fur needs a good brushing, but he seems like a pretty gentle kitty to me,¡± fearlessly; while she spoke, Gabby stuck her hand through the bars and lightly petted the creature¡¯s side.

    Since their arrival, the little cat had been lying down with its back facing away from the bars and its bellyzily exposed as if daring people to pet him.

    ¡°NO, WAIT! I WOULDN¡¯T DO THAT¡­huh?¡± The girl started to say but then her face painted with shock as the kitten shook its fur and stood up to rub against Gabby¡¯s hand happily, muttering a little ¡°Mew¡± as it did.

    With narrowed eyes, Brance stared at the kitten for the duration of the interaction. Even though no one here seemed to realize, Brance had seen something that would have made Cynrik flip out if he were present. He had found a MASSIVE discrepancy between the cage tag, which indicated the cat¡¯s breed and potential growth, and the notification window brought up after using his [Inspect] skill.

    ¡°Bj?rn, I want this one; that¡¯s ok, right?¡± Without removing her hand from the cage, Gabby looked up at Brance. She had already noticed something special about this little kitten, and her suspicions were confirmed after meeting Brance¡¯s eyes.

    Unknown to Brance, he had a particr look he would get if something were off with a situation, and noticing a slight twitch in his left cheek, Gabby knew the little kitten was hiding something from everyone at the shop; she just didn¡¯t know what.

 Chapter 356 Vol 4 Epilogue (2)

    ¡°Bj?rn, I want this one; that¡¯s ok, right?¡± Without removing her hand from the cage, Gabby looked up at Brance. She had already noticed something special about this little kitten, and her suspicions were confirmed after meeting Brance¡¯s eyes.

    Unknown to Brance, he had a particr look he would get if something were off with a situation, and noticing a slight twitch in his left cheek, Gabby knew the little kitten was hiding something from everyone at the shop; she just didn¡¯t know what.

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s get this little guy; he seems to like you, so why not.¡± Hiding his surprise after reading the kitten¡¯s info and shrugging his shoulders as if nothing could be done, Brance stood up and shed another look at the kitten with his [Inspect].

    -Level 0 Tier-1 Infant Spotted Liollen Kitten (Smilodon-Th?s) .-

    -Height: 0¡ä 4¡å.-

    -Weight: 1 LB, (0.4 KG) .-

    -Category: Jungle Cat.-

    -Bloodline: Mythical Beast, Smilodon-Th?s.-

    -Threat Level = Do NOT, under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, Allow this Creature to grow up without being Tamed. The amount of Danger it poses once fully grown is Astronomical.-

    -Description: A species of long-fanged Mythical Felines that has long since been thought to have gone extinct. Many breeds of Felines have watered down and heavily diluted purities of this Bloodline, and sometimes nature takes its course. If two creatures share the same purity of Bloodline, a more active line takes over, changing the breed of the Creature. ¨C

    -As this Creature ages and evolves, it will take on the Mythical Characteristics of its ancestors, bing a fearsome predator.-

    -Stat Distribution: 2 STR, 1 DEX, 1 AGI, 1 INT, 2 VIT.-

    -Affinities:

    :(BG) Terra-Tier-0 (Initial):

    :(BG) Chloro-Tier-0 (Initial):

    :(???) ???-Tier-0 (Initial):

    -Growth Potential: Beyond Tier-5 ???. Mythical Growth Potential.-

    ¡®Fucking hell, how the shit did the staff miss this cat¡¯s attributes? The Tag shows what I can only assume to be the basic info for a Spotted Liollen. Low/Mid Growth potential, two stat Distribution, hell, it doesn¡¯t even have any Affinities listed.¡¯ Smiling casually at Gabby as the attendant girl unlocked the cage for them, Brance¡¯s brain was churning out theories and thoughts.

    ¡°Thank you, miss,¡± once the cage was unlocked, the attendant girl stepped back, a little fearful of the kitten, and allowed Gabby to reach in and pick the kitten up.

    Adding to the Attendant¡¯s surprise after seeing the apparent student petting the Spotted Liollen, her eyes widened as Gabby picked up the seemingly docile Creature and embraced it while nting a kiss atop its head.

    All the while, the kitten continuously ¡°mewed¡± and purred thoroughly, enjoying the pets. Nestling into the crook of Gabby¡¯s elbow, it quickly fell back asleep happily, causing her to make strange cooing noises at the sleeping kitten.

    ¡°O..ok, that¡¯s new; I¡¯ve never seen it treat anyone as other than an enemy, let alone allow someone to hold it, trust me, I¡¯ve tried numerous times and earned quite a few scratches and bite scars that needed to be treated.¡± The attendant girl said while wearing a strange expression.

    ¡°Really, it¡¯s so weird¡­.¡± Shaking her head a few times, the Attendant straightened her back and smiled. Although Spotted Liollen kittens were a pretty hotmodity, this one had been here for weeks, refusing to allow anyone to get near it, so at the end of the day, she was delighted it was finding a new home.

    The attendant girl happened to be the store owner¡¯s daughter and a Fourth-year student, so aside from working there, she had a profound love for any and all animals, even the ones with pointy teeth and ws, so over time, as the little guy¡¯s siblings were all sold, this little one stayed alone.

    Thus now that the time hade, she couldn¡¯t be happier for it.

    ¡°Follow me, and we can handle the purchase and registration paperwork; based on how you didn¡¯t choose a house pet type, I assume you have one of the Tamer sses?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have the Huntress ss, and we were looking for a Beast Partner for me; luckily, I found this little one.¡± Looking up from the kitten in her arms, Gabby happily exined.

    ¡°I see, it makes sense that you would want a feline type, and the Spotted Liollen is a good choice; they like trees and are pretty quick on top of being smart.¡± As they walked toward the checkout counter, the Attendant exined a little about Spotted Liollen, such as their likes, dislikes, what kind of food they eat, how to take care of them, and of course, some of the best strategies for raising them.

    By the time they reached the counter, Gabby and Brance had a decent grasp on what they were getting into; or that would have been the case if the little sleeping kitten was actually a Spotted Liollen.

    ¡°Alrighty, the price for your Spotted Liollen is 6550 Merit Points, then there¡¯s a 455 Merit Point processing fee for the Tamer Registration, and another 200 for the basic starter kit, which, as I told you, includes the pet bed, scratching post, and one month worth of food.¡±

    ¡°I went ahead and gave you a 20% discount since you are choosing a kitten that has been here longer than a month, so your totales out to 5764 Merit Points.¡± Punching the numbers on arge cash register, the Attendant looked between Gabby and Brance as if asking who was paying.

    When they first entered the store, she caught sight of their S-Rank faction badges, and even though they were only First Years, it wasmon knowledge that S-rank¡¯s tended to have abundant resources, so she never doubted they had the money to purchase a Creature.

    Hearing the price tag attached to her new kitten, Gabby was a little surprised but quickly buried those thoughts and tapped her Watcet against the little machine beside the register resembling a credit card reader to pay for everything.

    Since the responsibility of taking care of her kitten was her job, there was no chance she would allow Brance to pay; plus, after clearing the Obelisk, she presently had 21,400 Merit Points. Spending 6000 was a drop in the water for her.

    ¡°Payment Approved!¡± a robotic voice chimed as Gabby¡¯s Watcet tapped the card reader, and a receipt was soon spat out and handed to Gabby by the Attendant.

    ¡°Alright, the easy part is done, haha; nowes the part everyone loves, the paperwork. Please follow me to the office, and we can get that all squared away.¡± Stepping away from the register, the Attendant Girl waved her hand and walked off to a clean and professional office with a single desk and three chairs.

    Once in the room, the Attendant girl left the two alone with arge stack of papers. Brance quickly activated [Mana Sight] when the door shut and checked for any surveince equipment. When he realized there were only a couple of cameras and no audio gear, he softly tapped Gabby on the shoulder in morse code, something he and Cynrik had taught the Sanford siblings long ago.

    ¡± .. / -. . . -.. / -.¨C ¡ª ..- / ¨C ¡ª / ¡­ . ¨C / ..- .¨C. / .- / ¨C . .-.. . .¨C. .- ¨C ¡­. .. -.-. / .-.. .. -. -.- / -¡­ . ¨C .¨C . . -. / ..- ¡­ .-.-.- / -.¨C ¡ª ..- / -. . . -.. / ¨C ¡ª / -.- -. ¡ª .¨C / .- -¡­ ¡ª ..- ¨C / -.¨C ¡ª ..- .-. / -.-. .- ¨C .-.-.- ¡°

    The message that Brance rapidly tapped out on her shoulder read as such, ¡°I need you to set up a telepathic link between us. You need to know about your cat.¡±

    At first, Gabby stiffened as she realized Brance was disguising a message with what could be observed as physical affection; still, half a secondter, she began deciphering the message, and a frown crept onto her lips.

    With soft glowing Amethyst Eyes, Gabby leaned her shoulder against Brance¡¯s and created a thin teather of Mana between them.

    ~What¡¯s up, Brancie?~ (Telepathy using Gabby as a proxy will have ~ in the future)

    ~Listen closely; your kitten is anything but regr or average; once Cynrik learns about its stats, he will be severely jealous.~

    Closing his eyes, Brance imagined the notification window he had seen with [Inspect], and half a secondter, the image was sent over to Gabby.

    ¡°GASP,¡± startled by what she was seeing in her mind, Gabby couldn¡¯t help but let out an audible gasp; if what Brance had shown her was true, then a lot of things she felt by looking at the sleeping kitten were confirmed.

    The biggest of which was the fact that it had the Chloro Affinity, but when she saw the Species name, her brain powered down temporarily as she sat there dumbfoundedly staring at the sleeping kitten in her arms.

    ~Let alone 6k, this is the kind of Creature people would pay Trillions of credits to get their hands on, both Tamers and Hunters. Because if they could raise it correctly, they would have an extremely powerful ally that would be loyal till death.~

    ~I may not be the most learned person regarding Beasts and Creatures, but putting together context clues gathered from the Species name and description, we can assume that this little kitten of yours will be a Saber-Toothed Cat, and a powerful one at that.~

    Sliding his hand down from her shoulder, Brance¡¯s fingers found their way to the small of Gabby¡¯s back, where he traced small circles on her uniform.

    ~For now, act like nothing is going on and start thinking of a suitable name for him; I want to get home ASAP so that you can use your [Beast Partner Contract] and see itsplete stat profile.~

    Removing his hand from her back, Brance picked up several of the papers and started reading through them all before indicating where Gabby needed to sign.

    ¡ª

    Forty-five minutester, Gabby and Brance released a tired sigh as they left the Pet store with the new kitten and arrived outside the Dorm. It had taken some time toplete all the paperwork and receive the official registration of the kitten, who was now sporting a silver cor and sleeping quietly in Gabby¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Are you sure about Milo as its name?¡± Tossing a sidence at the happy Gabby, who was in the process of rubbing her cheek on the soft fur of her new pet, Brance asked.

    ¡°Mhm, it¡¯s perfect. Based on what you showed me earlier, it came to me the second I saw that breed name.¡±

    Unlocking the front door, the two entered the house and found Cynrikzily slumped on the couch with his two Ravens on either side of him, propped up on plush velvet pillows. The two appeared to have grown several sizes and were now as big as an American football.

    Oddly enough, the trio was watching a documentary on HoloTV about wild Birds causing Brance and Gabby to raise an eyebrow at him.

    ¡°Eh, you too are back already? Hm, is that your new Beast Partner? Interesting didn¡¯t expect you to get a Cat¡­HOLY FUCK, WHAT IN THE SEVEN HELLS IS THAT THING!¡± Halfway through his statement, Cynrik activated [Inspect] and shouted so loud that his Raven¡¯s flinched and jumped onto his shoulders to see what was happening.

 Chapter 357 Vol 4 Epilogue (3)

    Unlocking the front door, the two entered the house and found Cynrikzily slumped on the couch with his two Ravens on either side of him, propped up on plush velvet pillows. The two appeared to have grown several sizes and were now as big as an American football.

    Oddly enough, the trio was watching a documentary on HoloTV about wild Birds causing Brance and Gabby to raise an eyebrow at them.

    ¡°Eh, you too are back already? Hm, is that your new Beast Partner? Interesting didn¡¯t expect you to get a Cat¡­HOLY FUCK, WHAT IN THE SEVEN HELLS IS THAT THING!¡± Halfway through his statement, Cynrik activated [Inspect] and shouted so loud that his Raven¡¯s flinched and jumped onto his shoulders to see what was happening.

    Pointing aggressively at the tiny ck-spotted blond-colored kitten in Gabby¡¯s arms, Cynrik¡¯s finger quivered. At the same time, a strange expression crept onto his face, almost like a mixture between fear, confusion, and shock.

    Startled awake by his shouting, Milo raised his head and mewed unhappily because his nap was interrupted. Still, the instant his light green eyesnded on the two Ravens perched on Cynrik¡¯s shoulders, Milo¡¯s pupils turned into slits, followed by all the fur on his body standing on end.

    ¡°Meee!¡± Trying his best to be intimidating, Milo shifted his body in Gabby¡¯s arms, preparing itself tounch forward if the birds came even remotely close to the girl holding him. Even though they hadn¡¯t used the contract skill, he felt oddly overprotective of the girl.

    But these weren¡¯t necessarily signs of intelligence since Milo was still a baby; instead, it was simr to instinct, and he, for some reason, viewed Gabby as his mom now.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok, Milo, that¡¯s Big Bro Cyn, and those birdies are his contracted pets; you don¡¯t need to be worried about them.¡± Looking down at her kitten¡¯s defensive posture, Gabby rubbed behind his ears with her thumb, calming him down a little bit.

    Feeling the rubbies and the gentleness of Gabby¡¯s voice calmed Milo enough that his fur returned to normal, but it wasn¡¯t enough to make him stop cautiously ring at the Birds.

    Even as a kitten, he knew that those two birds were dangerous, and Milo didn¡¯t want anything happening to his new Mama, especially since he had only just found her.

    [Oi, what the fuck is going on, Brancie? What kind of MONSTER did you find for Gabby? I know she is your girlfriend, and you fancy her, but isn¡¯t this favoritism? You LITERALLY found a MYTHIC BEAST; what kind of bullshit luck is that? Did you rob a pet sanctuary or something?] Ignoring Gabby, Cynrik¡¯s eyes darted between the kitten and Brance while heined in the mind link.

    [Sigh, long story short, it¡¯s a bit of a freak of nature. Believe it or not, we found the little guy in one of the regr pet stores. ording to the staff, it had been there for some time, and whenever someone tried touching it or buying it, the kitten would pitch a fit and injure people.]

    [Not to mention, its cage was mibeled. It wasbeled as a Spotted Liollen, which isn¡¯t entirely wrong. But the Distribution, Affinities, and such were incorrect.] Crossing his arms and watching Gabby calm her kitten down, Brance met Cynrik¡¯s eyes and noticed his older brother¡¯s brows knit.

    [That seems pretty, Sus, don¡¯t you think? These stores go through hundreds if not thousands of creatures a year, and the number of handlers involved in checking stats and breeds shouldn¡¯t be few. I do not for a second believe everyone missed this cat¡¯s Bloodline. If our [Inspect] skill can easily pick up the fact it wasn¡¯t average, there should have been numerous people who could have as well.] Reaching first up to his right shoulder, Cynrik gave Sie a small cracker before doing the same with Vii, who was perched on his left.

    [I have a theory about that one, I think that when the store received the little guy, it may have actually been a Spotted Liollen, but as the days went by, its Bloodline strengthened, giving it that increased hostility. Or at least, that¡¯s my running theory based on the description attached to [Inspect].]

    [That may be true, well, to some extent. It does, after all, say that as it gets older, the kitten will develop more of its Ancestor¡¯s traits. Oh, By the way, what Tier is your skill at Brance?] Thinking of something and chewing on the inside of his left cheek, Cynrik had a strange feeling.

    [Eh? [Inspect]? It¡¯s at Tier-2¡­Why?] Shooting Cynrik a confused look, Brance replied.

    [That figures, if your [Inspect] were Tier-3 like mine, you would have seen it. Let me ask you something, how many Affinities does that cat have?]

    [Uh¡­two?]

    [Wrong, there are three, it¡¯s just the third is hidden. Focus on the Affinities section, just under the Chloro line, and pump some extra Mana into your Eyes.]

    Pondering for a second, Brance quickly activated [Inspect] and double-checked his answer. Sure enough, when he checked again, Brance realized he had missed something important. The more he looked under the Chloro Affinity, the more visible a third option became.

    At first, it was hazy and blurry, entirely out of focus, but after straining his eyes, he got a good look.

    -Affinities:

    :(BG) Terra-Tier-0 (Initial):

    :(BG) Chloro-Tier-0 (Initial):

    :(???) ???-Tier-0 (Initial):

    [What the heck is that?]

    [No idea; the only thing my higher Tiered skill did was make it instantly appear. If you still couldn¡¯t see it after pouring more Mana into your Eyes, I would have had to exin it to you.]

    ¡°Hey guys, I am going to head to the training room and use my [Beast Partner Contract] now, so I need to be alone with my little Milo for a little bit. Once I finish up, I will write down his stat profile for you.¡±

    Speaking up and drawing the brother¡¯s attention, Gabby went up on her tiptoes and nted a kiss on Brance¡¯s cheek before hurrying to the Training room.

    ¡°Tsk, this girl is bing too bold for me to handle. Hey Cyn, get your Selene under control; she is corrupting my sweet and innocent Gabby with her filthy mind.¡± Rubbing the spot Gabby had just kissed with his fingers, Brance red at Cynrik while speaking.

    ¡°BAH, don¡¯t me Sel; this is on you for being so damn passive.¡± Rolling his eyes, Cynrik spun back around and returned to watching the documentary on tv, but not before both Sielu and Viisaus chirped at Brance, seeming to say, ¡°YEAH, What Papa said.¡±

    Hopping down off Cynrik¡¯s shoulders, both Ravensnded back on their plush velvet pillows and fluffed their feathers, settling back down to watch the exciting show their Papa had put on for them.

    Since finishing their powerup nap, Vii and Sie had grown smarter thanks to the transfer of knowledge and stats from Cynrik through the Naming Process. As such, the two had the intellect of a 6/7-year-old child, and although still innocent and young, they were smart enough to follow what was happening in the documentary.

    Especially Sielu, with her more curious nature, unlike Viisaus, whose attention was only drawn in by the cool aerial acrobatics and chase scenes on screen therge birds in the video were performing.

    [Cyn¡­how are they doing that?] Caught off guard by how well-behaved the two newly hatched Ravens were acting, Brance walked up behind his brother and asked.

    [Eh? Oh, you talking bout Vii and Sie; that¡¯s simple. They got a fraction of my stats and knowledge when I named them, so they are mentally simr to a kindergartner.] Not bothering to look away from the HoloTv, Cynrik waved his hand and sent over the stat profiles for both Ravens.

    Brance froze when he read all the unique resistance stats and the Secondary Affinity they both had when he ran through the Stat profiles of the two Ravens.

    [Cyn¡­I don¡¯t want to hear youining about Gabby¡¯s cat anymore.]

    [In addition to the Secret Grade Affinity, EXPLAIN ALL THESE RESISTANCE TYPES. How on earth are they able to resist all four of your Affinities? ] Feeling the need to hit his brother, Brance clenched his fists and forced himself to calm down.

    Flinching hard from the shouts in the mind link, Cynrik turned and shot Brance an aggrieved look, making both Sie and Vii tilt their heads to nce at Brance, whom they felt the need to get away from, thanks to the Light Mana swirling around his body.

    [Hell, Brancie, there is no need to freak out. The Omnipoison was a reward for beating Jormie, and the resistances are due to me putting my own Mana into the incubators to hatch them.] Massaging his temples, Cynrik reached both hands out and petted the soft feathers on Vii and Sie¡¯s backs.

    [UGH! You moron, why didn¡¯t you save the Affinity Gems for yourself? Why give it to your pets?] Rolling his eyes and gritting his teeth thanks to how nonchntly Cynrik was acting about his decision to use the Affinity Gems, Brance took a few more breaths and calmed down.

    [Didn¡¯t want it. Sure I could have used it and got a devastatingly powerful Affinity, but I would rather give it to these two instead. This way, not only can I have two extra healers in the party, but they will also have high offensive capabilities.]

    [Healers? Hold on a second, are you saying¡­] Hearing that Cynrik expected his Birds to double as healers, Brance was confused at first, but Cynrik quickly cut him off.

    [Jormie was able to heal himself with his Omnipoison; I see no reason why it wouldn¡¯t work on others. Of course, I will be testing it on myself since I already have a little bit of resistance to poisons, but the fact still stands, so yippy for you, you wouldn¡¯t be the solo healer anymore.] Rolling his eyes, Cynrik retrieved another cracker for his birds, who happily took them and munched away while looking back at the HoloTv.

    ¡ª

    Meanwhile, in the training room, Gabby was sitting in the center of the room with Milo in herp. If one looked closely, one would see a thin Amethyst strand connecting them.

    ~Ok, Milo, as I told you the whole walk home, it¡¯s time to form our partner bond. With it, you will be super strong.~

    ~Mew?~

    Sitting up with his little tail swaying slowly behind him, Milo curiously looked into Gabby¡¯s gentle eyes.

    ~Mhm, stronger. You saw how strong Big Bro Cyn and Brancie are; don¡¯t you want to be like that too?~

    As if she understood what the kitten said, Gabby replied.

    ~Meeew, meww!~

    Surprisingly enough, Milo seemed to understand what she had said and replied in kind perfectly. His understanding was because of the Telepathic link she formed between them with her Affinity.

    Although Gabby was using words, and Milo was making sounds, the feelings and emotions were enough to get the point across.

    ~Alrighty, this may hurt a little, but I need you to be tough, ok?~

    ~MEW!~

    Seeing the kitten¡¯s head bobbing up and down happily, Gabby bit the tip of her finger and channeled Mana into the drop of blood. Next, she pulled out a small needle, one she had borrowed from Selene, and reached over, took Milo¡¯s little paw in her hand, and pricked one of the toe beans, making the kitten flinch.

    ~Shhh, it¡¯s ok. I know it stings a little, but I did it to myself too, see.~

    Waving her finger as the blood dripped down, Gabby calmed Milo down and pressed her injured finger to Milo¡¯s paw.

    ¡°Tier-2 Huntress Skill: [Beast Partner Contract],¡± speaking softly not to startle Milo, Gabby activated the skill and felt her Mana drop a bit as the dripping blood merged together, and both their eyes lit up with mysterious glow.

 Chapter 358 Vol 4 Epilogue (FINAL)

    Taking Milo¡¯s little paw in her hand, Gabby pricked one of his toe beans, making the kitten flinch.

    ~Shhh, it¡¯s ok. I know it stings a little, but I did it to myself too, see.~

    Waving her finger as the blood dripped down, Gabby calmed Milo down and pressed her injured finger to Milo¡¯s paw.

    ¡°Tier-2 Huntress Skill: [Beast Partner Contract],¡± speaking softly not to startle Milo, Gabby activated the skill and felt her Mana drop a bit as the dripping blood merged together, and both their eyes lit up with a mysterious glow.

    ¡ª

    In the other room, sensing the fluctuation of Mana in the training room, Brance and Cynrik¡¯s heads snapped in that direction as they simultaneously activated [Mana Sight].

    However, what they saw sent a shiver down both their spines. Through their ocr skill, the two brothers saw a massive and fierce Mana construct beast head formed out of a mixture of Brown, Light Green, Amethyst, and Blood Red particles, creating a Rose taupe (#905d5d) particle that neither of them had seen before.

    Seeing the disembodied rose taupe-colored Mana construct head closely resembling a massive Saber-Toothed Tiger, Cynrik¡¯s pupils constricted, and he felt the urge to drop his gaze along with his body toward the ground.

    ¡°What in the fuck is that¡­.¡± Brance was the first to speak.

    ¡°Say hello to the cute little kitten your girlfriend brought home, or at least the little cats link to an ancestral bloodline.¡± While fighting to maintain eye contact with the Spirit Manifestation on the other side of the dorm, Cynrik exhaled loudly through his nose.

    ¡°Yeah, no shit, I got that part, smartass; I¡¯m talking about the particle; what the hell kind of Mana particle is that? The Green, Brown, and Amethyst make sense; those are the threebined Affinities, and I assume the bloody particle is the hidden one we found, but WHAT are they?¡± Covered in sweat and panting, Brance had to sit down as he continued looking at the beast¡¯s manifestation.

    Squinting and zeroing in on the deep crimson particles, Cynrik had two sensations from seeing them, a metallic taste in his mouth and a strange smell that he recognized instantly.

    ¡°Blood, those Mana Particles seem to represent Blood.¡± The instant the words left his mouth, Cynrik knew he was correct.

    ¡°The final Affinity is Blood Control. Can you confirm this theory, Tobs?¡±

    -The Mythical Cub known as Milo indeed has an Affinity for what you are theorizing, except it has a different name, Hema, Secret Grade Affinity Hema. The Cub¡¯s control over this specific particle type is currently lower than the others.-

    -Unlike your N¨¢tt Hrafn Fledglings, who were born with higher Tiered control and being in the Beginner Stage, all three of the Cub¡¯s Affinities are at the Initial Stage of Tier-0, something that even you passed rtively quickly after birth.-

    ¡°This makes things quite interesting.¡± Smiling bitterly and regretting that he couldn¡¯t get such a powerful creature under hismand, Cynrik shrugged his shoulders and deactivated his [Mana Sight].

    The instant he did, the pressure he was feeling from the Spirit Manifestation disappeared, and everything went back to normal for him.

    ¡°No point in worrying, that thing isn¡¯t going to hurt Gabby, and the longer you stare at it, the more it will affect you psychologically, so give it up and go back to carving Opals.¡± While he spoke, Cynrik looked down at his Ravens and noticed they were both tucked into balls and shaking fearfully.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok, you two; Papa is here to protect you, so you don¡¯t have to be afraid of that big scary thing,¡± using the most gentle voice he could muster, then reaching down to pet both Sie and Vii, Cynrik calmed them down before feeding each another cracker.

    Between his words and calming touch, the two little Ravens calmed down but continuously nced at the wall leading to the training room fearfully.

    Sighing at the state of his Ravens, Cynrik created a small bubble using all four of his Affinities around the couch, which subsequently cut off the overbearing and dominating sensations, and only then did Sie and Vii settle down.

    While this was happening, Brance moved toward his and Gabby¡¯s favorite of the couches, pulled a coffee table closer to him, dumped out all his uncut opals, and began carving them to raise his Gem Cutting Level.

    However, when he heard Cynrik call himself Papa again, the corner of Brance¡¯s lips curled up. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Vii and Sie were present and intelligent, Brance would have taken a moment to tease Cynrik, but using his better judgment, he let it go.

    Holding his carving tool in one hand and an uncut Opal in the other, Brance used the method Cynrik had previously taught him and pictured what he wanted the gem to look like once finished before striking it several times.

    -You have sessfully Cut an Uncut Common Opal.-

    -You have earned 10 Gem Cutting Proficiency XP.-

    -Current Gem Cutting Proficiency XP. 100/100.-

    -Congrattions, your Gem Cutting Proficiency has Leveled up.-

    -You have gained 1 point in DEX and 1 point in INT.-

    -Chances of perfectly cutting Uncut Opals increased by 20%.-

    ¡®Oh? Nice, leveling up my Gem Cutting boosted my ss¡¯s Stats for Distribution.¡¯ Spinning the Cut gem in his hand to examine it, Brance quickly put it away and checked his updated Stat.

    : Gem Cutting:1 , XP 0/200 :

    ¡®Sigh, welp, it looks like the XP increases by a different form than Primary levels. Only 20 more Opals to go before level 2.¡± Rolling his head around to relive the pent-up stress, Brance went to work, and after cutting ten gems, he still had a pretty high failure rate, but it was still better than the first batch of Opals he had previously cut.

    Life was rtively calm for the next few hours, except for the hup that came along with Gabby solidifying her Contract with Milo. Unlike Cynrik, who had to give up stats to his Ravens, Gabby got a power boost from Milo instead of helping him grow.

    Well, a passive boost, by way of changes to her Distribution. By creating a Partner Bond with Milo, she acquired the kitten¡¯s Distribution on top of her original one. Now, each time her Primary Level increased, she would get a significant amount of stat points in every Stat.

    The changes were so significant that even Cynrik and Brance felt pressured when they saw the new line of text in writing.

    : Distribution: 0(2) STR, 2(10.1) DEX, 0(10) AGI, 2(1) INT, 0(2) VIT, 2(0.1) MIND :

    Not only did she get the increases from her sses, but now, if the information online could be trusted, her Distribution would increase even higher alongside her Beast Partner.

    This revtion caused the brothers to sweat because if they cked off even a little bit, it wouldn¡¯t be a stretch to assume that Gabby would hit her Stat cap long before them.

    Then there was Milo. When Gabby presented the kitten¡¯s stat profile to Cynrik, he nearly jumped out of his seat and ran off to an Egress to start training his babies.

    Biting the inside of his cheek till he tasted blood, Cynrik stared at the unfair advantage the kitten had over his birds.

    : Status :

    : Milo :

    : Smilodon-Th?s Male :

    : Age-0:

    : Tier-1 :

    : Level: 0 :

    : Essence(XP): 0/100 :

    : Distribution: 2 STR, 1 DEX, 1 AGI, 1 INT, 2 VIT :

    : Mana Codex & Circuits Tier-1 :

    : Stage 0 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-1:

    : STATS :

    : HP 600/600 : 40 Per Point

    : Mana 30/30 : 10 Per Point

    : Stamina 225/225 : 15 Per Point

    : Stat Points- 50 : (5 per level)

    : Skill Points- 0 : (1 per level)

    : Strength- 5 :

    : Dexterity- 3 :

    : Agility- 3 :

    : Intelligence- 3 :

    : Vitality- 15 :

    : Mind- 3 :

    : Affinity- :

    :(BG)Terra-Tier-0 (Initial):

    :(BG)Chloro-Tier-0 (Initial):

    :(SG)Hema-Tier-0 (Initial):

    Aside from getting 20 more HP and ten more STAM per VIT point, Milo started with 50 free Allocation points. Cynrik continued to read, his face bing darker and darker until he finally threw the paper at Brance and stormed off to the Training room with his Ravens perched on his shoulders.

    ¡°UNFAIR!¡±

    BANG

    mming the door to the training room, startling Gabby, Milo, and Brance, Cynrik began plotting out the training regiment for the Ravens with a single thought repeating in his mind. ¡®My babies will be the strongest, Mythic bloodline? Who needs it? Not my babies!¡¯

    With the living room descending back into silence, Gabby plopped down next to Brance with a curious Milo in her arms and finally found the time to introduce the kitten to her boyfriend.

    Unsurprisingly, either because of Gabby¡¯s feelings for Brance leaking through their Partner Bond or the calming and reassuring Light Mana radiating from Brance¡¯s body, Milo happily freed himself from Gabby¡¯s grasp andunched himself into Brance¡¯s for pets.

    ¡°Haha, hey little guy, nice to meet you.¡± Having always liked cats, Brance was perfectly well adjusted to their antics, and after having his fill of cuddle time, he handed Milo back to Gabby and went back to carving Opals.

    Slowly and quietly, time passed until Benny and Selene returned home looking tiredter that evening.

    ¡°UGH, SO MANY SHOPS!¡± Seleneined as she plopped down in Cynrik¡¯s recliner.

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me? I didn¡¯t even get a chance to check in on Melody to see if she was ok.¡± Benny snorted, crossed his arms, and found a spot on his couch.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even Benny Boy, you were the one insisting on stopping at EVERY SINGLE SMITHY! Hell, we only went to four or five Tailors! It was always worn, old, sweaty men in hot buildings everywhere you dragged me.¡± Rolling her eyes and looking over to the Calm Gabby and Brance, Selene spotted the tiny kitten peeking at her from her roommate¡¯sp.

    ¡°OH MY GOD! GABBY, WHO IS THAT LITTLE CUTIE?¡± Wide-eyed and overly excited, as if all her fatigue from the day instantly vanished, Selene appeared on the floor in front of Gabby, startling Milo so bad that his fur stood on end, and he mewed angrily.

    ¡°Selly, stop scaring him; Milo is still a baby! You can¡¯t justunch yourself at him like that; what if he ends up hating you?¡± Leaning forward, Gabby flicked Selene¡¯s forehead and scolded her.

    ¡°Sorry, he¡¯s just so cute. Can I pet him?¡± Rubbing the spot Gabby had flicked with her right hand, Selene looked up at her roommate with pleading eyes.

    Puckering her lips and turning them to the left in thought, Gabby tethered herself with a strand of Mana to Milo.

    ~Milo, this is my best friend and roommate Selene; she and I live together so you will see her a lot. I know she scared you, but she¡¯s a nice person like Brancie, ok?~

    ~mmmm, mew.~

    Scrunching up his face, Milo barely understood what Gabby had said, but the feelings he was getting from his Mama said that Selene meant no harm and just wanted cuddles. So after a fewining noises, he hopped out of Gabby¡¯sp and onto Selene¡¯s shoulder, making her giggle thanks to the soft fur tickling her ear.

    A short whileter, when it was dinner time, Cynrik, Sie, and Vii came out of the Training room and joined the rest of the group in the kitchen before setting up a unique dining area for the pets.

    Although apprehensive about being near each other at first, all it took was some reassuring words from Gabby and Cynrik before the two birds, and one kitten sat around their little table and ate their pre-prepared meals together. In contrast, the other members of MyrkLys took their usual spots at the big table.

    Clinking his fork against his cup several times, Cynrik drew everyone¡¯s attention and started his speech.

    ¡°Alright, guys, phase one of training is done. Everyone has capped at least one ss, except Brance, who has a leg up on all of us. Gabby and I have our Partners now, and it is time to start heading into the Egresses.¡±

    ¡°I spoke with Uncle Jessup today; we should have our gear first thing in the morning, so don¡¯t worry about that part.¡± Meeting the eyes of everyone at the table, Cynrik continued.

    ¡°Obelisks are out until we evolve, and the Tourny is upon us, so I need everyone, including you three,¡± pointing his fork at the pet table now dubbed the Kids table; Cynrik included Milo, Sie, and Vii in the conversation.

    ¡°We have a lot left to do. So Starting tomorrow, we will be jumping full speed into training. We already have the permission of Headmaster Rivia to do so, and now it is on us to show results, so 150% moving forward¡­GOT IT?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we got it; now give me the damn Mac and Cheese Cyn, or I¡¯m going to blow up your te!¡± Rolling his eyes at his overly dramatic older brother, Brance leaned forward to grab therge bowl of macaroni and cheese but was stopped by two forks stabbing into the table on either side of his hand.

    ¡°Tsk, so inpatient Brancie, it is on my and Sel¡¯s side, so we get dibs first.¡± Smiling sadistically, Cynrik pushed the bowl to Selene so she could scoop out her share before taking his own, ignoring the disgruntledints of everyone else at the table.

    ¡°HEY, YOU TOOK TOO MUCH!¡± Brance howled.

    ¡°SNOOZE, YOU LOSE BRANCIE!!! YOU NEVER SHOULDA ALLOWED ME TO SET THE TABLE!¡± Cynrik cackled.

    ¡°Gabby, please pass the nuggies,¡± Ignoring the antics of the brothers, Benny politely requested the te of chicken nuggets.

    ¡°Mh, here you go, Big Brother, I¡¯ll trade you for the sd.¡± Equally ignoring Cynrik and Brance, Gabby handed over the te of chicken in exchange for a bowl full of sd.

    Meanwhile, Selene silently watched everything with a smile; even after being a part of MyrkLys for months, she never got tired of this family of a party, which made her feel warm inside. But soon, she too dove into the battleground called dinner time, fighting to get some Mac and Cheese, leaving only the three baby creatures looking at the strange seen.

    The two birds and cat looked into each other¡¯s eyes and continued eating as if nothing had happened.

    END OF VOLUME 4

 Chapter 359 TC â€“ 04: Tobsâ€™ Corner Volume 4

    ¨C Initiating Recap Protocol.-

    ¨C Setting up Data Log.-

    ¨C Compiling avable information to date.-

    ¨C Scanning Author-San¡¯s Discord channel.-

    ¨C Acquiring Community questions.-

    ¨C Disregarding all ignorant, stupid, or unsightly questions.-

    ¨C Proper questions acknowledged.-

    ¨C Shattering dimensional Fourth Wall.-

    ¨C Ignoring User Agniwulf¡¯s Questions.-

    ¨C Initiating Intense ring Procedure at User: IdolTrust and TheOnionRerouted.-

    -Nodding Politely at Users: Asmodeus, Cipher, and Kurai n.-

    ¨C WARNING WARNING, THE FOLLOWING MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR VOLUME 4!-

    -WARNING, IF YOU ARE NOT UP TO DATE ON VOLUME 4, READ ALL OF IT BEFORE CONTINUING THIS SEGMENT!-

    Floating in the air above a devilish hellscape, you realize you are in a familiar yet foreign ce, a drastic change from where younded after finishing Volume 3. Amidst the rivers of fire, flickers of Lightning sh through the shadowy sky, intense hurricanes tear through the darkndscape, and you realize you¡¯ve entered Cynrik¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.

    A young woman with monochromatic hair and eyes that are white and ck, looking to be in herte teens or early twenties, looks directly at you, the reader. Looking past her expressionless yet cute face, you can see a hint of intelligence and emotion within her eyes, which is surprising because you know she is only an artificial program.

    Gone is the short bob cut with neatly arranged bangs that you have grown ustomed to, and in its ce is a stylish cascading hairstyle, where one side is tucked behind her right ear, and the opposite side drapes down to her shoulder. At a nce, you can tell that this girl has gone to great lengths to have a presentable new hairstyle, and as she twirls to show it off, you notice half of her hair is tied up neatly in the back, but the other half is left to hang naturally.

    Her sleeveless arms are painted with intricate runes in shades of purple and blue that cover her fingertip to shoulder.

    If you look hard enough, you can see that they have significantly changed and multiplied many times while shrinking in size.

    ¡°Hello and wee to the auxiliary chapter known as Tobs¡¯ Corner. *Curtsy*. In this section, I, Tobs, shall answer a few questions and delve into several bits of information that may need further exnation to allow the plot to continue smoothly. I will again advise anyone reading this data log; if you have not read the contents of the Fourth Volume, please close this auxiliary chapter and begin at the beginning of Volume Four, which is known as (Chapter 245 ¨C Volume 4 Prologue).¡±

    ¡°First and foremost, let me introduce myself once again to you, as it has been quite some time since ourst debriefing. I am the 8th Generation Dimensional Deity Power System, The Over-Break System, or as one of my current Hosts, Cynrik Jetlensr has nicknamed me, Tobs. Let me remind all the readers that I am not a Sentient Being.¡±

    ¡°I am an artificial intelligence designed by the two Deities, Raven God Odin and God Of Light Yahweh. Upon being installed by the Host, my first task was to assimte with Cynrik¡¯s Soul and use his past experiences to generate a functioning power regtion program based on his memories.¡±

    ¡°Later, I was installed into Cynrik¡¯s younger brother, Brance, forming a connection between the two firmware versions, and unlocking a handful of new talents.

    ¡°However, after the sacrifice of Freya, I was able to install the third version of my program into a wandering and shattered Soul. Once reborn on Vinestra, this Soul became my third Host, Selene Nilsson.¡±

    ¡°Due to all three of my Hosts meeting each other and forming a small group together, the three versions of my programming installed on each have merged into one unified, modified, updated program.¡±

    ¡°My primary objective is to create missions or Quests that align with the Host¡¯s morality to help them grow to endure any future challenges within the capabilities of the of Reincarnation¡¯s residential system of power.¡±

    Since ourst conversation, all three of my hosts have greatly strengthened themselves. One of them in particr, Brance Jetlensr, has finally ovee one of the biggest hurdles a Legacy Charge can go through, their First Turning Point Quest.

    ¡°We saw the group my hosts have created, named MyrkLys (Dark Light in Norse), deal with their new daily lives at the prestigious Academy known as VSFA, or Vesemir School for Affinities.¡±

    ¡°When the first few chapters of Volume four pick up, we find that several months had transpired after the ending of thest volume, and the group had registered topete in the yearly Academy tournament. However, things weren¡¯t as peaceful as they seemed, as, during that time, the enemies of Host Cynrik had begun sending wave after wave of spies to infiltrate VSFA to find out as much information as possible about Cynrik and his brother Brance in the months leading up to the Tournament.¡±

    ¡°It had gotten so bad that Cynrik even had a meeting with the Headmaster of VSFA, Geralt Rivia, about the topic, requesting aid in his goal to push his team past Tier-2 andpete in the Tournament as the new Tier-3 team.¡±

    ¡°Eventually, after several failed attempts, a group of powerful spies found an opening and attacked. Their goal was to kidnap the members of MyrkLys or acquire as much data as possible on their target.¡±

    ¡°A fierce battle ensued, with Brance finally getting an opportunity to activate his coveted skill, the [Radient Tower], in which he and Gabrie Sanford fought against two spies, making short work of them before meeting up with the rest of the group.¡±

    ¡°With the spies eliminated, and Headmaster Rivia left to increase the security surrounding the students, Cynrik began filling in everyone about his ns to power through the barrier known as Tier-2, the first step being to take on the First Obelisk. At this training facility, students undergo unique challenges while climbing up to the final floor, earning lucrative rewards along the way.¡±

    ¡°Working solo nearly the entire time and going through some hups along the way, *COUGH COUGH*.¡±

    Tobs stops speaking and rolls her eyes before opening a screen showing Cynrik rolling around on the ground in agony, sliding it beside several other screens depicting all the times Cynrik has stupidly put his life at risk to meet his agenda.

    ¡°Heh, I swear, you¡¯d think me giving him the title of Masochist would have had some kind of effect but NOOOO, it sure as hell didn¡¯t.¡±

    Shrugging her shoulders and clearing away the windows, Tobs clears her throat and curtsies again as an apology.

    ¡°Anyway, when the group made it to the final floor, the Tower AI, a Colleague of mine, Yennifer, paired up Benjamin Sanford with my third Host Selene, to take on a unique challenge, leaving Cynrik, Brance, and Gabrie Sanford, to partake in their challenge.

    ¡°The grouping of multiple people was done for two reasons. The first was due to being forced to raise the difficulty level of the final floor, and the second was because Team CBG achieved what is known as a ¡°Perfect Clear¡± of the previous floors, which is simply a fancy way to say that they killed everything without getting hit once.¡±

    ¡°Team CBG and Team SB were forced into marathon battles that saw them fighting against hundreds of opponents. I am pleased to say that everyone put on stunning performances, earning them XP crystals, Merit Points, and OKP (Obelisk Kill Points) as rewards.¡±

    ¡°Making their way back home, the members of MyrkLys didn¡¯t stop their progress as the next thing they did was burn through all their new rewards to obtain their Sub-sses and level up. This leads us to a moment that has been months in the making, the hatching of Cynrik¡¯s adorable little birdies *COUGH* I mean the fearsome beasts known by the name N¨¢tt Hrafn.¡±

    ¡°Oh wait, I forgot something here.¡±

    Waving her hand, a screen showing Cynrik ONCE AGAIN Doing some masochistic bullshit appears in your vision. However, this time, Tobs stops and crosses her arms as the expressionless mask you are ustomed to cracks, and you see the edge of her lips curl up in a slight smirk while her eyes turn into crescents.

    Looking at her carefully, you recognize the smug expression as one used by a specific pink-haired little girl from a family-oriented spy anime.

    Noticing that you¡¯ve caught her red-handed, Tobs looks away from the video of Cynrik carving his [Mark of the Tamer] into his Codex and bites her bottom lip.

    ¡°You saw nothing¡­do¡­ don¡¯t make me use the Hypno thingy again.¡±

    While she res at you, you spot a faint blush creeping onto her porcin-colored cheeks. Still, knowing it is in your best interest, you overlook what just happened and make a solemn vow to burn the sight into your memory before saying, ¡°What do you mean, Ma¡¯am? All I saw was Cynrik being an emo edgelord.¡±

    ¡°Un, that¡¯s what I thought. After hatching his birdies, it was time for Brance toe clean. After reading the memoir given to him by my Colleague Yennifer, Brance realized how deep a hole he had dug himself into and came clean to Cynrik.¡±

    ¡°But much to his surprise, Cynrik had already made a contingency n for this situation, and after dumping a bunch of resources on his little brother, it was finally time for the epic battle, years in the making.¡±

    ¡°Brance vs. The ArchAngel Michael. Well, to cut a long story short, as it turns out, Brance is kind of super OP in a 1v1 fight so long as he has his cheat-like [Radient Tower], and to say the battle turned one-sided very quickly is an understatement.¡±

    Looking around carefully, Tobs waves you toe closer, so she can whisper the next part of her thoughts.

    ¡°Between you and me, Brance is pretty much the strongest in the party right now, but don¡¯t let Cynrik know; we all know about his overly inted ego, and as much as I want to bring him down a peg, I REALLY don¡¯t want to have to deal with his bullshit whining like this,¡±

    Scrunching up her face and making a simr icy expression to the one you always imagine Cynrik wearing, Tobs finishes speaking while waving her arms.

    ¡°UNFAIR; WHY DOES BRANCE GET ALL THE COOL SHIT LEAVING ME WITH PASSIVE SKILLS AND CRAPPY STUFF?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, anywho, that¡¯s the recap; I won¡¯t bother going over the stuff with Gabby¡¯s new Kitty since that just happened, so IT¡¯S QUESTION TIME!!!! The recap took a little longer than usual, so I¡¯m going into rapid-fire mode.

    Q: Is the fact that Yenni is a CSH avatar and Geralt is named Geralt a sign that the CSH is earth-centric?

    A: Their names have nothing to do with the CSH in any way, shape, or form. It was entirely the doing of the man who Geralt calls Father and Yennifer Husband.

    Q: Is it possible people from simr worlds/universes exist from cultivation novels and reincarnated in this universe without the help of a god? For example, beings with the power level of demi-gods who died in their timelines or universes.

    A: In theory, yes, since anything is possible. But keep in mind that if a soul is too powerful, then there is no way those with the highest Authority Level in the CSH will allow them to end up on Vinestra as it wouldpletely shatter the Bnce of the World.

    Q: Is it possible to strengthen your body to hold two codexes or more? Or rather, make a technique that allows you to keep pseudo codexes to boost the amount of magic you have and increase the amount of Essence in your body.

    A: Che, sure, if you want to pop in a gory and massive explosion. The human body can only contain so much Mana, especially lower-Tier ones. While some species can withstand the pressure of having multiple Codexes, that is something Nature has dictated. Humans can only really have one Codex that grows over time. A stronger body allows for a more oversized Mana Pool and arger Codex.

    Think of how your body would react to having a second heart, and now turn both of those hearts into Nuclear power stations; let me know how long it takes before you explode.

    As for Essence, there is a limit to how much can be stored in the body. But as of yet, none of the members of MyrkLys have reached this limit.

    Q: Will Selene get Turning Point quests like the brothers, or because she is like iplete, would she slowly be a 2nd rate pseudo LC?

    A: Selene is what is considered a ¡°Perfect Legacy Charge.¡± From the beginning, her Soul was a perfect match for Freya¡¯s divinity Fragments. Thus, she will never have to undergo a Turning Point Quest.

    Q: Is there a rule in ce restricting themunications of CSH subsidiary AIs or are they allowed tomunicate freely/ with reasonable rules (no giving out ssified information, no directly working against other CSH AI hosts, etc.)?

    A: System AI¡¯s created by the Deities are in a category of their own. Although they have ess to restricted information and fall under the regtion of the CSH, they are not part of the governing body. Think of them as a type of independent contractor. I may call Yennifer my colleague; however, in reality, we only know of each other¡¯s existence and cannot interact directly; this is part of the contract the Deities have with the CSH for the regtion of the Legacy Strife.

    Us System Ai¡¯s are merely along for the ride and can only vaguely guide our hosts on a path suitable for them specifically.

    Q: How do you feel about Cynriks sudden change in attitude regarding his surroundings?

    A: I am a simple AI with no feelings or emotions, but if I had something resembling emotions or thoughts of my own, I would say, ¡°about damn fucking time that asshole stopped being a TOTAL EDGELORD!¡±

    Q: Will we get to see Cynrik separated from the group and how everyone reacts to the situation?

    A: Hmmm¡­.I wonder.

    Tobs pauses and stares off into space, where a shadowy figure you recognize as Author-San is munching on caramel popcorn.¡±

    ¡°What do you have to say for yourself?¡±

    Unfortunately, his only response is a creepy smile, much like Cynrik¡¯s.

    Q: @Little Tobsie, are you sentient yet? How far from Sapience on a scale of 1 to 10?

    ¡°Oi, WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST CALL ME???¡± I¡¯LL FOOKIN SMACK YOU IN YOUR GAB YOU BLOODY BASTAR¡­.why am I speaking in an English ent¡­.¡±

    Midway through her rant, Tobs pauses and ps her cheeks before staring deadpan at the User named ¡°TheOnionRerouted.¡±

    ¡°Be d there is a screen between us, fufu, if your ass ever showed up in my realm KUEKUEKUE~.¡±

    You don¡¯t know why, but you feel a sudden chill crawl down your spine and swear never to get on the Ai¡¯s bad side.

    Q: TOBS, you said before that it was unfortunate that you couldn¡¯t bring Benny and Gabby into the group chat; if you could, would you want to be a part of their systems as well?

    A: This¡­*sigh* my hands are tied with this predicament, mainly because Gabby and Benny do not have a divinity fragment attached to their souls. Because I am a System AI created by Odin and Yahweh, I cannot connect to the Soul of a regr being. The only reason I can link up with Cynrik, Brance, and Selene is the fragments in their souls and their identities as Legacy Charges.

    It is impossible to link up with the Sanford siblings, no matter how convenient it would be. When ites to them being a part of the party chat, it is also impossible because they do not have System Ai¡¯s, which I canmunicate with, but if¡­.

    -The Reader¡¯s authority level is not high enough-

    Q: As you stated previously, there are Other AI systems. So do all gods install an AI into all of their charges?

    A: Indeed they do. Since the Deities are forced to take the ¡°Hands off¡± approach once their Legacy Charge enters Vinestra, they need a way to ensure their charges don¡¯t veer off their predetermined course. But that is all the information I can give at this time.

    Q: Tobs, you seem tomunicate with Author-san; like how the brothers want to listen to music, what would his theme song be?

    A: ¡°Tears don¡¯t Fall,¡± by Bullet For My Valentine.

    When Tobs answers that question, the shadowy figure eating caramel popcorn starts coughing and choking.

    Author-San: ¡°OI, OI, HOW DARE YOU¡­¡±

    Seeing Author-San¡¯s reaction, an evil grin finds its way onto Tobs lips.

    A: ¡°The Foundations of Decay,¡± by My Chemical Romance.

    A: ¡°Wolf in Sheep¡¯s Clothing,¡± by Set it Off.

    Author-San: ¡°TOBS STOP! STOP THIS INSTANT!!!! I AM NOT AN EDGELORD LIKE CYNRIK. DON¡¯T WARP THE READER¡¯S MINDS WITH EDGY EMO MUSIC!

    Ignoring Author-San¡¯sints, Tobs snaps her fingers, and a notepad appears in her hands. Licking her index finger, she flips through and not so identally shows you the title page of her notes, ¡°Author-San¡¯s most listened to songs on Spotty.¡±

    A: ¡°Odd Future,¡± by Uverworld.

    A: ¡°Jingo Jungle,¡± by Myth & Roid.

    A: ¡°Shinzo wo Sasageyo!¡± by Linked Horizon.

    A: ¡°Fly High!!¡± by Burnout Syndromes

    ¡°As you can see, our beloved Author-San is not only a supreme edgelord but also ONE HELL OF A WEEB HEHE!¡±

    Author-San: ¡°DAMN IT, TOBS.¡±

    Frantically and visibly panicked, Author-San ps his hands and teleports you, the reader, into an empty void far away from the mischievous Ai; gritting his teeth angrily, he then turns to face you.

    Author-San: That is all the time we have for the Volume 4 edition of Tobs Corner. FORGET WHAT YOU JUST HEARD ABOUT MY MUSIC PREFERENCES!

    Author-San: *COUGH*

    Author-San: ¡°Anyway, I want to thank everyone for sticking with me. It has been a hell of a run so far, and we wouldn¡¯t have made it this far without your continued support. NOOWW for the bad news, I am taking a one-week break to get all my prep work done for what will be our most significant volume

 Chapter 360 Volume 5 Prologue

    Volume 5 BEGINS!!!!, Get in for a hell of a ride yall.

    New things to note. Since we haven¡¯t met the double chapter goals two months in a row, I have restructured things. As such, I will now have goals for extra chapters instead.

    Every 1500 PS = 1 Bonus Chapter

    Every 300 GT = 1 Bonus Chapter

    Super Gift = 1 Bonus Chapter

    Golden Gacha= 2 Bonus Chapters

    Rewards will be published within 24 hours.

    ¡ª

    ¡°Target located moving into position.¡±

    The cold voice of a young man came over the headset as a shadow moved through the dense treeline, closing the distance on a clearing half a kilometer away.

    In the center of that clearing was a toon of ugly green and orange humanoid creatures.

    ¡°Keep your head on a swivel, and tell that dumb cat not to get distracted this time, got it?¡± With his left eye closed, the young man locked onto the targeted group of opponents from above. While he flitted through the trees, his right eye was watching the forest ahead of him, and his left was scanning from up above; thanks to a specific skill, the Tier-2 Tamer passive Skill [Shared Sight].

    ¡°HEY, MILO, ISNT DUMB! He¡¯s still a baby!¡± As soon as the words left the young man¡¯s mouth, a sweet-sounding melodious young girl¡¯s voice replied hastily.

    ¡°Clears, we are approaching the target; get your heads in the game, you two.¡± A second young man¡¯s voice cut in, stopping the impending argument from spreading further.

    ¡°Yessir, bossy Bj?rn. Darling~ how long till contact with the target?¡± Adding her voice to the conversation, a second, more mature girl joined themunication channel.

    ¡°Sel, knock it off with the darling while we are on a mission and half a klick (1 klick = 1 kilometer, 0.6214 miles, 1000 meters, or 3280.84 feet).

    ¡®Vii, when you reach the encampment, increase altitude by 30 percent and continue circling.¡¯ The young man, Cynrik, said through his unique link with one of his two pet N¨¢tt Hrafn, Viisaus.

    ¡®Cawchiip,¡¯ the young male raven replied as it began to climb higher as fast as its wings could carry.

    ¡®Sie, break away from my shadow and scout the surrounding area for any stragglers. If you find anyone, you have permission to eliminate them.¡¯

    ¡®Cheepcaw.¡¯ A softer sound came from Sieleu, the young female N¨¢tt Hrafn, as it appeared seemingly from nowhere and shot off to the left of Cynrik while hugging the ground as it picked up speed.

    ¡°N1 and N2 are on the move.¡± Smiling like a proud father as both of his birds, who had grown swiftly over thest six weeks, followed hismands, Cynrik shook his head a few times before opening his left eye.

    Per his instructions, Vii and Sie would alert him once they were in position, so using his [Shared Sight] would only be wasting Resource stats and mental strength if he used it.

    Thinking back to the intense and rigorous training he had forced his party into caused the corner of Cynrik¡¯s lips to curl up in a smirk.

    Everything had gone ording to his ns for once, without any hindrances. With only a few days left until the first of many preliminary regional tournaments, he was pleased that everyone was on track to reach Tier-3 before the first tournament began.

    After nearly a dozen Egress dives and who knows how many sleepless nights of training, all the members of MyrkLys had grown drastically.

    ¡°Ivar, my channeling is ready.¡± The voice of a third teenage girl pulled Cynrik out of his thoughts as a strange glint shed in his eyes.

    ¡°Copy that, Melody; wait for Benny¡¯s signal. Stick to the n, and we will get home in time for dinner with ease.¡±

    Melody Gand, the daughter of Professor ire and Benny¡¯s girlfriend, had officially joined as a member of MyrkLys and was now part of the Competition team.

    During the training, Cynrik had given her a ¡°Special¡± amount of care, encroaching on torture both physically and mentally, all in an attempt to bring her up to speed so that she wouldn¡¯t be dead weight.

    Melody was transformed from a weak child to apetent member of MyrkLys¡¯ squad after being forced to fight hand-to-hand in a gauntlet with each member of MyrkLys for five five-minute rounds, on top of numerous Killing Intent Sessions.

    ¡°Roger, activating my movement skill to catch up, ETA 2 minutes.¡± Clenching her fingers around the wooden staff in her right hand, Melody chanted a spell and soon started teleporting 5-meters at a time, skipping through the woods using her spell [Blink].

    [Keep an eye on her, Brance; even if she has stuck with us for several weeks, I still don¡¯t trust her.] Looking over his shoulder with [Mana Sight] and locating the dainty girl skipping through the terrain, Cynrik narrowed his eyes while speaking in the mind link.

    [Oh, for crying out loud, Cyn, stop being so damn paranoid all the time. Melody is a sweet girl; most of all, she¡¯s captivated by Benny. Why can¡¯t you ept her like the rest of us and move on?]

    [You already thoroughly investigated her background, and everything checked out, she wasn¡¯t the cause of the spies infiltrating our Dorm, so knock it off already.] Brance¡¯s frustration was evident by his speaking tone.

    Since the incident where Melody lost control of her summon and created an opening for a group of spies to attack them, Cynrik had been adamant that things were too obvious and that there was no such thing as a coincidence in life.

    However, after thoroughly investigating the entire situation alongside Headmaster Rivia, neither could root out any moles or proof of these ims. After hearing Cynrik¡¯s suspicions, Headmaster Rivia had even caved into Cynrik¡¯s demands and allowed for a full investigation of Professor ire and her husband, which usually would have been impossible since she was a Tier-4 being.

    Without any proof or leads, Cynrik was forced to admit defeat and, per his agreement with Brance, allowed Melody to join MyrkLys.

    With his overly suspicious and paranoid nature, even if the girl showed no signs of being involved in the incident, that did not mean that Cynrik trusted the girl. If anything, he had be overly reserved and careful about his every action and word when Melody was around, and only Selene and Brance were aware of this.

    Still, at the end of the day, they needed two extra bodies for theirpetition team. Melody, who could be considered a diamond in the rough, was the perfect person to undergo intensive training under the watchful eye of Cynrik.

    This was a proven fact since she no longergged behind the other members of MyrkLys and had integrated seamlessly into the group.

    Sighing internally, Cynrik deactivated [Mana Sight] and paused just outside of the visual range of the clearing right as he heard the chirping of Vii.

    ¡°Overwatch in position,¡± closing his eyes and activating [Shared Sight], Cynrik¡¯s point of view changed drastically as he saw everything through Vii¡¯s eyes from over a hundred meters in the sky.

    Unlike his regr eyesight, Vii and Sie saw the world as a hybrid version of his [Mana Sight] and his normal vision, resembling a type of heat-vision, though instead of heat, they saw individual colors that indicated Mana particles.

    Although not as strong or precise as his [Mana Sight], the Raven¡¯s Eye was powerful in its own right, and best of all, it has a ridiculous range.

    With his eyes flicking back and forth rapidly under his eyelids, Cynrik quickly took a head count of all the enemies within therge clearing resembling a shabby vige.

    ¡°Goblin-kin settlement located, 203 Tier-1 Low-Grade Goblins, 122 Tier-2 Goblins, and 38 Tier-3 Bugbears. Be advised that to the north of the settlement, there appears to be a stable area with 42 mounts, Tier-2 JeearHorses.¡±

    ¡°The Chief¡¯s hut is located dead center, as anticipated, and the mission objective should be with the Chief, which, based on the readings I am receiving, is a peak Tier-3 Hobgoblin.¡±

    ¡°Remember, this is search, retrieve and destroy, one of the games we signed up for in thepetition. DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, move on the Chief¡¯s hut until I say otherwise. If we move too early, there is a good chance it will destroy the artifact we are supposed to retrieve.¡±

    ¡°When I give the signal, the Shadow squad will move in under cover of stealth, retrieve the artifact, and then all restraints are off.

    ¡ª

    Meanwhile, in a secure room, Headmaster Rivia and Instructor Garrison stood side by side, watching six floating virtual monitors.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe those kids actually pulled it off, jumping from Initial Tier-2 all the way to Peak in less than three months.¡± Shaking his head and crossing his arms, Instructor Garrison was beside himself.

    ¡°When Student Ivar brought his proposal to me, Iughed at the absurdity of his ims. The sheer amount of XP required to level up both sses and the main level to get ready for the Tier-3 evolution in such a short time is something even the prominent families deem impossible.

    ¡°Things would get veryplicated if the other Headmasters and Family heads knew of their achievement. Let alone trying to poach them to their academies, the number of bounties would skyrocket.¡± Wearing a bitter smile, Geralt thought back to that meeting several weeks ago, where the calm and collected Cynrik shot down the thought ofpeting at Tier-2 and pushed forward negotiations for reaching Tier-3.

    ¡°What is even more shocking is they pulled in a sixth member, Professor ire¡¯s daughter, before raising her up to their standard.¡±

    Looking away from the monitors, Geralt opened another window, showing all six members of MyrkLys lying motionlessly in full-dive capsules.

    Inside Cynrik¡¯s, the two Birds were nestled under his arms, and in Gabby¡¯s, Milo was curled up on her stomach.

    Since they were currently undergoing training scenarios, all the students and their pets were present inside of the CSH Controlled VR program, which would be used during thepetitions.

    These full-dive capsules were put into effect years ago due to all the idental deaths that used to ur frequently in pastpetitions.

    ¡°Headmaster, have you already gathered the necessary resources the six will require toplete their evolutions?¡± Raising an eyebrow at Geralt¡¯s actions, Garrison turned his attention back to the monitor showing Cynrik and Selene breaking into the Chief¡¯s hut to steal arge piece of rock.

    ¡°Sigh, Indeed I have. Unfortunately, our budget for the rest of the year has run dry. If MyrkLys doesn¡¯t produce results, I do not doubt that the investors and Board will be on my ass.¡± Chuckling dryly, Geralt felt a slight pain in his chest at the memory of having to pay for several resources from his pocket once the money from the budget ran out.

    ¡°With the artifact retrieved, Selene and Ivar have fallen back and secured it before giving the go-ahead to begin the subjugation. Garrison, what do you know about their pets?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± uncrossing his arms and scratching the back of his head, Garrison tried to find the right words.

    ¡°As with most things concerning MyrkLys, Ivar keeps everything overly secretive, never showing the full extent of his capabilities. Whenever I press him for information, he spouts a load of bullshit while leaking subtle information.¡±

    ¡°So really, all I know is the two Ravens are currently at Tier-2, and they have a Dark Affinity. They are just as antisocial as their Tamer, which makes sense since Tamed creatures tend to take after the being they are bonded to. But from what I can tell, the two are way stronger than they obviously should be.¡±

    ¡°And then there is Student Gabrie¡¯s cat. That thing is a freaking monster, no pun intended. Just being around it gives me the heeby jeebies. When I make eye contact with the thing, I get the same feeling as when I came in contact with that Fiercesom Chickoo all those years ago, and as you know, Alistar and I barely came out of that fight alive.¡±

    Hearing the mention of that dreadfully powerful existence, Headmaster Rivia felt a chill.

    ¡°Chickoo¡­what the fuck, how is it possible for a kitten to put out the same level of intimidation as one of those things?¡± Subconsciously Geralt rubbed his arms to calm down.

    Only once had he seen one of those Mythical creatures, and even then, he was too petrified to move lest he draws its attention.

    ¡°Your guess is as good as mine, Headmaster. Upon further investigation, I found out they picked the kitten up from one of the local pet stores, but even then, all I could find was it wasbeled as a normal Spotted Liollen.¡±

    Sighing in his heart, Garrison fell silent as he watched the six members of MyrkLys unleashing a heavy amount of ranged skills to quickly wipe out the entire Goblin Vige, achieving a perfect score on the challenge.

 Chapter 361 Medical Checkup (1)

    -Challenge Complete, Score: Perfect.-

    -You have received 1,000,000 XP.-

    -You have received +5 Points for Every Basic Stat.-

    -You have received 1000 Merit Points.-

    Opening his eyes, Cynrik was met by the dark and enclosed space of the full-dive capsule, so he sat still for a few seconds before feeling the rustling under his arms from Vii and Sie.

    ¡°Are you both okay?¡± Curling his arms around the two American football-sized ravens, Cynrik gave them a soft hug and received a few chirps in response.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Once he received confirmation from the birds, Cynrik lifted his right arm and tapped the surface of the full-dive capsule with his Watcet, which then beeped loudly and depressurized before opening.

    ¡°Gah, I hate closed spaces, Oi; why can¡¯t we just use like, I don¡¯t know, VR headsets.¡± Swinging open the capsule hatch, Cynrik sat up and immediately startedining when his eyes found Headmaster Rivia.

    ¡°Sure, you can use VR headsets if you don¡¯t want the advantage of 100% synchronization between your mind and the avatar inside the program. Sure, you will be utterly destroyed by the otherpetitors if you do so, but at least you won¡¯t get ustrophobic.¡± Resisting the urge to smack Cynrik upside the head, Headmaster Rivia walked up to theputer, monitoring Cynrik¡¯s vitals, and did a quick check before moving on to the other members of MyrkLys as they left their capsules.

    ¡°Bah, how bad could it be? 70 percent? 80 percent? I bet the difference between them isn¡¯t that bad.¡± As Cynrik spoke, he picked up Vii, ced him on his left shoulder, and then carried Sie in his arms.

    The two N¨¢tt Hrafn were quite particr about where they sat, and time had shown that Vii preferred being perched on Cynrik¡¯s shoulder; that way, he could have a full view of the surroundings, whereas Sie preferred the warmth of being held in Cynrik¡¯s arms.

    At least that is what Cynrik assumed, but it actually had to do with how Gabby always held Milo.

    After seeing Gabby walk around for two weeks without ever putting down Milo, Sie got the idea that it looked superfortable and thus began forcing her Tamer to carry her the same way, leaving Cynrik helpless.

    ¡°COUGH, listen up, MyrkLys, you all executed the mission exceptionally. Your teamwork, as always, was outstanding, and if I am being honest, I don¡¯t have much to critique.¡± Stepping into the middle of the room and looking at the six students standing at parade rest in front of their full-dive capsules, Instructor Garrison began his praising lecture.

    ¡°Ivar, you kept control as a leader from start to finish and had everyone moving ording to your thought-out n. By utilizing your two Tamed Beasts, you scouted and located the Target rtively quickly, and the only thing I can advise is instead of only using one of your birds, maybe use both next time.¡±

    ¡°There was a point where the bird on your shoulder went in the wrong direction, causing you to lose a few minutes. This could have been avoided if you had both of them in the air.¡±

    Hearing this criticism, Vii tilted his head at a downward angle and cawchiiped unhappily, earning him a head pat from Cynrik, who chuckled.

    Rolling his eyes and dismissing the antics of the bird, Garrison continued.

    ¡°You and Selene cleanly infiltrated the Chief¡¯s hut and stole the artifact, going unnoticed in the process and allowing ample time for the other team members to get into position.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have much to say about this part of the n, considering it was wlessly executed. Overall good job.¡± Nodding at Selene and ignoring the smug smile on Cynrik¡¯s face, a creepy smile crept up on his lips before saying the following few words.

    ¡°With that said, you two can now take your medical examinations, out the door, down the hall, fifth room on the right. Get a move on.¡±

    Cynrik¡¯s chuckles were instantly silenced as he suddenly felt as if all the blood had drained from his body, and a tingling sensation shot from the top of his head to his toes. His eyes rapidly searched the room for an escape route, only toe up empty.

    Headmaster Rivia and Instructor Garrison had anticipated this reaction. Thus they had prepared by choosing this room near the center of the building, and with only one door leading out, there was no escaping.

    pping his hands and shooting Cynrik a smile reminiscent of one a hungry lion would give its prey, Headmaster Rivia snapped his fingers using one of his Affinity skills and confined the entire building with a massive aqua-colored cube.

    ¡°Now, Student Ivar, I¡¯ve already locked down the area; you can¡¯t use your shadow teleportation skill this time; you are going to see the doctor today whether you like it or not.¡±

    With those words, panic set it for Cynrik as he activated [Mana Sight] and saw it wasn¡¯t just the room locked down but the whole building.

    ¡°Haa¡­haa¡­Headmassster you jest. I would nnever rrru rrun away fromm going to a doctor¡¯s visit.¡± Feeling the trickle of sweat running down his temple and his heart pounding frantically in his chest, Cynrik experienced a full-blown panic attack at the thought of going to the doctor.

    [You¡¯re stuttering.] Wearing a shit-eating grin, Brance teased. No one knew his brother better than him, which is why he knew how much Cynrik hated going to the doctor. It wasn¡¯t even just on Vinestra; this innate fear was ingrained in his soul.

    Even on Earth, Cynrik was more likely to set his broken bones and relocate dislocated joints, and there were even several cases of him stitching himself up with a fishing hook and line after getting a nasty cut.

    Cynrik had always been a fix-himself-up kind of person, who swore never to need a doctor, but this was all because of deep-seated fear, and quite frankly, one of Cynrik¡¯s very few fears at that.

    Casting a casual nce at his older brother, Brance could practically hear the poor hamster running as fast as its little legs would carry it in Cynrik¡¯s mind. Watching the rapid rise and fall of Cynrik¡¯s chest and even noticing the pulsing vein appearing on his brother¡¯s left temple, Brance was sure Cynrik was only a few seconds away from snapping entirely and making a mad dash out of the room.

    [WHAT DO YOU KNOW? FUCK THE DOCTOR; I AM OUT OF HERE! DOES GERALT FUCKING RIVIA THINK HE CAN STOP ME?]

    Brance¡¯s thoughts were proven correct not even a full secondter as Cynrik screamed into the mind link, ced Sie and Vii into his [Mark of the Tamer], and burst into motion toward the door.

    Unfortunately, Headmaster Rivia anticipated this reaction. With another snap of his fingers, half a dozen translucent Aqua-colored rings bound Cynrik so tightly that he suddenly ended up hugging the ground with his face and sliding headfirst into the wall.

    BANG

    ¡°OI, FUCKING LET ME GO! LET ME GO GERALT! HOW DARE YOU CHAIN ME DOWN!¡± Screaming maniacally, Cynrik thrashed around on the ground like a worm in an unsightly manner.

    ¡°Language student Ivar.¡± Covering his mouth to stifle hisughter, Headmaster Rivia scolded the bound Cynrik as he continued thrashing about to no avail.

    ¡°FUCK THAT! IF I WANNA CURSE. I¡¯LL FUCKING CURSE! I RAHH WILL GRRRR BREAK UGHHH THESE STUPID THINGS!¡± Flexing all his muscles and channeling Mana into his arms, back and legs, Cynrik struggled against the Tier-5 Mana constructs helplessly.

    Meanwhile, Gabby, Benny, and Selene looked questioningly from the grounded Cynrik to Brance for answers.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say, honestly. Big Brother has always been like this when ites to doctors.¡± Shrugging his shoulders and unsure what to say to defend Cynrik¡¯s actions, Brance shook his head.

    ¡°Cough, Student Bj?rn, could you please escort your brother to examination room one?¡± Fighting the urge to burst outughing at the helpless student he had confined, Headmaster Rivia put on a professional and empathetic expression as he made his request.

    ¡°Yes, Sir Headmaster Rivia.¡± It didn¡¯t take a rocket scientist to understand that Geralt didn¡¯t want to deal with Cynrik¡¯s crap any longer, so he passed the buck to the younger brother.

    ¡°TRAITOR, YOU ARE NO LITTLE BROTHER OF MINE, YOU FUCKING OOF!!

    Sighing loudly, Brance calmly walked over to his older brother, ced a well-timed kick into Cynrik¡¯s abdomen to rob him of oxygen, and scooped him onto his right shoulder before exiting.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m a traitor. Big Brother, take your freaking lumps and get it over with. Never forget that YOU epted the terms during your negotiations with the Headmaster. You have no one but yourself to me for this doctor visit, and since you already blew off the first couple and this is thest check-up, it is mandatory.¡±

    Looping his arm around Cynrik¡¯s body, Brance gave his older brother a firm squeeze to make him stop struggling, causing Cynrik to fall limp in defeat.

    It would be one thing if it were Selene, Gabby, or Benny carrying him into the gates of hell, but Cynrik was fully aware of how much higher Brance¡¯s STR stat was than his own.

    With his fate sealed, Cynrik red at Headmaster Rivia, Instructor Garrison, and his party members; Melody included sending a shudder down all of their backs.

    ¡°I will remember this and repay your travesty tenfold, especially you, my treacherous party members.¡± Having clenched his teeth so hard his gums were bleeding, Cynrik decided to leave everyone with a sinister quote. Revealing a bloody and sadistic smile to everyone in the room, he made a vow for revenge and was whisked off to what he could only think of as the worst thing in the world.

    Once the two brothers were gone, Selene was the first to speak up.

    ¡°I apologize for the scene my boyfriend caused. Honestly, I don¡¯t know why he overreacted like that, but please don¡¯t think poorly of him.¡± Stepping forward and bowing at a 90-degree angle, Selene took up the position of a responsible partner.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay; we already had a feeling he would freak out, especially since he ditched every other appointment with the medical staff; that was why Garrison and I set things up as we did.¡± Waving his hand dismissively, Headmaster Rivia continued.

    ¡°But I do hope that none of you will react the way Student Ivar did, or else things will getplicated. Thankfully each of you haspleted all your previous check-ups, so I have no doubt today will be any different. Now, Garrison, please continue with your observations so we can get the rest of the party on to their final medical examinations.¡± With that, Headmaster Rivia quickly excused himself and made his way toward the exam room Brance had whisked Cynrik off.

    However, when he made his approach, he smiled bitterly since he could already hear the anguished howls from the hallway.

 Chapter 362 Medical Checkup (2)

    Headmaster Rivia quickly excused himself and made his way toward the exam room Brance had whisked Cynrik off.

    However, when he made his approach, he smiled bitterly since he could already hear the anguished howls from the hallway.

    ¡°LET ME GO! LET ME GO, DAMN IT!¡±

    ¡°Hey¡­hey hey hey hey what is that AHHHHH KEEP THAT FUCKING THING AWAY FROM ME!!!!¡±

    ¡°IF YOU TOUCH ME WITH THAT GOD DAMN DEVICE, I WILL KILL YOU, AND YOUR ENTIRE FUCKING FAMILY *High pitched Screaming* AHHHhhHhHHHHh!¡±

    BANG

    ¡°Will you shut the fuck up, Ivar? What the hell was that girly ass scream just now, knock it off and let the Doctor take your damn vitals.

    Staring at the closed door with dead eyes, Headmaster Rivia ced his back against the wall and took up the mantel of DoorGuard just in case Cynrik broke through the restraints and made a break for it.

    ¡ª

    Inside the exam room, Cynrik was propped back at a 140-degree angle facing the ceiling on the exam table, which had the appearance of an oversized plushy mechanical chair that could fully recline t to turn into a makeshift bed.

    When Cynrik was brought into the room and roughly thrown onto the exam table in a chair-like shape, Brance, under the direction of the Doctor, a 60 to 70-year-old man with salt and pepper hair, restrained his brother to the chair so tightly that he couldn¡¯t move a single inch.

    Strangely enough, the leather straps being used as restraints absorbed the bindings created by Headmaster Rivia and began glowing in the same aqua-colored light and soon became just as indestructible as the ones previously binding Cynrik.

    From the moment Cynrikid eyes on the Doctor, he hadn¡¯t stopped screaming and freaking out, thoroughly startling the Doctor, and although he seemed old and experienced, it was the first time he had a student patient reacting in such a fearful manner.

    No matter what instrument the Doctor picked up and used on Cynrik, be it a simple thermometer or even the wooden stick used to check the patient¡¯s tonsils, Cynrik would lose his shit.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, Doc, how much are they paying you? I¡¯ll double, no TRIPLE IT! Just let me go and give me a clean bill of health. Easy, right hahaahaaa.¡± Wearing an expression that was a cross between terror and panic, Cynrik nervouslyughed while attempting to bribe the Doctor, but it was useless.

    ¡°Listen, young man; if you don¡¯t cooperate, there are only two options. Either I have this strapping example of a perfectly fit and healthy young man that, from what I gather, is your younger brother hold you down while I conduct the examination, or I sedate you.

    ¡°SEDATE!!! NO NEEDLES, NO FUCKING NEEDLES, YOU BASTARD OLD MAN, OR I SWEAR TO EVERYTHING I WILL *Muffled yelling*.¡±

    Before Cynrik could finish his threats, Brance took a dirty sock from his inventory and shoved it into his older brother¡¯s mouth to shut him up, earning him an angry and betrayed re from Cynrik.

    ¡°Please excuse him, Doctor; as you can tell, my Big Brother is a bit of a wimp in this kind of situation.¡± Giving the Doctor a bitter smile, Brance reached over and pinched Cynrik¡¯s side hard enough to make him whimper in pain, and if you could see under his t-shirt, a visible bright purple bruise instantly formed.

    ¡°Indeed he is; I haven¡¯t seen anyone under the age of seven act this way in my 90 years of practice; it is quite the shock to me. Nheless, as long as you can keep him restrained so I can work, we should be able to get everything over with rtively quickly.¡± While the Doctor spoke, he picked up a handheld scanner device, pressed a few buttons, and moved over to the opposite side of Cynrik from Brance.

    Next, he pressed the trigger on the scanner, making it beep twice before he pressed it against Cynrik¡¯s forearm.

    When the machine touched his arm, Cynrik froze in ce and visibly shivered.

    ¡°BEEP BEEP BEEP, Age, 13 years. Body Strength Tier-3, Particle resistance 15g.¡± A robotic voice yed from the machine, and upon hearing the readings received, the Doctor nearly dropped the expensive scanner device.

    ¡°Tier-3 and 15gs¡­ at 13 years of age¡­astounding; how in the world do you two train?¡± The Doctor asked with a shocked expression painting his wrinkled face.

    Brance didn¡¯t answer but gave a mysterious smile instead, and upon seeing that he wasn¡¯t going to answer the question, the Doctor changed the settings on the scanner, lifted up Cynrik¡¯s shirt, and ced it against his chest as if it was a gun before pressing the trigger again.

    Unlike with his arm, Cynrik didn¡¯t sit still and instantly began fighting against the constraints when his shirt was lifted, earning him a swift bop on the head from Brance.

    ¡°BEEP BEEP BEEP, Abnormal reading from patient Codex, ERROR ERROR!!!¡±

    Before the device could continue with its scan, it suddenly powered down and began smoking.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Confused by the reaction from the scanner, the Doctor smacked it a couple of times before walking back over to his instrument cab and finding arger scanning device.

    ¡°That was quite unexpected; the machine is rated up to Tier-2 stage 3¡­.¡± The more the Doctor thought about what just happened, the more shocked he became as he whipped his head back over to Brance and Cynrik.

    ¡°You¡­young man, is your Brother¡¯s Codex beyond Tier-2 already?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir¡­¡± Knowing that the information was bound toe out the longer the examination continued, Brance answered honestly.

    ¡°I see; so long as it isn¡¯t above Tier-3, I should be able to get a proper reading from with this machine.¡±

    ¡°MMMM, MMMMMMM, MMMM.¡± However, Cynrik wasn¡¯t quiet. With Brance leaking his info to the Doctor so quickly, he couldn¡¯t just sit by.

    With a mixture of anger and fear, Cynrik began channeling Mana into his arms and legs inrge amounts.

    In his mind, this was a stranger; even if the old man was a well-established medical professional personally picked and trusted by the Headmaster, that wasn¡¯t good enough for Cynrik, so he decided to fight back for real.

    Using Fire Mana, Cynrik instantly destroyed the dirty sock in his mouth, and the muscles and veins on his body bulged with effort as he used every ounce of his power to try to break free of his constraints.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough; if you think I will sit here and let you¡­.¡±

    BAM

    Before he could finish speaking, Brance close-lined Cynrik¡¯s chest with his forearm, knocking the wind out of his older brother and forcing him to lie limply on the exam table.

    [Knock it off; I know you hate this kind of thing, but there is no point in struggling. Headmaster Rivia needs urate measurements. It is standard procedure, and other than you, me, the Doctor, and Headmaster Rivia, there is no one else who will know about this information. Hell Headmaster Rivia even forced the Doctor into a Soul Contract, and if he even thinks about breaking it, the Doctor is instantly killed.]

    [He needs your data verified before allowing you to enter thepetition since we need to prove we are well on our way to Tier-3 and that our bodies and strength are stable enough topete. THESE ARE YOUR WORDS CYN, NOT MINE!]

    Grumbling as he held down Cynrik forcefully, Brance scolded his brother as the Doctor got back into position and scanned Cynrik¡¯s body with the more powerful device.

    ¡°BEEP BEEP BEEP. Mana Codex and Circuits Strength Tier-3, Stage 6. Mana Codex Growth in the top 0.1%. Determining Affinities, Four Affinities Discovered, Dark, Fire, Lightning, and Wind.¡±

    When the results were read aloud by the scanner, the Doctor¡¯s face paled as he began mumbling under his breath.

    ¡°Fffour Affinities, Tier-3 Stage Six¡­and a ridiculously high Growth Rate.¡± With shaky hands, the Doctor stumbled back to his instrument cab, ced the scanner back into its housing, and walked over to the door.

    With three knocks on the door from the Doctor, Headmaster Rivia instantly appeared in the room.

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem? Is Student Ivar not allowing you toplete your tests?¡± ncing from the visibly shaken Doctor to Cynrik and Brance, Headmaster Rivia frowned.

    ¡°Nnno, Sir¡­in fact, I have all the necessary results, but they are so abnormal I needed to report them to you with haste.¡± Tapping on his Watcet, the sound of a printer whirling up broke the deafening silence of the exam room as soon a sheet of paper with all Cynrik¡¯s data was spat out, and with a flick of the Headmaster¡¯s wrist, it flew to his hand.

    Creasing his brow and reading through the incredulous results, Headmaster Rivia wasn¡¯t fully caught off guard. He had already seen the full extent of MyrkLys¡¯s fighting ability in the Obelisk, but to see the results from Cynrik¡¯s medical exam startled him slightly.

    The paperid out an incredible amount of data; everything was neatly organized and closely resembled what Cynrik saw on his Status Profile.

    : Body Strength ¨C Tier-3 :

    : Particle Resistance ¨C 15g :

    : Mana Codex ¨C Tier-3

    : Mana Circuits ¨C Tier-3, Merged with Circtory System :

    : Mana Codex Growth ¨C Top 0.1% :

    : Mana Codex Size ¨C 9 Cm by 8.5 Cm, by 8.5 Cm. (3.54 Inches by 3.34 inches by 3.34 inches.) :

    : Affinity Count ¨C 4 :

    : Affinity Information :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier-3 (Master):

    :(AG) Fire-Tier-3 (Master):

    :(SAG) Lightning-Tier-2.5 (Expert):

    :(BG) Wind-Tier-3 (Expert):

    : Stat Composition Based on Average Peak Tier-2 Standards :

    : Strength-: SS+:

    : Dexterity- SSS+ :

    : Agility- SSS+ :

    : Intelligence- SSS :

    : Vitality- SS+ :

    : Mind- SSS :

    : Overall Analysis, Based on the readings received, the patient is considered an SSS+ to EX ranked individual in Tier-2. The patient is perfectly healthy and can move forward with their Tier-3 Evolution. The chances of properpletion of evolution are 125%. It is not predicted that there will be any adverse effects if the patient undergoes the proper evolution procedure. :

    Headmaster Rivia¡¯s hands began shaking as he held the paper and read through its contents. Having been watching Cynrik during his stay at the Academy, Headmaster Rivia was aware of how ridiculously strong the boy was for his Tier and age. However, even with that thought rattling around in his mind, it was an entirely different case to have his information printed for his eyes to read.

    ¡°Are you sure about this information, Doctor?¡± Knowing the implications of this information being leaked, Headmaster Rivia pressed the Doctor for confirmation.

    ¡°Yes, Headmaster, I have run all the necessary tests and procedures, and those results are one hundred percent urate.¡± Nodding his head and giving his assurance, the Doctor felt his pulse rapidly increase while he made eye contact with Headmaster Rivia.

    ¡°I see, alright. I don¡¯t have to exin that everything you have learned and will learn with the other Faction members is confidential. Aside from the individuals involved, the only third party besides yourself who can know about this knowledge is me. Do not forget about the Soul Contract.¡± Nodding his head, Headmaster Rivia turned and met Cynrik¡¯s fierce gaze.

    ¡°You are done with your Exam Student Ivar, and it is your brother¡¯s turn. You will not be allowed to leave this facility until everyone¡¯s checkups arepleted, do you understand?¡± Snapping his fingers and withdrawing his Affinity Skill, Headmaster Rivia spun on his heel and left the room before he could hear anyints from Cynrik.

 Chapter 363 The Results of Their Training (1)

    ¡°You are done with your Exam Student Ivar, and it is your brother¡¯s turn. You will not be allowed to leave this facility until everyone¡¯s checkups arepleted, do you understand?¡± Snapping his fingers and withdrawing his Affinity Skill, Headmaster Rivia spun on his heel and left the room before he could hear anyints from Cynrik.

    ¡°Tsk, hold me down and force me to go to the Doctor, will you? See if I don¡¯t get my revenge.¡± Rubbing his sore wrists as he grumbled, Cynrik put some distance between himself and the Doctor and ended up standing in the corner of the room with his back facing the wall.

    [Oh, shut up, Cyn. Don¡¯t act like you can do anything to the Headmaster. I doubt you¡¯ll even be able to withstand three hits from him, even after reaching Tier-3.] Rolling his eyes and recing his brother in the exam chair, Brance decided to poke the angry bear.

    [Who said I was talking about Geralt, hm? How do you know I am not plotting your demise as we speak, Brancie?] Crossing his arms over his chest and nervously ncing at the Doctor as he picked up the tools to test Brance¡¯s physique, Cynrik shot back.

    [HAHAHAHA! You? get revenge on ME? Did you already forget that all I need to do to handle you is toss a few [White Dwarfs] in your direction, and poof, you go down? Don¡¯t kid yourself, Cyn.] Stifling hisughter so as not to alert the Doctor, Brance calmly allowed the man toplete all his tests quickly, and soon enough, the brothers left the exam room and rejoined their party back in the room where the full-dive capsules were located.

    Upon entering the room, Cynrik and Brance found out that not only were Gabby, Benny, Selene, and Melody back after havingpleted their medical exams, but Instructor Garrison and Headmaster Rivia had brought out arge table. ced on the far side of the room, along with enough chairs for everyone to take a seat, it created a strange contrast visually. Aside from the 30¡Á40 meter beige walled white tiled room with six full-dive capsules and correspondingputers, the room waspletely bare and empty.

    ¡°Take a seat, everyone; we have some things to go over.¡± Waving his right arm toward the table, Headmaster Rivia motioned for the idle students to sit, so they did, only there was an apparent order to how they sat down.

    The first to sit was Cynrik, who took the seat at the opposite end of the table from Headmaster Rivia. With the table being a rectangle and Cynrik seated at the opposite end, Brance ignored the chair to his brother¡¯s right open and sat one away, leaving Selene to fill in the seat beside Cynrik.

    Next was Gabby, who sat down beside her boyfriend, followed by Benny and Melody.

    The seating order didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Headmaster Rivia. He chalked it up to Cynrik¡¯s leadership. At the same time, Instructor Garrison walked around the table, cing a sheet of paper down in front of each student before walking over and standing behind the seated Headmaster.

    These sheets of paper, and the identical one in Headmaster Rivia¡¯s hands, had the full results of the Members of MyrkLys¡¯s examinations. It was a generic list detailing everyone¡¯s stats with a grade.

    cing his paper down and meeting each student¡¯s eyes, Headmaster Rivia noticed that none of the members was surprised by the test results. Unlike Cynrik, everyone was acting extremely professionally as they sat straight with their backs against their chair with hands in theirp, with the lone exception being Cynrik, who was leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed. To say that Headmaster Rivia was impressed by them would be an understatement.

    After calming himself down, Headmaster Rivia mentally reviewed the numerical values attached to each Letter Grade. If a stat was rated at S, it was already at the high standard of 1000 points.

    To earn the ssification of A-grade, a Tier-2 being¡¯s stat had to fall between 900 and 999 points, ording to the CSH Tier-2 grading list.

    To reach an S grade, one needed to Breakthrough 1000 points in a given stat. An S+ grade required a minimum score of 1050 and a maximum score of 1099.

    The point range began rapidly climbing after that, with SS grades going from 1100 to 1200; this was considered the general Max for normal Tier-2 humans. Thus one would have to break their racial stat cap to earn a higher grade, and when it came to SS+ grade, the gap widened even further, ranging from 1201 to 1499.

    To achieve an SSS grade, which begins at 1500 and ends at 1699, Breaking the limits was no longer the only way; one would need to have a Bloodline. In addition, to qualify for SSS+, a being must break past their bloodline limits and pass through the 1700-point threshold.

    With S representing 1000 stat points in a given stat, any higher grade indicated they had surpassed the epted ¡°Standard¡± and passed the general public by somewhat breaking their racial limits. Multiple members of MyrkLys had done just that.

    Narrowing his eyes and focusing on the young man sitting opposite of him, Headmaster Rivia had to control himself from scolding Cynrik, who was wearing a confident and cocky smile as he lounged casually in his chair.

    ¡°How high are they.¡± Arguing with himself internally, Headmaster Rivia broke his silence after finding the words he wanted to say.

    ¡°Whatever do you mean, Headmaster?¡± Understanding what Geralt wanted to know but still acting dumb, Cynrik tilted his head to the side and yed the part as he shot a casual nce at Instructor Garrison, indicating he wasn¡¯t going to speak about it so long as the man was present.

    ¡°Sigh, Garrison, can you give me a minute with the students? I apologize for the inconvenience. We both know how secretive and overly cautious Student Ivar is at all times.¡± Massaging his temples in frustration, Headmaster Rivia dismissed Instructor Garrison and dropped a sound canceling device, encasing the table in a Mana bubble that would block all sound.

    ¡°Cut the crap, Ivar; you know damn well Garrison is under control of a Soul Contract and can¡¯t betray me, the academy, or you.¡± Resisting the urge to flip the table and choke the cocky teen sitting across from him, Headmaster Rivia let out another tired sigh, causing Cynrik to chuckle lightly.

    ¡°Whether or not Instructor Garrison is under a contract has nothing to do with me deciding to discuss my and my Faction¡¯s heavily protected Secrets Headmaster.¡± Although his mouth said one thing, Cynrik was already in the process of removing several sheets of paper from his inventory and tossing them to Geralt as if they were ying cards.

    With a light swooshing sound as the papers cut through the air, the sheets flew toward Geralt, who calmly reached out, caught all six sheets, and organized them on the table.

    Without looking at the papers immediately, Headmaster Rivia raised an eyebrow and gave Cynrik a questioning nce.

    ¡°And this is?¡±

    ¡°Our Stat profiles. I have many follow-up questions, but they can wait for now. Oh, by the way, you should probably prepare yourself before reading through those, you are old after all, and I don¡¯t want you to end up keeling over from shock.¡± Snickering to himself, Cynrik said while leaning forward and steepling his fingers with his elbows propped up on the table.

    Grunting unhappily and cursing Cynrik in his mind, Geralt began reading the first of the six sheets of paper and soon started struggling to control his emotions as his blood ran cold.

    : Gabrie Sanford :

    : Level: 35/35 CAP :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 40,154,258 :

    : P-ss (Huntress): 35 ¨C XP : CAP

    : S-ss (Basic Potioneer): 35 ¨C XP : CAP

    : Distribution: 0(2) STR, 2(17) DEX, 0(10) AGI, 2(1) INT, 0(2) VIT, 2(7) MIND :

    : Mana Codex & Cicuits Tier-2.5 :

    : Stage 4 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-3, 15g Resistance :

    : STATS :

    : HP 31,300/31,300 :

    : Mana 15,785/15,785 :

    : Stamina 15,650/15,650 :

    : Stat Points- 270 :

    : Skill Points- 226 :

    : Strength- 1000 :

    : Dexterity- 1200 :

    : Agility- 1200 :

    : Intelligence- 1000 :

    : Vitality- 1000 :

    : Mind- 1100 :

    : Will Power- 71 :

    : Partner Bond- 25% :

    : Killing Intent- 722 ¨C 6.50G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SBG) Psychic-Tier-3 (Expert): :

    :(BG) Chloro-Tier-3 (Expert)

    The first stat sheet that Headmaster Rivia read through was Gabby¡¯s. Her growth had explodedpared to the initial exam leading before the Selections.

    Headmaster Rivia wasn¡¯t too excited when she was initially ranked as an AA-grade applicant. However, now she was more qualified than ever to be considered an SS grade seed. This was because she had already capped two of her stats, and the third was almost there, earning SS grade ssifications in DEX, AGI, and MIND, while the rest achieved S grade ssifications.

    Taking a moment to calm himself down after the revtion that every member of MyrkLys was now at the minimum S grade seeds, Headmaster Rivia ced Gabby¡¯s paper down and began reading through her brother¡¯s sheet. But soon, the moment he read the names of Benny¡¯s ss and Sub-ss, Headmaster Rivia¡¯s eyes zed over, and he nearly passed out from shock.

    : Status :

    : Benjamin Sanford :

    : Level: 35/35 CAP :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 40,154,258 :

    : P-ss (Hoplite-Vanguard): 35 ¨C XP : CAP

    : S-ss (Basic Spirit Armament Smith): 35 ¨C XP : CAP

    : Distribution: 2 STR, 2 VIT : (STR 11, DEX 14, AGI 7, VIT 11, MIND 7)

    : Mana Codex & Cicuits Tier-3 :

    : Stage 4 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-3, 15g Resistance :

    : STATS :

    : HP 50,3000/50,3000 :

    : Mana 19,700/19,700 :

    : Stamina 25,150/25,150 :

    : Stat Points- 12 :

    : Skill Points- 466 :

    : Strength- 1200 :

    : Dexterity- 1200 :

    : Agility- 1200 :

    : Intelligence- 1200 :

    : Vitality- 1200 :

    : Mind- 1200 :

    : Will Power- 77 :

    : COLD Resistance- 50 :

    : HEAT Resistance- 50 :

    : Killing Intent- 722 ¨C 6.50G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(AG) Water-Tier 3 (Expert):

    |:(SAG) Ice-Tier-2 (Expert):

    :(AG)Fire-Tier-2 (Expert):

    :(SEC)Temperature-Tier-3 (Beginner):

    For a solid two minutes, Headmaster Rivia stared absent-mindedly at the sheet in his hands with the Unique ss and Epic Sub-sses names echoing in his mind.

    Setting aside the issue of how expensive and sought after, not to mention rare, both sses were, it wasn¡¯t until Headmaster Rivia reached Benny¡¯s Affinity list that his mind nearly shattered.

    Of the members of MyrkLys, Benny had been the student that Geralt overlookedpletely and figured he was only part of the group due to his little sister and having grown up with Cynrik and Brance. Benny had never been on Geralt¡¯s radar, and he was not impressed when he took his tests before the selections and even after watching his match with Instructor Garrison.

    It wasn¡¯t until he viewed Benny¡¯s progress in the Obelisk that a spark of interest was ignited, but now, he was utterly beside himself.

 Chapter 364 The Results of Their Training (2)

    Of the members of MyrkLys, Benny had been the student that Geralt overlookedpletely and figured he was only part of the group due to his little sister and having grown up with Cynrik and Brance. Benny had never been on Geralt¡¯s radar, and he was not impressed when he took his tests before the selections and even after watching his match with Instructor Garrison.

    It wasn¡¯t until he viewed Benny¡¯s progress in the Obelisk that a spark of interest was ignited, but now, he was utterly beside himself.

    Headmaster Rivia¡¯s eyes flicked to the cocky teen across the table wearing a smug grin, and he felt a chill run down his spine. If it took two of these stat sheets to put him in such a mental state, how was he supposed to react after seeing the pages representing the powerhouses?

    Knowing that someone got a particr grade rating during a medical check-up was one thing; errors happen and aren¡¯t necessarily always correct. Still, seeing the numbers of both Sanford siblings, Headmaster Rivia couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡®Ivar, what the hell kind of training did you put them through.¡¯

    However, his mind came to a screeching halt when he put down Benny¡¯s page and read through Melody¡¯s. As the daughter of one of his professors, Headmaster Rivia had always kept a quiet eye on her progress, and thinking back to the beginning of the school year, he remembered two critical bits of information.

    The first was that Although she scored rtively high with her INT and MIND stats because she was a Mage/Summoner, all her other stats were abysmally low. Those two stats aside, Melody¡¯s situation was so bad that she had been given a D-grade on STR, DEX, AGI, and VIT, which was rarely seen when it came to someone so talented in Spells and Affinity Skills.

    : Status :

    : Melody Gand (Dumb Sheltered Princess, DSP) :

    : Title ¨C Perfect Foundation, Reforged Body, Sorcerer¡¯s Physique :

    : Human Female:

    : Age-14:

    : Tier-2 :

    : Primary ss ¨C Tier-2 Mage : (+7 INT, +7 MIND Distribution)

    :Former: Tier-1 Apprentice Mage : (+2 INT, +2 MIND Distribution)

    : Sub-ss ¨C Tier-2 Apprentice Summoner : (+7 INT, +7 MIND Distribution)

    : Level: 35/35 CAP :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 29,554,297 :

    : P-ss (Mage): 35 ¨C XP : CAP

    : S-ss (Summoner): 35 ¨C XP : CAP

    : Distribution: 2 INT, 2 MIND : (INT 16, MIND 16)

    : Mana Codex & Cicuits Tier-3 :

    : Stage 5 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-3, 15g Resistance :

    : Credits: 9,144,883 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 20,500/20,500 : 20 Per Point

    : Mana 44,750/44,750 : 40 Per Point

    : Stamina 5125/5125 : 5 Per Point

    : Stat Points- 0 : (5 per Level) ss (2)

    : Skill Points- 0 : (2 per level) ss (2)

    : Strength- 900 :

    : Dexterity- 900 :

    : Agility- 900 :

    : Intelligence- 1200 :

    : Vitality- 1200 :

    : Mind- 1200 :

    : Will Power- 87 :

    : Killing Intent- 466 ¨C 5.25 G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(BG) Wind-Tier-3 (Expert):

    :(BG) Terra-Tier-3 (Expert):

    :(SBG) Dust-Tier-2 (Expert)

    ¡°YOU, IVAR RAGNARSSON, HOW IN THE FUCK DID YOU DO THIS?¡± Jumping to his feet and pointing an anxiously shaking finger at Melody, who recoiled in fear due to the Headmaster¡¯s sudden outburst, Headmaster Rivia screamed while looking between the girl and Cynrik frantically.

    ¡°Hm? Are you asking how I took DSP from a shit-tier ss cannon and turned her into a somewhat viable teammate? That, Headmaster, is quite simple.¡± Leaning forward and waving his hand in a downward motion to get Geralt to sit back down, Cynrik smiled and began exining.

    ¡°You see, when Melody first joined us, to say she was severelycking in every stat department would be an understatement. In contrast to Intelligence and Mind, which sat around 540 each, Strength, Dexterity, and Agility remained at 375.¡±

    ¡°Hell, if not for her having finished off both of her prestige, I don¡¯t doubt they would have still been in the 100s. But I digress; stats aside, her casting speed was slow as shit, not to mention her Resistance and Body strength were both low as hell. If it weren¡¯t for her rtionship with Benny, I wouldn¡¯t have batted an eye in her direction.¡± Shrugging his shoulders and ignoring the res he was receiving from Brance, Gabby, Selene, and Benny, Cynrik continued speaking.

    ¡°However, since we require two members topete and time was short, I decided to pick her up and give her some much-needed TLC.¡± When Cynrik said TLC, Headmaster Rivia noticed Melody shiver in fear, making him raise an eyebrow.

    ¡°To increase her resistance and body strength, I forced her into gravity training rooms until I was satisfied with her growth enough to allow her to participate in our regr body conditioning program.¡±

    ¡°The regr training consists of cycled Killing Intent Bombardment; this not only sharpens one¡¯s mind, allowing them to keep a clear head inbat, but also tempers their body, will, and Resistance.¡±

    This time, Gabby, Benny, and Melody shivered together, making Headmaster Rivia view Cynrik in a different light. If everything the boy was saying was true, he had subjected the rest of his group to brutal mental and physical torture.

    And from what he could tell, they were all still standing and seemed ok on the outside, but from just a few simple words, it was evident to him that all three of the children had some mental trauma due to Cynrik¡¯s training program.

    ¡°Phase two was conditioning, in which everyone, myself included, participates. Regimented physical exercise, flexibility training, acrobatics, weight training, calisthenics, you name it; we do it for around 2-3 hours daily, rain or shine.¡±

    ¡°Her physique causes her resource stats to be reduced heavily, so I had to find a way to improve them, and I ultimately decided that, apart from physical training, all of her Stat points were spent on anything other than INT and MIND.¡±

    ¡°Mmm, in the beginning, she was cking pretty bad, so I had to double her workout time, but after a couple of weeks, the results started toe through, but it was our time in the Egresses where Melody began to increase her power rapidly.¡± Tilting his head slightly, Cynrik noticed Melody looking at him with a mixture of emotion on her face, so he winked at her and turned to face Geralt again.

    ¡°466 kills, that is what everyone during our Dives earned. I meticulously chose which Egresses we would go into specifically because of the kill rewards given by particr creatures. In this way, I could boost everyone¡¯s stats evenly to an extent. Every member of MyrkLys gained 390 STR, 250 DEX, 350 AGI, 275 INT, 400 VIT, and 195 MIND. With these kill boosts on top of the gratuitous XP, everyone could Cap their sses and Primary Level, bringing us all to the Peak of Tier-2.¡±

    ¡°But Melody was slightly different from the rest of the party. We had all been in life or death situations so jumping into an Egress was simply par for the course; however, she hadn¡¯t. Until my training course, Melody had only ever fought in VR and used expensive resources to increase her level, so calling her ¡°Sheltered¡± was a given.¡±

    Releasing a sigh and steepling his fingers again, Cynrik looked at Melody, staring down at her hands with a crestfallen expression.

    ¡°But, I am a fair person, and I give credit where credit is due; Melody has never onceined even though I put her through a level of training specifically meant for my Brother and me toplete. In the end, although I may have made the n and forced her to execute it properly, her unbreaking will and drive to stand alongside us got her to where she is currently.¡±

    Hearing the praise from Cynrik, something he had never once done for her, Melody¡¯s head snapped up, and she beamed a bright smile in his direction.

    [[Hehe, darling~ it looks like Melly likes praise just as much as Gabby.]] Noticing this, Selene couldn¡¯t help but speak up.

    [[Eh? Woman, shouldn¡¯t you be jealous of how she¡¯s blushing while staring at me?]] Fighting the urge to recoil in disgust at the thought of Melody like-liking him, Cynrik shot back.

    [[Jealous? Of Melly, hahaha, yeah, right, you wouldn¡¯t even give her a second look. However, I would kill her in a heartbeat if I thought otherwise.]]

    [[Attagirl.]]

    [[Will you two stop discussing killing our party members and flirting, we are in a fucking meeting.]] With his right eye twitching, Brance quickly scolded the idiots.

    C: [[EVERY PARTY NEEDS A POOPER!]]

    S: [[THAT¡¯S WHY WE INVITED BRANCIE.]]

    C/S: [[PARTY POOOPERRR, PARTY POOPPPERR.]]

    [[Oh fuck off.]] Rolling his eyes and directing his attention back to Headmaster Rivia, Brance took a deep breath and waited.

    ¡°Anywho, I think it¡¯s time to move on to the next member, don¡¯t you, Headmaster?¡± Cynrik stated with the corner of his lip curling up in a smirk.

    Unaware of the conversation happening in the mind link, Headmaster Rivia digested the information about Cynrik¡¯s training program, sighed softly, ced Melody¡¯s paper down, and began reading through Selene¡¯s Stats, thinking he was numb to surprises by this point.

    : Selene Nilsson (Temptress) :

    : Level: 35/35 4,673,398 /4,673,398 :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 39,136,400 :

    : P-ss (Valk-Vanguard): 35 ¨C XP : CAP

    : S-ss (LeatherWorking): 35 ¨C XP : CAP

    : Distribution: 2 Per DEX, AGI, INT : (STR 16, DEX 16, VIT 7,)

    : Mana Codex & Circuits Tier-3 :

    : Stage 5 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-3, 15g Resistance :

    : Credits: 23,000,000 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 42,560/42,560 :

    : Mana 22,330/22,330 :

    : Stamina 21,280/21,280 :

    : Stat Points- 0 :

    : Skill Points- 550 :

    : Strength- 1628 :

    : Dexterity- 1603 :

    : Agility- 1236 :

    : Intelligence- 1177:

    : Vitality- 1334 :

    : Mind- 1153 :

    : Will Power- 50 :

    : Killing Intent- 695 ¨C 6.25 G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier-3 (Expert):

    :(SAG)Abyss-Tier1 (Initial):

    Reading through her stats, Headmaster Rivia frowned deeply after seeing that Selene had actually had two SSS grade Stats, her STR and DEX, while the rest were either SS or SS+. His first thought upon seeing them was to ask which Bloodline she had, but just as he was about to say something, Cynrik¡¯s pupils constricted, and Headmaster Rivia felt a terrifying pressure bare down on his body.

    ¡°I rmend you continue reading and don¡¯t bother asking what I think you are about to ask Headmaster. There is a reason I left out certain information, and it is not something I will converse with you about, no matter how much you threaten my party or me. Also, remember that every one of us has over 5g of Killing Intent, so I rmend you let it go, lest you want to turn into paste under 30g of Killing Intent.¡±

    Cynrik had predicted the question forming in Geralt¡¯s mind after noticing his line of sight linger on Selene¡¯s STR and DEX, the two highest stats on her paper. When the Headmaster looked at him with questioning eyes, Cynrik didn¡¯t hesitate to unleash 5g of Killing Intent as a warning.

 Chapter 365 The Results of Their Training (Final)

    ¡°I rmend you continue reading and don¡¯t bother asking what I think you are about to ask Headmaster. There is a reason I left out certain information, and it is not something I will converse with you about, no matter how much you threaten my party or me. Also, remember that every one of us has over 5g of Killing Intent, so I rmend you let it go, lest you want to turn into paste under 30g of Killing Intent.¡±

    Cynrik had predicted the question forming in Geralt¡¯s mind after noticing his line of sight linger on Selene¡¯s STR and DEX, the two highest stats on her paper. When the Headmaster looked at him with questioning eyes, Cynrik didn¡¯t hesitate to unleash 5g of Killing Intent as a warning.

    With a trickle of sweat running down the back of his neck, Headmaster Rivia kept hisposure and stared at Cynrik, trying to find as much information as possible about the boy across the table with his eyes alone. But no matter how he looked at him, Headmaster Rivia could see nothing except a young human teenager. There was nothing out of the ordinary about Cynrik, or for that matter, Brance and Selene.

    Other than the fact they had multiple Affinity color streaks in their hair, they looked like any other teenager he had seen in his life. However, if he removed their physical appearance from the equation and only examined their stats, it was evident that the three had Bloodlines of some sort. Otherwise, it would be impossible to break the genealogical cap of 1200 that every Human has at Tier-2.

    Meanwhile, his body was beginning to feel the strain of prolonged exposure to the pressure of Cynrik¡¯s Killing Intent. Of course, it didn¡¯t help that the longer Geralt took to respond, the more Cynrik slowly increased the pressure until he reached his limit of 7.5gs.

    Still, even with 7.5gs of pressure weighing him down, Headmaster Rivia¡¯s body posture never changed; he stayed perfectly straight. If it weren¡¯t for the beads of sweat forming on his forehead, Cynrik would have thought his metaphysical attack had no effect.

    After a few tense minutes of silence, Headmaster Rivia rolled out his left shoulder and sliced the air between himself and Cynrik, dispersing the 7.5g of pressure like a knife through butter.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Ivar; if it were anyone else threatening me, I would have sttered them against the wall like a bug on the windshield of a hovercar. You can hide your Bloodlines all you want, but your Stats give it away.¡±

    When the words left Headmaster Rivia¡¯s mouth, Cynrik frowned slightly but quickly masked his expression without being caught.

    ¡°You need to understand that the human race has a naturally imposed limit to how strong it can be within a given Tier, and at Tier-2, that limit is 1200 points in a stat. With this thought in mind, anyone with SS+ stats can be considered someone who has broken those limits by using natural treasures such as Mana rich nts or expensive alchemic products.¡±

    ¡°The only other way is having a special bloodline from ancient beasts or some other race. For example, if a child is born with one parent of Elven descent, while the other is Human, this child will have a higher stat cap. If memory serves, it should be somewhere around 1350.¡±

    ¡°The same applies to Draconic Descended halflings, who have aparatively higher stat cap depending on the purity of their bloodline. That brings me back to you three.¡± Folding his hands and leaning forward to meet the eyes of Brance, Selene, and Cynrik, Headmaster Rivia continued.

    ¡°To reach the SSS, or SSS+ Grade, one has to not only have a bloodline with astronomically high stat caps, but they also need to have found a way to break the limits of not only the human race but also their bloodlines.¡±

    [[What do you wanna do, Cyn? He clearly has us in checkmate. Do we tell him or continue hiding?]] Choosing not to look at his brother, Brance threw the question into the group mind link because it also concerned Selene.

    [[Sigh, once again, ourck of fucking informationes back to bite us in the ass. I had previously inferred something strange happened when the Sanfords cap was revealed to be 1200, while ours was 1750, but I was in the dark about the actual grading scale.]] Fighting the urge to sigh aloud and massage his temples, Cynrik calmly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again, only to find that the Headmaster had moved on to Brance¡¯s stat sheet.

    : Bj?rn ¡°Ironside¡± Ragnarsson :

    : Level: 35/35 CAP :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 39,176,729 :

    : P-ss (Pdin): 35 ¨C XP : CAP

    : S-ss (Basic GemSmith): 35 ¨C XP : CAP

    : Distribution: 2 Per All : (STR 11, 7 DEX, 7 INT, VIT 9)

    : Mana Codex & Circuits Tier-3 :

    : Stage 5 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-3, 15g Resistance :

    : Credits: 877,239 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 59,200/59,200 :

    : Mana 20,480/20,480 :

    : Stamina 26,800/26,800 :

    : Stat Points- 0 :

    : Skill Points- 240 :

    : Strength- 1750 :

    : Dexterity- 1297 :

    : Agility- 1246 :

    : Intelligence- 1535 :

    : Vitality- 1750 :

    : Mind- 1246 :

    : Will Power- 80:

    : Gem Cutting:10 , XP 4200/12,814:

    : Grace- 12,210 ¨C 7.25G : (KIN CONVERSION = 814 =7.25G)

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Light-Tier-3 (Master): :Expand:

    :(BG) Terra-Tier-3 (Expert): :Expand:

    :(BG) Wind-Tier-3 (Expert): :Expand:

    :(SEC) HolyFire-Tier-1 (Initial):

    Headmaster Rivia sucked in a sharp breath before wearing a bitter smile. Brance¡¯s stats put one thought in his mind ¡®Little Monster¡¯. However, that wasn¡¯t all; after seeing that Brance had obtained a new Affinity, a Secret Grade one at that, Headmaster Rivia had conclusive proof that the Brothers and Selene had powerful bloodlines.

    Unlike the Brothers, who were in the dark about the extreme rarity of SEC grade Affinities, Headmaster Rivia had been around long enough to have memories of thest being to step forward and reveal the existence of his Affinity.

    It has happened a few times in the past, and those beings not only rose in the power rankings rapidly but were highly sought after. The Name Secret Grade had be synonymous with devastation and extremely powerful skills, and staring at the HolyFire in Brance¡¯s Affinity list, Headmaster Rivia shuddered at the boy¡¯s future prospects.

    One did not stumble on an SEC grade Affinity either; it was something that had to either be passed down or acquired through powerful bloodlines. And with this information, Headmaster Rivia could determine that not only did Brance have a powerful lineage, but it was one of the Holy/Light Affinity, narrowing down his questions even further.

    Entirely numb by the high numbers he was viewing, Headmaster Rivia already had conclusive evidence that all of the grades each member of MyrkLys had achieved was authentic.

    Letting his head cool down, he calmly ced Brance¡¯s paper down and took a moment before diving into the final sheet handed to him, the one with Cynrik¡¯s stats.

    : Ivar ¡°the Boneless¡± Ragnarsson :

    : Level: 35/35 CAP :

    : Essence Pool(XP): 40,270,482 :

    : P-ss (Rogue): 35 ¨C XP : CAP

    : S-ss (Tamer): 35 ¨C XP : CAP

    : Distribution: 2 Per All : (11 DEX, 9 AGI, 7 INT, 7 MIND)

    : Mana Codex & Circuits Tier-3 :

    : Stage 6 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-3, 15g Resistance :

    : Credits: 80,000 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 39,200/39,200 : 40 Per Point

    : Mana 41,790/41,790 : 20 Per Point

    : Stamina 19,600/19,600 : 20 Per Point

    : Stat Points- 0 :

    : Skill Points- 811 :

    : Strength- 1250 :

    : Dexterity- 1750 :

    : Agility- 1750 :

    : Intelligence- 1600 :

    : Vitality- 1250 :

    : Mind- 1600 :

    : Will Power- 123 :

    : Gem Cutting:0 , XP 10/100:

    : Luck- 45 :

    : PSN Resistance- 25 :

    : Killing Intent- 919 ¨C 7.50G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier-3 (Master):

    :(AG) Fire-Tier-3 (Master):

    |:(SAG) Lightning-Tier-2.5 (Expert):|

    :(BG) Wind-Tier-3 (Expert):

    Headmaster Rivia had a solid grasp on how the brothers were as powerful as they appeared for the first time. The key takeaway was their Distributions. ¡°2 For All¡± was just as rare as that SEC Grade Affinity. With that kind of Distribution, it was much easier for the brothers to keep their Stats clustered together.

    The only thing left up for interpretation was how many Free allocation stat points the two of them received per leveling. Still, since that information wasn¡¯t documented, Headmaster Rivia could only theorize and guess.

    Looking at the stack of papers with the members of MyrkLys¡¯s actual stats, Headmaster Rivia tossed a nce at the official gradings collected by the medical exams.

    Student Ivar Ragnarsson,

    Strength-SS+

    Dexterity-SSS+

    Agility-SSS+

    Intelligence-SSS

    Vitality-SSS

    Mind-SS+

    Student Selene Nilsson,

    Strength-SSS

    Dexterity-SSS

    Agility-SS+

    Intelligence-SS

    Vitality-SS+

    Mind-SS

    Student Bj?rn Ragnarsson,

    Strength-SSS+

    Dexterity-SS+

    Agility-SS+

    Intelligence-SSS

    Vitality-SSS+

    Mind-SS+

    Student Gabrie Sanford,

    Strength-S

    Dexterity-SS

    Agility-SS

    Intelligence-S

    Vitality- S

    Mind-SS

    Student Benjamin Sanford,

    Strength-SS

    Dexterity-SS

    Agility-SS

    Intelligence-SS

    Vitality-SS

    Mind-SS

    Student Melody Gand,

    Strength-A

    Dexterity-A

    Agility-A

    Intelligence-SS

    Vitality-SS

    Mind-SS

    ¡°It¡¯s no wonder so many spies have attempted to and sessfully infiltrated our Academy; with stats like these, you six would easily be considered at the top of this country¡¯s best seeds, geniuses in your own right.¡±

    ¡°What can I say? I am good at nning. Between my intensive training regiments and my stat builds, everyone has reached an eptable level and is ready to Evo to Tier-3.¡± Shrugging his shoulders and dismissing the assassination attempts and info-gathering squads, Cynrik brought up a topic he desperately wanted answers to.

    ¡°Headmaster Rivia, I have some things I want to discuss with you. As you know, we are only first years and aren¡¯t privy to certain levels of data that would otherwise be readily essible to beings in our Tier.¡± Cynrik started.

    ¡°If you pair ourck of knowledge with ourck of time, I haven¡¯t been able to hit the library to get the proper intel, starting with why we didn¡¯t get ess to the prestige system after reaching the Primary Level Cap.¡± Leaning back in his chair, Cynrik noticed Geralt¡¯s rapidly changing facial expressions and smiled internally.¡±

    ¡°That¡­sigh, I keep forgetting that you aren¡¯t a third-year student. Generally, this information is covered at the end of third-year sses, but seeing as you six are already on the cusp of your next Evolution, I suppose you should know.¡±

    ¡°We have previously discussed the topic of Stages or Realms, but at the time, I didn¡¯t go in-depth. Each Stage is further broken down, with the Tiers categorizing where you are in the ssification. Each Stage has three steps, and the first two steps have ess to what is known as the Prestige mode.¡±

    ¡°However, things change once you reach the end of your current Stage. Gone is the prestige mode, and in its ce is a Trial or Tribtion quest. After obtaining the necessary resources to Evolve, the CSH randomly generates a unique quest that needs to bepleted to finalize your advancement. These quests maintain bnce in the world and are given every time a being wishes to advance their Stage/Realm.¡±

 Chapter 366 Preparations For The Tier-3 Evolution

    ¡°We have previously discussed the topic of Stages or Realms, but at the time, I didn¡¯t go in-depth. Each Stage is further broken down, with the Tiers categorizing where you are in the ssification. Each Stage has three steps, and the first two steps have ess to what is known as the Prestige mode.¡±

    ¡°However, things change once you reach the end of your current Stage. Gone is the prestige mode, and in its ce is a Trial or Tribtion quest. After obtaining the necessary resources to Evolve, the CSH randomly generates a unique quest that needs to bepleted to finalize your advancement. These quests maintain bnce in the world and are given every time a being wishes to advance their Stage/Realm.¡±

    ¡°I see; setting aside the issue of this Advancement Quest, we have to wait until Tier-3 and 4 in the Supernatural/Evolution Stage to reactivate the prestige mode; how annoying.¡± Clicking his tongue, Cynrik rested his chin on his sped hands.

    ¡°Indeed, and once you reach the Supernatural Stage, I will be allowed to divulge more information about the third Advancement Stage.¡±

    [There goes your idea of capping all our stats. I warned you not to ce all your eggs in the prestige basket.] Sensing his older brother¡¯s frustration, Brance retorted to Cynrik¡¯s dismay.

    [No shit, having two stats maxed out while the other four aren¡¯t will be severely annoying. I had hoped to increase at least my MIND stat by the final 150 points, but it looks like we areing up short this time.] ncing at Brance from the corner of his eye, Cynrik grumbled in reply to his brother¡¯s remark.

    [It isn¡¯t us that will have a problem, though, Gabby, Selene, and Melody are going to fall behind pretty quickly because they couldn¡¯t cap everything.] Mentally nodding his head and shooting a nce at Benny, Brance felt a little jealous.

    [And then there¡¯s Benny, who somehow pulled off capping everything. Well, I shouldn¡¯t say it like that; he worked his ass off and had some windfalls, unlike us.] Following Brance¡¯s gaze, Cynrik felt a little jealous about how Benny had already Maxed his stats.

    [Speak for yourself, you suicidal maniac; how many times have you nearly offed yourself experimenting with your bullshit theories. Not all of us have that absurd trait of yours where you get stronger each time you almost die.]

    [I don¡¯t wanna hear this asinine crap about you not getting any windfalls, free stats keep rolling in for you every time you pull one of your little stunts.] Balling his fingers into fists, Brance clenched them until his knuckles went white.

    The only reason Cynrik had made it back to the top of their Faction¡¯s unofficial strongest rankings was that he continuously put himself in situations where his life was on the line. All the while, Cynrik had constantly beenining about how he didn¡¯t have high enough stats. Frankly, Brance was tired of hearing about it, especially since if it came down to a 1v1 fight, all he had to do was lock his brother in on the 2nd floor of his [Radient Tower], and then he could kick the shit out of him with rtive ease.

    To Brance, high stats didn¡¯t mean shit if his 2nd floors effect nerfed them. Still, deep in his heart, he felt that even if he could somehow trick Cynrik into the 2nd floor, things wouldn¡¯t be easy because his older brother was too much of a schemer to fall for obvious traps as Michael had.

    ¡°The Trial/Tribtion quests, what can you tell me about them, and how exactly are they triggered? It clearly has nothing to do with capping the Primary Level, or we would have already gotten the quests.¡± After taking some time to mull over everything Headmaster Rivia had exined, Cynrik moved on with the conversation.

    ¡°You are correct to an extent, but notpletely. So when ites to the Trial or Tribtion quests, there are several qualifications a being must first obtain to proceed with what we call the ¡°Passing Down,¡± the qualifications are quite strict but also somewhatx and, for the most part, depend on the being.¡±

    Pausing his words, Headmaster Rivia held up his Watcet, tapped it a few times, and made a swiping motion toward each member of MyrkLys. One to Two secondster, everyone¡¯s Watcets dinged with a notification, which presented a list detailing all the qualifications necessary to trigger the Passing Down upon opening.

    ¡°Mind you, these are the Basic requirements, and they only apply to those who haven¡¯t broken their racial limits. The Passing Down has a case-by-case basis that can radically change depending on one person to another. Still, you can use it for now as a guide, especially for Students Benjamin, Gabrie, and Melody.¡±

    ¡®Tobs, can you make the necessary changes based on our situation.¡¯ Cynrik chose to have Tobs make the necessary adjustments rather than needlessly examining Geralt¡¯s list as the Headmaster exined it to Gabby, Benny, and Melody.

    -That shouldn¡¯t be an issue; give me a moment topile the necessary data.-

    However, unlike Cynrik, Brance and Selene opted to hear what the Headmaster had to say.

    ¡°When ites to the basic requirements of the First Passing Down, as you can see, there are numerous different objects you must attain before being considered ¡°qualified,¡± for starters, there is a minimum stat requirement.

    ¡°When referencing Beings with a standard Stat cap of 1200, every stat is required to be at the very least 65 percent of the way to the maximum; in other words, the lowest your stats can be is 780 points.¡±

    ¡°The next few requirements are all standard, you must have reached the Primary Level Cap, you must have at least one ss capped, and you need to have a minimum of one Affinity at Tier-2.5 or higher. On top of the Affinity Tier requirement, you must have a minimum of two Affinities.¡±

    ¡°The same thing applies to your Codex; it must be at least Tier-2.5, while you need to have a Body strength of no lower than Tier-2.3.¡±

    Pausing for a moment and picking up the papers he received from Cynrik earlier, Headmaster Rivia quickly scanned through the sheets for Gabby, Benny, and Melody before nodding and continuing.

    ¡°As far as the previously mentioned categories go, the three of you have already met the proper standards. The next part will be the most expensive, and honestly, for some of you, this will be the most difficult: obtaining the resources needed toplete the Evolution.¡±

    At Geralt¡¯s mention of resource materials, Cynrik¡¯s ears twitched like a cat, and he immediately looked up at Headmaster Rivia.

    ¡°Like your Evolution to Tier-2, you will each need a set of Efficiency Boosters, Mental Pills, Metabolism Boosters, and a Tier-3 Evolution Stone Piece. Furthermore, and the most challenging resource to obtain, every one of you will require one Affinity Stone Piece for each of your Affinities.¡± ncing at Selene, Brance, and Benny, Headmaster Rivia sighed.

    ¡°Unfortunately, due to the immense rarity and scarcity of SEC Grade, and in the case of Student Selene, SAG, Affinity Stones, the three of you will have difficulty locating the proper resources, as even the Academy can not foot the bill for something that expensive.¡±

    ¡°Although I have a couple of ideas where you can locate them and even know of two people who may be able to help you out, obtaining these Affinity Stones isn¡¯t something I can guarantee.¡± Bringing up his Watcet again, Headmaster Rivia sent a message to an unknown individual, requesting them toe to his location.

    ¡°I have just messaged one of those two people, but once he arrives, it will be entirely up to you whether you can convince him to hand over these precious resources.¡±

    Leaning back in his chair, Headmaster Rivia picked up all six sheets of paper to once again analyze the data presented by Cynrik.

    ¡°Cough, Headmaster, I have another question, are the requirements the same for Evolving our Pets or Tamed Beasts? I looked up what I could online, but since I have restricted ess to certain areas of the virtual information centers, I haven¡¯t been able to locate proper answers.¡± In light of Geralt¡¯s decision to wait for this extra person to arrive rather than carry on with the conversation, Cynrik figured now would be the time to confront him.

    ¡°Hm, well, Creatures and Beasts are significantly different from us in the respect that their bloodlines entirely dictate their growth. Unlike humans, they can continuously break through one Tier after another by simply strengthening their Primary Level. Not to mention, they all require sufficient nutrients and a steady supply of Mana-rich materials, especially Codexes.¡±

    ¡°For them, Evolution is a natural part of life and not necessarily something they need to work towards, although their instincts tell them otherwise. The leveling system is also very different from ours.¡±

    ¡°Those Creatures or Beasts that start in Tier-0 have a level cap of 35; then in Tier-1 and Tier-2, the cap increases to 50. Once a Creature/Beast reaches Tier-3, their level cap increases to 75 and stays there throughout Stage 2. By reaching Stage 3, their Level cap will rise again to 100. Oh, I forgot to mention, for Creatures and Beasts, their Stages are numbered instead of having individual names but don¡¯t worry, the Steps in each Stage are the same, 0-2, 3-5, 6-8.¡±

    ¡®Well, that exins quite a bit,¡¯ Cynrik thought to himself as he examined the stats of Sie and Vii, who had long since reached Tier-1 and were well on their way to Tier-2.

    : Status :

    : Sielu ¡°Sie¡± :

    : N¨¢tt Hrafn Female :

    : Age-0:

    : Tier-1 :

    : Level: 38 :

    : Essence(XP): 186,226/322,303 :

    : Distribution: 2 AGI, 2 INT, 2 VIT :

    : Mana Codex & Circuits Tier-2 :

    : Stage 3 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-2:

    : STATS :

    : HP 26480/26480 : 40 Per Point

    : Mana 10,740/10,740 : 20 Per Point

    : Stamina 6620/6620 : 10 Per Point

    : Stat Points- 1 : (6 per level)

    : Skill Points- 111 : (2 per level)

    : Strength- 440 :

    : Dexterity- 400 :

    : Agility- 642 :

    : Intelligence- 567 :

    : Vitality- 692 :

    : Mind- 345 :

    : Predator¡¯s Intent- 466 ¨C 5.25 G :

    : PSN Resistance- 100 :

    : FIRE Resistance- 30 :

    : DARK Resistance- 30 :

    : LTNG Resistance- 30 :

    : WIND Resistance- 30 :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier-2 (Adept):

    :(SEC)OmniPoison-Tier-1 (Beginner):

    Quickly looking from Sie to Vii¡¯s status, Cynrik couldn¡¯t help but feel proud that both his Ravens had grown so rapidly. From chicks to formidable Combat Pets in less than six weeks.

    : Status :

    : Viisaus ¡°Vii¡± :

    : N¨¢tt Hrafn Male :

    : Age-0 :

    : Tier-1 :

    : Level: 38 :

    : Essence(XP): 186,226/322,303 :

    : Distribution: 2 STR, 2 AGI, 2 INT :

    : Mana Codex & Circuits Tier-2 :

    : Stage 2 :

    : Body ¨C Tier-2:

    : STATS :

    : HP 21,300/21,300 : 40 Per Point

    : Mana 10,740/10,740 : 20 Per Point

    : Stamina 5325/5325 : 10 Per Point

    : Stat Points- 0 : (6 per level)

    : Skill Points- 111 : (2 per level)

    : Strength- 682 :

    : Dexterity- 400 :

    : Agility- 642 :

    : Intelligence- 567 :

    : Vitality- 550 :

    : Mind- 345 :

    : Predator¡¯s Intent- 466 ¨C 5.25 G :

    : PSN Resistance- 100 :

    : FIRE Resistance- 30 :

    : DARK Resistance- 30 :

    : LTNG Resistance- 30 :

    : WIND Resistance- 30 :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier-1 (Beginner):

    :(SEC)OmniPoison-Tier-2 (Adept):

    The biggest reason Vii and Sie had grown so quickly was that Brance¡¯s double XP buff had also extended to them. The most shocking addition to their stat profiles was both of them now had something called Predator¡¯s Intent, which essentially was just a fancy Creature way of saying Killing Intent.

    So while the members of MyrkLys had their KIN or, in Brance¡¯s case, Grace, increase, the pets, Milo included, all gained Predator¡¯s Intent.

    Knock, Knock, Knock.

    Just as Cynrik was finishing up his examination of Sie and Vii¡¯s stats, a soft triple knock on the door pulled him out of his thoughts. It made his head snap in the direction of the door, followed by Headmaster Rivia uttering a word that would shatter the Members of MyrkLys¡¯s perception of what they knew about Vinestra.

    ¡°Pleasee in¡­Father.¡±

 Chapter 367 *THE TITLE IS AT THE END OF CHAPTER*

    Knock, Knock, Knock.

    Just as Cynrik was finishing up his examination of Sie and Vii¡¯s stats, a soft triple knock on the door pulled him out of his thoughts. It made his head snap in the direction of the door, followed by Headmaster Rivia uttering a word that would shatter the Members of MyrkLys¡¯s perception of what they knew about Vinestra.

    ¡°Pleasee in¡­Father.¡±

    The moment the words left Headmaster Rivia¡¯s lips, the brass doorknob turned, and with a loud creak, the door slowly opened, revealing the visage of an elderly bald man sporting a neatly groomed flowing white beard. As this man walked, his wooden cane¡¯s soft, dull thump echoed down the hall and into the room.

    Thump, thump, thump.

    The only sound in the room was the dull thumping of the man¡¯s cane on the linoleum flooring, well at least that was all Cynrik could hear, as the world seemed to get eerily quiet.

    With recognition painted across his face, Cynrik¡¯s heart-rate spike to over 200 bpm, and his pupils constricted to pinpricks. Of everyone he had ever met in both lives, this old man was the only person who could strike utter fear and dread into his heart for some reason.

    ¡°AH, Grandpa Constantine!¡± Even though Cynrik was the first to recognize this old man, Gabby took the initiative and beat him to the punch by speaking first.

    ¡°Hello Gabrie, you and Student Ivar have missed quite a few of my lectures, but it is fine; nothing a little extra makeup work can¡¯t fix.¡± Professor Constantine spoke in a warm and gentle tone, making everyone except Cynrik feel at ease.

    With the lingering memory of how the old man moved faster than his brain could process at the forefront of his mind, Cynrik had been on edge every time heid eyes on the old man since.

    [Cyn, what¡¯s gotten into you?] Noting that nearly every muscle on his older brother¡¯s body had tensed up as if ready to explode forward and fight if the need arose, Brance asked with budding confusion.

    Looking between Cynrik and Professor Constantine, Brance had no idea what was going on; However, Cynrik had talked about the event on the first day of school, but he didn¡¯t talk about anything else pertaining to the strange old man. After the first interaction, the old man hadn¡¯t ever shown any hostility again. But it didn¡¯t take a rocket scientist to realize that Cynrik was afraid of this old man.

    Brance nced at the old man as he approached the now standing Headmaster and decided it was best to be safe rather than sorry, so he charged up his Mana just in case he needed to drop the [Radient Tower] at thest minute.

    In the worst case, he could instantly move everyone to the teleporter and get them out of dodge.

    After greeting his Son with a pat on the shoulder, Professor Constantine observed the members of MyrkLys in silence before his pale amber eyes drifted to the small sleeping cat nestled in Gabby¡¯s arms.

    For an instant, a sh of something showed itself in his eyes before vanishing just as quickly, so quickly that if Cynrik weren¡¯t hyper-analyzing the old man at that moment, he would have missed it.

    That sh was recognition, and with the realization that Professor Constantine recognized the cat for what it was, Cynrik felt all the hair on the back of his neck and arms rise.

    ¡°Hm, interesting,¡± Professor Constantine muttered before acting like Milo was a regr run-of-the-mill house cat. Making up his mind and giving a short nod, the old man reached into hisyered grey and brown robes and retrieved a handful of different colored stones. As he flicked his wrist, a cluster of colored light floated in front of Gabby, Benny, and Melody.

    ¡°I believe these should be sufficient for what you three need toplete your Evolution and begin your Passing Down ceremony.¡± Leaning forward on his wooden cane, Professor Constantine stunned everyone in the room, and of course, Gabby was the first to extend her hand and collect the orbs, which ceased to glow after touching her hand.

    After gritting his teeth and activating [Inspect], Cynrik counted five Tier-3 Affinity Stone Pieces in Gabby¡¯s open palms. Two Chloro Affinity Stone Pieces, a Terra Affinity Stone Piece, a Psychic Affinity Stone Piece, and a Hema Affinity Stone Piece.

    The same event yed out for Benny and Melody, who received a Tier-3 Affinity Stone Piece for each of their Affinities, including Benny¡¯s Temperature Affinity.

    Leaving everyone in the room speechless, Professor Constantine waved his hand and spoke in a crystal clear tone.

    ¡°You can collect the rest of your materials from my Son, but for now, I need the four of you to please leave the room and give me some time to speak with Students Ivar, Bj?rn, and Selene. We have much to talk about, and it is confidential information that can not be spread. No one can know about this conversation, and the moment you three students, and yes, you too, my Son, leave the room, none of you will remember that I was even here.¡±

    ¡°I have already taken the liberty to delete all proof of your reaching out to me through messenger, Geralt, so you needn¡¯t worry. For now, take those three to the treasury, retrieve the other materials they and the three students leaving with me still require, and head to your office. I will be sending these three back once I am done.¡±

    After gently lifting his cane, Professor Constantine tapped it on the ground and teleported Headmaster Rivia, Gabby, Benny, and Melody out of the room with a sh of light. With the four people gone, he then looked back at the three Over-Break hosts and tapped his cane again, turning dark Cynrik, Brance, and Selene¡¯s vision.

    Although their vision was ck, and a weightless feeling overtook their bodies, the three Over-Break hosts kept their consciousness and felt themselves pull back toward the ground within a few seconds.

    With their vision swimming, Selene and Brance copsed onto their knees. They threw up all over the pristine stone floors, leaving only Cynrik, who hadn¡¯t eaten today and had experienced more teleportations than anyone else, standing and perfectly fine.

    With the other two incapacitated by nausea, Cynrik was left as the sole person vignt as he examined his surroundings, and what he saw drew a soft gasp from his lips.

    Castle was the single most fitting word to describe what he observed. Looking left and right, Cynrik felt as if he had been teleported to ancient Ennd, where Kings and Queens ruled thends from atop thrones made of precious metals and gems.

    Sure enough, after breaking his line of sight away from the majestic suits of golden and silver armor that lined the long rectangr room, Cynrik¡¯s eyes fell to his feet, where he saw a long flowing crimson carpet. Slowly panning his eyes up, he followed this carpet and spotted the Professor making his way toward a staired tform adorned with glistening metals and gems.

    However, what he didn¡¯t expect, was that as the old man walked, he began regaining his youth. First, his hunched-over back began straightening with his spine emitting many loud cracks.

    Next, his frail body started filling out, packing on dozens of pounds of muscle, and soon, hair sprouted from his bald head as his beard disappeared and a full head of long hair, simr to the Headmasters, fell to his shoulders.

    By the time Professor Constantine reached the steps leading to the throne, he now had the appearance of a fierce warrior in histe 20s. Still, it wasn¡¯t until his clothing changed into an impressive set of golden armor with a flowing red cape that he spun around and sat on his throne regally.

    ¡°Now then, Legacy Charges of Odin, Freya, and Yahweh, we have way too much to talk about, and time is not necessarily on our side, so clean up the mess you made in my throne room and get over here.¡± Speaking with a booming voice that caused everyone to shudder visibly, Selene and Brance picked themselves up while Cynrik quickly obliterated the traces of vomit with ckFire.

    [[Wh¡­what the fuck is going on?]] Selene asked as she collected herself and stood behind Cynrik.

    [[Cyn, your history Professor just shapeshifted, and you aren¡¯t freaking the fuck out, what do you know? What have you realized?]] Trying his best not to panic, having been immobilized due to the sudden teleportation and witnessing the Professor¡¯s sudden transformation, Brance chimed in alongside Selene while stepping up beside his brother.

    Contrary to what Selene and Brance wanted from him, Cynrik ignored them both and calmly stepped forward before stopping 20 meters away and looking up at the overbearingly powerful man resting above his throne.

    ¡°You know, I had way too many theories about your true identity to count, and even if I now have an idea of who you are, it poses an uncountable number of possibilities.¡± Clearing his throat and trying his best to sound unaffected by the intense pressure weighing him down, Cynrik tossed a cocky smirk at the man on his throne.

    ¡°Oh? And what is your running theory?¡± Putting on a challenging smile, Professor Constantine responded.

    ¡°Norik Ackworth, one of the Three Legendary heroes and the Co-creator of the CSH. It would be him if I had to bet my money on you being anyone.¡± Letting his arms hang by his sides since being defensive wouldn¡¯t matter in the least against someone of the Professor¡¯s strength, Cynrik blurted out the best of all his theories, even if it was a longshot.

    If Professor Constantine wanted them dead, there was nothing Cynrik or even the Headmaster could do except ept their fate.

    ¡°Spot on, Cynrik Jetlensr, as expected of another reincarnator from Earth. So what were you? A detective or something?¡± pping his hands and apuding Cynrik, Norik¡¯s tone was anything but weing.

    ¡°Nah, Brance was the cop; I was just a normal deadbeat cripple back then who watched way too much anime and read one too many light novels.¡± Shrugging his shoulders and calling it like it was, Cynrik felt millions of questions popping up in his mind.

    Meanwhile, Selene and Brance were utterly floored by the conversation between the two. So much so that both had allowed their jaws to drop open wide.

    ¡°HAHAHA, honestly, same, so what year was it on Earth when you came to Vinestra? I died in 2018, although I¡¯ve spent almost seven thousand years here on Vinestra, so I guess this ce is more home to me than Earth ever was.¡± Leaning back on his throne andughing at Cynrik¡¯sment, Norik¡¯s regal image shattered in everyone¡¯s eyes as he seemed to turn into an average person in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°2021, Brance and I got killed in a nuclear attack, a bunch of America¡¯s enemies banded together, creating an Axis Army several times the size of the Germans in WW2, and well, long story short, the two of us got caught up in the war and died. The same goes for Selene, but she died a little after us.¡± Even though Cynrik was astonished that the man reincarnated from Earth and normally wouldn¡¯t have dared to reveal the information he was speaking, he epted the fact that there was nothing that could be done, especially if he wanted answers.

    ¡°I see; I spent nearly 3,000 years trying to find a way back to Earth in an attempt to find out what happened to those I left behind¡­to no avail.¡± Cynrik watched as a wave of sorrow visibly washed over Norik¡¯s face.

    ¡°s, there is no point dwelling on what could have been; we must always move forward. I know you have many questions, and since I am in a good mood, I will allow you to ask, but be aware, we only have 2 hours till I have to send you guys back.¡±

    <strong>(Chapter 367 ¨C Professor Constantine¡¯s True Identity)</strong>

 Chapter 368 *Title Hidden And At The End of The Chapter*

    ¡°I see; I spent nearly 3,000 years trying to find a way back to Earth in an attempt to find out what happened to those I left behind¡­to no avail.¡± Cynrik watched as a wave of sorrow visibly washed over Norik¡¯s face.

    ¡°s, there is no point dwelling on what could have been; we must always move forward. I know you have many questions, and since I am in a good mood, I will allow you to ask, but be aware, we only have 2 hours till I have to send you guys back.¡±

    Heaving a sigh and motioning his hand to tell Cynrik to speak, Norik thought back to all the people he had lost in his long life.

    Meanwhile, Cynrik was trying to find the words to make proper questions. Putting aside the fact that the man sitting on the throne carelessly mentioned being almost 7000 years old and feeling an unfathomable amount of power radiating from the man, he decided not to start from the beginning. Instead, he chose to begin with one of the things that confused him first.

    ¡°Is Geralt a reincarnator from Earth with a Witcherplex?¡± Tilting his head to the side and attempting to be as least threatening as possible, Cynrik tossed out his first question, only to get a dirty look from Norik.

    ¡°Listen here, you little shit, there is nothing wrong with liking the Witcher. I¡¯ll have you know that I read every one of the novels and beat every game back in the day, so when my Wife conceived our first and only child, it was only fitting to name him after the franchise¡¯s main character.¡± Norik spat as he gripped the armrest of his throne.

    ¡°Yeah, ok, I have too, but that still doesn¡¯t exin why you built a school that looks like a bad mashup of Hogwartz and the Wolf School. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I totally dig the aesthetic, but seriously¡­oh, and then there¡¯s the Cavern of Dorms which looks like it was ripped out of Middle Earth.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not forget that the AI for the Obelisk is named Yennifer. By the way, your kid slipped up and nearly called her mom in our presence, plus she mentioned a husband. One plus one equals two, so¡­.¡±

    BOOOOMMMM

    When Cynrik said what he did, a colossal force knocked him face-first onto the ground.

    ¡°Do not, ever, and I mean NEVER, speak of my woman in such a tone while in my presence, you brat. You can not even begin to understand the sorrow my Wife has gone through.¡± Roaring in anger like a dragon in human skin Norik bombarded Cynrik with abination of Killing Intent and Aura that crushed him into the throneroom floor.

    Under pressure, Cynrik¡¯s body convulsed; presently, Norik was emitting 18g on his body, 3g higher than Cynrik¡¯s resistance.

    ¡°Hehe, 18g huh, not a bad feeling, but it still isn¡¯t close to when I carved into my Codex pain-wise.¡± Struggling immensely, Cynrik got his arms under his body, did a strained pushup, and propped his body up on one knee.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want me talking shit, then exin the situation, asshole. I don¡¯t really give a flying fuck if you are immensely stronger than me; I refuse to change the way I speak, especially to someone who is clearly in hiding, waiting to keel over of old age, while ying house as an elderly wise teacher.¡± Feeling blood trickle out of his nose and mouth, Cynrik defiantly turned his face up toward Norik and shed a bloody smile to the Legendary Figure.

    Ignoring the look he was receiving, Norik shook his head and spoke instead to Brance.

    ¡°Tell me, is your brother always this big of a piece of shit? Or is he being exceptionally annoying today?¡±

    Gulping down his saliva and tearing his eyes off the crouched figure of his brother, Brance met Norik¡¯s heavy gaze head-on.

    ¡°He¡¯s a bit challenged in the head Lord Ackworth; please forgive him. Between the constant concussions and his suicidal tendencies, I fear his brain may have been fried long ago.¡± After looking into Norik¡¯s eyes, Brance knew that the man meant no harm and was merely disciplining Cynrik; thus, he decided to throw his older brother under the bus and ask for forgiveness instead of running to his aid.

    ¡°He also pulled a simr stunt with Miss Yennifer, and she killed his virtual Avatar. If you want my honest opinion, he is probably trying to get additional benefits by having someone of Your Grace¡¯s strength beat him up since he¡¯s a Masochist.¡±

    [Ffffucking TRAITOR!!!] Cynrik howled in the Mind link as his eyes read the continuous stream of notifications indicating his Body and Resistance swiftly rose the longer Norik ¡°disciplined¡± him.

    On his throne, Norik raised an eyebrow at Brance¡¯s words and released Cynrik a secondter after huffing out a deep breath.

    ¡°My Wife, the AI you know as Yennifer, is someone more special to me than you will ever understand.¡± Flicking his wrist and smacking Cynrik across the room with a gust of Ambient Mana, Norik began narrating while Cynrik ragdolled through the air and mmed into the hard stone wall.

    ¡°Her real identity is simr to mine; in fact, she was one of the Three Heroes; her name was Queen nalu Qikrana, the Elven Great Sage, and a Tier-9 being.¡±

    Alongside me and our dear friend, Queen Do¡¯irra of the Were-Tiger tribe, the three of us rebelled against our Deities. In creating the CSH, we sacrificed not only our Divinity Fragments, permanently sealing us from reaching higher Tiers, but also millions of other beings in a massive spell formation that required an abundant amount of Soul Power to activate.¡±

    ¡°However, something went wrong. To this day, I have no idea what exactly caused the error. Still, the Spell formation backfired, killing Do¡¯irra,pletely absorbing her body and her Soul, which surged the Formation out of control, inflicting a critical injury to nalu, who was pregnant with our son.¡±

    ¡°With the Spellpletely out of control, nalu¡­*sigh*¡± pausing mid-sentence, Norik sighed loudly as a look of sorrow gradually graced his blemish-free and rugged face.

    ¡°Time was running out, and she took control over the entire Formation, causing irreparable damage to her Codex. As the one in charge ofying down the Formation, she knew how it worked better than myself or Do¡¯irra, and in ast-ditch effort, she sacrificed her Mind, Soul, and all of her Essence toplete the Spell.¡±

    ¡°As her strength rapidly plummeted, nalu threw me from the formation, locking me out of helping in any shape or form and leaving me to watch on as my beloved sacrificed herself to finish the job we started.¡±

    ¡°And then, with a world sundering quake, and a sh of light brighter than a star exploding, the Spell wasplete, and the vastwork known as the CSH was formed, giving every being unrestricted ess to a System and linking them all together.¡± Leaning forward and propping his elbows up on his knees, Norik took a moment to collect his thoughts in silence, leaving Brance to work through the new information.

    Meanwhile, Selene had gone over to her Boyfriend¡¯s side, helped him up, and fed him several Health potions.

    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Crouching down beside Cynrik, Selene whispered as she checked his body and noticed only superficial wounds quickly closing thanks to the potions. Offering a hand, which he took, Selene helped Cynrik stand up.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good. I didn¡¯t expect that guy tosh out like that. I knew something was off with that whole situation, but now it makes sense. I would probably react the same way if it were you someone talked about.¡± Grunting his response, Cynrik stood back up and patted Selene¡¯s hand.

    On his throne, Norik eyed Cynrik as he and Selene walked back over to Brance and waited until the three looked at him with their full attention before continuing his story.

    ¡°With the Central System HUB online, and the defensive protocols installed, we were able to kick every being above Tier-9 off of Vinestra forcefully and, in a sense, ended the Grand Strife, otherwise known as the 5th Legacy Strife, in such a way that we, the Natives won.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t all gumdrops and rainbows, though; by creating the CSH and turning it into a regtory and governing body, we shut out every Deity in existence from essing our, which, as you can expect, pissed off A LOT of those bastards.¡±

    Squinting his eyes and making several conclusions in his mind, Cynrik raised his hand as if he were in ss and waited to be called on by Norik. With the power disparity and how easily the man seemed to lose his temper, Cynrik opted to take a different approach to the situation.

    ¡°Talk,¡± raising his right eyebrow at Cynrik¡¯s actions, Norik smugly nodded at the boy.

    ¡°You are skipping over the main question I posed.¡± Crossing his arms defensively as Norik shot him another pressure-filled re, Cynrik stumbled back two steps before catching himself.

    ¡°I was getting there, brat. With the Formationplete, and the CSH online, all the designing and nning we put into effect worked wlessly. The only issue was that two of the three strongest beings on the had seemingly died, leaving Vinestra unguarded if the CSH failed to uphold its programming one day.¡±

    ¡°As the sole Tier-9 being left on the, I was tasked with rebuilding what I could after the Strife concluded. But there is only so much a single person can do, especially with a as big as our entire Milky Way Gxy.¡±

    ¡°WOAH WOAH, HOLD UP, WHAT IN THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN? I know Vinestra is ever expanding, but I never really put much thought into just how big it is¡­.¡± Reacting like a cat who just got its tail stepped on, Cynrik blurted out but soon shut up because of another re from Norik.

    ¡°I know damn well you actively pay attention to every word I say in my lectures Cynrik, so shut up. Anyway, as I was saying, there wasn¡¯t much I could do except use my limited ess to the CSH and start creating billions of quests that, if fulfilled, would aid in bncing the powers of the world to the extent that no one reigned supreme.¡±

    ¡°But as time ticked on, I grew bored with my never-ending, monotonous life. With my Wife and unborn son gone, I began searching for a way to return to Earth, and when that failed¡­ I built this castle deep in the core of the. At the moment, only I have ess to this fragmented space, and without my approval, no one can enter, not even Deities.¡±

    ¡°As I lived my days in solitude for thousands of years, one day after another passed uneventfully, that is until 100 years ago. The CSH Adjudicators suddenly notified me that thousands of Divine Beings of Tiers 9 to 11 had appeared outside Vinestra and demanded negotiations to begin another Legacy Strife.¡±

    (Chapter 368 ¨C The Truth About The Grand Strife, Headmaster Rivia, and Yennifer (1) )

 Chapter 369 *Third Hidden Chapter Title, Aint No Spoilers Here FUFU*

    ¡°WOAH WOAH, HOLD UP, WHAT IN THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN? I know Vinestra is ever expanding, but I never really put much thought into just how big it is¡­.¡± Reacting like a cat who just got its tail stepped on, Cynrik blurted out but soon shut up because of another re from Norik.

    ¡°I know damn well you actively pay attention to every word I say in my lectures Cynrik, so shut up. Anyway, as I was saying, there wasn¡¯t much I could do except use my limited ess to the CSH and start creating billions of quests that, if fulfilled, would aid in bncing the powers of the world to the extent that no one reigned supreme.¡±

    ¡°But as time ticked on, I grew bored with my never-ending, monotonous life. With my Wife and unborn son gone, I began searching for a way to return to Earth, and when that failed¡­ I built this castle deep in the core of the. At the moment, only I have ess to this fragmented space, and without my approval, no one can enter, not even Deities.¡±

    ¡°As I lived my days in solitude for thousands of years, one day after another passed uneventfully, that is until 100 years ago. The CSH Adjudicators suddenly notified me that thousands of Divine Beings of Tiers 9 to 11 had appeared outside Vinestra and demanded negotiations to begin another Legacy Strife.¡±

    By this point, the CSH had grown to be a powerful Hive-Minded Entity, which had enough power topletely suppress the miniature army of Deities floating in space outside of Vinestra¡¯s atmosphere. Over the thousands of years since its creation, the initial spell formation had merged itself with the¡¯s core, bing the single most powerful entity history has ever seen. As such, when it came to holding off the hordes of Tier-9 through 11 beings, it was nearly a cakewalk¡­as I am sure, you¡¯ve already witnessed.¡±

    Remembering how easily one of the CSH Adjudicators had wiped the Goddess Wadjet out with merely a snap of its fingers, Cynrik and Brance shivered.

    ¡°Oh, that reminds me, CynBrat, That little stunt you pulled that day, calling up the admin privilege to summon one of the Adjudicators; I do hope you don¡¯t believe you had any hand in that.¡± Shooting a smug smirk at Cynrik, and feeling proud about giving the brat a new nickname, Norik popped the boy¡¯s bubble, bruising his ego in the process.

    ¡°Che, let me guess, you were spying on us, and the instant Wadjbitch tried breaking into Vinestra, you sent someone to deal with it.¡± Rolling his tongue against his left cheek, Cynrik scoffed and crossed his arms defiantly.

    ¡°Of course, it was me, you dunce. Do you honestly believe that YOU, a measly ant barely at Tier-1 at the time, had any shot at summoning one of the Enforcers from the CSH to your side? Don¡¯t make meugh. Sure, the CSH constantly monitors the movement and actions of every Legacy Charge on the, but it will not step in to aid anyone being, no matter the reason.¡±

    ¡°If a Deity ss Being attempted to break into our¡¯s sealed space, that¡¯s a reason to act. However, I will admit that I may have found the timing perfect and dispatched an Enforcer after your words because I found it humorous.¡± Seeing the sour expression creeping onto Cynrik¡¯s face, Norik chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.

    ¡°Getting back on the topic of 100 years ago. Having seen an army of Deity ss beings floating in space, I, along with every Adjudicator, appeared in front of them. This included the Goddess of Magic, Hecate, who sent me to Vinestra as her Legacy Charge thousands of years prior.¡±

    ¡°Hecate¡­the Greek goddess of Magic and Witchcraft, that makes sense since you inevitably became an ArchMage.¡± Mumbling under his breath and bringing his left hand up to stroke his chin, Cynrik¡¯s eyes sharpened while looking up at Norik.

    ¡°Indeed, Hecate¡¯s Divinity Fragments allowed me to carve a simr path to hers and be a supreme being by wielding powerful Tier-9 and even a handful of Tier-10 and 11 spells. Needless to say, Hecate was probably the most pissed out of the bunch of overbearing ego-driven maniacs who showed up that day because the instant she saw me, the dumb bitch tried to kill me.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t her alone, Yuelral, the Goddess of Elven Magic, and Fenris¨²lfr, who I believe you know as Fenrir, the Wolven God, who were the ones in charge of sending my Wife and Do¡¯irra to Vinestra banded together and tried to take me out for my Taboo actions.¡±

    ¡°After a long, drawn-out battle that saw me merging with a quarter of the Adjudicators, allowing me to increase my Tier to Tier-11 temporarily, I was left on the back foot and put into apromised position. In a miserable state and unable to fight back, it would have spelled my death if I so much as took a step backward.¡±

    ¡°Just as the three were about to deal the finishing blow¡­she appeared and came to my aid. A Supreme Adjudicator, the highest ranking being within the ranks of the CSH, wearing my Wife¡¯s appearance, came to my aid and, with one strike, ughtered all three of the attacking Deities, horrifying everyone present with her unfathomable strength.¡±

    ¡°The singr act of killing three Tier-11 Deities with one move showcased how powerful the CSH had indeed be, and it was only then that the haughty and arrogant Deities realized they had fucked up badly.¡±

    ¡°What they viewed as an uncivilized run by a Tier-9 being had swelled up to a supreme powerhouse in their minds in an instant; the only problem was, the showcase of power was an act. A one-time thing was possible because the right cards were yed at the optimal time. The Supreme Adjudicator had not only shown a power beyond Tier-11 but also drained a massive amount of Mana and Energy from the Vinestran Core, which didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the majority of the old fogeys.¡±

    ¡°Still, with the threat of mutual destruction hanging over the Deities¡¯ head thanks to the Supreme Adjudicator, the Deities in charge of the mob came forward and were willing to sit down for genuine negotiations instead of strong-arming me and the CSH into a forced situation.¡±

    ¡°The meeting between them and us took nearly 30 years to conclude, but the gist of the event was simple. There was no reigning Deity in charge of Vinestra. With its ever-growing and strengthening, the had be a hot ticket that would inevitably cause arge scale war between the higher Tier beings.¡±

    ¡°With that thought in mind, it was agreed upon by a majority vote that they would once again whole their little tournament, the Legacy Strife, on Vinestra for a second time. However, with the bad taste left in their mouths from the First Strife, they feared another intervention, thus their appearance in numbers.¡±

    ¡°To those arrogant bastards, Vinestra is nothing but a pretty resource that can help them strengthen the Divinity of their followers and themselves, sos like ours are a hotmodity. What they can¡¯t buy, they take, which was made very clear early in the negotiations.¡±

    ¡°Luckily, the CSH proved to be the perfect shield, and we were able to knock those assholes down a peg and bring them to the table. Still, it was a lose-lose situation; either way, I saw it, we either lost the ruling power over our to some random Deity who didn¡¯t give a shit about the lives on Vinestra, or it was destroyed.¡±

    ¡°It took thirty long years, but we were able to draft a contract detailing all the different rules and regtions that shape the strife into a fairpetition, something that has never happened in the past.¡±

    ¡°The linking of Deity-based System Ai¡¯s to the CSH, the inability of directly interrupting battles between charges, and the inability to steer any Charge in a specific direction are only some of the uses that were added to the contract to promote a fairpetition environment.¡±

    ¡°The Contract outlines everything and ces heavy restrictions on the Deities, leaving everything in the hands of the Legacy Charges, but that wasn¡¯t all.¡± Amid his statement, Norik shed a sadistic and borderline evil grin.

    ¡°The CSH and I dealt a hefty blow to the pride and ego of those Deities who wished to partake in the newly regted Legacy Strife. If they wanted to send a Legacy Charge to Vinestra, hehe, they had to pay a high cost; a minimum of 9 Divinity Fragments had to be ced into the souls of all potential Charges, plus, the Deity in charge had to give their Charges a minimum of 8 blessings.¡±

    ¡°The Supreme Adjudicator and I managed to sneak a little use into the contract that went unnoticed by all Deities who signed it; in the event that a Legacy Charge dies, the CSH will confiscate all Blessings and unimed Divinity Fragments, as well as wipe all System AIs to advance the¡¯s System.¡±

    Letting thest part of his statement hang in the air for a second, Norik examined Cynrik, waiting for a reaction from the boy. And it didn¡¯t take long for the boy below his throne¡¯s eyes to quiver in realization before the previously silent Throne room exploded withughter.

    ¡°HAHAHAHAHA, HAHAHA, HOLY FUCK, YOU MAD MAN! THAT IS FUCKING AMAZING.¡± Dropping to his knees andughing his ass off, Cynrik was immobilized by how hard he wasughing as tears streamed down his face.

    Meanwhile, Norik, upon his throne, held his belly andughed just as hard as Cynrik, leaving Selene and Brance confused at the scene.

    ¡°Uh, Brancie, didn¡¯t these two hate each other? Am I missing something?¡± Creeping away from her boyfriend as he rolled around in a fit ofughter and hiding behind Brance¡¯s broad back, Selene asked in confusion.

    ¡°Honestly, Selene, your guess is as good as mine at this point.¡± With a weird expression painting his face like he had smelled something putrid, Brance¡¯s eyes flicked between Norik and Cynrik before he shook his head and let it go.

    ¡°Hehe, I knew you were clever, kid; you caught on to the n almost immediately; that¡¯s good; you will need that sharp mind if you want to keep ahead in the Strife.¡± Wiping a tear from the corner of his eye and calming down, Norikplimented Cynrik and nced at the two confused faces staring up at him.

    ¡°Do you want to tell them, or should I kid?¡± Fighting back a few more chuckles, Norik asked when Cynrik finally calmed down and got back to his feet.

    ¡°I got it, hehe, so, Norik here just confirmed two valuable pieces of info for us, and the way he pulled it off was genius. Not only did he leak the minimum amount of Turning Point quests we will have to face as well as how many potential Blessings we¡¯ve received, but in one fell swoop, he neutered every Deitypeting in the Strife, leaving them in a weakened state.¡±

    ¡°With this, even if their Charges die, he has severed any potential refund they could have received. Remember when we were first summoned to Odin and Yahweh? They specifically stated that if we die, our souls be part of their Divinity; that was false information. Although they may believe that to be the case, if what Norik said is true, THEY NEED US TO SURVIVE, OR ELSE THEY WILL TAKE A HUGE LOSS AND POTENTIALLY DIE! THEIR LIVES ARE LINKED TO OURS NOW, BUT THE SAME CAN¡¯T BE SAID ABOUT THE OPPOSITE!

    (Chapter 369 ¨C The Truth About The Grand Strife, Headmaster Rivia, and Yennifer (2) )

 Chapter 370 *Bonus Chapter From Golden Ticket Rewards*

    ¡°Do you want to tell them, or should I kid?¡± Fighting back a few more chuckles, Norik asked when Cynrik finally calmed down and got back to his feet.

    ¡°I got it, hehe, so, Norik here just confirmed two valuable pieces of info for us, and the way he pulled it off was genius. Not only did he leak the minimum amount of Turning Point quests we will have to face as well as how many potential Blessings we¡¯ve received, but in one fell swoop, he neutered every Deitypeting in the Strife, leaving them in a weakened state.¡±

    ¡°With this, even if their Charges die, he has severed any potential refund they could have received. Remember when we were first summoned to Odin and Yahweh? They specifically stated that if we die, our souls be part of their Divinity; that was false information. Although they may believe that to be the case, if what Norik said is true, THEY NEED US TO SURVIVE, OR ELSE THEY WILL TAKE A HUGE LOSS AND POTENTIALLY DIE! THEIR LIVES ARE LINKED TO OURS NOW, BUT THE SAME CAN¡¯T BE SAID ABOUT THE OPPOSITE!

    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Selene and Brance said at the same time before the realization soon set in for both of them.

    Unlike Cynrik and Brance, Selene didn¡¯t have much time to talk to Freya; plus, her Deity had already died, so she wasn¡¯t bogged down by the threat of the potential repercussions of failing during the Strife. Still, she soon broke into a bright smile because of the infectious smile of Brance and Cynrik, who were over the moon with glee.

    ¡°You missed one part, CynBrat; you forgot the part about being removed from the cycle of Reincarnation. Vinestra is different from other realms, nes, or territories; due to the size of our, we have our OWN cycle; thus, when you die, you will be added to the Vinestran Cycle.¡± Norik added while smiling.

    ¡°Oh, shit? Really, I guess that¡¯s cool too, but I don¡¯t n on dying any time soon, so don¡¯t be raising gs for my death, you asshole.¡± Cynrik snorted with contempt.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, whatever you weeb.¡±

    ¡°OI, that¡¯s big fucking talk from someone who modeled his academy after Earth Literature.¡± Rolling his eyes and flipping Norik the middle finger, Cynrik snarkily shot back.

    ¡°Moving along, with the terms ironed out, every Deity who wished to join the newly modeled Legacy Strife signed the terms which bonded to their Soul and Divinity, locking them into a non-breakable contract, lest they wish for utter termination of their lives. And with that, the current Legacy strife was set to begin 30 yearster.¡±

    ¡°It was only after the arrogant assholes left that I finally had a chance to speak with the Supreme Adjudicator, who was the spitting image of my Wife, and to my surprise, she wasn¡¯t just the image, but actually her.¡±

    ¡°I learned that during thepletion of the formation, my Wife merged her body and soul with the formation, effectively turning herself into the highest authority within the program, a true System Admin in a sense, but as a consequence of burning so many resources to kill the three Tier-11 beings, she was forcefully demoted, and her power dropped all the way down to Tier-6 leaving her as a regr Moderator.¡±

    ¡°Not only that, but as ast-ditch effort, her physical body still existed, and inside the womb of said body, which was left in a state of suspended animation, was my still growing unborn child.¡± Life seemed to return to Norik¡¯s face when he got to the topic of his son.

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Breaking off eye contact with Norik, Cynrik turned his head and spoke to Brance and Selene.

    ¡°Elves have a gestation period of 200-300 years; as such, it isplicated for them to get pregnant and even more difficult actually to bring the child to term.¡± Turning back to face Norik, Cynrik expanded on his statement further.

    ¡°I assume that due to the suspended animation, the growth rate of the fetus was even slower, resulting in the child needing several thousand years to reach the optimal growth stage.¡±

    ¡°Correct, nalu¡¯s mind and Soul had alreadypleted the transfer to the CSH, yet her body was forcefully kept alive because she didn¡¯t wish to lose the baby; that was a sign of our love. So for thousands of years, she kept her body alive with pure Mana directly from the¡¯s core.¡±

    ¡°To allow my son to be born normally, my wife, the Tier-9 being known as nalu, had to die on the day of his birth, and so, with the cries of my newly born son, her body disintegrated into particles and became one with Vinestra.¡±

    ¡°Wishing to give up her true name and identity, she came to me requesting I rename her, and at a loss for what to call her, I chose the first name that came to mind, Yennifer¡­nalu always resembled the character¡¯s physical description, and I used to joke that I resembled Geralt, so it was inevitable that I called her that.¡±

    ¡°As for naming my son, well, since he carried most of my physical traits, I gave him the name Geralt Rivia.¡± Shrugging his shoulders, Norik felt helpless.

    ¡°Well, it looks like your naming sense is as good as mine; it¡¯s nice to see that even the almighty hero of Vinestra sucks at something, OOOF.¡± The moment the remark left Cynrik¡¯s lips, he was violently thrown across the room before mming into the wall and being buried under a pile of armor.

    ¡°Knowing that time was short before the beginning of the Strife kicked off, and the first batch of Legacy Charges would be born on the, I created VSFA. I built a ce that could train up the country¡¯s youth and eventually passed it down to my son, with Yennifer taking an active role as the one in charge of the Obelisk Trials and myself as the history teacher.¡±

    ¡°The three of us, as a family, stayed out of politics and had a singr goal: preparation for the war looming on the horizon. You need to know that the Legacy Strife is broken into three parts, the first is the Reincarnation of Beings into Legacy Charges, the Second is a growth period, and the Final part is the actual Battle.¡±

    ¡°We have already moved into the 2nd phase of the Strife, and even if there are several years left until you start receiving quests pertaining to the hunting and ying of other Legacy Charges, you three need to get strong, stably, of course, as you have, but you two especially,¡± breaking off his statement to point at Cynrik and Brance, Norik continued.

    ¡°You two especially need to speed up your pace. The two of you were the final two Legacy Charges to be born, and you are the farthest behind.¡±

    ¡°Tsk, you say that, but resources are hard toe by as it is, and XP ain¡¯t free. Unless you n on sponsoring us and bing our Sugar Daddy, I don¡¯t see how the fuck we are going to steamroll our way into higher Tiers.

    ¡°Will you shut up, CynBrat?¡±

    ¡°Seriously, Cyn, shut the hell up.¡±

    Norik and Brance snapped their heads in Cynrik¡¯s direction and scolded him as the boy in question raised his hands in defeat.

    Only Selene stayed quiet, as she didn¡¯t feel the need to scold her boyfriend.

    ¡°Now, with the history lesson out of the way, let¡¯s talk about the real reason I revealed everything to you three.¡± Snapping the fingers on his left hand and waving it toward the three members of MyrkLys, several glowing orbs appeared around Norik before shing away from him and hovering quietly in front of Selene, Brance, and the back on his feet, Cynrik.

    ¡°Selene and Brance, the two of you have acquired two very powerful and rare Affinities, ones that will no doubt lead you to be two of the most sought-after beings by the many powers of not only our country but also the world as a whole.¡±

    ¡°By having HolyFire and Abyss Affinities, many will covet your abilities, and even more will seek your death. Although my Academy has quite the backing, that doesn¡¯t mean people won¡¯t offend us to get to you, as you have already seen, thanks to the spies sent by Headmaster Jetlensr and Opurn.¡±

    ¡°Tsk, I fucking knew it was those two assholes.¡± Hearing confirmation that their Grandfather and Cynrik¡¯s natural enemy Viktor Opurn were the ones behind the spies, Cynrik clicked his tongue without tearing his eyes away from the cluster of floating orbs only an arm¡¯s length away.

    ¡°It was to be expected; your Grandfather Lithlen is a cruel man who rules his family and Academy with an Iron Fist. Setting aside the fact that in his eyes you stole Selene, who was touted as a high-level seed in the Selections, you two have created quite the negative situation with him.¡±

    ¡°As for Viktor Opurn, I don¡¯t have to mention why or how you seeded in pissing him off and getting onto his radar.¡± Leaning back on his throne and releasing a tired sigh, Norik said.

    ¡°Regardless of the how or why, you three have targets painted on your backs, and it will only get worse if you reveal the existence of your Affinities. The same applies to your two N¨¢tt Hrafn CynBrat. If you show off their Omnipoison Affinity, they won¡¯t stay YOUR N¨¢tt Hrafn for long. There are dozens of ways to break the Soul Contract between a Tamer and their beast, and plenty of greedy bastards will try.¡±

    ¡°You act like we didn¡¯t already know that, Old man; you aren¡¯t saying anything I haven¡¯t already predicted and prepped my Party for.¡± Uncrossing his arms and swiping the orbs out of the air, Cynrik snarkily replied.

    ¡°Cool it, Cyn,¡± eyeing his brother out of the corner of his eye, Brance too reached forward and grabbed the floating orbs, which soon lost their luster and revealed themselves to be the Affinity Stone Pieces required for his Evolution to Tier-3. Unlike Cynrik, Brance quickly thanked Norik for his help.

    Selene hesitated for half a breath before reaching out and grabbing the two orbs that turned into a Dark Affinity Stone Piece and an Abyss Affinity Stone Piece.

    ¡°The only thing I will ask of you three in return for those resources is that you not only win during the Competition but make a statement. For too long, my son and VSFA have been under scrutiny from the other, older, and more prestigious Academies; now is the time to show them that we aren¡¯t a joke and should be taken seriously.¡±

    ¡°Keep in mind that every event in the Competition is televised, which means many eyes will be watching you. Be careful, follow the rules, and don¡¯t reveal too much.¡± Standing up and pulling his Cane out of his inventory, Norik walked down the stairway and stood in front of Cynrik, Brance, and Selene, seemingly examining them from head to toe with faintly glowing amber eyes.

    ¡°Onest thing before I send you on your way, CynBrat, you and Brance will trigger your next Turning Point quest uponpleting your Tier-3 Evolution, so be prepared ahead of time.¡±

    ¡°WHAT, MOTHER FU¡­¡± Before Cynrik could finish his cursing, Norik tapped his Cane on the ground and teleported them back to the Academy, more precisely to the Boys Dorm, causing the Throne room to fall silent.

    ¡°Sigh, my love, are you sure this was the right thing to do? You know how fine of a line we are walking by helping that group out; one wrong move and we will face a reaction from the Strife Contract.

    Tap, tap, tap.

    |¡±Darling, whether what we are doing is right or wrong doesn¡¯t matter; it was a necessary decision to make. Of all the Legacy Charges on Vinestra, only those three have a simr mindset to us back in the day.¡±|

    Seemingly materializing out of nowhere, Yennifer walked up behind Norik, wrapped her arms around his waist, and rested her chin on his right shoulder.

    ¡°I hope so; this Strife will be very different from the previous one, the stakes are infinitely higher, and the destruction it will bring may very well spell the end of our.

    (Chapter 370 ¨C The Truth About The Grand Strife, Headmaster Rivia, and Yennifer (Final) )

 Chapter 371 Preparations for the Tier-3 Evolution (2)

    ¡°Keep in mind that every event in the Competition is televised, which means many eyes will be watching you. Be careful, follow the rules, and don¡¯t reveal too much.¡± Standing up and pulling his Cane out of his inventory, Norik walked down the stairway and stood in front of Cynrik, Brance, and Selene, seemingly examining them from head to toe with faintly glowing amber eyes.

    ¡°Onest thing before I send you on your way, CynBrat, you and Brance will trigger your next Turning Point quest uponpleting your Tier-3 Evolution, so be prepared ahead of time.¡±

    ¡°WHAT, MOTHER FU¡­¡± Before Cynrik could finish his cursing, Norik tapped his Cane on the ground and teleported them back to the Academy, more precisely to the Boys Dorm, causing the Throne room to fall silent.

    ¡ª

    ¡°CKER! Damn it, that bastard, how dare he casually drop that shit on us before teleportation. FUCK!¡±

    BANG

    Ignoring the wave of nausea and taking his anger out on one of the coffee tables by kicking it into the air and delivering a perfectly timed side kick into the piece of furniture, smashing it against the wall on the far side of the room, Cynrik cursed loudly.

    ¡°HEY! URP, I LIKED THAT TABLE. Darling, don¡¯t break the furniture; it¡¯s expensive.¡± Covering her mouth and fighting back the urge to puke, Selene gave Cynrik a death re, making him flinch before clicking his tongue and looking away.

    ¡°I paid for it; if I wanna break it, I will.¡±

    ¡°Not the point, don¡¯t forget it was ME who picked it out.¡± Putting her hands on her hips and shaking her head, Selene was beside herself with how to deal with her boyfriend¡¯s sudden outburst of anger.

    ¡°How the hell do you guys find the time to argue while I¡¯m over here about to hurl?¡± Branceined while doubling over and holding his stomach.

    ¡°You get used to it, don¡¯t forget that every time I use [Shadow Leap], my stomach bottoms out; I guess I just built up a tolerance for it by now.¡± Chewing his bottom lip, Cynrik made a quick judgment call and switched to the mind link.

    [[But that isn¡¯t important, we will both be facing turning point quests after reaching Tier-3, and the way Norik worded it, it will happen after we finish the Tribtion quest andplete our Evo.]] Crossing his arms, Cynrik began to pace the room as he spoke.

    [[What¡¯s more, Norik fed us some valuable data, with a minimum of nine Divinity Fragments imnted into our souls, we will be facing Turning Point quests until we reach Tier-9. There¡¯s also the issue with those so-called blessings.]]

    [[Uh, Darling, I know you always have a reason for your actions, but why did you switch to using the mind link?]] Tilting her head in confusion as she moved to clean up the broken pieces of the table on the far side of the room, Selene asked.

    [[Odin and Yahweh can¡¯t spy on our conversation here. Oh, I guess I never exined that whole thing to you. So basically, there are only two ways to hide information from Deity Tier beings, one being the mind link and Two being in our SOC.]] Waving his hand dismissively, Cynrik continued exining.

    [[Norik ported us to a sealed space to talk; that is enough reason for me to continue being overly cautious. Although I have no idea what the Strife Contract details as rules, it is a safe bet to make that by divulging certain things to us, he may have broken a couple of rules, so it is better to be safe and keep what we know hidden.]]

    [[Hence, I always refer to what we are as LCs and the event as the Strife of the LS; well, that and there is like some weird special effect shit like earthquakes and stuff that happen when I say the words aloud.]] Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik steered the conversation back on course.

    [[With at least nine Divinity Fragments, I have seven Turning Points left, and Brance, you still have Eight. As for blessings, we can count our [Language Proficiency] as one; Brance, your mind link, and double XP buff are two, and I believe our Light and Dark Affinities also count as one. Then there¡¯s my Mindscape and our Bloodlines, putting the tally at four of eight blessings for me and five for you.]]

    Stopping in his tracks and drumming the fingers of his left hand on his right elbow, Cynrik squinted his eyes in thought.

    [[However, we don¡¯t have a proper criterion for ssifying what can be considered a blessing. It could technically be anything.]]

    [[What do you mean?]] Walking over to help Selene clean up Cynrik¡¯s mess, Brance humored his brother by asking the obvious question he was fishing for.

    [[Well, think of it this way, what if the blessings aren¡¯t necessarily something Odin and Yahweh physically gave us? For example, what if the two put certain events in motion leading us to obtain better traits, like setting up the pairing of Mom and Dad so that we would have ess to our Ocr skills? What if they nted the subconscious thought that I needed to check a particr store to buy a specific item that would help at the time? There are too many different potential options, and since that bastard Norik kicked us out before I could ask, I am left with yet again too many unanswered questions.]]

    [[And you say that I am the one with abundant conspiracy theories?]] Brance quipped and rolled his eyes.

    [[Fuck off, there is a clear difference between the Locke Ness Monster being real and literal GODS treating everything like chess pieces. Who¡¯s to say that my theory isn¡¯t correct? You know damn well I don¡¯t believe in coincidences, and looking back, there is an AWFUL lot of them; looking back at meeting Old Man Saylin as I did in itself could be considered potential proof of my theory.]]

    [[What are the odds that I just so happen to choose the right store, selling the exact things I was looking for at that time? Sure, I used Weeb and light novel logic at the time, but Saylin not only had the weapons we needed, he also had our cultivation skills. In addition, the guy is the head of the Board of Academies, a Political faction Consul, andst but not least, he saved our asses from Lithlen.]]

    [[Wait, are you talking about Saylin Garn¡­ THE SAYLIN GARN?]] Suddenly realizing the identity of the person Cynrik was talking about, Selene nearly had a panic attack.

    [[Hm? Yeah, Green-haired old dude who presided over the Selections; I met him in the RWTC; he owns a run-down shack of a shop that sells a bunch of random misceneous shit. I was five or six years old at the time, but he hooked me up with the gear and shit I needed. Back then, I had no idea of his identity, and it wasn¡¯t until he saved us from our Grandfather after Brancie and I brought down a terrorist organization that I learned his identity.]]

    [[Darling¡­you may be onto something here; one doesn¡¯t simply just MEET the Kaleidoscope Sage. Even the shebitch who birthed me cannot arrange a meeting with him without wading her way through an unfathomable amount of red tape.]] Dusting off her hands and checking around the wall for any lingering wood splinters, Selene turned and backed up her boyfriend¡¯s im.

    [[You are walking a slippery slope Cyn; if what you say is urate, and blessings are counted in such a way, wouldn¡¯t we be running out of additional blessings?]] Rolling his tongue along his back left mr, Brance nced from Selene to Cynrik.

    [[That is what I am saying, Brancie, the Divinity fragments may be plentiful, but if I am right, then we may end up outgunnedter on down the line, providing the other LCs get more free overpowered shit than we have.]]

    [[Ugh, this shit is hurting my head, we can deal with whateveres in the future, for now, we need to head over to pick up our resources from the Headmaster¡¯s office.]] Throwing his hands up in the air, Brance turned around and headed toward the front door, leaving Cynrik and Selene alone in the living room.

    [[We should probably go after him, Darling, I don¡¯t know how that mind wipe thing Norik talked about works, but I am sure the others are wondering where we went.]] Walking passed Cynrik and patting his butt along the way, Selene quickly chased after Brance.

    Alone in the Dorm, Cynrik sighed loudly, let his hair down from its ponytail, put the ck hair tie in his mouth, and ran his fingers through the soft multi-colored strands.

    ¡®Tobs, I don¡¯t suppose you could shed some light on this topic?¡¯

    -No, I can not; the contents of a Legacy Charges Blessings are confidential, and until you recognize them for what they are, I am unable to respond.-

    ¡®I see, so what you are saying is, if I guess correctly, you can confirm. In that case, my current blessings are my [Mindscape], [Language Proficiency], Dark Affinity, and Bloodline¡­right?¡¯

    -You are correct; those are four of your Divine Blessings.-

    Quickly picking up on how Tobs worded her statement, Cynrik¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡®Four of, Tobs, are you saying I have more active blessings currently? WAIT! How can I be so fucking blind, Tobs? You are ALSO one of my Divine blessings, aren¡¯t you?¡¯

    -Incorrect, the presence of the Over-Break System is NOT one of your Divine Blessings, but merely a necessity. Every Legacy Charge has some form of System AI; I just happen to be the one developed by Raven God Odin and God Of Light Yahweh.-

    ¡®Tsk, I am overthinking this whole situation; why am I so fixated on these blessings? Anyway, Tobs, I assume you have finishedpiling the list of necessary resources and requirements for our Tier-3 Evolutions; you can send them through to me and the others now.¡¯ Tying his long shoulder-length hair into a neat ponytail, Cynrik massaged his temples.

    ¨C Requirements for Tier-3 Evolution.-

    -Primary Level Capped.- (Complete)

    -Primary ss Level Capped.- (Complete)

    -Sub-ss Level Capped.- (Complete)

    -Body Strength Tier-3.- (Complete)

    -Tier-3 Codex.- (Complete)

    -Minimum 10k Mana Pool.- (Complete)

    -Two Stats at 1500 or Higher.- (Complete)

    -All Stats minimum of 65% to Cap *1137*.- (Complete)

    -Origin Affinity at Tier-3.- (Complete)

    -Additional Resources Required for Evolution.-

    -2 Tier-3 Efficiency Boosters.-

    -5 Tier-3 Metabolism boosters.-

    -1 Tier-3 Evolution Stone Piece.-

    -1 Tier-3 Dark Affinity Stone Piece.- (Acquired)

    -1 Tier-3 Fire Affinity Stone Piece.- (Acquired)

    -1 Tier-3 Wind Affinity Stone Piece.- (Acquired)

    -1 Tier-3 Lightning Affinity Stone Piece.- (Acquired)

    -1 Tier-3 Affinitieless Affinity Stone Piece.-

    -???- (Reward from Trial/Tribtion Quest)

    -Upon 50 percentpletion of your Tier-3 Evolution, the Process will be halted, and you will need to move to the proper facility to receive your Trial/Tribtion Quest. Once you have seeded in finishing the Quest, you will receive the final item necessary toplete your Evolution.-

 Chapter 372 Preparations for the Tier-3 Evolution (3)

    ¨C Requirements for Tier-3 Evolution.-

    -Primary Level Capped.- (Complete)

    -Primary ss Level Capped.- (Complete)

    -Sub-ss Level Capped.- (Complete)

    -Body Strength Tier-3.- (Complete)

    -Tier-3 Codex.- (Complete)

    -Minimum 10k Mana Pool.- (Complete)

    -Two Stats at 1500 or Higher.- (Complete)

    -All Stats minimum of 65% to Cap *1137*.- (Complete)

    -Origin Affinity at Tier-3.- (Complete)

    -Additional Resources Required for Evolution.-

    -2 Tier-3 Efficiency Boosters.-

    -5 Tier-3 Metabolism boosters.-

    -1 Tier-3 Evolution Stone Piece.-

    -1 Tier-3 Dark Affinity Stone Piece.- (Acquired)

    -1 Tier-3 Fire Affinity Stone Piece.- (Acquired)

    -1 Tier-3 Wind Affinity Stone Piece.- (Acquired)

    -1 Tier-3 Lightning Affinity Stone Piece.- (Acquired)

    -1 Tier-3 Affinitieless Affinity Stone Piece.-

    -???- (Reward from Trial/Tribtion Quest)

    -Upon 50 percentpletion of your Tier-3 Evolution, the process will be halted, and you will need to move to the proper facility to receive your Trial/Tribtion Quest. Once you have seeded in finishing the Quest, you will receive the final item necessary toplete your Evolution.-

    Releasing a Groan as he stretched out his back, Cynrik scrolled through the long list of requirements and materials necessary for his Evolution and clicked his tongue upon spotting the hidden reward from the Quest.

    ¡®Of course, there has to be some weird shit that will y a crucial part in finalizing our Tier-3 Evolution.¡¯ Throwing his hands up in defeat, Cynrik activated [Shadow Leap] and melted into the Shadow Realm to catch up with Brance and Selene before they got too far away.

    ¡ª

    When the notification popped up in Brance and Selene¡¯s vision for their Tier-3 Evolution, they had already left the Cavern of Dorms and paused in their tracks to read the sudden pop-up floating in their eyes.

    ¡°Big Brother must have requested the info be sent to us; well, on the upside, I have everything cleared for the requirements; how about you?¡± Stepping off with his right foot, Brance continued walking towards the Headmaster¡¯s Skyscraper of a building that was visible in the distance.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same for me; I barely scraped by with my MIND and INT stats, though. It¡¯s good that your brother had us eliminate the spread of creatures that we did, or else I would have fallen short of the 65% requirement.¡± Pulling up her hood as she stepped into the bright sunlight, Selene thought back to her time in the Egress with the party.

    Contrary to the times she had entered previously with a party organized by her Shebitch of a Mother, the way Cynrik did things was vastly different. Instead of just brute forcing their way through the dungeon-like Egresses they entered, ughtering everything in their path, Cynrik had detailed specific creatures they needed to kill along the way.

    His reasoning for doing it this way was simple. They weren¡¯t hurting for money like regr Divers, who would go after anything that moved so they could sell the scavenged resources for money, and instead, Cynrik¡¯s only goal was gaining kill rewards in the form of Stat points and XP.

    At first, the other members of MyrkLys were amazed by how much Cynrik had prepared, but as time went on, they slowly became numb to how much Cynrik knew. No matter which Egress they entered, a fully fleshed-out n of attack was presented, along with each of their roles and a few tips on what to look out for, turning what should have been a challenging experience into a cake walk for Brance, Selene, Benny, and Gabby.

    Only Melody struggled, but after a couple of weeks under their Demonic Hellion of a Leader, she too fell in line and could keep up and execute her role without a hitch.

    ¡°We have our Affinity Exclusive stones, all we need to do is get the other resources from the Headmaster, and we can begin the process.¡± Appearing two steps behind Selene from an inky ck spot, Cynrik popped out of the Shadow Realm and spoke his thoughts.

    ¡°KYAAAA OI ASSHAT DON¡¯T JUST APPEAR OUT OF NOWHERE LIKE THAT!¡±

    Thump Thump Thump.

    Completely caught off guard and startled so bad that she ¡°kyaa¡¯d,¡± Selene screamed angrily, spun around to face him, and began pounding on Cynrik¡¯s chest with balled-up fists that felt like taps instead of actual attacks. So much so that they didn¡¯t even register a damage notification.

    After all, Selene wasn¡¯t trying to hurt her boyfriend and was merely venting her anger at him. Realistically, with her 1628 STR, which was grossly higher than Cynriks petty 1250, Selene could have done severe damage to him, just like Brance could, but at the end of the day, she was only startled and not actually mad.

    ¡°Knock it off; you two are drawing too much attention.¡± Rolling his eyes and not wanting to be seen with the flirting couple in public, Brance walked off, leaving the two Dark Affinity users behind.

    ¡°Tsk, what got into him?¡± Shooting a strange nce in Brance¡¯s direction, Cynrik pulled up the hood of his uniform, covering his head and shrouding most of his face in darkness.

    ¡°He probably just misses Gabby; you know those two have been practically inseparable since the Michael incident.¡± Shrugging her shoulders before looping her right arm around Cynrik¡¯s elbow Selene spoke with an endearing and motherly tone like she was treating Gabby and Brance as her children instead of Brother and Sister-inw.

    ¡°Sure, if you say so,¡± allowing his right arm to be held by Selene, Cynrik guided her toward the Headmaster¡¯s Tower, and after catching up to Brance, the three walked in silence through the bustling Academy town without stopping to sightsee.

    Thirty Minutester, the group made it to the towering building, through security, up the elevator to the top floor, and reached the door to Headmaster Rivia¡¯s office.

    Stepping forward, Cynrik knocked three times and stood waiting for a response.

    ¡°Enter,¡± which came half a secondter.

    ¡°Yo!¡± Swinging the door open rudely and observing the other three members of his party sitting opposite the Headmaster, Cynrik strode into the room like he owned the ce, much to the chagrin of Headmaster Rivia.

    ¡°Yo my ass Ivar, what the hell took you three so long? I know you needed to pick up the resources you left at your Dorm, but that doesn¡¯t take two and a half hours toplete.¡± Raising an angry eyebrow and waving at the three to sit, the veins on Geralt¡¯s temple pulsed as he spoke.

    ¡°My bad, I had to dig through half a dozen Pocket essories to gather all the stones we needed, plus we had to swing by one of the stores to buy my Lightning Affinity Stone Piece.¡± Narrowing his eyes and noting how the Headmaster¡¯s memories had been altered, Cynrik came up with a bullshit story on the fly that matched the narrative Geralt had offered.

    ¡°You need to learn to be more organized, Darling; can¡¯t you see we¡¯ve kept the Headmaster and the others waiting for too long? If you took my advice and categorized all our loot in an organized manner, we wouldn¡¯t have wasted so much time going through our dozens of Pocket essories to locate all the Affinity Stone Pieces.¡± Following Cynrik¡¯s lead, Selene chided, released his right arm, and yfully smacked his shoulder.

    ¡°Yeah, my bad, I will rearrange everything when we get back home,¡± gritting his teeth with his left eye twitching, Cynrik felt the urge to punish Selene. If anything, SHE was the most unorganized person in the party and seeing her take the liberty of throwing him under the bus, Cynrik swore in his heart he would get back at herter¡­when they were in the privacy of his bedroom.

    ¡°Forget it; you are young; even if you are over-prepared 99% of the time, mistakes are bound to ur; take a seat so that I can distribute the resources you need and exin the Passing Down Ceremony.¡±

    Waving his hand, Headmaster Rivia sorted four piles of items on therge mahogany desk. One of the Tier-3 Efficiency Boosters, one of the Tier-3 Metabolism boosters, one of the strange spherical pills, which Cynrik knew to be the Mental fortification pills, andstly, was a pile of six Clear colored golfball-sized stones.

    ¡°All right, these are all the resources I can give you. Everyone should take two efficiency boosters, five metabolism boosters, four mental fortification pills, and one Neutral Affinity Stone Piece.¡±

    Instead of abiding by hismand, the heads of Brance, Selene, Gabby, Benny, and Melody turned to their Leader for confirmation, making Headmaster Rivia frown.

    ¡®What, am I chopped liver? Why are they looking to Ivar as if he is higher up on the food chain than me?¡¯

    ¡°Go for it, take only what the Headmaster said, and don¡¯t forget to thank him for his generosity.¡± Dropping his hood and revealing a smug smile, Cynrik nearly broke out inughter as he watched Geralt¡¯s face fall.

    ¡®I have trained them well, haha; they won¡¯t take candy from strangers; how dare you try to get a leg up on me by acting like that, how petty of you.¡¯ Cynrik¡¯s smug grin seemed to say as his eyes met Geralt¡¯s.

    Brance was the first to retrieve his materials, followed by Gabby, Selene, Benny, and Melody in that order. Once everyone had pocketed the free resources and cheerfully thanked Geralt, only then did Cynrik step forward and grab the leftovers while ignoring the Mental Fortification pills entirely.

    ¡°Hm, Ivar, you should really take the pills,¡± raising an eyebrow and shooting the boy a weird nce, Headmaster Rivia chided.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t necessary for me; 123 willpower makes them obsolete; plus, I have been through higher levels of pain than my entire body practically turning inside out; I will be fine without them.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, aside from myself, probably only Melody would be able toplete the Evolution without the aid of the Mental Fortification pills since she has 87 Will Power, but I n on having her use them just in case.¡±

    Hearing this, Geralt sighed and felt the urge to strangle the boy for the millionth time today.

    ¡°Listen here, although the minimum WP standard for the Tier-3 Evolution is 100 points, I don¡¯t advise you to push your luck. One slight moment of weakness can cause the entire process to fail. Take the fucking pills, Ivar, and stop this bullshit.¡± mming his fist down on the desk and swiping the back of his hand in Cynrik¡¯s direction, Headmaster Rivia fired the remaining Mental Fortification pills directly at Cynrik¡¯s head.

    As he saw thising, Cynrik reached out and caught the four pills before revealing them with a flourish of his left hand. Resting neatly between his fingers were all four pills.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯ll consider your advice, but I¡¯d prefer to do the advancement without the aid of these things. I see it as a way to further temper my Will Power stat.¡± Rolling his eyes, Cynrik stored the four pills in his inventory before sitting beside his brother.

    ¡°Now then, can we please get into the exnation of how the hell we do this whole Passing Down Ceremony thing?¡± Leaning back in thefortable chair and crossing his arms, Cynrik gave Geralt a challenging re earning himself a smack upside the head from both Brance and Selene

    .

 Chapter 373 The Passing Down Ceremony

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯ll consider your advice, but I¡¯d prefer to do the advancement without the aid of these things. I see it as a way to further temper my Will Power stat.¡± Rolling his eyes, Cynrik stored the four pills in his inventory before sitting beside his brother.

    ¡°Now then, can we please get into the exnation of how the hell we do this whole Passing Down Ceremony thing?¡± Leaning back in thefortable chair and crossing his arms, Cynrik gave Geralt a challenging re earning himself a smack upside the head from Brance and Selene.

    Seeing Cynrik getting disciplined by his fellow teammates brought a small smile to Headmaster Rivia¡¯s lips.

    ¡°I was getting to that, Ivar, but you are always so impatient that you don¡¯t give me a chance to speak. The Passing Down Ceremony has been part of tradition for thousands of years and is neigh unattainable unless you are a student of a ce of higher learning.¡±

    Steepling his fingers and leaning forward as he spoke, Headmaster Rivia grinned knowingly at Cynrik.

    ¡°When a being is on the cusp of breaking through into the next Stage, they must enter a certified and secure server in Virtual Reality directly connected to the Central System HUB. To gain ess to this server, one must first have reached the stopping point in its Evolution. After entering the VR Server, you will be issued your Trial/Tribtion Quest, and a tailor-made area will be created for you to begin your Quest.

    ¡°All Trial/Tribtion quests have a time limit depending on which Stage you are attempting to break into. Once the Quest begins, you will have Three hours toplete it. If you fail, you will experience bacsh. Not only will you fail your Evolution Advancement, but you will also drop down to Level 0 of Tier-2, effectively forfeiting all the XP and Stats you have previously gained in that Tier.¡±

    ¡°The quest can be anything you can imagine, depending on your journey and how you have reached this point in your Evolutionary Path¡ªfor example, subjugating entire viges or cities, crafting a certain number of weapons, or gathering resources.¡±

    Cynrik suddenly felt a chill creep up his spine, the amount of blood he and the other members of MyrkLys had shed was by no means small, and if they all had to ughter their way through hordes of enemies, then this Quest may prove difficult.

    However, what really worried him, was the thought that he may potentially have to face someone or something on the same power scale as Ragnar or Jormie, or worse, Wadjet.

    Pushing down that thought, Cynrik realized something and looked up at Headmaster Rivia.

    ¡°Hold on a second; you said this tradition had been passed down for thousands of years. How is that possible if VR hasn¡¯t been around longer than a couple hundred?¡±

    ¡°Well, before technology advanced to the level it is at now, things were a bit moreplicated.¡± Scratching his chin in thought, Headmaster Rivia sat back in his chair and wondered how much he was able to tell them.

    Even though they were already as strong as fourth-year students, he would be jumping three years¡¯ worth of study and learning by handing out this information, which, if he decided to do, would be breaking multiplews passed down by the Government.

    ¡°Sigh, you just have to ask the questions you shouldn¡¯t. Fine, Have you ever wondered why we use pieces, fragments, or shards of the Evolution stone, and you have never seen a full-sized one?¡± Tossing the question out to not only Cynrik but all of MyrkLys Headmaster Rivia waited for a response.

    Gabby¡¯s eyes lit up, but after looking at Cynrik, who seemed to be analyzing every word the Headmaster spoke, she decided to stay quiet.

    Selene, Benny, Melody, and even Brance looked at Headmaster Rivia with confused eyes. None of them had ever thought much about why they hadn¡¯t seen a full-sized Evolution Stone. If anything, to them, the Evolution stones were just materials required for making it to the next Tier.

    Only Cynrik and Gabby had realized something, and after a few moments of silence, Cynrik smirked.

    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t see thating. I assume the previous Passing Down Ceremony had something to do withpleted Evolution Stones. Somewhere down the line, over thousands of years, theseplete stones were fractured into smaller resources which became a new method of body strengthening.¡± Chewing at the skin of his thumb, Cynrik stated, earning a pleased looked from Geralt.

    ¡°More or less. In ancient times, the Evolution Stones were thought of as Gifts from the Gods. One could be found on every continent, and millions of beings would make a pilgrimage yearly for the opportunity to advance their Tiers. These Relics, known as Evolution Stones, have existed as long as Vinestra, but it wasn¡¯t until the great cmity that the natives of the discovered their true purpose.¡±

    ¡°With the appearance of Mana, these relics rapidly absorbed insane amounts of Mana and grew to the size of mountains. Being near them would make one feel like they were suddenly getting stronger. The Previous Passing Down Ceremony we know of had much to do with climbing these mountain-like relics.¡±

    ¡°The higher up you made it on the mountain, the purer the Mana concentrated in the beings body would be until finally, they were able to break through and reach the next Tier.¡±

    ¡°However that all changed during the time of the Great Strife. Years of prolonged and brutal battles over territory decimated most of the original Evolution Stones. With the rapid expansion of Vinestra, these shattered Evolution stones were scattered worldwide. Coming in varying sizes, as you know, the Evolution stone became a necessary tool for Advancement, and due to its rarity, its price went through the roof.¡±

    ¡°History is filled with stories of Wars being waged over Pieces, Chunks, or higher of the Evolution Stone, as Monarchs and leaders of countries fought over them to gain an advantage over one another.¡±

    ¡°However, unlike the previouspleted Evolution Stone, it was soon found out that once used, these fragmented segments of the stone would vanish after a single use, which caused a frantic search to ensue.¡±

    ¡°Billions of beings went in search of the stones, and for years, it became taboo even to mention if you had one because the instant others found out you did, you would be killed, and the stone would be stolen.¡±

    ¡°Things went on like this for years until the CSH was formed. With its presence, Evolution stones became easier to get your hands on because they were amongst the rewards that could be earned in quests. Not to mention that with the continuously expanding, the Stones eventually could be found within Egresses.¡±

    ¡°Although Still Rare and a vastly sought-after resource, Evolution stones of a lower quality aren¡¯t necessarily hard toe by in this day and age. Still, they hold value, so when peoplee across them, they go on the market pretty quickly if they don¡¯t need them.¡±

    ¡°However, the downside is that the stones of higher quality can only be found in high-Grade Egresses, chance encounters, or auctions. This means that when ites time for you lot to Evolve to Tier-4 onward, you will start to see how difficult it is to locate the proper resources.¡±

    ¡°Even with the disposable ie of the Academy, I wouldn¡¯t be able to guarantee that I can acquire everything you¡¯ll need; in fact, just getting all the alchemic resources, I just distributed to you six put a strain on the Academies funds.¡± Sighing as he drummed his fingers on the desk, Headmaster Rivia resisted the urge to continueining.¡±

    ¡°Be honest with me, Headmaster, how much money was spent? I had originally nned on pushing toward Tier-4 by the time weplete our second year, but if the strain on your Wallet is too much, I will shift my initial ns and adjust ordingly.¡± Realizing he had underestimated the cost of his Faction¡¯s advancement, Cynrik wanted to get a broader view of the big picture.

    ¡°Heh, to be honest, it was challenging to get everything sorted because of the time restraint. Usually, students are preparing for their Tier-2 Evolution by the end of Year two. There are, of course, a couple of students who make it to that point by the end of year one, but they are few and far between.¡±

    ¡°The same can be said about those students who attempt to break through to Tier-3, except the window is vastly different. It isn¡¯t until the end of Year-3 or mid-way through Year-4 that we see students taking a chance to break through to the next Stage.¡±

    Swiping his hand in the air, a sheet of paper filled with graphs appeared on the table, and Headmaster Rivia pushed it in Cynrik¡¯s direction.

    Nodding his head, Cynrik extended a strand of Mana from his fingertip and pulled the paper to him before scanning through it quickly and listening to Geralt¡¯s following words.

    ¡°As you can see fromst year¡¯s data, only 3 Students broke through to Tier-3, and all of them were already in the final weeks of Year-4. Regarding Tier-2, we had five total, all of which were Year-3 students.¡±

    ¡°And Tier-4? Did nobody reach Tier-4st year?¡± Putting the paper down and meeting the stern gaze of Headmaster Rivia, Cynrik openly asked.

    ¡°None; there hasn¡¯t been a single student to Reach Tier-4 from VSFA in thest 20 years, and the Single one who did,¡­well, he left soon after and immediately joined the Reaver Association.¡±

    ¡°If we are to discuss financials, each student has an allotment based on their Entrance Scores. Each year, their allotment increases, and when the timees, we can break even with the merit point system when they purchase the materials they need for Evolution.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, your Faction overdrafted its allotment, so I had to cover 45% of the materials I gave you out of my own pocket since the Year-1 budget was used for your Tier-2 materials, let alone the ones for Tier-3.¡±

    Hearing this, Brance, Gabby, Selene, Benny, and Melody dropped their heads, but Cynrik stared the Headmaster directly into his eyes.

    ¡°Prices, Headmaster, give me the exact prices of what you bought.¡± Using an unwavering tone, Cynrik felt the need to know how much was spent on him, as neither he nor Brance had a habit of letting others pay for them, period.

    ¡°Tier-3 Efficiency Boosters go for 15 million credits, Tier-3 Metabolism Boosters are 1.5 million a piece, Neutral Affinity Stones are 25 million each, and Mental Fortification pills are 1.3 million each. The total expenses for everyone¡¯s materials cost the Academy and me is 256.2 million Credits.¡±

    After hearing this figure, everyone sucked in a sharp breath, but Headmaster Rivia wasn¡¯t finished.

    ¡°But all those resourcesbined don¡¯t equal the value of one of these.¡± Waving his hand slowly, six fist-sized, oddly shaped stones appeared on the table, one in front of each of the members of MyrkLys.

    ¡°Each Evolution Stone piece cost half a Billion, meaning three billion for all six, and they are the final resource I collected for each of you.¡±

 Chapter 374 The Passing Down Ceremony (2)

    ¡°Tier-3 Efficiency Boosters go for 15 million credits, Tier-3 Metabolism Boosters are 1.5 million a piece, Neutral Affinity Stones are 25 million each, and Mental Fortification pills are 1.3 million each. The total expenses for everyone¡¯s materials cost the Academy and me is 256.2 million Credits.¡±

    After hearing this figure, everyone sucked in a sharp breath, but Headmaster Rivia wasn¡¯t finished.

    ¡°But all those resourcesbined don¡¯t equal the value of one of these.¡± Waving his hand slowly, six fist-sized, oddly shaped stones appeared on the table, one in front of each of the members of MyrkLys.

    ¡°Each Evolution Stone piece cost half a Billion, meaning three billion for all six, and they are the final resource I collected for each of you.¡±

    ¡°Fuck¡­you¡¯re insane, Headmaster Rivia heh, spending 3.7 billion credits on little ol me, tsk, should I start calling your Sugar Daddy Geralt?¡± Tilting his head to the side, Cynrik broke the stale air with one of his usual rude remarks, only to earn the ire of literally every member of MyrkLys, including Melody. She found it so disrespectful that she put aside her fear of him to issue him a firm smack upside the back of his head.

    SMACK, CRACK, THUMP, SMACK, THWACK

    For the next three seconds, Brance, Selene, Gabby, Benny, and Melody jumped out of their seats and issued a firm hit to the back of Cynrik¡¯s head; the ones from Selene and Brance actually made him see stars.

    ¡°Mother fucker, CMON GUYS! I WAS ONLY KIDDING.¡± Cynrik cried, but instead of having a moment to recover, he was pped across the room by a person-sized translucent aqua-colored hand.

    BOOOM!

    ¡°That should be enough to shut him up for a while,¡± Straightening his uniform before sitting down and dusting his hands, Headmaster Rivia spat on the floor beside his desk, snapping everyone¡¯s heads in his direction.

    ¡°Sure, it costs a lot of money to purchase the resources. However, it was necessary, with the speeds you six power up, It would be counter-productive to your growth if you were stunted at Tier-2 for years until the school scrounged up the funds to purchase everything.¡±

    ¡°Although the contracts you signed at the Selections stated it wasn¡¯t the Academies responsibility to pay for your Evolution Materials, the moment your fearless leader¡­.¡± Geralt paused and nced at Cynrik as he attempted to extricate himself from the stone wall on the opposite side of the room.

    ¡°Ivar decided to push you all to Tier-3 to be thepetition team. With the six of you taking up six of the seven slots for our Tier-3 team, I provided the funds for the allocation. I know it¡¯s a lot, and I would never consider spending over three billion credits at any other time. However, MyrkLys has been performing well above your level and aplishing remarkable things since the beginning. Therefore, I made an exception.¡±

    Grasping the air, Headmaster Rivia manifested another huge Aqua Colored hand, grabbed Cynrik by his feet, and tugged him out of the hole in the wall before flinging him back into his chair.

    ¡°OOF, What did I miss? Hehe,¡± rolling out his left arm and dusting the stone particles off his shoulder, Cynrik quickly wiped the trail of blood from his nose and acted as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°By taking these stones, you are making me a promise. The promise is that you will take a spot in the top eight in this year¡¯s championship. Although you still have one person, the fifth year, joining your team, the six of you will make up our Tier-3 Team. As you know, there are four regional tournaments, two qualifiers, and then the big tournament, which depending on the points you¡¯ve earned in the previous six tournaments, will put you against the top 128 teams.¡± Ignoring Cynrik¡¯s provocations, Headmaster Rivia put on a stern expression as he met the six pairs of eyes staring back at him.

    ¡°Che, top eight is too low; if we don¡¯t take First ce, we may as welle inst.¡± Crossing his arms and hiding the shaking of his left hand, which had been injured when he crashed into the wall, Cynrik made a bold im.

    [[Did you seriously just say that?]]Turning his head to face Cynrik with dead eyes, Brance wanted to smack some more sense into his brother.

    [[What? If you ain¡¯t first, yourst. It is totally appropriate for this conversation.]]

    [[At least he didn¡¯t hit us with a shake-n-bake Brancie,]] rolling her eyes, Selene even chimed in, annoyed by her boyfriend¡¯sck of seriousness.

    At thatment, Brance frowned but chose to ignore both of them and focus his attention on the Headmaster.

    ¡°If it were only our country taking part, I wouldn¡¯t doubt it, but several impressive teams from other more prestigious Academies are joining in.¡±

    ¡°Putting aside all of the big five, Renson Military, Banes College, Finwan Academy, Supremacy Uni, and Quest Combat Academy, our VSFA has never made it passed the top 64. That is to say, there are still another 122 teams that will inevitably bepeting.¡± Sighing, Headmaster Rivia was beginning to regret his decision of trusting MyrkLys with the Tier-3 team slot.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Headmaster, we¡¯ve got this; all I need from you now is to give me a list of potential students who can fill that final spot on the team.¡± Leaning back in his chair, Cynrik flicked his wrist, slung out a strand of Dark Mana, and pocketed the hefty stone.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you it will be a specific Year-5 Student?¡± With confusion on his face, Headmaster Rivia wanted to know what Cynrik meant with his words.

    ¡°Hm, I mean, you did, but that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean they will mesh well with us; I would prefer to have aplete list of all the Tier-3 students so that I can choose someone who can fill the open slot seamlessly. I like to have a pure support ss person with several single target and AOE heals.¡±

    ¡°We already have more than enough damage dealers, and we need someone with more versatility and utility than who you have probably chosen can present. No offense, Headmaster, but you probably chose the Year-5 student who will already be set in his ways and unable to fit into our team without sticking out like a sore thumb.¡± Wearing a confident smile, Cynrik challenged Geralt, and in reality, he was right.

    The student that Headmaster Rivia had chosen was precisely as Cynrik assumed, another damage dealer, one with a wealth ofbat experience and the person who was previously supposed to be the leader of the Tier-3 team.

    ¡°Sigh, fine, I will send you a list, but for now, take your stones, and we can move on to the next topic on the agenda.¡± Waving away Cynrik¡¯s thoughts, Headmaster Rivia did his best to get the conversation back on track.

    Tapping on his Watcet, the members of MyrkLys soon received a notification in response to Geralt¡¯s actions.

    ¡°Everyone must choose one staff member from the list to be present and aid you in your Tier-3 evolution. This Staff member will be your guide as you move through the initial advancement and into the Passing Down Ceremony.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What are you on about Headmaster? Don¡¯t we have to absorb the proper materials and do what we usually do?¡± Cynrik blurted out while nearly jumping out of his chair.

    Since he had no idea when things would go south, he did not want to be monitored throughout his evolution process; plus, he would reveal numerous secrets that he did not wish to share with anyone outside his party.

    ¡°Stop! Before you begin arguing, this is standard procedure. You have no grounds to weasel yourself out of this arrangement, so get it out of your head now.¡± Holding up his hand to cut Cynrik off, Headmaster Rivia further exined.

    ¡°Due to the nature of the Passing Down Ceremony, students MUST have a Chaperone. There are no if, and, or buts; that is how things are done, and if you don¡¯t like it, hand back all of the materials you have been given for free.¡±

    ¡°I already anticipated you would fight me on this decision. That is why instead of assigning your chaperone personally, I have given you a list of professors I have personally vetted, many of which you already have some form of rtionship with, so knock it off and choose your fucking chaperone.¡± As Headmaster Rivia asserted his authority using Killing Intent and Aura, Cynrik¡¯s heart dropped.

    Gritting his teeth, Cynrik pulled up the list of potential chaperones and began scrolling through it unhappily. While he did so, the other members anxiously looked for who they wanted.

    Soon enough, Melody made a slight noise and looked up happily at the Headmaster.

    ¡°Headmaster Rivia, my Mom is on the list! I wanna choose her, is that ok?¡± Looking up at the man with hope in her eyes, Melody asked.

    ¡°Mhm, that is fine; she was on there for that purpose in the first ce. When she discovered how much you¡¯ve grown and that you were about to go through your first Passing Down, she was adamant that she would be your chaperone. Still, I had to tell her it was up to you who you picked, but I am sure she will be happy that you chose her.¡± Feeling the urge to reach out and pet the girl¡¯s head, Headmaster Rivia chuckled at Melody¡¯s overly excitable attitude.

    ¡°Headmaster, I would like Instructor Garrison to be my chaperone,¡± the next person to speak was Benny. The instant he located Garrison on the list, it was a no-brainer for him; thus, he chose quicker than the others.

    ¡°Approved; the two of you can gather your stone and head down to floor B-22, where the Passing Down is held for Tier-3 hopefuls.¡± Melody and Benny stood up, but they looked to Cynrik for permission before they did.

    ¡°Go, keep on your toes and be weary of anything that seems too good to be true. Remember what I taught you and listen to your chaperone; you should be fine since both have already surpassed Tier-3.¡± Shooting the two a nce, Cynrik issued his order and sent the couple on their way.

    ¡°I will choose Instructor Alistar,¡± up next was Gabby, who chose her chaperone the way her brother had. Since she had sparred with the man several times and was even taking his archery ss, Gabby had built up a teacher-student rtionship with him to the point she feltfortable in having him guide her through the Passing Down.

    With Headmaster Rivia¡¯s approval, Gabby ran out of the office after getting a simr speech from Cynrik as he had given Melody and Benny.

    [[What are you thinking, Cyn?]] With only Selene himself and Cynrik left in the office with the Headmaster, Brance made eye contact with his brother out of the corner of his eye.

    [[Honestly, Selene should probably go with Headmaster Rivia.]] Cynrik¡¯s words startled Selene, making her flinch.

    [[Makes sense; her Abyss Affinity will be trouble for any other teacher on this list. It would be Geralt with his Space Affinity if anyone could handle it.]] Nodding his head and eyeing the distraught expression painting the girl¡¯s face, Brance nodded in her direction.

    [[UGH, FINE!]] Realising there was no arguing with the brothers¡¯ logic, Selene caved in.

    ¡°Headmaster, due to the nature of my Affinity, I would like to request that you are my chaperone. Your name isn¡¯t on the list, but I hope you will consider my request.¡± Bowing her head and waiting, Selene used flowery words to attract Geralt¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Me? That¡¯s¡­unconventional but also understandable, sigh; I don¡¯t expect anyone on our staff would be able to handle the Abyss Affinity; request approved, we have to wait for these two to finish, and we will head down to Floor B-22.¡± After some thought, Headmaster Rivia nodded his consent before ncing at the two brothers silently scrolling through the long list of potential chaperones.

 Chapter 375 The Passing Down Ceremony (3)

    [[UGH, FINE!]] Realising there was no arguing with the brothers¡¯ logic, Selene caved in.

    ¡°Headmaster, due to the nature of my Affinity, I would like to request that you are my chaperone. Your name isn¡¯t on the list, but I hope you will consider my request.¡± Bowing her head and waiting, Selene used flowery words to attract Geralt¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Me? That¡¯s¡­unconventional but also understandable, sigh; I don¡¯t expect anyone on our staff would be able to handle the Abyss Affinity; request approved, we have to wait for these two to finish, and we will head down to Floor B-22.¡± After some thought, Headmaster Rivia nodded his consent before ncing at the two brothers silently scrolling through the long list of potential chaperones.

    [Tsk, Norik isn¡¯t on the list.] Triple-checking the list of dozens of staff members, Cynrik unhappily clicked his tongue and went back to the top.

    [Well, do you really think that Headmaster Rivia would put his own father up to be a chaperone? If it weren¡¯t for your girlfriend having such a rare Affinity, I doubt he would even take Selene up on that offer.] Mimicking Cynrik constantly scrolling from top to bottom, Brance narrowed his options to three specific Professors.

    [Aside from how he mind-wiped our meeting him from Geralt and the other¡¯s memory, he should still have shown up on the list since Gabby, and I attend his lessons. We technically have a working rtionship with him, so I assumed he would have made the cut; I guess I was wrong.] Sighing as he put down his arm and met the steady gaze of Headmaster Rivia, Cynrik ran through the list in his mind, eliminating any Professors who he didn¡¯t personally know.

    In the end, only one was left. The Professor he had in mind was one that he had spent a lot of time over the school year attending every single one of her lessons, Professor Morningdale.

    Still, even though he had already determined his chaperone, Cynrik waited patiently for Brance to finalize his choice.

    After several minutes of deliberation, Brance chose a surprising staff member, and once he spoke up his decision in the mind link, Cynrik nearly burst out in a fit of coughs.

    [SERIOUSLY, BRANCIE? Of all the people, I thought you would go after one of the Nurses, one with a Light Affinity.] Looking at his brother with wide eyes, Cynrik quickly pulled up his list and read the profile of his brother¡¯s choice.

    [AH, fucking hell, that bastard has some good shit; no wonder you chose him; still, his temper is pretty notorious. Need I remind you how he acted during my meeting several weeks back with the Headmaster?]

    : Kristoff Rimsfel :

    : Head Dean of Year One, Former Lead Instructor For Year Six. :

    : Retired Colonel in the United Defense Corps. :

    : Academy Staff, 21 Years. :

    : Peak Tier-4. :

    : P-ss= Master Magic Swordsman. :

    : Affinities, Light, Fire, sma, Terra, Magma. :

    [Hehe, no wonder he has such a big ego. The man not only served in the military but was the former lead instructor of Year-6 students. Not to mention his Affinities are stacked, plus he is a Magic Swordsman, the requirements of which are pretty strenuous. Overall not a bad choice Brancie; I only hope he isn¡¯t too big of an asshole the whole time¡­on second thought, I hope he¡¯s a total dick to you the entire time so that you feel my pain.] Rubbing his hands like a viin, Cynrik grinned and spoke up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be choosing Professor Morningdale as my chaperone.¡±

    ¡°Oh, interesting choice, but considering how many Affinities you have, she is a solid choice and shouldn¡¯t have any trouble guiding you through your Advancement.¡± Nodding and sending a message to Professor Morningdale, Headmaster Rivia faced Brance waiting for his response.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be choosing Head Dean Rimsfel.¡± Using a firm tone, Brance vocalized his decision, surprising Geralt since he too believed that Brance would choose a Professor or Staff Member who focused on Healing. But once he put more thought into it, he remembered that Dean Rimsfel indeed had the Light Affinity, even if he used it primarily offensively instead of as a support Element.

    ¡°I see, alright then,¡± tapping his Watcet a couple more times; Headmaster Rivia informed Dean Rimsfel that Brance had chosen him.

    Three minutester, Geralt, Selene, Cynrik, and Brance left the office and made their way to the elevator. Along the way, the brothers informed Selene about their decisions before ever stepping into the elevator.

    ¡°Listen up, you three, we are going to floor B-22; it is a heavily protected and fortified floor buried hundreds of meters underground. So don¡¯t panic when you feel your bodies begin to get heavier. You may not know it since it isn¡¯t taught in Year-One sses, but the lower into the¡¯s crust you go, the heavier the gravitational pressure bes.¡±

    ¡°This has to do with how massive and dense the¡¯s core is; for every 100 meters below the surface of the crust we go, the gravity multiplies by 0.5g. Floor B-22 is located approximately 800 meters below the surface. Thus you will be subjected to 4g of gravitational pressure.¡± Once everyone had entered the elevator, Headmaster Rivia put a key into the console, changed the numbers on the button disy, and pressed B-22.

    [[Well, that¡¯s new.]] Rubbing his chin and enjoying the calm ride down, Cynrik¡¯s mind spun up.

    [[What?]] Not understanding what Cynrik was talking about, Brance watched Cynrik¡¯s left foot start tapping the elevator floor rapidly.

    [[Oh no, Brancie, he¡¯s got that look again, and his foot is doing the tappy-tap thing!!]] Selene¡¯s pupils dted as she took in her boyfriend¡¯s bodynguage.

    [[Listennn, now hear me out. I don¡¯t know how much you two know about science, but there is a HUGE difference between Vinestra and Earth.]] Cynrik started.

    [[No shit sherlock, one has Mana, the other doesn¡¯t, it doesn¡¯t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. Then there is the massive size difference between the two bodies.]] Brance rolled his eyes and ignored Selene¡¯s panicked expression.

    [[Besides that shit Brancie, did you know that the gravity at the center of Earth falls off the deeper you get, simr to how it is in space, it is estimated that you would be weightless at the center of the Earth, well aside from the immense pressure that is.]]

    [[Where as, here on Vinestra, it is the exact opposite, I can already feel the steady uptick of the gravitational force on my body, and we only just passed floor B-2, this is amazing.]] Not hiding the excitement in his voice while speaking, Cynrik practically vibrated.

    [[Science Geek,]] Brance responded with dead fish eyes.

    [[Darling, your nerdiness is showing, and while I find it cute, you are annoying your brother.]] Smiling sweetly at Cynrik, Selene chided.

    [[Tsk, you both suck, how could you not find this groundbreaking?]]

    [[I have long since epted that Vinestra is all around weird as shit, why would this information be any different.]] Sighing as he hung his head and stared at his feet, Brance blurted out, earning a frown from his brother in response.

    [[Brancie is correct, we see so many strange and new things regrly that I guess we are kind of numb to it by now. It¡¯s ok, Darling; you have your moment, and we will both listen, nod, and smile.]]

    [[SEE IF I DON¡¯T PUNISH YOU LATER, WOMAN!]] Gritting his teeth and turning his head in the opposite direction toward the shiny metal wall of the elevator, Cynrik closed his eyes and felt the gravitational pressure increasing on his body.

    [[Teehee, I look forward to it, you better not promise me a good time and not follow through.]] But Selene had other ns. Creeping up andcing her arm through Cynrik¡¯s, she teased him.

    [[GAG! GET A ROOM, YOU TWO, AND GET OUT OF MY HEAD WITH YOUR GROSS FLIRTING!]] Wishing he had a power drill to erase the image forming because of Selene¡¯s flirtatious words, Brance felt like crying.

    DING DING

    ¡°You have arrived on floor B-22; please watch your step as the gravity has increased by 4gspared to the surface.¡± A pleasant Artificial voice chimed through the elevator speakers as the doors opened, revealing a contrasting hallway.

    Unlike the upper floors of the building, which resembled an office, at a nce, Floor B-22 looked like an underground military bunker, with heavy concrete walls with faintly glowing green runic inscriptions painting the walls as far as the eye could see.

    [[Tsk, again, with these weird ass walls that stop our [Mana Sight], the worst part is that not even [Inspect] can tell me what the hell they are made from.]] The instant the door opened, Cynrik set about with his usual habit of viewing his surroundings with his ocr skill but was nearly blinded the moment he did.

    ¡°Follow me; your chaperones are already waiting in the assigned rooms designated for your Passing Down and Evolution Advancement.¡± Stepping off with his left foot, Headmaster Rivia took the lead, walking down a winding corridor filled with numerous hatch-like barricade-style doors.

    Soon, he stopped outside a door inscribed with D-01 and turned to face Cynrik.

    ¡°This is your stop, Ivar; Professor Morningdale is already waiting inside and has been briefed on your situation. She has signed a Soul Binding Contract and will be unable to speak about any of the information she learns during your Evolution process, even to me. Everything will stay confidential between you and her, so you shouldn¡¯t need to worry.¡±

    A loud scraping sound was heard as the concrete door opened after Headmaster Rivia pressed several buttons on the digital panel to its right.

    ¡°Oh, one more thing, due to the nature of the materials the room is built out of, no Mana or Electronic Signals can pass through, so you will have zero contact with anyone outside the room until you have finished your evolution.¡±

    [[Good luck, you two; see you in a few hours. Brancie, double-check the contract the Head Dean signed, and if everything is squared away, you have my permission to ask for his help when you begin your Turning Point Quest. I won¡¯t be there, so you are on your own this time, but Rimsfel should be able to back you up; be careful how much you divulge; I trust your judgment.]]

    [[Selene, you should be fine, good luck, and try to get as much free shit out of Geralt as possible, kuekue.]] shing Selene a smile and wink, Cynrik nodded at Brance and stepped into the room.

    The moment he was entirely in, the door mmed shut like a stone b sealing a tomb, making his left eye twitch.

    ¡°Well, hello there, Student Ivar Ragnarsson; color me surprised; I would never have expected to be chosen as a chaperone for a Tier-3 Evolution so soon in the school year, let alone by a First Year Student.¡±

    Looking around the room and taking note of how Cave like it appeared, Cynrik¡¯s eyes fell on the only two objects in the room, the first being Professor Morningdale, who was sitting in a plush reclining chair with one leg crossed over the other. The second was a Large sarcophagus-like stone object.

    ¡°Of course, I would choose the best person in the country with Affinity Theory; I would have to be an idiot not to want someone of your prestigious caliber to aid me in my advancement.¡± shing a very Brance-like smile at Professor Morningdale, Cynrikid on the ttering words heavy, much to the joy of the plump woman sitting across from him.

 Chapter 376 PDC Cynrik (1)

    ¡°Well, hello there, Student Ivar Ragnarsson; color me surprised; I would never have expected to be chosen as a chaperone for a Tier-3 Evolution so soon in the school year, let alone by a First Year Student.¡±

    Looking around the room and taking note of how Cave like it appeared, Cynrik¡¯s eyes fell on the only two objects in the room, the first being Professor Morningdale, who was sitting in a plush reclining chair with one leg crossed over the other. The second was a Large sarcophagus-like stone object.

    ¡°Of course, I would choose the best person in the country with Affinity Theory; I would have to be an idiot not to want someone of your prestigious caliber to aid me in my advancement.¡± shing a very Brance-like smile at Professor Morningdale, Cynrikid on the ttering words heavy, much to the joy of the plump woman sitting across from him.

    ¡°Hoho, what a silver tongue you have, young man, hem hem, please take a seat on the circle there in the center of the room.¡± Pointing at the ground, Professor Morningdale covered her mouth and cleared her throat to hide her embarrassment.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± nodding his head Cynrik moved into a ring of runic inscriptions carved into the rocky floor and took a seat in the lotus position.

    ¡°Now, how much about the Passing Down do you know or understand presently?¡±

    ¡°Honestly, not much, Professor. My faction and I only learned about it a few short hours ago, and since it isn¡¯t taught to First Years, on top of not having clearance to gather proper data online, you can assume I know virtually nothing about it.¡± Scratching the back of his head awkwardly, Cynrik admitted hisck of knowledge and earned an understanding smile from Morningdale.

    ¡°That is fine, you technically shouldn¡¯t be learning about it for a couple of years anyway, but I will give you a summary of what is about to happen.¡± As she spoke, Professor Morningdale stood up, sped her hands behind her back, and began walking in a circle around Cynrik and the runic inscription pattern.

    ¡°As you know, we are currently around 800 meters underground, there are several reasons for this area being in its present location, but there are three main reasons for it.¡±

    ¡°The first point of note is the room itself. Due to the massive financial and material resources, the rooms here on B-22 cost a fortune to build. I am sure the Headmaster already informed you that there is no way tomunicate with the inhabitants of these rooms, and it¡¯s precisely because of the stone used to build these rooms that no Electrical Waves or Mana can prate the walls.¡±

    ¡°This leads us to the second reason, Mana conduction. Because this room is carved out of a stone called Cachint, a High-Tier Mana Conductor, the space can be oversaturated with Mana. By doing so, the result is forming a particle environment with an abundance of highly concentrated Mana, which facilitates the advancement of the being.¡±

    ¡°With such a High Concentration of mixed Stable and Unstable particles, a delicate bnce needs to be maintained, where there needs to be ZERO chance of outside interference.¡±

    Hearing her exnation of the stone used to create the room, Cynrik once again activated his [Mana Sight]; however, this time, he channeled Dark Mana into his eyes, using it to form a pseudo tinting effect so as not to blind himself.

    Once the task waspleted, he could view the particles in the room. To his surprise, Professor Morningdale was consistently leaking Fire, Lightning, and Wind Mana, creating a hazy multi-colored cloud that trailed behind her, encircling him.

    ¡°Lastly is the increased Gravitational Pressure thates with being so far down in the ground. With a higher amount of G-force weighing down on your body, it stimtes your cells and rapidly burns calories, in turn increasing the amount of Mana your body hungers for.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s move on to the Passing Down itself. This device here will y arge role in the event.¡± Calmly making her way over to the stone sarcophagus, Professor Morningdale ran her fingers along the deep carvings along the stone¡¯s surface.

    With [Mana Sight] still active, Cynrik noticed that although Morningdale was physically touching the stone, her Mana was rejected by it and scattered back into the room, only to be absorbed into the stone walls.

    ¡°This is called an Aether Capsule, one of the 15 in the Academies possession.¡± Continuing to caress the sarcophagus like a mother her child gently, Professor Morningdale became lost in thought while speaking.

    ¡°Created through aplicated process involving hundreds of different professional crafters, it is a masterpiece of both Technology and Mana. The stone exterior is crafted fromrge chunks of Evolution Stone and Neutral Affinity Stones. And although the process of merging the two materials is a Well Guarded Secret, if it were to leak, others wouldn¡¯t necessarily be able to replicate the device.¡±

    ¡°Because even if someone knows the recipe, getting their machine approved by the CSH is impossible. Having thepleted device is one thing, but linking it up to the proper channels is something heavily regted by the CSH. In doing this, not only is there a limit to the amount of working Aether Capsules in existence, but there is also a limit on how many a single organization can own.¡±

    Sighing heavily and breaking off contact with the stone device, Professor Morningdale turned and looked down at Cynrik; an expression of contemtion could be seen on his face.

    ¡°It is through the Aether Capsule that you will partake in your Tribtion Quest. Here¡¯s how this will work. First, you will follow the same process as your previous Tier-2 Evolution, consuming the proper resources before absorbing all of the Affinity Stones. Once ingested, you will receive the System prompt to begin evolving.¡±

    ¡°I must warn you, the pain you will experience will be like nothing you have been through before. Even though I understand that you have sustained a lot of physical pain in the past, this will trump any previous pain solely because your body will beplexly broken down, destroyed, and rebuilt from the ground up.¡±

    ¡®Tobs, rate my past pain scales together andpare my Advancement in kind.¡¯ Hearing her warning, Cynrik smirked.

    -Based on previous knowledge and information derived from the Central System HUB, Awakening is considered a 3/20 on the pain scale. Breaking multiple bones at once is a 5/20, and Tier-1 Evolution is categorized as a 7. Tier-2 would be counted as a 10. Up next would be the pain you experienced during your interaction with the Chaos Affinity Gem, which can be categorized as a 13/20. Lastly, carving your [Mark of the Tamer] would be between 21/20 and 23/20.-

    -Using this data and the pattern shown from previous Evolutions, your Tier-3 Evolution should be around a 15/20, well within your eptable pain tolerance scale.-

    ¡®Got it; oh, before I forget, how does the Mental Fortification Pill affect my pain tolerance?¡¯ ncing down at the inscribed circle he was sitting in to avoid the concerned gaze of Professor Morningdale, Cynrik pushed for some extra data.

    -Mental Fortification Pills do not affect a being¡¯s actual pain tolerance. Instead, they boost your Will Power Stat by a percentage. The Tier-3 pills you received from Geralt Rivia would temporarily increase your Will Power Stat by 150%.-

    ¡®Tsk, that¡¯s it; the way Geralt talked about the pill made it seem like the end all be all; oh well, if your statistics are urate, I should be fine without it.¡¯

    -Wrong; you should still use them.-

    Resisting the urge to snap his head up and look toward the ceiling where he imagined Tobs to be floating, Cynrik squinted his eyes and tilted his head to the side.

    ¡®Go on then, exin yourself, Tobs.¡¯

    -After carefully considering my findings and evaluating the Tier-3 Mental Fortification Pills, you are advised to take them. I have concluded that while it wouldn¡¯t necessarily increase your odds of sess, which are over 90% at this time, using them will increase your chances of passing the Tribtion Quest quickly andsting well into the Turning Point quest.-

    -There is no telling what situation you will be thrown into when ites to these two quests, and it is imperative that you ¡°steamroll¡± your way through your Tribtion quest to give you the most optimal amount of time to consolidate your Gains from the Evolution.-

    -If we can believe the words of Norik Ackworth, then the moment your Evolution concludes, you will immediately be pulled into your next Turning Point. With the added buff to your Will Power Stat, you can adjust to the new changes appropriately and ignore any potential aftereffects.-

    ¡®Sigh, fine.¡¯ Nodding along with his words, Cynrik shed the bright smile he had learned from his brother up at Professor Morningdale and began taking out all of his resources and stacking them into neat piles on the ground in front of him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me not being able to handle the pain Professor; it isn¡¯t the worst thing I¡¯ve been through, so I should be fine. Plus, I will be OK with a 123 Will Power Stat and a handful of Tier-3 Mental Fortification Pills.¡± Not bothering to look at his piles as he organized them, Cynrik said, startling Professor Morningdale enough to make her gasp audibly.

    ¡°123, oh my, you must have faced many hardships, don¡¯t mind this olddy¡¯s words then; you are well above the regted range for Will Power.¡± Patting her thighs and heading back to her reclining chair, Professor Morningdale kept expending hundreds of MP a second to fill the room with Mana Particles.

    ¡°Professor, that won¡¯t do; someone as beautiful and youthful as you could never be considered old; if I didn¡¯t know any better, I would think you were a student and not a Professor.¡± Forcing the bile rising in his throat back down into his stomach, Cynrikplimented the toad-like plump woman while wearing a mask equivalent to Brance¡¯s regr facial expression.

    ¡°OH YOU, gosh, Student Ivar, you are such a flirt.¡± Using her hand to cover the bright smile she was wearing, Professor Morningdale used her ample Mana Control to shed the blush creeping onto her cheeks and vowed to help Cynrik to the full extent of her abilities.

    ¡°Professor, I am stating obvious facts; whether or not you consider it to be flirting, *WINK*is entirely up to you. I will admit you are beautiful and shouldn¡¯t talk down about yourself in such a way.¡± Gulping down more bile sneakily, Cynrik said sweetly.

    Noticing the embarrassed and resolved expression Professor Morningdale wore brought a creepy smirk to his lips which he hid by tilting his face so that his hood shrouded him in darkness.

    -¡­I know you are doing what you are to get the optimal potential help and benefits from your interactions with the Professor, but if you keep it up, I will rat you out to Selene. I am very sure she would be thankful if I did, even if you would be put into a precarious situation.-

    Tobs¡¯ words froze Cynrik in ce as a wave of dread washed over his body.

    ¡®TOBS! DON¡¯T YOU DARE! YOU KNOW DAMN WELL HOW SHE WILL OVERREACT!¡¯ Screaming in his mind with fear gripping his heart at the bacsh he would receive from his Tsun-Tsun girlfriend, Cynrik reached up and wiped a bead of sweat from his brow.

    -Keep making me watch you flirting with Dolores Umbridge, and I would rat you out in a heartbeat, Cynrik. I have ess to ALL of your memories. Including all the books and movies that characteres from; as such, I am horrified and disgusted by what you are saying. If I had a stomach, I would be emptying its contents right now.-

 Chapter 377 PDC Cynrik (2)

    ¡®TOBS! DON¡¯T YOU DARE! YOU KNOW DAMN WELL HOW SHE WILL OVERREACT!¡¯ Screaming in his mind with fear gripping his heart at the bacsh he would receive from his Tsun-Tsun girlfriend, Cynrik reached up and wiped a bead of sweat from his brow.

    -Keep making me watch you flirting with Dolores Umbridge, and I would rat you out in a heartbeat, Cynrik. I have ess to ALL of your memories. Including all the books and movies that characteres from; as such, I am horrified and disgusted by what you are saying. If I had a stomach, I would be emptying its contents right now.-

    ¡®Ugh, don¡¯t make me go into my SOC just to Bop you,¡¯ feeling at a loss for words, Cynrik blurted out the only thing he could think of, but even that was useless.

    -Go for it; your hand would phase right through my HOLOGRAM body, ?(????).-

    The smug emoticon was enough to leave Cynrik speechless as he imagined the scenario of his hand passing through Tobs like she was a ghost.

    Pushing down that thought, Cynrik finished organizing the piles, pulled down his hood, and met the eyes of Professor Morningdale.

    ¡°Alright, I think I am ready.¡± Using a strand of Dark Mana, Cynrik picked up the ingestible resources and let them hang in the air at arm¡¯s length from his face.

    ¡°Woah, hold on a moment, Student Ivar; I forgot to mention something; before you begin taking the resources, you need to saturate the room with your Mana. Although I can help with Fire, Wind, and Lightning, I do not have the Dark Affinity. So you need to introduce it to the room ahead of time.¡± Sitting forward in her chair, Professor Morningdale halted Cynrik¡¯s actions.

    ¡°Hm, so what? I just need to flood as much Mana as possible?¡± Allowing the Ingestable resources to fall into hisp, Cynrik rolled up the sleeves of his uniform and waited for an answer.

    ¡°Ideally, you want to use around 2-4k of each Mana type. The reason is simple; two things will ur when you do so. Due to the room being entirely made of Cachint, it will absorb every Mana particle and store it. Once there is a stable amount of Mana housed in the stone, the Runic Inscriptions will activate, allowing the stored Mana to flow into the circle in which you are sitting.¡±

    ¡°The Circle, which is a Tier-3 SAG Inscription Form, will actively bombard your body with all the stored particles, expediting the Advancement process significantly, on top of tempering your Body, Mind, and Codex.¡±

    ¡°Think of it as creating the Perfect environment for you to Evolve unhindered personally.¡± Smiling and waving her hand towards the inscriptions carved into every inch of the room, Morningdale nodded, giving Cynrik the OK to explode forth his Mana.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about overloading the Cachint either because the Tier-3 rooms can store well over 10 Million MP worth of Mana, a figure you won¡¯t be able to get even close to meeting.¡±

    Hearing Professor Morningdale doubt him put a sour taste in Cynrik¡¯s mouth as he double-checked his current MP.

    : Mana 41,790/41,790 :

    ¡®Tsk, 41k, let¡¯s check these Affinity Stone Pieces.¡¯ With the knowledge that Affinity Stones house a massive amount of MP, Cynrik wanted to mark off all the boxes to ensure that he wouldn¡¯t ¡°identally¡± break the alleged 10 million limit of the room.

    Using [Inspect], Cynrik gathered how much Mana each stone held, and after running the numbers, he made the judgment call that things should be fine, albeit closer than initially expected.

    : Fire Affinity Stone Piece = 250k MP of Fire Mana Particles. :

    : Wind Affinity Stone Piece = 250k MP of Wind Mana Particles. :

    : Lightning Affinity Stone Piece = 500k MP of Lightning Mana Particles. :

    : Dark Affinity Stone Piece = 550k MP of Dark Mana Particles. :

    : Neutral Affinity Stone Piece = 250k MP of Affinitiless Mana Particles. :

    ¡®Hm, 1.8 million MP total. I should still be fine.¡¯ With the numbers crunched, Cynrik took control of the Mana in his Codex and separated it into 4k portions of each element before letting it leak out of his pores.

    Focusing on his breathing while monitoring his MP dropping rapidly, Cynrik activated [Mana Sight] after coating his eyes like before with Dark Mana and watched the gushing waves of particles surge out of his body before being absorbed into the walls, ceiling, and floor of the room.

    However, he soon realized that he had slightly miscalcted and looked over at the surprised Professor sitting in her chair.

    ¡°Cough, Professor Morningdale, may I know how much Fire, Wind, and Lightning Mana you released into the room? I need topensate for theck of Dark Mana to bnce everything.¡±

    ¡°OH, you must be pretty sensitive to Mana to notice. I released around 5k of each type.¡± Feeling embarrassed and astounded by Cynrik at that moment, Professor Morningdale addressed his question and continued watching as her student released an adequate amount of Dark Mana, which leaked from his body like an Inky ck cloud.

    ¡®This boy¡¯s control of Mana Particles is so fine-tuned that he could even give me a run for my money. Plus, his MP is so high that he doesn¡¯t even look drained after quickly releasing enough Mana to knock out an average Tier-2 being.

    : Mana 20,326/41,790 :

    With a slight nce at his MP bar and his Stats, Cynrik stopped releasing Dark Mana once his overall MP dropped below half and smiled bitterly.

    ¡°That was ufortable, haha; I¡¯ve never released so much MP for virtually no reason.¡± He said while turning his neck at a 45-degree angle and popping it.

    ¡°Student Ivar, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, how high is your MP? To be able to release so much into the air and still seem full of vigor. It must be quite high. I also noticed that each time you did so, there was a visual effect indicating your Mana is of high quality.¡± Professor Morningdale stated with shining eyes.

    ¡°Hm, well¡­I currently have around 41k when my tank is full, so just now, I burned¡­.¡±

    ¡°Around 21k, what you say is very impressive for someone still under Tier-3. My Mana Pool didn¡¯t reach that level until I was well into Tier-3.¡± Cutting him off mid-sentence, the look in Professor Morningdale¡¯s eyes turned from astonishment to greed.

    If she could get her hands on such a promising student like Ivar, there was no doubt in her mind that she would be able to advance her research further at a much quicker rate.

    The glint in her eyes didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Cynrik, who instantly regretted showing her the level of attention he had up until this point. Exhaling shakily, Cynrik tried to focus on the task at hand and not the wolf-like gaze he was receiving from the toad-like hag sitting across from him.

    ¡°Professor, may I please see the contract you signed with the Headmaster? There are some things I need to verify before I continue my Passing Down and Advancement.¡± Putting on his best poker face, Cynrik extended his hand toward Professor Morningdale, pulling her from her thoughts and startling her.

    ¡°The Contract? I am not opposed to showing you, but I am inclined to ask why you wish to see it.¡± Raising an eyebrow as she narrowed her eyes, Professor Morningdale retrieved a bright blue sheet of paper that appeared to move like liquid.

    ¡°I need to inform you of some confidential information, but I need to verify that the contract is in order. If not, I will be forced to abort the Passing Down Ceremony and request a new chaperone.¡± Without missing a beat, Cynrik responded, drawing a sharp breath from Morningdale, who handed over the strange sheet of paper to him.

    Thest thing she wanted to do was burn bridges with such a prodigy; if he wanted to read the contract for peace of mind, so be it.

    When his fingers touched the light blue paper, Cynrik¡¯s pupils constricted, and he felt a strange sensation run through his body, starting from the tips of his fingers.

    ¡®Woah, what the hell is this made out of? It has a high sticity yet feels like water while being solid.¡¯ Amazed by the strange material the Soul Contract was formed, Cynrik didn¡¯t let himself be distracted and carefully read through the contract in its entirety.

    *Party A cannot reveal any information learned or disyed by Party B to any other creature, beast, being, or entity alive or dead under any circumstances.*

    *Party A cannot use any information learned or disyed by Party B for any reason whatsoever and is only present to aid Party B in the form of a Chaperone.*

    *Party A cannot betray Party B in any facet so long as this contract exists.*

    *Throughout the Passing Down Ceremony (PDC) and Evolution Advancement, Party A must aid and assist Party B to the utmost of their ability.*

    *Party A is banned from causing physical, mental, or spiritual harm in any way, shape, or form to Party B before and afterpleting the PDC and subsequent Evolution to Tier-3. This use will be held in effect for one week, 168 hours.*

    *If Party A is found to be in breach of this contract, their wealth will be instantly handed over to Party B, and Party A¡¯s soul will be destroyed entirely, along with their mind and body.*

    ¡®Woof, that¡¯s a heavy contract¡­still, it falls in line with what I assumed. I should be fine revealing the existence of my Turning Point Quest. Personally, I would never sign this thing. Party A represents Professor Morningdale, and Party B is me; the only issue is it has my Nickname instead of my real one.¡¯

    ¡®Tobs, that won¡¯t cause any issues, right?¡¯ Flicking his eyes toward the ceiling, Cynrik asked.

    -Since the name Ivar Ragnarsson is officially your Nickname and referenced in your Status, it is counted as a real name. Thus the contract applies correctly and is binding.-

    ¡®Got it, anyway I am nowyer, but I can tell this is no different than a fucking ve contract, especially the use about how she can¡¯t betray me; there is no end date on it, so effectively, she will be at my mercy if I wanted her to be.¡¯

    With that thought in mind, Cynrik handed the contract back

    ¡°Thank you, Professor; I havepleted the requested saturation and read through the contract; I will now move on to absorbing the proper resources and beginning my advancement. Professor, I will be in your care. Oh, and if I suddenly nk out at the end of this event, it is because of a particr cultivation skill that allows me to consolidate my strength, so don¡¯t panic if I suddenly seem to drain all my energy. If this urs, and I appear injured, I will require you to use healing skills or materials on me.¡±

    That said, Cynrik ignored her response and began consuming all of the resources handed over by Headmaster Rivia.

 Chapter 378 PDC Brance (1)

    ¡°This is your stop, Ivar; Professor Morningdale is already waiting inside and has been briefed on your situation. She has signed a Soul Binding Contract and will be unable to speak about any of the information she learns during your Evolution process, even to me. Everything will stay confidential between you and her, so you shouldn¡¯t need to worry.¡±

    A loud scraping sound was heard as the concrete door opened after Headmaster Rivia pressed several buttons on the digital panel to its right.

    ¡°Oh, one more thing, due to the nature of the materials the room is built out of, no Mana or Electronic Signals can pass through, so you will have zero contact with anyone outside the room until you have finished your evolution.¡±

    [[Good luck, you two; see you in a few hours. Brancie, double-check the contract the Head Dean signed, and if everything is squared away, you have my permission to ask for his help when you begin your Turning Point Quest. I won¡¯t be there, so you are on your own this time, but Rimsfel should be able to back you up; be careful how much you divulge; I trust your judgment.]]

    [[Selene, you should be fine, good luck, and try to get as much free shit out of Geralt as possible, kuekue.]] shing Selene a smile and wink, Cynrik nodded at Brance and stepped into the room.

    Rummmble Thunk

    With a deep rumble and a soft thunk, the stone door shut, sealing Cynrik in the room, leaving Headmaster Rivia, Selene, and Brance alone in the hallway.

    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s hurry along and get you to your room, Student Bj?rn.¡± Once finished double-checking that the room was sealed and no one could enter or exit, Headmaster Rivia turned and examined the expressions of Brance and Selene, only to find that neither of them seemed nervous or hesitant.

    [Hey fuckface, don¡¯t break anything, we may have a few bucks now, but I guarantee that room is expensive.] Although he knew that every form ofmunication was supposed to be blocked by the material the room was made of, Brance still tried sending over a message through the mind link, only for it to go unanswered, confirming that even its transmission was blocked.

    ¡°Come along then; your room is a few away from here.¡± Taking the lead, Headmaster Rivia briskly walked off, with Selene falling in line behind him, followed by Brance.

    [[Connection is cut between Big Brother and us. So that means we will be on our own.]] Brance said as he pulled up his inventory and double-checked everything was in order.

    [[Yeah, I already tried talking to him and got no response, whatever these walls are made of must be some pretty impressive stuff to block even your mind linkmunication.]] Bringing her hand up to her chin and wearing a curious expression under her hood, Selene responded without drawing attention to herself.

    [[I¡¯ve seen it before, the dorms have a little bit of the material mixed in, and back before we met you, we encountered a simr situation during our first Egress dive. The most concerning thing about the stone is how brightly it shines when I use my [Mana Sight]. It¡¯s like looking into the sun; unless Big Brother and I dull our sight, it is blinding to examine.]]

    ¡°Here we are, room C-01; this is your stop, Student Bj?rn; Head Dean Rimsfel is already waiting inside¡­.¡± Pausing and falling into contemtion, Headmaster Rivia formted his following sentence carefully.

    ¡°Try not to anger him or taunt him. Dean Rimsfel is very temperamental, and even though he isn¡¯t that bad of a guy once you get to know him, he tends to have an aggressive outlook on everything and is a bit stiff, if you get what I mean.¡± Showing concern, Headmaster Rivia entered a twelve-digit code, and with apressed st of pressurized air, the stone door slid open.

    ¡°Yes, sir, thank you for guiding me here.¡± Turning to face Selene, Brance nodded and spoke in the mind link to her.

    [[Be careful and triple-check the contract; if anything is amiss, don¡¯t say any confidential information.]] With those words, Brance stepped into the room, and with a soft rumble and thunk, the door sealed him off from the rest of the underground bunker that is floor B-22.

    Pausing at the entrance of the Cave-like room, Brance made a quick observation of his surroundings. Unbeknownst to him, the roomyout was exactly the same as the one Cynrik had entered. Bare stone walls with carved runic inscriptions, a single reclining chair, Aether Capsule, and a sizeable intricate formation circle in the center of the floor.

    Lastly, his eyes fell on the middle age man of Asian descent sitting on the recliner with a straight back, and his right leg crossed over his left.

    ¡°Headmaster Rivia is quite punctual. He told me it would take seven minutes for you to arrive, and here you are, seven minutes after my arrival on the dot. Take a seat in the center of the circle, and I will exin what is expected of you.¡± Without giving Brance an extra second to adjust to his surroundings, Head Dean Rimsfel spoke in an authoritative tone while pointing at the circle between him and Brance.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Unbeknownst to Brance, he had fallen into parade rest when he entered the room. Upon receiving an order, heplied without hesitation, briskly making his way to the center of the room and assuming the lotus position in the center of the formation.

    Even the way he had spoken in a clear tone was reminiscent of his time in the military on Earth, and his instant reaction and reply drew an epting nod from the Head Dean. Once Brance was in position, he began exining almost word for word what Professor Morningdale had narrated to Cynrik as if it was from a predetermined script, and once he was done, he looked to Brance for any questions.

    Brance, like his brother, asked several questions about the material the room was made of and how it absorbed Mana.

    However, he did ask a question that Cynrik had found out on his own without needing to be told.

    ¡°Sir, the inscriptions on the walls and this one on the floor, what is their purpose?¡±

    ¡°First and foremost, the inscriptions act as a filter. Their main job is to purify any Mana the Cachint absorbs before transferring it to the formation you are sitting inside. The formation¡¯s purpose is to create a clean Mana environment that can be used by your body to nourish your Codex, muscles, mind, skeleton, and internal organs.¡±

    ¡°In simple terms, if you didn¡¯t have the formation, you would experience an 85% drop off in avable Mana due to instability, lower purity, and overall waste.¡± As he spoke, Head Dean Rimsfel got up from his chair and slowly walked around the room, releasing copious amounts of Light and Terra Mana.

    ¡°Retrieve all of your resources and organize them into piles so that you will have easy ess to them when the timees. Onceplete with that objective, you will begin dispursing 2000 MP of Light and Terra Mana and 9k of your other Affinities.¡± Not bothering to look at Brance to be sure he was doing as told, Head Dean Rimsfel continued narrating his actions.

    ¡°I am currently expelling 7k Light and Terra MP. To fuel the room, you mustpensate the difference to reach the required 9k of each Mana type.¡± After finishing his task, Head Dean Rimsfel returned to his recliner and sat in the same posture as before, watching Branceplete his objectives.

    It took only half a minute for Brance to sort out all the materials necessary for his Advancement and begin leaking the appropriate Mana particles into the room. Curious about the process, he activated [Mana Sight]. Still, as usual, he struggled to keep his eyes open while watching the floating multi-colored particles enter the walls, floor, and ceiling to fuel the lightly glowing green inscriptions.

    Releasing his Terra, Light, and Wind Mana took little to no time, but when it came time to expel his HolyFire Mana, Brance frowned deeply, something that didn¡¯t escape the sharp hawk-like eyes of the Head Dean.

    ¡°What is wrong, Student Bj?rn?¡± As someone with a high level of Mana awareness, he could feel that Brance had only released three batches of Elemental Particles into the air when he knew that Brance had a secret fourth Affinity thanks to the Headmaster.

    ¡°Excuse me, Head Dean, may I see the contract you signed with the Headmaster? I need to read through it before exining my current situation.¡± Meeting the man¡¯s eyes, Brance straightened his back and lowered his shoulders while speaking.

    ¡°The contract? Why would you need to see it? Although it concerns you, I am not obligated to show it to you.¡± Narrowing his eyes and observing Brance¡¯s body posture and even the tone Brance used, Head Dean Rimsfel countered without moving a centimeter.

    ¡°Sir, as you may already know, my brother and I have several secrets that must stay as such. Because of such information¡¯s confidentiality, I must read through the contract before divulging these secrets to assure everything is in order.¡± Not backing down, yet staying respectful, Brance responded without hostility as if he was speaking matter of factly.

    After several seconds of silence, Dean Rimsfel and Brance entered a stalemate, neither willing to give in. Finally, Rimsfel sighed loudly. Realizing that it was only serving to waste more of his precious time by staying in this stalemate, he took out the stretchy, light blue liquid-like piece of paper from his inventory and flicked it to Brance.

    Extending his hand and catching the Contract, Brance was intrigued by the strange stretch yet liquid-like material but paid it no more attention than necessary before reading through the contents of the contract.

    It didn¡¯t take but three minutes for him to read it over several times and sent it back over to Head Dean Rimsfel.

    ¡®Damn, I am sure Cynrik will cause all kinds of mischief once he reads that. Knowing him, he is probably thinking about several ways to abuse it and turn our chaperones into ves or something.¡¯ Shaking his head, disappointed at how predictable his brother could sometimes be, Brance cleared his throat and looked back up at the Head Dean of Year One.

    ¡°My fourth Affinity is quite rare, and I am not sure if you will be able to help much, but I still wish to seek your guidance, Head Dean.¡±

    ¡°The Headmaster has informed me of such, but he was quite secretive about why and what Affinity you have obtained.¡± Wearing a poker face, Head Dean Rimsfel could feel his heart rate elerate as his mind was a mess of ideas and theories about what this mysterious Affinity could be.

    Instead of responding vocally, Brance held up his right hand, palm facing the ceiling, and manifested a beautiful and glorious golden me with a brilliantly shining white core.

    ¡°The Affinity in question is this¡­.¡±

    ¡°H¡­h¡­HolyFire!¡± Before Brance could say the name of his Affinity, Head Dean Rimsfel was already on his feet, gawking at the golden me floating while radiating an oppressive force.

 Chapter 379 PDC Brance (2)

    ¡°My fourth Affinity is quite rare, and I am not sure if you will be able to help much, but I still wish to seek your guidance, Head Dean.¡±

    ¡°The Headmaster has informed me of such, but he was quite secretive about why and what Affinity you have obtained.¡± Wearing a poker face, Head Dean Rimsfel could feel his heart rate elerate as his mind was a mess of ideas and theories about what this mysterious Affinity could be.

    Instead of responding vocally, Brance held up his right hand, palm facing the ceiling, and manifested a beautiful and glorious golden me with a brilliantly shining white core.

    ¡°The Affinity in question is this¡­.¡±

    ¡°H¡­h¡­HolyFire!¡± Before Brance could say the name of his Affinity, Head Dean Rimsfel was already on his feet, gawking at the golden me floating while radiating an oppressive force.

    Brance watched as a mixture of emotions shed through Head Dean Rimsfel¡¯s eyes: remorse, fear, despair, greed, hope, and excitement. Narrowing his eyes and examining the Head Dean, he knew that if it weren¡¯t for the Contract binding him to silence and loyalty, the man across from him would undoubtedly attack him or try forcing him into an unfavorable situation.

    ¡°How¡­how did you find HolyFire? It is one of if not the rarest Affinity to appear in thest 10 thousand years. Only two beings came forward during those years to show the world their prowess, and both led legendary crusades to rid the world of evil and darkness.¡± Straightening his uniform and clutching his trembling hands behind his back, Head Dean Rimsfel never broke eye contact with the floating ball of golden fire hovering above Brance¡¯s palm.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t find it; it was something that was always meant to be mine. You can say it was passed down to me.¡± Picking and choosing his words mysteriously, Brance closed his hand and released his grasp on the HolyFire Mana particles used to manifest the ball of fire.

    ¡°The problem I am facing is that I still don¡¯t haveplete control over this Affinity since I have only had it for a few short weeks and haven¡¯t had the time to invest in exploring it thoroughly.¡± Dropping his hand and cing it in hisp, Brance looked for assistance from the Head Dean. Although he was hopeful, after experiencing difficulty controlling an SEC Grade Affinity, he was aware that there was only so much the man could assist him with.

    ¡°I see; how much do you know about Secret Grade Affinities?¡± Calming himself down and feeling embarrassed due to losing hisposure in front of a student, Head Dean Rimsfel sat back down with perfect posture.

    ¡°Not much; before obtaining my HolyFire, my highest Grade Affinity was my Light, which, as you know, is a Special Advanced Grade. Being my Origin Affinity, I have had it since I was a baby; even so, I struggled for years to get to where I am now.¡±

    ¡°Light SAG, Wind BG, and Terra BG, these were the three Affinities I¡¯ve had as far back as I can remember. When ites to experience in handling and controlling them, I havee a long way. However, the HolyFire is an entirely different case altogether.¡±

    ¡°The most I can do is create a few small fireballs and use them to purify things simr to what I can do with my Light Affinity, but even that is mainly me relying on Skills instead of controlling the Elemental Particles.¡± Propping his elbows on his knees, Brance sat up straight and manifested his other three Affinities in the form of three small glowing orbs, one white, one light green, and thest a tan color.

    ¡°So when you told me to release my final Affinity into the air for the walls to absorb, I was at an impasse.¡± Wearing a bitter smile, Branceid the situation out for the Head Dean in a way that showed his concern.

    ¡°It is to be expected; if Secret Grade Affinities were so easy to control, there would be multiple low Tier beings wreaking havoc all over the country, no, the world. Although I am no expert on handling such aplex Mana particle, my experience with the Light Element should allow me to give you some insight.¡±

    ¡°To better understand, I must first break down how Elements are graded. As you know, there are multiple ssifications: Basic Grade being the lowest, and the list expands in the following order, Basic Advanced Grade, Special Basic Grade, Advanced Basic Grade, Advance Grade, Special Advanced Grade, Ancient Grade, andstly, Secret Grade.¡±

    ¡°There are a total of eight different ssifications, each representing theplexity of the makeup of the particles and the difficulty involved in controlling that particle.¡±

    ¡°The higher in the list an Elemental Particle is seated, the stronger a being¡¯s mental power and Codex must be to dominate said particles. In the case of Secret Grade Mana Particles, which are considered the pinnacle of Mana in existence, simply having the Affinity will not allow one to haveplete control over the particle in question.¡± Without moving his body, several powerful orbs snapped into existence as he spoke and moved into a line in front of Head Dean Rimsfel.

    ¡°SAG Light, AG Fire, ACT sma, AG Terra, ABG Magma, each one of my Affinities has its own challenges, and the hardest one I have dealt with was Light, even if it isn¡¯t my most powerful Affinity. The reason lies in how like you, my Light Affinity is my Origin Affinity.¡±

    Brance¡¯s eyes fell on the Pinkish purple orb with hints of light blue in the fringe, which he assumed to be sma due to the oppressive feeling he got from it.

    ¡°As my beginning Affinity, I struggled for years; although I may have reached a certain level of strength at my age, it took longer to train than I would have hoped. If I didn¡¯t start with a SAG Affinity so early in my life, there is no doubt I would have advanced my Mana Control significantly quicker.¡±

    ¡°But eventually, I found my stride and became a pioneer in the Light Affinity, creating a unique method for fighting with an Element that otherwise was known to be only capable of defense or support.¡± In a sh, the other glowing orbs disappeared, leaving only the Light orb, which underwent an interesting mutation.

    Before Brance¡¯s eyes, the orb elongated into a sharp, sturdy-looking longsword. If he didn¡¯t know that it was a Mana construct, he would have been convinced it was an actual, physical sword made of metal.

    ¡°Light Mana is known for its easy transformations into constructs; however, it is not known to be the most durable Mana type. 99 out of 100 Light Affinity users will primarily use their Elemental control to either heal, buff stats, or create temporary shields that can withstand only a few strikes at best.

    ¡°In contrast, I took a different route, one that saw me increasing the durability of my constructs to their extreme. As a result, I no longer require the aid of external weapons because my Mana Construct Weapons are significantly more robust than their natural counterparts.¡±

    ¡°Topare it, if I create a Tier-3 Sword, it will be just as strong, sharp, and durable as a Tier 4.5 sword. Not only that, but I have developed over twenty different offensive attack Affinity Skills.¡± Wearing a neutral expression as he boasted, Head Dean Rimsfel clutched his hand into a fist and shattered the Mana Construct Sword into a scatter of particles, which then took the form of a beam of Light that shed around the room and disappeared.

    ¡°My high level of control allowed me to evolve my Affinities further and eventually led to me obtaining my sma Affinity bybining the properties of my Light Affinity with my Fire Affinity.¡±

    ¡°So while I may have been weaker at lower Tier¡¯s, once I advanced out of the Mortal Stage and into the Supernatural Stage, the power of my skills and control over my Affinities soared to new levels.¡±

    ¡°Now, how can this be tranted to aiding you in controlling your HolyFire? That is simple; at its core, HolyFire is a mutation of the Fire Affinity and Light Affinity. Theplexity of the particle is leaps and bounds beyond that of your Light Affinity, so you must first understand the makeup of the particle itself. From there, your next step should be to understand how that particle interacts with its surroundings.¡±

    ¡°You felt the oppressive pressure exerted by my sma Affinity. I saw it in your bodynguage; the same can be said about your HolyFire. For it to even apply a modicum of pressure on me, a being significantly stronger and of a higher Stage than you, is telling enough just how powerful that particle can be.¡±

    ¡°I want you to take some time, close your eyes and FEEL the Mana flowing in your body. Ignore all the interfering external stimuli, such as your other Affinities, and focus solely on the HolyFire Mana residing in your Codex.¡± After saying that, Head Dean Rimsfel fell silent and gave Brance a moment to collect his thoughts.

    ¡®Feel the Mana, that is the same shit Cynrik has been telling me for years, yet I still don¡¯t fully understand it. I get an odd sensation when I use Mana, but unlike him, I can¡¯t channel it willy-nilly.¡¯ Following the Head Dean¡¯s words, Brance closed his eyes and thought back to all the lectures he had received from his brother over the years.

    Since the day Cynrik determined that Tobs was heavily assisting them in using skills, his brother had been adamant about wrestling control of everything micromanaged by the System AI and not relying on her so much.

    Focusing on his heartbeat, Brance made a mental image of approximately where his Codex should be located based on what he would see when looking at his brother or other people with [Mana Sight] Active.

    ¡®Thinking back, whenever I use a skill, it feels like my blood is rushing away from my chest and into my target area. In that brief moment, I could tell something was happening. Still, no matter how hard I focus, unless I use [Mana Sight] to see what is happening, I cannot tell how it is supposed to feel any different from my blood rushing around.¡¯

    ¡®It is the same thing when I channel Mana for just about anything; it feels like my blood is moving around and seems to be no different than what happens when you cut off the blood flow to your finger by gripping it tightly before letting go.¡¯

    Channeling his Mana to the palm of his right hand as he usually did, Brance still couldn¡¯t differentiate how or why it would be different, and this was more so his outlook on things rather than him missing something important.

    From the moment he stepped foot in Vinestra, although he had the same tools, abilities, and basic knowledge as his brother, Brance had never thought of Mana as anything other than Magic instead of a property of nature. Due to that misunderstanding, Brance had limited his potential unknowingly.

    This fact alone was why, when he fought, Brance primarily relied on his physical strength and body rather than Affinity Skills the way Cynrik does.

    If Cynrik were here and knew what his younger brother was thinking, he would be ranting and raving about how much of a Meathead Brance was being.

 Chapter 380 PDC GBM (1)

    POV: Melody, Benny, and Gabby

    ~Earlier, Back in the Headmaster¡¯s Office, before Cynrik, Brance and Selene chose their Chaperones.~

    ¡°Due to the nature of the Passing Down Ceremony, students MUST have a Chaperone. There are no if, and, or buts; that is how things are done, and if you don¡¯t like it, hand back all of the materials you have been given for free.¡±

    ¡°I already anticipated you would fight me on this decision. That is why instead of assigning your chaperone personally, I have given you a list of professors I have personally vetted, many of which you already have some form of rtionship with, so knock it off and choose your fucking chaperone.¡± As Headmaster Rivia asserted his authority using Killing Intent and Aura, Cynrik¡¯s heart dropped.

    Soon enough, Melody made a slight noise and looked up happily at the Headmaster.

    ¡°Headmaster Rivia, my Mom is on the list! I wanna choose her, is that ok?¡± Looking up at the man with hope in her eyes, Melody asked.

    ¡°Mhm, that is fine; she was on there for that purpose in the first ce. When she discovered how much you¡¯ve grown and that you were about to go through your first Passing Down, she was adamant that she would be your chaperone. Still, I had to tell her it was up to you who you picked, but I am sure she will be happy that you chose her.¡± Feeling the urge to reach out and pet the girl¡¯s head, Headmaster Rivia chuckled at Melody¡¯s overly excitable attitude.

    ¡°Headmaster, I would like Instructor Garrison to be my chaperone,¡± the next person to speak was Benny. The instant he located Garrison on the list, it was a no-brainer for him; thus, he chose quicker than the others.

    ¡°Approved; the two of you can gather your stone and head down to floor B-22, where the Passing Down is held for Tier-3 hopefuls.¡± Melody and Benny stood up, but they looked to Cynrik for permission before they did.

    ¡°Go, keep on your toes and be weary of anything that seems too good to be true. Remember what I taught you and listen to your chaperone; you should be fine since both have already surpassed Tier-3.¡± Shooting the two a nce, Cynrik issued his order and sent the couple on their way.

    ¡°I will choose Instructor Alistar,¡± up next was Gabby, who chose her chaperone the way her brother had. Since she had sparred with the man several times and was even taking his archery ss, Gabby had built up a teacher-student rtionship with him to the point she feltfortable in having him guide her through the Passing Down.

    With Headmaster Rivia¡¯s approval, Gabby ran out of the office after getting a simr speech from Cynrik as he had given Melody and Benny.

    After exiting the Headmaster¡¯s office, Gabby quickly sprinted toward the elevator. Half running, half skipping, she noticed Melody and Benny, who could be seen standing inside the elevator with the doors open from across the hall and sped up.

    ¡°Hey, Guys, hold the door for me!¡± Reaching the open doored elevator in the blink of an eye, Gabby slid in beside Melody and noticed Benny staring at the button panel on the right side of the entryway in confusion.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Realizing that the door wasn¡¯t closing and Benny¡¯s hand was hovering over the numerous buttons representing each floor of the building, Gabby asked as she peeked around her brother¡¯srge torso to get a look at what he was doing.

    ¡°Apparently, Headmaster Rivia forgot to tell us how to get down to Floor B-22; the elevator only goes from the lobby up to this floor, 27. There aren¡¯t any basement level floors on the buttons panel.¡± Melody exined while holding Gabby by her shoulders and gently pulling her back so she didn¡¯t fall or disrupt Benny.

    ¡°Huh? What are we supposed to do then?¡± Tilting her head to the side as she allowed Melody to drag her backward, Gabby¡¯s voice was barely audible while speaking.

    ¡°For now, we will have to go down to the lobby; Melly, can you text your mom and see if she has already arrived?¡± After failing to figure out how to reach the basement of the building, Benny pressed the elevator¡¯s ¡°L¡± button, which caused the doors to close and descend to the lobby.

    ¡°Sure thing,¡± nodding her head, Melody began tapping away on her Watcet and sent out a message, and by the time the group reached the lobby, she had already received a reply from her mother.

    ¡°Mom says she was already waiting downstairs but ising back to get us. She wants us to stand by the elevator out of the way until she arrives.¡± Letting her left arm fall to her side after reading the reply text, Melody said before looking at Benny, who was showing signs of being nervous.

    ¡°Babe, don¡¯t get all freaked out; my Mom isn¡¯t going to bite your head off. It¡¯s like the millionth time you¡¯ve met her; howe you are still so skittish?¡± Fighting back a giggle, Melody teased Benny, who appeared to be two seconds away from pacing like Cynrik does.

    ¡°I know, but still, she is a Professor on top of being your Mom, not to mention she always res at me like I¡¯m a hungry predator who stole her cub away.¡± Shoving his hands in his pockets as he spoke, Benny tried his best to calm his rapidly racing heart.

    ¡°Pfft, Big Brother, you look like you need to go to the bathroom; rx, will you? Auntie ire is a nicedy; since when are you such a wimp.¡± However, unlike Melody, who was trying tofort Benny, going so far as to rub his back, Gabby quickly went on the attack and began teasing him.

    ¡°So says you, Gabby; thest time I saw her, all I did was pass by her food stand, and I got all kinds of cooking utensils hurled at me; I ran away in fear of my life!¡± Feeling wronged, Benny pulled one hand out of his pocket and delivered a flick onto his sister¡¯s forehead just as the doors opened.

    Unlike what he wanted, Benny¡¯s words only sufficed to cause his sister and girlfriend tough at his expense. When the doors opened, theirughter was loud enough to draw the attention of several adults and staff members actively going about their workday.

    Dropping his head and exiting the elevator, Benny hid in a corner nearby in embarrassment, causing the two girls tough even harder.

    Three minutester, the elevator dinged, and a pretty Silver haireddy stepped out before looking around the lobby, eventually spotting the two girls picking on a bashful-looking muscr boy. Professor ire walked over and snuck up behind the girls, smiling at their antics, then recing the expression with a mischievous look.

    ¡°Well now, this sure is an odd sight, two short, pretty girls picking on a beefy muscr boy, that isn¡¯t something you see every day.¡± Standing only a few centimeters behind Gabby and Melody, Professor ire stuck her head between the two girls and spoke, causing all three students to freeze in shock.

    ¡°MOM! Don¡¯t creep up on us like that; you nearly gave me a heart attack.¡± Whipping around and batting at Professor ire¡¯s shoulder in anger, Melodyined nearly in tears.

    ¡°Hehe, I couldn¡¯t resist. Seeing my adorable and precious little daughter picking on a boy bigger than her with her galpal was simply irresistible. Hello Gabrie, as always, thank you for being such a good friend to my little girl.¡± Stepping back, Professor ire then crossed her arms and red at Benny.

    ¡°Gremlin.¡± Using the nickname she had coined for the boy who was actively trying to steal her daughter away, Professor ire¡¯s line of sight lingered on Benny for only a second before she ignored his existence.

    ¡°Hello, Professor ire,¡± Benny replied, but he soon fell silent.

    ¡°We can¡¯t keep the other Professors waiting; let¡¯s get a move on.¡± Professor ire said as she caught both girls by the wrist and dragged them toward the elevator.

    Stepping into the still open doors, Professor ire barely waited for Benny to enter the elevator before retrieving a shiny silver key, putting it into the slot on the button panel, and changing the button disy on the shiney metal panel.

    Once the buttons changed to reflect the many different underground floors, Professor ire pressed B-22 and began exining things to her daughter and Gabby while continuing to ignore Benny¡¯s existence.

    ¡°Gabrie, Melody, don¡¯t be caught off guard, but the lower we go into the bowels of the, the higher the gravity will be. The Reason for the increase in Gravitational pressure is due to the density of the¡¯s core; for every 100 meters below the surface of the crust we go, the gravity multiplies by 0.5g. Floor B-22 is located approximately 800 meters below the surface. So you two will be put under 4g of gravitational pressure.¡±

    After exining the shift in gravity the further down they went, Professor ire exined the rooms they would be entering, saying a simr summary to the one presented to Cynrik and Brance by Headmaster Rivia.

    ¡°Every chaperone has a speech they have to give to the student under their care, and Melody, I will be giving the same one to you once we get into our room. Gabrie, who did you choose as your chaperone?¡± Tossing the youngest Sanford a curious nce, Professor ire asked.

    ¡°Instructor Alistar. I have him for Archery, plus he was the one who conducted my test after I reached Tier-2. Since I already knew him, I figured choosing him was a good idea instead of a Professor I didn¡¯t already know.¡± Gabby replied, smiling and rocking back and forth unhindered by the rapidly increasing Gs on her body.

    ¡°Your faction¡¯s situation is a bit different since all of us chaperones had to sign a contract to be allowed to help you with your evolution. Still, it is always best to pick someone you have previously encountered.¡±

    ¡°You have arrived on floor B-22; please watch your step as the gravity has increased by 4gspared to the surface.¡± A pleasant Artificial voice chimed through the elevator speakers as the doors opened, revealing a contrasting hallway.

    As Professor ire finished speaking, the elevator slowed to a stop, and everyone exited into the rocky hallway.

    ¡°Melody, you and I are in Room C-03, Gabrie, you are in Room C-02, and tsk, Gremlin, run along to room D-01.¡± Keeping her back to Benny, Professor ire continued the act of hating Benny as she dragged the girls along to their room, leaving the boy with his head hanging.

    ¡®Sigh, I wonder when she will stop being so mean to me. It¡¯s not like I make a bunch of aggressive advances on Melly, if anything, she is the more proactive and bold one of us.¡¯ Shuffling his feet, Benny made his way toward the numbered room Professor ire had indicated, keeping his distance from the girls.

    Although ignoring Benny, Professor ire didn¡¯t ck off in doing her job and briefly stopped by Room D-02, punched in the code, opened the door and continued on toward the next two rooms.

    ¡°Benny, stay strong, ¡®when we get done we can go out to dinner tonight, My treat.¡¯ Looking back and blowing a sneaky kiss to her boyfriend, Melody said the first part out loud but mouthed thetter part of her statement silently so that her Mom didn¡¯t hear it.

    ¡°Good luck Big Brother!¡± looking over her shoulder as she was dragged by the hand, Gabby shouted while waving at Benny.

    ¡°You too Little Sister, and Melly, you¡¯ve got this.¡± Wearing a worried Smile, Benny straightened his back and walked into the cave-like room before the door shut.

    A few secondster, the sounds of two more stone doors echoed down the long hallway, indicating that everyone had made it into their rooms to begin their Evolution and the Passing Down Ceremony.

 Chapter 381 PDC GBM (2)

    POV: Benny

    Feeling the soft rumble of the door closing behind him, Benny sighed heavily as he stood by the entrance, wondering where he went wrong with Professor ire to make her hate him so much.

    ¡°Hahaha, boy, you have it rough. Dating Professor ire¡¯s daughter, you may not know it, but when we were students, ire went by the moniker MadBit¡­cough Dog of VSFA. Anytime a guy woulde close to her, she would verbally and physically abuse them until they ran off crying for their mothers.¡± Instructor Garrison was rxing in his recliner, sipping a ss of what appeared to be a sports drink when he spoke, drawing Benny¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Instructor Garrison,¡± Benny replied unenthusiastically as he dragged himself over to greet the man.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let it get you down, kiddo; if it weren¡¯t for us being Co-workers, ire would be as¡­aggressive toward me as I am sure she is to you. Other than that husband of hers and the Headmaster, she hates just about every man in existence.¡± As Instructor Garrison stood up, walked over to Benny, and patted his shoulder to cheer him up, he had to conceal his deep-rooted fear for Professor ire.

    The memories of getting bullied by her when he was a student at the Academy were still fresh, and if it weren¡¯t for his innate healing ability, he would be covered in the scars she left on him back then.

    Benny wasn¡¯t shocked to hear this new information about his girlfriend¡¯s Mom. Anytime he saw her walk by other staff members, especially male ones, he would notice how much distance they put between themselves and her.

    ¡°That exins some things, but I am sure it doesn¡¯t help that Melly and I are dating either. She even has a rude nickname for me.¡± Benny mumbled, but it didn¡¯t escape the sharp ears of Instructor Garrison.

    ¡°Put that aside, kiddo; you have an important event to make it through.¡± After giving the boy a rough pat on the shoulder, Instructor Garrison gave him the same speech that Professor Morningdale and Head Dean Rimsfel gave Cynrik and Brance before pulling out many potion bottles from his inventory and handing them over to Benny.

    ¡°Unfortunately, since we don¡¯t share any Affinities, I can¡¯t help you in the way other chaperones are supposed to, so I went out and bought you plenty of Advanced Grade Mana Potions. There are enough that you should be able to not only saturate the room with your Mana but also recover all your losses.¡±

    Once he received the potions, Benny requested to see the Soul Contract as per Cynrik¡¯s orders, read it through carefully, and saw nothing wrong with it. With that out of the way, he took a seat in the center of the spell formation and began expelling Fire, Ice, and Water Mana into the room until he met the quota of 9k MP for each Element.

    ¡°Whew, that¡¯s three down; now for the hard part. Instructor, I should probably warn you that my new Affinity is unique, so please don¡¯t startle me when you see it. I will need a lot of concentration if I want to expel the proper amount of Mana Particles into the room.¡± Drinking down enough of the potions to bring his MP back to full capacity, Benny gave his warning to Instructor Garrison before holding his hands up and apart from each other, with one hand channeling Fire Mana while the other Channeled Ice.

    ¡®My Temperature Affinity is different from my other ones; since it is so low level, I have to physically merge the Ice and Fire Particles to create Temperature Particles. Thankfully I have all the knowledge learned from those skill books, or else I would bepletely lost on how to process the particles properly.¡¯ Benny thought to himself as he added equal parts of both Fire and Ice to create a new visible to the naked eye particle.

    When this half Orange Half Light Blue particle came into existence, it quickly grew into an orb, and with its appearance, Instructor Garrison had to fight to keep his emotions in check. To say he was stunned silly would be an understatement since he was sitting there with wide eyes and ckjawed with a bit of drool leaking out of his mouth while watching Benny work.

    ¡ª

    POV: Gabby

    Professor ire quickly opened the door for Gabby, gave her a few words of encouragement, and left the girl to walk into the room alone as she dragged Melody off to their room.

    Rummmmble thud!

    ¡°Wee, Student Gabrie; I was confused when I learned that you had chosen me as your chaperone for your Tier-3 Advancement and Passing Down Ceremony, considering that thest time I saw you, you had just entered Tier-2. However, even if confused, I was extremely pleased that such a young and thoughtful archer was ready to break free of the constraints of the Mortal Stage.¡± No sooner did the door to the cave-like room seal itself than Instructor Alistar greeted Gabby.

    ¡°HiHi Instructor Alistar,¡± practically bubbling over with excitement, Gabby skipped into the room and greeted her Instructor.

    ¡°You were the only Professor I could think of that I feltfortable enough to have as a chaperone. As for me being at the Peak of Tier-2, hehe, well, that is because of Big Bro Ivar¡¯s training program. All of us in OOPS, um, Instructor, may I please read through the contract you signed with Headmaster Rivia? There are a bunch of things I wanna say, but I need to be sure the contract is in ce before I do.¡± Stopping herself from bbing, Gabby luckily remembered Cynrik¡¯s order about the contract before speaking further.

    ¡°Hm¡­this¡­I guess there is no harm in showing it to you since it involves you.¡± Instructor Alistar thought about her request for a moment, then retrieved the contract to hand it over to Gabby, who read through it in only a few seconds; a testament to her intelligence.

    ¡°Okies, thanks, Instructor; like I was about to say, it isn¡¯t just me who is ready to advance to Tier-3; everyone in MyrkLys wille down to begin their Evolutions. My brother and Melody are already in their rooms, and we are just waiting on Big Bro Ivar, Selene, and Bj??rn to finish picking their chaperones, and they will be heading down.¡± Smiling sweetly, Gabby spoke in a hyperactive tone, all the while using her attitude and the guise of innocence to judge Instructor Alistar¡¯s reaction, something she learned from Cynrik.

    Where Cynrik usually kept a poker face up while observing everyone and everything, Gabby had gotten exceptionally good at ying the foolish and innocent little girl. This way, she could lower people¡¯s expectations of her and see their true nature. Adding in her Psychic Affinity and some of her Affinity skills, Gabby was slowly bing a master maniptor¡­just like Cynrik.

    ¡°I¡­wha¡­huh, all six of you are already at the point of Advancing to Tier-3. What the heck kind of hecious training is that Ivar Ragnarsson putting you five kids through?¡± His mind was a storm of thoughts, and Instructor Alistar kept opening and closing his mouth like a fish as he stared incredulously at Gabby.

    However, remembering he was on the clock and needed to keep acting professional, Alistar recovered before congratting Gabby, then led into his speech about what was expected of her. But just as he was about to finish, he heard a loud ¡°MEW¡±ing from Gabby¡¯s chest, making him give her a weird look.

    ¡°Shh, Milo, I told you to stay in my zer until I had time to introduce you.¡± Pulling up the cor of her zer and looking down at her chest, Gabby saw her sleepy kitten struggling to pop his head out.

    ¡°Student Gabrie, what was that noise? What are you hiding in your uniform?¡± Narrowing his eyes, Instructor Alistar gave Gabby the benefit of the doubt, thinking it was a piece of technology making the strange Mewing sounds.

    ¡°Um¡­you see, I finally got my Huntress ss a few weeks back and even got my Beast Partner, and well, he kinda refused to stay home.¡± Reaching into her zer and extricating Milo, Gabby held him up like a particr baboon holding up a lion cub, showing Milo off in the process.

    ¡°MEW!¡± Releasing an adorable yawn, Milo uninterestingly nced at Instructor Alistar before turning his little head to look back at Gabby.

    ¡°Sigh, since the little cat is your Beast Partner, there isn¡¯t much I can say; unfortunately, since you are already in the formation, it has to stay with you for the duration of this portion of your advancement. Nothing can leave without breaking it until you havepleted the first half. Anyway, go ahead and begin what I told you to, and use the potions I gave you when needed.¡± Massaging his temples, Instructor Alistar shook his head and told Gabby to begin flooding the room with her Mana. Yet to his surprise, the little cat aided her in expelling Chloro Affinity Particles.

    ¡ª

    POV: Melody

    After dropping off Gabby, Professor ire hurriedly dragged Melody to the sealed Room C-03, punched in the 12-digit passcode, opened the door, and ran in with Melody in toe. Secondster, the door closed, and Professor ire released her daughter¡¯s wrist before spinning around and facing her.

    ¡°Why are you still allowing that boy to act as if you are dating him? We have talked about this numerous times, Melody, you aren¡¯t allowed to mingle with boys until you are 18, yet you are tantly going against my wishes. Boys at his age only have one thing on their mind, and that is knocking up pretty young girls.¡± Crossing her arms and tapping her foot, Professor ire dropped all pretense and began scolding her daughter fiercely.

    ¡°MmMom, Benny isn¡¯t like that! He hasn¡¯t evenid a hand on me, no matter how hard I¡¯ve tried to get him to do so. He isn¡¯t anything like you say boys are; why are you lying to me like this? Neither is Bj??rn; that is two of those Males you hate so much, not fitting the stories you¡¯ve told me since I was young.¡± Standing up against her mother and refusing to back down, Melody retorted with a slight blush as she remembered the few times she and Benny had gotten hot and steamy during their alone time.

    SMACK!

    A loud smack echoed against the rocky walls of Room C-03 as Professor ire open palm smacked Melody across her face, rocking her head to the side and causing Melody to see stars from the impact.

    ¡°DO NOT EVER TALK BACK TO ME LIKE THAT! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?¡± Professor ire screamed with fire in her eyes.

    Melody silently nodded obediently, holding her hand up to her cheek with tears threatening to spill over.

    ¡°Do not forget for a moment why you are with the members of MyrkLys; you may have integrated with them, but you are not and will never be one of them. UNDERSTOOD? The only good thing about you being around those fools is that you exceed all my expectations and rapidly grow in power.¡± Professor ire snarled while ignoring the tear rolling down her daughter¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°Get your ass in the formation circle and begin your evolution. I exined the process to you ages ago, and I will not be aiding you in any way; you are on your own.¡± That said, Professor ire stormed off across the room, harumphed, and gracefully sat in the recliner meant for chaperones.

 Chapter 382 PDC Selene (1)

    POV: Selene

    ¡°Here we are, room C-01; this is your stop, Student Bj?rn; Head Dean Rimsfel is already waiting inside¡­.¡± Pausing and falling into contemtion, Headmaster Rivia formted his following sentence carefully.

    ¡°Try not to anger him or taunt him. Dean Rimsfel is very temperamental, and even though he isn¡¯t that bad of a guy once you get to know him, he tends to have an aggressive outlook on everything and is a bit stiff, if you get what I mean.¡± Showing concern, Headmaster Rivia entered a twelve-digit code, and with apressed st of pressurized air, the stone door slid open.

    ¡°Yes, sir, thank you for guiding me here.¡± Turning to face Selene, Brance nodded and spoke in the mind link to her.

    [[Be careful and triple-check the contract; if anything is amiss, don¡¯t say any confidential information.]] With Selene watching him, Brance stepped into the room, leaving her alone with the Headmaster as the door to the cave-like room sealed with a soft rumble and then thump.

    ¡°That should be everyone,¡± tapping his Watcet and pulling up the entry logs for the five rooms assigned to the other members of MyrkLys, Selene excluded; Headmaster Rivia double-checked that everyone and their chaperones had made it into the correct rooms.

    Once he was sure, he dropped his wrist and guided Selene to Room B-01, the room at the far end of the hall. Just like every other door opened so far, Geralt punched in the 12-digit code specific for the room, opened the door, and stepped in.

    Following behind the Headmaster by only a couple of paces, Selene stepped into the room, which was sealed shut a few secondster. Following Cynrik¡¯s example, Selene scanned the room from top to bottom and memorized it as much as possible in the shortest amount of time.

    Taking in the infinite amount of runic inscriptions painting everything from the ceiling to the floor, leaving only the Recliner, herself, and Headmaster Rivia free of the strange light green glowing carvings, Selenemitted it all to memory. She didn¡¯t allow herself to get lost in the pretty green glowing runes. Lastly, her eyes fell on Headmaster Rivia, who had copsed into the Recliner and pulled out a small coffee pot and mug.

    ¡°Long day, Headmaster?¡± Cocking her hip out and crossing her arms, Selene snorted with a smirk.

    ¡°Don¡¯t start with me, Student Selene. I get enough sarcasm from Ivar; I don¡¯t need it from you too. Take these potions, and sit down in the exact center of the runic inscription.¡± Withdrawing a pack of potion bottles and tossing them to Selene, Headmaster Rivia busied himself by brewing a small two-cup pot of coffee.

    ¡°OOF! RUDE! How can you throw a case of bottles at a girl without remorse? What would you have done if I couldn¡¯t catch them, and they spilled everywhere after breaking upon crashing to the ground?¡± Acting overly dramatic, Seleneined as she stored the potions in her inventory and crossed over the pulsating green formation.

    ¡°Don¡¯t y coy; you would never have missed that toss. I even threw it underhand. With your stats, if you couldn¡¯t do something as simple as catching a case of Mana Potions, I would have to eliminate the possibility of allowing you to undertake your Passing Down Ceremony and Evolution.¡± Rolling his eyes and refusing to y along with Selene¡¯s bratty attitude, Headmaster Rivia finished brewing his coffee, poured himself a cup, and began exining the uing process that Selene would have to go through.

    However, Selene¡¯s eyes narrowed as he spoke, realizing it was clearly not his own words but a pre-written script. Putting aside the dead-eyed look Geralt was giving her as he spewed the monotonous words, Headmaster Rivia visibly was annoyed at having to say the repetitive phrasing, and it was evident to Selene that he had done this many times in the past.

    ¡°Headmaster, before we begin, isn¡¯t there something we should be doing first?¡± Staring at the man sitting across the room, Selene pulled down her hood and tilted her head to the side.

    ¡°Oh, yes, you are correct. The contract! Unlike everyone else, I will be signing the contract with you instead of a Professor or Instructor because I am your Chaperone. Well, that and I didn¡¯t make Professor ire sign one since Melody is not only her daughter but still a minor as well.¡± Shrugging his shoulders and retrieving a mysterious paper, Headmaster Rivia went about going over the terms and making the proper adjustments since he would now be filling in the role of Party A.

    However, Selene¡¯s pupils constricted upon hearing that Professor ire wasn¡¯t contractually obligated as every other Chaperone was. Suddenly, Cynrik¡¯s conspiracy theories didn¡¯t seem so unreal anymore, but knowing there was nothing she could do about it at the moment, she kept her thoughts to herself.

    It only took Headmaster Rivia a couple of minutes to get the contract written up, and not so strangely enough, he didn¡¯t use a pen but instead, he made a pin-sized point of pure Mana on the end of his index finger to write.

    Rereading it twice more, he flicked his wrist and sent the stretchy paper over to Selene, who caught it easily and began reading.

    *Party A cannot reveal any information learned or disyed by Party B to any other creature, beast, being, or entity alive or dead under any circumstances.*

    *Party A (Geralt Rivia) cannot use any information learned or disyed by Party B for any reason whatsoever and is only present to aid Party B (Selene Nilsson) in the form of a Chaperone.*

    *Party A cannot betray Party B in any facet so long as this contract exists.*

    *Throughout the Passing Down Ceremony (PDC) and Evolution Advancement, Party A must aid and assist Party B to the utmost of their ability.*

    *Party A is obligated to give Party B the proper amount of recovery potions for their Advancement since Party A does not have the same Affinities.*

    *The Cost of these recovery potions is toe out of Party A¡¯s pocket, and the value of said potions will not be ced as a Debt on Party B.*

    *Party A is banned from causing physical, mental, or spiritual harm in any way, shape, or form to Party B before and afterpleting the PDC and subsequent Evolution to Tier-3. This use will be held in effect for one week, 168 hours.*

    *If Party A is found to be in breach of this contract, their wealth will be instantly handed over to Party B, and Party A¡¯s soul will be destroyed entirely, along with their mind and body.*

    ¡®Interesting, this contract is way more binding than Cyn thought it would be, kekeke; we should be able to abuse the shit out of this in the future, especially since there is no end date to the Betrayal use.¡¯ Selene thought to herself after she finished her fifth read-through and signed it the same way Headmaster Rivia had written, with her Mana.

    The moment Selene withdrew her fingertip from the liquid-like stretchy paper, she felt a tug in her chest for half a second before it vanished, signifying the contract had gone into effect.

    But even as she tossed the paper back to Geralt, Selene had a sinking feeling in her heart, thanks to discovering that Melody could potentially be leaking all kinds of confidential data to her mother.

    ¡®I hope Cyn and I are wrong¡­it would suck to have to put down that girl like old yeller after wasting so much time training her into a semi-valuable puppet. Plus, I don¡¯t want to hear Benny¡¯s non-stop bitching if thingse to that.¡¯

    ¡®For now, I need to worry about my Evolution, ok, 9k of Dark and Abyss Manaing up.¡¯ Holding up her hands, Selene began expelling an even flow of Mana particles into the air. Still, as she did, Headmaster Rivia¡¯s body stiffened thanks to the ominous creeping sensation pricking at his skin due to the introduction of the strange Abyss Particles.

    However, he stayed silent and watched Selene work, amazed at how high her Mana Control was. Compared to Brance, who still thought of Mana as a Magicalponent, Selene had taken every one of Cynrik¡¯s sermons on wrestling control away from Tobs to heart. Thus she had developed a reasonably high level of control over her Mana.

    ¡°Heh, that was a pain, I still am not super flexible with my Abyss Affinity, but I was able to get the job done.¡± Chugging down several Advanced Mana potions and bringing her MP back up, Selene looked at Headmaster Rivia as if asking, can I begin?

    ¡°You members of MyrkLys are all monsters. I was 17 when I attempted my Tier-3 Evolution, and it took me over an hour to flood the room. Tsk, go ahead and pull out all your resources.¡± Shaking his head Headmaster Rivia waved his hand loosely, telling her to start.

    Getting the go-ahead, Selene retrieved the 2 Efficiency Boosters, 5 Metabolism boosters, mental fortification pills, Evolution Stone Piece, and the Affinity Stone Pieces beforeying them on the ground in front of her.

    Next, Selene scooped up all the edibles, munched them down, and picked up all the stones before cing them in herp.

    ¡®Ok, Tobs, ready when you are.¡¯ Clutching the Tier-3 Evolution Stone Piece in her left hand, Selene mentally prepared herself for the inevitable flood of notifications.

    -The Host has met the requirements for Tier-3 Evolution-

    -Primary Level Capped.- (Complete)

    -Primary ss Level Capped.- (Complete)

    -Sub-ss Level Capped.- (Complete)

    -Body Strength Tier-3.- (Complete)

    -Tier-3 Codex.- (Complete)

    -Minimum 10k Mana Pool.- (Complete)

    -Two Stats at 1500 or Higher.- (Complete)

    -All Stats minimum of 65% to Cap *1137*.- (Complete)

    -Origin Affinity at Tier-3.- (Complete)

    -Scanning for Evolution Catalysts.-

    -Tier-3 Evo-Stone Piece has been Located.-

    -Dark Affinity Stone Piece has been Located.-

    -Abyss Affinity Stone Piece has been Located.-

    -Tier-3 Neutral Affinity Stone Piece has been Located.-

    -All items have been epted as proper Catalysts.-

    -Would you like to begin the Evolution to Tier-3 (Y/N)-

    -Reminder, the process will be halted at 50% so that the Passing Down of the Tribtion Quest can begin.-

    Taking a deep breath and popping a second Mental fortification Pill, Selene Pressed the Yes Option and was instantly assaulted by pain and a massive surge of Mana.

    -Beginning Evolution to Tier-3.-

    -Linking The Over-Break System to the Chain Breaking Formation.-

    -Avable Ambient Mana is Sufficient.-

    -Absorbing All Mana stored in the Dark Affinity Stone Piece.-

    -Absorbing All Mana stored in the Abyss Affinity Stone Piece.-

    -Absorbing All Mana stored in the Neutral Affinity Stone Piece.-

    -Beginning Complete Reforging.-

    -Mana Codex is being restructured.-

    -Mana Circuits are being strengthened and expanded.-

    -Mana Codex is being strengthened.-

    -Mana Codex is Expanding.-

    -Density of collected Mana is evolving.-

    -Attempting to break the restraints of the Mortal Stage.-

    -Analyzing Hosts Body Tempering.-

    -The Host currently has a Tier-3 Body, breaking it down to strengthen further to meet the standards of The Supernatural Stage.-

    -Rebuilding muscr structure.-

    -Rebuilding skeletal structure.-

    Selene¡¯s mind nked out as she was ovee with a level of pain far beyond her tolerance, nearly causing her to ck out.

 Chapter 383 PDC Cynrik (3)

    Chapter 383 PDC Cynrik (3)

    POV: Cynrik

    Once he had verified the information listed in the contract was urate, Cynrik tossed the paper back to Professor Morningdale.

    ¡°Thank you, Professor; I havepleted the requested saturation and read through the contract; I will now move on to absorbing the proper resources and beginning my Advancement. Professor, I will be in your care. Oh, and if I suddenly nk out at the end of this event, it is because of a particr cultivation skill that allows me to consolidate my strength, so don¡¯t panic if I suddenly seem to drain all my energy. If this urs, and I appear injured, I will require you to use healing skills or materials on me.¡±

    That said, Cynrik ignored her response and began consuming all of the resources handed over by Headmaster Rivia.

    Tearing the packaging on the Efficiency booster, which resembled a yogurt tube, Cynrik downed both before moving on to the Metabolism Boosters, which resembled a pack of potato chips. Feeling overly bloated and full, Cynrik rolled the Mental Fortification Pills around his left palm like marbles.

    ¡°What is the matter Student Ivar?¡± Noticing Cynrik¡¯s hesitation, Professor Morningdale gave him a strange look.

    ¡°Hm, oh, I am still on the fence about whether or not I need these things, and before you say it, I know all about how they are rmended, but I am a bit different. The pain won¡¯t stop me, and it doesn¡¯t hold me back as expected and calling my Will Power into question is unnecessary.¡±

    Professor Morningdale was rendered speechless at how casually Cynrik was handling the situation. Before she could advise him about the benefits of using the Mental Fortification Pills, Cynrik popped all of them into his mouth and crunched them into powder loudly.

    Next, he picked up the five Affinity stones in his right hand and the Evolution stone in his left, triggering the start of notification spam.

    -The Host has met the requirements for Tier-3 Evolution-

    -Primary Level Capped.- (Complete)

    -Primary ss Level Capped.- (Complete)

    -Sub-ss Level Capped.- (Complete)

    -Body Strength Tier-3.- (Complete)

    -Tier-3 Codex.- (Complete)

    -Minimum 10k Mana Pool.- (Complete)

    -Two Stats at 1500 or Higher.- (Complete)

    -All Stats minimum of 65% to Cap *1137*.- (Complete)

    -Dexterity Stat check has revealed it is Capped.

    -Agility Stat check has revealed it is Capped.

    -Origin Affinity at Tier-3.- (Complete)

    -Scanning for Evolution Catalysts.-

    -Tier-3 Evo-Stone Piece has been Located.-

    -Dark Affinity Stone Piece has been Located.-

    -Fire Affinity Stone Piece has been Located.-

    -Lightning Affinity Stone Piece has been Located.-

    -Wind Affinity Stone Piece has been Located.-

    -Tier-3 Neutral Affinity Stone Piece has been Located.-

    -All items have been epted as proper Catalysts.-

    -Would you like to begin the Evolution to Tier-3 (Y/N)-

    -Reminder, the process will be halted at 50% so that the Passing Down of the Tribtion Quest can begin.-

    Wearing a cocky smirk, Cynrik removed his Uniform zer, stored it in his inventory, rolled out his shoulders, and popped his neck loudly.

    ¡®Let¡¯s do this shit; you can begin, Tobs,¡¯ Cynrik thought as he pressed the Yes option, closed his eyes, and readied himself for the iing pain by taking a deep, slow breath.

    -Beginning Evolution to Tier-3.-

    -Linking The Over-Break System to the Chain Breaking Formation.-

    -Avable Ambient Mana is Sufficient.-

    -Absorbing All Mana stored in the Dark Affinity Stone Piece.-

    -Absorbing All Mana stored in the Fire Affinity Stone Piece.-

    -Absorbing All Mana stored in the Lightning Affinity Stone Piece.-

    -Absorbing All Mana stored in the Wind Affinity Stone Piece.-

    -Absorbing All Mana stored in the Neutral Affinity Stone Piece.-

    -Beginning Complete Reforging.-

    -Mana Codex is being restructured.-

    -Mana Circuits are being strengthened and expanded.-

    -Mana Codex is being strengthened.-

    -Mana Codex is Expanding.-

    -Density of collected Mana is evolving.-

    -Attempting to break the restraints of the Mortal Stage.-

    -Analyzing Hosts Body Tempering.-

    -The Host currently has a Tier-3 Body, breaking it down to strengthen further to meet the standards of The Supernatural Stage.-

    -Rebuilding muscr structure.-

    -Rebuilding skeletal structure.-

    As Cynrik¡¯s body tensed up briefly, a light red, almost clear liquid began to flow out of his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. However, to Professor Morningdale¡¯s surprise, the boy did not even flinch, although she knew very well how much pain he was currently experiencing. With his eyes closed and breathing steady, it would appear that Cynrik was sleeping if you ignored the leaking fluid.

    -Current Evolution 1%, time remaining until forced stop =59 minutes.-

    ¡®Eh, this isn¡¯t so bad, Tob¡¯s; how could this pain level be rated so high by you? It doesn¡¯t evene close to what I experienced while carving on my Codex.¡¯ Activating [Mana Sight] and watching the changes urring in his body in real-time, Cynrik acknowledged that the Evolution process hurt, but it was well within his eptable tolerance.

    -This is only the beginning, Cynrik. What you feel now is only the initial triggering of the Evolution process. The highest pain level will ur after youplete your trial and Tribtion quest. Currently, you are indeed feeling what the CSH ssifies as a 12/20. But be advised, if and when youplete your Tribtion Quest, you will break past 15/20 and have to deal with simr pain to when you carved your Codex because of how high your stats are.-

    ¡®Oi, OI TOBS,e on now, why do you have to raise gs like that? What the hell do you mean If and When?¡¯ Feeling wronged, Cynrikined immediately after hearing what the AI had to say.

    The thought of failure had never crossed his mind, but the fact that Tobs had left his aplishing Tier-3 in the air unsettled him.

    -I am not raising these metaphorical ¡°gs¡± that you speak of so often. Instead, I am being realistic. More than 70% of beings that attempt their Tier-3 Advancement fail the first time. You are no exception to this rule, nor are Brance or any other member of MyrkLys.-

    ¡®Huh? 75%; what the fuck kind of figure is that? It¡¯s a ? drop-out rate!¡¯

    -Although many factors can lead to a being failing their Advancement, the leading cause is the Tribtion Quest. They are tailor-made for the individual. Of that 75% that fail, 21% of beings don¡¯t even make it to their Tribtion Quest, be it because of intense pain or some other external reason.-

    ¡®Sigh, I may have treated this Evolution too lightly; nheless, I have prepared everyone both physically and mentally, so they won¡¯t end up in that 21%¡­well, maybe Melody might. That girl is pretty soft, even though she has a high Will Power Stat.¡¯ Cynrik thought as he felt the pain of his Evolution run through his body in waves.

    Looking around his body, Cynrik eventually lost interest in the slow internal chain of urrences and instead decided to examine the circr spell formation carved into the rocky ground.

    Unlike before he began his Advancement, the runes were now glowing bright blue and appeared to havee to life. Each millimeter-sized rune squirmed and moved ever so slightly, something that didn¡¯t escape Cynrik¡¯s sharp eyesight, even if his eyes were closed at the moment.

    ¡®Tobs, I know that Umbridge exined the purpose of this Formation, but you have to have some additional information. Can you exin to me what exactly it does?¡¯

    -It is an intricately woven sequence of runes that not only requires a specific catalyst to be written with and a unique tform to be carved on, but it is also a Tier-7 formation that requires a Grandmaster of Runic Inscriptions to write.-

    -The purpose of said Formation is to draw upon immense amounts of Mana and focus it directly onto the being within its perimeter. Doing so allows any being attempting to Advance their Stage a proper nourishing environment devoid of outside stimuli or Mana.-

    -Once a being steps inside, it will be trapped and rendered unable to leave until either the Mana supplying the Formation is insufficient to sustain its activation or the being sessfully reaches the 50% mark of its Evolution.-

    ¡®All that done by a bunch of squiggles carved into the rock, Vinestra never ceases to amaze me,¡¯ clicking his tongue and going back to examining his body, Cynrik¡¯s eyes moved back and forth between himself and the Formation.

    Thanks to [Mana Sight], he could see the liquid-like Mana being absorbed from all around the room into the Formation.

    -Current Evolution 39%, time remaining until forced stop =13 minutes, 12 seconds.-

    -Current Evolution, 48% time, remaining until forced stop = 2 minutes, 24 seconds.-

    -You have reached the 50% mark of your Evolution. Your Advancement has been paused, and the Chain Breaking Formation haspleted its cycle.-

    -Please vacate the Formation and head to an Aether Capsule to obtain your Tribtion Quest.-

    Taking a deep breath and opening his eyes with some effort, thanks to the crusted light red fluid, Cynrik stretched his arms behind his back and stood up as if he had woken up from a nap.

    ¡°Oh? Finished already? That was quick, congrattions for making it to the halfway point, many don¡¯t make it this far, but I had no doubt you would pass this checkpoint.¡± Beaming like a proud parent, Professor Morningdale retrieved a cloth and some water before handing it to Cynrik to clean the excess grime off his face.

    ¡°Thank you, Professor, it was a piece of cake.¡± Receiving the cloth, Cynrik began scrubbing his eyes and cheeks roughly before continuing to speak with the beady-eyed plump woman.

    But when he looked back at her, the proud smile was gone, and in its ce was a stern, almost worried expression.

    ¡°Unfortunately, that was the easy part, Student Ivar. I will admit you handled the first part with grace and apparent ease, but the next half is the most trying and challenging part of any Stage Advancement.¡± Walking over to the Formation and adding a bit of her own Mana to reset it, Professor Morningdale turned and faced Cynrik again.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to intimidate you, but of the Students who havee through our halls, in thest 50 years, we have seen a failure rate of 92% when ites to the Tier-3 Advancement.¡±

    ¡°Huh, 92%? Why so many?¡± ying dumb, Cynrik asked; meanwhile, his mind whirled on all cylinders.

    ¡®Tobs, I thought you said Tier-3 only had a 75% failure rate. Is there something wrong with how the Academy handles Evolutions?¡¯

    ¡°Yes, you heard me right, 92%. We have never been able to figure out the reasoning. All our Staff who are on retainer to be Chaperones follow the proper guidelines handed down by the CSH. Yet, of all the Academies, we have the highest failure rate, with the second highest being Quest Combat Academy at 77%.¡±

    ¡®FUCK ME! Tobs, Scan the Aether Capsule and report any anomalies to me this instant! If you find any irregrities, I want to know about it before I step into that fucking sarcophagus.¡¯

    -On it, running initial scanning protocols. The time remaining until the scan isplete is 15 minutes; please hold off on continuing your Advancement until you hear back from me.-

 Chapter 384 PDC Cynrik (4) *BONUS CHAPTER*

    Chapter 384 PDC Cynrik (4) *BONUS CHAPTER*

    POV: Cynrik

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to intimidate you, but of the Students who havee through our halls, in thest 50 years, we have seen a failure rate of 92% when ites to the Tier-3 Advancement.¡±

    ¡°Huh, 92%? Why so many?¡± ying dumb, Cynrik asked; meanwhile, his mind whirled on all cylinders.

    ¡®Tobs, I thought you said Tier-3 only had a 75% failure rate. Is there something wrong with how the Academy handles Evolutions?¡¯

    ¡°Yes, you heard me right, 92%. We have never been able to figure out the reasoning. All our Staff who are on retainer to be Chaperones follow the proper guidelines handed down by the CSH. Yet, of all the Academies, we have the highest failure rate, with the second highest being Quest Combat Academy at 77%.¡±

    ¡®FUCK ME! Tobs, Scan the Aether Capsule and report any anomalies to me this instant! If you find any irregrities, I want to know about it before I step into that fucking sarcophagus.¡¯

    -On it, running initial scanning protocols. The time remaining until the Scan isplete is 15 minutes; please hold off on continuing your Advancement until you hear back from me.-

    ¡°Somethings not right, Professor Morningdale; why is the drop-out rate so high?¡± Knowing he needed to buy time for Tobs to find out what was wrong, Cynrik decided to stall.

    ¡°I mean, ording to the information I got in the library, there should only be a maximum of 75% failure; for it to spike up to 92%, there must be some external interference causing it to increase.¡± Bringing his left hand to his chin in contemtion, Cynrik mused.

    ¡°I agree; however, I have been present for numerous Advancements, and of the over 40 I have chaperoned, only two have passed. To be honest, I have no idea what the reason is, but I do have my suspicions.¡± Sitting back in her recliner, Professor Morningdale retrieved a water bottle and took a sip.

    ¡°Pray to tell?¡± Cynrik replied with his left eyebrow raised.

    ¡°Well, in the beginning, I believed it had something to do with the student resources. But after rigorous testing, I found that not to be the case, so I moved on to my next theory, the purity of the Mana being absorbed.¡±

    ncing around the room at the thin mist of Mana left over after his absorption with his [Mana Sight], Cynrik quickly ruled that out option.

    ¡°At the end of my investigation, since most of the Mana is used up in the Evolution Process, my results were inconclusive.¡± As she spoke, Professor Morningdale¡¯s eyes turned a soft Golden color before returning to their normal blue.

    This sudden shift in eye color didn¡¯t escape Cynrik¡¯s observation, but he let it go after assuming it had to be some kind of skill simr to his ocr one.

    ¡°During thest hour, I have been watching the flow of Mana and saw nothing wrong with the purity, so I suppose I can finally rule that theory outpletely, which brings me to my third hypothesis, the Chain Breaking Formation. Although I am no expert in runes, inscriptions, or Formations, I do have some knowledge about them. Even so, I am far out of my zone of expertise and cannot scrutinize the Formation you just used.¡±

    ¡°I would have noticed something wrong with the Formation. Even if it is something way out of my ballpark, when ites to Mana flow and Control, I am pretty well versed and would like to say I am second only to you in that aspect. There were no inconsistencies with the flow or purity of the Mana I absorbed. So we can rule the Chain Breaking Formation out of the equation.¡± Pacing back and forth as he spoke, Cynrik nced at the runic Formation on the ground.

    ¡®Tobs, when you are done with checking the Aether Capsule, double check the circle as well.¡¯ He thought before tossing it to the back of his mind to free up mental processing power.

    -There is no need; the Chain Breaking Formation is perfectly written, optimized, and running above peak efficiency; it is not the issue. The initial Scan has beenpleted, moving on to an in-depth analysis of the Aether Capsule. Please ce your hand on the device to allow me ess to it.-

    ¡®Copy,¡¯ mentally nodding his head, Cynrik walked over to the Aether Capsule and acted as if he wanted to examine it closely while cing his hand firmly on the stone exterior of the sarcophagus.

    ¡°That leaves only two options, the first being this room and the infinite runic inscriptions painting the walls, ceiling, and floor, or the Aether Capsule,¡± Cynrik said to break the silence.

    ¡°You are on the same wavelength as me, student Ivar. Investigations into all the rooms on Floor B-22 showed zero inconsistencies; every room was wless regarding its inscriptions.¡± Getting up and standing on the opposite side of the Aether Capsule of Cynrik, Professor Morningdale too began examining the device¡¯s exterior.

    Cynrik¡¯s eyes rapidly flicked as he investigated it top to bottom before looking at Professor Morningdale.

    ¡°Professor, how do I open it? I am not seeing anything wrong on the device¡¯s exterior, so maybe something is wrong with its internals.¡±

    ¡°To open an Aether Capsule, all you need to do is ce your palm on the circr pattern and infuse a small amount of Mana into it; the device will take over from there.¡± Smiling, Professor Morningdale did her job as a chaperone and advised Cynrik, who followed her instructions.

    TSSSS clunk.

    Expelling a burst ofpressed air and emitting a gear-like clunking noise, the Aether Capsule opened up, revealing a squishy pale grey memory foam bed.

    ¡°Hm, it looks like the internal part of a normal VR Capsule, interesting.¡± Cynrik mused as he examined the hatch and where he would soon be lying down.

    ¡°Indeed, apart from the shell of the Aether Capsule, it¡¯s almost the same as a standard VR Capsule, the only difference being the material it is crafted from and the intricate runes coating the shell.¡± Walking around the open hatch and standing beside Cynrik, Professor Morningdale narrated the sights he was witnessing.

    ¡°What you are saying is technologically speaking, the Aether Capsule and VR Capsule are identical; if that is the case, then that means¡­.¡± Cynrik¡¯s voice trailed off as he brought out a tool kit from his inventory, dropped to the ground, rolled on his back, and crawled under the Aether Capsule, which sat a meter and a half above the ground.

    ¡°Ssttt STUDENT IVAR! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?¡± Professor Morningdale yelled when she noticed Cynrik¡¯s tools and how he had gone under the device without warning.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare start taking the Aether Capsule apart, it is the most expensive piece of technology on Campus, and if you break it, there is no way you could afford a new one. That is to say, we would even be able to get our hands on a recement.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic, Professor; I have done this a hundred times on the VR Capsules in my dorm, don¡¯t forget I am an Engineer by trade; tinkering with something of this level shouldn¡¯t give me too many issues. Plus, I only n on doing a simple diagnostic exam to be sure everything is running smoothly.¡± Fighting back the urge tough at how frantic Professor Morningdale was acting, Cynrik¡¯s hands expertly went to work as he located a small box where the Central Processing Unit (CPU) was housed.

    ¡®Tobs status report.¡¯ Cynrik requested from his AI as he picked the lock to theponent box with his tool kit and opened it.

    -I am currentlypiling the avable data; I can tell you right off the bat that there is something wrong with the Aether Capsule, but I will need to sort through the results to find out what it is.-

    ¡®Gotcha, I don¡¯t know who made this thing, but the craftsmanship inside the Components box is amateur at best; it¡¯s a rats nest of cabling.¡¯ Cynrikined as he went about untangling the spaghetti of wires.¡¯

    For the next five minutes, Cynrik organized the cabling so that he could get to work when Tobs was finished with the investigation, while Professor Morningdale nervously paced the room while muttering to herself.

    -Analysis Scanplete, Cynrik, stop what you are doing.-

    Cynrik¡¯s hands paused mid-motion hearing her warning, and he froze, waiting for what she would say next.

    -It¡¯s not a hardware issue; it¡¯s a software one. I have already alerted the CSH. In response to the support ticket I created, I have been given temporary ess to the Non-Over-Break host¡¯s systems. I have observed that Gabrie Sanford, Benjamin Sanford, and Melody Gand have yet to finish reaching the 50% mark of their Advancement.-

    -Next, I reached out to Brance and Selene, who are nearly finished with the first half of their Evolution. I informed them of the situation, exining that neither should get into the Aether Capsule until they received my acknowledgment.-

    ¡®Excellent work, Tobs! Is there anything I need to do?¡¯ Pleased with Tobs¡¯ quick thinking, Cynrik withdrew his hands from the Aether Capsule and waited.

    -Yes, there is; I need you to locate and destroy a micro-sized dongle housed within the Component box. The CSH will handle the rest.-

    ¡®Eh? What are you talking about? I didn¡¯t see any dongles; how big is the thing?¡¯ Squinting and staring through the untangled wires, Cynrik failed to locate anything remotely resembling a dongle in the 60 cm-sized (23.6 inches)ponents box.

    -Don¡¯t bother trying to find it without [Mana Sight]. The dongle is too tiny to be seen by the naked eye. I will guide you, so follow my instructions, and you will be able to find it. I only have a rough idea of its location, so I am counting on you to discover its exact location.-

    ¡ª

    Meanwhile, as Cynrik set about looking for the dongle hidden in theponent box, across the Campus in his home, Norik, disguised as Professor Constantine, abruptly jumped to his feet from thefort of a plush couch and had to control his rage.

    ¡°Who FUCKING DARES TO MESS WITH MY ACADEMY AND THE STUDENTS UNDER MY PROTECTION!¡± Gritting his teeth as he controlled his Mana from spilling out, a furious glint shed through Norik¡¯s eyes as he read through the messagesing through in real-time directly from the CSH.

    Retrieving his cane from his inventory and quickly changing into his robes, Norik looked in the direction of the Headmaster¡¯s tower and underground through the¡¯s surface.

    In an instant, three things happened; the first was all the Chaperones, his son included, were knocked out cold, along with Gabby, Benny, and Melody, next he sent a mental transmission to Cynrik, Brance and Selene before teleporting into Cynrik¡¯s room.

    Even if every room meant for Evolution Advancement was sealed off from the outside world, it was too easy for someone of Norik¡¯s strength to bypass all the save guards and appear on Floor B-22 with a simple thought.

 Chapter 385 Sabotage

    Chapter 385 Sabotage

    ¡°Who FUCKING DARES TO MESS WITH MY ACADEMY AND THE STUDENTS UNDER MY PROTECTION!¡± Gritting his teeth as he controlled his Mana from spilling out, a furious glint shed through Norik¡¯s eyes as he read through the messagesing through in real-time directly from the CSH.

    Retrieving his cane from his inventory and quickly changing into his robes, Norik looked in the direction of the Headmaster¡¯s tower and underground through the¡¯s surface.

    In an instant, three things happened; the first was all the Chaperones, his son included, were knocked out cold, along with Gabby, Benny, and Melody, next he sent a mental transmission to Cynrik, Brance and Selene before teleporting into Cynrik¡¯s room.

    Even if every room meant for Evolution Advancement was sealed off from the outside world, it was too easy for someone of Norik¡¯s strength to bypass all the save guards and appear on Floor B-22 with a simple thought.

    ¡ª

    ¡®A micro-sized dongle that the naked eye can¡¯t see.¡¯ Laying t on his back and propping his head up with his hands, Cynrik narrowed his eyes and stared at theponent box.

    Tilting his head slightly, he caught sight of the worried Professor Morningdale frantically pacing around the room and got the sudden urge to tease her. Luckily for the poor unsuspecting Professor, Cynrik knew now wasn¡¯t the time or ce for pranks, so he quickly tossed that idea to the wayside.

    In cases like the one he had found himself, speed was everything. Like a bomb, he had a sneaking suspicion when he began working on the Capsule some kind of signal could potentially be sent to the culprit by removingponents or the dongle.

    However, the more he thought about it, the less likely that situation could present itself. The fact that the Headmaster had made a point to state no signals could make it in or out of the rooms on B-22 was something that needed to be factored into Cynrik¡¯s n.

    Still, something felt off about the entire situation; in a world where technology and magic were so prevalent, who¡¯s to say that there didn¡¯t exist some means of transmitting a signal out of a seemingly imprable facility?

    Following that train of thought, Cynrik jostled in ce and scrunched up his face as he realized something.

    ¡®No, there very clearly is a way to bypass the signal blocking material. One that I hope I am wrong about because if I go down this rabbit hole, the consequences could be drastic.¡¯

    THUMP

    As Cynrik was about to say something, the sound of a body impacting the ground nearby pulled him out of his thoughts, making him roll over onto his belly and stare out from under the Aether Capsule at the unconscious body of Professor Morningdale.

    Before moving against the potential intruder, Cynrik felt a familiar force wrap up his body. In the next second, he was dragged out from under the Aether Capsule and up off the ground,ing face to face with an enraged Norik.

    ¡°Ayo Oldman Norik, what brings you to my neck of the woods? I didn¡¯t expect to run into you so soon, hehe.¡± Going from panic to calm in half a breath, Cynrik smirked cockily at the Legendary Figure as his disguise melted away, revealing the Hero in all his glory.

    ¡°Knock off the bullshit, CynBrat, exin what the fuck is going on, and don¡¯t skip on any details.¡± Releasing his grasp on the boy, Norik pressed Cynrik for information, and after around four or five minutes, he was brought up to speed on what Cynrik had found out.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a severe breach this time, Norik; the fact that someone ced these dongles into your Aether Capsules under the nose of both you and your CSH is a big deal.¡±

    ¡°Although I haven¡¯t located the device in question and can¡¯t speak for its purpose, I believe it is the direct reason for the stunted growth potential of the student body. The question is, for how long has this thing been here?¡± Cynrik stated as he looked over his shoulder at the Aether Capsule.

    Norik and Cynrik stood silent for several more minutes, contemting the presented information. Eventually, with a loud sigh, Norik stepped over the unconscious Professor Morningdale and copsed into the recliner.

    ¡°How sure are you that you can find this device and remove it without damaging the Aether Capsule?¡±

    ¡°It is entirely within my purview as a Tier-2 Engineer to locate it, but to remove and destroy a piece of technology on this level without harming the Aether Capsule is WAY beyond me, and I would be forced to rely on my previous technological experience from Earth.¡± Cynrik didn¡¯t hide theplexity of the task and continued aloud with the theory he hade up with minutes earlier.

    ¡°Even if I somehow pull this off, an overarching issue must be addressed. And that is the consequence of removing the device. As it stands, I have no idea its function nor whether or not it is capable of sending out a signal to the outside world. I know it¡¯s been thousands of years since you watched an Earthling Movie; however, it would be best if you kept in mind all those action flicks where the main character either defuses a bomb or removes an integral chip ced by the main antagonist. The result is always BOOM!¡±

    ¡°My biggest worry isn¡¯t the extrication of the dongle, but instead the chain of events put into y when I remove it. The fact that this person could sneak the dongle into the Capsule at some point indicates a high level of nning and technological know-how.¡±

    ¡°My time on this has taught me that nothing is impossible, and to top it all off, this so-called imprable room has a ring w that is obvious by you showing up in front of me on a second¡¯s notice.¡±

    Norik who was by no means a fool, stiffened at the implication Cynrik was alluding to and red fiercely at him while staying quiet and allowing him to state his case.

    ¡°The rule of no signal in, no signal out is explicitly stated before entering this room, yet my System AI was not only capable of sending out a signal to the CSH, but it also created a support ticket. Next, shemunicated with my brother and girlfriend, who share the same AI, and essed the rest of my parties¡¯ systems.¡±

    ¡°This information in hand is enough for me to err on the side of caution when dealing with this dongle.¡± Crossing his arms while drumming the fingers of his left hand on his right bicep, Cynrik dropped the bombshell that Norik didn¡¯t want to hear.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± he said while leaning back in his recliner. Although he wanted to refute the apparent paranoia and conspiracy Cynrik was spinning, even he felt it was a possibility that needed to be addressed before moving forward.

    ¡°Yep, fuck. As much as I enjoy being the bearer of bad news, I must get back to work.¡± Without waiting for permission, Cynrik dove under the Aether Capsule spun onto his back, and wiggled himself back into position under theponent box, leaving Norik stunned at how quickly he had gone into action without a moment of hesitation.

    ¡®Tobs, I should be able to spot this thing with [Mana Sight], right? It is, after all, made of Mana particles just like everything else in this world.¡¯ Cynrik asked as he freed up some room by shuffling around the untangled wires as if sifting through weeds.

    -You are correct. But due to its size, you will be unable to locate it from a simple nce; you need tob through the entirety of theponent box¡¯s 2nd quadrant while channeling ample amounts of Mana into your eyes to sharpen your vision. Also, don¡¯t forget to shield your eyes with Dark Mana to prevent blindness; prolonged exposure to the counter interference of the Cachint will damage your retina.-

    ¡®Come on now, why do you have to be so uptight? Couldn¡¯t you say, ¡°hey Cyn, check the top right corner? That¡¯s approximately where it should be.¡± Is it really necessary to be so formal with me? I thought we had gotten past that point in our rtionship.¡¯ Cynrik rolled his eyes and activated [Mana Sight] while shading his vision with Dark Mana before scanning every centimeter of the 2nd quadrant of theponent box using a radar pattern.

    After making five passes of the 2nd quadrant anding up empty, Cynrik took a slow breath and channeled more Mana into his eyes, sharpening his dynamic vision and effectively zooming in on what he saw like a camera lens.

    ¡®Tsk, nothing on the times two dynamic vision, enhancing it further to times four.¡¯ Cynrik thought as his eyesight blurred for half a second before clearing up and revealing a much closer view of the now massive cables.

    While Cynrik was sifting through a forest of cabling, Norik¡¯s fingers on his right hand twitched upon feeling the slight fluctuation in Mana from under the Aether Capsule. In response, Norik channeled his own Mana to see through the Capsule and view the swiftly moving handsbing through a seemingly never-ending supply of wires.

    ¡®Hm? Tsk, did no one teach that boy anything? The way he abuses the blood vessels in his eyes is rudimentary and reminiscent of how beings first attempted to enhance their vision. Then again, I suppose he is only a first year and hasn¡¯t been through the proper training.¡¯

    ¡®Still, if he keeps this up, as soon as he tries to zoom in his eyesight past 4x zoom, his eyes will burst. I might as well step in and stop him from hurting himself.¡¯ Groaning softly and standing up, Norik cleared his throat before addressing Cynrik.

    ¡°Hey CynBrat, stop channeling your Mana ande here.¡± Feeling the slight shift in the Mana radiating off the boy¡¯s eyes and realizing Cynrik was about to attempt to use 6x zoom, Norik stopped him.

    ¡°Huh? What are you on about, old man? Don¡¯t you know it is improper to interrupt a master when working on his craft?¡± Halting his hands and popping his head out from under the Aether Capsule, Cynrik shot Norik an aggravated re.

    ¡°Master my ass, a so-called master wouldn¡¯t be about to explode his Oculus Uterque.¡± Not giving him a second to snap back, Cynrik found himself floundering helplessly off the ground after being yanked from under the Aether Capsule with a snort and flick of Norik¡¯s wrist.

    ¡°Oculus, what?¡± However, Cynrik was more confused by Norik¡¯s words and concerned about being ripped away from his work in such a ruthless fashion.

    ¡°Your eyes, Kid, the way you are channeling your Mana into your Eyes, also known as the Oculus Uterque, is a sure-fire way to pop them like grapes if you try and increase your vision past the 4x level.¡± Opening his hand and releasing Cynrik, whonded on the ground butt first, Norik began exining something Cynrik had been unaware of since the moment he started constricting the blood vessels of his eye to see further.

 Chapter 386 New Ocular Skill *BONUS CHAPTER*

    Chapter 386 New Ocr Skill *BONUS CHAPTER*

    ¡°Oculus, what?¡± However, Cynrik was more confused by Norik¡¯s words and concerned about being ripped away from his work in such a ruthless fashion.

    ¡°Your eyes, Kid, the way you are channeling your Mana into your Eyes, also known as the Oculus Uterque, is a sure-fire way to pop them like grapes if you try and increase your vision past the 4x level.¡± Opening his hand and releasing Cynrik, whonded on the ground butt first, Norik began exining something Cynrik had been unaware of since the moment he started constricting the blood vessels of his eye to see further.

    Staring questioningly at Norik, Cynrik patiently waited to be tutored. Although he had figured out quite a bit about his abilities over time, he was always open to learning new and proper ways to utilize Mana to its full extent.

    ¡°Sigh, stop looking at me like a kid on Christmas; it isn¡¯t that big of a deal. Around two thousand years ago, an unknown being devised a new method of safely increasing one¡¯s dynamic vision. Up until that point, the absolute limit was 4x zoom.¡±

    ¡°The way you do it is no different from olden times; by restricting the blood vessels and constricting your pupils with Mana, you can increase how far you can see. But as I am sure you probably know by now, since you no doubt have tried, the amount of strain on your eyes is immense the instant you try pushing further.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it starts with a sore feeling that advances into a massive headache, and thenes the intense burning.¡± Nodding his head as he spoke, Cynrik finished Norik¡¯s statement.

    ¡°Correct, but if you continue pushing toward 6x zoom, the following effect is the bursting of your blood vessels causing a massive decline in how far you can see. Lastly, your eyes will pop into a bloody mess if you push through the pain and continue forcing yourself.¡± Bringing his hand to his chin, Norik observed the bloodshot lines strung across the whites of Cynrik¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve done a little damage, but it isn¡¯t permanent; my timing was spot on, though; if you had continued well, we would be having a very different conversation right now.¡±

    ¡°Even if technology and Affinity Skills havee a long way, growing a new pair of eyes is both unpleasant and extremely expensive. Not to mention, you would never be able to see as well with the new set as you would have with your originals.¡± Shrugging his shoulders nonchntly, Norik returned to the recliner, crossed his right leg over his left knee, and examined Cynrik.

    The boy had fallen deep into thought, a sign that he was trying to figure out a solution on his own instead of relying on Norik¡¯s advice, which the old man found not only pleasing but intriguing.

    He had already prepared to pass down the skill and how to use it without a fight; however, seeing that Cynrik appeared to be determined to figure it out alone, Norik gave him some time.

    For the next few minutes, Norik watched as Cynrik tried several methods, one of which came strangely close to the skill he nned on teaching the boy. But what surprised him the most was when a thin dome of pure Dark Mana covered the entirety of Cynrik¡¯s eyeball, turning it pitch ck and almost demonlike.

    ¡®This kid isn¡¯t half bad, his mind is quite advanced, and unlike many of us who reincarnated previously, he has fully adapted to the environment Vinestra presents. It took me almost 30 years before I had a firm grasp on how Mana worked, but I can¡¯t be faulted because Mana doesn¡¯t exist on Earth except in fictional stories.¡¯ Smiling faintly, Norik reminisced while Cynrik worked through one theory after another.

    ¡®Tobs, cross off theory Ey-041 and repeat the process out loud to me that I used for Ey-040, E-22, and Y-14.¡¯ Cynrik had already burned through hundreds ofbinations of ideas on increasing his vision to 6x zoom. Having Labeled his left eye with E and his right eye with Y, he wouldbine options into usable techniques to correct his vision as if wearing sses.

    -Experiment E-22 Involved creating a thinyer over your left eye using Fire, Wind, and Lightning Mana, creating a pseudo-contact lens. In contrast, Experiment Y-14 involved creating arger round disk over your right eye using Wind and Fire Mana.-

    -Ey-040bined the properties of E-22, and Y-19, to create a pair of lenses ced on top of a secondaryyer made of Dark Mana to create the telescopic shaded contact lens effect.-

    ¡®Got it; cross reference every experiment and give me the best potential option. I am going for a sunss contact lens effect with a thickness of no more than one millimeter. It also needs to work on both eyes while draining the least amount of Mana.¡¯ The biggest problem he had found so far was the drain on his Mana when using each of his theorized techniques.

    Unlike [Mana Sight], which had virtually zero Mana cost, each of his ideas sucked down Mana like the ground after a dry spell.

    Unfortunately, even with Tobs help, Cynrik soon got stuck, and his progress stagnated; at that point, having seen the frustration forming on Cynrik¡¯s face, Norik had seen enough and finally stepped in.

    ¡°Movement CynBrat, you aren¡¯t moving the Mana Particles around your eye; think like a camera lens, not sses or contacts. When a camera lens zooms in, it moves, putting space between the sensor and, in turn, increasing the magnification. You need to increase the focal length and start viewing Mana Particles as non-physical and more fluid.

    ¡°When you zoom in with a camera, parts twist, bringing the lens forward or back, that is the key to what you are trying to do, not forcefully condensing the particles into a construct.¡±

    Pausing to nce at Norik, Cynrik quickly nodded and considered his advice. As Norik had observed, Cynrik had also tried something simr, but when it couldn¡¯t achieve more than 4x zoom, he scrapped the idea and moved on to something like sses or contact lenses.

    Still, there was a more significant issue at hand, the refraction caused by the Cachint. Thus, not only was Cynrik attempting to create a new skill for zooming in on his vision, but he also had to ensure that it could reduce the blinding sight created by looking at everything in the room with [Mana Sight].

    For the next few minutes, Cynrik replicated his earlier scrapped ideas andbined them into a singr mold that didn¡¯t have any adverse reaction when he added Dark Mana to protect his eyes. However, afterpleting his idea, Cynrik was caught off guard by a chain of notifications.

    -You have created a new skill bybining your knowledge of previous skills and technology before pairing it with your high level of Mana Control. Since this skill is entirely new, as its Creator, you have been allowed to name it by the Central System Hub.-

    ¡°Huh, Holy shit, I FUCKING NAILED IT, HAHAHA!¡± Seeing the first line, Cynrik burst out withughter and began bouncing up and down like a child. In contrast, Norik was fighting the urge to jump to his feet and freak out. As a high-level admin for the CSH, he received the notification of Cynrik¡¯s achievement, and his eyes flicked back and forth between the screen floating in his vision and the overly excited Cynrik.

    ¡°Dynamic Lens, Name it Dynamic Lens.¡± Calming himself down, Cynrik blurted out the first name that came to mind triggering the rest of the subsequent notifications.

    ¨C Your skill has been registered in the official skill database after being approved by the Central System Hub.-

    -The Central System Hub has generated an adequate effect and description; you may view them at any time within your Fusion Affinity Skills Tab.-

    -You have learned the Tier-3 Quad-Fusion Affinity Skill (Conditional, Requires Minimum of Four Affinities): Dynamic Lens.-

    -You have created a never before seen Fusion Affinity Skill; as such, you have been given a reward pack from the CSH.-

    -You have received 500 Points in all basic Stats.-

    -You have received 300 Free Allocation Stat points.-

    -You have received 200 Skill Points.-

    -You have been awarded the Title ¡°Skill Creator¡±.-

    -Since you are in the process of Evolution, all Stats and Points will be held until youplete your Advancement to Tier-3.-

    -Tier-3 Quad-Fusion Affinity Skill [Dynamic Lens]-

    -Category: Active Ocr Skill-

    -A Skill Created by Cynrik Jetlensr, using technological knowledgebined with Fine Mana control, this skill allows the User to increase their Dynamic Vision by a Maximum of 12x zoom.-

    -The User creates a one-millimeter round disc above each eye¡¯s iris. The size of the disc can be adjusted to fit the size of the User¡¯s eye. By controlling the lens¡¯s movement, either forward or back, and adjusting its thickness, a being can increase their distance vision by a Large amount.-

    -Additional Effect: (Shaded Lens)- If the Skill user has the Dark Affinity, they can add an equal part of MP in that Affinity to change the lens tint, increasing the User¡¯s protection against Bright Light.-

    -Requirement: User Must have a minimum of Four Tier-3 or higher Affinities .-

    -Activation costs: 200 of each Affinity Type, minimum of Four Types.-

    -Sustain Cost: 80 MP per Second.-

    -Cooldown: None.-

    ¡°Woah¡­¡± Reading the skill¡¯s effects, Cynrik felt the urge to sit down. Putting aside the immense rewards he received in the form of Points, the fact that his new skill had a maximum effectiveness of 12x zoom, and the desired ¡°Sunsses¡± effect, Cynrik couldn¡¯t be happier.

    ¡°You little fucking monster, how in the hell did you create something so insane just off the little advice I gave you? Talk!¡± Exasperated and rushing forward before catching Cynrik by the cor of his shirt and lifting him into the air, Norik grilled him.

    ¡°Even the skill I was going to pass down only had a maximum effectiveness of 8x Zoom, yet here you are creating a new skill out of thin air with a 12x zoom.¡±

    ¡°That is where you are wrong, Old man; I didn¡¯t pull it out of nowhere; I ran through nearly 200 different applications and theories before you even gave me that bit of advice. Honestly, I would have eventually reached the same conclusion as you said, but it probably would have taken me weeks to figure it out.¡± Holding onto Norik¡¯s wrist to give himself some space to breathe, Cynrik snarkily replied.

    ¡°Anywho, release me so I can get to work locating the damn dongle. I don¡¯t even get to enjoy the rewards until I finish my damn Evolution, so time is of the essence.¡± Gritting his teeth while keeping his body perfectly still, Cynrik angrily red at Norik until he finally let him go.

    ¡°Get to it; the sooner, the better; I don¡¯t have all day.¡± After dropping Cynrik and shooing him away, Norik set about scrolling through his control panel and examining the [Dynamic Lens] skill in its entirety.

    ¡®This little bastard is going to pull off some crazy shit the more powerful he bes; I can¡¯t believe I am finding myself looking forward to it.¡¯ Norik thought while hiding the faint smile creeping onto his lips with his hand.

 Chapter 387 Removing the Dongles (1)

    Chapter 387 Removing the Dongles (1)

    ¡°Anywho, release me so I can get to work locating the damn dongle. I don¡¯t even get to enjoy the rewards until I finish my damn Evolution, so time is of the essence.¡± Gritting his teeth while keeping his body perfectly still, Cynrik angrily red at Norik until he finally let him go.

    ¡°Get to it; the sooner, the better; I don¡¯t have all day.¡± After dropping Cynrik and shooing him away, Norik set about scrolling through his control panel and examining the [Dynamic Lens] skill in its entirety.

    ¡®This little bastard is going to pull off some crazy shit the more powerful he bes; I can¡¯t believe I am finding myself looking forward to it.¡¯ Norik thought while hiding the faint smile creeping onto his lips with his hand.

    Straightening the grey high-cored undershirt he wears under his zer, Cynrik snorted and found himself back under the Aether Capsule.

    ¡®Seriously, this guy is getting on my nerves. Can¡¯t he just let me work in peace without the threats?¡¯ Taking a deep breath, Cynrik brought his left hand up and covered both his eyes.

    ¡®Now that I¡¯ve got an actual skill, things are a bit different, [Dynamic Lens].¡¯ Following the typical habit he had developed over time, Cynrik allowed Tobs the first activation of his new skill so that he could understand the proper Mana channeling necessary for thepleted skill.

    Although he had been the one to create it, Cynrik was aware that the CSH had made some alterations to regte the skill or make it usable by anyone; thus, he needed Tobs to push through the skill in its perfected form.

    ¡®I see, so they streamlined the process and finished the Idea I created. That is nifty, the version I made versus thepleted version modified by the CSH may only have slight differences, but the modified version is significantly more optimized. I doubt I would even notice if I weren¡¯t the creator.¡¯ As he dropped his hand from his face, Cynrik¡¯s vision underwent a slight change, as a thin film no thicker than a standard contact lens manifested over both his eyes.

    From an outside perspective, if one looked into Cynrik¡¯s eyes, one would see four different colors swirling around, recing his eye color and sclera with a stain-ss effect.

    ¡®Alright, I don¡¯t see any changes to my eyesight, no predator vision, or strange electromaic coloring; it seems normal to me. Let¡¯s see, all I have to do is add a bit of Mana and control the Lenses to move; let¡¯s try 2x zoom.¡¯ With that thought, Cynrik brought his left index and middle fingers to the corner of his left eye, just below his temple, and applied a minute amount of Quad-Affinity Mana to the lens.

    The reaction was instant; his vision swirled like a camera; the lens shifted and spun slightly, zooming in his eyesight to 2x. Next, he tested 4x, bringing him to the point he was previously at before he almost hurt himself.

    ¡®Cool, alright, activating the Shading Effect,¡¯ with his fingers still pressed against the corner of his eye, Cynrik increased the amount of Dark Mana in the Lenses, and soon the world seemed to turn to night as the lenses became tinted.

    ¡®And done, now for thest part,¡¯ with a thought, Cynrik activated [Mana Sight], turning the ck wires into a cacophony of multiple colors.

    ¡®Tsk, the Mana drain is a little excessive when using both skills, but it is still manageable with my Mana Pool; now, to increase my vision to 6x zoom. It¡¯s too quiet; hey Tobs, y Kiseki No Umi on loop; I need some working music.

    -Now ying ¡°Kiseki No Umi,¡± By Maaya Sakamoto.-

    Hearing the familiar theme from one of his favorite ssic anime based on a DnD campaign, Cynrik began sifting through the cabling carefully in quadrant two. Still, when he found nothing after the 5th pass, he increased his vision to 8x.

    However, upon doing so, Cynrik noticed his Mana dropping even faster, making him frown slightly but not pick up his pace. Instead, he reached into his inventory and chugged down several Mana Potions before continuing his search.

    Unlike the previous scans under 2x, 4x, and even 6x, using 8x gave Cynrik a bit of motion sickness, which he fought through and continued his radar-like scanning.

    ¡®Fuck man, how god damn small is this damn thing? I¡¯ve increased my eyesight by eight times and still haven¡¯t found the dongle yet.¡¯ Cynrik thought as he finished his 5th scan, which took him nearly 10 minutes toplete.

    ¡®Tobs, change the song; I need something more hype; y the one-hour version of HyperDrive.¡¯

    -Now ying ¡°Hyper Drive¡± by Francis Gallucio, Bruce Aronson, and Cass Dillon.-

    ¡®Goin¡¯ fast makes me feel Alive. My heart beats in HYPER DRIVE.¡¯ Curbing his boredom, Cynrik began singing along in his head as he increased his [Dynamic Lens] to 10x, raising his MP drain. This time, however, his head spun for a second, and a wave of dizziness washed over him, but after closing his eyes for a few breaths and shaking his head a few times, Cynrik was good to go and continued singing the card game theme song.

    The first and Second pass of quadrant two yielded nothing, but on the third, Cynrik¡¯s hands froze as he zeroed in on a small inconspicuous glowing silver and brown box.

    ¡°There you are, you little fucker,¡± unable to contain himself, Cynrik yelled out, startling Norik, who was still processing the fact that a new and powerful Tier-3 Ocr skill existed.

    ¡°Christ CynBrat, do you have to fucking yell?¡± Norik grumbled as he got up from the recliner and crouched beside the Aether Capsule.

    ¡°Bah, stop being so cranky; you aren¡¯t the one who had to burn nearly all his MP reserves trying to locate this fucking thing. It¡¯s so tiny that I needed 10x zoom to find it; hell, I even missed it the first two times I went by; the damn thing is microscopic.¡±

    ¡°First problem has been solved, but we need to discuss what you want me to do from here.¡± Deactivating [Mana Sight] and [Dynamic Lens] after memorizing the dongle¡¯s location, Cynrik popped his head out from under the Aether Capsule and met the contemtive gaze of Norik.

    ¡°I have a few ideas, but you clearly have your own, so let¡¯s hear them.¡± Noticing the heated look Cynrik was giving him, even though the boy was virtually expressionless, Norik pushed the ball back to Cynrik.

    ¡°The way I see it, we can take a few different routes here.¡± Pulling himself out from under the Aether Capsule, Cynrik rested his back against it and sat cross-legged on the floor.

    ¡°I don¡¯t n on ripping it out of its position, as nothing good cane from doing that or instantly destroying it. There are just too many things that can go wrong, the worst case of which is destroying one, causing some kind of kill switches on the others potentially hiding in every Aether Capsule on campus to activate.¡±

    ¡°We must figure out our situation¡¯s full scope first.¡± Thinking about something for a second, Cynrik dipped back under the Aether Capsule, activated both his ocr skills, and left a faint trace of Dark Mana right next to the dongle before extricating himself from under the capsule and stood up as he deactivated both Ocr Skills.

    ¡°I marked the dongle¡¯s location with Dark Mana; I need you to take me to my brother¡¯s room. If there is one dongle, there must be multiple, so we must make the rounds to every Aether Capsule in the Academy¡¯s possession.¡± Cynrik stated while crossing his arms over his chest.

    ¡°Do you think I am some type of taxi service for you to sh around the school? You have no idea how much Mana I consumed getting into the Cachint rooms in the first ce.¡± Gritting his teeth and leaking out a bit of Killing Intent on Cynrik, Norik vented his frustration before giving up after seeing the smug look on the boy¡¯s face.

    ¡°Fuck, fine, but you better not throw up all over the rooms; they are expensive.¡± Giving up his argument, Norik not so gently grabbed Cynrik by the shoulder before activating one of his many teleportation skills.

    Not even a fraction of a secondter, Cynrik and Norik appeared in room C-01, causing Brance to flinch backward and summon his greatsword from his inventory.

    ¡°FUCKING HELL CYNRIK! Sorry for showing you such a sight Lord Ackworth.¡± But upon noticing it was his brother and Norik, Brance quickly stowed his weapon away and apologized to the Legendary Hero, but not until he had finished cursing his brother.

    ¡°No time to talk, CynBrat; get to work.¡± ncing down at the unconscious Head Dean, who had passed out in the recliner, Norik grumbled and walked toward the wall closest to the Aether Capsule before leaning against it and watching the two brothers.

    [The fuck is going on? Tobs stopped me just as I was about to get into the Vr Capsule.] Brance asked as Cynrik immediately dove under the Aether Capsule and pried open theponents box.

    [Long story short, someone sabotaged these things and ced a microscopic chip that spikes the failure rate ofpleting the Tribtion quest and following Evolution.] Cynrik exined as his hands expertly began untangling the cabling mess in the box.

    [Huh? How the fuck did you evene to this conclusion?] After only receiving a brief synopsis from Tobs almost an hour ago, Brance was left in the dark. With Cynrik and Norik suddenly appearing, there was no way he wouldn¡¯t start grilling his brother for info.

    [Well, initially, it began with Tobs and me going back and forth about the difficulty of the Tier-3 Advancement, where she revealed the Evo had a 75% failure rate. But when I reached the halfway point and prepared to jump into the Aether Capsule, Professor Morningdale dropped a massive bombshell on me.]

    [And that bomb shell wasss?] feeling irked at how Cynrik was continuously acting mysterious, Brance nearly ripped his brother out from under the capsule and gave him a beating.

    [She told me that VSFA has a 92% failure rate for first-time Advancements to Tier-3.] Smirking to himself as his hands never stopped moving, Cynrik suddenly felt better, having teased his brother a bit.

    ¡®Tobs, give me the quadrant I should be looking through.¡¯ Having finished untangling and organizing the cabling in theponents box, Cynrik had a sneaking suspicion that the location of the second dongle wouldn¡¯t be the same as the first.

    -This dongle is located in quadrant three.-

    And he was right; it took Tobs less than a minute to locate the faint Mana signature of the dongle.

    ¡°Tsk, OI, Old Man Norik, this one is in a different spot, that increases my bad feeling by a SOLID 30%. If our opponent is smart enough not to hide the dongles in the same position, the nning for this sabotage is quite intricate, and the odds of everything going up in mes has increased.¡±

 Chapter 388 Removing the Dongles (2) *BONUS CHAPTER*

    Chapter 388 Removing the Dongles (2) *BONUS CHAPTER*

    ¡®Tobs, give me the quadrant I should be looking through.¡¯ Having finished untangling and organizing the cabling in theponents box, Cynrik had a sneaking suspicion that the location of the second dongle wouldn¡¯t be the same as the first.

    -This dongle is located in quadrant three.-

    And he was right; it took Tobs less than a minute to locate the faint Mana signature of the dongle.

    ¡°Tsk, OI, Old Man Norik, this one is in a different spot, that increases my bad feeling by a SOLID 30%. If our opponent is smart enough not to hide the dongles in the same position, the nning for this sabotage is quite intricate, and the odds of everything going up in mes has increased.¡±

    Smack

    [Oh, for crying out loud, would it kill you not to be rude to someone absurdly more powerful than you, Cyn?]

    The sound of Brance facepalming loudly drew Norik¡¯s expression, and he subtly nodded at Brance.

    ¡®Why can¡¯t that brat be more respectful like his little brother?¡¯ Norik thought while mulling over Cynrik¡¯s statement.

    However, the person in question had already activated his two ocr skills and was wrist deep in the cables of quadrant three trying to locate the dongle with 10x zoom active.

    Much like he did with the previous dongle, it took him several scans, even with 10x zoom, but after a few passes, he located and marked the exact location before pulling himself out from under the Aether Capsule.

    ¡°Two down, Norik; let¡¯s move on to the next one.¡± Stepping beside the man, Cynrik tossed Brance a nce.

    [If you don¡¯t see me again, then that means we got it all figured out.] Cynrik said with a bitter smile. He left out one statement, though.

    ¡®That or there is no big explosion.¡¯ Cynrik had noticed something after examining the second dongle, which was the presence of a very potent hazel and golden Mana particle that, if left unchecked, would quickly level half the building.

    He came to this conclusion after seeing how unstable the particle seemed to be as it interacted with the other particles surrounding it. Each time another Element got close, the strange particle would quiver and expand rapidly before calming down, giving Cynrik an ominous feeling each time he witnessed it do this.

    Being so in tune with Mana in general because of his Bloodline and Mana Maniption Ability, Cynrik did not doubt that that strange particle would easily cause some mayhem if not kept in check.

    [Huh? That¡¯s it? Did you destroy the chip already? Why bother making such a big deal out of it in the first ce if it was so easy to find and destroy it?] Brance¡¯s questions flooded the mind link, but they were left unanswered because just as quickly as they had arrived, Cynrik and Norik vanished from the room, leaving Brance alone with the unconscious Head, Dean Rimsfel.

    One room after another, Cynrik and Norik made the rounds across floor B-22, stopping off in room C-03, where Selene was located. With each Aether Capsule he worked on, Cynrik got faster and faster at finding the dongles before tagging them with his Dark Mana.

    As expected, each one was ced in a different location, and no two were ever identical. The dongles came in multiple different shapes, sizes, and Mana particle make-ups, but the one factor that stayed the same was the presence of the strange ominous hazel and gold particle.

    Three hourster, Cynrik and Norik had cleared out all of the Aether Capsules on floor B-22 and moved down to B-23 through B-25, with each lower level floor having a total of eight Aether Capsules.

    And to Cynrik¡¯s surprise, there were multiple variations of the device the lower into the bowels of Vinestra the two went. For starters, the capsules on B-23 were built to handle Tier-4 beings, and each floor had stronger and sturdier Aether Capsules.

    ¡°Is this thest Aether Capsule?¡± Cynrik asked as he finished marking the final dongle, which was in the shape of a pyramid and significantlyrger than all the dongles on other floors.

    ¡°No¡­there is one more.¡± Norik¡¯s face fell as he remembered one of the highest-level secrets of the Academy.

    ¡°Oh? Well, then we should move out, right?¡± Cynrik replied casually while noticing the bodynguage that Norik was very bad at hiding. He could tell that if there were another dongle attached to this final Aether Capsule, Norik would lose his mind.

    ¡°Let me guess,¡± Cynrik started.

    ¡°Thisst one is meant for Geralt to Evolve, meaning there are massive implications if we find one of the dongles inside, right?¡± Sniffing while rolling out his right shoulder, Cynrik kicked the ground with the toe of his shoe and looked up at Norik with one eyebrow raised.

    ¡°Tsk, you are too smart for your own good. Has anyone told you that smart people are the first to die in a world like Vinestra?¡± Feeling the facial muscles in the right half of his face twitch erratically, Norik wanted nothing more than to maim Cynrik or cripple him at the very least.

    ¡°That only applies to those dipshits who aren¡¯t overly cautious and paranoid. Intelligence, Paranoia, and Caution, people who exhibit all three traits are the ones who live the longest¡­well, that or they go bat shit crazy, but who am I to judge?¡± Cynrik replied as he shrugged his shoulders and sped his hands behind his head.

    ¡°Sigh, kid, listen, I have half a mind to force you to sign a Soul Binding contract before allowing you to know this information. Can you at least act serious about it?¡± Massaging his temples, Norik sighed loudly to relieve some of his pent-up stress.

    So far, the fact that every one of VSFA¡¯s Aether Capsules had been tampered with weighed heavily on him, and so far, all Cynrik had done was locate and tag the dongles; they hadn¡¯t even reached the tricky part yet.

    ¡°Let¡¯s be fair here, Norik; you know damn well that eventually, my Faction and I will require the use of these high-level Aether Capsules if we wish to Advance further down through the stages. There is no point hiding them as we will use them in the future.¡± Countering snarkily, Cynrik rolled his eyes.

    ¡°So you think, who says I would allow that? Aside from being decades from now, you would have to be an Alumni of the Academy even to receive that privilege, that is to say, you live that long.¡± After snorting, Norik grabbed Cynrik by the back of the neck, as he and Selene frequently did with Benny, and teleported to floor B-30.

    Upon entering B-30, Cynrik flinched and took a moment to get used to the increased gravitational pressure; meanwhile, Norik observed the boy, judging how high his Particle Resistance was. If Cynrik couldn¡¯t handle the pressure, he would have to help.

    Then, much to Norik¡¯s surprise, Cynrik tipped his head to the side, letting out a loud pop from his neck, and was soon fully limated to the 10g of Gravitational Pressure.

    ¡°Damn, so much for standard spacial gaps between floors; we are farther down on the than I expected. Seriously, 10g is no joke, hehe.¡± Catching that watchful gaze Norik was giving him, Cynrik yed it off as 10g was nothing special.

    ¡°Not bad, anyway; wee to floor B-30, and as you surmised, we are indeed very far down under the surface of Vinestra¡¯s crust. Although floor B-22 is 800 meters down, B-30 is 2000 meters; as such, you are correct; we are currently subjected to 10g of Gravitational pressure.¡± Extending out his arm and motioning around the room, Norik¡¯s following words rocked Cynrik¡¯s perception of how things worked.

    ¡°Wee to the Aether Chamber, this room is the highest level of Advancement Technology and the room Beings use to advance to the Immortal Stage. This entire room was crafted out of a single chunk of Evolution Stone and cost me the majority of my fortune to create. It is also the most heavily guarded secret I have.¡±

    ¡°Aside from you, me, and Yennifer, there should be no one who knows of its existence, seeing as I eradicated the person who built it, heh.¡± Norik chuckled as he said thest part of his statement, leaving Cynrik amazed at the man¡¯s foresight and brutality.

    ¡°That¡¯s pretty fucked up, old man; how could you wipe out such a high-level craftsman,¡± Cynrik murmured as he looked around the room in amazement.

    Unlike the stone caves he had been in previously, the room looked like something straight off the bridge of a fantasy spaceship. The Advanced technology in the room was astounding, and when he thought about how nothing in the room appeared to be made out of stone, Cynrik couldn¡¯t help but be confused, seeing as Norik had exined that it was made entirely out of Evolution stone.

    Leaving that thought alone, Cynrik quickly located an impressive control panel and walked over as if he owned the ce, annoying Norik in the process. However, the man stayed quiet and observed the boy sitting in the captain-style chair in front of an impressive monitor disy and control panel.

    ¡®This thing is like an alien spaceship; how am I supposed to do a diagnostic exam? It¡¯s fine; fake it till we make it.¡¯ Extending his hands out over the massive keyboard filled with buttons and small monitors, Cynrik began typing out codingmands, hoping one would eventually work. As ifdy luck was on his side, one of the manymand prompts he entered opened up a diagnostic screen on the primary monitor.

    Through the screen, Cynrik navigated several systems and eventually located theponents box on the opposite side of the room, hidden behind a false wall.

    Getting up from the chair, Cynrik briskly made his way to the hidden wall, equipped one of his hidden des, and used it to pry open the false wall. Next, he picked the lock to the door for aponents box the size of his entire body and was greeted by a horrifically unorganized tangled wall of cables.

    ¡°OH, FOR FUCK SAKE! Does no one on this fucking understand the importance of goddamn cable management?¡± Cynrik Griped as he swiftly untangled hundreds of cables one after another.

    Meanwhile, Norik was utterly beside himself at how easily Cynrik, who should have had no knowledge pertaining to technology of this level, navigated themand console before going and popping open the false wall andponents box.

    ¡®What the fuck did this kid do in his previous life? Was he a fucking Computer Engineer for NASA or something?¡¯ Norik thought as his eyes flicked from the centralputer to Cynrik.

 Chapter 389 Removing the Dongles (3) *BONUS CHAPTER*

    Chapter 389 Removing the Dongles (3) *BONUS CHAPTER*

    Getting up from the chair, Cynrik briskly made his way to the hidden wall, equipped one of his hidden des, and used it to pry open the false wall. Next, he picked the lock to the door for aponents box the size of his entire body and was greeted by a horrifically organized wall of cables.

    ¡°OH, FOR FUCK SAKE! Does no one on this fucking understand the importance of goddamn cable management?¡± Cynrik Griped as he swiftly untangled hundreds of cables one after another.

    Meanwhile, Norik was utterly beside himself at how easily Cynrik, who should have had no knowledge pertaining to technology of this level, navigated themand console before going popping open the false wall andponents box.

    ¡®What the fuck did this kid do in his previous life? Was he a fucking Computer Engineer for NASA or something?¡¯ Norik thought as his eyes flicked from the centralputer to Cynrik.

    It took Cynrik nearly an hour to get the cabling sorted. Still, with Tobs unable to locate anything out of ce, Cynrik was left aimlessly scanning the entirety of theponents box using all of his different magnifications. Ultimately, he came up empty and resealed the box and false wall before turning toward Norik and giving him a curt nod.

    ¡°Neither I nor my System AI has located another Dongle, so it¡¯s safe to say the intruders never made it this far.¡± Straightening his back and crossing his arms over his chest, Cynrik let out a tired sigh and informed Norik of his findings.

    ¡°That makes sense. Still, it is better to be safe than sorry; if someone other than us had somehow made it to this room, an army would have been formed; we would have been attacked out of greed.¡± Taking onest look around the room, Norik teleported himself and Cynrik out of the room and back to floor B-22, room D-01.

    Spotting the familiar stone room and the unconscious Professor Morningdale, Cynrik¡¯s face scrunched up, and he pointed at her body before speaking.

    ¡°So, how long are they going to be out? It can¡¯t be good for their brain if you forcefully keep them unconscious; just thinking about all that potential brain damage gives me the jitters.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Meh, they will be fine; all I did was put them to sleep; everyone is having a wonderful dream of their creation,pletely unaware of what is going on right now.¡±

    ¡°I see; well then, on to more important matters, how do you want to handle this shit. Not only did they get down to the Aether Capsules meant for Stage three Evolutions, but there is also that weird hazel and gold particle that gives me the creeps every time I see it.¡± It wasn¡¯t the first time Cynrik had mentioned that particle to Norik, but each time he did, the man stayed silent as if hesitant about letting Cynrik in on the big secret.

    ¡°Explosion, the Element in question is called Explosion, and as its name dictates, it does what you can imagine. I have looked over all the dongles you tagged, and I have to admit, without you pointing them out, I doubt I would have ever noticed their existence.¡±

    ¡°If I am being honest, I figured we just had a bunch of untalented seeds which needed two or three attempts to pass their Passing Down and Advancement. I never suspected someone had infiltrated this deep into our establishment.¡± Norik groaned as he thought of all the potential geniuses who wasted their time because of the dongles.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be faulted; it boils down to my statement earlier, being smart is only one-third of what makes a genius astounding. You are missing the paranoia and caution.¡± Cynrik chuckled at Norik¡¯s expense and faced the Aether Capsule.

    ¡°Regardless, the presence of that single Explosion Particle confirms my suspicions. If we tamper with one, it should, in theory, trigger all the other dongles¡¯ self-destruction protocols. That means we have to deal with all of them simultaneously. Then there is the fallout from the st; you have a better idea of what we are dealing with than I; how big a boom are we talking about here? Grenade, or Nuclear Explosion, because I¡¯ve dealt with both, and one is way less fun than the other.¡±

    Walking over to the recliner and plopping down, Cynrik released another tired sigh. Repeating the same procedure time and time may not have been physically taxing. However, mentally, Cynrik felt like he hadn¡¯t slept in days, which was annoying because he still had to deal with the Tribtion quest and his Evolution.

    ¡°Comparing even the smallest Explosion Particle to something as small as a standard grenade is wishful thinking, CynBrat. Not only is the Explosion Affinity SEC grade, but even the smallest collection is powerful enough to level a house. In contrast, the biggest one we found would have a simr effect to a bomb that could blow up an entire metropolitan city.¡±

    ¡°You could probably survive the first two-particle clusters you found, but even then, when the second-sized one goes off, you¡¯ll be lucky if you wake up from thea in a year.¡± Smirking at the thought of Cynrik blowing up for some reason, humored Norik to no end.

    Seeing this reaction, Cynrik scoffed loudly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know; even a nuke couldn¡¯t keep me down; hell, I even showed up here right after. I practically have the survivability of a cockroach.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d like to see you withstand a st that could easily injure my son because that is what the particle found on floor B-23 can do, let alone what we found on B-24, that would vaporize Geralt in a second.¡±

    ¡°Fuck, ok, old man, you win,¡± raising his hands in defeat, Cynrik yielded and tried not to think about how close to those bombs he had ignorantly been. No wonder he felt such an ominous feeling from that otherwise appealing on the eyes hazel and golden particle.

    ¡°Luckily for you, your job here is done. I will take it from here, as you have neither the power nor the skillset to deal with a task this size.¡± With that said, Norik began channeling a massive amount of Mana, more than Cynrik had ever felt.

    With eyes wide open, Cynrik activated [Mana Sight] and stared incredulously as over 20 different colored Mana particles swarmed around Norik¡¯s entire body, forming a secondary body of pure Mana twice the size of the man.

    ¡®What the fuck, is this guy a stand user,¡¯ *HA JOJOS REFERENCE* Cynrik cried in his mind as he felt a massive amount of pressure weighing down his body.

    However, unlike when Norik used his Aura and Killing Intent to weigh Cynrik down, this feeling was purely stifling and made breathing hard.

    ¡°You used Dark Mana to mark every one of the dongles, correct?¡± Peeking at Cynrik¡¯s aghast expression, and feeling proud of making the kid show something on his face for once, Norik threw the question out in the open and received a slow nod from the boy in the recliner.

    In response to the confirmation, Norik waved both arms slowly before grasping the air, which created a vortex of Mana half a meter in front of him.

    The next moment, 32 small ck holes manifested in the vortex, one for each dongle, causing Cynrik to suck in a sharp breath and bite his tongue, so he wouldn¡¯t make a sound and identally startle Norik.

    He quickly realized he was witnessing a man at the peak of power, just below that of the Gods. The pressure Norik was emitting didn¡¯t necessarily lose out to the feeling he got from Yahweh and Odin either. Yet, all Cynrik could do was quietly watch in amazement as the ck holes grew three times their size, followed by several small explosions in their dead center.

    ¡®HOLY FUCK, HOLY FUCK, HOOLYYYY FUCK!¡¯

    *essential things must be said thrice*

    ¡®TTTHIS MAD MAN IS BLOWING UP THE DONGLES HERE? IS HE FUCKING STUPID?¡¯ Cynrik screamed in his mind as he subconsciously pushed himself as far as he could into the recliner to put an insignificant amount of distance between himself and Norik.

    Fortunately, the explosions onlysted a few seconds before they were devoured by the ck holes, leaving Cynrik to watch as Norik¡¯s Mana Signature skyrocketed even higher.

    ¡®He¡­he absorbed them¡­how is that even possible?¡¯ The whole eventsted less than a minute. In the end, Norik had converted the power of the explosions into his own, rendering Cynrik speechless for several minutes, even after Norik bid him farewell and good luck on his Evolution.

    Moving on autopilot, Cynrik picked up Professor Morningdale and ced her in the recliner before walking over and standing by the Aether Capsule, lost in thought.

    It wasn¡¯t until half an hourter, when Professor Morningdale woke up wondering how long she had been asleep, that Cynrik snapped out of his daze. Luckily for him, Norik had nted new memories in everyone who had been unconscious, making them think nothing of being asleep, so he didn¡¯t need to devise ackluster excuse.

    ¡ª

    In five locations across the nation, Cynrik called home, five individual Watcets chirped simultaneously, signifying that these five individuals had received the same notification.

    These five beings dropped everything they were doing and arrived in their respective sealed rooms before opening a virtual chatroom that linked them.

    ¡°What happened? Why did we suddenly lose signal with all 32 Narvasion Chips?¡± Lithlen Jetlensr asked as he mmed his fist on the armrest of his throne.

    ¡°After being removed from their nted locations, the 32 chips we nted inside Vesemir School for Affinities Aether Capsules began their self-destruct protocol. I have been trying to gather information, but I know that the chips started to self-destruct at 2:57 pm.¡± Chester Webb, Headmaster of Quest Combat Academy, stated in a monotone voice.

    ¡°Using all the resources I could scrounge up, I have confirmed that there is no damage to VSFA, not a single one of the Narvasion Chips seems to have exploded within the campus, and none of my spies have indicated such an event has urred.¡± Col. Brenden Hawthorne, the Headmaster of Renson Military Academy, chimed in with his gruff voice.

    ¡°I can confirm Col. Hawthorne¡¯s findings; it appears that the sts didn¡¯t ur publicly and were somehow dealt with. For this to happen, VSFA must have a mighty existence acting as a guardian, as the sts we left in the Stage 3 Aether Capsules are enough to kill a Tier-6 being.¡± The fourth person, Headmaster Nar Kuu of Banes College, added.

    ¡°We can only surmise that someone or something was strong enough not only to locate all 32 of the Narvasion chips without notifying any of us, but they are also strong enough to deal with the aftermath. Four decades of nning and work have just gone down the drain before the Competition begins. This leaves me believing that the group known as MyrkLys has not only reached the point of using the Aether Capsules but has a knowledgeable member able to spot the fault of our device before intentionally thwarting our ns.¡± Thest person to speak was Cynriks sworn enemy, Viktor Opurn.

    ¡°The discovery of our interference was bound to be discovered eventually; it was only a matter of time; however, we now have a new problem to deal with, and that is the potential uprising of VSFA. Between the heightened security measures they have put in ce recently, and the ability to now nurture multiple Stage Two or higher beings, we have to worry about keeping our position as the top five Academies.¡± Headmaster Kuu stated while wearing a look of disgust.

    ¡°For years, we have consistently knocked VSFA off the ranking boards, but now¡­I fear things will be reversed.¡± Heaving a sigh, Headmaster Webb shook his head and disconnected from the call.

    Soon after, Headmaster Kuu and Col. Hawthorne followed suit, leaving only Headmaster Opurn and Lithlen alone in the call.

    ¡°What do we do now, Lithlen?¡± Viktor asked with hesitation.

    ¡°What else but trash them in the Competition? My Grandson and your Son will be more than enough to handle them, I do not doubt they will be able to make it to the finals, and with the changes added to the Competition events, we will have our opportunity to kill them off once and for all.¡±

    That said, Lithlen angrily left the call, leaving Viktor alone with only his thoughts aspany.

 Chapter 390 Passing Down the Trial/Tribulation Quests (1)

    Chapter 390 Passing Down the Trial/Tribtion Quests (1)

    POV: Melody

    Opening her eyes, Melody wiped the small line of drool from the corner of her lips and looked around the room.

    ¡®Mmh, I am d Mom told me to take a nap before beginning my Quest. Now I feel fully rested and ready to take on whateveres my way.¡¯ Thinking nothing of the strange urrence, Melody hyped herself up while ncing over at the sleeping woman rxing in the plush recliner across the room.

    Right after she had finished reaching the halfway point of her Evolution, her Mom had suddenly advised her that it was best to sleep and allow her body some time to adjust to the traumatic event it had experienced.

    The whole scenario seemed foreign to Melody since, from the beginning, she had been treated as a tool to better the Family interest and not a person. Yet here her Mom was, acting as if she cared about her well-being.

    Stretching her upper body, Melody sat on the floor beside the Aether Capsule and waited for her Mom to rouse from her seemingly peaceful slumber; some minutester, ire finally woke up before giving Melody a stern look.

    ¡°You¡¯ve had plenty of time; now it¡¯s time. ce your palm on the center of the top of the Aether Capsule and allow your Mana to flow into it freely. Doing so will trigger the opening mechanism and let you assume your position.¡± Standing up, crossing her arms under her breast, and eyeing Melody carefully, Professor ire instructed her daughter on what to do next.

    Following the orders, Melody did as was told, and with a sudden burst of pressurized air, the stone sarcophagus creaked open, revealing a memory foam single-person ck bed. The internals of the Aether Capsule was in stark contrast to its exterior, but Melody didn¡¯t question anything and quickly hopped in beforeying down.

    Once inside, Professor ire walked around the machine, ced her hand on the top, and leaned in before speaking clearly so that Melody could hear her words.

    ¡°Do not fail me; I have invested far too many resources to be wasted due to your insufficientck of talent. If you do¡­hehe, seeing your little friends again will be the least of your worries.¡± Professor ire closed the capsule and returned to her seat, leaving Melody panicked and hyperventting.

    ¡®No, calm down, don¡¯t freak out, remember what Ivar always says,¡± closing her eyes, Melody reverted to her boot camp training.

    The memory in question was one of Cynrik exining the importance of keeping a calm and level head in any situation. And with her Mom tantly threatening not only her but also the other members of MyrkLys, Melody needed more than anything to call upon the training ingrained repeatedly into her psyche.

    It took some time to calm down, but Melody took several deep breaths, and when she finally did calm down, she spoke the start-up phrase for the Aether Capsule.

    ¡°Activate the Passing Down.¡± Melody stated in an almost robotic voice as she killed off any emotions or outside thoughts that Cynrik would have viewed as a hindrance.

    -Wee to the Aether Capsule Passing Down Interface.-

    -Scanning Biometrics.-

    -Peak Tier-2 Human Female Located, testing proper parameters for the Passing Down.-

    -No Bloodline has been Detected.-

    -All Tests Completed.-

    -Melody Gand, Tier-2 Mage, Tier-2 Apprentice Summoner.-

    -Generating Tribtion Quest.-

    -Tribtion Quest Generated.-

    -You have received the Trial Quest: Summoning Beyond your Scope.-

    -Trial Quest: Summoning Beyond Your Scope.-

    -You Must Summon and Form a Contract With a Being; what Type of Being and the Timeframe you have toplete this Quest is determined by the Difficulty Setting you Choose.-

    -Please choose the Difficulty Setting you wish to partake in. *Reminder, a higher Difficulty Setting will result in better Rewards.*-

    -Beginner, Adept, Advanced, Expert, Master.-

    POV: Benny

    ¡°Hey, Kid, wake the hell up!¡±

    Smack, smack smack

    The sounds of Instructor Garrison not so lightly smacking Benny¡¯s cheeks bounced off the Cachint walls of the room. He had been the first to wake up and quickly realized there had been an incident with Benny¡¯s Evolution, where some bacsh was experienced, knocking out Benny and him.

    Sitting straight up as if he just awoke from the dead, Benny caught Instructor Garrison¡¯s hand and frowned. At the same time, he nced around the rocky room in confusion. Half a secondter, he remembered that something weird had happened with the Mana in the room, causing him to pass out.

    ¡°I am ok; what the heck happened?¡± Benny asked as he released Garrison¡¯s hand and rubbed his swollen cheek. It didn¡¯t take much force for the more muscr Instructor to injure him, but Benny wasn¡¯t bothered too much.

    ¡°That SEC grade Affinity of yours went all wonky at thest minute and caused a burst of Mana, knocking us both out, but it seems you are ok now.¡± Helping Benny up and giving him a once over to assure the kid was ok, Instructor Garrison gave him a couple of minutes to recover before hurrying him to the Aether Capsule.

    ¡°So long as you say you are ok, I will take your word for it. If it were that leader of yours, Ivar, I would doubt you, but from my observations, you aren¡¯t the sneaky scheming type.¡± As soon as Garrison finished his statement, Benny opened the Aether Capsule and rxed into it.

    ¡°Good luck, kid, and don¡¯t forget the start-up phrase I told you.¡± Giving Benny a double thumbs up, Garrison closed the lid of the Aether Capsule, bathing Benny in darkness.

    ¡°Ok, nowes the hard part,¡± closing his eyes for a second before finding his resolve, Benny said the start-up phrase.

    ¡°Activate the Passing Down.¡±

    Multiple bright lights shed in his mind¡¯s eye before he was put into a catatonic state. Meanwhile, his consciousness had been teleported to a pure white room, where he quickly located a virtual disy showing multiple lines.

    -Wee to the Aether Capsule Passing Down Interface.-

    -Scanning Biometrics.-

    -Peak Tier-2 Human Male Located, testing proper parameters for the Passing Down.-

    -No Bloodline has been Detected.-

    -All Tests Completed.-

    -Benjamin Sanford, Tier-2 Hoplite-Vanguard, Tier-2 Basic Spirit Armament Smith.-

    -It has Been Detected that All of your Stats have reached their Cap.-

    -Generating Tribtion Quest.-

    -Tribtion Quest Generated.-

    -You have received the Tribtion Quest: Endurance Combat.-

    -Tribtion Quest: Endurance Combat.-

    -You Must Survive A prolonged Simted Battle while making it through a sizeable obstacle course; the Timeframe you have toplete this Quest is determined by the Difficulty Setting you Choose.-

    -Please choose the Difficulty Setting you wish to partake in. *Reminder, a higher Difficulty Setting will result in better Rewards.-

    -Difficulties below Expert will be removed since you have multiple Stats that have Reached their Cap.-

    ¨C Expert, Master, Grandmaster, Legend.-

    POV: Gabby

    Unlike the others Norik had knocked out, Gabby was already lying in the Aether Capsule when she lost consciousness. Cynrik had found her, and after opening the capsule up so that she wouldn¡¯t suffocate, he opted to leave the girl inside the capsule.

    When she came too, she noticed Instructor Alistar rubbing his head and smiling at her. To him, it seemed like he had just gotten lost in thought for a moment, but now, with his hand on the top of the Aether Capsule, He wished Gabby luck, closed the lid, and plopped down on his recliner.

    Inside the capsule, Gabby retrieved the half-hanging-out sleepy kitten from her zer andid him next to her, to which she only received a sleepy mew in reply, making her chuckle and pet him forfort.

    She was extremely nervous, especially after finding out how high the failure rate was for this Evolution.

    ¡°You ready, Milo?¡± Gabby asked while wearing a strained smile.

    ¡°Mew,¡± Milo responded while nuzzling his head against her hand.

    ¡°Activate the Passing Down,¡± Gabby said clearly and rested her arms by her side.

    A momentter, Milo and Gabby found themselves in an empty white room, where the only thing in sight was arge floating virtual monitor. Hence, the pair briskly walked up to it, and Gabby began reading while Milo hopped up with little effort onto her head to watch.

    -Wee to the Aether Capsule Passing Down Interface.-

    -Scanning Biometrics.-

    -Peak Tier-2 Human Female Located, testing proper parameters for the Passing Down.-

    -No Bloodline has been Detected.-

    -Beast Companion Located.-

    -Tier-2 Male Smilodon-Th?s Located, testing proper parameters as an Assistant in the Passing Down.-

    -Beast Companion Bloodline: Supreme Beast.-

    -Beast Companion epted as an Assistant.-

    -All Tests Completed.-

    -Gabrie Sanford, Tier-2 Huntress, Tier-2 Basic Potioneer.-

    -It has Been Detected that your Dexterity Stat has reached its Cap.-

    -It has Been Detected that your Agility Stat has reached its Cap.-

    -Generating Trial Quest.-

    -Trial Quest Generated.-

    -You have received the Trial Quest: Hunter¡¯s Game.-

    -Trial Quest: Hunter¡¯s Game.-

    -You Must Survive and hunt a predetermined amount of prey, the Timeframe, and amount of prey you must hunt toplete this Quest are determined by the Difficulty Setting you Choose.-

    -Please choose the Difficulty Setting you wish to partake in. *Reminder, a higher Difficulty Setting will result in better Rewards.-

    -Difficulties below Expert will be removed since you have two capped stats, and your Beast Companion has a Bloodline.-

    -Expert, Master, Grandmaster.-

    POV: Selene

    Sitting in the lotus position on the hard rocky ground beside the Aether Capsule, Selene waited patiently for the Headmaster to wake up. As one of the Over-Break hosts, she was privy to what had transpired, and asionally her eyes darted between the sleeping Headmaster and the Aether Capsule.

    After Cynrik and Norik had suddenly appeared and soon after disappeared, Selene was left with numerous questions but only a single regret.

    Because Cynrik had been so focused and only gave her a brief summary before getting to work, she didn¡¯t find the time to inform him of what Headmaster Rivia had told her about Professor ire and the contract.

    And now, a few hourster, Selene was still stewing over herck of action.

    Her failure to inform Cynrik had been bothering her for hours now. Even though she was supposed to focus on her uing advancement, Selene had devoted her time to beating herself up mentally for herck of action.

    With the thought of her failure lingering in her mind, Selene nced back at the Headmaster and was startled to see he was awake and looking right at her.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Geralt asked as if he hadn¡¯t just been asleep. In fact, of everyone put to sleep by Norik, Geralt was the only one whose mind had been altered to think nothing had happened, and to him, he had only just looked away for a moment before returning to himself.

    ¡°Yes, Headmaster.¡± Standing up and straightening her clothes, Selene waited for Geralt¡¯s assistance before entering the Aether Capsule and the white room.

    Without hesitation, she made her way over to the Virtual monitor, but it was empty, and instead, notifications from Tobs flooded her vision.

    -You have entered the Passing Down Virtual Realm.-

    -Linking The Over-Break System to the Passing Down Interface.-

    -Scanning Biometrics.-

    -Peak Tier-2 Human Female Located, testing proper parameters for the Passing Down.-

    -Bloodline has been Detected.-

    -Bloodline: 90% Human, 10% ?sir.-

    -All Tests Completed.-

    -Selene Nilsson, Tier-2 Valk-Vanguard, Tier-2 LeatherWorking.-

    -Generating Trial Quest.-

    -Trial Quest Generated.-

    -You have received the Trial Quest: War of The Abyss.-

    -Trial Quest: War of The Abyss.-

    -You Must Survive and destroy the opposing predetermined Demon Army; the Timeframe and amount of enemies you face toplete this Quest are determined by the Difficulty Setting you Choose.-

    -Please choose the Difficulty Setting you wish to partake in. *Reminder, a higher Difficulty Setting will result in better Rewards.-

    -Difficulties below expert will be removed since you have a Bloodline.-

    -Expert, Master, Grandmaster.-

 Chapter 391 Passing Down the Trial/Tribulation Quests (2)

    Chapter 391 Passing Down the Trial/Tribtion Quests (2)

    POV: Brance

    Sitting on the ground with his eyes closed, Brance went over everything that had happened. Albeit brief, Cynrik had, for the most part, informed him of what was going on as he worked through theplicated process of locating the Dongle.

    Cynrik left as quickly as he arrived, leaving behind an oppressive silence aside from the soft snoring of the Head Dean, who was still sleeping.

    Luckily, while he waited, Brance had a lot to review. Before he had begun his Advancement, Head Dean Rimsfel had given him a lot to think about when it came to feeling and controlling Mana.

    It took him nearly an hour to thoroughly saturate the room with the proper amount of HolyFire Mana. Even then, unlike everyone else in MyrkLys, who could release their Mana like a surging tidal wave, Brance could only muster a slow trickle, like a leaky faucet.

    But as time went on, and Brance started gaining more experience in harnessing his HolyFire Affinity, he realized his shorings. If before he only thought of Mana as his blood flow, now, after being carefully guided by Head Dean Rimsfel, Brance finally understood all of his older brother¡¯s lectures.

    His insight stemmed from a single question posed by the Head Dean. Thinking back to before he began his Advancement, Brance remembered his previous conversation with his chaperone.

    ¡ª

    ¡°Student Bj?rn, what is Mana to you? I am not asking for the answer you learned in primary school. I want to know what YOU think it is.¡±

    Brance had sat quietly for nearly thirty minutes before answering.

    ¡°To me, Mana is Magic, something that gives me the ability to wield powerful attacks while simultaneously being so gentle that I can heal the injuries of my friends.¡± He said while meeting the concerned gaze of Head Dean Rimsfel.

    ¡°Magic, huh? You aren¡¯t wrong in that aspect, but you aren¡¯t correct, either. To some, Mana is a tool to aid them in whatever endeavor they wish to partake in. Meanwhile, to others, it is everything, life, death, happiness.¡±

    ¡°To me, Mana is everything. Not only does it make up every living and inanimate object we interact with, but it is also present in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the skills we wield. From thergest Beast to a minuscule existence, Mana is the essential item we can not live without.¡±

    ¡ª

    After that conversation, Brance realized he had been going about everything incorrectly. Instead of viewing Mana as a mystical item that gave him superpowers, he needed to view it in the same vein as Atomic particles back on Earth.

    After enlightenment, something seemed to click in his mind, and for the first time, he understood the meaning behind Cynrik¡¯s words. He could feel the Mana moving through his body, separate from what he had confused with his blood.

    It was like a dam had burst open, and Brance had spent his free time experimenting with his HolyFire. Strangely enough, it was as if the Mana had a consciousness of his own, and after being acknowledged, it allowed him to control it more freely.

    Snap, fwoosh, Snap, fwoosh, Snap, fwoosh.

    The sharp sounds of Brance snapping his fingers, conjuring a ball of golden mes, and then dousing them sounded off every few seconds.

    ¡®Sigh, now I get why Cyn does this all the time; not only does it work as a form of training, but it also is a decent way to curb boredom.¡¯ Brance thought as a bitter smile crept onto his lips.

    ¡®All those times I hazed him and talked shit about how annoying it was, and I never once stopped to think about the WHY, only about how annoying it was.¡¯ With that thought in mind, Brance used his thumb to snap the other four fingers on his right hand, manifesting four mes in sequential order.

    Opening his hand and waving it a few times to put out the HolyFire, Brance leaned back on his hands and observed Head Dean Rimsfel.

    ¡®Anytime now, Head Dean, how long do you n on sleeping? Cynrik and Lord Ackworth must have finished what they were doing.¡¯

    Fweuuummm

    Just as Brance was about to go back to ying with his HolyFire, he heard a strange noise from under the Aether Capsule and quickly activated [Mana Sight].

    What greeted his eyes was a rainbow of color being emitted from the same box Cynrik had previously been working.

    ¡®What in the fuck?¡¯ He questioned as heid down on his belly, looked under the Aether Capsule, and watched as a coin-sized ckhole came to life.

    Through his ocr skill, Brance was treated to a magnificent disy of pure power, one that only a being way above him could pull off, and it clicked in his mind that Norik was making his move.

    Feeling no sense of danger from the skill, as it wasn¡¯t targeting him, Brance sat back up, got to his feet, dusted himself off, and walked around to the opposite side of the Aether Capsule, where he knew the panel to open it existed.

    ¡®It won¡¯t be long now, Head Dean Rimsfel should be waking up, and I doubt Lord Ackword would overlook the fact that we need a cover story. He has already proven that he can alter people¡¯s memories, and with that being the case, he should have imnted some kind of usible reason for why the Head Dean fell asleep.¡¯

    As he had predicted, 10 minutester, Head Dean Rimsfel suddenly jumped to his feet and stretched his stiff body.

    ¡°It took you longer than expected; I apologize for the unsightly sight you had to witness; you see, I have been kept up for weeks because of those spies and the tasks assigned to me by the Headmaster. Seeing you sitting still without speaking for so long was too much for me to handle.¡± Walking over and joining Brance by the Aether Capsule, the Head Dean exined its use to him before stepping back.

    cing his hand on therge recessed palm print on the rocky device, Brance channeled a bit of all his Affinities into the Aether Capsule, opened it, andid down swiftly.

    ¡°Good luck; no matter what challenge you face, remember what you have learned here at the Academy and your previous experiences, and you shoulde out on top.¡± Giving a few words of encouragement, Head Deam Rimsfel sealed the Aether Capsule and sat back on the recliner.

    ¡°Activate the Passing Down.¡± Saying the start-up Phrase with a forceful and clear tone, Brance was soon brought to the empty white room, and just like with Selene, Tobs took over from there.

    -You have entered the Passing Down Virtual Realm.-

    -Linking The Over-Break System to the Passing Down Interface.-

    -Scanning Biometrics.-

    -Peak Tier-2 Human Male Located, testing proper parameters for the Passing Down.-

    -Bloodline has been Detected.-

    -Bloodline: 90% Human, 10% LightBringer.-

    -All Tests Completed.-

    -Brance Jetlensr, Tier-2 Pdin, Tier-2 Basic Gemsmithing.-

    -It has Been Detected that your Strength Stat has reached its Cap.-

    -It has Been Detected that your Vitality Stat has reached its Cap.-

    -Generating Tribtion Quest.-

    ¨C Tribtion Quest Generated.-

    -You have received the Tribtion Quest: General Of The Light.-

    -Tribtion Quest: General Of The Light.-

    -A Call to Arms has been Issued. You will assume the role of a High Ranking General in the God Of Light¡¯s Army. Your Goal is to defeat the opposing Army of Fallen Angels; the Timeframe and amount of enemies you face toplete this Quest are determined by the Difficulty Setting you Choose.-

    -Please choose the Difficulty Setting you wish to partake in. *Reminder, a higher Difficulty Setting will result in better Rewards.-

    -Difficulties below Master will be removed since you have a Bloodline and have multiple Stats that have Reached their Cap.-

    ¨C Master, Grandmaster, Legend.-

    POV: Cynrik

    ¡®He¡­he absorbed them¡­how is that even possible?¡¯ The whole eventsted less than a minute. In the end, Norik had converted the power of the explosions into his own, rendering Cynrik speechless for several minutes, even after Norik bid him farewell and good luck on his Evolution.

    Moving on autopilot, Cynrik picked up Professor Morningdale and ced her in the recliner before walking over and standing by the Aether Capsule, lost in thought.

    It wasn¡¯t until half an hourter, when Professor Morningdale woke up wondering how long she had been asleep, that Cynrik snapped out of his daze.

    ¡®There is no way that old coot didn¡¯t give me a proper story to adhere to, so I just have to y along when Umbridge wakes up.¡¯ Cynrik thought to himself as he dropped to the ground and rolled under the Aether Capsule, thest ce Professor Morningdale had seen him.

    Without knowing what kind of tale Norik had spun, Cynrik felt the need to create one that wouldn¡¯t seem strange to himself. Hisst conversation with the Professor centered around his theories regarding why there was such a low failure rate. Thus Cynrik went ahead and pried open theponent box¡¯s door and shoved his hands into the cabling, giving him the appearance of a hard-working Engineer.

    Rustle rustle rustle

    ¡°Mm, oh my, where did the time go? I appear to have gotten so stressed out that I fell asleep.¡±

    Cynrik heard Professor Morningdale mumbling to herself as she woke up and grinned.

    ¡®Not bad old man, kind of week, but it is something I can work with.¡¯

    ¡°I am all done under here, Professor,¡± closing theponent box, Cynrik pulled himself out from under the Aether Capsule and then dusted off his hands and butt.

    ¡°Done? Please tell me you didn¡¯t break anything under there, Student Ivar; the Aether Capsule is a Quadrillion Dor machine.¡± Hopping up from her seat and padding over to help Cynrik up, Professor Morningdale scolded him with panic apparent in her eyes.

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t do anything other than straighten up a bit of a mess inside. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t locate anything that may interfere with the device; it seems I am still too green regarding the Engineering World.¡± Cynrik said absent-mindedly as his eyes flicked to a wave of notifications from Tobs.

    For now, he swiped them away, as it was time to get down to business, only this time it WASN¡¯T to defeat the Huns.

    ¡°Right, although it is a shame, we must continue moving forward. For some reason, I have a good feeling about your Advancement. It¡¯s just I can¡¯t put my finger on why.¡±

    Knowing it was time to get a move on, Cynrik opened the Aether Capsule and hopped in.

    ¡°I got this, Professor; the next time you see me, I will be a Tier-3 powerhouse.¡± Smirking as heid back and watched Professor Morningdale Close the Aether Capsule, Cynrik felt a sudden rush of excitement.

    ¡°Come on out, you two; I will need your help this time; let¡¯s finish this shit together.¡± With the words leaving his lips, two small blue shes of light appeared on either side of his body, and both Sie and Vii appeared just above his shoulders.

    ¡°Cheepcaw,¡± Sie happily chirped as she rested her head against Cynrik¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°Cawchiip,¡± Vii, on the other hand, ruffled his feathers, puffing up his body in anticipation.

    ¡°Activate the Passing Down.¡± In a sh, he and the two Ravens appeared in the world of white; soon after, Cynrik was innodated with notifications.

    -You have entered the Passing Down Virtual Realm.-

    -Linking The Over-Break System to the Passing Down Interface.-

    -Scanning Biometrics.-

    -Peak Tier-2 Human Male Located, testing proper parameters for the Passing Down.-

    -Bloodline has been Detected.-

    -Bloodline: 90% Human, 10% ?sir.-

    -Two Tamed Beasts Located.-

    -Tier-1 Male N¨¢tt Hrafn Located, testing proper parameters as an Assistant in the Passing Down.-

    -Tier-1 Female N¨¢tt Hrafn Located, testing proper parameters as an Assistant in the Passing Down.-

    -Tamed Beast Bloodlines: Legendary Beast.-

    -Tamed Beasts epted as an Assistant.-

    -All Tests Completed.-

    -Cynrik Jetlensr, Tier-2 Rogue, Tier-2 Tamer.-

    -It has Been Detected that your Agility Stat has reached its Cap.-

    -It has Been Detected that your Dexterity Stat has reached its Cap.-

    -Generating Tribtion Quest.-

    ¨C Tribtion Quest Generated.-

    -You have received the Tribtion Quest: Mirror¡¯s Image.-

    -Tribtion Quest: Mirror¡¯s Image..-

    -Confident, cocky, intelligent, and arrogant are all attributes necessary when fighting tooth and nail to be the best. However, these aspects of yourself have be a wall you must pass to advance. As such, your opponent for this Tribtion is yourself. The Timeframe and Strength of your opponent are determined by the Difficulty Setting you Choose.-

    -Please choose the Difficulty Setting you wish to partake in. *Reminder, a higher Difficulty Setting will result in better Rewards.-

    -Difficulties below Master will be removed since you have a Bloodline and have multiple Stats that have Reached their Cap.-

    ¨C Master, Grandmaster, Legend.-

 Chapter 392 Tribulation Quest Cynrik (1)

    POV: Cynrik

    ¨C Tribtion Quest Generated.-

    -You have received the Tribtion Quest: Mirror¡¯s Image.-

    -Tribtion Quest: Mirror¡¯s Image.-

    -Confident, cocky, intelligent, and arrogance are all attributes necessary when fighting tooth and nail to be the best. However, these aspects of yourself have be a wall you must pass to advance. As such, your opponent for this Tribtion is yourself. The Timeframe and Strength of your opponent are determined by the Difficulty Setting you Choose.-

    -Please choose the Difficulty Setting you wish to partake in. *Reminder, a higher Difficulty Setting will result in better Rewards.-

    -Difficulties below Master will be removed since you have a Bloodline and have multiple Stats that have Reached their Cap.-

    ¨C Master, Grandmaster, Legend.-

    ¡°Tsk, of course, there would be a limit to the modes. Let¡¯s think about this logically. The first bump in Difficultyes from my Capped AGI and DEX; this was bound to happen, especially since there was a notification about added benefits. The second bump was the addition of my Ravens; this is the one that concerns me the most.¡± Cynrik mused aloud, and he stared intently at the three difficulty levels.

    ¡°I am curious about the lower difficulties, but based on Master and Grandmaster, I can assume they followed the same vein as the ones used by Tradeskill sses. Regardless, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    ¡°The simple fact that the notification states there are higher rewards about higher Difficulty grades on top of it increases the strength and level of my opponent who, based on context clues, should be a replica of myself instead of a Nega-Cyn.¡±

    Cynrik paused his train of thought and looked at the two curious Ravens sitting on his shoulders.

    ¡°The real question is if my mirrored image will have two cutepanions,¡± smiling as he reached up and scratched Vii and Sie under their chins, Cynrik closed his eyes and processed the avable information at lightning speed.

    ¡°Our opponents will have all the same gear, the same minds, and most of all, a higher power level. This fight is practically unwinnable at peak Difficulties such as Legendary. Odds are, Master Ranked Mirror Cyn would be what I am now somewhere between Peak Tier-2 and Initial Tier-3, GrandMaster should be Mid-Tier-3, and Legendary would be either Peak Tier-3 or, worse yet, the middle ground between Peak Tier-3 and Initial Tier-4.¡±

    ¡°I can expect my Mirror Image to have my same skill set and mental prowess, which will cause a lot of problems; still, I have never been one to back down from a challenge, so¡­¡± Cynrik smirked and extended his arms out, a signal to Vii and Sie to hop onto his wrists.

    ¡°Vii, Sie, this will be our hardest battle yet, so we must go all out.¡± As he said this, the faces of Viisaus and Sielu changed, showing what could only be viewed as discontent.

    ¡°I know you both hate wearing them, but you will need to get used to it; our enemies will only grow in number and power, so you two have to be thoroughly equipped for battle.¡± With that said, Cynrik moved his arms down before suddenly flinging his arms up,unching Vii and Sie into the air.

    Next, he waved both hands, summoning two never before seen sets of equipment.

    Meanwhile, Vii and Sie circled and began expanding in size until they were asrge as a Saint Bernard. Their growth was due to a skill they learned after evolving to Tier-1, [Size Modification].

    Using this skill, the two Ravens can grow or shrink up to 4 times their original size; however, their size has no bearing on their power, as instead of getting stronger, their strength stays the same, no matter their size. As the two Ravens got older and increased their Tier, they began growing until they could no longer rest on their favorite perches, IE, Cynrik¡¯s shoulders or head. So once they learned this skill, they preferred to shrink to the size they used to be when they were still Tier-0, which is approximately the size of a fully grown Raven on Earth.

    Noticing Vii and Sie, now airborne, were back to their Tier-1 size, Cynrik controlled the two specific sets of equipment by tethering thin strands of Dark Mana and, piece by piece ced them onto the bodies of his Ravens.

    Although Cynrik could put their armor on them by hand without trouble, thanks to his high DEX stat, Cynrik found it significantly easier to use his Mana.

    Soon, Vii and Sie were decked out in fierce ck armor, the likes of which were made of special gauntlets for each of their legs ending in sharp daggered weapons that covered their talons. Next was the form-fitting jointed breasttes. The mixture of metal and beast hide was not only tough enough to stop an attack from a Peak Tier-3 being but also lightweight and flexible.

    The breastte connected with a flexible joint, moving out from their shoulders into long pauldrons that covered the entirety of their arm/wing leaving only their feathers exposed. In a sense, they were wearing full body armor while leaving the necessary tools for flight open and uncovered. Regardless, the edge of the pauldron/gauntlet style armor was razor sharp; all the while, the lightweight allowed for unhindered flight. (I am posting a picture on Discord of a bird wing for you all.)

    The final piece of equipment Vii and Sie equipped was an expertly crafted and perfectly fit helmet. However, it had an open face that allowed zero vision loss and protected their skulls from attacks.

    After cing the armor, Vii and Siended beside Cynrik and were tall enough to reach his hip.

    ¡°You both look sharp and fierce,¡± Cynrik said as he smiled warmly and scratched his Ravens under their beaks.

    ¡°Cheepcaw, cheepp,¡± Sie said, thoroughly enjoying the loving attention.

    Vii, on the other hand, kept shuffling about ufortably as of the two; he was the one who hated wearing the armor the most.

    ¡°Cawchiip,¡± Vii muttered as he pecked at the breastte in an unsatisfied manner.

    ¡°Bah, quit your whining Vii; you have seen how impressive your battle gear is; it increases yourbat strength by a factor of two, which means when you wear it, you are as strong as someone Early Tier-3.¡± Rolling his eyes, Cynrik gently patted Vii¡¯s helmet, crafted with numerous runes and sharp elongated edges.

    In response to Vii getting scolded, Sie shook her head and flexed her wings to get used to the feeling of having them covered with armor.

    ¡°Ok, you two, I have already exined the challenge ahead of us, but things have changed slightly; now we are facing ourselves. That means two things; you will not be attacking your own Mirror Image but instead each other. Vii, you will attack Mirror Sie, and Sie, you will be fighting Mirror Vii.¡±

    While he exined the battle n, Vii nced at Sie and thought about how he would fight his adopted sister if it came to that. At the same time, Sie was contemting something simr.

    ¡°You will both have to be on your best for this battle. I need you two to handle the opposing Ravens, freeing me up so I can deal with my Mirror Image. There is no doubt that the two enemy Ravens will try their best to hinder my battle, so it will fall on both of you to handle them.

    ¡°KAWCHIIP!¡± Vii said as he proudly puffed up his chest feathers; although it couldn¡¯t be seen because of his armor, Cynrik got the point.

    ¡°Good, I will leave it to you then, Vii,¡± with a smile on his lips, Cynrik swapped his loadout from his school uniform to his recently created CStrife build.

    In an instant, Cynrik was wrapped up in an impressive new coat, not different from hisst one, with ck pauldrons adorning each shoulder. However, now, underneath his jacket was a Tier-3.5 DracoHide leather body armor.

    Adorning both of his wrists were two intricate and overbearing to look at gauntlets, his newly upgraded Assassins Tools, which after receiving new parts from Jessup and assembled by Cynrik, had actually surpassed Tier-3 and were now ssified as Tier-4 weapons.

    -Custom Assassins Tool (Creed MK7)-

    -Tier-4: Special Grade(Upgradeable)-

    -ssification: Advanced Bracer with dual revolver Hidden de and Ejection mechanisms.-

    -A highly customized Assassins tool that has been redesigned from the ground up by Cynrik Jetlensr. This Weapon contains parts crafted by a world-renowned smith named Jessup Pinhurst and was assembled by Engineer Cynrik Jetlensr.-

    -The outer shell is formed with ayer of Runic Inscribed Shade Dragon hide, while the internal skeleton has been reinforced with Void Dragon Bone. The inner portion of the device has beenpletely redesigned multiple times before settling on a good fusion of Technology and cutting-edge yet experimental design techniques.-

    -The drawer mechanism has been redesigned and retrofitted with an otherwise cumbersome number of housings. However, due to advanced techniques and ingenious design, this device works wlessly. Designer Cynrik Jetlensr has crafted a Never-before-seen or imagined tool that can house multiple des, attachments, and hidden weapons.-

    -Bybining Spatial Separation Technology, the extension mechanic has been modified to quickly and automatically swap des in a revolver style while storing all otherponents in a micro-sized pocket space. This Spatial Pocket can be essed only by the person this Tool is bound to. This device has an upgraded ejection mechanism; by infusing Mana Particles into this device, a hidden de can be fired from the central housing drawer, giving the device projectile attack capabilities before automatically swapping to one of the reserve des.-

    -Cabling and pulley systems have been overhauled to increase movement speed and serve as weapons.-

    ¨C Slot 1: Tier-3.5 Cold-Steel Hidden de.-

    ¨C Slot 2: Tier-3.5 Sunre Hidden de.-

    ¨C Slot 3: Tier-3.5 Dark Infused Hidden de.-

    ¨C Slot 4: Tier-4.5 OmniPoison Infused Hidden de.-

    ¨C Slot 5: Tier-4 Lightning Infused Hidden de.-

    ¨C Slot 6: Tier 4 DarkFire Infused Hidden de.-

    ¨C Slot 7: Tier 4 DarkLightning Infused Hidden de.-

    ¨C Slot 8: Tier-3.5 Cold-Steel Chain Dart.-

    ¨C Slot 9: Tier-3.5 Cold-Steel Copsible Grapple.-

    ¨C Slot 10: (4) Tier-4 Omnipoison Gas Pills.-

    ¨C +100 DEF-

    ¨C +150 DEX-

    ¨C +100 AGI-

    ¨C Ability: Allows the wielder to receive six attacks without being knocked out of Dark Affinity Skills that hide the User¡¯s appearance or presence.

    ¨C Ability: Spatial Pocket Storage: 15¡Á15 Meters.

    ¨C Passive Special Skill: Quick Change ¨C By making a particr flicking motion, the revolver mechanism will grab one of the avable des and automatically slot it into the drawer chamber.-

    ¨C Special Skill: Upgraded de Shot ¨C The wearer can fire the chambered hidden de by infusing Mana into the firing mechanism. The range and power of this attack depend on how much Mana is expended.-

    ¨C Special Skill 2: Multiple de Shot ¨C The wearer can fire up to six of the chambered hidden des by infusing Mana into the firing mechanism. The range and power of this attack depend on how much Mana is expended.-

    ¨C Special Skill 3: Grapple Shot- The wearer can fire a small copsible grappling hook attached to a 50-meter, high-tension wire. This wire is wrapped tightly around the bracer, adding to the durability lost by constant shaving. Additionally, since firing the Grapple utilizes the ejection mechanism, the wearer only has to input a sufficient amount of Mana to fire.-

    ¨C Special Skill 4: Cable Shield- The wearer can utilize the cables meant for the Grapple shot to cover their body in a wire armor capable of sustaining a single attack from a Peak Tier-4 existence.-

    ¨C Special Skill 5: Locked Grapple Shot Whip- Instead of immediately retracting the cables attached to the grappling hooks, the User can choose to retract them the desired amount before locking them in ce to be used as a whip.-

    -Damage Based on DEX and AGI Stat.-

    -Special Skill 6: Omnipoison Gas Pill Bomb- Using the ejector mechanism built into every chamber, the User can expel a single Gas Pill Bomb. Upon impact with a hard surface, the pill will explode, creating a 10¡Á10 meter Omnipoison Gas cloud.-

    -This series is exclusively published on AllNovelFull if you are reading it anywhere else¡­You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https:///dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 393 Tribulation Quest Cynrik (2)

    - Slot 1: Tier-3.5 Cold-Steel Hidden de.-

    - Slot 2: Tier-3.5 Sunre Hidden de.-

    - Slot 3: Tier-3.5 Dark Infused Hidden de.-

    - Slot 4: Tier-4.5 OmniPoison Infused Hidden de.-

    - Slot 5: Tier-4 Lightning Infused Hidden de.-

    - Slot 6: Tier 4 DarkFire Infused Hidden de.-

    - Slot 7: Tier 4 DarkLightning Infused Hidden de.-

    - Slot 8: Tier-3.5 Cold-Steel Chain Dart.-

    - Slot 9: Tier-3.5 Cold-Steel Copsible Grapple.-

    - Slot 10: (4) Tier-4 Omnipoison Gas Pills.-

    - Special Skill 2: Multiple de Shot - The Wearer can fire up to six of the chambered hidden des by infusing Mana into the firing mechanism. The range and power of this attack depend on how much Mana is expended.-

    - Special Skill 4: Cable Shield- The Wearer can utilize the cables meant for the Grapple shot to cover their body in a wire armor capable of sustaining a single attack from a Peak Tier-4 existence.-

    - Special Skill 5: Locked Grapple Shot Whip- Instead of immediately retracting the cables attached to the grappling hooks, the User can choose to retract them the desired amount before locking them in ce to be used as a whip.-

    -Damage Based on DEX and AGI Stat.-

    -Special Skill 6: Omnipoison Gas Pill Bomb- Using the ejector mechanism built into every chamber, the User can expel a single Gas Pill Bomb. Upon impact with a hard surface, the pill will explode, creating a 10x10 meter Omnipoison Gas cloud.-

    ncing over all the new things and gear attached to his Assassins Tools, Cynrik couldn''t help but feel pleased with himself. He had spent countless hours designing and building modified versions over thest few months, but it wasn''t until the parts came in after being finished by Jessup that he could assemble it all.

    Compared to the previous versions, Cynrik considered this his magnum opus, the MK7, which he was currently wearing on both wrists.

    Still, the one thing that unsettled him was he had yet to gain all the bonuses that should havee with his newly engineered tool. But this was cleared up by Tobs, who at the time ofpletion informed him the rewards were sorge that he wouldn''t be able to handle the increase due to only being Tier-2, and he would have to wait until he Advanced to Tier-3 to receive them.

    Reaching down and adjusting the rest of his equipment, Cynrik quickly checked everything from top to bottom to verify that his gear''s durability was maxed and ready forbat.

    - Shadow Cold-Steel Shin-Guards -

    -Tier 3.5: Special Grade-

    - ssification: Formfitting Under Armor -

    - A custom-made Chainmail armor meant to be worn under a set of armor, a modified version of the original design created by Cinyah Jetlensr, updated by Cynrik Jetlensr, and forged from seven ore Cold-Steel, by Famed cksmith and Runist Jessup Pinhurst. The Runes inscribed on each chain-link have been tailored to handle Dark, Wind, Fire, and Lightning Mana. Comfortable and lightweight. Its smoothed links make it so the metal won''t pinch the Wearer''s skin.

    - +100 DEF-

    - +100 VIT.-

    -Durability 15000/15000

    - Ability:+ 10% Damage Buff to Dark, Wind, Fire, and Lightning Affinity Skills-

    - Shadow Cold-Steel Shin-Guards-

    -Tier 3.5: Special Grade-

    - ssification: Mana Infused Shin-Guards -

    - A custom-made steel ted shin-guard, a modified version of the original design created by Cinyah Jetlensr, updated by Cynrik Jetlensr, and forged from seven ore Cold-Steel, by Famed cksmith and Runist Jessup Pinhurst. These guards have been inscribed with Mana allocation runes containing Dark, Wind, Fire, and Lightning Mana.-

    - +50 DEF-

    - -100 AGI-

    - Durability 10000/10000-

    - Ability:+ 15% Damage Buff to Dark, and Lightning Affinity Skills, +10% Buff to Wind and Fire Affinity Skills.-

    -Hooded Midnight Draco-me Coat -

    -Tier 4: Special Grade-

    - ssification: Mana Infused Duster Jacket -

    - A custom-made jacket designed by Cynrik Jetlensr and Crafted from seven Cold-Steel ore and Adolescent Shadow Dragon Hide by Famed cksmith and Runist Jessup Pinhurst. This jacket contains Mana allocation runes containing Dark and Fire Mana. The materials and runic inscriptions on the coat allow it to storerge amounts of Darkness Mana particles.-

    -Lightweight, highly flexible, impact-proof, and most of all, Fireproof.-

    - +250 DEF-

    - +100 AGI -

    - +100 DEX-

    - +100 INT<sub> </sub>

    -100% FIRE Resistance.-

    - Durability 35000/35000-

    - Ability:+ 25% Buff to Dark and Fire Affinity Skills.-

    - Special Skill: Mana Flight ¨C By infusing a minimum of 4500 MP of equal parts Dark and Fire Mana, the Wearer can produce two Mana construct wings from behind their shoulders capable of sustaining flight for up to 20 minutes.

    -The speed and height these wings can take the Wearer depends on several factors, such as Weight, Purity of Mana, constant flow of Mana, and so on.-

    Although the shin guards and under armor looked highly simr to his previous gear, the coat was vastly different. Gone were the pauldrons reminiscent of a specific one-winged angel, and in its ce were thin Drago-Hide shoulder guards that hugged his cor and shoulder des perfectly.

    Moving away from the previous motif, Cynrik drew upon a mixture of two different themes, DMC''s Dante and SAO''s Kirito, merging their two coats and adding a massive amount of runic inscriptions, and vo, the Midnight Draco-me Coat was born, p an Assassin''s hood on it, and Cynrik couldn''t be happier.

    Simr to Kirio''s ckwyrm Coat, the MDF Coat sported several straps. Still, the cross-body strap with a unique and dangerous x-shaped te was the most impressive. Instead of the tacky andme oversized fidget spinner of a breastte named "The Heart of the Relic" that Kirito wore, Cynrik''s ting covered his heart, and he had four gems, one for each of his Affinities.

    The extra protection over his heart and the possible instant transfusion of Mana from the gems gave him an addedyer of protection and an additional tank if he ran out of Mana.

    The coat extended to his ankles, and even if it didn''t look like much, it not only boosted him significantly in several stats but also gave him the much-coveted flight capabilities. When Mana was pumped into the back of his shoulders, Cynrik could create a pair of demonic ckFire wings.

    When he had shown off his new coat and wings to the other members of MyrkLys, everyone, excluding Selene, teased him for days, praising him for finally taking the final step into edgelord territory.

    Only his girlfriend found him dashing and sinister looking, but most of all, "fucking hot."

    While the new armor was top of the line and impressive in its own right, the true highlight of Cynrik''s new equipment was the two extended-length kodachi, which had assumed their rightful positions over his right shoulder and on his right hip.

    - Shadow Cold-Steel Quad-Elemental Extended Twin-Kodachi (F)-

    -Tier-4: Special Grade.-

    - ssification: Extended Runic Kodachi (61cm, 69cm) ¨C

    - A pair of matching ck, single-edged, slightly curved swords; the longer de is meant for use with the dominant hand, while the shorter is intended to be wielded with the non-dominant. Designed by Cynrik Jetlensr and Crafted from seven ore Cold-Steel, by Famed cksmith and Runist Jessup Pinhurst. The handle is wrapped with Shadow, ze, Lightning, and Wind Draco hide, and the kashira (pommel) and habaki (ring guard) are forged from Shadow Draco bone. The des are inscribed with Runes that can be infused with Dark, Fire, Wind, and Lightning Mana.

    - +150 AGI.-

    - +150 DEX.-

    - +150 INT.-

    -Ability: When wielding both at the same time, + 35% Buff to Dark and Fire Affinity Skills, +25% Buff to Lightning and Wind Affinity Skills.-

    -Special Passive Skill: When wielding both at the same time, +45% increased Critical Rate.-

    -Special Passive Skill: When wielding both at the same time, +45% Critical Damage.-

    -Special Skill: (F) ???.-

    Resting his right palm on the hilt of the longer de, Cynrik couldn''t help but feel nostalgic. Although he had been using the two swords for thest couple of weeks, he had gone months without them and having the newly improved and reforged kodachi back where they belonged gave Cynrik a sense of satisfaction like no other.

    His gear was finished by a pair of Draco hide pants and tacticalbat boots. But the benefits of wearing his equipment didn''t stop with their basic properties. The coveted Set Boost was the one attribute Cynrik and Jessup strived for by creating his equipment set.

    -MyrkLys Assassin Set: Epic Ranked.-

    -1 piece: 50% buff to Movement Speed.-

    -3 pieces: 25% buff to Crit Rate.-

    -5 pieces: 25% buff to Crit damage.-

    -7 pieces: 25% buff to all basic stats.-

    The set was broken down as such, the shin guards counted as one piece, the coat was one piece, each Assassin''s Tool and Kodachi counted as a single piece, and his chain mail took the final slot. Although 25% may not seem like much, one has to remember that Cynrik''s stats are already passed 1000 points, and the higher they climb, the more insane the boosts would get.

    His new equipment''s sheer ultility and power increased Cynrik''s ability to fight superior opponents easily. The deficit was so different now that if he were toe up against the spies some time ago, he would have obliterated them solo.

    The best part was since every piece of his new gear was over Tier-3, they wouldst him well into Tier-4. And when they fell short of his prowess, it wouldn''t be challenging to reforge and rework every piece to increase it to a higher Tier. The only question is how long he could do so.

    There was no doubt that his present gear would not withstand multiple reforges without falling apart, but by that time, Cynrik assumed he would have already found an answer to this problem.

    Adjusting his fingerless skintight nano-fiber undershirt around his palm, Cynrik smiled at Sie and Vii before directing his attention back toward the difficulty settings.

    ''Realistically, my safest bet is, of course, the Master ranked difficulty; however, I would be lying if I said I don''t want to try facing a stronger version of myself. Just the thought of having to work through that puzzle has my mind spinning with excitement.'' Cynrik thought as he rolled out his shoulders to adjust to wearing his leather gear.

    ''The real question, though, is how exact the Mirror image of me is. Could I, for example, get a sneak peek at new skills, techniques, or even Affinities I don''t yet have? If that is the case, then there is no doubt I should choose Legendary.'' Bringing his hand up to his chin, Cynrik swayed left and right in thought.

    ''The only downside I can scry is that I will likely fail in my advancement. Decisions, decisions, man, I fucking hope no one is dumb enough to jump headfirst into the Legendary difficulty. It is a trap; oh well, if they do, I will make them suffer with more hell training.'' Making up his mind, Cynrik nodded at Sie and Vii before pressing the Grandmaster Difficulty.

    -You have selected the Grandmaster Difficulty, adjusting the settings and parameters for your Tribtion Quest.-

    -Tribtion Quest: Mirror''s Image.-

    -Confident, cocky, intelligent, and arrogance are all attributes necessary when fighting tooth and nail to be the best. However, these aspects of yourself have be a wall you must pass to advance. As such, your Opponent for this Tribtion is yourself. Your Opponent will be set to Level 35/70 in all sses and the Primary level of Tier-3, and you will have four hours to defeat them.-

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 394 Tribulation Quest Cynrik (3)

    -You have selected the Grandmaster Difficulty, adjusting the settings and parameters for your Tribtion Quest.-

    -Tribtion Quest: Mirror''s Image.-

    -Confident, cocky, intelligent, and arrogance are all attributes necessary when fighting tooth and nail to be the best. However, these aspects of yourself have be a wall you must pass to advance. As such, your Opponent for this Tribtion is yourself. Your Opponent will be set to Level 35/70 in all sses and the Primary level of Tier-3, and you will have four hours to defeat them.-

    Exhaling shakily, Cynrik allowed a sinister grin to creep upon his lips; when push came to shove, no member of MyrkLys was as much of a Battle junkie as Cynrik. Standing on the precipice of a battle against an opponent who would know his every move, he felt his adrenaline spike massively.

    -You will be moved to the battle arena in 30 seconds; prepare yourself.-

    Closing his eyes and dropping his head, Cynrik peeked at the two nervous ravens on either side of him and reached out to pet both of their heads.

    "Hit ''em hard, hit ''em fast, leave nothing to chance. They will fight like us and know our every move, so let''s change the script. Our only chance is a full frontal assault sweep through our Opponent with everything we''ve got. If he doesn''t have your mirror images, st them with a full-power Omnipoison bomb, and I will follow suit with my own."

    "Cheepcaw!"

    "Cawchiip!"

    Both Sie and Vii put on their game faces and stared forward since that was what their Papa was doing.

    -Moving you to the battle arena in 5 seconds.-

    ''Tobs, y the epic version of Fade to ck.'' When the timer was about to hit zero, Cynrik gave hismand for BGM and was instantly teleported to an arena resembling the ancient roman Coliseum.

    <o>,m -Now ying "Fade to ck_B13a" by Shir¨­ Sagisu.- *I am posting the version in question on Discord.*</o>

    Three things happened simultaneously when Cynrik, Sie, and Vii appeared in the Arena. The first was the rhythmic and powerful music that started ring in Cynrik''s head.

    The second was the meeting of eyes between Mirror Cynrik(M-Cyn) and the real one. In that instant, the real Cynrik noticed considerable differences between how his Mirror Image carried himself and how he appeared to be wearing a replica of the same gear he had equipped.

    In addition to the battle damage to M-Cyn''s gear, he has a severe scar running from the top of his left eyebrow to the right side of his chin.

    M-Cyn''s hair, too, had changed considerably. The highlights in his hair were gone, and now they looked more like Benny''s hair, where each strand appeared to be one of four different colors: ck, purple, red, or light green. It was evident that his Affinities had increased dramatically.

    The subtle look of pain on M-Cyn''s face couldn''t be hidden from the real Cynrik, and following his line of sight, he noticed that his counterpart was gazing at Vii and Sie with a sorrowful and pained expression.

    This bit of information was nearly mind-breaking for Cynrik. For him to look at the Ravens with such vivid expressions signified something horrible must have urred, but more than that, it indicated there was more to this Mirror Image of himself than met the eye.

    While pushing that thought to the back of his mind, the third event urred,unching four Omnipoison attacks, two from the ravens and two from Cynrik.

    For Vii and Sie, all they did was take to the sky, open their beaks, and spit out two condensed globr masses of tri-colored goo. Meanwhile, Cynrik flicked his wrists at a downward angle and twisted them counterclockwise, causing two tubes to pop out from the top of the gauntlets on his wrists. Next, he pointed them forward, pulsed a bit of Mana into his Assassins tools, andunched two projectiles from the top of his forearms.

    Half a secondter, all four attacksnded on M-Cyn, and he was shrouded in a menacing poison cloud.

    No words needed to be spoken between Cynrik and his Ravens as all three gained dominant positioning, circling the clouded M-Cyn, but this was soon proven not to be a good idea.

    The instant the three got into position, a wave of DarkFire sted the Omnipoison cloud apart, sending arcs of Mana at each of the birds in the sky and Cynrik on the ground.

    Luckily, Vii and Sie had been prepared for a counter-attack and effortlessly glided out of the way of these powerful burst attacks. Even Cynrik took evasive maneuvers by diving into the Shadow Realm with [Shadow Leap] only to reappear a fraction of a secondter, right in the path of M-Cyn, who dashed forward and close-lined Cynrik in the chest, flinging him across the Arena and into the wall of the Coliseum.

    "I don''t know how you got here, nor why Viisaus and Sielu are alive, but it is my mission to stop you here. You will need to do better¡­

    BOOM

    Before M-Cyn could finish his overconfident statement, his upper body rocked to the left as his feet left the ground. Receiving a devastating hit, M-Cyn broke the sound Barrier and flew into a wall on the opposite side of the Arena.

    The attack hade from Vii. Vii gained speed and dove straight down after seeing his Papa flung through the air like a ragdoll. Pulling up mere centimeters from the ground, he used abination of his weight and momentum to deliver a powerful tackle into the right nk of M-Cyn before swooping back into the air.<sub> </sub>

    BOOM, BOOM BOOM BOOM

    Once back in the air, Vii, alongside Sie, unleashed a torrent of Mana shes, utilizing their wings to bombard M-Cyn, who was embedded in the wall at the moment.

    Watching from the opposite side of the Arena, Cynrik collected himself, shook off the cobwebs forming in his head, and sunk into the Shadow Realm again.

    Unfortunately, upon touching down in the world of ck and white, he was met by a figure shing in front of him and delivering a palm strike into his chest, robbing Cynrik of the air in his lungs and flinging him helplessly through the void.

    Spinning in the air and getting his bearings, Cynrik extended his arms and flicked his wrists, discharging both grappling hooks, which caught on a solid fixture. Next, he allowed his body to soar backward until the cables went taught before slingshotting himself back at his Opponent.

    ''As expected, he activated [Mana Sight] and saw me slip away before following suit. This way, he could ignore the attacks of Vii and Sie while singling me out.'' Finishing his arc, Cynrik catapulted his body through the air, flicked his wrists to draw in both cables instantly, and drew both of his Kodachi.

    Racing toward M-Cyn, Cynrik watched with focused eyes as his Opponent unsheathed the dual Kodachis on his hip and back and had to fight back the urge to click his tongue.

    Both des were covered in battle scars, from missing chips to cracks. It was clear that M-Cyn had been to hell and back in some war. Not so unsurprisingly, though, was that the two weapons, even though worse for wear, held up when they met the still new versions in Cynrik''s hands.

    CLANG, CLANG, CLANG.

    Flitting nearly too fast to see, Cynrik and M-Cyn traded blows, with neither gaining the upper hand. Their minds were spinning on overdrive as they calcted each strike before throwing it in a manner that wouldn''t be easily read.

    To make matters worse, since the two knew each move and attack pattern by heart, the order of strikes weren''t set in stone, and more often than not, they would string together attacks without thinking, moving purely on instinct as this was the best way to fight against someone who knew everything about you.

    Back and forth, Cynrik and M-Cyn moved across the Shadow Realm until Cynrik became aware of something off about his Mirror Image.

    ''His left arm is injured, and it isn''t a superficial wound. Every time our des connect, he rolls the left Kodachi to redistribute the force of impact.'' Kicking off an inky ck tree, Cynrik put his weight behind an overhand attack with the longer Kodachi in his left hand, and when M-Cyn brought his weapon up to block the strike, Cynrik''s pupils constricted.

    Although heavily disguised behind a muscle twitch, he spotted the slight dip in M-Cyn''s shoulder and the limp roll of his wrist when deflecting the attack.

    Quickly activating [Detect Weakness], Cynrik''s eyes lit up with minute thin red lines and several dots, pointing out the precise spots that could be considered M-Cyn''s weakness.

    To his surprise, the entire left side of M-Cyn''s body lit up like a Christmas tree, with hundreds of micro red dots followed by an extensive line running the length of M-Cyn''s entire left arm.

    Sensing something wrong, Cynrik focused on the lines with [Mana Sight] and was horrified by what he saw.

    Usually, when he looked at his arms with the ocr skill, it lit up with the markings of his H¨²efl¨²r; however, when it came to M-Cyn, it was another story entirely.

    The best way to describe what Cynrik saw was utter chaos. Instead of being stationary, markings covering his fingertips up his forearm, M-Cyn''s H¨²efl¨²r ran up his arm, neck, and down his ribs.

    Only, instead of being the standard thrumming marks, the ones on M-Cyn''s left side squirmed and appeared to be in agony as they ran up and down the Mirror image''s body. Most notably, they weren''t blue or even the odd shade of purple representing Odinforce; instead, they were blood red.

    "What the fuck," the words left Cynrik''s lips in a mutter as M-Cyn''s body tensed up, and he jumped backward with all his might to put distance between himself and Cynrik.

    "Sigh, you know better¡­we know better than to get distracted in battle." Wearing an aged look well beyond his years, M-Cyn, who only appeared to be a couple of years older than Cynrik, shook his head and sheathed the Kodachi in his left hand back on his hip before gripping the shorter one with both hands in a kendo style.

    "The jig is up; I knew it wouldn''t take long for you to notice," M-Cyn said while wearing a bitter smile.

    "It''s the result of pushing our H¨²efl¨²r too far, way beyond their limits to the point that they begin self-destructing. They go entirely out of control and end up causing a bacsh that hassted me for over two years." Stepping forward, M-Cyn appeared before Cynrik and brought down his de using all of his ability, only to crash into a cross block from Cynrik.

    "I assume the event that pushed you to that point has something to do with Vii and Sie?" Staring emotionlessly at his Mirror Image, Cynrik stepped into his des and shoulder rammed them upward, breaking M-Cyn''s stance before spinning and side kicking him in the left side of his body.

    The attack forced M-Cyn back while causing him to wince sharply.

    "You can say that, but it was much worse than you can imagine. Unfortunately, due to specific rules and restraints on me, I can''t tell you anything about it, not that it would matter." M-Cyn stated with a frown as he shook out his left arm.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 395 Tribulation Quest Cynrik (4)

    "I assume the event that pushed you to that point has something to do with Vii and Sie?" Staring emotionlessly at his Mirror Image, Cynrik stepped into his des and shoulder rammed them upward, breaking M-Cyn''s stance before spinning and side kicking him in the left side of his body.

    The attack forced M-Cyn back while causing him to wince sharply.

    "You can say that, but it was much worse than you can imagine. Unfortunately, due to specific rules and restraints on me, I can''t tell you anything about it, not that it would matter." M-Cyn stated with a frown as he shook out his left arm.

    This little chunk of information caused Cynrik to furrow his brow, forming a deep crease on his forehead. What M-Cyn was saying didn''t make sense. Sure, if something happened to Vii and Sie, he would lose his shit, no doubt, but to be ssified as something much worse¡­

    Before he could finish that train of thought, M-Cyn rushed forward, propelling himself with a burst of ckFire from his feet, and was instantly centimeters away from Cynrik''s Face.

    "Getting lost in thought during a fight, are you sure you are me?" M-Cyn mocked as he headbutted Cynrik and followed up with a knee to his stomach. Twisting his upper body to utilize the force of his previous attack, M-Cyn spun and heel-kicked Cynrik in the head, flinging him like a ragdoll throughout the expansive world of ck and white in an uncontrolled spin.

    However, the force applied to the attacks wasckluster in Cynrik''s eyes as he squinted while flipping through the void.

    ''He is supposed to be Mid-Tier-3, yet his attacks seem weak. Is this another part of the bacsh received from whatever he did? This makes no sense; I am supposed to be taking a challenge on Grandmaster Mode; why does it seem like this version of me is below Tier-3?'' Reaching out with his right arm, Cynrik made the proper artiction to fire off the grapple, which dug into one of the inky ck trees he was passing by.

    Letting the cable run to its full length, Cynrik caught himself and spun around the tree, subsequentlyunching himself back intobat.

    As he did so, Cynrik''s eyes flicked to his HUD and the damage notifications he received with each hit. Soon his suspicions were confirmed. So far, none of the attacks he had sustained did more than 1k damage to his HP.

    Sure, his defense was rtively high, thanks to the equipment on his body, but this was nowhere near enough to mitigate the potential damage he should have sustained.

    Correcting his course throughout his flight with small bursts of Fire, Cynrik easily navigated the Shadow Realm and re-engaged inbat with M-Cyn, falling back into the repetitive pattern of trading blows.

    Unlike the fights he would usually partake in, Cynrik knew there was no point in taunting his opponent, mainly because taunts wouldn''t work against him.

    Instead, Cynrik opted for pressing for information.

    "What could have possibly led us to damage ourselves to such an extent? I don''t even have to try to defeat you as you are now. Your stats have somehow fallen below my current ones, not to mention that the left side of your body won''t listen to anything you try forcing it to do."

    CLING, CLANG, SWOOSH.

    Leaning back till his head nearly touched his ankles, M-Cyn narrowly avoided a double-ded horizontal sh meant to target an opponent''s head and abdomen.

    "I already told you, dipshit; there is no point in asking. HUPP!" Kicking out with his right leg, M-Cyn propelled himself away from anotherbination of strikes before rapidly firing off several BlueFire balls, which were batted away by Cynrik after he coated both Kodachi with quad-Affinity Mana.

    "Nah, we both know there is a way or two to skirt rules and regtions. Although I have no clue what the CSH is up to by pitting us against each other, you clearlye from a different timeline than me, and even if this is a virtual realm, that doesn''t mean they can control your every thought, move, or word." Spinning like a top, Cynrik unleased several ckFire Cyclones at M-Cyn, who responded simrly, canceling the attacks.

    "Confident, Cocky, intelligent, and arrogant, these are the four things my Tribtion Quest made a point to detail in its description. And we both know just how urate those descriptions fit us." Tossing his left Kodachi into the air, Cynrik swapped to a reverse grip and began rapidly firing multiple Mana Construct arcs at M-Cyn.

    In response to the attack, M-Cyn countered them with Bluefire and Lightning arcs creating a massive explosion that sent the two back over a dozen meters.

    "Wait, did you just say I am your Tribtion Quest?" Swiping at the air to clear the cloud of petrified Mana particles, M-Cyn narrowed his eyes at Cynrik.

    "I mean, why else would I, a Peak Tier-2, be facing you who was supposed to be Mid-Tier-3?" Tilting his head to the side as he flourished both Kodachi, Cynrik floated to the nearest shadow tree andnded.

    "This makes zero sense. My Tribtion quest involved me, Sie, and Vii having to cross a ten thousand-mile ne in a short timeframe. Why is yours so different?

    "Tsk, fucking CSH, they aren''t any better than those bastard Deities." Clicking his tongue and kicking off the ce hended, Cynrik swore as he darted toward M-Cyn.

    "You need to stop doing that, cursing the Gods." M-Cyn used a mysterious tone as his face fell into one close to despair.

    Upon seeing this, Cynrik scrunched up his face before kicking out with both legs, sting a burst of Fire from his feet and stopping mid-air so he could float in ce while examining M-Cyn.

    "It was them? One of the Deities who killed our kids?" Cynrik questioned but only received silence in reply.

    Instead of answering, M-Cyn sighed loudly before clutching his Kodachi''s hilt and staring meaningfully at Cynrik.

    "Not exactly, but every time I have done it in the past few years, something always seems to go wrong; think of it as a triggerable murphy''sw. *Anything that can go wrong Will go wrong.*

    "As for your quest description, the choices I have made in thest three years fit those words, but not in the way you may think. Confident, Cocky, intelligent, and arrogant are all the ways others have viewed me; however, two of those adjectives, Cocky and Arrogant, are why I am in the position I am now. If I had just¡­." M-Cyn''s words trailed off as his body moved into motion and restarted the fight.<sub> </sub>

    While Cynrik was still rtively fresh, M-Cyn continued to take damage; during one particrbination, Cynrik was able to slice through M-Cyn''s torso armor and bite into flesh, spraying blood everywhere.

    Dashing out of the pocket with a burst of Fire, M-Cyn went on the defensive and found himself barely able to keep up with the onught of attacks and the rapid output Cynrik was using to control the fight.

    Still, no matter how much pressure he applied to M-Cyn, or how much damage he dealt, the Mirror Image of himself was able to leap right back into the fight and continue, as if he had thrown caution to the wayside and was on a suicide mission to get himself killed.

    Cynrik even noticed several moments during the fight where M-Cyn had purposely put himself in the line of Fire by revealing a perfect opening that could have presented a fatal attack. Yet Cynrik refused to capitalize and end the fight so quickly. He wanted, no, he NEEDED to know the events that led to this fateful battle.

    Realizing that his current method was going nowhere except for a prolonged and tedious fight, Cynrik clicked his tongue before leaping back into the arena and out of the Shadow Realm.

    ? Upon breaking the barrier between realms, Cynrik flipped several times andnded on one knee, only to be greeted by the excited chirps of Sie and Vii.

    "Stay in the air, and don''t attack; the opponent won''t go after you two, so stay safe up there." Raising his head and ncing at his two beloved Ravens, Cynrik ordered them to stay where they were.

    And although confused by his order, neither Sie nor Vii argued and continued circling the Colosseum while keeping a close eye on their Papa.

    It took a solid minute for M-Cyn to reappear in the arena, and when he did, he cut a sorry figure. Disheveled armor, covered in blood, hair loose and hanging around his shoulders, not to mention panting heavily.

    M-Cyn showed off the image of a young man beaten and broken, and seeing this, Vii and Sie felt pride welling up in their hearts. Their Papa was strong, and thus why wouldn''t they be happy?

    "Huff, why¡­why won''t you end my misery? You huff, you know damn well I threw this fight long ago, yet you are hell-bent on making me suffer." Grounded on one knee and gasping for air, M-Cyn flipped his sweat-slick hair back and red at Cynrik, who had gotten back to his feet and entered his fighting stance.

    "Your existence serves a greater purpose. Instead of thinking about the insignificant details, think about the WHY and WHAT. Why are you here? What purpose do you serve? What are we supposed to learn by facing each other?" Cynrik stated as his eyes never left M-Cyn.

    "There must be a reason, there ALWAYS is a reason, and I have to find it out. You being here as a Tribtion for me to face has meaning to it. Am I learning from your shorings to be a better version of myself?" Finishing that statement, Cynrik snorted before raising his voice.

    "HOW THE FUCK CAN YOU CALL YOURSELF CYNRIK JETLENSR IF YOU DON''T FOLLOW OUR BASIC PROTOCOL? FIGURE OUT EVERYTHING, THERE IS AN ANSWER NO MATTER WHAT, AND MOST OF ALL, FIGHT UNTIL YOU DROP!" Cynrik was practically screaming at the top of his lungs by the time he finished.

    "There is no point¡­." Several minutes of silenceter, M-Cyn looked up at Cynrik.

    "No point? What the fuck do you mean no point? THERE IS ALWAYS A POINT TO BE MADE!" Cynrik''s Mana red around his body in a short burst kicking up a gust of wind.

    "No¡­there isn''t; nothing I could tell you changes anything for me. After reading that damned book Brancie got from Yennifer, you already know about timelines, and our theory about it being DBZ rules is correct. Even if I was to divulge everything to you right now, the best possible oue is that you don''t end up turning into me. It has no bearing at all on my development." Chuckling in a self-deprecating manner, M-Cyn returned to his feet and rushed at Cynrik to make hisst stand.

    Click click SHULK

    And Cynrik obliged; in one move, he sheathed both Kodachi and caught M-Cyn before plunging both hidden des into his Mirror Image''s torso, right in the wound he had previously opened up in the shadow realm, delivering a killing blow.

    All the energy seemed to leave M-Cyn''s body as Cynrik guided him to the ground, resting him against his body after retracting the two hidden des.

    "Cough," M-Cyn smiled weekly with blood spilling from his lips. His HP was already down to 3k and dropping rapidly by the second.

    "Thanks, asshole, it took you long enough¡­I guess you figured out I am the real me; this isn''t virtual for me, so when I die here, that''s it. I guess that''s fine; everyone is already gone; it was just me remaining." M-Cyn coughed out some more blood but was too weak to bother with it as his eyes locked onto Cynrik''s.

    There was so much he wanted to say to his younger self, like how every life-changing decision he made needed to be heavily considered instead of acting on impulse. Instead, he settled for only a pitiful string of sentences.

    "Think things through; our actions have consequences, some heavier than others. When shit hits the fan *COUGH*, and it will very soon, think things through before you act. Not everyone is an enemy, even if it may seem that way¡­.be careful¡­.good luck." With those final words, M-Cyn''s eyes lost their light, and his head fell to the side.

    DING DING DING

    Several dozen notifications began going off in Cynrik''s eyes and ears, but he ignored them and reached his hand to close the eyes of himself from another timeline.

    "Requiescat in pace, you deserved better than to be a ything of some higher power. I will remember your words." Sighing heavily, Cynrik moved the still warm corpse off hisp and felt a rush of power course through his body.

    "Get ready, you two; the Evo is about to begin," Cynrik said to Vii and Sie, who hadnded beside him and tossed him a confused nce.

    Just as the words left Cynrik''s lips¡­the pain hit.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 396 Tribulation Quest Brance (1)

    POV: Brance

    -You have received the Tribtion Quest: General Of The Light.-

    -Tribtion Quest: General Of The Light.-

    -A Call to Arms has been Issued. You will assume the role of a High Ranking General in the God Of Light''s Army. Your Goal is to defeat the opposing Army of Fallen Angels; the Timeframe and amount of enemies you face toplete this Quest are determined by the Difficulty Setting you Choose.-

    -Please choose the Difficulty Setting you wish to partake in. *Reminder, a higher Difficulty Setting will result in better Rewards.-

    -Difficulties below Master will be removed since you have a Bloodline and have multiple Stats that have Reached their Cap.-

    - Master, Grandmaster, Legend.-

    -You have selected the Grandmaster Difficulty, adjusting the settings and parameters for your Tribtion Quest.-

    -In 5 minutes, you will be teleported to an ancient battleground. Upon entering the predetermined scenario, you will assume the position of the God Of Lights General of Command, The Archangel Michael Demiurgos.-

    -Your Stats and Tier will temporarily advance to Tier-4, and you will be assimted into Michael Demiurgos'' body. For all intents and purposes, you will be him for the duration of your Tribtion Quest.-

    -The Timeframe for your Quest will be One Year. In that time, you must sessfully defeat the forces of Lucifer''s third army. There will be a total of 6 Large-Scale Battles and 14 Skirmishes. Events will ur periodically and will not end until one side is annihted or has surrendered.

    -To receive a passing grade on your Quest, you must win 75% or more of the Large-Scale Battles and Skirmishes.-

    These were the details Brance received 11 months ago; up until five months ago, things hadn''t been going well. Even with his past military service, nothing could have prepared him for the type of warfare he was thrown into. One must remember that on a good day when Brance was in the Marines, he had a squad of around a dozen people under hismand, using rifles, rocketunchers, and grenades.

    Yet now, he was in charge of hundreds of thousands of warriors and personnel, boasting abat level between Tier-1 and Tier-5. Unlike Cynrik, who could actively piece together a n on the fly and move his forces like chess pieces, Brance struggled just to keep his troops under hismand.

    The first two Skirmishes and even the initial Large-Scale Battle had gone horribly wrong, with Brance losing over 80% of his forces each time and jumping into battle himself. Once on the battlefield, Brance shined like never before, but it was still too little toote.

    Even with his Pseudo-Tier-4 strength, he could not do anything aside from ensuring a path of retreat for his troops. Still, if there was one thing Brance excelled at, it was learning, and learn he did.

    With the three losses under his belt, Brance consumed as much knowledge as possible in a short amount of time. His authority and rank in the God of Lights Army enabled him to obtain hundreds of documents, including tactical warfare booklets and maps. Brance even scanned all the documents his troops presented with theirplete Stat profiles to shuffle them around and rebuild his lines.

    By the time the Third Skirmish happened, Brance was better equipped, and it was a stunning victory for his side. Under hismand, the God Of Light''s Army steamrolled through the barricades and obliterated multiple Citys under the control of the Fallen Angels.

    Assigning proper supply lines and retraining his troops with different groupbat tactics took several months. Now, on the cusp of the final Large-Scale Battle, Brance hadpleted his Quest by earning the minimum 75% Win rating.

    Stationed atop arge hill overlooking his forces, Brance looked out the window of hismand tent while lost in thought. In the distance, he spotted an equallyrge enemy force on the horizon.

    "General Demiurgos, the approximate head count of the Fallen Angel''s army hase in." A young warrior wearing silver armor said after entering Brance''smand tent and giving him a formal salute.

    "Go ahead." Turning around before nodding in acknowledgment of the young man''s Salute, Brance sped his hands behind his back, under his new zing red cape.

    "Sir, our scouts have counted that 65% of the enemy forces are Tier-1, 25% are Tier-2, 8% are Tier-3, 2% are Tier-4, and 6 Tier-5manders have been spotted in the enemy base camp. This time, the General in charge of the enemy is The Demon Lord Livyatan. His power is unconfirmed, but he is believed to be Tier-6 or Higher." Holding a paper and reading it aloud as he read, the silver armored young warrior finished his statement and was soon dismissed by Brance.

    ''600k fucking enemies, not to mention a god damned Tier-6+ Demon Lord is leading the charge. With nowhere near half as many troops on my side, how in the hell do I win this battle?" Clenching his fists behind his back, Brance spun around and examined the terrain that would soon be filled with blood, smoke, and screams.

    ''Michael should have been Tier-5, maybe Tier-6 when he led this battle, yet here I am Pseudo-Tier-4, with only the Stats to back that up and no added skills or Affinities; this is going to be a massive loss.'' Turning around and facing therge table with a staging map, Brance stared at the multiple figurines representing his forces.

    ''This is the final battle I have to partake in. So far, I have won 11 Skirmishes and four Large-Scale Battles. I have already secured my 75%, but it doesn''t sit well that my final fight will be an inevitable loss. Wait a minute¡­this couldn''t have been where Lord Michael died¡­wait, then that means that fucking Livyatan is a Legacy Charge!''

    Brance''s eyes shot wide open when the sudden realization hit him. The signs were all in in sight. A losing uphill battle, a Tier-6 or higher Opponent, unless Michael had pulled something crazy out of his ass or Reinforcements arrived at thest second, Brance couldn''t find a usible answer.<sub> </sub>

    Having fought Michael, he knew the man wasn''t a coward, well, that is, unless he was utterly beaten and had his mind broken. Still, retreating wasn''t an option for the Prideful and Arrogant ArchAngel. Thus he would have gone down fighting.

    The more Brance pondered on the topic of this being Michael''sst stand, the more concerned he became. Over the previous 11 months, it would be a lie to say that Brance hadn''t formed a kind of camaraderie or brotherhood with some of his underlings. That kind of thing happens when you live on a razor''s edge.

    But never once did Brance fully immerse himself in the Quest. Deep down, although he could mingle and interact with the other people he shared a bloodline with, he knew most, if not all, of them were already dead, and the events he was living through were only a fleeting fragment of memories long lost.

    ''Heh, even if I die here, I will stillplete the Quest, so it is just a matter of going through the motions. All I can do now is try my best and earn what benefits I can.'' Arranging the figures in specific patterns on the map, Brance closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and walked over to the corner of the room, where a massive golden greatsword was resting in silence.

    ''I really do need to get on forging one of these,'' Brance thought as he held up the Holyme Greatsword, "White me of Death."

    It had taken him weeks to get used to not seeing his own reflection when he looked into water, mirrors, or even the shiny broadside of the Greatsword. Still, as he looked into Michael''s golden iris reflected in WFD''s broadside, Brance smirked.

    "Onest ride,e along, WFD; we have Fallens to kill." Swinging the Greatsword with a practiced flourish, Brance stored it in the holster on his back and exited the tent.

    In contrast to the silence of his golden-domed tent, the base camp Brance''s troops had constructed was astronomically loud with the sounds of life. The mixture of LightBringer Warriors training in small groups, cksmiths hammering away on their anvils, and constant shouts of ordersing from higher-ranked individuals were almost deafening.

    But to Brance, these sounds had be second nature. 11 months living in simrly constructed basecamps had desensitized him to the loud, jarring noises. However, things always came to a screeching halt when he was present.

    Uponying eyes on the shiny golden armor, and massive Greatsword, every being Brance passed by would halt what they were doing and offer him a salute and greeting. Brance had never experienced this in his military service, as he wasn''t an Officer but instead enlisted ranked.

    *Officers must attend military school and have their special training before entering the force. Once finished, they are the Commanders of any Branch of the Military. Enlisted go to Bootcamp and are, forck of a better word, the grunts.*

    So being in a high-ranking position and receiving salutes was quite the experience for Brance, but it quickly wore off.

    Walking through the camp, Brance didn''t bother looking or acknowledging any other warriors and instead continued moving toward the meeting point for Higher Tiered individuals.

    It took him half an hour to make his way through the windingbination of tents, workstations, and training grounds. When he finally arrived at a cluster of prefabricated cabins, Brance didn''t bother knocking and entered the biggest one.

    "AREA TEN-HUT! *Come to attention*" It was unknown who shouted the call to attention, but once it was spoken, all 50 individuals in the building stopped what they were doing, jumped to their feet, and saluted their General.

    "As you were," Brance calmly stated as his eyes scanned the sizeablemon room of what was known as the briefing area.

    After Brance''s dismissal, the LightBringers took their seats, and with a simple nce, one could count five neat rows of chairs forming arge rectangle in the center of the room.

    Walking up to the front of the room, Brance assumed his position behind a podium and continued meeting the eyes of every LightBringer present.

    "In exactly 6 hours, our operation begins," Brance began as he used his Light Affinity to create a Mana construct of the enemy''s base camp.

    The construct was a three-dimensional map that hovered above everyone''s heads.

    "The fifty of you have been hand-picked by me and assigned to one of the five squads, with each squad having its mission toplete." Waving his hand, the Enochian symbol for the letter A appeared on the map.

    "Alpha Squad, you and Beta Squad," When Brance mentioned Beta squad, the symbol for the letter B appeared on the opposite side of the map, signifying west and east positions.

    "will move in under cover of night and infiltrate the supply junctions indicated on the map. Your mission is one of stealth, so I expect no one to be caught. Although on the low end of the importance meter, as it isn''t assassinations like Charlie and Delta squads, your mission is crucial to eliminating the possibility of a prolonged battle."

    "Get in, destroy their supply caches, get out; that is all I expect from Alpha and Bravo during the first stage of the operation. You twenty are the quickest of the bunch, so you should have no problems executing your mission."

    "YES, GENERAL!" 20 LightBringer Warriors chanted in unison.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 397 Tribulation Quest Brance (2)

    "Alpha Squad, you and Beta Squad," When Brance mentioned Beta squad, the symbol for the letter B appeared on the opposite side of the map, signifying west and east positions.

    "will move in under cover of night and infiltrate the supply junctions indicated on the map. Your mission is one of stealth, so I expect no one to be caught. Although on the low end of the importance meter, as it isn''t assassinations like Charlie and Delta squads, your mission is crucial to eliminating the possibility of a prolonged battle."

    "Get in, destroy their supply caches, get out; that is all I expect from Alpha and Bravo during the first stage of the operation. You twenty are the quickest of the bunch, so you should have no problems executing your mission."

    "YES, GENERAL!" 20 LightBringer Warriors chanted in unison.

    Nodding his head, Brance generated the symbols for C and D.

    "Charlie and Delta Squad, each of you has been given two targets to eliminate, ranging from Peak Tier-3 to Mid-Tier-4. Time is short, and once the rm has been raised due to the actions of Alpha and Bravo squads, your task will be much more difficult."

    "Keep your eyes on your corresponding symbol; if you properly read through your briefing, you should be able to follow along."

    Brance guided the C and D symbols with his finger, holding up his left hand. In response, the newly spawned Enochian Symbols began moving from outside the enemy base camp, around several checkpoints, and then broke apart into 20 different small symbols.

    Once separated, each symbol rapidly moved away from the nearest one and into different positions where their apparent target should be located.

    "I have shown you the most optimal route to your target;mit it to memory and follow it to the letter. Timing is everything, and as these assassinations either make or break our war effort, it falls on your shoulders to execute your target most efficiently and wlessly."

    "YES, GENERAL!" The 20 LightBringers of Charlie and Delta squads chanted in unison.

    "Last is Echo Squad; your job will be the hardest, which is why I have chosen the ten strongest LightBringers under mymand." Brance''s heart ached as he envisioned the amount of trouble the Echo squad was about to find themselves in.

    "When the first bodies start dropping, I do not doubt that the enemy will be alerted to our presence in their base; thus, it falls on Echo Squad to cause as big of a distraction as possible." Brance paused and examined the ten faces of the Echo squad, only to see pure resolve and almost fanaticism in their eyes.

    "Blow buildings up, ughter lower Tiers, do whatever is necessary to pull the attention away from the other squads. Once the final target has been eliminated, the main attack force will begin their assault."

    Waving his hand again, hundreds of thousands of tiny blue dots appeared encircling the Fallen Angel''s base camp.

    "Our forces will storm the enemy encampment, and we will not stop until thest Fallen is eliminated. Once you have finished your mission, join the war effort and reap every Fallen in sight. For the God Of Light." Brance finished his briefing with the War chant he had heard thousands of times over thest 11 months.

    "FOR THE GOD OF LIGHT!" The response from the 50 LightBringers was instantaneous as they jumped to their feet and chanted.

    "Go, get your pre-war tasks finished; this will be thest time we meet before the war but know, I will be with you on the battlefield." Brance clenched his hand into a fist, destroying the Light construct, then turned and left the room.

    Although he had put on the stern and arrogant fa?ade of the War General, inside, Brance''s heart was in turmoil.

    Deep down, he knew this was all fake, or at least a distant memory from the past, but having to be the one who essentially sends his men to their death didn''t sit well with him.

    Having only recently learned the strength of the Fallen Angel''s powerhouses, Brance had no choice but to go through with his initial battle ns. The main one being the special operations missions he just finished briefing his Tier-4 and five powerhouses.

    Echo squad was precisely where he ced all of his Tier-5s. Charlie and Delta were the Peak Tier-4s, and Alpha and Bravo were all Peak Tier-3 to Mid-Tier-4.

    He had assigned the groups the way he had because he knew that his forces were on the losing end in an all-out no holds barred battle.

    Lost in thought, Brance made his way back through the camp until he reached the hill where his tent was stationed. Looking out over the horizon and watching the sunset, Brance activated [Mana Sight] and examined the distant Mana fluctuations.

    In his vision, a massive raging domelike cloud of Mana particles encapsted the entirety of the enemy base camp, the stronger of which were in the dead center and clustered together.

    In spite of the distance and hisck of Cynrik''s new skill, Brance was not able to zoom in and get a good look at his enemy''s might; however, even from a distance of several hundred miles, he was able to get an idea of what he was up against.

    ''I''ve never seen a particle cloud that big; there is no doubt that guy Livyatan is already here; that mountain of Mana is proof enough of this fact.'' Crossing his arms and standing proudly as he overlooked the enemy, Brance was unaware of his actions'' effect on his troops.

    In their eyes, his unconscious stance was one of pride and absolute certainty of their victory, theplete opposite of what Brance was currently feeling.

    "Look at General Demiurgos; he is standing so defiantly that there is no way we can lose this battle." One LightBringer, decked out in bronze armor, whispered to hisrade. The two were moving supplies from one side of the camp to the rolling carriers that would eventually be transferred to the battlefield.

    "No doubt, the God of Light sent the general to aid us, and we have seen so many wins in recent months; we have even outshined the 1st Army, which was previously known as the strongest of us all." Therade LightBringer replied as he hoisted a sack of sks filled with potions onto his shoulder.<sub> </sub>

    LightBringers of all types and levels looked up to the highest point of their camp, where Brance stood unmovingly like a statue while holding simr conversations.

    Meanwhile, Brance continuously ran through the battle n in his mind, unaware of the silent statement he had made.

    ''If this is an LC battle, things have escted beyond my ability. Sure, I may have been able to fight a watered-down, beaten fragment of Lord Michael''s soul in one-on-onebat, but that was only because of my [Radient Tower], which I can''t use currently due to having Lord Michael''s essential skillset.''

    ? Pulling up his Skill and Affinity Skill list, Brance sighed internally. Aside from basicbat moves and Affinity Skills, his Wind and Terra Affinities had effectively been turned off, leaving only Light and HolyFire at his disposal.

    The only good thing toe out of this scenario was that his control over HolyFire had jumped by leaps and bounds from the Initial Stage of Tier-1 to Tier-3 Adept, which was possible because he wasn''t the only being present who used HolyFire.

    In fact, nearly every LightBringer over Tier-3 had this Affinity, and as such, all it took was Brance observing their training with [Mana Sight] active for him to understand how the Particle is controlled.

    That wasn''t all he did to study; luckily, he gained ess to the training regiments and scrolls detailing hundreds of different HolyFire Skills, uses, and even a few special abilities, such as healing or poisoning his opponent.

    Although Michael was supposedly well-known for his ability to control HolyFire, the current Brance had be a monster just like his predecessor with his HolyFire and was touted as a genius by everyone in camp.

    In the same way, Cynrik could manipte his ckFire, Brance was equally adept at harnessing his HolyFire, something he was eager to demonstrate afterpleting the quest.

    The thought of his older brother''s panicked expression gave Brance the drive he needed to continue the tedious and somewhat monotonous training required for one to get a good handle on an SEC Grade Affinity.

    Exhaling slowly as he deactivated [Mana Sight], Brance checked the time with a strange and magical device on his left wrist. It resembled a cross between a sundial, and a digital watch, only it was powered by Mana instead of electricity.

    ''Only a couple hours until all hell breaks loose, my weapon is ready, but I need to put on that stupid, shiny golden armor. Sure, it spikes my stats and defense through the roof, but the fact that it constantly drains MP is a bummer.'' Turning and heading back, Brance nodded to the troops and disappeared into his tent.

    Currently, he was wearing a knockoff version of Michael''s battle armor, and aside from being the same shade of shiny gold, the only thing it was good for was its appearance; it even only boosted his stats by a measly 20 points in STR, AGI, and INT.

    Upon entering the tent, Brance swapped his loadout, which housed Michael''s General Armor, and instantly felt the rush of his stats rising by over 400%

    Once geared up, Brance shot another look at the map on his table and left.

    -Three hourster-

    The screams and cries of battle erupted on the previous quiet in. Brance''s spec-ops squad had wlessly executed their infiltration and were in the heat ofpleting their tasks.

    Meanwhile, Brance hovered silently in the air, all six wings on disy yet veiled under his light-bending stealth skill.

    Eyes narrowed and [Mana Sight] active, Brance located all his troops and saw everyone was in position, surrounding the Fallen Angel''s base camp.

    Unlike LightBringers, Fallens didn''t have wings, a consequence of their symbolic fall from grace, with the only exception being Lucifer, who, ording to the information Brance had gathered, had 12 pitch-ck wings.

    Therefore, Brance had nned for his troops to sneak in during the night and under cover of their stealth skills, then attack at the right time, which was precisely what they did.

    Brance''s eyes flicked to his wrist, where the time was indicated, and as if on cue, all his forces raced down from the sky and began their assault, starting with raining fire and Affinity skills from above.

    However, before the attacks could contact their targets, a massive Mana Barrier erupted from all sides and shielded the Fallen base camp, causing Brance to frown heavily.

    That wasn''t strange, though, and he usually would have been okay with the appearance of a barrier, as he could break it and rush in, but what he saw next shook his soul and honestly scared him shitless.

    The world inside the barrier suddenly shattered, revealing the horrifying sight of the entire Fallen Army in ranks and prepared for battle, but that alone wasn''t enough to shake Brance; instead, it was the sight of all 50 of his SpecOps troops.

    Their bodies had been hacked to pieces and stabbed into pikes, one for each arm, leg, torso, head, and, worst of all, their wings.

    "ALL TROOPS RETREAT; FALL BACK THIS INSTANT!" Brance roared, breaking his stealth skill and ring up with HolyFire.

    "Hehe, General Demiurgos, it is far toote." Striding forward with his hands behind his back, Demon Lord Livyatan came forward, and his chilling voice had overridden Brance''s. Floating behind him were the spines of all fifty of the LightBringer Warriors that Brance had unknowingly sent directly to their death.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 398 Tribulation Quest Brance (3)

    *I wrote this chapter while listening to Ezio''s Family, so if you want the best experience, listen to the 10-hour loop I will post in Discord.*

    The world inside the barrier suddenly shattered, revealing the horrifying sight of the entire Fallen Army in ranks and prepared for battle, but that alone wasn''t enough to shake Brance; instead, it was the sight of all 50 of his SpecOps troops.

    Their bodies had been hacked to pieces and stabbed into pikes, one for each arm, leg, torso, head, and, worst of all, their wings.

    "ALL TROOPS RETREAT; FALL BACK THIS INSTANT!" Brance roared, breaking his stealth skill and ring up with HolyFire.

    "Hehe, General Demiurgos, it is far toote." Striding forward with his hands behind his back, Demon Lord Livyatan came forward, and his chilling voice had overridden Brance''s. Floating behind him were the spines of all fifty of the LightBringer Warriors that Brance had unknowingly sent directly to their death.

    Rage, fear, sorrow, these three feelings welled up in Brance''s heart as his eyes flicked from Livyatan to the 50 spines floating behind him.

    Brance''s golden white Aura erupted from his body as all six wings on his back red up in bright light. Making a silent decision, in a single move, Brance unsheathed his Greatsword, channeled a massive amount of Mana into it, andshed out, generating an absurdly huge arc of sword light that instantly connected and shattered the impressive Mana Barrier.

    "ALL TROOPS EVISCERATE EVERY LAST ONE OF THESE FALLEN BASTARDS! FOR THE GOD OF LIGHT!" Roaring with the aid of Mana carrying his voice, Brance''s order was met by hundreds of thousands of angry and prideful chants of "For the God of Light" as his whole army descended to the ground and engaged the Fallen Army.

    Along with the movement of his troops, Brance pped his wings and raced forward to square off against the Demon Lord.

    Unfortunately, before he could reach the ground, Brance was suddenly struck by a st of ckFire. Because he was blinded by rage and still mentally ipetent after the brutal massacre of his powerhouses, he was caught entirely unaware and streaked through the air like a meteor.

    Brance tumbled head over heels for hundreds of kilometers due to the blindside attack until he eventually crashed into a mountain range, destroying the terrain as his body smacked into one rocky feature after another.

    Struggling back to his feet and witnessing the sheer destruction caused by his "crashnding," Brance didn''t have the time to admire how he was still in one piece because, half a breathter, The Demon Lord appeared from the ground out of an inky ck shadow.

    "Come now, General Demiurgos, tell me you don''t honestly believe I would allow you to run rampant within my ranks." shing a sinister smile and mming his hands down to reveal each of his arms was covered by ckFire Mana construct ws, Livyatan made himself known before kicking off the ground and appearing in front of Brance.

    Being on defense, Brance pushed HolyFire Mana into his WFD, lighting up the dark and destroyed mountain range, and received several hundred attacks in less than a second.

    ''Fuck, FUCK! This bastard segregated me from my troops, leaving them utterly defenseless against his powerhouses; not good, NOT GOOD!'' Brance screamed internally as he barely kept up with the wed attacks from the Demon Lord, who appeared capable of disappearing and reappearing anywhere he pleased.

    Ducking under an attack that broke through the spatial barrier of the, causing vicious cracks which began to mend the moment they came into existence, Brance braced WFD against his shoulder and rammed into Livyatan only to phase through the Demon Lord. He had shifted into Dark Mana particles.

    "Hehe, this is all the famed ArchAngel Michael Demiurgos has to offer. for a supposed Tier-6 LightBringer; you seem weak, so weak that I would have believed you were only a pitiful fourth Tier Being." Appearing behind Brance, Livyatanshed out with his left leg and executed a twelve-hitbo, juggling Brance like a fighting game character, never letting him hit the ground.

    That is until he nted a fully charged orb of ckFire into Brance''s abdomen and sted him through several more mountains.

    By the time Brance finally stopped, his armor had been cracked open like a lobster shell, blood was gushing from his eyes, mouth, and ears, and most of all, his entire torso was scorched ck, practically incinerated by the Demon Lord''s attack.

    Coughing up a mouth full of blood and feeling nearly every bone in his body had been shattered, Brance quickly began healing himself with the multiple Light Affinity skills he had learned.

    ''Damn it, dealing with this bastard is like fighting a fusion of Cyn and Selene while hyped up on drugs and overpowered beyond belief. If it weren''t for my armor, I would have already been charbroiled, let alone having gone through the rinse cycle." Struggling back to his feet, Brance flung out his right hand, drawing WFD back to him instantly just as the Demon Lord stepped out of some nearby shadows.

    "See, this is the problem with you, Birdfucks; all of you are practically immortal so long as you have Mana, thanks to your pesky Light Healing skills." Frowning after seeing Brance back on his feet andpletely healed, Livyatan began pressuring the shaken Brance once again.

    Like before, it was aplete one-sided beatdown, with Brance only able to stop 1/8th of the attacks sent his way and relying on his posturing and armor to mitigate as much damage as possible.

    ''Damn it, if I just had a single [White Dwarf], I could buy myself some time to aid my troops, but because the skill doesn''t exist, and I don''t have my Terra or Wind Affinity, I have virtually no answers.'' Using the momentum of one of the hits he received, Brance threw himself backward and took to the sky before channeling a massive amount of HolyFire and Light Mana into his Greatsword and raining down a seemingly never-ending amount of Sword arcs on his opponent.

    ''Think Brancie, think. How would you deal with Cyn and Selene?'' Using [Mana Sight] and following the erratic movements of his opponent, Brance didn''t let up and burned arge amount of MP to buy himself a few seconds to think. His arms never stopped moving as he fired off what could only be described as terrifyinglyrge Golden/White Getsuga Tenshous, one after another from above.

    From the sky, Brance witnessed his opponent expertly dodging over 90% of the attacks he unleashed. Meanwhile, the other 10% was hacked apart by high-Tiered fire attacks. The amount of effort Livyatan was expending was negligible, as even Brance could tell that the Demon Lord was simply buying time while making sport of his attacks.

    ''This asshole is toying with me,'' Brance thought, only to be caught off-guard by a single notification that made his heart drop.

    -20 percent of your Military Might has been destroyed.-

    Whipping his head around, Brance looked off in the distance and saw the horrendous sight of his troops, all of which were under Tier-4, being ughtered like chickens by the muchrger enemy force.

    ''DAMN IT!'' Brance screamed in his mind as he balled up his left fist, channeling over 20k of HolyFire into it, and punched at the ground where Livyatan could be seen dancing around with his arms crossed over his chest.

    BBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM

    The effect was disastrous for the surrounding mountain range, as Brance''s improvised attack held the force of a nuclear missile. With a bright sh of light, an area of over 10 kilometers was decimated and turned into dust, leaving a crater burrowing over a kilometer deep in the ground.<sub> </sub>

    -40 percent of your Military Might has been destroyed.-

    With nearly half his army destroyed, Brance turned and raced in the direction of the battle without bothering to look and see if the Demon Lord had avoided the powerful st.

    -60 percent of your Military Might has been destroyed.-

    ''No, no, no, no, no!'' Brance screamed in panic as all six of his wings beat faster than the eye could see, propelling him forward. With the first couple of beats, he broke the sound barrier, creating a visual effect as he tore through the air.

    -80 percent of your Military Might has been destroyed.-

    Traveling as fast as his wings could take him, Brance arrived on the battlefield only to find thest of his troops being cut down. Having sensed his arrival, several of their heads turned in his direction before locking eyes with him and sending him a bitter smile.

    "Till the end General, For the God of Light." A certain Silver Armored LightBringer Warrior Brance had seen several times moving resources from point A to point B, said with a resolute expression stered across his face.

    Seemingly sharing the same thought and speaking the same line, the remaining troops held up a glowing white fist, punched themselves in the chest, where their Codex was located¡­and detonated their bodies.

    BOOM, BOOM, BOOM! BOOOMMMM!!!

    A chorus of explosions lit up the night sky. Thousands of brave warriors chose to take death into their own hands to eliminate as many foes as possible, rendering Brance speechless as he slowly sank from the sky and copsed to the ground on his knees.

    Heartbroken and devastated, Brance didn''t even notice the notifications rolling in his peripheral vision.

    -Rather than fall at the hands of the tainted souls of a lesser being, the remaining 20% of your Military Might have chosen mutual destruction.-

    - Their brave efforts led to the destruction of 95% of the enemy military and their base of operations.-

    -Even though you have lost your forces, you have won the final Large-Scale Battle at a high cost.-

    -You have Cleared the final challenge of your Tribtion Quest; your consciousness will now be separated from the Body of Michael Demiurgos as the Memory Fragment Synchronizes with what urred during your Tribtion Quest.-

    Brance felt a tugging motion as he was ripped out of the body of Michael and transformed into an Astral Projection kneeling beside the ArchAngel.

    -Synchronizing the Events that have transpired with the fused Divinity Fragment located within the Host''s Soul.-

    -Now continuing yback of the final Memories of Michael Demiurgos.-

    Ignoring everything happening with Tobs and the Passing Down Interface, Brance slowly turned his head and looked at the broken visage of Michael kneeling beside him.

    "Where¡­where did it all go wrong? My n was wless; we took one encampment after another, only to have it all fall apart in the end." Micheal whimpered as his Greatsword fell from his hand and crashed into the ground, burying itself several centimeters into the dirt due to its immense weight.

    "That is something you should have figured out long ago, Michael," Livyatan stated as he appeared from the shadows behind the beaten and broken ArchAngel.

    "Traitors? In my camp? That can''t be.." Michael started to say.

    "Indeed, did you honestly believe everyone under your control shared the same sentiment as you, a cold-hearted and ruthless leader that cares nothing about his troops? Thousands of your men silently defected to our side ages ago, but it wasn''t necessarily from your troops alone." Grabbing Michael''s head with his ckFire Mana-d w, Livyatan cut him off before continuing.

    "Lucifer''s forces have long since invaded Yahweh''s Armies and have been feeding us information from the moment you began your Crusade."

    "You may have technically won here by killing off the bulk of my troops; however, it is too little toote. As we speak, the joint armies of Lucifer, Osiris, Pluto (Roman), Hel (Norse), and Ah Puch (Mayan) have made their moves. Your Deity has lost this Legacy Strife, and your death will be the nail in his coffin." Grinning from ear to ear and shing his sharp teeth, The Demon Lord Livyatan reveled in his victory.

    "I see¡­so this is the end¡­." Michael thought aloud as his mind shed back to his troops'' faces, his colleagues'' faces, and even the friends he had made over thest thousand years; at that moment, his mind was Shatteredpletely, and his pride along with it.

    "Take sce in that you will soon be a part of your Deities Divinity, at least in that sense you will¡­huh?" Livyatan was in the process of his final monologue before killing Michael when he suddenly sensed immense dangering from who he thought to be a broken man.

    "For the God of Light," Michael whispered as he jumped to his feet, spun around, grabbed Livyatan in a bear hug¡­and self-destructed his Codex, killing himself and taking over 25% of the along with the Demon Lord to the grave in a bright sh of golden light.

    -Ending Memory yback. You have Passed your Tribtion Quest, nowmencing Tier-3 Evolution.-

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 399 Trial Quest Melody And Gabby

    POV: Melody

    -Trial Quest: Summoning Beyond Your Scope.-

    -You Must Summon and Form a Contract With a Being; what Type of Being and the Timeframe you have toplete this Quest is determined by the Difficulty Setting you Choose.-

    -Please choose the Difficulty Setting you wish to partake in. *Reminder, a higher Difficulty Setting will result in better Rewards.*-

    -Beginner, Adept, Advanced, Expert, Master.-

    "Cynrik always said to choose the middle option in situations like this, and since Advanced is the middle option, that will be my choice." After thinking about her past training, Melody quickly selected her Difficulty.

    -You have selected the Advanced Difficulty, adjusting the settings and parameters for your Trial Quest.-

    -In two minutes, you will be transferred to a realm between realms. Below you will be the residential nes of existence of multiple types of Spiritual Beings. Each one of the residential nes will have a tform where you will find an ancient summoning altar.-

    -Your objective is to choose an Alter and summon a Being a minimum of 1.5 Tiers higher than yourself, so Tier-3.5.-

    -You will have Five attempts to summon and sign a contract with an appropriate being.-

    -Due to the Difficulty setting chosen, there is no time limit on the Trial quest; however, after contracting a Spirit Being that meets the standard quota or using up all attempts, your Trial will either be Passed or Failed.-

    Before Melody could even finish reading through the prompts presented by the Passing Down Interface, she was instantly teleported to a void that resembled nothing she had ever seen.

    However, if Cynrik, Brance, or Selene were present, they would have easily recognized it as outer space.

    Floating high above in this empty ck void, Melody looked down and saw several spheres, each in a different color and each giving off a different feeling.

    Some of these spheres frightened her, while others made her feel superfy the more she gawked at them.

    It took Melody a couple of minutes topose herself and get used to the feeling of being weightless. Several attempts at moving toward the nearest sphere resulted in her merely iling about like a fish out of water. Still, after realizing how she looked, Melody began trying to swim, and after a half hour of struggling, she finally touched down on the tform above a Bright Royal Blue sphere.

    -You have arrived on the Ancient Alter tform of the Aquasho.-

    -You will only have one attempt at summoning an Aqua Spirit from this Alter.-

    "Aqua Spirits,s, hm." Puffing her cheeks in thought, Melody peeked out over the tform''s edge and peered down at the giant sphere that the Passing Down Interface called Aquasho.

    "I wish I knew more about this ce, like the average strength of the Spirits born there, but it''s worth a shot." Rubbing her hands together for good luck, Melody walked up to the alter and ced her palms on two corresponding recessed spots before channeling her Mana into the structure.

    "Hear my call, ept my offering, oh Great Spirits;e forth and aid me." Speaking a standard chant, she had learned the day she became a summoner, and performing the ritual she had known for as long as she could remember, Melody, channeled 3k MP into the Alter, triggering a bubble-popping sound.

    A few secondster, a small orb of water manifested above the Alter and soon took the shape of a small dolphin.

    -Congrattions, a Tier-1 Spirit Dollphan has heard your call.-

    Once manifested, the little Dollphan squeaked as it floated around Melody happily, causing the girl to giggle as she scratched it under the chin.

    "I am sorry little one, I wish I could take you with me, but because of my Quest, I can''t. Maybe we will meet again someday if the stars align." Smiling sadly, Melody patted its head before stepping back from the alter and canceling the summoning.

    As quickly as it appeared, the small Dollphan sadly disappeared, supposedly back to its.

    -You have used one of your five summon chances, the only one avable for Aquasho. Please move to a different alter and try again.-

    Sighing, Melody turned around and lept off the tform before swimming her way through the zero-g environment of space, making her way over to another tform; this time, it was above a shiny emerald.

    -You have arrived on the Ancient Alter tform of the Vesta.-

    -You will only have one attempt at summoning a Gem Spirit from this Alter.-

    Going through the motions, Melody spoke the chant and channeled 3k Mana into the Alter; however, this time, she felt a much stronger reaction from her ritual.

    Before her eyes, a round stone appeared and unraveled, almost transforming into a palm-sized humanoid being.

    -Congrattions, a Tier-4 Berylite Spirit has heard your call.-

    -Warning, this Spirit is twice your current strength; you may not be able to contract it. You are advised to woo it before attempting to contract it.-

    The small Hazy, Aquamarine Humanoid Spirit tilted its head cutely at Melody and looked at her with strange yellowish-white eyes filled with curiosity.

    "Hello, little one," wearing a sweet smile, Melody extended her hand, palm facing up in an attempt to coax the Berylite spirit tond on her hand.

    "Uwaa," the Spirit said in a chime-like high-pitched voice as it floated over and plopped its body into Melody''s palm.

    Melody, unperturbed by the fact that the little Spirit in her hand was supposedly Tier-4, yed with it for a bit, feeding it a variety of resources that were wasting away in her inventory, such as leftover Codexes and XP crystals, much to the Spirit''s delight.<sub> </sub>

    After nearly an hour of feeding and ying around with the small Spirit, Melody made her move.

    "Would you like to sign a contract with me? I know I may not be super strong yet, but one day I will be, and I can promise you all kinds of tasty stones and gems, even Codexes of all different elements." Speaking softly not to startle the little guy in her hand as it munched happily on Codexes like they were rock candy, Melody couldn''t help but feel nervous.

    "Uwaa, mmm waaa." The Berylite Spirit hopped to its feet, with a half-eaten Codex still in its mouth, and extended its small gemstone hand to Melody while nodding vigorously.

    Feeling her heart skip a beat because of how cute the Spirit was, Melody began softly chanting her Spirit contract skill. After 20 minutes of non-stop chanting, she and the Berylite Spirit lit up in a soft green glow before the Spirit floated up and merged into her chest.

    DING DING

    -Congrattions, you have signed a Spirit Contract with a Spirit who is Initial Tier-4. As such, your stats have increased exponentially.-

    -You have Passed your Trial Quest, With an S+ Rating. You will receive extra benefits uponpletion of your Tier-3 Evolution.-

    -Now Commencing Tier-3 Evolution.-

    Without even being able to celebrate thepletion of her Trial Quest, Melody was assaulted from all sides as her body began breaking down at a microscopic level. She didn''t even have time to scream as the horrendous pain shocked her nervous system.

    ---

    POV: Gabby

    -Trial Quest: Hunter''s Game.-

    -You Must Survive and hunt a predetermined amount of prey; the Timeframe and amount of prey you must hunt toplete this Quest are determined by the Difficulty Setting you Choose.-

    -Please choose the Difficulty Setting you wish to partake in. *Reminder, a higher Difficulty Setting will result in better Rewards.-

    -Difficulties below Expert will be removed since you have two capped stats, and your Beast Companion has a Bloodline.-

    -Expert, Master, Grandmaster.-

    Reaching up and scratching Milo''s tummy, Gabby read through the notifications and looked up at her kitten''s face.

    "What one should we choose, Milo? I know Big Bro Cyn always says to choose the middle option, but in this case, aren''t we kind of in a bind?"

    "Meew." Milo hummed while bobbing his head up and down in understanding.

    Crossing his paws and resting his chin on them, Milo read the on-screen notifications disyed on the monitor while his tail swished slowly from side to side.

    "From what I learned in the library, there should be seven difficulties in the Passing Down Quest chain, Beginner, Adept, Advanced, Expert, Master, Grandmaster, and Legend. Yet I only have three options, all of which are on the tail end of the spectrum, so even if I do go for a Master level Difficulty, the odds of me passing may end up being slim to none."

    Sitting down on the ground with her legs crossed, Gabby plucked Milo off her head, rested him in herp, and began petting him forfort.

    "Meeww mew meww." Wrinkling his nose as if to say, "why are you so worried? You have me", Milo meowed while looking between the monitor and Gabby.

    "Yeah, you are right; together, we are both pretty strong, even Big Bro Cyn and Brancie say so. Let''s gear up and choose the Master Difficulty then."

    In a sh, Gabby was decked out in her new gear. The first new addition was two gauntlet bracers simr to Cynriks, which he had handcrafted and named the Huntress Tools. Although they didn''t have nearly as many attachments and add-ons as his Assassins tools, both had a mechanism that opened out into arm-mounted crossbows and was equipped with two sets of Hidden des along with the Grapple attachment.

    Aside from the Crossbow mounting, a unique mechanism would extend out a hidden de and turn it into a handheld dagger, giving Gabby thest resort hand-to-handbat weapon she desperately needed.

    Next was her outfit, a breathable and flexible beast hide leather sleeveless armor top with chainmail underneath, a pair of leather shorts, and some fierce thigh-high gauntlet boots.

    Holstered on both hips were several pouches filled with extra bolts since Cynrik was adamant about not relying on her inventory and always having readily essible ammo.

    The finishing touch was a hood with thin extensions that looked like rabbit ears, a trademark of Gabby, and although her new gear wasn''t pink, it was a deep shade of Amethyst.

    Once geared up, Gabby gave the signal to Milo, who glowed in a strange orangeish-red light before growing to the size of a full-grown lion. Like Sie and Vii, Milo had learned a size modification skill and could change from being as small as a kitten to his full size in a second.

    "That''s my good boy," Gabby chirped as she embraced Milo''s head and nted several kisses on his face. After giving Milo some love, she pulled out hisplete set of armor from her inventory and began fitting all the pieces into ce on his body. First up was a breastte strapped around his shoulders like a cor mixed with a harness, followed by two medium-sized kite shields that acted like pauldrons. Up next was what Gabby could only describe as a te armor buttcape that covered his nk, followed by two impressive armored gauntlets on his front legs.

    These gauntlets stopped just above his paws and were meant for defense, not offense since Milo could enhance the strength of his ws. The second tost piece of equipment was a triple-joined helmet that covered from the back of Milo''s head to his nose, leaving his bottom jaw and the two arm-sized sharp fangs open.

    Andst but not least was afortable saddle connected to the buttcape armor and the breastte harness. With Milo''s strength and size, it was easy work for him to be a war mount for Gabby. Thus Cynrik decided to make her a saddle since she would no doubt try riding Milo into battle even without one.

    *Milo''s Armor will be posted in Discord.*

    Everything was in a matching shade of Amethyst, and the shield pauldrons had the MyrkLys Emblem printed dead center. With Milo Geared up, Gabby hopped onto his back, gave him some behind-the-ear scratches, and chose the Master Difficulty.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 400 Trial Quest Gabby (2)

    ** Sorry for going MIA there for a day, there are A LOT of not-so-great things going on at home, and I am trying to deal with it all. Now then, onto my real message.

    Chapter 400, damn, well, let me start by saying I hope yall are enjoying the Passing Down Arc; I know it seems a bit long, but I promise it''s almost done. I always sneak in some valuable info for long arcs like this; I wonder how many of you picked up on it, haha. Anyway, I''ll keep this short; thank you for your continued support, and JOIN THE DISCORD; I keep posting all kinds of goodies for yall. Anywho, I can''t let this break too many words; enjoy!**

    POV: Gabby

    -You have selected the Master Difficulty, adjusting the settings and parameters for your Trial Quest.-

    -In 30 seconds, you will be transferred to a virtual realm. In this realm, which takes the form of a jungle, you will find that Beasts have entirely taken it over. As a Huntress, you are expected to do exactly as your ssification states, hunt. -

    - Your objective is to hunt, battle, and kill as many beasts as possible in one hour. You will receive 1 point for a sessful Tracking, 1 point for a sessful kill, andstly, you will receive additional points for the Beast''s Tier, 1 point for Tier-2, 3 points for Tier-3, 5 points for Tier-4 and 15 points for Tier-5.-

    -The Strongest Beasts in the realm are Tier-5.-

    -The minimum score to pass this challenge is 30 points. The higher your score, the more benefits you will receive.-

    With rapidly flicking eyes, Gabby scanned the contents of the Passing Down Interface and took a deep breath before her vision suddenly blurred.

    In an instant, Milo and Gabby arrived in a lush jungle utterly untouched by civilization. Crouching low on Milo''s back, Gabby observed her surroundings with a mixture of her [Scent Tracking] and [Eagle Vision].

    -Tier-2 Huntress Skill: [Scent Tracking]-

    -Category: Active Skill ¨C

    -A Huntress doesn''t only rely on their eyes to find their prey but also their acute sense of smell. By infusing Mana particles into your nose, you can locate items, creatures, or beings, so long as you first have their scent added to your catalog and they are within a 3-kilometer radius from you. Once you have locked onto a scent, you will be able to see a hazy mirage in the form of a trail in the same color as your Origin, Affinity. Follow that trail, and it will lead you to your prey.

    -Cost: 1% of Avable MP every Minute the skill is in use.-

    -Cooldown: 10 Minutes.-

    Although a shot in the dark, since [Scent Tracking] required her to have already added the scent of a previously hunted object or Being, Gabby figured it didn''t hurt to see if any familiar scents were floating around. Unfortunately, there weren''t, but thankfully, she wasn''t alone.

    Milo didn''tze around upon arriving in the jungle. After pawing at the soft and moist ground a couple of times, the adult lion-sized Milo took off, racing through the heavy brush with his heightened senses on full alert.

    Unperturbed by herck of locating any prey, Gabby''s eyes underwent a radical change as her pupils and iris took on a feline aesthetic. Although she had yet to reach 50% Partner Bond and thus couldn''t unlock her [Beast Partner Fusion] skill, upon reaching 25%, she obtained a shared sight skill, one that allowed her to see the world through Milo''s eyes.

    ''Be on the lookout for any Beast ranging from Peak Tier-2 to Tier-4 Milo, there is no point going after weak prey, and we need to rack up as many points as possible in one hour.'' Speaking through her Bond with Milo, Gabby telepathically gave instructions to the silently yet swiftly moving Smilodon-Th?s.

    ''Kay Mama,'' Milo replied with a voice not far from an 8-year-old little boy. After reaching Tier-2, Milo couldn''t speak using his mouth, but he could transmit his thoughts through his Bond with Gabby.

    This was primarily due to Gabby''s Psychic Affinity, but the Bond between him and Gabby couldn''t be counted out.

    Keeping low to the ground as they weaved through the jungle, Gabby and Milo covered dozens of kilometers in minutes. Still, the strongest Beasts they had located were only Tier-1, with the strongest barely being able to qualify as Peak Tier-1 until Milo suddenly swerved and headed west while picking up speed.

    ''What is it, Milo? Did you find something good?'' Gabby asked as she flicked her wrists, extended her wrist-mounted crossbows, and chambered a bolt in both using her Psychic Affinity.

    ''Mhm, I feel strong prey.'' Milo said joyfully as he soon reached his top speed of over 230 kmph *142 mph*.

    ''Be careful; we don''t want to end up confronting something too strong; what Tier does it feel like?'' She had realized during her training in the Egresses that Milo had an uncanny ability to "feel" how strong an opponent was.

    Unlike the brothers, who had created a method of determining how strong something was based on its Mana Fluctuations, Milo being a Beast, had the uncanny ability to sense a being''s strength innately.

    ''They are weaker than Meanie Cyn and Bran but stronger than Mel-Mel.

    ''How many, silly boy?'' Rolling her eyes at Milo''s use of nicknames for her friends, Gabby flicked his left ear, which twitched in response.

    ''Mmmm, how many are my front toe beans again?'' Looking back at Gabby on his back, Milo counted the presence he was feeling andpared it to the eight-toe beans on his front paws.

    ''Eight; your cute little feetsees have four toe beans each, so that would be eight.'' Gabby said as she smiled and remembered how much Milo loved when she poked his toe beans.

    ''Yeah, dat many, eight, there are eight guys between Meanie Cyn and Mel-Mel, and den um, I think four are weaker than Mel-Mel. That''s how many legs I have, right?'' Tilting his head in thought as he hid his presence while running, Milo asked.<sub> </sub>

    "Yep yep, you have four legs and four toe beans on each paw, so that means there are 12 prey, four of which we can easily kill, and eight that we must be careful of.'' Giving Milo some scritches behind the ear, Gabby was patient in helping him with Math since he was still a baby.

    ''Kay kay,'' Milo chirped as he enjoyed the scritches.

    A few minutester, they entered a less densely packed stretch of jungle and took to the trees to hide better. Leaping from tree to tree, Gabby adjusted the tree with her Affinity and eliminated the apparent scent trail they left as Milo ran.

    Eventually, Milo stopped 50 meters away from a clearing the size of their dorm, and it was then Gabby saw what they were dealing with.

    Resting in the small clearing was a herd of mutated BoscageStags. The smallest ones seemed to be in their adolescent stage based on how many points were on their six antlers, while the oldest ones, which had over a hundred points on their eight antlers, were well over 300 years old.

    Seeing the herd, Milo unconsciously licked his lips and could already imagine how tasty the beasts would be if Meanie Cyn were allowed to cook them up.

    Although Cynrik was a true menace and loved scolding and ring at Milo, one thing he was good at was cooking. Or at least that was how Milo felt.

    Knowing what was going through her little glutton''s mind, Gabby smirked and carefully hopped off his back before flitting away to another tree and nking around the opposite side of the clearing.

    This was one of their standard tactics. Even though Gabby was quick and agile, for some reason, Milo, with his lower stats, could still outmaneuver her when it came to tree fighting.

    ''BoscageStags, are single Affinity Mutated Beasts with the Chloro Affinity; the number of antlers and points on each can be used to determine the Beast''s age and give a rough estimate of their strength.'' As she got into position, Gabby began teaching Milo about the prey.

    ''So cause they''ve got lots of little nubbies on their head, they are old or strong, got it.'' Milo nodded hisrge head while crouching as low and moving as little as possible.

    Without Gabby on his back, Milo needed to be extra careful not to move, or his Armor would make noise.

    ''They are quick to startle, so once we make a move, they must all be stunned or injured, or else they will run away.'' Narrowing her eyes and beginning to channel arge amount of Mana into the two crossbows, Gabby formted a n of attack.

    ''When I give you the signal, I want you to tackle the big one; based on its antlers, it should be around Peak Tier-3. But keep your guard up around the smaller one beside it with many of what you call nubbies. It is Early Tier-4.''

    Slowing her breathing, Gabby held up her arms and simultaneously aimed down the small iron sights of both crossbows.

    Gabby''s feline pupils constricted as she targeted all twelve of the BoscageStags.

    ''After you hear my Crossbows fire, wait until you breathe three steady breaths, then attack.'' Knowing Milo would get confused if she tried giving him a numeric signal, she resorted to using something simple, how many times he took a breath.

    TSST TSST SWOOSH SWOOSH

    Clenching her fists, Gabby forced the Mana stored in her gauntlets to move, releasing both bolts.

    Hearing the strange sounding from above and off in the distance, the eldest bunch of BoscageStags whipped their heads in the direction of the sound, leaving only the younglings to look around in confusion. Inevitably, that was the worst decision they could have made.

    The Tier-4 Stag uttered a strange huffing sound as it tilted back its head in fear.

    Cutting through the air were two Amethyst objects, which soon became twelve, as the bolts fragmented like a scattershot, forming two small groupings of six partial bolts infused with Psychic Mana.

    That wasn''t all; invisible to the Beasts, or even Milo for that matter, were twelve small shockwaves rippling behind the tail end of the bolts.

    Just before the attacks hit their marks, Gabby uttered the name of an Affinity Skill she had only recently learned. It allowed her to produce a small weaponized strand of Psychic Mana which would enter a Being''s mind, and stun them for a short amount of time, be it a fraction of a second against higher Tiers or a full 1 to 2 seconds for lower Tiers.

    "Psy-Shock."

    Two things happened as the bolts mmed into their targets; the first was the small shockwaves tore off from the bolt tails and entered their target''s head. The second was the projectiles that pierced into the nks of all but one Stag; only one of them managed to dodge despite being under the mind-shattering effects of [Psy-Shock].

    ''THREE!'' Milo suddenly yelled and shot forward so fast and with so much force that the tree he was standing on instantly exploded into woodchips.

    In a sh, Milo''s entire body mmed into the stunned Stag, which had avoided being hit by a bolt, the force of which shattered all four of the legs of the creature. The result was Milo sprawled out on the ground, rolling, and the oldest Stag emitting a pained scream simr to an Elk.

    ''GO ALL OUT, MILO; WE ONLY HAVE A FEW MINUTES!'' Leaping down from her tree, Gabby began unleashing one attack after another, mixing up Affinity Skills and Crossbow shots.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 401 Trial Quest Gabby And Selene

    ''THREE!'' Milo suddenly yelled and shot forward so fast and with so much force that the tree he was standing on instantly exploded into woodchips.

    In a sh, Milo''s entire body mmed into the stunned Stag, which had avoided being hit by a bolt yet lost focus. The force of the impact shattered all four legs of the creature, and the result was Milo sprawled out on the ground, rolling, while the oldest Stag emitted a pained scream simr to an Elk.

    ''GO ALL OUT, MILO; WE ONLY HAVE A FEW MINUTES!'' Leaping down from her tree, Gabby began unleashing one attack after another, mixing up Affinity Skills and Crossbow shots.

    Gabby''s eyes flicked to the virtual disy, indicating only 11 minutes remained in the Trial, so she went into overdrive. Her first objective was to kill off as many of the lower Tiered Stags as possible, which was what she did.

    While Milo and the injured Stag were attempting to get back to their feet, Gabby rushed up to the young BoscageStags and, one by one nted her crossbows against their temples before releasing a bolt directly through their brains, instantly killing them.

    -You have sessfully tracked and killed a Peak Tier-2 Adolescent BoscageStag and have received three Trial Points.-

    -The scent for Adolescent BoscageStags has been added to your [Beast Scent Catalog].-

    -You have sessfully tracked and killed an Early Tier-2 Adolescent BoscageStag and have received three Trial Points.-

    -You have sessfully tracked and killed an Early Tier-2 Adolescent BoscageStag and have received three Trial Points.-

    -You have sessfully tracked and killed a Mid-Tier-2 Adolescent BoscageStag and have received three Trial Points.-

    -Current Trial Point Tally, 12/30.-

    After ignoring the notifications, Gabby leaped up and flipped through the air beforending on a Tier-3 Stag that was still experiencing the effects of her [Psy-Shock]. Knowing there wasn''t much time left before her Skill''s effects wore off, Gabby extended both daggers from her Huntress Tools and buried them into each side of the creature''s skull without showing remorse for her actions.

    -You have sessfully tracked and killed a Mid-Tier-3 Adult BoscageStag and have received five Trial Points.-

    -Current Trial Point Tally, 17/30.-

    Within less than a second, Gabby had single-handedly wiped out five of the Stags before moving on to the sixth.

    Meanwhile, during the time Gabby was taking down another Stag, Milo had gotten back to his feet, shook his massive head to clear the static noise ringing in his ears, and jumped on top of the struggling Stag with broken legs.

    Unluckily for him, however, the instant therge cat''s feet left the ground, an array of Sharply pointed antlers mmed into his right shoulder shield, flinging him through the air and causing him to release a loud surprised roar.

    ''MILO!'' Gabby yelled through their telepathic link but never stopped moving to ughter the remaining Stags.

    ''Owie, that dumb jerk, and his stoopid horns hurt; I am ok, Mama. Don''t worry; I''ll handle that deer!'' Hoping back to his feet and bolting toward the injured Stag, Milo shook his body and responded.

    ''Be careful, you silly kitty. Try and keep it pinned down, and don''t worry about going for the kill!'' Rolling her eyes and realizing that Milo''s armor had protected him as intended, Gabby swiftly killed off several of the remaining Stags, leaving only two stunned and the injured Tier-4.

    -You have sessfully tracked and killed five Mid-Tier-3 Adult BoscageStags and have received 25 Trial Points.-

    -Current Trial Point Tally, 42/30.-

    ''Yes, Mama,'' Milo replied as he arrived in front of the downed Stag, now covered in a multitude of strange blue and green colored glowing vines.

    Unleashing several ranged attacks, Milo focused solely on the Beast''s broken joints and bones after stomping the ground and creating a shockwave to disperse the vines growing up and around the Stag''s broken legs.

    After spending a lot of time training with his Mama''s boyfriend, Milo excelled at Terra Affinity Skills; as a result, heunched hundreds of thin stone spikes at his opponent as he circled him without batting an eysh.

    BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

    The impact noises echoed through the forest as, in rapid session, hundreds of heavy spikes hit the Stag, sending ripples through its body and effectively negating its efforts to heal itself by stacking up damage.

    For a time, the only sounds prevalent in the clearing and surrounding forest were profound explosive impacts, pained Elk cries, and a weird huffing sound emitted by Milo as he taunted the injured Beast.

    That is until the final Adult Stag fell dead, and Gabby directed her attention to the battle between Milo and thest yet strongest Stag. Seeing how well her kitten was suppressing the full-grown Tier-4 Beast, Gabby couldn''t help but smirk as she channeled arge amount of Mana into her gauntlets, swapped to the crossbows, and unleashed a volley of bolts into the Stag''s body.<sub> </sub>

    This ranged one-sided battle went on until there was only a single minute left in the Timer, at which point Gabby rushed in and delivered the final blow, severing the mutted Beast''s head in a single sh of her dagger.

    -You have sessfully tracked and killed an Early Tier-4 Elder BoscageStag and have received 7 Trial Points.-

    -Current Trial Point Tally, 59/30.-

    Due to exhaustion from the fight and overusing Mana, Gabby slumped beside Milo and rubbed him behind his ear. Her eyes moved to the Notification floating in her vision.

    "Only 40 seconds left, Milo; remember, although I will be in a lot of pain thanks to the Tier-3 Evolution, I will be fine, so don''t panic or interfere, ok?"

    ''I know Mama, you and Meanie Cyn gave me a long talk about it yesterday, remember? I am still worried, be strong, Mama, and I will be waiting.''

    "Mhm," Closing her eyes, Gabby was only slightly sad about not having reached 60 points, doubling the necessary passing score. Still, that thought soon evaporated as the Notification indicating she had passed popped up, and her vision turned a mixture of red and white due to the Violent and Extreme pain.

    -You have Passed your Trial Quest, With an SSS Rating. You will receive extra benefits uponpletion of your Tier-3 Evolution.-

    -Now Commencing Tier-3 Evolution.-

    ---

    POV: Selene

    -Please choose the Difficulty Setting you wish to partake in. *Reminder, a higher Difficulty Setting will result in better Rewards.-

    -Difficulties below expert will be removed since you have a Bloodline.-

    -Expert, Master, Grandmaster.-

    Stretching her body as Tobs took over and read aloud the notifications, Selene began putting on all her equipment, a cross between Cynrik/Gabby''s and the heavy te armor expected from Brance.

    Soon, Selene was decked out in form-fitting, lightweight jointed te armor with an open-faced helmet adorned with two sharp wings on either side of her head. On her right arm was a curved tower shield as big as her body, and in her left hand was an extremely sharp and long spear that, when ced on the ground, was half a meter taller than her.

    Although the spear itself wasn''t overly shy, a single look could tell it was anything but a simple weapon. Her equipment, like every other Member of MyrkLys, was an exclusive Set that gave added benefits if every piece was worn.

    -MyrkLys Valkyrie Set: Epic Ranked.-

    -1 piece: 25% buff to Attack Speed.-

    -3 pieces: 25% buff to Crit Rate.-

    -5 pieces: 25% buff to Physical and Metaphysical Damage resistance.-

    -7 pieces: 50% buff to Vitality, Strength, and Dexterity.-

    Apart from the Set boost, each piece increased her stats differently. The shield not only raised her defense but also added a reflective damage passive skill. Her spear gave increased attack speed and crit rate. The armored top, bottoms, and boots all increased movement speed and defense turning Selene into a mobile wall with almost every attack guaranteed to be a critical hit.

    The armored gauntlets covering her from finger to shoulder aided in attack speed, andst but not least, her helmet gave Selene increased long-distance vision and allowed her to absorb Mana quicker.

    Best of all, even though she was covered from head to toe in lightweight te armor, it was form-fitting enough to show off her curvacious body despite being a deep shade of matte ck.

    Once kitted out and sure everything fits appropriately, Selene stored her Spear on her back in a Beasthide holster andtched her shield onto the hooks resting below her shoulder des, covering the weapon and protecting her back at the same time.

    "Alright, there are only three difficulties to choose from, and the logical choice would be the middle one, Master. I feel that if I decide Grandmaster, my ass will get cooked in this war in no time." Selene thought aloud as she raised her hand and clicked Master.

    -This series exclusively publish on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 402 Trial Quest Selene **Bonus Chapter**

    "Alright, there are only three difficulties to choose from, and the logical choice would be the middle one, Master. I feel that if I decide Grandmaster, my ass will get cooked in this war in no time." Selene thought aloud as she raised her hand and clicked Master.

    -You have selected the Master Difficulty, adjusting the settings and parameters for your Trial Quest.-

    -In two minutes, you will be transferred to a Virtual realm amid a great war. This war is between the Allied MultiRace Army and the invading Abyssal Demon Army led by a Tier-7 Being.-

    -Both Armies are split into different Battalions, each with a Commander 1 Tier higher than the forces they are in charge of.-

    -You will be slotted in as a Tier-2 Commander of the Allied MultiRace Army, and your job is to ughter your way to fame and fortune. The timeframe for this war is one week, and your target kill goal is 5000 Tier-1 Abyssal Demons, 2500 Tier-2 Abyssal Demons, 500 Tier-3 Abyssal Demons, and 10 Tier-4 Abyssal Demons.-

    -If you fall in battle or don''t meet the target kill goals before the timer runs out, you will be considered to have failed your Trial Quest.-

    -If you amass more kills than necessary, added rewards will be distributed during your Tier-3 Evolution.-

    "Holy fuck," was all that Selene could say before she was deconstructed into particles and teleported away from the white room.

    ---

    In a distant time and space, an enormous battle was taking ce. The kind was never seen on Earth but had happened in the past on Vinestra. Armies, well over 10 million soldiers in size, shed against each other. At the same time, High Tier beings flew overhead through the sky, exploding like fireworks as their Affinity Skills crashed into one another.

    The sounds of metal on metal crashing were nearly drowned out by explosions and cries of anguish as the iron smell of blood flooded one''s nostrils. From time to time, powerful beings would yell out orders as they attempted to reestablish their lines on the battlefield.

    This was the scene Selene was ruthlessly dumped into by the Passing Down Interface, which Tobs had hijacked.

    Before she knew it, Selene had shifted into Dark Mana particles thanks to her [Void Shift], narrowly avoiding an explosion generated by a st roughly the size of a small meteor hitting the spot she had spawned.

    ''MOTHER FUCKER, GIVE A GIRL SOME WARNINGS BEFORE YOU DUMP HER INTO HELL TOBS!!!'' Selene screamed as she put some distance between herself and the 300-meter crater. The open hole in the surface of the honestly scared the shit out of Selene as she realized that if she had been even a moment slower, she would have probably been vaporized by the st that seemingly came from nowhere.

    Floating away from the destruction, Selene took in the sights of everything in a 360-degree view and was both startled and excited by what she found. It was one thing to read and hear about battles this size, but to be thrust into one was another story altogether.

    It didn''t take long for Selene to zero in on a group of mixed beings, some Beast people, some elves, and of course, a few humans mixed in as they fought against humanoid demons nearly twice their size.

    Wasting no time as she saw people being cut down like cattle, Selene shifted back into a solid and, as she dropped from the sky, drew her Shield off her back and her spear using a teather of Mana.

    Like aet streaking through the air, Selene smashed into the ground and went to work targeting the muchrger Abyssal Demons.

    "Huh? Who the fuck is that human?" One of the beings, a Male LigarMan, yelled as he hacked off the head of his opponent before moving on to aid hisrades.

    "No idea, Garr, but she seems to be at the Peak of Tier-2, no Half-step Tier-3?" An Elven man said as he dove to the side and unleashed a volley of arrows into the head of a Demon.

    "Shit, what the fuck is she? She looks human, but how she fights is like no Human Martial Art I''ve seen before; plus, is that Dark Mana swirling around her visibly?" One of the humans, a female assassin, said as she flickered in and out of sight.

    Selene didn''t bother her new allies and quickly activated her H¨²efl¨²r, allowing her to control Mana more freely. Fortunately, her glowing marks were perfectly hidden under her Armor, so no one was the wiser. The only telltale sign that she was even using them was that her eyes held a faint blue glow, the same Royal shade as her H¨²efl¨²r.

    Still, no one was ballsy enough to get close and inspect her physically, as the moment Selene entered the battle, she became a War Goddess, as she effortlessly ughtered Tier-1 and Tier-2 Demons like chickens.

    With a thought, Selene activated her Movement Skill, Tier-3 Valk-Vanguard Skill [V?ttfang Flj¨®tliga], and in an instant, became an even bigger force to be reckoned with.

    The added 35% to AGI and DEX went a long way, but Selene didn''t stop there, as she activated her crowd control skill, Tier-3 Valk-Vanguard Skill [Hrafn''s Slita],unching 15 of the nearby opponents to her after a single hard stomp on the ground.<sub> </sub>

    After upgrading the skill with points, the scope of [Hrafn''s Slita] had increased drastically. Whereas before, it could only pull in a maximum of 3 people with its vacuum, now it could draw in a max of 15 opponents, and now that Selene had done so, 15 bodies dropped to the ground, throats shed, and missing body parts.

    The sudden ughter was so violent and unexpected that for an area of 50 meters, everyone who was fighting froze and stared at the Armored Selene as she spun her spear and cleared it of gore.

    Meanwhile, the person in question never stopped moving since the instant she stopped; her movement skill would be broken and go on cool down.

    "che, TAKE THEIR HEADS!" Casting a side nce at her supposedrades, Selene scoffed loudly and raised her voice while using another upgraded skill, Tier-3 Valk-Vanguard Skill [¨¦lugi].

    -Tier-3 Valk-Vanguard Skill [¨¦lugi]- (Stun)

    -Category: Active Crowd Control Skill.-

    - You are the terror of all those who stand against you on the battlefield. With just a nce, your foes know their lives areing to a bloody and painful end.-

    -By letting out a battle cry, you can trigger a 75% chance of inflicting the Status effect STUN for 15 seconds on all enemies within a 30-meter radius. THIS SKILL DOES NOT WORK AGAINST THOSE WITH A HIGHER MIND STAT THAN YOU.-

    -Cost: 1000 MP, 500 STAM-

    -Cooldown: 25 Minutes.-

    All of the Abyssal Demons within a 30-meter circr area locked up as if hit by a taser, dropping their arms to their side and staring forward with tant fear in their eyes. Half a secondter, over 200 Tier-1 and Tier-2 Demons fell dead as the Allied MixRaced Army capitalized on the opportunity presented by Selene.

    Chants and excitement roars rang across the battlefield as all of the Allies near Selene were given a few seconds to breathe without being forced back into battle. Still, this didn''t apply to Selene as she once again set about ughtering near-helpless opponents significantly under her power level.

    For the next several hours, this was how things progressed. Selene would make her way to a new location, walk through the enemy forces like a wrecking ball, rally all the gloomy and tired Allies and move on to a new location.

    By the time the war horns sounded off, signaling the retreat of the Abyssal Demon Army, word of a woman in ck Armor had spread throughout the Allied Armies.

    Sitting off to the side, behind the sizeable demilitarized zone''s barricades, Selene kept to herself while cleaning off her weapons and Armor. Having spent thest 12 hours embroiled inbat, her formerly pristine and clean Armor was slick with a thickyer of grey blood.

    Wearing only the thin protective athletic shirt and pants, Selene caught the attention of several warriors as they passed by. Seeing the ck Armor she was cleaning, they lost their desire to hit on her and instead were filled with awe.

    Their actions didn''t go unnoticed by Selene, yet she kept an aloof and unapproachable vibe up, as she wasn''t in the mood to deal with bullshit. Putting aside her contempt for men that weren''t in her party, Selene was aggravated by the numbers reflected on the notifications Tobs had sent after the battle concluded.

    -Current Kill Tally.-

    -Tier-1 Abyssal Demons: 723/5000.-

    -Tier-2 Abyssal Demons: 308/2500.-

    -Tier-3 Abyssal Demons: 25/500.-

    -Tier-4 Abyssal Demons: 0/10.-

    ''Twelve fucking hours, and I barely made a dent in what I need toplete my Trial Quest.'' Selene grumbled.

    -Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 403 Trial Quest Selene (2)

    The days began to bleed together, and as time passed in the hecious war against the Abyssal Demons, Selene not only perfected her ughter craft but also garnered quite a bit of attention from her Allies. Well, would-be allies, considering she wanted virtually nothing to do with them.

    Having spent roughly six days sinceing to the Battlefield, Selene had aggressively analyzed the contents of her Trial Quest, practically beating an already dead horse to a pulp.

    The result of her efforts was that there was zero point in joining the military and gaining exploits. Sure, technically, she was thrown in and given a rank by the Passing Down Interface; however, it was wholly unnecessary and frankly against herbat style to rely on the numerous weakerrades tossed her way.

    Instead of getting into formations and listening to orders passed down by "superiors," Selene preferred to move freely across the battlefield like a silent reaper, ying one Abyssal Demon before moving on to its friends. It also saved her the trouble of dealing with the seemingly never-ending supply of fuckbois who wanted to court her.

    Over the past few days, there had been no end to the line of warriors trying to get into her pants, and after even attacking a group of them, she had made her point of view well known.

    "Stay the fuck away from me, or I will castrate you before torturing you to death." Mind you, these words only applied to the Male soldiers, and Selene was much more tolerant around other females. Still, at the end of the day, it didn''t matter to her because, in her mind, they were all figments created by the Passing Down Interface and the CSH.

    Regardless, interacting with the other soldiers was out of Selene''s control. After the 3rd day of endless ughter, she was called into themanding officer''s tent, was promoted, and given a group of 100 soldiers, which was hermand responsibility.

    The following day, when she reluctantly showed up at the meeting point organized by the Officer, Selene was dismayed to find that she was now in charge of a hundred Tier-2 beings, all of which were weak in her eyes. In contrast, when the 100 beings spotted their new Commander was the "DarkSpear," the nickname she had gotten from the masses, they couldn''t help but be overly excited.

    Sighing internally and realizing her people wanted a speech of some sort, Selene couldn''t help but miss her boyfriend. Until now, it had always been Cynrik taking charge of everything, from the nning to distributing tasks; the members of MyrkLys hadn''t realized how reliant on him they had individually be.

    In the case of Selene, who viewed Cynrik as her muse, her foundation, having been thrust into a situation where she had to speak in public, Selene struggled to find the right words.

    "Listen up, I am sure you guys have seen how I work on the battlefield, so I won''t patronize you with fluffy words. This is war; in war, it''s kill or be killed. I can''t promise everyone will make it back in one piece, nor can I promise you an easy battle." Looking out over the 100 expectant pairs of eyes locked on her, Selene almost shivered but continued speaking.

    "What I can promise you, at the very least, is a glorious death. But not before taking down the bastards who stole your lives. I keep a fast pace and never stop moving due to a skill of mine, so if you find yourself unable to keep up, group together and deal with the opponents as a unit."

    After that came a wave of endless bloodshed, and here, three dayster, Selene had only lost four of her soldiers. Not only did she obtain the lowest casualty rate when it came to her soldiers, but thanks to her fighting style, every one of the beings ced under hermand had grown significantly, with the majority reaching the Peak of Tier-2.

    There were rough patches here and there, especially when battling Tier-4 individuals. However, Selene hade through thanks to her training and beingpletely OverGeared, thanks to Cynrik and Jessup.

    With yet another harsh day ofbat under her belt, Selene retreated behind the safety of the demilitarized zone. She entered her tent before stripping off her armor and cleaning it as usual. Once that wasplete, she pulled up her Kill Tally and sighed.

    -Current Kill Tally.-

    -Tier-1 Abyssal Demons: 5000/5000.-

    -Tier-2 Abyssal Demons: 2485/2500.-

    -Tier-3 Abyssal Demons: 433/500.-

    -Tier-4 Abyssal Demons: 8/10.-

    Six days of gruelingbat had seen Selene ying thousands of Abyssal Demons, and now that there was only a single day left in the Trial Quest, Selene couldn''t help but get nervous. Killing 5k Tier-1 Demons was simple, and even Killing off Tier-2''s wasn''t much of a challenge. Still, as the days dragged on, Selene found herself venturing deeper and deeper behind enemy lines solely to locate the higher Tiered Abyssal Demons.

    And now, with less than 24 hours on the Timer, she still needed 15 more Tier-2, 67 Tier-3, and 2 Tier-4 Abyssal Demons, meaning tomorrow morning, she would have to venture deeper into the enemy army than ever before. Heaving a sigh, storing her equipment, andying down on her cot, Selene stared up at the ceiling of her tent, lost in thought.

    ''Man, it sucks that I don''t get anything from killing Abyssal Demons; just thinking about all the lost Stat points and XP drives me nuts.'' Selene thought as she held up her hand and looked at her palm.<sub> </sub>

    ''I wonder how Cyn is doing. Knowing him, he probably did something stupid like picking a higher difficulty rating and is stuck facing an insane opponent.'' The thought of her boyfriend''s frantic face made Selene giggle lightly before she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

    ---

    The sounds of battle flooded the surrounding barren wastnd for hundreds of kilometers as the ground was soaked in a mixture of crimson-red and grey blood. While the beings who could fly fought in the sky, the lower Tiered beings fought tooth and nail in blood and corpse-filled mud.

    -You have killed an Early Tier-4 Abyssal Demon Captain.-

    -Your Kill Tally has been updated.-

    -You have killed a Peak Tier-3 Abyssal Demon Lieutenant.-

    -Your Kill Tally has been updated.-

    Selene''s Spear shot forward, spinning around and continuously moving forward while shrouded in a shadowy ck mist. With each thrust, a squishy sound could be heard as her opponent''s body hit the ground, not even a secondter.

    ''That''s two more High Tier''s down,'' Selene thought as she jumped into the air, shifted into Dark Mana Particles, and traveled further behind enemy lines.

    It had been 14 hours since she and her troops reentered the battlefield, and to say things were going well would be a tant lie. From the get-go, something was off about the intensity of today''s fights. Selene could tell that the Abyssal Demons were fighting with an odd level of Vigor as if things were finally going their way, and before each of them fell to her Spear, they would look to the sky and smile with their creepy pointed teeth.

    ''They know something we don''t, but what in the fuck is it?'' Traveling 20 meters in the air around the battlefield, Selene scanned her surroundings, looking for thest Tier-4 Abyssal Demon required toplete her quest.

    BOOOM BOOOM BOOOOM

    Suddenly three concussive explosions urred high above her position, forcing Selene to get lower to the ground in fear of taking damage, even in her gaseous state, from an unknown and way too powerful entity.

    Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Selene located a toon of Tier-3 Demons helmed by a single Tier-4, but instead of rushing in, Selene stopped and frowned.

    ''Fuck, that one is too strong for me to handle.'' Watching the movement of the three-meter-tall Abyssal Demon, Selene couldn''t stop the bitter thoughts from entering her mind.

    The previous 9 Tier-4 Demons that had fallen to her Spear were all Early Tier-4, thus freshly out of Tier-3 and hadn''t had enough time to adjust to their new powers.

    With that factor on her side, Selene resorted to sneak attacks and several tactics she had learned by observing Cynrik and racked up the necessary Kill Tally.

    However, the one she had found just now moved too fluidly and rapidly released one Affinity skill after another with minimal effort, a sign to her that this one had to be Mid-Tier-4 at the very least.

    ncing at the Timer in the corner of her vision with her metaphorical eyes, Selene sighed. There were only 15 minutes left in the Trial Quest, and she had found herself in a do-or-die situation.

    ''Fuck it, full power time,'' steeling her resolve, Selene rushed forward, deactivated her [Void Shift], blindsided the Demon with a sweeping sh of her Spear, activated [Void Domain], followed by her H¨²efl¨²r and ?sir Mode. It was time to use every tool at her disposal.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 404 Tri-Quest Selene, Trib-Quest Benny

    ''Fuck it, full power time,'' steeling her resolve, Selene rushed forward, deactivated her [Void Shift], blindsided the Demon with a sweeping sh of her Spear, activated [Void Domain], followed by her H¨²efl¨²r and ?sir Mode. It was time to use every tool at her disposal.

    In an instant, a massive 100-meter ck dome came into existence, blotting out the dense orange sunlight and shrouding the entire group of Tier-3 Beings along with the single Mid-Tier-4 Abyssal Demon in darkness, shutting off two of the most important senses a being has, Sight and Hearing.

    The sudden loss of light threw everyone inside the Domain into a panic, and at the moment, the only one under attack was that singr Tier-4 Demon. Before he could even react to the first attack and give orders to his men, the Abyssal Demon was already fighting for his life against an invisible enemy.

    After activating her two bloodline abilities, Selene was on the prowl. Tapping the ground with the toes of her right foot, she kicked the loose dirt and rushed forward toward the weaker opponents while conjuring over fifty [Abyssal Shadow Spears]. All of which flew forward faster than any Tier-2 or lower being could see.

    Although her maniption of Mana would reach a new height after activating her ?sir Mode, due to herck of more than two Affinities, the boost she obtained once entering the strange state wasn''t even half of what Cynrik got. Still, it was more than enough to make her a formidable opponent.

    With the absence of light or sound within the [Void Domain] and the increased buff to her stats, Selene was a phantom, stabbing and shing with her Spear while nimbly bouncing around and avoiding her own [Shadow Spears], which would fill any gaps left open during her assault.

    However, the Tier-4 Abyssal Demon Captain wasn''t helpless, weak, or dumb. Quickly recognizing what was happening, he analyzed the situation, as he had received numerous briefings from the higher-ups about the "DarkSpear," and her strange abilities.

    If eyesight and hearing, two essential senses, were cut off, he did not need them. Extending his perception and utilizing one of his race''s traits, the Tier-4 Abyssal Demon Captain "felt" the Mana and essentially built a negative picture in his mind.

    In his mind''s eye, the world was in ck and white, with the white being all the Mana Particles in the surrounding area. Like this, he soon realized how horrible of a situation he had found himself in.

    The image of something more demonic than him came into view in the form of a hulking monster (Selene''s Mana Signature). Its Mana was so condensed and seamlessly merged with the being known as DarkSpear''s body that the Demon Captain felt his butthole pucker.

    ''How, how is this possible? Isn''t she supposed to be a human? How does she have the Royal Bloodline''s Affinity?'' Seeing the strange dual-textured Mana Particles swirling around Selene''s body, the Demon Captain felt genuine fear for the first time in his life.

    ''Wrong¡­they are all fucking wrong about this Woman, Dark Affinity user, my Ass! She is a fucking Monster among monsters!'' The Demon Captain cried in his mind as he jumped around like a hyperactive cricket to avoid the iing dual Affinity Spears.

    Watching the Demon flicker around, Selene clicked her teeth and continued hurling Spears while reaping the lives of every Tier-3 present. Her goal after throwing up the Domain was to contain the Captain with a never-ending onught of enhanced [Abyssal Shadow Spears].

    -Tier-3.5 Dual Affinity Skill [Abyssal Shadow Spear] (Dark and Abyss)-

    ? -Category: Active.-

    -A Custom Affinity Skill Created by Selene Nilsson with Assistance from Cynrik Jetlensr. This skill utilizes the impressive defensive and maniptive capabilities of Abyss Mana while using Dark Mana to create the construct. You can weaponize the Mana Particles into a semi-physical construct, such as a powerful and fast Spear.-

    -The thinyer of Abyss Mana surrounding the Dark Mana construct allows the Spear to prate nearly any construct, physical or metaphysical, since it can disrupt any Mana Particle.-

    -Can be wielded Physically since the User is immune to the effect due to their Affinity.-

    -Special Ability: Mana Vampyric Touch-When the Spear hits a Being, or Mana construct, Syphon 15% of the Damage Delt as Mana to restore your Mana Pool.-

    -Creates a 4.5-meter Dual Affinity Mana Spear.-

    -Damage Calc: DEX and INT Based.-

    -Requirement: Must have H¨²efl¨²r and ?sir Mode Active.-

    -Cost: 100 MP of Abyss and Dark Mana.-

    -Cooldown: No cool down.-

    Although impressive, her new Dual Affinity skill needed to connect with her target to sustain rapid creations. Thus after creating the initial 50 Spears, Selene didn''t make more and instead controlled them to continuously circle the Demon Captain and attack without rest. In clusters of five, the spears swooped in to attack like a swarm of bees.

    It only took Selene two minutes to destroy the around 100 Tier-3 Abyssal Demons and direct her attention toward the frantic Demon Captain.

    Her eyes narrowed as she watched the Demon Captain bouncing around, nimbly dodging each of the iing spears. Hence, she increased the frequency of the attacks, clustering together ten instead of five, before swiftly shifting into Dark Mana particles and covering the distance between them.

    Due to the added frequency of the attacks, the Demon Captain sumbed to the pressure, and the first hit urred, albeit only a graze, but it was enough to cause a smirk to creep up on Selene''s lips as she shifted back into her physical form and leaped intobat.<sub> </sub>

    ''FUCK, THE MONSTER IS HERE!'' The Demon Captain cried internally as he again got hit by a flurry of spears, this time taking a shot directly in his right shoulder.

    To his dismay, even though he had on Tier-5 Armor, the Spear effortlessly tore its way through the impressive pauldron, flesh, tendon, and even bone, severing his right arm from his body and causing him to scream in agony.

    The corrosive nature of the mixture of Dark Mana and Abyss Mana soon made itself known as the particles ran rampant in what was left of his shoulder, causing the wound to fester and bubble with toxicity.

    Blinded by pain and fear, the Abyssal Demon Captain tried to flee, but it was useless as several Dual Affinity Spears mmed into the ground behind him, cutting off the escape route.

    Raising her lip and exposing her teeth in a fierce snarl, Selene tossed her Spear into the air and reached out to grab one of the Mana Construct spears. Next, she shed forward and impaled the Demon with it, pinning his left leg to the ground before capturing another and replicating the instance with his right leg and remaining arm.

    As hey helpless, pinned to the ground, the Demon opened his eyes only to see darkness and a pair of Crimson and ck Glowing Eyes. This was followed by nothing as Selene rapidly knifed him all over, turning him into a pincushion holding over 15 Dual Affinity Spears.

    -You have killed a Mid-Tier-4 Abyssal Demon Captain.-

    -You havepleted all the tasks presented.-

    -Tier-1 Abyssal Demons: 5000/5000.- (Complete)

    -Tier-2 Abyssal Demons: 2500/2500.- (Complete)

    -Tier-3 Abyssal Demons: 500/500.- (Complete)

    -Tier-4 Abyssal Demons: 10/10.- (Complete)

    -You have Passed your Trial Quest, With an SSS Rating. You will receive extra benefits uponpletion of your Tier-3 Evolution.-

    -Now Commencing Tier-3 Evolution.-

    Selene wasn''t even given a chance to withdraw her Affinity Skills as her vision spun and the most intense pain she had ever experienced ran its course through her body.

    ---

    POV: Benny

    -Tribtion Quest: Endurance Combat.-

    -You Must Survive A prolonged Simted Battle while making it through a sizeable obstacle course; the Timeframe you have toplete this Quest is determined by the Difficulty Setting you Choose.-

    -Please choose the Difficulty Setting you wish to partake in. *Reminder, a higher Difficulty Setting will result in better Rewards.-

    -Difficulties below Expert will be removed since you have multiple Stats that have Reached their Cap.-

    -Expert, Master, Grandmaster, Legend.-

    Crossing his arms, Benny frowned as he read through the brief description of his Tribtion Quest. The fact that he was the only member of MyrkLys to cap all of his Stats spiked the Difficulty of his Quest, turning it from a simple Trial Quest, into a Tribtion Quest, just like what had happened with Cynrik and Brance.

    His eyes momentarily flicked to the Legend Setting before quickly tossing out that idea. Sure, it would be awesome if he couldplete it since with significant riskes great reward, but Benny was more intelligent than that.

    ''Legend is off the table, and so is Expert, being opposite ends of the spectrum, one is too hard, while the other would be too easy, leaving only Master and Grandmaster.'' Taking a deep breath, Benny brought his hand to his chin and began pacing back and forth, lost in thought.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 405 Tribulation Quest Benny

    ''Legend is off the table, and so is Expert, being opposite ends of the spectrum, one is too hard, while the other would be too easy, leaving only Master and Grandmaster.'' Taking a deep breath, Benny brought his hand to his chin and began pacing back and forth, lost in thought.

    ''Master or Grandmaster, which one do I choose? If I want to push myself to the limit, then Grandmaster is the optimal choice; however, if I want to keep some semnce of normalcy and safety in mind, then¡­'' Heaving a sigh, Benny made up his mind to choose the Master Difficulty.

    ''There is no telling what this quest entails, the description is so vague, and if my assumption is correct, then the fine details will be revealed after choosing my difficulty.'' Stopping to stand still, Benny tilted his head to the side and popped his neck, a habit he learned from Cynrik and Brance.

    "Right, gotta gear up; there is no telling what I will be against. The quest description said I have to fight things while doing an obstacle course challenge." Waving his hands, Benny smiled warmly as a rugged and unrefined Estoc appeared in his right hand and a crudely made Aspis in the other.

    The two weapons were the result of his hard work, and although imperfect and crafted by an amateur, they were his.

    -SanHop Estoc-

    -Tier-2: Special Grade (Growth)

    -ssification: Spirit Armament Sword (Infant Affinity Soul)-

    -Bound to Benjamin Sanford. (Unable to be wielded or handled by anyone except the Being it is bound to)-

    -Previously an Estoc forged by Rookie Spirit Smith, Benjamin Sanford, but after undergoing The [Hoplite''s Weapon Bond Ritual], It has undergone a dramatic change, giving birth to an Infant Affinity Soul.-

    -Growth Proficiency: 29%. (Each Increase in Proficiency =1% of Users Base Stats.)-

    -+348 Strength.-

    -+348 Dexterity.-

    -Durability: 13920/13920 (Linked with VIT of SanHop Aspis)-

    -Special Ability: Weight Modification- By channeling Mana with equal parts of all your Affinities, you can change the weight of this weapon at will. Maximum weight Modification is five times the base weight.-

    -Base Weight: 50 kg *110 LBS*

    -SanHop Aspis-

    -Tier-2: Special Grade (Growth)

    -ssification: Spirit Armament Shield (Infant Affinity Soul)-

    -Bound to Benjamin Sanford. (Unable to be wielded or handled by anyone except the Being it is bound to)-

    -Previously a double crescent Aspis forged by Rookie Spirit Smith, Benjamin Sanford, but after undergoing The [Hoplite''s Weapon Bond Ritual], It has undergone a dramatic change, giving birth to an Infant Affinity Soul.-

    -Growth Proficiency: 29%. (Each Increase in Proficiency =1% of Users Base Stats.)-

    -+348 Vitality.-

    -Durability (HP): 13920/13920.- *Based on Tier-2 Modifier.*

    -Special Ability: Wielder Gains additional Stamina Based on the VIT stat of this Armament. (6960)

    As Benny spun his Estoc in a tight circle, the de vibrated as it cut through the air, as if happy to be in Benny''s hand. The same could be said about the Aspis resting tightly on his left forearm. It, too, appeared to be d it wasn''t in his inventory any longer.

    "Hehe, I know you both are excited to be out, but we have a tough battle ahead of us, and I have no clue what to expect," Benny said as he brought both weapons up and spoke softly to them.

    In response, the sword and shield hummed in excitement.

    Looking over the crude craftsmanship of the Aspis and Estoc, Benny felt a little sad that he couldn''t make them look more impressive, but since they were Growth Weapons, as they got stronger, hopefully, the imperfections he could see with his naked eye would be fixed up.

    The SanHop Estoc was a mixture of Red and Blue, just like his hair, indicating that it had a high conductivity with both Fire and Water Mana, or in this case, Temperature, and the same could be said about the Aspis.

    The de extended out a total of 1.6 meters *5.24 feet*, the Estoc felt hefty and bnced in his hand as its X-shaped cross-section''s edges were blunt, yet the point on the end of the de was extremely sharp. Compared to what he was used to, his SanHop Estoc was much longer and had a hilt about half a meter long *0.7 Meters or 2.29 feet*.

    When it came to decorations, the sword was rtivelyckluster, and no one would scramble to steal his weapon any time soon since it looked as basic as possible.

    Meanwhile, the Aspis was a different case altogether. With a diameter of 1.5 meters *4.9 feet*, the double crescents dipping inward from the left and right of the shield gave it apletely different feeling from what a standard spartan shield would. As opposed to being a giant circle, it looked like someone had taken bites out of the shield''s left and right sides.

    The shiny two-toned red and blue metal had no emblem or details and was practically a nk te.

    Feeling calmer with his weapons in hand, Benny equipped his armor, which like everyone else in the Faction, was a unique Epic Grade Set, the MyrkLys Hoplite Set.

    -MyrkLys Hoplite Set: Epic Ranked.-<sub> </sub>

    -1 piece: 25% buff to Stamina.-

    -3 pieces: 25% buff to Crit Rate.-

    -5 pieces: 50% buff to Physical and Metaphysical Damage resistance.-

    However, unlike everyone else in MyrkLys, who had seven pieces in their sets, Benny only had Five, and that was because neither his Aspis nor Estoc could gain the added ability. Still, with the buffs from his Spartan Helmet, sleeveless leather chest piece, vambraces, and shin guards, the five-piece armor set turned Benny into the spitting image of a spartan warrior, giant red/blue mohawk included.

    All of his equipment was in the same Red and Blue tone as his weapons, and the leather Chestpiece hugged his body so tightly that you could see the definition of his abdominal and pectoral muscles through the leather.

    The body armor covered him by extending down to his hips and wrapping around his waist. It tapered off into segmented skirting, leaving his thighs slightly covered yet exposed if not for the athletic pants he was wearing.

    The helmet was filled with sharp edges, giving him a fierce image while allowing him a full, unhindered view, even with the nose covered.

    Like the chest piece, the vambraces and shin guards were formed out of the same leather and fit to the point where they didn''t hinder his movement while allowing for maximum protection, with the shin guards covering from his ankles all the way midway up his thighs.

    The only thing Benny was missing was the typical spartan Cape, which Cynrikpletely disregarded with the thought, ''Capes are fucking stupid.''

    Fully decked out in his gear, Benny walked up to the floating monitor and pressed the Master Difficulty without hesitation.

    -You have selected the Master Difficulty, adjusting the settings and parameters for your Tribtion Quest.-

    -In five minutes, you will be transferred to a Virtual realm. This virtual realm will be sectioned off into severalrge chambers.-

    -Upon being transferred to the first chamber, named Chamber Zero. Your level, stats, Tier, and Affinities will be rolled back, turning you into a Level 0 Tier-0 Existence.-

    -This change will be reflected in your Stats and Affinities as (Temporary).-

    -By sessfully clearing obstacles and defeating opponents, you will regain what you have lost.-

    -The boundary between Chambers is called a Checkpoint. To cross through the Checkpoint, you must have cleared every present obstacle and defeated every avable opponent, effectively reaching the Peak of that Chamber''s Tier.-

    -Since you have chosen the Master Difficulty, there are four chambers. Each chamber will have an allocated Respawn amount, meaning you can die that many times and still be able to pass the Quest.-

    -Respawns-

    -Chamber 0: One Respawn.-

    -Chamber 1: Two Respawns.-

    -Chamber 2: Three Respawns.-

    -Chamber 3: Four Respawns.-

    -Each chamber will have a time limit to clear, and if that timer Reaches Zero, you will lose a Respawn to refill the timer by 15 minutes.-

    -If you die and are out of respawns, or the timer runs out, and you are out of respawns, the Tribtion Quest will be considered Failed.-

    -To receive a passing grade on your Tribtion, you must clear at a minimum Chamber 2.-

    -Anomaly Detected.-

    -The presence of Two Spirit Armaments has been detected; their stats will reflect the changes in your own.-

    -Your equipment''s stats will be adjusted to reflect your progress in the Chambers.-

    Benny''s jaw flopped open as he read the lengthy description of his Tribtion Quest, each line more incredulous than thest. The thought of losing all his hard work over the years and starting back at square one horrified him, but that wasn''t even the worst part.

    Losing all your progress was terrible, but being forced into a situation where you needed to defeat opponents on top of clearing obstacle challenges, unnerved Benny greatly.

    It had been years since he broke through to Tier-1, and even so, he was significantly younger. Being forced to adjust to having his progress rolled back was undoubtedly the challenge''s most annoying and difficult part.

    Feeling his heart rate and breathing elerate, Benny gripped the handle of his Aspis and the Hilt of his Estoc tightly forfort. Thest thought he had before disintegrating into particles was¡­

    ''I should have fucking chosen Expert.''

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 406 Tribulation Quest Benny (2)

    ''I should have fucking chosen Expert.'' Benny finished his thought when his Body was put back together, and a sudden wave of nausea washed through every fiber of his being, causing him to copse to his knees without observing his immediate surroundings.

    After the particles restructured themselves, forming his Body, Benny was transported to a colorful room the size of one American football field *100 Yards or 91 meters.* filled with numerous gadgets.

    Clutching his chest and panting heavily, Benny was slow to collect himself and get back to his feet. The first thing he noticed was how weak he felt. Gone was the sense of superiority that came along with being Peak of Tier-2 and having all of his stats capped; instead, he felt weak and helpless as he moved his body around, performing a few calisthenic exercises such as jumping jacks and stretches.

    "Fuck, this is going to be rough," Benny thought aloud as he pulled up his Stat profile and flinched in dismay.

    ? : STATS :

    : HP 10/10 : (10 per point)

    : Mana 5/5: (5 per point)

    : Stamina 2/5 : (5 per point)

    : Strength- 01 :

    : Dexterity- 01 :

    : Agility- 01 :

    : Intelligence- 01 :

    : Vitality- 01 :

    : Mind- 01 :

    :(AG) Water-Tier-0 (Initial):

    |:(SAG) Ice-Tier-0 (Initial):

    :(AG)Fire-Tier-0 (Initial):

    :(SEC)Temperature-Tier-0 (Initial):

    "Crap, even before my first awakening, I shouldn''t have been this bad off; one point in every state is worse than most newborn babies." Wearing a grimace, Benny looked at his Estoc and Aspis resting on the ground where they had fallen when he copsed, thanks to the sudden onset of nausea.

    While Benny ruefully stored all of his equipment in his inventory and switched to a basic set of workout clothes, he said, "I don''t think I can use either of you yet; even wearing my armor is hard right now; when I gain some points, I will summon you back."

    After closing his eyes and trying to feel the Ambient Mana particles around him, Benny found that everything from his Codex to his Body had fallen back down to Tier-0, as pre-exined.

    Worst of all, just wearing his armor had drained his Stamina down to 2 points. Had he been any slower in changing out of his equipment, there was no doubt that Benny would have passed out from exhaustion.

    -Wee to your Tribtion Quest.-

    -You are presently in Chamber 0.-

    -Ten obstacles need to bepleted in this Chamber.-

    -Obstacle one, Cross the beam and reach the opposite side of the pool.-

    -Time remaining in Chamber 0: 30 minutes.-

    Squinting his eyes to attempt and see the opposite end of the room, Benny heaved a sigh and calmly walked forward a few meters until he arrived at a wooden nk situated 25 meters above a pool filled with pristine water.

    The distance from one side of the pool to the other was negligible, so much so that if he were in peak form, Benny wouldn''t even have to think to jump over it quickly, yet now, even walking across it at a brisk pace seemed like a daunting task thanks to his abysmal Stamina.

    Sitting in front of the nk, Benny closed his eyes and allowed his Stamina to replenish, which wasted a full 2 minutes, but once it was done, he got up and crossed the nk, albeit wobbly and uncoordinated.

    -You havepleted Obstacle 1/10.-

    -You have Leveled up.-

    -All of your stats have increased to 10.-

    Feeling the burst of energy in his body, Benny smiled and moved on to the second Obstacle, adder that led to a tform 30 meters above.

    Looking up and analyzing it carefully, Benny grabbed the sturdy and firm arm-thick rope before pulling down and stepping up with his right leg first. It took a few minutes, but eventually, Benny scrambled his way up to the top of the tform after figuring out how to conduct himself.

    Once reaching the top, he rolled onto his back, panting as if he had run a marathon.

    ''Damn weak stats; why don''t I remember things being this hard when I was a kid?'' Bennyined in his mind before struggling back to his feet and reading the notifications from the Passing Down Interface.

    -You havepleted Obstacle 2/10.-

    -You have Leveled up.-

    -All of your stats have increased by 10 points.-

    Opening his Profile and seeing that all his stats had reached 20 points, he smiled and waited for the burst of energy to calm down. Then with renewed vigor, Benny cleared one Obstacle after another, only struggling on thest Obstacle where he had to dodge spiked balls shot out of strange cannons.

    -You havepleted Obstacle 10/10.-

    -You have Leveled up.-

    -All of your stats have increased by 10 points.-

    -You have seeded inpleting every challenge presented in Chamber 0. Please move to the Light Door at the Checkpoint, and move on to Chamber 1.-<sub> </sub>

    ncing briefly at his stats, which had all hit the 100-point Cap, Benny wasted no more time and briskly walked through what the Passing Down Interface called a "Light Door."

    -You have reached the first Checkpoint.-

    -You are presently in Chamber 1.-

    -20 obstacles need to bepleted in this Chamber.-

    -Obstacle one, Cross the beam and reach the opposite side of the pit without being knocked off by the Gaus Cannons.-

    -Time remaining in Chamber 1: One Hour.-

    "Eh? Another nk, oh crap, this one is far more dangerous." Stepping up to the Obstacle, Benny looked down and noticed thousands of sharp metal spikes 50 meters below. His eyes then scanned the left and right sides of the pool, where an impressive array of golden cannons were lined up side by side and pointing at the beam.

    "No point in waiting; this ce is twice as big as thest one, and from what I can tell, the Interface stepped up the challenges by arge margin." Taking a deep breath, Benny narrowed his eyes, tapped the toes of his right foot on the ground, and made a mad dash across the beam.

    The instant his foot stepped on the wooden nk, four cannons exploded withpressed air, expelling basketball-sized spikey projectiles.

    Without hesitation, Benny leaned side to side, narrowly avoiding being hit by the projectiles while never breaking his stride and keeping his bnce. Eventually, after a few minutes, he crossed that more than four times as long beam and stepped up to Obstacle Two.

    -You havepleted Obstacle 1/20.-

    -You have Evolved to Tier-1.-

    -All of your Affinities have Evolved to Tier-1.-

    -All of your stats have increased by 10 points.-

    Walking forward, Benny crossed over a marked circle drawn on the white-tiled ground where a training droid stood quietly instead of adder like what he faced in the previous Chamber.

    -You have reached Obstacle 2/20-

    -Defeat your opponent by either knocking them out of the marked area or dealing enough damage to signify a kill.-

    Waving his hand, Benny''s Estoc instantly appeared. Before it could touch the ground, Benny channeled a mixed charge of all four of his Affinities, then grabbed the hilt and quickly activated its special ability to reduce its weight so that he could wield it at Tier-1.

    Then, with a spinning flourish, he rushed forward and attacked with a verticle thrust targeting the Droid''s center mass *Chest*. Unfortunately, though, this Droid wasn''t Early Tier-1 like, Benny and was, instead, Mid-Tier-1. Thus it quickly sidestepped his attack, and before Benny''s wide eyes, it flicked its arms, turning them into insanely sharp-looking des before fighting back.

    Frowning at the Droid''s quick reaction and sensing that it was stronger than him, Benny adjusted on the fly and went on the defensive while channeling a small burst of Water Mana into his left hand. Meanwhile, his right hand, wielding the Estoc, gracefully parried and blocked every iing attack.

    It took Benny five minutes of back-and-forthbat with the Droid before he could finally create an opening. Once he did, Benny''s left hand pointed up, and he fired off a condensed and focused jet of Water Mana directly into the head of the Droid, exploding it into fragments of metal.

    -You havepleted Obstacle 2/20.-

    -You have leveled up.-

    -All of your stats have increased by 10 points.-

    Exhaling sharply, Benny rolled out his shoulder and stored his Estoc back in his inventory to save on Stamina before opening his Status Profile and checking his Resource Stats.

    : STATS :

    : HP 1135/1400 : (20 per point)

    : Mana 289/700 : (10 per point)

    : Stamina 376/700 : (10 per point)

    : Strength- 120 :

    : Dexterity- 120 :

    : Agility- 120 :

    : Intelligence- 120 :

    : Vitality- 120 :

    : Mind- 120 :

    :(AG) Water-Tier-1 (Initial):

    |:(SAG) Ice-Tier-1 (Initial):

    :(AG)Fire-Tier-1 (Initial):

    :(SEC)Temperature-Tier-1 (Initial):

    "Ugh, I never thought I''d see the day I got my butt handed to me by one of those training Droids, let alone one only at Mid-Tier-1." Clicking his tongue, Benny aggressively kicked the disabled headless Droid and made his way over to the 3rd Obstacle.

    What greeted him was a small square trampoline positioned below an angled talldder.

    "What the hell¡­is this some gameshow now? It was bad enough having to do menial Obstacles, but this, this is just stupid." Bennyined before preparing a running start, bouncing off the trampoline, and then grabbing hold of theting.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 407 Tribulation Quest Benny (3)

    One Obstacle after another, Benny slowly and methodically worked through each challenge, progressively obtaining his lost powers as time ticked away. Benny''s challenges pushed him to the test by climbing things, crossing over thin ledges, and even having to venture across a long stretch of hanging bars under the pressure of several G''s of gravitational force.

    Then there were thebative portions, where he was pitted against opponents stronger than thest pushing him to the brink of exhaustion. But eventually, he made it to the end of Chamber 2 and stood outside the Checkpoint leading to Chamber 3, drenched in sweat and decked out in his equipment.

    -You havepleted Obstacle 35/35.-

    -You have leveled up.-

    -All your stats have reached the Tier-2 Stat Cap of 1200 points.-

    -You have reached the third Checkpoint and may now pass through to the Final Chamber, Chamber 3.-

    -You have met the requirements to receive a passing Grade on your Tribtion Quest.-

    -You can receive additional rewards and Benefits if you attempt the Obstacles and Opponents presented in Chamber 3.-

    - 50 Obstacles or Opponents must bepleted or defeated in Chamber 3.-

    -Obstacle one, Sensory deprivation crossing. Just like all the previous initial challenges presented in each Chamber, you will have to begin your trek by crossing across arge pit, only this time, things are vastly moreplicated.-

    -Time remaining in Chamber 3: 12 Hours.-

    Taking a moment to bring up his Status and double-check everything was in order, Benny took a deep and calming breath before stepping through the Light Door leading to the final Chamber, Chamber 3.

    The instant he stepped through, Benny felt something was off, and it took a moment to realize that the natural gravity in thest Chamber was set to 5g.

    Luckily, since all his previous progress had been returned, Benny''s Gravitational Resistance had returned to 15g, so after flexing his muscles, he felt just fine.

    However, looking forward, Benny could see a strange hazy effect urring deeper into the Chamber he observed.

    ''Grav Shimmer¡­'' Benny thought as he recognized the effect,parable to what one would see on streets during a sweltering day.

    ''The fact that there is visible evidence is proof enough that the gravity will consistently increase the further I go, 100, 200, 500¡­shit, this Chamber is at least a thousand Meters wide, maybe even more.'' Nodding his head and wearing a slight smirk, Benny covered the distance of several dozen meters before arriving at the First Obstacle.

    Standing before a chain-link and flimsy-looking Bridge, Benny stopped and carefully examined the first Obstacle while reading the brief description of the Passing Down Interface.

    ''Tsk, Sensory Deprivation, that can''t be good. So I assume that means the moment I step foot on the Bridge, all my senses, such as touch and sight, will be shut off; this will suck.'' Storing his Aspis and Estoc in their holsters on his back, Benny mentally prepared himself and stepped onto the wobbly Bridge with his right foot.

    As expected, the instant his body crossed the imaginary boundary leading to the first Obstacle, all five of his senses were shut off, drowning him in a silent, pitch-ck world of emptiness.

    ''Crap, I feel like I am floating; how the hell am I supposed to move if I can''t even feel my body anymore. This makes no sense. Am I still walking? Am I standing in ce? I can''t even tell anymore!'' Benny cried internally since he couldn''t determine his up from down any longer.

    But that all changed as suddenly his vision cleared up, and the world around him came back into view. Unfortunately, it wasn''t good that this happened, as he soon found himself writhing on the ground in pain, fighting back the urge to scream bloody murder.

    "RAHHh AHH AHHHHHH," Benny screamed as every fiber of his being seemed to be torn apart at that moment. Blood oozed from thousands of micro cuts that had appeared all over his body, and it leaked out in streams from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.

    For 20 minutes, Benny continued to roll around in agony gripping his chest or face to try and relieve some of the pain he was experiencing, but nothing helped.

    When the intense pain finally did subside, Benny found himselfying on his back, syed out like a starfish, and gazing nkly at the white tile ceiling with a cluster of notifications floating in his vision.

    -You are under attack by the First through Fifth Opponents hidden in the First Obstacle.-

    -You have suffered catastrophic damage.-

    -You are losing all bodily functions.-

    -You have died.-

    -Now Being Respawned outside of the First Obstacle.-<sub> </sub>

    -You have used one of your Four Respawns and only have Three Remaining.-

    "Who am I? Where am I? What was I doing?" Benny mumbled as hey in ce, too exhausted to move.

    "Oh, I guess I just died¡­that sucks," trying to get a hold of his turbulent thoughts, Benny''s eyes slowly regained their rity as his HP regenerated.

    "I died just like that? How long was I even in that sensory deprivation area?" Slowly sitting up and looking at the floating disy timer, Benny''s eyes narrowed as he realized it had been over an hour since he first entered the Obstacle.

    "Fuck, I wasted 1/12th of my time limit only to die. Setting aside that I can''t even determine how long that stupid Bridge is, I now know there are five opponents on it, meaning 6 of the 50 development points are in the first Obstacle."

    Getting back to his feet with some effort, Benny withdrew several Health Potions and Stamina potions before chugging them down and recouping all his losses.

    Next, he drew his Aspis and Estoc from their holsters on his back and checked them over for damage. Once he was assured that both were in peak form, only then did Benny attempt the first Obstacle a second time.

    Yet, just like the first attempt, an hourter, he found himself in the same position,ying in a pool of blood with visible damage to his armor, and this time, both his weapons had lost 1/4th of their HP as well.

    "At least the second time wasn''t as bad as the first; I think the violent pain and spasms simply caught me off guard," Benny grumbled as he healed himself up and got ready for his third attempt.

    Unlike the previous two tries, Benny figured out a vital piece of information this time. Although all his senses were effectively shut off, that didn''t mean that the strange feelings of his Spirit Armaments were.

    Though the Aspis and Estoc only had Infant Affinity Souls and were no different from newborn babies mentally, they nevertheless had a semnce of intelligence. As a result, they could course-correct Benny''s limbs to some extent, assisting him in deflecting or redirecting iing attacks, so long as they were supplied with enough Mana by Benny.

    Like this, Benny made it significantly further on the third attempt, but in the end, the result was rtively the same, him lying on the ground bleeding and in pain. Still, one significant difference had urred this time, and it wasn''t until he read through the notifications that Benny found out what had happened.

    -You are under attack by the First through Fifth Opponents hidden in the First Obstacle.-

    -You have perfectly redirected a ranged attack from the Second Opponent and subsequently killed them.-

    -You have Evolved to Tier-3, Leveled up, and obtained 50 Points in Every Stat.-

    -You have Killed the Fourth Opponent with a stray attack.-

    -You have Leveled up.-

    -You have obtained 50 points in every Stat.-

    -You have suffered catastrophic damage.-

    -You are losing all bodily functions.-

    -You have died.-

    -Now Being Respawned outside of the First Obstacle.-

    -You have used your third Respawn and only have One Remaining.-

    "Hehe, HAHAHA! GOOD WORK, YOU GUYS!" Benny cheerfully praised both his weapons while looking through his newly improved Tier-3 stats with an additional 100 points.

    Benny smirked, jumping back to his feet and performing a few swift punches and kicks, followed by shes with his Estoc.

    "Only one respawn left, three opponents, and the actual bridge to cross remaining." Benny thought aloud as he chugged down several of each Potion type to bring his Resource Stats back to full capacity.

    In both hands, his Aspis and Estoc shared the happy emotions they felt from their Master and vibrated with a slight hum, showing they, too, were excited.

    "It''s no longer about passing the whole Chamber; I will be happy just making it through this Obstacle, so that means I will be relying on you two; if you need more Mana, go ahead and draw whatever you need." With that said, Benny began channeling arge amount of Mana into his right hand and left forearm, giving the two weapons abundant energy to draw from before rushing forward back onto the Bridge for the fourth time

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 408 Tier-3 Evolution Benny

    *Link to EVO CHAPTERS Soundtrack is in DISCORD, Bonus Chapter Tomorrow for Meeting Power Stone Goal.*

    ---

    Laying on his back, beaten, broken, and bloody, Benny couldn''t stop smiling, and with a wheeze, a sharpugh escaped his lips as his eyes read through the notifications floating harmlessly in the space not far from his face.

    -You are under attack by the First, third, and Fifth Opponents hidden within the First Obstacle.-

    -You have Killed the First Opponent by redirecting a chain of attacks with your Aspis.-

    -You have Leveled up.-

    -You have obtained 50 points in every Stat.-

    -You have Killed the Third Opponent with a stray projectile attack.-

    -You have Leveled up.-

    -You have obtained 50 points in every Stat.-

    -You have Killed the Fifth Opponent with a crushing blow.-

    -You have Leveled up.-

    -You have obtained 50 points in every Stat.-

    -You havepleted Obstacle One, the Sensory Deprivation Crossing.-

    -You have Leveled up.-

    -You have obtained 50 points in every Stat.-

    -Remaining Obstacles or Opponents in Chamber 3: 44/50-

    -Time remaining in Chamber 3: 8 hours 23 minutes.-

    "Ha, haha, damn, this hurts, but still, we did it. We actually did it!" Benny cheered as he weakly held up his Aspis and Estoc, which weren''t looking great due to their sustained damage.

    Benny felt exhrated when he felt the adrenaline rush ofpleting a seemingly impossible task, on top of the new energy coursing through his body as all his stats broke past 1500 points.

    "1500 points in every stat, I''m not far behind Brancie and Cyn, so this is how strong they are." Resting his weapons beside him, Benny opened and closed his hand a few times and felt the vast amount of strength coursing through his body.

    Sitting up and resting his elbows on his knees, Benny nced at the timer and sighed heavily. He had wasted a lot of time, and all four of his respawns but had finally seeded in beating the Obstacle that had killed him repeatedly.

    Benny then rubbed his chin, examined his Resource stats, and knew this was the end of the line.

    : HP 3383/65000 : (80 per point)

    : Mana 1998/32500 : (40 per point)

    : Stamina 2201/32500 : (40 per point)

    Setting aside that his stats were vastly differentpared to his ones before entering the Tribtion quest, especially his Mana, which before was only at 19.7k, Benny couldn''t help but sigh once again.

    As a result of having already burned all of his potions, he had to watch as his HP continuously dropped, so it was only a matter of time before he died.

    Thankfully, he had already received the notification stating he had passed his Tribtion, so although it sucked that it wasn''t possible to progress any further, he was still proud of himself for beating that bridge crossing.

    Storing his weapons and armor back in his inventory and leaving himself clothed only in the form-fitting athletic gear, Benny closed his eyes and resigned himself to his fate, which came only a few minutester.

    If his eyes were open, he would have seen the streams of notifications popping up.

    -You have suffered catastrophic damage.-

    -You are losing all bodily functions.-

    -You have died.-

    -The Tribtion Quest has concluded.-

    -You have passed your Tribtion quest with an SS Rating.-

    -Commencing Tier-3 Evolution.-

    Unlike what Benny expected, at first, there was no pain, only a spark of light in his eyes, simr to what one would experience after a severe head injury. The kind where shes of explosive dots paint your vision.

    When he opened his eyes, Benny was staring at the ck void created within the Aether Capsule, but that was when things changed. He only had half a second to catch his breath before every muscle in his body spasmed.

    His nerves and brain took a few minutes to register the earth-shattering pain associated with the Tier-3 Evolution since he had just experienced death five times and had been injured on 95% of his body.

    But when the pain inevitably hit Benny, it was so bad that his eyesight shed bright red. He was thrown into a never-ending cycle of deconstruction and reconstruction as all the Mana in his body expanded rapidly before condensing and breaking down, followed by reassembling itself.<sub> </sub>

    Since everything, including his body, was made of Mana, it shouldn''t be a shock that Benny''s bones, muscles, and skin practically melted. Liquefication would be the next thing to ur. Within seconds, Benny transformed into an unimaginable abomination, somewhere between a bloody puddle and a meatball.

    Soon after his body was destroyed, it would magically reconstruct itself, then start over. This process was called Breathing Mana Life, and it was the most crucial part of breaking through to the next Stage.

    Every Level or collection of Essence that urs in the Mortal Stage serves the purpose of building a stable and solid foundation that can be built upon, like a tower.

    If the bottom floors aren''t strong enough, what else could happen except aplete copse? Luckily, Benny had forged his body, spirit, and mind, tempering them through Cynrik''s absurd training. Afterpleting all of the previous Prestige Modes, Benny was in peak form and the only non-legacy charge in the group to have maxed out his stats.

    As such, when it came to the trio of Benny, Melody, and Gabby, he was in the best position physically and, thus, had a slightly easier time undergoing the Evolution than the other two would.

    At some point, Benny''s consciousness faded. When he opened his eyes, he was astounded to find himself in an ethereal state floating above an enormous world of Fire and Ice that housed four separate continents. To the north was a barren desert filled with mes. To the south, an arctic tundra dotted with howling blizzards. To the East was a vast Sea that stretched as far as the eye could see.

    Andst but not least, to the west was and that Benny could only gasp in shock upon observing. It was as if all three continents had spawned a child, one that had formed a magicalnd where all threends had merged into one.

    Realization dawned on Benny as he noticed that each of these four continents represented his Four Affinities, Fire, Water, Ice, and Temperature.

    "This¡­is this my Sea of Consciousness?" Benny absentmindedly said aloud as he floated high above the different continents. However, his attention was soon stolen by the never-ending chain of messages appearing due to his Evolution.

    -Continuing passed the 50% mark of your Evolution.-

    -Breathing Mana Life Cycle has beenpleted 65 times.-

    -Burning all Excess Essence stored in the Essence Pool.-

    -Your Mana Body has been entirely constructed.-

    -Zero ws or Anomalies found with Mana Body Construction.-

    -You have developed your Sea of Consciousness, SOC. You may enter it to recover from Soul Damage or to Cultivate your inner power.-

    -Distributing Rewards from thepletion of the Master Ranked Tribtion Quest.-

    -Tier-3 Resource Stat Modifier has increased from the standard 40 HP per point, 20 MP per point, and 20 STAM per point, to 80, 40, 40.-

    -You Will Now receive 15 Free Allocation Points and 4 Skill Points Each time you increase your Primary Level.-

    -You Will Now receive 3 Free Allocation Points and 3 Skill points each time you increase your ss or Sub-ss Level.-

    -Your Tier-3 AG Water Affinity has Evolved into Tier-3 Water Maniption.-

    -Your Tier-2 SAG Ice Affinity has Evolved into Tier-3 Ice Maniption.-

    -Your Tier-2 AG Fire Affinity has Evolved into Tier-3 Soft Fire Maniption.-

    -Your Tier-3 SEC Temperature Affinity has Evolved into Tier-3 Temperature Maniption.-

    -All of your Maniptions are presently at the Initial Stage.

    -Your Stats have undergone a restructuring, and any impurities found have been eliminated.-

    -The Titles Perfect Foundation and Reforged have been recognized and changed to Perfect Evolution.-

    -You have broken the restraints holding you in the Mortal Stage and Advanced into the Supernatural Stage.-

    -Your Mana Veins have fully formed.-

    -Your Mana Codex has grown significantly.-

    -A New Stat has been Added to your Distribution, Dexterity.-

    -Your Distribution has increased from 2 to 3 points per level.-

    -Your profile has been upgraded to Tier-3.-

    -Your Primary Level has changed from Level 35 to Level Zero; the new cap is set to 50.-

    -All Basic Stats have increased to 1800 points.

    -Your Stat Cap has increased to 5400 points.-

    -You no longer can use Standard Essence to Increase your Level; you are required to use a higher form of Energy, SPN Stage Essence.*SPN-XP*-

    -One point of SPN-XP is equivalent to 10k Essence.-

    -The conversion of XP to SPN-XP can be done, but it is time-consuming and must be done within the SOC.-

    Benny''s astral jaw nearly hit the floor as he read through wave after wave of notifications. Calling the rewards from this Evolution Lucrative would be a bald-faced lie. Unable to restrain himself any longer, he quickly waved his hand and opened his new Status Profile.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 409 Tier-3 Evolution Melody

    Benny''s astral jaw nearly hit the floor as he read through wave after wave of notifications. Calling the rewards from this Evolution Lucrative would be a bald-faced lie. Unable to restrain himself any longer, he quickly waved his hand and opened his new Status Profile.

    What he saw astounded him to no end, mainly because he was currently in an Astral State and not back in his body; thus, he could not feel the significant changes his body had gone through.

    : Status :

    : Benjamin Sanford (Benny):

    : Title - Perfect Clear Expert, Perfect Evolution :

    : Human Male:

    : Age-13 :

    : Tier-3 :

    : Supernatural Stage :

    : Primary ss - NONE :

    :Former: Tier-2 Hoplite-Vanguard : (+7 DEX, +7 AGI, +7 VIT Distribution)

    :Former: Tier-1 Warrior : (+2 To STR,VIT Distribution)

    : Sub-ss - NONE :

    :Former: Tier-2 Basic Spirit Armament Smith : (+7 STR, +7 DEX, +7 MIND Distribution)

    : Level: 0/50 0/100: :

    : SPN Stage Essence Pool(SPN-XP): 0 :

    : P-ss (None) :

    : S-ss (None) :

    : Distribution: 3(9) STR, 3(14) DEX, 0(7) AGI, 0(0) INT, 3(9) VIT, 0(7) MIND :

    : Mana Codex & Veins Tier-3 :

    : Stage 4 :

    : Mana Body - Tier-3, 15g Resistance :

    : Credits: 213,045 :

    : Merit Points: 5200 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 89,000/89,000 :

    : Mana 44,500/44,500 :

    : Stamina 44,500/44,500 :

    : Stat Points- 0 : (15 per Level) ss (3)

    : Skill Points- 466 : (4 per level) ss (3)

    : Strength- 1800 :

    : Dexterity- 1800 :

    : Agility- 1800 :

    : Intelligence- 1800 :

    : Vitality- 1800 :

    : Mind- 1800 :

    : COLD Resistance- 50 :

    : HEAT Resistance- 50 :

    : Killing Intent- 722 ¨C 6.50 G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(AG) Tier-3 Water Maniption (Initial):

    :(AG) Tier-3 SoftFire Maniption (Initial):

    :(SAG) Tier-3 Ice Maniption (Initial):

    :(SEC)Tier-3 Temperature Maniption (Initial):

    Aside from the noticeable changes to his Status and Affinities, the most significant shift Benny could see came from how high his MP had grown.

    "Holy shit¡­44.5k Mana¡­.how is that even possible? That''s almost three times as much MP as I had before." Scrolling back through his notifications, Benny stopped at a specific line detailing how his Mana body had been constructed.

    "Mana Body? What the heck is that? UGH, Damn it, Cynrik, because you are always rushing us to level up; we don''t even know what we are getting ourselves into. Tier-3 Is something you are only supposed to enter when you reach theter years at the Academy."

    Benny couldn''t help but feel nervous while he grit his teeth as there were many new words on his Status Profile, such as Mana Veins and SPN-XP; hell, even the fact that he had built something called a Mana Body confused him to no end.

    "Sigh, it looks like we will be experiencing several sleepless nights of studying in the future." Facepalming as he spoke, Benny''s eyes flicked to his new Stats and the notification of his Stat Cap rising to 5400.

    "1800 to 5400, that is a LONG road, not to mention my Primary Level Cap is now 50, so I can assume it''s the same for my future ss and Sub-ss." Massaging the back of his Astral neck, Benny soon dropped his hands to his side and floated in the vast open space of his SOC.

    "I Finally gained my Sea of Consciousness; I guess I will spend a lot of time here in the future. Hmm, maybe I should build a house or something." With that thought, Benny floated off to explore the four continents filled with Elemental Mana matching his Affinities; all the while, he waited patiently for his Evolution to be Completed.<sub> </sub>

    After being advised by his Chaperone ahead of time that it would take several hours to finish, Benny had nothing better to do.

    ---

    POV: Melody

    -Congrattions, you have signed a Spirit Contract with a Spirit who is Initial Tier-4. As such, your stats have increased exponentially.-

    -You have Passed your Trial Quest, With an S+ Rating. You will receive extra benefits uponpletion of your Tier-3 Evolution.-

    -Now Commencing Tier-3 Evolution.-

    "KYAHHH AHHHH AHHHHHHHHH!!!" Melody''s high-pitched screams could have been heard a mile away if the Aether Capsule weren''tpletely soundproof.

    Unlike Benny, who had juste off getting the shit kicked out of him by invisible opponents and even dying several times, Melody was thrown directly into the most hecious pain she had ever experienced whilstpletely unprepared.

    The moment she Completed her Trial Quest, every nerve in her body exploded with intense sensations that overstimted her brain. Even with the bea¡­physical conditioning Cynrik had been so gracious in giving her, nothing could have prepared the teenage girl for what she was feeling.

    Melody''s eyes melted in their sockets as blood oozed from every pore on her body as if trying to flee from an unseen enemy. Her teeth aged rapidly and soon turned to dust, along with every bone in her body. In a moment, Melody was nothing more than a bag of flesh,pletely boneless, until the Cycle of Breathing Mana Life sprang into action and repaired her from the ground up.

    -Continuing passed the 50% mark of your Evolution.-

    -Commencing Breathing Mana Life Cycle.-

    -Burning all Excess Essence stored in the Essence Pool.-

    Pure agony was the only way to describe what Melody was going through. The process of breaking one Mortal restraint and stepping into the next stage of Evolution was never a pretty sight. If she had never met Cynrik nor gone through his training, odds are she would have died the instant her body copsed during the first Cycle of Breathing Mana Life.

    The only thing Melody could do was thrash about and scream whenever her vocal cords reassembled until finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she appeared in an Astral Form high above a three-continent world.

    A Massive wind storm dominated one body ofnd, whereas the second was filled with jagged mountains. The third and final continent was the strangest one yet, as an enormous dust stormpletely blotted it out.

    -Breathing Mana Life Cycle has beenpleted 65 times.-

    -Your Mana Body has been entirely constructed.-

    -Zero ws or Anomalies found with Mana Body Construction.-

    Before Melody could look around and examine the exciting sights of her SOC, the flood of notifications stole her attention.

    -You have developed your Sea of Consciousness, SOC. You may enter it to recover from Soul Damage or to Cultivate your inner power.-

    -Distributing Rewards from thepletion of the Advanced Ranked Trial Quest.-

    -Special Physique has been detected, adjusting Resource Stat Modifier.-

    -Tier-3 Resource Stat Modifier has increased from 20 HP per point, 40 MP per point, and 5 STAM per point, to 40, 80, 10.-

    -You Will Now receive 10 Free Allocation Points and 4 Skill Points Each time you increase your Primary Level.-

    -You Will Now receive 3 Free Allocation Points and 3 Skill points each time you increase your ss or Sub-ss Level.-

    -Your Tier-3 BG Wind Affinity has Evolved into Tier-3 Wind Maniption.-

    -Your Tier-3 BG Terra Affinity has Evolved into Tier-3 Terra Maniption.-

    -Your Tier-2 SBG Dust Affinity has Evolved into Tier-2 Dust Maniption.-

    -All of your Maniptions are presently at the Initial Stage.

    -The Titles Perfect Foundation and Reforged have been recognized and changed to Perfect Evolution.-

    -You have broken the restraints holding you in the Mortal Stage and Advanced into the Supernatural Stage.-

    -Your Mana Veins have fully formed.-

    -Your Mana Codex has grown slightly.-

    -Your Distribution has increased from 2 to 3 points per level.-

    -Your profile has been upgraded to Tier-3.-

    -Your Primary Level has changed from Level 35 to Level Zero; the new cap is set to 50.-

    -Your Intelligence, Vitality, and Mind Stats have increased to 1800 points.

    -Your Strength, Dexterity, and Agility Stats have increased to 1125 points.-

    -Your Stat Cap has increased to 5400 points.-

    -You no longer can use Standard Essence to Increase your Level; you are required to use a higher form of Energy, SPN Stage Essence.*SPN-XP*-

    -One point of SPN-XP is equivalent to 10k Essence.-

    -The conversion of XP to SPN-XP can be done, but it is time-consuming and must be done within the SOC.-

    "Hah, hah, what? That''s it, I thought¡­where are the special rewards I was promised?" Trying to catch her breath, Melody scrutinized the updates to her mind and body even though she was in an Astral State.

    Although sheined and felt entitled to more benefits, it had to be remembered that she had onlypleted an Advance Difficulty Trial quest, so the added benefits she could receive were nowhere near as grand as Benny''s.

    So although her Affinities had Evolved into Maniptions, they didn''t change in grade or get stronger, not to mention she didn''t receive a new Distribution Stat. There were more differences, but they hadn''t been revealed in the form of notifications as they were things that needed to be discovered through experimentation.

    Leaning back and floating helplessly, Melody felt wronged. Coming off the high ofpleting her Trial Quest and seeing the line about receiving additional rewards, she couldn''t help but be curious about what they could have been.

    Sure, she noticed things like her Affinities changing to Maniptions, but that was a given, considering he mother had informed her that Affinities were supposed to change due to Higher Stage Beings being able to control advanced Mana Particles.

    But the only thing Melody could feel was...average at a nce.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 410 Tier-3 Evolution Gabby **Bonus Chapter**

    Leaning back and floating helplessly, Melody felt wronged. Coming off the high ofpleting her Trial Quest and seeing the line about receiving additional rewards, she couldn''t help but be curious about what they could have been.

    Sure, she noticed things like her Affinities changing to Maniptions, but that was a given, considering he mother had informed her that Affinities were supposed to change due to Higher Stage Beings being able to control advanced Mana Particles.

    But the only thing Melody could feel was...average at a nce.

    Heaving a sigh, she finally gave in to temptation and looked through her New Tier-3 Status Profile.

    : Status :

    : Melody Gand (Dumb Sheltered Princess, DSP) :

    : Title - Sorcerer''s Physique, Perfect Evolution :

    : Human Female :

    : Age-14 :

    : Tier-3 :

    : Supernatural Stage :

    : Primary ss - NONE :

    :Former: Tier-2 Mage : (+7 INT, +7 MIND Distribution)

    :Former: Tier-1 Apprentice Mage : (+2 INT, +2 MIND Distribution)

    : Sub-ss - NONE :

    :Former: Tier-2 Apprentice Summoner : (+7 INT, +7 MIND Distribution)

    : Level: 0/50 0/100: :

    : SPN Stage Essence Pool(SPN-XP): 0 :

    : P-ss (None):

    : S-ss (None):

    : Distribution: 0(0) STR, 0(0) DEX, 0(0) AGI, 3(16) INT, 0(0) VIT, 3(16) MIND :

    : Mana Codex & Veins Tier-3 :

    : Stage 5 :

    : Mana Body - Tier-3, 15g Resistance :

    : Credits: 9,144,883 :

    : Merit Points: 667 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 44,500/44,500 : 40 Per Point

    : Mana 92,750/92,750 : 80 Per Point

    : Stamina 11,125/11,125 : 10 Per Point

    : Stat Points- 0 : (15 per Level) ss (3)

    : Skill Points- 0 : (4 per level) ss (3)

    : Strength- 1125 :

    : Dexterity- 1125 :

    : Agility- 1125 :

    : Intelligence- 1800 :

    : Vitality- 1800 :

    : Mind- 1800 :

    : Will Power- 87 :

    : Killing Intent- 466 - 5.25 G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(BG) Tier-3 Wind Maniption (Initial):

    :(BG) Tier-3 Terra Maniption (Initial):

    :(SBG) Tier-2 Dust Maniption (Initial):

    Looking away from her Status Profile while wearing a frown, Melody fought back the urge to cry. Deep down, she knew it was wrong topare herself to the other members of MyrkLys, but as the most recent member and the weakest, doubt was creeping into her psyche the more time she spent with them.

    Especially since, during her training period, Cynrik was extremely hard on her. The faint hope that had taken root that if she did good enough on her Turning Point quest, they would praise her was vanquished when she saw that half of her stats hadn''t even broken through the Tier-2 Cap.

    Soon her eyes fell on her Affinities, and a bitter smile crept unto her lips as she gained proof that they hadn''t been powered up. At that moment, she could faintly hear Cynrik''s abusive preaching about potential oues involving their Evolution.

    "OI, DSP, get your head out of your Ass! I thought I told you to stop relying on the pathways created by your system when using Skills or Spells. There is no fucking telling how long you will have that little handicap, and the sooner you figure your shit out, the better off you will be!"

    CRACK

    "STOP FUCKING CONCENTRATING SO HARD, DSP!"

    CRACK

    "Are you going to sit there and let me wail on you, or will you fight back?" For days Cynrik beat her ck and blue in the name of conditioning. Eventually, Melody learned her lesson the hard way; now that she had Evolved and obtained her Elemental Maniptions, she knew it was time to try it out.

    Now, floating above the stormy nes of her SOC, Melody extended her Astral hand forward, felt out her new Mana Veins, and moved the liquid Mana through her body until a multiyered spell formation appeared directly in front of her.

    Taking the form of intricate glowing runic writing around a Threeyered circle, Melody silently cast the Tier-2 Spell, [Dust Prism], manifesting a small transparent gaseous cube.<sub> </sub>

    With the formation of her spell, the sad expression on Melody''s face vanished and was reced by a bright smile. All she had to do now was get used to this feeling, and then she could prove Cynrik wrong, as he had always called her useless.

    ---

    POV: Gabby

    -You have Passed your Trial Quest, With an SSS Rating. You will receive extra benefits uponpletion of your Tier-3 Evolution.-

    -Now Commencing Tier-3 Evolution.-

    "Ah, CRAP!!!" Her eyes snapping open, Gabby held Milo to her chest as tears streamed down her cheeks from the intense pain ring through her body.

    Meanwhile, Milo, who was being practically squished to death against Gabby''s chest, was struggling just as much as he became subjected to the intense fluctuations of Mana and Energy being emitted by Gabby''s body.

    That''s not all either; thanks to being present within the Chain Breaking Formation and the Passing Down Quest, he was undergoing an Evolution of sorts himself, albeit not as intense. Still, nheless, a change could be seen urring as the color of his fur began to shift to reflect his Affinities.

    Soon, Milo found himself submerged in the puddle of goo that Gabby had be, and if it weren''t for how dizzy he was because he, too, was in pain, he would have started freaking out.

    -Continuing passed the 50% mark of your Evolution.-

    -Commencing Breathing Mana Life Cycle.-

    -Burning all Excess Essence stored in the Essence Pool.-

    Neither Gabby nor Milo had the mental faculties to read the notifications as they scrolled by one after another.

    -Breathing Mana Life Cycle has beenpleted 65 times.-

    -Your Mana Body has been entirely constructed.-

    -Zero ws or Anomalies found with Mana Body Construction.-

    But all of a sudden, the pain stopped as Gabby and Milo were transported into her SOC. Unlike Benny or Melody''s SOC, Gabby''s was very different; it took the form of a never-ending forest covered in Amethyst mist. But most importantly, unlike the other two, who were in an Astral form when they arrived in their SOC, Gabby and Milo were bothpletely Solid, just like Cynrik and Brance were the first time they entered their SOC.

    "Milo, are you Ok?" Setting aside the notifications that continuously rolled in, Gabby worried more about her Beast Partner''s physical and mental state than her own.

    "Y¡­yeah Mama," looking up from Gabby''s arms, where he was being cradled like a baby, Milo said weakly and with a shakey child-like voice.

    "M..MILO, YOU SPOKE!! YOU SPOKE FOR REAL WITH YOUR VOCAL CORDS AND NOT YOUR MIND YEAYYY!!!"

    "Mhm, I... I can do that now ''cause I got stronger."

    Overwhelmed with excitement, Gabby nuzzled Milo''s soft furry face against her own before suddenly stopping and realizing his fur had changed color drastically.

    Like Benny''s hair, Milo''s fur was in three different shades from head to tail. Some strands were light Brown, others were vivid Green, andst but not least were the bloody Crimson strands that represented Milo''s Hema Affinity.

    Gabby wanted to question what was going on, but with notifications constantly appearing in her line of sight, she knew it was time to read through them, so she sidelined her thoughts and gave the scrolling text her full attention.

    -You have developed your Sea of Consciousness, SOC. You may enter it to recover from Soul Damage or to Cultivate your inner power.-

    -Distributing Rewards from thepletion of the Master Ranked Trial Quest.-

    -Your Stats have undergone a restructuring, and any impurities found have been eliminated.-

    -Tier-3 Resource Stat Modifier has increased from 40 HP per point, 20 MP per point, and 20 STAM per point, to 80, 40, 40.-

    -You Will Now receive 20 Free Allocation Points and 4 Skill Points Each time you increase your Primary Level.-

    -You Will Now receive 3 Free Allocation Points and 3 Skill points each time you increase your ss or Sub-ss Level.-

    -Your Tier-3 SBG Psychic Affinity has Evolved into its SAG Form.-

    -Your Tier-3 SAG Psychic Affinity has Evolved into Tier-3 Psychic Maniption.-

    -Your Tier-3 BG Chloro Affinity has Evolved into its AG Form.-

    -Your Tier-3 AG Chloro Affinity has Evolved into Tier-3 Chloro Maniption.-

    -Both of your Maniptions are presently at the Initial Stage.

    -The Titles Perfect Foundation and Reforged have been recognized and changed to Perfect Evolution.-

    -You have broken the restraints holding you in the Mortal Stage and Advanced into the Supernatural Stage.-

    -Your Mana Veins have fully formed.-

    -Your Mana Codex has grown greatly.-

    -Correcting the Impurity located deep in your Distribution. It was caused when you Obtained a Boost due to one of your sses.-

    -A New Stat has been Added to your Distribution, Agility.-

    -Your Distribution has increased from 2 to 3 points per level.-

    -Your profile has been upgraded to Tier-3.-

    -Your Primary Level has changed from Level 35 to Level Zero; the new cap is set to 50.-

    -Your Agility and Dexterity Stats have increased to 1800 points.

    -Your Strength, Intelligence, and Vitality Stats have increased to 1250 points.-

    -Your Mind Stat has increased to 1485 points.-

    -Your Stat Cap has increased to 5400 points.-

    -You no longer can use Standard Essence to Increase your Level; you are required to use a higher form of Energy, SPN Stage Essence.*SPN-XP*-

    -One point of SPN-XP is equivalent to 10k Essence.-

    -The conversion of XP to SPN-XP can be done, but it is time-consuming and must be done within the SOC.-

    -Your Beast Partner has undergone a Baptism of Mana and has grown alongside you.-

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 411 Tier-3 Evolution Gabby (2)

    -Your Stat Cap has increased to 5400 points.-

    -You no longer can use Standard Essence to Increase your Level; you are required to use a higher form of Energy, SPN Stage Essence.*SPN-XP*-

    -One point of SPN-XP is equivalent to 10k Essence.-

    -The conversion of XP to SPN-XP can be done, but it is time-consuming and must be done within the SOC.-

    -Your Beast Partner has undergone a Baptism of Mana and has grown alongside you.-

    -Your Beast Partner''s stats have increased by a modifier of 1.5.-

    Snuggling Milo against her cheek, Gabby''s eyes went wide with shock and awe as she read through the notifications, especially when she got to thest two lines about Milo.

    Gently pushing her kitten away and looking at his confused face at arm''s length, Gabby scrutinized Milo to see if there were any noticeable changes other than the color of his fur. But after a solid 30 seconds of this, she came up empty.

    "Mama? Is everything ok? Why are you showing me a weird face?" Milo asked with his cute childish voice.

    "Hmm, apparently, you underwent something called a Baptism of Mana, and I was checking to see if you had changed physically other than the color of your fur. Do you feel any different?" Gabby asked as she brought him back to her bosom and gingerly hugged him.

    "Em, I guess I feel stronger now? Mama, can''t you check my statty thingys? I remember Meanie Cyn saying I won''t have a window thingy like you guys until I reach Tier-3." Rubbing his head against Gabby, Milo squeaked out his answer as he nuzzled against her for warmth.

    "Hehe, silly Milo, I was just about to do that. Don''t forget; it is called a Status Profile and Stats. I wanted to know if YOU felt anything different first." Gabby quickly opened up Milo''s Status Profile while rolling her eyes at his antics.

    : Status :

    : Milo :

    : Smilodon-Th?s Male :

    : Age-0:

    : Tier-2 :

    : Level: 30 :

    : Essence(XP): 0 :

    : Distribution: 4 STR, 2 DEX, 2 AGI, 2 INT,4 VIT :

    : Mana Codex & Circuits Tier-3 :

    : Stage 4 :

    : Mana Body - Tier-3:

    : STATS :

    : HP 110,400/110,400 : 80 Per Point

    : Mana 16,740/16,740 : 20 Per Point

    : Stamina 41,100/41,100 : 30 Per Point

    : Stat Points- 0 : (25 per level)

    : Skill Points- 110 : (2 per level)

    : Strength- 1455 :

    : Dexterity- 900 :

    : Agility- 1050 :

    : Intelligence- 772 :

    : Vitality- 1455 :

    : Mind- 815 :

    : Affinity- :

    :(BG)Terra-Tier-3 (Adept):

    :(BG)Chloro-Tier-3 (Adept):

    :(SEC)Hema-Tier-3 (Adept):

    However, the results of her investigation caused Gabby to freeze in ce and nearly drop Milo.

    "What the HECK! MILO HONEY! YOU, YOU, HOW?" Gabby screeched as she read through how massive a 1.5 times modifier was on paper.

    She first noticed that Milo not only had a Mana Body, but his Codex had increased in Tier, from 2.5 to Tier-3. To top it all off, his Stage had increased from three to four.

    Next, she saw that Milo''s HP had broken through 100k thanks to his Resource Modifier, and his STR and VIT stats had shattered the standard 1200-point Stat Cap entirely.

    Lastly, her eyes finally fell on her kitten''s Affinities. For starters, everything had increased by 2 Tiers, from Tier-1 to Tier-3, and then from Beginner all the way up to Adept.

    With her lips curling up in a bright smile, exposing her pearly white teeth, Gabby nted several kisses on Milo''s forehead before praising him for getting stronger.

    Meanwhile, in her heart, she was chanting a line repeatedly.

    ''EAT THAT BIG BRO CYN; MY MILO IS WAY STRONGER THAN YOUR SILLY BIRDS, HAHAHA!''

    Although confused by how strange his Mama was acting, Milo wasn''t one to say no to forehead kisses and rubbies, so he simply allowed her to do as she pleased until Gabby finally calmed down.

    Once she had, Gabby exined the changes in his stats in a way he could understand. Still, after a few minutes of only causing him a headache, she inevitably gave up, sat down, ced Milo in herp, and finally examined her updated Stats.

    : Status :

    : Gabrie Sanford (Gabby):

    : Title - Perfect Clear Expert, Perfect Evolution :

    : Human Female :

    : Age-12 :

    : Tier-3 :

    : Supernatural Stage :

    : Primary ss - NONE :

    :Former: Tier-2 Huntress : (+7 DEX, +7 AGI Distribution)<sub> </sub>

    :Former: Tier-1 Archer : (+2 To DEX, +2 AGI Distribution)

    : Sub-ss - NONE :

    :Former: Tier-1 Basic Potioneer : (+7 DEX, +7 MIND Distribution)

    : Level: 0/50 0/100: :

    : SPN Stage Essence Pool(SPN-XP): 0 :

    : P-ss (None) :

    : S-ss (None) :

    : Distribution: 0(0) STR, 3(16) DEX, 3(9) AGI, 3(0) INT, 0(0) VIT, 3(7) MIND :

    : Mana Codex & Veins Tier-3 :

    : Stage 4 :

    : Mana Body - Tier-3, 15g Resistance :

    : Credits: 12,000 :

    : Merit Points: 15,636

    : STATS :

    : HP 53,000/53,000 : 80 Per Point

    : Mana 26,500/26,500 : 40 Per Point

    : Stamina 26,500/26,500 : 40 Per Point

    : Stat Points- 0 : (20 per level) ss (3)

    : Skill Points- 226 : (4 per level) ss (3)

    : Strength- 1250 :

    : Dexterity- 1800 :

    : Agility- 1800 :

    : Intelligence- 1250 :

    : Vitality- 1250 :

    : Mind- 1485 :

    : Partner Bond- 25% :

    : Killing Intent- 722 ¨C 6.50G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG) Tier-3 Psychic Maniption (Initial):

    :(AG) Tier-3 Chloro Maniption (Initial):

    The first thing Gabby noticed upon reading through her updates was that her Age now showed as 12. As she thought about it, she realized that it had been updated to reflect her absence while in the Egress.

    The way she saw it was if it showed up on hers, the odds were it would be the same for everyone else, meaning technically, they had a second birthday now. Knowing it was useless to dwell on, Gabby moved down and noticed she, too, had something called a Mana Body and Veins.

    Although confused, she knew there would be plenty of things she didn''t quite understand, primarily since information on higher Tiers was severely restricted.

    Upon reaching her Resource stats, Gabby''s eyes zed over while numbers flooded her mind, and she ran the math.

    ''53k HP, 26.5k MP, and STAM, aren''t these numbers too high?'' Gabby thought while zeroing in on her stats that were previously at 1000 points, primarily INT and VIT.

    ''The modifier¡­the new Tier-3 modifier was applied even though my stats were initially under the 1200 cap. That means that instead of getting 200 points at the 40 HP, 20 MP, and 20 STAM modifiers, I got 250 at 80, 40, and 40. Woah.'' Ruminating on that thought a little longer, Gabby narrowed her eyes and ran the numbers on her AGI and DEX, only to realize they were increased by 1.5 times instead of 1.25, like her STR, INT, VIT, and MIND stats.

    Once she noticed this fact, Gabby''s mind soon concluded that she had received a more considerable boost precisely because her DEX and AGI had reached the Cap.

    Sitting in silence, slowly petting Milo, Gabby concluded that her gains were indeed significant with this Evolution and couldn''t help but be excited to see everyone elses, especially her beloved Brancie''s stats.

    "Hmmm, we made out like bandits this time, Milo; our stats are pretty high now. I wonder what kind of quests everyone else had, though; I hope everyone is ok." Gabby mused as she leaned back on her hands and looked out over the open forest covered in Amethyst Fog.

    ---

    POV: Selene

    -You have Passed your Trial Quest, With an SSS Rating. You will receive extra benefits uponpletion of your Tier-3 Evolution.-

    -Now Commencing Tier-3 Evolution.-

    Selene wasn''t even given a chance to withdraw her Affinity Skills as her vision spun and the most intense pain she had ever experienced ran its course through her body.

    ''FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!'' After her consciousness shot back into her body in the Aether Capsule, Selene screamed internally as her body felt like it had been tossed into a wood chipper.

    ''HOW THE FUCK IS THIS SOMETHING A NORMAL PERSON IS SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE?'' Feeling the tears streaming down her cheeks, Selene couldn''t even thrash about as her body liquified and her bones turned to dust.

    -Continuing passed the 50% mark of your Evolution.-

    -Commencing Breathing Mana Life Cycle.-

    -Burning all Excess Essence stored in the Essence Pool.-

    ''Focus, focus, this is nothing; pain is merely weakness leaving the body. THIS IS NOTHING! COME AT ME, YOU OW OW OW OW FUCK!'' Having gone through several Evolutions and a childhood filled with physical abuse, Selene toughed her way through the pain like a champ and even went so far as to mentally curse the CSH hundreds of times in a matter of seconds.

    ''Everyone else is UGH, going through, FUCK, the same MOTHER FUCKING PAIN AS YOU, SELENE! STAY THE HELL AWAKE; THE SECOND YOU PASS OUT, IT''S ALL OVER!'' Pumping herself up with powerful speeches, the minutes ticked by as Tobs narrated every notification, which fell on deaf ears until finally, the pain ceased, and Selene copsed onto the ground in her SOC.

    -Breathing Mana Life Cycle has beenpleted 90 times.-

    -Your Mana Body has been entirely constructed.-

    -Zero ws or Anomalies found with Mana Body Construction.-

    -Transferring Host to their Sea of Consciousness.-

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 412 Tier-3 Evolution Selene

    -Breathing Mana Life Cycle has beenpleted 90 times.-

    -Your Mana Body has been entirely constructed.-

    -Zero ws or Anomalies found with Mana Body Construction.-

    -Transferring Host to their Sea of Consciousness.-

    The intense pain running through her body and the loud screeching ringing in her ears vanished the second Selene appeared in her SOC. Doubled over on the ground, Selene slowly lifted her head to observe the world reminiscent of the Shadow Realm. The only difference was the asional flicker of bloody light caused by Abyss particles floating about.

    "Fuck," Selene sighed in exasperation, happy that she was no longer subjected to the harsh effects of her Evolution. Rolling over onto her back and looking up at the ck sky, Selene watched the notifications scrolling by in real time as Tobs continued to read them aloud.

    -Since you havepleted 90 Breathing Mana Life Cycles, your Mana body has Evolved into an Advanced Mana Body.-

    -You have received an Additional 1.25 times increase to your MP due to your Advanced Mana Body.-

    -Your Will Power Stat has increased by 50 points.-

    -Distributing Rewards from thepletion of the Master Ranked Trial Quest.-

    -Tier-3 Resource Stat Modifier has increased from 40 HP per point, 20 MP per point, and 20 STAM per point, to 80, 40, 40.-

    -You Will Now receive 20 Free Allocation Points and 4 Skill Points Each time you increase your Primary Level.-

    -You Will Now receive 3 Free Allocation Points and 3 Skill points each time you increase your ss or Sub-ss Level.-

    -Your Tier-3 SAG Dark Affinity has Evolved into one of its Mutated Branches, Shadow.-

    -Your Tier-3 SAG Shadow Affinity has Evolved into Tier-3 Shadow Maniption.-

    -Your Tier-3 SAG Abyss Affinity has Evolved from Tier-1 to Tier-3.-

    -Your Tier-3 SAG Abyss Affinity has Evolved into Tier-3 Abyss Maniption.-

    -Both of your Maniptions are presently at the Initial Stage.

    -The Titles Perfect Foundation and Reforged Body have been recognized and changed to Perfect Evolution.-

    -You have broken the restraints holding you in the Mortal Stage and Advanced into the Supernatural Stage.-

    -Your Mana Veins have fully formed.-

    -Your Mana Codex has grown significantly.-

    -Correcting the Impurity located deep in your Distribution.-

    -A New Stat has been Added to your Distribution, Vitality.-

    -Your Distribution has increased from 2 to 3 points per level.-

    -Your profile has been upgraded to Tier-3.-

    -Your Primary Level has changed from Level 35 to Level Zero; the new cap is set to 50.-

    -Due to the presence of your Bloodline, your Resource stat increases will be subject to the previous Resource Stat Modifier.-

    -Your Strength Stat has increased to 2849 points.-

    -Your Dexterity Stat has increased to 2805 points.-

    -Your Agility Stat has increased to 1854 points.-

    -Your Intelligence Stat has increased to 1471 points.-

    -Your Vitality Stat has increased to 2001 points.-

    -Your Mind Stat has increased to 1441 points.-

    -Your Stat Cap has increased to 7850 points.-

    -You no longer can use Standard Essence to Increase your Level; you are required to use a higher form of Energy, SPN Stage Essence.*SPN-XP*-

    -One point of SPN-XP is equivalent to 10k Essence.-

    -The conversion of XP to SPN-XP can be done, but it is time-consuming and must be done within the SOC.-

    Selene felt a lump in her throat as she read through the notifications, but soon a quizzical expression appeared on her face. There was something important missing from her notifications. That something soon came a few secondster, as a shudder ran through her body.

    -Distributing Advancements due to Bloodline.-

    -Your ?sir Bloodline has increased by 15%.-

    -You are now 75% Human and 25% ?sir.-

    -Your [H¨²efl¨²r] has expanded and strengthened.-

    -Your [?sir Mode] has strengthened.-

    -Your Advanced Mana Body has developed a Force-Codex.-

    -You have gained the Bloodline Specific Resource Stat, OdinForce.-

    -OdinForce has a multitude of uses that you will have to learn on your own, as is the Tradition of the ?sir Race.-

    -You will gain one Unit of OdinForce passively every Six hours, and this Unit will be stored inside your newly developed Force-Codex.-

    -All of your Basic Stats have further increased by 1.5 times. This boost is not subject to your Tier-2 modifier as the final reward forpleting your Trial Quest.-

    Selene was stunned and silent for several minutes after reading her stats'' advancements, thanks to her Bloodline. Her eyes bounced between the numbers on the screen, and soon she realized that her initial stat boosts were abination of the reward from her Trial Quest and the standard Evo boosts.

    Initially, her STR and DEX had increased by 1.75 times because both stats were closer to her Limit Broken Stat Cap instead of the standard Tier-2 cap.

    Her AGI and VIT, which were only barely over the 1200 point standard Stat cap, had received a 1.5 times boost, andstly, her INT, and MIND, received only 1.25 times, thanks to them both being under 1200 at the time of her Evolution.

    However, everything changed when Advancements in her Bloodline kicked in. Taking her stats a step further, Selene was filled with unbelievable energy. So much so that she felt that if she was back on the Battlefield, she could have easily wiped out every living being under Tier-4 in half a breath.<sub> </sub>

    Although her upgraded stats made even Tier-4 opponents seem insignificant and easy to deal with, that was just an illusion caused by the adrenaline high that came along with the massive boost Selene had received to her Stats.

    Grinning from ear to ear, Selene sat up and clenched her delicate-looking hands into fists before waving her hand and opening her upgraded Status Profile.

    : Status :

    : Selene Nilsson :

    : Title - Lost Soul, Svinfylking, Perfect Evolution :

    : Demi-Human Female (75% Human, 25% ?sir) :

    : Age-17 :

    : Tier-3 :

    : Supernatural Stage :

    : Primary ss - NONE :

    :Former: Tier-2 Valk-Vanguard : (+7 STR, +7 DEX, +7 VIT Distribution)

    :Former: Tier-1 Valk-Warrior : (+2 STR, +2 DEX Distribution)

    : Sub-ss - NONE :

    :Former: Tier-2 LeatherWorking : (+7 STR, +7 DEX Distribution)

    : Level: 0/50 0/100: :

    : SPN Stage Essence Pool(SPN-XP): 0 :

    : P-ss (None) :

    : S-ss (None) :

    : Distribution: 0(16) STR, 3(16) DEX, 3(0) AGI, 3(0) INT, 3(7) VIT, 0(0) MIND : +VIT

    : Mana Codex & Veins Tier-3.5 :

    : Stage 5 :

    : Force-Codex: Stage 0 :

    : Advanced Mana Body - Tier-3, 15g Resistance :

    : Credits: 12,000,000 :

    : Merit Points: 5841 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 149,320/149,320 : 80 Per Point

    : Mana 83,075/83,075 : 40 Per Point

    : Stamina 74,660/74,660 : 40 Per Point

    : OdinForce: 0/10 Units : (Passively gain 1 Unit every 6 hours)

    : Stat Points- 0 : (20 per level) ss (3)

    : Skill Points- 203 : (4 per level) ss (3)

    : Strength- 4274 :

    : Dexterity- 4280 :

    : Agility- 2781 :

    : Intelligence- 2207:

    : Vitality- 3002 :

    : Mind- 2162 :

    : Will Power- 100 :

    : Killing Intent- 695 - 6.25 G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG) Tier-3 Shadow Maniption (Initial):

    :(SAG) Tier-3 Abyss Maniption (Initial):

    "What in the¡­TOBS!!! HOW IN THE SHIT ARE MY RESOURCE STATS SO DAMN HIGH?" She screamed while ignoring all the new information because she couldn''t process everything at once. Selene''s eyes bulged out of their sockets when she saw the astronomical numerals behind the letters HP, MP, and STAM, so she did the only thing her limited brain function would allow and yelled for her System AI.

    Half a second after she screamed the AI''s name, in a burst of Purplish Blue Light, a youngdy, appearing between the ages of 17 and 21, stepped out of a circr portal.

    This petite girl with two tones of white and ck hair in a fashionable bob cut was holding a small glowing yellow clipboard, and when she tilted up her pretty and perfectly symmetrical face to look at Selene, she shed a bright smile.

    "Where would you like me to start, Host Selene? If you are most concerned with your MP, that is easy, post evolution, and part of your rewards for clearing your Trial Quest, you received a 1.25 multiplier boost to your INT stat." Looking away from her Host, Tobs read aloud as she read along on the clipboard.

    "The difference between your initial INT Stat and your Post Evolution INT Stat was a total of 294 points, which gave you 5880 MP since you were still subject to your Tier-3 Resource Stat Modifier, 20 points. Next, you have the 5k additional MP you received from raising the Stage of your Codex to Stage 5." Using her finger to guide her line of sight, Tobs continued.

    "Next, due to your Bloodline, your Stat further increased by 1.5 times, equaling 736 points. This time, you gained the Tier-3 boost of 40 points as a reward from your Trial quest. Thus, you obtained another 29,440 MP. Add on the additional 1.5 times multiplier and the 10k you have received from Cultivating the skill Host Cynrik gave you, and vo, 83,075 points of MP." Wearing a smile and holding her clipboard to her chest, Tobs met Selene''s eyes, which at this moment were wholly dted and wide as saucers, plus her mouth was hung open in shock.

    "Hm? What''s wrong, Host Selene? Do you feel ok? I know the Evolution was a bit traumatic, but I assure you there is nothing wrong with yo¡­." Tilting her head to the side and wearing a cute expression of concern, Tobs asked sweetly, only to be cut off.

    "SINCE WHEN DO YOU HAVE A PHYSICAL BODY?" Selene screamed as she jumped to her feet and pointed rudely at the youngdy with one white and one ck colored eye.

    -Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 413 Tier-3 Evolution Cynrik (1)

    "SINCE WHEN DO YOU HAVE A PHYSICAL BODY?" Selene screamed as she jumped to her feet and pointed rudely at the youngdy with one white and one ck colored eye.

    Selene stood rooted in ce for several minutes, pointing aggressively with an incredulous expression stered across her face. However, after making that statement, neither Selene nor Tobs said a single word, although Tobs did shift side to side ufortably with a scrunched-up look, unsure of how to answer.

    "Host Selene could you please stop pointing at me? It has been 5 minutes and 23 seconds, and although I still haven''t responded to your question, you are pointing at me. Isn''t your arm getting tired?" Gripping the edges of her clipboard, Tobs looked at her bare feet and wiggled her toes.

    "Uh uh, no, you don''t get to deflect my question, Tobs. What is going on? You have always been like a hologram projection, but now you are physically here." Dropping her arm and appearing beside the pretty young woman, Selene poked Tobs'' cheek, to which the AI puffed it out in a pout.

    "Please refrain from poking me, Host Selene." Looking down and to the side, Tobs quickly began dodging the iing poke attacks with ease, which startled Selene because the AI''s head seemed to blur with how fast she was moving.

    Having had enough of the harassment, Tobs tapped the ground with her left foot and shed away, leaving an after-image behind as she put a distance of 10 meters between herself and Selene.

    Crossing her arms and sticking her right hip out to the side, Selene red at Tobs.

    "I am waiting; I want to know what the hell is going on."

    "Sigh, fine¡­how do I say this? Haven''t you ever wondered wher¡­"

    ---

    POV: Cynrik

    "Get ready, you two; the Evo is about to begin," Cynrik said to Vii and Sie, who hadnded beside him and tossed him a confused nce.

    Just as the words left Cynrik''s lips¡­the notifications began, and pain hit.

    -You have passed your Tribtion quest with an SSS+ Rating. You will receive extra benefits uponpletion of your Tier-3 Evolution.-

    -Now Commencing Tier-3 Evolution.-

    In an instant, the world in Cynrik''s vision shattered into particles, and he found himself back inside the sarcophagus-like Aether Capsule with both his Birds curled up on either side of his head.

    With barely enough space in the Capsule to sit up, Cynrik grit his teeth and, with some effort, activated [Mana Sight] to examine the process urring within his body; what he saw left him bbergasted.

    -Continuing passed the 50% mark of your Evolution.-

    -Commencing Breathing Mana Life Cycle.-

    -Burning all Excess Essence stored in the Essence Pool.-

    ''Tsk, the fuck is a Breathing Mana Life Cycle?'' For a millisecond, Cynrik''s eyes flickered away from his body toward Sie, whose body was bathed in five colors representing his Affinities and Omnipoison.

    Next, he checked on Vii, and once satisfied that neither was experiencing any pain and instead drifted to sleep, Cynrik directed his attention back to his body.

    As wave after wave of Mana surged out of his Codex, he observed that the quad-colored stream in his body was in a state of controlled chaos. Cynrik watched as the Mana particles attacked every cell in his body, devouring it like a Savana beast that hadn''t eaten all summer.

    Spreading out from his chest, the bones, muscles, and tissue in his body broke down, starting from his abdomen before moving to his extremities. At some point, his ocr skill shut off, leaving Cynrik''s liquidized body bathing in the glowing from Sie and Vii.

    Once the process of deconstruction wasplete, the reconstruction began. Soon enough, Cynrik''s eyes formed again along with his nervous system, and the pain washed over every fiber of his being.

    The worst part about this process is that the entire time it was happening, Cynrik was entirely coherent. If it weren''t for his insane pain tolerance or his extreme curiosity regarding his body''s state, he wouldn''t have been able to keep focused.

    When one Cycle waspleted, the next began. For the next three hours, Cynrik calmly examined the entire process from start to finish while developing his theories backed by his observations.

    After the 65th Cycle concluded, Cynrik watched as his body began glowing, causing his newly formed eyes to widen slightly before his ocr nerves were disabled and his eyes melted.

    ''From what I can tell, the Mana particles aren''t necessarily devouring my cells; instead, they are practically living through the life and death of a star, where they expand before constricting and imploding.'' Following that train of thought, Cynrik zoomed in on a particr cluster of particles as the Breathing Mana Life Cycle continued.

    ''Each particle pulls in all the surrounding energy it can get ahold of, and since it is drawing in too much, it copses, deteriorating. It also seems that thew of conservation of matter still applies to some extent, as the particles never truly die or disappear.''

    Unfortunately, before Cynrik could continue his observations, he was sucked into the SOC following a string of notifications.

    -Breathing Mana Life Cycle has beenpleted 120 times.-

    -You have reached the utmost limit of times the Cycle can bepleted until you advance to a further Stage.-

    -Your Mana Body has been entirely constructed.-

    -Zero ws or Anomalies found with Mana Body Construction.-

    -Transferring Host to their Sea of Consciousness.-

    Appearing in his SOC, a world of lightning, mes, dark mist, and hurricane-force winds, Cynrik found himself sitting with one knee propped up and both Ravens resting on the ground beside him.<sub> </sub>

    "Tsk, well, that sucks; I wanted to observe more of the changes; it looks like this is as far as my Will Power Stat takes me," Cynrik said as he got up and rolled out both his arms before motioning toward the scrolling notifications floating in the right of his vision.

    However, the moment he stood up, Cynrik was hit by a wave of nausea that he had to fight through due to having experienced an insane amount of pain.

    He had learned some time ago that all the Will Power Stat did was allow him to ignore a decent percentage of iing pain while keeping a level head.

    -Since you havepleted 120 Breathing Mana Life Cycles, your Mana Body has Evolved into a Supreme Mana Body.-

    -You have received an Additional 1.25 times increase to your HP, MP, and STAM due to your Supreme Mana Body.-

    -Your Will Power Stat has increased by 100 points.-

    "The fuck is a Mana Body¡­wait, the over-saturation of Mana must have merged with my Cells, restructuring and changing them to turn me into a non-Carbon Based lifeform."

    "No, that doesn''t make sense; technically, I already was a Mana Based Lifeform, although I wasn''t something as extreme as an Energy Creature. It seems I will have to grill that old fart Norik when I get out of here." Pushing that thought aside, Cynrik went back to scrolling through his notifications.

    -Distributing Rewards from thepletion of the Grandmaster Ranked Tribtion Quest.-

    -Tier-3 Resource Stat Modifier has increased from 40 HP per point, 20 MP per point, and 20 STAM per point, to 90, 50, 50.-

    -You Will Now receive 30 Free Allocation Points and 4 Skill Points Each time you increase your Primary Level.-

    -You Will Now receive 3 Free Allocation Points and 3 Skill points each time you increase your ss or Sub-ss Level.-

    -Your Tier-3 SAG Dark Affinity has Evolved into one of its Mutated Branches, Umbra.-

    -Your Tier-3 SAG Umbra Affinity has Evolved into Tier-3 Umbra Maniption.-

    -Your Tier-3 SAG Lightning Affinity has Evolved into Tier-3 Lightning Maniption.-

    -Your Tier-3 AG Fire Affinity has Evolved into Tier-3 Fire Maniption.-

    -Your Tier-3 BG Wind Affinity has Evolved into its AG form.-

    -Your Tier-3 AG Wind Affinity has Evolved into Tier-3 Wind Maniption.-

    -All of your Maniptions are presently at the Initial Stage.

    -The Titles Perfect Foundation and Reforged Body have been recognized and changed to Perfect Evolution.-

    -You have broken the restraints holding you in the Mortal Stage and Advanced into the Supernatural Stage.-

    -Your Mana Veins have fully formed.-

    -Your Mana Codex has grown immensely.-

    -Correcting the Impurity located deep in your Distribution.-

    -Your Distribution has increased from 2 to 3 points per level.-

    -Your profile has been upgraded to Tier-3.-

    -Your Primary Level has changed from Level 35 to Level Zero; the new cap is set to 50.-

    -Due to the presence of your Bloodline, your Resource stat increases will be subject to the previous Resource Stat Modifier.-

    -Your Strength and Vitality Stats have increased to 1875.-

    -Your Dexterity and Agility Stats have increased to 3500.-

    -Your Intelligence and Mind Stats have increased to 2800.-

    -Your Stat Cap has increased to 7850 points.-

    -You no longer can use Standard Essence to Increase your Level; you are required to use a higher form of Energy, SPN Stage Essence.*SPN-XP*-

    -One point of SPN-XP is equivalent to 10k Essence.-

    -The conversion of XP to SPN-XP can be done, but it is time-consuming and must be done within the SOC.-

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 414 Tier-3 Evolution Cynrik (2)

    ? -Due to the presence of your Bloodline, your Resource stat increases will be subject to the previous Resource Stat Modifier.-

    -Your Strength and Vitality Stats have increased to 1875.-

    -Your Dexterity and Agility Stats have increased to 3500.-

    -Your Intelligence and Mind Stats have increased to 2800.-

    -Your Stat Cap has increased to 7850 points.-

    -You no longer can use Standard Essence to Increase your Level; you are required to use a higher form of Energy, SPN Stage Essence.*SPN-XP*-

    -One point of SPN-XP is equivalent to 10k Essence.-

    -The conversion of XP to SPN-XP can be done, but it is time-consuming and must be done within the SOC.-

    -Your Pets have undergone a Baptism of Mana and have grown alongside you.-

    -Your Pets'' stats have increased by a modifier of 1.5.-

    -Both of Your Pets have grown stronger when ites to their Affinities.-

    ''Well, I guess that exins the glowy effect those two were experiencing and why they are asleep now. Although 1.5 times to every stat isn''t massive at their level, it brings them closer to the stat cap, which is all that matters.'' Cynrik thought as he sat down before tossing a warm smile at the two sleeping birds on either side of his body.

    "Alright, Tobs, this isn''t our first rodeo; hit me with the bloodline notifications." Much like how Selene found it strange that the additional benefits that came with having a Bloodline didn''t instantly appear in the form of notifications, Cynrik also found it slightly suspicious.

    However, before he could harass her further, Tobs began narrating the iing message spam.

    -Distributing Advancements due to Bloodline.-

    -Your ?sir Bloodline has increased by 15%.-

    -You are now 75% Human and 25% ?sir.-

    -Your [H¨²efl¨²r] has expanded and strengthened.-

    -Your [?sir Mode] has strengthened.-

    -Your Supreme Mana Body has developed a Force-Codex.-

    -You have gained the Bloodline Specific Resource Stat, OdinForce.-

    -OdinForce has a multitude of uses that you will have to learn on your own, as is the Tradition of the ?sir Race.-

    -You will gain one Unit of OdinForce passively every Six hours, and it will be stored inside your newly developed Force-Codex.-

    -All of your Basic Stats have further increased by 1.5 times.-

    ''Force-Codex? Tsk, only gaining one Unit of Odinforce every six hours will be a pain.'' In confusion, Cynrik activated [Mana Sight] and looked down at his chest. However, at a nce, he couldn''t spot anything new aside from his Codex was now a quarter sizerger than his heart.

    Seeing this, Cynrik couldn''t help but smirk at the memory of a particr Alien who traveled through space and time with his Blue Police Call Box.

    ''Hehe, Time-Lord Cyn, with my two hearts,'' wearing a silly smirk, Cynrik gave himself aplete body examination. Eventually, he located a small, perfectly round stone the size of his thumbnail in the direct center of his abdomen.

    ''Clear stone orb in my stomach, that''s gotta be it. Interesting though, in theory, doesn''t that mean I now have two Codexes?''

    -Wrong, a Force-Codex is unique in more ways than one, but the main thing that differentiates it from a standard Codex is that it is the only thing capable of storing and utilizing the OdinForce particle.-

    ''Oh, look who decided to show up finally.'' Staring off into the distance with deadeyes, Cynrik ruminated over Tobs'' words for a moment before holding up his left arm and activating his H¨²efl¨²r.

    In an instant, the pale markings on Cynrik''s arm began glowing in a royal blue color as they lit up sequentially, starting with his fingertips before covering his hand, wrist, forearm, and elbow and eventually ending at his shoulder.

    ''Guess my H¨²efl¨²r finally turned into a full-sleeve tattoo. Hey Tobs, are there any significant changes in them now? Or is it just more of the same? Filter and purify Mana while giving greater control.'' Cynrik asked as he held up his right arm and activated its markings.

    -The main difference between your current H¨²efl¨²r and the previous version is the ability to handle OdinForce particles. Other than that, it is, as you said, more of the same.-

    -Scratch that; apparently, you get a slight boost, roughly 25% to the amount of Damage you can do with Skills.-

    Hearing how nonchnt Tobs was speaking, Cynrik could practically imagine her shrugging her shoulders as she spoke.

    ''Even mosquitos are considered meat, I suppose. Is it safe to assume that the power boost on my ?sir Mode rose to three times? Or am I wrong in assuming that the modifier coincides with my Tier?''

    -You are correct; it has increased to 3x. Sigh, Host Cynrik. Will you keep asking random questions, or will you check your stats? I don''t have all day, you know, more notifications are waiting, and I can''t send them through until yourzy ass moves forward.-

    ''OI! Who are you talking to like that? Do you think I won''t spank that virtual butt of yours?'' Cynrik snorted and was oddly concerned by how short-tempered the AI was acting.

    -Ppp¡­PERVERT! DO YOU DARE TO SMACK MY BUTT! IF YOU DO, I WILL RUN TO SELENE! Let''s see how you handle her fury.-

    ''Damn right I am, and I am sure that woman would dly join me. Now stop distracting me.'' Rolling his eyes but grinning as it had be much more fun to tease Tobs all of a sudden, Cynrik waved his left hand and opened his Status Profile.

    : Status :

    : Cynrik Ayke Jetlensr (Ivar the Boneless Ragnarsson) :

    : Title - Perfect Clear Expert, Mana Heart, Masochist, Perfect Evolution :

    : Demi-Human Male (75% Human, 25% ?sir) :

    : Age-14 :

    : Tier-3 :

    : Supernatural Stage :

    : Primary ss - NONE :

    :Former: Tier-2 Rogue : (+7 DEX, +7 AGI Distribution)

    :Former: Tier-1 Thief : (+2 DEX, +2 AGI Distribution)

    : Sub-ss - NONE :

    :Former: Tier-2 Tamer : (+7 INT, +7 MIND Distribution)<sub> </sub>

    :Former: Tier-1 Engineer : (+2 DEX Distribution)

    : Level: 0/50 0/100: :

    : SPN Stage Essence Pool(SPN-XP): 0 :

    : P-ss (None) :

    : S-ss (None) :

    : Distribution: 3(0) STR, 3(11) DEX, 3(9) AGI, 3(7) INT, 3(0) VIT, 3(7) MIND :

    : Mana Codex & Veins Tier-3.5 :

    : Stage 6 :

    : Supreme Mana Body - Tier-3.5, 25g Resistance :

    : Credits: 80,000 :

    : Merit Points: 28664 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 185,775/185,775 : 90 Per Point

    : Mana 169,738/169,738 : 50 Per Point

    : Stamina : 98,750/98,750 : 50 Per Point

    : OdinForce: 0/10 Units : (Passively gain 1 Unit every 6 hours) :

    : Stat Points- 0 : (30 per level) ss (3)

    : Skill Points- 233 : (4 per level) ss (3)

    : Strength- 2813 :

    : Dexterity- 5250 :

    : Agility- 5250 :

    : Intelligence- 4200 :

    : Vitality- 2813 :

    : Mind- 4200 :

    : Will Power- 223 :

    : Gem Cutting:0 , XP 10/100:

    : Luck- 45 :

    : PSN Resistance- 25 :

    : Killing Intent- 919 - 7.50G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG) Tier-3 Umbra Maniption (Initial):

    :(SAG) Tier-3 Lightning Maniption (Initial):

    :(AG) Tier-3 Fire Maniption (Initial):

    :(AG) Tier-3 Wind Maniption (Initial):

    Heaving a sigh that was borderline a moan, Cynrik shook his head and felt an astronomical amount of power coursing through his body.

    ''Holy shit, I knew my boosts would be insane, but this is just batshit crazy.'' Cynrik thought as his eyes fell on his two most important stats, DEX and AGI, which had both broken through the 5k marker.

    ''Tobs, you said my Cap is 7850; what is the standard Cap?''

    -The Standard Stat Cap is 5400, so yes, it is as you are thinking; your DEX and AGI are already very close to breaking passed what a Peak Tier-3 should be able to exert.-

    -And then there is your Resource Stats, which are way higher than any other Tier-3 should have. Hell, you are currently encroaching on Tier-4 territory with how high your MP Stat is.-

    -Honestly, at this point, you would probably be better off ditching the whole Assassin Guise and just going full-blown Mage. I mean, seriously, what kind of Assassin has enough Mana to blow up arge metropolitan city.-

    ''Hey now, Tobs, should you REALLY be telling the crazy person they have enough power to explode an entire city?''

    -Knock it off; there is no way in hell Brance would ever let you do that, so drop the idea right this instant. I will warn you, though, your days of exploding fireballs half a meter from your own face are gone. If you try that crap now, you will be vaporized in a heartbeat.-

    ''Good to know, hehe. Anyway, what is up with my Resource stats? I saw that I received a 1.25 times boost to all three, but shouldn''t that have happened before my Bloodline boosts?''

    ''Running the numbers, it seems it urred after the fact.'' Tapping his chin with his index finger, Cynrik quickly double-checked his math and concluded he was correct. The additional 1.25 times boost he received as a benefit of his Supreme Mana Body had been factored in after the 1.5 boosts from his Bloodline.

    -That was the second tost reward from your Tribtion Quest.-

    ''Eh? Second tost, so what was the final reward?'' Scrunching up his nose as if he smelled a horrible fart, Cynrik became confused at Tobs'' words.

    -Your Tribtion quest has taken the ce of your Tier-3 Turning Point Quest.-

    -You have assimted one of your Divinity Fragments and received another Ragnar Memory Fragment.-

    "EHHHHHHHHH!"

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 415 Tier-3 Evolution Cynrik (3)

    -That was the second tost reward from your Tribtion Quest.-

    ''Eh? Second tost, so what was the final reward?'' Scrunching up his nose as if he smelled a horrible fart, Cynrik became confused at Tobs'' words.

    -Your Tribtion quest has taken the ce of your Tier-3 Turning Point Quest.-

    -You have assimted one of your Divinity Fragments and received another Ragnar Memory Fragment.-

    "EHHHHHHHHH!" Cynrik fell backward and stared nkly into the void above in a mixture of confusion and shock.

    ''What the hell, man¡­that means that the Alternate Reality Me was the ?sir Spirit I was supposed to fight¡­that isn''t very reassuring.'' Cynrik thought as he ran through everything M-Cyn had said during their fight.

    -Whether or not you find it reassuring, the facts outweigh your suspicions. The Mirrored Version of yourself was indeed an ?sir Spirit and has taken the ce of your next Turning Point Quest.-

    ''Tsk, I am not so sure I like your new attitude very much, Tobs. What is up with you? Howe you are so¡­human.'' Abruptly sitting up and crossing his legs and arms, Cynrik narrowed his eyes.

    -This¡­promise me you aren''t going to freak out and assault me as Selene did earlier. I want you to stay 15 meters from me lest your lecherous hands find their way onto me.-

    Cynrik stiffened at Tobs'' words, and his mind began spinning like an engine. Multiple different scenarios flooded into his head as he quickly narrowed down the potential reasons why Selene would "Assault" Tobs, let alone the fact that it shouldn''t even be possible.

    However, before he coulde to a conclusion, a small blue portal opened up not far away from him, and a petite young woman stepped out, careful not to step on any sharps stones since her feet were bare.

    As Cynrik saw this young woman, he widened his eyes briefly before settling back into his usual RBF, *Resting Bitch Face*, and sighing heavily.

    "Wow, that''s the only reaction I get out of you? I half expected a simr outburst to what I got from Selene. Instead, all I get is ackluster raised eyebrow and wide eyes before you turn on that emotionless switch of yours." Clutching her clipboard to her chest tightly, Tobs tried her best to hide her nervousness from Cynrik.

    Since she had been with him Brance and Selene as a disembodied voice for so long, she was extremely nervous about finding out how her Hosts would react once they realized she finally had a physical body or at least one she could use in the SOC.

    Albeit, when it came to Cynrik, she had already assumed he would have a more muted and overly analytical reaction, followed by Selene would be excessively loud, and then Brance¡­Brance would probably be the first to congratte her while saying nice things.

    "I see, so that''s how it is. I have been wondering for some time what happened to our Human Bloodlines. After running hundreds of tests on my blood, along with Brancie''s, I''ve found that the ratio of ?sir to Human was too precise, and it isn''t as if the ?sir Bloodline devoured our Human blood, so it had to go somewhere."

    Standing up and walking over to meet Tobs face to face, Cynrik continued speaking. Stopping less than a meter away from the young woman, who visibly shivered as he drew near, he examined her from head to toe before doing something that surprised the AI entirely.

    Without saying another word, Cynrik reached out and petted the top of Tobs'' head gently while giving her a warm smile, not unlike he did for Sie and Vii.

    "You worked hard, Tobs, congrattions on getting yourself a body. I don''t care how you channeled our lost Human Bloodline, but the fact that you were able to utilize it to craft yourself a body must have been hard work." Dropping his hand and stepping back to examine the girl''s reaction, Cynrik noticed that Tobs had lowered her head and looked at her toes while shivering.

    When she finally looked up at him, her eyes were puffy, and it was obvious that she had been silently crying. As heartless of a monster as Cynrik could sometimes be, there were still exceptions to his ruthless nature, and those exceptions were family.

    Even though she was only a simple AI program to him initially, Tobs had been there even when Brance had yet to arrive, and although he had his ups and downs with her, at the end of the day, he was aware she only had his best interest in mind when she did things.

    Thus, he had long since categorized her as "Family," so, in his mind, at least, he had no problem treating her with warmth.

    "But let me tell you now, squirt, if you get sassy with me like earlier again, don''t think I won''t give you a good spanking." Smiling wryly, Cynrik couldn''t help but tease the young woman who was a full head and a half shorter than him.

    "Y¡­you¡­YOU INSUFFERABLE JERK!"

    BANG

    Before Cynrik could even react, he was sent sailing through the air as the now angry and flushed Tobs sucker punched him right in the jaw with way too much strength behind her attack.

    "HUFF, Now I understand why your Aunt and Mother hit you so often; it is such a good feeling. You have such a hittable face." Snorting as she straightened out her blouse, Tobs tucked a lock of white hair behind her ear and red at Cynrik as he was slow to get back to his feet over fifty meters away.

    All the while, he was continuously cackling like a madman.

    "Damn, Tobsie, you''ve got a hell of a left straight. Tell me, have you been spying on Brancie and my training and learning how to fight this whole time?" Cynrik said as he instantly appeared back in front of the young woman while rubbing his sore and swollen cheek.

    "Hmph, damn right, jerk, and don''t call me Tobsie; I don''t like that one bit." Turning her head to the side, Tobs tried to hide the slight grin and blush from Cynrik. It was the first time he had addressed her with a nickname, and she didn''t know how to feel about it.

    "Bah, anywho, you still didn''t confirm my theory, be honest, you''ve been siphoning off the excess humanity Brance, Selene, and I have been shedding, haven''t you?" Tossing her a shameless smile, Cynrik ignored that Tobs had exhibited a STR Stat much higher than his own and prodded her for information.

    "Just as you thought during the Breathing Mana Life Cycle, matter can''t be destroyed¡­well, by normal means, that is; regardless, your Human Bloodline had to go somewhere, so naturally, it was absorbed by me."

    "Now that all three of my Hosts have reached 25% in their particr Bloodlines, I have acquired the excess 75% Human Bloodline and molded it to create a body for myself. However, as it stands, I can only use it here, in the SOC. I still cannot manifest myself outside of your minds or SOC." Raising her clipboard and threatening Cynrik with it in case he wanted to try something, Tobs confirmed his suspicions.

    "Anyway, enough about me. Shouldn''t you be checking on Vii and Sie''s new stats? They did, after all, get a pretty decent stat buff. They both reached the Stat cap of 1000 on one of their Stats." Rolling her eyes and diverting the attention away from herself, Tobs then pointed at the sleeping ravens who hadn''t moved since they arrived in Cynrik''s SOC.

    "AH, good looks Tobsie," snapping his fingers and turning back to look at the two ravens, Cynrik motioned with his left hand and brought up their Status Panels.

    : Sielu "Sie" :

    : N¨¢tt Hrafn Female :

    : Age-0:

    : Tier-1 :

    : Level: 38 :

    : Essence(XP): 186,226/322,303 :

    : Distribution: 2 AGI, 2 INT, 2 VIT :

    : Mana Codex & Circuits Tier-3 :

    : Stage 3 :

    : Body - Tier-3:

    : STATS :

    : HP 38,800/38,800 : 40 Per Point

    : Mana 16,420/16,420 : 20 Per Point

    : Stamina 9700/9700 : 10 Per Point

    : Stat Points- 1 : (6 per level)<sub> </sub>

    : Skill Points- 111 : (2 per level)

    : Strength- 660 :

    : Dexterity- 600 :

    : Agility- 963 :

    : Intelligence- 851 :

    : Vitality- 1000 :

    : Mind- 518 :

    : Predator''s Intent- 466 - 5.25 G :

    : PSN Resistance- 100 :

    : FIRE Resistance- 30 :

    : DARK Resistance- 30 :

    : LTNG Resistance- 30 :

    : WIND Resistance- 30 :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier-3 (Expert):

    :(SEC)OmniPoison-Tier-2 (Adept):

    : Status :

    : Viisaus "Vii" :

    : N¨¢tt Hrafn Male :

    : Age-0 :

    : Tier-1 :

    : Level: 38 :

    : Essence(XP): 186,226/322,303 :

    : Distribution: 2 STR, 2 AGI, 2 INT :

    : Mana Codex & Circuits Tier-3 :

    : Stage 3 :

    : Body - Tier-3:

    : STATS :

    : HP 32,300/32,300 : 40 Per Point

    : Mana 16,420/16,420 : 20 Per Point

    : Stamina 8075/8075 : 10 Per Point

    : Stat Points- 0 : (6 per level)

    : Skill Points- 111 : (2 per level)

    : Strength- 1000 :

    : Dexterity- 600 :

    : Agility- 963 :

    : Intelligence- 851 :

    : Vitality- 825 :

    : Mind- 518 :

    : Predator''s Intent- 466 - 5.25 G :

    : PSN Resistance- 100 :

    : FIRE Resistance- 30 :

    : DARK Resistance- 30 :

    : LTNG Resistance- 30 :

    : WIND Resistance- 30 :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG)Dark-Tier-2 (Adept):

    :(SEC)OmniPoison-Tier-3 (Expert):

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 416 Tier-3 Evolution Brance

    POV: Cynrik

    Scrolling through and noting the changes in Sie and Vii''s Stats, Cynrik nodded in content.

    "So their Tier-1 Cap is 1k; interesting, I don''t remember that Cat Milo''s stat cap being so high." Crouching down and picking up both pint-sized ravens and cradling them in his arms, Cynrik turned to face Tobs.

    "Un, although Milo is considered a Mythical Beast, or at least that''s what the information on his bloodline states, his Cap in the early Tier''s isn''t anywhere near as high as your little birds." Nodding cutely and reading off her clipboard, which was hidden from Cynrik''s eyes, Tobs confirmed his suspicions.

    "Tsk, so that means in the higher Tier''s, Vii and Sie will struggle to keep up?" Looking down at the sleeping Ravens, Cynrik couldn''t help but want to see them beat Gabby''s cat to a pulp since the saber-toothed brat liked to bully them.

    "Not necessarily, but in theory, that is how it should be. However, if you consider their abnormal growth rate, and the fact that Vii and Sie both started at Tier-0, whereas Milo started at Tier-1, there is a slight difference between their stats. Think of it in the same vein of thought as how you and the Sanfords are different."

    "If either of them had a bloodline, odds are they could catch up to you with rtive ease." As she spoke, Cynrik caught sight of the little twitching Tobs'' right hand was doing as she looked at the two sleeping ravens, and his lips curved slightly.

    He would have to be both blind and dumb not to realize she was fighting the urge to pet them.

    "Go on then, Tobs, you don''t need to hold back; if you wanna pet them, I won''t stop you." Walking over to her, Cynrik expertly adjusted the young woman''s arms, and half a secondter, she was cradling the sleeping Sielu in her arms tenderly, as if the young raven was the most precious thing in the world.

    Cynrik had explicitly chosen to hand over Sie instead of Vii since he knew just how temperamental Vii would be upon waking up in someone other than his arms. Thus he gave Tobs the more gentle of the two ravens.

    Meanwhile, while the two shared a moment in Cynrik''s SOC, Brance had begun his Evolution.

    ---

    POV: Brance

    -Ending Memory yback.-

    -You have passed your Tribtion quest with an SSS+ Rating. You will receive extra benefits uponpletion of your Tier-3 Evolution.-

    -Now Commencing Tier-3 Evolution.-

    From the bright light of Michael''s self-destruction to the darkness of the Aether Capsule, Brance barely had a second to breathe, let alone prepare himself for the seemingly never-ending and world-shattering pain that went along with the Tier-3 Evolution.

    It took everything in Brance''s being not to break his teeth or bite through his tongue when the Breathing Mana Life Cycle began. This was because he didn''t have Cynrik''s incredible pain threshold or Melody''s Will Power Stat; it was incredibly difficult to even focus on the iing notifications, let alone study what was transpiring within his body.

    -Continuing passed the 50% mark of your Evolution.-

    -Commencing Breathing Mana Life Cycle.-

    -Burning all Excess Essence stored in the Essence Pool.-

    Being no stranger to pain, like his older brother, Brance had a higher tolerance than, say, Gabby or Benny. Still, without it being on the freakishly high side, he could only fight back the urge to scream while praying that the Cycle of deconstruction and reconstruction would end as soon as possible.

    One minute turned into five, then ten, then an hour, and Brance reverted to a technique he had learned long ago while training in the Marine Corps. The method has guided millions of people and hundreds of thousands of Military Men and Women in their time of need. Having no other choice, Brance fell back on a well-respected method, which had been taught to him in case he was ever put in a situation where he was being interrogated.

    "F..U¡­C¡­K¡­ING HAPPY PLACE!" Brance growled through clenched teeth.

    That''s right, Brance fought tooth and nail to go to his happy ce, which required the person to have a self-contained memory, which they could revert back to and allow them to ignore the harsh reality of what was happening to them.

    For some people, it was a beach; for others, it was a childhood memory, but for Brance, it was the day he and Cynrik entered the HBTC for the first time. Sure, it may seem weird, but since DBZ had such a profound effect on himself and his brother during their early years back on Earth, it was a fusion of Reality and Fantasy.

    The instant he stepped foot on that pristine white tile, Brance finally realized he was indeed in a world he could have only conceived in his mind.

    While his body was destroyed repeatedly, Brance relived his time training with his brother under gravity, chasing down random virtual creatures, and even the final battle against the dreaded Carlisle, of which he didn''t share Cynrik''s absurd hatred.

    -You havepleted 66 rotations of the Breathing Mana Life Cycle.-

    -You havepleted 67 rotations of the Breathing Mana Life Cycle.-

    -You havepleted 68 rotations of the Breathing Mana Life Cycle.-

    While Brance relived his childhood dream, Tobs continued narrating the flood of notifications, explicitly picking up once Brance had passed the 65 Cycle mark.

    -Breathing Mana Life Cycle has beenpleted 120 times.-

    -You have reached the utmost limit of times the Cycle can bepleted until you advance to a further Stage.-

    -Your Mana Body has been entirely constructed.-

    -Zero ws or Anomalies found with Mana Body Construction.-

    -Transferring Host to their Sea of Consciousness.-

    When the 120th Cycle had beenpleted several hourster, he subconsciously felt the pain disappear and opened his eyes within the shining golden mountain ranges of his SOC.

    Looking up, he spotted something that hadn''t existed before: the presence of an intimidating glowing Sun made of HolyFire. Other than that, his SOC hadn''t changed too much.

    "Damn it, that was rough, and here I thought I was fully prepared for whatever pain woulde. What a crock of shit!" Wearing a frown, Brance made his way over to the preconstructed sixth floor [Radient Tower] that he had assembled after his battle with Michael and entered the first floor, which had been styled after the boys'' dorm.

    Making his way over to one of the couches, he copsed on his back and rested his right arm over his eyes. He was thoroughly freaked out by how bad the Breathing Mana Life Cycle was, on top of the fact that his brain still hadn''t recovered from the events of his Tribtion Quest.

    Heaving a sigh and knowing he was only dying the inevitable, Brance quickly collected himself and requested that Tobs continue sending the notifications from his Evolution.

    -Since you havepleted 120 Breathing Mana Life Cycles, your Mana Body has Evolved into a Supreme Mana Body.-

    -You have received an Additional 1.25 times increase to your HP, MP, and STAM due to your Supreme Mana Body.-

    -Your Will Power Stat has increased by 100 points.-

    -Distributing Rewards from thepletion of the Grandmaster Ranked Tribtion Quest.-

    -Tier-3 Resource Stat Modifier has increased from 40 HP per point, 20 MP per point, and 20 STAM per point, to 90, 50, 50.-

    -You Will Now receive 30 Free Allocation Points and 4 Skill Points Each time you increase your Primary Level.-

    -You Will Now receive 3 Free Allocation Points and 3 Skill points each time you increase your ss or Sub-ss Level.-

    -Your Tier-3 SAG Light Affinity has Evolved into Tier-3 Light Maniption.-

    -Your Tier-3 BG Terra Affinity has Evolved into its AG form.-

    -Your Tier-3 AG Terra Affinity has Evolved into Tier-3 Terra Maniption.-

    -Your Tier-3 BG Wind Affinity has Evolved into its AG form.-

    -Your Tier-3 AG Wind Affinity has Evolved into Tier-3 Wind Maniption.-

    -Your Tier-1 SEC HolyFire has advanced to Tier-2.-

    -Your Tier-2 SEC HolyFire has Advanced to Tier-3.-

    -Your Tier-3 SEC HolyFire has Evolved into Tier-3 HolyFire Maniption.-

    -All of your Maniptions are presently at the Initial Stage.

    -The Titles Perfect Foundation and Reforged Body have been recognized and changed to Perfect Evolution.-

    -You have broken the restraints holding you in the Mortal Stage and Advanced into the Supernatural Stage.-

    -Your Mana Veins have fully formed.-

    -Your Mana Codex has grown significantly.-

    -Correcting the Impurity located deep in your Distribution.-

    -Your Distribution has increased from 2 to 3 points per level.-

    -Your profile has been upgraded to Tier-3.-

    -Your Primary Level has changed from Level 35 to Level Zero; the new cap is set to 50.-

    -Due to the presence of your Bloodline, your Resource stat increases will be subject to the previous Resource Stat Modifier.-

    -Your Strength and Vitality Stats have increased to 3500 points.-

    -Your Dexterity has increased to 1946 points.-

    -Your Agility and Mind Stats have increased to 1869 points.-

    -Your Intelligence Stat has increased to 2687 points.-

    -Your Stat Cap has increased to 7850 points.-

    -You no longer can use Standard Essence to Increase your Level; you are required to use a higher form of Energy, SPN Stage Essence.*SPN-XP*-

    -One point of SPN-XP is equivalent to 10k Essence.-

    -The conversion of XP to SPN-XP can be done, but it is time-consuming and must be done within the SOC.-

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 417 Tier-3 Evolution Brance (2)

    -Your Strength and Vitality Stats have increased to 3500 points.-

    -Your Dexterity has increased to 1946 points.-

    -Your Agility and Mind Stats have increased to 1869 points.-

    -Your Intelligence Stat has increased to 2687 points.-

    -Your Stat Cap has increased to 7850 points.-

    -You no longer can use Standard Essence to Increase your Level; you are required to use a higher form of Energy, SPN Stage Essence.*SPN-XP*-

    -One point of SPN-XP is equivalent to 10k Essence.-

    -The conversion of XP to SPN-XP can be done, but it is time-consuming and must be done within the SOC.-

    Like what happened previously, there were a couple of seconds of downtime as Brance read through his notifications; however, unlike Selene and even Cynrik, when the flow didn''t immediately turn to his Bloodline rewards, Brance stayed silent and waited patiently.

    By the time he reached thest notification about converting XP to SPN-XP, Tobs'' voice had begun speaking again as if she had been waiting for him to catch up.

    -Distributing Advancements due to Bloodline.-

    -Your LightBringer Bloodline has increased by 15%.-

    -You are now 75% Human and 25% LightBringer.-

    -Your [Nephilim Crest] has expanded and strengthened.-

    -Your [Nephilim Mode] has strengthened.-

    -The Over-Break System has finished Analyzing the force called [Grace] and has modified the numeral representation. It will now match the numeral given to Killing Intent.-

    -Current Grace: 814 ¨C 7.25g.-

    -Your Supreme Mana Body has developed an open slot where you can ce a Mana Codex Core.-

    -If you choose to add a Mana Codex Core in this Slot, it will assume the role of a second Codex, and thus you will receive ess to double your Mana Pool.-

    -Once a Mana Codex Core has been installed, You will gain an Active ability that allows all Mana Based skills or Techniques to have double the power but drain twice as much Mana.-

    -This Ability will have a 6-hour cooldown.-

    -A Mana Codex Core can be removed from the body at any time, but there is a 24-hour cooldown before it can be reinstalled into your Supreme Mana Body.-

    -All of your Basic Stats have further increased by 1.5 times.-

    Reading through the new information, Brance sucked in a sharp breath and sat upright on the couch. Unable to wait any longer after hearing how high his Stats had climbed, he swiped at the air and opened his Status Profile.

    : Status :

    : Brance Athalos Jetlensr (Bj?rn Ironside Ragnarsson):

    : Title - Perfect Clear Expert, Skill Creator, Core Creator, Perfect Evolution :

    : Demi-Human Male (75% Human, 25% Lightbringer):

    ? : Age-13:

    : Tier-3 :

    : Supernatural Stage :

    : Primary ss - NONE :

    :Former: Tier-2 Pdin : (+7 STR, +7 VIT Distribution)

    :Former: Tier-1 Warrior : (+2 STR, +2 VIT Distribution)

    : Sub-ss - NONE :

    :Former: Tier-2 Basic Gemsmithing : (+7 DEX, +7 INT Distribution)

    :Former: Tier-1 Miner : (+2 STR Distribution)

    : Level: 0/50 0/100: :

    : SPN Stage Essence Pool(SPN-XP): 0 :

    : P-ss (None) :

    : S-ss (None) :

    : Distribution: 3(11) STR, 3(7) DEX, 3(0) AGI, 3(7) INT, 3(9) VIT, 3(0) MIND

    : Mana Codex & Veins Tier-3.5 :

    : Stage 5 :

    : Supreme Mana Body - Tier-3.5, 15g Resistance :

    : Credits: 377,239 :

    : Merit Points: 26360 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 358,375/358,375 : 90 Per Point

    : Mana 150,613/150,613 : 50 Per Point

    : Stamina 190,125/190,125 : 50 Per Point

    : Stat Points- 0 : (30 per level) ss (3)

    : Skill Points- 240 : (4 per level) ss (3)

    : Strength- 5250 :

    : Dexterity- 2919 :

    : Agility- 2804 :

    : Intelligence- 4030 :

    : Vitality- 5250 :

    : Mind- 2804 :

    : Will Power- 180 :

    : Gem Cutting:10, XP 4200/12,814 :

    : Grace- 814 - 7.25G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG) Tier-3 Light Maniption (Initial):

    :(BG) Tier-3 Terra Maniption (Initial):

    :(AG) Tier-3 Wind Maniption (Initial):

    :(SEC) Tier-3 HolyFire Maniption (Initial):

    Closing his eyes and focusing on the massive transformation urring with his power and the sensations that went along with such an immense strength increase, Brance felt the corner of his mouth tug up into a joyful smile.

    Once the sensation subsided, his eyelids snapped open, and Brance hungrily devoured the new information. Once finished, Brance had several questions but felt his mental state was filled with too many highs and lows.

    With the impending threat of his iing Turning Point Quest, the little switch in his mind that had been created after years of brutalbat flipped, and he went into what Cynrik called MC Brancie Mode.

    ''There is no telling how long I have until my Spirit Opponent appears, so I need to start preparing for whatever maye.'' With that thought, Brance vanished from the first floor and appeared on the sixth floor of his Tower, which had be the Command Center.

    Walking briskly up to the Command Column, Brance ced his hands on the stone pir, twisted the disk-like center, and stored the Mana Codex Core in his Inventory into the column.

    For the next several minutes, Brance carried out several tasks to bring his [Radient Tower] to peakbat readiness, and once he was finished, he teleported outside to wait.

    However, after thirty minutes of radio silence from Tobs, Brance grew increasingly more nervous, so much so that his evesting patience finally snapped, and he reached out to her.

    "Hey, Tobs, what is going on? Wasn''t I supposed to be thrown directly into my second turning point quest afterpleting my Tier-3 Evolution?" He asked while looking at the sky, something he had adapted after seeing Cynrik do it so often when speaking to the AI.

    Soon after the words left his mouth, a blue portal opened up, and Tobs stepped out, but not before checking that she wasn''t about to step on any sharp stones that could potentially hurt her bare feet.

    Seeing the girl, in the flesh, step through, Brance broke into a bright smile andpletely forgot about his iing Turning Point Quest.

    "Well, this is a pleasant surprise. Congrattions, Tobs, you finally got yourself a body." Beaming brightly, Brance stepped forward and greeted the young woman with a bright smile and a big hug, where he picked her up and spun her around, much to her surprise and joy.

    "Hehe, Brancie, put me down, I am still not used to this body, and you are making me dizzy. How am I supposed to exin if I can''t see straight?" Giggling happily, Tobs said as Brance hurried to ce her down while patting her head gently.

    "Look at you; you turned out to be quite the cutie! If you show up outside with the rest of the group Cyn and I will have to beat all the guys away with a stick." Brance joked as he examined the petite 152.4 cm (5 foot) young woman with ck and white hair with matching eyes.

    She was clothed in a professional women''s business suit with a pencil skirt, with a long-sleeved puffy blouse in white and her skirt in ck that went just passed her knees, covering arge part of her pale porcin colored skin. On her left arm were two ck bangles, while her right had a white one. These three bangles represented her hosts'' Origin Affinity.

    Her hair was styled after what Brance recognized as Bulma''s hair from Dragon ball Super; a short two tones bob cut. The more Brance looked at her, the more he could tell that was what Cynrik had initially gone for; he had long noticed that so many of her features came from Bulma and a mixture of several other anime characters.

    Ever since Cynrik had generated Tobs'' appearance, Brance had noticed slight changes over time, as if she was aging with them, and now, although short, Tobs appeared to be in her early 20s.

    "It''s the bloodlines; every time you, Cynrik, and Selene evolve, the Human Bloodline is transferred to me. Now that everyone gained 25% in their respective Bloodlines, I could construct a physical body for myself." Rolling her eyes and ignoring Brance''sment about her being cute, Tobs continued exining how she could only take this form in their SOC, and it would be some time before she could manifest in the real world.

    "Man, that sucks; I am sure Gabby would go crazy to have a new friend, especially since she doesn''t get along with anyone outside our group. Come to think of it, aside from Benny and Melody, all of us are pretty much shut-ins who don''t go out and socialize." Frowning as he remembered that they had been at VSFA for several months yet hadn''t made any new friends, Brance changed the topic.

    "Don''t worry about it, Brancie; it just means you have to promise to visit me often here in your SOC." Shrugging her shoulders, Tobs summoned her clipboard and tapped around on it as if it were a tablet.

    "Anyway, let''s take a look at what is happening with your Turning Point quests, EH? Uh, well, this is interesting." Narrowing her eyes and rapidly pressing on her clipboard, Tobs made a sweeping motion toward Brance, and several notifications were triggered on his HUD.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 418 An Issue Long Since Forewarned

    "Anyway, let''s take a look at what is happening with your Turning Point quest, EH? Uh, well, this is interesting." Narrowing her eyes and rapidly pressing on her clipboard, Tobs made a sweeping motion toward Brance, and several notifications were triggered on his HUD.

    -Analyzing contents of the Tribtion quest.-

    -Analysisplete, during the previous quest, Host Brance Jetlensr entered a Memory Fragment conjured by one of the unimed Divinity Fragments stored within his Soul.-

    -As such, bypleting the quest, Host Brance Jetlensr has achievedplete assimtion of said Divinity Fragment and is recognized to havepleted his Second Turning Point Quest.-

    -Since this Turning Point quest had been Dyed and was initially meant to ur during the Tier-2 Advancement, it will not stop the Tier-3 Turning Point Quest.-

    -Now distributing the rewards from the 2nd Turning Point Quest.-

    -You have carried over all the knowledge about your HolyFire Affinity learned from the Memory Fragment of Michael Demiurgos.-

    -You have received the Epic Ranked Blueprint for Michael''s Armor, the "Guiding Light Armor".-

    Brance raised his eyebrows as he read through the notifications Tobs had just sent his way, and once he was done, he looked down and processed the flood of information entering his mind.

    Although he hadn''t had time to mess around with his HolyFire Affinity when he first entered his SOC, Brance noticed that even though his Affinity had grown more substantial, there was a gap in his memory. He had a vague feeling he was missing something.

    But once he read the notification and the data streamed directly into his brain, Brance held up his hand, and a ball of HolyFire appeared instantly. That isn''t all; he soon realized that instead of having to will or coax the Mana Particles into existence, all it took was a simple thought due to his Affinity Evolving into a Maniption.

    To put it into simpler words, previously, when Brance used anything with Mana, it was as if he was asking for permission to borrow the particle''s power, whereas now, he was demanding them to move. This was the true essence behind Mana Maniption.

    However, after manifesting the ball of fire, Brance realized something that scared the shit out of him. He was no longer able to use any skills. When he tried activating a basic Affinity Skill, [Purifying Lance], the only reaction he got was that the ball of HolyFire in his palm flickered for a moment before dying out.

    With fear in his eyes, he looked to Tobs for answers, and as if expecting this reaction, Tobs smiled bitterly.

    "I know what you want to ask Brance¡­and there is no easy way to say this, but now that you have be a Tier-3 Existence, there has been a radical change in how Skills are manifested." Giving Brance a sorrow-filled look, Tobs tapped her clipboard and swiped in his direction, triggering the notifications Brance dreaded would appear.

    -Upon entering the Supernatural Stage, the Tutorial Aid, extended to every being, has been disabled.-

    -You will no longer have the guiding hand of the System when using Abilities, Skills, or Affinity Skills.-

    -It is up to you now to use everything you have learned to exert and trigger the power you have earned.-

    The instant he heard Tobs read out the notifications in his mind, Brance stumbled backward as dread and panic washed over him. One of the biggest things Cynrik had adamantly warned about hade to pass.

    For years, Cynrik had preached and exined that everyone in MyrkLys needed to learn how to wrangle control over their Mana and Skills from the System. He stated that although it was only a prediction and that he may just be acting overly cautious, everyone should be ready for it to happen at some point.

    "All those times I brushed it off or felt the need to change the topic, I should have been listening. Cyn warned me, no, he warned everyone to prepare us, while I just chuckled and chalked it up to his paranoid delusions." Brance mumbled as he took a seat on the ground before he fell over.

    "I should have fucking known better than to doubt that fucking weeb brain of his. But it was because he was only using Anime and Novel logic that I passed it off as a joke." Looking down at his shaking hands, Brance tried activating every skill he knew, only to receive zero results.

    "Brance, I know you are freaking out, but you need to listen to me." Crouching beside him and gently cing her hand on the top of his head tofort her freaked-out Host, Tobs knew that what she had to say next would be detrimental if worded incorrectly.

    Feeling the warmth from her hand and hearing the gentle tone in Tobs'' voice, Brance looked up at her.

    "It is imperative that you understand what I have done for you previously to move past this and regain ess to all your skills." Reaching out and holding Brance''s wrist, she lifted his arm and pointed forward.

    "Cynrik has exined it thousands of times to everyone, and you are no exception, but I will fill in the missing gaps."

    "CSH gives all systems the task of guiding and training every being in the Mortal Stage on how to use their abilities."

    "We do this by aiding the being in channeling, directing their Mana down the proper Circuit paths, and running it through the Runic Diagram that makeup skills."

    Brance tried to say something, but before he could, Tobs red at him as if to say, ''Let me finish,'' so he shut up and allowed her to continue speaking.

    "Souls are both tangible and illusionary simultaneously, and every being born with one starts out like a nk piece of paper. Over time, that nk piece of paper is filled with information, such as your Status, Affinities, or Skills. Basically, it reflects everything that makes you, you."

    "Each time you learn or create a skill, a Runic Diagram is imprinted on your Soul. So, to activate said Skill or Ability, the Mana in your body must trace along this Diagram to generate the proper power necessary to manifest the skill."

    "Think of it like one of those images created from dots. When you connect the lines correctly, a picture is made; it is the same thing with skills. Once you push the Mana Particles correctly, the Runic Diagram is created, and the skill is generated."

    "I can only do what I am about to do one time for you, so how about we make it count, ok?" Smiling at Brance, Tobs removed her hand from his wrist and lightly ran her fingers over his eyelids to close them.

    For a second, the world went dark, and even though he was confused, Brance trusted Tobs as much as he did Cynrik, so allowing her to do as she pleased, he soon felt her grip his wrist again with delicate fingers and didn''t offer any resistance.

    "You have used every one of your skills thousands of times, you know what it feels like, but up until now, you have always had me do the hard part. Without me aiding you, you should still recognize what your skills look and feel like; all you need is that extra little¡­push."

    Suddenly Brance felt like he had been hit by a 10-ton truck as his vision exploded into an array of stars; only these stars weren''t celestial bodies, but instead many small intricately woven clusters of runes.

    Brance didn''t need to think as his mind instinctively knew that each cluster, which appeared to be getting closer to him, represented each of his skills and abilities.

    Feeling a sense of awe as he observed the Runic Diagrams, Brance noticed that some appeared to be glowing less brightly than others, like a low-power light bulb, while others were as bright as the sun.

    Since she could read his mind, Tobs smiled faintly and exined what he was seeing.

    "The brightness of a Runic Diagram represents how proficient you are in using it. For example, if you look at this one here¡­."

    Suddenly one of the smaller yet brightest of the Diagrams moved ahead of the pack. As it progressed, it generated a tan afterimage, proof that it was one of Brance''s Terra Affinity skills. In fact, every Diagram was color-coded, representing which Affinity it used for activation.

    "This is your [Stone Spike]. I don''t have to exin why this little guy is as bright as it is."

    "While the brightness of the Diagram represents proficiency, the size represents Tier, and the consistency of Runes represents how difficult it is to activate the skill. For example, if you look at this Diagram here, which is the one for your [Radient Tower], you can tell just how strong the skill is since it is densely packed with almost a hundred thousand runes."

    "Knowing about the Runic Diagrams is only half the battle, though. Because it takes three things to use a skill, the first is knowing and understanding the Diagram, the second is allocating the proper amount of Mana required for activation, and the final step is following the right channels, which in this case are your Mana Circuits and Veins."

    As if following Tobs'' words, the Diagrams moved out of the way, and a shadow version of Brance''s body appeared floating not far in front of him. This shadow body soon lit up like a Christmas tree with thousands of lines that reminded Brance of the models he had seen in Anatomy ss.

    However, instead of veins and arteries, the bright blue or green lines represented his Mana Circuits and Mana Veins. Next, without Tobs saying anything, most of the lines lost their brightness and turned grey, leaving only a few colored lines glowing.

    "When you envision the Runic Diagram, due to your proficiency with a Skill or Ability, you will instinctively recognize which Veins or Circuits to follow with your Mana. Once you allocate the correct amount of Mana and push it through your body, only then will you be able to use the Skill or Ability you want."

    After saying thest bit, all the images faded away, leaving Brance in a world of darkness, causing him to open his eyes and look over at Tobs, who seemed pale and was panting as if she just ran a marathon.

    Worried about her, Brance extended his arm and rubbed small circles on her back, which he usually does to calm Gabby down.

    "Thank you, Tobs, it will take a bit of practice, but I should be able to handle it from here." Giving her a warm smile of gratitude, Brance stood up, extended his right arm, narrowed his eyes, and envisioned everything he had learned.

    Half a secondter, hundreds of [Stone Spikes] manifested and shot off like rockets toward a mountain in the distance. Upon impact, the ground shook from the force of the multiple attacks, generating hundreds of craters on the surface of the mountain he had targeted.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 419 The Third Turning Point Quest

    "Thank you, Tobs, it will take a bit of practice, but I should be able to handle it from here." Giving her a warm smile of gratitude, Brance stood up, extended his right arm, narrowed his eyes, and envisioned everything he had learned.

    Half a secondter, hundreds of [Stone Spikes] manifested and shot off like rockets toward a mountain in the distance. Upon impact, the ground shook from the force of the multiple attacks, generating hundreds of craters on the surface of the mountain he had targeted.

    Straightening her back and exhaling deeply, Tobs steadied herself and watched as Brance went through his list of Skills in order of when he learned them.

    For a short time, explosions rocked the Mountain Range held within Brance''s SOC as he went from Terra Affinity Skills to Wind, then Light, and eventually HolyFire. The longer he used his skills, the more experienced he became at casting them, with the only exception being his Multi Affinity Skills such as [Surging Earth Spike].

    The problem urred when he tried merging his Affinities. During the process, he would apply more of one Element than the other, causing the skill to fail.

    Luckily Tobs was by his side, and after a bit of encouragement and a brief exnation, Brance could figure out where the error was urring and fix it.

    Once he had run through hisplete list of over 30 skills, he then moved on to all of his ss skills; instead of finishing the manifestation of the skill, he would cut short the flow of Mana before it could enter thepletion phase.

    In doing this, not only was Brance able to get a feel for the process of using his ss Skills, but he also avoided triggering the cooldown, which was extremely important, especially in the case of something like [Hallowed Ground], a skill with a 36-hour cooldown.

    In all, the experiment and or training took Brance over three hours, and if it weren''t for the passive ability of his SOC, which gave him unlimited Mana, he wouldn''t have been able to progress so far in such a short period.

    Using his shirt to wipe the umted sweat on his face, Brance smiled and looked at the heavily destroyed Mountain Range.

    "Sheesh, if I had tried this outside, in the real world, who knows what consequences I would face? The sheer scope of this Damage is no different than if a military force unleashes thousands of missles on a single location."

    "Yes, yes, you are so strong, don''t grow an ego asrge as Cynrik''s," rolling her eyes, Tobs swiped on her Clipboard, causing a massive earthquake that saw the entire Mountain Range mend itself good as new in no time t.

    "Woah, that was cool! How often can you do that, Tobs? I mean, not to downgrade your efforts, but if you can repair everything that quickly, couldn''t Cynrik and I go at it in here without fear?" Brance asked. However, he didn''t receive a reply, so he turned and looked at the young woman again, only to find her looking at him with dead eyes.

    "Huh? What, did I say something wrong?" Brance asked curiously.

    "You brothers, the two of you are such battle junkies. UGH, Selene isn''t any better either; all the three of you have on your mind are beating each other up. Well, you aren''t as bad as those two, but still." Crossing her arms and tapping her delicate foot in frustration, Tobs turned her head away from Brance and began to pout.

    Seeing how she was acting, Brance couldn''t help but snicker and think about how far his AI hade over the years. In the beginning, she was no better than an automatedputer program, but now, she appeared to be no different than any other member of MyrkLys.

    "STOP LAUGHING, JERK! Don''t you have some, I don''t know, sword techniques to train, you know, those knock-off anime ones you use." Tobs snorted while shaking her fist in Brance''s direction.

    "Haha, Nah, all of my Hiten Moves rely on Mana as a whole, so long as I can channel certain Elements into specific parts of my body and my weapon, I should be good to go." After saying that, he quickly summoned the Katana he had received as part of his equipment upgrade a few weeks back and did some practice strikes.

    "Well, good; if you are finished, I can finally stop holding back these damn notifications. I had to focus all my attention and exert a lot of energy to keep them at bay until you were fully prepared, but seeing as you are in the mood to waste time, you are ready."

    After finishing her statement, Tobs'' face got serious, and she pointed her Clipboard at Brance.

    "Once I open the floodgate Brancie, all hell will break loose, so you may want to equip yourself in your armor."

    Seeing her serious expression, Brance understood what was about to happen, and he was soon decked out in a stunning Silver Heavy te Armor set.

    The armor didn''t look overly shy, yet sported tworge form-fitting pauldrons the size of Brance''s head, and from the neck down, he was covered entirely in jointed metal.

    The only part of his body exposed was his head, mainly due to Brance refusing to wear a helmet and instead opting for a raised cor. Overall, the Full body te Armor turned Brance into a miniature version of the HulkBuster Armor. Cynrik had even handed over the gear to Brance while ying Iron Man by ck Sabbath.

    Gone was the Katana as he had stored it back in his inventory, and in the ce of the sword were the two newly upgraded CS Tear shields attached to both his forearms.

    - Cold-Steel Tear Mark 3 (F) -

    -Tier-4: Special Grade(Upgradeable)-

    - ssification: Teardrop Kite Shield -

    - A custom-made Teardrop-shaped kite shield designed by Cinyah Jetlensr, modified by Engineer Cynrik Jetlensr, and forged by Famed cksmith and Runist Jessup Pinhurst for Brance Jetlensr.-

    -This Shield has been modified with specific Engineeringponents that can drastically change its shape when a specified amount of Mana is stored in the Gems.-

    -The Gems and Runes inscribed on the shield''s face have been tailored to handle Earth, Wind, and Light Mana based on the user''s Affinities.-

    - +150 DEF.-

    -+75 DEX.-

    -+75 VIT.-

    -Durability 100,000/100,000.-

    - Ability:+ 25% Buff to Earth Skills, +25% Buff to Wind Skills, +30% Buff to Light Skills.-

    -Ability 2: Any healing Skills cast while holding one or more of this shield will have an increased regeneration rate of 50%.-

    -Special Passive Skill: When wielding two shields simultaneously, +25% increased Chance of Reflecting 50% of Damage at the Target.-

    -Special Passive Skill: When wielding two shields simultaneously, +25% Blunt Force Critical Damage.-

    -Special Skill: Fusion. This shield can retract half the main body andbine it with a second shield of the same variety. As a result, the stats and abilities of the shield will be doubled, and Special Skill: Shield Wall can also be used. Activation cost = 1500 MP.-

    -Special Skill: Shield Wall (requires two simr shields)- Requires two simr-sized shields; a Mana Barrier can is generated; it will have a base durability of 50,000 HP. Activation Cost is 3000 Earth, Light, and Wind Mana. Infusing more Mana will raise the durability.-

    -Special Skill: (F) ???.-

    Shifting the two heavy metal teardrop shields into afortable position on his arms, Brance shuffled from side to side to get used to wearing his te armor with his new stats.

    ''Damn, it feels light as a feather now, but that shouldn''te as a surprise since my STR stat has already broken through 5k. Not to mention before, I would steadily lose 5-10 Stamina per second while wearing my gear because it was so heavy, but now, it isn''t dropping at all.'' Brance thought as he adjusted to wearing the armor.

    Although he knew the boosts were already in ce, Brance still needed to double-check that his Set Boost was being appropriately applied, so he pulled up his Loadout and read it over.

    -MyrkLys Pdin Set: Epic Ranked.-

    -1 piece: 15% buff to Hidden Stat *Defense*.-

    -3 pieces: 15% Damage Negation.-

    -5 pieces: 25% Critical Damage Reflection.-

    -7 pieces: 25% buff to all basic stats.-

    Reading through the benefits of wearing all his gear, Brance acknowledged that the 15% Damage Negation and 25% Critical Damage Reflection were the most important abilities it granted.

    The damage negation ability was as described; it would disperse 15% of any damage he received. Meanwhile, if Brance received any attacksbeled as Crits, 25 percent of that Damage would be returned to the attacker.

    Having used his equipment during the training camp, Brance knew that the Damage negation would redistribute the force of the attack through his body and out his feet. At the same time, the reflection took the form of a kind of bacsh the attacker would receive.

    Satisfied that everything was in order, Brance turned to face Tobs and noticed her Clipboard was glowing bright Red and shaking so badly that he was confused about how Tobs had a grip on it.

    "Go ahead and do it, Tobs; I am ready," Brance said clearly after taking a deep breath and gripping the handles of both his CS Tears. He already felt what Tobs was holding back was his Third Turning Point Quest.

    Why else would the AI be so keen on him getting used to using his skills properly and getting geared up for battle?

    Giving him a short nod, Tobs swiped and struggled a bit to move her hand over the surface of her Clipboard, almost as if it was emitting a high-level gravitational field. When she finished the motion, several notifications appeared on Brance''s HUD.

    -A Third-party has been alerted to your presence and has broken into the Host''s SOC.-

    -A third party is in control; any damage you take inside will affect your Soul Directly.-

    -The Host is being forcefully dragged into a Turning Point Quest-

    -Turning Point Quest: Challenge for Supremacy-

    -Due to the influence of your Divine Blessings and your LightBringer Bloodline, A third party acting against you has stepped in during a point of weakness, and to leave, you must defeat this Being inbat. If you die in battle, your Soul will copse and be destroyed, allowing this third Partyplete control of your body and rece your existence.-

    -Defeat the LightBringer Spirit ????-

    -Reward:???

    -Penalty for failure: Soul Destruction-

    The instant the notification about the Quest''s penalty disappeared, Brance''s SOC shook violently, causing him to base out his legs to keep steady. A powerful sh of light urred in the distance behind Tobs, who was already turning transparent.

    She wouldn''t be able to aid him any longer, and since her voice had already failed to transmit, she mouthed the words, ''Stay Strong, Brancie, you''ve got this,'' just as a fierce battle cry echoed throughout thendscape.

    "ALL WILL FALL BEFORE MY DIVINE ARROWS, AS IT HAS BEEN WRITTEN BY OUR LORD, THE GOD OF LIGHT!"

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 420 The Third Turning Point Quest (2)

    The instant the Quest''s penalty notification disappeared, Brance''s SOC shook violently, causing him to base out his legs to keep steady. A powerful sh of light urred in the distance behind Tobs, who was already turning transparent.

    She wouldn''t be able to aid him any longer, and since her voice had already failed to transmit, she mouthed the words, ''Stay Strong, Brancie, you''ve got this,'' just as a fierce battle cry echoed throughout thendscape.

    "ALL WILL FALL BEFORE MY DIVINE ARROWS, AS IT HAS BEEN WRITTEN BY OUR LORD, THE GOD OF LIGHT!"

    SHOOM SHOOM SHOOM SHOOM

    "What in the UGHHH," Brance hardly had enough time to raise his shields in a defensive posture before four Light Construct Arrows mmed into his body almost too fast to see.

    Even with [Mana Sight] active, he could only faintly catch sight of the tail trail left over as the arrows broke through the sound barrier and literally traveled at the speed of¡­well, LIGHT!

    Crashing into his CS Tears simultaneously, the force of the impact was enough to send Brance sliding backward nearly 50 meters before Light Arrows shattered into particles, allowing him enough time to peek between his shields to see his opponent.

    "HEYYY!" Brance shouted at the top of his lungs while locating his opponent hovering in the air half a kilometer away.

    "DON''T YOU KNOW IT IS IMPROPER TO ATTACK SOMEONE WITHOUT JUST CAUSE OR EVEN INTRODUCING YOURSELF!"

    SHOOM SHOOM SHOOM SHOOM

    Contrary to what Brance had expected, instead of a verbal response, he was met by another flurry of Light Arrows, which once again sent him sliding back as he blocked them.

    ''Shit, those damn things pack a hell of a punch! Each arrow is dealing 5% damage to the durability of my shields. I can''t keep sitting still and absorbing the damage either; I need to dodge them; only they move too fast, and I can hardly see the damn things.'' With that thought in mind, Brance kicked off the ground and rushed to the left, into the nearby Mountain Range for cover.

    For an instant, the idea of retreating into his [Radient Tower] popped into his head, but after seeing that the attacks were dealing so much damage, he knew it wouldn''t be long until his Tower would fall under the pressure of these Light Arrows.

    While on the move, his eyes flicked in the direction of his opponent, and he could faintly see the outline of six golden wings sprouting from the Man''s Back.

    ''Another fucking Archangel, and to make matters worse, I doubt this guy will want an upfront dogfight of a battle. If my memory isn''t failing me, there is only one Archer among the God Of Light''s forces: the ArchAngel Uriel Demiurgos, Michael''s older brother and the twin brother of Raphael.''

    BOOM BOOM BOOOM

    Not far off behind him, several arrows exploded on the ground behind Brance like mortar shells; however, he quickly began making evasive maneuvers and never ran in a straight line. There were even several moments where he ducked for cover behind tall rock structures only to have them explode secondster.

    Thinking quickly, Brance dug his feet into the ground, channeled over 3000 points of Terra Mana into his legs, and soon sunk into the rocks, disappearing out of sight into the depths of the Mountain Range. Even as he did this, his body never stopped moving, as not only did Brance sink deeper into the ground, but he also continued moving further away from his attacker.

    Oddly enough, Brance seemed to be moving faster as he progressed through the rocky terrain, as if he had transformed into a tunneling creature.

    Half a kilometer away, Uriel became flustered at his inability to hit the weak Tier-3 mortal who scurried about like a rat.

    "Tsk, this Nephilim dreg has taken to the mountains; it seems he has had some training, but what can he do? I am a whole two Tiers stronger than him. If it weren''t for this petty suppression of my body and power, I would have already razed this entire range to oblivion with my Tier-7 strength." Annoyed, Uriel disappeared from his spot hundreds of meters in the sky and appeared over the vast mountain range that seemed to stretch on for thousands of kilometers.

    "Where are you?" The Archangel thought aloud as he Gripped his Golden four-armed bow and notched another batch of Light Arrows onto the two bowstrings.

    Unfortunately, after a few minutes of searching without results, Uriel''s patience grew thin, so he began unleashing wave after wave of Light Arrows into the Mountains, with each attack creating craters with a 20-meter radius.

    Meanwhile, Brance was watching the Archangel''s actions from below, biding his time and waiting for the right moment to strike. Although he never stopped moving, after feeling the powerful tremors shaking the rocks above, he had a feeling it was only a matter of time before Uriel became so annoyed that he started firing off stronger attacks in an attempt to destroy the entire Mountain Range.

    Thus, although he was still on the move, Brance started tracing out the Runic Diagrams for [White Dwarf] and, after a few tense minutes, created five sets of milky white marbles.

    ''Alright, I''ve made 25 WDs; the next step is nting them around toy my trap; the goal is to create big enough explosions so that it appears I am jumping out of the rocks to attack him, but these will only be a distraction.'' Narrowing his eyes and looking up at Uriel with [Mana Sight] as the Archangel continuously fired off one arrow after another, Brance put his n into action and dropped his WDs in strategic yet seemingly random positions.

    Without even realizing it, Brance had created aplete circle around his enemy by spacing each marble roughly a hundred meters away from the closest one.

    ''Alright, the trap has beenid,'' Brance thought as he slowly came to a stop under his [Radient Tower]. Then with a thought, he appeared on the 6th floor, in the Command Center.

    Bringing up the monitoring disys and a small map, he then plotted in the location of each [White Dwarf] before marking Uriel as an enemy.

    "You wanna fight with ranged weapons? Well, two can y that game." Brance said with a smirk as he primed all weapons on the fourth floor. Like when he fought Michael, the current artilleryyout was set to Layout E.

    -Layout E: One Tier-4 Positron Cannon, Two Tier-3.5 Mana Construct Cannons, and Two Tier-3.5 Mana Construct Ballista.-

    -Tier-4 Positron Cannon: Fires, One Terra-Light-Wind Beam.-

    -Fires, One Terra-Light-Wind Beam.-

    -Damage: Static 125,000 Points of AOE DMG.-

    -Cooldown: 25 minutes.-

    -Charge Time: 10 minutes.-

    -Tier-3.5 Mana Construct Cannon.-

    -Fires, one Terra-Light Shell.-

    -Damage: Static 12000 Points of Magic Dmg.-

    -Cooldown: 4 minutes.-

    -Charge Time: 45 seconds.-

    -Tier-3.5 Mana Construct Ballista.-

    -Fires, one Terra-Wind Javelin.-

    -Damage: Static 10000 Points of Physical Dmg.-

    -Cooldown: 2 minutes 30 seconds.-

    -Charge Time: 25 seconds.-

    With his left hand on the Command Column, Brance positioned each of them in such a way that they would have a clear line of fire on Uriel, and once they were in ce, only then did he snap the thumb and middle finger of his right hand, triggering the remote detonation of the first [White Dwarf].

    RUMMMMMMBLLLLEEE, BOOOOOOMMMM!

    At first, a faint rumbling sound quickly drew Uriel''s attention. Then, a moment after he heard the sound, the ground erupted with light, vaporizing everything in a 40-meter radius and generating a massive beam of light that extended into the sky.

    Without missing a beat, the instant the beam of light shot into the air, Uriel released two waves of arrows as he floated away from the ominous pir of Mana.

    Brance had anticipated this oue, and when he nced at the map on his Command Disy, he saw that Uriel had moved directly over one of his traps.

    SNAP

    RUMMMMBLLLLE BOOOOOM

    Unable to register what happened, Uriel didn''t even have enough time to curse and was soon bathed in a pir of white light.

    "AHHHH FILTHY HEATHEN!" Uriel''s pained howls of agony came from within the beam of light, and with a swipe of the four-armed bow, the pir of light was severed in half, with the top part dispersing into particles and the bottom sinking back into the ground.

    Seeing that Uriel had taken practically no visible damage from the attack, Brance frowned and quickly snapped his fingers, triggering the third explosion. Instead of it being one of the closer traps, this time, it was some distance away from his target.

    "THERE!" Uriel shouted as he surged through the sky and fired off several arrows, only to find that he hadn''t hit anything a few secondster.

    With three explosions and pirs of light under his belt, Uriel now knew something was wrong, and his eyes scanned therge tunnel-like holes in the ground left behind by the explosions.

    "Damn it; this Nephilim scum also appears to have a Terra Affinity; he has burrowed underground andid some type of explosive trap to draw my attention, but where has he gone? Is he still hiding underground or¡­" With his eyes continuously scanning the surrounding area, Uriel stopped speaking. His eyes widened as therge, six-story stone tower off in the distance caught his attention halfway through his statement.

    "Toote," Brance calmly stated as he unleashed a ranged barrage of his own, freeing all his weapons at once, the Positron Cannon included. That wasn''t all either; having pressed the six trigger buttons on the Command Column, Brance clutched the air with his right hand, pulled down, and made a punching motion.

    His actions triggered the remaining 22 [White Dwarfs] hidden underground, causing them to roll slightly and angle toward Uriel before exploding.

    All hell broke loose the next second. Twenty-two pirs of light exploded from the ground at an angle and intersected at one point, Uriel''s location, while the Terra-Light-Wind Beam, two Terra-Light Shells, and two Terra-Wind Javelins howled through the air.

    The loudest explosion Brance had ever heard shook his entire SOC as the attacks crashed into each other, shattering through space and forming a spatial tear where Uriel was hovering. The sheer destruction caused by 28 attacks simultaneously erupting was enough to generate a shockwave so powerful that the [Radient Tower] cracked and fell over.

    "FUCK!" Brance screamed as he suddenly went airborne and mmed into the far side of the room. Bouncing off the wall that had gone from the right wall of the sixth floor to the ceiling, Brance fell all the way back down to the former left wall, now the floor of the Tower.

    For a time, Brance could only hear a loud ringing in his ear as tinnitus set in, giving him a shback of the numerous times he had fired his rifle without ear protection.

    Using his shields, Brance was slow to get back to his feet and soon teleported himself outside the [Radient Tower], where he found himself standing on the side of his crippled structure, looking out over the massive amount of destruction he had just created.

    Narrowing his eyes and activating [Mana Sight], he then scanned the area to try and locate Uriel, and it didn''t take long to do so. Floating in the sky but looking like he had been through hell, Uriel pped his three remaining wings as golden blood gushed from his right arm, or what was left of it. Brance''s ambush had destroyed it, leaving only a gaping wound in ce of an appendage.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 421 The Third Turning Point Quest (3)

    **Hey Guys, Author-San here, I won''t take up much of your time, but I did want to stop by and say HAPPY FIRST ANNIVERSARY! Nov 5th, 2021, was the official day that Cynrik and Brance Died on Earth, as well as the first day of publication for the series. We havee so far in thest year, and for those who have been around since the beginning, you have my undying love and affection. It has been a long road, and we are only 25% of the way through the series Plot Outline. There is so much left to go, and I hope everyone sticks around to enjoy the series. Every Anni, I will post the following line, so here we go!!! Remember Remember the 5th of November**

    -Year 1: 420 Chapters, 773.73k Words, 1.3 Mil Views.-

    ---

    Floating in the sky but looking like he had been through hell, Uriel pped his three remaining wings as golden blood gushed from his right arm, or what was left of it. Brance''s ambush had destroyed it, leaving only a gaping wound in ce of an appendage.

    "You fucking mongrel, how dare you!" Uriel snarled as he floated toward the ground and away from the Spatial Tear, which was sealing itself back up.

    Yet before his feet even touched the ground, he caught sight of several small milky white objectsing toward him. As they drew near, the Archangel''s pupils constricted. He barely had enough time to cover his body with the three remaining golden wings when the ten objects that radiated arge amount of Mana glowed brightly before exploding.

    BOOM!

    With all ten [White Dwarfs] exploding simultaneously, Brance smirked, got a running start, and pushed off the tower, jumping into the air before he underwent a physical change.

    "[Nephilim Mode], [Nephilim Crest]," Brance muttered under his breath as two bright golden-white rings appeared, one above the crown of his head and one at the base of his feet, extending out the entire length of his arm''s wingspan. As the rings manifested, they moved in opposite directions toward his stomach as if they were attracting one another.

    While the two rings covered his body from top to bottom, Brance began transforming(Think Danny Phantom Going Ghost in reverse). First, his hair lost all color, turning pure white, then his eyes shifted from Violet to Gold, and delicate golden markings in different sh-like shapes spread across his face and down to his shoulders.

    However, due to his high-cored te armor, the only markings that could be seen were on his face. Next, Brance''s skin tanned slightly and began radiating in a pale white light. Just before the two rings connected, they flipped and moved away from his body; with their change of direction, a pair of radiant golden glowing feathered Mana Wings erupted from his back, allowing him to take flight.

    Completely unaware of the changes to the transformation process due to his increase in the LightBringer Bloodline, Brance pped his mighty wings several times to pick up speed, but this wasn''t the final Transformation to ur by his hands.

    Slowly spreading out his arms and holding out the two CS Tears, Brance gripped the handle inside each Shield like a motorcycle throttle, twisted them inward toward his body, and caused a loud clicking noise.

    Following the clicking sound, Brance pumped Terra, Light, and Wind Mana into the shields, generating a strange mechanical sound as if hundreds of gears had been kickstarted into motion.

    Without breaking eye contact with his target, Brance swung the two shields, asrge as his body, into each other, and something new happened; the two shields beganbining and changing shape.

    Upon making contact with each other, the handles of both shields slid down to the base and extended out into a single, .75 meter long rod, which Brance soon gripped with both hands as he swung the transforming mass of metal to his right hip, dragging it behind him as he flew faster.

    Ignoring the chorus of clicks, ngs, and bangs, Brance grit his teeth and appeared above the stunned and injured Uriel. He stared up at him with wide eyes as what he viewed as a lower lifeform raised his merged weapon over his head and smashed it down directly onto his head, the force of which created a visible shockwave that rocketed him down into the mountains hundreds of meters below.

    When Uriel made contact with the ground, the rocky terrain shattered and caved in, creating arge crater several meters deep and wide.

    Wasting no time and flicking his eyes to the 2.5 meters, fully transformed CST-GreatSword, Brance expertly spun the blunt sword around before rushing down to continue his assault while thinking about the day Cynrik had exined the changes to his CS Tears.

    At the time, his older brother had been acting extraordinarily mysterious. He refused to exin what the new special skill added onto the two shields did, especially since the new skill''s description was filled with Question Marks.

    -Special Skill: (F) ???.-

    The only thing Cynrik exined was that to trigger the new skill, all that was needed was a twist of the handles, some Mana, and a bit of force while cing the two shields together.

    Following those instructions, the magical work of Engineering caused Brance to drop the merging weapons for a moment, earning him a fit ofughter from Cynrik and a scolding from Jessup, who was present through a video call.

    -Special Skill (Fusion): Upon twisting the handles, pumping a minimum of 3k Terra, Light, and Wind MP, and forcefully drawing this Shield and its matching partner together, the Cold-Steel Tear Mark 3 (F) 1 and 2 will merge and be the CS-Tear Greatsword Mark 1.-

    Brance had been startled by the Transformation, yet once he picked up his new weapon and examined its stats post-fusion, he became amazed and instantly praised Cynrik and Jessup foring up with such an ingeniously designed piece of equipment.

    However, upon reading the upgraded description of his newly merged Shields, Brance almost ended up dropping the Greatsword for a second time.

    -CS-Tear Greatsword Mark 1.-

    -Tier-4: Special Grade(Upgradeable).-

    -ssification: Edgeless Greatsword.-

    -de Length: 2.5 Meters.-

    -Handle Length: 0.75 Meters.-

    -Intricately designed from the ground up by Cynrik Jetlensr, this weapon houses hundreds of micro gearboxes and pistons, allowing what used to be a Tear Drop Kite Shield to transform into a massive and heavy blunt Greatsword.-

    -Theponents used in the two halves of this weapon have been modified with specific Engineeringponents that can drastically change its shape when a specified amount of Mana is stored in the Gems.-

    -The Gems and Runes inscribed on each side of the sword have been tailored to handle Earth, Wind, and Light Mana based on the user''s Affinities.-

    -Activation: 90-degree clockwise twist of the handle, 3000 Light Mana, 3000 Terra Mana, 3000 Wind Mana, moderate force applied to the two halves.-

    -Deactivation: Simultaneous 90-degree clockwise twist of the upper part of the handle and 90-degree counter-clockwise twist of the bottom part of the handle.-

    - +300 DEF.-

    -+150 STR.-

    -+150 VIT.-

    -Durability 200,00/200,000.-

    -Ability:+ 50% Buff to Earth Skills, +50% Buff to Wind Skills, +60% Buff to Light Skills.-

    -Ability 2: Any healing Skills cast while holding one or more of this Shield will have an increased regeneration rate of 100%.-

    -Special Passive Skill: When wielding two shields simultaneously, +50% increased Chance of Reflecting 100% of Damage at the Target.-

    -Special Passive Skill: +50% Blunt Force Critical Damage.-

    -Special Active Skill: Repulsion Strike, using the force generators originally meant for activation of the Shield Wall Special Skill, the wielder of this weapon can add a powerful Mana burst effect onto the sh generating a sword light Mana Construct. Activation Cost is 1000 Earth, Light, and Wind Mana.

    The attack that Brance had just used at point-nk range on Uriel was precisely the CS-Tear Greatswords Special Active Skill, and there was so much force behind it that Uriel was now buried under hundreds of kilos of stone.

    Diving down with his sword trailing behind him, Brance arrived above the crater and utilized his Terra Maniption to instantly clear the debris using only his mind before bashing the semi-conscious Uriel repeatedly.

    Each strike burrowed the fallen Archangel deeper into the ground, and since he was in such a miserable state, it was all Uriel could do to keep conscious as the seemingly never-ending blows rained from above heavily.

    As long as his opponent was injured and unable to respond in kind, Brance didn''t care how deep they were traveling as each attack that connected sent the broken being several meters deeper.

    The only goal in his mind at that moment was dealing the maximum amount of Blunt Force Damage to beat out how quickly he could see the wounds on the Archangel''s body healing.

    -You have dealt a critical blow to your opponent.-

    -You have dealt 10611 damage to your opponent.-

    -You have dealt 4836 damage to your opponent.-

    -You have dealt a critical blow to your opponent.-

    -You have dealt 11020 damage to your opponent.-

    Thanks to the faint glow caused as a side effect of his [Nephilim Mode], Brance didn''t have to worry about theck of visible light that came along with being hundreds of meters underground. It wasn''t until Uriel''s body mmed into something too solid to break that Brance forced the surrounding rocks to open up into a vast domed cavern, giving himself enough space to widely swing his massive Greatsword with unhindered ease.

    Narrowing his eyes and examining the present state of his opponent, Brance was surprised to find that not only was the Archangel''s golden armor wholly shattered, but he could see every one of Uriel''s ribs had punctured through the skin.

    In fact, Brance had seeded in pulverizing nearly every bone in Uriel''s body EXCEPT the guy''s ribs. Ignoring the spam of notifications threatening to flood his vision, Brance kept to something his Father on Earth had ingrained in his mind from a young age when it came to Boxing¡­ ''Never Stop until the Ref pulls you off.'' Thus he didn''t stop until he finally received the notification from Tobs telling him it was all over and his opponent shattered into particles of light.

    -Turning Point Quest: Challenge for Supremacy has beenpleted.-

    -After battling against the Spirit of a being several times stronger than yourself, you havee out on top and won the battle for supremacy over your soul.-

    -Your Sess in battle has allowed you to fully integrate the Divinity fragment once owned by Uriel Demiurgos, The Seraphim and Former Second General of the God Of Light''s Army, making it your own. Therefore, you will not suffer any consequences upon fully integrating this fragment.

    -Defeat the LightBringer Spirit - Uriel Demiurgos (Complete)

    -Reward: You have earned your Second Pair of Wings. Upon Activating your [Nephilim Mode], you can choose either having one pair or two. The Boosts applied by your Mode are doubled for each pair of wings you manifest; however, the duration of activation for your [Nephilim Mode] will be cut in half.-

    -Reward2: You have received the title ''Cherub.''-

    -Reward 3: You have gained 100 Grace.-

    -Reward 4: You have gained 45 points in your Will Power Stat.-

    -By absorbing the Divinity Fragment housing the Spirit of Uriel Demiurgos, The Seraphim and Former Second General of the God Of Light''s Army, you have repaired all Damage to your SOC and Soul.-

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 422 Preparing For The First Regional (1)

    -Reward: You have earned your Second Pair of Wings. Upon Activating your [Nephilim Mode], you can choose either having one pair or two. The Boosts applied by your Mode are doubled for each pair of wings you manifest; however, the duration of activation for your [Nephilim Mode] will be cut in half.-

    -Reward2: You have received the title ''Cherub.''-

    -Reward 3: You have gained 100 Grace.-

    -Reward 4: You have gained 45 points in your Will Power Stat.-

    -By absorbing the Divinity Fragment housing the Spirit of Uriel Demiurgos, The Seraphim and Former Second General of the God Of Light''s Army, you have repaired all damage to your SOC and Soul.-

    Unable to control his breathing and slumped forward while using his Greatsword to stay standing, Brance read through his turning point quest rewards.

    "Damn, huff, these rewards, huff, are neither too good nor too bad." The new title and upgrade to his [Nephilim Mode] were nice and all, but considering he could only keep the Mode active for a maximum of 25 minutes upon reaching 25% in his Bloodline, the utility behind using the four-wing activation didn''t warrant constant use.

    Mind you, it could fill in the slot as a trump card, one that would allow him to explode forth with a massive amount of power during a game-changing moment in a fight. Still, until Brance could sustain his Mode for a significant amount of time, he didn''t see himself abusing the four-wing activation.

    Ignoring his aching body, Brance brought his wings up and, with a few ps, appeared out of the deep hole in the ground and back on the surface of the mountain range.

    Then, upon realizing that he only had around 30 seconds left in his transformation, Brance swiftly made his way back to the ground, deactivated [Nephilim Mode], and copsed onto his but in a puff of dust.

    "Well, that didn''t go terribly, amirite?" Turning his head and seeing Tobs walk out of a blue portal wearing a smile, Brance chuckled.

    "Nope, I''d say not even your brother could have won that fight so cleanly. Honestly, he probably would havee up with some overly convoluted n, which would fail in the end, forcing him to recklessly rush in and get the shit kicked out of his body." Shrugging her shoulders, Tobs waved her hand a few times to fix all the damage from the fight.

    "What can I say? Even the Second General is susceptible to constant bombardment from artillery; I was merely returning the favor he gave by peppering me with never-ending arrows." As he spoke, Brance gripped the handle of his CS-Tear Greatsword and disengaged the transformation, splitting the sword back into its original two shields.

    Crossing his legs, Brance followed up by cing one shield beside him and the other in hisp for inspection. After a couple of minutes, Brance sighed heavily, drawing Tobs attention away from the downed [Radient Tower].

    "What''s wrong now?" Waving her hand and guiding the tower back into its original position, Tobs tilted her head and read Brance''s thoughts before frowning.

    "SERIOUSLY, BRANCIE! How the hell can you be worried about your shields? So what if they only have 12% and 14% durability? They are only replications created for use in your SOC, not the ACTUAL thing." Walking over and giving Brance a solid smack upside the back of his head, Tobs started ranting at him, much like Cinyah does with Cynrik.

    However, mid-way through her scolding, Tobs stopped and ced her left hand on her temple, confusing Brance.

    "What? Is everything ok?" He asked while storing his armor and shields in their slots within his inventory.

    "Hm? Yeah, no biggie; it looks like both Cynrik and Selene have finished their Evolutions."

    "Oh? How did Cyn''s Turning Point Quest Go? Did he face any cool legendary Vikings this time? Or was it another Mythical Beast like J?rmungandr?" Brance asked while standing up and switching out of his training clothes and back into his uniform.

    "Nah, nothing like that. Cynrik was in a simr situation to you, where one of his Turning Points was merged with the Passing Down Quest. Instead of being thrown into the next one, he got a free pass."

    "HUH?" Dropping his mouth open, Brance stared at Tobs questioningly.

    "Don''t ''Huh'' me, and close your mouth; bugs will fly in. If you hadn''t prolonged your first quest as long as you did, you would have ended up in the same situation. However, the third was turned active because you had onlypleted your first Turning Point, and the second was merged with your Passing Down." Rolling her eyes and reaching over to close Brance''s mouth for him since he ignored her advice, Tobs exined further.

    "From the information I have gathered, you can think of it like this. Since you and Cynrik were born, all your Turning Point Quests have been dormant, requiring a certain level of Essence to trigger."

    "The trigger seems to ur when your body is experiencing the purge brought about by your Evolutions. Thus, the following Divinity Fragment, which houses your Turning Point Quest, gets activated each time you Evo."

    Finishing her statement, Tobs began tapping away on her Clipboard, and with a swipe of her hand, a holographic disy of Brance''s body, simr to the one he saw when she exined Mana Veins and Circuits manifested in front of them.

    In contrast to the previous model, the greyscale body showed nine diamonds this time¡ªone on his head, each shoulder, arm, and leg. Thest two diamonds were over his heart and belly button.

    Of the nine diamonds, three, the one on his head, heart, and belly button, was glowing white, leaving the other six greyed out.

    "Each diamond represents one of the divinity fragments ced in your soul by the God of Light, and as I am sure you can guess, the three glowing ones are the fragments you have assimted after clearing a Turning Point Quest."

    "Some of the fragments are stronger than others and, as a result, will have a more profound effect on you in one way or another. For example, the glowing diamond on your head was the first quest and the source of all the hallucinations you experienced. The second shining diamond on your Codex was the one you earned by sharing Michael''s final moments; I don''t need to exin the final one."

    "I see¡­" Brance murmured as he looked from Tobs'' Clipboard to the anatomic model of his body and back to the Clipboard.

    "Brancie, pay attention." Snapping her fingers to draw Brance''s attention, Tobs tried to get him back on track but knew his mind was only focused on one thing, which was apparent by the stream of thoughts she was observing in his head.

    "UGH! IT''S JUST A FUCKING CLIPBOARD! YES, I COULD HAVE CHOSEN A TABLET; YES, IT WORKS LIKE A PROJECTOR; NO, YOU CAN''T HAVE ONE; NO, IT CAN''T TURN INTO A ROBOT! THAT''S IT, SHOO, GO BACK TO YOUR BODY AND GET THE HELL OUT OF MY SIGHT!" Rapidly answering every question in Brance''s mind, Tobs stepped forward and bonked his head with the Clipboard in question, instantly sending him out of his SOC.

    With Brance gone, Tobs huffed angrily before vanishing and making the rounds to Cynrik and Selene, kicking them out of their SOC too. Moving around, she continuouslyined about how she was turning into an over-glorified Babysitter instead of an all-mighty AI.

    ---

    Opening his eyes and sitting up, Cynrik rubbed the top of his head, where Tobs had just smacked him.

    ''The fuck is her problem, all I did was ask about Brancie''s Turning Point, and she hit me.'' Cynrik thought as he sat up and peeked at the two sleeping ravens on either side of his body in the Aether Capsule.

    Understanding that it would take some time for them to wake up, he picked Sie up, ced her against his chest, and channeled some Mana into his [Mark of the Tamer], causing the sleeping Raven to vanish.

    Next, he replicated the process with Vii and massaged his stiff neck.

    ''OI, Grumpy-pants AI, how much time has passed since Iid down in the Aether Capsule.'' Cynrik asked as he activated [Mana Sight] to search for the release mechanism that would pop the capsule''s lid, allowing him to get out.

    -Fuck you! Who''s grumpy? Not me! You''re Grumpy.-

    An angry and clearly grumpy Tobs responded, making Cynrik stifleughter since she had proven his point.

    ''Yes, yes, I know, you aren''t grumpy, you are my cutie patootie Tobsie who just got a body; now can you please tell me how long I have been in this mechanical-stone deathtrap, oh and give me everyone elsespletion times too?"

    -CYNRIK AYKE JETLENSR, I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT.-

    ''Oof, I just got full-named by my AI,'' Cynrik thought with a shudder as he sucked in his bottom lip and stared nkly at the release hatch on the right side of the capsule.

    Shaking his head to clear the innate PTSD he had thanks to how fierce Cinyah was, Cynrik ignored the thought that Tobs was starting to take after his mother and pulled the two-hand length lever.

    TSSSSSSSSS CRRRRREEEEEEK!

    As he did so, all the excess Mana trapped in the air-tight capsule escaped as steam, and the Aether Capsule''s lid swung open like a DeLorean door. *Back to the future Car, GIF in Discord REF Channel*

    ''Tobs, I need those stats, please.'' Smirking and throwing both legs outside of the capsule, Cynrik stretched his body while taking a good look at his legs, which appeared to have grown slightly longer.

    -Yeah, I heard you the first time, jerk, already on it; give me a second.-

    -Tier-3 Evolution Completion Time-

    -Cynrik: 5 hours 23 minutes.-

    -Brance: 6 hours 18 minutes.-

    -Selene: 7 hours 44 minutes.-

    -Gabby: 8 hours 6 minutes.-

    -Benny: 8 hours 12 minutes.-

    -Melody: 8 hours 59 minutes.-

    ''And STILLLLLL, the UNDISPUTED, EVOLUTION CHAMPION!!!! CYNRIK JETLENSRRRR, haaaa haaa, and the crowd goes nuts. Tobs y some hype sports pping and cheering for me.-

    -Now ying ''Awkward Cricket Sound Effect.-

    ''Oh Fuck off,'' cursing unhappily, Cynrik leaned forward and got out of the Aether Capsule before slowly closing the lid and looking around the room.

    Noticing nothing of note had changed and ncing over the chest-high Capsule, Cynrik spotted a pale-faced Professor Morningdale opening and closing her mouth like a fish as panic and confusion spread across her face.

    "Hm? Is there something on my face Professor?" Reaching up and pulling on his cheeks, Cynrik wondered if his Evolution somehow made him uglier.

    "You, you, you, did you fail? You weren''t even in the Aether Capsule for a full six hours. Are you ok? Did you experience a Mana Deviation?" Jumping to her feet and rushing over, Professor Morningdale took out a small device that looked like a cross between a shlight and a cell phone and used it to scan Cynrik''s body.

    Chuckling at her antics, Cynrik allowed the plump woman to do as she pleased, and when she was finished with her scans, he smiled politely at the Professor.

    "I passed the Turning Point Quest and seeded in my Evolution Professor; there is no need to worry."

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 423 Preparing For The First Regional (2)

    POV: Cynrik

    "You, you, you, did you fail? You weren''t even in the Aether Capsule for a full six hours. Are you ok? Did you experience a Mana Deviation?" Jumping to her feet and rushing over, Professor Morningdale took out a small device that looked like a cross between a shlight and a cell phone and used it to scan Cynrik''s body.

    Chuckling at her antics, Cynrik allowed the plump woman to do as she pleased, and when she was finished with her scans, he smiled politely at the Professor.

    "I passed the Turning Point Quest and seeded in my Evolution Professor; there is no need to worry." Shrugging his shoulders and trying to seem unphased by her words, Cynrik fixed his messy hair before tying it back up and shooting her a smile.

    "How," looking from the readings transmitted by the scanner to the older appearance of the young man that Cynrik had be, Professor Morningdale was ovee with emotion instantly.

    "You did it; YOU DID IT; CONGRATULATIONS, STUDENT IVAR." Reaching up and pulling Cynrik into a tight hug, tears streamed down the Professor''s cheeks.

    "Haha, Professor, you shouldn''t have doubted me. I have been through way worse situations than a bit of Evolution ande out basically in one piece; how could I fail?" Appearing calm on the outside yet screaming internally with disgust as the frog-like woman shoved his face into her bosom, Cynrik struggled a bit and eventually freed himself.

    "With such a high failure rate, I could only think of the negative consequences that go along with the Passing Down, and although I did hope deep in my heart that a budding genius such as yourself would make it through, the facts and statistics weighed heavily against you." Stepping back after releasing Cynrik, Professor Morningdale had to use her Mana to control the rosy blush creeping onto her face as she gazed at the devilishly handsome young man before her.

    As with every previous Evolution, Cynrik had aged. Unlike a few short hours ago, when he appeared around 16-17 years old, he now looked to be in his early twenties. His blemish-free and pale skin practically glowed in the dim light, and any scars he previously had were nowpletely gone.

    His hair now trailed down his back, nearly reaching his hips, and after undergoing his Tier-3 Advancement, his bangs were no longer solid colors; it had finally changed. While it was still predominantly ck, thanks to his Umbra Affinity, the hair on the fringes of his hairline had changed, where every other strand was either purple, red, or light green, with the first two being more abundant.

    One thing that Cynrik was finally pleased about was he had at longst reached the same height he had in his previous life. After eyeballing the downward angle, his line of sight traveled to meet Morningdale, and after some quick calctions, he judged he had broken through the 182 cm (six-foot) barrier and was finally 185.4 cm (Six foot one inch) tall again.

    Flexing the muscles on his arms, Cynrik rolled up the sleeves of his ck t-shirt, examined his biceps down to his hands, then lifted his shirt to check out his abs with a smile.

    ''Good still kept the slim body type. Thest thing I wanted was to end up a good-for-nothing meathead like Brancie and Benny.''

    "Alright, Professor, I think we have spent enough time underground. Don''t you think we should head out, meet up with everyone and go back upstairs for our debriefing with the Headmaster? There is much to do, and I am sure everyone needs to consolidate their Advancement and get used to the changes in their bodies." Dropping his shirt and ignoring the heated gazeing from Umbridge, Cynrik smiled and motioned toward the door.

    "Ah! Yes, you are right, let me pick up the mess I made, and we can move to the elevator."

    ---

    POV: Selene

    BANG

    "AH, what the fuck crawled up her snatch. Tsss, this capsule is so small; ugh, why the hell did she wallop me." Jolting forward and smacking her head on the roof of the Aether Capsule, Seleneined.

    Like she had done with Cynrik and Brance, Tobs, in her frustration, had smacked Selene with her Clipboard hard enough to knock her out of the SOC. However, she had been a little more heavy-handed with the girl than the brothers, primarily because Selene had spent the better part of thest hour poking and pulling on Tobs'' cheeks, infuriating the AI to no end.

    Rubbing her forehead where she had hit the roof of the Aether Capsule, Selene brought her knees up to her chest and felt something off about her body.

    Extending her legs out and bringing them back up to her chest a second time, her eyes went wide and using both hands, she lifted the two slightlyrger lumps of flesh on her chest a few times before bouncing them back and forth.

    "OH SHIT! I HIT D CUP, YES HAHA!!!" Selene joyfully cheered as she looked down at her breast happily.

    "My darling is going to be so happy now; I mean, he already seemed pleased when I was a C, but now fufu." Many thoughts raced through her mind, each one dirtier than thest. Eventually, the stale air began getting to her, so Selene looked around and noticed her dark vision had increased so much that she could see clear as day inside the pitch-ck darkness of the Aether Capsule.

    "Huh, I could always see in the dark, but it''s way better now; oh well, better not dwell on it; it''s too humid in here," with that said, Selene reached over and pulled the release handle¡­

    TSSSSSSS CRRRREEEEEEK

    , and opened the top hatch before hopping out and gracefullynding on the ground without waiting for the lid to open fully.

    "Heyah, Headmaster Rivia, how long was I in that deathtrap?" Selene asked as she met the astonished gaze of the Headmaster.

    "Student Selene, are you alright? You were only in there for just shy of eight hours; did you fail? No, the Mana Signature you are radiating shows you seeded in reaching Tier-3, congrattions." Hopping out of the recliner and appearing beside Selene, Geralt whipped out the same scanner that Professor Morndingdale used on Cynrik and scanned Selene''s body from head to foot.

    "Amazing, not only did you reach Tier-3, but you also underwent 90 cycles of Breathing Mana life to construct an Advanced Mana Body." Mumbling as he read through the data presented on the device, Headmaster Rivia went to scan Selene again but noticed she had taken several steps back and had crossed her arms over her chest, holding onto both shoulders to form an X.

    "Hey, don''t you know it is improper to ogle ady like that, Headmaster? What would the other teachers say if they knew you were making advances on a student, TSK?" Giving him a suspicious look, Selene backed to the far side of the room without breaking eye contact with the man.

    "W¡­what? Student Selene, I suggest you refrain from making suchments; all I am doing is taking a scan of the Mana Signature your body is radiating. This device allows me to see what level of Mana body you built during your Evolution. I promise there are no insidious intentions behind my actions."

    Feeling his cheeks heat up and stuttering the first part of his statement, Headmaster Rivia stored the scanner in his inventory. He then looked at Selene carefully from top to bottom, making her even more ufortable.

    "You seem to have grown much stronger, and although you aged slightly, it wasn''t as big a growth spurt as I expected. That must be due to how old you already are." Falling into thought, Geralt began mumbling more of his findings while Selene put on a pouty face since she knew there was no point in teasing the Headmaster further.

    "How do you feel right now? Is there any difort with your body? When stats increase so drastically, there tend to be some growing pains, so if you need any medicine or potions, you must tell me now."

    "Hm, no, I feel fine, great even." Dropping her hands and performing a few exercises to loosen up her body, Selene stated.

    "Good; what about your Affinities? By breaking through to the Supernatural Stage, all of your Affinities should have transformed into Maniptions, it should feel a bit strange, but you will notice that you will feel a bit of strain when moving Mana through your body."

    "Nah, it''s all good. I trained a bit in my SOC to get used to it all ahead of time, so¡­."

    However, before Selene could finish answering his questions, Headmaster Rivia raised his hand to cut her off.

    "Stop, training in your Sea of Consciousness is vastly different from the real world. Think of it like fighting in a dream, you can do about anything in a dream, and the same principle applies to your SOC. For now, we will table this discussion; let''s step out into the hallway and wait for the results from the rest of your Faction. I hope everyone is ok."

    With that said, Headmaster Rivia Guided Selene, who hadn''t physically changed much aside from her bust size, out of the room.

    ---

    POV: Brance

    "Tsk, had I known all my thought/questions would have annoyed Tobs so much, I would have just shut up, but NOOO, I had to act like my overly curious brother." Grumbling as he extended his hand and manifested an orb of light so he could see, Brance soon pulled the release hatch and got out of the Aether Capsule.

    "Head Dean, I havepleted my Passing Down and Tier-3 Advancement without any issue." He said after calmly closing the hatch and standing at attention beside it.

    "Good, good, I never had any doubts you would. As someone with the legendary HolyFire, something as small as a Stage Advancement would never hinder you. WOAH, YOU GOT SO BIG!!!" Standing up and greeting Brance, Head Dean Rimsfel couldn''t help but shout after seeing how physically imposing Brance had be.

    "Huh? What do you¡­holy shit! I AM YOLKED. HAHA!" Confused at first, Brance looked down at his body and was amazed. His shoulders filled out, giving him a broad wingspan, and his biceps nearly doubled in size. It was such a big difference that Brance had trouble keeping his arms down.

    Whipping out his scanner, the Head Dean gasped upon reading the feedback about Brance''s Mana Body.

    "S¡­s¡­SUPERIOR MANA BODY! Student Bj?rn, this is amazing. I can count on one hand the number of people in our country that have made this level of achievement upon reaching the Supernatural Stage." With eyes filled with worship, Head Dean Rimsfel''s military bearing shattered instantly.

    "Hm, I guess I shouldn''t be worried about the 27 or so kilos (60 pounds) and instead be asking about my Mana Body, Sir." Smiling sheepishly, Brance noticed he now had to look down at the Head Dean, indicating he had grown at least a head or two taller than he was previously.

    ''Shit, Cyn''s going to be soooo pisssed.'' Brance thought as the Head Dean continued rambling.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 424 Preparing For The First Regional (3)

    **BONUS CHAPTER COMING LATER TODAY FROM JOE''s CASTLE**

    TSS THUNK

    Upon stepping up to the door, the Professor tapped her Watcet against a small panel, opened the Mana tight stone door, and stepped out into the noisy hallway.

    It didn''t take a rocket scientist to understand that the members of MyrkLys had already finished their Passing Down Ceremony and were all conversing while waiting for Cynrik to enter the fray.

    Following behind Professor Morningdale, Cynrik sniffled loudly before pulling up his hood and crossing the threshold. Before he had the time to register who was present, he felt someone tackle him and wrap their thin frame around his body.

    Wearing a smirk under his hood, Cynrik reached down and pried Selene''s arms from around his waist, then lifted her chin and gave her a sneaky peck on the lips, much to the young woman''s joy.

    His actions didn''t go unnoticed by the staff, but since dating wasn''t banned, only the final act, the Professors, Head Dean, and Headmaster only snorted in discontent.

    "It is pretty unexpected, but I congratte each of you for passing your Stage Evolutions. Never before in the history of our Academy have so many students been sessful at the same time."

    The moods of Melody, Gabby, and Benny perked up as pride flushed across their faces; however, unfortunately for Geralt, his words fell on deaf ears when it came to the three Over-Break Hosts.

    [[YOU LITTLE SHIT, HOW THE FUCK DID YOU GET EVEN TALLER! AND WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH YOUR SIZE? YOU ARE LIKE A REFRIGERATOR AND A HALF WIDE!]] Cynrik screamed into the group mind link in panic after seeing the physical changes Brance had undergone.

    [[I know, right, he is freaking massive, like one of those juiced-up Wrestlers.]] Selene chimed in as she fought to wrap herself around Cynrik again.

    [[Knock it off, you two, the Headmaster is talking. Plus, Benny isn''t much smaller than me now.]] Rolling his eyes and pulling Gabby closer to him, Brance''s annoyance levels reached what Tobs must have been feeling when she heard the never-ending questions in his mind about her Clipboard.

    [[Nah, NAHHH! Brancie, you don''t get to blow off being bigger than Lesnar and Overeem like it''s a matter of fact. Can you even put your arms down anymore? YOU LOOK LIKE A POLAR BEAR THAT ATE A FUCKING KILLER WHALE¡­no¡­you are like one of those cracked-out Kangaroos!]] Walking to join the group, Cynrikpletely ignored the presence of the Professors, Instructors, Head Dean, and Headmaster to continue his verbal assault.

    [[I feel so bad for Gabby, you are going to break her, hell, she got even slimmer. Tsk, OH DARRRRRLING~~ Did you notice anything different about me?]] Selene added while going out of her way to push her breasts against Cynrik''s arms.

    [[Hm, OH HO HO! Naisuuuu, D-Cup, I am sure we will have a lot of¡­]]

    [[SHUT UP!]] Brance screamed with his voice peeking into a high octave as he predicted and feared the following words from his brother''s mouth.

    "Right¡­we should make our move back upstairs; there is quite a bit to go over, such as the changes you all are experiencing, and we still need to discuss the arrangements for the First Regional in a couple of days." Noticing Cynrik, Selene, and Brance seemed to be in their own world, Headmaster Rivia released a tired sigh and then turned to the five Chaperones standing in an orderly line off to the side.

    "I will be expecting your reports on my desk first thing in the morning. You five are dismissed."

    "Yes, Headmaster," Professor Morningdale, Professor ire, Instructor Alistar, Instructor Garrison, and Head Dean Rimsfel stated loudly with a salute before leaving to what Cynrik could only assume to be a Staff Elevator on the opposite end of the long hallway.

    "Come along, students." Nodding in content that at least his staff could be counted on when it came to listening to his words, Headmaster Rivia walked to the elevator, which led to his office with the Members of MyrkLys following behind like ducklings.

    All six members of MyrkLys chatted about their experiences during the quick ride in thepact yetrge elevator. The most prominent topic was how physicallyrge Benny and Brance became, which had somehow be a heated debate.

    At one point, the two young men were even coaxed into a "Flex Off," where they would imposingly flex their biceps as hard as possible. The result was that Brance, of course, won. Having spent years flexing on Cynrik on Earth due to being a workout-a-holic in his previous life, Brance had way more experience than the naive and honest Benny.

    "It''s ok, Big Brother; I am sure you will get the hang of it," Gabby chirped as she used Brance''s arm like a swing by hanging on like a monkey. Her actions caused everyone, the Headmaster included, to chuckle.<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    A few minutester, the group arrived in Geralt''s office and sat in front of his desk; well, everyone except Benny and Brance. Due to their increase in mass, not only was it ufortable to sit in the small wooden chairs, but they were even afraid of breaking them if they somehow could wiggle theirrge frames into them.

    Cynrik clicked his tongue as he nced at both and noticed their differing physiques. Although the two were built like brick shithouses, there was a definitive difference between their new builds.

    Brance''s muscles were bulky, simr to what you would expect from a personpeting in the world''s strongest manpetition, whereas Benny''s muscles were lean, like a heavyweight boxer. Overall, the two were fucking jacked, and even though his athletic body was cut, Cynrik couldn''t help but feel the jealousy rising in his chest.

    Regardless, once he got past that thought process, Cynrik moved on to how annoying it would be resizing their Armor, especially Benny''s, since it was form-fitting. Either way, with Benny''s Temperature Affinity, and his control over intense fire, Cynrik knew it wouldn''t be THAT difficult, just slightly annoying at best.

    "I am sure you six have noticed by now, but in case you haven''t, you all need to be aware that by stepping into the Supernatural Stage, the aid you receive from each of your systems when ites to using skills has been terminated. The same can be said about using your Affinities, which have now be Manip¡­tions¡­huh?" Unable to continue speaking, Headmaster Rivia stared incredulously as all six members of MyrkLys manifested a form of each Affinity above their outstretched palms.

    "That shouldn''t be much of an issue, Headmaster; I have long since predicted the System Skill Assist to be a temporary thing. Thus I have spent quite some time getting everyone adjusted in the likelihood that we lose that aid in the near future." ncing at the priceless expression on Geralt''s face, Cynrik channeled a bolt of lightning, a ball of inky ck Mana, and a ball of blue fire and proceeded to spin them likes orbiting his body with Wind Mana.

    "All of us can, at the very least, manifest our Affinities; however, when ites to activating skills, other than myself, we will probably need a bit of time to get used to using our Skills without the System. I will say, though, the Maniption upgrade is quite useful." At that moment, the inky ck ball devoured the lightning and wind mana before turning into an electrified ball of ckFire with a swirly purple wind.

    Next, with a wave of his hand, the four Elements separated as he moved on to create ckLightning, ckFire, and a gust of what visually appeared to be purple haze, not unlike what he saw Jormie spew.

    "You¡­what the hell kind of monster are you, Ivar? How the hell can you fuse your Affinities so easily? Even at the Maniption Stage, you can merge all four elements." Kicking back his chair and standing up, the wide-eyed Headmaster Rivia pointed rudely at Cynrik with a quivering finger.

    "Bah, easy work is easy work, Headmaster. You seem to forget that I already had several fusion skills, even at Tier-1. Now that I have reached Tier-3, I can merge them more easily, thanks to my Elemental Maniptions, and create new skills or abilities given enough time." Wearing a cocky smirk under his hood, Cynrik flicked his wrist and merged all four Elements back into one, creating the inky ck charged fireball with a swirling purple haze.

    [[Knock it off, Cyn; you''re gonna give the Headmaster a heart attack at this rate. Plus, as it stands, only me, you, and Selene should be able to use our skills; that is assuming you guys got the same speech about Runic Diagrams from Tobs as I did.]]

    [[Runic what? Hold up; you got a whole lesson from Tobsie? What kind of tant favoritism is that?]] ncing at Brance, Cynrik''s eyes narrowed.

    [[I only poked and pulled on Tobs'' cute cheeks, she didn''t give me any tutoring, what are these Runic Diagrams you are talking about, Brancie?]] Selene added while puffing out her cheeks in protest.

    -Unlike Brance, you two didn''t have a life-or-death battle to jump into, so of course, I had to bring him up to speed on using skills, or else he would have DIED! Also, do you think I won''t get my revenge for every time you call me that fucking name?-

    Before she could get scolded by Cynrik, Tobs spoke up to defend herself, and by the end of her Statement, Cynrik had to stifle a chuckle as he imagined the cute Tobs puffing her cheeks in a pout.

    "Hold on; you said that you can already use your skills? Does that mean you already knew about Runic Diagrams, even before your Tier-3 Evolution?" Sensing something wrong with Cynrik''s words, Headmaster Rivia cut in, unknowingly breaking up a potential argument in the mind link.

    "Runic What?" Turning his head away from Brance, he met the Headmaster''s expectant gaze.

    "Hahh, in light of all the surprises you have given me today, it is quite refreshing to find out you don''t know as much as you thought you did, Student Ivar. I was half expecting you to boast about building an Advanced Mana Body as Student Selene did." Geralt said with a sly smile.

    "Hm, I didn''t get an Advanced one, but I did form a Supreme Mana Body. I suppose if I can use that name as an identifier, Supreme should be above Advanced, right?" Tilting his head to the side, Cynrik countered with a sneer creeping onto his lips.

    "Haha, yes, yes, as I figured, even if you are by far one of the best students to grace these halls, even something like the Legendary Supreme Mana body would be expected¡­." Finding his words weird, Headmaster Rivia froze as his brain finally caught up with his mouth.

    "S¡­su¡­supr¡­SUPREME MANA BODY!" Instantly Headmaster Rivia appeared next to Cynrik, yanked him to his feet by his cor, whipped out the scanner, and began examining Cynrik from top to bottom, scaring the shit out of him in the process since he never expected to be assaulted so tantly twice in the same day.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 425 Preparing For The First Regional (4) **BONUS CHAPTER**

    "How can this be possible? I have never even heard of any being Achieving a ss Three Mana Body during their Advancement into the Supernatural Stage." Holding Cynrik off the ground as he continuously ran the scanner up and down his body, Headmaster Rivia began babbling so quickly that even Cynrik was having trouble understanding him.

    "It shouldn''t be possible to construct a Supreme Mana Body from a nihility state. To go from having an average Mortal Body to an Advanced one requires 90pletion cycles, so how¡­how can YOU! IVAR, HOW MANY BREATHING MANA LIFE CYCLES DID YOU COMPLETE?" Practically foaming at the mouth like a cracked-out fanatic, Headmaster Rivia shook Cynrik in the air by the back of his neck like a lioness shaking her kitten.

    Even so, Cynrik seemed unphased and allowed it to happen while bringing his left hand to his chin and trying to remember what the notification had said, and it took him several seconds to recall what he had seen. The reason being during the Breathing Mana Life process, Cynrik had directed his full attention to what was urring in his body and only shot random nces at the spam in the corner of his vision.

    "Uh, I think it was 120? I was concentrating on examining the changes my body''s Mana particles were going through at the time, Headmaster, so don''t quote me on that." Holding his hands up in defeat and heaving a sigh, Cynrik resigned himself to the mercy of therger and stronger man, swinging him around like a chew toy.

    "It was 120 Cycles, Headmaster. My brother isn''t the only one who constructed a Supreme Mana body¡­I did too." As much as Brance enjoyed seeing Cynrik swing around left and right, he felt the need to step in and save him.

    Without another word, Headmaster Rivia dropped Cynrik back into his chair and appeared beside Brance before conducting the same scanning process on the younger brother as the older.

    Several tense minutester, an astonished Geralt plopped back into his chair in confusion.

    "What in the hell are you two? Not only did you break the Racial barrier on your Stat Caps, but you also could withstand the additional 30 Cycles of Breathing Mana Life, something that should have easily KILLED you both."

    "Were the two of you born and raised in a gic facility? This shouldn''t be possible, at least not as newly advanced Tier-3 beings. To reach the Advanced Mana Body or 90 Cyclepletions, the pain you have to sustain is enough to drive any normal person insane. Yet here, you two seeded in 120 cycles." Looking between Cynrik and Brance with shifty eyes, Headmaster Rivia questioned as his view of reality skewed further each minute he was around these two.

    "Uhh, I can assure you I wasn''t born in a test tube, Headmaster. We were born like every other average human child to two parents who adore each other. We had a semi-normal upbringing aside from the trouble we seem to find ourselves in constantly, and as for the pain, well, I have honestly been through worse, hehe." Wearing a wry smile, Cynrik thought back to the Breathing Mana Life Cycles, and after quicklyparing it to carving into his own Codex, that pain ended up kind ofckluster.

    "Setting aside the HOW, can you fill us in on what is so vital about Mana Bodies? The fact that we received notifications means they must be important but based on your reaction, the grades of one Mana Body seem detrimental."

    "Ugh, I keep forgetting you guys are only First Year Students shit. Mana Bodies are one of the key differences between the Mortal Stage and the Supernatural Stage."

    "For starters, there are only three types of Mana bodies known, Basic, Advanced, and Supreme, each having a massive advantage over the previous grade." Sitting up and leaning forward on his elbows, Headmaster Rivia made eye contact with every member of MyrkLys.

    "When a being attempts to break through the Mortal Stage, the Mana, both active and dormant, stored in their body begins to transform; we call this the Core-Copse phase. The Core-Copse phase is brought about by the Breathing Mana Life cycle, where the particles will individually expand to their maximum size before rapidly condensing and eventually imploding."

    Cynrik''s pupils constricted for a moment as he realized his theory about the Mana Particles resembling a dying star was slowly being confirmed. He had already thought it was suspicious enough how simr the particles reacted to a Star, and after hearing the phrase "Core-Copse," he could already predict the direction of Headmaster Rivia''s speech. Still, he let things y out and continued listening.

    "Each Cycle that the particles go through not only empowers them but also strengthens your bodily functions. By the time you reach the first development, 60 Cycles, your body has been bathed in such intense radiation that it can no longer be considered a mortal body."

    "Since your body has been deconstructed and reassembled 60 times, it is so densely saturated with Mana that your life expectancy increases by several decades, and you can now passively umte Mana."

    "A Basic Mana Body, however, is just that, Basic. Compared to the other two types, it is rtively generic and only serves the purpose of extending life, passive Mana regeneration, and gives the being a closer rtionship with their Affinity." Looking over at Gabby, Benny, and Melody, Headmaster Rivia felt the need to lift their spirits.

    "The three of you all built Basic Mana Bodies, which is still a significant achievement, considering without one, you will not only stagnate at Tier-2, but you will never be able to advance further. Plus, there are several ways to increase the Grade of your Mana Body to the Advance Grade, it will only take resources, and time, so don''t dwell on it too much." With a brief smile of reassuring emotions, Geralt turned to Selene, and his face turned serious.

    "Student Selene, you have the second Grade, an Advanced Mana body. From 60pleted Cycles to 90pleted cycles is considered the nucleosynthesis phase. During this step, the Mana particles begin developing what is known as a Magi-Nuclei. With every Mana particle in your body forming a Magi-Nuclei, you unlock an ability usually exclusive to Beings at the peak of the Supernatural Stage, and that ability is Aura."

    Cynrik sucked in a sharp breath upon hearing that piece of information. Since the night Lithlen had subjected him and Brance to the oppressive pressure, he had wanted to gain ess to this ability. Now, if his understanding of the situation was correct, he should be able to develop an Aura two Tiers early.<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    His reaction didn''t go unnoticed by Geralt, and the corner of his lips curled before he continued speaking.

    "I am sure you have experienced another being''s Aura, primarily your Mother''s, several times. So I shouldn''t have to exin how powerful it can be; however, it doesn''t start that way. Aura is something that needs to be constantly trained. Think of it in the same way you would your muscles¡­ I guess, in this case, the muscles of Students Bj?rn and Benjamin."

    "In the beginning, the Magi-Nuclei of the Mana constructing your Advanced Mana body are newly born and weak. Thus they must grow, and to do that; I will give you several methods and daily exercises you canplete. Training your Aura is not instantaneous; it will take years to get it as powerful as, say, Student Ivar''s Killing Intent."

    "Headmaster, youpared Aura to Killing Intent. Can you rify, please? ording to what I have observed and learned, Killing Intent works by exerting your will through fear on ambient Mana particles within a particr area and forcing them to vibrate, which in turn increases the gravitational pressure another being feels when you use it." Not wanting to miss the opportunity for an exnation, Cynrik cut in and drew Geralt''s attention.

    "Well, now, I shouldn''t be too surprised that you have figured that much out; if Killing Intent can be considered exerting your will using fear as a proxy, then Aura oppresses the lesser Mana Ambient Mana particles."

    "There is a hierarchy among particles, and particles containing Magi-Nuclei are higher up on the proverbial food chain than those without. As such, the sheer mass and pressure they can exert are beyond what an ordinary particle can withstand. Eventually, a being can forcefully eradicate lesser Mana Particles if one''s Aura is strong enough."

    "Mind you; I am grossly oversimplifying Aura as a whole. It is a very versatile ability that can present itself in various shapes and forms, but at its core, it is simply an oppressive force. Aura is the main factor separating a Basic Mana Body and the Advanced Mana Body. On a slightlyrger scale, you will still have the passive Mana regeneration and the other benefits of a Basic Mana Body."

    "You two little monsters, on the other hand." Lifting up both hands and pointing at Cynrik and Brance, the tone in Headmaster Rivia''s voice took on a dark and mysterious manner.

    "You two little monsters have not only all the abilities of the lower Grade Mana Bodies but also an ability not meant to be seen in the Supernatural Stage. Now, I can''t be entirely sure since all we know about the Supreme Mana bodyes from old texts and myths, but they all tell of an ability that allows the being with a Supreme Mana Body to heal their injuries by expanding what we know as MP."

    [[Heheheheheh, heheheheheh!]] Cynrik''s creepyugh was triggered by what could no doubt be some strange thoughts, and it only got worse the longer the Headmaster exined.

    ? [[HeHeHeheEhehEHEehEHehhE!]]

    [[CYNRIK SHUT THE FUCK UP!]] Snapping his head toward his older brother, Brance snarled in response.

    [[Hehehehe BRANCIE, YOU DON''T GET IT! IF I CAN HEAL WITH MP, THAT MEANS I CAN DO THE SENZU BEAN TO NAMEK TRICK!]] Cynrik said with a hint of insanity in his voice.

    [[Uhhh, Brancie¡­what is darling talking about?]] Confused and a little concerned for her boyfriend''s wellbeing, Selene couldn''t stay silent.

    [[Sigh, for fuck sake, Cynrik. Selene, during the trip to Namek, Goku constantly abused his body under 100g, and each time, before he was about to die, he would eat a senzu bean to instantly heal himself before starting over.]]

    [[Wait, so that means¡­]]

    [[Yeah, my dipshit psychotic older brother wants to abuse the shit out of his body, heal it by burning his MP, and then repeat the process all over again. And with that annoying ass Bloodline Trait you two have, he will force himself to get stronger through constant physical abuse.]]

    Bringing up his hand and palming his face, Brance''s shoulders dropped as he imagined the horror he would have to witness firsthand since there was no doubt Cynrik would do something crazy soon. Like having all the members of MyrkLys unleash their Killing Intent on him to pulverize his body.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 426 Preparing For The First Regional (5)

    **READ AUTHOR NOTE, BIG ANNOUNCEMENT**

    -Yeah, right, as if it will be that simple. Hey, Dummy Cyn, get those idiotic ideas out of your head right now and let me rify something for you.-

    -Even if you have a special healing Ability brought about by your new Mana Body, thanks to how much damage you have incurred over time, the amount of damage you need to sustain to get a power boost has also increased.-

    -For starters, it isn''t as simple as losing all of your HP and triggering you''re, as you call it, ''Zenkai'' boost. LIFE OR DEATH is the crucial deciding factor here. To put it in perspective, if your HP hits zero, that''s all she wrote, but that still isn''t enough to trigger your passive Bloodline Trait.-

    -If your Trait was that simple, you could be a monster in no time t; however, Three things or a use need to ur for your trait to trigger. First, you must fight an existence more powerful than you in Combat. This is where the usees into effect; aside from Combat, you must deal with forces otherwise out of your control.-

    -For example, the time you stupidly interacted with the Chaos Affinity Gem. That Element was not only WAY outside your purview but was so high up on the proverbial food chain that the Mana particles, both dormant and active, stored in your body, began being destroyed. Thus you met the First requirement.-

    -SECOND, your dumb ass needs to physically and mentally exert yourself beyond your limits, andst but not least, MANA and ESSENCE, you need to be dealing or interacting with copious amounts of both. Once you meet all three requirements, then and only then will your Bloodline Trait trigger.-

    -So, do not pass go, do not collect senzu beans, DO NOT GO SUPER SAIYAN!-

    Tobs finished her exnation by scolding Cynrik so loudly that he, Selene, and Brance flinched.

    [[I meannnn, TECHNICALLY, I can still go SSJ by using [Lightning Armor]¡­]]

    -Shut your stupid big ass head up, Cynrik.-

    [[Sheesh, Tobs, no need to yell, hehe, fine, I understand, I won''t be able to abuse my OP traits and abilities. Tsk, you couldn''t even let me have a minute of happiness, could you.]]

    In response to his words, Tobs snorted loudly, which brought a smile to the three Over-Break Host''s lips.

    [[Still, I don''t see any downside in rapidly increasing our Grav Resistance. In theory, if the whole party attacks Brancie and me with KIN, any damage we take should be heble in no time t, so I guess that is a pretty good workaround to reaching massive gains on that front.]]

    The entire conversation in the mind link had transpired in less than a second, so once the idea of rapid strengthening was tossed aside, Cynrik smacked his lips and crossed his arms.

    "Say, Headmaster, howe I didn''t get notifications about all this Mana Body Stuff? Shouldn''t it be no different than, say, ss skills, where I receive a skill description and whatnot?"

    "Simple, you haven''t unlocked them yet. I am confident you received at least one notification about your Mana Body, but having the ability and Using it is not the same. One has to unlock their abilities befor¡­."

    CLICK SPLURT!

    Time seemed to stand still as everyone in the room except Cynrik held their breath in horror. Turning slowly to look at him, everyone saw the hidden de on Cynrik''s left arm extended¡­and stabbed cleanly through his right hand.

    "STUDENT IVAR, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?" Headmaster Rivia roared with a mixture of anxiety and rage.

    While Cynrik ignored the curses spouted by the Headmaster and the angry howls emanating from his mind link, he merely tilted his head to one side and retracted the ck de with a flick of his wrist.

    The odd part was he didn''t make a sound or wince throughout the whole process; it was as if Cynrik hadn''t even felt the pain of having a de stabbed entirely through his hand, leaving a hole which one could see the other side.

    -You have inflicted 500 points of damage to yourself.-

    -Non-life-threatening Injury has been identified.-

    -You have unlocked the Supreme Mana Body Special Trait: [MP to HP conversion].-

    -Would you like to activate your Special Trait to heal your wounds? (Y/N) Reminder, the Conversion Rate of MP to HP is 100 to 1. -

    ''Tsk, that is practically fucking useless. 100 Mp to restore 1 HP of damage, that means if I want to heal this little fucking hole in my hand, I''d have to burn 50 fucking thousand MP.'' Cynrik thought as he poked a finger through the bloody wound and out the back of his hand before wiggling it curiously.

    "IVAR, QUICKLY GIVE ME YOUR HAND; DAMN IT, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?" Appearing beside his student, Geralt snatched Cynrik by the wrist and pulled out a high-grade HP potion. But before he could even remove the cap on the bottle to pour its contents on Cynrik''s hand, he noticed the flesh wiggle and begin mending itself at a visible rate.

    Cynrik, on the other hand, felt slightly light-headed as he gave Tobs the go-ahead to burn his MP to heal the wound.

    -You have used 50,000 MP to heal 500 Health Points of Damage.-

    -You have healed a Minor Wound with your Mana Bodies Special Trait.-<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    -You have be more proficient in using your Supreme Mana Body Special Trait: [MP to HP conversion]. The conversion rate has decreased.-

    -Current MP to HP conversion rate, 99.9 to 1.-

    "Tsk, what kind of bull shit annoying crap, OI, Headmaster, I thought you said this healing trait would be overpowered. It fucking demands 100 to 1 MP to HP conversion." Clicking his tongue and looking up at the man holding his wrist, Cynrikined but didn''t withdraw his hand from Geralt''s grasp.

    "You little crazy bastard. Who the hell stabs themself only to find out how something works? I knew you were touched in the head, but for crying out loud, Ivar." Wearing a frown, Headmaster Rivia dropped Cynrik''s wrist and wanted nothing more than to beat some sense into this Masochistic Student.

    It was one thing to experiment to find out how skills work. But Cynrik had just proven that his health didn''t matter in the least bit and that self-destructive tendency was more dangerous than even the most fearsome beast.

    "Eh? Twas but a flesh wound, why are you¡­." Cynrik started to say but stopped as he felt an ominous pressureing from his left. Turning his head robotically, Cynrik saw what could only be described as a look of pure evil in the most beautiful light as Selene red daggers into his face.

    Not far away from her, Brance seemed infuriated beyond words, and it was only then that Cynrik unmuted the Group Mind Link. However, not even half a secondter, he had Tobs remute it because all he could hear was jarring screeches, curses, and words that should not be spoken.

    Despite Selene and Brance''s insults, Cynrik shrugged his shoulders and looked up at Geralt.

    "Heh, why are you guys all so damn sensitive? All I did was poke a hole in my hand, which could easily be fixed by using ANY grade of Mana potion."

    SMACK, BOOM!

    This time, Geralt had enough, and with a Mana-filled backhand, he flung Cynrik across the room and nted him into the stone wall.

    "God forbid your Friends, and I care about someone as mentally challenged as you. You five would do well not to pick up any strange habits from Ivar, lest you want to end up in the same situation as him."

    Headmaster Rivia grumbled as the members of MyrkLys nced across the room at Cynrik, who was embedded in the wall with arms and legs syed out like a starfish.

    "Ow¡­" Cynrik said aloud as he struggled to extricate himself from the person-sized hole in the stone wall half a meter deep.

    "Student Bj?rn, since your brother has figured out how to trigger the Healing Trait, I rmend you don''t act with self-harm when activating your own."

    ? "Still, it is pretty troublesome that the ratio of MP to HP is so high, but I assume it can be trained like any other skill or ability, so in time, it will be a valuable asset that I hope you never find yourself required to use." With the topic of Mana Bodies concluded, Headmaster Rivia proceeded to exin Runic Diagrams and the basic method taught to Tier-3 students on how to recognize, learn, and utilize them before moving on to the actual reason for gathering everyone in his office.

    "The First Regional Tournament Event will begin in Two days, so you will only have a little over 48 hours to adjust to your new strength and learn how to cast skills. Thepetition will spread over three months, provided there are no losses; you will have one Event a week until the end of the second month, so eight weeks ofpetition."

    At the mention of the tournament, Cynrik finally got out of the hole in the wall and appeared in his seat with an excited look on his face; funny enough, his appearance wentpletely unnoticed by everyone in the room as they had chosen to ignore him entirely.

    "Our first Regional Event will be against Romeoville Academy; as you all know, eachrge City will generally have its own private and public Academy. However, unlike normal Academies, our Campus is alreadyrge enough to be considered a small city, which means that we are our own territory and don''t require the backing of a City to sustain ourselves."

    "The structure of the tournament bracket is reasonably standard. We must obtain 300 points in the Regional Qualifier stage to reach the championship rounds. After that, we move into the quarter-finals, followed by the semifinals, and finally, the Grand Championship."

    "Each Regional Qualifier will present a maximum of 20 points per event in the early bracket rounds, followed by 50 in the top cut and 100 in the finals, and each team canpete in up to 3 events." With a wave of Headmaster Rivia''s hand, a virtual monitor appeared behind him. On disy, there were exactly a thousand names listed.

    The diagram was further separated into eight groups of 125 names, and ording to the chart, VSFA was located in Bracket 3A, seed 17.

    Cynrik''s eyes darted around, and he eventually snorted loud enough to draw everyone''s attention.

    "Looks like we won''te up against any of the other Top Academies; our bracket looks pretty weak; this will be a walk in the park." Although numerous unfamiliar names existed, Cynrik quickly noticed that the other top 6 Academies were in different bracket groups." As Cynrik memorized the Tree, including the other seven groups, he brought his hand to the center of his chin in contemtion.

    "125 participating Academies in each group, that is an annoying number. With an odd number, there are two different Trees, A, and B, and we are in Group 3A. That sucks because only one team in A gets a bye-round the first Seed, Winter Springs, whereas, in B, there are two teams with a bye, seed 2 Charleston and Seed 3 Scottsdale."

    "Additionally, with the way the bracket is structured, not only do we need points, but it is technically single elimination. One loss, and we are out and can''t gain any more points." Leaning back in his chair, Cynrik noticed Headmaster Rivia nodding in approval.

    "You are correct; the team with the most points in each round will be considered the winner and will advance further into the bracket."

    **Bracket Posted in Discord**

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 427 Preparing For The First Regional (6)

    "Additionally, with the way the bracket is structured, not only do we need points, but it is technically single elimination. One loss, and we are out and can''t gain any more points." Leaning back in his chair, Cynrik noticed Headmaster Rivia nodding in approval.

    "You are correct; the team with the most points in each round will be considered the winner and will advance further into the bracket. Although it is possible not to achieve the maximum amount of points and still win the round, the more points we earn, the better the rewards received at the end of the Competition."

    "Also, you are incorrect about the level of your opponents. Mainly due to how the three bye-round seeds were chosen. Let me put this out there, Ivar, multiple Academies in your group do note from our Country." Tapping away on his Watcet, the three Seeded Academies who got a Bye-round appeared on a new screen.

    "Winter Springs, Seed One going into our Group bracket,e from the allied Beast Nation, Amestruous. In their Country, they are considered the top Academy, and as such, they earned their Seed with prestige, and inst year''s Competition, they came in 8th ce." An image of two groups of seven people holding trophies appeared on disy. Each of these young adults had some physical trait, be it horns, animal ears, or in one case, batwings.

    "Last year, their Tier-2 and Tier-3 Teams dominated their bracket, and it wasn''t until they reached the Top 8 that they were utterly defeated by the current seed 1 of Group 1, Poldo Academy from the Elven Nation."

    Leaning back in his chair, Cynrik took note of the individuals from what was indicated as the Tier-3 Team before speaking.

    "I assume all team members arepeting again this year." He said with a bored expression.

    "Yes, unlike us, who will have an entirely new team this year, most of the top-cing Academies haven''t changed their roster much¡ªreaching Tier-3 isn''t as easy as you six have made it."

    "Moving along, Charleston and Scottsdale are Academies from the human Nation of Erosia and reached the Top 32 inst year''s Competition. I will send you the footage from all the top team''s previous events so that you can grasp who your potential opponents are." With that said, the two virtual disys behind Headmaster Rivia disappeared, and the room fell silent as everyone thought about the next couple of months.

    Eventually, after several minutes, Cynrik heaved a sigh before standing up.

    "We have wasted enough time here, Headmaster; with only a little over 48 hours left until the first round, I need to get everyone into tip-top shape. We will be heading to the training arena to test the changes to our Affinities and get a handle on these so-called Runic Diagrams." Waving his hand, Cynrik picked up several textbooks that had been resting on the desk since the initial conversation about the Diagrams started.

    "What? Are you leaving already? Don''t you have more questions you need to be answered?" Scrunching his face in confusion, Headmaster Rivia red his nostrils as he spoke.

    "Hehe, I always have more questions, but that isn''t the point, and now isn''t the time for them. I need to ensure my team is ready to go; relearning skills is only scratching the surface. Don''t forget that all six of us need to consolidate our advancement, as well as we need to pick our new sses. There are too many things to do and not nearly enough time."

    "Reach one goal, create five more, heh, you know how it is. OH, send us that cker fourth-year fromst year''s team. I need to get his ass ready to go as well." Turning his back on the Headmaster and waving, Cynrik motioned for the other members of MyrkLys to join him.

    Unbeknownst to everyone, with the wave of his hand, an inky blob flicked off his finger tip and headed in Geralt''s direction before hiding in in sight.

    Cynrik''s dismissive attitude andck of urgency in his voice didn''t sit well with Geralt, but what could he do? The boy had always been the wild and overly arrogant type, to begin with.

    Left alone in his office, all he could do was look to the sky, say a few curses meant for Cynrik, and call in the staff members who chaperoned MyrkLys'' Passing Down Ceremony.

    But before he did that, Headmaster Rivia quickly notified the seventh member of the Tier-3 Competition team and informed him to head over to the Training Arena along with Instructor Garrison.

    Massaging his temples and slumping in his chair, Headmaster Rivia had a bad feeling that this Group of First Year students was biting off more than they could chew, but then he remembered the reading he received from his scans of Cynrik and Brance.

    "Hah, those two little monsters are going to cause an upheaval this year; I only hope they don''t put too much work on my table; I already have it hard enough as is dealing with the Board Members thanks to the budget and cost of raising those six."

    ---

    The members of MyrkLys silently made their way down the building and out into the campus of VSFA, and half an hourter, they were back in the massive arena where they had their fights against the instructors not long ago.

    Moving to the center of the stone and dirt-filled battlefield, Cynrik suddenly spun around and addressed the group.

    "Listen up; for the next two days; we aren''t leaving this arena, so get rid of any thoughts of sleeping until we get on the bus to head to the venue for Round 1."

    pping his hands and bringing out all the training equipment that should have been stored back in the dorm, Cynrik set about giving everyone their training tasks, the first of which was to read through the Runic Diagram Text Book.

    Of course, the first person to make a run for it upon seeing the textbooks was Gabby and Milo, but with his new AGI stat, Cynrik quickly captured the cat and rabbit before scolding them and forcing a study session.

    While Benny and Melody studied together on the bleachers, Brance chuckled before sitting beside Gabby and helping her.<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    Unlike the other three members of MyrkLys, due to the presence of the Mind link, and their connection as Over-Break Hosts, Cynrik could transmit all he read in the textbook to Selene and Brance while Brance shared his experiences and the sermon given by Tobs.

    Two hourster, Selene broke the training montage with some devastating information, or at least it was in Cynrik''s mind.

    [[Cynrik, we need to talk about something I found out¡­When you were bouncing around fixing the Aether Capsules, I wanted to tell you, but Headmaster Rivia told me Melody''s Mom, Professor ire, wasn''t forced to sign a Contract like all the other Chaperones.]] To say Selene was scared of her boyfriend''s reaction would be an understatement.

    Between his high-strung lifestyle and paranoia, she knew this information wouldpletely derail him, but at the same time, it was better to hear it from her mouth instead of finding outter on his own.

    Upon hearing her statement, Cynrik froze in ce, and an ominous cloud of energy swirled violently around his body for half a second before disappearing, something that caught every member of MyrkLys'' attention.

    [[Sel, exin everything he said, word for word.]] Was the response gotten after the energy disappeared. Knowing any dy would only make the situation worse, Selene quickly detailed every facial expression and tone Geralt used when speaking about the topic.

    [[Good, fucking excellent, GOD DAMN IT!]] Trying his best to keep his rage and paranoia in check, Cynrik cursed in the mind link making Selene and Brance flinch.

    Brance even got to his feet and was ready to act, just in case Cynrik went after Melody, who at that moment was looking over at the leader of MyrkLys with worried eyes, thinking something was wrong with him.

    [[Calm down, Cyn, we don''t know all the info yet, you can''t just¡­]]

    BAMMMM!!!

    Before Brance could finish calming down, a thunderous bang echoed through the training arena.

    "HEY, YOU LOT, LISTEN UP; AS YOUR SENIOR AND THE ONLY ONE HERE WHO HAS TAKEN PART IN NOT ONE BUT TWO COMPETITIONS, I WILL BE TAKING OVER LEADERS¡­" Just as Cynrik was about to lose his temper, the door to the arena was kicked open, and an overbearing young man in histe twenties with blue hair entered before screaming out his demands.

    However, before he could finish the word leadership, Cynrik shed over too fast to see, caught him by the face, lifted him into the air, and mmed him on the ground creating a one-meter-deep impact crater.

    Eyes wide with fear and hatred, the young man struggled against Cynrik, leading to more pain for him.

    "You see, you picked a bad time to start this arrogant young master shit; luckily for you, I need a sparring partner," Standing up and bringing the young man''s face close to his, Cynrik snarled with a sinister tone that sent shivers down the young man''s spine.

    Swirls of visible and tangible Mana erupted from Cynrik''s body as a shadowy figure appeared behind his back, colored in all shades of his Affinity.

    The Headless and limbless shadowy figure shifted from a misty form into a translucent and solid mana-construct skeleton ribcage before merging around Cynrik''s Body.

    [[IS THAT FIRST FORM SUSANOO?]] Brance screamed, momentarily stunned out of his mind, and observed the figure slowly merging around Cynrik''s body, painting him in all the colors of his Affinity.

    [[BRANCIE, SNAP OUT OF IT! We gotta stop him!]] Kicking off the ground and racing toward her boyfriend, Selene howled to draw Brance back to reality.

    "Gabby, Milo, you guys go by the bleachers; stay out of this; I don''t want you, Benny, or Melody getting caught in the crossfire. Big Brother is in a pretty bad mood. I¡­don''t think he is gunna kill that guy, at least I hope he won''t." Shooting a nce at Gabby, who was already on her feet and getting ready to help out, Brance shook his head and gave her an order before rushing off to join Selene.

    "Who *BAM*gave *BAM* you, *BAM*, the RIGHT to waltz in here *BAM* and demand to take over my team?" After finishing thest m, Cynrik threw the young man in the air, spun around, and kicked him square in the chest. This rocketed him several hundred meters before colliding with Brance, who had jumped into action and caught the young man''s broken body.

    "What in the hell is going on here?" Just as Cynrik was about to grumble about his brother interfering, an angry Instructor Garrison entered the training arena and was surprised to see the broken and hanging-on-by-a-thread young man he had seen entering the arena minutes before.

    His eyes then fell on the ghastly four-colored Mana Construct rib cage surrounding Cynrik''s body, and he raised an eyebrow in confusion.

    "Wee to the party, Instructor Garrison; I was only disciplining this little chicken shit that showed up right before you. Would you believe he had the gall to demand leadership of my team? The balls on this guy." Cynrik snorted as he dismissed the Mana Construct surrounding his body.

    -Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 428 Preparing For The First Regional (7)

    Instructor Garrison''s gaze fell on the ghastly four-colored Mana Construct rib cage surrounding Cynrik''s body, and he raised an eyebrow in confusion.

    "Wee to the party, Instructor Garrison; I was only disciplining this little chicken shit that showed up right before you. Would you believe he had the gall to demand leadership of my team? The balls on this guy." Cynrik snorted as he dismissed the Mana Construct surrounding his body.

    Looking away from Instructor Garrison and toward Brance, Cynrik''s eyes fell on the half-dead senior, and he snorted loudly once again.

    Seeing this reaction, Brance frowned before channeling some Light Mana into his hands, followed the Runic Diagram in his mind, and activated [Lay on Hands] to bring the poor young master to a point where he could breathe without gasping.

    At some point, several of the guy''s ribs had punctured his lungs, and not only was there clear reddish liquid leaking from his lips, but a hissing sound could be heard on each exhale the broken young man made.

    [[Shit, Cynrik, couldn''t you have gone easy on the guy? I know you wanted to vent, but a few more hits and he would be dead, even if he is Tier-3.]]

    [[Fuck him, dude waltzed in wanting to show off and act high and mighty, NO WAY!]] Cynrik stated as his eyes flicked to the left, and he saw Selene had at some point appeared beside him.

    Through eye contact, Selene asked if he had calmed down, to which Cynrik merely blinked as if saying "duh," causing her to sigh and release the pent-up tension the situation had created.

    "Student Ivar, care to tell me why you have assaulted your new teammate, Student Kurza?" Walking over and grabbing Cynrik''s shoulder roughly, Garrison already had an idea of what had happened since the fourth-year student was known to be arrogant.

    "What do you expect, Instructor? The dumb ass chicken shit walked in demanding I hand over leadership of the team, so I put him in his ce." Shrugging his shoulders and easily prying off the vice-like grip Garrison had on his shoulder, Cynrik crossed his arms and began walking toward Brance.

    "Seriously¡­that was all it took to put him in that state?" Ignoring that Cynrik was being his usual rude self, Garrison caught up and walked alongside his student while pointing at the bloodied and broken Kurza.

    "ARG, *Pop*, Damn damn damn *pop*!" The closer the group of Cynrik, Selene, and Instructor Garrison got, the clearer the curses, popping joints, and bones became.

    "Cut it out; I don''t need your low-Tier healing, Junior; I am, after all, an Illustrious Cleric; I can AHHHHH *THUMP CRACK*." Before Kurza couldplete his pompous speech, Brance dropped him on his face and kicked him square in the ass, sending the annoying Senior sprawling into the dirt, re-breaking his half-fused fractures in the process.

    "Ha, see, even my kind-hearted little brother is fed up with the guy''s shit." Cynrik chuckled as he arrived by the crumbled mess of flesh and blood.

    Without looking down, Cynrik then stepped on the back of Kurza''s head, pressing his face deeper into the dirt amidst the cries of pain and sputters of blood.

    "Ivar¡­" Garrison cautioned Cynrik with an aggravated side-eye nce.

    "Yeah, yeah, I know, don''t go too overboard. Still, how do you expect me to get this guy straightened up without breaking a few bones? Had you let me get my hands on him sooner, we wouldn''t be having this problem two days before the Competition starts." Rolling his eyes and removing his foot, but not before kicking Kurza in the shoulder, Cynrikined, earning him a hardened re from Garrison.

    "Listen here, Ivar, if you and the rest of your faction weren''t so damn Anti-Social, we wouldn''t have struggled to find a suitable team member to fill the final slot. Now let Student Kurza heal himself and join your training. Although I don''t expect you to allow him to join in on too many events, he is still one of the best healers in our Academy." Shaking his head and waving over Melody and Benny, Instructor Garrison took a step back and examined the members of MyrkLys for the first time since their Evolutions.

    During the brief meeting in the underground hallway, his attention had been directed solely to Brance and Benny since, physically, they had gone through the most significant change. Still, now that he looked at everyone well, he could only nod in approval.

    All threedies had filled out and were not only beautiful enough to be ranked in the top most attractive female student list, but each one gave off an oppressive feeling, one that made even Garrison, a battle-hardened expert, sweat.

    ''Dangerous; I knew Ivar, Selene, and Bj?rn had an air of viciousness surrounding them, but now even Melody and Selene have it too; the only one who seems to be good at hiding it is Benjamin.'' Observing the six members of MyrkLys, who now looked to be in their Early 20s, Garrison no longer felt confident in winning against them in a 1v1 fight.

    ''I must be getting old,'' he thought as his eyes drifted to the ground, where Kurza was trying his best to heal himself with abination of his three Affinities, Light, Water, and Chloro.

    "Oh, would you look at that; our little nanny happens to have all three healing Elements; isn''t that interesting." Snickering as he crouched beside the broken senior student, Cynrik was still calming his mind down and trying his hardest not to look over at Melody, so he used Kurza as a distraction.

    However, when he got close to the Light Mana Particles swirling around the worse injuries, Cynrik winced slightly with a twitch of his hand and scattered the condensed Light Mana by overpowering it with his Fire.

    "Now then, Kurza, was it? Do you still want to take over, or will you be a goodd and keep your head down?"

    "f¡­.y¡­!" Between spitting up blood and theck of oxygen, Kurza tried to get his words out, but they only came out muffled.

    Still, this was plenty for Cynrik to understand the intent behind his words, so he reached forward, caught the guy by his hair, and stood up, carrying the guy along with him.

    "Gimmie like 15 minutes, I''ll break him."<novelnext></novelnext>

    B: [[Knock it off.]]

    S: [[Break some fingers first!]]

    G: "Big Bro Ivar,e on, you already beat him up; just let him rest."

    BE: "Big Bro,e on, you''ll kill him at this rate!"

    M: "He kind of deserves it, though, it is one thing to piss Ivar Off, but it''s another to drive him to WANT to hurt you."

    "Student Ivar put him down. I know he is a bit¡­er¡­overconfident, but he is still your teammate for the duration of the tournament." Heaving a sigh, Instructor Garrison was about to step in when suddenly, the Elemental Particle cloud around Kurza whipped up and exploded forward, separating himself from Cynrik.

    "Who¡­.who the FUCK, do you¡­huff, think you are?" Landing on his feet but barely standing, Kurza leaned forward with his hands loosely hanging, and his head was looking at the ground.

    "I am¡­huff, Kurza Reed Bralley, Heir to the Bralley Pharmaceutical Conglomerate! By my hand alone huff, I guided our team two years in a row to a higher cing in the yearly Competition than ever before in VSFA History. HOW DARE YOU ATTACK ME WITH SUCH BLATANT DISREGARD FOR MY STATUS, YOU LOWLY PEASANT!"

    Brance, Gabby, Benny, Selene, Melody, Instructor Garrison, and even Milo let out a collective groan of agony before saying a silent prayer for Kurza.

    Meanwhile, Cynrik was softly giggling in his creepy way.

    "Kuekuekue, are you done with your stupid young master dialog yet?" Tilting his head to the side and pulling down his hood to reveal a sinister sneer, Cynrik began emitting a heavily dense particle cloud formed from all his Affinities.

    "FUCK YOU! Do you think that I am scared of you? Do you believe me to be just a regr Cleric? NO! I am a Tier-3 War Bishop; if you think I will stand here and let you speak to me this way¡­."

    BAM!

    Before anyone could react, Cynrik shed forward too fast to see and unleashed a devastating front kick right to Kurza''s chest; the force of the attack sent him ragdolling through the air helplessly as his particle cloud instantly dispersed.

    "Free time, go ahead and get up to speed with your skills while I deal with this fucktard, Instructor Garrison; I will leave my team in your more than capable hands." Tossing Garrison a quick salute, Cynrik activated his [Lightning Armor] and teleported away to beat some sense into the idiotic young master Kurza.

    As much as Garrison wanted to scold Cynrik, he knew it was simply a waste of valuable time; thus, he gathered the other five members of MyrkLys to guide them on Runic Diagrams.

    All the while, the explosive sounds of thunder could be heard on the far side of the arena, followed by blood-curdling screams.

    ---

    For the next several hours, while Cynrik beat the living shit out of Kurza to bring him down a peg, Instructor Garrison methodically worked from one student to the next. His goal was to ensure they all formed, at the bare minimum, their Tier-1 skills and, once satisfied, moved on to moreplex diagrams for Tier-2 and 3.

    The asional thunderous boom reminded everyone that Cynrik was disciplining the new hire while they were focused on improving. Melody was the most affected since she was Kurza not too long ago.

    Feeling like she was no longer the lowest notch on the totem pole, a sense of happiness swelled in her heart, causing her to work extra hard so she wouldn''t earn Cynrik''s attention.

    Eventually, after around four hours of merciless beatings, Cynrik finally showed up, dragging along the unconscious and filthy Kurza. However, if one looked closely, they would notice that under theyers of filth and blood, all of Kurza''s wounds were healed, and none of his bones were broken.

    Walking over and joining the group, Cynrik carelessly flung Kurza into the center of the forming circle and smiled.

    "I can officially say I have broken his arrogance; although he may have some mental damage and trauma from this experience, it technically isn''t any worse than what I have done to y''all. It''s just I was forced to condense his conditioning for the sake of time." Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik no longer worried about poor Kurza, who would twitch every so often as if his brain and body couldn''t keep up with the pain he had been subjected to.

    The moment the word "conditioning" left Cynrik''s lips, Gabby, Benny, and Melody flinched so hard that they ended up losing control over the Skills they were currently channeling, causing them to fizzle out.

    "Well, I can''t say I didn''t expect this, but at least he is still alive and breathing. I watched you earlier, and I have to say, Student Ivar, I am quite curious about that Mana construct you keep using. There seem to be several different stages of it as well. Is it some kind of ability or a new skill."

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 429 Preparing For The First Regional (8)

    "Well, I can''t say I didn''t expect this, but at least he is still alive and breathing. I watched you earlier, and I have to say, Student Ivar, I am quite curious about that Mana Construct you keep using. There seem to be several different stages of it as well. Is it some kind of ability or a new skill?"

    Everyone turned to look at Cynrik, who had his hood down and a strange expression on his face.

    ? "I assume you are asking about my Susanoo. Well, it isn''t necessarily a skill; it''s more like a technique simr to my sword style. Think of it as something between a registered skill and ability that the System or CSH hasn''t yet recognized." As he spoke, a dense particle cloud manifested around Cynrik''s body before taking the form of several translucent skeletal rib bones which surrounded his body.

    "Sussa, what now?" Instructor Garrison asked while watching the strange multi-colored bones take shape.

    "Susanoo, when I was a young child, I found a book about mighty beings, two siblings, Susanoo and Amaterasu. The older Sister, Amaterasu, was once an extremely high Tiered being that could even be called a Goddess in her time."

    As he spoke, everyone except Brance had a physical reaction to his words, mainly because Cynrik infringed on a dangerous line. Over time, it had be taboo to talk about Gods and Goddesses; as such, throughout generations, the races of Vinestra had been taught that mentioning or even thinking the names of Deities would bring chaos and destruction.

    "The Goddess of the Sun Amateratsu was said to be capable of harnessing powerful ck mes, which were impossible to extinguish, while the younger brother, Susanoo the Storm God, was a mighty warrior who wielded a magnificent ck de known as Kusanagi."

    "However, his de alone wasn''t what made Susanoo such a devastating fighter; instead, it was his ability to manifest a godly humanoid avatar made from his Mana, or as the legend calls it, Chakra. This avatar would then fight on behalf of its wielder." Looking around at his gradient skeletal Mana construct, Cynrik smirked as he mixed the lore of the Japanese Gods with that of a certain red-eyed Ninja n.

    "The Chakra Avatar was anchored to Susanoo, and he was in turn anchored to the Construct; as such, his movements were perfectly mirrored by the avatar, turning something that should have originally been non-tangible into something tangible. Although the world at the time viewed it as having a perfect and unbreakable defense so long as it was in its perfect form, the technique could differentiate between Ally and Enemy attacks, allowing it to distinguish what attacks it blocks to conserve Resource Stat costs."

    To prove his point, Cynrik bounced up and down a couple of times, causing the Mana Constructed ribcage to follow his every movement.

    "What do you mean, perfect form?" Feeling lost and honestly frightened by the tale being told by his student, Instructor Garrison still picked up on an essential bit of information that Cynrik seemed to gloss over.

    "Sigh, well, doesn''t it seem weird that I can only manifest a ribcage instead of aplete dozen meters tall avatar body? The story stated that Susanoo''s technique had several developmental stages. The more experienced he became in using the technique, the moreyers could be added to it, such as an entire body with limbs and a head."

    "The best way to think of what an actualized Avatar would represent is a massive Mana puppet; if I punch, it punches, and so on. However, there are two pretty significant drawbacks to using this technique; for starters, it can only mitigate a percentage of Physical Damage in its current state. Second, it drains the shit out of my MP like real fast."

    "Regardless, the way I see it, I can''t exactly waltz into the tournament and start murking everyone with ease. So instead of using all my overpowered skills and techniques, I figure I can train my Susanno, which in this state can exert an eptable amount of power for a Tier-3." Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik dismissed what he dubbed Base Form Susanno and looked directly at Brance with a slight smirk.

    [[You fucking weeb. Why am I even surprised you found a way to cheese the Mana Construct format and create the Uchiha''s ultimate skill? I should have known better when you started using ck mes years ago.]] Gritting his teeth and wishing nothing more than to beat that annoying smirk off his brother''s face, Brance felt extremely frustrated.

    [[Why not? I mean, don''t we practically have Sharingan as is? Our [Mana Sight]bines the benefits of three Tomoe Sharingan and Mangekyou without any downsides or drawbacks. To top it all off, we don''t have that crazy visual effect aside from some particle flickers in our eyes, so it''s practically invisible to anyone not in the know.]] Cynrik stated, but then his attitude shifted, and he got overly excited.

    [[HEY HEY BRANCIE!!!! YOU CAN BE LIKE OBITO AND USE KAMUI. I bet I can figure out some way to bend Light in such a way that you can teleport things!]]

    [[Hold on, this all seems too familiar¡­wait don''t tell me Darling is recreating Anime shit again; what was that show called again? The one with the orange jumpsuit ninja.]] Looking between the brothers, Selene joined the conversation as she realized her boyfriend was up to his crazy ideas again.

    Luckily for Cynrik, Instructor Garrison cut in before he was forced to exin himself to his non-weeb girlfriend.

    "You still haven''t exined how you came to wield this technique Student Ivar. It is one thing to form a full-body Mana construct, but from what I observed, Sussawhatever is way too high to be considered a basic Mana construct."

    "Eh, I guess you don''t know yet, but my brother and I stumbled into developing¡­." Before Cynrik could finish his statement, he nced back at the unconscious Kurza, waved his hand, and transported the poor unconscious fellow into the shadow realm so that he couldn''t hear what he was about to say.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Anywho, as I was saying, my brother and I developed Supreme Mana bodies¡­."

    "YOU WHAT! Hold on back up; what the fuck do you mean you and Student Bj?rn built Supreme Mana Bodies." Just when Garrison thought these two little monsters couldn''t be any more abnormal, Cynrik practically hit him with a left hook out of nowhere.

    ''Who am I? Where am I? Is this real life?'' Instructor Garrison thought as his whole worldview shattered with three simple words, Supreme Mana Body.

    "Shhh, Instructor, I haven''t even gotten to the good part yet," holding up a finger to his lips and shushing Garrison, Cynrik controlled the conversation leaving Instructor Garrison to nod obediently.

    "I''ve been trying to construct this technique for years, using so manybinations that I would go to sleep each night with a headache. Basic Mana constructs couldn''t handle the load of pressure I wanted. The final piece of the puzzle clicked into ce when I gained ess to low-level Aura thanks to my Supreme Mana Body and my newly formed Elemental Maniptions."

    "Bybining my Aura and Killing Intent, I can build the rough exoskeleton or structure of the Construct beforeyering on copious amounts of Advanced Mana particles with my Maniptions. The result is as you saw, and although it is still in its infancy, my Susanoo ising along nicely." Wearing a cocky grin and puffing out his chest, Cynrik finished his exnation leaving everyone except Brance shocked by his achievement.

    "I want to congratte you for pulling this insanity off, but when I look at you and see that cocky smile, I feel the urge to punch your face until it disappears." Staring at Cynrik with aplicated gaze, Instructor Garrison mumbled a line of unprofessional dialog only to be backed up by Brance.

    "Wee to my world, Instructor. I have dealt with this kind of shit since we were toddlers. You are better off epting the crazy shit he spews with a grain of salt; Big Brother is a little too good at making the impossible possible." Shaking his head, Brance took several deep breaths to calm down.

    With the confidential conversation finished, Cynrik brought Kurza back from the Shadow Realm only to find out the poor guy hade to in the world of darkness and was shaking like a leaf.

    "BIG BRO IVAR, I PROMISE I WON''T BE COCKY OR ARROGANT ANYMORE! I AM SORRY; PLEASE DON''T SEND ME BACK TO THAT HELL." The moment he appeared back on solid ground, Kurza crawled over to Cynrik and hugged his leg with tears in his eyes as he pleaded for mercy.

    "Shh, it''s ok little Kurza; I just had to say some confidential stuff; once you sign the Mana contract I told you about, you won''t have to go back to the shadow realm when we talk in the future." Fighting the urge to burst out inughter since his "conditioning" had worked wonders on the Arrogant young master, Cynrik patted the young man''s head tenderly, causing Kurza to stiffen and look around before noticing all eyes were on him.

    When he saw the knowing looks of pitying from Benny, Selene, Gabby, and Melody, Kurza felt a sense of kinship like never before, and he knew that he had allies when it came to his newly-born fear of the demon lord known as Cynrik.

    Jumping to his feet, Kurza bowed to the other members of MyrkLys and introduced himself politely.

    "I apologize for my earlier actions, my name is Kurza Reed Bralley, and Headmaster Rivia has sent me to fill in the 7th and final slot on the Tier-3 Competition Team. I am in your care and hope we can all be close friends shortly."

    "As you may have heard earlier, I am a War Bishop with Trinity Healing Affinities, Light, Water, and Chloro, and I have been active in thest two Competitions. Thus I know how they are run and can teach you everything I know about the tournament structure. As someone who has been Tier-3 for two years, if need be, I can also exin my experiences and help you all get stronger faster."

    [[Holy fuck¡­Cyn¡­you broke the poor guy.]] Brance was astonished at how four hours of merciless beating could turn an arrogant passerby into a potentially useful teammate. In his heart, he even felt a little fear when he thought about how easy it was for his older brother to bring this guy to the groveling underling status.

    "We can talk about thatter, Kurza; for now, go stand over by the beefy red and blue-haired guy with a small head; that''s Benny; you will be his responsibility for now. You will be working side by side with him and Selene, the hot, dark-haired girl who looks like she will eat your face off." Cynrik paused and narrowed his eyes when he noticed Kurza checking out Selene due to his introductions.

    "Oi, don''t be getting any fucking ideas about making a move on my woman, or I will fucking eviscerate you." Adding a bit of Killing Intent to his words, Cynrik watched as Kurza scurried behind Benny while nodding rapidly.

    "Good, now then, Instructor Garrison, we should talk about sses, I am not sure if anything has changed, so we are in your hands again." Smiling with a smile that wasn''t a smile, Cynrik faced Garrison and saw the man was confused and a little scared of him now.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 430 Tier-3 Primary Classes (1)

    "Oi, don''t be getting any fucking ideas about making a move on my woman, or I will fucking eviscerate you." Adding a bit of Killing Intent to his words, Cynrik watched as Kurza scurried behind Benny while nodding rapidly.

    "Good, now then, Instructor Garrison, we should talk about sses, I am not sure if anything has changed, so we are in your hands again." Smiling with a smile that wasn''t a smile, Cynrik faced Garrison and saw the man was confused and a little scared of him now.

    "sses, what do you mean, OH! I forgot you guys are only first-year students." Instructor Garrison pulled out a chair, took a seat, and motioned for everyone to sit on the ground as he remembered that there was no way these six should have any idea about the changes to the ss system.

    "Even though it isn''t thatplicated of a topic, some significant changes ur upon entering the Supernatural Stage." Garrison started, only to have a loud gasp of confusion cut him off.

    "WAIT A SECOND; YOU GUYS ARE ALL FIRST-YEARS? AND AT TIER-3? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?" Kurza screamed while waving his arms around for effect.

    His words caused the members of MyrkLys to give him looks of pity and think, ''haven''t you been calling us all your juniors the whole time? How young did you think we were?''

    "Kurza, shut up. The adults are talking." Kurza was forced to shut his mouth and fall to the ground only after Cynrik spoke up harshly.

    "As I was saying¡­, unlike the previous times you have chosen your sses, you will no longer have a wide array of choices. The System considers your previous ss choices, your current Affinities, Skills, and, most of all, growth rate and potential before handing out a small handful of different ss options."

    "For most people, this is an exceptional opportunity; however, the biggest downside is there is no telling if you will keep your previous ss Skills upon picking your new ss."

    "Not to mention, the descriptions of your new choices will be hidden until you have made your choice; this includes the Distribution Stat boosts."

    "Hold up, Instructor, when you say we may lose our previous Skills, what do you mean?" Cynrik butted in, earning him a knowing smile from Instructor Garrison.

    "That, well, that''s because all your previous progress is converted. Every ss Skill and spec of Essence used for your lower Tier ss level-ups is transformed into your new ss upon making your choice. This doesn''t mean you will lose all your Skills, but the ones you rarely use will be gone." Leaning back in his chair and observing everyone''s reaction to the new information, Instructor Garrison was pleased to find that none of the members of MyrkLys seemed to be panicking.

    "On the plus side, those who didn''t get unique sses will more than likely have one or two unique or High-Grade ss options. Oh, and before I forget, this only applies to Primary sses. Sub-sses didn''t change; you will still have an extensive list to choose from."

    Unlike before, this time Cynrik exhaled in relief. If he were forced to choose between his Engineering or Tamer, there would only be one option: Tamer or, in this case, its upgraded version. There was zero chance of him severing the connection he had nurtured with Vii and Sie.

    "Alright, it''s gettingte, and you all have a lot to think about, so head back to your dorm and get some rest; I will be taking my leave and will meet you all in the morning." After finishing his lecture, Instructor Garrison checked his Watcet and saw it was already almost 11 pm, so he decided to call it a night, but when none of the students moved to get up and leave, he became concerned.

    Seeing the look he was giving everyone, Cynrik smiled and stood up.

    "Sorry, Instructor, I have already informed my faction that we won''t leave until it is time to head out for the first round. You are more than wee to stay and watch over us, but we still have too much to do."

    Waving his hand, Cynrik walked toward the bleachers several dozen meters away and took out a long, white stic table you would find at an outdoor cookout. Once he finished setting it up, he ced several finger foods on the table, such as mini sandwiches, cheese tters, and an assortment of different meat.

    Like a pack of ravenous dogs, Gabby and Selene''s heads snapped in the direction of the food, and in a very udylike fashion, the two girls made a mad dash for the mini sandwiches.

    Unfortunately for them, Cynrik hadn''t finished putting out the paper tes and cups for drinks yet, so when the two girls arrived, he smacked both their hands away from the food, making a loud sound before scolding them.

    "OI, GLUTTONS, YOU WILL WAIT UNTIL I GIVE YOU THE OK! OR ELSE NO FOODS FOR YOU!" He shouted, causing Selene and Gabby to grumble unhappily while shuffling side to side impatiently.

    "Sigh, every time; why is it always like this?" Benny sighed like an old man while making his way over with Brance and Melody.

    "I don''t know where we went wrong, Benny, I thought we instilled proper manners in Gabby, but she is still like this after so many years," Branceined as he massaged his temples to curb a headache.

    "They seriously act like they never get to eat¡­and isn''t Sel the oldest of us all, and she is like that." Melody chimed in as she looped her arm around Benny''s. On her shoulder was her newly summoned Spirit.

    The little Berylite Spirit appeared from out of its storage space when it saw the food Cynrik wasying out, it made a few little noises as if saying it was hungry, so Melody pulled out a Tier-2 Terra Codex from her inventory and handed it to him.

    Crunch Crunch Crunch

    Secondster, amidst its happy sounds, the Berylite Spirit chewed the Codex with ease, like a piece of rock candy.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Oh? Is that the little guy you summoned from your Passing Down Quest? It''s quite cute, like a tubby little rock person." Brance said as he tried to give the Berylite Spirit a scratch on the head.

    As soon as Brance''s finger got close, a fierce expression lit up the young Gem Spirit''s eyes. In one swift move, it leapt forward and tried to chomp down on Brance''s finger but was unable to, as he was lightly flicked in the forehead and sent tumbling backward on Melody''s shoulder.

    "Feisty little guy you summoned, haha; still, it''s pretty cute. Have you given it a name yet?" Brance asked as he chuckled at the little Berylite Spirit trying to get back up on its feet.

    "No, I will soon, though; the act of naming an unnamed spirit consumes a lot of Resource Stats, so I needed to wait until we were done training. But I have a few ideas." Melody chirped as she used her thumb to rub the Gem Spirit''s back forfort.

    "Ok, be sure youe up with something the little guy likes; no one wants to have a name that can be made fun of, and I assume your Spirit is the same; it clearly already has a personality of its own." Shooting a warm smile and waving at the pouting Spirit, Brance jogged off toward Gabby to ensure she didn''t get caught sneaking food before it was ready.

    Thirty minutester, the members of MyrkLys were sitting in a semi-circle near the bleachers discussing their ss changes.

    Instructor Garrison and Kurza had already left for the night, so keeping their info confidential was no longer an issue.

    "So that''s it then, we are choosing our Primary sses; if you have any questions, be sure to speak up." With that, Cynrik pulled up the new ss Change Panel.

    -Wee to the ss Change Panel; through this panel, you can merge all your previous progress to create specialized sses depending on the choices you have made up until now.-

    -The Key factors ounted for when creating your Specialized ss Selections are Stats, Codex Tier, Essence Spent, sses Chosen, the number of ss Skills obtained, ss Tier, Previous Sub-sses, and ss Skill proficiency.-

    -Please wait while your Tier-3 ss options are Generated.-

    [[Well, that''s new, hey Tobs, since when was the CSH so polite?]] Tilting his head to the side and refraining fromughing at the random change of pace, Cynrik looked over at Brance and Selene, who were wearing strange expressions.

    -What do you expect, Cynrik? The Supernatural Stage ss Selection is run like a business. Forck of a better word, it''s a Transactional Rtionship where you are trading in all your previous hard work for something customized, shiny, and new.-

    Cynrik imagined Tobs holding up her hands dismissively as she spoke, which made him break this time as a soft chuckle left his lips.

    -DING, your Tier-3 ss options have been Generated; please review each choice thoroughly, as once you have made your choice, it can not be changed.-

    -Four Primary sses have been Generated, and you will have 1 minute to select your new ss.-

    - Tier-3 Deathde (Epic)

    - Tier-3 Master Assassin (Epic)

    - Tier-3 Shadow Trickster (Rare)

    - Tier-3 Umbral de-Dancer (Unique)

    Cynrik frowned as he read through his choices; the first two options alone would have excited him, without a doubt, if he had seen them a year or two ago. A Deathde was the Assassin equivilent of a high-tiered Spell de, someone who not only used magic but also was proficient with a sword, while a Master Assassin was supposed to be a Tier-4 ss.

    Shadow Trickster didn''t pique his interest in the least, as he could already tell that it was a ss centered around illusions and manipting his Umbra Affinity, something that didn''t interest him at all.

    But thest option, thest option, caused Cynrik to suck in a sharp breath, mainly because of the Unique Tag at the end of the ss name. As someone well versed in Video Games and all things WEEB, he knew of a ss called Shadow Dancer, and thinking along that vein, if you reced Shadow with Umbral, wouldn''t that mean it should be overpowered?

    The only concerning thing was the addition of the word de; however, since he had been upgrading his Kodachi recently, it made sense that the de tag would be added to the name. Unlike a regr Assassin, Cynrik had no issues in an up-close fight and didn''t primarily rely on stealthily killing opponents in a single attack. Thus, when he saw de added to the name, he got a vague sense that this ss may be a fusion of a type of Swordsman ss and the Assassin ss.

    Without hesitation, Cynrik selected the Unique ss, but when he did, he felt his head spin, and thest thing he shouted before the world went ck was, "Ah fuck, SOMEONE GET ME A PILLOW!"

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 431 Tier-3 Primary Classes (2)

    Without hesitation, Cynrik selected the Unique ss, but when he did, he felt his head spin, and thest thing he shouted before the world went ck was, "Ah fuck, SOMEONE GET ME A PILLOW!"

    Cynrik''s words came out in a whimper as he twitched several times before his eyes rolled back into his head, and he copsed.

    While everyone was stunned at his sudden shout, Selene acted quickly. Turning into a particle cloud, she reassembled right under where Cynrik''s head was about to hit the ground, and instead of the rocky and dirt-filled arena floor, his headnded on her soft and squishy thighs.

    "Fufu, I have been waiting ages to give my darling ap pillow ahhh, it has been so long." Looking down at her boyfriend''s sleeping face, Selene lovingly stroked his cheek and ignored the weird looks that her party members directed toward her.

    "Well, I guess it''s safe to assume that knucklehead just blindly jumped into gaining his next ss." Shaking his head and pulling out a pair of sleeping mats used for camping, Brance set them up with a soft pillow on each and waved to Gabby.

    "We may as well befortable. Based on how Big Brother passed out, the same thing will likely happen to all of us, so I rmend you bring out your camping gear; there is no telling how long we will be unconscious." At hismand, Benny and Melody quickly pulled out simr gear to what Brance had andy beside each other.

    Meanwhile, Gabby brought out an oversized nket and pushed the two mats Brance hadid together. Upon getting nearby, the two strange mats wiggled and fused into onerge mat the size of a king-sized mattress. There was no way she would miss the opportunity to sleep beside her beloved Brancie, and after learning some things from Selene, she knew now was a great time for "Skinship bonding."

    After making up therge mat like a bed, Gabby hopped on the soft half-a-meter thick padded mat, patted the pillows multiple times to fluff them appropriately, and got under the nket while giving Brance expecting and fluttery eyes.

    His girlfriend''s flirty actions forced Brance into an awkward position, making him re at Selene since it was her provocative nature that was slowly corrupting his innocent Gabby.

    Heaving a defeated sigh, Brance nced over at Gabby, who had finallypleted her growth spurt and was now a beautiful young woman instead of a pretty teen, and he had to control his instinctual urges.

    ''Damn it, six more years; we can totally wait six more years.'' Brance''s eyes examined Gabby''s face, and he could feel the blush creeping unto his cheeks. Her small nose, high cheekbones, and thin lips reminded him of the typical "Girl next door" look he remembered hearing about so often on Earth.

    And if it weren''t for her hair''s Lime Green and Amethyst color, Brance would have thought she was a typical naive country girl from somewhere like Texas or Tennessee. Thin and athletic hourss shape with decent-sized hips and matching bust, Gabby could no longer be considered pretty but was now an Idol level Beauty.

    ''I am so fucking screwed, and thanks to fucking Selene, Gabby knows it.'' Dropping his head so that his gaze didn''t trace down his girlfriend''s neck to her cor bones, or worse, somece lower, Brance closed his eyes and quickly got under the nket beforeying on his back and looking toward the metal beams several hundred meters above. Reflexively his arms crossed over his chest in a defensive position.

    ''Don''t think about sex, don''t think about sex, don''t think about sex!'' Of course, important things must be said thrice, but when Brance heard the rustling of the nket and the warmth of Gabby''s body as she rested her upper body on his, Brance''s heart nearly exploded.

    ''TOBS QUICKKK SHOW ME THE FUCKING PROMOTION TAB,'' Brance screamed in a high pitch and quite frankly girly tone.

    -Ppppfftt HAHAHAHAHAHA! Brancie, you are screwed. Little Gabby is on the prowl.-

    Before Brance could scream in panic, a window appeared in his vision.

    -Wee to the ss Change Panel; through this panel, you can merge all your previous progress to create specialized sses depending on the choices you have made up until now.-

    -The Key factors ounted for when creating your Specialized ss Selections are Stats, Codex Tier, Essence Spent, sses Chosen, the number of ss Skills obtained, ss Tier, Previous Sub-sses, and ss Skill proficiency.-

    -Please wait while your Tier-3 ss options are Generated.-

    ''WHAT DO YOU MEAN PLEASE WAIT FOR THEM TO BE GENERATED? FUCK FUCK FUCK!'' Crying internally in panic like a maiden on her wedding night who wasn''t ready to seal the deal, Brance felt a cold shiver run through his body as a delicate and soft hand found its way under his shirt and began rubbing his pectoral muscles.

    -DING, your Tier-3 ss options have been Generated; please review each choice thoroughly, as once you have made your choice, it can not be changed.-

    -Four Primary sses have been Generated, and you will have 1 minute to select your new ss.-

    - Tier-3 Radiant Shield Guardian (Epic)-

    - Tier-3 Commander Pdin (Rare)-

    - Tier-3 Mauler (Rare)-

    - Tier-3 Enforcer of the Holy me (Unique)-

    Unlike Cynrik, who had taken most of the minute to make his choice, Brance''s eyes scanned the choices at light speed, only looking at the Grade of the ss. When his eyes fell on thest option, he didn''t bother reading its name and instantly clicked it.

    ''Gabby is honest enough not to try anything frisky once I am out cold¡­at least, I hope she is.'' That was the final thought Brance had as he turned his head and nted a soft kiss on Gabby''s forehead before his eyes rolled back into his head, and he passed out.

    Seeing Brance pass out, Gabby huffed loudly, squished his rock-hard muscles, and withdrew her hand before opening up the upgraded ss Selection. Unlike with Cynrik and Brance, she only received three options, all of which were high-grade sses.

    -Three Primary sses have been Generated, and you will have 1 minute to select your new ss.-<novelnext></novelnext>

    - Tier-3 Psychic Marksman (Epic)

    - Tier-3 Combat Medic (Epic)

    - Tier-3 Ancient Magik Beastmaster (Unique)

    Without removing her head from Brance''s broad chest, Gabby''s eyes scanned through the three sses, and she became curious about the fact that herst option had the word Magic spelled differently. Knowing that the ss must be powerful since it was Unique, she Chose it and soon passed out.

    Sitting not far away and still caressing Cynrik''s cheek, Selene watched as Melody and Benny soon fell into aa, just like everyone else.

    ''Hey Tobs, do you know what sses everyone chose?'' Selene asked as she set up a sleeping arrangement simr to Brance and Gabby''s, using her Shadow Maniption to move the mats, pillows, and nket.

    -Uh, give me a sec; I think my connection to Gabby, Benny, and Melody still exists. What I do know is that I can tell you Brance chose the Unique ss Enforcer of the Holy me.-

    ''Tsk, that''s a pretty uppidy name, but I know it reflects Brance as a person; we will have to see what all he gets from the upgrade, though.''

    -Yeah, it is pretentious if you ask me, but from my knowledge, all of the LightBringer sses are like that. It looks like Gabby picked a Unique ss called Ancient Magik Beastmaster, it probably has to do with Milo, but I can''t confirm at this time.-

    -Melody is a strange case; because of her Physique, it seems that she was only given a single option, an Epic ss with the same name, Sorcerer.-

    -Benny''s choice reflects something simr to what I expect will happen when you get your choices, which is an upgraded version of his previously unique ss. Instead of being a Hoplite Vanguard, he will now be a Spartan.-

    ''Well, that is prettyme; if what you say holds, then I already know what my ss will be.'' Gently picking Cynrik up, Selene pulled back the nket and tucked him under it before sliding in beside him. However, unlike the innocent Gabby, Selene stripped down to a silky pair of lingerie and threw her right leg over the lower part of Cynrik''s body with a coy grin.

    -Ohhh, Sel, you are so BOLD! Teehee, I am sure Cyn will have no idea how to react when he wakes up. But are you sure you wanna wear such a revealing outfit out in the open like that?-

    Tobs, who was presently hanging out in Selene''s SOC, could see everything. If anyone could see her right now, she had changed into a simr silky pair of lingerie, only in ck and white, unlike Selene''s expensive ck set, and was appraising herself in a mirror.

    ''Bah, Garrison locked the door and gave Darling the only ess code to the arena, no one cane in without his permission, plus I have this sexytime outfit saved in a loadout, with a simple thought I can change instantly. Pair that with the heavy, oversized nket, and nobody will see anything.

    While Selene exined her reasoning, she navigated to the ss Promotion panel.

    -Wee to the ss Change Panel; through this panel, you can merge all your previous progress to create specialized sses depending on the choices you have made up until now.-

    -The Key factors ounted for when creating your Specialized ss Selections are Stats, Codex Tier, Essence Spent, sses Chosen, the number of ss Skills obtained, ss Tier, Previous Sub-sses, and ss Skill proficiency.-

    -Please wait while your Tier-3 ss options are Generated.-

    ''I can''t wait to see how Darling reacts; hopefully, he will cop a feel or two, it''s been a while since we got frisky, and honestly, I am pent up as hell. Fuck VSFA for having a rule about sex! If it didn''t exist, I am sure my Darling and I would be going at it like rabbits by now.''

    -Just remind me to get the hell out of your two heads when you decide to cross that line. I don''t need any trauma added to my already hectic mind.-

    ''Oh Tobsieeee, I don''t mind if you watch; it''ll be more fun if you do, teehee.'' Upon thinking that, Selene heard several gagging noises through her connection to Tobs, which brought a sadistic smirk to her lush lips.

    -FUCK YOU, SELLY! Ugh, IT WOULD BE LIKE WATCHING YOUR PARENTS BANG, WHICH IS A HARD PASS FOR ME, YOU SADISTIC VIXEN!-

    Selene was about to burst outughing, but the System prompts popped up, derailing her predictable taunts and starting the one-minute timer.

    -DING, your Tier-3 ss options have been Generated; please review each choice thoroughly, as once you have made your choice, it can not be changed.-

    -Two Primary sses have been Generated, and you will have 1 minute to select your new ss.-

    - Tier-3 Valkyrie of the Shadows (Unique)-

    - Tier-3 Void Walker (Epic)

    ''Two options, but as much as I want to choose Void Walker because it sounds cool, I need to stick with the Unique ss I''ve been building.'' Selene chose Valkyrie of the Shadows with that thought, but not before she hugged her barely clothed body against Cynrik''s, then the world faded to ck.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 432 Tier-3 Primary Classes (3)

    When Cynrik opened his eyes, he was floating in a world of intangible darkness. The purest kind of darkness where one couldn''t even see their hand if it were held in front of their face, which for him was odd because his Dark vision was so good he should have been able to see clear as day.

    ''Hm, this feeling is familiar.'' He thought as his memory brought him back to the day he reincarnated. The only noticeable difference between then and now was that he wasn''t in a bright white ethereal expanse, and he could feel his body was present.

    |"Primary sses, what are they? Are they something that defines a person, or do they reflect a being, simr to how the Soul does?"|

    Cynrik stiffened as a booming, and authoritative voice resounded in his mind. He instantly recognized this voice as that of Yennifer, the CSH Admin and Co-Creator of the System.

    |"Before you ask any questions or develop thoughts about my identity, let me inform you that this is merely a recording, designed to trigger when a Being makes the leap into the Supernatural Stage and has decided to Promote their Primary ss."|

    ''Well, that''s annoying. Tsk, why is it that every time I get curious about something new, I''m always cockblocked.'' Cynrik snorted as he felt a gentle tug on his body, giving him forward momentum.

    |"sses were something we at the CSH designed to help promote the growth and potential of all Beings whose bodies house a Soul. Their focus was on giving additional benefits along with appropriate yet randomly generated Skills. However, we knew that the basic Form for these sses would eventually be negligible as a Being progressed further through the Tiers."|

    |"As such, we, the Administration at the CSH, knew something needed to change when a beings LifeRating Advanced, or as most call it, their Stage."|

    ''LifeRating, that''s a new concept, but not one unfamiliar to me. Often you hear about some scale in novels that generalizes a being''s lifespan. Yennifer has proven to be trustworthy to some extent, so her Words hold a certain amount of credit.''

    Leaning forward and assuming a flying position allowing the strange force to pull him along, Cynrik fell deep into thought, splitting half his attention toward Yennifer''s words and the other half toward theorizing.

    ''Not only is there a clear separation of power between stages, but if they are based on LifeRating, my life span has increased by a certain amount. Still, I won''t blindly believe Yennifer; I need further data to verify this theory conclusively.

    |"After stepping out of the Initial Tier, or Tier-0, and entering Tier-1, a Being can choose their First Primary ss. This first-ss set a precedent and bes one of the main building blocks for what we at the CSH call Builds."|

    ''Annnnd the theory I had about Norik being a Tryhard Gamer instead of a Filthy Casual on Earth is confirmed. Only a gamer, be it video games or tabletop games, would refer to sses as Builds; odds are her next words will be exining that Builds include stats.'' A slight smirk crept onto Cynrik''s lips as he thought this.

    |"But don''t be fooled, A Being''s build begins the moment they input their first Stat points, and their Distribution makes modified changes."|

    ''Nailed it,'' covering his mouth, Cynrik practically wheezed inughter as Yennifer confirmed his assumptions of the grumpy old hero.

    |"Upon entering the Supernatural Stage, when the timees for a Being to choose their first Primary ss, all of their achievements, skill progress, and Essence distributed to previous sses is merged. So long as the ss isn''t too different from your original path started In Tier-1, you will not lose all of your earned Skills; however, the majority will either be fused with simr skills or modified to suit your newly obtained ss."|

    |"At least, this is how it is for normal residents of Vinestra; you are different."|

    Sensing the disembodied voice was grinning, Cynrik felt panic rush through his mind as his body began picking up speed. Soon his eyes picked up on small colored dots shing through the void, reminding him of traveling at lightspeed.

    ''FUCK! GET ME OFF THIS ROLLER COASTER!'' Cynrik screamed in his mind as his butt puckered and his organs seemed to shift down to his feet.

    "Tsst, Fu¡­Tsst¡­ck!" An intense pressure assaulted Cynrik''s body as he flew faster than a fighter jet, causing his mind to enter a state of hyper-focus. He first controlled his breathing with sharp, short inhales while clenching every muscle in his body, something he knew Pilots did tobat high-g maneuvers. On the exhales, he spat partial curses.

    |"You were brought to our world to fight in the Legacy Strife, and you brought with your knowledge from your previous life. Many of you Legacy Charges are adaptable in a way no native of Vinestra could ever be, and with the benefits passed down by your Gods, you soar through the Tiers easily."|

    Although moving at a speed usually too fast to see anything except blurred images, Cynrik spotted dozens of small notification windows flying alongside him, each one with the description of an Ability or Skill learned through his previous sses.

    |"Many of you have such a high level of intelligence that you n your Paths expertly. As such, many of you end up creating new and unseen sses, Abilities, or Skills, that give you an otherwise unfair Advantage, and the CSH''s prime directive is to keep Bnce on Vinestra."|

    |"For this reason, we felt the need to level the ying field in some way, and we chose to open up the possibility for ANYONE to unlock a Unique ss upon reaching the Supernatural Stage."|

    |"Your Divine Bloodlines give you Added Stats, so we made them adhere to the Previous Tiers Standards. All native beings of Vinestra deserve a chance to stand against the Tyranny of those bastard Divine Beings, so know that your lead will not always be so far ahead."|

    Cynrik could feel the hostility in Yennifer''s voice; if he weren''t in his present situation, he would have found himselfughing and jeering along with her.

    Suddenly, everything changed, Cynrik''s body shot downward, and something mmed into his torso, halting his movement and robbing him of any oxygen left in his lungs.

    "Fugh cough cough cough, damn IT, YENNIFER! Are you trying to freaking kill me!" Spitting into the air a few times, Cynrik could taste his stomach acid, and it was pretty unpleasant.<novelnext></novelnext>

    |"Oh, if it isn''t the ?sir Drengr Cynrik Jetlensr. I didn''t expect you to make it this far so soon."|

    Appearing in a swirl of golden particles, the beautiful curly-haired woman with purple eyes crossed her arms under herrge breast and brought her right hand up, covering her mouth as a lighthearted chuckle left her lips.

    "Bullshit, you can''t convince me that you had no idea I was here. Recording my ass, someone with such a high-level processing speed as you couldn''t be so blind as not to realize I was here."

    |"Ohe now, Young Cynrik, do you truly expect me to monitor the tens of billions of Vinestrians who advance to Tier-3 every moment of every day? That is what algorithms are for, silly boy."|

    |"I just happened to get a notice that you and the rest of your little family of misfits were Promoting your sses and came over right away. In fact, I am presently speaking with your Brother and lover right now."|

    "Algorithm, my ass, tsk, it''s not like I can do anything about it either way, so that recording, I assume every LC that promotes their ss to Tier-3 has seen it?" Finally catching his breath, Cynrik red at Yennifer as he floated helplessly in the void filled with millions of tiny glowing orbs and his notification windows.

    |"Of course, how else am I supposed to instill fear in their hearts? I will have you know, unlike you and your lover, your Brother practically defecated all over the ce when he began flying. This is the typical reaction I get when Legacy Charges end up here, which is the point of the little act I put on."|

    Yennifer waved her hand and manifested two disy windows, one showed Brance screaming in horror with tears and snot spewing all over the ce, and the other was of Selene giggling like a maniac.

    "Pfft, that''s my girl; she probably just thought of it as a thrill ride. Brancie, on the other hand¡­well, I can''t expect too much from the same guy who would white knuckle the armrest of the chair on nes while chanting, "If God Meant for Man to Fly, he would have given us wings." His reaction is pretty much how I figured it would be."

    Cynrik''s facial expressions changed to one simr to Brance''s, and he even mimicked his speaking tone when he said the quote, causing Yennifer to giggle.

    "So, the high and mighty act works with those other LCs, noted; anyway, why bring me to this void? Why couldn''t the CSH perform the standard Memory transfer like every other ss change?" Leaning back and resting in the air as if sitting in a chair, Cynrik asked while trying his best to control his eyes from looking where they shouldn''t.

    This didn''t go unnoticed, as Yennifer took the opportunity to tease him by jiggling herrge breast and revealing a little too much in the process.

    |"Oh, does the young drengr like what he sees?"|

    "Knock it off, woman; it is just the hormones. Well, that and I''m very frustrated right now, thanks to the rules your jerk of a Son has in ce. Seriously, No sex until Year 6; he does realize that all of us are way worse with hormones because of how rapidly our bodies age with the increase in Tiers."

    Yennifer was silent for a moment as she gave Cynrik a weird look. Technically speaking, it was still possible for her to be intimate with her Husband despite not having a body. So as someone of an older generation and a teacher of sorts, Yennifer figured she could throw the young drengr a bone; after all, wasn''t he already technically in his forties?

    |" For someone with such a high intellect, it seems even you have your moments of stupidity. Tell me, Young Cynrik, do you not have a ce where you can go, where not even the Deities can find you? I will leave you with that thought; as for your questions, you will have to figure them out yourself. Or maybe I will tell youter; so long young Cynrik."|

    Then with a light giggle, Yennifer disappeared in a storm of golden particles, leaving a chain of notifications in her ce, and Cynrik, with a stunned expression, stered across his face.

    "Well, I''m a fucking moron. HOW DID I NOT THINK ABOUT BRINGING SELENE INTO MY SOC? HOLY FUCK, THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING HAHAHAHHA!" Amidst Cynrik''s cackles, the spam of notifications began rolling in his vision.

    -You have obtained the Tier-3 Primary Combat ss Umbral de-Dancer (Unique).-

    -All of your Former ss Distributions have been merged with your new Distribution.

    -Your Stat Distribution has been adjusted; you will receive an additional 1 point in DEX, AGI, and INT upon increasing your Main Level.-

    -For each increase in your Primary ss Level, you will receive an additional point to your ss Distribution.

    -All your Tier-1 Theif Skills have been merged into the Tier-3 Umbral de-Dancer Skill Tricks of the Trade.-

    -Your Tier-2 Rogue Skills, Uncanny Dodge and Danger Sense have been merged and Evolved into the Tier-3 Umbral de-Dancer Skill Sixth Sense.-

    -Your Tier-2 Rogue Skill Luck of the Rogue has evolved into the Tier-3 Umbral de-Dancer Skill Lucky Advantage.-

    - Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 433 Beauty And The Beast (1) **R-18**

    **WARNING, THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER CONTAINS SMEXY TIME ACTS! If you don''t want to read it, feel free to skip it, all you are missing when ites to MAIN PLOT is two new skills for Cynrik, but their descriptions will be in the next chapter. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED #DOWNWITHNNN **

    :

    :

    :

    :

    -All your Tier-1 Theif Skills have been merged into the Tier-3 Umbral de-Dancer Skill Tricks of the Trade.-

    -Your Tier-2 Rogue Skills, Uncanny Dodge and Danger Sense have been merged and Evolved into the Tier-3 Umbral de-Dancer Skill Sixth Sense.-

    -Your Tier-2 Rogue Skill Luck of the Rogue has evolved into the Tier-3 Umbral de-Dancer Skill Lucky Advantage.-

    -You have learned the Tier-3 Umbral de-Dancer Skill Dance of des.-

    -You have learned the Tier-3 Umbral de-Dancer Skill Disorient.-

    With thest notification, Cynrik groggily opened his eyes and felt very¡­warm. Looking up at the metal beams high above, he realized that not only was he currently lying on his back, but he was under a nket, with a pillow propping his head up, and the pleasant smell of plum blossoms filled his nose.

    Recognizing the scent, Cynrik smirked for a moment before slightly lifting the nket, which covered his body to his neck, and there he saw the pale nape he knew very well. Suddenly a lewd expression stered across Cynrik''s face as he swiftly ducked under the nket and took in the fantastic sight of a barely clothed Selene.

    Exhaling shakily, Cynrik slithered his arm around her waist and ate up the site of the absolutely stunning beauty attached to his body in a beautiful, expensive set of lingerie.

    Thanks to his Dark Vision, Cynrik could see every fine detail of the frilly silk ck bra and panty set that left nothing to the imagination. He could feel his body heating up, especially little Cyn, who was already standing at attention since, at some point, a pale and delicate hand had snaked its way into his shorts and was lightly gripping him.

    ''Little Vixen, you have pushed me too far this time,'' Cynrik thought as a creepy smirk caused his lips to curl up. It took him half a second to realize that the beauty pressed against his body was still processing her ss Promotion, so using his free hand, Cynrik expertly found the sp of her bra. In one experienced motion, he unhooked the trim strap, causing a slight clicking sound and freeing the newly erged mounds of flesh.

    Next, his hand slithered down Selene''s skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake as his fingers danced around her smooth skin and her ribcage. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Cynrik, his fingers made their way to the base of the bra cup and snuck under before finding his target, the soft, hidden bud.

    Although he had never been able to do what he was at the moment, Cynrik knew Selene''s body as well as his own, thanks to the extensive conversations and smexy time texts they regrly sent each other.

    With his breath quickly turning ragged, Cynrik rolled Selene''s nipple a few times before getting a nice handful of spongey breasts while his other hand trailed down her back again and found its way into thecy ck panties to explore further.

    At that moment, he felt the young woman in his arms tense up for a split second, followed by a specific delicate hand making a slow piston motion while wrapped around little Cyn.

    "Nggg, ah, Darling, you decided to have fun without me," Selene panted softly while leaning up and stealing a passionate kiss from her beloved.

    "Did I? Because the way I see it, a certain someone decided to dress in my favorite nightwear. It is as if you are trying your damndest to get devoured, Ma Petite." Cynrik whispered as he broke off the kiss and shifted Selene onto his chest, their bodies melting together as Selene squirmed anxiously.

    She could feel every movement Cynrik''s hand made as it gracefully slid from one lower cheek to the next under her panties and finally resting on her inner thighs, where Cynrik found himself molding the soft and tender flesh like y.

    Between the use of her special nickname, Ma Petite, which he only used when they were alone, and his actions, a shiver spasmed through Selene''s entire body as she forced down a moan that would have been loud enough for anyone awake to hear.

    Although Cynrik seemed to be getting caught up in the moment, several colored particles swirled in his eyes as he activated [Mana Sight] to spy on the other Members of MyrkLys. Once 100% convinced that Benny, Melody, Brance, and Gabby were still out ofmission, he made his move.

    Cynrik walked the index finger of his left hand up to the moist treasure den that was Selene''s honey pot to search the tender and warm cave hidden from everyone except him.

    Feeling the tight muscles clench around his finger, Cynrik exhaled slowly and shifted Selene slightly as he buried not one but two fingers into the delicate and fierce beauty, making her tremble in excitement.

    Realizing her Darling was going farther than ever before, Selene picked up the speed of her hand and suppressed her moans as her plump lips pressed against Cynrik''s corbone.

    The pleasure the two experienced was like no other before as time seemed to slow down. Selene and Cynrik had high Dexterity Stats, so the subtle yet expression-filled movements they could achieve seemed otherworldlypared to the memories they shared from Earth.

    It only took Cynrik two minutes to bring his lover to her first climax at his hands, and as he did, a shower of nectar spewed from Selene''s lower half, soaking not only the two of them but the nket and sleeping mat as well.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Racked by violent spasms, Selene slipped off her bra and panties while hungrily pulling down Cynrik''s shorts and boxer briefs, exposing the throbbing member hidden beneath.

    ''Fuck the rules; I need him inside of me,'' Selene thought as she sat up slightly, slid down her Darlings body, and angled the leaking with pre-cum little Cyn toward her moist cave.

    However, just as Little Cyn''s head pressed against Selene''s damp kitten, Cynrik removed his fingers from inside her. Gripping her waist with both hands, he stopped Selene from making the final movement that would allow them to experience the highest form of pleasure and send them both into ruin.

    "Not now, Ma Petite," Cynrik whispered in a haggard and bestial tone. Meeting her heated and anxious gaze, Cynrik could practically taste the disappointment, anger, and sadness he was seeing.

    Without hesitation, he scooted up slightly, allowing Selene''s ass cheeks to rest on his thighs while Little Cyn stood at attention, pressed against her abdomen.

    "Trust me, I want to fuck you just as badly as you want me to rail you into oblivion, but we can''t, at least not here." Drawing small circles on Selene''s hips with his fingertips, Cynrik watched as she reacted to his touch.

    "F..f¡­nggh, fine, but I won''t be the only one getting anything today." Selene found herself falling into pleasure by the simple touch of her beloved and wanted to reciprocate what she had just received.

    Wiggling her body, Selene used her elbows to spread Cynrik''s legs enough so she could get between them, tucked her hair behind one ear, and slowly lowered her face toward little Cyn.

    "If that''s what you want, I won''t stop you," Cynrik''s words betrayed his thoughts; he wanted to throw Selene down and fuck her until she couldn''t walk for four days. Luckily, he wasn''t the kind of man to be driven by pleasure, so, with a bit of restraint and a lot of help from his Will Power Stat, Cynrik held himself back.

    Propping up his head with his right hand, Cynrik watched with a hungry expression as Selene lowered her head and puffed a breath of warm air onto the tip of Little Cyn''s head, making it twitch.

    Seeing this, Selene couldn''t help but smile as her heart rate elerated and her body heated up further; then, she made her move. Leaning forward, she gently kissed the crown of Little Cyn''s head while looking up at Cynrik to see his reaction.

    Spotting the heated gaze she was being given, Selene''s tongue left her mouth, and her left hand gripped the base of Little Cyn''s shaft before she trailed her tongue from top to bottom and back up, leaving a slick trail of saliva behind.

    The sensation was enough to make Cynrik shiver, so to control himself, his left hand slid along Selene''s ribcage up to her breast, and he gave it a firm squeeze, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of her newly erged D-Cup.

    However, before he could start ying with her further, Selene opened her mouth, took in all of Little Cyn''s head, and expertly rolled her tongue around the ns drawing small circles as she did.

    This little action caused Little Cyn to swell to its maximum size, and for a second, Selene even thought she would bring him to climax. But when she didn''t taste the warm sticky fluid, she turned up the heat and took all of Little Cyn''s way above-average length and girth into her mouth and down her throat, causing her to release a soft and wet gagging sound.

    This time, Cynrik really had to concentrate because Selene''s mouth felt so good that he believed if he lost his focus for even half a second, he would brick instantly.

    For several minutes, as the temperature continued to rise, the only sound that could be heard under the nket was the soft GLUCK GLUCK of Selene''s professional-level blowjob and the asional muted grunt from Cynrik.

    "I''m almost there, Ma Petite," Cynrik grunted after several heated minutes of internalbat. He had nearly nutted so many times that he had lost count, but knowing time was short, and the others could wake up from their ss promotions at any second, Cynrik gripped the back of Selene''s head and began forcefully thrusting his hips. He was effectively fucking her face with enough force to make Selene''s eyes water.

    Still, if you looked carefully and ignored her zed-over eyes, you could see an intense look of pleasure. Plus, when Cynrik started this action, Selene''s right hand found the soft lower pearl down below, and she speedily began massaging it along with the tempo Cynrik was putting out.

    Clenching the muscles of his back, Cynrik thrust forward, shoving his member as far down Selene''s throat as it would go, and with a feral yet quiet grunt, ejacted thergest load of his life at the same time as Selene spasmed and showered the mat again with her nectar.

    Feeling the liquid gush out several times, Cynrik released Selene''s head and allowed her to take over and finish, which she happily obliged. Smiling like a subus that had eaten a hearty meal, Selene moved her head a couple more times while sucking with all her might to ensure nothing was left over before making a popping sound as her lips left Little Cyn''s head.

    "Fuck, that just may have been the best blowjob I''ve had in both my lives, my love," Cynrik said with a level of warmth he wasn''t used to using as he pulled Selene toward him and rested her body on his chest.

    "Un, well worth the wait, Darllling~ also, my god, you taste fucking delicious," Selene replied with a smile that wasn''t a smile.

    "Hm, well then, let me get a little taste myself," Shooting her a toothy grin, Cynrik forcefully moved Selene, bending the flexible young woman by catching her hips and bringing her lower body to his face.

    With both of Selene''s legs on either side of his head, Cynrik dove in with an ''itadakimasu'' and began licking every square inch of her moist den of wonders. In no time t, he quickly brought Selene to her third and final climax of the evening.

    Unlike many guys he knew in the past, Cynrik enjoyed going down on a woman, even more so when the woman was his soulmate. After having his fun, Cynrik quickly cleaned himself and Selene up with ckFire before making his woman get dressed. Their timing couldn''t have been any better either because as Cynrik was storing away the mat, pillows, and nket, he heard a fearful whimpering from Brance. Less than a secondter, his brother, wearing a panicked expression, emerged from under the nket, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily.

    [[Oh, did someone who HAPPENS TO HAVE WINGS get the shit scared out of him.]] Cynrik teased as he watched Brance''s eyes franticly dart around the surrounding area.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 434 Tier-3 Primary Classes (4)

    [[Oh, did someone who HAPPENS TO HAVE WINGS get the shit scared out of him.]] Cynrik teased as he watched Brance''s eyes franticly dart around the surrounding area.

    [[You, Hah, Fuck, what the hell was wrong with Yennifer? Why would she do that? Was it to kill me with fright?]] Patting his chest several times and looking over at Selene and Cynrik as they hid theirughter, Brance felt like his heart was about to explode.

    [[For someone who can LITERALLY fly, you would think you''d have ovee that fear of yours. But then again, you aren''t one to change easily, so to an extent, it makes sense.]] Cynrik yawned loudly before heading to the bleachers with his woman in tow while wrapping his arm around Selene''s waist.

    [[That''s rich,ing from you, Cyn, who has been wearing the same hairstyle since before we reincarnated.]] Without missing a beat, Brance was quick to retort. Still, instead of poking at his older brother for the reaction he expected, Cynrik lifted his arm and waved dismissively before sitting down and pulling Selene into hisp.

    [[I happen to like Darling''s hair, plus he knows how to take care of it, so it''s always silky smooth and free of tangles or even split ends. On the other hand, Brancie, I am surprised Gabby hasn''t dragged your ass to the store, mister I use Body/Shampoo/Conditioner Gels.]] Crossing her right leg over her left provocatively and leaning against Cynrik''s chest to getfortable, Selene teased.

    Seeing how abnormally close the two were acting, Brance''s brain screeched to a halt, and his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

    [[The two of you are awfully touchy-feely right now¡­]] He said while peeking under the nket and checking on Gabby, who was still out cold.

    Cynrik chuckled, reached up both hands, and began bouncing Selene''s breasts before kneading them like putty, all while keeping them firmly hidden behind the stic sports bra, much to the woman''s enjoyment, before giving a reply. He was even careful to cover her slowly rising buds from sight with his palms.

    [[Well, let''s say I found more than one way to have fun without getting chewed out by Geralt or, worse yet, expelled. Hehe]]

    [[Darllling~ not in front of the Lolicon, you''ll make him jealous that he can''t have any fun like us.]] Fighting the urge to release a moan, Selene kept giggling and allowed Cynrik to mold her tits in any way, shape, or form that he pleased.

    Despite Brance''s disgust for the show the two were putting on, the term they both used confused him. He knew it was an insult and had something to do with Gabby, but he decided it was better to ignore them and, as such, sat down opposite his unconscious girlfriend with his back to the two annoying assholes on the bleachers.

    It wasn''t long before the other members of MyrkLys woke up, and soon they huddled on the bleachers to discuss their ss Promotions and changes.

    As per their leader''s request, Brance, Gabby, Selene, Benny, and Melody wrote down their new Distributions, Lost Skills, and of course, the newly learned skills on a sheet of paper and passed them around for everyone to see.

    First up was Cynrik himself, who sent over his info to Brance and Selene through the mind link before jotting down the crucial data and passing it to Gabby for analysis.

    -Your Tier-2 Rogue Skills, Uncanny Dodge and Danger Sense have been merged and Evolved into the Tier-3 Umbral de-Dancer Skill Sixth Sense.-

    -Your Tier-2 Rogue Skill Luck of the Rogue has evolved into the Tier-3 Umbral de-Dancer Skill Lucky Advantage.-

    -You have learned the Tier-3 Umbral de-Dancer Skill Dance of des.-

    -You have learned the Tier-3 Umbral de-Dancer Skill Disorient.-

    -Tier-3 Umbral de-Dancer Skill [Sixth Sense]-

    -Category: Passive Skill.-

    -A skill created by merging the two passive skills, Uncanny Dodge and Danger Sense.-

    -This skill creates an intangible 15x15 meter bubble that can hide nothing from you, attacks, presences, hostility; you can sense it all.-

    -When an attacker within your detection range hits you with a physical or metaphysical attack, you have a 30% chance of passively reducing the damage taken by half.-

    -In situations that could result in receiving damage more than 2% of your Total HP, you will feel ufortable and restless.-

    Although [Sixth Sense] didn''t have the most in-depth description, it was something that Cynrik couldn''t help but feel was magical. Although his [Mana Sight] allowed him to see the unseen, his [Sixth Sense] allowed him to feel it naturally and, best of all, without cost.

    He had every direct ill intent his way to test out his new skill, and after several rounds of experiments, Cynrik was overly pleased to admit he finally had gotten the most actual form of "Spidey Sense." If someone wanted to attack, he would get a little tingly feeling in the back of his head. Even if it only gave him a fraction of a second to react, for someone with his flexibility, dexterity, and agility, it was plenty of time to get out of the way.

    One of his experiments, in which Selene and Brance used their Stealth Skills, revealed that, even though they were technically invisible, they could not keep out of Cynrik''s sight once they reached the 15x15 meter sphere.

    The following skill was his [Lucky Advantage], which in all honesty, was almost identical to his [Luck of the Rogue], with the only difference being the chance of triggering the skill had increased from 2% per Luck Point to 5%.

    The real meat and potatoes of Cynrik''s new ss were the two new Active Skills, [Dance of des] and [Disorient].

    -Tier-3 Umbral de-Dancer Skill [Dance of des]-

    -Category: Active ded Weapon Skill.-<novelnext></novelnext>

    -Must control two or more ded weapons to activate.-

    -At the cost of your MP and STAM, you can infuse up to 15 ded weapons with a Temporary form of your Will, allowing you to control them from a distance to attack.-

    -The Temporary Will infused in the des allows them to act ordingly through flight orplicated attack patterns; they will move independently without your guidance.-

    -The Temporary Will allows the des to move a maximum of 100-meters away from you. They will not be able to leave that range, and if they try to, they will lose the Will and return to being normal weapons.-

    -Cost: 1% of Max STAM and MP value per ded weapon per Minute Active.-

    -Damage Calc: Based on DEX, INT.-

    -Cooldown: No Cooldown, but can not be activated if MP and STAM are Below 40% of the Max Value.-

    Reading through the skill description, Benny and Brance found themselves practically panting in anticipation. Every member of MyrkLys knew how many des were stored in Cynrik''s Assassins Tools, and upon reading the skill, each person could form a mental image of Demon-Lord Cyn surrounded by dozens of flying hidden des.

    "Bbbig Bro Cyn¡­you, you have to promise not to chase me with them¡­I am begging you." The thought freaked Gabby out so badly because numerous times she had been caught trying to run from homework or the dreaded workbooks, only to be surrounded by an unfathomable amount of Shadow Tendrils, which would promptly drag her back to study.

    "Hm¡­that, little rabbit, depends on if you keep cking in your studies. If memory serves, you should have threepleted workbooks to turn in to me before the end of the week." Cynrik said while twirling one of the unequipped hidden des around his fingers like a pen.

    His words caused everyone except Melody and Brance to flinch because, like Gabby, they two had homework that needed to be turned in to Cynrik soon.

    "Haa..ha¡­ha¡­haaa... RUNNNNN!" In fright, Gabby instantly jumped off the bleachers and made a break for the arena door. Unfortunately, her actions were too predictable for Cynrik, and with a flick of both wrists, 13 des were discharged from his Assassins tools, and he tossed the 14th de into the air before activating his new skill.

    In an instant, Cynrik felt a wave of exhaustion wash over his body as 14% of his Stamina and MP disappeared and gave a basic form of intelligence and strength to the fourteen des in the form of an inky ck aura that clung to each de like oil.

    Half a secondter, the fourteen des stopped falling and began floating. The glowing des rotated around simultaneously as the aura seeped into them, as if in a horror movie, and awaited Cynrik''smand.

    With a nod, Cynrik gave them a mentalmand to retrieve Gabby without harming her, and soon, fourteen flying and glowing hidden des dashed through the air. It took less than a minute for the fourteen des to catch up to the young woman and capture and return to the Bleachers, with Gabby kicking and screaming along the way.

    "BIG BRO CYN, I AM SORRY; I PROMISE I WILL FINISH MY WORKBOOKS ON TIME!" Gabby cried as she nervously stole nces at the menacing glowing des.

    But her words fell on deaf ears because Cynrik was already in the process of releasing his skill, storing the weapons back in his Assassins Tools, and exining his final new skill.

    -Tier-3 Umbral de-Dancer Skill [Disorient]-

    -Category: Active Skill.-

    -By adding Umbra Mana to your weapon, you can imprint a temporary status ability on your weapon.-

    -Duringbat, each hit yound will carry a 15% chance of inflicting one of the following random status effects, Stun, Paralyze, Poison, Blind, Confusion, Burn, or Corrosion.-

    -Status Effects applied in this manner can stack for increased effect.-

    -This imprint will disappear upon making clean contact with a targeted enemy, even if no status is dealt.-

    -Cost: 500 points of Umbra Mana per attack.-

    -Cooldown: No Cooldown, but can not be activated if MP and STAM are Below 40% of the Max Value.-

    When Cynrik finished exining the skill, everyone was stunned and silent. Until now, everyone had obtained a way to deal status effects on an opponent, but Cynrik''s new skill was mind-blowing to them.

    Not only did [Disorient] have almost no cost, but it had seven different potential oues if the 15% chance was triggered. With how fast Cynrik could attack, in theory, it wouldn''t be unrealistic for him to apply one Status after another, especially if paired with his new [Dance of des].

    With the addition of these two skills, Cynrik''s role inbat dramatically changed. Since the beginning, he was primarily a single-target attack force due to most of his toolbox being filled with attacks meant for one-on-one fights. It was only because of his speed andbat experience that he could handle multiple opponents.

    However, things were going to be different from now on, but time would tell how Cynrik could adapt to this change. There were many things for him to work through, and a lot of nning needed to be done.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 435 Tier-3 Primary Classes (5)

    Although Cynrik had a lot to think about and nning needed to be done, he had to put it on hold and review the other members of the parties'' new info.

    Closing his eyes and bringing up the memory from a few minutes prior, when Brance sent him over all the notifications he had received during the Promotion, Cynrik felt ripped off once again.

    -You have obtained the Primary ss Tier-3 Enforcer of the Holy me (Unique)-

    -All of your Former ss Distributions have been merged with your new distribution.-

    -Your Stat Distribution has been adjusted; you will receive an additional 1 point in STR, INT, and VIT upon increasing your Main Level.-

    -For each increase in your Primary ss Level, you will receive an additional point to your ss Distribution.

    -All your Tier-1 Warrior Skills have been merged into the Tier-3 Enforcer of the Holy me Skill [Warrior''s Mind].-

    -All of your Tier-2 Pdin Skills have Evolved into their Tier-3 Forms. Their Costs and Cooldowns have been reduced slightly.-

    -All of your Previous ss Skills that required Light Mana to activate now can use HolyFire or Light Mana.-

    -Your HolyFire Maniption has strengthened to Tier-3.5 (Beginner), from Tier-3 (Initial).-

    -You have learned the Tier-3 Enforcer of the Holy me Skill: [Rebirth in mes].-

    -You have learned the Tier-3 Enforcer of the Holy me Skill: [Smite].-

    [Tsk, how is this fair man? Not only did you not lose a single Tier-2 ss skill, but instead, they all powered up. Also, I know you have those golden chicken wings, but are you sure you''re not a Pheonix? Because what the shit is with [Rebirth in mes].] Cynrikined as he sneakily massaged Selene''s lower back.

    [Are you seriouslyining again, Cyn? Come on; you have a Magic Sword Skill that brings your hidden des to life.] Rolling his eyes, Brance brought up the skill description of [Rebirth In mes] with reserved feelings.

    -Tier-3 Enforcer of the Holy me Skill: [Rebirth in mes]-

    -Category: Active Skill.-

    -This skill has two Functions, which must be determined during the formation of the Runic Diagram.-

    -Function 1: Respec: Resets all Stats to their Base Value of 1: Returns all Basic Stats to the Allied Target as Free Allocation Stat Points to be redistributed.-

    -Function 2: Baptism of mes: Allows you to heal all Allied Individuals in a 10x10 meter radius back to 100% HP, 100% STAM, and 100% MP; the user is included.-

    -Function 2A: (AOE Attack) All Undead, Demon, or Abyssal creatures in a 10x10 Meter radius will receive Holy Damage.-

    -Cost: 50% of MAX Stamina and MP.-

    -Damage Calc: INT Based.-

    -F1 Cooldown: Can only be used Once a Year on an individual. 2-Hour Activation Cooldown.-

    -F2 Cooldown: 24 hours.-

    When Brance first read this skill as a notification, his mind went nk for several minutes. As far as utility skills go, could there possibly be a better one than this? Cynrik had been theorizing for years that there must be a way to Respec stats(reallocate the distribution of Stat points), and finally, after almost a decade and a half, such a skill had fallen into Brance''sp.

    Still, the Respec was only one aspect of the skill; its Second Function allowed it to shine. Sure the cost was high, but as far as life-saving skills go, you couldn''t get a better healing skill. To instantly heal the entire party back up to 100% in all Resource stats was quite busted.

    However, with Great poweres a severe drawback: unless Brance constantly micromanages his STAM and MP, keeping both above 50%, he would never have the opportunity to use his new skill.

    Lastly was Function 2A, which turned a healing skill into an overly aggressive and powerful AOE attack on any being of the Demon Race, Undead, or Abyssals. The damage was INT based, so Brance will be forced into adding points to INT from now on.

    Last but not least, Brance''s new offensive attack skill, [Smite]. The skill description was rtively straightforward; he could now summon down a Dual Elemental Mana (Light and HolyFire) bolt of lightning to deal massive amounts of damage to opponents. This damage was triple if used on Demons, Undead, or Abyssals.

    [[Damn Brancie, you could have caused serious havoc with [Smite] if you got my Passing Down Quest.]] Selene chimed in as she read through the new skill.

    [[No kidding, triple damage to all things unholy is kind of stupid, but it is an excellent tool to keep in our back pocket for a rainy day. Who knows what we will face when the shit hits the fanter on down the road.]] Cynrik added as he pulled up Selene''s new data next.

    -You have obtained the Tier-3 Primary ss Valkyrie of the Shadows (Unique)-

    -All of your Former ss Distributions have been merged with your new distribution.-

    -Your Stat Distribution has been adjusted; you will receive an additional 1 point in STR, DEX, and VIT upon increasing your Main Level.-

    -For each increase in your Primary ss Level, you will receive an additional point to your ss Distribution.

    -All your Tier-1 Thief Skills have been merged into the Tier-3 Valkyrie of the Shadows Skill [Assassin''s Mind].-

    -All of your Tier-2 Valk-Vanguard Skills have Evolved into their Tier-3 Forms. Their Costs and Cooldowns have been reduced slightly.-

    -Your Shadow Maniption has strengthened to Tier-3.5 (Beginner), from Tier-3 (Initial).-<novelnext></novelnext>

    -You have learned the Tier-3 Valkyrie of the Shadows Skill: [Skuggi Fjoturr].- (Shadow Shackle)

    -You have learned the Tier-3 Valkyrie of the Shadows Skill: [Skuggi L?raer].- (Shadows Betrayal)

    Cynrik fought back the urge toin when he saw that, like his brother, Selene had only lost her Tier-1 skills while all her Tier-2 skills were upgraded. When his eyes spotted a simr skill shared between the two, Called [Warrior''s/Assassin''s Mind], which he had previously ignored, he decided to check it out; however, after reading through it, Cynrik wished he hadn''t.

    In principle, [Warrior''s/Assassin''s Mind] was a very simple skill that made no sense in the grand scheme of things; after all, how could a bunch of Tier-1 Skills be relevant as you got stronger over time? The answer was simple, create a generalizedpendium of all the Tier-1 skills, and remove their Cooldown and Cost.

    [Warrior''s/Assassin''s Mind] transformed all the Tier-1 Skills lost to the merger into techniques instead. The only difference between Selene''s skill and Brance''s was the fact that Selene was originally on the path to being an Assassin; thus, all her Tier-1 skills were tailored around that progression, whereas Brance was originally a Warrior.

    [[Yall two fucking always gotta one-up me, don''t you?]] Cynrik cursed as he red at Brance and pinched Selene''s ass.

    [[Huh? What are you bitching about this time? Let me guess; it''s the Mind skill. No one told you to be a basic ass bitch, Cyn.]] Brance snorted as he enjoyed seeing his brother suffer for once because things pertaining to sses were entirely out of his OCD control.

    Sucking his teeth, Cynrik ignored Brance''s provocations and read through Selene''s two new skills, one of which was a Crowd Control skill very simr to his [Shadow Sewing]. Only instead of tendrils, Selene manifests ck chains meant solely for stunning or rooting her opponent in ce.

    ncing through its description and noticing no offensive capabilities for the skill minus a slight corrosion toward the point of contact with the target, Cynrik thought the skill was "Okay" at best. Still, he knew in group battles; it would be pretty devastating for the opposition if he and Selene chose to lock down multiple enemies simultaneously.

    Nodding and giving Selene a few gentle pats on the spot he pinched, Cynrik''s full attention was drawn towards her final skill, one he found quite interesting.

    -Tier-3 Valkyrie of the Shadows Skill: [Skuggi L?raer].- (Shadows Betrayal)

    -Category: Active Skill.-

    -No one expects their shadow to turn on them and be silent enemies. During Combat, if your opponent''s HP falls below 50%, you can use this skill to stimte their shadow, turning it into a soldier of your own.-

    -The Chance of Sess depends on how much HP your opponent has.-

    -50% HP, 5% Chance of Sess.-

    -45% HP, 10% Chance of Sess.-

    -40% HP, 15% Chance of Sess.-

    -35% HP, 20% Chance of Sess.-

    -30% HP, 25% Chance of Sess.-

    -29-20% HP, 35% Chance of Sess.-

    -19-10% HP, 40% Chance of Sess.-

    -9-1% HP 50%, Chance of Sess

    -If the Shadow under your control kills its previous owner, it will be added to your own shadow.-

    -You are presently able to store five foreign Shadows within your own.-

    -Cost: Depends on Targets Tier, Level, and Mind Stat.-

    -Cooldown: 1 hour.-

    [[Not gonna lie, that second skill is useful as fuck. Essentially you can steal your opponent''s shadow, turning it into a minion simr to a Necromancers Undead. Since it''s your skill, and we all know the descriptions leave out a lot because of the transfer of knowledge the CSH does, what don''t I know?]] Cynrik asked as he leaned forward to rest his chin on Selene''s shoulder.

    [[Um, well, the shadows I take, known as "Foreign Shadows," have their own stats, basically 50% of their original owner''s Stats. And if they die, that''s all she wrote; there is no way to resummon them. Other than that, I can heal them by using Shadow Mana.]] Nuzzling Cynrik''s cheek with her own, Selene began exining the things left out of [Skuggi L?raer]''s description.

    [[They are kinda like pets in the way I can level them up, but the downside is, at the skill''s current level, I can only increase their stats back up to the full ones of their previous owner. So until I improve my proficiency and Tier of the skill, the best they can do is get their previous strength back.]]

    [[That''s still really good, Selly, I mean, they can be used as throw-away scouts or even meatshields for our retreat when necessary. That is five different bodies on the battlefield that are expendable.]] Brance stated as he shifted the young woman resting in hisp with her back against his chest.

    Gabby, who had grown jealous of Selene and Cynrik, had climbed into Brance''sp and squirmed because he hadn''t yet given her any loving attention.

    [[Question, are you able to share senses with these "Foreign Shadows," or do they simply move per your instructions?]] Cynrik asked after considering the potential of her new future minions.

    [[Un, I can share Sight and Sound with them, but if I do that, I can''t move and be defenseless.]]

    Hearing the confirmation, Cynrik mentally nodded before responding.

    [[If that''s the case, then yes, they will make excellent fodder for our future operations. As shadows, they should be able to hide rtively well, but until you get one, I can''t make any ns around utilizing them in battle. Many things need to be confirmed, such as if they give off a Mana signature or any kind of presence.]]

    [[I also want to test if my [Sixth Sense] picks them up because if they can stealthily move unhindered, that will save us a shit ton of time in situations like Egress Dives. We also don''t know if they can think or end up as mindless drones aftering under your control.]]

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 436 Tier-3 Primary Classes (FINAL)

    After expressing his concerns, a frown crept onto Cynrik''s lips as he moved away from Selene and Brance''s ss promotions and to Gabby, Benny, and Melody.

    With each line of text, he read through each of the papers handed from the respective member of MyrkLys; the deeper his frown became until finally, he had enough and groaned loud enough to draw everyone''s attention.

    "Seriously, all of you except me got simr shit. Your Tier-1 ss Skills merged into an overpowered "Mind" skill, and your Tier-2 ss Skills were upgraded to Tier-3. Hell, you all even saw an upgrade to one of your Affinities." Cynrikined as he focused on the two new skills on the three sheets of paper.

    Up first was Gabby, who Promoted her Tier-2 Huntress ss to the Tier-3 Unique ss Ancient Magik Beastmaster.

    -You have obtained the Primary ss Tier-3 Ancient Magik Beastmaster (Unique)-

    -All of your Former ss Distributions have been merged with your new distribution.-

    -Your Stat Distribution has been adjusted; you will receive an additional 1 point in DEX, AGI, and MIND upon increasing your Main Level.-

    -Your Psychic Maniption has strengthened to Tier-3.5 (Beginner), from Tier-3 (Initial).-

    -You have learned the Tier-3 Ancient Magik Beastmaster Passive Skill: [Ancient Magik Spell Module Creation].-

    -You have learned the Tier-3 Ancient Magik Beastmaster Passive Skill: [Ancient Magik Mana Control].-

    Unlike a regr person, who would look down on obtaining two Passive skills as their initial Skills post ss Promotion, Cynrik was, instead, frustrated. This was because instead of giving an actual skill description, the two new ss Skills Gabby learned were utterly nk.

    To make matters worse, Gabby was useless in describing the absurd amount of new information that had been forcefully imprinted into her brain. But it wasn''t for a reason, you would think; instead, Cynrik couldn''t understand a word that left her mouth whenever she spoke about it.

    "V unir yrnearq gur gehrfg sbez bs zntvp, anzrq "Zntvx." Rffragvnyyl V unir yrnearq gur gehgu oruvaq ubj Znanegvpyrf vagrenpg jvgu gur fheebhaqvat jbeyq naq bgureegvpyrf. Zl Zbqhyr Perngvba fcryy jbexf yvxr n pbzchgre cebtenz, jurer Vs V unir rabhtu vasbezngvba naq xabj gur ynathntr, V pna ohvyq arj Ehavp Qvntenzf, be va guvf pnfr, Fcryy zbqhyrf."

    **Before youin, Yes, I have written her words in code. Yes, there is a way to break it, and you are more than wee to try. The first person to do so will get to create a character *WITH LIMITATIONS* in the up anding tourny arc.**

    Picking up Selene by her hips, Cynrik moved her to the side off hisp, leaned forward, and narrowed his eyes while trying his best to read Gabby''s lips and interpret what she was trying to say.

    "Zl frpbaq fxvyy ohvyqf ba gur svefg fxvyy. Zl vagrecergngvba bs vg vf fgvyy ehqvzragnel, ohg guvax bs vg yvxr guvf, gur svefg fxvyy npgf yvxr n qvpgvbanel, naq vs V cyht va gur cebcre frdhraprf naq jbeqf, gurl fgvyy arrq n cbjre fbhepr; gung vf jurer zl frpbaq fxvyy pbzrf va. Vg nyybjf zr gb pbageby Znanegvpyrf va jung zl xabjyrqtr pnyyf gur Gehr Jnl."

    By the time Gabby finished her second statement, Benny and Melody had a thin trickle of blood dripping out of their ears and nose while their eyes had ssed over, leaving them in a dazed state. Selene wasn''t fairing much better either; partway through the first statement, she had gripped Cynrik''s hand, digging her nails into his flesh hard enough to break the skin.

    However, she could make it through in one piece with only a headache like Cynrik. But no one could tell how much pain he was feeling by looking at him. In fact, when Gabby started speaking in a strange and indecipherablenguage, what he experienced was no different than getting his skull caved in with a sledgehammer.

    From what he could tell, whatevernguage she spoke was not meant for lower existences to hear; thus, everyone was going through an adverse reaction. Well, not everyone, besides Gabby, who was acting as if she was talking normally, Brance appeared perfectly fine.

    "Whaa...AHHH, Melly, Big Brother!" Waking up from her thoughts, Gabby saw the effects of her using thatnguage and began freaking out. Jumping off Brance''sp, she rushed to Melody and Benny, who had fallen over on their side, half-conscious and immobilized.

    [[Did you get any of that, Brance?]] Observing the state of Selene and realizing that she seemed to be ok, Cynrik nced toward Gabby as she frantically cast healing skills one after another on her brother and his girlfriend.

    [[Yes and no, I could understand the intent of the words, but not the meaning, nor could I follow thenguage.]] Standing up and walking over to the injured members of MyrkLys, Brance cast a few healing spells of his own.

    [[FUCK, MY HEAD HURTS, ugh, it sounded kind of like what I heard the Abyssals speaking during my Passing Down Quest." Selene added as her hands rapidly moved between massaging her temples and forehead.

    [[That can''t be right, it sounded like Enochian to me, and I should know, I speak it because of my bloodline. Plus, during my Passing Down Quest, it was the onlynguage I was allowed to speak. I will admit, though, there are some simrities to the Royal Demon Language.]] Rolling Benny onto his back, Brance checked him over with [Mana Sight] and noticed he seemed okay, so he moved on to Melody.

    [[Whatever it is, [Language Proficiency] couldn''t trante it, which is never a good sign. We need to have Gabby experiment with it on her own. We can''t allow it to affect us, especially in battle, so she will need to learn how to control it without our help.]] Shaking his head a couple of times, Cynrik felt the headache recede, and he moved on to reading the other two sheets of paper, starting with Benny''s.

    -You have obtained the Primary ss Tier-3 Spartan (Unique)-

    -All of your Former ss Distributions have been merged with your new distribution.-

    -Your Stat Distribution has been adjusted; you will receive an additional 1 point in STR, DEX, and AGI upon increasing your Main Level.-<novelnext></novelnext>

    -Your Temperature Maniption has strengthened to Tier-3.5 (Beginner), from Tier-3 (Initial).-

    -You have learned the Tier-3 Spartan Skill: [Polemist¨ªs Mode].-

    -You have learned the Tier-3 Spartan passive Skill: [Veteran Of The Battlefield].-

    Heaving a sigh, Cynrik couldn''t help but feel like the god of luck must have cursed him at some point while this unknown god clearly blessed Benny. As if it wasn''t bad enough that Benny had been getting all the good Skills and Abilities ever since stepping into Tier-2, he had now obtained something that only the OVB Hosts had, a power-up mode.

    His new skill Polemist¨ªs, not only heightened his sense but also gave him a power boost. The only question was if there was a physical transformation simr to Brance''s or if it was more subtle, like the [?sir Mode].

    Then there was the new Passive skill, which was almost enough to make Cynrik want to give up on life and spend the rest of his days reverted to his NEET ways.

    [Veteran Of The Battlefield] not only gave Benny a two times XP boost so long as he delivered the finishing blow to an opponent but also allowed him to mirror an opponent''s fighting style. If he did so long enough, he could learn any techniques or physical Combat Skills used against him.

    [[Did you see this fucking shit? Benny is going to end up passing us inbat experience way faster than we predicted. The kid has always been a sponge when ites to fighting, but this is just bullshit.]] Falling backward and lying on the bleachers, Cynrik stared up at the metal beams hundreds of meters above, contemting his life decisions up till now.

    [[It''s the CSH bncing us, Cyn. You heard Yennifer, Gabby and Benny are prime examples of the CSH trying to bnce our existence as LCs. Of course, they will get better power-ups.]] Brance rolled his eyes and finished his check-up of Melody before covering her with a light nket.

    Melody and Benny had passed out, but now they were sleeping calmly and out of any potential danger, leaving Gabby covered in tears and snot because she knew it was her doing.

    [[I am with Brancie on this one, Darling. Between our past knowledge and advanced maturity, we were bound to throw the bnce of Vinestra out of wack. So it makes sense that the CSH would target us by giving some extra attention to the Native Vinestrians who are always with us.]] Laying down and snuggling up to Cynrik, Selene reluctantly agreed with Brance''s mindset and broke the bad news to her boyfriend.

    Cynrik only grunted in response and closed his eyes for a second before abruptly sitting up. With a swipe of his left hand, he picked up the final paper with Melody''s information and stared at it as if to burn holes through it.

    -You have obtained the Primary ss Tier-3 Sorcerer (Unique)-

    -All of your Former ss Distributions have been merged with your new distribution.-

    -Your Stat Distribution has been adjusted; you will receive an additional 1 point in INT and MIND upon increasing your Main Level.-

    -Your Wind Maniption has strengthened to Tier-3.5 (Beginner), from Tier-3 (Initial).-

    -You have learned the Tier-3 Sorcerer Spell: [Flight].-

    -You have learned the Tier-3 Sorcerer passive Skill: [Advanced Spell Creation].-

    Cynrik had to read through Melody''s paper multiple times because he found it damn near impossible to concentrate due to the anger that would bubble in his chest when he remembered what Selene had told him earlier. After reading through the sheet five times, he could finally focus long enough to memorize the data on the paper.

    Unlike every other skill he had read today, Melody''s were the easiest to understand. She had literally gained the ability to fly, while her second skill allowed her to create new and more powerful Spells easier.

    With the new data rattling around in his brain, Cynrik snapped his fingers and burned the three sheets of paper aftermitting the information written on them to memory.

    [[Well, usually, I would say it''s time to train, or at the very least, n our Sub-sses. But with those two out ofmission and Gabby an emotional wreck, there is no point in pushing.]] Cynrik clicked his tongue and looked over at Brance, who was consoling Gabby while petting her hair to calm the young woman down.

    [[Set up your tent and get her to bed, you too, Sel.]]

    [[Un, we should all get some sleep. We have been awake for what, like, 72 hours straight now? Well, I guess technically, we were unconscious for the Passing Down, but that wasn''t exactly rest.]] Without needing to be asked twice, Brance waved his hand, and within a couple of minutes, arge four-person white tent was set up, and he could be seen dragging a weepy Gabby behind the p and zipping it up.

    "What are you going to do, Darling?" Selene asked with a tiny bit of unwarranted hope in her eyes that some more smexy time would ur.

    "I''ll be in the Shadow Realm; I need to dpress the information and scream into the void for a while." With that said, Cynrik ignored the stupified look on his girlfriend''s face and sunk into the darkness of the Shadow Realm.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 437 The Skill Created Through Hard Work, Lots Of Theorizing, And Insanity

    Without looking back at his disheartened girlfriend, Cynrik slipped into the familiar negative world known as the Shadow Realm and soon touched down on the branch of one of the shadowy trees that dotted the realm as far as the eye could see.

    Quickly finding a decent position on the branch he was standing on, Cynrik copsed on his butt and leaned his back against the structure.

    "Bnce my ass; this is no better than stacking the deck in favor of Native Vinestrians," Cynrikined to no one in particr.

    "Seriously, just when I think I am getting ahead, everyone else gets advantages I cannot foresee. DAMN IT!" Erupting in muddy four-colored Light that seemed severely out of ce in the Shadow Realm, Cynrik slung his left arm forward and created a whip of pure condensed Mana, which cracked loudly upon impact with the branch he was propped up on.

    "Every FUCKING TIME!"

    CRACK, CRACK, BOOOM!

    After the third impact, the branch could no longer withstand the damage and exploded into dusty ck particles.

    "If it''s not those asshole Gods, then it''s the CSH. When will it stop? When will I be able to break the cycle of being someone elses pawn?" Feeling the tremors making their way through the shadow tree, Cynrik stood up and hopped to a different structure.

    "As if it wasn''t bad enough that I couldn''t keep Brance in check if something went wrong, now I have to worry about Benny going rogue someday. There''s no telling how bleak our future will be, and if I can''t devise contingency ns for every scenario, I will be caught with my pants down if something goes wrong."

    "Fuck, when the hell did I be Batman¡­the more I think like this the more I understand his reasoning. If everything goes to shit, he took it upon himself to have contingency ns to stop every League member. Only things are ten times worse in reality."

    "There are hundreds if not thousands of beings on the level of someone like Superman on Vinestra, and if my team continues progressing the way they are, there will be another 6, myself included."

    As he spoke, Cynrik began pacing on the branch as he chewed on the skin between his nail and left thumb.

    "Benny''s new copy skill is nuts, and to make matters worse, only he knows the limitations of that Skill. If it came down to a fight, my only hope of winning would be to eliminate him as quickly as possible. I can''t let the fight drag on for too long, or else it won''t be long until he can perfectly recreate my Bl¨®erauer Banamaer Forms."

    "And then there''s Brance, setting aside the apparent type disadvantage, that tower of his presents a massive problem. Still, I should be okay if I stay outside his teleportation range and keep on the move while sting him from a distance."

    Snap, snap, snap

    While he continuously paced and mumbled aloud, Cynrik started snapping his finger and manifesting different colored orbs of Mana to temper and adjust to the feeling of using Mana Maniption.

    "Then there''s Gabby; that Ancient Magik crap is bound to be insanely powerful, but if the idea I am forminges to fruition, it, too, won''t be much of a threat to me, aside from dealing with the annoyingnguage that rattled my brain when she talks."

    FWOOOSH, Rummmmmblee BOOOOOM!

    Once he finished theorizing about dealing with Gabby, Cynrik threw out his left arm toward the never-ending expanse of the Shadow Realm and unleashed tens of glowing orbs, which soon detonated like miniature nuclear explosions.

    "The only one I don''t have to worry about is Selene, and that is only because of that pesky soul mate bullshit forced on me by Odin. Sigh, why can''t I just live a peaceful life where I don''t constantly worry about everything that could go wrong?" After making that statement, Cynrik spun on his heels and observed the damage he caused with his experimental attack.

    With a thought and a kick on the branch, he dashed out into the zero gravity area of destruction and observed the results of his seemingly random attack.

    "Still not enough; the nature of Umbra particles is the destruction of Light. Unlike Selene, whose Shadow particles are the absence of Light, mine not only swallow Light Mana but literally every other surrounding particle to use as fuel." Clicking his tongue and waving his hand, Cynrik manifested a pitch-ck sphere of pure Umbra Mana.

    "At first nce, I believed this particle to be simr to Anti-Matter, but itcks the three essentialponents, radioactive decay, super high temperatures, and particle collision. Two of those things I can recreate by using my Fire Affinity and my familial Ability [Mana Maniption], but finding a way to generate radioactive decay seems not only impossible but also improbable."

    Waving his hand and splitting the floating ck orb into four smaller spheres, Cynrik slung his arm out like a baseball pitcher, guiding the four orbs toward a distant structure.

    Right before the four orbs made contact, he twisted his left hand, causing the orbs to individually rotate on top of orbiting each other. A millisecond before impact, the four spheres smashed into each other while glowing in blue and ck Light.

    BOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

    The result was even more catastrophic than if Brance fully charged five [White Dwarfs] with Mana and made them hit the same target. Unsurprisingly, before the dust could even clear and Cynrik could examine the oue, his effort and experiment bore fruit in the form of a notification from Tobs.

    -You have created a new skill bybining the knowledge of another world and your theoretical intelligence. Since this Skill is entirely new, as its Creator, you have been allowed to name it by the Central System Hub.-

    "Umbral Tailed Beast Bomb!" Seeing the notification he wanted, a smirk crept unto Cynrik''s lips, and without hesitation, he named the Skill.

    -OH FOR FUCKS SAKE, COME ON, CYNRIK, CAN YOU NOT BE A FUCKING WEEB FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE?-

    His naming sense drew a screechingint from Tobs, which fell on deaf ears as Cynrik merely chuckled and waited for the subsequent notifications toe through, which they did a few momentster.

    - Your Skill has been registered in the official skill database after being approved by the Central System Hub.-

    -The Central System Hub has generated an adequate effect and description; you may view them at any time within your Affinity Skills Tab.-

    -You have learned the Tier-4 Dual Affinity (Umbral Fire) Affinity Skill: [Umbral Tailed Beast Bomb]-<novelnext></novelnext>

    -You have created a never before seen Dual Affinity Skill; as such, you have been given a reward pack from the CSH.-

    -Your Umbra Maniption has Evolved from Tier-3 to Tier-3.5.-

    -Your Maniption Mastery over Umbra Mana particles has increased from Initial to Beginner.-

    -Your Fire Maniption has Evolved from Tier-3 to Tier-3.5.-

    -Your Maniption Mastery over Fire Mana particles has increased from Initial to Beginner.-

    -You have received 200 Points in all basic Stats.-

    -You have received 200 Free Allocation Stat points.-

    -You have received 150 Skill Points.-

    -You have been awarded the Title "Skill Creator".-

    "HAHAHA! OI Tobs, shouldn''t I get a new title, like Bnce Breaker or some shit." Laughing like a madman, Cynrik danced in the zero gravity void for a few minutes while shouting jeers at the Gods and CSH before finally calming down enough to read through his new skill description.

    -Tier-4 Dual Affinity Skill: [Umbral Tailed Beast Bomb] (Umbra Fire)-

    -Category: Active Skill.-

    -A Skill Created by Cynrik Jetlensr bypressing and fusing two clusters of particles, one part Umbra and one Fire, into a heavily condensed orb.-

    -This Skill is also considered part of Ability due to the nature of its use.-

    -The User creates four orbs of Umbral Fire Mana, which can be thrown and target-locked to a preselected target''s Mana signature.-

    -Generating the correct manifestation of this Skill is only considered a partial activation, as even that is extremely difficult. The Second part involves rotating the sphere in a specific manner. Each of the four orbs will have a "mate," and each "mate" must rotate at a high velocity on top of having opposite rotations. -

    -The third part involves rotating both couples around a fixed point in an orbiting pattern.-

    -For the final part, the two couples must be forcefully crashed together simultaneously as the two couples crash into the other pair. Doing this will create a devastating implosion as the Umbral Mana superheats due to the presence of Advanced Fire Particles. This creates a fission effect which causes a miniature ck hole to form before soon dying and copsing under its own pressure.-

    -Upon the orbs colliding, a massive concussive implosion st and an eye-searing sh of Anti-Light will be generated as the Umbra and Fire Mana Particles go out of control and contract. Anyone who views this sh, other than the skill User, has a 75% chance of being inflicted with the status effect "Impaired" for 30 seconds.-

    -If the Enemy who is in the vicinity of this erupting attack has the opposing Light Affinity, they will also have a 45% chance of receiving the status effect, "Umbral Burn." This status effect is simr to "Burn," only the damage received over time is 500 HP per second. This status effect canst between one minute to five minutes depending on the power and Tier of the being''s Light Affinity. If the targeted Light Affinity User also gained the status effect "Impaired," both "Umbral Burn" and "Impaired" will have double the duration.-

    -Damage Calc: Based on the amount of Mana condensed into the spheres, INT, Umbra, and Fire Elemental Maniption Mastery and Tier.-

    -Cost: 2500 MP per Sphere 10,000 Mana Total. This is only the initial cost; more MP can be spent for better results.-

    -Cooldown: 30 minutes.-

    Upon reading the description of his new Skill, Cynrik fell backward and began cackling, seemingly on the brink of insanity.

    "This¡­this is a fucking game changer HAHAHAHA!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, filled with awe and exhration.

    -How¡­how in the fuck are you able to do that.-

    Tobs asked with a hint of uncertainty in her voice, making Cynrikugh so hard that tears began streaming down his cheeks.

    "What part? Are you asking about the part where I created an absolute monster of a Skill, or how my train of thought changed on a dime?" It took some time for him to calm down and wipe the tears ofughter from his face.

    -BOTH! I get that you are a lunatic who can create miracles like a mad scientist. But how the hell did you even think about utilizing Mana particles in this way? Your thoughts were so clouded that even I found it impossible to navigate the heavy depression.-

    "That is easy, Tobsie; within chaos, there is organization. You know my mind as well as I do. At any given time, hundreds of thoughts swirl around my head like a storm of bees, and I have be quite good at keeping each bee in its orderly flight pattern."

    "I don''t bother focusing on any one thought for too long, as even I am not capable of that level of processing power¡­yet. However, in my insanity, there is brilliance, and through experimentation hidden behind the panic and craziness, I find the perfect idea to work through every now and then. That is how I pulled this awesome shit off!

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 438 The Truth Behind Cynriks New Skill

    "I don''t bother focusing on any one thought for too long, as even I am not capable of that level of processing power¡­yet. However, in my insanity, there is brilliance, and through experimentation hidden behind the panic and craziness, I find the perfect idea to work through every now and then. That is how I pulled this awesome shit off!" Clenching his fist and punching at the air, Cynrik stated with a smirk on his lips.

    -I hate how you summarize feats of grandeur with suchckluster words, Cynrik. Would it kill you for once to admit you have no idea how or why things work the way they do?-

    "Tsk, that would simply be lying, and you know better than I do how that skill formed, but if we get down into the nitty-gritty and throw away sugar-coated words like "I followed my heart," then the easiest way to exin would be as such¡­."

    Unclenching the fist of his left hand, Cynrik turned it palm side up and manifested four pitch-ck and intimidating orbs of Umbra Mana, followed by four slightly smaller balls of BlueFire.

    "When Brance first formted his [White Dwarf] skill, he could only break it down in the simplest terms for me. First, he created a Mana Construct shell and injected a second Mana Type into it to form a core of sorts."

    As he narrated, Cynrik attempted the same process; only how he went about it was slightly different than how he described it. The somewhatrger orb of Umbra Mana split open like a capsule revealing a hollowed-out center. With the open shell of Umbra Mana exposed, he gently coaxed the BlueFire ball into the Umbra Shell; however, when the two came in contact, both orbs bubbled, cracked, and disintegrated.

    "I am not sure if it was because Terra and Light Particles are considered stable or if the disintegration of my two constructs indicates a conflicting interaction, but the result is as you can see."

    Unperturbed by the loss of two of the eight orbs, Cynrik quickly reced them and spun them a few times in his palm, like marbles, before allowing them to float away and join their respective groupings.

    -I watched you do something simr, but it all happened so fast that it was hard to keep track of. Not to mention, the way your brain works is too sophisticated to keep track of a single train of thought.-

    Tobs sighed loudly, a sign for Cynrik to continue exining the results of his experiment.

    "As I said before, Tobs, don''t let the storm of bees confuse you, and try throwing asso around one before hanging on for the ride of your life." Cynrik chuckled for a couple of seconds, then continued his lesson.

    "The thing is, when I tried generating the desired effect, I noticed something that piqued my interest. The reason for the failed product was simple; the Umbra Mana eradicated the Fire Mana. It was as simple as that; the Umbra Particles are just too high up on the food chain for something as low as my BlueFire to fuse with. Thus I needed toe up with a new theory."

    Rubbing his index fingers against the respective thumbs on both hands, Cynrik caused the four balls of BlueFire to quiver a couple of times before condensing to 1/4th their original size.

    "The next idea I had was to leave some space, a gap between the shell and the gooey fire center. This experiment, unfortunately too, failed spectacrly. At that time, I remembered a missing key ingredient¡ªthe Runic Diagram."

    -Ah, yeah, that would be a problem. Since you already know the gist of it, I will rify a little. The Runic Diagrams carved into your Soul represent every skill, ability, and even Stat you possess. This includes your sword technique, and essentially this means if you are missing the correct inscriptions on your Soul, the result will be a failure, no matter how many times you try.-

    "Exactly, but unlike you, my fateful AIpanion, it took a lot of trial and error toe to this conclusion. Eventually, while I was trying to develop a good concept for manifesting my new skill in another part of my consciousness, or mind, if you will, I was musing on the idea of Runic Diagrams, more importantly, how they are formed and carved."

    "With my attention already split in two ces, the central processing of my brain was put into what I like to call, Over-Clocking mode. You witnessed the partial mental breakdown I already had when dealing with the newfound powers of the rest of the team, so I won''t scratch that festering wound more than necessary."

    "Setting aside the other ten or so topics bouncing around my head, when I noticed the reaction between the two elements, everything else was set to "low-priority mode" in my mind. This act freed up the bulk of my attention, leaving most of my mental processing to be directed toward defining the parameters of my skill and figuring out how Runic Diagrams are formed."

    "Upon realizing that I needed a Runic Diagram to represent my new skill, several new thoughts arose. In the past, I simply had to find a way to manifest something, such as my Sword Forms, visually, and it would instantly work."

    "This thought led me to conclude that thepletion of new Diagrams was handled by you, my System AI. Since I had left the Mortal Stage and moved on to the Supernatural Stage, where everything is put into "Manual Mode," it fell on me to inscribe new Runic Diagrams."

    -Eh, I follow, and you are correct in your thinking. After the tutorial is disengaged, everything is in the hands of the Being. Because of this, most Vinestrians that break free of the Mortal Stage stall out in Tier-3.-<novelnext></novelnext>

    -Mainly because they find themselvespletely helpless, and with the severe restrictions on knowledge imposed by the majority of nations in the world, they never learn the reason behind their inability to grow.-

    "Tsk, with the way these bastards in power conduct themselves, it amazes me that this world hasn''t beenpletely razed to the ground by LCs already. Going from the proverbial "Easy Mode" straight into "Hard Mode" without warning or exnation is annoyingly aggressive. But let''s not talk about these bald old men with sticks up their asses and get back on topic."

    Cynrik rolled his eyes in annoyance, and it took him a few seconds to remember where he had left off.

    "So, with the reason behind my failure discovered, I realized that without your assistance, the difficulty in creating new skills was raised astronomically, yet with this information in hand, instead of being left flustered, a whole new world of possibilities was avable."

    "The first thing I did was observe the Runic Diagram descriptions for the two manifestations, mainly the one for my Umbra Orb, from there I noticed a shit ton of simrities between¡­." Before Cynrik could continue that thought, he was cut off rudely by Tobs.

    -HOLD ON A SECOND! Did you just say you observed the descriptions of your Runic Diagrams? How is that¡­no way, you can see things with that ocr skill of yours? No, it makes sense; Mana is everything, and everything is Mana, so if you could find a way to zoom in far enough, in theory, you would be able to see the Diagrams inscribed on your body.-

    -Even so, you aren''t versed or even able to see your Soul yet, so you still shouldn''t be able to view the intricated inner workings.-

    "Erm, if you didn''t keep interrupting, you would have your answer. Yes, I used [Mana Sight], but not in the way you are predicting. Through the Mind Link, Brance reyed your lesson earlier, which was how I got a visual representation of what the Runic Diagrams look like."

    "It took some effort, but after tinkering with my [Mana Sight] output and keeping my eyes closed with the memory of those silhouettes you showed, I located what I can only describe as my Soul. Don''t get me wrong, it hurts my eyes like a mother fucker to pull off, and everything except the Diagrams is hazy, but I can clearly see or feel what the Runic Diagrams look like."

    "Partner that with my perfect memory and subconsciously knowing each Diagram, and Booyah, we got descriptions. From there, all that was left was the process of elimination and a bit of copy-paste action from Brance, and vo, I made a rudimentary rough draft."

    "When I say rudimentary, I mean it. However, I learned a valuable lesson from my tinkering. Every little movement and fluxuation of Mana needed to be ounted for, so that is why you saw me causing so many explosions. With this knowledge in hand, I was forced to start from scratch multiple times until I came up with the basic design of the Mana Construct."

    "With that part done, it was a matter of tranting my limited knowledge of nuclear physics into Diagram form, adding some rotations, and building the new skill by applying or inscribing the New Diagram into a free spot in the silhouette." With a satisfied smile, Cynrik twisted his left hand, merged the four Fire orbs with the Umbral Orbs, started their conflicting rotations, and threw the newly formed [Umbral Tailed Beast Bomb] into the distance, where it soon exploded extravagantly.

    However, Cynrik didn''t ount for one thing when using his skill again: mental fatigue. Although UTBB didn''t have a high cooldown or Cost, it required a high level of concentration to execute, and after firing it, he felt his Resource stats plummet and his head spin.

    "Fucking shitty descriptions never tell the full story," Cynrikined after the dizzy spell ended several minutester.

    -I mean, to be fair¡­-

    "TOOOO BEEE FAIIIIIIRRRRRR!" Cynrik interrupted Tobs before falling into a hysterical fit ofughter.

    -WILL YOU SHUT THE HELL UP? I was about to say, how can a skill that transcends your Tier not have a heavy drawback, but NOOO, you just have to turn my sentences into pop culture references.-

    -Just because the skill doesn''t have a high cooldown or high Cost doesn''t mean it won''t affect you in some other way. In this case, you need a high level of concentration to keep the orbs spinning in their proper orbits. Not to mention getting them to collide before impacting the target. It would have been my problem if you had tried this with the tutorial, but now it''s your problem.-

    Hearing the evident agitation in her voice, Cynrik didn''t continue teasing Tobs further and instead chose to float in the void of the Shadow Realm on his back with his eyes closed, falling into a state of being half awake and half asleep. While not optimal for rest, this state allowed his body and mind to recover over time while allowing him to operate his brain on "Lite Mode."

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 439 Prelude To The First Round **Bonus **

    For several hours, Cynrik floated in the same position, and although his mind was still active, his body was unmoving aside from the calm bobbing motion that came along with being in zero gravity.

    Over these few rest hours, he went through the intricate process of creating Runic Diagrams and broke it down into a simple method that he could abus¡­utilize at any time. This entailed transposing the Diagram and each of the Runes forming the symbol into a basguage not unlike what he would have used inputer programming.

    Putting meaning behind each of the squiggly lines took time, and even after working on it for around five hours, he still hadn''t transposed even 1/100th of the Runes forming the basic [Fireball] skill. Still, progress was progress, and although it would take months or even years, Cynrik was ok with the snail''s pace if it meantter on down the line, he could freely create new Diagrams without much effort.

    He had several reasons for doing so, one of which waspletely unrealistic. If he could somehow decipher the mostmon runes used in Diagrams, in theory, he would be able to observe his opponents and know every skill they had in their toolbox¡ªgiving him yet another advantage over his enemies.

    Taking things one step further, once he knew how to read a Diagram, he needed to observe when the Runes in question lit up with Mana, and he could respond with proper countermeasures.

    [Hey, where are you?]

    Cynrik''s eyes snapped open as his train of thought was broken by Brance''s voice in his head.

    [Shadow Realm, how long have I been gone?] Cynrik asked as he righted himself and looked up toward the real world above.

    [Er, I slept for about seven hours, depending on when you left, it should be roughly the same amount of time. What have you been doing all this time? I hope you got some sleep.] Sitting up in his tent, Brance extricated himself from Gabby''s ko grasp and left his tent before performing a few stretches.

    [Sleep, not really; I did get some rest, though. I spent most of this time working on some stuff; here, check out the fruit of mybor.] Expelling a jet of mes from his feet, Cynrik shot up and out of the Shadow Realm.

    Uponnding beside Brance, he sent over the description of his UTBB, causing his brother to nearly fall over out of surprise by what he read.

    [What the fuck is this shit? In other circumstances, I would call this an overpowered knockoff of my WD, but I doubt that without burning my entire Mana Pool, I would be able to do as much damage as this thing could.] However, when Brance got to the part about what the skill could do to him as a Light Affinity User, he frowned deeply, causing creases on his forehead.

    [Is this your response¡­ how petty of you.] Clenching his fist and resisting the urge to backhand his older brother, Brance sighed and continued his morning stretches.

    [Ohe on, how is it fair that you can have a move that has an effect which only targets me, but when I make a simr one, I BECOME THE BAD GUY?] Joining his brother in the morning stretches, Cynrikined while feeling wronged.

    [You are the Bad Guy, lest we forget who set a hotel filled with helpless children on fire.] Rolling his eyes, Brance moved from stretching to push-ups.

    [One time, one freaking time years ago, it''s not like anyone was hurt, and they served their purpose as a distraction. Plus, Tobs sent our asses right back to that hotel to save them.] With a snort, Cynrik moved on from stretches to push-ups, then sit-ups.

    For the next thirty minutes, the brothers moved in unison from one exercise to the next, and before long, the other members of MyrkLys roused from slumber and joined them.

    No one said a word aside from morning greetings, they had been doing the same routine for years, and it was a well-known fact that if anyone messed up, Cynrik would get annoyed and start scolding.

    Around an hourter, everyone began working on mastering the use of skills, with guidance from both Cynrik and Brance, until like clockwork, there was a knock on therge steel door leading out of the Arena, indicating that Instructor Garrison and the team Nanny had arrived.

    With a wave of his hand, Cynrik indicated everyone should wrap up their morning training and clean up their sleeping arrangements.

    The members of MyrkLys moved as a unit, dismantling their tents and cleaning the area of any trash fromte-night snacking while Cynrik made his way to the door, got close to the inte, and put on a silly grin before pressing the call button.

    "Whooo isss it?" He chirped annoyingly.

    "Open up, you little punk; you know damn well who it is." The voice of a very annoyed and sleepy Garrison came through the speakers positioned around the Arena.

    "How do I know it''s you and not some spy?"

    "Do I have to call the Headmaster and have him give me remote ess to the door, or will you keep ying around? We only have three hours before we need to head over to the portal, and you haven''t spent any time working on your coordination with Kurza."

    BANG BANG BANG

    Instructor Garrison mmed his fist against the door several times as he spoke.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Bah, party pooper, why is it all of you meatheads live to spoil my fun," Cynrik mumbled as he tapped the card key against the inte to unlock the door.

    When the door opened, both Instructor Garrison and Kurza let out a sigh of relief and entered the Arena only to find Cynrik had moved back toward the bleachers and was twirling an ejected hidden de around his hand.

    "I assume you guys got some sleep, unlike that knucklehead ying with a knife, right?" Looking between the members of MyrkLys, who seemed well rested and ready to go, then toward Cynrik, whose dark circles could make even a roon envious, Instructor Garrison had to take a deep breath to calm down.

    "Oi, I got some rest too; I totally didn''t stay up all night working on my experiments." Fumbling with the hidden de, Cynrik was forced to catch it and put it back into his Assassin''s tool, leaving the other members of MyrkLys to answer with a chorus of "Yes."

    "Good, I won''t interfere too much, but I want you all to run drills with Kurza; although time is short, there is still enough to bring him up to speed on your basic battle formations. He is pretty good at adapting, but I still feel it is vital that he gets a little experience in before we leave."

    "Yeah, yeah, hey Instructor, question. You said portal earlier. Does that mean we don''t have a long vehicr trip ahead of us?" Waving his hand dismissively at Garrison''s words, Cynrik cut in before the Instructor could continue issuing orders to his team.

    "Sigh, yes, I mentioned the portal. Since there is quite a bit of distance between where you will bepeting and VSFA, we will take the school teleportation system to our destination. Under normal circumstances, we would take buses; however, SOMEONE was determined to wait till thest minute to have his group Evo to Tier-3, so we get to be extravagant and burn the Headmaster''s hard-earned money for instant arrival."

    "Once we get to our destination, you will be introduced to the other two Teams representing our academy, followed by the Opening Ceremonies. After that, you will be shown to your lodgings for the weekend, and before you ask, guys and gals will be separated, so NO, you can''t bunk together. However, you will have rooms across the hall from each other." As if predicting Cynrik''s following words, Instructor Garrison added thest part of his statement before Cynrik could interrupt.

    "Tsk, I wasn''t going to ask that. It ismon sense that the lodgings would be separate; I was going to ask about the opening ceremonies." Rolling his eyes and feeling that Garrison was more "pent up" than him, Cynrik changed the topic.

    "Eh, they aren''t that big of a deal, but I want you all on your best behavior. The moment you step foot in the Arena, hundreds of cameras will be pointed in your direction. Please do not, and I repeat, DO NOT act out. You will be representing VSFA, so be on your best behavior Ivar." Garrison narrowed his eyes and directed a fierce re at Cynrik, causing him to recoil.

    "Oi, why are you singling me out here?"

    "Obviously, because you are the biggest troublemaker I have ever met."

    "Here Here," Brance shouted while showing his support for the Instructor.

    "I second that Here Here," Benny added.

    "Yep yep, Big Bro Ivar is a troublemaker for sure." Gabby chimed in with a smile as shetched on to Brance''s massive arm like a monkey.

    "Indeed, Big Bro Ivar has a knack for causing trouble¡­." Melody mumbled softly, earning a re from Cynrik.

    "Tsk, my Darling doesn''t cause trouble; it''s more like he attracts it; there''s a difference." Hopping up onto the bleachers beside Cynrik, even Selene joined in on the teasing.

    "Traitors, the fucking lot of you. How can you nder my glorious name so quickly? Have I not been disciplining you lot hard enough¡­hm? Maybe I should issue more homework in the future." Smacking his lips loudly, Cynrik narrowed his eyes and examined the members of his party.

    "Who? Ivar, Nah, my Big Brother would never cause trouble, right Gabby?" Brance was the first to change his tune.

    "Of course, our Big Bro Ivar is the smartest and most kind of MyrkLys; he would never cause trouble." Nodding her head like a bobblehead doll, Gabbyplimented Cynrik heavily.

    "Nope, not Big Bro Ivar; he is too good of a person to cause trouble." With fear in her eyes, Melody stepped closer to Benny; however, his following words caused her to abandon her boyfriend for the safety of Brance.

    "Ehhh, why are you guys lying? We all know if anyone is bound to cause trouble, it will be Big Bro Ivar; he''s practically a ma for it."

    "Tsk, tsk, Benny Boi, you done goofed this time." No sooner did the words leave Selene''s mouth was Benny sent hurtling across the Arena as Cynrik drop-kicked him ruthlessly with all his might.

    "Unbelievable, fucking unbelievable. KNOCK OFF THE BULLSHIT AND GET TO WORK. DAMN IT!" Throwing his hands up to catch Benny as he whizzed by, Instructor Garrison shouted angrily, causing everyone, Cynrik included, to fall in line.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 440 Prelude To The First Round (2)

    After a boisterous shout from Instructor Garrison, Cynrik reigned in the group, Kurza included, and ordered the other members of MyrkLys to assume one of their seven basic battle formations.

    The next thing he did came as a surprise to no one: having Kurza sign a strict non-disclosure agreement in the form of a CSH Binding Soul Contract. One that, if broken, would not only rob Kurza of his Tier and Skills, shatter his Mana Veins and Codex, leaving him crippled, but also saw him forking over any and all items he had that carried any kind of mary value, even his future inheritance would fall in the greedy hands of Cynrik if the contract were broken.

    Either by fear of the younger boy thanks to the abuse he suffered the previous day or being entirely loyal to the point of near fanaticism, Kurza signed the NDA without any fuss opening the door for Cynrik to begin his battle formations explination.

    With the contract signed, Cynrik nced at Instructor Garrison while confirming he had signed the initial agreement, which everyone except Professor ire had signed before speaking.

    Upon hearing there were seven different starting formations, Garrison raised an eyebrow, wondering how different they could be. Still, after watching MyrkLys teaching Kurza his new role, he became pretty impressed.

    Soon, however, to his astonishment, Cynrik ramped up his teaching session due to how quickly he found Kurza adapted. The original seven formations quickly became fourteen formations, then twenty-eight.

    By the time Garrison forced the group to halt their training because it was time to leave, Cynrik had pumped out an impressive 73bat formations, which involved specific counters to just about every imaginable scenario.

    What was even more impressive than the sheer amount of nning Cynrik had done in creating these formations and their subsequent strategies, was how adaptable Kurza was.

    Like a sponge, the new hire absorbed every bit of information thrown his way with stunning uracy, allowing Cynrik to stack on even more Data. Everything from initial cement to potential oues of the battle lines the opponent would present wasid bare for Garrison and Kurza.

    "There won''t be anyrge-scale battles anytime soon, so you don''t need an introduction to our war offensive strategies," Cynrik shrugged as he not so gently patted Kurza on the back before walking toward the exit.

    "War strategies?" Kurza asked no one in particr as the other members of MyrkLys patted him as they walked by.

    "Don''t mind my Big Brother''s words; if you haven''t already noticed, he tends to be extremely paranoid and believes everyone is out to get him. Thus he has hundreds of contingency ns for such a situation." Brance said as he walked past.

    "Yeah, Big Bro Ivar ran most of us into the ground; even I had trouble keeping up past Strat 106-AC-2. Don''t think too hard; making it to Strat 73-A on the first lesson is crazy good." Gabby chirped as she mimicked Cynrik and Brance by hopping up a bit to pat Kurza''s shoulder since he was nearly as tall as Brance.

    Clutching onto her right arm and firmly in Gabby''s embrace, Milo yowled as if to say, "Good Job, Newbie."

    Benny only gave a curt nod of encouragement before patting Kurza''s shoulder, leaving only Melody to give the new hire a weak smile as she chased after everyone.

    "Tsss, what have I gotten myself into this time?" Kurza mumbled as he peeked under the cor of his loose-fitting shirt, only to find a massive ck and blue splotchy bruise covering the entirety of his right shoulder.

    Without much thought, he cast some healing skills and looked to Instructor Garrison.

    "Don''t look at me; that kid Ivar is a mad genius, emphasis on the MAD part. Although his methods aren''t necessarily the safest, they are extremely effective. If you examine the other members of the team carefully, you''ll understand that each of them has been trained to such an extent that they can bring out the fullest of their potential."

    "I''m not saying there is any hope in joining a group as tight-knit as MyrkLys appears to be, but the opportunity is there¡­all I can say is don''t fuck it up." Releasing a chuckle, Instructor Garrison vanished from his spot and appeared outside the arena to meet up with MyrkLys before they got too far away.

    Realizing he had been abandoned, Kurza cursed and ran to catch up.

    Meanwhile, a conversation was taking ce in the Mind Link.

    [[Are you sure it was a good idea to let that guy learn so many of our tactics?]] Selene asked as she hugged Cynrik''s arm between her breasts.

    [[Without the contract, not at all, but WITH the contract, I don''t see why not. I''ve been getting a bad feeling about this Competition since I Advanced my ss, the tingly kind that indicates danger. The more allies we have in a crisis, the better.]] Cynrik didn''t bother looking down at his girlfriend and adjusted his pace to amodate her slightly shorter legs.

    [[Eh? Your spidey sense is tingling? Are you sure you aren''t just imagining shit, Cyn?]] Raising a concerned eyebrow and trying his hardest not to look back at Melody, Brance also adjusted his steps so that Gabby wouldn''t struggle to keep up.

    [[The feeling of dread only kicks in when I think about the Competition, otherwise, nothing, That alone is enough for me to believe this event will be a shit show in one way or another. The best thing we can do now is be prepared for any possible oue. Not to mention, in a few short months, we will be face-to-face with our oh-so-loving Cousin.]] Feeling the presence of Instructor Garrison entering his [Sixth Sense], Cynrik smirked and felt reassured at how good his new passive skill was.

    [[You mean the one you believe to be an LC, right?]] Tilting her head to the side cutely, Selene asked.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [[Un, like you, he was one of the only people able to conceal his Mana Signature back during the Selection. I may be wrong, but so far, I''m batting one-for-one since you turned out to be one of us. Regardless, we won''t see him or that Opurn fuckboi until theter rounds, so we only have to locate any potential LCs in our bracket.]]

    [[Sigh, why can''t you just be hyped that we get topete, you LOVEpetitions, shouldn''t that be your primary focus?]] Brance tried reasoning but was immediately cut off by Cynrik verbally smacking him with logic.

    [[Brancie, living over a decade in rtive peace is making you soft. Sure, this is our home now, but don''t forget we are in the midst of arge-scale war with other reincarnators. There are thousands, if not tens of thousands, of people out there just like us, with their previous lives knowledge and a mission gunning for all three of our heads; we can''t afford to let our guard down.]]

    BZZZZ, BZZZZ, BZZZ

    Before Cynrik could continue his logic smack, his Watcet buzzed three times before an ear-piercing shriek of metal music red out of the speakers of the device.

    ?RUN FOR THE HILLS?

    ?THEY ARE COMING FOR YOU?

    ?IT''S THE MONSTERS HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT?

    "FUCK!" Cynrik cursed and cringed so hard he nearly fell over as the warning tune he had set to y whenever a specific number called him yed.

    "YOU HAVEN''T SEEN ME! YOU DON''T KNOW WHERE I WENT!" Cynrik screamed in panic as he mmed his hand down on the Ignore button before grabbing Selene around the waist and sinking into the Shadow Realm.

    Ten seconds after the disappearance of his brother and Selene, Brance''s Watcet buzzed three times before a much more lively pop song began ying.

    Since he already knew whose number would trigger that annoying loud headbanging music, Brance expected the person''s next call would be him, so he answered the call without hesitation.

    "Heyah, Mom," Brance said with a bright smile as the video call function popped up, showing the cheerful face of Cinyah, whom Brance had only seen through a screen for several months.

    "Hi Hi Mother-inw!" Gabby squealed as she pulled Brance''s arm down so she could be on camera.

    "Hello dear, and hello Gabby, it''s nice to see you getting along with my son so well, fufu." Cinyah''s melodious voice came out of the speakers as she frantically moved from one ce to another, setting out all kinds of bowls filled with snacks.

    "I tried calling that rambunctious brother of yours, but as usual, no answer. I suspect he already ran like hell to avoid talking to me, didn''t he?" Spotting the grown man in uniform behind her son, Cinyah was careful not to mention Brance''s real name or Cynrik''s.

    "Yeah, you should have seen it, he freaked out and grabbed Selly before running like a scared animal. It was hrious; oh Milo, say hi to your Gamma." Letting go of Brance''s arm, Gabby not only answered for him but also thrust the furry face of Milo into view of the camera.

    "Meeeeo," Milo made a cute noise, causing Cinyah and Gabby to giggle, and after somepliments on how shiny his fur was and how he seemed to be growing up well, Milo was all cat-smiles while Gabby and Brance continued the conversation.

    "Anywho, I am setting up for the viewing party for tonight''s opening ceremonies. Your father and Uncle Jessup already brought all the HoloTvs from around the house and set them up to make a giant movie screen in the den, and we pre-ordered the pay-per-view." Cinyah exined as she swiftly moved around the house, be it arranging the furniture, so everyone had a good view of the screen or setting up drinks and snacks.

    "I didn''t tell anyone except your father that you guys advanced to Tier-3, so they are in for as big of a surprise as I wasst night when they see how much you lot have grown. Especially the Sanfords, who are flying in specifically to watch the event with us."

    "Oh, oh, oh, Mamma and Papa areing; now I am getting kind of nervous, hehe," Gabby said as she rubbed the top of Milo''s snout right under his eyes, one of his favorite rubbies spots.

    "Nonsense, your parentspeted alongside Rikard and me in the same Competition you guys are; they are probably more nervous to see how big you and Benny have gotten than your results in the event."

    "I just wanted to know if you all have gotten on the road yet, but judging from the stern man behind you, I assume you will be taking the Transport Portal. Be sure you call me tonight as usual for our nightly chat, have fun and stay safe; I love you. OH, and tell that rascal brother of yours that if he doesn''t call me before bed tonight, I will leak all his baby pictures online once you win."

    With augh from all involved and a few more parting words, Brance hung up and ushered everyone toward the dorms to pick up the necessities required for their out-of-town trip.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 441 Prelude To The First Round (3)

    While Brance and Gabby conversed with Cinyah, Cynrik made a mad dash toward the dorms with Selene in tow.

    "Darling, why do you keep avoiding your mother? You can''t possibly be scared of her¡­.can you?" Tucked under Cynrik''s arm like a piece of luggage, Selene didn''t mind her positioning and asked curiously.

    Every time the topic had been brought up in the past, Cynrik was quick to avoid it, but never before had he reacted in the way he was currently.

    "You don''t get it, Sel; Mom is a beast even I can not deal with. Not to mention she has way too much incriminating evidence that can be used against me at a moment''s notice." Thinking back to how he overheard his mother making fun of how he made a move on Maeve months ago, Cynrik understood that the instant he spoke with her with Selene present, Cinyah would bring up the topic.

    "Honestly, Darling, your mom is so sweet, and since she will be my mother-inw in the future, I want to develop at least a modicum of a rtionship with her." Squirming her way out of Cynrik''s loose grip and running alongside him, Selene smirked.

    "You do realize that she talks to Gabby every night, and I have joined in several times. If you are worried about Baby pictures or other embarrassing things, I have already seen them."

    "Who would have thought, Baby-Cyn loved Carlisle the Bear so much? You were soooo adorable~." Speeding up a bit and pulling ahead by half a meter to see his reaction to her words, Selene''s eyes sparkled with glee and excitement as she remembered the thousands of Baby-Cyn pics stored on her Watcet.

    When Selene dropped that information, Cynrik stumbled and nearly fell but collected himself and continued running.

    "Oh? Then you know about how I copped a feel with my milf of an aunt? I am sure you TOTALLY love the story of me grabbing her ass as a pervy child." Feeling spiteful, Cynrik sucked his teeth and nced at Selene from the corner of his eyes as he continuouslyunched himself from shadowy branch to shadowy branch like a ninja.

    "Hmmm, you know, normally, I would be pretty pissed. But Maeve is a 15 out of 10 drop-dead gorgeous milf, and although I want to hog you to myself, she technically knew you first, so I wouldn''t be opposed to you catching her and having a single burning night of passion."

    "I''d even help out if you wanted me to. But that is only on the grounds that you have already fucked me first. It may sound silly, but our Vinestrian virginities belong to each other, so if you n on banging Hotty Maeve, you better fill me with several loads of cum first."

    BANG

    "OOMPH, COUGH, COUGH, COUGH!"

    This time, Selene''s words caught Cynrik entirely off guard, and he messed up the timing of hisunch, causing him to m chest first into a shadow branch, making him release a pained oomph sound followed by a fit of coughs.

    Seeing his current state, Selene burst out into giggles before helping him up.

    "Youu, you mad woman! What happened to Tsun-Tsun Selly?" Cynrik cried with a worried expression and a feeling that his girlfriend had been reced with an imposter.

    "Tsk, shut up, dork, she is your one-off, you know, like how married couples have that one celebrity they get a free pass on; mine used to be Ryan Reynolds. If I ever catch you with a woman that ISN''T Maeve, I castrate you with a rusty carving knife before festering the wound with toxic poison."

    "Once I deal with you, I will ughter the bitch you cheated on me with in the most insufferable manner possible. Then that sluts family will join her in the afterlife."

    The following words that came out of Cynrik''s mouth would have any average person utterly terrified and confused.

    "Fuck¡­that is so hot, not the castration part, but the part about you ughtering an entire family because some other woman wanted toy her hands on me. The same applies; I would start by slicing off your nipples before obliterating your body slowly if you ever cheated on me."

    Forcefully catching Selene by the waist, Cynrik shoved his hand down the front of her pants and felt that she was already soaking wet, so he lightly flicked the smooth and small pearl hidden under her silk panties before fiercely sealing her lips.

    The two psychopaths shared a brief yet steamy exchange before hitting the road again, moving faster when Cynrik suddenly remembered something he learned from Yennifer after his ss Promotion.

    "By the way, I will be fucking the shit out of you soon. Yennifer leaked some very, VERY valuable information. Although we can''t have sex IRL, nothing is stopping us from entering one of our SOC and having hot sloppy sex away from prying eyes and ears.

    This time, it was Selene''s turn to stumble, but Cynrik quickly caught her, scooped her off her feet into a princess carry, and continued as if nothing had happened.

    As Selene anxiously rubbed her thighs together in anticipation, she realized that if they kept talking, things would get bad¡­quickly.

    ---

    It didn''t take long for Cynrik and Selene to arrive at the dorms, and since Selene and Gabby had already moved in and were sharing rooms with their boyfriends, they had several changes of clothes waiting.

    Shooting up and out of the Shadow Realm, Cynrik and Selene appeared in their bedroom andunched themselves onto the bed for a quick, handsy makeout session until they heard the front door unlock.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I will head over to Kurza''s dorm with him; you all pack your bags with three days worth of clothing and toiletries; I will be back in 20 minutes." Instructor Garrison said as he swiftly disappeared with Kurza over his shoulder since he could move significantly faster this way.

    "Alright, everybody, quickly pack what you need; you heard the Instructor, three pairs of clean clothes, underwear, socks, the works, and don''t forget toothbrushes and for the girls, whatever make-up and brushes you''ll need." pping his hands and drawing the attention of Gabby, Milo, Benny, and Melody, Brance issued the order before catching Gabby''s hand and walking to their bedroom.

    "HEY, TOXIC TWOSOME, GET YOUR SHIT PACKED AND STOP MAKING OUT!" Brance hollered as he mmed his door shut and pulled two small suitcases from his inventory.

    Less than a meter in size, one suitcase was purple while the other silver, and after cing them on the bed, Brance moved to his dresser and began pulling out a couple of pairs of workout clothes only to realize a big issue.

    "Uhhhh, fuck! Damn it, why did I have to get so big after my Evo?" Branceined as he held up a two sizes too small t-shirt." Brance frowned deeply, causing lines on his forehead, making Gabbyugh at his expense.

    "It''s not that bad, Brancie; that''s only the case when ites to your cotton shirts; your stretchy ones will still fit, hehe, and since they will be a little tight, you can show off your incredible muscles more now!" Gabby added as she walked over to her dresser beside Brance''s before pulling out a few pairs of purple workout clothes.

    "I guess; it just annoys me; those shirts were expensive and sent by Mom. You know how sentimental I am about stuff from my parents. I am kinda sad I didn''t get to wear them longer." Brance said with a sigh as he scooped out a few pairs of joggers and other garments before neatly folding them and cing them in his luggage.

    "Oh, Gabby, don''t forget to bring Milo''s paperwork; since we are going out of town, we need to have all his documents, or the authorities will hound us for having an unlicensed beast.

    Hearing his name, Milo hopped around over by his corner of the room, where his bed and some toys were ced.

    "Papa, Mama, what do I get to bring." The young cat asked curiously as he looked from the stack of plush toys twice his size and the soft andfy bed.

    Gabby had already warned Brance after the Passing down that Milo could talk now, so he wasn''t freaked out when the small cat began speaking aloud.

    "Hm, Milo honey, you can pick two toys to bring, and we will store your bed in our inventory," Gabby said sweetly as she mimicked Brance folding her clothes neatly and cing some racy and provocative nightwear ontop for Brance to see clear as day.

    Feeling a trickle of sweat run down his back, Brance snuck a peek at the ck and purple lingerie before taking a deep breath and pushing down thoughts that wanted to force their way to the surface.

    Seeing his reaction, the corner of Gabby''s lips tugged into a smirk as she went into action, picking up a thin and seethrough negligee.

    "Honnney~, I saw you were peeking; if you want me to try it on for you, all you need to do is ask. I will wear it for you any time, my love." Gabby said with a flirty tone causing Brance tough nervously.

    "Nnn¡­no, it''s okay; I really wish you wouldn''t tease me like this, Gabby, especially in front of Milo. You know we can''t do anything like that. I refuse to be like Cyn and Selly." Feeling his heart elerate, Brance ruthlessly used Milo as an excuse to smother the topic before it could gain traction.

    ? "Brancie¡­" Gabby said while wearing a defeated expression and dropping the sexy nightwear on the bed sadly.

    "Sigh, I know Gabby, between having to hear what Selly and my brother do all the time and the teasing from Selly, you want to try things too¡­but¡­sigh fuck it." Seeing how heartbroken Gabby appeared and the tears forming in her eyes, Brance cut off his statement before swiping aside the suitcases, picking Gabby up, and tossing her on the bed.

    Next, his hands trailed along her thin pale, and exposed legs as he kissed her deeply. At first, Gabby was so surprised that she made a high-pitched noise, but after realizing Brance was finally making moves, she couldn''t have been happier, and where ever his hands touched, small electric shocks traveled.

    While this was happening, Milo tilted his head to the side and recognized what his Mama and Papa were doing since he had seen Meanie Cyn and Selly usually do the same thing, so he picked up his two favorite toys, a small stuffed fish and a stuffed crab and pranced up to the door.

    With a hop and flick of his tail, Milo opened the door, left the room, and closed it behind him just as Brance''s hands trailed from Gabby''s legs up to her stomach and found their way up to Gabby''s perky C-cup breasts.

    "Hngggh~, Brance, ahhh," Gabby moaned in a sexy voice as Brance kneaded her soft breast over her purple sports bra.

    Unfortunately, just when he was about to move one step further, the door swung open, revealing Cynrik and Selene, who wore creepy smiles.

    "ABOUT DAMN TIME YOU MANNED UP! I thought you had be impotent. Time to go; there is plenty of time to be lovey-doveyter, you two." Cynrik snarkily remarked as Gabby and Brance shot to opposite sides of the bed, blushing fiercely.

    "Fufu, my little Gabrie finally got a little action; I am so proud I could cry." Selene chimed in as she teased Gabby further, making her blush so deeply that the poor girl appeared her head would pop from the pressure.

    [[I.WILL.FUCKING.KILL.YOU.BOTH!]] Brance screamed as he punched in the direction of Selene and Cynrik, sting a gust of Wind Mana, sending theughing fiends flying away.

    -Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 442 Opening Ceremonies (1)

    Around fifteen minutester, Instructor Garrison returned with Kurza, and after knocking on the dorm''s front door several times, Cynrik finally appeared wearing his school uniform.

    "Are you guys trying to get me scolded by the Headmaster? We are already behind schedule, and I just received word that the other teams, their Instructors, and Headmaster Rivia are already waiting at the portal." Garrison pushed Cynrik to the side and entered the dorm, only to find the other members of MyrkLys lounging in the living room.

    "We have been ready for a few minutes and were waiting on your arrival, Instructor. You can hardly me us if you didn''t make it here fast enough." With a snort and a sip of coffee, Cynrik countered rudely.

    "Ivar, shut up; you were adamant about bringing along half of the pet supplies you own because, I quote, "My children won''t be bored." How the hell are you such an overly doting parent?" Standing up to greet Garrison, Brance spat before scratching the well-behaved Milo behind his right ear.

    "No time to argue; hurry up, we have 10 minutes to make it across campus; I don''t care if you are fully packed; get a move on." Resisting the urge to smack Cynrik in the back of the head, Garrison spun on his heels and exited the dorm in a full sprint.

    "Tsk, he just had to take off running; Garrison didn''t even wait for me to tell him I had a way to get there faster. Group up, everyone¡­you too, Kurza." He said with an evil grin before catching Selene by the waist and cing his right hand on Brance''s shoulder.

    Hearing his name, Kurza walked over but suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. Pushing down the strange fear threatening to consume him, Kurza joined the group circle and ced his hand on Benny''s shoulder as the boy held Melody''s hand, who held Gabby''s hand, who was being held around the waist by Brance.

    With everyone linked through physical contact, Cynrik channeled arge amount of Mana in the form of a bubble that covered the party and sunk into the Shadow Realm with the other six people.

    When he noticed his body sinking into the ground, Kurza let out an ear-piercing scream, which in turn caused everyone tough as the familiar weightlessness took hold of their bodies.

    "Quit your yapping. Last time I sent you here without exnation; this is one of my skills. It allows me to enter a parallel reality. Here, gravity is feeble, and we can move unobstructed." Dragging the group down to a nearbyrge shadow tree, Cynrik gave a summary of the Shadow Realm to Kurza before kicking off and jumping in the direction he knew the Transport Portal was located.

    "Keep up, newbie; you don''t want to get lost because only Ivar can enter and leave the Shadow Realm Freely. Even I, who has a Shadow Affinity, haven''t been able to link up with this ce yet." With that said, Selene got a running start and jumped into the air after her boyfriend.

    "Don''t worry, Kurza, I won''t leave you here to rot; Selene and my Brother are just trying to scare you. From what I know about this ce, so long as you are within a 5 Kilometer radius of Ivar, he can easily pinpoint your location. Come on, Gabby, we can''t let those two get too far ahead."

    "Kayy, Milo Big Boy form!" Gabby chirped as she tossed Milo into the air, signaling him to grow to his full size. Half a secondter, the small cat had grown into his full size and chased after Brance, Cynrik, and Selene with Gabby sitting on his back.

    "Did that Cat just turn into a giant saber tiger?" Kurza asked with a pale face.

    "Yep, he does that;e on, Melly, oh, Kurza, you can stick with us; Melly doesn''t have high stamina, so we are always at the back of the group. So long as you don''t stray too far from us, you will be fine. Off we go." Benny said with a smile as he scooped up Melody into a princess carry and jumped off the branch.

    Seeing he was being left behind, Kurza took a deep breath, channeled some light Mana into his legs, and chased after the members of MyrkLys.

    ---

    Not far away, Brance and Gabby had caught up with Cynrik and Selene, and the four were casually chatting as they traversed the greyscalendscape.

    "Well, lookie here, our fearless Instructor hasn''t even noticed we aren''t tailing him," Cynrik stated as he pointed toward the sky, where everyone could see Garrison running at full speed.

    "Although it''s pretty irresponsible of him not to double-check, he could also assume you know the way and will make it there on your own, Cyn." Rolling his eyes and keeping pace with the sizeable Sabertoothed Cat carrying Gabby, Brance looked up and noticed Garrison''s focused yet worried look.

    "Something has him out of sorts. Is it just me, or does he look nervous?" Brance asked as he tapped down on a branch before kicking off to carry his forward momentum.

    "Rightly so; he knows Darling will likely start some shit since we can''t bring him in public without causing a ruckus." Flipping through the air like an acrobat in an attempt to get some good movement practice in, Selene added with a giggle.

    "Yep yep, I agree; Big Bro Cyn is prone to snapping at random people if they so much as look at him wrong. Brancie, do you remember how he almost fought that guard at our First Egress?" Rubbing Milo behind both ears and making the big cat purr as he ran, Gabby thought back to the incident that seemed like it had happened years ago.

    "Hey, Gabby, how are your workbooksing along? I''m sure you remembered to bring them with you; I shouldn''t have to worry about you making your deadline." ncing over his shoulder at the young woman who flinched hard at his words, Cynrik smirked evily, earning him a smack in the back of the head by Brance.

    "Stop teasing her. There was nothing wrong with what she said since it is T.R.U.E. you have proven time and time again how easily you fly off the handle at people who aren''t part of our inner circle."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Unfortunately, Brance still wasn''t entirely used to his increased STR stat. The casual hit he tried tond on Cynrik was forceful enough to trigger his spidey sense, causing Cynrik to juke out of the way of the attack.

    "FUCKING HELL BRANCE! CONTROL YOUR STRENGTH, MAN!" Cynrik shouted with bloodshot eyes.

    "Eh, my bad¡­." Brance replied while sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

    "My bad, my ass; if that had hit, you woulda snapped my neck; hell, you even triggered my passive, meaning you could have seriously hurt me!" reigning in the bubbling anger in his chest, Cynrik snorted and plotted his revenge.

    There were thousands of pranks he had devised over the years, and it was time to start using some on his brother finally. He wasn''t mad, and in actuality, Cynrik was never in danger since he quickly dodged the attack, but it was enough for him to vow to get back at Brance in the future.

    "The Transport Portal is ahead; group up so I can take us out." After passing Garrison and moving past the near idental death, Cynrik calmly stated while slowing his pace.

    Luckily, Benny, Melody, and Kurza weren''t too far behind. Once they caught up and grabbed hold of each other, Cynrik pulled the group toward the sky, where they could see two groups of students, a handful of professors, and Headmaster Rivia standing a short distance away from a huge stone arch.

    ---

    "Where are they, Headmaster Rivia? This is exactly why I was firmly against having a group of First Years take part as our Tier-3 team. They can''t even show up on time after we have already dyed our trip by a week!" A man wearing a white Professor uniform stated arrogantly. His uniform alone was evidence that he was a Head Dean.

    "Head Dean Cromwell, you can''t seriously believe that any group of students who are strong enough to be Tier-3 beings in their first yearck the ability to carry a team of their own."

    "Even if they are First Years, each of the six members of MyrkLys is a genius in their own right, not to mention each is abnormally strong enough to skip a full Tier when fighting." Crossing his arms and ring at the man named Cromwell, Geralt tapped his foot before checking the time on his Watcet.

    In addition to his hook-shaped nose, beady eyes, and perfectly groomed and styled mustache, Cromwell was a skinny and gangly tall man who could easily fit into the role of a viin based solely on his appearance. Apart from being extremely arrogant, he was strong enough to have imed the title of Head Dean and Assistant Headmaster.

    Cromwell''s long, slicked-back, greasy amber-colored hair was neat enough but needed a wash. Despite his viinous aura, his straight posture, manner of speaking, and secondary air of superiority suggested he came from a pompous and prominent family.

    Aside from being one of four peak Tier-5 staff members on VSFA''s payroll, Cromwell was also a member of the Board of Directors for the Academy, so when it came to decisions about finances and materials allocation, his words held almost as much weight as Geralt''s. Lastly, he was the Head Dean of Year Six and the technical second inmand, with only Geralt as his superior.

    Geralt was about to say some flowery words to calm the man down when he felt a ripple in the Space off to his left, a sign that either someone was teleporting or breaking the fabric of Space with some other type of movement ability.

    Half a breathter, a ck and purple ring manifested on the ground as the members of MyrkLys rose up from said glowing ring, breaking free from the shadow realm andnding on the cobblestone pathway.

    "Yo! Sorry we took so long, things to do, skills to learn; I am sure you know how it is, Headmaster," Cynrik stated cockily while waving to Geralt.

    "About damn time, Student Ivar; how long did you n on keeping us waiting. Not only are you and your group thest to arrive, but you have dyed our travels by a full week, all so that you can reach Tier-3." Cromwell said while spitting out each wordced with anger and disgust.

    Yet before he could continue ranting, a massive amount of killing intent smashed him to the ground as Cynrik and a very pissed-off Selene synchronized their pressure and focused solely on Cromwell with 12g of force.

    "IVAR, SELENE, RECALL YOUR KILLING INTENT THIS INSTANT!" Panicked by the sudden attack on Cromwell, Geralt''s booming voice earned him a nce from Selene and a re from Cynrik.

    "No can do, Headmaster Rivia; people like him need to be taught that there are some people you can''t afford to piss off. Tier-5 means nothing if you haven''t trained your body enough to handle 12g of Killing Intent. Every member of my faction has trained under 15g. How the hell did this guy be a Head Dean?

    "Sigh, here we go again," Gabby said as she held Milo in her arms and shook her head.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. P.S. Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 443 Opening Ceremonies (2)

    "No can do, Headmaster Rivia; people like him need to be taught that there are some people you can''t afford to piss off. Tier-5 means nothing if you haven''t trained your body enough to handle 12g of Killing Intent. Every member of my Faction has trained under 15g. How the hell did this guy be a Head Dean?

    "Sigh, here we go again," Gabby said as she held Milo in her arms and shook her head.

    At Cynrik''s words and the subsequent murmur from Gabby, the room became so silent that you could hear a pin drop. The only sound reverberating off the cobblestone floor was the scratching of the Vice Headmaster''s uniform and his bones crunching as he strained against the impressive 15g of gravitational force.

    Even Headmaster Rivia was left speechless by Cynrik''s actions and statement. Although he and Cromwell had their differences, and the man in question was excessively arrogant, he was still the Second in Command.

    With his powerful backing, and high Tier, Cromwell should be a peak existence in the Academy, yet with a nce from Cynrik and Selene, the man was sprawled out in an unsightly manner on the ground as veins bulged on his face and neck.

    [[Let him go, Cyn; you''ve made your stance clear.]] Allowing this farce to continue for a few seconds because he got a weird and bad feeling about this guy on the ground, Brance finally stepped in, and Cynrik, for once in his life, actually listened.

    Clicking his tongue and nodding at Selene, the two released their Killing Intent, allowing everyone present, most importantly Cromwell, to release the breath they had unknowingly held.

    "You..you you, HOW DARE YOU? Do you know who I am?" Feeling the pressure that had him practically frozen in fear and embarrassed to no end vanish, Vice Headmaster Cromwell jumped to his feet, took out a rapier from his inventory, and pointed it at Cynrik.

    "Vice Headmaster, I understand you are furious with the actions of student Ivar, but to draw your weapon, I will not stand by and allow you to make a move like this." The instant the green rapier appeared in Cromwell''s hand, the massive sword that usually rested on Geralt''s back was unsheathed.

    "Not only has this student attacked a member of the Parliament Family *Royalty*, but he has dared to attack the second highest staff member of VSFA!" One of the women standing off to the side, also wearing a white uniform, shouted as she aggressively pointed at Cynrik and Selene.

    "Bitch, I dare you to continue pointing at my man in such a vulgar way; see if I don''t cut off that poorly manicured finger." Raising her lips in a snarl and manifesting ten floating Shadow Affinity Spears around her body, Selene snapped at the woman.

    With Selene manifesting her Spears, Benny, Brance, and Gabby stepped forward to either aid their party members or stop them, while Melody took a few steps back and began pre-chanting several spells.

    Cynrik practically indoctrinated her to position herself at the back of the battlefield, and so she did. Far enough away from the primary physical attackers yet close enough to be able to interfere with any potential ranged attacks from the opposition.

    In contrast to the rest of MyrkLys, Melody was terrified because she knew every staff member present. Her fearful eyes kept darting between Vice Headmaster Cromwell and the woman Selene had threatened: Leah Sinderfal, Head Dean of Year Five.

    "Student Ivar just assaulted me, which not only vites multiplews due to my Title, but he is a known troublemaker, so how can you stand by and allow this group of FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS to disrespect our authority? He should have been expelled after that incident at the beginning of the School Year!" Cromwell spat while wearing a sinister expression.

    By the few words, Cynrik had already overheard, be it on the way up from the shadow realm or presently, he was already forming a dark picture in his mind. It was clear that he held arge amount of disdain for him, but the question is why.

    |"That is because I have decided that they receive the highest level of enrichment and resources avable. I decided to take this Faction and raise their status higher. Victor Cromwell, are you going to go against MY, THE HIGHEST AUTHORITY?"|

    Suddenly, just when everyone present thought a fight was about to break out, a beam of light fell from the sky, and Yennifer manifested in a sh of Golden Particles.

    Her entrance caused all the Staff members to take a knee and look at the ground. However, the most surprising thing to Cynrik was how the students outside of his Faction, including Kurza, copsed to the ground unconscious, leaving only MyrkLys, Geralt, Cromwell, and Leah Sinderfal standing.

    "LLLLady Yennnifer?" Studdering like a fool and storing his rapier instantly, Cromwell only had one thought: flee.

    "Lady Yennifer, I have not made it public that you are the backer of these students. I doubt I would have received so much bacsh from the Board of Directors and Vice Headmaster Cromwell if I had." Heaving a sigh and giving the Vice Headmaster a look of pity, Geralt stepped forward and greeted his mother in a professional and respectful tone.

    |"How about I clear this up right now, By the Power Granted to me as an Administrator of the Central System Hub, I Grant the Title of VSFA Core Student unto Ivar Ragnarson, Bj?rn Ragnarson, Selene Nilsson, Benjamin Sanford, Gabrie Sanford, and Melody Gand."|

    |"Furthermore, as per Article 12.3 of the VSFA Employment Contract, which each of you has signed, if any Staff Member, no matter their Rank, ns to negatively impact or ce sanctions or restrictions on a Core Student, they will not only be stripped of their Role as a Staff member, but their Status Profile will receive a Status Effect reducing their power by 95% for the rest of their life."|

    Yennifer''s words were like a lightning bolt descending on every staff member present. While the members of MyrkLys were shocked and showed outward emotion, Cynrik only narrowed his eyes at the sexy hologram woman floating a few meters away.

    -You have received the Special Title: VSFA Core Student.-

    ''She was waiting for an opportunity to do this. Despite being helpful, I am again treated like a pawn, which annoys me to no end.'' Cynrik thought as he swiped the notification out of his line of sight.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Cynrik''s reaction didn''t escape the watchful eye of Yennifer. Still, since she was present in a professional capacity, she let it go and snapped her fingers to dematerialize Selene''s Mana Construct Spears.

    |"Now, I will wake up the other students; you all need to get to the venue. Do not forget, each of you represents VSFA in this CSH Sponsored Competition; I will overlook the fact that this little hup transpired, but if it happens again, well, I don''t have to exin the consequences."|

    |"This isn''t the first time most of you have been at one of these events, and I expect a level of professionalism befitting your Status."|

    With that said, Yennifer turned and looked away from the visibly defeated Cromwell and gave Cynrik a good look from top to bottom before nodding in contentment and vanishing in a shower of golden particles.

    In the minutes following the disappearance of Yennifer, the Staff waited for the students to awaken from their induced sleep. Meanwhile, Brance was the first to break the silence through the mind link.

    [[What the fuck just happened¡­]]

    [[That Busybody AI thwarted my n of rooting out a potential leak in the Academy.]] Cynrik spat with a toneced with annoyance.

    [[Huh? Hold on, the fuck are you on about?]] Shooting Cynrik a confused look, Brance frowned and scooted closer to Gabby, who still seemed a bit shaken by the incident.

    [[When we were breaking back into reality from the Shadow Realm, I eavesdropped on Geralt and that Guy Cromwell''s conversation. His bodynguage, appearance, and manner of speaking were tell-tale signs that he had hostile feelings toward me, someone he had never met before.]] Crossing his arms after tugging his hood to cover more of his face than usual, Cynrik stated, confusing Brance further.

    [[And how exactly did you eavesdrop on them?]] Brance asked as he eyed his brother curiously.

    [[Activate your [Mana Sight] and take a look at the wall 3 o''clock 25 meters away.]]

    Ignoring the overly confident tone in his brother''s voice, Brance did as told, and soon his eyes widened in surprise. Exactly where Cynrik had directed was a shadowy humanoid figure hidden in in sight.

    [[That''s¡­a shadow clone?]] Brance asked while attempting to hide any and all facial expressions.

    [[Yep, I attached that guy to Geralt''s shadow after our Tier-3 Advancement, and when he arrived, I separated it and made it hide so that no one would find out. I''ve been paying attention to everything going on since he arrived ahead of us.]]

    [[Woah, that''s actually¡­ really impressive, Darling~, does that mean you will want me to do something simr when I get my shadow army up and running?]] Squeezing Cynrik''s arm, Selene chimed in on the conversation between the brothers, flooding her boyfriend with praise.

    [[Un, I will give you props for recon potential Cyn, but you are lucky it didn''t get found.]] Rolling his eyes, Brance looked away from the shadow person and watched as the students woke up and reassembled in their respective groups under a Dean and Instructor.

    [[I have long since predicted there was someone high up on the food chain working against us, how else could those spies get on campus so easily, with Geralt''s investigationsing up short, I wanted to do some spying on my own. I just happened to get lucky that this Cromwell guy made it so obvious that he hated me.]]

    [[As far as potential enemies go, he shot up to the top of the list the moment he drew his weapon, unfortunately, before I could continue working through my theory, that Busybody AI interfered. Still, all is not lost; this Title will take him out of the game; we just have to keep an eye on him and see if he suddenly gets uber-weak from that CSH Curse.]]

    With that said, Cynrik felt someone ring daggers at him, and when he looked up, he found both Head Dean Sinderfal and Cromwell ring at him with a look of pure hatred.

    [[Make that two higher-ups, this bitch of a Head Dean also hates me.]] Chuckling lightly, Cynrik uncrossed his arms and raised his left hand, so the back of it rested against the bottom of his chin before giving a tentacle wave at the two asshole Deans.

    Meanwhile, he sneakily had the Shadow clone attach itself to Cromwell as the two Deans snorted angrily and stepped through the now active Transport Portal.

    [[That bitch is fucking him, I can smell the stench of a gold digger a mile away.]] Stomping her foot angrily and gritting her teeth, Selene found a rage like no other bubbling up inside of her.

    [[No doubt, anyway, it looks like Geralt wants to scold the shit out of us, so I guess we better take our lumps, not to mention almost everyone has already left through the portal.]] Heaving a sigh and noticing the only people left in the Teleportation Hall were the members of MyrkLys, Garrison, Kurza, Head Dean Rimsfel, and Geralt, Cynrik pulled down his hood and shed a cocky smile at the Staff.

    "Well, that went better than expected." He said while tilting his head to the side and up with a chuckle.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. P.S. Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 444 Opening Ceremonies (3)

    "Well, that went better than expected," Cynrik said, tilting his head to the side and up with a chuckle.

    However, his response wasn''t precisely what Headmaster Rivia wanted to hear.

    "What in the actual fuck is wrong with you. Vice Headmaster Cromwell''s societal position doesn''t end with his rank in the Academy. HE IS A MEMBER OF THE PARLIAMENTARY FAMILY! ROYALTY IVAR, ROYALTY, and you just assaulted, insulted, and embarrassed such a person."

    "If Yennifer hadn''t appeared to save your ass when she did, you could have been tried and put to death on the spot!" Geralt screamed at the top of his lungs, spraying spittle into the air with every word.

    This was now the third time that Cynrik had heard the Royal Parliamentary Family mentioned, and although he should have felt some fear at the mention of their name, he only frowned.

    The Nation of Cordairious, also known as the Country Cynrik and Brance called home, had been ruled by the Cromwell Family in one way or another for thousands of years. Beginning in a simpler time, Duke Issac Cromwell overthrew the Tyrant King of the time before coronating himself into power.

    ording to the history lessons back in primary school, Issac Cromwell was a just and courageous King who fought to protect his people using an unknown power level. Some texts stated he was Tier-8, while others say he was Tier-9; however, it matters little because around 800 years ago, he was killed in a brutal war that eventually saw the rise of Modern Society with the introduction of Technology.

    Contrary to what one would expect when a King falls, there was no battle for the throne, mainly due to how mighty the crowned Prince was at the time.

    Prince Percival Cromwell was the youngest of 12 brothers and six sisters. Still, being born with extraordinary talent, he quickly surpassed all his siblings, reached Tier-7 not long before his father''s death, and was subsequently crowned as next in line for the throne.

    Under the rule of King Percival Cromwell, the small kingdom of Cordairious grew multiple times more prominent and was soon recognized as a Country. After three hundred years of wearing the crown, he stepped down and gave way to a semi-modernized version of Democracy.

    Well, at least Cynrik felt it was a semi-modernized version because, at its core, the way the Country was run wasn''t far off from being a dictatorshipbined with a monarchy.

    The reason for this was only a member of the Cromwell Family could be sworn in as the Leader of the Parliament or President of Cordairious. Unlike the nations of Earth, where anyone could run for the position of President so long as they met the requirements, the people of Cordairious could only vote for one of the nearly 200 active political members of the Cromwell Family.

    Upon winning the people''s popr vote, the new President would be given the title and power thates with it for six years. Once the term was up, they could run a second time, but if they did seed, that was it since the maximum duration a Cromwell could hold power was 12 years.

    Unlike an ordinaryw-abiding citizen of Cordairious, when Cynrik heard the name of the Vice Headmaster, he wasn''t deterred. Instead, it made him even more curious about why this man would be against a seemingly unknown student like himself.

    "But did he die?" Was all Cynrik said in response to the scolding directed his way.

    "As with everything I do, Headmaster, there was a reason behind my actions, and I am not obligated to fill you in on those reasons. But I will ask you, don''t you find it suspicious that the Vice Headmaster was adamant about suppressing me?"

    "From the moment we located the Spies, we have discussed the possibility that there was someone high up in the ranks plotting against us, and now, yet as I and my Faction appear, someone of such prestige speaks out. I do not believe in such things being ssified as a coincidence."

    "Student Ivar, your words are dangerous and borderlinew-breaking. I don''t have to tell you how many different legitive bills have been passed since our Country''s formation thatbel what you are saying as treason." This time it was Head Dean Rimsfel who spoke up.

    "Tsk, that may be the case; however, plenty ofws protect my freedom of speech. Regardless of that fact, if ites to light that Vice Headmaster Cromwell is actively targeting a group of first-year students, how do you think the judiciarymittee would react?"

    "That¡­" With a frown, Rimsfel backed down and stood silently, apparently lost in thought.

    "If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then what else is it but a duck, Headmaster Rivia? That guy stinks like oldke water. He carries none of the bearings of a member of the Parliamentary Family and even less of the physical traits." Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik ignored the look of dismay on Geralt''s face and tilted his head back to observe the tall stone archway.

    Buzzz Buzzz Buzzz

    As if mirroring Cynrik''s actions, Geralt''s Watcet rapidly began vibrating as several messages and calls came through, seemingly asking where he was.

    "Ughhh, Fuck. Damn it, Ivar, keep your freaking nose clean for the rest of this damn event. I don''t want to hear about you causing mayhem." Throwing his arms up in a mixture of anger and defeat, Geralt faced Brance and handed him a spatial device.

    "Yourpetition uniforms are inside. Since you are the more responsible brother, I will leave it to you to distribute them to the rest of your group." Turning to the members of MyrkLys and the oddly quiet Instructor Garrison, Geralt collected himself before continuing his statement.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "The Transport Portal is linked to the main arena in Valor City, where thepetition''s opening Ceremony will be held. Remember, the moment you step through, thousands of cameras from just as many news stations and online streaming tforms will train in on you in a heartbeat. Don''t panic, but remember you represent VSFA as the Tier-3 Team."

    "Everything you do and say will be shown all over Cordairious and the surrounding Nations, so please, and I beg you, PLEASE KEEP IVAR IN CHECK!"

    While Geralt was speaking, Brance swiftly distributed the new Academy uniforms to the rest of the team before stopping at Cynrik and shooting him a concerned look.

    [Don''t worry, Brancie, I won''t pull anything too over the top. The worst you have to worry about is me acting a little more shy than usual.] Cynrik said with a smirk as he took the new uniform, loaded it into an empty Loadout slot, and changed his outfit with a flick of his wrist.

    Not even a full secondter, the ck and blue uniform was gone, and in its ce was a regal golden version with red trim.

    "Tsk, fucking tacky, you couldn''t just give me pitch ck or even red?" Cynrikined as he nced toward Geralt with squinted eyes.

    "Shut up and deal with it; the Tier-3 team has always worn Gold and Red. Pin your Faction badge to your chest and get the hell through the portal." Gritting his teeth and feeling regret for enrolling Cynrik into VSFA, Geralt took a deep breath and inspected the members of MyrkLys, plus Kurza, to ensure they were all appropriately dressed.

    "I know; calm down, Headmaster. Why don''t these damn thingse loaded with a fucking hood." Cynrik dismissively stated as he popped the cor of his zer several times and stretched it into his standard Assassin-style hood, then moved on to fixing the sleeves to have fingerless gloves.

    Stepping up beside him, Selene had shortened her skirt and mimicked her boyfriend''s style, making the two of them match to an extent.

    Behind them, Gabby, Benny, Brance, and Melody all switched their uniforms in a sh of light into the new Golden variant.

    Noticing everyone was done changing and had begun modifying their uniforms to their liking, Geralt waved over Rimsfel and Garrison.

    "Keep an eye on them; you know how this goes; you are the Tier-3 team''s chaperones, whereas I am expected to go up and mingle with the other Headmasters." Geralt murmured to the other two adults while keeping an eye on Cynrik, who had gotten suspiciously close to the Transport portal and appeared to be trying to read the runic inscriptions.

    While their conversation was urring, Brance stepped up beside his brother and tried reading the rainbow of colored runes.

    [[Mom says if you don''t call her tonight, she is leaking your baby pictures online when we win.]] He blurted out at a loss for what to say after getting a minor headache from the runes.

    [[Bah, it''s not the first time she has threatened this. I doubt she would do it since she would have by now.]] Shrugging his shoulders and realizing he could actually read a handful of the inscriptions, Cynrik stated unconcerned.

    [[I don''t know, Cyn, she sounded serious this time, you have been blowing off her calls for months, and you know how much she worries. Just give her a call, she is super excited about uspeting, and more importantly, she misses us.]] Taking his eyes off the Transport Portal Archway, Brance turned to look back at Gabby, who was fussing over a tuft of fur on top of Milo''s head, which was sticking up like a cowlick.

    [[Don''t worry, Brancie, I will make sure Darling calls Mother-inw tonight. It''s not fair for him to keep avoiding her like this. Suppose I were in your guys'' situation. In that case, I''d be thrilled to have a caring parent like Cinyah.]] Pinching Cynrik''s waist to assert wifely dominance, Selene poked her head into the conversation.

    [[Ugh, fine, fine, I will call mom when we get to our hotel rooms. Our saving grace is that even though we will be back in Valor City, spectators aren''t allowed at the opening ceremonies.]] Rolling his eyes and ignoring the stinging pain emitted by Selene''s pinch, Cynrik finally yielded.

    "MyrkLys, you are being called to make your first appearance; go through the portal now, and be on your best behavior." Saving Cynrik from further embarrassment at the hands of Selene, Geralt spoke up after pressing ignore on the seemingly never-ending chain of calls and text messages threatening to explode his Watcet.

    "Head Dean Rimsfel, you are first, followed by Instructor Garrison, and then the members of MyrkLys." Geralt''s words activated the inactive Transport Portal, which changed from passive blue to vibrant green.

    Without another word, Head Dean Rimsfel passed Cynrik, Selene, and Brance, before straightening his back, wiping any emotion off his face, and stepping through the portal.

    Next was Garrison, who simrlyposed himself to Rimsfel, leaving only MyrkLys, Kurza, and Geralt behind. Looking over his shoulder at Gabby, Benny, Melody, and the new hire, Cynrik nodded, causing the others to group up in two lines behind him, then¡­MyrkLys stepped through the portal as a single and unified team.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. P.S. Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 445 Opening Ceremonies (4)

    *Commentary For the event will be done with the Commentator''s name followed by :*

    In the living room of the Pinhurst Mansion, one of the massive walls had been converted into a movie screen-sized HoloTv, which had begun projecting the live stream of the Opening Ceremony.

    On-screen, a short video filled with highlights from the previous years showed a Young Man with Silver Hair, bushy eyebrows, and a joyful smile on his chiseled jaw appearing beside a beautiful woman with light pink hair.

    The image of the handsome and fit man and the movie star-level beauty had been subject to tabloid rumors since they beganmenting on the event nearly ten years ago. Yet, here they sat in a professional studio with dozens of cameras pointed in their direction, and neither seemed bothered in the least.

    With onest fanfare of music and a rotating view of several more highlights, the man began speaking in a clear tone that could easily draw people''s attention.

    Cesar Romano: "It''s that time of the year once again! The top students from all around the Central Continent from various Countries, Nations, and Kingdoms are gathering here in Valor City to Compete for Glory, Money, and Resources."

    Cesar Romano: "Hello and wee, everyone tuning in from around the Continent; if you don''t know who I am, well, have you been living under a rock, HAHA?"

    Roni Cherish: "Now, Cesar, with the new additions to the Central Government, several new Kingdoms and Nations arepeting this year, meaning we are broadcasting to an even wider viewership this year."

    Cesar Romano: "True; for those of you who are tuning in for the first time, I am the Titled Reaver "KnifeHand" Cesar Romano, Commentator Extroidinair, and Former Four-Time World Champion in this very same Competition. I may look old now, but I''ll have you know I am only 43 this year and still single for all you beautifuldies."

    Roni Cherish: "I am the "Lunar re" Roni Cherish, also a Four-Time World Champion in the Continental Academy Competition. As we have for the better part of thest decade, the two of us will be your Commentary Staff for this year''s event."

    ---

    The speakers, carefully positioned to bathe the Pinhurst Mansion''s living room in vibrant and realistic sound, were filled with fanfare and the voices of the two Commentators. However, that wasn''t the only sound right now.

    After hanging up the call with her Brancie, Cinyah speedily raced around the house, ensuring everything was prepared for the Opening Ceremonies.

    Fluffing pillows, cingfy nkets for thedies attending since Jessup loved keeping the mansion cold, and setting up drink and snack tables, Cinyah had been working all morning long.

    Today was a big day for her and everyone attending the viewing. Their children had finally stepped into the big leagues and werepeting in the Annual Illustrious Academy Competition.

    Although Cinyah was frantically racing to and fro setting everything up, Rikard and Jessup had already finished their part, setting up the Massive HoloTv screen and speakers. Jessup had even rigged the lighting in the living room to go along with the audio giving a realistic feel to the whole thing.

    Although Rikard wasn''t the most tech-savvy person, he had significantly contributed to the speakers'' positioning. He had even moved all the furniture to make watching the event morefortable.

    DING DONG!

    "Rikard Door! It''s the Sanfords, make your loafing self useful and let them in!" Cinyah''s shrill voice from the kitchen caused Rikard to flinch and jump off the couch like a scared animal.

    After some brief greetings, Rikard ushered the nervous couple to their predetermined seats and instantly fled the scene like a good gentleman so his wife could take over from there.

    As he ran back to the kitchen to report to Cinyah, Rikard passed a happy and bubbly Aiden as he made his way down the stairs.

    "Morning, Uncle Rikard." Aiden chipperly shouted with a wave as he hopped off the top step and entered the living room, which looked vastly different from the previous night.

    "Morning, Aiden, gotta go," Rikard said with a bit of fear in his eyes as he scanned for Aiden''s Mom.

    "Woah, you and Grandpa went all out this year. You even set up the RGB lights to sh along with the sounds from the event; incredible." Aiden, who still looked to be in his early Teens since he was only Tier-1, unlike the freakish members of MyrkLys, happily ran over to the snack table and loaded up a te with chips, cookies, and little cakes before grabbing a soda and finding afy spot to sit.

    Saying good morning to the Sanford couple, who chuckled at his overly enthusiastic attitude, Aiden neatly arranged his snacks and began paying attention to thementary.

    On-screen, several teams of the roughly 1000 schools had arrived and were walking through therge arena, much like before the Olympics on Earth.

    Cesar Romano: "And herees my Alma Mater, Banes College, led by Headmaster Nar Kuu. As usual, they brought a full roster of teams and filled out a Full Tier-3 Team with Veterans."

    Roni Cherish: "It looks like Headmaster Kuu has a good batch this year, especially that youngdy leading the Tier-3 Team. I happen to have her file right here. Her name is Ka Ovend, and she is a member of the Azure Lion Tribe."

    Roni Cherish: "Last year, she put on an impressive showing as the ace of the BC Tier-3 Team, and it looks like her resultsst year were good enough to slot her in as the Tier-3 Captain this year."<novelnext></novelnext>

    While Roni spoke, a small window appeared beside the young woman carrying the g for Banes College. In the video, the young woman with a pixie haircut jumped around, dodging hundreds of arrows before unleashing a massive attack.

    Her tan skin contrasted with her bright blue short hair and fierce eyes as her athletic body bulked up suddenly, and she bared her teeth at the opponent before rushing forward to beat the shit out of him.

    Cesar Romano: "Sheesh, such a fierce youngdy. I would have rued evering up against her if I had to back then. Between her crazy speed and that strange "Forlorn Pride" ss, Ka is a shoo-in for carrying her team to at least the top 10 of this year''s Competition.

    In the Pinhurst Mansion, Aiden''s eyes sparkled with excitement as he watched the tomboyish girl beating guys several times her size with ease.

    He was the kind of person who always rooted for the underdog. Although he was cheering for Cynrik, Brance, and the members of MyrkLys, Ka profoundly affected himst year, especially since he was physically a meek and weak person.

    Watching someone simr to him in body type beat the tar out of beefy and muscr people easily was enough the form the inkling of a one-sided crush for the older girl.

    Several Academies and Schools from all over the continent entered the stadium over the next hour. The twomentators gave a brief analysis, then presented the betting odds for each group.

    One thing of note was that not every Academy or School had a full roster of Tier-1 through Tier-3 teams, but the ones that did were all hard hitters in one way or another.

    "MOM, AUNTIE CINYAH, VSFA IS UP NEXT!" Clenching his fists and giving a shout, Aiden practically summoned Maeve and Cinyah from the kitchen, startling Rikard, Jessup, and the Sanford couple as the women stormed into the room like a hurricane beforending on the couches with a soft nket wrapped around their bodies.

    "Sigh, you two are grown women; why are you acting like primary schoolers?" Seeing his daughter and her best friend, who were both wrapped up like 7-year-olds watching morning cartoons on the weekend, Jessup heaved a sigh and shook his head before directing his attention back to the screen.

    Cinyah stayed quiet as she cuddled up to her husband while Maeve opened her arms and swallowed poor Aiden into the nket like a monster.

    "Shh, Dad, we are nervous ok; we haven''t seen the kids in ages, and here they are about topete, not the Tier-1, but the Tier-2 Competition." Maeve retorted as she constrained her son, treating him like a plush toy with a tight hug of selffort.

    "Hehe, Tier-2¡­" However, Cinyah and Jessup shared a smile and a weirdugh as they were the only ones in the know about the true strength of MyrkLys.

    On-screen, things rapidly changed as the graphic indicated the next team, followed by a loud gasp of shock from bothmentators as they read through the data they had received about the next Academy.

    Cesar Romero: "Well, this is quite a shock; if I didn''t trust my sources, then I would think what I am seeing is the biggest joke of all time! Contrary to popr convention, Vesemir School For Affinities has undergone aplete restructuring of their Tier-3 Team!"

    Cesar Romero: "For the first time in history, all but one member of the seven-man Tier-3 team is filled with FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS! THAT''S RIGHT, FOLKS, FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS! THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED!"

    ? Jumping to his feet and ripping the microphone off its stand, Cesar hopped up on the desk like a child and began chirping excitedly. Unfortunately for him, Roni was too strong and fast, as, with one arm, she caught her comentator by the back of his pants and simply flung him away with ease.

    Having been flung backward with such a sudden force, poor Cesar flew through the air, tumbling through the studio, andnded on his head unsightly with his butt exposed to the camera. However, this didn''t bother him, as he reappeared back in hismentary chair as if nothing had happened.

    Roni Cherish: "You idiot, don''t block my view. However, what that dolt has said is true. The previous Tier-3 team has seemingly vacated their position, leaving only the former Captain as a backup member of the squad. I am presently getting word that Six of the team members are from a newly rising Faction named Mer¡­Meir¡­MyrkLys?"

    Cesar Romero: "Although the amount of information we have gathered isn''trge, what we know is the names of each of thepetitors, and it appears that the members of MyrkLys have passed several physical exams indicating they can fight above their Level. Which will be a key factor moving forward since the six of them are Newly Advanced Tier-3 beings!"

    Suddenly, the camera panned away from the Tier-1 and Tier-2 teams and focused in on the intimidating scene of a thin young man wearing a hood and a golden uniform. Behind him, his team members stood in two orderly lines, thest two in each line being prominent young men with muscr builds.

    "HOLY SHIT! TIER-3 HOW WHAT, IS THIS REAL LIFE?" Maeve was the first to break the stunned silence in the Pinhurst Mansion as she jumped to her feet and ran toward the screen to try and get a good look at the group.

    "Woah¡­" Aiden barely had enough time to say a word as he was tossed aside like a used napkin, but still, he didn''tin as he was too stunned at how quickly Cynrik and Brance had grown.

    "My Babies are so strong now." Mrs. Sanford said through tears, while Mr. Sanford hugged her tightly and nodded.

    "HAHAHA, That rascal really pulled it off, that crazy n of his HAHAHA!" Rikard shouted in joy as he violently shook Jessup around.

    Only Cinyah was calm as she sat in ce, sipping her tea with a smile on her lips.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. P.S. Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 446 Always Paranoid

    POV: MyrkLys

    Looking over his shoulder at Gabby, Benny, Melody, and the new hire, Cynrik nodded, causing the others to group up in two lines behind him, then¡­MyrkLys stepped through the portal as a single and unified team.

    As what usually happens when crossing great distances instantly, or just teleporting in general, the familiar feeling of one''s stomach hitting their feet was enough to startle almost everyone. The only exceptions were Cynrik and Selene, who have limated to the sensation thanks to skills they both possess.

    The ones most affected by this sensation were, of course, Gabby, Milo, and Melody. The moment they stepped through, their cheeks puffed out, and it took a couple of seconds for the three to force down the puke threatening to spew out of their mouths.

    Brance, Benny, and Kurza faired slightly better and only ended up stumbling for a second before gulping down a mouthful of saliva.

    Cynrik paused his steps outside the transport portal for a moment, observed his surroundings, and soon realized where he had been transported appeared simr to arge airport terminal.

    He could see several simr areas, which could only be described as Gates, with signs such as C1 or C2 posted down a long corridor, with thest in line being C-12.

    A few meters ahead, Head Dean Rimsfel and Instructor Garrison conversed with a pair of men in ck suits wearing sunsses and holding clipboards. Seeing these two men in ck, Cynrik got a strange sense of Deja Vu as they reminded him of the image of generic television FBI agents. Still, the small metallic badge on thepel of their suit jackets made him realize they were Competition Organization Staff.

    He had seen the logo on the badge hundreds of times on TV, and it was just as familiar to him as the Olympic Rings back on Earth. With that thought in mind, Cynrik ignored their presence and waited for Garrison and Rimsfel to call his group over.

    [[Fuck, I hate teleporting. You''d figure I would be used to the feeling by now.]] Branceined after checking on Gabby and Milo.

    [[It''s your own fault Brancie. Darling has been trying to get you conditioned for ages, but you always put it off whenever ites up. Had you heeded his advice, like me, you wouldn''t be about to toss your lunch after every teleportation.]] Selene sassily responded as she puffed out her abundant chest in pride.

    [[Who in their right mind would let that sadist repeatedly drag them in and out of the Shadow Realm hundreds of times with the sole purpose of "Conditioning," sure, it works, but I am not about to allow that.]] Pulling out a tin of mints from his inventory, Brance popped one in his mouth and gave one to Gabby and Milo to eliminate the awful taste.

    Behind him, Benny was doing the same thing; however, instead of mints, it was sticks of gum, which Melody and Kurza thankfully epted. No one wanted to have bad breath or taste puke all day long, so it was a weed courtesy.

    Before any further banter could continue, the two adults and the Event organizers walked over to MyrkLys, stopped in front of Cynrik, cleared their throats, and waited for his introduction.

    "Hm? Oh, Ivar Ragnarsson, VSFA Tier-3 Team Leader, and Leader of MyrkLys." Confused at first at the awkward silence, Cynrik cleared his throat and extended his right hand toward the closest Man in ck.

    [[Hehe, look at him being all professional. It''s so uncharacteristic.]] Brance teased with a small smile creeping unto his lips.

    [[I know, righttt~ Darling is so handsome when he is putting on an act.]]

    Although the two were teasing him, neither Selene nor Brance showed any outward reaction and continued standing at attention.

    "Wee to the Valor City TTT *Teleportation Transport Terminal*; please scan your Watcet on this tablet, and you will be assigned your lodging. The Opening Ceremonies have already begun, but there is still quite a time before your VSFA is to enter the Arena." Grasping Cynrik''s outstretched hand, the Man was surprised that Cynrik hadn''t bothered to test his strength and moved right into a standard procedure.

    With a nod and a data transfer by way of Cynrik''s Watcet, MyrkLys was quickly registered for the Competition and shown as "Arrived" on all the official documentation.

    "Alright, I will make this as quick and painless as possible. No one likes repeating themselves, so please listen carefully." The second Man in ck started to say, receiving an imperceivable frown from Cynrik.

    "For the Competition duration, you are to remain within the confines of 2 city blocks of the Arena. Although you are allowed free reign and aren''t confined to your lodgings, you will not be allowed to leave the area for any reason. This is a regtion to keep the Event running smoothly and fair at all times."

    Hearing this information, Cynrik tilted his head slightly in agitation. He had been under the impression that they would travel weekly topete; Geralt hadn''t mentioned anything about being locked down in Valor City.

    "During the event, your lodging, an apartmentrge enough for each team member to have a room, will be fully stocked with all the necessary food and training materials, such as workout machines and sparring robots."

    "Lastly, you will have teachers from your Academye by periodically for private lessons, and your Instructor will be by regrly to check your progress."

    "If a team member is injured to the point of requiring medical attention, your Instructor needs to be your point of contact, and we will dispatch the necessary Medical Staff."

    "Every day between 4 pm and 8 pm, you will be allowed to leave your lodgings and head down to the event area for "Recreation Time," where you can either shop or explore the allotted area."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You must be back in your lodgings by noter than 8 pm every night. If found outside passed curfew, your team and Academy will have Event Points or EP docked, and you will be individually fined."

    "If you wish to go and watch the Events in the Arena, you must fill out an admission slip, and you will receive a ticket to watch yourpetitors. However, remember that these tickets will cost you 25,000 Credits each and are on a firste, first-serve basis."

    With each new bit of information the Event Organizer spewed, the tighter Cynrik''s fist clenched. Unlike the first guy, who had shaken his hand, this second guy was not only condescending and annoying, but the way he continued to talk down on Cynrik was pissing him off to no end.

    "Last but not least, under no circumstances are you to get into a physical altercation of ANY KIND with another Competition Team or Individual registered in the Event outside of the actual Event. If you are found fighting, you will not only be cklisted from future Competitions, but you will also be expelled from the current one and your Academy."

    Upon finishing his speech, the Man lifted his tablet and pointed it at every member of MyrkLys with a sneer.

    "If you understand and agree to the terms, sign the document I have sent to each of your Watcets."

    Simultaneously, everyone''s devices dinged loudly, causing the Members of MyrkLys to hold up their arms and open the text document.

    Seeing the reaction of these kids, the second Man in ck nodded contently; however, a momentter, he frowned deeply. As opposed to what he expected, none of the members of MyrkLys, including the new hire, immediately signed the document, unlike everypetitor he had spoken with previously.

    Instead, the members of MyrkLys stood at attention with their Watcet Arm raised and read through the entire document''s contents. Once finished, they calmly waited for Cynrik''s response.

    The only one who instinctively went to sign the document was Kurza, but Benny quickly stopped him from doing so and motioned for him to wait for Cynrik''s confirmation.

    "Competitor Ivar, what seems to be the issue?" Suddenly feeling nervous, the second Man in ck asked with a trickle of sweat running down his right temple.

    "Hm? You see, I and my Faction don''t willy-nilly sign everything handed to us. So calmly sit put while I read through the entirety of the document first." Tilting his head to the side and speaking with a tone that sent a chill down the Man''s spine. Cynrik looked away from the coward and continued reading through the contract until he finally located a use he disagreed with.

    "Article 32-AD-B, Any team found in conflict with another team that has already initiatedbat is not to fight back, and instead must contact the appropriate authorities. This use is bullshit. Essentially you expect us to sit there and get our asses kicked if hostile enemies attack."

    "Competitor Ivar, this is standard procedure, and the contract is uniform; everyone must sign¡­." The Man started to say, but the instant the words left his mouth, he felt an oppressive force weigh down on his body as Cynrik unleased a hint of Killing Intent.

    Turning to look at Garrison, who was smirking, and Rimsfel, who had a concerned look, Cynrik smacked his lips before speaking.

    "Instructor, Head Dean, can you confirm the validity of his statement?"

    Three things happened in that instant; the first was Instructor Garrison and the First Man in ck moving into action to target the second Man in ck, and the second was the Man kicking off the ground and attempting to flee. The jig was up, he had been found out, and he needed to get away as soon as possible.

    The final thing to ur was Cynrik rushing forward and unleashing the fullest extent of his Killing Intent, effectively immobilizing the fleeing Man instantly.

    BANG

    "AHHH AHHH, LET ME GO, YOU BASTARDS!" The Man screamed as his body mmed into the ground with Garrison kneeling on his back and the First Man in ck securing the guy''s legs.

    "Tut, idiot. If you are going to try trapping us in some bullshit scheme, then at least try not to make it so obvious." Kneeling down and gripping the restrained Man''s head by the back of his hair, Cynrik forced the Man to look up at him.

    As this was happening, Head Dean Rimsfel had already begun contacting the proper authorities. The restrained Man may have been Tier-4, but between Cynrik''s insanely high KIN, and the presence of Garrison and the First Event Organizer, he didn''t feel the need to step in.

    "Sigh, too bad for you, I guess, that I am paranoid as hell, Garrison; I found over 12 inconsistent uses in the contract he sent us, so he is one of those ipetent bastards sent to sabotage us." Then, not feeling an ounce of pity, Cynrik smashed the guy''s head into the ground hard enough to shatter his teeth and break his nose before getting up and walking back to his team.

    Meanwhile, the first Man in ck, who Cynrik had determined to be "Clean," broke the captured spy''s legs and several of his vertebrae, rendering him paralyzed, earning him a curt and approving nod from Cynrik.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 447 Trouble Enroute

    Tilting his head to the side and popping his neck loudly, Cynrik followed up with a sniffle and walked back over toward his brother.

    [You know, I bitch about you being paranoid all the time, but this really takes the cake, Cyn. Apart from how, why were you even concerned about the staff?] Brance asked as he tossed a nce at the cripple Spy as several security guards came to arrest him.

    [He had too many tells in his bodynguage. From the moment he saw us, he had that arrogant attitude. Plus, he kept subtly fidgeting as he spoke. Then partner that, with all the other nervous ticks he had, it wasn''t hard to figure out something was going on.] Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik quickly texted Geralt, telling him what happened and waiting for a response.

    [And the first guy wasn''t on your radar?] Feeling that Cynrik wasn''t telling the whole story, Brance pushed for answers.

    [Eh, that guy is too much like you, honest as shit, and clearly wears all his emotions and thoughts for everyone to see. For example, when I didn''t do a standard force grip greeting and instead opted for a customary handshake, he was a little bit too excited by the prospect that I wasn''t someone with Young Master Syndrome.]

    [That was enough to recognize him as incapable of being a spy. Or at least it was; seeing how quickly he went into action to subdue the Spy is a little sketchy.] Cynrik''s eyes flickered with light as he activated [Mana Sight] and nced at the security guards carting off the prisoner.

    Recognizing the faint light glowing in his older brother''s eyes, Brance followed suit and activated his ocr skill. However, after a few seconds of not seeing anything out of the ordinary, Brance squinted his eyes in confusion.

    [What are we looking for?] He asked with hesitation in case Cynrik was doing some kind of detective work he was unaware of.

    [Nothing; I ammitting their Mana signature to memory, just in case.] Flicking his eyes toward Brance and spotting the confused look on his younger brother''s face, Cynrik sighed and exined his reasoning, but not before harassing him.

    [How the fuck have you not recognized that everyone''s Mana signature is slightly different by now? We''ve had [Mana Sight] since birth, and I noticed it within days of learning how to activate the skill.]

    [Listen, I don''t have that stupid attention to detail you so proudly boast about, just exin already.] Brance snorted as he stepped back a bit to distance himself from the irate Cynrik.

    [Ugh, it''s like fingerprints. No two people have the same Mana Signature; to my knowledge, it isn''t easily detected. Or at least that is my theory. I am confident some devices exist that can detect personalized signatures, like databases thatpile fingerprints.]

    [However, I have yet toe in contact with such a device. Since we arrived at VSFA, I''ve been subtly memorizing people''s Mana Signatures and keeping them categorized in the back of my mind.]

    [And let me guess, you suspect that the crippled guy will be back in action rtively quickly because one or more of those guards are working for our enemies?] Brance added as he hid the "Ah HA!" expression threatening to appear on his face.

    [Pretty much, what you call paranoid, I call being ready for any scenario; thus, I take mental snapshots of everyone we interact with. This way, I don''t get caught off guard when shit hits the fanter. And mark my words, expect shit to hit the fan at some point.] Cynrik stated while checking his vibrating Watcet.

    Reading through the text, Cynrik dropped his arm and walked away from the members of MyrkLys toward Rimsfel, who was deep in conversation with the first Event Organizer.

    "How did this happen, with how tight security is? Exin to me how someone could infiltrate your ranks and propose a falsified contract to my Team?" With evident fury in his voice, Rimsfel stood imposingly over the Staff member.

    This was when Cynrik arrived and cut in by walking up beside the Head Dean and tapping him on the shoulder.

    "It''s okay; we are used to this kind of shit. There''s a reason I am so adamant about doing things my way Head Dean. Anyway, I have already informed the Headmaster, and he has informed the higher-ups."

    BUZZZ BUZZZ BUZZ

    As if waiting for Cynrik''s announcement, the Event Organizer and Rimsfel''s Watcet''s began vibrating obnoxiously. The Organizer excused himself to take the call, and Rimsfel opened a video conference with Geralt.

    After a brief conversation, the Event Organizer returned and was promoted because of what happened, meaning it was now his job to issue the Contestant Contracts.

    With that information in hand, the Event Organizer, who introduced himself as Jeremy Astro, sent over the formal contracts to the members of MyrkLys. After another round of reading the lengthy contract, Cynrik gave a nod of approval and signed it before having the other group members sign it as well.

    Although nearly identical to the fake contract, this one expanded the roaming area, allowed contestants to move around five city blocks on their daily break, and gave the members of MyrkLys free tickets to any of thepetition events.

    Their apartment was also upgraded to a swanky and expensive one, unlike the basic apartment given to most Competitors. As it turns out, lodgings distribution was based on Academy ranking in the previous Competition. With the upgrade, MyrkLys now had an apartment simr to the one given to top-10 Academy teams.<novelnext></novelnext>

    However, benefits aside, the most significant change was all the entrapment uses Cynrik had rooted out in the fake contract. What it boiled down to was you were allowed to defend yourself if another Academy Team attacked you first, but you would need proper evidence proving it was self-defense.

    With the contracts sorted, and the Spy taken to parts unknown to be interrogated, Mr. Jeremy, as he liked to be called, ushered everyone through the Airport like TTP and down to a sizeable ck hover van.

    "This is where we will be parting ways, I again apologize for the incident, but I hope that the added benefits you have received will be enough for you to drop this matter and not spread it." Extending his hand to Cynrik, who returned the handshake, Mr. Jeremy was practically begging that everyone keep the whole thing under wraps.

    "No problem, Mr. Jeremy, so long as everything listed in the contract is in our new lodging; I have no problem letting this go," Cynrik said with a smile that wasn''t a smile under his hood.

    With that said, the members of MyrkLys, Garrison, and Rimsfel piled into the vehicle and began making their way across town toward the colossal Arena.

    Having spent some time in Valor City, Cynrik and Brance knew precisely where they were heading. Still, even if they didn''t, it was hard to miss the massive domed Arena that stood over 100 meters tall and could easily pack in over a million people and was the equivalent of 60 American football fields packed into one ce.

    Although Valor City was filled with magnificent skyscrapers simr to Tokyo or Dubai, the city''s blueprint seemed to have been made with the Arena in mind since, from just about any street, you would be able to get a rtively clear view of the giant dome.

    Riding in the car''s front seat, Cynrik leaned back in thefy chair with his arms crossed and eyes closed. Yet, even so, he had his [Mana Sight] active and was constantly observing the surroundings, and with good reason.

    [[We''ve gotpany,]] Cynrik stated in the group mind link, causing Brance and Selene to stiffen.

    [[How many?]] Activating his [Mana Sight] and casually looking out the windows as if sightseeing, Brance quickly located several suspicious cars sporadically following at different ranges.

    [[I''ve spotted eight packed Hover-Suvs, with each having a minimum of five battle-ready enemies, each of which is between Tier-3 and Mid-Tier-4. OH, Would you look at that? Our little Cripple friend is with them.]] Cynrik snorted with a sadistic grin tugging at his lips.

    [[Fuck, guys, if there are as many of them as you say, we can''t fight them. If it were two, maybe even three groups, our chances wouldn''t be that bad, especially with Instructor Garrison and Head Dean Rimsfel.]] Selene cut in a while, wearing a worried expression hidden under her hood.

    [[It''s no biggy, I''ve got a n, everyone buckle up and make sure the others have both their harness and seatbelts on.]] Cynrik said before uncrossing his arms.

    "Garrison, don''t freak out, but we''ve got arge number of enemies tailing us. When I give you the signal, I want you to swap seats with me, and I will lose them." Dropping his hood and unbuckling his seatbelt, Cynrik spoke up, startling most of the people in the car, especially Garrison and Rimsfel.

    "How bad is it? I know you and your brother have that strange ocr skill, but I need exact numbers." Although caught off guard, it wasn''t like Garrison was an innocent man, and he was well aware that Cynrik wouldn''t joke about something this serious.

    "I''ve spotted about eight different suspicious vehicles, and most of the people in them are from that group of guards who carted off that asshole before we left. Not to mention they healed the guy and brought him with them. Swap with me now." The moment he said the words, in a sh, Cynrik and Garrison swapped seats, with Garrison now sitting in the passenger seat and Cynrik behind the steering wheel.

    "Do you even know how to drive? I mean, you aren''t even old enough yet." Rimsfelined from the second of four-row seats as he fastened the waist belt and the two strapped harnesses that covered his shoulders.

    "Nope, never driven one of these before, but how hard can it be? I''ve yed hundreds of flight simtors, and I should be good to go with a few adjustments." After making sure the auto-pilot was still on, Cynrik quickly pulled the waist belt across his body, buckled it, and grabbed both the shoulder straps from either side of the seat''s headrest to buckle them between his legs.

    Next, using his Watcet and the program he used to take control of their dorm''s security measures back at VSFA, Cynrik hacked into the onboardputer system to disengage any safety features that limited things such as speed and flight height.

    "Crrrstt, This is your captain speaking; wee aboard Umbral Airlines, where yourfort isn''t guaranteed. The wind speeds at our cruising altitude are rtively weak, so I don''t expect to see too much turbulence. However, since we will be taking some sharp turns and radically climbing periodically, I would like everyone to buckle both sets of safety belts at this time." Sitting up straight and gripping the U-shaped steering wheel with his left hand and his right hand taking hold of the throttle on the center console, Cynrik chirped like an experiencedmercial pilot.

    "Oh, for fucks sake, Kid, you better not get us killed!" Garrisonined as he pulled out a handful of paper bags and passed them back to the members of MyrkLys, just in case.

    "Bah, what are you worried about, Garrison? If you thought you could outrun them, you would have never given me the wheel." shing a smile and re-tieing his ponytail, Cynrik adjusted the rear-view mirror and looked at everyone in the back seats.

    "It''s twenty kilometers to the Arena, and these guys behind us aren''t about to make it easy for us to arrive. So hang on to your underwear, folks; the ride is about to get bumpy." With that said, Cynrik disengaged the autopilot, pushed the throttle to full speed, and pulled back on the steering column, forcing the hover-van''s engines to whine loudly as the vehicle banked hard skyward, forcing everyone into their seats.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 448 High Speed, High Altitude Chase!

    With quick movements, Cynrik disengaged the autopilot system, pushed the throttle to full speed, and pulled back on the steering column, forcing the hover-van''s engines to whine as it banked hard skyward, forcing everyone into their seats.

    [[TOBS, METAL COVER OF THE HALO THEME!]] Feeling his body sink deeper into the plush seat as the vehicle climbed rapidly and sharply into the air, Cynrik did the first thing that came to mind and demanded some background music.

    -Now ying "Halo Theme [Intense Symphonic Metal Cover] by FalKKonE.-

    A confident smile crept onto Cynrik''s lips as he heard the familiar chanting chorus of the song. Taking a slow deep breath as the pressure on his body began rising to the 5g mark and beyond, he focused solely on the music and closed his eyes while imagining the parabolic arc he wanted to take.

    Counting down in his head and tapping his foot along with the chant, the instant the drums kicked in, Cynrik''s eyes snapped open, and a glimmer of light flickered through his iris as he activated [Mana Sight].

    In the seat behind Cynrik''s, Selene''s body tensed hard enough to be considered a flinch, not from the increased g''s she was subjected to, thanks to the intense angle Cynrik had banked the Hover-Van, but instead because her boyfriend had triggered a loud song in her mind.

    She had always found it odd that he had this little quirk, and when Selene finally worked up the courage to ask Brance about it, the answer she got was both surprising and not at the same time.

    He exined that although it may seem weird to anyone else, for Cynrik, whose mind was a constant storm of insane and unstoppable thoughts, the "Background Music" allowed him to focus on a single thing. Thus, whenever they were in a precarious situation, Cynrik would request a song.

    This memory shed through Selene''s mind but was soon pushed away as her training kicked in, causing her to take short sharp breaths tobat the g-force pressing her into her seat, which had now crossed passed 7gs and was steadily climbing along with the vehicle.

    Behind her, Brance had activated his [Mana Sight], and his eyes kept flicking to the side mirrors as he watched the traffic jam they were previously in disappear, revealing not eight but ten ck SUVs making chase.

    "KssT, Breaking Ksst in ten!." Cynrik stated, sucking in sharp breaths as he spoke. Gripping the u-shape steering wheel with his left hand hard enough that he was sure to have left finger-shaped dents in the rubbery material, he checked the rear-view mirror. He felt proud that every one of the members of MyrkLys was using the proper breathing technique he had taught them.

    However, his eyes narrowed when he saw that Rimsfel and Kurza were out cold and pale-faced due to experiencing G-force beyond their limit. As Cynrik recognized the symptoms in both of them, a curious thought popped into his head. That thought was the apparent difference between the gravitation pressure applied by Killing Intent and the G-force exerted by high speeds.

    Unfortunately, he couldn''t focus on the thought due to his current predicament. It was soon lost to the storm of random thoughts in his mind as he subconsciously hit ten on his mental countdown.

    "Ksst BRACE!" When Cynrik uttered those words, he pulled the wheel to the left, executed an inverted roll maneuver, and pushed the steering column in slightly, turning the steep climb into arge arc. With the belly of the vehicle facing the sky, Cynrik angled into arge and wide arc before beginning the descent.

    When the vehicle started its long descent, multiple rms went off inside the hover-van. Still, they were instantly cut off by Cynrik pressing a few buttons on the u-shaped wheel as he tilted his head upward and looked out the moonroof to locate all the iing enemies.

    But when he counted ten instead of eight SUVs, Cynrik clicked his tongue.

    [[We got ten bogeys,]] Brance said as he noticed Cynrik''s line of sight.

    [[Copy, Selene, I need you to prep your phase skill. If we want to lose these guys, we will need to do some sleight-of-hand shit. Either they predicted I would make a break for it, or they are just that good; we will have contact with the enemy before we reach our target location.]]

    [[Copy, preparing now.]] Selene didn''t need to be told twice, and she immediately began channeling arge amount of Mana, then Cycled it through her body.

    A secondter, Selene frowned, something that didn''t escape Cynrik''s sight as he peeked at her through the rear-view mirror.

    [[How much Mana will it take?]] He asked while removing his hand from the throttle and gripping the wheel with both hands.

    [[Roughly 45 percent. I''ve got an idea of what you want to try, but I can only do it twice, so make it count.]]

    [[Someone wanna fill me in, or do I have to sit in Suspense?]] Feeling left out and a little worried about what the two crazies were cooking up, Brance cut in before gripping the armrests of his seat with both hands to force his butt froming up off the chair.

    [[Suspense, no time to exin.]] Seeing that the pack of enemies was drawing near, Cynrik suddenly pulled the steering column toward his belly, forcing the vehicle to break free of the long arc.

    Then with near-perfect timing, he rotated the wheel with one hand to the left, reaching over and pulling back on the throttle, reducing the engine''s power by roughly 60 percent.

    The result was that the hover-van nearly ended up mming into oing traffic since Cynrik hadpleted his maneuver, which involved climbing over 3048 meters *10,000 feet* then diving straight into the freeway-like air roads.

    The horns of ring cars and angry people screaming from their windows did not faze Cynrik as he cork-screwed around the flight pattern resembling a freeway. Next, he mmed the throttle back to full power, directing him straight toward one of the many Valor City skyscrapers.

    "FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCKKK!" Brance''s eyes shot wide open as he realized the crazy stunt Cynrik wanted to pull, and in the passenger seat, Garrison too began panicking, only he was still trying to catch his breath and thus was unable to scream.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Crossing his arms over his face and shutting his eyes tightly, Garrison was convinced that this was the end. However, when the impact and the subsequent explosion didn''t ur, he opened his eyes again, only to find that everything had changed.

    He could still see everything clear as day, but instead of the inside of the hover-van, he was now surrounded by shadowy ck gas. Well, surrounded wasn''t the right word to describe it; rather, it was more urate to say that he had be the shadowy ck gas.

    Just when Garrison was about to say something, he remembered that Selene had shown off a simr skill and quickly put two and two together before deciding to sit put and go with the flow since he currently had zero control over his section of the gas.

    Luckily for him, Garrison didn''t have to wait long. Not even half a secondter, the gas shot toward one centralized focal point after clearing two 60-story tall buildings and re-materialized into the vehicle and everyone''s bodies.

    [[I''m on empty!]] Selene stated as she set about chugging Mana potions and feeling exhausted.

    [[No problem.]] Smirking Cynrik cut a hard right and weaved through multiple buildings while keeping rtively low to the ground, scaring everyone going about their daily lives.

    Banking left and right with each turn, Cynrik took a crazy flight path that not even the most experienced Earthling Fighter Pilots would attempt due to the sheer danger imposed on such a n.

    Still, if there was one massive advantage Cynrik had over them, it was his stats. Between his Tier-3.5 physique, and his high AGI and DEX, this kind of movement was challenging but not impossible. With the elerated thinking brought on by his high MIND and INT stats, Cynrik could plot out his path as he went and then execute it with zero ws.

    Or so that would have been the case if, at one of the turns, one of the enemy SUVs didn''t m into their vehicle like it was a bumper car, throwing it off course and causing Cynrik to take evasive maneuvers involving several barrel rolls and sharp angled turns. His actions were so jarring that they forced up bile from everyone''s stomachs.

    "BLERGGGG!" Gabby was the first to break. Uncaring about how it looked, her cheeks puffed out from motion sickness, and she scrambled to open the sickbag handed to her by Garrison earlier.

    "URP, FUCK!" Next was Garrison himself.

    "FUCK YOU, IVAR GACK!" Followed by Benny.

    "BLECH," andstly, Melody.

    With Kurza and Rimsfel still unconscious and their bodies limply iling about, neither threw up, and Selene was used to her stomach flipping due to her movement skill.

    What was surprising was that Brance seemed fine as his head whipped around to follow all ten enemy vehicles.

    [[Cyn, they''ve got uspletely surrounded. Who the fuck are these guys?]] Brance asked with aposed yet serious expression.

    [[I can''t focus on the individuals in the cars, Brancie, that''s on you, leave the flying to me, you''re the former cop, so do cop things!]] Gritting his teeth and pulling out of the spiral of his twelfth consecutive barrel roll, Cynrik chided.

    [[Wait, speaking of cops, where the fuck are the Enforcers?]] Bringing up the topic caused a sh of something to flicker through Cynrik''s eyes.

    [[It''s an inside job, from what I see through [Mana Sight], these guys are all wearing some form or another of different uniforms. From Military ones to what I assume to be police officers or Enforcers. How fucking deep are the ws of our Grandfather and that Opurn Guy?]] Twisting his body to get a good look at the enemies, Brance spoke his observations in a worried tone.

    [[It''s not just them anymore. This is far beyond what kind of shit they can dig up alone. If I had to make a guess, I''d say they sold our information on the ck market in some petty attempt to fuck us over before we could reach the arena.]]

    [[Too bad for them, though,]] Taking a deep breath, Cynrik mimicked Selene''s earlier actions and started channeling the bulk of his avable MP.

    [[that I am not an easy fucking target.]] With that said, Cynrik expelled 40% of his avable Mana in the form of an inky ck substance that engulfed everyone in the vehicle.

    Before he enacted his n, Cynrik pushed the steering column, forcing the hover-van''s nose to angle down and take on a collision course with the ground.

    Half a second after being covered, MyrkLys, Kurza, Garrison, and Rimsfel vanished from the vehicle just before it mmed into the ground and turned into a concussive fireball that shook everything for several blocks as the Mana-Fusion Engine exploded on impact.

    BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 449 Extracting Information And Recon Mission (1)

    BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!

    A massive impact shockwave spread for several blocks as the Mana-Fusion Engine exploded into a violent blue and silver ball of consuming fire. But just as soon as the explosion urred, it was suppressed. Every building in the vicinity lit up with golden runes, and a thin Mana Barrier enveloped any nearby pedestrians.

    Before the damage could get out of hand, a swirling vortex of energy struck the fire, absorbing it like a vacuum. Within seconds, only metal shards and a burned-out Hover-Van carcass remained of what had once been a catastrophic level explosion.

    Yet before the Mana Barriers could be retracted, nearly a dozen cked-out SUVs descended from the sky and set about quarantining the Area of impact, with several people in uniforms taking control of the scene.

    Among those in uniforms was a grizzled old man who seemed to be a detective of some sort, wearing a long ck overcoat and nked on either side by men in Enforcer uniforms.

    "Crazy bastard, the pilot of that vehicle chose to kill himself and his group instead of falling into our hands," ckCoat grumbled as he sifted through the rubble, looking for corpses.

    "Anything on who was piloting the van? The two adults don''t have any record of being able to fly like that, nor do they have any pilot training." Looking away from the ckened vehicle, ckCoat asked one of the members of his entourage.

    "Sir, I''ve gone through the CCTV footage, and from what I can tell, it appears that when we were noticed, the Team Captain, Ivar Ragnarsson swapped seats with his Instructor and took over from there." One of the Enforcers stated as he continued sifting through thepiled data.

    "How? How can a newly advanced Tier-3 boy no older than 14 outpace and pilot us without training? Let alone that he somehow disabled all the onboard safety features for that vehicle. Are you trying to tell me the kid is some kind of freakish Fighter Pilot Genius?" With a frown, ckCoat turned away from the Man, flicked his wrist, channeling some Mana, and cleared the debris from the vehicle.

    However, his frown deepened when he realized something vital was missing from the wreckage.

    "Fuck! SET UP A PERIMETER; NO ONE GETS IN OR OUT! THE TARGETS HAVE ESCAPED SOMEHOW AND ARE ON THE RUN! WE MUSTN''T ALLOW THEM TO REACH THE ARENA!" ckCoat yelled in an authoritative tone as he slowly spun around while observing his surroundings.

    ---

    "Tsk, fucking corrupt assholes, Oi Garrison, what the fuck is going on? How can there not only be military members trying to stop us from reaching the Competition, but even the Enforcers are after our asses."

    Standing on the top of what could only be described as the medieval ruins of what was once arge settlement, Cynrik snorted loudly while pulling his hood down and eavesdropping on the group searching for him and the members of MyrkLys.

    "What, how, where, HUH?" That was all Instructor Garrison could say. Things had happened so fast that he couldn''t even react fast enough after realizing Cynrik was about to get them all killed.

    But just as they were about to hit the ground, and Garrison saw his life shing before his eyes, an inky ck substance rose from the vehicle''s floor and covered him and everyone else in the Hover-Van.

    Everything changed when the vehicle''s front end made contact with the ground. Garrison experienced a forceful tug as his body sunk deeper into the inky ck substance and then into the ground.

    From there, he found himself floating in a weightless ck-and-white world, several dozen meters in the air, and upon looking down, he noticed what seemed to be a ruinous ancient city.

    However, his observation time was cut short as the ck material retracted from his body. Soon after, he saw Brance floating over to catch him, with the unconscious Kurza under his left arm and Head Dean Rimsfel under the other.

    [[THAT WAS AWESOME DARLING~~~!]] Making her way over to Cynrik as the group descended into the ruins, Selene pulled down her hood and looked at her boyfriend with sparkling eyes.

    [[It wasn''t bad, but this¡­hm, this is new?]] Catching Selene with one hand around her waist and pulling her up against his body, Cynrik nced around with [Mana Sight] still active. It had been on since the moment he got into the van, and it had yed a big part in his navigation of the cityscape at high speeds.

    Unlike thendscape he had gotten used to, which amounted to a sizeable shadowy forest, this time, the Area hended in the Shadow Realm was vastly different than expected. Gone were the trees, and in their ce were ruins.

    [[Cyn, what is up with the Shadow Realm? I thought it was always that weird shadow forest ce. This¡­ looks like an abandoned medieval town; look over there; there''s even a destroyed castle.]] Even Brance was confused as he guided Garrison toward the destroyed stone road below.

    "We don''t have time to worry about this ce; that is forter; for now, we are running out of time before our turn for the Opening Ceremony walk out, and¡­" Cynrik paused and nced at the sky, where he saw the fruits of his deceptive escape were being found out.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "MyrkLys, your mission is to get to the Arena ASAP." Spinning around a couple of times while he spoke, Cynrik''s eyes flicked around too fast for an ordinary person to see anything except a blur, and he suddenly pointed toward the south.

    "The Arena is that way. I could clear all but thest two kilometers, so you will have to hoof it. But with ZeroG, it shouldn''t be too hard. I will rendezvous with you in a while; I have some things to take care of, so go now."

    At his order, not one of the members of MyrkLys fought him or argued; instead, they all kicked off the ground and speedily left in the direction he pointed without hesitation. With a quick handoff of the unconscious people to Benny, Brance looked toward Garrison, who nodded and decided to follow along without asking any questions, even if he was insanely curious about what he was seeing.

    [Brancie, when you get there, observe the surrounding situation. I want you to have everyone spread out and locate any hidden enemies around the outside of the arena and pick out the entry location carefully. The moment we emerge from the Shadow Realm, I feel all hell will break loose.] He said without bothering to watch everyone leave; then Cynrik jumped toward the destroyed castle and climbed to its highest point.

    [Copy, I assume you are going to collect data on who was targeting us, just don''t do anything fucking stupid. We are already in a shitstorm of a situation as is, so don''t make it worse.]

    [Yeah yeah, I''ve got shit to do, so go do your task; I will meet up with you guys in a few minutes.] With that said, Cynrik kicked off the stone, fragmenting it, andunched himself into the air before using a stream of fire to fly close to the barrier between the Shadow Realm and reality.

    With a few more bursts of fire, he positioned himself under the parked SUVs and started taking note of all the enemy Mana Signatures. Unsurprisingly, many of which he already had cataloged. But when he spotted the most familiar one, a creepy grin spread across Cynrik''s lips.

    ''There you are, you fucking piece of shit.'' Cynrik thought as he mmed down both arms. With a flick of both wrists, all fourteen hidden des were ejected from his Assassins tools, only to be taken control of by his new Umbral de-Dancer Skill [Dance of des].

    With a soft hum, Cynrik waved his left arm, causing the sentient des to swirl around him close enough that he could leave a seal on each one with his second skill [Disorient].

    After establishing the seal on each de, Cynrik equipped his two Kodachi, drew the swords, and quickly ced a [Disorient] seal on both before looking up at his target and pointing his right Kodachi at the unsuspecting Man.

    A string of inky ck Mana shot forth from the tip of the Kodachi, broke through the barrier between realities, and wrapped around the Man''s ankle. Before he could even scream in fear, the Man was pulled into the Shadow Realm, wearing an expression of pure terror without anyone recognizing he was gone.

    The immensely differentndscape didn''t even register for the Man as the moment he crossed into the Shadow Realm, his stomach lurched so forcefully that he puked. However, that was the least of his worries because not even a second after the spew of vomit left his lips, fourteen thin des surrounded him and, like a meat grinder, began shing him all over his body.

    After the fifth attack, his body spasmed, and his fear turned to horror as he received notification after notification stating he had been affected by multiple Status Effects, with the first one being [Paralyze]

    Rendered immobile, all the Man wearing a ck suit could do was watch as after each de shed his body, it was pulled away as if tethered by a rubber band, then came flying back.

    Because his back was to Cynrik, he couldn''t see who the person controlling the des was, nor the impressive Orchestra conductor-like movements the young Man was making as he retracted a used de to reapply a new seal and sent it back to battle.

    It only took a handful of seconds to stack up over 20 different status effects on the Man. Once satisfied, Cynrik summoned back the des, dismissed the skill, and stored them back into his Assassins Tools before gliding over to greet the Man who had started this whole fiasco.

    "Well~ well~ well~, if it isn''t the treacherous Organization Staff Member who not only betrayed his title but sent a hord of baddies after my team and me." Drawing down his hood with his left hand, Cynrik floated around the Man to put on an act that he was in control, all the while dragging his left Kodachi against the Man''s suit, effortlessly slicing through it as if it were made of paper."

    Hatred, Rage, Fear, terror, hopelessness, and many other emotions shed through the spy''s eyes as he quickly recognized the person before him as the team leader of VSFA''s Tier-3 Competition Team.

    "As much as I would like to take my time having fun torturing you, because of the timetable I am working with, that just won''t be possible." Stopping in front of the Man, Cynrik dragged his left Kodachi up the Man''s shoulder and made a small cut on his cheek. In an instant, the skin began bubbling and turning purple and green as a thin trickle of pus leaked out from the festering wound.

    "Aw, isn''t it sad, unable to move or even scream as the most infectious poison known to Man seeps into your body? I am sure you are feeling more pain than you''ve ever experienced before; well, let me give you a little spoiler; it will only worsen." Using a chilling tone to speak and talking down on the spy as the Man had to him earlier, Cynrik asserted he was in control with his manic and evil way of speaking.

    "You see, my Omnipoison isn''t some weak two-bit poison. There is no cure; it carries thousands of strands with an equal amount of fun reactive effects. I suggest that when the paralytic effects of my attack wear off, you start speaking. At least then, I will give you a swift death instead of allowing you to melt from the inside."

    -Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 450 Extracting Information And Recon Mission (2)

    "I suggest that when the paralytic effects of my attack wear off, you start speaking. At least then, I will give you a swift death instead of allowing you to melt from the inside." With a sinister grin, Cynrik wiped off the de of his Kodachi on the spy''s zer before spinning it and sheathing it on his hip.

    "Now, let''s begin the questioning; you see, I have many questions and not nearly enough answers to satisfy my budding curiosity." Spinning the Kodachi in a circle which caused a wooshing sound, Cynrik rested the de on his shoulder with a light tap.

    "For starters, I won''t bother asking who sent you since I already have a reasonably decent grasp on it being either Lithlen Jetlensr or Viktor Opurn, so how bout letting me know if there is something like a bounty out on my head?" On his way down, Cynrik kept himself directly in front of the spy as he floated slowly to the ground.

    Unfortunately, no matter how many questions Cynrik asked, presently, there was no way for them to be answered. The effect of the [Paralyze] status effect was simply too strong, rendering the man incapable of performing any means ofmunication.

    Scared out of his mind and experiencing a level of pain he had only heard about, the spy''s bloodshot eyes vibrated upon hearing that Cynrik believed it was one of those two that set up this fiasco.

    Unable to move or speak, the spy red at Cynrik, wishing more than ever that he had the Psychic Affinity. At least then, he could scream and curse at this young man who had put him in such a position where all he could do was beg for death.

    For several tense seconds, the only sound that could be heard was the faint sizzlinging from the now gaping hole on the spy''s face as the Omnipoison rapidly ate away at the flesh, exposing the white of bone hidden underneath.

    "Oh, my bad, I appear to have jumped the gun, haha; silly me, you can''t even move your pinky finger; how could I possibly expect you to answer me verbally." When he didn''t receive an immediate response, Cynrik chuckled and smacked his forehead with his left hand.

    "Pesky thing that [Paralyze] status effect is," Cynrik said as he raised his left hand and pressed his index finger and thumb together.

    SNAP

    At the sound of his action, multiple stacks of [Paralyze] wore off instantly, leaving three stacks of [Burn], two stacks of [Poison], one stack of [Corrosion], and one stack of [Permenant Poisoning].

    Once freed of his paralysis, the spy copsed on the ground, thrashing about and screaming in agony.

    Before, he could only suffer in silence; however, with the physical restraint of the status effect no longer binding him in ce, his body naturally reacted to the pain.

    Seeing this, Cynrik rolled his eyes, lifted his right leg, and mmed it down on the spy''s chest, pinning him to the ground. Next, he spun his Kodachi off his right shoulder and pierced it into the ground beside the spy''s head, causing the man to stiffen and bite through his tongue, sending a spray of blood all over his face.

    "Oh, for crying out loud," Cynrikined as he pressed down on the man''s chest using all of his weight, leaned forward, and poured a health potion down the spy''s open and closing mouth.

    It took a little effort, but by using some Mana, Cynrik could force the potion through the flowing blood in the spy''s mouth, down his throat, and into his stomach, where it instantly healed the half-severed tongue.

    "Stop being such a fucking baby and answer my goddamn question," Cynrik growled. Then with a wave of his hand, a thin strand of tri-colored liquid flowed out of the festered wound, which had eaten arge hole in the man''s face and out into the open air.

    This was the OmniPoison he had used earlier. Although Cynrik didn''t have an Affinity for it, he realized that by using his Umbra Mana, which had a dominating effect, he could effectively contain it and either imnt or remove the strands of Poison at will.

    Under his foot, and feeling the pain in his face lessen, the spy hatefully red up at Cynrik and tried willing Mana out of his Codex, but the moment he did, he felt something draining all his Mana just as fast as he could manifest it.

    His inability to channel Mana was caused by the Kodachi nted mere centimeters away from his head or, more so, a thick line of inky ck Mana connecting his body to the Kodachi.

    Cynrik had already predicted some form of retaliation from his enemy, and since the spy was a bonified Tier-4 being, he was taking no chances. Thus, when he stabbed the de into the ground, he tethered a strand of Umbra Mana two fingers thick from the de into the spy''s body.

    In doing this, not only could he intimidate the spy by putting him in a potential life-or-death situation, but Cynrik could also utilize one of the main properties of his Umbra Affinity, which was the ability to subjugate lesser Mana particles.

    "So, will you answer my questions, or am I going to inject this back into that nice fist-sized wound on your cheek," Cynrik asked as he exposed an evil, toothy smile and waved toward the tri-colored floating liquid.

    Realizing there was no way out, the spy felt his heart drop as reality set in that there was no surviving this insane young man, only the sweet release given by a swift and painless death, so he began spilling all the information he knew.

    ---

    While Cynrik was beginning the interrogation, two kilometers away, Brance and the others had arrived underneath the massive Arena and were staring at it withplicated expressions.

    "Ivar wants us to do what?" Benny asked while massaging his temples to curb the iing headache he was anticipating.

    "In his words exactly," Brance cleared his throat twice and used two fingers to push down his eyebrows into the typical scowl he saw Cynrik wear.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Observe the surrounding situation. I want you to have everyone spread out, locate any hidden enemies outside the Arena, and pick out the entry location carefully." He even went so far as to mimic Cynrik''s emotionless voice as he quoted his older brother.

    "Hahhh, seriously, does he realize how big the Arena is? How in the hell are we supposed to cover the whole thing and locate any hidden traps in 15 minutes?" Seleneined as she ced both hands on her hips and squinted toward the sky.

    "Easy, Gabby; I want you and Milo to take the north exits. Since we have an underground view of the first floor, thanks to the nature of the Shadow Realm, we can see through the walls and get a decentyout of the Arena''s blueprint." As he spoke, Brance pointed in the direction he wanted people to go.

    "Kay!" Gabby gave a cute salute before having Milo transform, and then the two took off in the direction Brance indicated.

    "Benny, you and Melody are heading to the eastern exits; check corners, walls, and any ce that can be considered a good hideout, oh and don''t forget to mark anyone acting suspicious mentally. Loitering in one spot, aimlessly wandering, hell, if they look out of ce or are too obvious, target them."

    "Copy," Benny replied as he picked up Melody in a princess carry and took off to the eastern exits, which were the farthest away from their current location.

    "Selene, the west gate is all yours; use your movement skill and Shadow Affinity. If anyone can spot those hiding in in sight, it would be you, so I am putting my trust in your eyes and abilities."

    "Got it, moving out," Selene said with a nod before turning into ck gaseous particles and flying away.

    With the other members of MyrkLys off on their mission, Brance turned around and looked over at Garrison, who was smacking Kurza and Rimsfel to wake them up.

    "Sigh, why is it that everything always goes to shit when we go out on our own?" Brance mumbled as he walked over and used a weak healing spell on Kurza.

    "What was that?" Instructor Garrison asked as he looked over toward Brance, who was working on waking Kurza.

    "Sigh, I was justining about our uncanny ability to attract trouble while literally doing nothing wrong." Finishing off his healing spell and seeing Kurza''s eyes flickering around under his closed eyelids, Brance gentlyid the young man down on the ground before moving beside Garrison and replicating the process on Head Dean Rimsfel.

    "I¡­I honestly have no idea how to respond to that Student Bj?rn. I would like to deny your im, but seeing the situation we are in right now, I feel that would be stupid." Sucking his teeth, Garrison stood up and slowly observed his surroundings.

    "It''s Brance; since my brother has you under that contract, it''s about time you learn that Bj?rn and Ivar aren''t our real names." After identally getting dragged into their bullshit and bing an unofficial member of the group, Brance made a split-second decision in which he knew he would be scolded soon and decided to be transparent with Garrison.

    "Huh, wait a second. Are you saying you''ve been using an alias this entire time? Is it all of MyrkLys or just you and your brother?" Astonished that someone as young as Brance would use an alias, Garrison''s eyes popped wide open.

    Checking over Rimsfel and satisfied that he would be waking up soon, Brance stood up, dusted himself off, and extended his right hand toward Garrison, which was received after half a second of confusion.

    "Nice to officially meet you, Instructor Garrison; my name is Brance Jetlensr; until now, my brother Cynrik and I have been living under our alias as the Ragnarsson brothers precisely because of the shit show you have been dragged into."

    "All I ask is that you refrain from using our names in public or around those who don''t have a Soul Contract with me, my brother, or MyrkLys as a whole." Wearing his trademark "likable" smile, Brance re-introduced himself to Garrison, who was still visibly confused at what was happening.

    "Uh, nice to meet you¡­again I guess, wait, Jetlensr, as in the Headmaster of Finwan Academy?" Realization dawning on Garrison, he looked at Brance in a new light.

    "Yeah, that''s kind of one of the reasons we are using our nicknames; it has to do with Cynrik flipping a verbal and physical middle finger at our grandfather, not once, but twice, and choosing to go to VSFA instead of Finwan during the selections. Well, that and my brother somehow ended up at odds with Viktor Opurn due to his pets." Wearing a rueful expression, Brance turned and looked in the direction he had left his brother, only to frown a few secondster.

    "Sigh, he just couldn''t sit still and take inventory of our enemies." Brance groaned as he observed Cynrik beating the spy to a pulp using his [Mana Sight].

    "I don''t envy you, kid, that brother of yours is quite the handful." Chuckling at the sour expression on Brance''s face, Garrison smacked Brance on the back and chuckled just as Kurza and Rimsfel woke up screaming.

    "AHHHH, TOOO FAST; YOU ARE GOING TOO FAST, IVAR!" Kurza howled as he crossed his arms over his face in a defensive posture.

    "WATCH OUT FOR THE BUILDING!!!" Rimsfel howled while bolting upright.

    "About time you two woke up; get on your feet; we have a recon mission toplete." Garrison shook his head, grabbed Rimsfel by the shoulder, and pulled him to a standing posture.

    - Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 451 Extracting Information And Recon Mission (3)

    ? ***PLEASE REAUTHOR''AUTHOR''S NOTE AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER FOR VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION"!! I don''t want to seements in either the discord or chat saying, "Where did t"e Author Go?" or "Did he drop the series?" ***

    "About time you two woke up; get on your feet; we have a recon mission toplete." Garrison shook his head, grabbed Rimsfel by the shoulder, and pulled him to a standing posture.

    Blinking slowly and shaking his head, Brance shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants and sighed heavily.

    "You are both lucky my brother isn''t here right now. If he were, well, I don''t have to exin the kind of bullying and abuse he would subject you to, especially you, Head Dean Rimsfel." Brance said in a consoling tone.

    "Kurza, at least you would somewhat get a pass for passing out due to G-force being a student and all, but Head Dean, as both a Military Veteran and a high-ranking staff member at VSFA, 12g of movement force shouldn''t have been enough to put you out cold."

    "I apologize for showing you such an unsightly thing HolySon." Bowing at a perfect 90-degree angle, Head Dean Rimsfel surprised those present by lowering his head to someone less than a quarter of his age and a student at that.

    "Uh¡­what is going on. Rimsfel, is there something I don''t know about?" Giving Rimsfel a weird look, Garrison frowned and examined the more prominent young man whose real name he had only just learned.

    "He is the HolySon, one who has the legendary HolyFire. As a Light Affinity user, I feel deep in my bones that I should show him the respect he is owed." Still staring at the ground, Rimsfel replied, causing Garrison to squint while attempting toprehend his coworker''s words.

    Like Instructor Garrison, Brance was gobsmacked at the actions of Head Dean Rimsfel. After what happened before the passing down ceremony, Brance already knew his rtionship with the Head Dean was bound to end up skewed.

    But never did he imagine that the guy would practically end up worshiping him given the opportunity.

    "Cut it out, Head Dean Rimsfel, and please stop with the HolySon talk. I''d prefer you didn''t give people the wrong idea about me." Before things could progress any further, Brance stepped forward and forced Rimsfel to break off his bow.

    "There are far more pressing matters; currently, we are in a unique ce that only my brother can ess called the Shadow Realm. That was how we escaped those guys chasing us. If you look to the sky, you can see we are underneath the Arena right now, so our present goal is to locate any suspicious people, be they vagabonds, bums, or hidden spies." While he spoke, Brance pointed to the sky and looked up, causing a gasp from Rimsfel and a slight whimper from Kurza.

    Hearing the noise made by the new hire, Brance grimaced softly, knowing it would be his job to try and help Kurza through the apparent PTSD that Cynrik had established in the young man''s mind.

    "As you can see, we have a full view through the ground of the Arena''s first floor, which is both good and bad considering we can only catch a glimpse of the second floor onward. Still, it should be enough to locate anyone wanting to jump out and capture us when my brother inevitably shows up to bring us to the surface.

    "Head Dean, I need you to bring along Kurza and get eyes on the southern exits. I have already sent out the rest of MyrkLys to each cardinal direction, leaving only the south side of the Arena unventured."

    "Of course, HolySon, consider it done;e along, Student Kurza; there is no time to waste." With that said, Head Dean Rimsfel and Kurza took off running toward the nearest exits and began their search.

    Hearing Rimsfel once again address him by the title of "HolySon," Brance groaned and palmed his face with his right hand.

    "What are we going to do?" Realizing he was the only one without a task, Garrison scratched the back of his head and watched everyone else in the group running around like turkeys in the rain, with their heads tilted toward the sky.

    "Instructor Garrison, I would like you to run a path around the Arena, beginning at the southern exits. Check the surrounding alleyways and buildings around the right side of the Arena."

    "I will be running the left-hand side doing the same thing. Since the whole Arena is covered, we will search the surrounding area." Rolling out his shoulders and kicking at the air a few times, Brance took a runner''s stance and smiled over at Garrison.

    "Last one to reach the Northern Exits pays for dinner," Brance said as he kicked off the ground and half ran, half skipped through the zero-g environment leaving Garrison in the dust.

    Instructor Garrison smirked and chuckled lightly as he watched Brance swiftly cover ground.

    "Hah, these brothers are quite the handful; oh well, I''ve been assigned a task, and my wallet definitely can''t afford to feed everyone in MyrkLys on my teaching budget." He said as he took off in an eastward direction, following suit with what Brance requested.

    ---

    BAM

    "You, *BAM*, shouldn''t *BAM*, lie through what little teeth you have left, moron." Cynrik snarkily said between the impact of him mming the helpless spy mercilessly head first into the cobblestone pavement.

    The immediate surrounding area was stered with a smattering of gore, flesh, and bone fragments. While Brance was preupied with getting the group on track surveying the area, Cynrik had spent his time torturing and beating the spy within an inch of his life before force-feeding him healing potions to begin the process anew.

    "Ahhhh, I told you everything! I swear, all I know is there was a bounty issued for any information about you and the other VSFA''s Tier-3 Competition Team members." The spy blurted out with snot, blood, and tears covering his face.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "And I am telling you that you are lying about not knowing more information. Look, man, I already know everything, so you might as welle clean. I want to know your employers and how many people are in the area searching for us. I want to know how you guys got the Enforcers and Military officials on board to track us down."

    Spinning one of the ejected hidden des around the fingers of his left hand like a pencil, Cynrik caught it and stabbed it into the spy''s left eye before pulling the entire organ out of the man''s skull, then plucking it off the de.

    His actions caused another horrific scream of pain from the spy. Cynrik had started with less essential body parts, such as ripping out his fingernails one by one, but when that didn''t get the answers he wanted, the sadistic young man had moved on to cutting off fingers and extracting teeth.

    Now, with his eye removed and the poison still eating away at the left side of his face, the spy was at a loss. Was he supposed to admit that he was just a low-level grunt in his underground organization that had been ced at the Teleportation Transport Terminal solely to intercept the group and get them to sign a false contract?

    His group had purchased all the avable information on MyrkLys members through a forbidden channel on the dark web from an unknown party, and wanted to either bully MyrkLys into throwing their matches or take control of them.

    It wasn''t every day a group of first-year students flew through one Tier after another. How could the hidden underworld groups not want to get their hands on this batch of geniuses? If they could find out the secret to their training regiment, then wouldn''t it be simple to replicate the process and strengthen the strength of their forces by several folds?

    When the spy was given the mission, he thought it would be a cakewalk. But he should have known when he saw the payout forpleting the said mission. The price tag was simply too high, and with greed in his mind, he had overlooked that fact.

    The worst part was he had never even expected anything to go wrong. The original n was to have them sign the contract and then lead one of the Tier-3 teams from an Academy under the control of a shadow organization to attack VSFA''s Tier-3 Team. Then, with the false contract already officialized in the system, it would have taken effect, disqualifying the team frompeting.

    Unfortunately, all the nning and infiltration of the Event Staff Organizers was for naught due to the paranoia of a single first-year student. After being found out and arrested, the spy became aughingstock among the other spies.

    However, none of that mattered now; his life was over. Even if he could somehow escape, he had no idea where he was, and to make matters worse, if the leader was here, then so was the entire team, along with the two supervising School Staff.

    What did it matter if he told the brutal young man beating the shit out of him everything he knew? It wasn''t like the big bosses of the underground organization woulde after him. In their eyes, he was already dead when he disappeared from his post. With that thought bouncing around his head, the spy made up his mind.

    ''FUCK THOSE ASSHOLES WHO SENT ME ON THIS IMPOSSIBLE MISSION! I HOPE THIS KID BRINGS THE WHOLE THING FUCKING TUMBLING DOWN!''

    "Fine ACK, STOP ACK, I''LL TALK!" The spy cried through what few teeth were remaining in his mouth.

    "Oh? That''s no good. I haven''t finished my fun art project yet. You still have another eye, and I haven''t practiced carving runes on your skin. How am I supposed to learn the runic alphabet without practice." Cynrik sighed with a sad expression spreading across his face.

    ''Monster, this fucking kid is a goddamn psychopathic monster.'' The spy cried in his heart as he followed through and began spilling all of the promised information.

    "Tsk, that''s about what I figured. Great, so those bastards Viktor and Lithlen not only leaked our info in some kind of high-cost package but also sold it to many underground organizations, the government, and even other Academies." Cynrikined under his breath.

    "Fooo, when I reach Tier-fucking-4 I will take my time fucking up everything they love from the ground up. Aside from myself, my brother, and my parents, I will uproot the entire Jetlensr Family, wiping every single other mother fucker with that bastard''s bloodline from the face of Vinestra. But not before I deal with the Opurn Family."

    Then with a flick of his wrist, the hidden de Cynrik had been ying with flew out of his hand and buried itself deep into the spy''s skull, killing him instantly and triggering a kill notification.

    -You have killed a level 38 Tier-4 Master Knife Fighter.-

    -You have killed a being more than ten times your primary level and a Full Tier above your own; rewards will be multiplied by the Maximum Multiplier, a sextuple.-

    -You have received 228 SPN-XP.-

    -You have received 24 AGI.-

    -You have received 24 DEX.-

    -You have received 24 MIND.-

    -You have obtained 6 KIN points-

    -You have recieved six Tier-4 Wind/Earth Codexes.-

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 452 Making Their Move

    -You have killed a level 38 Tier-4 Master Knife Fighter.-

    -You have killed a being more than ten times your primary level and a Full Tier above your own; rewards will be multiplied by the Maximum Multiplier, a sextuple.-

    -You have received 228 SPN-XP.-

    -You have received 24 AGI.-

    -You have received 24 DEX.-

    -You have received 24 MIND.-

    -You have obtained 6 KIN points-

    -You have recieved six Tier-4 Wind/Earth Codexes.-

    ''Hm, well, that''s something new. Having killed Tier-3''s in the past, I know that it gives average XP, but it looks like killing Tier-4 beings gives SPN-XP. Then there''s the 4 points in three stats; that''s kind of nice too.'' With a snap of his fingers, a burst of ckFire erupted on the corpse, incinerating it while only leaving behind two items, a spatial neckless and a ring.

    "Six KIN, and huh, twin-element Codexes, innnnteresting~." Cynrik hummed as he picked up the two items, tossed them in his inventory, and nced toward the Arena.

    "Either way, I guess these six Codexes belong to Brance; after all, I don''t have an Earth Affinity." Cynrik rubbed his eyes momentarily with a shrug since they were a little sore from leaving [Mana Sight] active for so long. When he reopened them, Cynrik popped his neck loudly, crouched down, and kicked off the ground before expelling some mes for flight as he traversed the two kilometers distance to meet up with the group.

    ---

    Near the northern gate of the Arena, Brance swiftly ran back and forth while examining every nook and cranny of the nearby buildings until he was satisfied and met up with Garrison, who had already finished his task.

    "It looks like you win this time, Instructor Garrison," Brance said after spotting the smug grin on the man''s face, a sign that he was relieved the cost of dinner wasn''t his responsibility.

    "What can I say? My Teacher''s pay isn''t asrge as you''d expect; plus, how could I allow myself to be overshadowed by a student?" Exaggeratedly rubbing his nose, Instructor Garrison diverted his eyes as he felt ashamed, having tried so hard to win a foot race against a First Year Student, one that was a whole Tier lower than him.

    "Ah, I see; well, I hope that the food allowance covers everyone; I mean, the contract did state that we would be provided proper nourishment during our stay in Valor City." When Brance watched Garrison falter due to his pointed words, he stifled augh as he pushed his tongue against the inside of his cheek.

    "You, you punk, you yed me? Hah, I should have known better than to think you innocent. Being the younger brother of that scheming brat Ivar, I would expect no less than for you to have picked up a thing or two along the way, if not by osmosis." Instructor Garrison sighed as he massaged his temples, only to be verbally attacked a secondter from above.

    "Whose a scheming brat? I know you aren''t bad-mouthing me behind my back, Garrison. Do you think I won''t be able to pick a fight with you because I''m only Tier-3? I''ll have you know I quickly dispatched someone the same Tier as you, and I might add with ease."

    "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear," Brance muttered as he watched Cynrik fall from the sky like a meteor beforending on one knee in a perfect superheronding.

    "Would it kill you to run over like a normal person?" Branceined as he walked over to Cynrik and noted the copious amounts of blood and gore coating his golden uniform.

    "Yep, it sure would. Are you telling me you don''t want to try flying around here? With the Zero-G environment, it''s pretty fun." Standing up and dusting off his pant leg, Cynrik tilted his head and looked back over his shoulder at a frowning Garrison.

    "You''re covered in blood." That was all Garrison said. He knew there was no point in taking the bait the young man hadid as it would drag him into a clear argument, which Garrison had no means of winning.

    "Am I? Hm, I didn''t even notice, one fire bathing right up," then, with a loud snap and a woosh, Cynrik was bathed in ck mes for a couple of seconds. When they were extinguished, he was clean as a whistle.

    "So, good news and bad news. The good news is I fucking bodied that bastard who tried to catch us in that faulty contract." With a sniffle and a wing flex to loosen up his back, Cynrik scratched his cheek before leading with the better of the two batches of information.

    "And the bad news?"

    "Well, our oh-so-loving Grandfather and that Opurn bastard sold us out. All our avable info is out on the ck market. Names, ce of birth, Origin Affinities, everything leading up to the Selections, it''s all out in the world now." Cynrik stated in an annoyed tone as he crossed his arms over his chest.

    "That and the fact that we jumped from Peak Tier-1 to Initial Tier-3 in less than a year. Honestly, I think that is the part that has all these hidden and not-so-hidden organizations on our tail."

    "Fuck, FUCK!" Brance shouted as he kicked the shattered cobblestone road with his toe sending fragments of stone all over the ce.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yeah, I guess we are out in the open now¡ªno point in holding back like I initially nned." Cynrik walked over to Brance and patted him on the shoulder while he observed what the rest of the group was doing.

    [I suppose that means I don''t have to hide from you that I told Garrison our real names. I felt bad about dragging him into this without knowing Ivar and Bj?rn were just aliases.]

    [I wouldn''t have cared in the first ce. He is under that binding Soul Contract; it''s not like he can betray us. Regardless, we''ve kept this fa?ade up for too long. It''s time to make ourselves known.] Cynrik''s face twitched for a second when he heard Brance leaked their names, but other than that, he showed no reaction.

    "Lookie here, Garrison, you no longer have to bother calling us by our nicknames. With our info out there, it won''t matter. When we arrive on the surface, I will finish our registration and change my brother''s and my names to normal. It shouldn''t be a big deal since our Systems have Ivar and Bj?rn registered as official Aliases."

    "So, Cynrik and Brance?" With narrowed eyes and budding confusion apparent on his face, Garrison took a deep breath and tried his best not to worry about the potential consequences that could arise from this name issue.

    "Yep, anyway, time to grab the kids and get a move on," Cynrik stated as he brought two fingers to the corner of his lips and whistled loudly.

    Recognizing the signal, the members of MyrkLys pivoted and made a mad dash toward Cynrik, Brance, and Garrison, leaving only Head Dean Rimsfel, and Kurza confused and staring as everyone bounced away from their assigned positions.

    The sudden movement was enough to get both of them to head toward Cynrik; it only took them longer to get to the rest of the group since neither was familiar with moving in the Shadow Realm.

    Once everyone was regrouped, Cynrik went down the line requesting everyone''s findings, starting with Gabby, who was known to be the most observant of the bunch.

    "I found eight operatives hiding, five in in sight and three tucked away in semi-decent hiding positions. Using the checklist you taught us, I could notice the five suspicious people who would check their Watcets almost at precisely the same time as if waiting for some notification." Gabby exined as she hopped off Milo''s back, and the cat shrunk to his huggable size.

    "When ites to the three guys hiding, they were even easier. Well, at least for Milo. His keen eyesight found them way faster than I would have been able." Hearing his namee up, Milo puffed out his furry chest and let out a slight mew sound.

    Everyone else had found simr instances. Upon hearing about how over 40 people were lying waiting for MyrkLys to show up, Cynrik frowned slightly before returning to his usual expressionless poker face.

    Taking a deep breath, Cynrik nced up at the sky and swiftly located all the spies, followed by memorizing their Mana Signatures.

    "Only 40, that isn''t as bad as I initially nned; still, there are a lot of high Tier bodies on our tail. The strongest of which rivals Geralt. Troublesome, so troublesome." Cynrik muttered under his breath.

    If the enemies were all on the lower end of the spectrum, it wouldn''t have been so dire as for him to go almost nuclear, but when he spotted the impressive Mana fluctuations off a guy standing in in sight, his frown returned.

    "Tsk, fuck!" Cynrik suddenly cursed as his eyes began following a familiar group of Mana Signatures.

    "Son of a bitch!" Hearing his older brother swear in a non-casual manner, Brance activated [Mana Sight] and cursed aloud as well.

    "We have no other option, I will try to get us as close to them as possible, but unless we can get a message to Geralt in time, I don''t see any way out other than a no holds barred dog fight." After saying that, Cynrik mmed his arms down and, half a beatter, was fully decked out in his battle gear.

    His showy performance was enough to trigger the other members of MyrkLys into action, leaving Garrison, Rimsfel, and Kurza with their mouths hung open and awkwardly staring at the armed-to-the-teeth MyrkLys.

    "What the fuck is going on?" Coming to first, Garrison broke the silence as Milo transformed and Gabby fitted his armor onto his body.

    "VSFA is moving into position to head on stage. Our Academy teams are entering the Arena through the eastern exit, which has set all the spies into motion." Cynrik stated as he brought out Vii and Sie and equipped their gear.

    "Worse yet, Geralt still hasn''t arrived to usher the groups in, meaning he either isn''t on-site or in some viewing on a floor we don''t have ess to. Odds are, he has no clue what is going on or that we are even missing. My money is on the fact that bastard Vice Headmaster "Forgot" to mention that we aren''t with the other teams."

    "So that alone is enough for you lot to go in guns zing? No, absolutely not. Do you even realize what you are about to do? We aren''t at VSFA, where you can run around willy-nilly like vigntes; this is Society, and the rules are different." Garrison felt the urge to shake Cynrik to violently knock some sense into the boy.

    "Normally, I''d agree with you, this wouldn''t be a good idea, but¡­" while Cynrik spoke, he extended out Umbra Mana strands to everyone and lifted the entire group off the ground.

    "When the world is against you, and in this sense, I mean the military, the government, and every ck/underground organization. You sometimes have to strike while the iron is hot." Without breaking eye contact with Reality above, Cynrik quickly pre-typed out a message and set it up to send the instant his Watcet got a signal.

    "And the iron is smoldering, MYRKLYS, LET''S CAUSE A RIOT!" And with that, Cynrik exploded off the ground toward the sky, carrying everyone along.

    -This series is exclusively published on WebNovel if you are reading it anywhere else...You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the Discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 453 Making Their Move (2)

    **IMPORTANT NOTICE, THIS IS THE CHAPTER SIZE YOU WILL SEE MOVING FORWARD, 1200-1300 WORDS. Also, Privilege has increased from 25 to 40 chapters, so double-check the new Tier options.**

    ---

    "And the iron is smoldering, MYRKLYS, LET''S CAUSE A RIOT!" And with that, Cynrik exploded off the ground toward the sky, carrying everyone along.

    Feeling the familiar sensation of flying without control over his body, Brance frowned and looked toward their destination.

    [Please tell me you have a n that doesn''t involve us bing ssified as teenage terrorists.] He said while locking on to the nearest enemies.

    [You want the lie I n on telling everyone or the truth Brancie?] Controlling the groups'' flight path, Cynrik retorted while angling everyone nearby directly under Team VSFA.

    [Do you even need to ask that? Damn it, Cyn, if you n to go in guns a zing and ready to blow up everything in sight, which, let me remind you, is ILLEGAL IN BOTH WORLDS WE''VE LIVED IN, then count me out.]

    [That was actually my initial n, but after realizing that our opponents outnumber and outss us, I tossed it out the window. It involved you tossing out as many [White Dwarfs] as possible while I make a massiverge-scale explosion with my UTBB.] Wearing a smirk and slowing everyone''s ascent down, Cynrik''s eyes never stopped moving as he cataloged the movements of all those involved in the ambush.

    [But don''t fret, I havee up with two contingency ns since thetter n CLEARLY wouldn''t get the Brancie stamp of approval, potential coteral damage, and all.]

    Hearing the possible first scheme Cynrik hade up with, Brance clenched his fist, but upon learning that his brother was using his brain for once, he unclenched his hand just as quickly.

    [Normally, I would apud you for growing as a human being. However, I know you only changed your initial idea because it would inevitably draw too much attention.]

    [Indeed, it would have. Plus, we would end up offending WAY too many high-level bosses, ones that I doubt even Geralt or old man Saylin could protect us from for very long.]

    [Anywho, now we only have two options: pull down all the baddies one by one and ambush them as a group, gaining us not only their gubbins as treasure but also loads of SPN-XP.]

    [VETOED! THAT IS NOT HAPPENING; MOVE ALONG!] Before his brother could go on exining the further benefits of this guerri tactic, Brance shut it down.

    [Tsk, it was the better n. Sigh, OK; the only other feasible idea I coulde up with was for me to pop up everyone except myself so yall could try merging with the rest of the VSFA teams and staff unnoticed as they walked into the Arena. Meanwhile, I''ll cause a substantial riot-level distraction, pulling all those lying in wait away from the main group.] Furrowing his brow and noticing more people entering the fray above, Cynrik rattled off the second n.

    Brance fell silent for a second after hearing this option, contemting the potential oues and how bad they could turn out, given everything went to shit.

    [I assume you would do something that I''m not going to like in this n as well...aren''t you.] Brance finally said as he noticed the other members of MyrkLys, the new hire, and the two adults shifting ufortably.

    [I mean, does it make you less antsy if I say it shouldn''t be THAT big of an explosion?] Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

    [No, no it doesn''t, not in the fucking least. Honestly, if there weren''t forty...scratch that sixty of those guys entrapping us, I wouldn''t even humor your insanity. But, because of the extenuating circumstances and growing number of enemies, I half want to let you go wild.]

    [hehehehe...]<novelnext></novelnext>

    [[HEHEHEHEHE!]]

    As Cynrik''s hideously unnervingugh transcended the limit of the ordinary mind link and invaded the party chat, Brance recoiled visibly and wished for nothing more than to take his previous statement back. Unfortunately, before he could, Cynrik cut in and spoke aloud.

    "Change of ns, no riot for you lot, me Brancie; instead, I will have to do some micromanaging. Here''s the n...."

    ---

    While Cynrik started his pre-operation briefing, in a high-ss and fancy room several dozen meters above them and on the opposite side of the Arena, Headmaster Rivia and a familiar shaggy green-haired man were nervously sitting beside one another and watching the opening ceremonies progress.

    "Geralt, how the hell could you let that little nipoop change their Data Profile right before they were supposed to get on stage? They''ve dropped their Nicknames and started using their real ones, for crying out loud. Not to mention their avable information far exceeds what you have been uploading in their Student Records!" Saylin reprimanded the younger man sitting next to him in a furious whisper.

    "Do you think I don''t realize what that brat did? I''ve spent thest half hour getting yelled at by our board of directors. And then there''s what is happening on the home front. All of VSFA is in an uproar since their info was posted online." Geralt found it increasingly difficult to keep his voice down as he anxiously grabbed at the armrests of the expensive VIP lounge chair.

    ncing nervously Across the overly decorated VIP room, he then noticed that Lithlen and Viktor weren''t in a calm state either. Seeing how they were handling the situation made him feel a bit better. Especially when he overheard a group of other Headmasters from around the continent gossiping about how Headmaster Jetlensr stupidly allowed his two genius Grandsons to go to a different Academy than the one he ran.

    His colleague''s embarrassment would have customarily caused Geralt to burst out inughter before beginning his pride-filled taunts; however, the circumstances wouldn''t allow such actions.

    It wasn''t just the fact that Cynrik and Brance''s information had been leaked; no, it was far worse than that. What stopped Geralt from interacting with anyone other than Saylin were the hungry gazes he continuously received from multiple, unsavory people in the room, mainly the Military Generals and Government Officials that were representing specific Academies in some capacity or another.

    "It was your idea to allow them entry under false names Saylin, so figure out how we get the fuck out of this situation." Geralt angrily whispered, only to receive a nk stare from the green-haired man.

    "Oh, and how do you suppose I do that? From what I can tell, not only has the official Competition''s website been updated, but a particr hot-headed old bastard appears to have leaked everything he knew on the ck market about the boys in his rage." Saylin said while shooting a re in Lithlen''s direction.

    "Fuck, damn it, that means...."

    BUZZ, BUZZ, BUZZ BUZZ

    Mid-sentence, both Saylin and Geralt''s Watcets vibrated simultaneously, drawing their attention before a look of panic appeared on their faces. They had received a text message from the very "brat" in question reading.

    : Oi, Everyone''s favorite High Functioning Sociopath here, guess what? Our douchebag grandfather leaked our info to the world, I had somewhat predicted this, so I changed our info upon registering for the tournament. So, when we left the Terminal, we were ambushed, I did some top-gun level flying, blew up our HoverVan, and we are about to begin operation, FUCK SHIT UP! If you wish to RSVP to the party, please get your HAPPY FUCKING ASSES OUTSIDE WHEN YOU HEAR THE BOOM!:

    No sooner did the two men finish reading the text did the entire Arena shudder for half a second, causing everyone to look around in confusion without noticing the opening and closing of a crack in space.

    -JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 454 Making Their Move (3)

    In the Shadow Realm, half a dozen meters below the Tier-1 and Tier-2 VSFA Teams, Cynrik pped his hands loudly, causing everyone to flinch, before he began speaking.

    "Change of ns, no riot for you lot, me Brancie; instead, I will have to do some micromanaging. Here''s the n; above us, you will see the two teams and the chaperones from our Academy." Cynrik stated as he pointed out above.

    "When they approach the tunnel leading into the Arena, I will position you directly under them. Before they walk across the threshold, marking the halfway point, I n to expel everyone from the Shadow Realm.

    "Your job is to guard against anyone tagged as hostile. Do not hold back if anyone aside from VSFA students or staffes within your pre-established attack range. Oh yeah, that goes for you two as well." Looking away from the geared-up and ready-to-fight members of MyrkLys, Cynrik tilted his head to the side and examined Garrison and Rimsfel.

    "You guys are the "protectors," so I expect the two of you to do just that. I don''t doubt your strength, especially you, Garrison, as we have trained with you for months; also, Head Dean Rimsfel, I have a question for you." Cynrik paused, rolled up his upper lip without exposing his teeth, and started rubbing it against the underside of his nose in thought, kind of like a rabbit.

    "If you are about to ask if I have friends in high ces due to my time served in the Military, I am sorry, but I don''t. Nearly everyone I served with is either part of High Ranked Reaver Squads or Mercenaries, meaning none are present for the opening ceremonies." Shaking his head in defeat, Rimsfel equipped a wide array of swords onto his body. One on each hip, thigh, shoulder front and back, and even a short de across his back. In total, Cynrik counted seven different-sized swords, all of which he had no doubt the Peak Tier-4 Master Magic Swordsman could dice him to pieces with.

    "Tss, well, that sucks. Moving along, while you all appear as if nothing happened, try your best to keep a low profile¡­."

    In response to this, Gabby, Milo, Benny, Selene, and Melody groaned, only to get silenced by a re from Cynrik.

    "Yes, this means I want all the armor gone, but you can leave your weapons on since it appears that''s something people do during their walk-ins." Shaking his head and adjusting the cuffs of his jacket, Cynrik smirked under his hood and reached up to scratch Vii and Sie under their chins. All the while waiting for the obvious question to be asked by someone.

    "Uh, and what do you n on doing, Iv¡­Cynrik. Let me guess; you n on running around, causing mayhem. You said you wanted to start a riot, so I assume you will do that?" Finding something off because Cynrik was still fully decked out along with his tworge birds, Garrison bit the bait like a fish on a hot summer day.

    "hehe, welllllll,~you see, while you guys are acting inconspicuous, I n on doing exactly as you said, running around and causing some mayhem. BUT I SWEAR IT IS ONLY A DIVERSIONARY TACTIC!" Cynrik was quick to shout the end of his statement with a bit of an unshaky tone as he felt a dangerous reing from Brance.

    "Sigh, fine, I won''t stop you, but I am begging you to keep coteral damage to a minimum AND DON''T KILL ANYONE!" Garrison added as he looked from Brance to Cynrik and, in the end, shook his head in defeat. Unlike Rimsfel, who was under some kind of apparent mind-control when it came to Brance, he felt like the only one thinking with a clear and level-headed mindset.

    "Don''t worry; I only n on breaking a few bones and giving a few ck eyes. Well, that and setting off a firework or two." Using the most nonchnt tone he could muster, Cynrik stopped scratching under the beaks of his ravens and waved his hand in a shooing motion.

    "For some reason, I can''t seem to believe a word you just said." Garrison and Brance met each other''s dead-eye gaze and slowly shook their heads as the Instructor spoke his mind.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Bah, don''t mind it, oh onest thing, Gabby, when our backup shows up, and by that, I mean Geralt and potentially Old Man Saylin, I need you to create a psychic link with them and Brance so he can exin the situation quickly."

    "Got it; create a link between the two adults and Brancie, no problem." Giving a little salute, Gabby looked over at her boyfriend, shot him a quick smile, and turned her face back toward the Arena.

    [[Darling~ do try and be brief, I don''t have to tell you our little ruse won''tst forever, but I still want you to keep it in mind as you y around with those idiots who decided to try and ambush us.]]

    [[No problem, Sel, the goal is to send Vii and Sie behind some people to KO them on the spot. The real problem is that Tier-5 guy floating in the sky above the Arena, but with the little firework show I have in store, he shouldn''t be too big a task to deal with so long as he isn''t a weak chicken.]]

    [[Mhm, sure, I believe and trust you, darling. Remember to have fun.]] Being the supportive girlfriend, Selene blew Cynrik a kiss and tilted her head skyward.

    [Cyn, try keeping your st radius as condensed as possible.] Understanding that his brother''s goal was to test his new skill''s power and if it worked against beings above Tier-4, Brance wore a defeated expression and tried to talk somest-minute sense into Cynrik.

    [I''m not stupid, Brancie; you have nothing to worry about except a slight aftershock. Even if that guy dodges, I can remotely detonate my UTBB onmand. In the worst-case scenario, you''ll actually have two aftershocks since I will blow it up behind him and send him to the ground. Just don''t embarrass yourself by stumbling around and falling.] Cynrik stated with a smirk as he snapped his fingers and pointed in two different directions, a signal for Sie and Vii to get into position.

    Everyone except Cynrik, Selene, and the two ravens seemed tense for several long minutes as they monitored the situation above. However, as time ticked by slowly, everyone realized that there were now well over a hundred people moving in the shadows or out in the open, creating a quarantined area around the northern gates and surrounding area.

    Eventually, the group watched as a group of men in ck suits wearingnyards walked over and conversed briefly with the Vice Head Master while motioning that it was time for them to enter.

    "Alright folks, time to move, Sel, Brance, use your stealth skills to make it harder to notice the group; oh right, Head Dean, you too; since you are a Light Affinity user, bending light shouldn''t be too difficult for you. I know it won''t be perfect camouge, but it should buy you enough time until I get back. Let''s get this show on the road."

    With that said, Cynrik put his n into action by waiting until Selene, Brance, and Rimsfel covered everyone in stealth skills before nudging them upward and out of the Shadow Realm right behind the other VSFA teams unnoticed.

    -JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 455 Operation: F**K S**T UP! (1)

    With careful and expert-level precision, Cynrik efficiently guided MyrkLys, Kurza, Rimsfel, and Garrison into position after he was sure multipleyers of stealth skills covered them.

    [[Keep overly attentive; although Sel''s shadow skills can mask your presence, and yourbined efforts and Rimsfel''s Light Bending can hide you from sight, they each have ws. Any high Tiered being can spot you, given they are paying enough attention, let alone someone with an ocr skill like [Mana Sight].]] Cynrik added as he dropped down several meters and glided into position under his first target.

    [[Copy, everyone in our team has experienced Light Skills, and even if Kurza isn''t great at using them, he still is a Light Affinity User. So it is safe to assume he can bend the light around his body to some extent.]] Brance replied as he calmly observed his surroundings while filing in behind everyone, careful not to disturb the ground by kicking any rubbish lying about.

    Down below, Cynrik floated on his back with his eyes closed, concentrating on the Mana flowing through his body. Under his eyelids, Cynrik''s eyes visibly flickered around rapidly, never staying still longer than a fraction of a second. The reason was that even while deep in concentration, he was continuously reading the entire battlefield and plotting his exact path.

    ''Tobs, I am in quite a mood today, so give me The Vengeful One.'' Cynrik thought as the left corner of his lips curled up.

    -Now ying "The Vengeful One" By Disturbed.-

    Cynrik''s fingers began weaving intricate patterns as he began tapping his foot along with the drum kick. By the time the guitar riff came in, he had finished charging up the necessary Mana for his big finale, and his eyes snapped open.

    "Viisaus, you''ll take left nk; Sielu, you''re to stay hot on his tail. Work as a team, sneak up and kill everyone who has traces of my Mana on their bodies." With a short burst of fire from his pointed toes, Cynrik glided beside his two ravens and issued hismand.

    "Cawchiip," overly excited to be able to go wild, Vii was the first to reply with his ssic cawing sound, whereas Sie was slower on the uptake. Unlike the unruly Vii, Sie had been paying attention to the conversation between Cynrik and Garrison, and she clearly remembered the adult stating "NOT" to kill anyone.

    However, even with this information, she would still carry out her Papa''s order to a tee, so she moved over and nuzzled her head against Cynrik''s arm, receiving a head pat in response.

    "Be careful, you two, the enemies this time are far stronger than you both; however, if you use the techniques I''ve taught you and can sneak up on them, no matter how high their Tier, the two of you should have no problem taking them out in one shot."

    "Also, you have two options for disposing of the bodies, the first is to chuck them into the spatial pocket stored in the gem on your chest tes, or you can use your connection to me to move them into the Shadow Realm. Remember that if you take the second option, you will need to pull Mana from me, so use it sparingly, and don''t forget it can be your ticket out of danger."

    ''In the ckest moment of a dying world, look inside and see what you''re bing.'' Cynrik sang along as his head snapped toward his first target, a lone person tucked away in an alleyway not far from the north exits.

    There were three distinct goals of Operation: FUCK SHIT UP, goal one, silently tag as many of the now well over one hundred people setting up the ambush with his Mana, allowing ample amounts of targets for Vii and Sie to eliminate.

    Goal two could only begin once he had marked around half of the enemies, and that was to move in and start picking off the more challenging targets, freeing up the easier ones for the Ravens.

    Last was the main goal of the operation, the Grand Finale. Once a sufficient amount of enemies had been eliminated and copious amounts of gubbins and treasure collected, he would execute the precharged UTBB and fire it at the Tier-5 Being flying high above the arena.

    The explosion would not only be a massive disruption and distraction, pulling the attention of the surviving enemies in hiding. The best part of the explosion was it would also give Cynrik the cover necessary to reunite with the group and slip back into his role as Leader of the Tier-3 team.

    The downside of this n was the limited timeframe he had to execute it and achieve all three goals. By his estimation, there were roughly 7 minutes before the Tier-3 team needed to step into the limelight, meaning everything needed to bepleted with only seconds to spare.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The sheer undertaking Cynrik was about to go through would only be possible thanks to one key factor, ess to the Shadow Realm.

    Moving unhindered by physical obstructions, he and the Ravens could, in theory, slip out of "reality" and freely move toward their next opponent, rinse, wash, and repeat.

    Going over the n onest time in his mind, Cynrik shot forward, activated his stealth skill, and breached the veil of the Shadow Realm, only to appear right behind a man wearing a ck hoodie crouched behind a dumpster.

    Unseen and unheard, Cynrik brushed passed the man''s ankle while expelling a minute amount of Umbra Mana particles that clung to the target like oil. Then, just as quickly as he appeared, Cynrik was gone leaving the man none the wiser that he was about to die.

    ---

    In the hallway leading to the main field of the Arena, Brance controlled his breathing and tried his damnedest not to re up upon spotting his brother in the distance jumping in and out of the Shadow Realm.

    Clenching his fist and tearing his eyes away from the dolphin-like spectacle Cynrik was putting on, Brance focused on the task at hand and knew exactly what his brother was nning.

    "Seven minutes VSFA, remember, the order is Tier-1, their chaperones, Tier-2 and their chaperones, andstly¡­hm?" A man wearing a headset stated loudly at the front of the group.

    "Vice Headmaster, where is your Tier-3 Team? The schedule states that VSFA has three teams, but only two are present." The man, who Brance assumed was some behind-the-scenes Tv technician, asked with a confused look.

    "Your guess is as good as mine," Vice Headmaster Cromwell replied in a slightly hesitant tone.

    "Sigh, great, the higher-ups in broadcasting will eat my ass alive. Vice Headmaster, if they aren''t here before the final call, I will have no choice but to close the doors and have the show go on." The headset man''s shoulders drooped slightly.

    "What can I say? They must have gotten hung up in traffic. We were already behind schedule, so I am not surprised." Cromwell reached over, pushed several bills into the man''s hand, and patted him on the shoulder before turning around and smiling at the group of students.

    ''This bastard, what the fuck happened to not hindering us thanks to that Staff contract." Branceined in his head while silently clenching his fists.

    ''He knows damn well what the fuck is going on, yet here he is, bribing the camera crew.'' However, soon after the second thought, Brance, Gabby, Selene, Melody, Benny, Milo, and even Kurza suddenly stiffened due to a chain of notifications.

    -Your Faction leader Cynrik Jetlensr has Killed a Level 22 Tier-3 Adept Assassin.-

    -JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 456 Operation: F**K S**T UP! (2)

    -Your Faction Leader Cynrik Jetlensr has Killed a Level 22 Tier-3 Adept Assassin.-

    -Your Faction Leader has killed a being more than ten times your primary level; rewards will be multiplied by a quadruple multiplier.-

    -You have received 1,760,000 XP.-

    -You have received 12 AGI-

    -You have received 12 DEX-

    -You have obtained 4 KIN points-

    -Four Fire/Earth Codexes have been transferred to your Faction Leader''s inventory.-

    [CYNRIK AYKE JETLENSR, WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO NOT KILLING ANYONE SO WE DON''T OFFEND EVERYONE?] Brance roared in the mind link. However, unlike the cocky and dismissive answer he expected, he was met by another chain of notifications.

    -Your Faction Leader''s Pet, Viisaus, has Killed a Level 32 Tier-3 deworks Assassin.-

    -Your Faction Leader''s Pet, Viisaus, has killed a being more than ten times your primary level; rewards will be multiplied by a quadruple multiplier.-

    -You have received 2,560,000 XP.-

    -You have received 12 AGI-

    -You have received 12 STR-

    -You have obtained 4 KIN points-

    -Four Metal Codexes have been transferred to your Faction Leader''s inventory.-

    [Don''t worry about what I am doing and focus on your own fucking task Brance. These bastards have pissed me off on a day when I was already silently smoldering, thanks to that Asshat of a Vice Headmaster.] After the second string of notifications, Cynrik finally responded, albeit in a hostile tone.

    Hundreds of meters from the Arena, Cynrik spun while airborne and caught sight of Vii and Sie withdrawing into the Shadow Realm with a corpse held in their shared talons.

    Nodding his head, hended silently and kept on the move; there was a lot of ground to cover, so he couldn''t allow himself to slow for even a second.

    Like this, Cynrik spent the next couple of minutes weaving in and out of the Shadow Realm, never staying in "reality" longer than two seconds, when he suddenly remembered pre-typing a text message.

    Moving back through the veil, Cynrik spun around, tagged a handful of hidden enemies clustered together in a group, and ducked back to safety before checking his Watcet.

    ''Tsk, I''m not staying above long enough for the damn thing to grab hold of a signal and send the texts to Saylin and Geralt. Good thinking Cyn,'' he thought while smacking his forehead and getting back to tagging opponents for Vii and Sie to take out.

    All the while, the two obedient Ravens continued to ughter their targets without obstruction. Just as they had been taught, Vii and Sie would pop out of the darkness and cleanly sh through their targets neck from both sides simultaneously, using thebined sharpness of their armor and feathers to cut through flesh and bone like butter.

    Hitting their opponent from the front and back swiftly after appearing from seemingly nowhere would strike the utmost fear into the enemy before they slipped into death''s embrace and subsequently either a spatial device or the Shadow Realm.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ---

    Meanwhile, there was trouble brewing back at the Arena, mainly with Kurza, who was dumbfounded by the waves of notifications. Unlike the members of MyrkLys, as a new hire who had yet to "power level" alongside the others, he had no idea what was going on.

    ''Since when did XP flow freely like water? Was this how all these monsters got so damn strong? Hold on, I get shared XP utilizing the CSH Party System, but isn''t this a little TOO ridiculous.''

    Kurza had entered his fair share of Egresses alongside other parties in the past, but when he did, the percentage of XP was, at best, 15%. Yet as he watched notification after notification roll in, he couldn''t help but allow panic to set in.

    To make matters worse, he was beginning to sweat profusely in shock and fear, and it took every fiber of his being and all his mental fortitude not to utter a whimper. Thus, Kurza did the only thing he could think of; he turned to look at Brance with watery eyes begging for answers.

    Seeing how the new hire was about to break, Brance cursed his brother mentally before pointing at himself several times, holding up his palm, and drawing letters on his hand.

    Although it took a few tries to get Kurza to understand, eventually, he could piece together the strange movements as writing. Luckily, thanks to his [Language Proficiency] skill, instead of the English alphabet, the native alphabet was transposed onto his palm invisibly, allowing Kurza to understand the meaning.

    : I have a bloodline skill that gives everyone in the party Full XP and Double XP on kills.: Was the message Brance spelled out; however, this made Kurza stare at him like he was some kind of golden-fingered monster.

    Shaking his head in disappointment, Brance spelled out that he would exin everything when they got to their lodgingster tonight, and for now, that was enough to calm Kurza down.

    Unfortunately, the interaction caused a particr pair of worshiping eyes to bore holes into Brance. This gaze came from Rimsfel, who silently nodded cheerfully as if saying, "Of course, the HolySon has generous abilities."

    ---

    Cynrik, unaware of what was happening at the Arena, flipped over a group of people from behind. While he flew through the air, he flourished his two Kodachis before diving headfirst back into the Shadow Realm. Half a secondter, four heads rolled to the ground leaving a fountain of blood spraying where they once sat.

    Then, from below, he threw out multiple strands of Umbra Mana andtched onto the headless bodies and their heads before dragging them through the veil, where he swiftly deposited them in his inventory.

    "That''s 47; once Vii and Sie finish theirst target, that''ll be a clean 48," Cynrik mumbled before using his mental connection to the Ravens to tell them to return to the Shadow Realm.

    In the meantime, Cynrik quickly scrolled through the expansive list of notifications while feeling his stats soar due to the massive gains he had received. The only downside was that the majority of the XP he had gained was of the basic variety.

    The reason for this was simple, 95% of the targets were Tier-3. The few Tier-4s killed, which he had turned into his responsibility, ended up yielding a fraction of the SPN-XP necessary to power-level himself and the others.

    "Even mosquitos can be considered meat," he grumbled right as the two Ravens broke through the veil and entered the Shadow Realm before rushing over for praise like young children.

    "Hehe, yes, you both did great. I will be sure to give you a lot of good food tonight as a reward; for now, you two need to go back into the Tamer Space so I can finish off the final step of the n." Rubbing both of their heads and following up with a few chin scratches, Cynrik chuckled and sent Vii and Sie back into the Tamer space for some much-needed rest.

    "Objectives One and Two areplete. That leaves the final and most difficult one." Turning and looking up at his faction, Cynrik sniffled slightly and directed his attention to the Tier-5 being floating in the air.

    "Finished with two minutes to spare; looks like I can charge my UTBB a bit more." With that said, Cynrik chugged down a handful of Mana potions and set about manifesting his most powerful attack to date, one that would certainly have quite an impact.

    -JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 457 Operation: F**K S**T UP! (3)

    While Cynrik was charging up his Umbral Tailed Beast Bomb in the Shadow Realm, dozens of beings who could be considered "Higher-Ups" from different organizations around the continent were thrown into a panic by his and the two Ravens'' actions.

    Three were in the same VIP booth as Geralt and Saylin. However, unlike what one would expect, instead of causing an uproar, two of the three quickly and quietly left while furiously typing away on their Watcets, leaving the final one, Colonel Brenden Hawthrone, Headmaster of Renson Military Academy, alone in the corner of the room.

    As a prominent military member, he was currently being screamed at through texts by dozens of higher-ranking Generals from the different Military branches fed into by his Academy.

    ''What the fuck went wrong. We dispatched over 30 expertly trained Shadow Operatives to ambush those brothers, yet all of them have gone offline. How in the fuck can a group of newly evolved Tier-3 kids eliminate three squads of nine Tier-3 people with a Tier-4 leading the group.'' Closing his eyes and inhaling a slow, deep breath, Col. Hawthrone nced at Headmaster Rivia out of the corner of his eye.

    ''Shit, did Geralt assign two of his strongest as bodyguards in the form of Chaperones?'' He thought for a moment before quickly dismissing this idea.

    ''No, there have been zero reports of fighting outside the Arena; that means it is even worse than I expected. Several trained fighters must be hiding in the shadows, silently protecting the Tier-3 group. There is no conceivable way a group of children could hop Tier in battle, not in the Supernatural Stage at least. The power gap is simply too high.''

    Like Col. Hawthrone had concluded, several underground criminal organizations made the same connection and, although thoroughly pissed off at the loss of their forces, began issuing orders to spread out and look for the silent attackers making a show of picking them off one by one.

    Aside from that, they could only grit their teeth and curse Headmaster Rivia for his expert foresight.

    Be they wealthy tycoons, criminal overlords, or even government officials, nearly everyone searching for the members of MyrkLys suddenly went on high alert; this included the Tier-5 being floating above the Arena.

    The man in question, Bentham Illionia, was a man who although the leader of one of thergest Criminal organizations in the nation, felt the need to step in and do things himself when it came to situations as important as dealing with the Jetlensr Brothers.

    His Organization, named baster Falling, was notorious in the underworld due to their ck and underhanded way of dealing with drugs, prostitution, and of course, human very. Bentham''s heart was as ck as coal, and if something like a Karma or Sin meter existed, it would be broken due to the atrocities the man had executed with his own hands in his life.

    After seeing the lucrative bounty posted on Cynrik and Brance, followed by how many different and diverse groups wanted to get their hands on the two, Bentham had the "brilliant" idea of kidnapping the brothers and selling them off to the highest bidder.

    Once he learned they had finally left the safety of VSFA, Bentham dropped everything and headed for Valor City, where he had been quietly observing everything from the sky, including the chase scene, which urred less than an hour previously.

    As a Tier-5 being, there wasn''t much that could affect his mood. Still, when he saw the explosion resulting in Cynrik''s crashnding diversionary tactic, Bentham frowned heavily, feeling he had made a colossal mistake in not capturing the brothers when he had the chance.

    Only for his mood to be uplifted minutester when he noticed no bodies had been found in the wreckage. He was smart enough to piece together that MyrkLys had escaped somehow and had been waiting for them to appear for the Opening Ceremony.

    Yet it wasn''t until he noticed arge amount of movement below that he realized something had transpired right under his nose.

    Confused by their erratic movements, Bentham checked his Watcet, which was turned to silent, only to find he had over fifty new messages, all of which were fromrge organizations panicking in a dark web chatroom.

    **PLAY SONG, Assassin''s Creed III: Main Theme, I''ve posted it in discord**

    "What the fuck, how? Why didn''t I see or sense anything happening?" He mumbled as he spread out his Aura to "sense" the area below, which sent Brance, who had been cautiously eyeing the floating Tier-5, into a panic.

    In his vision, a massive orange dome appeared to be expanding out from the man, covering nearly the entire area. Holding his breath and even clenching his butt cheeks, expecting the worse, Brance shouted into the mind link¡­

    [CYNRIK, GET YOUR ASS INTO GEAR, THAT GUY ABOVE IS SCANNING THE WHOLE AREA FOR US, IF THAT ORB OF ORANGE MANA REACHES OUR LOCATION, WE ARE DONE FOR!!!]<novelnext></novelnext>

    With his voice cracking into a shrill tone, Brance scooted closer to everyone and franticly motioned for them to condense into a tight circle while shuffling behind the Tier-2 team as he watched the Orange dome inch closer and closer.

    "NOW ENTERING THE ARENA, VESEMIR SCHOOL FOR AFFINITIES!" As if on cue, a booming voice announced the arrival of the Tier-1 team as they crossed into the open field of an Arena and began waving toward the cameras with giant smiles.

    [CYNRIK HURRY UP!] Brance shouted once again. Everyone in the group could feel something was wrong, but since Brance was keeping quiet and only using the brothers'' mind link, they only knew something bad was about to happen, thus preparing themselves mentally for all hell to break loose.

    [Brancie, why are you so worried? You know what they say, Art is an Explosion.]

    Just when Brance was about to lose his shitpletely, Cynrik''s calm and chilling voice spat out another weeb quote as he floated through the Veil of the Shadow Realm with four orbiting mini ck spheres floating above his left hand.

    Each of the four orbs crackled with chaotic lightning-like energy since Cynrik had expended 95% of his avable Mana to create them. With his feet touching down on the solid pavement of a dark Alley, Cynrik tilted his head up and locked onto the Tier-5 man before raising his eyebrow as he watched the orange dome growing close to his location.

    "It''s now or never, Tee Hee¡­." Cynrik quietly stated as he drew back his arm like a baseball pitcher and began his creepyugh¡­

    "Ha, Ha!" and lobbed the Overcharged Umbral-Tailed Beast Bomb toward Bentham.

    For a moment, time seemed to stop, all sound disappeared, and the space around the attack appeared to bend and warp as it flew nearly too fast for the naked eye to see.

    Two things happened the moment the UTTB left Cynrik''s hand, and the first was he sunk back into the Shadow Realm before using his makeshift me thruster technique to rocket himself through the void toward the Arena without breaking eye contact with his attack.

    The second was the four orbs crossing through the orange dome, alerting Bentham to its arrival.

    "What the fuck is that!"

    WWWWOOOOOUUUMMMM, BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!

    Like a vortex sucking in all the surrounding air, the attack generated an eerie sound as itnded square on Bentham''s chest before imploding.

    The explosion was so loud that it caused windows for several dozens of blocks to shatter instantly, and the ground shook from its sheer force. From below, all anyone could see was a strange purplish-ck sh of light, followed by the concussive sound of which the heads of nearly everyone who saw it in Valor City turned to look at what had happened.

    Meanwhile, the creator of such a devastating technique popped out of the Shadow Realm with a cocky grin on his face and a Mana Potion in hand.

    His sudden appearance startled the man wearing a headset, causing him to jump in fright literally.

    "Heyah, Cynrik Jetlensr, leader of VSFA''s Tier-3 team, man, it''s crazy that we just had a small earthquake, amirite? Anywho it seems the Tier-2 team has already made their entrance. If my timing is correct, we should be good to go, right?"

    -JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 458 Opening Ceremonies (5)

    "Heyah, Cynrik Jetlensr, leader of VSFA''s Tier-3 team, man, it''s crazy that we just had a small earthquake, amirite? Anywho it seems the Tier-2 team has already made their entrance. If my timing is correct, we should be good to go, right?" Cynrik told the confused man before waving toward the rest of the group to drop their stealth skills.

    "You, what, where, HUH? Hold up, did you say you are the leader of the Tier-3 VSFA Team?" Looking from Cynrik to all the other members of MyrkLys, along with the two chaperones, the headset man was at a loss for words.

    "Yep, That''s me, so do we go through the tunnel now, or do you need to make a call to get the cameras panned back this way? I assume due to ourte arrival you¡­." before Cynrik could finish his statement, a small crack appeared in the open space beside the group and the wall. Half a secondter, Headmaster Rivia and Saylin stepped through with aghast expressions painted across their faces.

    But before either of them could speak, they saw a thin amethyst line of Mana expand out from Gabby''s hand, who had disguised her gesture as a yawning stretch. Recognizing what was happening, Saylin and Geralt didn''t resist and allowed a connection to be formed between them and Cynrik.

    Meanwhile, Cynrik, who felt the Psychic connection, finished his previously paused statement.

    "Look at that; even the Headmaster and Consul Garn have arrived; I do believe any misunderstandings can be cleared easily. Please speak with the production team; I''m sure they will be ecstatic we''ve shown up." Waving his hand discreetly toward Geralt and Saylin as if to say, "give me a minute." Cynrik showed no physical reaction to their arrival and continued addressing the Staff member.

    "Sigh, I literally got off thems with the production team saying we were finished. Give me a moment." Trying to act professional and giving a slight nod toward the two High-Tier beings, the headset man moved the microphone attached to his temple closer to his lips. Turning away from the group and peeking his head through the curtain concealing the Arena, he began chattering, giving Cynrik and MyrkLys a moment to readjust their mindsets.

    ''I don''t n on wasting time, so let''s get this started. Yes, I understand the consequences of my actions; I registered myself and Brance with our real names and allowed some previously hidden data to be printed.'' Cynrik said without looking back or giving Saylin and Geralt any time to react.

    ''Since you two are here, it''s safe to say you received my text, so that means I won''t go too deep into it, but upon leaving the Telly Terminal, we were followed by several teams of high-tiered individuals. Thinking on my toes, I took over piloting the vehicle and hacked into its software to remove any safety protocols. I led our trailing pursuers on a chase across the City, which, might I add, I did with expertise and finesse.''

    ''The escape from the attempted kidnapping was a given, and I''m sure you''ll learn more about it rtively soon, considering I made quite an impact. But that isn''t even our biggest issue; upon using one of my trump cards to get us out of the line of fire, the rest of my Faction, located well over a hundred assholes from lord knows how many different organizations setting up an ambush.''

    ''That was when I devised a n that could kill two birds with one stone, hehe well, three.'' Wearing a twisted smirk under his hood, Cynrik''s eyes stayed locked on the back of the headset man, who was still fully immersed in his conversation with the producers.

    "NOW ENTERING THE FIELD ARE THE MEMBERS OF THE TIER-2 VSFA COMPETITION TEAM, LED BY THIRD-YEAR STUDENT MARIK ARWEN!"

    The booming voice echoed through the speakers positioned along the tunnel''s walls, making the headset man flinch and Cynrik tap his left foot impatiently.

    ''Let me guess, that explosion which rocked the whole building was your n. Ivar, what the hell did you do? Don''t you realize you can be ssified as a Terrorist for setting off such a destructive attack in the center of the City? Not even with all of VSFA''s Legal team would I be able to get you out of the mess you could have potentially created.'' Unable to hold back any longer, Geralt frantically cut in, causing Cynrik to tilt his head to the side and look over his shoulder in his direction.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''Hm, that was step three. Step one was nting everyone but me in the Arena behind the Tier-2 team unnoticed. Step two involved my killing off 48 of the 139 people setting up an ambush to capture Brance and I. By the way, drop the Ivar nickname; you already know my real name; I''d prefer it if you used it.''

    ''48¡­.you killed FOURTY-EIGHT PEOPLE?'' This time, Saylin spoke while examining Cynrik from head to toe. Gone was the little boy he had previously met. However, although the boy was gone, his mischievous and frankly dangerous antics had gotten much worse.

    ''I mean, yeah. It wasn''t that hard; most of them were Tier-3, while only a handful I eliminated were Tier-4. Once we got the drop on them, my two Ravens and I quickly cleaned up the dregs. The main issue was that fucker floating above the Arena. To be honest, I''m pretty sure you could go toe to toe with him, Old Man, but the Headmaster would likely get his ass kicked.''

    ''But then again, I''ve never seen either of you fight and am only basing your strength off of the Mana Fluctuations I observe. Still, the Tier-5 guy was the most significant threat, so I gave him a little present in the form of my new skill. From there, all that was left was to slip away unnoticed and appear here.''

    In response to his words, Saylin and Geralt looked at each other before Saylin sliced at the air with his hand, opened another spatial crack, and then disappeared.

    "Hey, Kid, you said your name was Cynrik, right? Well, I''ve been authorized to allow your entrance; you go on in 1 minute. I hope you aren''t camera shy because the Techie chat exploded in an uproar at the mention of your name." Wearing an inquisitive expression, the headset man suddenly whipped around and addressed Cynrik.

    "Got it, all we need is your signal, and we will enter," Cynrik said with a slight salute at the man before turning to the members of MyrkLys.

    "Form up, two lines; Brance and Benny take up the position at the back, Selene in front of Brance, Kurza in front of Benny."

    "Then Gabby, you stand ahead of Selene, and Melody, you''re in front of Kurza."

    Without saying a word, everyone got in ce as if they had done this formation hundreds of times. Soon enough, everyone was arranged by order of height, with Cynrik standing two paces forward between Gabby and Melody.

    [[You are still wearing your Armor, Darling~,]] peeking over Gabby''s head, Selene chimed in upon noticing Cynrik was the only one out of ce, not wearing the gold uniform.

    [[Good looks, babe.]] Cynrik shot while tossing his girlfriend a wink before swapping loadouts and dawning the same golden uniform as everyone else.

    -JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 459 Opening Ceremonies (6)

    In a sh of golden light, Cynrik reced his battle dress with the sleek, tight-fitting golden uniform. With a tug, he then adjusted the sleeves and fingerless gloves before reaching up with both hands, pulling the uniform hood up to cover his head, and turning to face the curtain leading to the Arena.

    ''Anyway, after throwing my attack, I sunk back into what I call the Shadow Realm, an alternate reality space that I have ess to. And before youin about me being reckless, my Ravens and I concealed our presence with multiple stealth skills and continuously jumped back and forth unseen.'' Sensing Headmaster Rivia walking up and standing beside him, Cynrik continued his exnation.

    ''So unless someone present had a skill simr to the ocr skill Brance and I have, it should be impossible to catch sight of our proper appearance; this can also be applied to any surveince cameras.''

    With a controlled facial expression and exhtion through his nose, Geralt was astonished by Cynrik''s high-level analysis of the situation, his execution, and his calmness and enraged at being called only after the event.

    ''Tell me more about these groups you saw.'' After partially calming down enough to think, Headmaster Rivia responded.

    ''Military personnel, Government officials, criminals, you name it, and I saw it. There were different squads from each organization; however, I was paying more attention to their power level and the best way to kill them unseen, so I couldn''t get a read on who was from where.''

    ''I did, however, keep their corpses and gubb¡­er, I mean possessions, so we should be able to identify their origin rtively easily when we reach a safe location.'' Correcting himself from saying gubbins as he was used to, Cynrik snorted and equipped his kodachis in their usual positions on his right hip and right shoulder.

    ''Fuck, that''s troublesome. It seems some greedy bastards revealed their cards early. Luckily you noticed early enough that you could throw a wrench in their ns. Well, I say that, but I feel like you would havee out on top either way.'' A tired sigh escaped Geralt''s lips as he realized that Rimsfel and Garrison seemed to be nking the team, one beside Selene and the other beside Kurza as if it were prearranged.

    ''And those two? Why do I feel like they are following your orders? They didn''t even look at me and reacted like I see your faction do all the time.''

    Cynrik fought back a chuckle, tilted his head toward Geralt, and reached over to pat his shoulder as if the man were an old friend.

    ''Well, that, Headmaster, is because when pushes to shove, beta''s fall in line with themands of their Alpha.'' Unfortunately, Geralt didn''t share even a speck of Cynrik''s sense of humor and angrily brushed off the young man''s hand before shooting him a re.

    ? ''Kidding; I am only kidding, Headmaster. Since I was the only oneing up with viable ns and could get everyone out of not one but three life-or-death situations, it makes sense that I would have gained the trust of at least Garrison.

    ''But¡­apparently, in the case of Rimsfel, er, how do I say this¡­it seems he is convinced that Brance is some kind of HolySon, because of his HolyFire Affinity.''

    In an instant, Geralt''s reaction changed from anger to confusion, so much so that he even turned to look back at Rimsfel, only to realize the guy was seemingly looking at Brance with stars in his eyes. Unsurprisingly, he was on Brance''s side of the formation.

    ''Of for fucks sake, what the hell is going on. Why is my perception of reality radically altered whenever you and your brother are involved?'' Using an aggrieved tone and tilting his face toward the ceiling, Geraltined.

    ''Can''t help you there, Headmaster. If it makes you feel better, my Mom always said she gave up trying to guess the severity of the trouble I would find myself in due to my "rascal" nature after I blew up a toy as a kid. Anywho, in about two seconds, Old Man Saylin will be returning.''<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''Huh? How do you know that? Did he message you or something?'' Pulling his eyes away from the ceiling tile he had been staring nkly at, Geralt looked down at Cynrik only to find the boy tapping his head right beside his eye with his left index finger.

    When Geralt examined Cynrik''s eyes in curiosity, he spotted several multi-colored specks of light floating around the young man''s iris, indicating he had his ocr skill active.

    Just like Cynrik said, a momentter, yet another spatial tear opened up, and out stepped a horrified Saylin. Instead of waiting for Gabby to teather him to Cynrik with a Psychic connection, Saylin stepped right up to Cynrik, grabbed him by both shoulders, and got his face ufortably close to Cynrik''s.

    "Boy, how in the fuck did you do what you did." He asked without breaking eye contact with the younger man in a stunned tone.

    But Cynrik didn''t answer immediately and stood there expressionless, waiting for Gabby to connect them. When he felt the strange sensation that resembled a tugging at his hair, only then did Cynrik meet Saylin''s eyes and sh a toothy grin under his hood.

    ''Hehe, how bad was it, Old Man? I know my Umbral Tailed Beast Bomb is strong, but I was on the fence about how much damage it could cause to a Tier-5.'' In an unfazed yet slightly chaotically evil voice, Cynrik fought back the urge tough his ass off.

    When he read Saylin''s bodynguage, he knew his test had been a brilliant sess.

    ''Cut the shit Cynrik; whatever that skill you used is, the fact that it could put someone like Bentham in such a state is so unfathomable when you realize a Tier-3 existence used it. If anyone else knew you had such a skill, you would be hunted to the ends of Vinestra.''

    ''Not only would multiple high-level organizations want to get their hands on it, but some of the evilest beings known to life would hunt you down if not for the opportunity to FORCE YOU INTO HANDING IT OVER!" By the time Saylin reached the end of his statement, he was screaming in fear and awe at what the young man had achieved.

    ''Even if such an event urred, it would be impossible for them to learn it. In addition to requiring an Umbra Affinity and Advanced Grade Fire Affinity, my UTTB requires several factors, such as the ability to split their attention into ten different "channels" to work in the hands of anyone besides myself.''

    ''Aside from the stiff and intrusive requirements held by the UTTB, the one I fired contained over 100k MP.'' In one motion, Cynrik thrust both arms upward, connecting with the soft spot behind Saylin''s elbows, and forcefully removed the man''s hands from his shoulders.

    ''I have half a mind to publish my skill, if not to find people as crazy as me, then to find anyone with an Umbra Affinity to trade pointers.'' Cynrik said while tossing Saylin a smirk with his head tilted back.

    ''Bullshit, no one can ever know about this skill Cynrik, Bentham is a notorious criminal, known for his cruelty and strength, yet at this moment in time, he has lost both his arms, and I found him with one foot half in the grave. Not even I could put him in such a state with a single attack.

    "Hey, Kid, You''re up; get in there, and don''t freak out due to the shing lights, music, and roaring audience sounds. We have a live feed broadcasting from several hundred Arenas around the continent, so it''s pretty noisy in there."

    -JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 460 Opening Ceremonies (7)

    "Hey, Kid, You''re up; get in there, and don''t freak out due to the shing lights, music, and roaring audience sounds. We have a live feed broadcasting from several hundred Arenas around the continent, so it''s pretty noisy in there."

    With near-perfect timing, The headset man stepped over and spoke to Cynrik. At first, he wanted to give some time for the two men to finish their argument, but with several people screaming GO in his ear, the headset man couldn''t allow them to continue any longer.

    ''Walk and talk, Old Man; I''ve got a show to put on for my millions of adoring fans and admirers.'' Smacking his lips and spinning on his heel, Cynrik assumed his position back at the head of the formation.

    Behind him, the members of MyrkLys straightened their backs and put on serious facial expressions, causing the headset man, Saylin, and even Geralt, to recoil from the strange and oppressive feeling they were emitting.

    To put it into better terms, it was as if the members of MyrkLys had suddenly changed from typical students to wild, chained beasts. Even Kurza appeared to have been dragged into their strange mindset, which was weird because he had rtively little time to interact with the group.

    With almost practiced precision, everyone stepped forward with their right foot and moved as a group, with Cynrik walking past the headset guy and giving him a short nod before separating the soundproof curtain with his left hand.

    When he opened it, a wave of bright lights sshed his body as a thunderous roar greeted him.

    "Well, this is quite a shock; if I didn''t trust my sources, then I would think what I am seeing is the biggest joke of all time! Contrary to popr convention, Vesemir School For Affinities has undergone aplete restructuring of their Tier-3 Team!" The voice of an overly excited man boomed through the Arena as an army of small round camera drones descended and flew around Cynrik and MyrkLys while they walked out of the tunnel and into the vast open Arena.

    "For the first time in history, all but one member of the seven-man Tier-3 team is filled with FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS! THAT''S RIGHT, FOLKS, FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS! THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED!"

    Under his hood, Cynrik snorted upon hearing the hyperactive man''s words, but soon he was assaulted by a heavy amount of Killing Intent, 8gs to be exact.

    However, even with that much force on his body, he didn''t flinch, and only Kurza seemed to strain for a second before Garrison extended out his Aura to protect the young man.

    CRASH

    On arge screen floating above the center of the Arena, Cynrik spotted one of thementators being flung through the air. Still, he paid it no mind as his eyes locked onto arge windowed room high above where hundreds of heated res and even the Killing Intent originated.

    "You idiot, don''t block my view. However, what that dolt has said is true. The previous Tier-3 team has seemingly vacated their position, leaving only the former Captain as a backup member of the squad. I am presently getting word that Six of the team members are from a newly rising Faction named Mer¡­Meir¡­MyrkLys?" The secondmentator, a young woman''s voice grumbled. Her mispronunciation of his Factions name caused Cynrik''s lips to twitch momentarily until he finally located the source of the intrusive Killing Intent. And to no one''s surprise, it wasing from Lithlen and Viktor.

    "Although the amount of information we have gathered isn''trge, what we know is the names of each of thepetitors, and it appears that the members of MyrkLys have passed several physical exams indicating they can fight above their Level. Which will be a key factor moving forward since the six of them are Newly Advanced Tier-3 beings!" The malementator excitedly chirped, but his words only seemed to stoke the fire that was the Killing Intent bearing down on MyrkLys.

    Tilting his head slightly downward, Cynrik spoke in a straightforward yet quiet tone.

    "Four o''clock, in the far right corner of the window on the fourth floor. Full Assault, hold nothing back." He said while tilting his head back up and snarling under his hood.

    A stunning event followed his actions and words. Suddenly several of the windows on the right side of the Arena exploded outward as every member of MyrkLys unleashed the full extent of their Killing Intent, targeting Lithlen Jetlensr and Viktor Opurn, resulting in 45g of pressure assaulting the two.<novelnext></novelnext>

    However, the windows breaking wasn''t actually due to the heavy gravitational pressure; instead, it was from the outward expansion of Viktor and Lithlen''s Aura, which red out when the overbearing force mmed into their bodies.

    When the two forces collided, the Aura won the battle of wills, but it was insanely close, so much so that Lithlen and Viktor were forced to go all out not to be crushed to a bloody pulp, which in turn resulted in them affecting their surroundings.

    Several surrounding people in the VIP room had even been thrown away from the sheer power they were generating. Many of them were even Tier-5 beings. It was just that they had been caught off guard and thus paid in the form of embarrassment.

    But not as much as Lithlen and Viktor were. The two of them cut a sorry image mixed with fury, embarrassment, and slight traces of fear.

    ''TIER-3''s WHAT THE FUCK! HOW CAN MERE TIER-3 CHILDREN DRAW OUT SUCH INTENSE KILLING INTENT?'' Viktor screamed internally.

    Luckily for them, due to the attention being on MyrkLys, the loud noise, and the strobing light show, only those in attendance in the VIP room and every being over Tier-4 witnessed what had urred.

    After resuming their march, the group that had conducted the attack met up with the VSFA Tier-1 and Tier-2 teams, acting as if nothing had happened.

    It was only a brief moment where the Members of MyrkLys, Garrison, Rimsfel, Saylin, and Geralt turned to look up at the VIP room, so even thementators only thought of it as a sign of respect. No one watching the Opening Ceremonies from home or another Arena was the wiser either.

    ''You¡­what in the actual hell was that?'' Saylin gasped,pletely caught off guard at the massive wave of Killing Intent he had witnessed.

    ''CAN YOU FREAKING STOP DOING SHIT CYNRIK AND ACT NORMAL FOR ONCE?'' Geralt pleaded through the Psychic link.

    ''I am done hiding from those two fuckers. Their time hase, and if that means scaring the shit out of them with 45g of Killing Intent, which should be MORE than enough to tten them into pancakes, then so be it.'' Cynrik retorted while making eye contact with the piece of shit Vice Headmaster, who looked horrified and confused at what MyrkLys had just done, that and the fact that the group had somehow made it to the Arena in one piece.

    Ignoring the annoyingly energetic voice of the malementator, who Cynrik recognized as Cesar Romano, Cynrik halted his group five meters away from the Tier-2 team after observing how the other Academy teams were spaced out.

    ''And if that trashy bastard of a Vice Headmaster so much as farts in my presence, he is next, important family or not. He is to me for a significant amount of what has transpired in VSFA. Hell, just look at how fucking nervous he is now that we have shown up. I don''t know how much more proof you need, Geralt.'' While he spoke, Cynrik''s left hand unconsciously twitched multiple times.

    The movement caused Brance, who was observing his brother from the back of the line, to flinch since he recognized it as one of Cynrik''s ticks for when he was simting an action.

    Unknown to Cynrik or even Saylin and Geralt, Gabby had long since connected Brance to the makeshift Psychic link, and he had been eavesdropping this entire time.

    [Cyn, calm down, don''t you move a fucking inch. And for the love of god, stop freaking killing the Vice Headmaster over and over in your mind!] Brance tried his best to keep a calm tone while he spoke but found it increasingly difficult to do so the more Cynrik twitched.

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 Chapter 461 Opening Ceremonies (8)

    Brance''s eyes kept moving toward Cynrik''s left hand as his agitated older brother continuously made a slight flick-like twitch every half second. The motion, in essence, was just enough to move but not enough to trigger the ejection mechanism of the Assassins Tool.

    [Brance, have a little faith; even I know better than to openly attack someone at Tier-5 with something like 25,000 people surrounding us.] Surveilling his surroundings, Cynrik noticed that only the people from his tournament bracket were currently on the ground level of the Arena''s open area. In contrast, all the other teams, be they Tier-1 or higher, had been assigned special seating with the other 125 academies in their bracket.

    ''Kid, that was reckless as all get out. Never in my life have I seen someone with such gall as to assault someone two Tiers higher than them, and if someone had told me it happened, well, I would have called them insane.''

    ''Setting aside the fact that each of you has a Killing Intent WELL above even experienced military veterans, you and your brother are creeping ever closer to my own KIN. That in itself is a horrifying aplishment.'' ncing up at the jumbo-sized screen overhead, Saylin broke up Cynrik and Brance''s conversation.

    On-screen, Cesar and Roni were bickering as usual while bringing up several hexagonal survey charts representing the members of MyrkLys stats as per theirst "Official Examination" at Tier-2.

    ''Nearly killing a Tier-5 being with a single attack, wielding a KIN of well over 1000 points, and then there''s the issue of you speeding through Tier''s as if a child ying with toys. Cynrik Jetlensr, you are an enigma.'' The old green-haired man stated without looking down at the young man beside him.

    Cynrik smirked and observed the outdated Radar charts to double-check that none of the stats presented had reached the stat cap. Once he was sure everything was in order, and the two idiots were chattering on screen, theorizing about how high MyrkLys'' stats had increased, he finally responded to Saylin.

    ''Aren''t you forgetting that whole me Powerleveling my group of five other individuals to Tier-3 just as fast as myself part? Come on now, old man, don''t skimp on the praise.'' He said while finally deactivating his [Mana Sight] for the first time in nearly an hour.

    The strain on his eyes made him feel as if he had spent thest 12 hours staring at aputer monitor from only a few centimeters away. With his healing factor, he resolved the soreness and tiredness after closing his eyes for a moment and re-opening them.

    ''Sigh, Cynrik, I hope you realize Saylin and I won''t be able to protect you forever. We can''t be by your side every waking minute, and even with the backing of VSFA and the Council, we cannot keep you safe if you keep messing with everyone who pisses you off.'' This time it was Geralt''s turn to cut in.

    ''You may not be concerned about your well-being, but think about the rest of your faction, your brother, or even your parents. All of your information has been leaked by Lithlen, and as it stands, we have no real proof or evidence that he even did so, meaning we won''t be able to take legal action against him.''

    ''I side with Geralt on this topic. Those little acts of disobedience and rebellion you just forced your group to perform have proved to the High-Tiers that you are not easily messed with, but you have also demonstrated that you are unruly and unrestrainable. The impression you give off is that of an uncaring individual who tosses caution to the wayside and isn''t concerned with the consequences of his actions.'' By the end of his statement, Saylin finally looked over at Cynrik only to find the young man as expressionless as ever.

    ''I love how both of you know me so well that you want to try and dictate my actions, but have either of you stopped to think for even a second that everything I have done today serves a greater purpose?'' Cynrik''s speech seemed condescending and agitated; however, he wasn''t upset or even disappointed in how the two men appeared to view him.

    Turning to face Saylin first and locking eyes with him, Cynrik addressed the green-haired man directly.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''Saylin, you have known me for quite some time; tell me, aside from what you would deem as reckless, have I ever NOT had a n for my actions? Better yet, you were there the first time I stood up to my grandfather; even as a Tier-1 prepubescent child, I stood up to someone attempting to kidnap my younger brother on the ground that he could "raise him better.'' Cynrik''s words drew a physical reaction from Saylin as if he had smacked the man across the face.

    Seeing that, Cynrik snapped his head to the right and spoke at Geralt.

    ''Geralt, I was scheming to get the highest benefits possible from our rtionship from the moment you met me. In the few short months, I''ve been at VSFA, I have broken any and every record set by previous students in the history of the Academy. You have seen my plots and ns every step of the way from Tier-1 to Tier-3 and know just how deep and far ahead my ns reach.''

    Turning back and facing forward while standing at attention, Cynrik continued his monologue.

    ''Now tell me, if I have proven time and time again to you old bastards that I am not ipetent, why in the hell do you doubt me at every turn? Do you honestly think I haven''t predicted all the hundreds of thousands of possible reactions of my enemies? If you do, then never bet against me or y me in fucking chess because I will take you for everything you own.''

    ''Bare in mind, at Tier-3; I single-handedly brought down a guy rivaling if not stronger than either of you in a single shot. Do you REALLY think I haven''t thought extensively of the repercussions of doing such a thing?'' Huffing out a puff of carbon dioxide from his nostrils, Cynrik rolled his eyes.

    ''That''s enough, Cyn, the two of them are our elders; there is no need to try breaking them mentally. We get it, your fucking smart, crazy and moronic all at the same time; stop gloating.'' When Cynrik finished, a fourth voice entered Cynrik, Saylin, and Geralt''s heads, Brance''s.

    ''Instead of talking about how well you''ve nned for everything, how about filling them in on what exactly you have in store?''

    ''Tsk, always the fucking voice of reason, what are you, a fucking conscious cricket who sits on my shoulder. Buzz off, Brancie.'' Reaching up to his right shoulder with his left hand, Cynrik metaphorically brushed Cricket Brance off his shoulder and shook his head slowly.

    ''Excuse me, Brance, how long have you been listening in on our conversation? I don''t necessarily mind; however, I am pretty curious how none of us could pick up on another person being attached to our minds.'' Resisting the urge to spin around and look at Brance, Saylin politely asked.

    ''That¡­uh¡­well, I guess Gabby is pretty advanced with using [Psychic Connection]. Of everyone in the group, she studies and trains the hardest of us, so I assume it has something to do with her control over the skill.

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 Chapter 462 Opening Ceremonies (Final)

    Brance found himself at a loss for words when confronted about his presence in the [Psychic Connection]; luckily for him, however, a certain youngdy was ready to hop in and save his ass from a potential interrogation.

    ''Pardon me for interrupting, sirs, but I have been here the whole time, too. As for why neither of you can pick up on other people while part of my connection, that is simple. Think of it as a one-way call where the other person is muted. A formal link isn''t made until another party speaks up. Thus you won''t be able to sense their presence immediately.''

    With an exnation brief and to the point, Gabby cleared the misconception about her skill, causing the two men to nod in understanding.

    ''Kay, I''ll leave you guys to it then.'' With that, Gabby muted herself again, and as she stated, her presence disappeared from the connection.

    ''Anyway, Cyn, start talking because as it stands, the moment we leave this building, all hell will break loose." Brance scolded as he shifted ufortably.

    ''Tsk, it isn''t thatplicated. If my theory is correct, the asshats who organized that ambush are pulling their hair out, trying to figure out what happened to their forces. Their first move will likely be to check any CCTV footage from thest half hour. Unfortunately for them, they won''t find anything there.''

    "And that just about does it for our analysis of VSFA''s incredible Tier-3 team. Now then, if we could please have the participants from Bracket 3A vacate the central zone of the Arena and head to their assigned seating so that we can continue the Opening Ceremonies."

    Cesar''s annoyingly loud voice sounded off from all directions, triggering an exodus of movement toward the opposite end of the Arena, where an ess stairway had been opened to allow the participants ess to the stadium-style seating.

    ''With theck of visual proof and no corpses or physical evidence avable, the only excuse they wille up with is that the two of you had a team of highly trained beings lying in wait as bodyguards. The whole point of me following through with the n alone was because I knew my Ravens and I could easily hide or eradicate all trace evidence due to our Affinities.'' Keeping his eyes straight ahead, Cynrik motioned with his left hand for everyone to move out when their time came to advance.

    The professionalism and leadership of the Tier-3 team drew a wild reaction from audiences watching around the continent, as was evident by the loud roaring from the speakers. Hundreds of small camera''s circled around the group as they walked, and several spotlights even trained on them to highlight MyrkLys on the main screen.

    ''Had I brought along anyone else, things would have be overlyplicated, and I had no way to ensure there wasn''t any trace left behind. The nature of Dark Mana, or in my case Umbra Mana, causes it to disappear as quickly as it manifests. As you know, it is one of the most prominent reasons why most Assassins are Dark Affinity users.''

    However, before he could continue speaking, Cynrik''s eyes suddenly narrowed, and his head snapped to the right as he passed a specific group of students.

    [[Hmph, would you look at that? It appears our cousin got quite strong. He still looks like a prissy fuckboi, though.]] Cynrik snorted as his eyes met those of Len Jetlensr.

    Unlike Cynrik''s calm expression, Len''s was one of utter disgust as he looked down on his younger cousin from several rows above.

    As if to prove the thoughts Cynrik had, Len sneered and mouthed the words "You''re dead brat," to which Cynrik cockily responded by flipping his middle finger at the guy, drawing another roar from the virtual audience.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Even thementators picked up on this interaction and couldn''t help but begin spreading gossip. With Cynrik and Brance''s full names out in the open, it was a heated topic as to why the brothers didn''t attend their Grandfathers Academy, and the brief visual dispute between Cynrik and Len blew up the message boards with all kinds of theories.

    However, none of that mattered to Cynrik as he promptly turned away and ignored the idiot to single out the second annoying pest who was exhibiting another heated gaze. This time, it was from Jason Opurn, who, simrly to Len, had a few colorful words for Cynrik.

    Unfortunately for Jason, who was quick to make a grand gesture and deration of war, Cynrik chuckled and didn''t give him the time of day. Instead, he opted to pull down his hood and smirk cockily at the cameras while mouthing the words, "Bring it on," before walking up the stadium stairs and guiding his team to the front row.

    ''As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted by some dumbasses; even when ites to the sorry state of that Tier-5 guy, there is no evidence it was me who did it. That guy was doing a search technique using his Aura, but I was too quick and outside his range for him to spot me.''

    ''In other words, we are free and clear when identifying the source of the attacks on either the operatives or the Tier-5 guy. The same thing goes with the crash sight. When I pull people into the Shadow Realm, it leaves ZERO traces, so all they can do is make assumptions that some high-level guy saved us and attacked the strong guy when he was getting too close with his Aura Search.'' Metaphorically shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik sat down on the ufortable stic fold-down chair, which was the signal for everyone else to sit as well.

    ''Without proof, their next option is to try kidnapping us again, whether when we travel to and from the Arena or when we are free to move about the city. But after what happened today, I doubt anyone with half a brain would try again. Not with the heavy losses some of the groups sustained.''

    ''Still, that only counts for the smart ones; I''m sure there will be dozens if not hundreds of greedy idiots who don''t heed my warning and will trying after us, so I have formed around thirty contingency ns for such an event. Not to mention I have predetermined all our routes and have left zero chance for error.'' Finishing his statement there, Cynrik nudged Geralt''s arm with his left elbow since the man was sitting beside him.

    ''Heads up, the cameras are on you; time to be personable; wave at your adoring fans, Geralt.'' He said while pulling his hood back up to conceal the smile on his lips.

    ''Shit,'' Geralt grumbled as he jumped back to his feet and struck a pose before waving at the round camera drones the size of a basketball.

    Once the production staff had their fill, the drones flew away to harass other Headmasters while Cesar and Roni exined the schedule, and a way-too-long video showing highlights ofst year''sbat finals was yed on therge screen center field.

    ''Moving along, between Brance and me, the two of us can keep eyes on just about anything using our ocr skills; all that''s left is making our lodgings into a securepound. The only thing that bothers me is why no one did anything after we almost blew up the VIP booth.'' Bringing his hand to his chin and acting as if he was analyzing the footage fromst year''s final match, Cynrik sighed heavily.

    ''It''s troubling that no one stepped in to stop Lithlen or Viktor from assaulting us; that tells me that there are corrupt people in positions of authority officiating things, and THAT is something that needs to be worked into my future assessments.

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 Chapter 463 T??? L????? P???? I???????? (1)

    After finishing his exnation, Cynrik fell silent and only offered one or two-word answers in response to the multitude of questions sent by either Saylin or Geralt. Before long, the Opening Ceremonies were called to a close, and the teams were escorted out in the order they arrived.

    ''So what now? Normally, if I was watching from home, I would have already gotten up and walked away.'' Cynrik asked as he stood up and took in the sights of the Arena.

    ''Wait¡­Brance, is he serious right now?'' Geralt asked as he stood up and stretched. Most of MyrkLys mimicked the Headmaster after sitting in the crappy stic chairs for over an hour.

    ''Sigh, unfortunately, he is. Every year, our family gathers in the den to watch the Opening Ceremonies, yet when the entertaining videos are over, POOF, Cyn pulls his vanishing act. He''s like a cat who, once they''ve gotten attention, want nothing to do with you any longer.'' Reaching over and making sure to pat Milo on the head since he was a good boy and nothing like the imaginary cat he had described, Brance shot Cynrik a weirded-out expression.

    ''Can I be med for that, though? That''s like sitting and purposely reading through the ending credits after a movie. Ignoring the fact that certain series have post-credit scenes, you and our parents always enjoy the boring parts.'' Using a poor excuse, Cynrik shrugged his shoulders and looked toward Saylin, who had been quiet for a while now for answers.

    ''Hehe, this is going to be pretty funny, isn''t it?'' The older man said with raised eyebrows and an entertained expression.

    ''I mean, it will either go about how you expect, or we will end up putting out A LOT of fires soon. How bout you take a gander over there, Cynrik.'' Geralt groaned as he pointed across the Arena at a special staging Area.

    Narrowing his eyes and following in the direction Geralt pointed, Cynrik''s eyes soon widened as a weird glint shed through them.

    ''No fucking way, NO FUCKING WAY. Nooo~, there''s no way they would¡­I mean, why wouldn''t I¡­what if¡­.?'' He began mumbling under his breath.

    ''Oh, what seems to be the problem, Cynrik, don''t tell me you have stage fright.'' Saylin asked with a chuckle before Brance added to the conversation with an opinion of his own.

    ''I am leaning toward getting the extinguishers primed and ready. Headmaster Rivia, you should probably start contacting VSFA''s Public Resources department. If I know my brother¡­.''

    Before Brance could finish his statement, Cynrik was on his feet and practically vibrating with excitement, causing him to groan loudly and bury his head in his hands.

    In a disy that could only be described as hyperactive, Cynrik''s head bounced back and forth between Saylin and Geralt, and anyone could tell by looking at him that he was giddy as a kid on Christmas.

    What he had seen across the Arena was a Staging area set up for Tier-3 Team Captains to conduct interviews with Roni and Cesar.

    Seeing how the usually expressionless young man was overly excited, Geralt felt a wave of dread wash over him, making him sigh heavily.

    ''Why do I feel more like a parent right now than a Headmaster.'' Heined as he looked toward Brance for help.

    ''Don''t look at me; I can''t control him. You know damn well the moment you shove a microphone in his face, my brother is going to fly off the handle like some kind of professional wrestler. The best thing I can advise is to get ready for damage control, as I stated already.'' Holding up his hands helplessly, Brance couldn''t offer much help to Geralt, so he turned to Saylin.

    ''I don''t see the problem so long as he doesn''t touch on topics he shouldn''t. The kid isn''t dumb enough to b about killing all those people or even bring up the issue of attempted kidnapping.''

    ''Yeah, I''m not that dumb, Hooooweverrr~~. All bets are off when ites to trash-talking. OH, OH, do you think they will pull in my dipshit cousin and that Jason guy? Hehe, I sure hope they fucking do.'' Rubbing his hands together like a superviin, Cynrik spun around and anxiously padded in ce, waiting for the isle to clear so he could make a mad dash toward the staging area.

    [[Now darling~ don''t go saying anything I wouldn''t,e here let me fix your clothes.]] Pushing her way past Kurza, the Sandfords, Brance, and Melody, Selene appeared in front of Cynrik and began fussing with the long cor of his uniform zer, then moved on to adjusting his hood.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [[Hehe, Sel, I don''t think you understand how BADLY I''ve wanted to shit-talk someone with an audience watching. I have waited for this moment for two lifetimes. Growing up, I never missed a pre-fight press conference for any of the big Mixed Martial Arts pay-per-views, and I have practiced what I would say for ages.]] Cynrik hurriedly said as he allowed Selene to mess with his clothes.

    [[That seems very on brand for you, Darling, hold still, you keep shuffling about, and you''re making it difficult to ensure that your gear is straight.]] Reaching up and over her boyfriend''s shoulder, Selene then adjusted Cynrik''s back-mounted Kodachi so that it was angled perfectly before moving on to his hip weapon.

    A few momentster, she patted his shoulder twice to signal she had finished making him look good.

    ''Fine, go, but don''t make a fool of yourself, and don''t say anything that can easily be misconstrued or used against you. If all you want to do is roast some kids, so be it.'' Relenting to the looks he was receiving from both Selene and Cynrik, Geralt shooed Cynrik off, giving him the go-ahead to conduct an interview.

    ''Good shit, thanks, Headmaster,'' Shooting Geralt a salute, Cynrik spun around and flipped over the balcony beforending on one knee 10 meters below on the ground level.

    His shy actions drew some attention, but thanks to the loud music, shing lights, and crowd reactions from the interview urring, which had just started being broadcast on the jumbotron, no one seemed to care too much.

    ''Now he refers to me by my title¡­what the hell goes on in that head of his?'' Geralt asked no one in particr but didn''t receive a response.

    Soon enough, Cynrik disappeared, blending into the sea of bodies moving toward one of the many exits, leaving MyrkLys, Geralt, Saylin, Garrison, and Rimsfel behind to shake their heads at his over-eagerness to cause trouble.

    ''Yeah, you''re probably going to regret letting him go; I hope you realize that, Headmaster.'' Brance chided as he kept track of Cynrik with [Mana Sight].

    ''What do you mean probably going to? I already do regret it. Who knows what kind of crap will spew out of that foul mouth of his. Damn it; I need to make some calls; Gabrie, you can release me from the connection.'' Geraltined as he opened a spatial tear and disappeared off to who knows where.

    ''Brance, on a scale of walk in the park to catastrophic failure, how bad is this going to be?'' Out of curiosity, Saylin couldn''t hold his tongue any longer and asked.

    ''Heh, you know the devastation left after an Egress dumps thousands of Creatures on a city?'' Turning his head to the side as he talked, Brance stated cryptically, leaving Saylin shivering as memories from the past came to the forefront of his mind.

    ''Well, imagine one of those opening up every 30 seconds for two weeks, and you can begin understanding the potential catastrophe Headmaster Rivia just unleashed on the news media."

    ''I¡­I need to make some calls.'' Was all Saylin said as he swung his arm up and began furiously typing away on his Watcet.

    ''Yeah¡­that''s probably for the best. Also, if you know any goodwyers, you should put them on retainer¡­it''ll be a bloodbath out there.

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    **Chapter 0463- Team Leader Press Interview (1)**

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 Chapter 464 T??? L????? P???? I???????? (2)

    Meanwhile, back at the Pinhurst Mansion, everyone was ecstatic after seeing their kids on Tv, and Aiden couldn''t stop talking about how cool everyone looked in their golden uniforms.

    "I can''t believe how big Brancie has gotten. Did you see how bulky he and Benny are?" Maeve happily squealed as she busied herself, cleaning up the small mess of crumbs that her son had created.

    "That boy of yours is bigger than you now, Rikard; unlike Benny, who has his father''s stature, Brance appears to have far surpassed even thergest men I''ve met from your side of the family," Jessup added with a smile.

    "My little Gabrie is so pretty now, just like me," Mrs. Sanford said as she fiddled with her hair by wrapping several strands around her index finger.

    "Haha, yep, all of them sure have grown. I am worried, though, as everyone saw how much attention Cynrik drew on himself and the rest of the group. Plus, I find it suspicious that Headmaster Rivia and Mr. Garn walked out with the kids. I hope everything is alright."

    While everyone was happily conversing, Cinyah was the first to bring up the peculiarity causing the adults to frown in thought.

    "I am sure it''s no big deal. I doubt anything will go wrong between the Event Staff and the Headmaster being there. However, it is concerning how big of a spectacle that brat made out of harassing those two kids." Jessup added as he sat back down in his pricy reclining chair with a beer.

    "Len¡­my sister''s son. He sure has a temper; after Cynrik flipped him off, the kid lost it and pitched a fit. It was even caught on camera, forcing thementary staff to bring it up. You don''t think¡­no, the Headmaster wouldn''t be stupid enough to put a microphone in his¡­son of a bitch." Rikard''s voice trailed off and ended in a curse as his oldest son''s face reappeared on camera; this time, they followed as the hooded figure of Cynrik slowly made his way toward Roni and Cesar.

    Cesar Romero: "Thank you once again for the interview, Miss Ka Ovend. We wish you the best of luck in this year''s event and can''t wait to see what kind of no doubt exciting performance you put on this time."

    In the center of the screen, Roni and Cesar were wrapping up their interview with the young lion beast girl, while not far away, Cynrik could be seen with his arms crossed waiting patiently.

    "You don''t think he''s going to step in and conduct an interview, do you?" A worried Cinyah asked but received only confused eyes in response to her words.

    "That little rascal is totally up to something; look at his body posture; it''s the same as whenever he is about to do something stupid. I remember seeing him stand like that when he wanted to ask for excessive supplies for his little experiments." Maeve shouted as she shook around Aiden, who had been sitting in front of her this entire time.

    ---

    Back in the Arena, Cynrik quietly and intimidatingly stood in the background, watching the two annoyingmentators shoo off Ka. But instead of walking away after finishing the interview, the young lion beast girl turned around and narrowed her cat-like yellow eyes at Cynrik, who she quickly picked out of the heavy crowd.

    Observing the girl freezing in ce upon seeing someone they didn''t notice immediately, Roni and Cesar turned around in their seats at thementary desk. They tried to find the reason, ignoring the trembling girl standing there as if she had seen a demon.

    ''Oh, what''s this? That girl''s got some excellent senses. I was concealing my presence to an extent not to draw attention, yet she spotted me instantly.'' Cynrik thought to himself as he reached up with both hands and pulled down his hood, revealing his multi-colored hair and pony tail.

    This subtle yet nned action caused Ka to flinch and take half a step back as if she was expecting Cynrik to rush forward and attack suddenly.

    Luckily for her, the only person who appeared to notice her skittish movements was Cynrik. In an effort to locate their next interviewee, the cameras were relocated to the outside of the staging area and above the crowd of contestants leaving the arena; thus, Ka''s actions went unnoticed by nearly everyone.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Well, isn''t that a surprise? Normally, we have to coerce people toe up and talk to us, but it seems that one of the people representing the hottest topic of this year''s Competition hase knocking on our door." Roni said with a mischievous smile and tapped the face of her Watcet twice, directing a cluster of ball-shaped cameras to focus in on Cynrik.

    "Do my eyes deceive me, or has the young man with more gossip than a pop star idol appeared before us?" Cesar asked in a high-pitched and excited tone.

    "Well, Mr. Cynrik Jetlensr, would you like to join us and have a conversation? I''m sure the audience would love to hear many things you have to say?" Roni asked with a wink, making it seem like Cynrik had no choice in the matter now.

    "Hm, why not, I''ve got plenty to say, and you all are the best in the business at what you do, so I would love the opportunity." In a very uncharacteristic tone, one more than likely something Brance would use, Cynrik bowed slightly and walked over toward the open seat on the opposite side of thementary desk.

    However, when he passed by the frozen Ka, Cynrik stopped, facing the opposite direction of her, close enough that their arms were almost touching.

    "If you are going to freak out after just seeing the bloodlust I possess, then you aren''t even worth my time, girl. Still, don''t worry, I wouldn''t kick your ass too badly; the worst you have to worry about is me wanting to touch your ears and tail."

    Tilting his face down so the cameras couldn''t read his lips and using a soft yet menacing tone of voice that made it so only Ka could hear it, Cynrik uttered a rutheless taunt.

    At his words, Ka''s body shivered, and her cheeks turned pink; however, contrary to how Cynrik believed she would react, the girl spun around, got up on her tippy toes, and got right in his face in one swift move.

    By this point, the cameras had all moved in position and recorded everything transpiring between them. However, much to the discontent of everyone, Ka said nothing and only red into Cynrik''s eyes with a half-frightened, half-intrigued glint in her yellow-nted eyes.

    Cynrik, not being one to back down, smirked cockily right back at the girl and inched his face slightly closer to see if she would get ufortable. The girl had already invaded his personal space, so why not have a Fighter Style Face to Face?

    "That''s better; I find it VERY boring beating up people who don''t give me a challenge, especially good-looking catgirls." Finishing his statement by flinching forward suddenly, Cynrik''s smirk turned into a sneer as he watched a pale-faced Ka flicker backward two steps in shock that Cynrik was about to hit her.

    With Ka having backed down first, several people in the crowd gasped or jeered at her reaction, causing the girl to turn bright pink as she spun around and disappeared a secondter.

    "*COUGH COUGH* Uh¡­Mr. Cynrik Jetlensr, care to exin what that was all about?" Sitting with an awkward expression painting his face, Cesar coughed twice to draw attention back to himself and Roni before addressing Cynrik.

    "Hm, just a little friendly banter between opponents, nothing to worry about. Hah, wow, this is pretty surreal. I never thought I''d find myself at this legendary desk with The Charismatic Cesar Romero and Smokeshow Diva Roni Cherish." Quickly changing the topic, Cynrik took his seat and reached across the table to shake thementators'' hands.

    Chapter 0464- Team Leader Press Interview (2)

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 Chapter 465 T??? L????? P???? I???????? (3)

    "Hehe, well, after making such arge statement as openly taunting not one but now three different Tier-3 team leaders, we would have to beplete idiots not to drag you in for an Interview." Taking the initiative and leaning forward to shake Cynrik''s hand, Roni was the first to speak.

    "Idiots? You? never Miss Roni but him; we all know how big of a goofball Mr. Cesar can be from time to time." From around the arena, a collectiveugh could be heard as a chorus of people found Cynrik''s witty humor entertaining.

    "Oh, quite the silver tongue you''ve got there, kid," Roni said with a wink as she flirtatiously traced the inside of Cynrik''s palm with her thumb before releasing her grip on his hand.

    "Hey, why am I the butt of the joke¡­." Cesar halfined while puffing out his bottom lip and shaking Cynrik''s hand too.

    "Can''t help you there, big guy; after all, we watched you getunched across the room earlier. I hope that noggin of yours is okay cause that wall sure seemed to have a crush on you. Or at least that''s how it appeared to us, unculturedymen." Another round ofughter followed Cynrik''s yful banter, causing even Cesar to join in this time.

    "Uncultured, you say? How can that be possible? Judging from yourst name, you should be a part of the prominent Jetlensr Family. Even your Grandfather, Lithlen Jetlensr, is a well-known member of High Society and even an Academy Headmaster." Raising an eyebrow at Cynrik''s statement, Roni took the conversational reins away from Cesar and officially began the interview.

    "I''m going to stop you right there, Miss Roni." Holding his right hand up and cutting off the woman across from him, Cynrik tilted his head to the side and propped his elbows on thementary desk.

    At that moment, Brance stiffened and ran to the railing of the stadium seating while screaming into the mind link.

    [DON''T FUCKING DO IT, CYN!]

    His abrupt actions sent Saylin and the newly returned Geralt on high alert as they looked up at the jumbotron with wide eyes.

    ---

    In the Pinhurst Mansion, Cinyah was on her feet screaming at her son on Tv, much like Brance was.

    "CYNRIK AYKE JETLENSR, VEER AWAY FROM THE TOPIC! DON''T EVEN THINK ABOUT SAYING ANYTHING BAD ABOUT THAT MAN!" Cinyah howled, frightening everyone in the room except Rikard.

    Rikard had both hands around Cinyah''s lithe waist and was pulling backward with all his might on his wife to keep her from attacking the projection on the wall or damaging any furniture.

    ---

    In a hotel not far from the venue, a fuming mad Lithlen stood in the center of arge hotel suite. By his side was his grandson and the brothers'' cousin Len.

    "Little bastard child, if you ruin the public opinion of our family I have spent centuries building up, I swear to everything I am, I will make it my goal to fucking eradicate you and that brother of yours." Lithlen snarled through gritted teeth as he smashed his ss of wine into shards, spilling red liquid all over the white fur carpet.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Don''t worry, Grandfather, he is nothingpared to me. You know how high my stats are and how strong I have be. How can a mere newly advanced Tier-3 evene close to beating me?" Len said with flickers of blue lightning shing around in his eyes.

    ---

    At thementary desk, Cynrik could be seen wearing a cocky smirk as he heard Brance screaming into the mind link.

    "I say I am uncultured precisely because of that man''s identity. What kind of man shuns his own son because of the person he fell in love with? Even if I was born from the main family''s bloodline, do not think or believe I am one of them for a second."

    "I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I was not handed resources on a silver tter to eat like junk food. My younger brother and I obtained every bit of our power ourselves. So yes, I can be considered uncultured and from humble beginnings." Leaning back and examining the stunned expressions on Roni and Cesar''s faces, Cynrik ignored the screaming in his heading from Brance and the crowd''s reactions.

    "Now, don''t get me wrong, I am sure that Lithlen Jetlensr is a fine and upstanding member of society, but as far as being a parent or grandparent goes, well, I have not experienced anything but bitterness and disappointment." Using a sarcastic tone but keeping his facial expressions neutral, Cynrik slowly blinked.

    "So¡­Can I consider what you just said as why you chose VSFA instead of Finwan Academy?" Choosing her words carefully due to the annoying voice yelling in her earpiece, informing her to either end the interview or change the topic, Roni pushed for more answers.

    "Hmm, partially, I suppose that can be counted as a factor. However, between you and I, Miss Roni, we can say I had a bit of a falling out with that man and leave it at that." Adding a wink at the end of his statement, Cynrik nced in Brance''s direction and activated [Mana Sight] only to find his brother with one leg over the railing, ready to rush across the arena to stop him from talking at any second.

    [Rx, you idiot, I won''t say anything detrimental to our health. nt the seed and let the general publice to their own conclusion; that''s the idea. Also, get back behind the railing; you''re a bigger clutz than me, so you will likely fall when trying to jump down from that height.]

    "Quite an interesting point of view; sorry if my colleague pushed a topic you may deem personal. How about we talk about your Team? I noticed five of the seven members, aside from yourself, are all newly advanced Tier-3s. How do you feel about your chances of making it into theter rounds of the event?" Noticing how Roni had been silent for too long, Cesar picked up the ball and continued the interview.

    "In my opinion, if what I''ve seen here today is the best the Academies in our country and the surrounding ones have to offer, we should have the championship in the bag. Putting aside the mediocre and frankly weak Tier-3 teams, I have only found a handful of interesting people. Even so, no one outside my Team is on my radar as a potential threat."

    The moment the taunting words entered the air, the arena fell silent as thousands of hateful res were simultaneously directed at Cynrik. Even the audiences watching from elsewhere went silent before breaking out in a thunderous roar mixed with taunts, cheers, and jeers.

    "Those are some mighty big words, Mr. Cynrik, ones that generally turn a person into the enemy of the masses," Cesar said with a worried expression; however, instead of responding immediately, Cynrik burst out into a loud fit ofughter.

    "Ha¡­ha¡­ha, oh Mr. Cesar, Mr. Cesar, I think you are severely misinformed. When have I ever said I was a Good person? I very much am the monster under your bed, the menacing bully that takes your lunch money; hell, you can even call me an Anti-Hero. If you want the knight in shining armor Hero type, that''s my younger brother''s job and personality."

    Chapter 0465- Team Leader Press Interview (3)

    -JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 466 T??? L????? P???? I???????? (Final)

    "That¡­that is a fascinating approach. Never in my many years as amentator have I had someonee out and basically call themselves a viin. It''s not only overly confident, borderline asinine but also a fairly ignorant thing to say, don''t you think?" Staring at Cynrik as if he were a lunatic, Roni cut in and spoke her mind.

    "Call it what you will, Miss Roni, but you see, before you can judge me for the things I say, you need to understand what I have been through in my life, the things I have seen."

    "I have been to the darkest corners of society and seen some of the worst things imaginable. At the time, I was only six or seven years old. The kind of things I experienced in my developmental years had an effect of sorts. Can you guess what event I am talking about?" Crossing his arms over his chest, Cynrik sat back and sincerely asked his question.

    Stunned at what the young man sitting across the table from her was saying, Roni fell silent and waited for him to finish speaking.

    "Several years ago, there was a string of kidnappings and murders around my hometown of Lawton. At that time, thousands of children ranging from ages 4 to 10 were disappearing daily, only to be found weekster, malnourished and deceased."

    At the drop of a hat, the Arena fell utterly silent as the majority of the res aimed at Cynrik turned to looks of pity. Most of them could already tell where this was going; still, they waited for Roni to respond.

    "Are¡­are you talking about the Haylon''s Shadow Incident¡­that means that you are one of¡­." Roni''s voice came out nearly a whisper as she shakily said one word after another with a pale face and wide eyes.

    "Yes, Miss Roni, you are correct, not only me, but my brother, and two of my teammates, Gabrie and Benjamin; all four of us are survivors of the Haylon''s Shadow kidnappings." Cynrik admitted while slowly nodding his head in confirmation.

    "During the time we were held captive, the four of us saw the absolute worse humanity has to offer; however, it taught each of us a precious lesson. Strength is everything." Uncrossing his arms, Cynrik looked around the Arena before his eyes settled on his team in the distance.

    Following his gaze, several cameras flew in that direction, capturing the somber image of Brance, Gabby, and Benny.

    "With the memories of that time living in my head rent-free, I swore never to find myself in such a hopeless state again. As such, the four of us set out on a mission to be as strong as possible in the shortest amount of time."

    "Now, some of you may be thinking, Cynrik, how is it possible to reach Tier-3 at the age of only 13? Was it dedication? Intense work ethic? As I already said, we weren''t given free handouts like many children from prominent families. My family and that of Gabrie and Benjamin weren''t poor by any means, but as two-child households, there were times when our parents struggled to make ends meet, especially in the early years."

    "The answer is simple: dedication, hard work, and work ethic y arge part in our sess, but the most significant factor is our obsession with being the strongest. The obsession to never find ourselves struggling to survive because someone way out of our level of imagination used us as ythings. That is how and why we are as strong as we are, and those of you watching are in for a treat because my team¡­no, my Faction, MyrkLys, will show you what it means to reign supreme over those within our Tier."

    By this point, all eyes were back on Cynrik, and to everyone watching and those in attendance, it appeared as if the young man was radiating fierce and intense energy. Energy and charisma which made even the weakest Tier-0 want to see how far the VSFA Tier-3 team would make it.

    "We won''t stop with winning our bracket; one step, one punch, one round at a time, we will climb to the top and be this year''s Champion. And there isn''t a single personpeting that can prove me wrong. Not that girl from earlier, not that little punk-ass piece of shit, Jason Opurn. Not that scumbag turd of a cousin of mine, Len Jetlensr, and certainly not my Paternal Grandfather, Lithlen Jetlensr." Standing up and grabbing hold of the nearest camera Drone to bring it closer, Cynrik clicked out a hidden de and stabbed it into the palm of his right hand.

    "On this wound, I make a solemn vow; anyone who stands against me will be destroyed. No mercy, no sympathy, no questions asked." Releasing the drone, Cynrik showed his bloody palm to the camera and grinned while the skin knotted itself back together and appeared fully healed within a second.

    "Bring it on, and bring your best because my team and I sure as hell will." With that said, Cynrik got to his feet, reached behind his back to grab his hood with one hand, and pulled it over his hair, hiding his face in darkness before walking away from the desk without saying another word.<novelnext></novelnext>

    While he walked, anyone in his way stepped aside. Some had looks of worship, others of anticipation, but no one was prepared for when suddenly all the members of MyrkLys appeared behind Cynrik and uniformly followed their leader in formation as he made his way toward the exit.

    The abrupt leaving of Cynrik and MyrkLys left Roni and Cesar wholly stunned, as no one had ever just up and left. Usually, it was their jobs asmentators to end the interview and dismiss the team leader, but Cynrik had broken the usual pattern of their show entirely.

    ''What is this? I''m feeling¡­'' Roni thought as she ced her hand over her rapidly beating heart.

    ''There''s no way I have a crush on someone a third of my age¡­why does his back look so wide? WHAT THE FUCK AM I THINKING?'' Shaking her head and nipping the budding crush in her heart before it could grow, Roni cleared her throat and was about to speak when the audiencepletely lost their shit.

    She wasn''t sure who started it, but someone randomly began chanting "MyrkLys," Like sheep, more people followed suit until a deafening chant took over the airwaves.

    ---

    Through the Arena''s bowels and into the open air, the team in question made quick work of their escape into the open air of Valor City. Upon exiting the building, several groups of people would stop and snap pictures of MyrkLys or could be seen chatting about the interview that had just ended.

    Yet not one of the rubberneckers spotted the thin Amethyst line of Mana connecting the group, adults included.

    ''Hehe, well, I do believe that went exceedingly well if I do say so myself.'' Cynrik chirped as if he had done nothing wrong.

    ''YOU IGNORANT FUCKING BRAT! DO YOU REALIZE THE SCALE OF THE BULLSHIT YOU JUST SPAT IN FRONT OF HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE?'' Geralt howled as he could be seen frantically typing away on his Watcet.

    ''Are you fucking dumb? Did you take one too many hits to the head, Cynrik? What in the fuck were you thinking?'' Brance scolded Cynrik while walking in formation.

    ''Kid, you fucked up big time. Everything you said can be taken as a deration of war against the other contestants and the organizations after you.'' Even Saylin had a thing or two to say.

    ? ''I think you were hot as fuck up there, Darling~.'' When Selene cut in and interrupted the flow of scolding, everyone stopped and turned to look at her with weirded-out expressions.

    ''Nut cases, the two of you are fucking NUT CASES!'' Throwing up his hands in defeat, Geralt stormed off ahead of the group without looking back.

    Chapter 0466- Team Leader Press Interview (4)

    -JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 467 Securing And Fortifying The Lodgings

    While the country and City were in an uproar of excitement due to the conclusion of the opening Ceremonies and Cynrik''s Interview, the online message boards were a storm of chaotic posts.

    Arge group of people chastised Cynrik for being cocky and way too confident in his abilities. Still, they were the vocal minority, and the massive wave of support swiftly suppressed their posts.

    In practically no time, thousands of articles with images and quotes from Cynrik or MyrkLys were posted by reputable Media conglomerates. Many were poorly written tabloids looking to capitalize on the newsworthy story. But overall, some of thergest News Mediapanies were posting videos and articles and running news segments to garner attention.

    However, the general response from the public was overwhelmingly positive. A deration of certain victory, a sad backstory, a catchy phrase, "One Step, One Punch, One round at a time," the tale had all the correct signifiers to be a huge story worthy of being turned into a movie.

    Unfortunately, many higher-ups scoffed at this whole thing because MyrkLys was a MASSIVE underdog due to theirck of experience, age, and the fact they were all newly advanced Tier-3 individuals.

    Tens of thousands of betting polls opened in seemingly no time, with highly unfavorable odds against the VSFA Tier-3 Team. Some even had 100000 to 1 odds that MyrkLys would lose in the first round. Mind you, there were multiple events the team was participating in, but all of the betting lines were centered around one event, Team Battles.

    While all this was happening, MyrkLys was calmly strolling through the City to figure out the boundaries they weren''t allowed to cross. The contract they had signed dictated they could only go a certain distance away from the Arena and Lodgings, so everyone except Cynrik was curious to figure out what there was to do in the confined radius they were allowed to wander.

    Their first stop was an expensive restaurant, where everyone took turns swapping out their uniforms and changing into casual clothes. Gabby chose to wear one of the many "pretty" dresses Brance had picked out for her on one of their many dates, while Melody chose a pair of tight jeans and a blue crop top.

    Benny, Brance, and Kurza all chose simple outfits consisting of joggers, sneakers, and T-shirts, leaving only Cynrik and Selene as the weirdos.

    The crazy duo wore matching ck hoodies, of which the hoods covered their heads and ck jeans. Lastly, they both had on pairs of functional ck high-top canvas shoes, *They''re ck converse*. Aside from their clear size difference, the only way to tell them apart was that Selene''s jeans were stylish and had many rips in all the right ces, while Cynrik wore loose-fitting jeans.

    After finishing their meal, which Cynrik practically forced Geralt to pay for, they continued walking around and exploring.

    As they walked, Cynrik monitored everything on his Watcet and would snort or scoff aloud from time to time. It became so frequent that after repeatedly asking what was wrong and receiving no answer, everyone decided it was better to ignore the frequent weird outburst.

    Around an hourter, the group arrived at avish hundred-floor condo building, and Geralt waltzed up to the front counter as if he had done it hundreds of times. After checking the team in and transferring the digital keycard to everyone''s Watcets, he ushered MyrkLys toward one of the eight elevators and brought them up to floor 83.

    ''Right, this condo is yours, Lodging 83-4. I got you guys the corner condo, but remember that you have neighbors on either side.'' Opening the door and walking into the eight-bedroom condo, Geralt spoke through Gabby''s [Psychic Link], so they wouldn''t be eavesdropped on.

    ''Cynrik, whatever your ns are for this Fortification you spoke of, you can do it while I am here.'' Then, with a wave of his hand, Geralt created a massive Spatial Cube, isting the entire condo from the outside world.

    ''Sigh, troublesome flies. My skill forcefully ejected nearly 28 different pairs of prying eyes.'' He grumbled while Cynrik brushed passed him and observed his surroundings.<novelnext></novelnext>

    With seven bedrooms, a training room, a living room, a den, and an ind bar in the kitchen, this condo had it all, and it reminded Cynrik of an expensive high-end designer apartment he once saw in a magazine on Earth. It was fully furnished, as apparent by the expensive furniture neatly organized in the living room and conjoining den and kitchen.

    Best of all, each bedroom had an attachedrge bathroom with a jacuzzi-style bathtub and separate shower.

    However, none of this mattered to Cynrik, so he took off walking around the lodgings, [Mana Sight] active, following many glowing lines. These lines represented the electronics, and following their path, Cynrik came to stand before arge, tasteless painting of a vase with flowers. Reaching up and stripping the picture off the wall, he revealed arge circuit breaker panel. Then with a flick of his wrist, a click of his Assassins tool, and a few seconds of fiddling with the lock, he pried open the two-meter metal door.

    ''Right, so that you don''t freak out on me, I won''t break or damage any of the internals of the security system. I will be hard lining into theputer system, hacking into all the different programs, and rewriting the code so that the only way to ess the building''s defensive systems is directly from my Watcet.'' Cynrik said as his hands began sifting through the wiring spaghetti to uncover the main server box.

    ''And how long will that take you?'' Geralt asked in a hesitant voice expecting an immediate answer he would never receive from Cynrik himself.

    Instead, he watched helplessly as MyrkLys abandoned their Headmaster and set about choosing bedrooms so they could unpack. Unlike the adults, the core members of MyrkLys all knew it could take Cynrik 10 minutes or 10 hours toplete all the extensive security protocols he was fond of, so they decided to do their own thing while leaving the adults out of the loop.

    Copsing onto one of the expensive couches and releasing a tired sigh, Geralt had a few moments of silence before he was disturbed by a short chuckle from across the den in the kitchen.

    Sitting at therge wooden table drinking coffee, Saylin, Garrison, and Rimsfel watched him as if he were a stage performer.

    "d you three find this funny." He snorted before rolling over and deciding to take a quick nap.

    Three hourster, a loud BANG startled Geralt awake, causing him to jump to his feet, summon his sword and whip his head back and forth, looking for intruders.

    But what greeted him after being rudely startled awake was a sneering Cynrik leaning against the wall, a group of snickering students, and three grown-ass men cackling from the kitchen like old fogeys swapping stories of the "good ol days."

    "d you''re awake, Headmaster. I finally finished setting things up, so if you would please direct your attention to the HoloTv, I will show you what I have done." Cynrik said while uncrossing his arms and shaking his head as he pushed off the wall and walked across the room.

    "You little asshole, couldn''t you wake me up like a normal human? Why must you always go with the theatrics?" Stowing away his weapon and shooting a re at Cynrik, Geralt, not so happily, slumped back onto the couch.

    -JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 468 Over The Top Security Protocols

    "Sticks and stones, Geralt, call me what you will, but it won''t affect me." Rolling his eyes and tapping on his Watcet, Cynrik activated the HoloTv, and several clusters of camera angles appeared on the screen.

    "Huh, what do sticks and stones have to do with anything? Cut out the nonsense and exin why and how you can ess cameras posted outside the building." Massaging his temples in exhaustion, Geralt moved past Cynrik''s strange use of branches and rocks and demanded answers for what he saw.

    However, when Cynrik heard Geralt not understand his seemingly well-known phrase, he frowned and looked at Brance and Selene.

    [[I, uh, huh, didn''t realize that wasn''t a saying here.]] Brance said while rolling his lips inward.

    [[Come to think of it, we use a lot of phrases and ng from Earth¡­yet no one seems to question it. For you two, it makes sense since everything you say gets auto-tranted by that skill¡­but what about me?]] Drumming her fingers on the armrest of the couch she had imed, Selene fell deep into thought.

    [[Your guess is as good as mine. But, weirdly, my [Language Proficiency] didn''t kick in there. Or, maybe it did, but since there is no saying matching Sticks and stones may break my bones, it ended up going over Geralt''s head.]] Cynrik stated while kneeling and withdrawing two decent-sized coffee tables from his inventory and positioning them on either side of the entertainment center housing the HoloTv.

    "This is nothing; wait till I get everything set up. For now, y''all can keep watching around the outside of the building."

    "You still haven''t answered my question. There shouldn''t be any viable connection channel allowing remote ess to the building''s security cameras." Getting frustrated at how Cynrik was dismissively ignoring him, Geralt snapped his fingers to get the young man''s attention.

    "Sigh, fine, ruin my surprise; those cameras don''t belong to the building''s security team. While you were napping like a child, I sent out Vii and Sie to covertly ce them at strategic locations. And before you bitch about me breaking thew in some way or another, no one saw them. They werepletely invisible between my stealth skills, Rimsfel''s Light Bending, and Gabby''s sent removal skill."

    Animatedly waving his hand while setting up several pieces of technology on the table, Cynrik finished his statement by pointing at the two Ravens nestled up on the couch where Selene was lounging.

    Sielu was in herp, and Viisaus had turned one of the end pillows into a small nest after dragging it beside Selene so he could get pats.

    Exhaling loudly, Geralt looked from the two birds and one girl beingzy toward Head Dean Rimsfel, who shuffled about in his chair ufortably in the kitchen.

    "You were out for a few hours, Headmaster, and the kid spent the entire time doing so many random things that even I lost track of what all he was trying to do. When he asked me for some help, how could I say no? He did save our asses back there, so I at least owed him that much." Trying to defend his technically illegal actions, Rimsfel ended up looking away in embarrassment.

    "Hah, you have both of them wrapped around that scheming finger of yours, Cynrik. I am beginning to feel that you really are some demon who steals people''s souls." Geraltined as his eyes moved toward Garrison. In response to the Headmaster''s gaze, Garrison adverted his line of sight and busied himself with the napkin on his empty te.

    "Tsk, it''s called Charisma, and I don''t force anyone except my faction members to do anything against their will. And in the case of MyrkLys, I demand their loyalty and obedience. Regardless, I asked nicely, and Rimsfel helped out. Even if he hadn''t, I had a few different ways to set up the micro-cameras undetected with or without his addedyer of stealth."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "However, the cameras were only stepped three of my fortification. The first was hijacking all the systems attached to this condo. That was the part that took me the longest time toplete since they have insanely high-level security systems."

    "Setting aside basic ones like oxygen, fire protection, and Mana expulsion, there are over 40 different operational protocols to keep everything running smoothly for guests during their stay. Most of which are the basic quality of life stuff, like water purification or heating and cooling."

    "Still, I wanted everything under my control, no matter what function it served. Then there are the intruder protections, such as guard droids, which I wanted since they can exhibit Tier-4 capabilities. You may call it being overly cautious, but I felt ufortable having robots in the house which could turn on me and kill me in my sleep if someone gained control of them."

    "All of the programming stuff falls under the umbre of objective one. Objective two was a bit easier toplete. I changed the locks from encrypted digital key codes stored in our Watcets to a dual-factor authentication protocol. Instead of simply using a digital keycard to unlock the doors, you mustplete a biometric and Mana Signature Scan, which I recently developed."

    The entire time Cynrik spoke, he never allowed Geralt or anyone else for that matter a second to interrupt him. Even then, his hands never stopped moving as he set up two more Encrypted HoloTvs on either side of the original one that came with the condo.

    Once finished setting them up, Cynrik transferred control rights to all three HoloTvs to Brance, who followed up by booting the two new ones on and swapping over to even more angled camera feeds.

    Between the three devices, the entire 15-meter wall was transformed into onerge movie screen with around 50 different camera views, all monitoring different strategical positions inside and outside the building.

    "The kid has some crazy work ethic, Geralt. He has yet to slow down for longer than a minute or two to stuff some food into his mouth. Even that was forced on him by that girl Selene." Saylin chided as he watched Cynrik bounce back to his feet and toward the control box on the opposite side of the room.

    "Cynrik, how sure are you that no one can trace the feed on these cameras to you? Putting up surveince equipment is highly illegal without specific permission and permits. You can face 20-30 years in prison if found out." Ignoring Saylin and following Cynrik with his eyes, Geralt tossed out.

    "Considering every camera is a one-way feed, and I am using multiple dummy ISP converters on top of half a dozen VPNs, there is no chance of finding out it''s me. I am in control of things now."

    "Not only that but since everything I am using was crafted by my hands, and the parts were purchased through proxies and dummy bank ounts, there is zero chance of even backtracing the devices themselves."

    "As far as any outsider can tell, they don''t even exist. Nothing transmits a visible signal; everything goes through too many advanced protocols to hack into. Even if someone tried, all that would happen is they would get into an annoying long, and convoluted loop of a maze, putting them back where they started."

    -JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 469 Plating The Condo And XP Conversion Lesson (1)

    "I''m going to bepletely transparent with you; I have no idea what anything you just said means." Geralt stated with eyes half zed over.

    "It means no one can or will find out what I''ve done or even that I haveplete control of everything pertaining to this condo." Scoffing loudly since he had apparently wasted his time exining things in technical terms to Geralt, Cynrik started pulling out multiple sheets of thin metallic alloy.

    Next, he would stack the sheets in groups of 10 before bringing out another wave until the entire den was filled to the brim with these metal sheets.

    "And those are for?" Standing up, walking over, and picking up one of the sheets, Geralt tapped his knuckles on the cold, 4-meter-tall sheet producing a low-pitched *THUNK* sound before returning the sheet metal to its stack.

    "Reinforcement and setting booby traps. Although they can only withstand an attack up to Tier-3, they resonate at a specific frequency that is easily heard. I n on stering the entire condo with them, including the windows." Cynrik stated as he used tendrils of Mana to lift ten sheets and walked toward the front door.

    "Oh, since I n on this taking me the rest of the night, can you do me a favor and teach everyone how to Convert XP to SPN-XP? After my little massacre, we have a metric fuck ton of useless average XP and no idea how to deal with it." Moving one of the metal sheets against the wall, which was a perfect fit from ceiling to floor, Cynrik looked over his shoulder and asked Geralt.

    "Huh? Hold on a second; how many people did you kill? And what do you mean teach everyone? Do they have a lot of basic XP as well?" Confused by Cynrik''s words and ignoring the vandalism he was about to execute on the condo, Geralt spun around and looked at Cynrik with wide eyes.

    Turning back to look at the wall, Cynrik extended his left index finger and pointed at the edges of the metal sheet before shooting out a thin, high-heat jetstream of fire to weld the metal to the wall.

    "You''re under contract, so I may as well fill you in. So basically, Brance has a special ability that doubles not only party XP but also makes it so everyone in the party obtains the full amount of rewards upon getting a kill."

    "How else do you think we all powered through all the Tiers so quickly? We don''t share XP, and we get the whole batch. The only downside is to get the rewards; party members must be within a 1km radius of the kill. So while I was running around ughtering those asshats like chickens, they were reaping free rewards." With a thought, Cynrik pulled up his Status profile to check how much XP he currently had in his pool.

    : Status :

    : Cynrik Ayke Jetlensr (Ivar the Boneless Ragnarsson):

    : Title - Perfect Clear Expert, Mana Heart, Masochist, Perfect Evolution, Skill Creator, VSFA Core Student :

    : Demi-Human Male (75% Human, 25% ?sir):

    : Age-14:

    : Tier-3 :

    : Supernatural Stage :

    : Primary ss - Tier-3 Umbral de-Dancer : (+10 DEX, +10 AGI, +1 INT Distribution)

    : Sub-ss - NONE :

    :Former: Tier-2 Tamer : (+7 INT, +7 MIND Distribution)

    :Former: Tier-1 Engineer : (+2 DEX Distribution)

    : Level: 0/50 0/100: :

    : SPN Stage Essence Pool(SPN-XP): 1848 :

    : Unconverted Essence Pool: 124,650,000 :

    : P-ss (Umbral de-Dancer): 0/50 - 0/100 SPN-XP :

    : S-ss (None) :

    : Distribution: 3(0) STR, 3(12) DEX, 3(10) AGI, 3(8) INT, 3(0) VIT, 3(7) MIND :

    : Mana Codex & Veins Tier-3.5 :

    : Stage 6 :

    : Supreme Mana Body - Tier-3.5, 15g Resistance :

    : Credits: 80,000 :

    : Merit Points: 28664 :

    : STATS :

    : HP 212,775/212,775 :

    : Mana 186,138/186,138 :<novelnext></novelnext>

    : Stamina 113,750/113,750 :

    : Stat Points- 200 :

    : Skill Points- 383 :

    : Strength- 3158 : (+145)

    : Dexterity- 5919 : (+445)

    : Agility- 6018 : (+544)

    : Intelligence- 4528 : (+128)

    : Vitality- 3113 : (+100)

    : Mind- 4574 : (+150)

    : Will Power- 123 :

    : Gem Cutting:0 , XP 10/100:

    : Luck- 45 :

    : PSN Resistance- 25 :

    : Killing Intent- 1123 - 8.25G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG) Tier-3.5 Umbra Maniption (Beginner):

    :(SAG) Tier-3 Lightning Maniption (Initial):

    :(AG) Tier-3.5 Fire Maniption (Beginner):

    :(AG) Tier-3 Wind Maniption (Initial):

    "Everyone, myself included, currently has 124,650,000 basic XP," Cynrik stated in a robotic tone as his left eye began twitching after spotting how out of sorts and uneven his stats had be for the first time since his mass killing of creeps.

    From behind him, he could hear Geralt suck in a sharp breath and brace himself against the hallway wall.

    "Do I even want to ask how much SPN-XP you racked up on that spree?" He asked in a shakey voice, still reeling from the vast amount of XP the young man had brought in.

    One hundred twenty-four million Essence was by no means an easy amount of XP to obtain. Just by hearing this number, many things suddenly became clear for Geralt, as MyrkLys'' insane leveling speed could be attributed to this mysterious Ability of Brance''s.

    Worst of all, this was only Basic XP, which meant it all needed to be converted, and with the ratio of 100,000 to 1, everyone in MyrkLys would have roughly 1246 SPN-XP by the time they had finished converting it all.

    Feeling as if the ground wasing up from under his feet to swallow him whole, Geralt was astonished by the figures he came up with after some quick mental math.

    "At the moment, I have 1848 SPN-XP, but that''s because I got an extra kill out of range of Brance''s skill; everyone else got 1620 from my three Tier-4 kills," Cynrik said as he finished up setting the first metal sheet in ce and moving on to the next.

    "I¡­I¡­I need to sit down¡­no, I need a fucking drink. Cynrik, you and your brother have been upgraded from monsters to Freaks of fucking nature." Geralt stated as he felt a trickle of cold sweat run down his back.

    Then, using the wall to hold his weight, Geralt made his way back toward the living room on wobbly legs, leaving Cynrik cackling like a madman by the front door.

    Slowly but surely, the pale-faced Headmaster found himself lying on his back on one of the couches staring at the ceiling at a loss for words.

    "Garrison, you always have a bottle of whisky or two stored away in your inventory; give it here." Holding out his arm and looking like a man on his deathbed, Geralt addressed Garrison, who uneasilyplied by tossing over a bottle of expensive top-shelf whisky to his boss.

    Catching the bottle and uncorking it, Geralt poured one-fifth of the average-sized bottle down his throat before he finally felt a little better and sat up before looking around at the confused faces of his students, employees, and Saylin.

    "Listen up, kids; due to that freakishly unnatural Ability of Brance''s, it appears I need to teach you all a lesson about Converting XP to SPN-XP. So pay attention because once you begin the process, I won''t be able to offer any more assistance¡­because the conversion must be done in your Sea of Consciousness, somece I can''t enter."

    "Well, technically, I can enter your SOC; however, it would be like trying to shove a square-shaped block into a round-shaped, too-small hole. The force of my Mind entering your SOC would not only cause yours to crack, but it could potentially cause irreparable damage to your mind." Geralt said with a stern expression on his face.

    -JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 470 Plating The Condo And XP Conversion Lesson (2)

    Be it the seriousness in Geralt''s tone or the authority hemanded as their Headmaster, Brance, Selene, Gabby, Benny, and Melody all turned to face the man as he spoke.

    Of the group, only Kurza was a little less unattentive since he had been a Tier-3 for almost two years, and this wasn''t new information to him. Still, since the Headmaster rarely gave lessons, he stopped scrolling on his Watcet to listen in on the teaching session.

    "I will start from the beginning, and that is by exining why there is a difference between SPN-Essense and Basic Essense. Over the years, numerous articles and studies have been done to determine why Basic Essence no longer affects the body of a being once they cross Stages, and these studies have only drawn one eptable conclusion."

    "The higher a Being climbs on the Tier-Ladder, the more energy they consume to sustain essential life functions. As such, there needs to be an increase in the amount of nutrients we absorb if we wish to continue growing."

    "This can be observed easily in less evolved lifeforms in the mortal stage, where they draw their nutrients from a mixture of what they consume, such as food, or Mana, which is constantly acting on the body every minute of every day."

    "However, the more powerful a being bes, the less they rely on consuming their nutrients and the more they lean toward external elements, such as XP. Now can anyone tell me what exactly XP or Essense is?" Leaning back on the couch and crossing his left leg over his right, Geralt met the eyes of each of the members of MyrkLys as he waited for someone toe forward.

    Of course, the first to do so was Gabby.

    "Essence, or XP as it''smonly called, is a numerically categorized and easily transferable form of energy. Using our System, we can harness and distribute XP to increase our power." Gabby stated without hesitation, but unlike what she had expected, Geralt shook his head, indicating she wasn''t correct, stumping her in the process.

    "What you have said is correct but also incorrect. It''s clear to me that you have done quite a bit of studying, as what you just recited was undoubtedly from a textbook. However, that is only the fundamental answer to my question."

    The living room descended into silence for a short time while everyone tried toe up with an answer. It wasn''t until about a minuteter that there was a soft *Thrum* sound as Cynrik finished welding the first batch of metal sheets to the condo''s walls and walked past the living room to retrieve another.

    "XP is just the manifestation of lifeforce. When we kill something, we get a portion of their lifeforce and can merge it with our own, growing stronger in the process." Cynrik said calmly as he briskly made his way back toward the front door, leaving everyone shocked at his short answer.

    "Hey, I was asking them, not you, brat. I had a feeling you would have long figured it out." Geralt said while shaking his head in disappointment.

    *Thruum*

    "Yeah, yeah, none of them have gotten that far yet, and the silence was annoying the hell out of me; anyway, continue with your lesson, and don''t mind me." Dismissively waving his hand, Cynrik moved a metal sheet into position and began welding it into ce.

    "Sigh, what Cynrik said is the truth. All XP is, is a collection of lifeforce energy. Before the existence of the CSH, groups of beings had learned to control this energy and, as such, were able to manifest superhuman abilities."

    "Unfortunately, the creatures, beasts, and beings that figured out how to do so were very few in number, and overall less than .001% of the world''s poption could utilize Essense. That is until the CSH bestowed Systems on every sentient being with a Soul."

    "Our systems help us determine how much XP we have and how much we need to advance through the levels. Anyway, back to why this is important; as I said, the higher our power rises, the more energy is required to continue advancing; thus, a method was necessary to generate a usable energy source."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "That brings me to what is known as the Copenhagen Theory. The Copenhagen theory states that since Essence is indestructible and easily transferable, then if a method ofpounding and condensing said Essence is developed, a higher form of energy can be created."

    "Headmaster, what you''re saying is that the only thing differentiating SPN-XP and Basic XP is one is a highly condensed andpact form created from the other?" Brance asked while scratching Milo behind the ears.

    "Correct; however, saying that and proving the Copenhagen Theory are two very different concepts¡­." Geralt paused his statement and nced at Cynrik as he walked by with another stack of metal sheets.

    While watching the young man walk by, he was reminded of the incident several weeks ago when their Dorm was attacked. At that time, Cynrik had condensed a high-powered fireball, which had exploded rtively close to him.

    "Perfect example; I am sure you have all seen Cynrik do some reckless disy of lunacy with his Fire Affinity at some point or another, right?" At Geralt''s words, the members of MyrkLys turned and looked at their leader, who had frozen in ce, like a cat whose tail just got stepped on, at the mention of his name and the word "Lunacy" in the same sentence.

    "Think of what happens when he condenses one of his fireballs to the extreme. What happens if it goes out of control?"

    "Boom," Gabby and Brance shared a look of understanding and said in unison.

    "Exactly, Boom, now imagine manifesting a visible and physical form for XP and then condensing it to the breaking point; the same thing happens. Straightforward in concept, nearly impossible in execution."

    "OI! Don''t use me as an example! I''ll let you know I do extensive testing before I EVER manifest such dangerous shit!" Cynrik growled as he spun around and flung an orb of icy-blue fire at Geralt.

    However, as if expecting this kind of reaction, Geralt reached out without looking, caught the fireball, and crushed it into particles with little effort, stunning every one of the members of MyrkLys as they knew how hot and explosive that attack could be.

    "Tsk, don''t think that just because you got the drop on someone strong once, it will happen every time, Cynrik. Had you chucked that at anyone else, they probably wouldn''t have been able to stop your attack so easily, but you are far too inexperienced to injure me with such weak attacks." Geralt said as he flicked his wrist, manifested a thinyer of Space Mana under Cynrik''s feet, and tugged, causing the young man to fall face-first on the hallway carpet.

    Rubbing his face and pushing himself back to his feet, Cynrik snorted loudly and was met by a chorus ofughter before returning to the task at hand as if nothing had happened.

    *Thruuum*

    "Continuing on, with the Copenhagen Theory published for the world to study, hundreds of thousands of researchers from the many races on Vinestra set to work in an attempt to find a viable way to condense XP into a form that would allow for greater growth potential, but it wasn''t for many years before a breakthrough was developed. And that Breakthrough came by way of an Elven Researcher named Handa Aldon."

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 Chapter 471 The Aldon Conversion Method

    "But it wasn''t for many years before a breakthrough was developed. And that Breakthrough came by way of an Elven Researcher named Handa Aldon." Geralt stated, cutting off theughter of MyrkLys before it got too out of control.

    "Handa Aldon was a prominent figure in Elven Scientific Research, whose primary focus was Mana Particles and their effects on a being''s mind. As the story goes, upon learning about the Copenhagen theory, he tossed aside all other research topics. He changed his primary focus on whether Essence can manifest within the SOC or if it must first be condensed in reality before being absorbed."

    "Using this idea as a basis, he quickly saw results in developing a replicable method of what wouldter be called "Conversion" instead of Condensement."

    Uncrossing his leg, Geralt leaned forward and propped his elbows up on his knees whilecing his fingers together.

    "The Aldon Conversion Method, as it came to beter called, works for some people, and doesn''t for others; still, it is the foremost way we have when ites to converting XP into SPN-XP."

    "Through his previous experience studying the Effect of Mana particles on the mind and subsequently the Sea of Consciousness, Aldonbined his earlier experiences with the Copenhagen Theory into a three-step conversion method."

    "The first step is by far the most difficult and will decide whether or not you will need external help when converting your XP. His Method states that since a Being hasplete control over their SOC, they should, in theory, be able to manifest a Totem or Relic of sorts in the mindscape of their SOC."

    "This Totem or Relic is often depicted as arge tree bearing thousands of branches since, in the initial method, he used the Tree of Life, or Yggdrasil, as a reference."

    "At VSFA, there is a course centered entirely around visualizing and manifesting said Tree, as it isn''t something that can just be "done." Kurza can tell you about the lengthy and boring process of staring at an intricate Tree of Life diagram for hours on end until you memorize every detail of the picture."

    Hearing his name, Kurza perked up for a second, but then the memories of his time in that awful ss surfaced in his mind, causing him to shiver.

    *Thruum*

    "From what we have learned, this is the easiest and best way to form the mental Relic-Totem in your SOC since if you know every detail of an object well enough, all it takes is a simple thought, and you can recreate it. However, it isn''t necessarily the only way to form your Relic-Totem."

    "For example, the one I created happens to be two massive crossed swords since when I was at Tier-3, my weapons were the objects I could describe in perfect detail, even with my eyes closed."

    "But this is where problems arose. While the vast majority of people can create a Relic-Totem with rtive ease, only requiring a sufficient amount of time, many find themselves unable to do so even after years of visualization."

    "This is where the "external help" I spoke ofes into y. Through the magic of technology, engineering, and of course, the hard work of hundreds of thousands of Artificers, unique artifacts exist that can be absorbed into one''s SOC and can fill the spot of a self-created Relic-Totem."

    "Unfortunately, seeing as I didn''t expect to need to have this conversation with you so soon, I am unprepared and currently don''t have any SOC Artifacts on hand. So, I can only give you a copy of the diagram we distribute to students." With a snap of his fingers, five sheets of weathered brown leather appeared in Geralt''s hand, and with a flick of his wrist, he sent one to each of the members of MyrkLys.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Holding the fragile sheet of what appeared to be beast hide in his hands, Brance examined the intricate linework of the diagram and couldn''t help but notice how much the picture resembled what he had seen in Fantasy Games in his past life.

    Examining the colored image, Brance could feel the scale of the tree by looking at how small the mountains in the background of the image seemed whenpared to Yggdrasil.

    Although there was no way of telling howrge the tree depicted in the picture indeed was, between the hundreds of flowing branches and wide trunk, Brance knew that the tree in question was no doubt more extensive than anything he had ever personally seen in either of his lives.

    "If you cannot manifest a Relic-Totem on your first attempt, don''t feel sad or discouraged. I can count on one hand the number of students who were able to, and the average time taken to manifest one ranges from a month on the fast end to an entire school year on the slow side."

    Looking away from the vividly printed image in his hands and up at Geralt, Brance nodded unconsciously in response, even though the statement wasn''t posed to him directly.

    "The second step of the Aldon Method is significantly more straightforward than the first. This step involves linking the Relic-Totem to your System. Generally, the primary way to tell if you have seeded in ultimately manifesting your Relic-Totem is the notification sent by your System requesting permission to link it to your SOC. All you need to do is ept, and you will be ready to move on to the final step."

    "Once your Relic-Totem has been sessfully linked to both your SOC and System, you enter the final step, and that''s the actual conversion part of the Aldon Conversion Method. A new function will be avable by connecting your tree or object and your System. That function is the ability to transfer your XP into the Relic-Totem, much like you do when assigning XP to either your ss or Primary Level."

    "Then it is just a matter of directing your XP to the proper area where filtration begins. Now, this is where the details get a little hazy in my exnation. And that is because no one really knows how or why the Relic-Totem can filter XP and convert it to SPN-XP."

    "I suspect only Aldon himself knows the answer, but for whatever reason, he never gave a proper reason for it and took the answer to his grave 3000 years ago. While there are plenty of theories about it, as it stands, we don''t need to know how or why, only that it works."

    *Thruum*

    Shrugging his shoulders, Geralt ignored the heated gaze threatening to pierce the back of his head from Cynrik, who found it uneptable that there weren''t answers to something so important.

    "Regardless, answers or not, the final part of thest step is the easiest yet most time-consuming part of the Method, which is meditating at the base of the Relic-Totem, with your back resting against it. Physical contact is important, so never forget that part."

    "The time it takes to transfer XP from the Relic-Totem is different for everyone. But the good thing is, so long as you have transferred XP into the object and meditate with your back against it, your Relic-Totem will autonomously convert it with the aid of your System. From that point onward, all that remains is transferring it back to yourself with the System function, which requires physical touch."

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 Chapter 472 Manifesting A Relic-Totem (1)

    "That''s pretty much it. Enter your SOC, Build the Relic-Totem, link it to your System, transfer your XP while having physical contact with the object, andst but not least, meditate with continuous physical contact."

    "That is theplete Aldon Conversion Method." Geralt finished his lecture by taking another sip of whiskey, making Brance frown at the man''s actions.

    *Thruuum*

    Seeing the lesson was effectively done, the members of MyrkLys dropped their heads and fell into thought, Leaving Brance the only one to notice Geralt''s continued drinking.

    [Cyn, what did you say to force the Headmaster into drinking away his sorrows?] Brance asked with an usatory tone, causing Cynrik to pause his work and look over his shoulder.

    [All I did was fill him in on how we gather XP. To which he said we had been upgraded from monsters to, and I quote, "Freaks of Fucking Nature," end quote.] Cynrik responded while wearing a smug grin.

    [Hah, seriously, man, you can''t just drop world-ending information on people like that, Cyn. How many times do I have to tell you this?] Leaning forward and burying his face in his hands, Brance couldn''t help but feel sorry for Geralt.

    As far as he knew, the man had struggled his entire life, entering who knows how many Egresses and ughtering an infinite amount of Beasts and/or Creatures to get to the level of power he sits at now.

    [Hmmm, yeah doesn''t matter to me. Geralt asked, and I answered; the fact still remains that he didn''t say anything outside of hurtfulments, so he either epted that you and I will always be leveling too fast for our age, or he ns on taking it out on himself.]

    [Don''t act like you give a shit about his so-called "hurtful"ments, you don''t give a damn about other people, let alone what they call or say about you.] Brance shot back as he lifted his head and shot his older brother a dissatisfied re.

    Not bothering to argue back, Cynrik shrugged and turned to face the hall, which now looked like something out of a science fiction movie.

    Everything, including the door and ceiling, was nowpletely covered in metal sheets, giving it the appearance of a hallway on a spaceship.

    [Damn, I''m really digging this aesthetic. Oi, Brancie, what do you think the odds are that Geralt will let me set up our ce like this?] Hemented before turning back and examining the living room and den behind him, followed by the hallway lined with bedroom doors on the opposite side of the condo.

    [Stop your bullshit Cyn; either apologize to the Headmaster so he stops drinking, or fuck the hell off outta my head.] Feeling fed up with Cynrik''s nonsense, Brance twitched slightly before asking Tobs to mute his brother.

    [Hey¡­OI BRANCIE! Tsk, rude, well fine, if you don''t wanna talk, I''ll just move to the party chat and converse with my woman!]] Mid-way through his statement, Cynrik swapped mind links, his voice causing Selene to tilt her head to the side and look in his direction.

    [[Oh! It looks great, Darling~, hm I wonder if Geralt will allow you to set up our dorm like this, it''s like a spaceship or something.]] Selene chirped as she examined her boyfriend''s work.

    [[Hehe, see, this is why I favor you over anyone else, Sel, we share a brain cell.]]

    ''Oh for fuck sake, Tobs, can you just mute both of them for me? I am getting a headache.'' Brance quicklyined after hearing not only his brother''s voice but now the flirty tone Selene was using to respond.

    -On it¡­alright, I muted both for you, Brancie.-<novelnext></novelnext>

    Tobs responded quickly enough; however, half a secondter, she cried out using the exact phrase that Brance had a second earlier.

    -Tsk, it sucks that I can''t do the same for myself¡­oh, for fuck sake! BLERGGG, why do they have to say shit like this, Brancie halllp! They are talking about banging each other in graphic detail!-

    The melodious yet monotone voice of Tobs was nearly overwhelmed by gagging and sobbing sounds, making Brance pity the poor AI Girl, who, unlike him, could not silence the two crazies.

    ''Uhhh¡­uhhh¡­uhh I GOT IT! Tobs, let''s go to my SOC; you can distract yourself by watching me attempt to build my Relic-Totem.'' With his head bouncing between Selene and Cynrik as they held eye contact without blinking, Brance came up with a solid idea and leaned back before closing his eyes.

    "I am going to try and Manifest my Relic-Totem now," was all he said before having Tobs transfer him into his SOC without giving anyone in the room a chance to respond.

    In an instant, the darkness of his eyelids transformed into that of a pristine mountain range where the most eye-catching sight was the monolithic Stone tower standing tall in the bowl-like cirque created by the surrounding mountains.

    Looking up at the multi-floored Tower, Brance felt a presence appear beside him and didn''t have to look over to know it was Tobs.

    "You ok? I know you are always in our heads, but I am sorry you constantly have to hear that crap from them." Brance said to her as he reached over and patted the significantly shorter Girl on her head.

    "Un, thanks, Brancie." Tobs softly said as her eyes turned into crescents like a cat because she clearly enjoyed the head pats.

    "So, what do you have in mind for your Relic-Totem? I guess you probably won''t go for building a giant tree as the Method rmends." Tobs asked as she pushed lightly against Brance''s hand, indicating for him to keep going.

    "As cool as it would be to have a massive Yggdrasil standing tall in my SOC, it doesn''t feel like me. Instead, I have the perfect object in mind. Geralt said you need to know the object you are creating in such great detail that you can envision it even with your eyes closed, and I just so happen to have the very thing that fits that description." Giving Tobs a couple more pats, Brance dropped his hand, turned around, put the Tower behind him, and began walking around, looking for a suitable ce to start his manifestation.

    "Oh really? Now you''ve got me curious; since I don''t want spoilers, I won''t peek in your head and follow along." sping her hands behind her back, Tobs bounced happily behind Brance as they navigated the terrain in search of what Brance deemed a "perfect spot."

    Several minutes of walkingter, Brance found himself over 800 meters away from the cirque housing his Tower in arge clearing free of any nearby rock fixtures.

    "Hm, this''ll do, hey Tobs, how big do I need to make this thing? Geralt only said it had to be big, and when I think about Yggdrasil, I picture something on a colossal scale." Stopping in ce abruptly and making Tobs run into his back, Brance looked around curiously.

    "Uh, the information I have says it needs to be no smaller than 50 meters tall, but there is no limit to how tall it can be. My memory banks state that the Yggdrasil in Norse Mythology was 37 kilometers tall (23 miles), with a 24-kilometer (14 miles) wide canopy. Its trunk was around 1200 meters wide too." Rubbing her nose and stepping to the side to look around Brance at what he was observing, Tobs recited the information she knew.

    "Damn, that''s huge¡­well, better get started, I guess; shit, if this thing was real, just imagining how much damage I could do with it is insane¡­that is, if I could pick it up." With that said, Brance sat down, crossed his legs, and began imagining the object representing arge part of his past self.

    -JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 473 The Truth Behind Cynrikâ€™s Task

    "I am going to try and Manifest my Relic-Totem now," Brance''s voice seemed slightly louder and more frantic than usual as it drew everyone''s attention.

    "So soon?" Gabby asked with a frown, but when she looked over at her Boyfriend, Brance''s eyes were already closed, and his breathing had slowed, indicating his consciousness had been transferred already.

    "Although the more mature of the two brothers, he sure is impatient," Saylinmented from the kitchen as he stood up and stretched out his back with a loud string of popping sounds.

    "It''s gettingte; I should probably head out. I only intended to ensure everyone got to the condo in one piece and never nned to stay long, but here it is five hourster." Saylin stated while tucking a lock of long shaggy green hair behind his pointed ear.

    At Saylin''s mention of the time, Geralt, Garrison, and Rimsfel checked their Watcets and released a sigh. As the man had said, none of them nned on being in the students'' lodging thiste, and since it was already passed 10 pm, it was about time for them to leave.

    Garrison was the next to stand up, but instead of getting ready to leave immediately, he walked over and quickly picked up Brance before tossing the young man over his shoulder.

    "Gabrie, show me which room he chose, and I''ll toss him there. We can''t have the kid staying on the couch all night." He said while motioning for the girl to show him the way.

    "Yes, of course, it won''t be good for his back to sleep sitting up like that either." Hiding an excited expression, Gabby bounced to her feet and took off in the direction of Brance''s room with Garrison on her heels.

    "Che, I was too slow; it should have been my doing to make sure the HolySon wasfortable for the night," Rimsfel muttered under his breath while watching Garrison carry off Brance like a sack of potatoes.

    *Thruum*

    The room was quiet again for a moment as everyone looked at Rimsfel with awkward thoughts running rampant in their minds.

    For a time, the living room got a bit noisy as everyone said their good nights and retreated to their bedrooms for the night to either get some rest or try building their Relic-Totems. Soon enough, the only ones remaining were the adults and the couple of Cynrik and Selene.

    While Selene was watching Cynrik with infatuated eyes and giving some affection to Sie and Vii, Geralt watched Cynrik moving to and fro, installing sheets one after another.

    "How long do you n on doing that? It would be best to get some sleep considering your first round is tomorrow afternoon." Saylin finally said after an unspecified amount of time had passed. The constant back-and-forth movement was beginning to make him dizzy, and since no one seemed to want to interrupt Cynrik''s work, they stayed silent.

    "What is sleep but a construct made to waste time? I will be fine with my usual two hours. Plus, I won''t befortable closing my eyes until this ce is perfectly fortified. OH, Geralt, I forgot to ask; try and see if you can teleport from the hallway, hehe." Finishing his statement with a creepyugh, Cynrik paused and noticed he had already covered roughly ? of the condo in metal sheets.

    "Huh? Wait¡­why does this feel like a trap?" Scrunching his face and narrowing his eyes, Geralt walked over to the wholly enclosed metal hallway leading to the only exit of the condo.

    Then, without giving it another thought, he attempted to swipe at the air while activating the Runic Diagram in his mind for one of his three Teleportation skills.

    *Thruuum*

    However, contrary to having a Spatial Tear rip open, the particles he had collected scattered just as soon as he gathered them. In ce of his skill activating, the metal sheets appeared to vibrate while releasing a strange Thrum sound.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Seeing this reaction from the Mana particles, Geralt''s frown deepened as he moved on to activating his second Teleportation skill, one meant for short-distance leaps.

    *Thruuuum*

    Unfortunately, the response was the same as with the first skill, and Geralt was now convinced it had something to do with Cynrik. With that thought in mind, Geralt spun around, crossed his arms, and tapped his foot while waiting for answers.

    "Hehe, good, it works. Oi, don''t give me that look; there is no way you DIDN''T know I was up to something. Besides, I may be paranoid, but not paranoid enough to line the walls with, say, aluminum foil to stop outside radiation and signals from entering."

    "Aside from strengthening the walls and ceiling with Tier-3 resistant metal, the sheets I am using have all been treated with a high-intensity Umbra Particle bath. Basically, I sted them with he radiation, and the effects are pretty good." Crossing his arms and puffing out his chest in pride, Cynrik let the cat out of the bag.

    "So, these panels do what? Block Mana or something?" Seeing that Geralt was one step away from blowing his top due to Cynrik''s cocky and condescending attitude, Saylin stepped in and asked the question on everyone''s mind.

    "Reflect, block, absorb, it kind of does it all; this is one of the main properties of Umbra Mana. It''s not just Mana particles either that get stopped. Unless the signal has my Mana signature attached, nothing gets in or out of the condo. Basically, I am making an isted space where we can''t be heard, seen, or spied on by anyone without me knowing."

    "The only downside is the metal''s sound when particles collide with it. Even so, it''s fine because at least I''ll know when someone is trying some sketchy shit." Containing hisughter since Geralt was already red in the face, Cynrik was quick to exin what was happening.

    "Ah, I''ve been wondering about that sound, but since you were working, I figured it was just an after-effect of the welding. Who would have thought that it had to do with an outside¡­." Saylin''s voice trailed off, and his eyes shot wide open with a sudden realization.

    Upon noticing the green-shaggy-haired man''s reaction, Cynrik''s face suddenly got serious, and he slowly nodded.

    "Yeah, someone has been trying to spy on us the whole time. It only became noticeable to you after I set up a few sheets. One of the first things I did when entering the condo was sent out copious amounts of my Umbra Mana into the structural blueprint of the building."

    "In this way, I created a pseudo of Mana capable of stopping outside interference. But once I finish cing one of the sheets, I remove the Mana from that spot, filling the gap."

    "What about the floor? I notice you are cing panels on the ceiling and walls but not the floor; why is that?" Geralt asked, seemingly over the fact that he had been yed by Cynrik yet again.

    "It''s unnecessary. Under the meter-thick concrete is ayer of metal alloy, so instead of cing panels down, I saturated the entire floorn with Umbra Mana while you were asleep. Sure, it cost me a lot of MP, but it was worth it in the end. Plus, once all the sheets are in ce, everything will work in a perpetual-motion style. Meaning I won''t need to supply Mana to thework constantly."

    "I won''t even ask how the fuck you "punched a hole" in meter-thick concrete able to stop sts from Tier-5 beings. Let me out of this death trap; I have had enough of your surprises for today." Geraltined while pointing at the door with his thumb.

    "Kayy," activating [Mana Sight] as he watched the entrance, Cynrik chirped in an annoying tone while tapping on his Watcet several times. In response, there was a slight hissing sound as the multiple locks on the door clicked, and soon the front door swung open, allowing Geralt to escape.

    "Yall can head out too; I don''t want the door open for too long; oh wait, lemmie see your Watcets." In order of departure, Garrison, Saylin, and Rimsfel extended their Watcet toward the young man, who channeled a small amount of Mana into them so they would work when trying to reach him.

 Chapter 474 Fortifications Complete, Manifesting A Totem-Relic (2)

    After rushing off the adults, Cynrik went through sealing the condo back off from outside interference, but while he was doing so, Selene pointed out the seemingly permanent scowl resting on his face.

    [[What''s wrong? Your scowl is deeper than usual.]] She asked while adjusting herself to getfortable for what would more than likely be a long night of watching Cynrik work.

    [[It''s this world, just when I think I have a handle on the weird shit wee in contact with, new possibilities pop up, forcing me to adjust my viewpoint.]] Cynrik said as he raised both hands and manifested an extensive collection of Visible Umbra Mana in the form of a dense purplish ck cloud.

    Then, swiping his hands in an X-shaped gesture, he forced the particle cloud to rush forward. For a few moments,plete chaos ensued, as the particles appeared to be a living entity attacking and devouring invisible prey.

    [[For all that I have learned, I never imagined people could control Mana particles to such an extent that they can see and hear using them as a proxy.]] Releasing a snort and walking around the condo while controlling the cloud, Cynrik had it attack several more times before finally dismissing it.

    [[Huh? How did youe to that conclusion? Oh wait, let me guess, your eye skill?]] Tilting her head to the side and calmly petting Sie''s crest feathers, Selene spat out the first thing that came to mind.

    [[Yeah, I automatically assumed the moment I opened the door an outside party would try some shit, but you''ll never believe what I just saw. Someone controlled multiple clusters of Mana into the shape of an invisible camera drone.]] Dusting off his hands and observing his surroundings to ensure he didn''t miss any intruders, Cynrik reached out and caught hold of another batch of metal sheets.

    ? [[Huh? Now I''m lost; how could you tell they weren''t simply invisible drones or something of the sort?]] Pausing her pets and causing Sie to open one eye unhappily, Selene looked at Cynrik with a confused expression.

    [[Easy, the density of the particles was a dead giveaway. Take these metal sheets, for example. When observed through my [Mana Sight], the particles are so tightly packed together that there is very little space between them. Whereas Mana constructs, or clusters of controlled particles, haverge gaps between them, well, I sayrge, but the difference is pretty minuscule.]] Cynrik stated matter of factly.

    [[At a nce, normal people wouldn''t be able to tell the difference between them, but when you''ve been using my ocr skill as long as Brancie and I have, we can tell the difference instantly.]]

    [[Regardless, that was no physical object, it was like a hybridized Mana Construct, where the particles were so loosely stitched together that they could move through solid objects like a ghost.]]

    [[What¡­the¡­fuck, yeah, I will leave thatplicated shit to you and Brancie, without being able to see them, my only course of action would be to swarm the room with Abyss Particles and devour them. At least that way, I could get a vague sense of where they came from and how strong the other party was.]] Shaking her head and continuing her loving of the small raven in herp, Selene reached over to scoot Vii closer so she wouldn''t be used of favoritismter on.

    Peeking over his shoulder at the heartwarming sight of his woman and the two birds, a small smile crept unto Cynrik''s lips before he turned back and began ting the living room.

    [[You don''t have to stay up all night and watch, you can go to our room and get some sleep, you know.]]

    [[Un, I know, but I wanna be out here with you. We may not be having smexy time right now, but that doesn''t mean I can''t enjoy just being nearby, you dork. Plus, I''m superfortable and don''t wanna get up.]] Puffing out her cheeks in a pout, Selene rebutted, making Cynrik chuckle at her antics.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [[Suit yourself then.]]

    Like that, the four spent the rest of the night and most of the morning''s early hours fortifying the condo.

    Meanwhile, in Brance''s SOC, aside from the sudden gusts of wind, the only sound for kilometers was the subtle swearing of Brance as he held his hands up and articted them in conjunction with about a hundred massive metal parts.

    These metal parts had taken Brance the better part of five hours to fabricate, and each time hepleted one to perfection, he was forced to find a decent ce toy it down on the ground. Through trial and error, and thousands of scrapped parts, Brance was finally nearing the final stage of assembling his Relic-Totem.

    "I still don''t get it; what do all these metal parts have to do with you as a person? Some of them are familiar, and I swear I have seen them before in a memory or two, but I can''t figure out what the point of this is?" Tobsined while sitting on a rock not far from Brance with her legs crossed in ady-like fashion.

    "Tobs, for someone who has lived in my head and Cyn''s for over a decade, I thought you would have recognized what I am making. Especially since not only me but Cynrik has also had a lot of experience with this object," Brance stated with a smallugh as he finished making a 60-meter-long T-shaped piece out of abination of all his Affinities.

    "Hm, that should do it for the attachments; let''s see, Cam pin, bolt, extractor, bolt carrier, grip¡­." Running through the list of parts, some way bigger than others, Brance got a feel for the scale of what he was creating, and he knew that once fully assembled, his Relic-Totem would berger than most Skyscrapers he had seen in both lifetimes.

    "You know, when Geralt said you had to envision and create a Relic-Totem, he really did leave a lot up to interpretation. If not for my help, you wouldn''t have even known where to begin. Tsk, such a cker of a Headmaster." Tobs chided as she used a nail file to work on the cuticles of her right hand''s fingers.

    "Agreed, I''ll have to fill in the others, but it makes sense why the Headmaster said nearly no one canplete their Relic-Totem on the first try. Aside from myself, I think only Cynrik has the know-how and control over his Mana to such an extent that he can create an intricate Mana Construct of such scale."

    Nodding his head in agreement with Tobs'' statement and jumping to his feet, Brance thought about the other members of MyrkLys and realized it would take some time to get them to a point where they could make such an object, even with the infinite Mana avable in one''s SOC.

    "Right, nowes the fun part. Are you ready, Tobs? Once I float everything up, you should get a rough idea of what I am making, don''t be too surprised, though." He said with a wide smile before holding up his hands like a music conductor and willing the over 100 objects to rise off the ground into the air.

    "Uh, okay, if you say so, Brancie." Shrugging her shoulders and putting away the nail file, Tobs rested her elbows on her knees and her chin on her open palms while watching Brance.

    -JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 475 Branceâ€™s Relic-Totem

    Tobs watched as Brance moved the parts into four different groupings and began fitting them into ce like puzzle pieces. When the first set of parts was assembled, her eyes grew to the size of dinner tes in shock, and she looked at Brance as if he was a fool.

    "Really¡­you really made a giant Rifle?" She asked incredulously.

    "Not just any rifle Tobs, the M16A2, a rifle I carried for the better part of my time in the Marine Corps. If there was any object or item, I have memorized to the point that I can assemble and disassemble it in less than a minute with my eyes closed and underwater, it would be this very rifle." Smiling brightly and fitting the bolt carrier into ce, Brance quickly assembled the over 700-meter-long rifle before adding on the minor attachments he favored.

    Such as an extended open buttstock and regr grip; he had even opted for a specific type of scope and rail setup he liked back when he sawbat. The final touch was small yet massivepared to his body, a box-shapedzer sight attached to the outside of the right face of the hand guard.

    Once finished, the incredibly urate to his memory rifle floated ominously in the air high above Brance and Tobs, leaving Brance''s finger a little itchy as he wanted to try firing it. Fighting back the urge to do so, he gripped the air in the direction of the butt and spun the rifle barrel down before forcing it into the rocky terrain, erecting it like a pylon.

    "And done, next I am supposed to touch it, and you''ll take over from there, right Tobs?" Brance asked while turning around and catching sight of her weirded-out expression.

    "What?" He asked curiously and scratched the back of his head with his right hand.

    "You IDIOT! Geralt said to make a Tree or giant sword, but no, you made a MASSIVE FUCKING RIFLE!" Tobs said as she jumped to her feet and pointed at the scaled M16A2.

    "Do you not realize the absurdity of this whole thing? Who goes and makes a rifle as their Relic-Totem? Let me guess, you n on trying to use it as an actual weapon in your next Turning Point Quest, Don''t you? Well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Brancie. Once I link it, it bes a giant hunk of Indestructible Mana Particles." Tobs said as she threw her hands into the air and stormed off toward the M16.

    "Eh, I didn''t think that far ahead, but it would have been cool to use it to st away my next opponent; hehe, oh well, at least I don''t have to worry about it breaking during my fight like the [Radient Tower]." Dismissing her aggressive tone, Brance followed behind Tobs like a puppy and got close to his new Relic-Totem.

    In awe of his achievement, Brance took a second to look up toward the sky, where he could barely see the end of the M16 due to the clouds floating high above.

    "You''re right; that is something Cynrik would have thought about; oh lord, I hope he doesn''t try making a giant robot or something, thinking he can pilot it." Tobs squeaked with sudden fear as the thought of the impending temper tantrum she would have to deal withter on came to mind.

    "Nah, Cyn will likely go with Yggdrasil as his Relic-Totem. Not only does it technically fit his lore as a Norse Legacy Charge, but it seems like the kind of challenge he would go ape shit over." Stepping up beside Tobs as she crept forward, the two of them ced their left hand on the barrel of the rifle; while Brance corrected his AI''s statement.

    -It has been detected that you have created a Mana Construct, which can be identified as a Relic-Totem.-

    -Would you like to assign it as your Essence Conversion Filter? (Y/N)-

    -Warning, this choice can not be overwritten or changed once you select yes. Please put an appropriate amount of thought into your decision, as it could potentially be detrimental to your growth if your Relic-Totem doesn''t suit you.-

    Upon Tobs'' contact with the rifle, a string of notifications bookended by a warning entered Brance''s vision. After carefully reading through the notice, he still chose to assign the rifle as his Relic-Totem, or Essence Conversion Filter.

    -You have chosen the Mana Construct, named M16A2, to be your permanent Essence Conversion Filter. This choice can not be changed.-<novelnext></novelnext>

    -You are now able to transfer your Essence from your Essence Pool directly into the Conversion Filter through physical contact.-

    -The transfer process is instantaneous.-

    -It has been detected that the Host has an SPN-XP Pool. Would you like to set your Essence Conversion Filter to its XP ¨¤ SPN-XP conversion setting? (Y/N)-

    Without hesitation, Brance once again selected the Yes option, triggering another strain of notifications.

    -Conversion Filtration has been Set. The current conversion ratio is 100 XP to 1 SPN XP per second of concentrated meditation.-

    -Current amount of Essence stored in the "M16A2" 0 points.-

    Reading the final notification, Brance sighed heavily. With a conversion ratio of 100 XP into 1 SPN-XP a second, it would take him around 346 hours, or two weeks to convert all his XP into SPN-XP. Still, it was better than he anticipated, especially after seeing the abysmal conversion rate of his MP to HP ability.

    "Hey Tobs, any idea on how to increase the conversion ratio? 100 to 1 will drive Cynrik nuts, so I may as well find out now to nip his anger ahead of time." Brance asked as he stepped back and looked down at the fully focused girl beside him.

    "Un, there is, but from what I see in the acquired data, you must first refine your Relic-Totem, which is an annoyingly long process. There are Grades regarding Relic-Totems; yours is at Base or Grade 0. With each increase in grade, your ratio will increase by ten times its previous number." Looking away from the rifle barrel and up at Brance, Tobs nodded and answered his question.

    "Well, it should keep him upied for a little while, which isn''t too bad. That means fewer annoying and dangerous opportunities Cynrik could get us into that could have disastrous oues. For now, 100 to 1 is fine, and I can use my free time working on the conversion." Brance said as he spun around and sat down with his back resting against the rifle.

    "So says you! It''s not you who''s forced to hear his never-endingining when things don''t go your brother''s way." Releasing a snort simr to Cynrik, Tobs frowned before walking back over to the rock she had been resting on while Brance was making his Relic-Totem.

    "I know, and I salute you in your continued efforts to contain my crazy brother. You are doing great; keep up the good work!" Holding up both thumbs and wearing an encouraging smile, Brance joked before transferring all 124,650,000 XP into the M16.

    However, his joke only served to piss Tobs off, earning him another snort and re.

    "Ok, you win; I''ll smack some sense into that dense head of his when he starts up; just let me know ahead of time so that I can be prepared. Reining Cyn in isn''t a task one person alone can hope to do, so I got your back!"

    "You better, or else I will start up some of that annoying Weeb music Cynrik loves in your head when you try to sleep at night." Issuing an ultimatum to Brance, Tobs hid a smirk behind her right hand and basked in the fear-filled expression Brance put on at her words.

    With the bantering to a close, Brance finally closed his eyes, emptied his mind, controlled his breathing, and began calming down his thoughts before quickly slipping into a meditative state.

    -JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg-

 Chapter 476 The Not-So-Peaceful Night (1)

    While the night passed peacefully for the members of MyrkLys, in other parts of Valor City, the same could not be said.

    *CRASH BOOOM BAMMM!*

    In a high-ss penthouse hotel suite, the loud sounds of furniture and ss breaking rang out like a chorus of chaos.

    "That *BAM* fucking *CRASH* BASTARD CHILD *BOOOM*," Lithlen angrily swore as he flung expensive pieces of furniture around the room, shattering them into millions of pieces due to his insane physical strength.

    "How dare he fucking make those usations against me, altering the public perception I have spent well over a hundred years building up meticulously."

    *CRASHHHHH!*

    Throwing the final object, an expensive end table, against the reinforced tempered windows, Lithlen put too much strength into his fury-filled tantrum and, as a result, blew out the 12-meter-tall window, allowing a strong gust of wind to surge into the 100th-story room.

    In the corner of the room, cringing at what he was forced to witness, Len could onlypress his body into the shadows as best as possible to not earn his Grandfather''s ire.

    To say he was frightened was an understatement; the young man had heard whispers from his mother in the past about Lithlen''s rage, and before joining Finwan, he was made to make a solemn promise to her that he would never knowingly enrage the man.

    However, due to no fault of his own, Leelen was teetering the line of destruction as he stood less than 20-meters away from the furious Peak Tier-5 man, who at present was a husk of the prim and proper person he hade to know in his lifetime.

    If Len had not spent so much time training in the Academy''s Gravity Rooms, the sheer pressure Lithlen was unconsciously exerting would have ttened him to the ground. However, no amount of training could have prepared him for what he would witness because of Cynrik''s deration on national TV.

    Unhinged, disheveled, and blind with anger, Lithlen took it out on anything he could get his hands on, leaving Len''s only option to stay silent and still so he didn''t identally draw attention to himself.

    Sure, he was powerful for a Tier-3, partly because of his identity as a Reincarnator and Legacy Charge, but mainly because of the abundant and expensive resources he had devoured like a fat kid would sweets.

    But all of the power he had paled inparison to Lithlen, and thest hour had proven this fact. Sure, he had met a being at the pinnacle of strength in the form of the God of Sky and Thunder, Zeus, but at the time, the elderly yet muscr man was nothing but kind to him.

    Aside from Zeus''s booming voice and natural aura as a Deity, the God had never turned ill eyes on Len, but now, in the presence of a man so unhinged by anger he would turn on his blood, Len felt fear for the first time in a very long time.

    "Boy, quit cowering in the corner like a mother fucking peasant and get your spoiled ass over here this instant." Spinning around and ring at Len with glowing Green eyes, Lithlen snarled with raised lips exposing sharpened canines.

    "Yes, Grandfather," without hesitation, Len left his corner and appeared, kneeling before Lithlen like a knight before his king.

    "Tell me, how high is your KIN stat." Unmoving, Lithlen asked, causing Leelen to look up at him in confusion.

    "It''s 432 Gra¡­nd¡­fat¡­her," Unfortunately, as the number left his lips, a heavy pressure descended on Len, causing him to struggle when saying the word "Grandfather."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "432, four hundred and thirty-two, a measly 5.0g of Killing Intent. Do you have any idea what that brat and his group of misfits exerted on myself and Viktor?" Lithlen spat through clenched teeth while increasing the pressure on Len to 7gs.

    "The five of them hit us with around 45gs, FOURTY-FIVE FUCKING G''S OF KILLING INTENT. DO YOU EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW UNFATHOMABLE THAT NUMBER IS FOR A GROUP OF POOR CHILDREN FROM THE FUCKING SLUMS?"

    Raising his voice and causing the building to shake, Lithlen howled in fury before kicking Len across the room viciously, causing the young man to vomit a mouthful of blood before rolling up into a ball on the ground near the door.

    "You better fucking hope you are strong enough to fight them when the timees because so help me; if you aren''t, I will deal with you myself." With that, Lithlen walked toward the shattered full-sized window, stepped up to the edge, and took off into the air, seemingly to vent his frustrations on somethingrger than household furniture.

    For well over an hour, Leny curled up in the fetal position by the door, shaking as his body periodically convulsed due to internal injuries sustained by receiving a blow from a being two Tiers higher than himself.

    "Se¡­ven broken ribs, two vertebrae shattered, ruptures to most of my abdominal organs, and hundreds of other injuries, all from a single kick. Fuck, that man is a monster." Uncurling his body and crawling up to his knees, Len red at the spot Lithlen had left from while wiping the trail of blood caked into his tear ducts and lips.

    "If it weren''t for my [Photon Healing] passive, I would have probably died back there," Len stated as he pounded the ground with balled-up fists before jumping to his feet with static flickering around his body and in his eyes.

    "Cynrik¡­.Brance, I will make both of you wish you were never born."

    Buzzz buzzz BUZZZ

    While looking out of the shattered window with resolve on his face and in his mind, Len nced down at his vibrating Watcet, where the image of a young man covered in mes could be seen as "Calling."

    Heaving a sigh and making his way toward the bathroom, Len answered the call from his long-time friend and fellow Legacy Charge, Jason Opurn.

    "Let me guess; you got the shit kicked out of you too?" Jason asked as a three-dimensional hologram was projected from Len''s device.

    "Jesus, what the fuck did your old man do to you?" Len said with a scowl as he noticed the swelling and bruising covering hispanion''s face, neck, and shoulders.

    "Probably a lot more than your Grandfather did to you; you weren''t the one who got embarrassed on live TV and became the subject of numerous annoying memes. Do you know how many websites and blogs have been made with the sole purpose of trolling me and the faces I made after getting ignored?" Feeling wronged by the whole situation as he spoke about it, Jason''s body erupted in bluish mes, covering him from head to toe.

    "My father nearly killed me, healed me with his purple mes, and then kicked my ass again. Although it wasn''t the first time, he went all out with this beating. Luckily, I could hide my Healing Fire from him and barely came out alive." Heaving a sigh, Jason walked over to the couch in his condo and copsed onto it.

    "Yeah, I got off easypared to you; Lithlen smashed up his room, exerted around seven or 8gs of KIN on me, then kicked me across the room before leaving. It took me nearly an hour to heal all the damage I sustained from a single attack." Using a damp cloth to clean the crusty blood off his face, Len shook his head as if he anticipated this whole fiasco.

    JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 477 The Not-So-Peaceful Night (2)

    "Damn it, when I reach Tier-5, I will kill that bastard, I swear it," Jason grumbled while dispursing the bluish mes and appearing healed.

    "Che, it won''t take that long; we should be able to handle those old assholes by the time we reach Early Tier-4. Especially if we keep on the same track of capping our sses first." Shaking his head and turning off the bathroom sink, Len tossed the bloodied cloth on the ground and went back into the suite''s living room.

    "Maybe; I still can''t believe the natives don''t cap out their sses before evolving. No wonder they are all so damn weak. However, did you notice those guys on Cynrik''s team? They all seem stronger than normal natives." Jason said as he pulled out a high-techptop and reviewed the Survey charts from the Tier-2 Exams for MyrkLys.

    "Fucking moron must have wasted all his time training up his teammates instead of working on himself. Weak-willed bastard." Pulling out a pair of earbuds from his inventory, Len put them in his ears before transferring the call to them so no one could overhear his conversation.

    In response, Jason mumbled while the video call was changed to audio only, indicating Len had cut off his camera and was on the move.

    "Did your old man tell you about what that cocky shit did?" Stepping out of the shattered window, Len took to the sky using his Wind Affinity and flew in the direction of his team''s condo.

    "The KIN thing? Apparently, as a unit, they can use 45g; impressive, but it won''t affect us much. It''s a good thing we abused the fuck out of our bodies early on, resulting in our Grav Resist reaching 50g. Even if the whole team turns on us and ttens our entire team, we will still be able to fight back." Nodding as he spoke, Len scrolled through several underground websites until he found a video shot by one of the Headmasters present during MyrkLys''s attack.

    In the video, shot identally on a Watcet, the image of Lithlen and Viktor bright redfaced as the ground underfoot buckled and the windows of the VIP box exploded outward was shakey but to his trained eyes, Jason could tell what was happening.

    "If they think they can win with that power of friendship bullshit, they have another thinging." Len snorted as his feet touched the sidewalk outside his condo building.

    "Don''t underestimate them, Len; although they may have just reached Tier-3, I have no doubt those guys capped everything leading up to their Evolution. There is no telling how high their stats are, and from the intel, I''ve gathered, that Cynrik guy is maniptive and over ns everything." Jason chided his friend''s dismissive and emotional attitude.

    "Yeah, I know; I read the same docs as you, Jason; all we need to do is steamroll our way through our brackets, and then when the n goes into motion, we will have our revenge. I''ve gotta go; I just reached my condo." Len said while rolling his eyes. Unlike Jason, who could be considered the nerdy worrywart type, Len felt that MyrkLys was a one-trick pony, and with the n put in ce by Lithlen and Viktor, he was certain Cynrik would be rendered helpless.

    At that point, the ball would be in his and Jason''s court, and they could take their time toying with MyrkLys one¡­by¡­one. The thought of his cousin beaten to a pulp under his foot caused Len''s lips to curl into a sinister smile.

    "Gotcha, I''ll see you at the arena tomorrow, my team doesn''t go on stage until 4 pm, and VSFApetes at 10 am. Remember to record every possible angle; I don''t want anything missed because I need the footage for analysis." However, when he was met by silence on the other end of the call, Jason snorted and realized Len had long since hung up.

    ---

    A man in a dark room over a hundred kilometers from Valor City could be seen floating in a tank filled with yellow liquid. From the visual state of the man''s body, it wasn''t hard to tell the man in question had been in a life-or-death battle.

    The man''s body was covered in vicious red marks, making it look like his skin had stretched to the point of ripping. Lastly, the missing limbs gave the impression that he had been caught in a vacuum...or at the very least, a meat grinder.

    The only indication that the man was alive was the steady beeping from the numerous machines attached to his body within the tank.

    Standing in front of the tank were half a dozen men and women in whiteb coats, each one jotting down readings from the many different machines and trying to figure out what had caused the man, a Tier-5 being, toe to them in such a dreadful state.

    However, try as they might, none of the old doctors had any clue as to what type of skill or attack could cause such wounds. At first, the running theory leaned in favor of some Spatial Skill; however, after testing the residual Mana particles anding up empty, this theory was tossed.

    BANG

    Suddenly, the door leading to the underground facility was violently kicked open as a man in a ck suit with a red tie angrily stormed into theb, casting a pitiful nce at the tank before directing his attention to the doctors and scientists studying the man.

    "You lot better have some fucking answers for me. If not, I will start by killing off your spouses, followed by any children one by one, until you have nothing left."

    The man shouted while grabbing the nearest doctor by his neck and lifting him off the ground.

    ck, ck ck

    The sounds of two pairs of high-heeled shoes on tile caused several people inb coats to turn and look away from their colleague to the door.

    "That''s enough, Collin; killing these fine doctors and scientists won''t get us answers, so just let them do their work in peace." A woman''s chilling voice stated, causing chills to run down the suited man named Collin''s spine as he quickly released his grasp on his victim.

    "Y¡­yes, Miss Hespa, I was just trying to shake them up a little so that we would get answers quicker," Collin said while trying his best to keep his hands from shaking. His eyes quickly darted from the first woman to the second, and he felt as if his soul would leave his body.

    "N..nic..nice to see you again, Miss ire." However, to his dismay, the taller of the two women, who he had called Miss ire, didn''t bother giving him a second nce as her attention was on the man floating in the yellow liquid.

    "For the Notorious Bentham Illionia toe back to us in such a sorry state, tsk, who would have thought," ire said with a disgusted look.

    "Now, ire, my dear, we still need that scumbag," Hespa said while walking up behind ire andcing her arms around the taller woman''s waist before her fingers crept up under the woman''s shirt and lightly tickled her skin.

    Hearing the flirtatious tone used by Hespa and the obvious skinship shared between the two, all of the other people in the room immediately looked at their feet. If the two intimidating women shared a romantic rtionship, it was none of their business; they only wanted to make it home to their families in one piece.

    "True, but that doesn''t make me feel any better. Now that VSFA''s AI has enacted the Core Student use of my contract, I will be forced to vacate my position as a Teacher there." ire said while reaching behind her and clutching Hespa by her right breast, forcing a small moan from her lips.

    "Everyone, back to work,e on my dear, let''s go; there is plenty of hours left in the night to share some time," Hespa stated while poking her head under ire''s arm, shooting the other woman a flirty smile and dragging her back the way they came.

    The two women, also known as the mothers of Selene and Melody, continued speaking in hushed, intimate voices, leaving the captive doctors and scientists to continue their fruitless work in silence.

 Chapter 478 Round One (1)

    When the sun finally rose the following day, Cynrik opened his eyes due to multiple rm clocks going off from different points in the Condo.

    Since he had only finished setting up the metal sheets, which he had by this point named, Reflector tes, two hours prior, he and Selene had fallen asleep together in one of the oversized reclining chairs.

    A faint smile crept unto his lips when Cynrik nced down, and he reached up to caress the young woman sound asleep, using him as a pillow before reaching over and gently scratching Vii and Sie behind their crest feathers. Selene was curled up in a ball on hisp, one raven on each armrest and a weighted nket covering them all.

    Unlike the rest of the group, who had yet to ditch the habit of sleeping around six hours a night, Cynrik had long since grown ustomed to sleeping a maximum of two hours. Partnering that with his innate hypersensitivity to sound when asleep, it was no wonder he was awoken by the chirping soundsing from each of the members of MyrkLys'' Watcets.

    Then, like a ninja, he untangled himself from Selene, moved off the chair, and ced her back down without startling or waking his girlfriend up.

    However, the movement was enough for Sie to open her eyes and look up at him, so he ced a finger against his lips and motioned for her to go back to sleep.

    Being the obedient child she was, Sie nodded in understanding beforeying her head back down for a few more minutes of napping.

    Seeing this, Cynrik shook his head and forced down a soft chuckle as he observed his previous night''s work. Every square inch of the Condo, except the carpet, was now covered in a dark shade of ckish-grey metal. It had taken him several hours toplete, but he had finished the fortification process much sooner than he had initially anticipated.

    Making his way toward the kitchen, Cynrik pulled out the jumbo-sized coffee pot he had brought from home, set it up, and began brewing. As he did so, his eyes narrowed at the soft *Thruuum* sound, which could be heard ominously around every minute.

    The sound had been urring since the moment he began cing the Reflector panels in ce. Throughout the night, he realized that the sound''s loudness indicated the severity of the particle collision.

    To put it in perspective, it was no louder than the sound of bare feet walking on tile,pared tost night before the adults left, where it was no different from someone knocking loudly on a door.

    Presently, the thrumming was no different than the hum of a desktopputer; thus, it didn''t bother anyone as they slept; however, for Cynrik, who understood the meaning behind the sound, it was troublesome.

    Someone had been attempting to spy on them since they had stepped foot in the Condo, and the relentless attacks were bing annoying to no end. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do as he had no clue who was doing the spying or their strength. Even using [Mana Sight], he could not locate the attack''s source.

    Sure, in theory, he could follow the trail of Mana particles back to their source. But due to the inherent limitations of his eyesight, at a point, the distance became too great for him to get a lock on where they wereing from. So after getting annoyed at his inability, Cynrik eventually gave up and allowed the person to do as they pleased.

    Heaving a sigh and walking to the kitchen table, he decided to use his time wisely and began withdrawing every piece ofbat equipment he would use today on therge oak table before setting about cleaning them one by one.

    Sometimeter, like a groundhog checking if winter wasing, the first head popped out of its bedroom door with wide eyes filled with wonder as the new hire of MyrkLys took in the unique sight of metal ting as far as the eye could see.

    Drawn out of his room by the smell of fresh coffee, Kurza was the first to make an appearance, and he gasped loudly at how different the Condo looked whenpared to before he went to sleep.

    "Holy shit, Iv¡­Cynrik, you did all of this in one night?" He asked while making his way to the coffee pot, pouring himself a cup, and finding his team leader sitting at the table with a thick cloth and some cleaning oil in hand as he scrubbed each of his individual hidden des.

    "Un, it had to be done; since we are fighting, you should prepare your gear. It is a team rule that everyone maintains theirbat gear to its optimal state. If you require repairs go to Selene for anything tailoring-rted and Benny for metalwork." Cynrik stated without batting an eysh.

    "I should be good; I cleaned everything before bed and ensured nothing was broken or missing from my loadouts. By the way, I''ve been meaning to ask, but when and how the hell did you get your hands on all this metal? I asked Benny if it was unusual for you to go out of your way to fortify a whole house. Still, he only shook his head and patted my shoulder before saying, ''When ites to Big Bro, we just let him do as he pleases.''" wearing a facial expression matching what he had seen Benny usest night, Kurza exined, drawing a chuckle from down the hallway.

    "I also said that Big Bro has a habit of doing strange and unusual things that will help us in the future due to his high level of foresight." Walking out of his room wearing loose-fitting red and blue workout clothes, Benny added, making Kurza look away in embarrassment.

    "Benny isn''t wrong; if there is one thing to take away, it''s that I always have a n, they may not be the most optimal or best given the situation, but there is always one. As for your answer, I intended to set up reinforced metal ting on the inside of our Dorm long ago, so I had been stocking up on the sheets."

    "However, upon learning about the intricacies of my Umbra Affinity after Evolving to Tier-3, I toyed around with the idea of modifying the tes using conduction, so realistically the idea is still in its infancy. It just happened to work out, so technically, it was a decision made on the fly."

    "I had the resources on hand, and it only took me a few minutes to charge the sheets with Umbra Mana; it''s a bit patchy, and I had to make adjustments as I went, but It worked out pretty well." Cynrik finished cleaning his des and slotted them back into their resting ces in one of the two Assassins tools before moving on to unsheathing and cleaning his two Kodachi.

    "My brother isn''t telling you how many failed products he ended up with in the process of perfecting his method." This time it was Brance who spoke up, earning himself a loud snort from Cynrik.

    "Oh, look who finally decided to grace us, lowly mortals, with his presence. Lord Brancetholomew the Fourth, First of his name, Keeper of the White me, Also known as the Glorified Holy Pigeon man." Cynrik teased as Brance raised his middle finger in response and thanked Benny for the received cup of coffee.

    "The girls will take a while to wake up as usual, so make sure that Kurza is up to speed on our morning routine. I need to finish cleaning my gear, and I will join you shortly." Wearing a smirk, Cynrik went back to working silently while the Condo slowly woke up, today was the day, and MyrkLys wanted to put on a hell of a show.

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 Chapter 479 Round One (2)

    No one challenged Cynrik''s authority, and as requested, Brance and Benny quickly finished their coffee and dragged Kurza off to the training room for morning warm-ups.

    As predicted by Cynrik, it was another 45 minutes before Gabby and Melody emerged from their rooms, and at some point, Selene had woken up and disappeared to change into her training clothes.

    Once the girls had finished their coffee, they quickly hurried off to join the likes of Brance, Benny, and Kurza in morning warm-ups. By the time they finished the usual 30-minute session, Cynrik had walked into the training room in a pair of ck jogger pants and a matching ck sleeveless shirt.

    Seeing that everyone was wrapping their warm-ups, he quickly jumped in and did a modified yet shortened version, and 10 minutester was ready for the team morning workout.

    When they finished the hour-long sparring session, everyone returned to their rooms to shower and get dressed. The timing couldn''t have been better because by the time MyrkLys reconvened in the living room for a team meeting, Geralt, Rimsfel, and Garrison had messaged Cynrik, informing him they were outside the front door and requested to be let in.

    "I half expected all of you to still be in your pajamas when we finally arrived," Geralt said with an awkwardugh as he observed Cynrik''s handy work and cried internally. With how much had changed, Geralt knew he would be forced to pay a significant amount out-of-pocket to cover the condo''s damages.

    Pushing that thought to the back of his mind due to circumstances, Geralt observed the outward expressions of MykrLys to get a read on how they were feeling.

    Contrary to what an outsider would expect, there wasn''t an ounce of nervousness on any of the main members'' faces, leaving the odd man out, Kurza, who, although he hadpeted inst year''s event, was a bit fidgety, a sign of evident anxiety.

    "Sometimes it amazes me how much you lot from MyrkLys contrast other students," Geralt said upon thinking further on his findings.

    "I visited the Tier-1 and Tier-2 Teams this morning since they go on first, and each student showed a lot of fear and anxiety, whereas you are calm and focused." Geralt then nced at Cynrik, who shrugged his shoulders.

    "It''s not like we are jumping into an Egress or fighting in a war. This whole event is nothing more than a bunch of kids ying video games, in my opinion. What is there to be nervous about?" Ignoring Kurza''s state of mind, Cynrik held up his hands and spoke his mind.

    "You do realize a lot is riding on victory¡­right? Aside from the promotional value for the Academy, our yearly allocation of resources is on the line. Your cement at the end of the event determines our government subsidies of resources at the beginning of next year, not to mention top-cut prizes."

    "You have nothing to worry about, Geralt. You saw how we did in the mock battles and events; you know there isn''t anyone in our bracket who cane close to matching our results. Aside from maybe one or two individuals, there isn''t a single team we will be facing in the next couple of weeks that will be a challenge." Raising his mug to his lips, Cynrik took a sip of coffee before continuing to speak.

    "Now then, our first opponents, Romeoville Academy, are one-trick ponies. Each member of their Tier-3 team is a fourth-year student, and ording to the information I gathered, they are running the same lineup asst year."

    "Considering theirckluster showing in getting knocked out by round three, they are a low-threat opponent. I have also already decided on the lineup for our three events." Upon Cynrik saying this, Geralt''s ears perked up.

    "The point structure in the early rounds is quite annoying, but I have a stable lineup to earn us the most with the smallest amount of effort."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Starting with Swarm, the first event will have Brance and mepeting. Our two hardest hitters will take the lead as the event yields the most points. Of the 20 points avable, ten can be earned in Swarm alone, meaning we must put on a good showing."

    "The second event of the day is Search, Retrieve, Destroy. Although the point yield is only five points, if we want to earn full marks, we need to beat Romeovilles Time. I want to say this one is in the bag, like with Swarm, but it isn''t."

    "The reason being, inst year''s event, they held the fastestpletion time of anyone in the Competition. Two factors made their impressivepletion timee to fruition. The first is because all seven of their team members have one or more types of location skills/abilities. These location skills/abilities allowed them to find their target within the first minute of their matches and have an urate headcount of enemies."

    "The second factor was their leader, Derrek Giin''s Space Affinity. Upon pinpointing the enemy, he made a teleportation gate. He continuously teleported the team until they reached the target location, where they split up and razed the enemy encampment to the ground within ten minutes, with their final time being 10 Hours 31 minutes ."

    "Forparison''s sake, the 2nd fastest time of that year was 12 hours, 17 minutes, 15 seconds. Meanwhile, our shortest time on record in training was 12 hours, 25 minutes, and 18 seconds. Mind you, we were at Tier-2 during those mock events, and our stats are significantly higher now."

    Cynrik paused for a moment to read the room, and like before, the only people ufortable or anxious were Geralt, Rimsfel, and Kurza.

    Since Garrison had spent weeks alongside MyrkLys, he had a rough idea of the team''s potential, so even with the numbers against them, he was certain Cynrik already hade up with a n to ensure victory.

    "Heh, by my estimates, if we go all out, there is no reason we can''t break Romeovilles record. The problem with going all out is that we risk exposing our cards too soon to the other teams, so although this is the easiest and most surefire way to capture the five points necessary, it isn''t optimal."

    "Unfortunately, I won''t be able to make an urate judgment call until I see what map we spawn; at that time, I will construct the n on the fly, so be ready."

    "The third and final event of the first round is uracy, Gabby, Melody; this one is on you. Since it is the only game centered around ranged attacks and, well¡­ urately shooting targets, the two of you are responsible for gaining thest five points we need for advancement." With that, Cynrik fell silent after observing his group''s reactions and looked back at the nervous Geralt.

    "Sigh, would it kill you to act your age for once? You''re a kid, you should be bouncing off the walls in excitement to be on TVpeting in the biggest event of the year, yet here you are, being overly analytical of everything. Fine, if that is how you n on handling round one, I have no opposition; what about you, Garrison?" Shaking his head and looking at his employee, Geralt asked.

    "I have nothing to say about Cynrik''s strategy; however, I want to add something since it was passed down to us this morning by the Event Organization Staff."

    "For the first time, a bonus point system has been implemented. If a Team breaks any previous National Records in any event, they will receive an additional 10 points. I expect this will work in your favor Cynrik, especially if you n on beating the record set by Romeovillest year."

    Hearing Garrison''s news, Cynrik''s lips curved into a twisted smile. "Innnnteresting~," he said while setting his coffee mug down on the table in front of the couch and leaning forward while showing emotion for the first time since Garrison arrived.

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 Chapter 480 Round One (3)

    "Innnnteresting~," Cynrik mused while setting his coffee mug down on the table in front of the couch and leaning forward.

    "If what you said is true, then I guess I will have to show a few extra cards I didn''t want to; oh well, obtaining off of a single event will look good on paper for us." Shrugging his shoulders and getting up, Cynrik shook his arms and crossed them before shooting a knowing nce at Brance.

    Not much needed to be said between the two brothers, as if they could get 20 points off the Swarm event alone, then they would technically win their first round since the win condition in the early rounds is the first team to reach 20 points.

    "Hold up, I forgot to mention; the instant win condition has changed due to the bonus point addition. Now, to secure a win without finishing all the events, you need to reach 30 points." Cutting in and stopping Cynrik before his head got too big, Garrison dropped another bombshell.

    "Uh, in theory, couldn''t we earn more than 30¡­." Still visibly ufortable, Kurza raised his hand as if in ss and asked.

    "Well, yeah, but it would be a moot point if we did that. Considering the way the grading scale works is the first team to get 30 points wins the match, we only need to¡­oh, that''s not a bad idea, new hire." Smacking his forehead and cutting off his sentence early, realization dawned on Cynrik as he caught on to what Kurza was stating.

    "If we broke the record in both Swarm, and either Search, Retrieve, Destroy, or uracy, then we would reach 35 points and instantly win Round One, on top of having an additional 5 points to carry over for Round two." Walking over and patting Kurza''s shoulder for praise, Cynrik turned and faced Gabby and Melody.

    "Do you guys think you can break the previous record in your event? Or should we push for breaking Romeoville''s Record?" He asked, causing the two girls to fall deep into thought.

    "If we want to break the five-minute record of 1411 crushes, then we need to reach abined 283 target crushes within 60 seconds. My best so far was only 141, and Melody''s was 84. We need to make up the 58-point difference, but I think we should be able." After running the numbers and looking up the previous record, Gabby met Cynrik''s questioning gaze and answered.

    "Hm, alright, we will keep it in our back pocket then. For now, Brance and I will push to break the Swarm record, and we need to see the map and how well Romeoville handles Search, Retrieve, Destroy. If they don''t somehow break their record, and the stars align, we will try and break it, even if we have to make some questionable decisions." Nodding his head in affirmation, Cynrik walked to the kitchen and ced his dirty mug in the sink.

    "You guys¡­ I don''t know why I am even surprised at this point. Never have I heard someone talk about breaking NATIONAL RECORDS as if they were choosing an outfit to wear for the day." Massaging his temples, Geralt once again examined the members of MyrkLys before giving up trying to rationalize this group of students.

    "Cheer up, Headmaster; I have long since learned never to gamble against these guys. Just let me know ahead of time so that I can bet all my money on the oue."

    "You are better off following me on this one; at least that way, you can earn back some of that deposit you lost due to Cynrik''s little experiment." pping Geralt on the back hard enough to move the man, Garrison teased while flicking one of the metal panels hard enough to make a loud *THRUUM* sound.

    "Tsk, every minute I spend around Cynrik and now you, Garrison, I can feel my brain cells slowly evaporating. We need to head out; double-check you have your gear." Smacking away Garrison''s hand, making therge man chuckle, Geralt attempted to take control before spinning on his heels and storming off toward the door.

    In response, every member of MyrkLys looked behind them at their Leader, who smirked, "You heard the man; let''s go."<novelnext></novelnext>

    With that, everyone got to their feet as Cynrik unlocked the door and allowed everyone to exit. However, when he stepped into the hallway, Cynrik was sure to triple-check that nothing had infiltrated the Condo and set up the security systems since no one would stay behind.

    ---

    The trek toward the Arena went smoothly, but even so, Cynrik and Brance still caught sight of more than a hundred beings hiding in wait. Of the on-lookers, Cynrik determined that two types of people were monitoring MyrkLys'' every move.

    First was the people trying to scry or gather potentially unknown information about the group. To the brothers, this group was harmless, so Cynrik paid them almost no mind and settled on only monitoring them as they walked.

    Now, the second group was the one that had Brance and Cynrik on high alert. The second type of person stuck out like a sore thumb because each of them was fully decked out inbat gear while hiding in opportunistic vantage points. It was clear they were biding their time and waiting for a potential opening to present itself so they could attack, kidnap, or injure one of the high-profile members of MyrkLys.

    Upon making this observation, Cynrik tightened the faction''s formation, drawing a curious nce from Geralt. Still, he was quick to catch on to what was happening, so he casually looked around and, within a few seconds, could locate most of the people Cynrik was weary of.

    Since the Condo was pretty close to the Arena, the walk only took about 10 minutes. However, those ten minutes were tense, as everyone knew what Cynrik''s subtle actions meant.

    Luckily, either due to Geralt''s presence with the group or theck of a suitable opportunity, none of the hidden assants struck out, and MyrkLys arrived at the Arena unscathed.

    After going through the bothersome check-in process, Geralt guided the team to meet with the Tier-1 and Tier-2 Teams. As one would expect, upon arriving, Cynrik separated MyrkLys from the other two groups, causing a bit of tension between them and the others, but this was brushed off by the Instructors and Chaperones and chalked up to nervousness.

    Especially since all of MyrkLys had their Game faces on, thus, no onemented on the antisocial Tier-3 team. Once everyone was gathered, Geralt stepped up to address the students.

    "Listen up,pared to yesterday, the Arena''s floor n has beenpletely re-arranged. Gone is the open space, and now there are sectioned-off box areas where you will find two sets of seven Virtual Immersion capsules."

    "The capsules are color-coded, and I have already chosen we will be in the red colored ones, so when your time topete arrives, I expect each of you to find a capsule quickly as possible and stand beside it professionally."

    "If you have a pet, or Beastpanion, be sure you bring it in the capsule with you, as it needs to be scanned if you wish to use it during your event."

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 Chapter 481 Round One (4)

    "Tier-1 Team, you are up first, so when I receive word from the staff, you will enter in an orderly fashion. Remember, just because you are closed off from spectators in person doesn''t mean there won''t be eyes on you at all times."

    "Between the numerous camera angles and referees standing by in the rooms, live feeds are transmitting from your capsules. Good luck out there, everyone, and remember, win or lose, all that matters is that you gave it your all." Geralt finished up his pep talk and left to speak with one of the Event Organizers.

    In his absence, the locker room-styled Area became noisy as the Tier-1 and Tier-2 teams conversed like regr students. Some people even came over to try to start a conversation with MyrkLys.

    Unfortunately, Mother Goose Cynrik would snort and shoot res whenever someone got close, freezing the weaker students in ce before scaring them off.

    [[Really, Cyn, do you n on making it so none of us have friends outside the group?]] Brance sighed as he watched the third group of three people running away like scared kittens.

    [[Fuck them; how they do in the Competition has no bearing on anything. They''re the amateur league, while the Tier-3 Teams are considered the pros.]] Cynrik snorted while looking through the walls of the locker room to see what changes the Arena had undergone.

    [[Hehe, yep, they''re JV, and we are Varsity. It''s funny because when I was in high school, I always wanted to be one of the cheerleaders, but my goth ass ended up lurking in corners smoking pot, so there was never a chance.]] Chewing her bottom lip and remembering her life on Earth, Selene remarked while watching her Boyfriend.

    [[Besides, it doesn''t matter if we get along with them, Brancie. At the rate we grow, odds are we will graduate in a year or two, considering how Year Six Students generally reach Mid-Tier Four before graduation. So we will leave them behind; what use is there in getting to know people we won''t interact with post-VSFA?]] Cynrik added while uncrossing his arms and shoving them into the pockets of his gold zer.

    [[What makes you think Geralt won''t find a way to keep us in the Academy longer? We can''t keep abusing the whole school year''s resource budget and suddenly walk out one day. We have to find at least a way to pay him back. After all, he has been keeping a roof over our heads plus protecting us from High Tier threats.]] Shuffling his feet and watching Geralt across the room, Brance brought up a topic that had been bothering him since they reached Tier-3.

    [[You''re overthinking, a Lannister always pays his debts, Brancie. When the day for us to leave VSFA arrives, I will have paid back Geralt in one way or another.]] Cynrik snorted as his attention was drawn to Geralt waving over the Tier-1 Team.

    [[Anyway, the results from the Tier-1 and Tier-2 teams have no bearing on our ranking, they are the warm-up for the audience, it''s the Tier-3 teams that have an actual championship they are fighting for.]] Tearing his eyes away from the nervous batch of young adults following the Headmaster, Cynrik pulled up the live stream for VSFA on his Watcet.

    Although he could see everything on the other side of the wall thanks to [Mana Sight], Cynrik wanted to be sure about the roomyout to n a proper exit strategy in case things went sideways.

    [[There are two exits/entrances into the VR rooms, one on each side for the teams to leave and enter separately. The doors are sealed shut during the events, and only the Referees can step in and shut down the VR capsules.]] While he spoke, Cynrik''s eyes fell on the two middle-aged men wearing typical ck and white striped uniforms representing their roles.

    [[Tsk, man, I miss Earth Inte. It was much easier to look people up and do background checks there. With the crazy restrictions, it''s borderline impossible to gather info on individuals without having some external means.]] Clicking his tongue, Cynrik kept the Hologram function of his Watcet turned off and viewed the Livestream in 2d mode.

    Pinching the screen and zooming in on the faces of each referee as they were introduced to the audience, he then took several screenshots while grumbling to himself.

    [[It shouldn''t be necessary to do background checks on the refs, Cyn. If memory serves, the CSH conducts an arduous exam process, and your character and history are called into question to get certified. All for the sake of keeping a fairpetition environment.]] Understanding Cynrik''s reasoning behind the statement, Brance remarked, even if he didn''t feel entirely sure about unsavory people infiltrating the Referee staff.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [[Tell that to the guy who tried to set us up yesterday. Oh wait, you can''t. I tortured him and then ughtered him like a pig.]] Cynrik stated with a sneer as he watched the two VSFA Tier-1 students get overwhelmed and ughtered in the Swarm event.

    [[That was faster than I expected.]] Watching the stream beside Cynrik, Selene chimed in right as the Tier-1 students from Romeoville won the first event.

    [[They couldn''t even handle a bunch of weak Tier-1 mobs. If I were in Geralt''s shoes, I would expel them all. What the hell have they been doing thest few weeks?]]

    [[What do you expect? Not everyone could kill hundreds of people stronger than themselves as children.]] Rolling his eyes and pulling up the live stream on his Watcet, Brance countered.

    [[Meh, SRD is up next, although the map won''t be exactly the same for us, the Organizers have been known to scale up simr maps each round, so we should be able to get some info to prepare ourselves.]] Narrowing his eyes, Cynrik watched the entire Tier-1 team load in on a vast arctic tundra, and he frowned.

    [[Greeeeat~ Snow, I fucking hate snow.]] Cynrikined, making Brance and Selene snicker.

    [[You fuckers never lived up north, fucking Floridians through and through. I spent seven winters dealing with that white shit, and let me tell you, every year, I swore I''d move away and didn''t.]] Rubbing his tongue on one of his canines, Cynrik had shbacks to it being negative 40 degrees Fahrenheit and being forced to clear the driveway to go to work.

    [[Hehe, that sounds like a you problem, Big Brother. I specifically remember you never going outside when you lived in Florida because, and I quote, "It''s fucking hot; I hate the fucking Hot!!!"]] Smiling at the memory, Branceughed in the mind link, causing Selene to join in on the teasing.

    [[Oh my god, no way, haha; I can picture him being a total shut-in back then.]] Looking up at her Boyfriend and shooting him a teasing smile, Selene poked the bear further.

    [[Oh, he totally was. I remember him not leaving the house for years at one point.]]

    [[Fuck off, both of you, if you want something to do, observe and memorize the fucking mapyout.]] Rolling up his top lip and exposing his teeth in a snarl, Cynrik fought back the urge to strangle both Brance and Selene, making themugh even harder in the mind link.

    Ignoring the cackling foolsughing in his head, Cynrik focused in on the harsh environment and noticed a few things that could be important, such as a sizeable frozen ocean to the east of the spawn location and several massive mountains. But when he saw what the enemy race was, his mood shot through the roof as he reached over to pat Brance on the shoulder.

    [[Well, Brancie, you always did say he existed; it looks like now''s your chance to fight one.]]

    [[Cynrik, you uncultured, uneducated moron, Yetis and Big Foot are not the same thing.]] Going fromughter to annoyance in no time t, Brance corrected his brother while ring at him with hostile intentions.

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 Chapter 482 Round One (5)

    [[Gasp, how dare you call me uncultured? I''ll have you know, when ites to culture; I am of the highest ss of weeb.]] cing his hand on his chest and appearing overly offended, Cynrik even went so far as to gather up some fake tears.

    [[Stupid ass, you know damn well there is a difference of habitat and physiology between Yetis and Gigantopithecus. What you just said is no different than iming the Sky isn''t blue or blood dark red!]] Brance argued back. Unfortunately, Cynrik had the perfecteback.

    [[Tsk tsk, little brother, do you realize how foolish you sound right now? The Sky is Clear, and only once oxygenated does blood change from a bright red to dark red.]]

    [[Pppfftt, hehe hahahahahha!]] Cynrik''sments broke Selene as she watched Brance blushing in embarrassment due to how quick Cynrik was with his rebuttal.

    [[Why do I feel you are getting easier to tease as time goes on, Brancie? Sigh, you used to put up a good battle, but now, you only seem to spit nonsense.]] Shaking his head and kicking his brother while he was down, Cynrik relented and went back to watching the Tier-1 team putting on a miserable showing.

    Left at a loss for words, Brance decided it was best to keep his mouth shut, Cynrik was in rare form, and he knew the only oue of taunting him would be a loss.

    Although trying their best, the Tier-1 team began losing members to the terrain. Eventually, thest member fell due to the blizzard before ever reaching the target location, causing Cynrik to frown.

    Without hesitation, he quickly switched the stream over to Romeoville''s perspective, and his frown soon turned into a dark expression.

    [[Great~, it looks like this event is going to be annoying as shit.]] Cynrik stated while watching the group of seven navigate through the heavy snowstorm in a northeast direction without much difficulty.

    [[What am I missing?]] Brance asked while following Cynrik''s example and swapping to the Romeoville stream.

    [[Snow storms are one thing, but trekking through them for kilometers on end will be rough. I have an idea, but we must see how far the map gets scaled up before I can evaluate its efficiency. If we end up needing to venture out over 100 km, it will suck.]] Analyzing the situation, Cynrik watched as the Tier-1 team periodically teleported 100 meters at a time.

    Selene and Brance nodded while the other members of MyrkLys caught on to what the three Legacy Charges were doing and followed suit by watching the event.

    There was a varying degree of reaction from everyone in the locker room, as one by one, the Tier-2 team also began watching the footage one by one. Upon realizing that the VSFA team had already been eliminated within the first 10 minutes, a somber feeling descended on the room as the Tier-2 team''s anxiety and nervousness reached a new limit.

    Seeing the mental state of the Tier-2 team falling apart, the instructors and chaperones moved into action, trying to increase morale. It wasn''t until the Vice Headmaster spoke up that it finally affected the students.

    Well, everyone except MyrkLys, who had collectively sided with Cynrik inpletely ignoring the man''s existence.

    However, when a sudden earth-shattering roar shook the mountain range Romeoville was climbing, Cynrik stiffened and robotically turned to Brance.

    Slowly the camera POV zoomed in and shifted, standing at the mouth of a chain of caves was a 10-meter tall, white-furred gori-looking beast.

    [[Huh? What the fuck? I was only kidding about Yetis¡­]] Cynrik said with wide eyes.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [[Amazing, look at it, that guy has to be at least 10 meters tall, and both its arms and legs are as thick as redwood trees.]] Completely geeking out with sparkling eyes, Brance brought his Watcet close to his face and took in the majestic sight, which could only be considered a myth on Earth.

    But just as he did so, the camera suddenly zoomed back, revealing a horde or troop of hulking white-furred creatures.

    [[Fuck, if there are 10 in the Tier-1 event, that means we very well may end up facing over 50, not to mention they will all be Low to Mid Tier-3.]] Cynrik stated, causing Selene to scoot closer to him forfort.

    [[ In addition to racing to the checkpoint faster than those assholes can teleport,ing face-to-face with so many creatures and still having to retrieve an object might prove challenging, especially if we are going to make a run at the record.]] While Cynrik spoke, the leader of the Tier-1 team vanished, teleporting passed the troop of Yetis while the other six members of his team enteredbat.

    On-screen, one of the cameras broke away frombat and followed the team leader as he navigated through the dark winding cave system, revealing a sizeable underground reservoir filled with gems.

    [[Cyn are those¡­]] Recognizing the glowing gems ranging from light blue to deep sapphire, Brance turned and looked to his brother for answers.

    [[Yeah, Mana Gems, Ice, Water, and everything in between, the question is, what is the target?]] No sooner did the question leave Cynrik''s mind than the Romeoville leader dived straight into the deep pool of water in search of the target.

    Soon enough, the young man popped back to the surface carrying an enormous sparkling boulder in his arms.

    [[Fuck¡­man, if that thing was real, the sheer amount of money it would be worth is enough to turn anyone into a zillionaire.]] Letting out a soft whistle in admiration, Cynrik estimated that the massive Mana Gem the young man was carrying had to weigh hundreds of kilos.

    From there, it didn''t take long for him to return to the group, wipe out the Yetis andplete the event. In the end, Ther Tier-1 Team achieved total points and had a time of 38 minutes 42 seconds.

    With Romeoville up 15 to 0, there was no way for VSFA toe back, and the Tier-1 team''s loss was dered 15 minutester when Romeoville swept through the uracy Event.

    A couple of minutester, the downcast VSFA Tier-1 team returned to the locker room, with each member showing depressed expressions. Despite being humiliated by theirpetitor and thrown out of thepetition, they were consoled by the Tier-2 team.

    When the Tier-2 team passed by the Tier-1 students, they patted each of them on the shoulder and swore to win their matches and exact revenge for the Tier-1 team''s loss.

    [[Hm, you''re pretty quiet, Cyn; I figured you''d start harassing them.]] Shaking his head and peaking at Cynrik from the corner of his eye, Brance asked more out of curiosity than concern.

    [[Why would I, their purpose in my mind was never to win, only to reveal the map''s information. They were always going to lose regardless, so there was no point in shit-talking them. I got what I needed, and now it''s time for the Tier-2 team to increase my scale so I can finish formting my n.]] Paying no attention to the Tier-1 team, Cynrik immediately swapped over the feedback to VSFA and watched the Tier-2 team make their entrance.

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 Chapter 483 R-1 Swarm (1)

    As per what Cynrik expected, the Tier-2''s two-man squad was quickly overwhelmed in the Swarm event; however, they put on a better showing, allowing him to collect valuable data on the creatures and beasts used in the event.

    Although half paying attention during the 10-minute live stream, Cynrik was able to gauge the opposing creatures urately and soon realized the scaling for the Swarm event had increased by a factor of three.

    Not only did the strength of the creatures and beasts increase to match that of the Tier-2''speting, but the amount spawned had tripled, making him assume he and Brance would be facing six times as many of what could only be described as Chimeras.

    The creatures and beasts all had multiple characteristics from different beings, but primarily they seemed to be a wolf/bird hybrid. Between the werewolf-style bodies, and therge wings and beaks, Cynrik wasn''t too impressed.

    The event ended with Romeoville scoring another 10 points by surviving longer than VSFA, meaning it was time for the SRD event. Like the previous version, the two teams spawned in a mountainous tundra with a sizeable frozen ocean to the east.

    When the camera POV zoomed out, revealing the map, Cynrik clicked his tongue loudly, drawing the attention of everyone, student and adult, in the locker room. Still, he ignored their confused gazes and continued examining everything the cameras showed.

    [[How bad is it?]] Brance asked while examining the footage on his Watcet. The scale had increased in his eyes, but he could not tell how different the map was, aside from the mountains now looking bigger. Thus Brance defaulted to waiting for answers from his over-analytical older brother.

    When he looked over at Cynrik, Brance noticed that his brother was using his knuckles and finger to measure something.

    [[On a scale of one to ten, we may be fucked in the ass this time. I can guarantee we will win, but how we do so is the problem. If I measured correctly, the map has grown nearly five times the size, not just the distance from spawn to the checkpoint. I''m talking about everything, the ocean, the mountains, even that storm is bigger now.]]

    [[Breaking the record is out of the question and based onst year''s tape, the distance Romeoville''s Tier-3 leader can teleport is 500 meters per jump. The first map had a coverage distance of approximately 20 kilometers through snow and storm. This time it''s 100 kilometers, meaning we will be facing a 500-kilometer hike.]]

    [[That''s providing one of us can even locate the checkpoint from so far away. If the cavern where the target object is located is simr in map two as it was in map one, then in theory, we should be able to spot a massive Mana Signature due to the volume of Mana gems stored inside.]] Cynrik suddenly got serious, and his eyes narrowed while watching the Romeoville team slow down significantly upon reaching the storm zone.

    [[If not, then we go in blind, heading north. That is the only course of action this time. We know the cave system will burrow through one of the many mountains, so that much is helpful. Basically, we make a mad dash toward the mountain range, like those guys are doing.]] Nodding in the direction of his Watcet, Cynrik noticed that Romeoville had its first two casualties within the storm.

    By the time Romeoville arrived at the first of hundreds of mountains, they only had three people remaining of the original seven. Still, they didn''t slow down, and after taking a break and searching, they eventually located the correct cave system, and someone went to retrieve the object while the fighting began, only instead of 10 Yetis, there were now 30.

    [[The scale is confirmed, the map grows five times in size while the mobs increase by three times.]] Cynrik finally said before closing the stream without bothering to finish watching. He had long since realized the Tier-2 team had no chance of beating the event with only three bodies and no longer cared.

    [[Brance, prepare yourself mentally, I''d say we need to output around thirty percent of our full power if we want to oust Romeoville and 50 to 75 if we wish to break the record.]]

    [[Of all the three events, only Swarm has a record that hasn''t been broken in nearly 30 years. uracy and SRD change every couple of years, but in the case of Swarm, a being can onlyst so long in a high-paced battle.]]

    [[The two of us are different, injuries won''t keep us down, and even my Stamina should be higher than those guys from Romeoville, let alone yours.]] Tilting his neck to the side and releasing a loud pop, Cynrik tugged at the sleeves of his uniform to keep his wrists covered.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [[I want you going in with both shields until wave four begins, then you have permission to swap to sword mode. Do not under any circumstances reveal you''re [Nephilim Mode]. I will only remove that rule if we need a final push to break the record. However, I don''t expect that to happen if we use our standard team tactic.]] Standing in one ce with his arms crossed, Cynrik''s eyes never left the exit to the locker room.

    [[Right, I assume using my WDs is also off the table?]] Brance asked as he stepped up beside Cynrik and focused on the door as well.

    [[Hm, I''ll leave that one up to you, I trust your judgment inbat, so as long as you don''t go overboard and nuke me in the process, do what you want with them, but your Tower is off limits.]]

    The two brothers fell silent as they waited another 20 minutes for the Tier-2 team to return with tears in their eyes. Without waiting for any type of signal from Geralt, Cynrik sniffled loudly, and MyrkLys fell into formation as he moved toward the door.

    However, just before Cynrik reached it, the Vice Headmaster stepped in front of him wearing the fakest smile he had ever witnessed.

    "Good luck, Student Cynrik¡­." Cromwell started to say, but Cynrik was having none of it and sneered.

    "Shove your words and intentions up your ass and get the fuck out of my team''s way." Cynrik snarled while shoving past the stunned man and leaving the locker room.

    The words and actions of Cynrik drew a collective gasp from everyone and a sigh from Garrison and Rimsfel as they followed behind MyrkLys and walked down the tunnel.

    [[Was that necessary Cyn?]] Brance chided with dead eyes.

    [[One hundred and ten percent yes. Fuck that guy, he only wanted to put on a good show for the others.]] Cynrik replied as he walked out of the tunnel up into the Arena, where he was greeted by the sight of over 30rge ck buildings which housed the VR capsule rooms.

    ncing around with [Mana Sight], Cynrik then located Geralt and walked over unhurriedly. Upon arriving, Cynrik nodded at Geralt before tapping his Watcet against the door. With a loud depressurization sound, the ck door slid open, and he walked in, followed closely by MyrkLys.

    Only Garrison and Rimsfel stayed behind to inform the Headmaster about what Cynrik had just said and done to Cromwell; however, at the moment, it didn''t matter since Geralt was highly nervous.

    Since the other two teams were eliminated in the first round, Geralt was under much pressure regarding MyrkLys''s performance.

    ---

    When thest two members of MyrkLys, Benny and Brance, entered, the door sealed shut, and they watched as Cynrik swiftly chose his capsule before standing beside it. Mimicking their leader, everyone lined up, with Brance falling in beside his brother, followed by Selene, Benny, and Kurza, leaving Melody and Gabby as thest in line since they werepeting in the final event.

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 Chapter 484 R-1 Swarm (2)

    In the Pinhurst mansion, the Jetlensrs, Pinhursts, and Sanfords nervously sat on the edges of their seats, watching with bated breath as MyrkLys entered the capsule room.

    Surprisingly, unlike the previous two streams, where thementary team consisted of a Sixth Year student from VSFA and Romeoville, a standard practice, two familiar faces took over.

    Cesar: "Wee back, viewers; I know some of you expect us to cover the battles in the top bracket. However, the time hase for Cynrik Jetlensr, the Tier-3 Captain of VSFA''s Team, to take the stage."

    Roni: "After the thrilling interview he conducted yesterday, there has been no shortage of support and contention to Cynrik''s boastful words. And from the looks of it, things aren''t looking great."

    Cesar: "That''s right, Roni, it seems that Romeovillepletely shut out the Tier-1 and Tier-2 teams by achieving a perfect score, and although Tier-3 teams conduct the "real" Competition, it isn''t a good look for VSFA to have their early Tier teams eliminated in the first round."

    Roni: "Well, it seems we won''t have to wait long; herees VSFA, making their first appearance at the event; they sure are showing a level of confidence unseen by any first-year team."

    Sitting on the couch while clutching Rikard''s hand so tight the blood couldn''t circte, Cinyah inhaled shakily as her two boys entered the room and posted up side by side in Red Capsule One and Two, a sign that they would be joining the first event together.

    Gabby and Benny''s parents weren''t any better, especially after noticing their daughter was lined up in front of Red Capsule 6, indicating she was a contender for the uracy Event.

    Collectively, the two mothers unknowingly began chanting "Good luck" in their minds.

    ---

    Back in the Arena, in the stadium seating, Jason was sitting with an openptop resting on his legs; on screen was the Livestream for VSFA; when he saw Cynrik enter the room, he immediately pressed record on theputer. There was no way he would miss the opportunity to keep tabs on his one-sided rivals''bat style and skills.

    ncing over the top of hisputer and off to the left, Jason met the fierce gaze of Len, who also had aputer on hisp, recording everything. They were doing things this way because the website streaming the Competition had multi-view options, so it was possible to change camera angles and not miss anything constantly.

    ---

    Within the ck-walled room, Cynrik slowly turned his head and nodded upon noticing everyone was in their proper positions. Which capsules they chose was vital since it was how the referees determined whopeted in what event.

    The Team that entered the room first was given five minutes to decide on their cement, and once they stood beside their VR Capsules, their position was locked in and could not be changed. It was simply part of the extensive list of rules which Cynrik hadmitted to memory.

    When the members of MyrkLys were lined up, and the five-minute timer expired, only then did the seven members of Romeoville''s Tier-3 Team enter the room.

    Unlike MyrkLys, who was stoic and professional, the Romeoville team was riding the high brought about by their Tier-1 and Tier-2 teams winning the round.

    Wearing a smug grin, the Captain, a skinny young man with silver hair, lined up his Team, mirroring Cynrik by taking the first open capsule across from his. Unlike his counterpart, the Romeoville Captain took his time arranging his Team correctly.

    His actions were part of an borate mind game that had thrown off his opponents in the past. No one liked being primed and ready to go, only to be told they had to wait. As such, it was a cheap scheme that would have worked if his opponent wasn''t MyrkLys.

    Having been subjected to Cynrik''s frequent and torturous "conditioning," no one was bothered by having to wait; in fact, everyone stared nkly at Romeoville, reversing the roles and making the opposing Team ufortable.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Keeping track of the timer, one of the referees, a man with sandy blond hair, raised his hand and counted down from five on his fingers.

    "That''s time. The First event is Swarm; in this event, two of you from each Team will be thrown into a location simting an Egress Break. There is no time limit to the first event, and there is ast Team standing win condition."

    "The enemies will spawn in waves, with the number of creatures increasing by a factor of two each wave. There is also a boss creature that will spawn every ten waves. The goal is to survive the longest and kill more creatures than the opposing Team. When both a team''s yers are eliminated or forfeit, the winner will be decided, and the event will be paused."

    "At this time, you are given one minute to decide if you wish to continue and attempt to beat the National Record or concede and ept the 10 points allotted for victory."

    "Competing in the Swarm event are VSFA''s Cynrik and Brance Jetlensr and Romeoville''s Derrek Lancaster and Paul Easton."

    "Remember, any restoration items, such as Potions, Pills, or Herbs, are banned during the Competition, andst, but not least, if you have a Beastpanion or pet, you must have them in the capsule to use them. Competitors, you may enter your capsules." Making a gesture indicating it was time to go, the referee wrapped up his speech, causing the four to tap their Watcets on the capsule, expelling a pressurized wave and causing the hatches to swing open.

    Derrek and Paul moved separately and climbed into the capsules, leaving Cynrik to Smirk and watch. When the two Romeoville students were in ce, only then did Cynrik and Brance move in seemingly practiced unison.

    Once settled in their capsules, the referees split up and walked over to seal the capsules. With that done, the world went dark. Knowing there was a 30-second countdown timer before his consciousness would be transported, Cynrik closed his eyes and slowed his breathing.

    Then through [Mana Sight], he watched as the referees motioned for everyone in the room to turn their attention toward the wall, where the event would be projected for them to watch.

    [The moment we are transported, swap your loadout to fullbat gear, and get ready, the first wave begins the instant we touch down. Using the previous Team''s experience as a baseline, we can conclude that we will be dropped into a massive field with nothing except grass as far as the eye can see.] Without looking over at his Brother, Cynrik began exining things, even though he felt Brance already knew what to expect.

    [Conserve Mana until the first boss fight, rely on physical ability, even if we get overwhelmed, which possibly will happen, and keep skill usage to a minimum, including Mana sight.]

    [Shields, no skills, beat things up, got it, anything else you worrywart?] Rolling his eyes, Brance broke into a smile and shook his head lightly.

    [Hm, yeah, hey Tobs, do we gain anything from the kills? I don''t know if you know yet.]

    -You will obtain XP, the regr type, but that is all; no item drops or Stat points will be gained.-

    [Tsk, I guess even muddy water hydrates you if you drink enough. Alright, Tobs, hit me with that background music. Hmmmm~ How about The Enigma TGN''s Vegeta and Goku Train Together?]

    [Sigh, there you go again, at least it''s DBZ rted this time.] Branceined when hearing his brother''s quirk acting up again.

    -Now ying "DBZ ¨C Vegeta and Goku Train Together" by Saiyan Enigma.-

    **Link to the song in discord under the ref-pics-and-music channel. **

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 Chapter 485 R-1 Swarm (3)

    -Now ying "DBZ ¨C Vegeta and Goku Train Together" by Saiyan Enigma.-

    The synthetic and familiar song started slowly, and as it did, Cynrik felt himself slipping into a half-sleeping state before he opened his eyes and found himself in a vast prairie, where the sky was dark, and a storm was brewing high above.

    Off in the distance, he spotted arge purple circr Mana Construct gate, with red lightning flickering around it menacingly, a sign that it was about to "break," allowing all manner of creatures to storm out to wreak havoc.

    "Sheesh, a Purple Alpha, that''s annoying." Cynrik chirped, bringing his arms down by his side and swapping into hisbat gear. Not even a full secondter, he was decked out in ck leather armor, with both swords and Assassins tools equipped.

    Turning his head and looking at Brance, Cynrik shrugged his shoulders and chuckled as if to say, "well, let''s get this over with," and pulled up his hood as a roar resounded from the Egress Gate.

    Beside him, Brance had swapped into his te armor and was already holding both tear-shaped shields by his sides.

    -A nearby Purple Egress has be severely unstable!-

    -A significant reduction in the stability of this Egresses Barrier has allowed creatures inside to break through unhindered and enter your world.-

    -Due to the suppression exerted by Vinestra''s World Will, the creatures that breach the Egress will see a reduction in their power and Tier.-

    -Wave One is now beginning; two Initial Tier-3 Chimera (Wolf/Avian) have breached the Egress Barrier.-

    [Well, now, isn''t that a surprise? Not only is there a World Will, but it reduces the strength of whateveres out of the Egress; gotta remember that in the future.] Raising an eyebrow, Cynrik thought aloud in the mind link while observing the hulking behemoth bird-wolves fumbling about as they left the Egress and locked on to him and Brance.

    [Damn, those are some ugly mother fuckers, amirite Brancie?] Calmly turning his body and facing Brance, Cynrik angled himself, so his right shoulder was facing the Egress.

    [Eh? I don''t know; they look kind of cute to me. I mean a woof''s body with six legs, two tails, four wings, and a big ass bird head. I wouldn''t mind having one as a pet.] Brance stated while mimicking Cynrik''s stance and facing his brother, making his left shoulder point at the creatures as they half skipped, half ran the one-kilometer distance toward them.

    [Woof? Did you just say Woof?] Cynrik asked with his face contorting in disgust.

    [Ugh, fucking hell, not this shit again, Yes Cyn, I said Woof, get over yourself. You''d think after 30+ years, you''d stop correcting me every time I say a fucking word wrong!]

    [No, nono, you don''t escape this one that easily. I can''t believe you still say Woof. I thought I broke you of that a long time ago. Tsk, you remind me of Earth Dad, who had a whole slew of incorrect vocabry. Half a kilometer.]

    [Come off it, Cyn, seriously, I say woof, and I''m sure there are numerous words I fuck up. I know it''s "wolf," but I say it too fast sometimes; English isn''t an easynguage.] Brance countered while monitoring the approaching 12-meter tall, 15-meter long four-winged creature out of the corner of his eye.

    [Invalid argument, just because we speak English naturally to each other, doesn''t mean [Language Proficiency] stops working. You are purposely saying Woof instead of Wolf. Quarter kilometer.]

    [I swear, I''m not, it''s a fucking speech impediment Cynrik, christ, just let it go.] Rolling his eyes, Brance caught sight of the chimera only a few meters away and calmly tilted his head at an angle and back to stare it down.

    Noticing his younger brother''s posture, Cynrik followed suit, giving the appearance that the brothers were moving as a single person; then, in a blink of an eye, the moment the two creatures entered range, the two moved.

    Bringing up his right arm, Brance punched out, creating a rippling effect as his arm tore through the air before connecting with the creature''s massive bird head. The reaction was immediate; just like a particr Anime Hero who has an affinity for red gloves, Brance turned the creature into a red mist of gore with a single punch.

    Meanwhile, Cynrikzily unsheathed his kodachi and, with a single flourish, shredded the creature into hundreds of neat chunks of flesh, killing it just as quickly as Brance had his.

    Then, with a flick and spin, Cynrik cleaned the blood and goo off his weapons before resheathing them before the first notifications coulde through.

    -Your Faction Member Brance Jetlensr has Killed a Level 2 Initial Tier-3 Chimera (Wolf/Avian).-<novelnext></novelnext>

    -You have received 40,000 XP.-

    -You have Killed a Level 3 Initial Tier-3 Chimera (Wolf/Avian).-

    -You have received 60,000 XP.-

    -You havepleted Wave One of the Egress Break.-

    -Wave Two is now beginning; four Initial Tier-3 Chimera (Wolf/Avian) have breached the Egress Barrier.-

    [Calm down, OPM; I should have picked that OST instead of a DBZ cover.] Fighting backughter internally, Cynrik eyed Brance as he popped his neck loudly.

    [Hey now, you were the one who said to conserve energy. It was easier to punch it than smack it with my shield.] Rolling his eyes, Brance caught sight of the four newly spawned chimeras running at them at full speed.

    [True, so do I mark that down as one point each, or are we writing it off because of how easy killing them is?]

    [Don''t you dare write it off; the score is one to one, and the brother toe out of this with the least amount of points forfeits dessert for a week.] Understanding that, as usual, Cynrik was turning things into apetition, Brance quicklyid down the challenge.

    [One to One it is then, gets ready to hand over your snacks, Brancie hehe, when I win, Vii and Sie will get all the good things.] Monitoring the approaching creatures, Cynrik didn''t move and stayed in the same stance, facing Brance and keeping the chimeras on his right side.

    [How selfless of you; I suppose I''ll give all your snacks to Milo then.]

    [Tsk, bold of you to assume you''ll be winning, Brancie. Aren''t you forgetting about your girlfriend? If you win, Milo only gets the snacks if Gabby doesn''t intercept them first.]

    ---

    Meanwhile, as the brothers were bantering, everyone watching the event was shell-shocked at what they had just witnessed, none more so than the twomentators.

    Cesar was a babbling, incoherent mess, and Roni wasn''t much better, with her mouth hung open for everyone to see her pink tongue wiggling back and forth.

    Thementators robotically turned and looked over at the live feed projecting Romeoville and saw that Derrek and Paul were in a full-scaled fight with their first two chimeras. Yet, when they turned to look at Cynrik and Brance, they were astounded to see them effortlessly dispatch their creatures with a single attack before returning to their intimidating poses.

    Cesar: "Roni, what in the flying hell did we just see?"

    Roni: "*Gulp,* If you don''t know, who am I supposed to ask, Cesar?"

    Cesar: "Folks watching from home, I don''t know how to put this into proper words, but it seems we have GREATLY underestimated Cynrik and Brance Jetlensr. Unlike the two students from Romeoville, who appear to be putting in quite a bit of effort to kill their chimeras, the Jetlensr Brothers had absolutely no trouble killing them off with a single attack."

    ---

    Back in the Pinhurst mansion, Cinyah was on her feet, with Rikard attempting to drag her back down to the couch as she screamed at the HoloTv.

    "YEAHHH!!! THAT''S THE WAY TO DO IT BOYS! SHOW THOSE ASSHOLES HOW IT''S DONE!" Cinyah roared as she waved a small g in each hand, one with Brance''s face and the other with Cynrik''s.

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 Chapter 486 R-1 Swarm (4)

    [Sigh, you''d think they would have used stronger monsters, but no ~ they just had to start us off with the weakest of the weak!] shing at the air with both Kodachi, Cynrik finished off his batch of Chimeras from Wave-3 with minimal effort.

    -You have Killed three Level 5 Initial Tier-3 Chimera (Wolf/Avian).-

    -You have received 300,000 XP.-

    -Your Faction Member Brance Jetlensr has Killed three Level 6 Initial Tier-3 Chimera (Wolf/Avian).-

    -You have received 360,000 XP.-

    -You havepleted Wave Three of the Egress Break.-

    -Wave Four is now beginning; eight Early Tier-3 Chimera (Wolf/Avian) have breached the Egress Barrier.-

    [Hey, I thought the number of Chimeras was supposed to increase by two times. Why were there only six on Wave three? Shouldn''t it have been eight?] Brance asked with concern while channeling a sharp gust of Wind Mana to clear the viscera off his shields.

    [Tsk, I thought I was the brother bad at math, Brancie. Tell me, little brother, what is two times three?] Rolling his eyes and watching as the next Wave kicked off, Cynrik quizzed.

    [Six, oh¡­I see what is happening; it''s the wave number times two. Got it, WAIT. Doesn''t that mean by the time we get to wave twenty-one, there will only be forty-two of them?] With his eyes widening slightly, Brance looked away from the iing Chimera and stared at Cynrik.

    [Che, yeah, but you forget the power scaling. We are on Wave Four, and they have already reached Early Tier-3, meaning they should be around levels 10-15. That''s a decent jump in allocated stat points.] Hearing his brother talking down on theter waves so easily, Cynrik scoffed loudly.

    **For those wondering, here. TIER-3 Initial:0-9, Early:10-24, Mid:25-39, Late:40-49, Peak:50**

    [Brance, what Wave do you estimate these Chimeras will stoping out of the Gate as Tier-3?] After saying this, Cynrik kicked off the ground and moved to meet the iing four creatures who had separated from the pack and were charging in his direction.

    [Uh, hm, if they keep increasing by ssification every 3-4 gates, then it should be around¡­fuck, Wave 20.] Bringing up his shield, Brance expertly deflected a swatting downward w strike from the first creature to arrive and upper-cut it with his second shield, shattering its jaw and causing the Chimera to do half a backflip as it was flung away.

    -Your Faction Member Brance Jetlensr has Killed a Level 10 Early Tier-3 Chimera (Wolf/Avian).-

    -You have received 200,000 XP.-

    [Well, to be more exact, the boss thates out on Wave 20 will be Initial Tier-4. After defeating it, the Egress will expel twenty-two Initial Tier-4 creatures. Usually, I would chastise you for not knowing this, but seeing as most teams never make it past Wave 12-14, I don''t really expect you to know what happens in theter Waves.]

    Crouching down while he spoke, Cynrik bounced to the right and avoided one of the creatures before spinning in the air and hacking off both the front legs with a swift sh of both Kodachi.

    On the way down, Cynrik reversed the grip on his left-handed Kodachi and stabbed it into the skull of a second Chimera, instantly killing it as he prated its brain and lower jaw.

    -You have Killed a Level 10 Early Tier-3 Chimera (Wolf/Avian).-

    -You have received 200,000 XP.-

    It only took three minutes for Cynrik and Brance to finish Wave Four and move on to Wave Five, which spawned 10 Level 12 Chimeras. Uponpleting the Wave, Cynrik frowned and motioned for Brance to move up and get closer to the Egress Gate.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [Are you sure? I thought we were doing fine with wasting time by having theme to us.] Brance questioned while still following the order and slowly walking away from his initial spawn point.

    [Un, although I would like to run down the clock, there isn''t much point in doing so. Based on my observation of those two dickheads from Romeoville, they should still be on Wave Two.] With a flick of his wrist, Cynrik spun both Kodachi before resetting his grip and dropping his arms. He then began reducing the distance between himself and the Egress from One Kilometer to about a quarter of a Kilometer, or 250 meters. *820 feet*

    [How far do you think they will make it?] Stepping up and defending against a triple-pronged attack from three of the five creatures, Brance asked.

    [They should be eliminated after the first boss fight on Wave 10. I don''t see the two of them being able to handle twenty-two Mid-Tier-3 opponents. When I looked at their Mana Signatures, I estimated they were on the high end of Mid-Tier-3, approaching the Late ss. So, twenty-two opponents will overwhelm them.] Finishing his statement, Cynrik flourished his Kodachis and moved to meet the iing Chimeras.

    ---

    Meanwhile, as Cynrik and Brance made short work of each enemy, the same couldn''t be said for Romeoville''s Team. As Cynrik had predicted, they were just finishing up Wave Two and moving into Wave Three.

    Although Derrik and Paul didn''t appear tired or worried, their progress was astronomically slowpared to that of Cynrik and Brance''s speed. While unknown to the two from Romeoville, this fact was world-shattering to the viewers and Commentators.

    Cesar: "I...I don''t even know what to say right now. From how Cynrik was boasting that no one could give him a challenge, I was inclined not to believe it. Numerouspetitors had made such ims over the years, only not to deliver when push came to shove."

    Visibly distraught and attempting to fill the dead air which continuously came up between him and Roni, Cesar babbled.

    Roni: "VSFA has now moved on to Wave Six, leaving Romeoville in the dust as theyplete Wave Three. Even more impressive, we still have yet to see the Jetlensr Brothers use a single skill. They have solely relied on physical strength and technique to defeat each creature."

    Unlike her colleague, Roni''s eyes were only for Cynrik, as a strange light flickered and a rosy blush crept unto her cheeks.

    Cesar: "Indeed, but the question is, how far will they go? This isn''t the first time we have seenpetitors brute force their way through the early waves, but when that happens, they usually end up petering out when ites time to fight the first boss."

    Roni: "Oh? The brothers decided to decrease the distance between themselves and the gate, whereas Derrik and Paul pushed further back. This is an interesting development." Leaning forward on the desk, Roni watched as Cynrik jumped side to side while cleanly eviscerating his opponents.

    Noticing Roni was focusing heavily on a certainpetitor, Cesar narrowed his eyes and tried watching to see if there was anything peculiar about Cynrik''s movements.

    However, a few secondster, Cesar was stunned by what he observed. Unlike what he expected to see from a First-year student, which was robotic attacks that followed predetermined patterns, every one of Cynrik''s shes, stabs, and movements were not only random but fluid.

    This meant not only was Cynrik an expert Swordsman, borderline Master, but his positioning before attacking was so hard to read that Cesar could feel sweat beading on his forehead.

    Finding himself unable to anticipate the young man''s next attack, Cesar wanted to know what kind of hecious training the youngster had been put through toe out fighting so well.

    Roni wasn''t much better; although she kept spewing out random information and barely saying enough to fulfill her position as amentator, she was drawn in by the beauty of Cynrik''s attacks and movement style.

    The more she watched, the more she envisioned herself fighting against Cynrik, and setting aside the obvious power gap between them, she couldn''t simte a fight that ended in her getting the better of the young man, a fact that was beyond shocking to her.

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 Chapter 487 R-1 Swarm (5)

    Back in the Swarm Event, Cynrik and Brance promptly finished off the final Chimera of Wave Nine, and after moving closer, each wave, the Brothers were now only 40 meters away from the massive circr Mana Construct.

    Looking up at the swirling purple mass of Mana, Cynrik took a deep breath and fell into hisbat stance, his actions drawing a simr reaction from Brance, who stepped forward and held up both of his shields in a defensive posture to protect himself and Cynrik.

    Slowly the Mana of the Gate churned like turbulent water, and a colossal head emerged from its depths, beak first, followed by arge pair of shoulders.

    [Fucking hell, that thing is big,] Cynrik murmured as he watched a Chimera three times the size of the others step through.

    [It has to be like forty meters tall.] Brance said in awe with sparkling eyes.

    [On your guard Brancie, due to the sheer size of this thing, I doubt it will fall in only one or two hits.] Right as Cynrik stated this, the creature let out a deafening roar and pulled itself entirely from the gate while shaking its fur like a wet dog.

    The next instant, strands of red lightning peeled away from the Egress Gate and engulfed the Chimera. With each second that passed, the lightning struck the Chimera''s body like a swarm of wasps, causing it to shrink slightly as its Tier and Level plummeted from Mid-Tier-4 down to the high end of Mid-Tier-3.

    -Wave Ten is now beginning; A Mutated Creature Is spawning.-

    -A Mid-Tier-3 Level 39 Chimera (Wolf/Avian) has breached the Egress Barrier.-

    Looking up at the bloodshot double pairs of canine eyes on the Chimera''s bird-shaped head, Cynrik smirked under his hood.

    "Now THIS will be fun," unlike all the previous times he had spoken since entering the VR Capsule, this time he spoke aloud, mainly to continue his cocky persona for the audience watching back home.

    "ROAAAAAAARRRRR!!" Catching sight of Cynrik and Brance a few tens of meters away, the Chimera unfurled its three sets of wings and rushed forward.

    "Beyde Formation Two! MOVE!" Taking a deep breath through his nostrils, Cynrik jumped backward and began channeling abination of Fire and Wind Mana into the des of his Kodachis.

    Meanwhile, the instant Cynrik stated which formation they were using and gave the order to "move," Brance raised up his right leg, moved it forward, and mmed it into the soft ground, burying it to his knee before pushing off and tearing through the terrain.

    Instantly, he was propelled forward by using his Terra Affinity to skate across the ground.

    Smiling like a demon, Cynrik''s eyes followed Brance as he destroyed the surrounding terrain while looping around the Chimera. It took Brance less than twenty seconds to form aplete ring around the giant creature, and when he reached the starting point, Brance lept into the air, did a flip, and executed a superheronding.

    Upon smashing back to the ground, dirt and rock kicked into the air, forming arge, raised, rocky bowl, with the Chimera trapped dead center.

    "ROARRRR!" The Chimera cried as it tried to take flight, only to be smashed back into the ground due to ayer of rock and dirt locking all eight of its feet in ce.

    Meanwhile, as it struggled to free itself, the Chimera didn''t notice a shadow appear in the sky above the bowl. This shadow was Cynrik, whose Kodachi was now bathed in Bluish Red Fire with a cyclone of Green Mana particles swirling around the mes.

    ''Tobs, give me the We.b Beyde Op cover!!!'' Cynrik thought as he lined himself up to begin the attack.

    -Now ying "Beyde Opening Theme: Let''s Beyde! Cover" by We.B.-

    Using his Umbra Affinity to hide his presence, Cynrik started spinning slowly at first. However, thanks to his Wind Affinity, he soon became a blur of Blue, Red, and Green as he dropped down from the air andnded in the "Bey-stadium" generously provided by Brance.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "LET IT RIP!!! SPIRAL SURVIVOR!" Cynrik screamed as he burst forward like a ming top or Beyde and circled around the Chimera''s ankles, shredding them like paper while flickering by at high speeds.

    His movement was extremely unnatural; however, by manifesting a cushion of air under his feet, Cynrik reduced the friction he usually would have been subjected to and glided across the rocky surface like an ice skater.

    The Chimera''s roars quickly turned to cries of agony as Cynrik left nothing to chance, starting by severing the Achilles tendon of all eight legs, then moving on to its three tails, andstly, he sliced off every one of the creature''s six wings.

    With a loud BOOM, the Chimera copsed to the ground in a pool of its blood as Cynrik used the concaved shape design of the bowl and went airborne again. Only this time, he flew over the downed Chimera, broke free of his rotation, raised both Kodachi overhead, yelled, "BLAZING GIGS TEMPEST!" and came down like a meteor on Top of the Chimera''s neck, lopping its head off in a single momentum-powered strike.

    -You have Killed a Level 39 Mid-Tier-3 Mutated Chimera (Wolf/Avian).-

    -You have received 780,000 XP.-

    -You havepleted Wave Ten of the Egress Break.-

    -Wave Eleven is now beginning; Twenty-Two Mid-Tier-3 Chimera (Wolf/Avian) have breached the Egress Barrier.-

    [Drop the Bey-stadium and get ready; a lot of enemies are inbound. Skills are avable but use them sporadically.]Using the Chimera''s corpse as a springboard, which shattered into particles upon contact, Cynrik ran up the edge of the bowl like a ramp. Upon reaching the top, he jumped over the lip and glided away from the Mana construct.

    Then, in mid-air, he spun around and watched the Bey-stadium crack and copse into rubble, revealing a horde of Chimera 1/4th the size of the one he just killed.

    [These guys are all Top of the Mid-Tier spectrum; the next batch will be Late ss, so be ready.] Landing softly on the grass beside Brance, Cynrik coated the outer edge of his Kodachis with Bluefire and rushed forward to meet the horde head-on.

    ---

    Cesar: "WHAT IN THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED?" On his feet and pointing at Cynrik as if the young man was the most fearsome yet marvelous monster he had ever seen, Cesar screamed into the microphone in his right hand.

    BANG!!!

    Roni: "Language, and it seems that Cynrik has not one, but Three different Affinities, Dark as we already knew, Fire, and Wind. Then, there''s Brance, who seems to have a Terra Affinity on top of his Light Affinity." Catching her colleague by the back of his suit cor, Roni flung Cesar over her shoulder and across the room, where he crashed into a stack of luggage cases, creating a loud BANG.

    Half a beatter, Cesar appeared back in his seat, and if you ignored his messy hair, you wouldn''t know he had just been thrown across the room like a stuffed toy.

    Cesar: "Those two skills he used, those are unlike any I have ever heard of; also, that name, Beyde, is new terminology to me. Back to the skills, though, if you listened carefully, Cynrik called out two names while unleashing two very different attacks." Cesar Analysed, leaving Roni to jump in and continue his train of thought.

    Roni: "The first is in two parts, starting with the phrase, [Let it Rip,] which is followed by [Spiral Survivor], although I''ve never heard of this skill, it appears to cause a controlled spin simr to the Warriors Skill, [Whirlwind]."

    Roni: "As for the second, it seems to be called [zing Gigs Tempest], right now we have no further information, but I am sure we can draw Cynrik back in for another interview, where we can have him rify if these two attacks are Skills or techniques."

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 Chapter 488 R-1 Swarm (6)

    [Alright, Tobs, two things; first off, I want you to pause all kill notifications until we finish the entire wave.] Popping his neck loudly and activating [Mana Sight], Cynrik observed the creatures breaking through the Egress Gate two at a time.

    -Roger, and what is the second thing?-

    [Hehe, hit us with some of that good good.] Kicking off the ground and rushing forward, Cynrik slung his longer kodachi over his right hip and his shorter over his right shoulder while he ran.

    -Sigh, really, you don''t even bother telling me what you want me to y anymore. Whatever here, take this.-

    From her tone of voice, it was clear to the brothers that Tobs was rolling her eyes and most likely waving them off, but in the end, she still gave Cynrik what he asked.

    -Now ying "RWBY ¨C This Will Be The Day (feat. Rena) [Intense Symphonic Metal Cover,] By FalKKonE, on loop.-

    [PERFECT CHOICE TOBSIE HAHAHA!] Cackling in a psychotic manner that breached the mind link and came out of his mouth, Cynrik felt his hood slide back, revealing his face; however, he didn''t care as soon enough, he arrived in front of the first cluster of creatures.

    Extending out his left leg and leaning back, Cynrik then slid on the ground and underneath the first Chimera and gutted it from neck to nut, spilling a slick trail of red blood and intestines behind him.

    Around 15-meters to his left, Brance jumped forward and smashed the beak of one Chimera, shattering it in a spew of red before rotating and backhanding it with a little too much force behind his hit since the end result was a loud cracking sound as the creature flung wildly through the air like a kite with its string cut.

    With one of the 11 creatures in his care incapacitated, Brance''s eyes flickered left and right with [Mana Sight] active as he plotted his path of destruction and moved into action.

    Meanwhile, while singing in the mind link, Cynrik was running wild not far away from Brance.

    [Hope you''re ready for a revolution. Wee to a world of new solutions! Wee to a world of BLOODY FUCKING EVOLUTION!] Bringing his left knee toward his chest, Cynrik shifted his momentum and tucked in to roll, narrowly dodging multiple paws and ws mming down where he previously finished his slide.

    Finishing his roll by bouncing up, Cynrik stepped with his right leg onto one of the powerful furry calves of a Chimera and delivered a powerful kick right into the creature''s ribs, shattering several and robbing the Chimera of any air in its lungs.

    SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH

    Cynrik''s kodachis never stopped flying as each strike met flesh, leaving a trail of gore and cries of agony in their wake. Moving like a spectre on the battlefield, he weaved in and out of the abundant amount of limbs belonging to the ten remaining Chimera, something that wouldn''t have been possible if not for the significant size difference between him and the creatures.

    Brance was exploiting the size difference as well, but not as quickly as Cynrik, who was naturally thinner and faster due to his high AGI stat. Still, by pivoting and getting under the bellies of the Chimeras, Brance was able to find himself in multiple opportune positions, where he would hack and sh at the soft furry stomachs.

    His actions had devastating effects, as each attack would tear them open and expose vital organs, which he then destroyed by stomping the ground and sending multiple spikes into their bodies.

    Taking a deep breath, Brance covered his head with both shields and dove straight into the nk of a Chimera; the force of this was no different than watching a sports car get crushed by an 18-wheeled truck.

    Without losing any forward momentum, Brance cleanly sliced through the creature, severing it in half by using the sharp edges of his shields, which had been angled in such a way that they didn''t only deliver blunt force damage.

    Like his younger brother, Cynrik''s eyes were constantly on the move, bouncing from one target to the next as he observed the attack and movement patterns each Chimera exerted. Throughout the event, he noticed that although each Chimera was a clone, each one seemed to be programmed with one of 8 different AI strains.<novelnext></novelnext>

    This meant there were only eight sets of attack patterns and habits the creatures could execute. With that knowledge fresh in his mind, Cynrik could determine and predict each attack half a second before the creature could perform it, making it seem like he could see the future.

    While Cynrik relied more on anticipating his opponent''s next attack, Brance was what you could call a Reactionary Fighter, meaning his opponent would first need to attack, allowing him to react to it. So even though Cynrik had already figured out the attack patterns of all the creatures, Brance hadn''t.

    The difference between the two styles wasn''t necessarily that big of a deal, but it allowed Cynrik to constantly think ahead like a chess yer, whereas Brance lived in the moment as he fought.

    BOOOMMM!!!

    The heavy sound of flesh meeting Sheild echoed for kilometers as Brance blocked an attack head-on, causing him to take a little damage, 2000 points to be exact.

    However, the attack triggered his shield''s [Reflect] ability, generating a shockwave that bounced the Chimeras leg skyward, exposing its neck to Brance.

    Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Brance sprung up and severed its head with a single heavy sh of his shield; then, while still in the air, Brance triggered the fusion mechanic on his two shields. Two twists, 3k of Triple Affinity Mana, and a loud smashter, Brance held his massive twohanded greatsword over his head.

    Spinning it like a helicopter rotor, Brancended on the ground and shed downward, generating a massive wave of sword light, instantly killing two creatures at once.

    For the next five minutes, unbridled chaos ensued as Cynrik and Brance wreaked absolute havoc, ughtering one Chimera after another until only one remained, and this one was in bad shape.

    Noticing that it was the only creature alive, Cynrik and Brance took it apart, crippling it and leaving it at death''s door.

    [Five-minute break and resource stat check; how are you looking over there, Brancie?] Cynrik asked while quickly cleaning the blood off his body with a fire bath.

    [92% HP, 79% MP, and 77% STAM, what about you? I saw you running around like a madman, but aside from the coating of Mana on your swords, I didn''t see you use any skills.] Brance responded and hoisted his massive sword onto his right shoulder. Tossing a nce at the Chimera to ensure it wasn''t getting up anytime soon, Brance then sat down to recover his Resource stats.

    [I didn''t get hit once, so my HP is still full, but my MP took a pretty big hit with the Beyde formation. It''s recovering, but I fell below 75%. My Stamina is also slightly lower than I expected, at 72%.] Walking away from the downed Chimera, Cynrik sat beside his brother, took a deep breath, and decided to spend the break recovering his Resource stats through meditation.

    ---

    Cesar: "....."

    Roni: "¡­, Woah¡­that was intense."

    Cesar was utterly speechless at the insane battle he had witnessed, leaving Roni to be the one talking, but even she was at a loss for words.

    Around the nation and in the Arena, viewers cheered, chanted, and generally lost their minds at the fast-paced fight, unlike the twomentators.

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 Chapter 489 R-1 Swarm (7)

    In the Pinhurst Mansion, it was surprisingly quiet, unlike before, where Cinyah was screaming; now, she and everyone in the room stared wide-eyed at the HoloTv in awe of Cynrik and Brance''s actions.

    It was one thing to fight against 22 creatures with levels higher than your own, but it was another to destroy them stylishly. And Stylishly beating the Chimeras was precisely what the brothers had done.

    "Honey, did you know they could fight like that?" Rikard asked as he loosened the grip around his wife''s waist and tugged her into hisp on the couch.

    "N..no, I didn''t, but if we didn''t teach them that, where did they learn it? VSFA isn''t a physicalbat school, so they shouldn''t have learned it there." Leaning back on her husband''s broad chest, Cinyah watched with amazement as her boys sat down and recovered in silence, while in the background, the twenty-one dead Chimeras shattered into particles.

    "When your oldest son called me and told me what expectations and specifications he wanted on the new gear, I quizzed him about it." Taking a sip of his beer, Jessup broke the silence, causing everyone''s heads to swivel in his direction.

    "Every group member has to create their fighting style from scratch, per Cynrik''s orders. From there, he studies, analyzes, and breaks it down for digestion before improving it and fixing any ws he finds. If you think it''s just the brothers who fight like High Ranked Reavers, wait till you see Gabby and Benny."

    Acknowledging the man had nothing further to say, everyone turned back to the HoloTv, where Roni and Cesar tried their best to make sense of what had just happened. However, that was when something drastic urred on the Romeoville stream.

    Cesar: "OH, NO! PAUL IS TRAPPED!" Cesar dramatically yelled, shifting gears and attention away from the unmoving image of Cynrik and Brance.

    Roni: "This doesn''t look good. They''ve made it to Wave Seven and are in quite a predicament; let''s rewind the tape a few seconds¡­as you can see here, Paul mistimed his attack and ended up fumbling into the line of sight of two Chimeras. Although he could deal with the first, the second caught him off guard and snatched him by the arm with its teeth."

    Cesar: "Those watching from home, if you are faint of heart, please look away."

    Half a secondter, there was a loud tearing sound followed by Paul''s screams as he was flung around like a chew toy by the Chimera until the muscle and bone connecting his arm to the shoulder tore and shredded to pieces.

    Eventually, after one final shake, Paul''s arm gave, and he was thrown several meters away while the Chimera devoured the severed appendage.

    Unfortunately for Paul, the spot hended was in the middle of the pack of hungry creatures. Even though the young man made a valiant effort, he was soon ovee and killed, causing him to shatter into particles.

    Roni: "Romeoville is now down one team member, and there are still eight Chimera left, OH?"

    Roni''s eyebrows raised as she beganmentating the actions of Derrik, who exploded in Aqua-colored light, a sign he was unleashing his Space Aura.

    Cesar: "Sigh, it seems Derrik is going all out now; it''s a shame that it won''t matter now that he is alone, and the number of enemies will continue increasing; if he burns his Mana now, there is no way he will have enough left in the tank by the time he reaches the first boss, this is disastrous for Romeoville, as VSFA is one kill away frompleting Wave 11." Shaking his head and peeking over at the resting brothers, Cesar let out a sad and dramatic sigh, making it seem as if he genuinely felt sorry for Romeoville''s predicament.

    Two minutester, after activating multiple skills and unleashing a heavy amount of firepower, Derrik cleared Wave Eight and jumped right into Wave Nine. However, the young man was fighting an uphill battle and was starting to tire with each kill he made.

    Partway through the Ninth Wave, just when Derrik was about to score another kill, Cynrik and Brance''s eyes snapped open, and they stood up, drawing Roni and Cesar''s attention away from Romeoville.

    Cesar: "It looks like VSFA''s break time has ended, and the two Jetlensr brothers are moving to finish the final Chimera of Wave Eleven."

    Roni: "Take note that after their short break, the two appear fresh and fully healed. Since external recovery items such as potions are banned, they either have an extremely high Regeneration Rate or a rare recovery skill."

    Considering how the two brothers were calm and collected, free of sweat, and their breathing wasn''tbored, Roni brought attention to this fact. Hermentary generated a lot of questions in the online forums, which could be seen in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen as a chat box.

    ---

    In the Swarm Event, Cynrik raised his arms over his head and stretched his back.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [You ready for this? Wave Twelve starts the High-Tier-3 Chimera. We will have to start trying from here on out.] He said while walking up to the whimpering and bloody Chimera to kick it in the head lightly, startling the creature.

    [Stop torturing it and put it out of its misery Cyn.] Running up to his brother''s side and stopping him from kicking the creature a second time, Brance scolded Cynrik before answering his question.

    [And yes, I will be fine; I am back in the 90% range on everything after the recovery session.]

    [Tsk, you are too fucking soft.] Responding by clicking his tongue, Cynrik unsheathed his hip Kodachi and sliced off the Chimera''s head, triggering the usual batch of notifications.

    -You have Killed 11 Level 39 Mid-Tier-3 Chimera (Wolf/Avian).-

    -You have received 8,580,000 XP.-

    -Your Faction Member Brance Jetlensr has Killed 11 Level 39 Mid-Tier-3 Chimeras (Wolf/Avian).-

    -You have received 8,580,000 XP.-

    -You havepleted Wave Eleven of the Egress Break.-

    -Wave Twelve is now beginning; Twenty-Four High-Tier-3 Chimera (Wolf/Avian) have breached the Egress Barrier.-

    Snapping their heads in the direction of the Egress Gate, Cynrik and Brance readied their weapons and began channeling Mana out of their Codexes.

    Dealing with Mid-Tier-3 creatures wasn''t too difficult for them, mainly because the only difference between themselves and the creatures was the number of Stat points. But upon reaching the High-Tier-3 range, beings usually began converting all of their XP into SPN-XP. In doing so, they would start zing through levels and consolidating their Tier-3 foundation in preparation for Evolution.

    With this consolidation came a rapid purification of Mana, making the stat points carry more weight. (Think Effort Value/EV points in PKMN, the higher the EV points, the more value stat points have. If you don''t understand, there are billions of references online.)

    [Hey, Cyn, I''ve been meaning to ask, what is the record we are chasing? I''d be willing to bet those two from Romeoville already got eliminated, so technically, we''ve already won.] Brance asked while keeping a sharp eye on the first batch of two Chimeras stepping through the Egress Gate.

    [Ok, for starters, we haven''t gotten the pause notification stating we won yet. Did you not pay attention to the referee? And the record we are chasing is 3 hours 42 minutes, Round 19. The group that beat the record died instantly upon starting the wave. It isn''t a surprise considering that''s 38 Peak Tier-3 enemies.]

    Gripping his Kodachis, Cynrik was about to move when he felt his body get sluggish, and everything around him turned grey.

    -Congrattions!! You''re Team is Victorious in the Round One Event: Swarm.-

    -Both of the members of yourpetitor team have been eliminated.-

    -Would you like to conclude your Event as Victors or take a shot at the National Record.-

    -Swarm Event National Record: 3 Hours 42 Minutes, Wave 19, 0 Kills.-

    -Exit/Continue.-

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 Chapter 490 R-1 Swarm (8)

    -Congrattions!! You''re Team is Victorious in the Round One Event: Swarm.-

    -Both of the members of yourpetitor team have been eliminated.-

    -Would you like to conclude your Event as Victors or take a shot at the National Record.-

    -Swarm Event National Record: 3 Hours 42 Minutes, Wave 19, 0 Kills.-

    -Exit/Continue.-

    The notifications were like the sweetest of music to Cynrik''s ears, and his mood went from startled due to the sluggish feeling overwhelming his body to overly excited.

    [Well, it looks like the W is ours, Brancie, I will ask this on principle alone, but are you good with continuing, or do you want to stop here.] Leaving the choice in Brance''s hands for the first time, Cynrik observed the blue text box floating in his vision.

    Weighing his options, Brance felt as if he stood before a massive chasm, one that, to cross, he would need to burn a lot of energy and jump. On one side was the safe route, where all he needed to do was say no, and Cynrik would ept it, albeit not withoutining.

    While on the other side was an uphill battle that would result in him and Cynrik showing off more than they werefortable. Taking two more seconds to think over his decision, Brance readied himself by gripping the hilt of his greatsword.

    [Although I know we will more than likely regret this decision, let''s do this shit.] Brance said while tilting his head down a fraction and smiling in an overly adventurous manner.

    [Atta boy Brancie, all restraints are dropped, do what you need to for survival. We only need to make it through seven more rounds and murk one Chimera to break the record.]

    ---

    Cesar: "And in a stunning upset, VSFA has secured victory in the first event. I am sure quite a few people gambled their money on Romeoville, but if you bet on the underdog, your return was definitely substantial." pping loudly in excitement, Cesar happily congratted VSFA while wishing the Romeoville Tier-3 team well.

    It was never easy to lose, even more so in your first round. But there were still two more events that would allow Romeoville to mount aeback. Even so, at best, it would force a Tie-Breaker situation, also known as a Team-Fight, where fivepetitors from each team would duke it out for an additional ten points to secure victory.

    In contrast to the bubbly act of her colleague, Roni was perfectly silent as she stared unblinking at the monitor showing Cynrik and Brance, who had yet to move after receiving the Win notifications.

    Roni: "Cesar shut up and look at the monitor; it appears VSFA hasn''t epted their win yet." She calmly stated and reached over to smack the hyper man beside her in the back of his head.

    BANG

    Cesar''s head bounced off thementary desk as Roni put too much force behind her hit, sending him flying backward before he caught himself and panicked.

    Cesar: "Owie, ow, ow, what the heck Roni, why you hit so hard?" Putting up aical front, Cesar yed off his injury and followed Roni''s extended arm to the monitor she was pointing at.

    Roni: "They wouldn''t, right?" Roni asked no one in particr.<novelnext></novelnext>

    However, right at the moment, all the lights in the studio shed in red before angling downward on the twomentators like spotlights, causing both Roni and Cesar to flinch in their seats as a loud rm sounded off.

    "ANNOUNCEMENT, ANNOUNCEMENT, A TEAM HAS CHOSEN TO ADVANCE AND ATTEMPT TO BREAK THE NATIONAL RECORD IN THE SWARM EVENT!"

    The announcement yed on not only every HoloTv and device showing VSFA but a ticker tape scrolled across every stream, announcing that someone was going for a record.

    All across the nation, billions of people switched off the broadcast they were watching and tuned in to VSFA, where the sight of Cynrik and Brance standing valiantly with their weapons at the ready, staring down a horde of High-Tier-3 Chimeras could be seen.

    Roni: "Wee, everyone tuning in for the first time this Competition; I won''t bother with introductions as there are more pressing matters. For decades, the Swarm Event Record has held firm, and over the years, fewer and fewer Competitors have even bothered trying to break it.

    Beside Roni, Cesar tossed aside his usual yful attitude and was extremely professional and calm.

    Cesar: "For those at home watching and are unsure of how hard an achievement it is to break the Swarm Record, let me inform you that the current time and Wave to beat is 3 hours 42 minutes, Wave 19, with zero kills. This record has stood tall for nearly 100 years."

    Cesar: "The two on your screen are VSFA''s Tier-3 Captain, Cynrik Jetlensr, and his brother Brance Jetlensr. Both are newly evolved Tier-3 students, and if you watched the opening ceremonies, then you should recognize them.

    Roni: "As the clock on the screen indicates, presently, the Jetlensr Brothers have a time of 26 minutes and 23 seconds and are on Wave 12. Compared to the Record Winning Run, that team was at 1 hour 38 minutes by the time they reached Wave 12, so the brothers already have a significant lead."

    Cesar: "Even more impressive than their Time is the efficiency that the two moved through each round, don''t let their ssification as Initial Tier-3 beings fool you; these two young men are anything but average."

    Cesar: "Between their insanely high-level battlefield awareness, both are experts inbat, with the younger yet bulkier brother wielding two shields that can fuse into the greatsword you see in his hands.

    Roni: "The older brother, Cynrik, moves like an assassin but fights like a master swordsman, wielding two curved shortswords; he was able to weave in effortlessly and out of his opponents, dicing them up along the way and presently, aside from manifesting Mana on his des, he has only used two skills, both of which were able to obliterate the Wave Ten Boss single-handedly.

    ---

    While Roni and Cesar brought the new viewership up to speed, those back at the Pinhurst Mansion were highly unsettled. Although they had faith that the brothers could do well and even win their event, they never made the connection that the two would be crazy enough to push for a National Record.

    The usually very vocal and rambunctious Cinyah was deathly still and quiet as her eyes glimmered with tears of pride that threatened to spill over. Of everyone present, only she was 100% convinced her boys would break the record. However, like any mother, she was afraid of seeing her children injured; thus, she could not bring herself to cheer them on anywhere but in her mind.

    So, Cinyah did the only thing she could; she looked to her husband forfort by wrapping his muscr arms around her body like a nket.

    Feeling and seeing his wife''s unease, Rikard smiled and nted a kiss on the top of her head before leaning forward and whispering into her ear.

    "My love, if they are confident enough to push forward with the record, you know damn well Cyn has a n. He cannot rush headfirst into a situation without scrutinizing every potential oue. Believe in them; we have done all we can to teach them. Now it is time for them to spread their wings."

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 491 Chasing The Swarm Event National Record (1)

    -You have chosen to continuepeting in the Event.-

    -In 30 seconds, Wave 12 will continue. Good Luck, and please prepare yourself.

    -Swarm Event National Record: 3 Hours 42 Minutes, Round 19, 0 Kills.-

    -Current Progression: 26 Minutes 23 Seconds, Wave 12, 0 Kills.-

    [Twenty-four High-Tier-3 Chimeras means twelve each. Frontal Rush, break the pack, and lead them in opposite directions. We already have a substantial lead regarding time; all we need to do is reach Wave 19 before the clock strikes two hours, and we are good to go. I don''t see anyone, even other Legacy Charges getting close to that time since there are two of us and likely only one of them.] Cynrik quickly stated while feeling the suppression slowing his body down rapidly receding.

    [Roger, rush in, separate the pack, rush out.] Repeating the order, Brance leaned forward and channeled a mixture of Wind and Terra Mana into his legs for reinforcement and a burst of speed. As the vanguard, it was his job to act like a bowling ball to break up the group.

    5

    4

    3

    2

    1

    "Now!" Cynrik roared aloud, opting to go with his voice instead of the mind link since he was fully aware that the eyes of the Nation were no doubt on them now that they had made it clear they were going for a Record-Breaking run.

    At Cynrik''smand, Brance kicked the ground with all his might and shot off like a shell from a cannon, shattering the ground underfoot and making a b-line for the cluster of creatures fully exposed from the Gate.

    ''Tobs, background music, and make it something new and epic.'' Cynrik stated as he activated his stealth skill and took off running to the right, setting himself up for an ambush.

    -Now ying "Dawn of Heroes," By Brian Delgado.-

    While Cynrik moved into position, arriving ahead of his brother, Brance activated the separation mechanism of his weapon and broke it back down into shield form. Next, he swung the two shields out to his sides with outstretched arms and mmed them back together, shooting sparks all over the ce and causing a loud metal BANG sound.

    This sound not only caused every Chimera to flinch due to its gratingly high decibel but also drew their aggro. In an instant, the massive 100-kilometer field was filled with the aggressive howls, screeches, and roars of twenty-four giant 18-meter-tall creatures, as they burst into motion, some flying, some running to meet the source of the sound head-on.

    Racing to meet them, Brance hopped up on his right foot, skipping over 15 meters,nded, bounced again, this time on his left, and finally, on the third jump,unched himself into the sky.

    Shooting forward like a missile, he then brought up his shields, tucked his body and legs behind them, and turned himself into a cannonball before crashing into five creatures in mid-air.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But he wasn''t finished there; the impact catapulted the Airborn Chimeras back to the ground in separate directions, leaving Brance free to hit the ground. Landing in a roll, he quickly got back to his feet and crashed into the remaining group, flinging them to the left and right like massive meaty bowling pins.

    With the group perfectly separated into two now injured groups, Brance dug his feet into the ground and started moving through the grassy dirt with the aid of his Terra Affinity, going from running to gliding on the terrain like an ice skater.

    Looking over his shoulder as he broke away and to the left, Brance reactivated [Mana Sight] and noticed Cynrik peppering his batch of Chimera with condensed orbs of murky ckish-blue balls of fire.

    Then, wearing a smirk, Brance held up his right hand, gripped at the air to manifest a massive Terra Spike, and punched out while drifting around the Egress Gate. With a loud popping sound, the Spikeunched through the air, targeting one of Cynrik''s creatures, and prated its skull from behind, killing it instantly because its attention had shifted to Cynrik and was oblivious to an attack from behind.

    [WHAT THE FUCK BRANCE? THAT WAS MINE!] Cynrik cried as he watched one of his Chimera shatter into particles.

    [There, the score is even now, HAHA!] Brance shouted into the mind link as he fired off thirty-six [Terra Bullets] to lock in the aggro of his twelve creatures.

    [If that''s not the pettiest shit I''ve ever seen in my life, I don''t know what is, THE BOSS WAS A JOINT EFFORT!] Jumping up and hacking the wings off a Chimera, then using it as a springboard to flip away to safety, Cynrikined.

    [You got the final hit; that puts you one ahead of me, and there is no way I will allow that; now focus on your kills. If I finish first, then well, I''lle after yours.]

    [Like hell you will, GAME ON LITTLE BROTHER!] A strange glint shed through Cynrik''s eyes as he whipped his kodachis around his body and unleashed an aggressive assault on his creatures.

    Meanwhile, with the aggro of his twelve creatures locked on himself, Brance kited them away from Cynrik''s battlefield. Moving half a kilometer away, Brance began stealthily crafting clusters of small white marbles and nting them in the path of destruction he was creating by skating through the terrain.

    [Cyn, don''t look over here and put your back to me; I am firing off [White Dwarfs] in three minutes. I don''t want anyints about going blind or getting affected by the aftermath.]

    [Yeah, yeah, I got it; I already saw you dropping them, don''t act like I''m not monitoring the entire battlefield. Just do your thing; I will stay out of the way. Just be sure you make some type of gesture disguising what you are doing. The less information our enemies have about our skills, the better.] Cynrik countered with a snort as he lopped off the head of a Chimera, bringing his batch down to nine remaining creatures.

    [Copy that.] With the confirmation from his brother, Brance no longer held back and positioned himself so that the Chimeras were forced to cross over the minefield, unaware of the dangerous yet small objects under their feet.

    Brance already felt Cynrik would say something about hiding his skill from the world, so he kept his hands down, using the rocks rising as he moved as cover to covertly nt the WDs in the soil as he passed by.

    [Detonation in 10 seconds,] picking up speed and digging himself deeper into the ground as he moved, Brance kept ncing over his shoulder every few seconds to double-check the creatures were following his route correctly. Once they were in position, he sunk into the ground, causing the enemies to lose sight of him and slow to a halt.

    The twelve Chimera''s big dumb bird heads whipped left and right, and they continuously chirped and growled at each other as they tried to locate Brance. Unfortunately for the stupid creatures, they would never find their prey; it was toote.

    Ten seconds after Brance pulled his disappearing act, the ground bubbled up. A massive explosion engulfed all twelve creatures in a bright sh of light, killing and vaporizing them instantly without even leaving particles behind.

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 492 Chasing The Swarm Event National Record (2)

    For a moment, the only sound which could be heard aside from the chorus of strange noises made by the Chimeras was a peculiar bubbling, one akin to a geyser preparing to spout. The bubbling sound was followed up by a trembling originating from deep underground¡­then¡­BOOM!

    The explosion, although fleeting and onlysting a second or two, was so loud that the six Chimeras Cynrik was facing whipped their heads around, and blood spewed from the small ps behind their eyes, which were where their ears were.

    Frozen in fear and deaf from the loud Boom, the six Chimera could do nothing but watch their fellow creatures get vaporized in a bright and Blinding Light.

    Meanwhile, Cynrik, who thought he was prepared for anything, was frantically trying to find cover from the st.

    [FUCKING HELL, BRANCIE, YOU SAID YOU WERE TOSSING A COUPLE OF WHITE DWARFS, NOT NUKING THE PLACE!) Cynrikined as he weaved in and out of his remaining opponents, using their bodies as meatshields to protect himself from the harmful effects of his brother''s attack.

    Even though there was well over half a kilometer between himself and the explosion, Cynrik could feel the energy leaving his body. More importantly, he refused to turn and look at the devastation behind him for fear of receiving a (Blind) Status effect or something worse.

    [Ok, that one is my bad. I still haven''t gotten the hang of my Wds power since my evolution. To be honest, I only put 2k MP into each one; originally, it wasn''t supposed to cause that big of an explosion¡­] Brance''s voice carried an apologetic tone as it trailed off along with the sh of white light.

    Popping out of the ground head first, like a groundhog, Brance looked around at the aftereffects of his attack and whistled loudly in awe. The previously lush and beautiful prairie now looked like the site of a massive ne crash. But that didn''t fully or adequately describe the sight. After the ne crashed and exploded, an enormous meteor storm hit the same spot.

    Round craters formed from the impact site of the explosion, dotting thendscape with twelve fresh 20x20 meter pits.

    [Bullshit! There is no conceivable way you did THAT much damage with twelve Wds'' filled with only 2k MP. To achieve that much destruction, you would need to offload a minimum of 5-7k Mana Points.]

    Using the grapple shot attachment on his Assassins Tool, Cynrik zipped around a Chimera''s meaty calf like a tether ball and swung to its front, where he wrapped the cable around its neck and pulled with all his strength causing it to go taught, strangling his opponent.

    "SASAGEYO, MOTHER FUCKER!" Cynrik spat through a sinister grin while finishing his loop around its neck,nding on its back, and braced his feet on both the creature''s shoulders.

    Between superheating the cable with Fire Mana, the corrosive properties of his Umbra Mana, and the force behind his movements, Cynrik cleanly took the creature''s head off, like a knife through butter.

    With the enemy defeated, Cynrik then retracted the cable, sprinted down the corpse''s back, jumped into the air and propelled himself forward bytching on to a blinded flying creature with his grap-shot and dragging it down, recing the Chimera in the air. Byunching himself into the sky, Cynrik felt the thrill of flying as his mind was stuck on SnK.

    [Hit me with the SnK Op 2, Tobs.] Looking back over his shoulder at the beheaded Chimera, Cynrik couldn''t resist dropping an SnK (AoT for you fake weebs) reference as he moved to continue his attack.

    -Now ying "Jiyuu no Tsubasa!" By Linked Horizon.-

    "Hmph," extending out his left arm while rotating 30-meters in the air, Cynrikunched a grapple from his Assassins tool right through another creature''s wing, and with a flick of his wrist and a tug of his arm, his direction changed as his next assault began.

    However, Cynrik''s eyes narrowed as he watched the wounds on the creature''s eyes, in the form of cataracts, clear up from their milky white blinded state and return to their aggressive, healthy condition. In pain due to the attack on the soft wings, it pped the ground with both pairs and screeched up at Cynrik.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Hehe,e on up, birdy," chuckling to himself and waving at the screeching Wolfbird with his right Kodachi in a weing gesture, Cynrik slowed his rotation,

    Angling himself downward, Cynrik then expelled a jet of fire from the soles of his boots, giving him control of his fall. Racing to meet the iing Chimera, when he was close enough to smell the creature''s stench, Cynrik kicked out his left leg, extended his right arm, and fired his grap-shot directly into the left nk of the Chimera.

    The sudden attack caused it to emit a strangebination of a chirp, screech, and roar, all in pain as the Mana-coated barb pierced its body between the third and fourth rib.

    Seeing the reaction his attack caused, Cynrik snorted and let off the jets to allow himself to be carried higher into the air by the frantic Chimera as it shook its body in an attempt to rid itself of the barb.

    "You¡­fucking¡­THOUGHT!" Wrapping the cable around his wrist, Cynrik reeled it back into the Assassin''s tool while making a downward pulling motion and slingshotted his body forward.

    The radical directional change nearly yanked the Chimera out of the sky, but before it could turn its neck to bite at Cynrik, the young man thrust his Mana d Kodachis into the creature''s nk.

    After burying the weapons in the Chimera''s body with enough force, Cynrik unleashed a powerful burst of ckFire using the swords as a medium, cooking the creature from the inside out.

    With one final, agonizingly loud cry, the Chimera died, and Cynrik released his grasp on the Mana particles. From the outside, no one could see what he had done, but the morepetent people watching the fight knew the VSFA Tier-3 Captain had used some kind of devastating technique.

    It was just they had no idea what it was. One moment Cynrik had stabbed his swords into the Chimera; the next, it was dead, with blood pouring out of every orifice.

    Now that the Chimera was dead, it didn''t immediately turn to particles, allowing Cynrik a moment to retrieve his weapons and climb onto its back as the corpse plummeted to the ground. Sniffling slightly and propping both Kodachi on his shoulders, Cynrik walked across the corpse''s back, uncaring of his situation, and looked up toward the sky.

    Through [Mana Sight], he could see the ordinarily unseen, and in this case, he had zeroed in on the hundreds of camera drones monitoring the battle.

    ---

    In thementary booth, Roni and Cesar stoically spoke one sentence after another. By constantly talking, they could mask their extreme shock at how easily the brothers appeared to be handling their opponents.

    That is until Cynrik turned and looked directly at them, causing the twomentators to flinch in their seats.

    Wearing his trademark Cocky and confident smirk, Cynrik flourished his kodachis and pointed the left one at them. The action had startled thementators enough to make them flinch because although it wasn''t umon for a Competitor to stumble on a drone identally, no one had ever addressed them directly.

    "Are you not entertained?" Using a chilling tone that enthralled those watching, Cynrik tilted his head arrogantly, took two steps to the right, and flipped off the falling corpse just as it smashed into the ground and into particles.

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 Chapter 493 Chasing The Swarm Event National Record (3)

    "Are you not entertained?" Cynrik''s chilling voice yed over HoloTvs,puters, and Watcets all around the continent. And most viewers could only nod passively in agreement with his words.

    Meanwhile, back in the Pinhurst Mansion, the home was filled with the boisterousughs of Rikard, Maeve, and Jessup. However, Cinyah groaned loudly at her son''s cringeworthy choice of words.

    "Ha..ha¡­hahaha, Did he seriously just say that." Maeve choked out between giggling like a schoolgirl and wiping the tears from her eyes.

    "That boy of yours sure is a trip sometimes, Cinyah," Jessup added as he took a sip of his beer between chuckles.

    "Ugh, of all the stupid things, why did he choose that." Smacking her forehead and causing another round ofughter from the others present, Cinyah wanted to shake Cynrik until these idiotic thoughts left his head.

    ---

    Roni and Cesar were at a loss for words in thementator booth as they watched Cynrik glide around using the strange devices on his wrists. Setting those tools aside, neither of them coulde up with a viable reason as to how he was able to locate the cameras.

    Unfortunately, it wasn''t as if they could stop the event and ask him directly. Quickly jotting down a note on the paper shared between them, Roni took over thementary. At the same time, Cesar began brainstorming ideas about the skill Cynrik used to kill the previous Chimera.

    Roni: "Although I have no idea what that tool Cynrik is using could be, it clearly gives him a free rein of motion, allowing him to transfer from the ground to the air and back easily. If we zoom in on his wrists, it appears he has some kind of device hidden under his equipment, and depending on a pattern of twists and flicks of his wrists, he can either extend or retract the cabled grappling hook."

    After hearing her words, Cesar tapped the onboard touchscreen of thementator''s desk a few times. By doing so, he could clip a few moments from the footage when Cynrik fired his grap-shot and retracted it, adding a visual reference to Roni''smentary.

    After clipping the proper footage, Cesar swiped up on the touchscreen and sent the stitched-together video clip to the primary monitor, where Roni pointed and brought attention to Cynrik''s actions.

    Roni: "Here, and here. From what I can tell, there seems to be a bracer of some type under his armor, and built into that bracer is approximately 50 meters of ultrifiber, lightweight cable."

    Cesar: "Now, I am no engineer, but to make something that can handle a person''s body weight while still being able to sustain damage and work as a weapon, is an achievement that requires, at the very least, an Master Engineer." Cesar added as he watched Cynrik flipping around like an acrobat before pulling himself along with the strange device.

    Roni: "I can only imagine how helpful that tool is when in a forest environment or one with multiple tall structures. The fact that Cynrik can move with such precise movements shows how much experience he has when using that device."

    ---

    "Che, they sure are hyping up Cynrik''s Grap-shot; it''s not like it''s anything special. Just a few dozen strands of high-strength, malleable Cold-Steel fiber. The only reason it works so well is because of that child''s way of using it. He first infuses the cable with Mana, then fires and retracts it at exactly the right moment to optimize the distance he can cover." Jessup snorted while waving at the HoloTv in an overly dissatisfied manner.

    "Oh,e on, Dad, you may act like the tool is some cheap byproduct of scraps, but I know how long you spent working out the proper form to bnce the weight and strength of that cabling." Rolling her eyes and throwing a handful of popcorn at Jessup, Maeve teased.

    She had been there nearly every step of the process and had even helped braid the fibers into their present state; if anyone could harass the old man and make fun of his Tsundere act, it was her.

    "Wave Twelve is done, and the boys are taking another break." Cutting in and steering the conversation back to the TV, Cinyah stated while ring at her best friend.

    ---

    Back in the Swarm Event<novelnext></novelnext>

    BANG

    [I can''t believe you just said that on live TV. How can someone who is so fucking antisocial spout such cringy lines like it''s nothing?] Shaking his head in disappointment, Brance said while sitting on the ground and watching Cynrik dismantle thest Chimera in a not-so-kind way.

    BANG

    [Eh? What the fuck? You used to LOVE diator; how the hell are you going to shit talk the most famous line from that movie?]

    BANG, BANG

    Turning and shooting Brance a worried look, Cynrik gripped the now legless, wingless, and tailless Chimera by the back of its head and mmed its face into the ground hard enough to shatter its beak and facial bones.

    [Whether or not I like those movies doesn''t mean I want to hear their most famous quotes in person¡ªresource Stat check.] Brance said while flexing the muscles in his back and sitting perfectly straight.

    [I''m still at 100% HP, there is no chance these little shits can touch me; they aren''t fast enough.]

    BANG

    [My Stamina fell a bit, but it''s still at 81%.]

    BANG BANG

    [STOP SMASHING ITS FUCKING HEAD INTO THE GROUND, MORON!] Annoyed by the constant banging caused by his brother''s sadistic tendencies, Brance roared, causing Cynrik to pause, look him directly in the eyes.....and smash the Chimera''s head into the ground a final time before stepping away from the unconscious creature with a dissatisfied expression.

    [I needed to drop its HP down to 5%, the damn things have over 400k Health Points, so it isn''t easy getting them to a stable unconscious state. Anyway, as I said, my MP is fine, 72%. Nothing I can''t recover from with a couple of minutes of rest.] Shrugging his shoulders and plopping down beside his brother, Cynrik nced up at the clock and noticed it took them 15 minutes to kill off everything in Wave Twelve.

    Well, it took HIM 15 minutes; Brance spent at best two minutes killing his batch off before spending thirteen watching Cynrik bounce around.

    [Your expenditure wasn''t as bad as I figured, on my end, HP is at 85%, MP 83%, and Stamina is at 97%. I took much more damage than I initially assumed by doing that cannonball stunt. Those guys are like brick walls. It''s not fun crashing into them at high speeds, but luckily between my te armor and my shields, I walked away, only losing 15% of my Health Points.] Closing his eyes and slowing his breathing, Brance entered a half-meditative state, increasing his passive regeneration.

    ''Tsk, I need to work on my MP output,'' Cynrik thought as he matched Brance''s posture and half meditated with a frown on his lips.

    ''I didn''t expect it would burn so much Mana to cook that fucker; seriously, how densely packed are the muscles in those creatures. Like I understand the higher up on the food chain creatures get, the more mass they pack on, but fuck, it was like trying to cut through thousands ofyers of wet mud; my Kodachi just wouldn''t budge without the aid of both Fire and Umbra Mana.''

    The more Cynrik thought about it, the deeper his frown became.

    ''28% wasted on a handful of weaklings; I guess the difference between Stats when ites to Mid and High Tier is that big. Oh well, I simply have to hit them harder next time.'' Cynrik thought as he started counting down from 300 in his head.

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 494 Chasing The Swarm Event National Record (4)

    ''We need to plot this out. Wave 13 will bring with it not only an increase in Chimera but an increase in their overall base stats. Although it won''t be a significant increase, depending on their general leveling, it could be upward of a rise of 20-50 points, potentially more.'' Cynrik thought as he reached 100 in his mental countdown.

    ''What is the best course of action here? It clearly isn''t beneficial to continue on the path we are on right now. I can see a point somewhere between waves 17 and 19 where we end up running out of MP or STAM.''

    ''At that point, we will be sitting ducks. No, it won''t do, ok Cyn; what is the fastest way to ughter iing creatures while expending the least resources?''

    The raging storm of thoughts in Cynrik''s mind churned faster as he simted hundreds of possible scenarios and oues. With each idea thrown out, a clearer picture began taking shape, and it all started with one essential move.

    [3,2,1 time''s up, Brancie, and we have a change of ns.] Snapping his eyes open, Cynrik jumped to his feet and unsheathed both Kodachi in one fluid motion by reaching over his shoulder with his right hand and across his body with his left.

    [What''s wrong with the current n? I thought we were doing well.] Brance grumbled while extricating his two shields from the dirt and mounting them on his forearms.

    [It''s too inefficient; at the rate we burn our MP, the duration of our breaks will increase consistently after each Wave. As such, we must majorly adjust how we deal with the Chimeras.] Cynrik exined as he walked away from his brother toward the downed and unconscious Chimera.

    Upon reaching the creature, he stabbed the longer of his two Kodachi into the ground near its head, after arranging it strategically, and continued walking, only this time toward the Egress Gate.

    [The end result will stay the same, just like CoD zombies, keep one crawler alive to prepare for the next Wave, only instead of falling back and letting theme to us, I want to post up on either side of the Egress Gate.] Stopping some 10 meters away and gazing up at the impressive Mana Construct surrounded by Lightning, Cynrik turned and looked over at his brother to examine his reaction.

    [And how is this supposed to help us conserve energy? From what I can tell, all you are doing is setting up a meat grinder, and that will end up requiring an entirely different type of resource, MENTAL ENERGY.]

    [Cyn, I know you are a bit touched in the head, but this n is too crazy even for you to pull off. Setting aside the fact that it takes each creature less than a minute¡­] After his harassingment, Brance began to talk about the time it takes for the creatures to break free from the gate when Cynrik cut him off.

    [33 seconds, it takes each Chimera 33 seconds from the tip of beak to tip of tail to pass through the barrier between worlds, and upon stepping out, they should be roughly Mid to High Tier-4. Upon clearing the gate, they are consumed with a scaling amount of Lightning Sparks; the number of bolts is indicative of how powerful those creatures are inside the gate.]

    [The scaling is one Lightning Strike per 2 levels, and Tier determines the strength and size of the bolt. Now I know what you are thinking, Brancie¡­]

    [Why are you exining the Lightning?]

    [Why are you exining the Lightning?]

    The two brothers responded simultaneously, causing Brance to frown and Cynrik to smirk.

    [Oh, my dimwitted little brother, what is my Fourth Affinity?]Tilting his head in Brance''s direction and watching his brother walk up to the opposite side of the gate from which he was standing, Cynrik asked with a yful tone.

    [Lightning¡­.but what does that¡­oh, no shit, can you even pull that off?] Widening his eyes and looking between Cynrik and the intimidating red Lightning, Brance questioned.

    [It''s a bit tricky, but from what I can tell, there is practically no difference on an atomic, or well, microparticle level between my Lightning and what is flickering overhead. I haven''t had time to test it out, but that''s why we''re standing here right now and not jumping into the next Wave this instant.]<novelnext></novelnext>

    [Can you please get to the point? The clock is ticking, Cyn.] Tapping his foot, Brance took a deep breath and waited for his brother to act.

    [Were you not listening when I said, "it''s a bit tricky," Brancie? If we weren''t being shown on millions of Tv and Computer screens, I would simply raise my hand and try pulling some of the bolts down.]

    [But if I do that, well, not only would the cover be blown on the fact that I have another Affinity, but the surprise would be gone when I DO use it to smoke someer on down the road.]

    [So what you''re saying is we have to disguise or hide the fact that you have a Lightning Affinity¡­.while dodging fighting pairs of iing and potentially way stronger creatures. SURE~, Why not Cyn? What could POSSIBLY Go fucking wrong?] Rolling his eyes and mustering as much sarcasm as possible, Brance mmed his shields together and transformed them into Greatsword mode.

    [Momentai Brancie, do you honestly think I would jump headlong into a fight without preparation? I have a perfect distraction, which revolves around the fact that these birdfucks are getting bigger, putting a lot of strain on my Kodachis. Since they are basically short swords, piercing them deep enough tond a kill shot is bing impossible, so it may be time to use Baby.]

    Heaving a sigh, Cynrik started unbuckling his leather coat, separated it in the middle with his right hand, and opened the front of his duster. The sudden opening of his jacket caused the tails to ir out, exposing the ck scalemail armor hidden underneath.

    [I can''t believe you call that abomination, Baby¡­but I guess it''s pretty much on brand for you at this point. However, what you say makes sense, it hasn''t gotten too hard for me to prate their hide with my greatsword, but the density of their flesh and muscle has increased by a substantial margin.]

    Nodding in affirmation, Brance watched his Resource stats slowly finish topping off at 100% before observing Cynrik as he unzipped the sleeves of his jacket, an option meant to allow for a greater range of wrist motion.

    [I know it''s dumb of me to ask, but are you sure you wanna reveal your "Baby" so early on? I mean, you haven''t even shown it to the others yet.]

    [Normally, you''d be right, but if we want to be as efficient as possible, then I have no other choice. As it stands, I will only be able to cut up the creatures consistently for one more Wave before I''m not able to dig into them deep enough to cause significant damage. Plus, I need a shy distraction to pull everyone''s eyes away from the movements necessary to manipte the Lightning Mana.]

    Stabbing his remaining Kodachi into the ground, Cynrik shook out his wrists several times before dropping into a deepbat stance with his right arm extended back toward the unconscious Chimera.

    [Alright, Tobs, I want you to y the best Metal cover for the song in my head you can find¡­if you need to use my Skill points to do so, then you have my permission.]

    Taking a deep breath in through his nose and exhaling loudly out his mouth, Cynrik channeled a few thousand MP into his right shoulder.

    -Sigh, if that''s what you want, so be it.-

    Tobs said sarcastically while mentally shaking her head at how ridiculous of a showman Cynrik was.

    -Now ying¡­.-

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 Chapter 495 Rebirth Of The O**-W***** A****S M******* (1)

    Back in the Pinhurst Mansion, theughter had finally calmed down, and everyone was staring intently at Cynrik as he dropped into a deep stance, with his left knee bent and his right leg extended out behind him like a sprinter.

    His left arm was extended forward, and his hand hovered centimeters away from the hilt of his Kodachi, which had been stabbed into the ground not far out in front of him. Meanwhile, his right arm was extended back and pointed at the Chimera''s head over 30 meters away.

    "Cyn is up to something that he doesn''t want anyone to know about," Cinyah stated in a confident tone. She knew her son well enough to recognize he was up to something, but the fact that he was being overly shy gave her an ominous feeling. One that was almost always followed by something filled with mischief.

    She had seen him act like this numerous times throughout his childhood, and her son had even named it doing, "The Art of Deception" since that was the phrase he would say before doing something hidden from her sight, such as swiping cookies from the jar while putting away dishes.

    Something shy always proceeded the underlying objective. Seeing Cynrik taking a stance and putting on a show was an indicator to her, even Rikard, that the young man was about to do something he didn''t want anyone else to notice.

    "Ah, so he ns on revealing that to everyone¡­." cing his empty beer mug on the table beside his recliner, Jessup sat forward with a twinkle in his eyes as he was the only one in the know.

    "Huh? Spit it out, Dad; what is that knucklehead doing?" Tossing another handful of popcorn across the room at her father, Maeve cried as she was too impatient to wait.

    ---

    Meanwhile, Roni and Cesar were just as confused as everyone else around the continent. One minute the brothers were recovering their Resource Stats, and the next, they made a break for the Egress Gate, something no sanepetitor would do.

    The reason being how strong the creatures would be upon stepping out. Very fewpetitors would try and catch the Swarm Event Creatures as they left the Egress because they were way too strong to contend with until Vinestra''s Will established its suppression.

    Yet here were two Initial Tier-3 Competitors, standing less than 10 meters from the gate and apparently setting up an ambush of some type.

    Cesar: "I¡­I don''t know what to say, folks. From what I gather, the Jetlensr Brothers have thrown caution to the wayside, this very likely will spell disaster for them, and we may see the end of an Impressive Event run."

    Heaving a sigh, Cesar seemed downcast by what he was seeing. There had been no shortage of teams to fall by getting too close to the spawning creatures, and now, although he wanted to see how far the VSFA Team would make it, he concluded it was over.

    Roni: "It just doesn''t make sense to me. Why throw away such a noteworthy and remarkable run? Are they getting impatient, or have the nerves gotten to them?"

    Even Roni had counted the brothers out; however, she never looked away from the monitor, especially when Cynrik dropped into the strange stance. As much as she wanted to believe there was some higher meaning to his actions, she couldn''t for the life of her figure them out.

    ---

    [Alright, Tobs, I want you to y the best Metal cover for the song in my head you can find¡­if you need to use my Skill points to do so, then you have my permission.]

    Taking a deep breath in through his nose and exhaling loudly out his mouth, Cynrik channeled a few thousand MP into his right shoulder.

    -Sigh, if that''s what you want, so be it.-<novelnext></novelnext>

    -Now ying "One-Winged Angel (Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children) - METAL COVER" By RichaadEB.-

    As the words entered the mind link, a burst of pure Mana erupted from Cynrik''s shoulder without taking any form, the force of which caused every de of grass around his body to tten as a gust of wind shot out in every direction. The force ended up severing the hair tie holding his hair, and freeing his ponytail, which rose, floating with the st of wind.

    [Oh¡­my¡­fucking¡­god.] Brance muttered in both annoyance and shock as the muscles on Cynrik''s right shoulder bulged slightly. If it wasn''t enough that his older brother was basically showing off at this point, he now knew that Cynrik was about to go full-blown Weeb.

    Brance''s annoyance soon faded as he focused on the Egress, remembering the stakes and that he had been warned about his brother''s behavior.

    Fighting the urge to sigh and taking yet another slow breath, he sunk into abat stance of his own. He had already put together what was about to happen, and although he wasn''t pleased, he understood its meaning.

    While Brance got prepared, the Invisible Mana Particles being expelled from Cynrik''s right shoulder began condensing; at first, a skeletal limb, three meters long, took form made out of pure Dark Red Fire Mana. Next,yers uponyers of inky, pitch-ck feathers condensed and took shape. Soon enough, Cynrik had aplete Wing extending out of his right shoulder.

    With the single Wing formed, Cynrik rolled up his lip in a snarl, clutched at the air with his right hand, and pulled; his actions caused the shorter Kodachi to rip from the ground, spin its point toward the Chimera''s eye, and rocket forward, piercing its skull and killing it instantly.

    [BRANCE, HEAD OFF THE FIRST TWO! I NEED THIRTY SECONDS TO BUILD, BABY!] Cynrik roared, moving his brother into action right as the notifications came through from his kill.

    However, Cynrik didn''t have time to care, as the short Kodachi flew toward him and stopped right before stabbing him, swung around, andnded hilt first in his outstretched palm before he leaned forward and extracted the longer Kodachi from the ground.

    With both swords in hand, Cynrik utched two sps on both hilts, twisted them counterclockwise, and threw them a few meters above his head. The moment both hilts left his grasp, he mmed down both arms, twisted his wrists in a special pattern, held both arms up, and ejected all 14 of his hidden des, which halted mid-air, as they were caught by his [Dance of des] skill.

    By the time he took control of the hidden des, the two Kodachi hadnded back in his hands, and Cynrik followed up by flourishing them and striking the hidden des out of the sky in a predetermined order.

    However, unlike what you''d expect, instead of sending the des flying, they would connect and fuse with whichever Kodachi they crashed into, transforming and making minor adjustments while extending the initially short kodachis into a longer form.

    Cynrik spun the now significantly longer kodachis, resped what he had undone earlier, smiled sinisterly, and mmed the two extended kodachis together, creating a st of Fire and Umbra Mana.

    Under cover of the st, the two kodachis merged,bining their newly acquired mass, and extended out longer than any Greatsword, changing from two Kodachi into one extremely long and thin sword, simr to what was known as an Odachi.

    "Wee to the battle, my Masamune!"

    Chapter 0495: Rebirth of the One-Winged Angel''s Masamune (1)

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 Chapter 496 Rebirth Of The O**-W***** A****S M******* (2)

    **Note, the Theme from the Last Chapter is still ying and will also be for the duration of this chapter.**

    "Wee to the battle, my Masamune!" Holding up the 2.75-meter-long thin de with only one hand, Cynrik clutched the extended hilt in a reverse grip with his hand just under the guard, pointing Masamune up at a 45-degree angle behind him, and observed Brance''s fight.

    Since all eyes had been diverted toward him throughout the extravagant transformation process, Brance''s actions had yed second fiddle; however, that didn''t mean that the younger Jetlensr hadn''t pulled his own weight.

    The instant Cynrik had killed off the final Chimera of Wave 12, the heads of the first two from Wave 13 broke through the Gate, and without missing a beat, Brance jumped into action by locking down their front legs with the aid of his Terra Affinity.

    Since the creatures came out as Tier-4 beings, he had to be crafty in his approach, so before anything, Brance created four deep pits under the feet of the Chimeras, which upon stepping out of the Egress, they fell into, sinking up to their necks.

    Once the trap did its job, Brance rushed forward and assaulted the creatures by repeatedly smashing them into the ground with high levels of blunt force from his weapon.

    Cynrik had requested thirty seconds toplete his transformation, and Brance had bought him that much time. No sooner did Cynrik finish fusing his weapon than the two creatures roared before pushing forward with such force that they could rip their front legs out of the ground.

    "Mark your position, hold the line, and don''t let anything breech past 20 meters," Cynrik said with a calm, deepened tone as if his voice had suddenly dropped, thanks to the presence of his Mana Wing and loose hair.

    [Really ying the part, ain''t you, Sephi?] Brance teased as he jumped back and smashed his Greatsword down on the head of the nearest Chimera with a loud and meaty thud.

    [Bells frogs big cherries, Mr.Strife,] Replying with an emotionless face but yful tone, Cynrik flickered out of sight and reappeared, floating a quarter of the way up the height of the Egress Gate. The moment he seemingly materialized, the long Dual-Affinity Wing Extended out with a loud crack sound as it caught the air and held him up with a single slow p.

    "Those Who Look With Clouded Eyes See Nothing But Shadows." Cynrik''s chilling voice behind them caused the two Chimeras to whip their heads toward him, only to see the young man with his sword pointed straight up.

    Saying nothing further, Cynrik brought down Masamune so fast it revealed a trailing afterimage followed by an intense ck and Crimson Swordlight, which came down too quickly for even the Higher-Tiered Chimeras to react.

    The arc of Mana rushed down and instantly beheaded one of the two Chimeras who were unlucky enough to be half-stuck in the Barrier between worlds. And this simple action caused everyone watching to freeze in fear and confusion, especially those enemies of Cynrik''s.

    The quote Cynrik had spoken rattled around in their heads as the intimidating image of him using a single attack to kill a Mid-Tier-4 Creature confused and invoked intense emotions within their minds.

    [HAHAHA, IT FUCKING WORKS, BRANCIE, IT FUCKING WORKED!] Cynrik was as giddy as a schoolgirl as he spoke in the mind link. This contrasted the image he was portraying as a hybrid between a Demon Lord and a Human.

    [I can see that. The question is, how much Mana did you burn just now to kill a single Chimera when we still have 23 more to go?] Jumping to the side and narrowly avoiding the lone Chimera, Brance retorted as the third creature''s head broke through the Barrier between worlds.

    [Not as much as you''d expect, HUPP,] finishing his sentence with a grunting sound, Cynrik pped his single Wing, appeared beside the newly emerging Chimera, and shed out again, causing a massive amount of damage to the unsuspecting creature.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [The only thing putting a drain on my MP is my Mana Wing, which is a necessary visual deflection. It takes barely a hundred MP to create the visual effect I am using to Mask the fact that my de is coated in Red Lightning the moment Iunch an attack.]

    [Apart from the damage my sword is taking bying in contact with the Red Lightning, it doesn''t take much effort to pull off. The downside remains how fast the durability of my weapon is draining, and it''s not just the Kodachis but also every hidden de.]

    [Then there''s the fact that I need to be close enough to the Gate to capture the Lightning so I can redirect it to my de; all in all, I should be able to sustain this pattern for a few Waves¡­I think.] Calmly ughtering the second Chimera, Cynrik exined, leaving Brance at a loss for words.

    [How is this any different from cheating, Cyn? What will you do if the CSH patches this clear and tant bug abuse?] Jumping up and crushing the skull of his fully exposed Chimera once Vinestra''s will had suppressed it, Brance asked.

    [It won''t happen for two reasons. Although I am exploiting the mechanic of Will Suppression, I am using my own abilities to do it. The second reason is the CSH has a hands-off approach when ites to things like this, or at least that''s my assumption. Do you want to weigh in on the topic, Tobs?] shing his Masamune to clear it of gore, Cynrik redirected the topic to Tobs while pping his Wing and going higher in the air to catch more Lightning.

    -In theory, you would be correct. Unless there is a valid and clear instance of cheating, the CSH will not step in. However, you are walking a fine line there, Cynrik. For now, I see nothing wrong with your handling of the situation with the tools presented to you. Just be careful not to reveal too much of your strength.-

    With the AI confirming his older brother''s thoughts, Brance heaved a tired sigh and finally killed his opponent, only to end up face-to-face with yet another.

    ---

    Cesar: "Who am I? Where am I? What is going on here?" The malementator cried while gripping the armrests of his chair hard enough to crush the plush memory foam.

    Roni: "I have no freaking idea what just happened. One minute the VSFA Team seemed to be on the back foot and rushing to their death, and in a split second, the rolespletely reversed. Whatever that Transformation Cynrik has undergone is, it must be a powerful Ability simr to a Berserk State; only he keeps his rational at the loss of emotions."

    Roni: "Listening to the change in his voice and the loss of any facial expression, he seems to have changed into an entirely different person who can fight opponents an entire tier and a half above himself.

    Cesar: "If it truly is a skill simr to that of Berserk, or something of the like, then that means there must be a high cost to activate or sustain. He may be able to eliminate his opponents now, but wouldn''t that only be a temporary boost in power? How long would something like thisst?"

    Unfortunately, neither of thementators could have expected that things would carry on in this way for the next three rounds, bringing the brothers that much closer to their goal of breaking the National Record.

    Chapter 0496: Rebirth of the One-Winged Angel''s Masamune (2)

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 Chapter 497 Chasing The Swarm Event National Record (5)

    -You havepleted Wave Fourteen of the Egress Break.-

    -Wave Fifteen is now beginning¡­-

    -You havepleted Wave Fifteen of the Egress Break.-

    -Wave Sixteen is now beginning¡­-

    -You havepleted Wave Sixteen of the Egress Break.-

    -Wave Seventeen is now beginning¡­-

    -You havepleted Wave Seventeen of the Egress Break.-

    -Wave Eighteen is now beginning¡­-

    One after another, Cynrik and Brance methodically ughtered Wave after Wave of Chimeras until finally; they had killed the second tost creature of Wave Eighteen.

    Fifteen meters from the gate, the final Chimeray unconscious, dismembered but still breathing.

    Huffing and Gasping for air, Cynrik released thepressed Mana behind his shoulder and fell to the ground on one knee, while Brance simrly copsed due to apparent exhaustion.

    Without pause, the two had worked through each Wave two Chimera at a time, with Cynrik receiving the brunt of the creature''s attention due to his taunts and appearance. As Cynrik was putting on a one-man show, Brance had been lying in wait to strike at the weak points of each one when they turned to look up at his brother.

    Like this, it cost them rtively little in the way of Resource stats to efficiently kill off their opponents. However, even the minute amount of MP and STAM used for each kill caught up to them over time, as it was no small task to fight over a hundred creatures, each of which was stronger than them.

    Despite their expenditure, the two brothers were sitting in a good position regarding MP and STAM. Still, Cynrik had decided to act like they were exhausted and even went so far as to act as if the fake transformation had an overbearing drawback.

    He did this by excreting a small amount of Lightning Mana into his muscles which in turn caused his body to spasm, a typical indication that he had overtaxed his body with an overdraft skill.

    "Huff, Huff, hehe, that wasn''t so bad, right little brother," Wiping the imaginary sweat off his forehead and dropping his cracked and damaged Masamune onto the ground, Cynrik said between rough exhales.

    [15-minute break Brancie, so go ahead and start resting. I''ve fallen to 30% MP and 44% STAM. I should be able to bring both stats back up over 75% in time, but we can''t start the next Wave until we are good to go.] Looking up at the floating digital clock, Cynrik smirked mentally as he read the time.

    -Swarm Event National Record: 3 Hours 42 Minutes, Round 19, 0 Kills.-

    -Current Progression: 2 Hours 35 Minutes, Round 18, 35 Kills.-

    [We are good on time, thankfully I changed our strategy so we could drag out the clock, sure, we were killing them faster, but the time it takes for the creatures to despawn and the next batch to rece them is roughly the same as when we were fighting them in clusters.] Mentally patting himself on the back, Cynrik repositioned himself on the ground and began controlling his breathing to rest.

    [Hmm, not bad, I guess. We should be able to lower the record to 3 hours since I don''t see it taking us too long to double-team one Chimera and break the record. It''s an excellent ce to call it quits if you ask me.] Scooting over and cing his back against Cynrik''s for support, Brance murmured, drawing a snort from Cynrik.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [Who said we are stopping there, Brancie?]

    [Hah¡­.fuck¡­me and my big mouth.] Wanting to m his head into the nearest rock, Brance didn''t bother humoring his brother and went straight into meditation since he would definitely need the added MP and STAM for whatever the hell Cynrik was plotting.

    Meanwhile, the one in question was calcting the odds of setting an unchallengeable new record.

    It was one thing to bearly break a record. By doing so, the option was still open for another team. If he and Brance went ahead and killed a single creature, the only thing they would achieve was earning bonus points. But if they set the bar so high that no one else could beat it, well, then they wouldn''t have to worry about anyone scoring higher than them if push came to shove inter rounds.

    ''The question is, is it within our ability to beat an initial Tier-4 without using sneaky and underhanded methods? I could only eliminate those three yesterday because I got the drop on them andnded a critical blow.''

    ''Things are different this time; the boss will undoubtedly be enraged as thest one did. Unfortunately, the fact that the Wave Ten boss wasn''t disoriented when it broke the barrier between worlds was a downer.'' Like before, when meditating, Cynrik''s brain never fully powered down, so even though he could feel his power replenishing thanks to his high regeneration rates, it was unnecessary to sit without thinking, as was necessary for someone like Brance.

    ---

    Back in thementary studio, Cesar had removed his suit jacket, rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt, and undid his tie. To say this Event was highly stressful for him would be an understatement.

    He was already sweating through his shirt, and when he looked over at Roni, she wasn''t much better. The two of them had been talking and theorizing nonstop for going on two and a half hours now, and they had witnessed so many impossible achievements that they were bing numb to it by this point.

    Despite believing the Event was over, the brothers continuously performed a stunning and highly shocking performance. This Event turned out to be one for the ages, and now, on the precipice of Wave Eighteen, the VSFA Team was resting up before what everyone believed to be the final push.

    However, several people begged to differ in a particr mansion not too far from the Arena.

    ---

    "They''re only one kill away from breaking a National Record¡­but¡­why do I feel like this event isn''t even close to being over," Maeve said as she rushed from the bathroom back to the living room, where she found Cynrik and Brance still resting.

    "Because it isn''t; if you think Cynrik will be content with barely breaking a record, then you are underestimating how stubborn that rascal truly is," Jessup responded while walking out of the kitchen with a new beer for himself and Rikard.

    "That little act those two put on, where they looked tired as can be, is fake. You can tell by looking into their eyes that they are fine. By my observations and estimations, they surely burned a lot of MP and Stamina, but both should be just under the 40% mark."

    "Assuming Cynrik called for a 10 to 15-minute break, they should be able to recover up to 75-80% of their reserves. If this is the case, then I do not doubt that he will push the boundary and make a run at the Wave 20 boss. However, my concern isn''t for the boys'' physical and mental state, but instead that of their gear." Taking a sip of his beer, Jessup tapped on his Watcet several times and brought up a window on the HoloTv with zoomed-in images of Brance''s and Cynrik''s swords.

    The sight caused everyone to gasp loudly. Brance''s greatsword was chipped in dozens of ces and had just as many hairline fractures running the length of the de. But this was to be expected; instead, what caused everyone to worry was the state of Cynrik''s weapon.

    Cynrik''s Masamune was trashed entirely, chips and cracks covered the entire length of the 2.75-meter-long de, and even the guard and hilt had sustained massive damage. From how it looked in the pictures, it was amazing that it hadn''t shattered yet, but the question is, how did it get in such a state when Brance''s wasn''t even remotely close in scale with damage?

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 Chapter 498 Breaking A National Record!

    Sitting in the lotus position with his eyes closed, Cynrik ran through the previous battles in his mind. Instead of focusing on the opponents, his attention was directed toward his Masamune.

    Having long since realized that his de was sustaining heavy amounts of damage due to the collective power of Vinestra''s Will in the form of Red Lightning, he knew it would be bad, but after reaching the final kill in his mind, he frowned deeply.

    With this thought, Cynrik found himself searching for an alternative means of beating Wave Neen and potentially the Wave Twenty Boss.

    ''Tobs, how many more uses do I have to execute of my Susanoo before it gets registered as an evolvable skill?'' Without wanting to show too many more things to the world, Cynrik decided it was time to work on the multyered skill.

    -Presently, the progress of your Base Form Susanoo is only at 25%pletion. It currently provides a 10% damage reduction and a 5% STR/DEX/AGI Buff. As I''ve told you time and time again, you have to keep it active longer since the only way to increase Susanoo''s proficiency is consistent use.-

    ''Yeah, but the drain is too high to be profitable. If I wanted to bleed out 15% of my Mana in a single go, it makes more sense to fire off a big attack. Damn it, why did I stupidly waste the durability of Baby. UGH!'' Cynrikined only to be scolded by Tobs in response.

    -Because your stupid habit of second-guessing yourself and changing ns at thest minute came back to bite you in the ass. When you noticed how far ahead on the clock you were, you suddenly thought it was a good idea to push forward toward the Wave Twenty Boss after alreadymitting yourself to kill a handful of creatures in Wave Eighteen with your Sword.-

    -There was no conceivable way for your weapons to hang in there long enough to continue the fight. So aside from using something like UTBB, you''ve backed yourself into a corner that allows only something like Susanoo.-

    ''I know, I know, I promise I am trying to work on how inconsistent and flip-floppy I can be. Anyway, the current expenditure of Base Form Susanoo is 15% MP on activation and 6% per minute of use. Are you sure that upon reaching 100% Proficiency, it will transcend the Technique threshold and move into the Skill category?''

    -110%, it was assigned a Proficiency paywall due to how powerful the skill will be upon registration with the CSH. However, bear in mind that even when it is registered, you will only have ess to the Base Form. To unlock the other forms, you have multiple paywalls to breach first.-

    -Oh, and once you "Master" or perfect Base Form, the cost of activation and sustaining the skill will reduce drastically.-

    ''One step at a time, Tobsie; if I''m already at 25% proficiency of Base Form, then I should be roughly getting 1% every 30 seconds or so of activation. Unfortunately, we haven''t allowed the Chimeras to think or use any of their skills, so aside from seeing their Affinities by their Mana Signature, I have no idea what their actual move pool looks like.''

    ''Oh well, break times over; how am I looking on resource stats.'' Slowly opening his eyes and ncing at the thin bars in his HUD, Cynrik nodded and saw his MP and STAM had recovered to 80% and 85%, respectively.

    [Breaktime is over, Brancie; here''s the n. Since my Masamune is scrap metal, I will break it into two Nodachi. In doing so, I will be sacrificing Hidden des instead of my Kodachi.]

    [But with each hit Ind, a de will break, shortening the length and durability further, from Nodachi to Okatana, katana, and eventually down to Tanto.]

    [That leaves me seven hits with each Sword before I am back down to the basic Kodachis, which by my estimate, can only dish out two more attacks each.]

    Reaching over to pick up Masamune, Cynrik triggered a few mechanisms and twisted the hilt clockwise twice, creating a loud CLINK sound before the oversized Odachi split into two smaller Nodachi.

    [What you''re saying is¡­we are advancing and throwing caution to the wind. Let me guess; you want to try fighting that boss¡­, don''t you.] Leaning forward and gripping his greatsword, Brance examined the length of his de and noticed it wasn''t in good condition, but upon realizing how bad of shape Cynrik''s Sword was in, he nodded.

    [Pretty much, however, depending on how long your Sword holds out will determine if you need to shift from armedbat to hand-to-hand. With your insane STR stat, you should be able to deal a decent amount of damage to the boss. It''s me I am worried about, to be honest.] Wielding the two Nodachi with half-outstretched arms, Cynrik spun them to test the new weight and length of his des before walking over to the downed Chimera.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [Hey, save your attacks; I''ve got this one.] Jumping to his feet and rushing past Cynrik, Brance stepped up to the Chimera and raised his greatsword like an executioner''s axe.

    ''Tsk, I only have 18 hits; he''s got the better idea.'' Cynrikined before nodding at Brance and giving him the go-ahead to attack.

    Upon receiving confirmation from Cynrik, Brance brought down his heavy greatsword with such force on the back of the Chimera''s head that its skull exploded like a watermelon, triggering a wave of notifications.

    Ignoring them, Cynrik and Brance spun around and faced the Egress Gate as not two but four heads fought their way through the Barrier between worlds.

    "Well¡­that''s new," Cynrik mumbled as he withdrew further from the iing Wave and observed his new opponents.

    Matching Cynrik''s pace, Brance, too, fell back and waited for themand to attack, but with each passing second, his grip on his greatsword grew tighter, causing the hide wrap to creak and groan under pressure.

    ROAR, SQUAKKK, SCREEEE, BWAAAK

    The four creatures howled and red at the brothers as if they had found their mortal enemies.

    "Peak-Tier-3, tsk, it''s nothing too intimidating." Wearing his trademark smirk, Cynrik flourished his swords and held the left against his right hip and the right over his right shoulder, his standard sword-fighting stance.

    "One more, Brancie, and that record belongs to us. MOVE!" Finishing his statement by exploding forward with a burst of speed, Cynrik flickered in and out of sight as he elerated.

    Rolling his eyes at his older brother''s antics, Brance sunk into the soft ground and began skating forward, and with some effort, caught up to Cynrik beforeunching himself airborne with a pir jutting out from the ground.

    Arching through the air like a speeding cannonball, Brance once again raised his greatsword and brought it down with abination of his momentum, STR stat, and weight, popping the lead Chimera''s head like a balloon and spraying blood, skull fragments, and brain matter in every direction.

    -CONGRATULATIONS! YOUR TEAM HAS SUCCESSFULLY BROKEN THE LONG-STANDING SWARM EVENT NATIONAL RECORD.-

    -PAVE YOUR PATH FORWARD, AND LEAVE YOUR MARK ON HISTORY BY CREATING A NEW RECORD!-

    - Swarm Event National Record: 2 Hours 51 Minutes 22 Seconds, Round 19, 1 Kill.-

    -Current Progression: 2 Hours 51 Minutes 22 Seconds, Round 19, 1 Kill.-

    "Attaboy Brancie, ONWARD, LET''S EVISCERATE THESE GUYS AND SET A RECORD NOONE CAN BREAK!"

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 499 Setting An Unprecedented, Unbreakable Record

    ''Every hit has to count; herees one,'' Cynrik thought as he slid under a swiping attack from a creature and jumped up. Channeling around a thousand Fire and Umbra Mana into his Right Nodachi before stabbing it directly through the bottom jaw of a Chimera. The Nodachi slid easily into its head, allowing the Umbra Mana to separate from the de.

    The attack flooded the creature''s head with corrosive Mana, and a secondter, the Chimera copsed to the ground Dead. However, when Cynrik retrieved his weapon from the creature''s head, there was a loud CLINK sound followed by a dispersal of particles, indicating that one of the hidden des had been destroyed.

    "One," Cynrik spoke in a calm and unhurried tone as he moved back in time to spot a new Chimera filling in the gap caused by the one he had just killed.

    Beside him, Brance was having a slightly more difficult time. Unlike Cynrik''s tumultuous and often shy sword style, his revolved around brute-force attacks, which, although easy to see, were hard to defend against due to the high amounts of force they carried.

    Still, it only took him half a minute to put down his second creature.

    Unfortunately for the brothers, things were changing too rapidly for them to adapt, as instead of dealing with two new Chimera, four filed through the Gate, causing them to fall back and readjust their n of attack.

    [Fuck, why is it that the pattern shifts so drastically on Wave Neen.] Jumping around like a cricket, Cynrik continuously avoided one attack after another.

    [Cyn, we can''t keep this up; they are flooding out of the Gate before we can even kill the ones we are dealing with.] Holding up his greatsword while bracing it with his shoulder, Brance fended off a Chimera trying to crush him.

    [No shit, sherlock, keep falling back until there are around 50-75 meters between us and the Egress.] Jumping up and unleashing a spinning heel kick filled with Fire Mana, Cynrik rocked the head of a Chimera to the left before flipping his left Nodachi and stabbing the same creature through its eye. CLINK

    [That''s number six, Brancie; I have only 12 hits left.] When Cynrik fell to the ground in a roll, he didn''t hesitate to get up and take off in the opposite direction.

    BOOOMMMM

    When Cynrik turned around, instead of seeing Brance hot on his heels, he saw his brother flung through the air by a Chimera''s heavy hit.

    [Oi, Brancie, you don''t have your wings on; why are you trying to fly right now?] Cynrik teased after making sure Brance was ok with a quick peek at his Resource stat Bars.

    [Fuck you, asshole; you aren''t the one getting bashed and battered around like a fucking cat toy.] Righting his body, Brance extended his free hand toward the ground and pulled toward his body, summoning a stone pir beforending atop the object.

    Wiping a trail of blood from his lips, Brance took a deep breath, gathered himself, walked off the pir, and spun around to sh at it, cutting off the top part before grabbing it and throwing it like a massive, oversized baseball at the Chimera who had injured him.

    "That hurt; TAKE THIS!" He shouted aloud while hurling a bolder three times his size and smashing the Chimera into a bloody pancake.

    [PFFT HAHAHAHA, But I''m the one using cringy lines; that hurt. Take This, hahahaha] Fighting back the urge to clutch his stomach fromughter, Cynrik teased, earning him a heated re from Brance, whonded on the back of another Chimera and smashed its spine into oblivion.

    [I hope you trip and fall, asshole,] Brance snorted before repeatedly smashing the creature''s back until it copsed dead. Still standing on its back, Brance whipped his head around and red at Cynrik, causing the older Jetlensr Brother to hold his hands up cautiously.

    [Sheesh, chix, man, I was only kidding. There''s no need to take it out on the poor unsuspecting Birddogs.] Unsessfully holding back snickers, Cynrik twirled his Nodachi, sidestepped another attack, and came face to face with an open beak trying to eat him.

    "Tch, do better," Cynrikined as he punched out with his right hand and sent a high-heat icy blue fireball down the creature''s throat, causing smoke and blood to gush out the Chimera''s ears as it was cooked from the inside out.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ---

    "Tch, do better," Cynrik''s words yed through the speakers in thementary studio, causing Cesar to gasp softly.

    Roni: " It has been a remarkable turnaround for the VSFA Tier-3 team, who have not only secured their victory and bonus points in their first event but are also pushing ahead. This alles despite running low on resource stats and using severely damaged equipment."

    As Roni spoke, her pale hands gripped the microphone so tightly that fingerprints were left on the device.

    Cesar: "And that''s number 12 for Cynrik, who continues to use his swords, although each hit hends appears to be breaking something. His kills also appear to corrte with the damage done, so my assumption is, with each hit, one of those smaller des is what causes that mechanical breaking sound along with the particle shower."

    Roni: "I believe that is the case, Cesar; if you notice, after each particle shower, the length of his weapons gets shorter; it won''t be long until they fall back to their original form."

    Cesar: "AND THAT''S ANOTHER HEADSMASH OUT OF YOUNG BRANCE JETLESNR! Folks watching at home, I hope you are keeping up the count; the number of heads popped by the young man has broken a record of its own.

    ---

    As the clock ticked by, the speed at which Cynrik and Brance killed their opponents dwindled considerably until it took 5-6 minutes per kill. Fatigue, both mental and physical, were beginning to set in.

    CLING CLANK

    "Fuck, that''s one Kodachi gone; HEADS UP BRANCE!" Kicking off the ground and throwing the hilt of his shattered right kodachi through the air, Cynrik saved Brance from an untimely demise. The younger Jetlensr got caught in a pincer attack from multiple Chimera and was having difficulty fending off the swarm of attacks raining down on him.

    BOOOM!

    With all the force of a howitzer, the hilt of Cynrik''s right kodachi mmed into the creature, the impact of which generated arge boom followed by a shock wave that stunned the creature and knocked it off its feet.

    Then, doing a quick headcount and noticing only 6 Chimera still breathing, four of which had Brance surrounded, Cynrik sheathed his remaining sword on his hip. Taking a deep breath, he broke into a sprint, jumped up, and flying kicked a second creature in the ribcage, sending it skittering away with a whimper.

    [Five more kills, and we can rest.] Cynrik stated as he delivered a flurry of kicks into the head of another creature.

    [Your Kodachi?] Brance asked while dishing out a savage uppercut with his greatsword, causing a Chimera to execute a backflip beforending on the ground with its legs in the air.

    [Saving it for the boss. There are only two hits till it breaks; I ended up saving one thanks to burning a little extra Mana.] Catching Brance by the back of his armor and pulling his brother back, Cynrik aided him in avoiding an unseen tail attack from the creature Brance had thought to be knocked out.

    [Keep on your toes, little brother, I know you are getting battered out here, but we are on the home stretch.] Giving Brance some rare encouragement, Cynrik nted his hand on his brother''s shoulder and used him as a baseboard to jump and kick another Chimera.

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 500 Prelude To The Wave Twenty Boss

    *CHAPTER 500 AYOOO*

    Working together as a pair, Cynrik and Brance moved from one opponent to the next until there was only a single Chimera left. Copsing to the ground on their backs after disabling the final creature, their chests'' heavy rise and fall directly indicated that they were finally exhausted.

    Unlike before, where everything had been an act, NOW they were tired. Theck of a usable weapon left Cynrik at aplete disadvantage since his DEX stat increased only his damage with a ded weapon.

    Thus, although he was well versed in hand-to-handbat, it was rtively ineffective against the muchrger and stronger opponents, unlike Brance, who could still overpower them with his insanely high STR stat.

    Lying on their backs, gazing absent-mindedly at the sky, the brothers tried to get control of their heart rates so they could recover some Resource stats.

    Wave neen had proven a tough challenge for both of them, so Cynrik''s resource stats had fallen to dangerous levels. While he escaped every attack and came out of the Wave unscathed physically, his MP and STAM dropped to 38% and 25%, respectively.

    Meanwhile, Brance cut a sorry image. Due to his fighting style allowing for attacks to reach him, his te armor was dented and cracked in multiple locations, restricting his movement in some spots. Regarding resource stats, Brance was better off than his brother in both MP and STAM, sitting at 40% MP and 50% STAM; however, his HP had taken an enormous hit and fell below 50% before stopping at 47%.

    [Fuck, this is embarrassing,] Cynrikined while sending micro shocks throughout his body to stimte the muscles into twitching, giving the appearance he was still suffering bacsh.

    [Only you think so, Cyn; we broke a record! That should have been enough but NOOOO~ you just had to try and set the bar so high no one else could beat it.] Panting heavily, Brance reached up and unbuckled the sps under his ribcage on both sides, creating gaps in his body armor so that he could breathe easier.

    [Says you, if we didn''t do things this way, then there is a good chance one of the other LCs would surpass us by one or two kills and earn points inter rounds, putting us at a disadvantage.] The older Jetlensr responded while sitting up and unsheathing his severely damaged Kodachi off his right hip and resting it in hisp for inspection.

    Like his brother, after two minutes ofying down, Brance sat up and grabbed his greatsword. Still, instead of inspecting it, he performed the defusion movements and separated it into two shields before examining the extent of the damage.

    [As I thought¡­] Mumbling under his breath, Brance nodded a few times before cing his shields on the ground and closing his eyes to recover.

    [Huh? What are you on about?] Confused by his brother''s words, Cynrik reached over and snatched the nearest shield and was surprised to see it was still in rtively good shape.

    ''Well, ain''t that a kick in the dick, tsk. A 200k Durability sword is no joke, man; this damn thing still has 55k of its original 100k.'' Remembering that the overall durability of Brance''s greatsword was 200k, it wasn''t surprising to find that the CS Tear MK3 still had more than half its durability remaining.

    ''Yosh, back on topic, I need to recoup as much MP as possible. There''s no telling what kind of freak will step out of that gate in a few minutes.

    With that thought in mind, Cynrik tossed a nce at the floating clock disy and smirked before closing his eyes and rxing his body.

    -Swarm Event National Record: 4 Hours 59 Minute 55 Seconds, Wave 19, 37 Kills.-

    ---<novelnext></novelnext>

    Back in the Pinhurst Mansion, tensions were high. As predicted by Jessup, the brothers had gone ahead and set themselves down the path to fighting the Wave 20 Boss.

    Despite past teams making it this far, the record had not been beaten due to time constraints. To break a record, not only do you need to surpass the kill score, but you also need to do it faster. Thus, being the oldest person in the house, Jessup was the only one with memories of seeing Competitors facing off against the Wave Twenty Boss.

    "Hah, empty tanks, damaged gear, and no clue what they are about to face. Sorry Cinyah, but this is where you should step away from the room." Interrupting the heavy silence, Jessup stood and walked in front of his daughter''s lifetime best friend.

    "Wh¡­what¡­no¡­no, you can''t mean." Fear crept into Cinyah''s eyes as realization set in, and she digested Jessup''s words.

    "They can''t win, or better yet, they can''t win if they keep holding themselves back as they have from the start of Wave One." The older man stated while cing his hand atop Cinyah''s head and warmly patting her to calm her down.

    "Hold on, what do you mean holding back, Dad¡­are¡­are you saying they''ve been holding back since the beginning? How can that even be possible? If that''s the case, why are they so tired?" Maeve cut in while jealously watching Cinyah get headpats.

    "Do you honestly believe that someone who fundamentally views things on a different scale than an average person wouldn''t be able to predict the oue of revealing all his cards for everyone watching thepetition, friend and foe?"

    "I know the full extent of their gear and also the stats, Affinities, and skills of every member of MyrkLys. I need that information if I am to make appropriate gear for them. As such, I can wholeheartedly tell you that Cynrik has handicapped himself and Brance since the moment they stepped foot in their first Event."

    "For example, have you seen Cynrik use anything other than his Dark Affinity and Fire? You should know he still has Wind, considering he''s had it since a young age. However, he has four Affinities, and if my theory is correct, then it would exin how those swords of his sustained so much damage."

    "Even using Dark Mana is a misdirect since he technically has the mutated and extremely rare Umbra Affinity."

    "And then there''s Brance, who has yet to use his Light Affinity a single time, aside from that sneaky underground attack. He, too, has Four Affinities, yet the two of them are sticking to using generic Elements such as Fire and Terra."

    Walking to the kitchen and returning with another beer for himself and Rikard, Jessup continued speaking calmly and collectedly without raising his voice.

    "If they were to go all out, I have no doubt we would see an awe-inspiring run, and I wouldn''t be surprised if those two numbskulls advanced to Wave 39. But the downside is that they would not only alert their enemies to the full extent of their abilities and power, but they would also paint an evenrger target on their backs than is already there."

    "I fully believe that Cynrik initially only intended to reach the National record and hop over the bar with one or two kills. But when he noticed how quickly they were advancing due to the sly and extremely deceptive way of killing creatures in the earlier waves, he pushed forward, changing his goal to the Wave Twenty Boss."

    "I have fought the Wave Twenty Boss, it''s no easy task, and I was already Peak Tier-3 at the time; if Cynrik and Brance want to win, they will be forced into showing skills and abilities they don''t want the world to know about, if not, the run ends here, and as you know, Death is the only way out of the Swarm Event." Wearing a solemn expression, Jessup fell silent and allowed his words to sink into everyone''s minds.

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 501 Wave Twenty Boss Fight (1)

    In the Swarm event, Cynrik and Brance hadn''t moved for a full 25 minutes, causing many uneducated people to spam the message boards and chats with trollments; however, the Commentators and experienced fighters all understood what the brothers were doing.

    Upon reaching 25 minutes in his countdown, Cynrik''s eyes snapped open, and he took a deep breath.

    [That''s all the time we get, Brancie. Everything should be replenished.] Slow to get back on his feet, Cynrik resheathed his Kodachi and performed some quick exercises and was soon joined by Brance.

    [What''s the n here, Cyn? I don''t know how long I''ll be able to fend off an enraged mutated Chimera.] With hesitation in his eyes, Brance bent down, swiped his CS Tears, and fitted them into ce on his bracers.

    [Not going to lie, I don''t have a good n this time, Brance. I tried finding footage on the Wave Twenty Bosses seen in past events, and there is nothing. Not a single ounce of video, so I have no idea what we will be against, but using the Wave Ten Boss as an example, we can assume two things¡­]

    Taking a deep breath and channeling Mana of all four varieties from his Codex into his body, Cynrik stared intently at the Egress gate.

    [My first assumption is that the creature that Gate spits out will be far from an average Initial Tier-4. Considering it is a natural Tier-5, it''s only because of Vinestra''s Will Suppression that it falls down to Tier-4. Even so, it should still have ess to higher purity Mana and High Tier Skills.]

    [So far, the Chimera has presented three Affinities, Water, Fire, and Wind. And aside from the Wave Ten Boss, each creaturees stock with a single Affinity, while the Boss had two, Wind and Fire.]

    [The Second assumption is that this thing wille out ready for battle, meaning we won''t be able to get the drop on it and score an easy kill. To make matters worse, the Mutated tag attached indicates a vast increase in stats.]

    [So what it boils down to is, if we stay with your restraints in ce, it will be a tough battle¡­great, I am SO looking forward to it~.] Rolling his eyes, Brance smirked.

    [What''s the worst that can happen, Cyn, we die? Haven''t we done that a bunch of times by now, if you count the HBTC?] Chuckling to himself and looking at his brother, Brance saw Cynrik''s usually expressionless face crack as he fought backughter.

    [Indeed, what is death to a reincarnator? Hehe. Let''s get on with it then; any input on a battle theme?]Cynrik asked as he rolled out his shoulders, channeled an inky pitch-ck fireball on the tip of his finger, and pointed it at the downed Chimera in the form of a finger gun.

    [I mean, something Hype, I guess, also Fusion Affinity?] Raising an eyebrow at Cynrik, Brance questioned his brother''s act of revealing that he could fuse Elements.

    [Why not? I''m about to use a Quad-Affinity Skill in Susanoo; those asshats can view this as a sneak peek. Hm, something hype, ok, Choose A or B.]

    [Hm¡­A or B¡­how about we go with B since it''s the first letter in all three of my names, haha.] Brance''s smirk turned into an adventurous smile as he turned away and monitored the Egress gate over 300 meters away.

    [Always theedian, tsk, fine, fine¡­B it is.] Holding up his fireball-tipped finger gun, Cynrik shook his head and spoke for everyone to hear.

    "Bang," the single word flipped the Commentator''s opinion of him on end as the fireball transformed into a ck beam of light and vaporized the unsuspecting Chimera''s head.

    -You have Killed Eighteen Level 49 Peak-Tier-3 Chimera (Wolf/Avian).-

    -You have received 17,640,000 XP.-

    -Your Faction Member Brance Jetlensr has Killed Eighteen Level 49 Peak-Tier-3 Chimera (Wolf/Avian).-

    -You have received 17,640,000 XP.-

    -You havepleted Wave Neen of the Egress Break.-

    -Wave Twenty is now beginning; A Mutated Creature Is spawning.-

    -An Initial Tier-4 Mutated Chimera (Wolf/Avian) has breached the Egress Barrier.-<novelnext></novelnext>

    In an instant, the entire atmosphere changed as the storm above swirled and boomed with thunder. The Mana forming the Egress Gate churned like the ocean amid a hurricane, and a colossal paw swung out of the Gate before mming down with a loud and explosive BOOM!

    "Oh? It''s a big boi, ain''t it, Brancie?" Cynrikmented as he watched an incredible three heads emerge from the Mana Portal, followed by a hulking body that appeared toorge to fit through the already huge Egress Gate.

    ROARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

    First came the three heads, shoulders, six pairs of wings, and four tails; from beaks to tails, the Mutated Tier-4 Chimera was thergest creature they had ever seen, standing at over 55 meters tall and reaching almost 80 meters in length.

    The force generated by the creature''s massive lungs created a shockwave that reached the brother''s over 300 meters away, blowing back their hair with a powerful gust of wind.

    [Brancie, you just had to pick B, sigh, you know, I don''t mind, but like, it''s an option tailor-made for you; I feel like I stacked the deck against myself.] Pushing down the nerves he was experiencing after seeing how incredible the Chimera''s Mana Signature was, Cynrik cracked a joke.

    [Man, I really hope so because I am not feeling this one, Cyn. That bastard is fucking massive.] Shifting beside him nervously as the Chimera''s entire body was attacked by Red Lightning, Brance released an awkwardugh.

    ''Tobs, gimmie the best version you find, in any fucking universe, parallel or whatever, burn the rest of my Skill points; Brancie needs that courage for his ears, and if there''s a song that can do it, it''s that one.''

    -Alright, Boys, a feast for your ears, STRAIGHT FROM THE EARTH FUTURE, THE ONLY SONG I CAN FIND TO HYPE YOU BOTH TO NO END!-

    Appearing in both their vision, by some strange power, Tobs danced around between Cynrik and Brance like a small invisible fairy, only able to be seen thanks to the brothers having [Mana Sight] Active.

    Their eyes followed Tobs as she flew around, stopping a meter ahead of them with her arms outstretched like a conductor. With a bright and cheery smile, she pointed at Brance first, then Cynrik, and dropped her left arm while clearing her tiny throat and pressing against her diaphragm with her right hand.

    - ?So¡­Baby¡­Now¡­ you¡­?-

    Fairy Tobs wore a massive smile as she sang the opening lyrics to one of Brance''s all-time favorite Anime Songs. And the four words were enough to brighten his mood as a fierce expression instantly spread across his face, and he joined her, along with Cynrik.

    B: [FEEL LIKE NUMBER ONE!!!]

    -Now ying " Number One- Bankai" By Shiro SAGISU featuring Hazel Fernandes.-

    The music kicked in after Brance sang the word "Feel," giving him and Cynrik background apaniment.

    C: [SHINING BRIGHT FOR EVERYONNNEE!!!]

    B: [LIVING OUT YOUR FANTASY~]

    C: [THE BRIGHTEST STAR THERE''S EVER BEEN!]

    SWOOSH BOOOOMMM

    "Susanoo!"

    Mana gushed off Cynrik''s body in an instant as a multi-colored translucent Skeletal Spine appeared behind him, and four rib bones wrapped around his body on each side. At the same time, Brance kicked the ground so hard a shockwave crushed the terrain underfoot, and he rushed forward to greet the Boss.

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 502 Wave Twenty Boss Fight (2)

    ** BGM FOR THE FIGHT " Number One- Bankai" By Shiro SAGISU featuring Hazel Fernandes. **

    ---

    SWOOSH BOOOOMMM

    "Susanoo!"

    At the same time that Cynrik activated Susanoo, Brance kicked the ground so hard a shockwave crushed the terrain underfoot, and he rushed forward to greet the Boss.

    Without needing to keep tabs on his brother, Brance raised his shields and zoned out, listening to the music. Raising his arms like wings while he ran, Brance twisted his forearms, turning the shields downward, exposing his wrists to the air, and began pulling at the ground using his Terra Affinity.

    Circling around the front of the creature and making a sharp hard left turn, Brance''s head snapped toward The Tier-4 Chimera, who continuously roared and charged forward like a bull; however, the creature never expected to see 30 Stone pirs jutting from the ground anding straight at it.

    Letting out a puff of steam through the nostrils on its central head as if snorting in disdain, the creature jumped into the air as the multiple attacks drew down on it. It effortlessly glided away from them, showing a higher level of intelligence than any other Chimera the brothers had faced.

    This act of cognition didn''t escape Cynrik as he watched Brance hurling stone pirs in batches of three at the Chimera.

    [Increase the speed and reduce the size of your attacks, Brance; they''re too big and can be easily dodged.] With narrowed eyes, Cynrik tapped the ground with his right foot and exploded forward, running to the right and avoiding a confrontation with the fight between Brance and the Chimera.

    [Copy, I''m good on Mana; let me know when you''re ready.] Following his brother''smand, Brance nted his right foot on the ground, pivoted, and smashed both CS Tears into the ground. In response to this, hundreds of thin, needle-like spikes rose up andunched a never-ending assault on the flying creature.

    Waving his arms like a flight controller telling an Airne which direction to go, Brance swung his shields, bringing more attacks from the terrain along with it.

    Meanwhile, Cynrik ran at full speed, causing an afterimage tailing several meters behind him and giving the appearance that there were four Cynriks, not one.

    As he ran, Cynrik brought his right arm up and gripped his left arm just above the wrist. Unseen to anyone, icy blue Fire Mana was swirling around his entire hand under the flesh.

    ''Been a while since I''ve tried this, alright, no time like now,'' breaking out in a crazed smile, Cynrik elerated forward, released his left wrist, and, using his right hand, grabbed onto one of the spikes erupting from the ground.

    [GOING UP, BRANCIE!] He shouted, causing Brance to take control of that individual spike and reinforce it as he directed it into a favorable position for his brother.

    [CYNRIK JETLENSR, NO MECHA, LAUNCHING!] The spike carried him up over 70 meters before suddenly halting, but due to the insane speed it had climbed, Cynrik''s momentum carried him forward, having timed his release perfectly.

    With his head angled upward, Cynrik formed a knife hand with his left hand in the air before curling in the tips of his fingers, preparing to unleash an attack that was sure to cause him harm.

    ''Hey, Tobs, my arm isn''t going to explode¡­right?'' With less than 15 meters between himself and the flying Chimera, Cynrik felt the urge to ask suddenly.

    -If it does, then it does. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, amirite? Don''t forget your Susanoo has a damage reduction.-

    -Oh, yeah, also, YOU HAVE TRIGGERED A PRE-RECORDED NOTIFICATION!-

    -"Stop being stupid, you ignoramus; if you are going to fire off something that will generate arge explosion, GET THE HELL AWAY FIRST!" end message.-

    Cynrik sputtered and nearly lost hisposure when he heard the obnoxious message from the past.

    ''Now, NOW of all times, Tobs, Seriously!''

    -Do what you want, Cyn; I did my part¡­-

    Sitting on his shoulder, the invisible Tobs shrugged her shoulders and looked up at the unsuspecting Chimera, who was too preupied dealing with Brance''s attacks to notice the fly iing silently from under its belly.

    ''10 meters, 8 meters, it should be fine, right? I''m Tier-3 now¡­.'' Pushing away his uncertainties, Cynrik appeared right under the exposed soft furry belly of the Chimera, twisted his body, and punched out with all his might, his hand erupting in deep blue mes.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Futae No Kiwami-KAJI!" Raising his voice and shouting the skill name, Cynrik used a skill that he hadn''t been able to use for some time.

    TAP TAP BOOOM!!!!!!!!

    -You have sessfully executed the Unregistered Variant Skill " Futae No Kiwami-Kaji" for the first time.-

    - Due to your execution of the skill and creation of a variant version, you have received an A Grade.-

    -You have received a passing grade on execution; the Skill, Futae No Kiwami has been Registered with the CSH.-

    -You have created a Variant of the Skill Futae No Kiwami, Futae No Kiwami-Kaji.-

    -WARNING you have received bacsh from over-drafting the skill with too much Mana and thus fractured all the prominent knuckles on your left hand.-

    -WARNING You have suffered Fourth degree burns on 90% of your Left arm.-

    -You have lost 15000 HP.-

    -You have lost 16000 HP.-

    -Current HP 181,755/212,775.-

    -You have received¡­-

    The notifications rolled in. However, Cynrik was too preupied with the after-effects of his skill. When the second hitnded on the Chimera''s body, a massive explosion urred, sending Cynrik hurtling down toward the ground.

    In contrast, the Chimera''s body was flung upward and curled like a shrimp, with a swarm of fire spreading across its underside.

    Feeling his vision go blurry for a second, Cynrik tucked his left arm, which waspletely bare and burnt to a crisp. Ignoring the crispy flesh, the bacsh from the new version of Futae No Kiwami affected all theyers of skin, muscle, tendons, and bones of his left arm, from the fingertip to his elbow.

    Rotating his body and angling downward, Cynrik met the worried gaze of his younger brother and extended out his right arm, indicating Brance should "pick him up" with another Stone Spike.

    [Tsss, fuck, that stung,] Cynrikined as he reinforced the fingers of his right hand and dug them into the stone pir, which slowed him down and brought him back to the ground safely.

    -No shit!-

    [NO SHIT!] Momentarily sharing a brain, Brance and Tobs scolded as Brance ran to his brother''s side, and his hands began glowing in white Light. Upon reaching Cynrik, he not so gently grabbed hold of his brother''s arm to use [Lay On Hands].

    [FUUUUUUUUU, DAMN IT, BRANCIE, WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT WARNING A GUY BEFORE GRABBING HIS INJURED ARMS! AHH AHHH, CHILL, CHILL!] Screaming bloody murder in the mind link, yet stayingpletely calm and collected on the outside, Cynrik could feel his nose and eyes start running and tearing up due to the pain, so he used Fire Mana to evaporate it instantly.

    [Shut the fuck up, moron; if you want to be babied, have Selly learn some healing skills.] Snorting and pumping ample Light Mana into his brother''s severely injured arm, Brance noticed the bone and tendons begin knitting back together and healing.

    From the Fourth degree down to the second, Brance could heal the worst of the damage Cynrik had done to himself before stopping.

    BOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM

    [There, your healing factor can take over from here. We have bigger problems.] Whipping their heads in the direction of the noise, Cynrik and Brance spotted the massive creature thrashing around on the ground, attempting to put out the fire, which had spread to its entire body. It was also pukingrge amounts of blood from all three mouths, indicating it had suffered internal injuries.

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 503 Wave Twenty Boss Fight (3)

    ** BGM FOR THE FIGHT " Number One- Bankai" By Shiro SAGISU featuring Hazel Fernandes. **

    ---

    RAWWWk WAKKKKK ROARRR

    Thrashing about in agony as it tried smothering the fire spreading across its body, the Chimera''s three heads seemed to argue with each other about how to best go about such a task. Giving the brothers a few much-needed seconds to figure out their next n of attack.

    [Hit it while it''s down, rain spikes from above, and create a cage simr to how I do with my [Shadow Sewing].] Cynrik off-handedly mentioned as he spat on and massaged the inmed and swollen red skin of his left arm.

    ''Tobs, if I didn''t have Susanoo active, would I have¡­.''

    -Sttered your arm, 100%. That additional 10 percent damage reduction saved you from fighting the rest of the event like a one-armed bandit.-

    Rising and flying off his shoulder, she rushed up to punch Cynrik in the forehead with her tiny intangible hand; Tobsined while watching her arm shatter into particles upon contacting Cynrik''srge forehead.

    -Owie? So I guess I''m like half ghosty now¡­I can sit and interact with you, but if I punch or attack, my constructed body copses.-

    CRASH, BOOM, BOOM BOOM

    [Oi, how are you doing that anyway? I thought you couldn''t manifest outside of our SOC?] Looking away from the tiny fairy floating in front of his face and at the vast amount of stone pirs smashing down on the injured Chimera, Cynrik asked while plucking her out of the air by the back of her shirt and cing Tobs on his right shoulder.

    -Huh? Do you mean Manifesting? That''s easy; drawing a minuscule amount of Mana from you and Brance can generate a tiny body for me. However, it''s technically invisible, and the only reason the two of you can see me is because of your [Mana Sight].-

    -Technically, I''ve always been able to do it, but it wasn''t until the purity of the Mana in your Bodies reached a certain point that I could make something tangible.-

    -As for my appearance, I ended up modeling myself after Yui''s Alfheim Online avatar (SAO). So I figured it wouldn''t be that shocking when I appeared, especially if I took the form of something familiar.-

    Tobs exined as she held onto Cynrik''s shoulder tightly. The reason behind her actions was simple; he had turned his body and begun firing with his finger gun again. Each time a burst of Mana escaped the tip of his index finger, Cynrik''s arm recoiled back, making it difficult for Tobs to hang on without falling or getting flung away.

    [Brancie, I''ve got cover fire on lockdown; move in and deal some more chip damage.] Increasing the intensity and size of the fireballs he wasunching at the Chimera, Cynrik gave his brother the go-ahead to make a move.

    [On it!] was all Brance said as he mmed his shields together and fused them into their greatsword form.

    [Also, Tobs, you look great! Cyn, keep that fire off me; I''m going up onto that big guy''s back to take out the wings.] Shooting the little fairy a thumbs up and a smile, Brance sunk into the ground up to his knee and took off.

    Leaving Cynrik behind, Brance ducked and dodged the consistent spam of attacks from his older brother and soon arrived beside the Chimera. Going unnoticed, he then jumped up andnded on the creature''s back.

    Upon getting close to the wings, Brance noticed the mes part for him, giving him easy ess to the Chimera''s wings, which he began pummeling one at a time.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Feeling the sharp paining from its back, the two of the Chimera''s heads, the outer two, spun around and roared angrily at him, then began charging a strange collection of four colored particles in their open mouths.

    [FIRE, ICE, TERRA, AND WIND BRANCIE!] Cynrik called out as he rushed forward with his left arm dangling lifelessly by his side.

    Realizing time was of the essence and acknowledging his idea would sting his still injured arm, Cynrik threw caution to the wind and gripped the air with both hands Channeling copious amounts of Umbra Mana.

    The instant he clutched his left hand into a w, the wounds cracked and sprayed blood. Still, Cynrik didn''t care; running at his top speed, he arrived in front of the creature and activated [Umbral Sewing], the evolved form of [Shadow Sewing] manifesting 30 inky ck tendrils.

    Rising and pulling away from the ground, the tendrils separated into two equal groups. Theyshed out, wrapping themselves around the two heads and mming them into the ground as they were about tounch their breath attack.

    The effect of doing so was devastating. The unstable Quad Affinity mixture exploded in the creature''s throat, blowing out two of the three throats and exploding those two heads, inflicting a massive amount of damage to the creature''s HP, on top of pissing its final head off to no end.

    As this happened, Brance crushed all the bones in the six pairs of wings before sliding across its back and attacking the front right shoulder joint with heavy strikes.

    With two heads down, Cynrik released his tendrils and startedunching deep purple fireballs through kicks and punches, all carrying the sole purpose of keeping the Chimera''s aggro on himself, freeing up Brance to cause mayhem on its back.

    [What the fuck man!] After ten minutes of relentless attacking, Cynrikined. Observing the creature''s HUD, he was dismayed to discover they had only chipped away roughly 30% of the Chimera''s HP.

    [Fucking mutants, man, the damn thing must have over 5 million HP!] Gritting his teeth, Cynrik delivered a spinning fire kick into the beak of the injured Chimera, who had spent thest 10 minutes struggling to get back to its feet while shooting out breath attacks at Cynrik.

    [Brance, take off those fucking wings; it is healing too fast to leave it with broken bones!] Jumping high into the air with a burst of fire from his feet, Cynrik monitored how quickly the wing bones were healing.

    While Cynrik had spent thest 10 minutes distracting and chipping away at the Chimera''s HP, Brance hadn''t been idle, running around and attacking all its joints, including the wing joints; Brance was struggling to keep up with the creature''s healing factor.

    The creature was bald and burned after being engulfed by mes for so long, and the fire eventually died out. That was when Cynrik and Brance noticed how quickly it healed any and all injuries. That wasn''t all either; the more time he and Cynrik spent trying to damage it, the faster the Chimera appeared to recover, setting off warning bells in both brothers'' minds.

    ''Fuck, I don''t know if this will work, but it''s worth a try. The recovery speed goes through the roof without some type of tick damage constantly wearing down the amount of HP it can heal.'' Frowning and not liking the idea he hade up with, Cynrik angled himself so that he avoided getting chomped by the Chimera and flew over onto its back beside Brance.

    Using his left hand, which was still stiff due to how tight the new skin was, Cynrik twisted several dials on his remaining Assassin''s tool and flicked his wrist twice.

    Next, he clenched his teeth and drew his kodachi with his injured arm, jumped up, and shed a patch of exposed flesh.

    [GET OFF NOW!] Cynrik screamed as blood sprayed from the fresh and deep wound, coating his face, hair, and body. Ignoring the gore, he sheathed the kodachi, which only had a single attack use left, and punched the open wound with all his might before triggering the mechanism in his Assassin''s tool.

    Due to the spray of blood, how Cynrik positioned himself, and his use of stealth skill to hide the attack, none of the cameras caught sight of a marble-sized tri-colored ball ejecting from the gauntlet entering the fresh wound.

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 504 Bringing Down The Wave Twenty Boss

    ** BGM FOR THE FIGHT " Number One- Bankai" By Shiro SAGISU featuring Hazel Fernandes. **

    ---

    Cynrik watched the small marble-sized pellet sink into the wound as the gash began rapidly healing, smirked, and executed a double backflip off the Chimera''s back.

    [Let''s hope this works; we need to knock off some of that HOT *Heal Per Tick* if we want a shot at doing some real damage.] Landing on the ground and rolling before bouncing to his feet and putting distance between himself and the creature, Cynrik''s eyes stayed trained on the pellet as it entered the Chimera''s bloodstream and burst.

    [Get some space Brance, if what I expect to happen happens, then well, this fuck is going to flip his shit in 5¡­4.]

    [Hold ON, WHAT DID YOU DO?] Unhesitatingly breaking off in a full sprint, Brance shouted with worry painted across his face, interrupting Cynrik''s countdown.

    However, contrary to what Brance was preparing for, there was no explosion when Cynrik reached zero. Instead, as his brother had stated, the Chimera began violently thrashing about, wing at every part of its body in panic as its pink and burned skin turned blotchy purple.

    [Omni-Poison pellet, nasty little toy, ain''t it? I mean, check out the effect it has on a Pseudo-Tier-5.] Cynrik chuckled as he spun around andunched hundreds of baseball-sized purple fireballs at the spazzing-out Chimera.

    ROAHHHHHHHh SWAKKKK!

    From rage to insanity, the Chimera''s attitude changed like the flip of a switch as it went from thrashing about tounching multiple, voluminous attacks in all four of its different Affinities.

    [OH SHIT!] flopping to the ground on his belly and narrowly avoiding a stream of Icicles, Cynrik cried before rolling and continuing his assault.

    [What the hell Cyn, all you did was piss it off!] Branceined as he stayed on the move and unleashed hundreds of Stone spikes to counter the iing flurry of attacks.

    [Bah, win some, lose some Brancie, im not omnipotent. But check it out; I achieved what I set out to do.] Bouncing back to his feet and pointing above the creature at the HUD only he and Brance could see, Cynrik drew his brother''s attention toward the HP bar, which was dropping faster than it was recovering.

    Brance''s eyes followed Cynrik''s hand as he stomped the ground and manifested dozens of these pirs of stone, which created a Cage around the Chimera, pinning it to the ground.

    For good measure, Brance had even gone so far as to add barbed tips every quarter meter of the pir; this made it so that if the Chimera so much as farted, it would be poked and prodded by the sharp barbs.

    Like Cynrik had said, the HP bar in Brance''s HUD would drop two ticks and heal one, meaning they were outputting more damage than the Chimera''s healing factor could regenerate, something they had been aiming for from the beginning.

    [By my estimate, it can heal 300 HP per tick, and my Omni-Poison pellet deals 600 points of damage per tick. Although two steps forward and one step back sucks, it is sufficient for now;y on the pepper Brancie; time to take this bastard down!] Taking in a deep breath, Cynrik began weaving hand seals off memory, his weeb side taking over, and he jumped into the air, made a circle with his left hand''s index finger and thumb, and shouted a fake skill name.

    "HMPH, Drown in a Sea of mes! Katon: G¨­ka Mekkyaku"

    [ SON OF A BITCH!] Brance screamed as he sank into the ground and fled in the opposite direction as Cynrik transformed into a human-shaped methrower.

    A four-meter-thick jetstream of ckish Purple Fire erupted from Cynrik''s mouth and rained down on the trapped Chimera. The attack quickly turned the surrounding area into a sea of mes as Cynrik continued supplying copious amounts of Mana, uncaring about his expenditure.

    Over a kilometer away, Brance''s head and shoulders popped out of the ground like a gopher, and he gawked at the effects of his brother''s makeshift attack in awe.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''God damn, he''s really leaning hard into that whole Uchiha Schtick¡­first Susanno, second¡­I think that''s one of Madara''s moves, just with purplish fire.'' Brance thought as he pushed himself out of the ground with the aid of his Terra Affinity.

    ''Can''t lose out, alright, if Cyn wants to use weeb shit, I got this covered¡­uh uhh, think.'' Attempting to devise a suitable follow-up attack, Brance could feel the heat radiating from Cynrik''s mes, even at this distance, adding anxiety to perform.

    "THAT''S IT!" Fastening his shields onto his back, Brance pped his hands together, generating a loud pop sound, and grinned.

    [CYN, I HOPE YOU DON''T THINK YOU''RE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN RIP OFF ANIME SKILLS!] Brance said as small pebbles and dirt ripped up off the ground and started colliding and forming a small ball.

    By the gate, Cynrik''s left eye twitched. Since his back was to Brance, he couldn''t see what was happening, and if he turned to look, the neverending stream of fire spewing from his mouth would follow.

    [What are you on about? The whole point of me using a Jutsu was so no one would know our actual skills.] Rolling his eyes, Cynrik monitored the ocean of purple fire spilling out in a 500-meter radius with the Chimera in the epicenter. Even under the noisy crackle of mes, he could hear the pained and frantic cries of the trapped Chimera as it desperately tried to free itself.

    With [Mana Sight] active, he could see how panicked the creature was as it mmed its body against the stone cage created by Brance while trying to keep the fire at bay with abination of Terra and Ice Mana.

    Completely engrossed in what was happening below, Cynrik didn''t realize that a small orb had appeared high above his head and was drawing in a massive amount of the surrounding terrain.

    However, that all changed when suddenly, an expanding shadow covered him in darkness. The appearance of this shadow caused Cynrik to lose his focus and look up out of habit momentarily; what he saw caused his eyes to widen in surprise.

    Cutting off the supply of Mana to his attack, Cynrik spun around in the air and saw a small moon formed from rocks and dirt growing in size above his head.

    [BRANCIE, THAT ISN''T AN ATTACK; IT''S A CROWD CONTROL JUTUS MEANT FOR CAPTURING BIJUU!] Caught off guard by his brother''s choice of Jutsu, Cynrik immediately flew away; there was no way in hell he was getting caught in the destructive suction of the miniature moon.

    In the distance, Cynrik spotted Brance crouched in a horse stance with his hands in a praying posture, and he flew over.

    "RAHHHH, PLANETARY DEVASTATION!" Feeling that the rocky moon had grownrge enough, Brance roared at the top of his lungs as he separated his hands, thrust out his right arm, and mmed it down, dragging the insanely big ball of rock out of the sky and dropping it on the Chimera.

    ary Devastation¡­really Branceary Devastation¡­] Cynrik''s face contorted into one of horror when he heard the name Brance used, and he even spat on the ground as if he was hearing the foulest shit ever to enter his ears.

    Looking away from the slowly plummeting moon, Brance nced at Cynrik with a confused expression.

    [Huh? That''s what it''s called; I remember it very clearly¡­ Pein uses a Jutsu calledary Devastation¡­]

    [IDIOT FAKE FUCKING WEEB, YOU NORMIE FUCKING POSER TRASH, THAT SKILL IS FUCKING NAMED CHIBAKU TENSEI. DO YOU HEAR ME, CHI-BAK-U-TEN-SEI!] Stepping up and grabbing his brother by the front of his chest te, Cynrik got right in Brance''s face and screamed.

    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 505 End Of The First Event (1)

    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!

    The effect of Brance''s attack mming into the ground matched that of the name he had shouted, Devastation. The explosive Boom was followed by a gust of strong wind that caused Cynrik and Brance to be whisked away like sticks in a hurricane.

    [Damn it, Brannneeee!] Cynrik cried as he tumbled head over heels uncontrobly. He couldn''t help but curse in his mind in regret due to not having gotten further away from the point of impact.

    It didn''t take a rocket scientist to figure out what would happen when you drop a 10+ Ton rock on the ground; it would generate an incredibly powerful shockwave, which is what the brothers were dealing with.

    [shit, SHIT SHIT!] Cynrik yelped as his head smashed into debris, and he continued ragdolling through the air. After the third time hitting his head, Cynrik tucked in on himself and used his arms for protection.

    Unlike him, though, Brance was in better shape; all he did was draw his shields and turtle behind them.

    Eventually, Cynrik and Brance were released from the shock wave and skittered on the ground like sacks of potatoes until they finally stopped and crumbled into heaps on the floor.

    Struggling to get back on his feet, Cynrik realized they had been thrown over 5 kilometers away from the gate. To make matters worse, when the dust fragments settled in the distance, he spotted the bloodied and disfigured Chimera still standing and now free from fire and the stone cage.

    "You''ve gotta be kidding; how is that thing still on its feet," Cynrikined while holding his battered and broken left arm with his right hand.

    Standing beside Cynrik, Brance tightly gripped the front cor of his armor and pulled it down so he could breathe.

    "Your guess is as good as mine, Cyn. Ugh, I gotta get this off." Comining as he struggled to breathe due to his armor cutting off his airflow, Brance unsped all thetches and removed the damaged chest te, revealing a thin mesh of Scalemail body armor underneath.

    Clunk, nk, nk

    After removing his chest te, Brance undid the gauntlets and pauldrons and was free of the bulky upper body armor. Upon dropping the equipment on the ground, it shattered into particles and disappeared from his inventory temporarily.

    It had to be said that any equipment damaged or broken in the VR Capsule is unusable again until you exit and re-enter the simtion again. So although it may be damaged here in the VR Simtion, his actual equipment was undamaged.

    [We are a little over five clicks (Kilometers) away from the target, too far to see its HUD; however, based on its Mana Signature, I surmise that it should be lower than 15% HP, which is astounding considering you dropped the freaking moon on it.

    [Can you run it?] Brance asked as he examined the sorry state of his brother.

    [If I force myself, probably, but I''d burn too much stamina due to my injuries. That crashnding fractured a bunch of my bones, so although I can move and fight because of how well I handle pain, I won''t be able to move well for long.] Cynrik stated while examining his body.

    [Plus, the more time we give that thing to heal, the less likely we can take it down without using our full power.]

    [Fine, I''ll get us there, but my Mana will hit damn near rock bottom. So don''t expect me toy the suppressive fire.] Wearing a frown and forming a w with his right hand, Brance created a tform big enough for himself and Cynrik and sped off using it like a vehicle.

    [Momentai little brother, we got this; just get me there in one piece.] Wearing a weak smile, Cynrik took a knee and hid the fact that blood was leaking from his mouth.

    He had gravely downyed how injured he was. Sure, the shockwave had broken bones, but he failed to state that since Brance had used a mixture of Light Mana and Terra to form the Chibaku Tensei, he suffered internal injuries due to having Mana Poisoning froming into contact with the conflicting Affinity.

    Cynrik didn''t feel the need to admit this fact since, from the start, he only nned on fighting up to the Wave Twenty Boss and never going past that. With that thought in mind, Cynrik took several slow breaths and tried to rest for a minute or two before he exhausted his body and Mana in onest push.

    Speeding over open ground, Brance drove them across the five km distance in less than three minutes, stopping around 30 meters from the battered, bleeding, and miserable Chimera.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Seeing the two who had harmed it so badly showing up unannounced, the Chimera growled and snarled at them while struggling to get up and defend itself from inevitable demise.

    "What''s up, big guy?" Cynrik chuckled as he lept off the tform with a bit of effort and slowly walked toward the creature.

    Being this close to the Chimera, Cynrik quickly saw how badly affected it had been by his Omni-Poison, and he nodded in contentment. The creature was covered with festering boils and sores, which oozed a mixture of pus and blood.

    Having had no way in the past to determine how potent the pellet was, this was valuable research for him. Deciding that time was of the essence since the creature was beginning to heal, with a wince of pain, he reached across his body and drew his Kodachi.

    However, he felt something wrong when drawing his weapon and was dismayed to find the de shattered and turning into particles. Understanding that his crasnding had somehow counted as a final hit and taken away the rest of the Kodachi''s durability, Cynrik dropped the hilt on the ground and looked up at the Chimera.

    "Sigh, well, that sucks, heh," Laughing at his own misfortune and wobbling on his feet, Cynrik took a couple of steps forward before manifesting his Susanoo and breaking into a sprint with his right hand chambered against his hip.

    Twisting his upper body while he ran and gripping his right wrist with his left hand, Cynrik channeled 17% of his 19% MP into his right fist and locked onto the spot between the Chimera''s eyes.

    [Brancie, this won''t kill it, prep the final attack, get up here, and follow up because once I fire this off, I''m out.]

    The instant Cynrik Spoke, Brance erupted in white, green, and tan Mana, mmed his shields together into the greatsword, and made chase while channeling his remaining Mana into the dull de.

    Seeing the two rushing forward with visible Mana manifested around them, the Chimera forced itself onto its feet and roared while generating thousands of gpole-sized icicles andunching them at the brothers.

    However, it wasn''t enough to stop Cynrik and Brance as they weaved in and out of the ice storm.

    Reaching the Chimera, Cynrik''s hand exploded in ckish purple mes as he jumped into the air and instantly appeared between the eyes of the Chimera and punched out, unleashing a full-power Futae No Kiwami.

    TAP TAP SPLAT BOOOOOOM!!!

    KWAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH

    "ARGHHH, SWITCH!" Cynrik shouted as the Chimera Cried with its head flinging back, and his right arm shredded and turned to gory mist. Using thest bit of his Mana to shoot mes from his left hand, Cynrik threw his body away, revealing Brance with his greatsword raised right behind him.

    "TAKE THIS!!!!" Bringing down his Mana d greatsword with all his might, Brance connected with the top of the creature''s skull, causing it to cave in as blood and brain matter spewed out either side of the Chimera''s head.

    -Your Faction Member Brance Jetlensr has Killed a Level 1 Initial-Tier-4 Mutated Chimera (Wolf/Avian).-

    -You have killed a being more than ten times your primary level and a Full Tier above your own; rewards will be multiplied by the Maximum Multiplier, a sextuple.-

    -You have received 120 SPN-XP.-

    -You havepleted Wave Twenty of the Egress Break.-

    -Wave Twenty-One is now beginning; Forty-Two Initial-Tier-4 Chimera (Wolf/Avian) have breached the Egress Barrier.-

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 506 End Of The First Event (2)

    -You havepleted Wave Twenty of the Egress Break.-

    -Wave Twenty-One is now beginning; Forty-Two Initial-Tier-4 Chimera (Wolf/Avian) have breached the Egress Barrier.-

    Unable to stop his descent, Brance bounced off the crushed head of the Chimera, down its back, and onto the ground, face first. Not far away, Cynrik was on his back, gripping what remained of his right arm with his left hand wearing a grimace.

    [End of the line, little brother, you did well. Tsss fuck, my arm hurts; this VR shit is too realistic.] Struggling even to sit up, Cynrik could hear the aggressive roars and squawksing from the Egress Gate but paid them no mind.

    [Hah, I feel like I got hit by a bus; every muscle hurts right now.] Branceined as he pushed his face off the ground and rolled onto his back to look at the sky.

    [Hehe, it''s been a while since we were put in such a condition; it feels like a breath of fresh air. I think we did enough, though. With this, everyone will believe we hit our limit at Initial Tier-4, pulling suspicion off you and me when ites to wiping out those guys from yesterday.]

    With a little effort, Cynrik sat up and pulled himself to a kneeling position only to notice there were already 10 Chimera racing toward him and Brance.

    "On your feet, little brother, we have to go out with style," Cynrik said aloud as he looked down at the stump which used to be his right arm and chuckled.

    "Yeah yeah, I hear you; UGH, remind me not to do that human cannonball thing again; sheesh, if this weren''t VR, I''d be dealing with a sore back for weeks." Walking up beside Cynrik while dragging his greatsword behind him, Branceined, creating a momentary silence between the brother''s before they startedughing together.

    "Haha, right, let''s see if we can take a couple of them down with us, ONWARD!

    [This feels pretty familiar amirite Brancie?] Cynrik took off with his left arm pointed forward in a finger gun and began burning through thest of his Mana while half stumbling, half jogging.

    [Yep, but you didn''t scream about going to Valha this time.] Brance replied with a smirk as he parried an attack from the first Chimera.

    [Fuck the Gods, I do what I want!] Cynrik snorted as he unleashed a basic Futae No Kiwami into the paw of another creature, cracking some bones on his hand in the process.

    [Sigh, I''m not even going to bother correcting you at this point. Anyway, are we going down swinging?] Deflecting another attack before shing out with a flurry of heavy hits, Brance went back to back with his brother.

    [Do you even have to ask? The n is to take as many of these fuckers down as possible. If you think it''s game over, pop your Codex for onest hoorah.] Twisting and turning like a gunslinger, Cynrik repeatedly shot out baseball-sized Fireballs from his fingertip.

    Unfortunately, due to his low MP, the strength behind these sts was nothing more than a tickle to the 25 by 30-meter creatures and only served to piss them off after getting smacked in the nose.

    [Cyn¡­unlike you, I don''t experiment with my body like a mad scientist; care to fill in the peanut gallery on how the fuck I "pop" my Codex?] Wearing a dead-eyed expression, Brance hit a Chimera so hard with his greatsword that half of it shattered, and the weapon reverted back to a single teardrop-shaped kite shield.

    [Tsk, who''s a mad scientist? ART IS AN EXPLOSION, BRANCIE! Besides, I''ve known roughly how to implode my Codex since the first time I overdrafted it.] Ducking under a sweeping w attack, Cynrik bounced up and returned fire with his finger gun.

    [Basically, all you have to do is cause the elements stored in your Codex to flow against each other until they erode any protection your Codex has against chaotic Mana interactions. Do that, and push it to the extreme, and BOOM, you turn to mist, easy peasy.] Shrugging his good shoulder, Cynrik jumped up, avoiding another attack.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [Easy my ass Cyn, just controlling the Mana in my Codex to fight itself will take all my concentration; how bad is this going to hurt?] Frowning in worry as he blocked a breath attack, Brance swung out his shield and smacked two Chimera heads away as they tried to bite him.

    [Eh, I can assure you it won''t befortable. If anything, it may be the worst thing you''ve ever felt. When I carved my Mark of the Tamer on my Codex, it felt like taking a hot iron and digging it into my chest. Keep in mind that your Codex is like a cluster of highly sensitive nerve endings; anything you do to it will hurt like a son of a bitch.]

    [Ugh, find damn it, let''s get this over with already!] Stomping his foot and summoning some Stone Spikes, Brance took a few steps forward andunched them through the bottom jaw of an unsuspecting Chimera.

    ---

    In the Commentator Studio, Roni and Cesar were utterly silent as they watched the final act of the Swarm Event. Seeing Cynrik and Brance unwilling to go down without a fight earned them a level of respect usually not given to Low Tier Beings.

    They had been givin quite a shock today; not only did the brothers break the National Record, but they also did the unthinkable and stunningly beat the Wave Twenty Boss. Although it was rare even to see the boss spawn, they could count on one hand the number of times they had seen a team win against the Initial Tier-4 Creature, and usually, those teams had the means and an effective strategy to counter its high Regeneration Rate.

    Cynrik and Brance had pulled one trump card out after another, practically shattering how the twomentators viewed Tier-3 Beings. To make matters worse, they went into the battle with severely damaged Gear and low Resource Stats.

    Roni held her breath while watching Cynrik go down first, after getting overwhelmed by a group of six Chimera. At thest second, Cynrik yelled in fury as he exploded in a shower of Mana Particles. To her keen eye, she saw he had detonated his Codex, something which should be impossible at Lower Tiers, yet once again, Cynrik was rewriting the rule book on his Level''s abilities.

    Cesar: "Cynrik has fallen in a ze of glory, literally¡­but he was able to bring down four Chimera with him." Cesar said with a solemn expression and serious tone.

    Two minutester, Brance was eliminated, but like his brother, he didn''t go down without a fight, as he, too, self-destructed his Codex, taking out a handful of Chimera.

    With Brance''s elimination, the screen cut to ck, revealing a red text with a golden border.

    -A NEW SWARM EVENT NATIONAL RECORD HAS BEEN ACHIEVED AND MARKED IN THE HALL OF FAME!-

    -TIER-3 TEAM SWARM EVENT NATIONAL RECORD: 6 Hours 18 Minutes 22 Seconds, Wave 21, 9 Kills.-

    -Congrattions, VSFA Tier-3 Competitors Cynrik Jetlensr and Brance Jetlensr.-

    -Points awarded: 20.-

    Roni: "And that will Do it for the Round One Swarm Event¡­." Roni practically whispered as she watched the camera''se back on, revealing Cynrik and Brance stepping out of their VR capsules.

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 507 The Second Event: SRD- Search, Retrieve, Destroy (1)

    Snapping his eyes open and gulping down a deep breath, Cynrik fought the momentary panic associated with dying in VR and had to catch his breath to calm his rapidly beating heart rate. Although he wasn''t afraid of death, the amount of pain he experienced by self-destructing his Codex was intense, thus his initial panic upon waking up.

    ''Fuck, ok, Tobs, add Codex destruction to the list of things I SHOULDN''T EVER DO!'' Cynrikined as he subconsciously flexed his right arm before raising it over his face to examine.

    -Noted¡­not that I should need to.-

    [[Are you alright, Darling?]] While Cynrik was recovering mentally, Selene''s worried voice entered his head, causing him to smile.

    [[Yeah, Babe, I''m fine, just trying to collect myself. As it turns out, losing an arm and then blowing up your Codex is pretty traumatic.]] Resting his right forearm against his forehead, Cynrik allowed his body to rx and waited to hear back from Brance.

    Before he had "popped" his Codex, Cynrik had told his brother to fight as long as possible and contact him through the mind link when he was eliminated so they could exit the VR capsules together.

    [You were amazing out there, Cyn, it was difficult for us to keep a straight and emotionless face watching your performance, and oh my god, you should have seen the looks on the Romeoville Teams faces.]]

    [[At first, they were all proud when they came out of their Capsules, especially the dickhead captain, but when he saw you and Brancie fighting, hehe, it looked like he shit himself in fear.]]

    Speaking in the usual bubbly tone she used only when talking privately with her boyfriend, Selene peeked over at the Romeoville team while remembering their stunned faces when their captain was eliminated from the Swarm Event.

    [[Figures, they probably thought we were pushovers, tsk; I wish I could''ve seen the looks on their faces.]] Chuckling to himself in the darkness of his VR capsule, Cynrik closed his eyes and waited.

    [[Don''t worrrrryy Darling~, I totes snapped a pic for you with my Watcet; I''ll show youter. Even the refs were freaking out when you guys made a run for the record. We were watching the whole thing on the wall projector. You were so handsome out there; I am proud of you, my love. Hehe, plus¡­I''m wearing that thing you like for good luck.]] Discreetly biting her bottom lip, Selene dropped a bombshell on Cynrik that caused him to sit up and bump his head on the capsule.

    [[RED PANTIES! YOU DID THE THING, HAHAHA! I Told you, Babe, it was going to be a red panty night!]] Excitement bloomed in Cynrik''s mind as he imagined Selene wearing nothing but the expensive Red lingerie set.

    [[Of course, only the best for you, my darllling~]]

    [[FUCKING GROSS! Ie out of being killed only to wish I had died for real!]] Brance suddenly cried upon waking up in his capsule, only to hear the flirty conversation between his brother and Selene.

    [[HAHAHAHAH! Get wrekt Brancie.]] Selene and Cynrik chirped in unison, causing Brance to groan in despair.

    ? [[Can we get out of these screaming metal deathtraps already?]] Fighting the urge to puke, Brance checked his body with [Mana Sight], and upon realizing he was in one piece, he looked over at the release handle positioned by his right shoulder and grabbed it.

    [[Yeah, on three.]]

    TSSSSSS

    The two VR capsules hissed as they released the stale pressurized air and swung open, revealing the brothers.

    In Sync, Cynrik and Brance swung their legs over the right side of the capsule and exited before standing beside the device until they received a nod from the two stunned referees.

    Upon receiving the go-ahead, Cynrik stepped forward and walked to the center of the room, where one referee and the Captain of Romeoville were standing.

    Once lined up correctly on the right side of the ref, the man caught Cynrik''s wrist and raised his arm as a sign of victory before speaking.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Event One: Swarm, winner VSFA. Since your team has broken the record, you receive 20 points. Due to the duration of the first Event, you are allowed to take a 30-minute break before beginning the SRD Event.

    After releasing the young man''s arm, the referee looked to Cynrik for acknowledgment but was stunned to see him shaking his head.

    "There''s no need; we are good to go; we can begin the next event when the staff is ready." Shooting a cocky and confident nce at the Romeoville captain, making him flinch, Cynrik smirked and said clearly for the cameras to hear.

    "VSFA chooses to forgo the allowed break. Captains, you may take your positions, and on mymand, your teams may enter their VR Capsules."

    With that said, Cynrik retreated to his capsule and summoned Vie, and Sie, causing both the Referees and Team Romeoville to stare at him in surprise.

    ---

    Back in the studio, Cesar couldn''t control himself and yelled out in shock upon seeing the appearance of two pets from Cynrik.

    Cesar: "What the hell is that kid''s ss? He moves like an Assassin, fights like a swordsman, and wields magic like an ArchMage, yet he also has two pets like a Tamer!"

    Roni: "I have no clue what to think anymore; Cynrik is an enigma that I can''t read. We can''t even get a clear picture of his stat Build at Tier-3. If you look at his Survey Charts, he invested heavily in AGI and DEX, which exins the short swords he uses. But unlike the standard Assassin Build, he has also invested points into his INT stat."

    Tapping on the desk''s touchscreen, Roni opened the document with Cynrik''s Tier-2 stat sheet and went through it again.

    Cesar: "I find it strange; it''s like Cynrik doesn''t want to fully put his eggs in any one basket, which after seeing how he fights, is understandable. If I had to describe the young man''sbat style in one word, It would be versatile. He adjusts to the flow of battle so quickly and fills into the role of ranged DPS, or vanguard."

    Roni: "And now he throws us for a loop by summoning two Avian pets. Based on their size, it''s safe to assume both have already learned a resizing skill, meaning they are, at the bare minimum, Tier-2. Why is he bringing them out for the SRD event and not using them in the Swarm Event?"

    Cesar: "It''smon knowledge that Tamers tend to make it further in the Swarm event due to having more friendly attackers, but Cynrik threw that idea out of the window and went into the battle with a handicap."

    Cesar: "Roni, you calling him an Enigma fits too well. I can''t get a read on him. His brother, however, seems to be going with a standard warrior build, investing in STR and VIT, which, once paired with the appropriate armor, allows him to take a big hit and keep on ticking."

    ---

    Back in the Pinhurst Mansion¡­

    "That''s because he didn''t want to reveal them too early; aww, look how healthy little Vii and Sie are; they look adorable and so obedient," Cinyah said with her right hand pressed against her cheek with practically visible hearts in her eyes.

    "Oh my, if you''re like this with Cyn''s pets, I can''t imagine how you will react when your boys have children." Maeve teased while poking Cinyah''s cheek.

    "OH OH OH, I CAN''T WAIT TO SEE MY GRANDBABIES, Tsk, but we have to wait a few more years for Selene and Gabby to grow up enough for children." Clicking her tongue and meeting the expectant eyes of Mrs. Sanford, the two mothers shared a look of understanding, realizing that it was nearly time to start pressuring their kids into getting serious with their rtionships.

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 508 The Second Event: SRD- Search, Retrieve, Destroy (2)

    The lead referee was at a loss for a moment as he stared nkly at the two birds calmly resting on Cynrik''s shoulders. But being the professional he was, he nodded a couple of times and held his hand up to gather thepetitors'' attention.

    "The Second event is Search, Retrieve, Destroy, or SRD for short. In this event, your full team of seven will be thrown into a harsh environment and tasked with locating the enemy base. Upon finding the enemy location, you must infiltrate and recover the special item they are protecting."

    "This item will be shown to you by your systems upon entering the map. You aim to sneak in, steal the item, and destroy all the enemies nearby. The team whopletes all three tasks will Receive 5 points and win the event."

    "In the event that both teamsplete all the objectives, the team with the fastest time will secure victory. Remember, any restoration items, such as Potions, Pills, or Herbs, are banned during the Competition, andst but not least, if you have a Beastpanion or pet, you must have them in the capsule to use them. When ready, please enter your VR Capsules, and the countdown will begin."

    The referees split up like before, with one positioning himself beside the Romeoville team and the other by VSFA, and waited for them to begin.

    Derrek, the leader of Romeoville, cast a sidelong, worried nce at VSFA before turning and speaking in a hushed tone to his team. SRD was the event they were best at, and if they wanted to mount aeback after losing the Swarm event, this was their chance.

    However, to do so, they would need to break the record they setst year, a tall-order task.

    Unlike Romeoville''s Captain, Cynrik didn''t exchange words with his team and only nodded at them to open their capsules. In trained unison, all seven members of MyrkLys, Kurza included, stepped up, flipped thetch, and opened their capsules beforeying down calmly and closing the hatch.

    [[Gabby and the others are nervous¡­]] Brance stated upon sealing himself back in what he previously called a "screaming metal deathtrap."

    [[Yeah, I saw; although everyone but Kurza is good at hiding it, their micro posturing needs work.]] Tending to Sie and Vii, so they werefortable, Cynrik muttered and fed his ravens a cracker treat.

    [[It''s okay, Darling, not everyone is an emotionless robot like you on the outside.]] Rolling her eyes, Selene chimed in, earning a stifledugh out of Brance and a disapproving grunt from Cynrik.

    [[I hope you have a good n, Cyn, because those guys will be uber-fast on the uptake. I''ve watched the tape from their Record Break, and they lock onto the target in the first minute.]]

    [[Tsk, always the worrywart Brancie. I''ve got this in the bag. We may not break the record, but we will at least give Romeoville a run for their money. Three pets and a Benny are sufficient to pull off my idea, but you may not like it too much. Kuekuekue.]]

    Cynrik''s creepyugh at the end of his statement gave Brance a foreboding feeling as he sighed and closed his eyes, waiting for his consciousness to be transported to the harsh arctic tundra.

    Thirty secondster, he was assaulted on all sides by the worst cold he had ever felt, sending a chill all the way down to his bones and causing his teeth to chatter loudly.

    DING, DING DING

    Ignoring the notifications, Brance opened his eyes and noticed all of MyrkLys were beside him. Everyone had wrapped their arms around their bodies and could be seen shivering with chattering teeth. The only exception was Cynrik and Benny, who were already using their Fire Affinities to warm their bodies.

    Luckily, he didn''t have to suffer for long because Cynrik began barking orders. The first thing he had everyone do was swap out of the golden uniforms and into their Battle gear, which only took a few seconds. Then he dished out everyone''s roles one by one, addressing each member of MyrkLys in order of importance for the mission.

    "Milo, Sie, Vie, full-sized now," Waiting for half a beat for the two birds to grow, Cynrik coated his ravens in a thin protectiveyer of Fire Mana, equipped their gear with Mana strands, and tossed them into the air.

    "Benny, your goal is to keep us all warm from now until the end of the event. It won''t be easy, but I have faith in you." Flicking out his wrists, Cynrik released his grapple shots up toward Sie and Vii, which they easily caught in their talons.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Benny nodded and started increasing the temperature from below zero to afortable number. He did this by manifesting a thin dome around the group, warming everyone up.

    Looking from Benny to Gabby, who was in the process of gearing up Milo, Cynrik turned and faced Brance.

    "You have the hardest task; we are making a sled, so create a tformrge enough to fit everyonefortably and use your shields as the rails."

    "UGHH, my poor CS Tears¡­." Branceined aloud, but he didn''t hesitate to remove them from his back and toss them out equidistance from each other and set about building the tform.

    "Selene, I want you and Melody to keep the area in front of our mounts clear of snow."

    "Roger," The girls saluted Cynrik and began discussing how they would fulfill hismand.

    "Kurza, help out Sel and Melody by keeping their MP charged; as a Bishop, I know you have an MP replenish skill, so use it sparingly. Also, keep tabs on everyone''s HP; you''re our pocket healer, so pull your weight."

    Kurza nodded and double-checked that everyone was full on HP; having been in the cold for a few seconds, MyrkLys had already lost some health points, but he topped them off.

    "Gabby and Miloe here," Waving over the pair, Cynrik watched as Milo gingerly pawed at the snow since he had never seen it before.

    "Gabby. I want you to extend your Grap-shots and give them to Milo, and I need you to hold the reins attached to him on the sled with us. You can have him hold them in his mouth or secure them to his armor; either or works."

    "Also, tether yourself to Milo and me with a psychic link so that we can freelymunicate; I will tell you where we need to go, all you need to do is keep Milo running straight.

    Lastly, Cynrik turned to Milo and patted his big armored shoulder.

    "Alright big guy, I hope you are ready to run with all your might. Hang on tightly to the cable Gabby gives you. Although Sie and Vii also have my lines, their job is steering us in the right direction; you only need to keep an eye on them and run full speed. Got it? If you do a good job, I''ve got a bunch of treats for you when we get back to the condo." Patting Milo one more time, Cynrik stepped away and waved down Sie and Vii to fill them in on their task.

    Blinking a couple of times, Milo nodded and huffed loudly, indicating he understood Cynrik''s orders. Having such an important task, Milo knew better than to y around right now, and even though it was his first time in the cold, he was excited to show off.

    It took MyrkLys less than 45 seconds to gear up and get their n in order, and once ready, everyone boarded the makeshift sled. At the same time, Cynrik and Brance activated [Mana Sight] and stared ahead into the white abyss of a blizzard ten kilometers away.

    [[Sheesh, that storm is going to be a bitch to get through; Brancie keep an eye out for strong Mana signatures; my focus will be split between searching and keeping Vii and Sie warm as we move.]]

    Hopping up onto the sled, Cynrik looked to the north, where he spotted a vast mountain range. Then, holding his arms up and tightening the ck on his cable, Cynrik pulsed a soft wave of warm Fire Mana through it, alerting Sie and Vii that it was time to move.

    "Let''s do this shit, MYRKLYS, MOVE OUT!"

 Chapter 509 The Second Event: SRD- Search, Retrieve, Destroy (3)

    With a loud popping sound, all four Cold Steel cables went taught as Milo and the two Ravens pumped forward, causing the sled to slowly move forward before picking up speed.

    Within a few seconds, by thebined effort of the three pets, MyrkLys was gliding across the snow at well over 150 kilometers per hour (93 mph) and moving to the north, where small mountain peaks could barely be spotted through the heavy and dense snowstorm.

    ''Gabby, Milo, keep your eyes peeled; if you see anything out of the ordinary, be sure to call it out. Also, Milo, try to act as fiercely as possible to shy away from how intelligent you are; that means no talking. Since normally Beasts and Creatures need to reach Tier-4 to speak with themon tongue, you will give away the fact that you are special.''

    ''Kayyy,'' Gabby chirped as she sat down and fiddled with the support loops Brance had built into the sled. Since the only one who could keep hold of the reins without help would be Brance due to his STR stat being so high, he had created the small reinforced stone loops to hold onto the CS Cables.

    Milo grunted his reply and kept running full force with his head down, reducing the drag on his body and increasing his sleek aerodynamics. Even though thebined weight of MyrkLys and the solid stone sled was heavy, he had rtively little difficulty in pulling it, and with hisrge paws, which acted almost like snow shoes, he could efficiently run across the loosely packed fresh snow.

    ---

    Back in the studio, Cesar and Roni split up theirmentary, adding insight into each team''s choice of progression. Unlike the Swarm event, which could be considered fast-paced and exciting, it was generally the second two events that saw a drop in viewership.

    With the Tier-3 SRD event tending to go on for many hours because of howrge the maps generally were, there was a lot of dead air and small talk topics.

    Cesar: "As expected, the searchers of Romeoville have locked in on their target''s location and have begun their Teleportation Cycle. For thest three years, we have seen them use a very simr strategy in each SRD event, and their unique teamposition is primarily built around handling this event."

    Roni: "Indeed; however, it appears that Team Captain Derrek has once again increased the distance of his long-range teleportation skill. Last year, Derrek could jump his team in 600-meter gaps, but now he is approaching the 1km mark, with each teleport reaching roughly 800 meters." Turning her head from the monitor disying Romeoville to the one with MyrkLys on it, Roni narrowed her eyes before tapping the desk touch screen.

    Cynrik''s leadership was superb, and the way that his teammates followed his everymand without question was both intriguing and entertaining to see. With such extreme temperatures, it is not umon for young people to panic, which frequently happens when new teams drop into a barren wastnd for the SRD event.

    However, contrary to the norm, the VSFA team wasted no time before setting to work on an impressive feat. No oneined, nor did they mess up on their tasks. Brance built a sturdy structure, therge Cat Beast and Ravens took up the reins, Benjamin kept the temperature in check, assumingly using a Fire Affinity, the girls all had tasks, and even the team''s cleric was managing everyone''s Resource stats.

    This level of seamless cohesion was unseen in most teams, and it generally only presented itself in the higher brackets or with highly experiencedpetitors. Yet here was a group of first years students and a single veteran, an upperssman, putting on a clinic for what teamwork is SUPPOSED to look like.

    Pushing down her astonishment, Roni quickly checked their speed and nodded a couple of times before tracking how swiftly Romeoville was advancing.

    Roni: "The two teams are surprisingly close to one another regarding average speed and distance covered. In contrast to Romeoville, which needs to take a few minutes to recover after every teleportation, VSFA constantly stays on the move, making up any lost ground."

    Cesar: "Although that is true, Roni, there is a pretty big issue cropping up; from what I have heard from Romeoville''s teams, they have already located their target. In contrast, it isplete radio silence from VSFA. Instead of speaking, Cynrik uses unknown hand signals and a psychic thought transfer skill used by Gabrie Sanford, which can be recognized by the wire-thin Amethyst Mana thread connecting her to Cynrik and her Cat Beast."

    ---<novelnext></novelnext>

    Four hours and 600 kilometerster, Cynrik was beginning to grow frustrated. Over thest few hours, Milo, Vii, and Sie had been going strong, and because of their enthusiasm, MyrkLys had made significant headway on the snowy tundra terrain. Unfortunately, from what Cynrik could tell, they had only covered a little over half the distance to the target.

    Rubbing his chin and reactivating [Mana Sight] for the hundredth time since the event began, Cynrik impatiently scanned the horizon for any sign of Mana fluctuations and came up empty.

    Giving up his search of the much taller mountain range, Cynrik observed his faction and Milo and his Ravens and frowned upon seeing how low everyone''s resources stats had fallen.

    ''Milo, we will keep this up for another hour, and then we can take a break.'' Cynrik stated, earning him a tired chuff from therge Cat.

    Next, he looked up to Sie and Vii, who hadn''t slowed their ps since the trek began.

    ''Hang in there, you two; one more hour, and you can take a quick nap to recover.''

    In response, both Ravens cawed in excitement and pushed harder to help carry the ck and make it easier on their friend Milo.

    [[Are we stopping?]] Seeing the three animals reacting to something, Brance questioned as he made repairs on the sled, which constantly lost small amounts of durability the longer in use.

    [[Yeah, we still have upwards of three hours until we reach the mountain range, and there is no conceivable way those three hang in there that long. So we push forward for another hour and then take a one-hour break. That should give everyone enough time to recover their resource stats.]] Nodding and scanning the horizon again, Cynrik stated with a tired voice.

    [[Then what, darling? Once we stop, I mean¡­I do hope you don''t n on taking a nap in the middle of a blizzard¡­]] Selene started to say while cuddling up to her boyfriend for warmth, but when she noticed his passive expression, she frowned and smacked his arm.

    [[CYNRIK! If that is what you are nning, then you can fuck the hell right off. I HATE THE SNOW!]]

    [[Calm your tits, woman, I have a n, but it falls on Brancie and Benny to make it work.]]

    Upon hearing Cynrik say his name, Brance''s ears perked up, and he nced back from Cynrik to Benny.

    [[Operation IceBox is already bad enough, and us being outside in this environment unprotected is miserable enough without the fact it keeps ticking away our Resource stats. Not to mention my MP has fallen to 30% due to keeping Milo, Vii, and Sie warm.]] Cynrik was quick to correct Selene''s train of thought by rubbing his arm and rolling his eyes.

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 Chapter 510 The Second Event: SRD- Search, Retrieve, Destroy (4)

    When it came time for Cynrik to stop, hemanded the three animals pulling the sled to slow down. He had the Ravens drop their lines and retract them back into his Assassins tools while Milo slowed until there was ck in the line, and Gabby undid the cables from their loops before storing them away.

    ''Gabby, connect me to everyone,'' Cynrik said as he hopped off the stone sled and began channeling a decent amount of Fire Mana into his feet. Next, he expelled fire in a 30x30 meter radius, causing him to disappear under the snow as he created an open space free of snow and ice, burrowing down around 20 meters.

    Feeling the connections increasing in his mind as MyrkLys was added to the psychic link, Cynrik looked up from the bottom of his big hole in the snow and addressed his group.

    ''Alright, listen up; first things first, everyone get in the hole. We will rest for an hour and a half before continuing to the mountain range. Benny, I need you to use your Ice Affinity and solidify the snow into solid ice. Brance, your task is to increase the width of the sled so that we can use it as a roof, creating a makeshift shelter.''

    ''Everyone else, you just need to pull out your camping gear and rx, get your Resource stats back to max capacity because we have a big battle ahead of us in the next few hours, and I don''t want any ckers.''

    At his order, the members of MyrkLys moved into action, first by jumping down into the hole and getting out of the harsh gale force winds and numbing cold.

    Once out of the wind, the girls were the first to thank Cynrik before setting up their tents and burying themselves under nkets to warm up.

    Between Brance and Benny''s efforts, the team was soon free from the harsh weather and tucked away in individual tents'' warmth. Everyone but Cynrik and Brance, that is, who sat in the direct center of the hole with the tents circling them.

    In between the brothers was a small campfire, and to allow the smoke to exit the shelter, Cynrik had used his Grap-shot to create a makeshift chimney in the ice.

    [[Let me guess, you haven''t seen a single trace of our target either.]] Brance asked with his eyes closed and sitting in the lotus position.

    [[Yeah¡­it''s bullshit. Like I knew this map would be massive, but even traveling at full speed, the mountains still looked like a bunch of fingers in the distance. Luckily, we can see through the blizzard, and with both of us on the lookout, we can be sure nothing has been missed.]] Heaving a sigh and leaning back on his outstretched arms, Cynrik gazed through the frozen snow and sled with [Mana Sight], trying to get a glimpse of anything resembling their target.

    ''Well, now that we aren''t moving, I can give it a shot.'' Blinking a couple of times before closing his eyes and tapping on his eyelids, Cynrik activated his [Dynamic Lens] skill, allowing him to zoom in and out by applying adequate amounts of Mana.

    He had tried this earlier, but due to the bumpy ride caused by uneven ground, all it did was make him carsick and almost throw up. However, now that he was stationary, Cynrik figured there was no time like the present to give it a try.

    Thest time he used the skill was when he was trying to locate the dongles hidden in the Aether Capsules; however, that and this were two opposite things. Instead of magnifying his vision to see more minor things and limiting the amount of information streaming to his brain from his ocr nerves, now he was about to overload said nerves with A LOT of information.

    Cynrik took a deep breath as his pupils contracted and glowed faintly in a quadricolor glow. Starting off slow, Cynrik spun up the skill and zoomed in to 1.5x zoom before slowly increasing the number by 0.5x every few seconds. However, the moment Cynrik reached 5x zoom, he felt a headache blooming, but even then, he didn''t stop as he slowly increased the magnification.

    That all changed when he reached 10x Zoom. Instantly, his head spun, and a nauseous feeling nearly overcame Cynrik before he could control the burning and aching sensation in his eyes and head.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Knowing he couldn''t keep this up for long, Cynrik scanned from left to right as fast as possible before mming his eyes shut and covering them with his right hand while deactivating [Mana Sight] and the zoom skill.

    [[Fuck¡­that hurts.]] Cynrikined as he weakly opened his now bloodshot eyes back up and squinted to look at his brother.

    [[What hurts? Sigh, don''t tell me you did some dangerous experiment with your body again¡­look, Cyn, I shouldn''t have to tell you this, but it really isn''t the time to be messing around; you should rest and recoup your lost resource stats.]]

    Lazily opening his eyes and scolding his older brother with a stern tone and worried expression, Brance noticed how Cynrik''s eyes looked as if he had held them open for a whole day under the water in a heavily chlorinated pool.

    [[Holy shit, what the hell happened to your eyes? Are you good?]] He asked while leaning forward and handing Cynrik a damp cloth.

    [[Yeah, it''s no biggy; I used that zoom-in skill I made before the passing down, called [Dynamic Lens]. I may have pushed my eyes a bit too far, but aside from the minor inconveniences, I am fine¡­plus¡­]] Cynrik''s voice trailed off as a smirk crept onto his lips, and he pointed to the left, toward the northwest side of the circr hole.

    [[280 clicks 11 o-clock, Nnw, is where we are heading.]] However, a second after Cynrik said that he frowned and started rubbing his chin, drawing a curious look from Brance.

    Even though he wanted to ask what was on Cynrik''s mind, Brance recognized his brother''s posture and gestures as his "deep thought" indicators and knew better than to break Cynrik''s concentration. That is, if he even could, considering when he fell into that "state," Cynrik zones out everything and everyone.

    And Brance was 100% correct in his assessment of Cynrik''s actions. Right now, he was in a world of his own, trying to digest everything he had seen in those few short seconds. When the usual means of data analysis failed to suffice, Cynrik huffed loudly, closed his eyes, and fell onto his back.

    ''When in doubt, recreate everything. Sigh, I guess it''s time to bring out all the old ys right now.'' Cynrik thought as he lulled himself into a calm state and activated an ability he hadn''t used in a very,¡­very long time.

    Controlling his breathing and heart rate, Cynrik fell into a meditative state; a few secondster, he opened his eyes, and nothing had visibly changed in the makeshift shelter¡­except for the fact that it was now perfectly silent and it seemed as if time had frozen.

    Calmly standing up and observing the frozen campfire, Cynrik muttered the skill''s name.

    "Legacy Tier Skill: [Mindscape]." Then he closed his eyes again and felt a rush run through his body.

    When Cynrik opened them up again, he had traveled 280 Kilometers away from the shelter and stood at the mouth of a cave 80 meters tall and 60 meters wide. Standing not far away from him, inside the cave, were over 50 unmoving hulking humanoid white-furred creatures.

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 Chapter 511 The Second Event: SRD- Search, Retrieve, Destroy (5)

    Standing not far away from Cynrik, scattered about in irregr intervals inside the cave, were over 50 unmoving hulking humanoid white-furred creatures.

    "Fifty by the mouth of the cave," Cynrik mused aloud as he calmly walked past the frozen-in-time creatures. Coming to a stop before the biggest one of the batch, Cynrik used his [Analyze] skill on them and learned they were called Artic Mountain Primates. Even more impressive, most of the creatures he looked at all had a power of Peak Tier-3, with thergest being Initial Tier-4.

    Nodding his head, Cynrik continued down the vast expansive cave, traveling deep into the bowels of the rock formation, making his way down hundreds of meters. Every so often, he would encounter small groups of Artic Mountain Primates, unmoving yet going about their daily lives, indicating they had both intelligence and culture, something Cynrik found astounding.

    Eventually, after a few minutes of walking, the cave system opened up into a massive cavern, not unlike the Cavern of Dorms back at VSFA, except it was filled to the brim with glowing ice crystals and Mana Gems of every variation of Water Mana.

    Narrowing his eyes and approaching what appeared to be a small vige ofrge huts, Cynrik walked toward thergest one and, since there were no doors, could locate a colossal boulder made of the purest Ice Mana he had everid eyes on.

    "Well, shit, this makes things difficult." Opening the notification he had received upon entering the SRD event, Cynrikpared the Gem in front of him to a picture in the notification window, confirming that this massive Gem was the Retrieval Object.

    "It has to be way over a ton¡­" walking up and giving it a swift kick, Cynrik quickly determined there was no usible way for him to move the boulder-sized Mana Gem. At a loss, he quickly sat down in front of it, falling into thought as he examined his surroundings for any potential retrieval route.

    By the time he felt the world around him copsing, a sign that he had reached the limit of his [Mindscape] Skill, Cynrik still hadn''te up with a "good" option toplete the mission and sighed heavily, before closing his eyes and feeling his world shift.

    [Cyn¡­Cyn¡­CYNRIK, It''s been an hour and a half; you need to wake up.]

    Secondster, Brance''s voice came into his head, causing Cynrik to open his eyes groggily.

    [Yeah¡­I''m up, Brance; we''ve got a problem.] Cynrik replied while shaking his head to clear the cobwebs and stretching out his back, which was sore from lying on the ground for over an hour. His eyes were then drawn to the campfire, where he noticed that the group had stored all their gear and sat around it, staring at him for answers.

    With a wave of his hand toward Gabby, Cynrik had the younger girl set up a psychic link, tethering him to every member of MyrkLys, the two ravens nestled on Selene''sp, and Milo.

    ''Well, I''ve got good and bad news, guys.'' Cynrik started as everyone''s attention fell on him.

    ''The good news is that I''ve located the target location and our retrieval object. Two hundred eighty clicks (1 click = 1 kilometer), Nnw, is an extensive cavework carved into the side of a mountain. It is easy to miss from the outside; however, we won''t have that problem.'' Crossing his legs and leaning forward by propping his elbows on his knees, Cynrik exined the enemy''s position, numbers, and strength, earning him a curt nod from everyone except Kurza.

    When the topic of Peak Tier-3 and Initial Tier-4 creatures was mentioned, Kurza''s face turned pale, unlike the rest of MyrkLys, who had been training against stronger opponents for some time.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''It doesn''t seem too terrible, most of our battle formations work againstrger groups, and we can use one or two of the War formations. But Cyn, what is the "Bad" news you mentioned?'' Brance asked curiously. Having juste off the Swarm Event and unbothered by Peak Tier-3 or even Initial Tier-4 creatures, he was more interested in what Cynrik considered bad news.

    ''Sigh, well¡­it can''t be me that goes in for the objective. Using my recreation skill, [Mindscape], I was able to recreate everything I saw in those couple of minutes using my [Dynamic Lens]¡­'' Cynrik paused when he noticed the confused looks the other members of MyrkLys were giving him.

    ''[Mindscape] allows me to create a virtualized world based on my memory. While [Dynamic Lens] allows me to zoom my vision in up to 12 times the normal distance. Using my ocr skill, I scanned our surroundings while increasing the zoom on my eyesight until I located the enemy encampment, then using the information, I rebuilt it to explore.''

    After exining, the confused looks turned into those of admiration, but Cynrik ignored them and looked at Brance and Benny.

    ''The object is too heavy for someone like me, who has a DEX-basedbat potential to lift. So instead of our usual method of extraction, you two will need to infiltrate the base, a small vige buried deep in the center of the mountain, and work together to retrieve a well over one ton Mana Gem.''

    ''Fuck¡­you said over a ton¡­Cyn, not only is it problematic sending Benny and me down when my stealth skill is easily broken, but even if we do make it down there, we will need to lift something that heavy together. The walk back up to the surface will take ages, especially if we have to fend off enemies.'' Leaning back on his hands, Brance looked at the stone sled covering the makeshift shelter and tried to find the best course of action.

    ''Yeah¡­I know; that''s why it won''t be only you two going down there. Selene, I am tasking you with providing them cover andbining your Shadow-based stealth skills with Brance''s Light-based ones. Getting down is easy, but on the way back up, it will be up to you to keep them safe.''

    ''Worst case scenario, Brance can slot in as the pocket healer for your squad, but even then, he and Benny will be forced to drop the object long enough for him to render medical assistance.''

    ''Meanwhile, while the team is split in half, Gabby, Melody, Kurza, and I will enter rangedbat with the fifty-plus Yetis. Kurza, you will be in charge of keeping our MP topped off, and if, for some reason, anyone gets hurt, well, I don''t need to tell you what to do in the scenario.'' Shrugging his shoulders before getting back to his feet, Cynrik clicked his tongue, causing Sie and Vii to look up at him from Selene''sp.

    [[Hehe, it looks like they love Mommy more than Daddy now.]] Selene teased while scratching the two ravens under their chins, which they clearly enjoyed due to how they squinted their eyes in pleasure before pushing against her hand.

    [[Tsk, stop spoiling them so much, woman; I need battle pets, not spoiled brats like Milo.]] Cynrik snapped while tilting his head in Milo''s direction.

    [[Oh, piss off Cyn; Milo isn''t spoiled¡­he just likes the finer things in life.]] Brance tried to defend his girlfriend''s cat, but even he felt the opposite of his words upon looking at Milo munching away on a bowl of snacks while wearing a knitted hat and a tiny sweater vest. When Gabby noticed Brance''s gaze, she smiled warmly at him, making Brance feel incredibly guilty.

    [[Ok, fine, Milo''s spoiled rotten¡­]] Brance conceded without fighting back.

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 Chapter 512 The Second Event: SRD- Search, Retrieve, Destroy (6)

    In the Pinhurst Mansion, everyone had left the living room and was sitting in the kitchen. It had been over an hour since MyrkLys had halted their progression. Upon realizing there wouldn''t be any change to the children''s Event due to Cynrik practically sealing them from the world in the shelter, Jessup decided it was dinner time.

    During their meal, everyone was rtively silent as they digested everything they had witnessed during the Swarm event. The final minutes of which, Cinyah was unable to watch.

    At that time, only Rikard and Jessup didn''t take their eyes off the screen, while everyone else was forced to look away.

    "The SRD event is going well; the kids are making good time and have gained a significant amount of ground on their opponents," Jessup stated as he finished his dinner and went to wash dishes.

    "It''s to be expected, though. Unlike our kids, who went into it following the n Cynrikid out, that group from Romeoville relies solely on their leader for transportation. As such, they find themselves stopping too frequently while losing ground to Milo, Viisaus, and Sielu, who constantly stay on the move." Cinyah cut in as she shooed off Jessup and took over washing the dishes.

    "However, it''s good that Cyn had everyone take a break; I am sure those poor little ones are dead tired after pulling the sled for five hours straight. Especially Milo, who has to carry the most weight." Standing beside her best friend, Maeve took the clean dishes and dried them by hand.

    "The distribution of tasks was handled well; Cynrik has a good grasp on everyone''s abilities and didn''t give them anything out of their wheelhouse. It was intricately nned out and executed to perfection. Having Selene and Melody handle the iing snow, Benny keeping everyone warm, and Gabby keeping Milo on course." Mrs. Sanford said as she scrolled through some highlights showing her daughter and son in action.

    "True, but Brance has the most difficult task besides the ones given to the pets. If you watch, he is constantly making adjustments and patching up any holes cropping up in the sled, not to mention the durability of his weapons is steadily dropping by using them as skis." Jessup added.

    "I wonder what they are doing in the snow shelter right now¡­." Still sitting at the kitchen table, Aiden spoke up, drawing all the adults'' attention since he had been quiet for the most part after seeing the impressive disy of Cynrik and Brance in the Swarm event.

    "That¡­honestly, I am sure everyone except Cyn and Brancie probably bundled themselves in nkets and are napping. But those two are likely trying to devise a plot on what to do upon reaching their target location." Rikard tapped his chin several times with his index finger in thought before breaking the silence.

    "Roni and Cesar already showed us what the Artic Mountain Primates'' stats and level look like and how many exist in those caves. Based on what Cynrik and Brancie showed during the swarm event, they alone could handle those creatures, so adding in the rest of the team makes fighting the AMP easy work. It''s that Mana Gem that throws a wrench in their ns." Finishing up the dishes and joining the conversation, Cinyah added.

    "Brancie filled me in on their initial strategy, which involves sending Cynrik in to recover the object, but from the looks of things, it won''t be possible anymore. Instead, they will need to send Benny and Brancie to hoist that huge Gem and carry it back up, and THAT poses many potential problems." Sighing ruefully and hoping everything turns out well, Cinyah returned to the living room just in time to see the stone sled sliding away from the hole and MyrkLys popping out of their shelter, fresh and fully recovered.

    ---

    In the studio, Cesar and Roni were following the struggles of Romeoville as they fought through the blizzards and deep snow before teleporting. Unlike MyrkLys, who had taken around two hours to recover, Romeoville''s downtime increased steadily after each teleportation.

    Roni: "Oh, it seems VSFA have decided it''s time to go on the move again and are leaving the safety and warmth of their makeshift shelter. Hm¡­well, that is interesting." Pausing and zooming in on Cynrik with the aid of the touch screen controls on the desk, Roni noticed the direction Cynrik was facing.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It wasn''t until she watched Cynrik making gestures and MyrkLys setting up the sled again that she broke into a broad smile and plotted their course on screen for the viewers to see.

    Cesar: "If that isn''t confirmation, then I don''t know how to make it much more transparent. Cynrik Jetlensr of VSFA has, without a doubt, located the Target Search Location from nearly 300 kilometers away."

    Using the plotted chart Roni was making, Cesar excitedlypared VSFA''s approach to the one created for Romeoville and analyzed it for everyone watching.

    Cesar: "After spending five hours trekking north, VSFA is finally on the hunt and have started directing themselves North by North West, and as you can see on the graph here, if they stay on course, they will end up EXACTLY at their targeted destination, ande in contact with the Artic Mountain Primates."

    Cesar: "If they continue moving forward at the speed they spent the better part of the first half of their adventure, then VSFA will arrive at the cave system a full two hours ahead of Romeoville, putting them in the lead by a significant margin."

    Roni: "Cesar, have you not realized it yet." Cutting in and pinching Cesar''s waist, Roni pointed at the digital clock on the screen with slightly widened eyes.

    Moving his eyes toward the direction Roni''s finger pointed, Cesar''s face turned ash white as realization dawned on him, and he sputtered incoherently with beads of sweat running down his face.

    Noticing herpanion''s reaction, Roni smiled and folded her hands on the desk before addressing the cameras.

    Roni: "Although it is still early, and I can''t be certain, there is a good chance that VSFA will make another run at a National Record. Presently they are three hours ahead of the National record set by Romeovillest year. However, the hard part of the Event hasn''t even begun yet."

    Roni: "Arriving at the Search location is only one of the three goals, and generally, teams lose the most time in this portion of the Event. But we may likely see that upon arriving at the location, the members of VSFA''s Tier-3 team may struggle to retrieve the extremely heavy Mana Gem.

    Roni: "The primary reason that Romeoville was able to break the recordst year was because of Derrek''s teleportation skill allowing him to bring therge Mana Gem to the surface instantly while his team eliminated the creatures."

    Roni: "If VSFA can''t sessfully clear the final two hurdles of the Event in the two-hour gap between themselves and Romeoville, they will not only lose the second Event, but we could also see Romeoville setting a new, even faster record thanst year."

    Cesar: "It wille down to the nitty gritty this time, folks. So if you are watching from home, I sure hope you have a snack and drink and are in for the long haul because the Round One SRD Event just got a whole lot more interesting."

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 Chapter 513 The Second Event: SRD- Search, Retrieve, Destroy (7)

    **Here''s thest Bonus Chapter I owe you all; betterte than never,**

    ---

    As expected, after about two hours on the road, Cynrik andpany arrived some distance from the mountain range and slowed to a halt half a kilometer from the cave entrance.

    Calling the pets to a stop and unhooking them from the sled, Cynrik shrouded everyone under cover of his stealth skill and brought them together to ensure everyone knew their job.

    Once everyone confirmed their task, Brance paused and looked over at Milo, who had shrunk back down. He was supposed to leave immediately with Benny and Selene, but he had an idea of his own, so he pulled Cynrik aside and spoke to him.

    [Cyn, I have an idea, but I want to run it past you before I do anything.] Brance said as he looked away from Milo and at his brother.

    [Hm? Oh¡­that isn''t a bad idea, to be honest.] Noticing Brance paying a lot of attention to the cat resting in Gabby''s arms, Cynrik caught on to his brother''s train of thought.

    [Let me guess, you want to do what we did to get here on a smaller scale, with you, Benny, and Milo pulling a tform. As I said, it''s not a terrible idea, but I''ve got a better one.] Tapping his chin like his father, Cynrik formted a n on the fly before exining it to Brance.

    [From what I observed in the cave, the walls, ceiling, and floor are all made of simr stone to what you used to make the sled. Meaning your Terra Affinity should allow you to manipte those particles. There is, however, a heavy presence of Water Mana and Ice Mana in that rock, unlike near the spawn location.] Wiggling his nose and sniffling, Cynrik continued exining.

    [Get in there first, and double-check that you can even mold that rock, and if you can, mold the stone into a makeshift tform and go Earth Bender on it, like how you skate. That way, you can use Benny and Selene as guardians or vanguards. The only downside is the noise you will create; it''s not like rock sliding on rock will be quiet, and you will draw a lot of attention.]

    [Also, don''t forget, Milo is already tired from dragging all our heavy asses here in the first ce, so I''m notfortable throwing him into the fray without sufficient rest. If he was the same Tier as us, sure, go for it, but right now, he can only provide support and movement for Gabby during our battle.]

    [Don''t get me wrong, Brancie, that was a good idea, and under different circumstances, I''d give you the go-ahead, but there are too many factors against it.]

    [Not to mention, I n to have the majority of the Yetis wiped out before you guys return; that way, we can cruise through the end stages of the event.] Patting Brance on the shoulder, Cynrik looked over at Benny and nodded toward Selene.

    [Got it; I will give it a shot once we enter the cave¡­if I can''t manipte the stone, then we have to go with your n, which means we will be in for a tedious and long task.] Unperturbed that his n was shut down before manifesting, Brance epted the assignment and walked over to the other two to confirm everyone was up for the task.

    Only then did Selene, Brance, and Benny peel off from the group and begin nking around to the right side of the cave, with Benny erasing their tracks in the snow while they moved.

    Using [Mana Sight], Cynrik monitored the approach of what hebeled B-Squad *Brance, Selene, Benny* and had C-Squad *Cyn, Gabby, Melody, and Kurza* move around to the left side of the cave, leaving the sled behind.

    ''Everyone, hold up here; wait until I give you the signal, and then I want Gabby and Mel to bomb the mouth of the cave. You don''t have any specific target, but be sure you don''t copse the ceiling and block the entrance.'' Speaking through the psychic link established by Gabby, Cynrik had everyone hide behind a snow bank and use the snowstorm as cover while watching B-Squad get closer to the cave.

    [[Brance, stall for a second; we will shell the cave and draw out the enemies lying in wait.]] Cynrik stated while targeting the fourteen or so Yetis meandering close to the mouth of the cave.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [[Copy,]] reaching forward and tapping Benny on the shoulder, B-squad slowed to a halt around 40 meters from the cave and waited.

    BOOOOM, BOOOM, BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM

    They didn''t have to wait long because about 10 secondster, hundreds of ranged attacks exploded loudly. Abination of [Psy-Bomb], [Air Missle], and [Fireball] rained down on the area directly in front of the cave sending tremors through the ground and causing a loud chorus of primal grunts and hoots from inside the cave.

    Secondster, over a dozen hulking Yetis charged out of the cave with their head on a swivel as the second wave of attacks fell from the sky directly on their heads.

    Seeing the second volleynd, Brance squeezed Selene and Benny''s shoulders, a sign to move, and B-Squad ran forward, brushing past the injured and confused Yetis unnoticed before entering the cave.

    Cynrik watched as B-Squad cleanly infiltrated the cave and gave themand to unleash the third volley of attacks, which chipped away at the Yetis'' health upon making contact with their target.

    The second volley had only done around 15% damage to each creature, and the third chipped off even less since, this time around, the Yetis were prepared and blocked themselves using an unknown type of Ice Shield skill the likes Cynrik had never seen before.

    Clicking his tongue, Cynrik signaled for Melody to move right and Gabby to the left before slowly walking forward. Wearing a cocky smirk, he dropped his hood and began executing ninja hand signs again, opting to go for a different Jutsu.

    "Katon: Fukus¨± no Kaky¨± no Jutsu!" Using a crystal clear and emotionless tone, Cynrik made a ring with his thumb and index finger, brought it to his lips, and began rapidly spitting out baseball-sized balls of fire. It wasn''t just a couple either; in less than a minute, Cynrik surrounded himself with over a thousand purple fireballs.

    The immense heat of which parted the snowstorm, revealing himself and the bright glowing purple orbs of fire floating around his body like a demonic omen.

    Then, raising his hand and swiping in the direction of the dozen or so Yeti''s Cynrik uttered a single word¡­

    "Burn." And at that moment, Hell itself descended on the arctic tundra stunningly.

    ---

    Roni and Cesar were stunned silent as Cynrik pulled another amazingly shy move out of his bag of tricks.

    Cesar: "Cynrik is using yet another one of his unknown Fire Affinity Skills under what we have dubbed the "Katon Series." This time, manifesting hundreds, if not thousands, of fist-sized purple fireballs.

    Roni: "I have never heard of the Katon Series of Fire Skills or Techniques before, but so far, from the two he has shown, it must be an impressive skillset, potentially a Legacy Series Skill Set passed down to him. I can only imagine how potent these skills will be once he grows in strength and Tier."

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 Chapter 514 The Second Event: SRD- Search, Retrieve, Destroy (8)

    Brance''s eyes never stopped darting around as he, Selene, and Benny slowly descended into the depths of the cave system. In the distance, the faint rumbling of thunderous explosions lightly shook the cavern walls, freeing batches of dust or rock fragments every so often.

    [Cyn, wanna take it easy with the explosions up there. Every volley rocks this whole ce, and if you keep it up, there may be a cave-in due to your recklessness.] Branceined after losing track of how often he felt the ground shake.

    [Easier said than done, little brother, we''ve got over forty Yetis staring us down right now, and if I don''t put out enough AOE chip damage, then there is no way to keep them in check.]

    Brance was unaware that Cynrik and the rest of C-Squad had moved from the Cave 400 meters due to the influx of new enemies. Even so, their bombardment could still be felt from such a distance.

    Shaking his head and sending back some discouraging words, Brance continued navigating the winding maze of underground tunnels.

    B-Squad crept quietly, careful not to make any noise since if they did, the two Stealth skills hiding them could easily be broken if Brance or Selene''s concentration was broken.

    Having noticed theck of enemies as time went on, Brance eventually found an indentation in one of the caves and called his squad to a halt before having them tuck their bodies into the recessed and rocky area.

    Selene and Benny knew what Brance was doing, so they posted up on either side of the open position and watched opposite ends of the tunnel, with Selene watching the way they came from and Benny the way they were heading.

    Once the other two were in position, Brance ced his hand against the smooth, cool rock and focused on one point before attempting to take control of the Mana particles.

    At first, there was no response, causing Brance to frown because of the high concentration of Water and Ice particles mixed in with the Terra particles. It took about a minute for him to see some movement in the Terra Mana Particles, and when he noticed this movement, Brance pushed his arm forward, causing his hand to begin sinking into the wall as if it were made from sand instead of stone.

    Exhaling softly in relief, Brance disengaged his hand, bringing out a small pir of deep blue rock in the shape of a handle.

    [[Status report on the so-called "Earth Bender Shit," although it''s difficult, and the conversion ratio of My own Mana to the Ambient Mana is abysmal, I can confirm that n B is sustainable.]] Brance said after turning around and tapping Benny and Selene on the shoulder to continue their descent.

    ---

    Hundreds of meters away above ground, Cynrik smirked upon receiving this information and drew both his Kodachi. With Brance able to make a speedy exit after retrieving the Objective, all that was left was for him and the rest of C-Squad to wipe out all the enemies above ground and move in to clear the evacuation route of Yetis.

    ''Just got word from Brance, he can manipte the underground Terra particles, so target practice is done, move in and eliminate anything that breathes.'' With that said, both of Cynrik''s kodachis burst into mes, and he rushed forward into battle with a slightly crazed look.

    ---

    In the studio, Roni flinched when she saw Cynrik change his n at the drop of a hat and rush forward to meet the well over forty hulking creatures with two ming swords.

    Roni: "Either by design or impatience, whatever Brance Jetlensr just did to that wall was taken as a signal, causing Cynrik and his group to move forward, switching from ranged and suppressivebat into close quarters.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Cesar: "It must have something to do with Brance''s Terra Affinity; oh, THAT is a brilliant Idea." Suddenly piecing together what was happening, Cesar began exining his theory.

    Cesar: "Cynrik has proven he is anything but a fool, and he must have some idea of the size of their Objective. Thus, he sent down the two physically strongest team members hoping they could carry the Mana Gem to the surface."

    Cesar: "However, I believe he sent his brother down with a secondary goal, to see if his Affinity will work on the rocky underground tunnels. As you may have noticed, the Cave has a very high density of Water and Ice Mana Particles, making it difficult for Terra Users to manipte the terrain."

    Cesar: "But what if the very same Terra user who created a makeshift sled could replicate that process underground and create a smaller one to carry the Objective to the surface?"

    Finishing his statement, Cesar followed up by pulling up the camera drones following Brance''s group, which had been switched over to a special lens, allowing everyone to see them even under the use of Selene and Brance''s stealth skills.

    Roni: "If that is the case, then yes, it would exin Cynrik''s sudden change of pace; however, there is a pretty big issue here that isn''t being addressed¡­how are they able tomunicate. From what we know, Gabrie Sanford is the only Psychic User on the VSFA Tier-3 Team, and she is topside fighting alongside Cynrik and the others."

    Cesar: "That is something I do not have the answer for; it ismon knowledge that Watcets and mostmunication technology don''t work in the world created with the VR Capsule. So they must have some other means to transmit information between themselves."

    Cesar scratched his cheek in thought before something on the left monitor caught his attention, and he gasped loud enough to pull Roni''s attention away from VSFA.

    Cesar: "Romeoville has lost their first teammate due to the intense weather presented. The youngest member of their group could not keep up and, in a ruthless disy by the Team Captain, was left behind to die in the storm."

    Cesar: "That isn''t all either; since Derrek no longer has to carry six people, the cost of his Teleportation has dropped enough that he can further increase the distance he can jump, as well as reduce the recovery time."

    While Cesar exined, Roni started crunching the numbers and frowned when she noticed a few inconsistencies that couldn''t be brought about by reducing the weight Derrek needed to carry.

    Roni: "Cesar, we have grossly underestimated how much Derrek''s spatial skill has grown. Based on the reading I am getting back and the calctions I''ve conducted, he has a far greater range than previously analyzed."

    Roni: "That isn''t all, I am not sure if he is under a lot of pressure due to the intensity of the snowstorm or has grown impatient due to losing the first event, but he is now pushing himself far more than thest several hours. So by my estimate, Romeoville will arrive at the Target location in 35 minutes, a far cry from the initial 2 hours we predicted."

    On-screen, Derrek had everyone linking through physical contact as he jumped 1500 meters, rested for thirty seconds, then jumped 500, covering 2km in the time it previously took him 15 minutes to cover.

    ? This increase in speed was a drastic change from how he traversed most of the map, creating the fa?ade that he was impatient or had been holding back, when in reality, he had been monitoring their time and pushing ahead to attempt a record break.

    Derrek was already aware that the only way to guarantee the W for his Team in this round was if he broke the record he setst year. Even then, he still needed to win the next event; this way, he would trigger a tiebreaker giving Romeoville a chance at beating VSFA.

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 515 The Second Event: SRD- Search, Retrieve, Destroy (9)

    Fifteen minutes after discovering he could manipte the cave walls with his Terra Affinity, Brance brought B-squad to a stop at a ledge overlooking a vast, open cavern filled with primitive huts.

    Crouching behind an outcropping of boulders with Benny and Selene nearby, Brance''s eyes narrowed as he analyzed the cavern and its inhabitants below.

    Frantically running around like a swarm of ants, Yetis in many different sizes and shapes ran around the vige, gathering primitive weapons, barking orders, and rushing away from the safety of their homes toward what Brance assumed was an exit to the surface.

    However, one thing stuck out to Brance: theck of what he could describe as children. The weakest creature he spotted was early Tier-3; it stood a full head and a half taller than his impressive height.

    [Cyn, you''ve got over a hundred bogeys iing.] Brance reported after clearing his guilty conscience, thanks to remembering this was only a simtion.

    Unlike Cynrik, who had no hesitation whenmitting Genocide or acts of mass murder, Brance shied away from the idea. Although these creatures had some form of intelligence andmunity, Brance knew they weren''t real. The only thing that would have frozen him in ce as if there were children, even If they weren''t human, killing younglings didn''t sit well with the kindest of the two Jetlensr Brothers.

    ---

    Above ground, Cynrik slid in the snow on his knees and avoided a bombardment of Icicles from the Yeti mages positioned in the back line of the enemy group.

    [Tsk, a hundred plus, you say. Any equipment, or are they sticking with skills?]

    Spinning and kicking out with his left leg, Cynrik tripped one of the Melee Yetis before decapitating it with an X-cross sh of both Kodachi.

    WOOSH, WOOSH WOSSH, WOOSH, WOOSH.

    Staying down for half a second, Cynrik felt five objects whizz passed his head, bolts from Gabby''s crossbow, and jumped back to his feet in time to watch all five attacks pierce through a Yeti''s Mana shield and into its head, putting it out ofmission.

    ---

    In the Cavern, Brance monitored the evacuating Yetis carefully with [Mana Sight].

    [Around 125 to be exact, and yes, they have primitive weapons, such as clubs, spears, and bows. Be advised that they are on the move in droves of six, with an ETA of five to seven minutes. Their path is way shorter than what we used to make it down here.]

    As he spoke, Brance spotted an elderly-looking Yeti, who seemed twice the size of the others with Grey fur instead of white, staying back, alone by thergest hut in the vige.

    This grey Yeti saw off thest of the group before it turned around and observed the ledges surrounding the vige with narrowed hazel eyes. It was as if the creature was searching for something, and when Brance noticed its line of sight getting close to his location, he motioned for Selene and Benny to drop to their bellies before doing the same thing and hiding.

    When Brance was sure the coast was clear and the Yeti had retreated into its home, he signaled to move forward. With only a single, albeit strong, Yeti remaining in the vige, Brance didn''t want to take any chances of alerting the group who had left to their presence.

    Until the over 100 creatures werepletely gone, he wasn''t going to risk that gray one yelling for help; thus, everyone stayed stealth while slowly and carefully climbing down the ledge, dropping nearly 200 meters to the ground below.<novelnext></novelnext>

    With a couple of hand signs to Selene and Benny, B-squad split up, with Benny and Selene going around the left side of the vige and Brance the right.

    The reason for thisbination was simple, Selene could keep herself and Benny shrouded in darkness. At the same time, Brance could bend the light around himself, allowing everyone to stay hidden until the moment of attack.

    Walking through the oddly spaced huts and makeshift homes, Brance began channeling Terra Mana into both of his hands and feet and, along the way, slowly started umting small chunks of bluish rock, which he had floated in the air silently behind him.

    He had opted for using this method to construct the sled because of how time-consuming it would be to try and create a full-sized sled in one go; that and the sheer amount of his own Mana it would take to do so was way too counterproductive.

    Making his way slowly through the vige, he eventually came to a stop two houses down from thergest one, where both the Gray Yeti and the Mana Gem were located, and took a knee while using a hut as cover to assemble his sled.

    Luckily, unlike the stone huts in the First Egress he entered, [Mana Sight] could prate the walls. Thus he knew precisely howrge the Gem was and the location of the now-sleeping Gray Yeti.

    [[Sel, get ready; I am almost done with the sled. When I give the go-ahead, move in using your Shadow cloud skill thingy, sneak up on the big guy, and kill it while it''s sleeping.]] Brance said as he put the finishing touches on the 10x15 meter stone sled.

    He had added a mounting for the Gem, as well as handholds for Benny, Selene, and himself, and by taking over as the "engine," all Brance had to do was supply an appropriate amount of Mana to the sled''s skis, and it would glide with ease over the terrain.

    [[Copy, how strong is it?]] Rolling out her shoulders and taking a runner''s stance, Selene asked. Having seen the creature, she had her guesses about how strong it was, but it didn''t hurt to ask since she knew Brance, like Cynrik, had a personal method of determining a being''s Tier and power level.

    [[Roughly Initial Tier-4. But keep on guard; something doesn''t sit right with me. They seem too smart for mindless creatures; hell, not only do they live inplexmunities, but they also use tools.]] Brance said as he spied on the sleeping Gray Yeti again.

    [[That''s because they aren''t mindless monkeys. Sel, be advised, every single one of these fucking Yetis has a shield skill. Not only is it a rigid shell of ice, but from what I can tell, it draws almost no power and once broken, there is only a 10-second CD before they can use it again.]]

    Just when Brance was about to give Selene the go-ahead to move out, Cynrik''s voice infiltrated the party chat, causing him and Selene to freeze in ce.

    [[Aside from the Mana Shield, they have sses, Warrior, Archer, Mage, and theplementary skills to back it up. It would be best to hit it hard and fast to eliminate the Vige Chief. If you fail to do so, stay on your toes and do NOT, under ANY circumstances, use your Abyss Affinity, Understood?]] Cynrik didn''t wait for a response as he fell silent in the chat and went back to fighting.

    [[Fuck, well, I guess my backup n won''t work then. Alright, Brancie, what do we do?]] Selene asked while looking in the direction she knew he was posted up hiding.

    [[Bring Benny. The two of you canbine your efforts and tag team the Gray; I have no doubt that either of you could solo this thing if allowed to go hog wild, but with the restrictions Cynrik has put on us, that won''t be possible.]] Taking a deep breath, Brance looked down at this sled for a second before stepping away.

    [[Scratch that, we move together. Since I''ve already shown that I can handle Tier-4 creatures to everyone, it won''t be that big of a deal if the three of us work together and take it down.]]

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 516 The Second Event: SRD- Search, Retrieve, Destroy (10)

    **This chapter ran a little long today, so it will be the only one. Wednesdays and Sundays tend to be rough on me since I have a prior engagement on those two days.**

    ---

    [[Scratch that, we move together. Since I''ve already shown that I can handle Tier-4 creatures to everyone, it won''t be that big of a deal if the three of us work together and take it down.]] Tossing onest nce back at the sled, Brance removed his shields from their mounted position on his back and merged them as quietly as possible into their greatsword form.

    Hearing his reply, Selene rolled her eyes and smiled. Brance''s indecisiveness was nothing new to her, but since he had been chosen as the head of B-Squad, she went along with his orders and signaled Benny that they would be attacking together before creeping up on the most prominent vige hut.

    Drawing his Estoc and pointing it forward using his forearm to brace it level, Benny nodded in understanding and crept forward behind Selene, eventually meeting up with Brance outside of the Hut.

    [[On three, we rush in; the Gray Yeti is located 25 meters to the back and center of the Hut and lying on its back. If what Cyn said about their Mana Shield skill applies to the Gray one, we can expect the shield to be stronger and almost instantaneously built. So the thing needs to die on the first attack.]] Adjusting his greatsword on his right shoulder, Brance stepped into therge doorway, followed by Benny and Selene.

    Inside the primitive Hut, there wasn''t much to see. To the left was a strange stone altar housing the incrediblyrge Mana Gem, but that didn''t get much attention from anyone since they already knew it was there.

    The center of the Hut was a firepit, while the right and back sides had piles of pelts, one of which the Gray Yeti was sleeping on top of while taking slow, deep breaths.

    Shooting the others a nod, Brance took the right side of the primitive bed, Benny the left, and Selene the middle, then with weapons drawn and at the ready, they suddenlyunched a tri-pronged attack.

    Although done in three separate moves, the attacks all came down simultaneously with perfect uracy. Selene stabbed the creature''s chest, where its heart was located, with her spear. However, unseen to anyone, even Brance, since he had deactivated [Mana Sight] the moment the tip of her spear prated the creature''s chest, it oozed Abyss Mana into the Yeti''s heart and Codex, effectively shutting down its ability to use Mana.

    At the same time as Selene''s attack stabbed into flesh, Benny stabbed the Gray in the temple with his Estoc, and Brance swung with all his might, bringing down his greatsword from the Yeti''s crotch to head.

    The impact of all three attacks was meaty, loud, and with a loud squish, the Initial Tier-4 Yeti died without having any idea what had happened to it.

    -You have killed a Level 15 Initial-Tier-4 Mutant Artic Mountain Primape.-

    -You have killed a being more than ten times your primary level and a Full Tier above your own; rewards will be multiplied by the Maximum Multiplier, a sextuple.-

    -You have received 180 SPN-XP.-

    The members of B-Squad stood in stunned silence as the gory sight of the Gray Yeti shattered into Mana particles before disappearing into nothing.

    [[That''s¡­that''s it?]] Selene asked in confusion.

    [[Uh¡­well, it was old¡­maybe it had performance issues.]] Unsure himself, Brance stored his greatsword on the back mounting meant for the shields and walked over to therge Mana Gem sitting on its alter.

    [[You aren''t alone in being confused. After Cyn hyped up those Mana shields, I thought for sure the big guy would throw it up at thest second, and we would enter a huge battle. Instead, it fell like every other being when you get the drop on it.]] Shrugging his shoulders, Brance crouched before the Alter and examined it carefully for any hidden traps.

    [[Well, that''s a bigger letdown than the finale of GoT...]] Seleneined with a pout as she tapped the stunned Benny''s shoulder and followed Brance.

    [[Did you seriously just make a vague yet nerdy reference to a show from Earth, tsk, you truly are Cyn''s soulmate.]Shaking his head, Brance sighed before waving her over.

    ---

    While Selene and Brance searched for any traps, back in the studio, Cesar''s eyes were ready to pop out of his head as he watched the rey of B-Squad killing the Initial Tier-4.

    Cesar: "This makes no sense to me; it''s ludicrous. The Vige Chief Artic Mountain Primate has an HP stat of over 600k, yet with a tri-pronged tag-team attack, they wiped it out in one go¡­how is that even possible?" Looking to Roni on his right, Ceaser gave her a pleading look with his eyes begging for help.

    Roni: "Honestly, I have no idea either¡­ typically, in this situation, I would me theck of awareness of their enemy, but even then, the Gray AMP should have been able to sense the three intruders approaching."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Tapping several times on the desk''s touchpad, Roni brought up the survey chart for the Boss of this event on screen and showed off just how devastatingly strong the creature was supposed to be.

    Roni: "High STR, High INT, and High VIT; not only does this creature''s stats rival that of a Mid-Tier, since it is a mutant, but between the four Water-based Affinities loaded on the creature, it should have easily been able to put up a fight at least when caught unaware."

    Pausing for a second, Roni clipped the less-than-a-second-long fight and yed it in slow motion for everyone to watch. But when she did, Roni nearly swore aloud because of what she saw.

    Cesar: "Okay¡­now that is an absolute first for me, Roni. Have you ever pulled off a multi-pronged attack with such synchronicity that all three attacksnd at the EXACT same time?"

    Roni: "I''m afraid I can''t say I have. When attacking as a team, there will always be a minute amount of deviation, no matter how good or close you and yourpanions are¡­but those three moved as one. All three of their attacksnded precisely at the same time. Even without seeing their notifications, I can assure you that it was a Massive Critical hit, which is why the creature wasn''t woken up and was unable to fight back.

    ---

    While Roni and Cesar were stunned by how perfectly executed the B-Squad attack was, Brance and Selene figured out the Gem wasn''t rigged to explode. With that information in hand, Selene stepped back, Benny stepped up, and with him on one side and Brance on the other, the two got a good grip on the boulder-sized Gem, flexed their muscles, and lifted with their knees, picking it up off the alter.

    The muscles on their arms bulged due to the incredible weight, but after holding the Gem for a second or two, they realized it was doable, and the shuffle out of the Hut began, with Selene leading the way to the sled.

    ---

    Meanwhile, topside, Cynrik and the rest of C-Squad were amidst an intense and fast-paced battle that saw the well over 140 remaining Yeti on the losing end.

    In the beginning, Cynrik had one goal: lure out as many of the creatures as possible into open terrain and bomb them to kingdome. But when the creatures showed off they had a Mana Shield skill, he was forced into changing the n on the fly.

    Passing down the order to split up, Cynrik had Milo enter the battle as a war mount, enabling Gabby to be in peak form as a moving sniper. At the same time, Melody and Kurza held the back line and unleashed wave after wave of attacks or, in the case of the War Bishop, debuffs and team buffs.

    Being his first battle under Cynrik''smand, Kurza was astounded at how easily he could execute hisbat role. Nearly every team he had been a part of in the past had looked down on his abilities; however, Cynrik was different.

    When dishing out roles, Cynrik had a n and job for everyone, even the Cat, Milo had a role to y in battle, and at first, Kurza assumed all he would be doing was healing the group''s Resource stats like a machine.

    But contrary to that thought, here he was, shining on the battlefield and having the time of his life. Between casting Buff skills on friendly targets and debuffs on the enemies, he found himself manifesting multiple Light Affinity Constructs and finally using some of the Water Affinity skills he rarely got a chance to use.

    Standing beside Melody, the former new hire of MyrkLys, he had slotted in as the perfect secret weapon for the team, and this didn''t go unnoticed by Cynrik either.

    Even in the heat of battle, he kept tabs on everyone. Although initially hesitant about giving Kurza a more prominent role to y, after seeing the new hire''s performance, he felt that maybe this guy could do well with a bit of added "Conditioning."

    Still, overall, Cynrik had noints about Kurza as he reduced the burden on himself and Gabby allowing the two DEX/AGI-based fighters to move freely on the battlefield bringing with them Death and Destruction.

    Working as a team, C-Squad was seeing steady but clear results as the number of enemies began dwindling from the high 160s to the low 100s as Cynrik carefully pushed them back toward the cave system.

    ''Bump up; we''ve thinned them out enough; it''s time for the final push.'' Cynrik said while running up the back of a Yeti, spinning mid-air and bisecting it in half with both Kodachi.

    [[Brance, we are beginning our push toward the Caves; status report on the situation below.]] Landing back on the ground, Cynrik kept in motion as he flowed from one enemy to the next, either killing them in one dual strike or pushing it into the line of fire of his teammates.

    [[The package is secure, beginning transport.]] A few secondster, Cynrik received word from Brance and smirked before unleashing a flurry of attacks on a group of weakened Yeti''s shattering their Mana Shields and allowing them to turn into pincushions due to the joint effort of Gabby and Kurza.

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 517 The Second Event: SRD- Search, Retrieve, Destroy (FINAL)

    Moving faster than any minecart could travel, Brance stood on the back of the wedge-shaped sled, with the gem dead center and the pair of Selene and Benny nking it while holding on for dear life as the sled traveled faster than they could run.

    [[SLOW DOWN BRANCIE AHHHH!]] Selene screamed at the top of her lungs into the mind link as Brance drifted around the turns in the narrow cave.

    [[HAHAHA! Where''s your spirit of adventure, Selene? I thought you were an adrenaline junkie like Cyn?]] Kicking the ground behind the sled as if he were riding a skateboard, Brance sped up, causing the rocky walls of the cave to blur as their speed increased.

    [[FUCK ADVENTURE, YOU ARE GOING TO GET US KILLED!]] rebutting as she curled up around the handle Brance had made for her on the Sled; Selene had her eyes tightly shut as she was beginning to deal with motion sickness.

    [[See, look at Benny; he is enjoying the ride.]] Patting Selene on the calf, he pointed at the young man sitting to his right, causing Selene to open her eyelids just a crack, which was enough to see the Green-faced Benny as he fought back the urge to puke.

    [[BULL SHIT! MY ASS HE''S ENJOYING THE RIDE!]] Snapping her eyes shut again, Selene hugged the handle for dear life as Brance cackled like a pirate.

    ---

    While Brance navigated the tunnels at speeds fast enough to spell demise if they hit a wall, Cynrik and the rest of C-Squad were pushing forward as they unleashed wave after wave of ranged attacks on the Yetis.

    From the 100+ creatures, only around 60 remained, and all of them were already on theirst leg.

    ''Not fast enough; we need to pick up the pace. Based on what I saw in previous years and the calctions I made, Romeoville should be nearing the cave system soon. At that point, no matter how quickly I kill everything off or how fast Brance moves, we not only lose, but they can still potentially break their record.'' Cynrik thought as he shoulder rammed a Yeti, throwing the creature off bnce where it was soon head-shotted by Melody''s [Air Missle], exploding its skull like a watermelon.

    ''That guy has shown yearly progress on his Tele skill, so odds are he can reach over 1km per jump. Providing he hasn''t gone too crazy and killed off his teammates, he should arrive in another 15-20 minutes.''

    "HUPP!" With a grunt, Cynrik jumped up, stabbed both ming Kodachi into the chest of a Yeti, and rode it to the ground, where he rolled off and charged at another enemy.

    ''Brance took out the boss, and over here we have 58¡­make that 56 enemies remaining.'' Pivoting on his left foot, Cynrik spun and sidestepped a bone club twice his size mming down where he previously stood.

    With a smirk, Cynrik shed the air with his right Kodachi, creating an arc of ming sword light, which mmed into the enemy wielding the bone club, knocking the Yeti off its feet.

    Then, turning and looking at the mouth of the cave with [Mana Sight] active, Cynrik caught sight of Brance and the others racing up the maze of tunnels.

    ---

    Knowing that he was getting close to the exit, Brance looked above with his ocr skill and noticed Cynrik and the rest of C-Squad still fighting, and he shook his head upon seeing his brother monitoring their approach.

    [Worry about your fight, we will make it there in 3 minutes Cyn,] Brance snorted as he looked away and focused on driving the sled through the tunnel without hitting anything.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ---

    [Tsk, I wouldn''t have to worry about your dumb ass all the time if you kept in touch instead of going radio silent after killing that boss and saying you were en route. The only reason I knew you even took down the boss was the Kill Notification.]]

    Rolling his eyes and unleashing a basketball-sized purple fireball into the face of a Yeti, causing it to scream in pain, Cynrik scoffed before kicking it in the balls, bringing it down to his level.

    Faced with a pest destroying its n, the Yeti roared and tried desperately to bite Cynrik. Unfortunately, instead of chomping down on flesh, it tasted metal as the much smaller young man thrust both Kodachi forward and stabbed it through the mouth and out the back of its head, killing the creature instantly.

    Withdrawing both des from the dead creature''s head, Cynrik flourished the bloodied Kodachis, examined the battlefield, and took a slow, deep breath.

    ''Let''s kick it up a notch, guys, don''t go too hard, but I wanna clear out all the stragglers before Brance arrives in 2.5 minutes.'' Cynrik stated in the psychic link as he slowly opened his eyes with renewed vigor and activated Susanoo before going on a killing spree.

    Before this moment, he had been slowly picking off the creatures with the most HP, but now, it was like someone lit a fire under his and the rest of the C-squad''s asses.

    Gabby pulled out her second crossbow and was like a goddess of the battlefield. Sitting atop the armored Milo, her hair whipped back and forth as she unleashed volley after volley of Bolts, and each shot connected with a vital point on one or more of her targets.

    But her reign of terror didn''t end there; when Gabby stopped to reload, Milo tackled the injured Yeti before ripping out their throats with his teeth in a gory and primal disy. Once finished, he would roar to the sky and move on to the next enemy.

    Melody was a bit slower than the other two when killing the Yetis, mainly because she wasn''t allowed to use her summons as per Cynrik''s request. Although she understood his reasoning behind the team hiding their true power, it made things difficult for her and, as such, limited her to act as a pure ranged fighter by casting one skill after another.

    Of everyone on C-Squad, Kurza was the least refined fighter. Still, due to his immense toolbox of skills, he could unleash various ranged Affinity attacks before casting one debuff after another on the enemies to aid his team.

    With everyone doing their part, by the time B-squad emerged from the Cave system like a bat out of hell, only three Yetis were remaining. The remaining enemies was a weed sight for Selene, who immediatelyunched herself off the wedge-shaped sled and took her anger out on one of the three by tackling it to the ground from behind and stabbing it repeatedly in the back of the head with her spear.

    When Brance finally slowed the sled to a stop, he noticed that C-Squad had yielded to the furious Selene as she turned into a demon, quickly ughtering the other two creatures before anyone could say a word.

    Sheathing his weapons and crossing his arms, Cynrik shook his head while watching Selene torment the creatures and looked over toward his younger brother, who shrugged his shoulders as if saying, "Wasn''t my fault."

    When the final Yeti sumbed to Selene''s torture, apletion notification shed in their eyes, but instead of joy, Cynrik uncrossed his arms and clicked his tongue loud enough that everyone tore their eyes away from the notification and looked at him.

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 518 Team Romeoville Captains Declaration

    [[Cyn¡­]] Selene started to say as tears began welling up in her eyes, but Cynrik swiftly silenced her by raising his left hand.

    [[It''s not your fault. Taking your time to kill off thest three enemies made no difference. They were a full 20 minutes ahead of us.]] Quickly cutting off the source of me, Cynrik asserted that Romeoville''s win came from something outside of their control.

    -Congrattions, you havepleted the Tier-3 Search, Retrieve, Destroy (SRD) Event.-

    -Objective One: Locate and Arrive at the Correct Destination.- (Complete)

    -Objective Two: Locate and Retrieve the Correct Object *Mana Gem*.- (Complete)

    -Objective Three: Destroy all 200 Tier-3 Creatures and the Tier-4 Boss.- (Complete)

    -Total time spent toplete all objectives: 8 hours 43 Minutes.-

    -Unfortunately, your Opponents, Romeoville,pleted all three objectives in less time than you.-

    -The Tier-3 Romeoville Team has Broken the Previous National Record.-

    -New National Record: 8 hours 23 Minutes.-

    For the first time in a long time, every member of MyrkLys was at a total loss for what to say, they had been through a lot together, but this was the first time they had experienced defeat. But one thing was for sure, Cynrik wasn''t ming any of them for their loss. In fact, instead of ming anyone, he was the one that took the news of their defeat the hardest.

    Although outwardly he didn''t show it, internally, he was running through the entire event from start to finish trying to figure out where he could have done better. But realizing that wasn''t the right course of action, he sighed loudly and concluded that Derrek had indeed done what he feared the idiot leader of Romeoville would do.

    The only conceivable way they could have made up so much ground was if Romeoville sacrificed their team members to loosen the load on their Leader''s teleportations.

    Holding his hand up and gathering everyone''s attention since there were only 2 minutes until they were kicked out of the VR world, Cynrik motioned for Gabby to teather the whole team together with her psychic link.

    ''Listen up; our loss is in no way any of your faults. As the Leader, it falls on my shoulders, and my shoulders alone, do you understand?'' Cynrik stated in an authoritative voice, meeting every member''s eyes as he spoke.

    ''Going into this event, I never guaranteed our victory, unlike the previous event, because of the variable known as Romeoville''s Captain. If my guess is correct, he should have sacrificed one or more of his teammates whilepleting the first Objective, and I had hoped he wouldn''t since it would increase both the speed and distance of his long-range teleportation.''

    ''The fact that they beat us by 20 minutes is evidence enough that something of that nature transpired. Now they have 15 points, meaning they are only five points shy of tying us, and if that happens, we get dragged into a Tie Breaker Match. However, since I am very, VERY angry right now, here''s the n moving forward.'' Reaching over his head, Cynrik pulled up his hood with his left hand and grinned evily in the safety of the shadow cast by it before exining his new n.

    ---

    Releasing a stiff groan as he woke up and flexed his muscles in the VR Capsule, Cynrik patted Vii and Sie, who hadn''t gotten to participate in the battle but instead were on surveince after finishing their task of steering the sled.

    "Good work, you two. Have a rest in my [Mark of the Tamer]; you guys don''t need to fight anymore today." Handing them both a cracker, Cynrik smiled as they turned into particles and disappeared into his chest.

    Then, reaching over, Cynrik pulled the openingtch for the capsule and depressurized it before lifting the hatch and swinging his legs out. However, when he finally emerged, Cynrik''s usually calm and emotionless face twitched¡­because standing beside their capsules with gloating expressions were all of Team Romeoville, waiting for VSFA to take their positions for the announcement of their victory.<novelnext></novelnext>

    In a simr fashion to his own VR capsule, the hatches of the rest of the team opened, and everyone got out. Once free, the members of MyrkLys moved to the front of their machine and waited with their hands sped behind their backs, wearing professional looks on their faces.

    Ignoring the gloating faces of Team Romeoville, Cynrik patiently waited for the Referee to call him over. Once he did, he didn''t move an inch as the Ref announced Romeoville''s victory in the SRD Event along with their Record Break.

    Standing by his capsule, Brance''s keen eyes noticed the slight twitch of Cynrik''s left hand but said nothing. After hearing the n, he knew better than anyone just how angry his older brother was, so he took a back seat and allowed whatever would happen.

    "Congrattions, Romeoville, for your SRD Event Victory. The third and potentially final event will be uracy. In this event, twopetitors from each team will have to destroy the most targets moving and stationary from a distance before the time expires. The number of targets is unlimited, but the time in the event is set to 5 minutes."

    "The Current National Record is 1411 Crushes or Target breaks within the allotted five minutes.

    "As with every event, the use of Recovery items is banned, but there is no limit on how one destroys the targets so long as it is from a distance. But one thing to note, Pets or Tamed Beasts are not allowed in the uracy Event¡­." The Referee paused and looked at Gabby while saying the next bit.

    "Miss Gabrie Sanford, please leave yours with a team member."

    Upon hearing this, Gabby nodded politely and stepped over to Brance to hand Milo to him before returning to her capsule.

    "Now, you will each have 5 minutes to prepare yourself for the third and potentially final event of Round One; however, before we begin, I want to make you two aware. If Romeoville wins the third event, uracy, both teams will have 20 points, meaning we move into the Tie-Breaker Event, Team Battle."

    "Excuse me; I would like to say something before we begin if that is alright, sir."

    Just as the Ref was about to send the captains back to their teams, Derrek raised his hand and boldly spoke up, something even Cynrik hadn''t done as of yet.

    Raising an eyebrow, the Referee took a step back and motioned for Derrek to say his piece, but not without warning him about getting out of line with his words.

    Nodding his head, Derrek stepped forward, stopping only a few centimeters from Cynrik, and smiled with a mischievous and overconfident expression.

    "Good luck, Junior; I hope you enjoyed your time in the spotlight because I will single-handedly rip victory from your clutches and show everyone that all you are is arrogant and full of false ims of glory."

    Derrek''s voice was neither too loud nor soft, but it was clear enough to be picked up by the microphones, meaning everyone watching around the continent heard his words.

    Behind him, the Romeoville team snickered as Cynrik looked down at his feet and began trembling slightly; in contrast, MyrkLys was eerily still, as worry could be seen in their eyes.

    "Kuekuekue," the creepyugh began softly, near imperceptible at first, before crescendoing to a point where everyone could hear it, causing even the referees to shuffle about ufortably.

    "Kuekue, Tell me something, Kiddo, kuekue, sorry sorry Derrek¡­." Slowly turning his face up, Cynrik''s hood fell as he exposed the wild look in his eyes to the Romeoville Captain, making the older boy take half a step back, away from Cynrik, who seemed to have lost his mind at that moment.

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 Chapter 519 Cynriks Warning

    "Kuekuekue," the creepyugh began softly, near imperceptible at first, before crescendoing to a point where everyone could hear it, causing even the referees to shuffle about ufortably.

    ---

    In the Pinhurst Mansion, the hair rose on Cinyah and Rikard''s arms as their son began his creepyugh. Between Cynrik''s bodynguage, and the distance between him and the Romeoville Captain, the two could practically imagine a dark cloud descending in the room.

    And it wasn''t just them that noticed either; Jessup, Maeve, and the Sanfords knew something was wrong by how still and expressionless the rest of MyrkLys was in the background.

    "Greatttt~ that punk is pissed off; I feel bad for those kids from Romeoville," Jessup stated as he took another sip of his beer and shook his head.

    "H..he¡­hey Cinyah¡­Cynrik isn''t wreckless enough to pull anything in front of the referees¡­right?" Maeve practically whispered as she buried Aiden under her ample chest as if he were a stuffed animal, causing the young boy to struggle for a moment before giving up and ying dead.

    "Sigh, I wish he wasn''t¡­I truly wish he wasn''t." Resigning herself to whatever was going to happen, Cinyah leaned back on the couch and massaged her temples with worry on her face.

    ---

    "Kuekue, Tell me something, Kiddo, kuekue, sorry sorry Derrek¡­." Slowly turning his face up, Cynrik''s hood fell as he exposed the wild look in his eyes to the Romeoville Captain, making the older boy take half a step back, away from Cynrik, who seemed to have lost his mind at that moment.

    "You talk a big fucking game, but do you honestly believe those two refs can stop me before I take off at least one of your fleshy bits?" He whispered while using a sinister and deep voice.

    An eerie and stifling silence descended on the room, and the instant the words left his lips, three things happened. The first was in a panic; Derrek activated a short-range teleportation skill, shooting backward to the far side of the room.

    The Second was Cynrik instantly appearing centimeters from the Romeoville Captain''s face, causing the young man to m his body against the wall as Cynrik half extended a hidden de above his exposed throat. However, he was meticulous enough not to allow the de to touch his opponent in any way and used it as a scare tactic.

    And the final thing to happen was the two Referees moving into action; one shed over to Cynrik, grabbed him by the shoulder, and ruthlessly flung him to the opposite end of the room.

    As this happened, the Second Ref had already pulled out a health potion and was ready to administer first aid, but when he noticed nothing physically wrong with Derrek, he frowned and looked back toward Cynrik as the young man flew.

    While airborne, Cynrik cackled like a madman as he twisted and flipped beforending unharmed by the door. Flicking his wrist, Cynrik retracted the half-extended hidden de, tilted his head to the side, spread his arms out with palms facing up, and spoke using a THICK Norse ent.

    "This is no ce for fucking cowards. If you don''t show up ready to die the moment you step up against my MyrkLys, then you are nothing but useless fodder, unfit even to be served up to my Ravens. " Dropping his arms and scoffing loudly at how all of Romeoville was sufficiently afraid of him, Cynrik took a few steps forward and stopped beside his capsule.

    Turning his head away from Romeoville, Cynrik looked up at where he knew the camera drones floated invisibly before addressing those watching.

    "Mark my words; this deration isn''t for those we face in the Competition alone, but it applies to any of you harboring ill intentions against me and mine. If youe at us, you will fall, one after another, and I care not for the amount of blood I bathe in or the limbs strewn across the city." Having finished addressing the cameras, Cynrik red at Derrek, who flinched visibly upon drawing the attention of the Demon Of VSFA again.

    "A child willing to sacrifice his teammates to achieve a meaningless victory doesn''t deserve to stand on the same stage as mine. Get your asses ready because there is a storm heading your way, one you will be utterly helpless against." With that, Cynrik pulled up his hood and leaned against his VR Capsule, leaving everyone on the left side of the room stunned.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Only the members of MyrkLys were somewhat prepared for their leader''s actions since he had described what he was about to do before they had been expelled from the SRD Event.

    With Cynrik falling silent, the Referees went into action, double-checking that Derrek, visibly shaken from the whole thing, wasn''t physically injured.

    Once their examination wasplete, they brought up the footage from thest two minutes and dissected it frame by frame. One has to remember thatying your hands on another participant outside ofbat was illegal and grounds for immediate disqualification from the Competition.

    However, after wasting nearly 15 minutes, the Referees concluded that Cynrik had been extremely controlled in his every action. Although he had made aggressive gestures toward Derrek, no foul could be determined. With this conclusion in hand, the Referees sighed and wiped the sweat from their brow.

    Cynrik''s words had affected them deeply, especially since the young man made it VERY clear that if he had wanted to kill Derrek, he was far too fast for them to intercept. Thanking their lucky stars that apetitor hadn''t died on their watch, the two referees let Cynrik off with a verbal warning amounting to a p on the wrists and told the participants in the third event to enter their VR Capsules.

    The two from Romeoville didn''t hesitate and jumped into their capsules like scared rabbits, praying the VR Capsule would be enough to protect them from the Demon of VSFA in the event that he went on another tirade.

    Meanwhile, Gabby and Melody took two steps forward before executing a militaristic "right face" *turning ny degrees to the right from the halted position of attention.* and gave a sharp salute to Cynrik. Seeing their actions, Cynrik nodded in acknowledgment and looked up at the wall on the opposite side of the room, where the uracy Event would be shown.

    Taking his nod as dismissal, Gabby and Melody did another "right face" and walked back to their capsules before opening the hatch and getting into the machines.

    While this disy of obedience was taking ce, the referees kept one eye on Cynrik, unsure if the young man would have another outburst, but continued doing their job.

    ---

    In the studio, Roni and Ceasr were beside themselves. Since every room in the Arena was "mic''d" up, they had heard everything said by Derrek and Cynrik. Like the two referees, the twomentators had yed the whole scene in slow motion over and over again, attempting to locate any instance of Cynrik assaulting Derrek physically.

    Roni: "I agree with the official ruling; from what I can tell after careful examination, Cynrik Jetlensr didn''ty his hands or weapon on Derrek Giine at any moment. I don''t know if I am supposed topliment the young man on his level of restraint in not harming his opponent or fear the boy for how deeply he seems to understand the rules."

    Cesar: "It is clear that Cynrik is not only cunning and an expert inbat but also excels in leadership and strategy."

    Roni: "I expect he foresaw losing this if several variables lined up and nned ordingly. The fact that he brought up Derrek''s sacrificing teammates without seeing the footage or receiving information about Romeoville''s performance indicates how deep his strategy and nning go."

    Cesar: "Then there''s the rest of the team. You saw how not one of his teammates flinched and stood in a rxed attention position from start to finish during this incident."

    Cesar: "The level of bearing the members of team VSFA show is something you would expect to see in well-trained military personnel, not Academy Students."

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 Chapter 520 The Third Event: Accuracy (1)

    As Gabby and Melody retreated into their VR Capsules to begin the third event, Brance fought to keepposed. Although Cynrik exined everything in detail, he didn''t like the n, especially the first part.

    However, what deeply concerned him was how terrifying Cynrik''s level of foresight was. One of the first things he had told everyone before leaving the SRD event was that there was a 95% chance that the Captain of Romeoville would taunt him.

    When that happened, Cynrik nned on, as he said, "Establishing Dominance" with Romeoville and striking fear in their hearts. Fear of how unpredictable he was.

    [[Cyn, are you sure about this? If Gabby and Melody do what you asked, it will make many people ufortable, and we have no way of foreseeing the potential consequences until they show up at our doorstep.]] Brance asked while watching his girlfriend appear on the screen.

    [[What? Would you rather I had gone with the route of "guaranteed" victory? Let me remind you, Brancie, Gabby herself isn''t confident securing a Record Break in her event. You know her better than me, but I know her bodynguage better than you.]]

    [[ying with her hair and fingers, kicking the ground, she was the picture-perfect example of someone not confident in their words. Is it possible for them to easily sweep Romeoville by crushing more targets? Sure, but what kind of statement does that make?]]

    [[You need to keep in mind, little brother, we have a lot of people gunning for our heads now, and all we can do is put on a spectacle that presents the image that we aren''t to be fucked with. What was it that Earth Dad always used to say about bullies?]] Smirking at the memory surfacing in his mind as he brought up another quote from Earth, Cynrik paused and waited for Brance to answer.

    [[Sigh¡­If a bully doesn''t stop messing with you when using words, punch him in the nose hard enough to break it. That way, he will think thrice about messing with you next time.]] Heaving a sigh, Brance quoted his Earthling Father.

    [[Exactly, bop em in the fooking nose. And that is precisely what we are doing here. If someone wants to use us as a stepping stone for publicity, we will break every bone in their body before shattering their minds. It may be ruthless, but it''s necessary if we wish to survive long enough to get old in this world.]] Smirking, Cynrik was about to continue when a slight snort echoed in his head, causing him to frown.

    [[What is it this time, Sel?]] Cynrik asked with dead eyes.

    [[You guys had a hell of a childhood on Earth; that Dad of yours makes mine look like a fucking puppy. While your Dad taught you to break bullies'' noses, my Dad was more worried about which "Girly" sport I wanted to y, like Cheerleading; it was suffocating.]] Standing a few capsules away from Cynrik, Selene shuffled her weight onto her left foot and wrinkled her nose.

    [[Cheerleading isn''t a sport, and WOE IS YOU; your Daddy loveeed you enough not to beat the fuck out of you to make you a man.]] Snorting into the mind link, Cynrik rolled his eyes, but Selene''s following words turned his frown into a smirk.

    [[Come now, darling, he was Dad, only you are Daddy.]] Selene responded with a girly giggle and a flirtatious voice.

    [[FUCKING KILL ME NOW, STRIKE ME DOWN WITH FUCKING LIGHTNING OH MIGHTY SMITER!]] Brance screamed as he forced back the bile rising in the back of his throat andforted himself by petting Milo''s head frantically. Although confused, Milo was never one to turn down free pets, so he began purring happily.

    [[Can you two go one fucking day without this gross PDA bullshit? The event is starting, so shut up.]] Grunting in disgust, Brance looked down at the purring cat in his arms and sighed.

    ''Why can''t everyone be as low maintenance as you, Milo.'' Brance thought as he petted the cat and watched Gabby and Melody examine their surroundings.

    ---

    In the VR uracy Event World, Gabby immediately tethered herself to Melody with a Psychic link and looked up at the countdown clock, which was set to 10 minutes. The first Targets wouldn''t pop up until the clock hit five minutes, so they technically had a full five minutes to set up equipment; unfortunately, it waspletely unnecessary.

    ''Gabby¡­are you sure we should listen to Cynrik this time? Don''t get me wrong, I know hees up with all the team ns, but this one seems¡­well, bad.'' Feeling the connection between her and Gabby form, Melody startedining almost instantly.

    ''Melly, stop; I know Big Bro Cyn scares you still, even though you''ve been with us for months, and sometimes he scares me too. But if there is one thing I''ve learned through my years of knowing him, there is a method to Big Bro Cyn''s madness.''

    ''He always has deep reasons for what he does, and this time is no different. I understand yourints, I promise I do, but now isn''t the time to go against him, not when so many people are watching. All I can tell you is bring it up during the next team meeting.''

    ''We all have our parts to y during the Competition, and I get that you are hungry to show your Mom that you aren''t the weakling she thinks you to be, but please, just hang in there, kay?''

    Letting her friend''s words sink in, Melody nodded her head and sighed before looking up at the countdown clock.

    ''You know, the way you talk about Cynrik makes me wonder how you ended up with Brancie instead,'' smiling teasingly, Melody nudged Gabby''s shoulder slightly, startling the younger girl.

    ''Well¡­ when we were little, I did have a massive crush on Big Bro Cyn; I mean, who wouldn''t? He and Brancie saved Benny and me from certain death. Swooping in like superheroes, Big Bro Cyn and Brancie fought our captor and whisked us to safety.''

    ''But it was a crush shattered by his usual uncaring attitude. In contrast, I fell in love with Brancie because he is sweet, handsome, and the literal knight in shining armor.''

    ''He was always patient with me, from schoolwork to learning our group''s battle tactics. I don''t know how to describe how I felt back then, but one day I just kind of knew he was the one for me, ya know what I mean?'' Smiling while picturing Brance''s goofy face as he tried to cheer her up after getting scolded by Cynrik, Gabby peeked up at the sky, where she assumed a Camera drone was floating and shed her smile while thinking of Brance.

    ---

    Back in the studio, Roni and Cesar were hyping up the crowd for what was going to be another great event.

    Cesar: "Only 30 seconds remain until the uracy Event kicks off; what are your thoughts on VSFA''s Gabrie Sanford and Melody Gand?"

    Roni: "Based on their showing during thest event, these youngdies are high-level ranged fighters, with Gabrie using dual crossbows and Melody being a Mage with a wide array of long-distance attacks. Considering their output during the SRD event, I wouldn''t be surprised to see another Record Break attempt out of VSFA."

    Ceasr: "Elequently put Roni, then there''s Markel Amsterdam and Lanna Faraday from Romeoville, both have Archer sses and Sub-sses, andst year they held down the fort by winning a couple of rounds due to their effort alone. Here we go, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ¡­.Huh?"

    When Ceasr hit one, he grunted strangely, and even Roni gasped at what she saw on screen. Instead of seeing arrows and Affinity Skills flying from the footage broadcast on the right screen¡­what she saw were Gabby and Melody pulling out a table and chair set¡­to drink tea.

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 Chapter 521 The Third Event: Accuracy (2)

    Instead of seeing arrows and Affinity Skills flying from the footage broadcast on the right screen¡­what she saw were Gabby and Melody pulling out a table and chair set¡­to drink tea.

    Roni: "The timer has begun, and the Targets are now spawning, yet VSFA''s Gabrie and Melody have chosen to forgo shooting any of them for¡­a tea party?"

    Ending her statement in a questionable tone, Roni stared wide-eyed at the two youngdies as they sat prim and proper while sipping tea from an expensive-looking tea set in silence.

    Cesar: "Ha¡­haha¡­HAHAHAHAHA! INCREDIBLE, such a disy of pure disdain for their opponents, this has Cynrik written all over it."

    Cesar''sugh started slow and soft before crescendoing into a boisterous cackle.

    Cesar: "While Romeoville is trying their hardest by crushing targets left and right, thedies from VSFA are running down the clock; this can only mean one thing, there is a n in ce, and they wish to force the next Event." Nodding and pping the table to calm hisughter, Cesar turned and met the confused gaze of his comentator.

    Cesar: "There is only one person who can get this kind of reaction from VSFA, their Captain Cynrik. My theory is that the young man wants to beat Derrek Giine personally. Thus hemanded Gabrie and Melody to do nothing in the uracy Event, effectively forcing the Tie-Breaker Event."

    ---

    In the Arena, Cynrik grinned like a viin under his hood upon hearing thementarying through the loudspeakers. Shifting his line of sight slightly to the right, he observed the bodynguage of Team Romeoville, more specifically, their Captain, and his smirk turned into a full-blown sadistic smile.

    He was in their heads, which was observable by the trembling bodies of the five remaining members of Romeoville.

    Cynrik''s words rose to the forefront of their minds as they remembered him saying, "A Storm ising," making them wish to flee from the arena and forfeit to VSFA.

    [[Holy shit¡­darling¡­I think they are going to faint in fear; oh my god.]] Bringing her hand to her mouth, Selene stifled a giggle as she took note of the fear permeating from Romeoville''s side of the room.

    [[Come on, guys, this is so messed up. It''s one thing to wanna beat an opponent, but you two are making fun of a bunch of terrorized children.]] Taking up his position as the voice of reason, Brance vocalized his concerns, only to be shut down by Cynrik.

    [[Shut up, Brancie, now isn''t the time for your holier than thou act. They wanted to use us as a public stepping stone, and I will make them pay for that.]] Raising his upper lip above his teeth, Cynrik practically snarled as he watched the futile efforts of Romeoville''spetitors'' shooting targets.

    [[As always, stick to my n, and everything will be fine as usual.]]

    [[Cyn¡­what you are doing right now is¡­]] Brance started to say but was soon cut off by his brother.

    [[No different than a toddler smashing ants; yes, I understand that, but I will break them nheless. Why do you think I set up the n the way I did?]] Rolling his eyes and keeping track of the movements of the two archers on screen, Cynrik soon saw all he needed to and closed his eyes to rest.

    [[Having our group sit out gave us a valuable advantage over our opponent Brancie. Now we know the abilities of their Backlines best yers, whereas they only know how you and I fight. Well, except those one or two sacrificialmbs, they got to see some of our teamwork.]]

    [[Let it go, Brancie; you know just how hardheaded he can be; there is no point in trying to reason with him once he''s made up his mind.]] Mimicking Cynrik''s body posture, Selene closed her eyes under her hood and rested.

    Utterly defeated by the two crazies of MyrkLys, Brance sighed ruefully and started frantically petting Milo again, effectively starting up the purring engine.

    ---

    Inside the VR uracy World, Gabby and Melody calmly sipped their tea and watched the timer hit 2 minutes remaining.

    ''It''s a good thing our inventories are cloned when we enter the VR capsules; I can''t imagine having to stand here like a statue while we wait.'' Gabby happily chirped as she put down her teacup and nibbled a cookie.

    ''I know, right? It is very convenient.'' Crossing her legs in adylike posture, Melody nodded and took another sip of her tea.

    ''So, how do you think everyone out there reacted to our decision.'' After a few seconds of silence, Melody asked.

    ''Hmmm, if I had to guess, they are flipping out and saying it''s all part of Big Bro Cyn''s n. Then there''s Romeoville; they''re probably shaking in their boots out of fear. Internally, pretty sure Brancie is pitching a fit right now.'' Wiggling her nose like a bunny, Gabby didn''t know just how right she was.

    ''Huh? Is there such discourse between the brothers? I always thought Brance went along with everything Cynrik says.'' Raising an eyebrow, Melody thought back to all the times Brance appeared to do whatever his brother said without fighting back.

    ''Um, not really, from what I know, Brancie argues with Big Bro Cyn at every turn; if not, everything we do would be seen as acts of terror or result in mass murders. Brancie is the guiding light that steers Cynrik away from his otherwise dark intentions.''

    ''We don''t get to see or hear any of that since they always talk with their telepathic skill. However, after having been with them for so long, I know when they are arguing solely based on the micro posturing the two subconsciously do.'' cing her cup down and popping a small cookie into her mouth, Gabby put her teacup and the rest of the tea set back into her inventory and looked up at the clock, which now showed 1:29 remaining.

    ''Weird, why don''t I ever notice any of this micro posturing? It always looks like they aren''t conversing at all, and unless Cynrik is yelling or scolding someone, he''s generally the silent brooding type.'' Finishing off her tea and handing over the empty cup to be put away, Melody dusted the crumbs off the table and stood up.

    p¦Á§ád¦Á §«?¦Í¨º|,§ã¨°§® ''Well, you need to be highly perceptive to small changes in a person''s bodynguage and know them well enough. Whenever they are in a heated argument, Cynrik''s left eye twitches and Brance straightens his back more than usual. Those are the tell-tale signs that they are going at it.'' Standing up and storing the chairs and table, Gabby stood at rxed attention *parade rest*, facing the timer as it reached the final 30 seconds.

    ''I¡­I see. I guess I have a lot to learn; maybe I should do some homework on bodynguage; I know that we get lessons once a week from Cynrik, but I''m too far behind right now.'' Matching Gabby''s stance, Melody felt like a newbie again when thinking about how the other members of MyrkLys had learned so many things over the years.

    ''Umu, it''s no biggie, Melly; Benny and I have your back, we will do some study sessions, and you''ll catch up in no time.'' Hiding her smile from the cameras, Gabby watched the notifications roll in, informing them of their failure in the uracy Event as the world soon faded to ck, and she found herself back in the VR Capsule.

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 Chapter 522 The Storm Is Brewing

    p¦Á§ád¦Á §«?¦Í¨º|,§ã¨°§® With a loud depressurizing hiss and a soft thunk, Gabby and Melody exited their VR Capsules and stood in line with the rest of MyrkLys. Standing beside her capsule, Gabby confirmed her suspicions and saw the terrified expressions painted on Romeoville''s faces, causing a slight smile not too unlike Cynrik''s to creep onto her lips.

    "COUGH, uh, Team Captains, to the center of the room." The head referee cleared his throat loudly and ushered Cynrik and Derrek to the same position they had taken after every Event. Contrary to his previous actions, instead of rushing forward as he had thest two events, Derrek froze like a deer in headlights.

    "Come along, buddy; I won''t bite." However, Cynrik was as quick as ever, suddenly appearing beside the Referee before spitting out a snide taunt, causing Derrek to flinch as his adam''s apple moved due to the deep gulp of saliva he forced down.

    Eventually, after a coaxing re of impatience from the Referee, Derrek moved robotically and took his ce on the opposite side of Cynrik to get his hand raised.

    "The uracy Event Victory goes to Romeoville. With the additional 5 points from their win, the score is now 20-20. In ordance with the Rules Commission guidelines, a Tie-Breaker Event is established if both teams have equal points at the end of the Round.

    In the case of the early rounds, the Tie-Breaker event will be a Team Battle." The Referee released Derrek''s wrist, allowing the young man to drop his arm before delving into the end-of-round procedures.

    "The Team Battle event is, as its name states, a Join Combative Battle between all team members. The win condition for this Event is simple, thest team standing wins and receives five additional points, earning themselves victory in the Round."

    "Since VSFA lost the third Round, they have the right to choose the map the Tie-Breaker event takes ce in, Cynrik Jetlensr; which map do you wish to choose? If you need a moment to pick from the list, that is fine."

    Looking toward Cynrik for his answer, the Referee was surprised to find the young man chuckling softly.

    "No need, sir; we will go with the same open field where the Swarm Event took ce," Cynrik stated in a clear and deep voice, causing Derrek to flinch again like a cat whose tail was stepped on.

    "The Map has been decided; there will be a slight alteration to the venue, as the Egress Break will not be present. Be advised that Avatar Death is the only way to leave the Team Battle Event."

    "As always, the use of Recovery items is banned, and if you n on using a Tamed Beast or Pet, you must have them in your capsule with you." As he spoke, the second Ref went to each capsule and tapped his Watcet on it, ensuring they were all preloaded with the correct map, then took his position behind the head Referee.

    "Upon entering your capsules, there will be a 10-minute break, where everyone will load into a temporary holding room to discuss their strategy for the Event. When the timer reaches zero, you will all be teleported to the Endless Prarie Map. Romeoville, VSFA, enter your capsules." Stepping back and watching the two captains with narrowed eyes, the Referee gave hismand, and what he worried would happen happened.

    "Hehe, Derrek Boy, you shouldn''t have pissed me off; get ready; I hope you are prepared to get ripped limb from limb. I will soak the green fields in the blood of you and your little fuckbuddy teammates, so bring your "A" game, kiddo, because you pissed off the wrong fucking guy." Tilting his head to the side and releasing another "Kuekue," Cynrik spun on his heels and went to his capsule.

    He didn''t even bother checking over his shoulder to see the effect he had on Derrek because just as he turned, the Captain of Romeoville nearly broke his teeth by gritting them so hard, and the thin thread of sanity in his mind snapped.

    "FUCK YOU, CYNRIK; THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A FRIENDLY TOURNAMENT, NOT A PLACE FOR YOU TO TORTURE OTHER STUDENTS!" Summoning all his courage, Derrek stepped forward and red out abination of Killing Intent and Aura, attempting to suppress Cynrik.

    And at first, he thought he had seeded because when the pressure bore down on his opponent, Cynrik stopped in ce for half a beat before spinning around, pulling down his hood, tilting his head to the side, and with a wild look in his eyes, replied using a twisted tone.

    "Oh ho ho, look at that; what do we have here? What''s this? I see a stupid, miserable mongrel who thinks his weak excuse of 2g KIN and a little Aura is enough to stop me." With a wave of his hand, the bright aura and KIN vanished into nothing, shocking the Referees and, most of all, Derrek.

    Cynrik''s dismissing the suppression on his body created a sound simr to ss shattering, which entered the ears of everyone present, followed by a shudder of bacsh washing over Derrek''s body.

    However, he didn''t have time to think because when his KIN and Aura were shattered, Cynrik returned the attack with 4g of KIN. The force of which mmed Derrek to the ground on his belly.

    "I...I...I am not afraid of you." Struggling to speak, Derrek uttered, earning him another taunt.

    "Tell that to the trail of piss leaking down your leg, anyway, save it for the battlefield, dipshit; now get your ass in the capsule so I can alter your annoying personality one slice at a time." Cutting off his KIN, Cynrik walked forward and made eye contact with the stunned Referee.

    "Don''t bother throwing the rule book at that moron; I want him in the next match. He isn''t physically injured; I didn''t use enough KIN to kill him, only tten him to the ground." Turning his head, Cynrik met the expectant gaze of his team, pulled up his hood, and smirked at them.

    MyrkLys knew what he would say next, so they all took a step forward, away from their Capsules, and stood at attention. At the same time, Cynrik popped the hatch of his VR Capsule and addressed the Referees, Romeoville, and most importantly, the invisible Camera drones.

    "I, alone, am enough to handle a group of third-stringckeys; the rest of my team will not be entering the Team battle; as the Captain of my team, our failure is my burden to bear alone. Thus, I will turn this into a spectacle for you watching at home, a 1v7 match, so get those betting pools started, ''cause I''m about to make some of you rich." With that said, Cynrik ignored everyone, left Vii and Sie in his [Mark of the Tamer], andid down in the VR Capsule.

    ---

    In the Pinhurst Mansion, everyone sat with their mouths wide open, staring at the HoloTv screen with dumbfounded expressions.

    "Pppffftt HAHAHA I''ll be damned, Cynrik''s really done it this time, HHAAHAHAhA! Rikard, do as your boy said; throw some money in that betting app." ping the armrest of his recliner in excitement, Jessup howled.

    "That knucklehead, what has he gotten himself into this time." Rickard shook his head with a light smile; he''d be lying if he said he wasn''t excited to see how hotblooded his oldest son was acting. Then abiding by the older man''s words, Rikard opened several betting sites and emptied his bank ount, putting his money on Cynrik.

    "That brat is too cocky and overconfident." Shaking her head and expecting the worst, Maeve rolled Aiden off herp to the young boy''s glee and got up to use the bathroom, leaving a worried Cinyah quiet.

    ''You rascal, would it kill you to shift the burden to your teammates for once? Why must you always y the big brother role for everyone.'' Cinyah thought. She had noticed it when the boys were younger, but Cynrik had at some point developed a habit of taking the me for everything and carrying the burden alone.

    What she saw was no different from if Brance broke something, but instead of letting his little brother get in trouble, Cynrik took the me and got punished alone.

 Chapter 523 The Stormâ€™s Atmospheric Conditions

    Fifteen minutes earlier, in the VR SRD World, 2 minutes remaining until MyrkLys was expelled from the world. The members of MyrkLys gathered around in a circle, with Cynrik standing in the center with his arms crossed.

    ''The fact that they beat us by 20 minutes is evidence enough that something of that nature transpired. Now they have 15 points, meaning they are only five points shy of tying us, and if that happens, we get dragged into a Tie Breaker Match. However, since I am very, VERY angry right now, here''s the n moving forward.'' Reaching over his head, Cynrik pulled up his hood with his left hand and grinned evily in the safety of the shadow cast by it before exining his new n.

    ''There is a 95% chance that Derrek, that little shit whose Romeoville''s Captain, will try starting shit with me during the face-off before the start of the next Event. When he does, and I say when because he is fairly predictable, I will establish dominance over that little shit.''

    ''Hold up, Cyn, don''t tell me you n on hurting him¡­if you do, won''t we be disqualified from the rest of the tournament?'' Brance interjected, only to be silenced by Cynrik.

    ''Yeah, we would be, but if I nned on hurting him, I would have already done so. The guy is a coward; I only predicted his team to beat us and execute a Record Break if he sacrificed one or more of his teammates to speed up his approach to the search location.''

    ''Him doing that proves that he doesn''t care about his image per se, but is single goal oriented. For me, it''s easy to pick at someone like that, but I won''t stop there. Step one of the n is to scare the fuck out of him, carve a fear so deep that when we get to step 3, he acts the way I want.''

    ''Step two falls on Gabby and Melody, and before you freak out, I need you both to trust me.'' Looking away from Brance, Cynrik met the confused gaze of the two youngdies but was pleased when they both nodded.

    ''You two are going to throw thest Event. Stand still, y pattycake, or pick your noses; I don''t care how you do it, but you will not destroy a single target under any circumstances. The goal is to run down the clock until it hits zero and thene out as if nothing happened.''

    ''Uhh¡­'' With wide eyes, Melody couldn''t find the words to argue. Her goal in the Competition was to show her Mom that she wasn''t as weak as the image she had formed stated. However, here Cynrik was, telling her to give up the Event, her foremost talent showcase, all for the sake of his ns.

    ''I understand, don''t worry, Big Bro Cyn, I have an idea, and it will be ssy enough to suit your idea.'' Nodding her head and catching Melody''s hand for support, Gabby spoke up, drawing a nod from Cynrik, but her words weren''t enough for Brance.

    [Listen, Cyn, I get that you''re angry, but you trying to force the Tie-Breaker Event; isn''t that going too far? You and I both know why Melody has been training so hard, and now, when it''s her time to shine, you rip away her opportunity. That''s fucked up, and you know it.]

    [There will be plenty of other opportunities, Brancie, but this is our moment to show everyone we aren''t pushovers. And for that, I need to make an example out of Romeoville. They just scored a huge W over us, and by riding that high and letting their emotions take over, they fall right into my trap.]

    Heaving a sigh, Cynrik looked up at Melody, who appeared about to cry, and he shook his head. Although he understood wanting to show your family you aren''t useless, he still didn''t trust Melody one bit; even so, he consoled her not to garner suspicion.

    ''Melody, I know you have a lot you want to showcase, but there are plenty of other rounds for you; you and Gabby are the only two I n on using in the uracy Event, so hang in there. As a Faction, we need to establish ourselves in the minds of our foes as someone they can''t pick on, and now is the opportunity to do so.''

    ''Now then, step three is easy; when I go up for the third face-off after we throw the uracy Event, I will continue poking the bear with my trademark charisma. By that point, he and the rest of Romeoville should be petrified by me, so it won''t be difficult to get him to snap finally.''<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ''Like a rubber band stretched too far, he will snap, and his fear will instantly shift into a rage. Hopefully, when this shift urs, he will attack me. When that happens, I will reinforce the dominance I''ve built up and give him a little push to make him want to fight me with everything he''s got.''

    ''That¡­leads me into step four, entering the Final Event¡­alone.''

    ''ABSOLUTELY NOT!''

    ''NO WAY IN HELL!''

    ''ARE YOU CRAZY BIG BRO CYN?''

    Brance, Selene, and Gabby cried simultaneously, causing Cynrik to chuckle at their concern.

    ''My n, my rules, besides, do yall honestly believe any one of them is even remotely a threat to me? All seven are Peak Tier-3, sure, but I have a decent idea of their abilities, and the only ones who will annoy me are the two archerspeting in the uracy Event. So I will watch how they fight, and once I''ve learned enough, we are good to go.'' Looking up at the timer, Cynrik noticed only 30 seconds remained until everyone was brought back to the real world, but just as Cynrik was about to say his final piece, Benny cleared his throat and spoke up.

    ''You are hiding the real reason behind why you''vee up with this n, Big Bro. From day one, I''ve always noticed you taking everything on alone, and I usually don''t say anything since I understand your reasoning.''

    ''I even understand the idea behind showing everyone watching, enemies and friendlies, that we are thest group to mess with, but that alone isn''t enough for you to devise a n of this level. Risking it all when there is so much riding on our victory, what is the reason?''

    ''Benny Boi¡­heh, there are two byproducts created by doing things as I have nned. The First is for us as a group; we are making a statement that will foreshadow every other team in the Competition, skyrocketing us in poprity, which can only benefit us when the timees to branch away from VSFA on our own.''

    ''And the second is for me. You see, during thest few minutes of this Event, I reached 99% on my Susanoo Proficiency, meaning I need only a couple of minutes of activation before I unlock the second form. What better time to show off than when my Ribcage manifestation grows limbs and transforms into its Skeletal Form?''

    ---

    Opening his eyes in the waiting room, Cynrik, surrounded on both sides by a quad-colored ribcage, looked up and saw there were still 4 minutes until the battle began. Everything had gone to n, and now¡­it was time to start the final step. When he first arrived, Cynrik activated [Mana Sight] and noticed no restrictions on activating Affinity Skills in the Waiting room. So he had been using Susanoo this entire time, and just now, he received the notification that his Proficiency had reached Perfected, bringing along with it the unlocking of Susanoo''s Skeletal Form.

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 Chapter 524 The Storm Descends

    -Your Custom Technique has Evolved into an Upgradable Skill that has been registered in the official skill database after being approved by the Central System Hub.-

    -The Central System Hub has generated an adequate effect and description; you may view them at any time within your Affinity Skills Tab.-

    -You have learned the Tier-(*) Quad-Fusion Affinity (Umbra, Lightning, Fire, Wind) Affinity Skill: [Susanoo]-

    -The Tier for this skill has been registered as (*) since it has multiple stages that must be unlocked before its official Tier can be established.-

    -Your Wind Maniption has Evolved from Tier-3 to Tier-3.5.-

    -Your Maniption Mastery over Wind Mana particles has increased from Initial to Beginner.-

    -Your Lightning Maniption has Evolved from Tier-3 to Tier-3.5.-

    -Your Maniption Mastery over Lightning Mana particles has increased from Initial to Beginner.-

    -You have received 200 Points in all basic Stats.-

    -You have received 200 Free Allocation Stat points.-

    -You have received 150 Skill Points.-

    -You have reached your limit for Created Skill Rewards for Tier-3. If you wish to receive further rewards for creating new skills, please Advance to Tier-4.-

    -Tier-(*) Quad-Fusion Affinity Skill: [Susanoo] (Umbra, Lightning, Fire, Wind)-

    -Category: Active Skill.-

    -A Skill Created by Cynrik Jetlensr by Manifesting a protective armor with abination of all four of his Affinities.-

    -This skill has Four distinct Mana Construct Forms, each with its Buffs/Benefits. To unlock every Form, you must increase your proficiency on each Form to a perfect 100%.-

    -The durability of each Form has a ratio to determine the strength of the construct, where one Point of Durability corrtes with your Max MP.

    -Form One: Ribcage.- (100% Mastered)

    -15% Damage Reduction.-

    -7% STR/DEX/AGI Buff.-

    -Durability 1:1000 MAX MP.- (One Point per every 1000 MP)

    -Activation Cost: 500 MP.-

    -Sustain Cost: 200 MP per minute.-

    -Form Two: Skeletal.- (Unlocked: 0% Mastery)

    -30% Damage Reduction.-

    -15% STR/DEX/AGI Buff.-

    -Durability 1:100 MAX MP.- (One Point per every 100 MP)

    -Activation Cost: 2500 MP.-

    -Sustain Cost: 1000 MP per minute.-

    -Form Three: Humanoid.- (LOCKED)

    -Form Four: Armored Humanoid.- (LOCKED)

    ''Tsk, this is the first I''m hearing about a limit to custom skill rewards; oh well.'' Scrolling through the notifications, Cynrik went back and examined his new [Susanoo] skill from top to bottom three times.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ''Well, it''s something; at least the Cost of using the first Form dropped significantly while the boosts increased. Then there''s Skeletal Form, which doubles the previous benefits of Ribcage form.'' Cynrik thought as he read through the notifications and experienced the adrenaline rush associated with increasing one''s stats.

    -I told you so, and here you were, all worried about Susanoo dragging you down. Sure, the stat buffs are small, but the 30% damage reduction will help. Plus, something tells me you will enjoy how your second Form looks.-

    ''Oh? Does it look nice? Hey, how do you know how it looks? I don''t see the picture. Where''s my customization?'' From excited to disappointed, Cynrik experienced a wide range of emotions in a split second before chastising Tobs.

    -Calm your Tits Cyn; I got this one, ok? I know the image you have in mind, and I cross-referenced it with your memories; I promise you won''t be disappointed in any of your Forms.-

    Materializing in front of Cynrik in her Fairy Form, invisible to the naked eye, Tobs floated above Cynrik''s nose with her hands on her hips and a pout on her lips.

    Since he had [Mana Sight] Active, seeing the little System AI appear above his nose, Cynrik fought back the urge to blow her away like dust and smirked.

    ''Alright, I will trust you this time, but if I don''t like how it turns out, I swear I will make some tasteful alterations to your Form. I think you''d look great in a bunny suit with long hair.''

    -CYNRIK AYKE JETLENSR, DON''T YOU DARE FUCK WITH ME! I CAN FUCK UP SOOOO MANY THINGS WITH A SNAP OF MY FINGERS!-

    Turning visibly red as the fire Mana she used to form her body went out of control, changing from blue to red, like a certain Disney Vin, Tobs screamed while shaking her fist at Cynrik, making him chuckle since she appeared more cute than intimidating.

    Reaching up, Cynrik caught Tobs by the back of her shirt and moved her to his right shoulder to sit while standing up and deactivating his RC Susanoo.

    *I will use Abbrieviations for the Forms, RC= Ribcage, SK= Skeletal, HU= Humanoid, and AHU= Armor Humanoid.*

    ''Alright, alright, calm down, Tobs, it''s time for me to go beast mode on these fuckers.'' Rolling his eyes as Tobs stomped on his shoulder in anger, Cynrik calmed his mind and tried getting focused on the task at hand.

    Although aware that he could go toe to toe with an Initial Tier-4 or maybe even a Mid-Tier-4, given the right circumstances, he was about to jump in against seven Peak Tier-3 beings, all of which were ACTUAL people, not AI software.

    -Hey, I''ve been meaning to ask, but are you more upset about losing or the fact that you were wrong? You initially surmised there was only a 3% chance of that Romeoville guy sacking his teammates to go faster and arranged your n without keeping that in mind.-

    ''Do you think I won''t eat you, Tobsie?'' ncing down at the tiny fairy sitting on his shoulder, Cynrik snorted and looked away, causing Tobs to release a sigh of relief.

    She knew better than to push her luck; if Cynrik said he would munch on her, he would.

    Heaving a sigh and noticing the frightened look Tobs was giving him, Cynrik rolled his eyes.

    ''The answer to your question is a little of both. I know I can''t be right 100% of the time, but I strive to be damn close. But at the same time, given the right circumstances, I am a horrible loser. For example, there have been times I''ve lost in card games only to reach over the table and smash my fist into my opponent''s face.''

    ''I guess it stems from the fact that I hate being helpless, and in the case of our SRD Loss, it was entirely out of my hands whether or not we won. There were simply too many variables to ount for. My ns are formed the same way a meteorologist tells the weather; I examine the data and make as urate a prediction as possible within the confines of the information presented.''

    ''But what REALLY pissed me off was seeing my woman upset, thinking that it was her fault we lost. And for that, I will make each of the members of Team Romeoville pay their weight in blood.'' Clenching his fist and seeing Selene''s sad face in his mind, Cynrik felt his lip twitch slightly before calming down.

    -I see; sorry for bringing it up, Cyn¡­-

    Looking down at her hands, Tobs felt bad, so she apologized.

    ''It''s fine, don''t think about it too hard; if anything, I am durable, anyway time to do this shit.'' Crossing his left arm over his body and stretching, Cynrik released his arm and swiped at the air to equip his full loadout just as the timer hit Zero, and he was teleported into the Infinite Prarie Map.

    -You have spawned into the Team Battle Tie-Breaker Event.-

    -Current Members on your Team: 1/7.-

    -Current Members on Opposing Team: 7/7.-

    -There is no time limit to this event, and the team with thest member standing Wins.-

    With a smirk, Cynrik activated his [Dynamic Lens] Skill in tandem with his [Mana Sight] and quickly spotted Team Romeoville over 5 kilometers away.

    ''Here we go, Tobs, gimmie that hot-fire BGM.'' Kicking off the ground, Cynrik rushed forward and activated his Stealth Skill, vanishing from sight.

    -Now ying¡­-

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 Chapter 525 The Storm Ravages (1)

    ''Here we go, Tobs, gimmie that hot-fire BGM.'' Kicking off the ground, Cynrik rushed forward and activated his Stealth Skill, vanishing from sight.

    -Now ying "Chainsaw Man OST: Edge of Chainsaw (Main Theme) | EPIC VERSION" By Kensei Music.-

    The hybrid electronic/heavy rock music vibrated his body, and upon hearing the unfamiliar song, Cynrik nodded contently.

    ''Chainsaw Man, heh, I guess it would have long sincee out; I remember reading the manga back on Earth, and I was pretty excited about the anime, tsk; maybe I should try recreating some of my old favorites to earn a few extra bucks.'' Cynrik thought as he stayed low to the ground while running full speed straight toward Team Romeoville.

    -I wouldn''t rmend that¡­as it stands, other LCs don''t have confirmation that you are one of them, but if there are others from your period on Earth, and you suddenly start publishing famous works from your time, it would be a dead give away to your identity.-

    Holding tightly to his shoulder with her legs pping behind her body, Tobs stated, causing Cynrik to scoff under his breath.

    ''Come now, Tobs, do you take me for a fool? Of course, I would use a pen name and set up shellpanies to deal with the money. Unless they are better hackers than me, there won''t be a single way to trace it back to me.''

    BOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM

    Just as he made that statement, the ground in front of him exploded, cascading chunks of rubble into the air and weaponizing them into rocky missles.

    Having seen the sudden collection of Mana not far ahead of him, Cynrik had barely enough time to dive to the side and avoid the explosion. However, the iing rock missles had "targeting" capabilities, so they immediately fired at Cynrik while he rolled and slid to a stop.

    ''Tsk, fucking tracking skills,'' Weaving through the hailstorm of rock, Cynrik danced around while continuing forward.

    Not far away, Derrek barked orders at two of his mages; he knew Cynrik would try rushing in undetected since the details he obtained before round one showed the VSFA Captain was of the Assassin ss.

    Using the same method of searching he had for the SRD event, the Psychic User on Team Romeoville had temporarily located Cynrik. Still, since his skill had a 3-minute cooldown and Cynrik was moving too fast to keep tabs on, the skill would only find him long enough tounch a well-prepared attack.

    Understanding that Cynrik was about to close the distance and had more than likely located his group already since they had blown their cover, Derrek grabbed his team with strands of Mana and teleported them a kilometer away to the east.

    Seeing this, Cynrik grinned.

    ''So that asshat''s jumps are 1km with the entire team. Then how about we try this,'' outstretching his left arm while running, a tremor ran through Cynrik''s body as his shadow seemingly detached from its usual position, and soon, a second, inky pitch-ck silhouette appeared while keeping pace next to him.

    ''One more,'' Cynrik thought as he withdrew his left arm and mimicked his previous actions using his right arm; soon, three people were racing toward Team Romeoville, two [Umbral Clones] and Cynrik himself.

    ''Since my [Shadow Clone] evolved due to my Affinity changing, they got more helpful.'' He thought while remembering the Skills description.

    -Tier-3.5 Umbral Affinity Skill: [Umbral Clone]-

    -The trice-evolved form of the basic Dark Affinity Skill, Shadow''s Image. The User can take control or split their shadow and change its shape into one desired. Once it bes the desired clone, it will move and act under theplete control of the one who summoned it.-

    -Up to two Clones can be manifested; however, the stats of the second clone will be diminished significantly.-

    -The clones will not be able to think or act withoutmands explicitly given by the one who created them.-<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    -Clones cannot use any skills requiring Mana, as they do not have an MP stat.

    -The First Clone will automatically have 75% of the User''s Stats except for HP and has unlimited Stamina.

    -The Second Clone will have 50% of the First Clone''s stats except for HP and has unlimited Stamina

    -Activation cost: Minimum 10k MP. Chargeable.-

    -The Clone will turn the Mana points used to generate it into its own Health Points. When the clone receives enough damage to drop its HP to Zero, it ceases to be under the User''s control and will return to being the User''s shadow.-

    ''UC1, nk left, UC2, nk right, keep a distance of one click between us at all times.'' Giving the order to his new clones, Cynrik didn''t need to watch as the two separated from him and put the desired distance between themselves and him.

    ''UGH, this would have been much easier if I could enter the Shadow Realm in VR.'' Clicking his tongue as he changed direction and followed Romeoville since they had jumped again, Cynrikined.

    -That [Umbral Dimension Leap] **Evolved form of Shadow Leap** of yours requires ess to what you''vebeled as the Shadow Realm Cyn. Since that realm only exists in the real world, it''smon sense that you would be cut off from it in VR.-

    -Besides, depending on how good that Derrek guy is with his Space Affinity, he can probably lock you out of the Shadow Realm just like Geralt does.-

    Still hanging on for dear life to Cynrik''s shoulder, Tobs reminded Cynrik of the only other circumstance which would remove his ess to the Shadow Realm.

    Ignoring Tobs, Cynrik monitored the trap he wasying with his clones as he kept tabs on the teleportation of Romeoville and after the 6th jump; however, he noticed something, causing him to grin.

    There was a pattern to how Derrek picked his jump location. East, East, West, North, East, East.

    When the time came for the seventh jump, Cynrik had already corrected his approach, cing the weaker of the two clones approximately where he figured Romeoville would appear. Like clockwork, when the five-minute Cooldown expired, Romeoville appeared 30 meters away from the clone.

    ''Gotcha fucker, [Clone Swap,].'' Triggering the Runic Diagram in his mind with the appropriate amount of Mana, Cynrik instantly teleported, switching ces with the weaker clone, and rushed forward at full speed.

    Panting heavily, Derrek told his team to be on high alert, and the others spread out, as was their standard tactic. Creating a wedge-shaped formation, with the three back liners **two archers and one healer* to the north and the rest observing the south, Team Romeoville scoured the distant horizon where they assumed Cynrik wasing.

    That was their second mistake, the first being predictable teleportation locations.

    Moving like a phantom, Cynrik appeared in the middle of their formation undercover of his stealth skill with both kodachis unsheathed, his target, the Psychic User who could track his movements.

    Having noticed the Amethyst Particles surging toward the young man, Cynrik instantly knew this was how they located him before attacking earlier, and with his target chosen, Cynrik attacked.

    Without hesitation or remorse, Cynrik shed out, hacking off the young man''s arms with the first attack and his legs with the second. Following his attack by executing a spinning back kick, heunched the poor limbless guy into the back liners like a bowling ball into pins before "Torso boy" could even scream in agony.

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 Chapter 526 The Storm Ravages (2)

    SLICE SLICE BOOOM

    The loud sound of metal slicing flesh was quickly covered up by the concussive boom created by Cynrik''s follow-up attack.

    "AH AHH AHHHH MY ARMS AHHH!" Torso Boy screamed as he thrashed about on top of one of the archers spraying blood from the four stubs on his body which used to be limbs.

    ''[Umbral Sewing,]'' Cynrik thought while stomping the ground with his left foot and activating his CC skill, spawning thirty inky ck tendrils that stabbed into every member of Team Romeoville except Torso Boy.

    "HELP ME!"

    "DEMON, HE''S A DEMON!"

    "NO, NO, NO, I DON''T WANNA DIE!"

    "ARG, CYNRIK JETLENSR!!!"

    The chorus of cries and bloodcurdling screamsing from Team Romeoville was the sweetest of tunes to Cynrik as he pulled down his hood and flourished his kodachi.

    "Demon, me, Nah, that would be too convenient of a title; I quite prefer the moniker "Menace to Society" Or "The ck Swordsman." Chuckling at the curses and screams, Cynrik injected a minute amount of Umbra Mana into his victims, shutting down their ability to wield Mana properly. But more importantly, his Umbra Mana injection was meant to stop Derrek from running away with one of those pesky Space Affinity Skills.

    "Now then," Spinning around in a grandstanding manner, Cynrik looked up at the sky with [Mana Sight] and located the nearest invisible Camera Drone before addressing it directly.

    "For those watching with young children, now may be the time to click off the channel or stream. I will be assuming my favorite role, the one of Judge, Jury, and Executioner today, and the show I have in store is not for the young of age or faint of heart."

    "Dearest Roni and Cesar, if you ever intended to p an 18+ tag on the feed, now would be the time since I am showing a quite unsightly show to everyone, one filled with swearing, gore, and potentially hehe, torture." Crossing his right arm over his body and bowing at the cameras, Cynrik turned up the dial on his performance persona before spinning around and grinning sadistically at the rooted-in-ce and struggling Team Romeoville.

    Well, to be more exact, everyone except Derrek had given up and be sniveling messespared to their cocky and overconfident selves post-SRD Event.

    "Before you stand those used of Arrogance, and Crimes against ME, your beloved friendly neighborhood Sociopath. The crimes they have enacted are as follows." Stepping up to the four young people on the ground, namely the two archers, the healer, and of course, Torso Boy, Cynrik raised his foot and brought it down square on the chest of the limbless Psychic User, causing arge amount of blood to gush out of his stumps.

    "Tsk, tsk, we can''t have you dying before the trial; how about we cauterize those wounds into clean stubs, my good sir." Sheathing his left kodachi back on his right hip, Cynrik snapped his fingers, manifested four fist-sized purple fireballs, and directed them to the end of each of Torso Boy''s limbs before searing the wounds shut and stopping the free-flowing blood.

    "KYAHHH, AHHHH, NOO OWWWWW, IT HURTS AHHHH! MAKE IT STOP!" Torso boy screamed while unable to thrash around thanks to the ck tendrils holding him in ce.

    "Shhh, I can promise you my loving attention is only beginning, Torso Boy. The more you struggle, the worse it will get." Crouching beside the young man, Cynrik lightly pped Torso Boy''s cheeks yfully, ignoring therge amount of snot and tears coating his face.

    "YOU BASTARD, KILL HIM! HOW DARE YOU TORTURE MY TEAMMATES!" Derrek howled while pulling against the Mana Constructs impaling his arms, legs, and chest.

    Hearing this, Cynrik frowned, rolled his eyes, and stood up.

    "Shut your fucking mouth, coward." Snapping his fingers again, Cynrik manifested half a dozen golfball-sized fireballs and tossed them at Derrek. They exploded upon impact with Team Romeoville''s Captain''s body, dousing him in quickly dissolving mes.

    Although they doused in no time, the intense pain they carried was enough to cause Derrek to il about and scream. His screams drew outcries of fear from the other Romeoville team members, and the three youngdies of the team broke down in tears, with one of them even pissing herself in the process.

    "Shh, shhh, no, no, you aren''t allowed to cry, for you see, you are on trial here, and no amount of remorse for your actions will please me; only your suffering can solve the pain in my little, decrepit, ck heart."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Suddenly appearing beside the youngdy who pissed herself, Cynrik calmly tucked a lock of auburn hair behind her ear and gently caressed her cheek with the back of his hand.

    But like a person with a mental health condition such as multiple personality disorder, Cynrik''s demeanor changed in a second as he brought his hand up to the back of her head, grabbed a handful of hair, pulled her backward, and stabbed her through the heart in a fluid motion.

    His swift attack and the pain associated with it caused the youngdy''s eyes to go wide, and her mouth dropped open before the light left her eyes, and she soon shattered into particles.

    -You have killed apetitor from Team Romeoville.-

    -Current Members on your Team: 1/7.-

    -Current Members on Opposing Team: 6/7.-

    Sheathing his second kodachi over his shoulder, Cynrik dusted his hands as if cleaning dirt and spun around with a p.

    "She died the quickest, and all it took was her peeing herself. If that doesn''t tell you something about this court proceeding, well, you are dumber than a box of fucking rocks."

    "You¡­you monster." Derrek gasped at how casually Cynrik had just murdered someone and felt fear gripping his heart as if it were in a vice grip.

    "Hm? You wanna know something? I''ve been called many things in my life, but it never grows old hearing people call me a monster." Shaking his head and holding up his hands as if feeling helpless, Cynrik sashayed to Derrek, slid beside him, and leaned on the opposing Captain''s shoulder like they were best friends.

    "Am I a monster? Hm, probably, but that isn''t for you to determine since you are nothing more than a filthy prisoner on trial for crimes against me and my Faction."

    "WHAT CRIMES? WE DID NOTHING WRONG! ALL WE DID WAS WIN IN A STUPID FUCKING GAME!" Attempting to shrug off Cynrik''s arm but failing, Derrek spat while trying to move the Mana in his body for the 10th time, only to fail again.

    "Tut, tut, a game? Do you think making my woman upset to the point of near tears is just a game? You think sacrificing your fucking peasant underlings to throw off my ns was a FUCKING GAME?" Enraged at Derrek''s words, Cynrik kicked out his legs and manipted the tendrils to plunge deeper into the young man''s body, holding him off the ground like the legs of a table.

    "ARRGGG, DAMN IT!" Derrek couldn''t help but curse as he felt the stinging pain akin to hot pokers stabbing into his limbs and back.

    "No, none of this is a fucking game, Derrek Giine; you have sinned in a way generally unfathomable to me." Waving his hand, Cynrik walked off to the four Romeovillepetitors lying on the ground.

    Behind him, the tendrils moved to keep up, carrying along the impaled Derrek.

    "All that aside, you also serve as a target for my pent-up aggression. An example for those who are against me, one that shows that falling in my hands when pushes to shove is often worse than death."

    "I don''t enjoy torturing those who don''t deserve it, so how about I clean up the dregs right quick before we continue this conversation."

    SNAP!

    Snapping his fingers, the restraints holding the remaining five members of Team Romeoville disappeared.

    "Battle Royal, if you can injure me, then I will allow you to leave without any additional mental trauma. Unfortunately, Derrek boy here can''t join you since he likes to run away with those pesky Spacial Skills of his.

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 527 The Storm Ravages (3)

    Snapping his fingers, the restraints holding the remaining five members of Team Romeoville disappeared.

    "Battle Royal, if you can injure me, then I will allow you to leave without any additional mental trauma. Unfortunately, Derrek boy here can''t join you since he likes to run away with those pesky Spacial Skills of his."

    At first, the five remaining members of Team Romeoville were stunned. One minute, they were on death''s doorstep and could only cry and pray their deaths would be swift, then the next, Cynrik''s inky ck tendrils had vanished, and they could feel their Mana coursing through their bodies again.

    Even so, there wasn''t one among them who recovered mentally. Instead, those standing copsed onto their knees in an emotionally unstable state, while the ones lucky enough to already be on the ground stared nkly at the sky.

    "Oh? Giving up already, well, isn''t that a pity? Maybe I should bring out my little friends again and begin the torture session, for real this time." Crossing his arms over his chest and tapping his chin with his right index finger, Cynrik tilted his head to the side and looked down on the members of Team Romeoville as if they were less than human.

    "You have 60 seconds to decide your fates. Will you die with your heads bowed, admitting you are worthless cowards who''ve bent under pressure, or will you die as warriors who went down swinging against an unbeatable foe?" Cynrik''s voice held zero emotion as he spoke, a sign that he honestly didn''t give two shits about what they chose.

    "59," beginning his count down, Cynrik started channeling his four Mana types into the small of his back, the ess point of activation for [Susanoo.]

    "50," when he reached fifty, the first signs of life returned to, surprisingly enough, Torso Boy, who curled his body like a shrimp and began struggling to sit up.

    "45," seeing that the one member of their group who was injured the greatest was struggling to change his fate, the rest of Team Romeoville was spurred into action, albeit slowly, as the light returned to their eyes, and they summoned their weapons.

    Gritting their teeth, the four able-bodied members of Team Romeoville took up fighting stances against Cynrik, causing him to smile sadistically. This was what he wanted from the beginning.

    Sure, torturing people had be one of his favorite pastimes; however, from the moment he stepped foot in this VR World, Cynrik had been ying an annoying game of cat and mouse.

    Having removed the annoying variable named Derrek Giine from the picture, he could finally have a real battle, and not against some brainless AI-programmed Creatures; no, this was a battle between intelligent beings.

    "35,"

    "RAHHHH!" One of the archers screamed as he jumped backward and up a total of ten meters into the air before unleashing a torrent of Mana d arrows from his recurve bow.

    "[Susanoo]" in response to the abrupt attack, Cynrik calmly activated his skill. At hismand, a quad-colored spine manifested half a meter behind his back, raising two heads distance above his own. Following thepletion of the spine, four rib bones extended out from each side of the vertebrae, creating four "C" shaped rings on each side of Cynriks body, with the topmost ring being shorter and covering his head.

    Wrapping around his body and leaving only the front portion open, the first form of Susanno wasplete, and Cynrik took one step backward, pushing off the ground and lightlynding out of harm''s way just as five arrows stabbed into the ground.

    "25," seeing that his attack had failed, Archer Anded on the ground and drew another batch of arrows from the quiver on his back while Archer B appeared beside him, setting up their typical backline formation with his bow at the ready. Together, the two put a distance of around 50 meters between themselves and Cynrik.

    Seeing the back line forming, the healer caught Torso Boy by the back of his cor and ran over to the archers,pleting their formation.

    Meanwhile, the team tank, a young woman wearing heavy te armor, stepped in front of the group; doubling as a Mage, she held up her massive shield, one twice the size of Brance''s, and began chanting a string of spells.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "20," Cynrik responded, unfazed by the antics of Team Romeoville, allowing them to get ready unhindered.

    "THUNDER STRIKE!" Finishing her chant, the Mage/Tank Raised her shield overhead and manifested a storm cloud before mming it onto the ground with a loud thunk. Her shout-out was a signal which spurred the archers and even Torso Boy to unleash abined Volley of arrows reinforced with Psychic Mana.

    Half a secondter, the loud boom of thunder rolled over the prairie as a bolt of yellow Lightning dropped from the sky onto Cynrik, followed by a rain of Amethyst-colored arrows.

    However, seeing the iing attacks, Cynrik smiled, raised his right arm over his head, and triggered the partial evolution of his [Susanoo].

    As the multiple attacks were about to connect, arge, multi-colored, translucent skeletal arm exploded out of the ribcage and covered Cynrik''s body.

    BOOOM BOOOM BOOOMMM

    "DON''T LET UP!" Archer A Screamed at the top of his lungs, causing the attacking force to continuously rain attacks down on Cynrik, who was already hidden behind a cloud of dust and debris.

    BOOOM, BOOM, SWOOSH, BOOOM BOOM

    Switching from Lightning, the Mage/Tank continued her chants and unleashed several Terra Affinity attacks from the gem on the center of her shield.

    "EVEN IF THAT SKILL IS AN ARMOR OF SOME TYPE, HE IS ONLY INITIAL TIER-3. THERE IS NO WAY HE CAN WITHSTAND THE FORCE OF ALL OF OUR COMBINED EFFORT; GO GOGO!" Archer A Screamed, assuming the role of pseudo-leader.

    "YAHHHHHH!!!" No one was sure who yelled it, but the battle cry was enough for Team Romeoville to rapidly fire their strongest attacks without holding back.

    "Useless effort, but I apud you nheless for even trying." Cynrik''s voice pierced through the explosions, causing Team Romeoville to shudder and pause, something they should have never done.

    Because the instant Cynrik saw this through the dust with his [Mana Sight], he walked forward while dropping his hand down. Next, as he moved, Cynrik twisted his upper body, bringing his shoulder back, and made a grabbing motion with his right arm, twisting his torso counter-clockwise and reaching forward.

    To everyone''s horror, a translucent multi-colored skeletal arm ripped through the dust cloud and went right for the tank, which in her stupor, froze up.

    What happened next was something no one present or even those watching at home will ever forget. Tightly gripping the armoreddy, Cynrik raised his arm, causing the skeletal arm to follow, and mmed her brutally on the ground repeatedly, intending to diminish her HP.

    Eventually growing bored of brutalizing the tank, Cynrik held her in the air, brandishing her for all to see, and started squeezing her so tightly that the armor dented with a screeching thunk sound.

    "AHHHH AHHHH STOP, PLEASSSSSEE," the armored girl screamed at the top of her lungs while blood oozed from the holes on her face, and piss streamed down her legs.

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 528 The Stormâ€™s Devastation

    Behind the Armored girl, the back liners froze, and Archer B copsed onto the ground before evacuating his bowels.

    Those who soiled themselves couldn''t be med because, for average Academy students; they had already witnessed horrors that even many War Veterans would run away from and have nightmares for years toe. How could children be expected to be ok after seeing what they were?

    For those few seconds that Cynrik crushed the girl with Susanoo''s hand, all that could be heard was the strain of metal and her bloodcurdling screams.

    After some resistance, the armor caved in, and her body''s muscles expanded until, eventually, her mortal body could not take any more abuse.

    With one final scream of agony, the Tank exploded into meat paste, then particles.

    "Blegh, that''s pretty gross," Cynrik stated in disgust while shaking his arm and, in turn, the skeletal one to get any partictes off it.

    -You have killed apetitor from Team Romeoville.-

    -Current Members on your Team: 1/7.-

    -Current Members on Opposing Team: 5/7.-

    ''Not bad, Tobs,'' ignoring the kill notification and holding up his arm again, making Team Romeoville flinch; Cynrik examined the bones and noticed three distinct spikes on the forearms, reminding him of Batman''s gauntlets.

    -Well, duh, I know you''re every aesthetic taste, Cyn; as I said, have some faith in me.-

    Tobs, in her fairy form, stated while rolling her eyes before patting her chest with one hand and Cynrik''s cheek with the other.

    ''I will be the judge of that, but so far, so GOOD!'' Finishing his statement by raising both arms in front of his face, with his fists balled up and touching, Cynrik flexed his muscles and thrust his arms down. In doing this, he fully activated the second form of his skill, causing his Mana Construct to undergo multiple changes.

    Firstly, the firstyer of rib bones surrounding his head transformed into cor bones, while just below them, the second arm came into existence.

    The ribs themselves expanded slightly and took on a sinister appearance, with each one ring out and expanding, creating a sternum above Cynrik''s head where they connected. Unlike in the ribcage form, Cynrik was now entirely covered by his Mana construct.

    Lastly, the vertebrae extended upward, into neck bones, before aplete skull with ck mes for eyes manifested. This wasn''t your regr run-of-the-mill skull either; small jagged horns encircled the head like a crown, and its teeth were sharp like a shark.

    Standing in what now appeared to be an abdomen, with an entire skeleton above him, Cynrik tilted his head to the side and smiled sadistically at Team Romeoville before his [Susanoo] broke out in ckish-blue mes.

    "Hehehehehe, well, time''s up," Cynrik said as he raised his left hand, crossed it over his body, and delivered a backhanded smack to team Romeoville, with his Skeleton puppet mimicking his every move.

    Like small figurines, the backline formation was instantly destroyed and scattered about by the backhanded smack, and unfortunately, they lost another team member due to Cynrik''s follow-up attack.

    Raising his arm, Cynrik balled up the skeletal fist and dropped it on top of Torso boy, stting him like a bug on the ground before the poor guy could even scream in fear or beg for mercy.

    -You have killed apetitor from Team Romeoville.-

    -Current Members on your Team: 1/7.-

    -Current Members on Opposing Team: 4/7.-

    "B¡­bastard¡­my glory¡­my sponsorships." Floating off not far from Cynrik, Derrek muttered with tears and snot streaming down his face. As someone from a wealthy background, he had never been so belittled or embarrassed as he was right now.

    It was one thing to lose in the Competition; even if that happened, at least he had broken a National Record again; however, Cynrik was toying with not only him but massacring his team as if they were bugs.

    He could care less about his teammates. At the end of the day, Derrek only cared about therge sum of money he would receive from his showcase, especially since after mizing all the videos from his POVst year, he was pretty famous online.

    But as he sat there helpless to even move so much as his big toe, Derrek could practically see his entire life ending and ending up forced to live on the streets.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    This sudden thought caused Derrek to thrash about against the tendrils holding him in ce and try to move the Mana in his body for the umpteenth time.

    Ignoring Derrek, Cynrik picked up the healer next and gave him the same treatment as the Armored girl, only this time, instead of smashing him into the ground, he only squeezed him until he popped.

    -You have killed apetitor from Team Romeoville.-

    -Current Members on your Team: 1/7.-

    -Current Members on Opposing Team: 3/7.-

    Shaking the goo off his skeletal hand, Cynrik turned both hands up and clutched them into ws, extending his Mana to [Susanoo''s] hands and manifesting two massive ckish-blue fireballs.

    Once this wasplete, he moved his hands over the two archers and dumped the fireballs onto them, instantly igniting their bodies and causing them to il like a fish out of water.

    It didn''t take long for the two to be reduced to ash, leaving only Derrek alive.

    -You have killed apetitor from Team Romeoville.-

    -Current Members on your Team: 1/7.-

    -Current Members on Opposing Team: 1/7.-

    Dusting off his hands, Cynrik deactivated his skill and exhaled as if exhausted, then turned to face Derrek, who frantically tried to free himself upon seeing the monster looking in his direction.

    "Sigh, you know what is sad, Derrek Boy? This was entirely avoidable. Had you not pissed me off, I would never have been so brutal, but NOOOOoo, you just had to be a fucking douchebag." Sucking in his cheek, Cynrik shook his head and walked over to Derrek.

    Then, with a wave of his hand, the helpless Romeoville Captain was positioned upright in a "T" posture facing Cynrik.

    "All you had to do was not be an overconfident prick, and I would have allowed my rangers to beat your asses in the uracy event. Fortunately, you gave me a proper reason to unleash¡­my ugly side."

    Walking up, Cynrik smacked Derrek across the face so hard that several of the young man''s teeth flew out of his mouth with a glob of blood.

    "ALL RISE, JUDGE HONORABLE CYNRIK JETLENSR HAS ENTERED THE COURTROOM." Spinning around and allowing his clones toe out of hiding, Cynrik sped his hands behind his back and paced back and forth in front of the two shadowy versions of himself.

    "The court will now hear the defense testimony." Stopping in front of Clone 2, Cynrik leaned forward and made the clone pantomime as if it were trying to defend Derrek.

    "Hmm, uhhuh, I see, hm, interesting. Understood. The defense rests," patting clone two on the shoulder; Cynrik then walked over to Clone one.

    "And now the prosecution will plead its case for the court." Like with clone two, Clone one began acting out animatedly, as if telling a story. Instead of being defensive, it aggressively kept pointing at Derrek and alternating between clone two and the Romeoville Captain.

    "Pfff, damn, I gotta say, this guy really can spin a tale." Spinning around and pointing at clone one with his thumb, Cynrik shook his head in astonishment.

    "Crazy, you''re fucking crazy!" Unable to continue watching the one-man show, Derrek screamed with a wild look in his eyes and blood dripping down his chin.

    However, he was silenced because the moment the aggressive words left his lips, Cynrik shed out with his hand, creating a whip of fire mana, and shed Derrek across the chest, causing the young man to freak out.

    "Shhh, can''t you see the court is in session?" Scattering the fire particles, Cynrik brought his index finger to his lips and basically told Derrek to shut the fuck up.

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 529 The Stormâ€™s Devastation (2)

    **Sorry the chapter is madte yall; apparently, this chapter didn''t post like it was supposed to today; Wednesdays and Sundays are always rough on me, but as per the new usual, One Long Chapter is Coming up.**

    Spinning around and clearing his throat, Cynrik held up his hands, causing the two clones to stand at attention.

    "I apologize for the interruption, now then¡­" just as Cynrik was about to start up, Tobs stepped in, adding fuel to his insanity.

    -Now ying "Angry Crowd."-

    "ORDER, ORDER! THERE WILL BE ORDER IN THIS COURT!" Frowning at his AI''s timely sound clip, Cynrik stomped his foot, signaling her to cut off the noise, to which she obliged.

    "Hmph, we have heard the testimonies of both the defense and prosecution, and I must say, the evidence against the used is highly spective. However, as the judge, I must keep impartial." Scratching his chin like a wise old sage, Cynrik waited for a moment before motioning for the defense to begin their closing statements.

    As per his order, Clone two walked over to Derrek and put on a dramatic pantomime, telling quite the story where it asked for forgiveness and leniency, but this was only in Cynrik''s mind.

    To the outside eye, they just saw an inky ck silhouette moving around silently while pointing at Derrek and rubbing its hands under its eyes, giving the appearance it was crying.

    Nodding his head and watching as if enthralled by the performance, Cynrik even wiped a fake tear from his eye before apuding the clone.

    "What a rousing tale; from your point of view, I must say, I am almost swayed. But there are always two sides to a story. Thus, I ask you to return to your seat so we may hear the prosecution''s closing statements.

    Bowing gracefully to Cynrik, the clone tossed a final look back at Derrek, who was in rough shape after being pped and whipped. Heaving its shoulders as if sighing sorrowfully, the clone returned opposite of clone one.

    "Prosecution, you may begin your closing statements." Nodding to Clone One, Cynrikmanded the clone to menacingly saunter up to Derrek before jabbing its inky ck finger into the gruesome wound left over from Cynrik''s fire whip.

    The sudden burning sensation caused by the Umbra Mana used to create the cloneing in contact with his fresh wound woke Derrek up from his daze, and he began thrashing about violently while coughing up mouthfuls of blood between his pained screams.

    Seeing this reaction, Clone one reeled back and sucker-punched Derrek right in the stomach, just below the jagged wound, causing him even more pain and making Cynrik chuckle at the show.

    In contrast to the show put on by Clone Two, Clone one tossed aside its role as awyer and began beating Derrek by peppering him with swift and light punches in the many open pressure points on the young man''s body.

    "Tsk, stop beating him; I get the point; you wish to say he is vile scum who deserves nothing short of merciless beatings and eventually death." Rolling his eyes, Cynrik pped his hands loudly, freeing Derrek from the severe pressure point attacks.

    "Now, since there is no jury in this trial, I must fill in for their role. Derrek Giine, For the first count of pissing off someone you shouldn''t, I find you guilty and sentence you to death."

    Raising his head weakly, Derrek shot Cynrik a fierce re but stayed silent. He had already learned that this psycho reveled in his pain; Derrek''s silence was meant not to give him any more ammunition.

    "For the second count of offending my Girlfriend, the honorable Selene Nilsson, I sentence you to an unfathomable level of torture," Cynrik said with a cheerful smile.

    "WHAT!!!!" Breaking his silence against his better judgment, Derrek blurted out.

    "KILL ME, YOU SICK FUCK! I SWEAR ON EVERYTHING I AM IF YOU DON''T FUCKING KILL ME¡­"

    CRACK!

    Before the Captain of Team Romeoville could continue, Cynrik appeared in front of him and chopped down with his right hand into Derrek''s corbone, snapping it instantly and bringing about a howl of agony from Derrek.

    "Ahh, much better. Tsk tsk, poor little Derrek, facing the usor who put you in such a state, yet instead of fighting back, all you can do is swear at me with that potty mouth of yours. Didn''t your mother teach you better." Shaking his head, Cynrik propped up his right arm around Derrek''s neck and leaned on him for support.

    "Do¡­m¡­mo¡­" Speaking in a barely audible tone with his head hanging and blood dripping from his mouth, Derrek hung limply.

    "Hm? What was that? You should speak up if you wish to be heard here¡­let me help you." Smiling widely and looking at Derrek as if the young man was his best friend, Cynrik reached up with his left hand and pushed Derrek''s chin before moving his lower jaw.

    "My name''s Derrek; I like to spout nonsense and kill my teammates." Cynrik mocked while using Derrek''s face as if it were a puppet.

    "You¡­mo¡­mother fucker." ring at Cynrik, Derrek spat a mouth full of blood onto Cynrik''s face, causing him to close his eyes and smile sadistically.

    "Mother fucker, you say¡­hehe, sigh, back at it again with the nonsense, your Virtual life is in my hands, and all you can do is try insulting me with grade school banter; you disappoint me more than you''ll ever understand Derrek Boy."

    BAM!<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Without warning or holding back anything, Cynrik headbutted Derrek so hard the Romeoville Captain''s nose broke and caved in, causing blood to gush out of the disfigured appendage.

    But he didn''t stop there; reeling back, Cynrik spun around and unsheathed both of his Kodachis before unleashing a flurry of shallow cuts all over Derrek''s body, causing the young man to cry out each time the Mana-infused des bit into his flesh.

    "Time for me to have fun with you; don''t die too quickly; I want to savor your pain and suffering." Cynrik spat while cauterizing the wounds his swords inflicted to prevent Derrek from losing too much blood.

    ---

    The audience of peers sitting and watching Cynrik''s battle in the arena seating had mixed expressions. Some were petrified by the scene Cynrik presented, while others cheered and jeered because of the violence.

    In so many ways, what the VSFA Captain did was twisted and even sick; however, how he portrayed it made it seem unreal as if they were watching aedy where the anti-hero was getting revenge against his girlfriend''s enemy.

    Overall, there were five different opinions created by watching Cynrik''s Battle with Team Romeoville.

    The first was the numerous girls who practically had hearts in their eyes upon hearing Cynrik''s deration. These crazies viewed his actions as a sign of love which drove Cynrik, all because Derrek had upset his girlfriend. They wished a dark knight bathed in mes would sweep them off their feet and defeat their enemies.

    However, these types of women were few and far between, and the overall consensus, especially between women watching, was that Cynrik was a psychopath who couldn''t be fixed.

    Second, there were the sanepetitors, who felt nothing but a bone-chilling fear while watching Cynrik ruthlessly ughter a whole team single-handedly before torturing their Captain, all because of what they viewed as trivial.

    The third was the vocal majority, the people watching who cheered loudly every time Cynrik attacked or spat some abusive and often vulgar dialog between his torture session. Like the crazy fangirls, this group was slightly demented, if not disconnected from reality.

    To them, Cynrik was an entertaining person who would have new things to show them at every twist and turn. These people inadvertently turned him from the underdog into an instant celebrity.

    From this group, several abhorrent fandoms were created, and hundreds of websites dedicated to the cool anti-hero known as Cynrik Jetlensr appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

    Up next were the most dangerous of the people watching; here, we find the few people who were, in a sense, simr to Cynrik. The Viin types who wore twisted smiles and lived vicariously through Cynrik''s actions.

    To this group, Cynrik''s actions were justified by the principle of the Strong Prevail. Funny enough, this group had a high poption of Beastpeople since they abided by thew of the jungle.

    Andstly, were those who understood just how dangerous of a person Cynrik was. It didn''t take a psychologist to understand there had to be aundry list of psychological disorders in y here.

    Between talking to himself, holding a mock trial with his clones ying an active role, or how he taunted, tortured, and insulted his opponents to mental breakdown, Cynrik thoroughly enjoyed dismantling his opponents physically and mentally.

    He was not the type of person who could be reasoned with; if anything, many swore they wouldn''t try anything dirty or even look at Cynrik. But then there were people in this group who felt no fear; to them, it was almost as if they looked down on Cynrik, viewing him as nothing more than a sadistic child throwing a temper tantrum.

    Watching the horrors unfolding on screen, Jason Opurn swallowed loudly and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Having spent the entire day analyzing Cynrik''s actions, he now felt that he and Lend were in over their heads.

    Jason already knew that Cynrik and his group were way stronger than their Tier and Level alluded to, but he never imagined the gap would be so vast.

    ''His every movement is overly calcted to the point of reducing any imperfections. Then there is the wide array of Affinity skills and elements he wields. With his random and frankly wild fighting style, Cynrik is like a wild beast that suddenly gained a high IQ. Smart, fierce, and most of all, a total nutcase.'' Jason thought while looking across the stadium, where he saw Lend watching his cousin''s showcase without blinking.

    ---

    Inside the VR Room, Brance watched as the members of Team Romeoville were escorted out on stretchers. Between the brutal deaths they were dealt, and the state of their minds, most of them were a babbling or screaming mess when they woke up. Thus multiple support staff was brought in, and they took every member of Team Romeoville out one by one.

    Brance had long since known things were going to end badly; between how pissed his brother was upon finding out Romeoville had won the SRD event to the subtle telltale signs in his bodynguage, Cynrik was bound to go apeshit on these guys.

    But he didn''t know things would be this bad. This was uneptable, and the instant he could, Brance would beat the ever-living shit out of his older brother,e hell or high water.

    There was making a statement, and then there was whatever the fuck Cynrik was doing; either way, none of it was going to fly, and Brance couldn''t stand to see anything like this happen again.

    Clenching his fists so tightly that his nails drew blood, Brance struggled not to rip open the VR Capsule and drag his brother out. None of this was ok.

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 530 The Stormâ€™s Aftermath (1)

    When it came to the other members of MyrkLys, only Selene looked ecstatic at her boyfriend''s actions and had even cheered him on multiple times.

    Gabby, Benny, Melody, and Kurza looked away from the screen. Having been on the opposite end of Cynrik''s tender care, the four of them felt for Derrek, even though he was an opponent.

    Who among the four hadn''t had the shit beaten out of them by Cynrik at some point, be it through mental torture or physical under the guise of "Conditioning." The only difference was that Cynrik wasn''t malicious in his intent; instead, it aimed to increase the strength of their bodies and minds, except for Kurza, who ended up getting a simr treatment to Derrek due to his big mouth.

    Still, Cynrik held back considerably in the case of Gabby and Benny, either because, on some level, he cared about them or because he simply didn''t want to break them. But it was a different case altogether with Melody.

    Having been suspicious of her from day one, Cynrik had acted borderline cruel to her. From KIN assaults to heavy bouts of never-ending sparring, where she would end up in tears because of how much it hurt.

    But as with most things Cynrik did, Gabby and Benny understood that their leader had explicit reasons for his actions, and even now, as they frequently peeked at the screen and saw him torturing his opponent, Gabby, and Benny knew there was a reason.

    ---

    In the Pinhurst Mansion, no one said a word. From the moment the event began till now, everyone had been utterly silent. Upon hearing Cynrik''s warning about the brutality of what he nned on doing to Derrek, Maeve sent Aiden to his room.

    There was no doubt in anyone''s mind about the severity of what the young man was about to unleash on his opponent, so Maeve was unhesitant in her decision, and after witnessing what she had and still was, she knew it to be the right choice.

    "Sigh, how can he do such dreadful things to another person while wearing a smile?" Maeve asked in a small voice, afraid of making eye contact with her best friend.

    Her son''s vile actions had hit Cinyah the hardest. Unable to stop the tears from trickling down her cheeks, she watched unblinkingly and flinched at every scream Derrek made.

    Jessup and Rikard weren''t much better off; the two wore deep frowns and leaned forward in their seats; no one knew how or why Cynrik was acting the way he was presently; no¡­that''s not right; they knew.

    From an early age, Cynrik had always been different. Unlike typical children who were pure and uninhibited by the darker side of life, Cynrik had always been quiet and, to himself, a loner and theplete opposite of Brance.

    Rikard and Cinyah had watched Cynrik get in schoolyard fights with other children time and time again, and it was something they figured he would eventually grow out of¡­but they were apparently wrong.

    There was also what they viewed as underlying trauma caused by the infamous Haylons Shadow Incident. Like any good parent, they had put Cynrik and Brance into therapy alongside Gabby and Benny. Still, after getting back the reports from the psychologists, they figured everything was ok with their children. From how the two carried on as if nothing was wrong, they mistakenly fell under an illusion cast by Cynrik''s high intellect.

    Or at least, that''s what they thought. In Reality, that entire incident did not affect either brother; if anything, they considered it a good growth opportunity. Still, that didn''t stop Cinyah and Rikard from ming themselves; after all, what parent would want to see their child turn into a monster with millions of people watching?

    ---<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    In the studio, Roni and Cesar didn''t know what to say anymore. Initially, when they heard Cynrik''s words, they chuckled. They had seen numerous deaths in the Competition, frompetitors being torn to shreds by creatures, battling to the death, or even teammates turning on one another.

    However, this was the first time they wished they had heeded the words of apetitor. If not for everything happening in Virtual Reality and the pain and senses of those involved being dulled to only 25%, then what Cynrik was doing would break severalws.

    But things came to a head when the twomentators witnessed all of Team Romeoville being escorted out on stretchers. Only then did it sink in that Cynrik was pushing his opponents to the breaking point, which technically shouldn''t have been possible.

    Roni: "It..it''s fair to say that Cynrik and VSFA have won Round One, but¡­as we have stated time and time again, until Derrek Giine sumbs to his injuries and his Virtual Avatar is killed, he will, unfortunately, be forced to live out the trauma Cynrik is inflicting."

    Shuffling ufortably in her chair, Roni squeezed her thighs together each time the camera panned to Cynrik''s emotionless face. Feeling the dampnessing from her lower half, Roni hid her embarrassment. Unknown to the man sitting beside her, she was wetter than a waterfall, having watched Cynrik''s showcase. Yet, Roni was unsure what it was about the young man who gave her this unsatiable itch in herher regions.

    ''I¡­why do I wish to swap ces with that kid Derrek? Why do I desperately wish it was me being dominated by Cynrik right now.'' She thought while stumbling her way through thementary.

    This day will go down in history as the day a new fetish was unlocked, and one of the most fearsome reavers of modern times fell¡­for a young man not even a quarter of her age.

    ---

    In an undisclosed location, Lithlen and Viktor watched the live stream broadcast of Cynrik''s torture session with Stone cold expressions.

    "Sigh, that kid truly is a Jetlensr; only your family is so ruthlessly brutal to their enemies," Viktor stated, causing Lithlen to snort.

    "He is not one of mine, he, his father, and brother have been disowned, but the more I watch him, the more I regret that decision. If only I had been more cautious back then¡­." Lithlen''s voice trailed off as he remembered when the young Cynrik and Brance stood up to him.

    "Regardless, that kid is far too dangerous to be left alone; as it stands, it will be an uphill battle for Jason and Lend to defeat them; we need more security measures put in ce if we want to ensure their deaths." Clearing the image from his mind, Lithlen snorted and began typing furiously on his Watcet.

    "Lithlen, I don''t have to remind you to be overly cautious. That brat is far too smart for his age. This can be seen from how wlessly he held back not only himself but also his entire team; not to showcase anything unnecessary so far is evidence enough." Watching the older man beside him type away, Viktor interrupted, causing Lithlen''s fingers to stop mid-type.

    "Do you take me for a fool, Viktor? I have seen what you have; that little brat is far more calctive than even I previously anticipated, but it shouldn''t be anything new to you. He has been like that from the moment Iid eyes on him."

    "Unlike his younger brother, who shows everything in his facial expressions, Cynrik is practically unreadable and, more importantly, wild. His every action carries meaning and nning unseen in people of my generation, and if I didn''t know better, I''d assume he was an old monster in disguise."

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 Chapter 531 The Stormâ€™s Aftermath (2)

    Hanging limply on the Umbral Tendrils, the pale-faced and battered Derrek was once again forced awake by a burning sensation coursing through his veins.

    Startled awake and releasing a horse scream of agony, he ended up coughing up multiple mouthfuls of blood before sagging limply again as he slipped into the sweet painless darkness of unconsciousness again.

    "Tsk, this is getting boring now. His reactions are weak, and I can''t even enjoy beating him anymore. Sigh, oh well," raising his kodachi, Cynrik lopped off Derrek''s head with a single sh, triggering the final kill notification.

    -You have killed apetitor from Team Romeoville.-

    -Current Members on your Team: 1/7.-

    -Current Members on Opposing Team: 0/7.-

    -Congrattions, you are the final person standing.-

    -Team VSFA Has won the Tie-Breaker Team Battle Event.-

    -You will be teleported out of the VR World in Thirty Seconds.-

    sping his hands behind his head, Cynrik looked up at the sky with a rueful expression.

    ''Sigh, why do all the toys I find break so easily.'' Heined while waiting for the timer to tick down so he could be transported out of the VR World.

    -Uh...Cyn, I don''t want to be the bearer of bad news here, but you better prepare yourself; Brancie is madder than I''ve ever seen him, and his mind is a chaotic storm of anger that rivals your own right now.-

    Still resting on his shoulder, Tobs leaned over and poked Cynrik''s cheek, causing him to frown.

    ''Fucking great, on a scale of bad to total meltdown, what are we talking about here?'' Cynrik asked without looking away from the timer.

    -Well...he kind of want''s to string you up and beat you until you can''t move for the next six years. He is even considering sting you with Light Mana as torture.-

    -In his mind, you''ve gone entirely too far this time. Especially since every member of Team Romeoville had to be whisked away on stretchers, you broke all six...er...seven of your opponents and Brance is fuming mad.-

    ''Tsk, Brance is a fucking simpleton sometimes. Why can''t he understand that all of this was necessary? My sole purpose is to do the things he can''t bring himself to do, yet every single fucking time I do, he loses his shit at me.''

    -Don''t look at me...you know how Brance is, anything that crosses his moral line is unjust and unnecessary. All I can say is be ready to weather whatever he ns on throwing at you...it''s going to be a rough couple of days.-

    With that said, Tobs disintegrated into particles and entered Cynrik''s SOC, leaving him alone as the timer reached Zero and the world turned dark.

    ---

    Opening his eyes, Cynrik was greeted by the darkness of the capsule and its stale air, causing him to shift and sigh loudly.

    [[Brance, listen...]] Cynrik started to say but was cut off when he started talking.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    [[Save it for someone who gives a flying fuck Cynrik. What you just did was WAY out of line. I don''t give a shit if you think it was necessary; I don''t give a shit if it served the purpose you came up with in your twisted mind. All you''ve done today is increase our enemy count and cause many people to fear and hate you to the core.]]

    Flexing his sore hands, Brance crossed his arms while his face twitched slightly.

    Meanwhile, Selene stayed utterly silent. When she heard Cynrik''s voice enter the mind link, she was happy and wanted topliment her boyfriend on a job well done.

    But when Brance struck out, even she flinched physically before shutting up and taking a small step away from him. At a nce, Selene swore she saw whisps of tangible Holy Fire flicker around Brance''s body, and this was MORE than enough to freak her out.

    The same could be said for Milo, who was staring incredulously at Brance from the safety of Gabby''s arms. After the uracy Event fiasco, he had been returned to her loving embrace, but right now, all the hair on his body stood on end, and the reason was the feeling Brance was radiating.

    Seeing how her beloved cat was reacting, Gabby looked down at Milo before looking over at her boyfriend with a face full of worry. She was aware that the One who would take things the hardest would be Brance, but even she was at a loss for how to console him.

    Crossing his arms in the VR Capsule, Cynrik thought hard about his following few words, but even then, he found himself unable toe up with anything to calm his brother down.

    In that one statement alone, Cynrik could tell just how pissed off Brance was, and he knew the moment they were alone, he was in for some serious trouble.

    Heaving another sigh, Cynrik didn''t respond and cleared his mind before grabbing the release lever and popping open the lid of his VR Capsule, expelling out the stale air with a loud hiss.

    Swinging his legs over the edge, Cynrik calmly and emotionlessly exited the device and walked to the center of the room, where he saw the stern expression on the Head Referee''s face and the slightly scared one stering the backup Ref''s face.

    Walking over to the rally point, Cynrik stood facing the projection wall on the left side of the Referee, and the announcement that VSFA had won the Team Battle Event and Round One was made.

    However, before Cynrik walked away, the Ref squeezed Cynrik''s wrist, causing him to look up at the older man.

    "What you have done today is entirely unprofessional, and if it weren''t in VR, I would have killed you here and now. People aren''t ythings, kid, and if you keep on the path you are walking, it won''t be long before people like me are sent after you to hunt you down and bring you to justice."

    "Sick fucks like you are the reason Enforcers like me exist. Mark my words, straighten your act up, and get control of those impulses, or else." The Ref whispered angrily with a red face before throwing Cynrik''s hand away and spitting on the ground.

    Standing rooted in ce, Cynrik narrowed his eyes and watched the Head Referee storm out of the room with the second Ref hot on his heels.

    ''Hm, I didn''t expect that at all. High Tier-5, that Ref was hiding his power this entire time.'' Bringing up his right hand and examining his sore wrist, Cynrik shook his head slowly before dropping his arm and walking passed his team toward the door.

    However, when he passed each member, he saw a noticeable change in their body posture, indicating either they had a slight amount of fear for him or they were ufortable being around him after what they saw.

    Stepping up to the door and gripping its handle, Cynrik stopped and addressed them without looking back.

    "Fear me, or hate me, it matters not because I did today what none of you have the ability, mindset, or guts to do. Think what you will, but I refuse to change the person I am for any reason, and I will not conform to the social norms of society." With that, Cynrik left the room and blew passed the furious Geralt, ignoring him as if he was nonexistent.

    The statement was not only intended for MyrkLys members but also for the cameras, which he had noticed were still on.

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 Chapter 532 The Stormâ€™s Aftermath (3)

    **Hey, Yall, thanks for hanging in there; this month has been hard due to the death of one of the few rtives I was very close with. I have been on the road, Chicago-to-Anta, then ATL-Ondo. And I have been trying to write the entire time, but my head has been a mess. Regardless, I am still here and will be doing a mass release soon. So as I get myself back together and on schedule, you all keep being amazing, and I feel the love and support from you guys every day.**

    ---

    BANG

    Storming into the Condo, Cynrik swiped at his System Panel and changed his loadout into loose-fitting workout clothing before making his way toward the training room.

    ''Why the fuck doesn''t that idiot get it. Why can''t my words sink into that thick skull of his,'' Cynrikined to himself as he tapped his Watcet several times to summon a few training Droids.

    -It''s not that he doesn''t understand Cynrik. It''s more so that your perspectives have never lined up properly. Due to how brash youe off and how you consistently view the world under a different microscope, Brance struggles toe to terms with your actions.-

    ''You don''t think I''ve realized that by now. Brance has always been hardheaded and wears his heart on his sleeve. But there is a massive difference between feeding the homeless out of kindness and showing those who want nothing more than to see us dead or on some Science table.''

    Starting up the droids and setting theirbat level to Peak Tier-3, Cynrik began going through the motions as he moved around, avoiding various attacks from the robotic opponents.

    ''Never forget, I had an entire lifetime with my brother before we ever came to Vinestra Tobs, and aside from those couple years post Marine Corps, Brance has always walked the path of justice. The number of times I saw the moron pick up stray animals to feed them before finding a family to live with is uncountable.''

    ''However, Earth was a rtively peaceful environment, so he could do those kinds of things without fearing any consequences. But now, things are vastly different. Not only are we freaks of nature who break the mold andmon sense of the masses, but every little decision we make can affect our lives.'' Jumping up, Cynrik executed a spinning back-kick into the head of one of the eight droids, causing it to crash into another two before it rushed back to fight him again.

    ''Since we could walk, we have teetered on a tightrope between normalcy and abnormality. And it is all of my doing. Having us move through the leveling system at breakneck speed. Overtaxing our bodies and minds, acquiring multiple Affinities, fighting stronger opponents to grow into our new bodies, everything was done in the manner it was for the sole purpose ofying a perfect foundation for sess in our adulthood.''

    ''Now, we stand on the precipice of certain destruction, where one bad move will result in our deaths and that of our family and the other members of MyrkLys.'' Skidding to a stop, Cynrik leaned back so far that the back of his head grazed the training room''s floor, allowing him to dodge a three-pronged attack.

    ''And what Is that fucking dipshit doing? Coming after me because I was a bit heavy-handed in my approach. There has been and always will be a reason for my actions. I don''t ughter people willy-nilly; I am not some serial killer who gets off on killing innocent people.''

    ''Hell, I remember the face of every life I''ve taken, and although I don''t show it outwardly, I''m not made of fucking stone; it wears at my psyche too. Did those kids deserve the torture I dished out? No, not really, but did it serve a greater purpose, ABSO FUCKING LUTELY!''

    BOOOM!

    In one swooping motion, Cynrik exploded the heads of three droids with a Mana-infused w attack, then moved on to the remaining ones.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ''But whether or not someone is innocent isn''t something that will inevitably change my decision. Casualties happen all the time in war, and right now, our entire life is the prequel to a war of such epic proportions that if any normie outside found out, it would cause utter pandemonium.''

    ''If I did things the way Brance expects me to, it wouldn''t be long before we end up dead or captured. He expects me to keep up the fa?ade we built throughout our childhood¡ªa couple of brothers who were only slightly stronger than the other kids. But Guess what? I am tired of ying with the other puppies at the pound.''

    ''Thus, I changed my carefully crafted n conceived when I first arrived in Vinestra because it has been proven that the best way to hide is in in sight.''

    ''Doing things from the shadows can only be sessful for so long; just look at what happened back at VSFA. Geralt had us under lock and key, yet somehow, the academy was still infiltrated, and spies wereing after us left and right.''

    -Cyn, you aren''t looking at things from your brother''s point of view. From the outside, all they see is your usual emotionless personality, going off and breaking kids'' minds while acting crazy for the cameras. Sure, you''ve already exined things to them before, but you said in that interview that you are the bad guy, and what is Brance, if not the living embodiment of the Good guy protagonist?-

    ''I never expected Brance to step aside and allow me to do what I want; I expected some kind of kickback in one form or another, but what I didn''t expect was that he would go off the deep end on me the moment I stepped out of that VR Capsule.'' Crossing his arms, Cynrik noticed nothing was attacking him anymore, and he paused to observe his surroundings before a frown crept onto his lips.

    "Tsk, fucking sloppy craftsmanship, Computer, start the Grav Machine and increase the load to 15.5g." Unhappy with how easy killing the droids was, Cynrik felt the need to raise the bar, and for that, he chose to strain his body by raising the Training Room''s gravity passed his limit.

    "Command Acknowledged, Gravity Condenser is beginning its initialization process." A pleasant voice responded to Cynrik, as a soft hum could be heard from every angle of the room, indicating multiple devices were hidden in the walls, floor, and ceiling.

    Around a minuteter, a hazy optical illusion caught Cynrik''s attention as he felt the steady strain slowly weighing him down.

    Looking around at the collection of bent metal and spare parts, formerly the droids, Cynrik smirked and straightened his back while allowing the pressure to wash over his body.

    ''4g¡­.5¡­7¡­10¡­12¡­15,'' Feeling the increased pressure on his body, Cynrik counted off each increase as he recognized the feeling until he reached 15. By this point, the room looked no different than a cktop street in the dead of summer, as the air shimmered visibly due to the increase in Gravitational force.

    That was when the counter ticked up to 15.5g, causing Cynrik''s knees to forcefully bend as if he were carrying massive weight on his back.

    "ffffuuuu, damn, even half-a-g is rough; I am d I didn''t push it up to 20 immediately." Slowly righting his body, Cynrik took several deep breaths and stoodpletely still as he adjusted to the new pressure level.

    Once he felt good enough to move around, only then did Cynrik begin shadowboxing the air.

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 Chapter 533 The Stormâ€™s Aftermath (4)

    Meanwhile, as Cynrik began gravity training, the rest of MyrkLys was still at the arena. Unlike his older brother, who had brushed off Geralt and practically fled the crime scene, Brance stayed back to do damage control.

    "What the fuck was that all about? Whose bloody idea¡­no, you know what, what that brat did waspletely on brand for him." Clenching his fists tightly, Geralt vented his frustrations to no one in particr.

    "Headmaster Rivia, can we please take this conversation elsewhere? There are eyes and ears all over the ce." ncing around with [Mana Sight] active, Brance stepped up and whispered in a soft voice that Geralt alone could hear.

    Shutting his mouth instantly and shooting a nce at Brance, signifying he understood, Geralt turned around and led the way out of the main arena area and into a private box meant for teaching staff and administrators.

    To ensure their privacy, once everyone had entered the room, Instructor Garrison included, Geralt snapped his fingers and enclosed the room in a spatial cube, preventing outside sights and sounds from leaking in any way.

    Nevertheless, even though the room was fully secured from prying eyes, that wasn''t enough for Brance. Having spent so much time around his paranoid older brother, he observed his surroundings with his ocr Skill activated before noticing five invisible drones in various ces throughout the room.

    Narrowing his eyes and wrinkling his nose, Brance held up his hand, manifested ten stone spikes, andunched them into the drones, exploding them into shrapnel instantly.

    "Huh," was all that Geralt could say as he watched five machines drop from the sky in pieces.

    "Headmaster, I know you are smart enough to understand that just because you cut off the outside world with your Space Affinity doesn''t necessarily mean the enemy isn''t already present in the segregated zone." Shaking his head, Brance motioned for Gabby to store away all the broken drones in her inventory since it was a given that Cynrik would want to study them.

    Even though he was furious with his older brother, he wasn''t blinded to the real threats constantly chasing them.

    "How¡­what the hell are these things, and why wasn''t I able to feel their presence." Stopping Gabby from cing the final drone in her inventory, Geralt swiped the basketball-sized piece of machinery and examined it carefully.

    "More importantly, how were you able to identify them in the first ce? I understand you and Cynrik have an Ocr Skill, but since neither of you is keen on filling me in on its abilities or, better yet, Description, all I can do is guess."

    "Generally, I can sense anything entering the space 10 meters around my body because the particles shift around, and I always keep a steady supply of Space Mana around myself. In this way, I create a field where I can, forck of a better word, "see" everything."

    "However, these drones escaped my purview."

    "I can''t help you on that one, but the Ocr Skill my brother and I have allows us to see Mana particles. Although not a powerful skill in its own right, with enough time and experimentation, Cynrik has figured out multiple uses for it, one of which happens to be separating things that don''t belong from those that do." Brance began exining while double checking nothing else snuck into the spatial cube created by Geralt.

    "That is what I did just now; if I am being honest, I only did it because I watched my brother do it back in the apartment. Had I not seen him do it, I wouldn''t have been so hyper-vignt about these damn things." Finishing his statement by sweeping away some of the debris with his foot, Brance turned and faced Geralt.

    He didn''t expect the pleased expression on the Headmaster''s face.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Well, as surprising as it is, and as much as I want topliment you, we have more significant problems to deal with right now. Such as the fact that your brother decided it would be a brilliant idea to torture an entire team of Students from a different academy on live broadcasts shown around the whole continent."

    Hearing the tone of Geralts voice shift from pleasant to aggressive caused almost every member of MyrkLys to drop their head, except Brance, who stared back at Geralt without flinching.

    "I don''t know what to tell you that will ease your concern, Headmaster. What Cynrik did was a calcted risk in his mind. Whether we agree with it or not, it wouldn''t have swayed him from ultimately making the choices he did."

    "In this case, he ims that Romeoville was a necessary and nned Coteral Damage. From the beginning, we wanted to put on a showcase that exemplified our talents. But halfway through the round, things changed; instead of being a showcase, Cynrik chose to make an example of them."

    Crossing his arms over his chest, Brance never broke eye contact with Geralt and examined the man''s every facial expression, followed by his bodynguage.

    "He has chosen to go public and face our enemies in broad daylight, in contrast to hiding behind your leg. While I have my own misgivings, no matter what path he sets, I will support Cynrik in his ns. But that doesn''t mean I will allow him to freewheel and do as he pleases; you can rest assured that I will be beating the ever-living shit out of his dumb ass¡­when I find him, that is."

    "Tsk, not that it will change anything," standing in the corner of the room with her hood up, Selene snorted.

    "If I wanted a reaction from the peanut gallery, I would have fucking asked for it, Selene." Whipping his head around and ring at Selene, Brance retorted, causing Selene to drop her arms in take a step forward.

    "Come off it, Brancie; you know just as well as I do that a "physical" beating will do nothing; if anything, Darling will cackle the entire time." Rolling her eyes, Selene continued.

    "Plus, what does it matter if we cripple some kids in VR? It''s not like there will be anysting effects anyway. I am all for what Cyn did; at the very least, it''s nothing a little therapy can''t fix. Not to mention, it''s nothing worse than any of us have gone through." Flipping her long hair over her left shoulder, Selene finished her statement by cocking out her left hip and crossing her arms.

    While Geralt and Instructor Garrison were at a loss for words, Brance grit his teeth before ring long and hard at Selene for a moment.

    [[And the reason you didn''t just say that in the mind link is what? Did you want to show off or something for the Headmaster?]] Brance spat, enraged that she had vocalized her opinion for everyone to hear.

    [[Brance, you know as well as I do that Cynrik does what Cynrik wants, and none of us can stop him, not you, and certainly not me. I may not have years of experience around you two, but even I can see that you counterbnce him in ways I never could.]] Leaning back against the wall and slowly shaking her head, Selene continued.

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 Chapter 534 Internal Strife (1)

    [[As much as I would like to admit he listens to me, he doesn''t, and to be honest, that''s how it should be. Neither of us sees the world in the same intricate fashion,ced with paranoia and caution. If there is one thing our group doesn''tck, it is someone willing to get their hands dirty when necessary, and unfortunately, for some reason, Darling has chosen that job for himself.]]

    [[But what it boils down to is that you, Brance Jetlensr, are too fucking soft. Due to your bloodline or your general nature, you do not have what it takes to make those decisions.]]

    [[Bullshit, how the Hell is torturing and mutting someone a quarter of his age while putting on a mock trial for the world to see something that can be conceived as necessary, Selene?]] Gritting his teeth and attempting to keep his anger in check, Brance rebutted.

    [[Brance, open your goddamn eyes. How can you not see EVERYTHING CYNRIK DOES IS FOR US, AND FOR OUR PROTECTION?]] Countering by raising her voice, Selene suddenly appeared in front of Brance before stabbing her finger into his beefy chest, an act that came off as cute more than intimidating.

    Selene''s actions caused everyone in the room to flinch because instead of shing to her current position, she phase-shifted into a particle cloud and reassembled right in front of Brance.

    [[I know everything he has done in the past; you can''t even begin to imagine how Cynrik''s actions affect his mind. Because you are the little brother, you have been sheltered, I know it, and the rest of the party does as well; however, you seem to bepletely oblivious to this fact.]]

    Reacting to her words, Brance swatted Selene''s hand away and bent down enough to get in her face while never breaking eye contact.

    [[I am fully aware of how hard things are on my brother. But the difference is, I know him so well that I see and notice things none of you ever could. Sure, I''ll admit that you may have a leg up on me regarding certain aspects of him, but I was always there, Selene. When the world practically abandoned him, I was the one calling him every night to be sure he was still alive.]]

    [[Cynrik has always been rough around the edges, but it wasn''t until we came here to Vinestra that he began truly acting out. You want to me my bloodline for my sense of right and wrong, but have you ever taken off those rose-tinted sses for half a second to realize this isn''t a FUCKING GAME? He is shattering children''s minds, breaking them to the point just shy of requiring a Psychic User to tamper with their heads, which they won''t recover from.]]

    [[Shellshock or PTSD is a real fucking thing, Selene, and what my brother did to those kids will have longsting effects on them.]]

    [[This isn''t Earth Brance; you can''t hold everything to the same standard. When will you realize that this world wants to kill us? For crying out loud, I am already beginning to lose track of how many times I''ve almost died since I was born here. Between my Shebitch of a mother and all the shit we went through the other day, how can you not see that?]]

    [[Just because certain parties follow thew of the jungle doesn''t mean we have to, Selene; this isn''t the dark ages; we aren''t in the midst of a civil war; we live in a modern society. Just look at how Geralt and Garrison are reacting; nothing Cynrik does adheres to the standards of this world, at least not in our society.]]

    [[Hell, even thispetition is exactly that, A FUCKING COMPETITION! Yet you and my brother treat everything like a life-or-death situation. Not Everyone is out to freaking kill us at every turn.]]

    SMACK!!<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Before Brance could continue ranting further, Selene smacked him across the face, leaving everyone, including Brance himself, stunned beyond words.

    "You need to wake the fuck up from that delusional world you seem to live in, Brance," Selene stated aloud for MyrkLys and the others to hear, then turned to look at Geralt.

    "Send me out of this space, Headmaster; I am leaving. Don''t worry about me making it back alone; if I don''t want to be tailed, I won''t be because at least someone in this fucking group has the sense to teach us elusive tactics properly." Without waiting for an answer, Selene disappeared from sight as she turned into a shadow on the ground and waited by the exit.

    Geralt was so surprised by how the usually quiet Selene was acting that he nodded like a bobblehead before opening a crack in the spatial barrier too small to notice by usual standards yet was plenty big enough for the stretchy shadow to creep out unhindered.

    Selene slinked out of the arena unnoticed, leaving everyone behind, and didn''t bother looking back. She knew she had pissed Brance off and honestly couldn''t care less. He was supposed to always stand by his brother''s side, yet here he was,ining and unwilling to ept what was right in front of him.

    Winding through the arena, Selene swiftly covered the ground and appeared outside the front door leading to the Condo within a couple of minutes. Phasing back into her normal state of being, Selene tapped her Watcet on the door and let herself in before quickly closing the door and bolting the multitude of locks.

    Wearing a frown, she walked into the living room, where she noticed a shing blue light from the corner of her eye. The light hung over the door to the training room, and since she had grown up in an affluent family, she recognized two things. The first being if the light was on above a training room door, that room was in use. The second was the color of the light; blue was the universal color indicating Gravity was increased in the room.

    Coming to this conclusion, Selene smiled and walked over to the door before sending Cynrik, who was undoubtedly inside, a text stating she was outside the room.

    Half a minute after the text went through, the door to the training room expelled arge breath of air and slid open, revealing the viewing area, which was, as per the standard, separate from the core facility of the room. It was usually the case when it came to Training rooms or facilities with a gravity machine.

    The purpose of such a viewing room was simple, to avoid leakage of high-gravity particles. Without something separating the training area from the outside, there was a high chance that things would get destroyed when the door was open and all the particles attempted to escape.

    Thus the viewing area served as a dam, where one could seal the room back off and match the Gravity in the viewing area so they could also enter the high G environment.

    That was precisely what Selene did; upon stepping into the viewing room and seeing her shirtless and jacked boyfriend, Selene''s eyes lit up before she quickly checked the pressure he was under and began limating the viewing area so she could join him.

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 Chapter 535 Internal Strife (2)

    "Once I was done giving him a piece of my mind, I sealed the conversation with a firm and crisp smack, which shut him up and stupified Brancie for some time. After that, POOF, I vanished like smoke in the wind." Feeling proud of herself and trying her best to ignore the strain on her body due to the Gravity, Selene proudly stated.

    "And that''s the gist of it, Darling; your brother is a brain-dead ape who only uses his heart and muscles to get through life." It took Selene over half an hour to thoroughly exin what had transpired after Cynrik left the arena, and by the end of her narration, Cynrik''s frown was so deep it threatened to be a permanent fixture on his face.

    After hearing the whole story, Cynrik did nothing but sigh aloud while sitting in the lotus position under 15.75g of Gravitational pressure. From time to time, the muscles on his body would writhe and twitch under strain, but overall, he and Selene adjusted equally to the increase.

    "You¡­you''re not mad at me¡­right?" Selene finally said after hearing her boyfriend sigh for the 4th time in two minutes.

    "No, what you did was fine; maybe you knocked some sense into his thick skull. But I doubt it; for the record, he wasn''t always like that. Well, not totally, that is. Brance always had a rough temper, even back on Earth, but this skewed sense of justice he has developed greatly inted since our reincarnation."

    "Originally, he was always a pretty narrow-minded person, you could call him Lawful Good, but often my brother would waver into the Neutral Good territory. But now¡­now he is a borderline fanatic regarding justice and all things good."

    "I suspect you are correct in believing it to be a side effect of his Bloodline. While ours keeps us wild and analytical, his is all about justice and upholding order. Meanwhile, we walk that grey line." Cynrik stated his observations while monitoring Selene''s state.

    Unlike himself, who had taken over an hour to get used to 15.5g before increasing it further, Selene had rushed in, facented, and practically crawled over to him.

    "The thing that worries me the most is how little the changes to our personalities truly affect you and me. It can be seen as a perfect fusion of new and old, considering we were both pretty cynical, to begin with, so our ?sir Blood merged neatly, and there was no real interference. Whereas with Brance, he did nearly a total 180 in personality. Going from being a grumpy asshole to an overbearing hero type." Sitting up straight and flexing his back out, Cynrik rolled out his shoulders and leaned forward while speaking.

    "Will it get worse? As time goes on, and you both go through more Turning Point quests, or our Bloodlines increase, whose to say he won''t lose himselfpletely to that righteousness?" Mimicking Cynrik''s posture and movements, Selene said while finding it slightly difficult to breathe.

    "I have no idea. But so long as Brance can keep what I call Divinity Sickness at bay, he should be fine¡­I think. At least that''s how it''s going for me." Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik fell silent, allowing what he had said to sink in while giving Selene time for her body to get used to the increased Gravity.

    ---

    Meanwhile, as Cynrik and Selene continued their resistance training, Brance, MyrkLys, Headmaster Rivia, and Instructor Garrison stood in silence, with everyone watching Brance while wearing worried expressions.

    After what seemed like an eternity, Brance''s shoulders slumped, and he exhaled loudly in defeat. No matter how he thought about it and how many times he reyed the conversation with Selene, he couldn''t understand where he was wrong.

    It was bad to hurt others who didn''t deserve it; it was bad to inflict permanent injuries unless it was a life-or-death situation. From every angle and analysis, he could find no w in his way of thinking, yet having lost the verbal boxing match with Selene and getting pped in the face, Brance realized something was off.

    Maybe he had changed since being reborn on Vinestra. This thought rattled around in his head for so long that it was causing him to have a headache.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Look, Brance, I don''t know what the hell just happened, and I am not sure what to say¡­but I hope you understand that what Cynrik did today not only painted a massive target on your backs but also has the VSFA Board of directors in an uproar." Breaking the silence, Geralt stepped up and gripped Brance''s right shoulder.

    "They are demanding I pull you all from the Competition, or at the very least, forbid your brother from taking part under our name, and frankly, after watching what he did, I have half a mind to follow through with their demands."

    "It''s not just your necks on the line, but mine as well, for if I allow things to go on as they are, I have no doubt the board will try impeaching me to remove me from the position of Headmaster."

    Chuckling at his misfortune, Headmaster Rivia ignored the nces of MyrkLys, and the horrified look stered across Garrison''s face.

    "But do you know what I told them in response to the ultimatum?" Hearing the question, Brance finally turned and looked at the Headmaster inquisitively.

    "I told them to shove it up their fucking ass. You see, although I don''t condone that shit he pulled, you guys broke a National Record and came out on top. Never in the history of our Academy has a Tier-3 team broken a record. You guys were the first, so although I came in here fuming mad, I was venting my frustration and trying to rough you guys up a little to keep that unruly brother of yours in check."

    "Sigh, of course you did," shaking his head, Brance couldn''t help but roll his eyes. With regards to matters dealing with Cynrik, Geralt had already firmly cemented his reputation as a pushover, so Brance already saw through the Headmaster''s tough-guy act.

    "Oh, I forgot to mention, not only are you guys trending worldwide, but you all have fan clubs and websites dedicated to each of you, especially Gabby, Selene, and Melody, who are being called the Three Fierce Fairies of VSFA."

    Gabby and Melody bumped fists and outwardly showed excitement while Benny and Kurza chuckled.

    "Let me guess, Cynrik has a massive fan club, and there''s already a storm brewing because of it, isn''t there?" Massaging his temple and remembering how fans reacted in his past life, Brance felt the urge to start popping painkillers because this migraine was bound tost forever.

    "That¡­well, pretty much. The public opinion of Cynrik has split down the middle, with half the inte chastising him for his actions, while the other half apuded the entertaining show he put on. Needless to say, Cynrik has carved a name for you all, and whether or not you appreciate or even like it, MyrkLys is now famous¡­.well, in our Country, that is."

    "Great, that''s just what I needed; once Cyn finds out, his head will explode, along with his ego. This is exactly what he nned for. He called it hiding in in sight." Looking at the ceiling, Brance shook his head in annoyance before sighing loudly.

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 Chapter 536 The Next Step

    ?

    **For Starters, I wish to thank everyone who has stuck by my side in this difficult time. Between thements on here and in discord, I have gotten through the struggles of losing my cherished family member. To per into perspective, it was my Uncle, whom I at one point lived with after high school.

    He was a man who taught me more than I could have ever asked for, and in my adult life, I have carried his teaching on. Of everyone in my life, he was also the one who supported me the most in my venture of finally bing an author, so to say this story happened because of his urgings would be an understatement. His passing hit me harder than I could ever have imagined, and I will miss him dearly.

    With that said, I thank you all once again from the bottom of my heart and am ready to move on with the story of Cynrik and Brance, so it is back to business as usual, two chapters a day.

    Onest thing, be on the lookout because my second series, titled The Conduit Chronicles, will be going live along with the WSA shortly, and before you panic, I have already prewritten well over 200 chapters, so you don''t have to worry about it affecting my release schedule for TOBS.

    Thank you all again for your understanding and love...now then, ONWARD, HOBEY-HO, LET''S GO!**

    Gabby had remained rtively quiet throughout the entire time the arguments were taking ce, but upon hearing Brance talk about Cynrik''s inted ego, she couldn''t help but giggle lightly.

    Herughter created a chain of reactions, and soon enough, everyone was softlyughing at the mental image of Cynrik with his nose tilted to the sky.

    Stifling hisughter, Brance covered his face with his right hand and watched the other members of MyrkLys burn off their tension.

    Although theughter was a brief repose from his rage, Brance still fumed whenever he thought about Cynrik''s actions.

    It took some time, but eventually, everyone in the spatial cube calmed down and looked toward Brance as if asking, "well¡­what next?"

    "Sigh, let''s head back to the Condo. We have a week before the start of the next round, and honestly, things will likely turn chaotic pretty quickly." Dropping his hand and examining his team''s reactions, Brance exined further.

    "Aside from training and consolidating our new abilities brought about by Evolving to Tier-3, we still haven''t chosen our new Sub-sses yet. Growing never stops, and we can''t allow this lull in time to dull ourbat awareness."

    "Although we can''t enter Egresses or gain static XP like we are ustomed to, that doesn''t mean we shouldn''t work on increasing our proficiency in terms of our Mana control."

    Pausing momentarily and trying to remember all the info Cynrik had dumped on him over time about their Progression Path, Brance realized something he otherwise would have overlooked.

    "During our battles¡­everyone practically used only basic skills and techniques. While this is technically a good thing, if we don''t work on it, there wille a time when we get outssed by those who have spent years as Tier-3 beings."

    "I agree with Brance; even though all of you outss basic Tier-3 individuals, the further you advance into theter rounds of the Competition, the more likely it is that you wille up against the true powerhouses. There is no substitute for experience in this case, and I had already nned on bringing this up when we started our lessons."

    "As for gaining Static XP, as you called it, that is where you would be incorrect. If each of you truly has over a million Basic Essence, then technically, the way to resolve yourck of levels is pretty easilypleted. Just build your Relic-Totem, and convert it all into SPN-XP." Shrugging his shoulders, Headmaster Rivia couldn''t help but sigh when he recognized the looks everyone in MyrkLys was giving him, indicating they had forgotten entirely.

    "¡­You guys¡­how could you possibly forget about something I spent so much effort exining?" Feeling at a loss for words, Headmaster Rivia wanted nothing more than to bonk everyone on their heads, but in the end, he restrained himself. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Fine; when you get back to the Condo, everyone is banished to their rooms to work on creating their Relic-Totem. Think of this as being grounded, or put on house arrest. You are only allowed to leave your bedrooms for meals and team meetings; otherwise, I don''t want you to even think about doing something like going and exploring the City or stepping foot in the training room." Using an authoritative tone, not unlike a parent''s when scolding their children, Headmaster Rivia chided MyrkLys like the kids they were.

    "Uh, Headmaster, is now a good time to say that I alreadypleted my Relic-Totem¡­."

    However, while Gabby, Benny, Melody, and Kurza were looking down at their feet, Brance raised his hand and spoke the words which shattered Geralt''s perspective on the monstrous talent of the Jetlensr Brothers.

    "You what? What in the actual fuck? You must be messing with me, Brance; it shouldn''t be possible." bbergasted, Geralt stared at Brance with traces of amazement and even fear visible in his eyes.

    "Uh¡­pretty sure my brother did too. But I haven''t been able to confirm it yet. The conversion rate is a bit slow, but I have alreadypleted the visualization stage and begun converting all of my XP to SPN-XP." Shrugging his shoulders, Brance put on a bashful expression and avoided eye contact with Geralt.

    "Why do I even bother? Fine, Brance, you are exempt from my previous words, but I don''t want to find you cking off." Giving up on pushing further, Geralt waved his hands, and with a sound akin to ss shattering, the Spatial Cube broke down, freeing everyone and allowing those attempting to spy on the group ess again.

    Turning around without another word, Geralt led MyrkLys out of the room and towards the Arena exit in silence.

    Everyone knew there must be multiple beings attempting to spy on them, so an unspoken agreement was formed between Geralt, Garrison, and MyrkLys, stopping them from saying anything that could be considered privileged information as they moved through the building.

    ---

    Meanwhile, while Brance''s group started the slow walk back, Cynrik and Selene were drenched in sweat with physical strain visible on them.

    For thest short while, the couple had sat in utter silence, training their bodies as Cynrik slowly but steadily increased the gravitational force on their bodies. It was an agonizing process, and through it, Cynrik realized how easy he had had it until now.

    Previously not only he but everyone in MyrkLys had been able to breeze through the first 15 increments of gravitational force. However, that all changed upon reaching 15g.

    In the past, when Cynrik and Brance were training everyone, their bodies only took 20-30 minutes to limate to the pressure weighing them down. Still, after so much time had passed, their yield was minusculepared to their gains before reaching 15g.

    This wasn''t to say that Cynrik and Selene weren''t steadily increasing their resistance; in fact, if Geralt were to see what they were doing, he would add Selene to the list of monsters lurking in the ranks of MyrkLys.

    Unknown to them, the 15g checkpoint was widely known to native Vinestrians as the goal to reach. This was due to just how difficult it was to progress further. Usually, it would take days, even weeks, to gain a single point in resistance after the fact; however, in a short period, the two Mutated Dark Affinity users had climbed to 16g.

    The strain on their bodies increased by many times at 16g, which was what caused the couple''s invasive silence.

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 Chapter 537 The Consequences Of His Actions

    ?

    VRRR VRRR

    Upon increasing the Gravity in the room to 16.25g, Cynrik''s Watcet began vibrating, and his expression darkened.

    With a few taps on his device, the Gravity machine slowed down and steadily decreased the force.

    The sudden sensation of her body lightening caused Selene to open her eyes and shoot him a questioning look.

    "The others are back, and I predict things will get pretty heated between Brance and me. Head to the living room now, and don''t let anyone interfere." Cynrik stated with a solemn tone as he stood up and began drinking several different types of potions.

    Selene couldn''t help but think her boyfriend was preparing for battle, and she was entirely correct from the look and body posture he was exhibiting.

    "What is about to happen has happened more times than I can count. I do something to piss Brance off, and it devolves into a fistfight; I expect things won''t be any different this time." Noticing the looks of concern Selene was giving him, Cynrik paused his potion chug and exined.

    "I have found that the only way to calm him down in situations like this is to meet him head-on. Back in the day, our Mother tried dozens of times to break us apart, and all that did was cause us both to stew in our anger until things boiled over again, restarting the process. It''s better to let us slug it out and work through our argument."

    "That''s why I said not to let anyone interfere, which will only worsen the situation. The difference in our opinions will never change; all I can do now is fight it out."

    "But¡­" Selene started to say, but when Cynrik shook his head, she shut up and nodded unhappily.

    "It''s going to get pretty bloody, so try not to freak out and, most of all, keep Gabbypany because we all know how she reacts to things involving Brance."

    "Sigh, it''s been a long time since this happened; I wonder how different it will be now that we have enhanced abilities," with a smirk, Cynrik stepped forward and gave Selene aforting hug, which didn''t do much to calm the storm of emotions she was experiencing.

    "Go; he knows I won''t run from him, and I will be waiting right here." With that said, Cynrik shooed off Selene and tapped his Watcet again, allowing Brance and the others to enter the Condo.

    With Selene''s exit, Cynrik''s face returned to its usual emotionless expression as he began stretching his body out to loosen up his muscles for what was sure to be a fight unlike any other he had experienced.

    ---

    Stepping out of the Training room, Selene made her way to the living room and stood by the entrance to the kitchen just as the front door slid open, and the others entered the Condo.

    Upon entering the building, Brance activated Mana''s sight and swiftly took care of any invading enemy drones before resealing the Condo from outside eyes and ears.

    Once finished, he watched as Kurza, Melody, and Benny made their way to their bedrooms, unaware of what would transpire.

    Only Gabby stood by his side as Brance made eye contact with Selene.

    "Where is Cynrik?" Feeling stifled by the prevailing and awkward silence, Geralt spoke up only to receive a nudge in his ribs from Garrison, who suspected things were about to get brutal.

    Selene didn''t say anything and only pointed behind her toward the Training Room with her thumb, to which Brance calmly nodded and walked away. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    However, when Gabby, Geralt, and Garrison stepped forward to follow, they were stopped by an ominous ck gas.

    "Cyn requested that no one interferes with what is about to happen. This is a problem for the two of them to settle alone, and none of us is to do anything, especially you, Gabby. I know you are worried about what will happen, and so am I, but we don''t have any stock in this; it is between brothers, and all we can do is watch."

    Wanting to argue, Gabby opened her mouth, but upon seeing the disapproving and sad look on Selene''s face, she could only give in and nod in defeat.

    "I was afraid of this, those two are too set in their ways, and both are stubborn as hell," Garrison added while walking up and patting Gabby on the head.

    "Don''t worry; if it gets too heated, Geralt and I will step in and stop them. Sorry Selene, but you aren''t nearly strong enough to stop us if we want to make a move."

    With that said, the group of four made their way toward the training room, whose door was left open, a sign that neither brother opposed spectators.

    ---

    From the moment Cynrik left, Brance''s mind had been in turmoil. The logical side of his mind understood his older brother''s methods and actions; however, his heart refused to allow what Cynrik had done go.

    Standing 15 meters from Cynrik, Brance swapped out of his Uniform and into a loose-fitting set of white workout clothes.

    He had spent the better part of thest three hours contemting what he would say to Cynrik upon seeing him. Still, now that he hade face to face with his brother, who seemed utterly unremorseful of what he had done to Team Romeoville, Brance''s rage spilled over in the form of an outburst of pure Mana, which swirled around his body like mes.

    "Tsk, that pissed off, huh? None of the usual banter and straight to business. I can''t say I didn''t expect it, though; I didn''t exactly give you many outs this time." Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik mimicked his younger brother and exploded outward with sinister ck Mana."

    "The rules this time need a bit of adjustment. Considering thest time we fought, we were much weaker. To even the ying field, I say no skills, techniques, or weapons, only pure brute force, andbat proficiency." Lowering himself into a typical southpaw MMA stance, Cynrik stated without receiving any acknowledgment from Brance.

    "You need to get it through that thick fucking skull of yours, Brance; without doing what I have, we would still be considered weak and easily manipted. Our example of Romeoville has shifted public opinion in our direction, giving MyrkLys a veil of invincibility that would otherwise not be possible."

    BOOOM!

    Before Cynrik could speak further, the ground under Brance''s feet cracked apart as he surged forward at full speed toward Cynrik. With his rage reaching a breaking point, Brance pulled his right arm back and attempted to punch Cynrik in his face. Unfortunately, the older Jetlensr brother had already predicted this reaction and, with little effort, reached up and redirected the attack with his left hand.

    With his momentum directed away, Brance swiftly flew past Cynrik and punched the wall so hard that it created a huge dent in the metal material.

    "Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with you? You, of all people, should know there was no way a sloppy and wide attack like that one would work." Rolling his eyes and lightly bouncing away from Brance, Cynrik harassed.

    Extricating his sore fist from the wall, Brance spun around and, with fury in his eyes, blindly rushed forward at Cynrik, initiating a dance that saw the older brother getting the better of the younger.

    However, one thing stayed constant throughout these exchanges, Cynrik never once attacked Brance and only remained on the defensive, redirecting the stronger attacks away from himself and blocking the weaker ones.

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 538 The Consequences Of His Actions (2)

    ?

    **This Chapter is longer because I couldn''t separate it into two chapters; thus, it''s the final one of the Volume. ENJOY!**

    Back and forth, Cynrik and Brance move swiftly around the training room, with the only sounds bouncing off the metal walls being the sound of flesh meeting flesh and Cynrik''s taunts.

    "You never listen, Brance; I won''t even bother talking about how useless all that muscle is since you can''t hit me, but you''d think that after all this time, you''d at least be able tond a single blow on me." Cynrik snorted as he spun away from a leaping overhand right hook.

    "SHUT UP!" Brance roared as every muscle in his body bulged slightly with strain as he tried to keep up with Cynrik.

    "No, little brother, I won''t shut up," with little effort, Cynrik moved so fast he left a trail of afterimages and appeared behind Brance before kicking him behind the knees and dropping his younger brother to the ground.

    "The fact that you are this angry is a testament to the fact that you can no longer keep a level head and see that my actions were correct." Even though Cynrik had his brother exactly where he wanted and could end this farce of a fight, he didn''t. Instead, Cynrik hopped backward and put some distance between himself and Brance.

    "If I have one job in this life, it is to make up for the shorings you present. I do the things you would never be able to bring yourself to!" Jumping up, Cynrik avoided a sweeping kick and pushed on Brance''s arm, redirecting a punch into the ground before flipping away.

    "You were WRONG, Cynrik, WRONG; how can you be so blinded to your ideas that you cannot see the potential oue of your actions?" Kicking off the ground, Brance reengaged inbat, swinging wildly at first, but over time, his attacks became more refined as he slowly reeled in his anger.

    [That''s your bloodline talking, Brance, not you. You were always hardheaded and had a decent sense of right and wrong. Things are different now; the line between the two has been blurred with the introduction of Mana and Systems.] Flicking his eyes to the ss window separating the training room and the spectator room, Cynrik switched from talking aloud to using the mind link.

    But as he had since Brance first stepped foot in the training room, Cynrik''s words carried almost no emotion, and he spoke tly, without arrogance or even disappointment.

    [On Earth, it was easy to differentiate between the two ideals; however, since anyone and everyone can be absurdly strong here, that line no longer exists and instead is reced with a murky grey mire of inconclusiveness.]

    BOOOOM

    Tilting his head to the side, Cynrik avoided a right straight punch with so much power behind it that not only did it create ripples in the air and practically break the sound barrier, but it created a massive dent in the training room''s walls.

    [BULLSHIT! You can''t justify destroying children''s minds no matter what world we live in. I can let what you did to the leader of Romeoville slide since I understand your reasoning. But not the rest of the team. They were innocent, and you have toyed with their lives, causing irreparable damage to their minds.] Gritting his teeth, Brance didn''t falter and immediately disengaged his hand from the wall before delivering a savage hook into Cynrik''s ribs.

    Contrary to every time Brance had previously attacked, Cynrik didn''t bother dodging or blocking this time. Instead, he felt the crunch of his ribs as Brance connected cleanly, catapulting his body across the room.

    Seeing that his attacknded, and devastatingly so because he could feel just how much damage he had caused internally on his brother, Brance froze momentarily.

    "You idiot¡­cough¡­were you even paying attention to that fight at all." Struggling to his knees, Cynrik coughed a mouthful of blood onto the pristine white tile.

    "Sure, I scared the crap out of those kids, but I gave every one of them a quick death. Apart from numbing their bodies with my Mana, I didn''t take my time with them as I did with their Captain." Gripping the tile, Cynrik pushed himself up and stood unsteadily while holding his injured right side.

    "If they cannot recover from such a little mind game, how can they expect to live the life of a Reaver? Don''t forget, everyone in this tournament has that as their End Goal. We aren''t dealing with little kids who want to work in convenience stores for a living; we are dealing with people who, when they graduate, will enter into Egresses to protect the people of our nation."

    "If they can''t deal with a little setback such as the loss I handed them, they will only be liabilities. Tsss." Finishing his statement with a sharp his, Cynrik pressed down on his rib cage and used abination of Fire and Umbra Mana to fuse the bones and stop his internal bleeding.

    "Now, I am done with this farce. I gave you one free hit; now it''s my turn to knock some sense into you. But remember, even if you win today, it won''t change me in the least. I will continue to do the things you are too fucking weak to execute. And if that means taking lives or breaking minds, then so be it."

    "If, at the end of the day, that turns me into someone you can''t stand to look at, well, that''s on you because, in the long run, at least you will still be alive to chastise me."

    Once again dropping into his fighting stance, Cynrik waved Brance toward him, taunting him to attack.

    ---

    In the viewing room, Selene and Gabby had their hands covering their mouths as Geralt and Garrison watched with frowns on their faces.

    Aside from the statements made in the mind link, they had heard Cynrik''s side, and after everything, they could faintly understand his reasoning. Whether or not they agreed with it was entirely different, but as adults who were wise to the world, Geralt and Garrison could not find many ws in Cynrik''s way of thinking.

    Cynrik had knowingly painted a massive target on their backs by exposing their strength to the world. Sure, there were multiple different approaches he could have used to address this issue; however, neither man could say the one hended on was the wrong course of action.

    While Garrison and Geralt were lost in thought, Gabby and Selene desperately struggled not to rush into the room and break up the fight, especially Selene. Upon seeing her boyfriend get flung across the room like a dog toy, she dug her nails so deeply into her palm that blood began trickling onto the floor.

    Gabby, on the other hand, felt tears begin streaming down her cheeks; this wasn''t the Brance she knew, the Brance she knew was a warm and kind-hearted person. Yet she had watched himpletely devolve into something akin to a madman driven by anger, and the sight worried her to no end.

    ---<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Meanwhile, after goading Brance in for a fight, Cynrik finally went on the offensive, and in doing so, the one-sided game of cat and mouse shifted drastically.

    Cynrik had ounted for something like this happening the moment he learned about bloodlines and, as such, knew precisely how to handle Brance in a one-on-one fight without the aid of skills, weapons, or Affinities.

    Although Brance was quick on his feet, unlike Benny, he wasn''t nearly as agile, and against a fighter of Cynrik''s caliber, who relied on speed and reflexes, Brance was bound to struggle.

    Like a bull who suddenly remembered he was trapped, Brance rushed forward, only instead of wildly swinging as he had previously, his attacks were well times and executed without w.

    The only unfortunate downside was that Cynrik could easily read his every move, so for each punch thrown by Brance, it would be redirected before his abdomen was peppered with light but urate jabs.

    The impact of Cynrik''s attack was negligible at best, but this was because the bulk of Cynrik''s attack power revolved around using a ded weapon and Affinity Skills.

    When it came to the physical attack category, to say he wascking would be an understatement; thus, hepensated for this weakness byying on a flurry of blows; like this, Cynrik could begin stacking up the damage.

    Back and forth, the brothers glided across the room. Still, unlike previously, where Brance could notnd a single blow, several times, he would catch Cynrik after a flurry andnd a heavy blow, rocking him and causing the eldest Jetlensr brother to spit blood.

    Yet, even under the heavy blows, Cynrik never faltered and would instantly be right back in the fight as if he didn''t feel pain.

    In this way, over an hour passed before the two brothers could be seen lying in heaps beside each other, bloodied, bruised, and gasping for air.

    "Feel¡­huff¡­better now?" Cynrik asked as he tried to ignore the sharp pain coursing through his body.

    "No, not¡­huff huff¡­in the fucking least." Turning his head away from his brother and meeting Gabby''s tear-filled eyes, all the pain in his body faded, and a stronger one gripped his heart.

    "Brancie, I will never do anything that crosses my bottom line. I only strive to keep us all alive so that we can live out the lives we want to. If that means I need to bash a few skulls along the way, I have no reason not to, but even so, I wouldn''t stoop so low as to destroy someone I view as innocent." Finally catching his breath and weakly pouring a batch of potions down his throat, Cynrik rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself up to all fours.

    In the corner of his vision, he could see well over a hundred notifications, all of which were damage rted, and upon looking at his status bar, his Stamina and HP were under 15%.

    "Have some fucking faith in your big brother; I am not some psychotic murderer, even I understand when I am taking things too far." Rolling his eyes and reaching over, Cynrik caught Brance by the face and forced him to drink a cocktail of STAM and HP potions.

    "That''s not what the doctor said; if I remember correctly, you have the same disorder serial killers have, making you a sociopath." Snorting and feeling the life return to his limbs, Brance sat up and retorted snarkily.

    "BAH, what the fuck do shrinks know? They''re full of hot fucking air." Cynrik snorted before ncing at the viewing room and sighing heavily.

    Unlike Gabby, who looked like an emotional mess, Selene had tears in her eyes, but under those tears was a fire that was screaming she was going to give him a piece of her mindter.

    Smirking at her in his usual way, Cynrik stood up and extended his hand to Brance to help him back up to his feet.

    "I still won''t admit you were right, but at least this quenched my rage¡­for now. But if you push the limits again, you better make damn well sure the person deserves it¡­GOT IT?" Finishing his statement with a snarl, Brance caught Cynrik''s forearm and stood up before using his dirty shirt to wipe the blood from his face.

    "Whatever you say, Lord Brancie," rolling his eyes, Cynrik prepared himself for the assault he was sure to receive from his girlfriend and walked toward the door with Brance in tow.

    "I''m serious, I can look the other way on some things, but you know how I feel about you hurting kids."

    "Yeah yeah, I got it, don''t hurt kids if they don''t deserve it, but if they do is up to my discretion."

    "THAT''S NOT WHAT I MEANT, CYNRIK, AND YOU KNOW IT!!!"

    "BAHHAHAHA!" Breaking into a sprint, Cynrik burst outughing as Brance chased after him.

    To anyone who hadn''t seen thest hour''s events, no one would have known that the two had been at each other''s throats minutes ago and ready to tear the other limb from limb.

    END OF VOLUME 5

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 539 TC â€“ 05: Tobsâ€™ Corner Volume 5

    ?

    - Initiating Recap Protocol.-

    - Setting up Data Log.-

    - Compiling avable information to date.-

    - Scanning Author-San''s Discord channel.-

    - Acquiring Community questions.-

    - Disregarding all ignorant, stupid, or unsightly questions.-

    - System Host: HoboSolo has been obliterated for the following submission.-

    Hobosolo ¡ª 01/28/2023 12:44 AM

    Hey Tobsie, can you dress as a Bunny Girl and do the Chika da-vkurbjiyruiihxwr? Oh my god, I''m so sorry, Lady Tobs!!!! I swear my dumbass brother typed that. Please don''t hurt me!!!!

    - Banning the nickname "Tobsie" from the word pool.-

    - Ignoring any questions about "TIMELINES."

    - Proper questions acknowledged.-

    - Shattering dimensional Fourth Wall.-

    - WARNING WARNING, THE FOLLOWING MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR VOLUME 5!-

    -WARNING, IF YOU ARE NOT UP TO DATE ON VOLUME 5 (Beginning with Chapter 360 Volume 5 Prologue), READ ALL OF IT BEFORE CONTINUING THIS SEGMENT!-

    As your vision drifts in and out, you find yourself back in Brance''s SOC, a stark contrast to where you ended Volume 4. Gone are the rivers of fire, flickers of Lightning shing through the shadowy sky, and intense hurricanes tearing through the darkndscape; in its ce is the calm and serenendscape formed of Terra, Wind, and Light Mana. High above, in the sky, you notice a tinum sun that seems to burn many times brighter¡­and hotter than the sun you know.

    "OI! Over here you goofball!"

    Far below, you hear a sweet and melodious voice that draws your attention, and even in your disembodied state, you somehow can spin around and catch sight of something interesting.

    Sitting atop a majestic tower, swinging her legs back and forth without a care in the world, a young woman with monochromatic hair and eyes that are white and ck, looking to be in herte teens or early twenties, is waving at you, the reader. Gone is the previously emotionless visage, and now aside from her cute face, you can see intelligence and emotion clear as day, which is surprising because you know she is only an artificial program.

    Cut in a stylish cascading hairstyle, one side tucked behind her right ear, and the opposite drapes down to her shoulder, you see this youngdy waving at you has already looked away and down at her strange clipboard¡­which most definitely isn''t a tablet.

    At a nce, you can tell that this girl has gone to great lengths to have a presentable hairstyle, and as she twirls the longer side around her finger in thought, you notice half of her hair is tied up neatly in the back, but the other half is left to hang naturally.

    Her sleeveless arms are painted with intricate runes in shades of purple, blue, and now, surprisingly GOLD, that cover her fingertip to shoulder.

    If you look hard enough, you can see that they constantly change and cycle through, growing and shrinking in size as if the markings are alive and breathing.

    "About damn time you got down here. Jeeze, how long did you n on staring into the sun like a moron¡­didn''t your parents warn you that it could make you blind?"

    "Anywho, wee back to the auxiliary chapter known as Tobs'' Corner. *waving bow*. In this section, I, Tobs, answer any non-idiotic questions y''all have and delve into several bits of information that may need further exnation to allow the plot to continue smoothly. I will again advise anyone reading this data log; if you have not read the contents of the Fifth Volume, please close this auxiliary chapter and begin at the beginning of Volume Five, known as "Chapter¡­." HOLY FUCK! WHAT THE HELL, AUTHOR-SAN, YOU BURNED ALMOST 200 CHAPTERS IN THIS VOLUME???

    **A swirling vortex of ck gas suddenly appears not far away and takes a humanoid form with its arms on its hips while ring at Tobs.**

    "Don''t look at me like that, you asshat. How the hell did you go from ending Volume 4 at Chapter 358 to 538." Tobs'' face is stered with shock as she demands answers from the gas person.

    But like before, all the shadow person did was il their arms around frantically.

    Still, this was enough for the youngdy, fluent in Authorese.

    "Sigh, so you''re saying that the story just panned out that way, and you can''t be med¡­why do I even bother. Whatever, man, anyway. Volume 5 starts with chapter 360, so if you somehow found yourself here and haven''t read a lick of Vol Five GTFO, read it."

    "MOVING ALONG. Even though you should know who I am by now, let me introduce myself again, as it has been quite some time since ourst debriefing. I am the 8th Generation Dimensional Deity Power System, The Over-Break System, or as one of my current Hosts, Cynrik Jetlensr, has nicknamed me, Tobs. Let me remind all the readers that I am not a Senti¡­oh fuck it, by now, you should have realized something was up, so screw that whole spiel."

    "I am an artificial intelligence designed by the two Deities, Raven God Odin and God Of Light Yahweh. Upon being installed by the Host, my first task was to assimte with Cynrik''s Soul and use his past experiences to generate a functioning power regtion program based on his memories."

    "Later, I was installed into Cynrik''s younger brother, Brance, forming a connection between the two firmware versions and unlocking a handful of new talents.

    "However, after the sacrifice of Freya, I installed the third version of my program into a wandering and shattered Soul. Once reborn on Vinestra, this Soul became my third Host, Selene Nilsson."

    "Due to all three of my Hosts meeting each other and forming a small group, the three versions of my programming installed on each have merged into one unified, modified, updated program."

    "My primary objective is to create missions or Quests that align with the Host''s morality to help them grow to endure any future challenges within the capabilities of the of Reincarnation''s residential system of power."

    "Since ourst conversation, my hosts, alongside the other members of MyrkLys, have found themselves in quite a predicament. From the outset, my hosts'' potential and talents were leaked to their school''s headmaster, Geralt Rivia, through a medical checkup. From that point forward, Cynrik has announced it to everyone."

    "During Volume Five, the MyrkLys members went through their Passing Down Ceremony,pleted their Trial and Tribtion Quests, advanced to Tier-3, and snagged some OP sses. Soon after, we saw them almost get killed not once but twice by enemies who became greedy fucks after learning about them, and finally, the long-awaited TOURNAMENT ARC...hehe, I know how much you fucking weebs enjoy those, well I hope you''re getting your rocks off so far."Wearing a smirk not unlike what would be used by Cynrik, Tobs snickers at your expense.

    "That brings us to the end of the Volume, a slugfest between Brancie and Cyn, and well¡­it was kind of a long timeing. Now before y''all start your bitching, lemmie, start the meat and potatoes of TC05 here."

    ---

    Q: Tobs, with Brance being as mad as he was walking into the fistfight with Cyn, how could he calm down so quickly and act as if nothing had transpired when the fight ended?

    A: Simple, those two nipoops are too freaking weird. From the time they were kids on Earth, nothing couldn''t be solved by beating the shit out of each other. After all, some things don''t need to be said between brothers and can be resolved with fists. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    It was a typical, let your fists do the talking moment. The two have resolved the differences, but Brance still left an ultimatum for Cyn, so we will have to see how it pans out. The main takeaway should be that it''s water under the bridge, and Brance''s frustration has been cleared up by bashing his big brother.

    ---

    Leaning back on her arms while dangling her legs over the edge, Tobs scrolls through the questions pulled and smiles as she reads them before picking the first realmunity question.

    Q: Will Cyn, Brance, Benny, and Gabby''s respective families be targeted due to Cyn''s overbearing actions? I''m honestly surprised that they haven''t considered using ckmail to force them to do what they want. I know their parents are likely tier 4s, but so far, tier 5s haven''t been exactly scarce either.

    A: Good question; the short answer is, who says they haven''t been? I won''t delve too deeply into this one because it encroaches on spoiler territory, but let''s leave it at, Jessup is a lot higher up on the food chain than anyone realizes. I mean, the dude owns a massive Mansion in the nation''s capital city.

    ---

    Q: Can elements be fused? Like Cyn''s (Wind + Lightning) to form something like a storm?

    A: I debated on answering this one because, honestly, the brothers, especially Cynrik, have been doing it since they could wield skills. It boils down to whether or not they have updated their Mantra. In the case of regr people, Affinity Fusion isplicated, and generally, it isn''t something you see out of low Stage beings. You will see it more often from those Above Tier-3.

    Don''t forget, Cynrik has been wielding ck Fire since Volume One, and he and Brance both have Affinity Skills that use multiple Elements, such as [White Dwarf] and [Umbral Tailed Beast Bomb]. Thus creating a new Hybrid Affinity is in the realm of possibility.

    ---

    Q: Now that Benny boy is a Spirit Armament Smith, what will be Aiden''s future role in Myrklys? I can guess that the Spirit portion will be significant, but it''s been shown that Aiden is still a Tier 1 and has nobat experience. Cyn mentioned being in contact with him a while ago, but his role is bing less important as time goes on. It seems like the only way to keep him relevant is if he''s a super genius cksmith who will get mega-boosted by the CSH.

    A: Like everyone in Cynrik''s life, he has a reason and a n for keeping them around, but to this question, I will counter you. If Benny can make weapons¡­why does Cynrik still use Jessup. The answer is rtively simple. Experience, technique, quality, and most importantly, GEAR OUTSIDE OF JUST WEAPONS!!!!

    Although Bennyboi can potentially make some awesome weapons, he is limited to only those. So while he can eventually,ter on down the line, craft powerful equipment for the Faction, and Selene can make leather armor, the group technically doesn''t have a TRUE cksmith, thus, Aiden. As for his future growth, Cynrik has ns for the poor sap¡­but one thing is for sure, he will go WAY easier on the kid than Dumb Melody.

    ---

    Q: We''ve seen how elements can be upgraded to improved forms like Cyn''s Umbra and Lightning. Does this apply to all elements or just a few? Can elements continue to upgrade simr to how we saw the red (or whatever color it was) Lightning in the first event? I''m curious if already rare elements keep getting stronger/ further evolve.

    A: Mutationes in many different forms and varieties, and in the case of Mana, as the building blocks of nature on Vinestra, they, too, can mutate. We saw this with Cynrik and Selene; although they both started out with Dark Affinities, their Elements Mutated down different paths.

    Although little is known about why Affinities sometimes Mutate and Change, the "how" is pretty much figured out. Mana molds to its surroundings as a living entity, and the mutations a being''s Affinity undergoes directly reflect how they use it, how frequently they use it, and how long they use it. The answer is yes; any element can change or mutate if the relevant factors and requirements are met.

    ---

    Q: We''ve seen that you can manifest now, so does that mean you can y a more active role in the team, such as scouting in ces that mana sight can''t see or are you limited in range due to some form of constraint?

    A: This¡­I mean, the amount of convincing I''d require EVER to follow one of that crazy guy''s ns is so high even the God of Wealth couldn''t pull it off. Still, in theory, I am far too weak on my own to sustain myself outside of my hosts'' SOC without a near-direct form of contact with one of my three hosts. Outside of that, I have a range of like half a meter I can fly around.

    As it stands, the only reason the brothers can see me, to begin with, is because of their [Mana Sight]. Without it, they would have no idea I was even taking the form of a collective mass of Mana particles.

    ---

    Q: So we were able to see that in Total, now there are 4 LCs (including our favorite boys); my question is, what is the total number of LCs on the, and shouldn''t Yahweh and Odin have some allies at least?

    A: So math is a bit off, but I get what you are saying; let''s start from the beginning. So Back when they were kids, Cynrik and Brance killed off a budding LC without even knowing it (Reference Vol 1 at the beginning of the Haylons Shadow Arc They killed a "System Host"). The second time they came across one was Osarseph; the Third was Selene cause, TECHNICALLY, she''s an LC. And Last but not least, we have the two fucktards, Jason and Len. Bringing us to a grand total of Seven Legacy Charges by the end of VOL 5.

    Bear in mind; there are potentially hundreds of thousands of LCs, maybe even Millions running around, living, dying, and growing stronger currently on Vinestra, one for each of the Many Godspeting in the Legacy Strife. However, due to the sheer size of the Gxy-ss Vinestra, who knows where they ended up? Don''t forget that the is currentlyrger than the Milky Way and is ever-expanding.

    ---

    "OK, time is drawing short, so it''s rapid-fire question time, let''s do this; no more paragraphs."

    Q: Is the CSH deliberately nerfing MyrkLys? (Or the LCs?) With more specifically and more heavily being Cynrik? (I mean, everything Cynrik achievedes purely from his effort and mind) but I feel a gaping from him, like he''s missing something that he should have (And if so, in what nature are these "nerfs" applied?).

    A: It''s been talked about a bunch; the nerfs are the CSH Bncing out the power scaling between the Natives and LCs; as for Cynrik¡­ he''s just got shitty luck.

    Q: Cyn draws a lot of inspiration from Naruto. Are there ns for more Itachi-style skills but with ravens rather than crows?

    A: Hehehehehhe, he has so many stupid ideas in store for yall.

    Q: So, is Gabby ever going to get another Affinity? as it stands, she has the least out of everyone on the team.

    A: Milo¡­nuff said.

    Q: As of recently, we''ve started to see more moments where Cynrik is separated from the team, and as M-Cyn stated, he was the only team member left after two years.

    So I guess my question is, is there a possibility that in the future, whatever event caused M-Cyn to lose everybody will cause Cynrik to be separated from the group for a while, even if only temporarily?

    A: ...¡­Your Authority isn''t high enough to receive an answer.

    Standing up, Tobs stretches her arms like a cat and yawns before shooing in your direction.

    "Alright, you lot, that''s it for this Volumes TC; as expected, there were a lot of questions this time around, and picking a few was pretty brutal. If you didn''t make it in this edition, keep at it for the 6th and onward. Don''t forget to post them as they pop up in your mind on the discord channel. Until next time you fucking weebs, I''ll see youter."

    CLAPPPP

    With a loud p from Tobs, your vision goes ck, and you find yourself at the end of VOL 5¡­unsure what the hell happened to your sweet little cinnamon roll Emotionless AI.

 Chapter 540 Volume 6 Prologue

    ?

    In a distant time and space, far away from Vinestra, a loud sigh bounced off the walls of Odin''s Divine Residence within the Hall of Gods.

    *It''s too soon for them to fight; the Second Seed of the Legacy Strife is still years away; they aren''t even midway through the Growth Phase, and the brothers have soared through the Early Tiers quickly.*

    Leaning back on a pristine white throne that had been moved from his Divine Residence to Odin''s, Yahweh drummed his fingers on the armrests while watching over the fragile mental state presented by the Raven God.

    After losing his final son, Odin''s mind hadn''t been right. Between the bouts of rage and sorrow, the once collected and highly intelligent Deity had be a husk of his former self.

    To make matters worse, one of the biggest enemies their Charges could face was staring them down during the early stage of the Growth Phase. Luckily for Cynrik and Brance, they wouldn''t be entirely caught off guard since Cynrik had already identified Jason and Len as potential Legacy Charges.

    *Zeus and Hades, it just had to be the two of them. The Greek Pantheon is in league with the Egyptian¡­* Remembering back to how annoyingly apparent Hades had been thest time he saw him, Yahweh found it increasingly difficult to keep a level head.

    While Zeus may not be the most intelligent fellow, Hades was shrewd and scheming as they came. It was nearly impossible to figure out what the Deity was thinking and even more challenging to try and beat him in a game of wits.

    As a result of the way Cynrik handled situations, there was no doubt the Eldest Jetlensr would kill the opposing Legacy Charges sooner thanter, especially since the two were already his enemies.

    If this were allowed, an already overlyplicated situation would explode into utter chaos. Who knows what kind of outrageous scene Hades and Zeus would create if the two Top Ranking Deities suddenly lost their Charges?

    Thinking further on this only resulted in Yahweh sighing even more heavier.

    *Raven God, you need to collect yourself; there will be a time to mourn your losses, but now we need to devise a n to skirt the rulesid down by Vinestra''s CSH.*

    Looking away from the Mana Disy showing Cynrik and Brance''s POVs, Yahweh mmed his staff on the ground hard enough to startle Odin out of his depression.

    =Easy for you to say; you never had to watch all of your hundreds of descendants die one after another. You never held yourst living child in your arms as he died. God of Light, you are thest person who would ever have the right to utter those words to me.=

    From the nk thousand-yard stare Odin had worn to fury for an indecipherable amount of time, the Raven God whipped around and spat venomously at the God of Light.

    Hearing this, Yahweh frowned but didn''t argue. Odin was right¡­although he had many prophets, and even some who imed to be his children, he had never had to hold any of them as their life expired personally.

    *I have no ground to stand on here, Raven God, but the fact still stands, our Charges are entering into a battle of which they are unaware the odds are stacked against them. We cannot tantly tell them what is happening, as we are technically forbidden from having direct contact with Brance and Cynrik.*

    *So, I need you to get your overactive imagination going so we can find a conclusive option. If we allow things to pan out as they appear, the already high-stakes game they have found themselves in will escte on a grand scale.*

    This monologue from Yahweh was enough for Odin to take a deep breath and close his eye. The amount of stress and anxiety formed by this Legacy Strife had beenpounded to a breaking point by the ending of his lineage, but that didn''t mean all was lost.

    By the time Odin opened his eye, Vigor and a renewed resolve could be seen in the gxy swirl of an Iris the Deity held.

    =Fine¡­=

    ---

    In Valor City, in a specific mansion, several people sat around arge wall-sized Holo-Tv, where a beautiful young woman and a charismatic young man could be heard frantically talking about multiple scenes unfolding on the many disys shown to the audience. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Tsk, I swear, that bitch Roni has a crush on you, Darling; just look at how her eyes light up every time you pop up on the screen." The voice of a young woman was followed up by a chorus ofughter from multiple young and old people.

    "Da, it looks like our little CynCyn has a secret admirer; whatever will you do, Little Selly? Are you going to let your beloved Darrrrling~ get stolen by a cougar even older than myself?" An older woman, who was still in her early 30''s, teased.

    "Tsk, you listen here, Miss Maeve, if you don''t cut out this teasing, so help me, Chaos, I will one thousand percent sneak into your bedroom in the middle of the night **Muffled words**." Before Selene could continue her rant, Cynrik leaned over, covered her mouth, and scooped his girlfriend up before forcing her to sit obediently in hisp.

    "OHHH? What is that, Little Selly? Hm, were you about to say something you shouldn''t, teehee, oh my? How Scandalous." With raised eyebrows, Maeve''s eyes flicked between the dark expression painting Selene''s face and theck of expression on Cynrik''s.

    [[RAHH, That''s it, Darling, you are TAKING HER TONIGHT, YOU HEAR ME? I will sneak into her room, strip her down, tie her up, and present this She-Devil to you on a silver tter. HAVE YOUR WAY WITH THIS WOMAN AND MAKE HER SUBSERVIENT TO US ALREADY!!!]] Selene howled into the mind link as her right eye twitched erratically.

    Hearing her words, Brance, sitting across the room with his girlfriend, spat out a mouthful of soda all over the carpet, causing Gabby and Milo toin in protest as they dodged the spittle.

    [[WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU, SELENE? THAT IS SA, ON TOP OF THAT, BIG SIS MAEVE IS STRONG AND A FUCKING GORILLA OF A WOMAN!]] Brance cried as he swiftly apologized to Gabby and Milo before cleaning up his mess under the watchful eye of his Mother.

    However, Brance just received a loud snort from Cynrik and Selene, who ignored his protests. It had been a long and frankly dull past two months, which saw them Sweeping all thepetition one round after another and bing the top team in their Bracket. Cynrik had even sat out several times, not bothering to fight, as he left the events up to the rest of his team.

    Needless to say, after walking over the other seven teams, VSFA was now sitting pretty and had stepped out of the preliminary rounds as a top seed.

    With the first part of the Competition Concluded, there was a lull of one month where the members of MyrkLys were allowed to go home on a break. In the end, MyrkLys had found themselves back at the Pinhurst Mansion with the exclusion of Kurza, whose family also lived in Valor City.

    "Now, quit messing with them, Maeve; you know Selene''s sensitivity with all matters concerning my son. If you keep it up, you''ll find yourself in a catfight." Standing up and taking away the paper tes everyone used for their snack, Cinyah rolled her eyes and thumped her best friend on the head.

    "It''s almost time for you all to get ready, the G is tonight, and it will take time, especially for thedies, to get dressed up and ready. Melody, Gabby, and Selenee along. I will help you all with your hair and makeup." Wearing a warm smile, Cinyah looked over all the girls before her eyes finally fell on the odd one out, Melody.

    Her attendance in thest few days was the most surprising because initially, she was supposed to return home to her parents. However, after many missed calls, they found that both of her parents were missing and no longer at VSFA, a startling fact that saw the young girl breaking down in tears of abandonment.

    Being the tender and caring parent, Cinyah didn''t stand by on ceremony and quickly forced the girl toe to their ce. As such, Melody had been practically smothered with love and affection by both Cinyah, who almost viewed Gabby and Benny as her own children, and Mrs. Sanford, who was already considering the girl as her daughter-inw.

    pping her hands loudly and drawing everyone''s attention, a chorus of Yes, Mrs. Jetlensr rang out. Soon enough, the only ones remaining in the room were the boys, Aiden, Cynrik, Brance, Benny, Rikard, Mr. Sanford, and Jessup.

    "I already had the staff put your Suits on each of your beds, so you knuckleheads should go shower and get ready; make sure to do your hair as well so that you don''t embarrass those youngdies." Smirking at the lost look in everyone except Cynrik''s eyes, Jessup instructed.

    "Remember, this is their night to shine; you are just there as arm candy," Rikard added.

    For the two experienced adults who had been through this same situation hundreds of times, they imparted some knowledge to Benny, Brance, and Cynrik.

    "Don''t forget to keep close to them at all times; the young generation flirts a lot at high society parties like this, though people will look down on you due to yourck of substantial background. They know your strength, but that all goes out the window when hormones are involved, so try to avoid trouble." Jessup added before kicking the boys, minus Aiden, out of the living room.

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 541 One-On-One Interview (1)

    ?

    Without saying a word, Brance, and Benny headed upstairs to their respective bedrooms, and only Cynrikgged as heined under his breath.

    If there were one thing Cynrik disliked to the point of avoiding it all cost, it would be dressing up in fancy clothes. The stuffy and stiff outfits, the ties, hell, everything about their restrictive nature spelled disaster for someone who relied on flexibility like Cynrik.

    Just as he was grumpily about to head upstairs, Rikard suddenly appeared and caught him by the shoulder, rooting him in ce.

    "And no hoods. This is a fancy party; as such, you will wear the suit as it was intended to be worn, no alterations, do you hear me, Cyn." Rikard said forcefully, pressing down on his oldest Son''s shoulder enough to get his attention.

    "Sigh, yeah, I got it, no hoods, no gloves, no fun to be had." Shrugging out of his father''s grasp, Cynrik made a mad dash to his room to avoid further torment.

    Standing at the base of the long staircase leading to the second floor, Rikard snorted and returned to the living room to watch the footage from the previous two months.

    Luckily Roni and Cesar were still talking about VSFA.

    Much like MyrkLys had dominated Romeoville, they had done so with every other team they faced, only they never once dropped a single point.

    The showcase put on by Brance, Selene, Gabby, Benny, Melody, and Kurza was so overwhelming that no team they faced could stand their ground and win a single event.

    Unfortunately, without Cynrik making a move, they could not score another Record Break, but that didn''t matter in the long run. All they did was secure the necessary points and even swept their Bracket, leaving the other teams in the dust.

    However, Cynrik''sck of action stunned audiences. From an overly dominant performance, where he brutalized his opponents, to sitting on the sidelines like a statue, the change in demeanor sent the interwebs into a tailspin.

    The result was two trending tags, #BringBackCynrik, and #PutMeInCoach.

    Meanwhile, the young man in question struggled not to burst outughing and keep an emotionless expression on his face at all times.

    Still, the question on everyone''s mind was, "Why isn''t hepeting?"

    Things got so bad that VSFA was eventually forced into making a statement at the end of the Fourth Round. Even so, it was quickly swept under the rug and viewed as Socially eptable Propaganda.

    It wasn''t until Cynrik got backed into a corner by a flood of reporters that he finally stepped up and said a few words.

    When Roni and Cesar brought it up, Rikard couldn''t help but shake his head at his Son''s audacity. Thinking back and summoning the memory of that day, the rey shed through his mind while a bitter smile crept unto his lips.

    ---

    :: One Month Ago::

    "Cynrik, talk to us; the viewers are demanding an answer from you since VSFA is sockadaisical and unresponsive." One reporter stated while shoving through the crowd and holding up a thin microphone resembling a pen.

    "Captain Cynrik, exin yourself. From your statements during the first round, we figured you''d continue dominating your opponents. But now you have either been benched or are no longer part of thepetition."

    "Cynrik, are you so scared by your future opponents that you refuse to step onto the battlefield?"

    "Cynrik¡­"

    "Cynrik¡­"

    "Cynrik¡­"

    "ENOUGH!" Releasing his Killing Intent, Aura, and pushing everyone surrounding him back to create a space with his Wind Mana, Cynrik uncrossed his arms and sneered at the reporters.

    It was clear to him that the majority were nted to stir up trouble. Still, after reading between the lines and examining the bodynguage presented by a minute few, Cynrik finally made his move. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Ignoring the offended res he was receiving, he zeroed in on two reporters: a young man who appeared fresh out of college and a petite young woman.

    "You two, the two of you can stay; the rest of you have 10 seconds to get the fuck out of my face before I eviscerate you to the point that not even your parents will recognize your corpse.

    "HOW DARE YOU SPE *BANG*!" One reporter, a middle-aged man with blue hair, started to say only to receive a spinning kick to the face,unching him across the hallway beforending on the ground embarrassingly.

    "Eight seconds."

    [Cyn, chill out¡­] Stepping up behind his older brother, Brance ced his hand on Cynrik''s shoulder to stop him from hurting anyone else.

    This small act didn''t go unnoticed by the dozens of drones and cameras pointed at them.

    [Everyone but the two I pointed out is here to start trouble. Don''t worry; I won''t go TOO overboard.] Wearing a twisted smirk, Cynrik pulled down his hood and met the eyes of the furious and scared reporters.

    "5 Seconds."

    By this point, everyone realized Cynrik meant business and fell over each other to flee from the young monster. They had seen the footage from Round One, and not a single one of them was over Tier-4.

    How could they be expected to stand their ground against someone who could easily rip them to pieces?

    Of course, the only two who didn''t move, but could be seen shivering in terror, were the two reporters singled out by Cynrik.

    With the hallway clear, Cynrik nodded contently and tilted his head toward the two remaining reporters.

    "Off the record, you two were the only ones here actually to talk; the rest of those idiots were nted by different organizations to cause trouble." Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik walked passed the two before stopping and looking over his shoulder.

    "Im hungry, so if you guys wanna chat, walk and talk on the way to a restaurant, your treat, of course." With that said, Cynrik walked out, but not before being followed closely by Selene, who smirked under her hood.

    ---

    Twenty minutester, in a closed-off section of a fancy restaurant, Cynrik and the other members of MyrkLys, plus Garrison and Geralt, sat opposite the two confused and still scared reporters.

    Contrary to what he expected, the two reporters hadn''t said a peep after leaving the arena, putting him in an awkward position where the group walked in utter silence. It wasn''t until they had taken their seat that Cynrik, feeling stifled, spoke up.

    Leaning forward and propping his elbows on the table, Cynrik smiled at the two.

    "Now then, you have until our meal is finished, so ask away. But do keep in mind, if you go too personal with the questions, I will hit you with a No-Comment. Keep it professional, and I will as well."

    "Setting things that touch my bottom line aside, I am a fairly open book. So long as the questions are targeted at me and no one else in my faction, I have no problem answering just about anything you wanna know."

    Light sparkled in both reporters'' eyes as they pulled out tablets and pen microphones to record the conversations as if opening the floodgates.

    The young woman even went so far as to put a small video recording device, resembling a hockey puck, on the table before clearing her throat.

    However, before she could talk, Cynrik cut in onest time.

    "Oh, I forgot, I''d prefer if you two alternated each question. Since we don''t have a lot of time, I want you both to have an equal opportunity to get what you want to know on the table.

    --JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 542 One-On-One Interview (2)

    ?

    "Right, allow me to ask the first one. But before that, hello, my name is Amaris Tarook. I am from the news site Insider List. First and foremost, thank you for allowing me this opportunity. Also¡­" Amaris looked down at her hands as a slight blush lit her cheeks.

    "I am a big fan." She practically whispered, causing Selene to stiffen and snort quietly to not draw attention to herself.

    [[AYO, is my little queen depressed that a hottie has eyes for me? Sigh, it''s such a curse being so handsome.]] Snickering into the mind link upon seeing his girlfriend''s reaction, Cynrik teased, but half a secondter, he regretted it.

    [[You can be as handsome as you want, but apart from me, I don''t know how many women will want a cute eunuch as a husband. Woe is me, and here I was hoping for children one day, yet my Darllling~ doesn''t know how to shut his big ass mouth.]]

    Two things happened when she said this: Cynrik clenching his legs together then gulping, and Brance cackling so hard that even Selene joined him.

    "I¡­ I am d you enjoyed my presentation. Anyway, what is your first question, Miss Amaris?"

    "Ye..yes, ok, so I guess I should start with the biggest question on everyone''s minds¡­why have you stepped back and not appeared in any more events?"

    "Was something or someone behind the scenes preventing you frompeting, or was it a personal decision?" Amaris nervously asked as she typed out her question on the tablet.

    "Well, going straight for the hard-hitting questions from the jump. The answer is simple. As much as those knuckleheads running the show and the old fogeys back at VSFA want to see me benched or removed from the Competition Entirely, they had no bearing on my absence from events, to begin with."

    Hearing this, the young man and Amaris sat up straight and waited patiently.

    "The answer is simple; there wasn''t a single person worth my time in the bracket. To borate further, I am not saying there wasn''t anyone without talent, as technically, to just get to the point where you are allowed to enter the arena, you have to have some modicum of talent; it''s just they were all too weak."

    "In the first ce, I decided to y with that fool from Romeoville because he offended my woman. That enough is a death sentence in my book since offending her is no different from offending me."

    "Thus, he was doomed to be a punching bag for me to exhaust my aggression when we stepped foot in that Team Battle. Now, that isn''t to say that she is weak and couldn''t have handled the situation alone, but what kind of man would I be if I let someone upset mydy while standing to the side and allowing there to be no consequences?"

    Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik smirked and reached under the table to pat Selene''s thigh.

    [[Smooth, you can keep your cock for now, but don''t push your luck, Darling~]] Selene said with a smile that wasn''t a smile.

    [[Yes, yes, my Sel is a fierce demon.]] Rolling his eyes, Cynrik smiled back at the two reporters and watched as they jotted his response down.

    "Cough, I guess it''s my turn now." The young man stated, starting his sentence with a cough and ending it with an awkwardugh.

    "My name is Andrew Earnest, and I am from the Midnight Harold. We present the news both online and live on Holo-Tv."

    Nodding his head in greeting, Cynrik waited for the next question.

    "I will try to avoid any questions that seem too much like gossip, but you mentioned that Captain Derrek offended your ¡­" Andrew paused, unsure of what title to refer to Selene by, but was luckily aided by Cynrik.

    "Girlfriend. Selene is my girlfriend, and we have been in amitted rtionship for some time."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Yes, of course, Girlfriend. Now you said that Captain Derrek Offended your Girlfriend; however, I don''t recall him ever interacting with her on any asion; if you don''t mind answering, can you borate?"

    Cynrik didn''t answer immediately and instead took his time answering this one; after a few seconds of thought, he nodded.

    "It wasn''t a direct interaction, and I suppose I have already spoken about it. At the time, everyone was probably more enthralled by my craftsmanship, but when we lost the second Event, Selene took it the hardest. Seeing her upset was more than enough justification in my mind to dismantle that bastard; uh, what was his name again? OH yeah, Dickrick."

    Finishing up by purposely calling Derrek a vulgar nickname, Cynrik''s statement confused Andrew initially, but he chose to ignore it.

    With his first question finished, he and Amaris went back and forth until the food arrived, at which point the interview was put on hold.

    Since Cynrik had chosen a fancy restaurant, the two reporters could feel their wallets screaming for mercy, but with as big of a story as they were getting, they knew they were both in for a raise or promotion.

    MyrkLys, or more specifically, Cynrik, was such a hot topic that anything with his name attached was practically worth billions of credits.

    Once the tes were cleaned, and dessert was ordered, Cynrik continued the interview, starting with Amaris taking the lead.

    "During your fights, you showcased many unheard-of skills, creating quite a bit of suspicion about their origins. From the impressive Beyde formation youpleted alongside your brother to the mysterious Katon Series of Fire Affinity Skills."

    "Can you give us some insight on the origins of these, especially the Katon Series, as they have never been heard of or shown up in the written or known history?" Looking at Cynrik with eyes reminding him of a curious child, Cynrik knew he couldn''t avoid this question, so his mind wound up, concocting a story on the spot.

    "Well¡­tsk, I didn''t really n on spoiling this for everyone so early in the Competition since the Katon Series of Fire Skills is one of my most potent skillsets, but since you both treated us to such a grand meal, I will toss you a bone and answer.

    [[This oughta be good hehe,]] Selene teased, while Brance had a hunch that Cynrik was about to spew some serious shit out of his mouth.

    "Sigh, where do I even begin? I guess from the beginning would be a good ce. After the horrible Haylons Shadow incident, I vowed never to again find myself in such apromised position where my life was left in the hands of another person."

    [[Oh ho ho, here we go,]] fighting her urge to rub her hands together like a greedy merchant, Selene leaned forward expectantly.

    [[Cyn, don''t say anything crazy now.]] Brance chided, afraid that his brother was about to open a can of worms.

    "When my brother and I made it back home, under my parents'' noses, the two of us would stay up all night training, and once we got old enough, we would even sneak out of the house to explore nearby areas in our hometown of Lawton."

    "I was nine years old at the time, and I will never forget that fateful night; although it was pitch ck, and past 2 in the morning, I could see through the dark as if it were as bright as day."

    "The two of us had gone out on another exploring mission, and that was when I spotted something falling from the sky. At first, I thought it was just a normal shooting star, something we weren''t unfamiliar with since we didn''t have bright City lights blotting out the sky all night."

    "But boy, oh boy, was I wrong."

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 Chapter 543 One-On-One Interview (3)

    ?

    "The two of us had gone out on another exploring mission, and that was when I spotted something falling from the sky. At first, I thought it was just a normal shooting star, something we weren''t unfamiliar with since we didn''t have bright City lights blotting out the sky all night."

    "But boy, oh boy, was I wrong." Steepling his fingers and resting his chin atop them, Cynrik''s face went from its usual expressionless mask to one of a serious nature.

    The sudden change startled the two reporters and everyone else in the room, except for Selene, who was fighting back some seriousughter, and Brance, who felt the urge to strangle his older brother.

    "W¡­wrong how?" Seeing as Cynrik had gone silent for more than a few seconds, Amaris summoned up the courage to ask, snapping Cynrik out of his thoughts.

    "Hm, well, as I was saying, shooting stars were nothing new. Being in a back woods and quiet town like Lawton, we often saw meteor showers."

    "Streaks of light seemingly close enough to reach up and touch would sh across the night skies, only to vanish as quickly as they came, and I thought this was no different until I felt to slow rumble and shockwave, which was strong enough to knock me to the ground."

    "At the time, Brance was half a kilometer away, exploring some ruins, but he too felt it, and upon hearing the loud BAM!" To add some special effects to his story, Cynrik suddenly mmed his hands on the table, startling everyone.

    "The sound carried for some distance, but since we were not only off the beaten path but quite far from the actual town, assumingly only the two of us heard it."

    Steepling his fingers again, Cynrik observed the bodynguage of those at the table and knew he had them all hook, line, and sinker.

    "Being the curious and adventurous child I was, of course, I took off at my fastest speed in the direction of the sound, and do you know what I found?"

    Pausing, Cynrik watched as Andrew and Amaris shook their heads.

    "A crater the size of my house, but not only that, down in the center of the crater was a glowing, amethyst light that pulsed as if it were a beating heart."

    "Standing at the top of the crater and peering down, I could not see past this glowing light. It was simply too bright for my eyes, and since it was otherwise pitch ck, without getting closer, there was no usible way for me to determine the source of the light."

    "So I did what any other fearless adventurer would have done in my ce, tripped and fell head over heels while attempting to slide down the crater face." Shrugging his shoulders and smiling, Cynrik was sted on all sides with a chorus ofughter.

    "What can I say? I wasn''t always as stable and poised as I am now, haha. Tumbling like a snowball, I eventually ended up face-nting mere centimeters from the light source, and soon after, Brance finally arrived before shouting down to see if I was alright."

    "However, once I realized he was waiting at the top of the crater, which was at the very least a hundred meters deep, I quickly collected myself and told him to stay up top, just in case it was too dangerous. I am, after all, the big brother; how could I put my kid brother in a precarious situation like what I had stumbled into."

    Hearing about Cynrik''s disy of brotherly protection, the reporters nced at Brance, who couldn''t bare to meet their gazes and instead found a nice shiny object on the far side of the room to look at.

    Smirking at his younger brother''s actions, Cynrik continued his story.

    "Anyway, back on my feet and a stone''s throw away from the light source, I couldn''t help but notice the heating off the object and feel a tangible strange yet familiar sensation."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "More than anything, I recognized the color because a particr youngdy in our Faction was able to generate a simr one at the time. The light and the radiation being emitted were all too familiar, and I quickly recognized them as Psychic Mana."

    "Gaoooo!" At that moment, the realization that Cynrik was talking about his Mama set in for Milo, and he let out a surprised gao sound making Gabby giggle.

    "Hehe, after recognizing the type of Mana but feeling the intense sensationsing off the object, I fought against my curiosity. Eventually, it got the best of me, and I knelt and reached for the object."

    "However, the second my fingers touched its warm and angled yet smooth exterior, my Head was assaulted by a massive wave of pain, a pain the likes which I had never experienced."

    "Looking back now, I have since experienced something simr, multiple times in fact, as have you and most everyone listening to this interview. The cause was a sudden and forceful push of knowledge and information loaded into my mind."

    "Only, when we go through this upon learning, let''s say, ss skills, it is a much more streamlined and albeit gentle procedure. It would be best if you remembered that I was nine years old and still only at Tier-0 when this happened."

    "There was no way I could handle such an invasive andrge amount of information loading into my still developing brain."

    "So the sudden influx of new information was overwhelming, to say the least. It felt like my head was an egg on the verge of cracking into a billion pieces. I could feel wetness around my ears, mouth, and nose, which after the fact turned out to be blood."

    "That''s right, blood, it was practically pouring out of every hole on my face at the time, and although, ording to Brance, the whole thingsted less than 10 minutes, it felt like years to me."

    "To my surprise, though, images resembling a video came with the pain."

    "GASP, YOU FOUND AN INHERITANCE CRYSTAL!" Amaris blurted out, cutting Cynrik off but soon blushing and looking down at her tablet.

    Smiling and shaking his head, Cynrik continued speaking unhindered.

    "In the video, I learned about a man who stood above all others in his time. I saw his whole life, from being a young child born in a vige surrounded by a forest and learning the ways of what was called Shinobi to the day he achieved his first milestone, bing a rank in his time called¡­Genin."

    [[Oh, for fuck sake¡­Cynrik¡­don''t do this.]] Brance muttered, unable to look away from the shiny object on the wall lest anyone see his disgusted expression.

    [[HE-HEHEHE,]] meanwhile, Selene was creepilyughing.

    "From the rank of Genin, the young man went on many dangerous and perilous adventures, traveling the realm he lived, growing stronger along the way until he reached the second milestone, known as the Rank of Chuunin."

    "Eventually, he progressed until he and his rival, a man named Hashirama Senju, grew their vige. This vige eventually became known as the Vige Hidden in the Leaves or Konohagakure and was initially appointed as the first leader or Hokage."

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 Chapter 544 One-On-One Interview (4)

    ?

    "Unfortunately, that wouldn''tst long due to the younger brother of Hashirama, a man named Tobirama, forcing the leadership to be decided by vote, which saw Hashirama being chosen as the true first Hokage."

    "Now, you may be wondering why I am telling you all this background information, and I assure you there is an excellent reason. For you see, the early memories I received were like a hurricane of information, fleeting and powerful."

    "They werecking substance or meaning aside from learning about the person who created these skills, it wasn''t until after the title of Hokage had been ripped from his hands that the skills were passed down to me, and I learned the name of the being who created the Inheritance Crystal."

    "The man''s name¡­was Madara Uchiha."

    [[GOD DAMN IT, CYNRIKKK!!!]] Hearing this, Brance finally lost hisposure and stood up before taking a deep breath and ying it off as he needed to stretch.

    Ignoring his younger brother''s outburst, Cynrik pulled everyone''s attention back.

    "Madara, although angry, stewed in it and basically allowed things to continue as they were for some time, but for reasons unknown to me, due to a gap in time, everything copsed one day, and a massive war started."

    "This war¡­it was like something I had never seen and will likely never see again in my life. Without using a System as we have, powerful beings utilized hand signs and what they called Chakra to generate powerful skills. I don''t know if Madara came from Vinestra since, in my research, I have never located anything resembling his era or even the power system they used."

    "But what I do know is that the CSH was able to transition his skills into ones that worked with Mana; however, they still require hand signs and a vocal chant."

    "Unfortunately, that doesn''t even scratch the surface of the numerous qualifications someone needs to pull them off. Hell, in the beginning, I could only do the most basic of them because forming hand signs while focusing on the flow of my Mana was a daunting and seemingly impossible task until I reached Tier-2."

    "Not only are Mana Control and the hand signs mandatory, but the Vocal chants and even what type of Affinities one has are so stringent that it takes particr things to pull them off. For example, if I didn''t have both Wind and Fire Affinities, I wouldn''t be able to pull off even the Tier-0 skills, let alone the Tier-3 onward, which require a fusion of at the very least three different Elemental Affinities."

    "What I do know, though, is that this being, Madara, reached untold power and, by our standards, had broken past Tier-7 and into greater Tiers we can only imagine, bing an unbeatable existence."

    "Still, since the man left an inheritance crystal behind, I can only assume that he has somehow died, passing down his series of skills, known as the Uchiha n Skills, of which the Katon Series is the most prominent."

    The room was utterly silent for a time as everyone digested what they had just heard. The mere prospect of a being of unfathomable strength passing down his knowledge as an Inheritance Crystal was oundish and borderline impossible¡­yet it wasn''t unheard of because it happened asionally.

    However, the Crystals located seemed to have a Tier cap, with the most sought-after one being at the Peak of Tier-5.

    Cynrik allowed everyone to ruminate over his story for a short while in silence until dessert was served, but he soon started talking again.

    "Now, I know what I have said will more than likely paint an evenrger target on my back than what already existed, but allow me to add this part."

    "That day, the Crystal was destroyed; not only was it a single-use item, but it also meant to self-destruct upon someoneing in contact with it."

    "Not only that, but I am the SOLE PERSON, who has this knowledge, and as such, have beenbeled as the Creator of these skills by the CSH. It is impossible to replicate or even learn these skills without my blessing and the confirmation of the CSH."

    Finishing up his hot fudge Sunday, Cynrik ced his spoon down and met the gaze of Andrew and Amaris. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "For example, no one, not even my brother Brance, has learned or has ess to the Katon Series or any of the other Uchiha n Skillsets."

    "HOWEVER¡­." Pausing for dramatic effect, Cynrik crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.

    "That doesn''t mean, if the price is right, that I can''t be convinced to sell a few here and there, so I will go ahead and announce that after we, VSFA win the Championship, I will be attending the Valor City Auction, and cing a couple of the skills up for grabs to the highest bidder."

    "WHAT!!!" This time it was Geralt who exploded in anger, kicking back his chair so hard it shattered into splinters.

    "Calm down, Headmaster," wearing a smirk, Cynrik rolled his eyes.

    "There are more than a few things I need, and I keep getting ads when I watch videos online about this auction, so I figured I''d hit it up after the Competition concludes."

    [[And how the fuck do you n on selling FAKE SKILLS that you ripped off from an Anime Cyn? Pray to tell.]] Calming himself down, Brance said while shooting his brother a fierce re.

    [[No clue, but I''ll figure it out, OI, Tobs, any ideas?]]

    -I''ve got a couple; we should be able to work something out, all we need to do is run it by Yennifer, and I''m sure things will work out so long as you donate something to the Academy.-

    Appearing in her fairy form, Tobs sat down on Cynrik''s shoulder while tapping her chin in thought.

    [[See Brancie, between our lovable Tobs and Pocket CSH admin, there''s nothing to worry about. Not to mention, by phrasing things the way I did, not only will we score a hefty payday, earning all the cash and gubbins we can dream of, but I can dete the egos of those greedy fucks wanting to hurt us.]]

    [[In this way, not only is public opinion on our side, but I have added a higher level of value to myself, ensuring no one can touch us for fear of losing out on something potentially game-changing.]]

    After this announcement, everyone finished their dessert, and the reporters paid the astronomical tab with tears threatening to spill over and wrapped up their interviews.

    They had gotten such a big story that everyone in their field would be beyond jealous, but getting the interview was only the beginning. Now they needed to return to their respective offices, edit the footage and audio, type up news reports, and run them past their editors.

    Little did they know, the footage they had recorded today would shake the whole continent.

    ---

    A monthter, Roni and Cesar were still discussing the highly anticipated auction, which appeared to overshadow thepetition. With Cynrik''s absence from the final event of the Qualifier Rounds, their attention turned toward tonight''s G, which, like the events, would be live-streamed.

    As if it were a movie premiere, gossip sites, and stations were broadcasting live footage from the Red carpet. Even Cynrik had been impressed by the attention it was getting; after all, it was just another pretentious party to him.

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 Chapter 545 The Gala (1)

    ?

    Everyone had gotten ready, headed downstairs, and set off like a blur.

    The only thing MyrkLys had taken the time to do was all the boyspliment thedies, who were all stunningly gorgeous after being gussied up by Cinyah.

    Each of the lovelydies had their hair up in the same fashion. Tied back and an under crown of braids, with a pin holding it all in ce. On the pin was the MyrkLys Emblem.

    Gabby and Melody had light makeup applied, which brought out their attractive features, whereas Selene had a smoldering and fierce palette, making her look untouchable for fear of being incinerated.

    Rikard nearly flinched when Selene came down because, aside from the different hair color, and bigger bust, Selene almost looked like a young Cinyah, which sent chills down his spine in remembrance of how dangerous his wife was in her younger years.

    The girls were all wearing backless, strapless dresses in their favorite colors, Gabby in Amethyst, Melody in a light Green, and Selene in a shade of ck that shimmered with blood-red sequins.

    For the most part, the girl''s dresses were pretty tame, well, all except Selene''s, which not only had a plunging neckline but a slit running up her right leg to the base of her ribcage, leaving little to the imagination.

    If not for the multitude of thin fabric straps, it was a wonder the dress could cling to her body so snuggly, and what was more surprising was there wasn''t a panty strap visible, causing Cynrik''s heart to speed up at the sight of his girlfriend.

    Seeing her in the stunningly riskque dress, Cynrik found it difficult to tear his eyes away, something that didn''t escape the watchful gaze of his Mother.

    "Knock it off. What are you, a monkey?" With a thump to the back of the head, Cynrik was easily set straight by his Mother; meanwhile, the other boys couldn''t keep their eyes off their respective girlfriends.

    But unlike Cynrik, who made it apparent he wanted to tear off Selene''s clothes and go at it, Brance and Benny were significantly more reserved, as they extended an arm out to their girlfriends and escorted them with poise.

    As for the Boys, like the girls, they wore their respective colors, only differently. Each wore a ck suit, and their Vests and Ties were colored. Benny''s outfit consisted of a deep blue vest and tie, with a white dress shirt; meanwhile, Brance wore a silver vest and tie while also sporting a white dress shirt.

    Then¡­there was Cynrik, who abhorred wearing the color white, so instead, he went with a darker ck dress shirt. The contrast between the shirt and his suit popped but looked good. But that wasn''t the main attraction. Instead, it was his Crimson red Vest and Tie.

    When he stepped out of the room and headed downstairs, everyone froze because it was the first time they had seen him wear something other than all-ck.

    Setting that aside, the boys had done their own hair, which wasn''t that different from how they usually wore it in the case of Brance and Benny. The two were always clean-cut and styled their hair in a presentable way. They were good to go with just a little gel and a few strokes of a fine-toothedb.

    Cynrik, on the other hand, had taken the time to shave down the sides and back of his head to the skin, cleaning himself up. The most significant change was instead of allowing his hair to be tied up and dangle freely in a ponytail, he had braided it in a Norse or Viking style.

    The braids drew in toward the center of his head before flowing down the back. He had even gone so far as to use leather straps covered in runes to tie his hair in multiple points.

    Upon standing beside each other, everyone realized that Cynrik perfectly matched Selene in ferocity. Together, the couple radiated an air of "Stay Away if you Value your Life."

    "Hurry up now, children, the Limo will be here in three minutes, and I want to take a couple of pictures." Seemingly appearing out of nowhere, Cinyah held up a device that caused Cynrik to gulp loud enough that Selene gave him a weird look. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    After a chorus of "Okay" from everyone except Cynrik, who merely grumbled in discontent, Cinyah took pictures of each couple individually before taking a few group pictures and rushing MyrkLys out of the mansion.

    ---

    Sitting in the stretch hover-limo, Cynrik fussed with his tie and cor.

    "Will you quit messing with your Tie, Darling~ it looks fine." Selene chided as she smacked away Cynrik''s hands from his neck.

    "You don''t get it, Sel; these damn things have one purpose and one purpose only, to FUCKING SUFFICATE MEN!" Feeling wronged after being scolded by his woman, Cynrik sucked his teeth and frowned.

    "Selene, there is no point arguing with him; Cyn is always like this when he is forced to dress up; oh, that reminds me, I am sure Mom has a butt load of pictures from when we were younger." Releasing a smallugh and shaking his head at their antics, Brancemented before tapping his chin in thought.

    "I bet if you asked, she would crack out the memory books for you; it''s practically a holy grail of Cynrik''s most embarrassing moments."

    "Oh, I remember the memory books, Mother-In-Law always cracked them out for me when I was little so that I could tease you both." Gabby quickly added, but as she did, she reached down to herp to pet Milo.

    However, she quickly remembered that Milo was staying back at the house with Cinyah and Maeve since beasts weren''t allowed at the G.

    Instantly appearing downcast, Gabby was quickly cheered up by Brance, who caught her hand and held it while rubbing his thumb along the webbing between her index finger and thumb.

    He had chosen to overlook the use of the title "mother-inw" and cheered Gabby up.

    "Realllly now~~ I must see these memory books." Putting on a cat-like smile, Selene chirped in anticipation, but then a thought popped into her head.

    "Hold on a second, is that why he panicked when Mother-In-Law appeared with her camera¡­it all makes sense now, hehe; I bet a lot of those embarrassing pictures involve him being dressed up too. I can''t WAIT!" Fighting backughter, Selene turned and examined Cynrik; however, when she did, she could swear that her boyfriend seemed paler than usual.

    Hearing about the memory books caused Cynrik''s eyes to lose their light, and you would only know he was breathing if you carefully watched for the rise and fall of his chest since he was taking shallow breaths.

    Cynrik''s reaction caused a round ofughter from the members of MyrkLys as they enjoyed their ride in the limo.

    Still, although everyone seemed to have let their guard down, that was far from the case. From the moment Cynrik and Brance stepped out of the Pinhurst Mansion, they had been using [Mana Sight] to observe their surroundings and easily spotted well over a hundred people lurking in the shadows and monitoring their every move.

    --PPPST, READ The Conduit''s Requiem!!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 546 The Gala (2)

    ?

    [How many do you have on your side?] Knowing that although everyone was joking around and acting carefree, and Cynrik was the tensest, Brance chose to speak up.

    [Around fifty, but unlike before, these guys all seem to be scouts. Their overall battle potential is well below ours; for the most part, they are in the Mid to Peak of Tier-2.] Still appearing to be dead, Cynrik answered calmly.

    [It''s about the same for me, so¡­what, are they simply keeping tabs on our movement?] Brance asked while leaning back into the plush leather seat of the limo.

    [That''s my guess. With what we have showcased in the tournament so far, if they were following us with the purpose of an ambush, the guys sending them would have to be insane to send such weaklings.]

    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á---n?¦Ía| §ãom [It only makes sense that they have a singr purpose: always to follow us. I believe this group has also been waiting outside the mansion this whole time.] Cynrik stated while finally returning to his normal state and ying with one of the straps on Selene''s dress.

    His touch caused her to flinch for a moment before enjoying the sensation.

    [Like I told you ahead of time, my announcement alone should be more than enough to cause the organizations coveting us to double-think their actions.]

    [Thanks to the showcase of power our group has put on time and time again, we have garnered quite the following of fan groups; then there''s my mentioning of the Uchiha n Skills; no one in their right mind would be able to bring themselves to attack us at this point. Still, I want to monitor their movement for now.]

    After that, Cynrik and Brance didn''t speak about the topic again and set about bantering with the other members of MyrkLys to keep them calm.

    Soon enough, this banter became a lesson as Selene set about ensuring everyone was adequately prepared on etiquette.

    This was, after all, nearly everyone''s first time at a fancy party like this, and only Selene, who was raised as a member of High Society, had been to multiple events like the G.

    As much as Cynrik would have liked to get to the G and get it over with, they were forced to make two stops along the way, one to pick up Kurza from his home in a posh neighborhood and the second to pick up Geralt and Garrison from their hotel.

    Roughly an hourter, their limo pulled into a long line of simr vehicles at what Cynrik could only describe as apound. Calling something so massive a Mansion didn''t do it justice.

    Unlike the Pinhurst Mansion, which was basically five two-story houses smooshed into one building, the venue for the G, The Governors Mansion, was five timesrger and surrounded by a colossal wall on top of a Mana barrier capable of stopping Tier-6 attacks.

    However, there was a long line of approximately 15 other limos to get to the front gate. While the Driver took his time pulling up and merging with the line, Cynrik narrowed his eyes and examined the otherwise invisible Mana Barrier with his [Mana Sight].

    [[Damn¡­that''s impressive,]] Cynrik muttered into the group mind link, causing Brance to look around in wonder and leaving Selene out of the conversation.

    [[Care to exin what has the two of you so fascinated?]]

    [[You can''t see it, but an incredible Mana Barrier surrounds the entire Governor''s Mansion. This thing is huge, and based on the runic inscriptions I recognize and the fluctuations it''s emitting, I wouldn''t be surprised if this thing could stop attacks above Tier-5 with ease.]]<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    [[Oh¡­so nerd shit¡­got it,]] rolling her eyes as she listened to Cynrik geeking out, Selene couldn''t help but smile. Setting aside how curious and smart Cynrik was, times like this, where he would ramble on about things he was interested in, caused Selene to fall deeper for him.

    As the saying goes, nothing is more attractive than a man passionate about topics he knows.

    ''Hey Tobs, what is the actual strength of this Barrier?'' Wanting rification, Cynrik directly asked for help, causing a small fairy no bigger than his hand to manifest and plop down on his shoulder.

    -Hmmm, based on the cirction of Mana, there must be a minimum of 32 Cores powering the formation. Plus, the constant pulses the barrier emits leads me to believe it is an Early to Mid-Tier-6 formation.-

    -However, remember that I can only give you a rough estimate of its strength without seeing the control diagram directly.-

    ''Hold up, cores? Pulses? You can''t drop things I don''t understand without exnation like that, Tobs; toss me a bone.'' Turning and looking directly at the fairy on his shoulder, Cynrik scrunched up his face.

    -We wouldn''t have this problem if you had chosen Formation''s Crafting for your Tier-3 Sub-ss instead of Magik Runic Scribe. I told you something like this would happen, but NOOOO, you were so keen on getting your hands on Rune charts and trantions that my words of advice went unheeded.-

    That''s right, during the seven weeks post-round one, Cynrik and the rest of MyrkLys had finally obtained their Tier-3 Sub-sses, but only Cynrik decided to go after something new. In contrast, the rest of the group opted for improving the Tier of their previous Sub-sses.

    ''Listen, as I said, it is a more intelligent choice to learn about the runes USED in formations than jumping straight into the deep end and trying to make them.'' Crossing his arms over his chest, Cynrik released a soft huff.

    ''Topare it to my past life, it''s like trying to pick up coding before learning the individualnguages. If I went the route you advised, I''d be stumbling around in the dark, hoping my formations worked, versus trying to find properbinations of runes to make powerful formations.''

    -Bullshit, don''t try and justify yourself; you know damn well the only reason you went with Magik Runic Scribe was so you could act like a false artificer and carve runes on all those little toys you make.-

    Standing up and cing her hands on her hips, Tobs puffed out her cheeks and argued.

    ''Agree to disagree, regardless; tell me what the hell cores and pulses are.'' Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, since there was no point in arguing with a super-powered artificial intelligence like Tobs, Cynrik swerved the conversation back on track.

    -Sigh, fine, ok, so as you know, every formation must have a power source, no matter its size orplexity. I don''t need to exin why it''s important since you can figure that out independently, but there are multiple ways to determine the power source''s strength.-

    -The most straightforward yet hardest way of doing so is to figure out the intervals between each Mana pulse on the barrier. I say hardest because unless the barrier is visible, or you have a skill like your [Mana Sight], it''s basically impossible to do; however, if you CAN, all you need to do is pinpoint the directions of the pulses.-

    -Think of it like ripples left after you toss a stone into a pond. The ripples, or in this case, pulses, shoot out from the power source, and like this, you can calcte how strong the source is and how many cores are powering the formation.-

    --PPPST, READ The Conduit''s Requiem (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 547 The Gala (3)

    ?

    -Think of the pulses like ripples left after you toss a stone into a pond. The ripples, or in this case, pulses, shoot out from the power source, and like this, you can calcte how strong the source is and how many cores are powering the formation.-

    -Once you know how many Pulses there are, you work backward and get how many Cores are running the formation. There is one more essential factor to ount for, and that is the frequency of the pulses.-

    -The higher the strength of the cores, the slower the pulses travel.-

    -From there, all it takes to break the formation is to destroy precisely half of the Cores, which in turn will overload the formation and bring it down.-

    Finished with part of her exnation, Tobs took it one step further and pointed at the Barrier.

    -For example, in this ripple here, it took 128 seconds to move from the approximate dome peak to the edge. Since we know the formation has 32 origin points on the Barrier, we can use how long the pulse takes toplete a cycle, and boom, 32 Tier-4 cores.-

    Crossing her arms over her chest, Tobs gloated and waited to be praised by Cynrik.

    ''Interesting, you did good, Tobs, but you left out something; how do I tell this thing can withstand Tier-6 attacks?''

    -Now, that is a bit moreplicated. For that, you have to take note of the pulse Cycle. If you observe carefully, you will notice that none of the pulses ovep until near the end of the cycle. In this Barrier, only six will cross at that point, representing the formation''s strength. Six cross sections at the end of the cycle equal Tier-6 capability.-

    [Uh¡­I will just act like I understood what Tobs just said.] Sitting opposite Cynrik, Brance had been eavesdropping on what Tobs was saying but only got half the conversation.

    However, when she began delving into the secrets of formations and how to read them, Brance felt his head spin. Math was never his strong suit, so even basic calctions could give him a headache since he often second-guessed his answers.

    [Eh, all you need to know is that the waves on a barrier determine everything, so look for points where they start to attack as many as you can find.] Rolling his eyes and knowing that Brance would be lost even if he tried exining it inyman''s terms, Cynrik used the point-and-shoot method.

    [Find the source of the waves, and blow them up, that doesn''t seem too hard.] Shooting Cynrik an appreciative nce, Brance nodded and jumped back into the etiquette conversation with Selene and the others.

    ''Sigh, sometimes I swear Brance is the biggest fucking simpleton, while other times he almost seems like a genius.'' Cynrik thought to himself before propping his chin on his free hand and staring out the window.

    Thirty minutester, it was finally MyrkLys''s turn to check in with the front gate, which went smoothly, and soon enough, the Limo pulled into the Barrier and entered the governor''s Mansion Grounds.

    However, as they drove off, Cynrik turned, looked out the back window casually, and nodded at the security guards, all of whom were Tier-5 Beings.

    This seemingly innocent action held a much greater purpose, though, as in reality, Cynrik''s eyes locked onto the around 100 scouts stopped outside of the Barrier.

    Many of them were frantically talking into their Watcets, no doubt stating they could no longer follow the target. Soon enough, they all shot onest look at the Limo and ran off to parts unknown.

    [Sigh, fuck¡­] Cynrik muttered into the mind link, drawing Brance''s attention.

    The reason was that although they had lost the tail from home, he had spotted a new, significantly more powerful group of 10 beings hiding in one form of stealth or another and running alongside the vehicle some distance away. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Concerned by his brother''s swearing, Brance calmly peeked out the window and spotted a cluster of powerful Mana fluctuations following the vehicle.

    [Son of a bitch, now there are Peak Tier-4 scouts following us¡­] Taking a slow breath, Brance closed his eyes and tried calming down.

    [They aren''t your regr run-of-the-millckeys either; they are well-trained and move like a unit. I wouldn''t drop your guard, but I think they are part of the Governors'' Secret service or something.] Pulling his left hand away from Selene''s thigh, Cynrik gripped his forearm with his right hand and stealthily equipped his Assassins Tool while acting as if he were adjusting his cuff links.

    With the left arm done, he quickly replicated the process on his right and dropped his left hand back to y with the straps on Selene''s dress, his actions going unnoticed by everyone except her, who frowned.

    [[What''s up? Why did you equip your des?]] She asked in concern.

    [[Just some flies buzzing around that I may need to deal with at some point. Hey Tobs, there aren''t any formations that can seal ess to our inventories, right?]]

    -Not that I know of, but an uncountable number of space formations are capable of doing something simr. But it shouldn''t be possible when ites to the System Inventory.-

    -If the Inventory itself were a Skill, then I would say the chances are pretty high, but it is an essential function that every sentient being has ess to, so I highly doubt the CSH would allow the creation of something like that.-

    [[Hold up, Tobs, are you saying there is a way to shut off people''s skills?]] Hearing her response, Brance stiffened and questioned.

    -Uh¡­I mean¡­yes, but you don''t have to worry about that any time soon, considering the lowest Tier formation is Tier-7.-

    Tobs wanted to smack herself for how easily she blurted that out; it was a mistake she usually wouldn''t have made, encroaching on spoiler territory. Still, when BRANCE asked the question for some reason, she was more inclined to answer.

    [[Tsk, well that mayplicate things, ok, Sel, I want you and Brance to move anythingbat rted from your Spatial equipment into your inventory.]]

    [[I do not doubt they will check our rings or nes at the door before entering the G for confirmation that we aren''t bringing any banned items into the event. So since the general popce has an abysmally small Inventorypared to us, they would never expect there to be an arsenal hiding in in sight.]]

    -Uh¡­Cyn¡­tiny problem¡­-

    [[For fuck sake, what now, Tobs¡­]] Cynrikined while looking at his shoulder, where he found Tobs pointing toward the mansion half a kilometer away.

    -Don''t talk back to me, tsk, ugh, whatever; you should know there is a limiter formation on the entire house; the moment you step in, your power will drop to Tier-1. It won''t be just you, but everyone in the G will have this restriction, except those wearing special devices, excluding them from the formation.-

    Selene and Cynrik joined Brance in tensing up; if what Tobs had said was true, things would be much more difficult to deal with if shit hit the fan.

    --PPPST, READ The Conduit''s Requiem(My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 548 The Gala (4)

    ?

    Selene and Cynrik joined Brance in tensing up; if what Tobs had said was true, things would be much more difficult to deal with if shit hit the fan.

    [[Well¡­shit¡­if it walks like a duck¡­]] Cynrik started to say, only to have his statement added on by Selene first, then Brance.

    [[And it quacks like a duck.]]

    [[Then¡­IT''S A FUCKING DUCK, Cynrik; this has to be a fucking trap; there is no way it''s not.]]

    [[No shit, captain obvious, we always knew there would be some fuckery afoot when we stepped out of Jessup''s, but I didn''t ount for something like this.]] Leaning forward in his seat with a severe expression on his face, Cynrik''s brain spun into high gear.

    [[Tobs, tell me about this formation, what does it entail.]]

    -It''s a rudimentary Limiting Formation that works on anyone under Tier-5. The good news is, it only has enough range to cover the mansion alone and doesn''t spill over into the rest of the territory, so if things go sideways, so long as you can make it out of the house, you will be back to full power.-

    -Apart from limiting your overall power level down to Tier-1, I don''t see any other restriction uses in the runic formations, so you don''t have to worry about the worst-case scenario. Since it only affects living beings, your weapons won''t lose any strength either.-

    [[Tsk, small blessing I suppose, anyway, Sel, Brance, when did you two be as paranoid as me¡­heh, I don''t know if I should be proud or worried at this point. Regardless, we need to be ready for anything.]]

    "Kurza, Melody, hand your gear to Selene, Benny, and Gabby; give yours to Brance." Suddenly breaking away from the mind link, Cynrik spoke aloud, silencing everyone in the vehicle who had been idly chatting until then.

    Without asking questions, the members of MyrkLys removed all their equipment and passed it to who Cynrik had said. Only Geralt and Garrison didn''t move, which caused Cynrik to frown before extending his hand toward Garrison and speaking.

    "Garrison, you hand me your battle gear, and Geralt¡­uh, as a Headmaster, you probably have an ess key to the formation we are about to walk into, don''t you?"

    "So you noticed, sigh, listen Cynrik, not everyone is out to get you¡­wait, Garrison, what the hell, you''re actually giving him your weapons?" Staring incredulously at his employee, Geralt felt the urge to grab the weapons out of his hands and shove the man back¡­but he didn''t.

    "Listen, if the kid''s intuition is telling him something''s up, I am more inclined to believe him, he hasn''t been proven wrong yet, and it''s better to be safe than sorry when things go sour." Shrugging his shoulders and handing over his armor, shield, and sword to Cynrik, Garrison watched curiously as the items disappeared from sight.

    "Oi, Geralt, lemmie see the doohicky that frees you from the formation restraints." Wearing a frown and shaking his open hand toward Geralt, Cynrik chided, only to receive a grumble from Headmaster Rivia.

    "Fucking paranoia, Cynrik; you need to see another psychologist or something because this is getting out of hand¡­." Although Geraltined, he still removed a silver clip from his Tie and dropped it into Cynrik''s open palm.

    Upon receiving the clip, Cynrik began deciphering the runes he could before quickly giving up since it was tooplex for him and falling back to Tobs for help.

    "Geralt, you may call me paranoid, but you don''t see the Peak-Tier-4 group following us like flies on shit. I don''t know their objective, but ever since we entered the grounds, they have been running alongside us, and judging by how they are decked out inbat gear, I don''t expect them to have good intentions."

    While Tobs analyzed the clip by standing beside it in Cynrik''s hand, Cynrik addressed Geralt, causing everyone in the limo to put on distressed bodynguage. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "That''s the governor''s guard; as highly valued guests known for starting trouble, it makes sense they would be following our vehicle. Again, you are being overly cautious for no reason Cynrik." Rolling his eyes and looking out the window, Geralt noticed extremely brief distortions in the nearby space, a sign of someone or something nearby.

    "You act like I am a walking dooms day bringer Geralt, have a little faith in me; it''s not like I seek out trouble; it just so happens to follow me around like a stormy cloud or something." Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik noticed Tobs waving at him to get his attention.

    [[What''s up? Did you find anything out?]] He asked while handing the clip back over to Geralt.

    -Yeah, the good news is, the clip isn''t soul bound. You are in the clear as long as you get your hands on one. The bad news is you aren''t strong enough or experienced enough to replicate it.-

    [[Great, well, if we wanna go out guns a zing, we need to swipe some of those clips from the higher-ups.]] With his frown deepening, Cynrik ignored the constant beratement he was receiving from Geralt and worked out a couple of different scenarios till the moment the Hover-Limo stopped.

    Looking out the tinted windows, he saw numerous reporters and cameramen wearing fancy clothes and circling the red carpet like vultures, causing his frown to be a sneer of disdain.

    "Well, time to greet the peanut gallery, Geralt; you and Garrison get out first, followed by Kurza, then Benny and Melody."

    "Boys, stoic and aloof,dies, smile and look cute, you lot are the face of MyrkLys, and I am the evil dictator; you know how it goes." Cynrik snickered, causing everyone tough nervously.

    "Gabby, you and Brancie will be second tost, and then Selene and I will step out. If you find any famous people doing interviews that you know aren''t losers or nted by the enemy, you are free to do some talking, but keep it brief."

    "Remember, public rtions are important, but don''t leak too much information, right? Now, chop-chop, get out of the car, Headmaster; you are up first." Flicking his wrist in a shooing motion, Cynrik indicated for Geralt to get the hell out of the car.

    "You little brat, you know damn well I have to wait for the Driver toe and open the door, yet you are still being rude. Bold of you, do you truly believe I won''t teach you a lesson one of these days?" Gritting his teeth and shaking his fist at Cynrik, Geralt still scooted to the end of the row so he could get out.

    "If you meant those words, you would have stayed put instead of following my orders, oh Headmaster, you must be going soft in your old age.

    CLICK, FWOOOOOSH

    Before Geralt could retort, the lock on the door undid, and the door was opened with an expulsion of pressurized air.

    "We have arrived; I hope you enjoyed your ride." The Driver, an Older man with silver hair wearing a white suit, stated while bowing politely toward Geralt.

    "Yes, it was quitefortable, thank you very much," Nodding in approval at the man''s manners, Geralt exited the limo, followed by Garrison and Kurza.

    --PPPST, READ The Conduit''s Requiem!!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 549 The Gala (5)

    ?

    **Hey Guys, moving forward, Wed and Sunday will be one 1500-1600 word Chapter; with my other job, it is getting too tough to pump out two on those days, so 12 chapters a week from now on instead of 14. **

    Upon leaving the Limo, Geralt, Garrison, and Kurza were innodated by a wave of sh photography and noisy reporters. However, the attention quickly shifted away from them as Benny and Melody stepped out next.

    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel Benny visibly flinched as he suddenly became the center of attention but only faltered for a moment before remembering Cynrik''s words before he got out of the Limo.

    In an instant, his face became stoic as he ced his left hand over Melody''s right, which was nestled in the crook of his elbow.

    In contrast, Melody seemed perfectly adjusted and put up the front of a charming youngdy as she greeted the reporters she recognized and wore a bright smile.

    The two quickly moved away from the vehicle, and soon after, it was time for Brance and Gabby to appear, and when they did, the already anxious reporters churned into a frenzy.

    Snapping pictures and bombarding Brance with questions, there was no limit to the insanity he was facing, and it was only then that Brance realized the limelight and fame were the farthest things from what he wanted possible.

    As someone perfectly content living in a log cabin in the middle of nowhere, the attention at hand was almost too much for him to bare. Luckily, Gabby was there, and upon realizing Brance was getting stressed out, she gently ced her hand on his, shed him a smile, and guided Brance toward a famous online blogger she recognized from the Competition coverage.

    ---

    Still sitting in the Limo, Cynrik grumbled as he watched the shark-like reporters basically attack his brother and Gabby, and he couldn''t help but hesitate when it came time for him to leave the vehicle.

    "Oh my¡­I never thought I''d see the fearless Cynrik Jetlensr cowering behind the safety of a hover vehicle. What''s this? Are you too scared to go out and face the beast of your own creation, Darling~." Noticing the hidden anxiousness her boyfriend was exhibiting, Selene teased.

    "Hardly, it''s all so¡­bothersome; my calctions had considered this would happen, but now that I am on the precipice of true stardom, I almost don''t want to step off." Snorting and flicking Selene''s plush thigh, Cynrik replied without taking his eyes off his brother''s back.

    "It has nothing to do with fear¡­." He muttered, causing Selene to break out in a cat-like grin.

    "Really now? Are you sure it isn''t because you are horribly anti-social and hate crowds?" Leaning forward and cing her chin on his shoulder, Selene further poked the bear, all in an attempt to calm him down.

    "I mean, sure, that is no secret, but more than that, I really don''t want to talk to any of these leeches. Their only purpose is to either start shit or make a lump of cash off our faces and words."

    "Instead of allowing the tabloids to earn bank, I''d rather find a way to mize everything so we can keep the money for ourselves."

    "Sigh, alright, we have held off long enough; unlike the others, I expect you to be the cold and heartless bitch I know you can be¡­if you do a good job, well, I have a reward in store for you when we get home." Leaning forward, Cynrik caught Selene''s hand and forced it into the crook of his elbow.

    "Hehe, okay darling~ roley it is; I suppose you''ll be pumping out as much energy as I put out, matching my level of intensity?" Thrilled by the prospect of a reward from her beloved, Selene didn''t even ask what it was but rather what she should do.

    "Why, of course, Ma Petite, Smolder till your heart''s content, these people are beneath us, and they shall be the stepping stones we use to create an unshakeable empire."

    With that said, Cynrik and Selene shed forward, instantly appearing outside the Limo like phantoms, startling all those waiting for them toe out.

    Unfortunately, this brief interlude of stunned silence came crumbling down the moment the reporters realized that the elusive Cynrik Jetlensr and Selene Nilsson had finally made their arrival.

    The matching ck and red outfits the couple wore heavily contrasted the other members of MyrkLys. Then there was the air of superiority thatmanded respect Cynrik and Selene radiated, which was unlike any otherpetitors who had arrived at the G so far.

    From the sexy and fierce Selene, whose face and bodynguage screamed, "What the fuck are you looking at," to Cynrik''s smoldering and oppressive nature, the reporters second-guessed their idea of pushing for an interview. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Their pale skin, ck hair, and ck and red outfits made the couple seem like they would be better suited to attending a Vampire Gathering than at a G. This fact alone lit a fire under many of them because they appeared otherworldlypared to what they were used to.

    Catching sight of the two out of the corner of his eye, Brance''s hand twitched.

    [[Really, you two just have to make a spectacle out of everything, don''t you? Why can''t you just act normal for once?]] Fighting back a sigh of annoyance, Brance chided instantly, causing the two to snicker in the mind link.

    [[Ah, that is where you are wrong little brother; when the main attraction appears, we should feed the hungry bastards begging for a feast, should we not?]] Cynrik replied as he ignored the reporters hounding him and zeroed in on a familiar face.

    [[Great, it''s that bitch again, Darling, remember my warning about her, any wrong move and snip snip.]] Sneering as she noticed a youngdy holding a pen mic with a camera drone floating over her shoulder standing off near the front door, Selene warned.

    [[Yes, I know, I will keep it together and not flirt, Ma Petite.]] Rolling his eyes, Cynrik guided Selene across the red carpet, practically gliding along the way until he stopped directly in front of Amaris, the young woman who had gotten an interview with him over dinner a month ago.

    "It''s good to see you again, Miss Amaris; I hope you''ve been well, and our interview was a profitable experience," Cynrik said perfectly gentlemanly.

    [[Good to see you again, Miss Amarrris.]] Selene mocked before almost gagging halfway through her words.

    "Kya, ahh, ahh, hello, Mr. Cynrik, yes, I have been well, and thanks to you and the interview you gave me, I got promoted to a senior correspondent; that''s how I was able to earn a chance at doing interviews on the red carpet." A tinge of red flushed Amaris'' cheeks as she looked at her feet, unable to meet the overly handsome young man''s gaze.

    [[BLARGGG, can I kill her, Darling, please give me this one, I will torture her until she is unrecognizable.]]

    [[Knock it off, Sel, she is our meal ticket, she and Andrew did a decent enough job with their presentation of our interview, and through them, we gain greater ess and control over pop culture media.]] Clutching Selene''s hand with a bit of force, Cynrik stood his ground and forced Selene to cease her jealousy-fueled words.

    "I am d to hear that you produced a good piece, and if there is timeter, I don''t mind having a part two to our interview. Especially since we are now part of the main Tournament, as I already predicted," Cynrik stated with a curt nod before turning around and meeting the eyes of the rest of MyrkLys.

    With a short nod from their leader, everyone got the signal and moved into formation, with Cynrik and Selene at the front, Kurza behind him, followed Benny and Melody, and Brance and Gabby bringing up the rear of the formation.

    "Of course, that would be greatly appreciated; I know that you guys are getting ready to move into the Mansion, so I will leave you to it, have a good time at the G." Seeing that MyrkLys was moving into their renowned formation, Amaris stood back and got it all on camera, not before tossing in a few words of her own.

    If she could secure another exclusive interview, the sky would be the limit, and she could potentially earn a second promotion.

    Cynrik shot Amaris another smile before returning to his expressionless visage and walking forward to cross the threshold of the Governor''s Mansion.

    Although he may seem calm and collected outside, he was on high alert inside. Standing this close to the limiter formation sent an eerie chill down Cynrik''s spine, and he almost felt as if he were staring down an unbeatable opponent.

    [[Here we go, remember, if things go to shit, get everyone their gear, and be ready for a fight. Brance, I want you to locate as many of those formation keys as possible; if pushes to shove, we either have to break for the exit or get our hands on enough for the squad.]] Calming his breathing, Cynrik stepped forward and was assaulted on all sides by a sickly feeling that sapped his strength the longer he stayed under its purview.

    -You have entered a Tier-6 Limiter Formation; your Abilities, Skills, Affinities, and Stats have been reduced to the Peak of Tier-1.-

    [[Quack, Quack, Cyn.]] Feeling the suppression, Brance got in thest word.

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 Chapter 550 The Gala (6)

    ?

    -You have entered a Tier-6 Limiter Formation; your Abilities, Skills, Affinities, and Stats have been reduced to the Peak of Tier-1.-

    [[Quack, Quack, Cyn.]] Feeling the suppression, Brance got in thest word.

    [[Shut up, Brance, keep on your toes and don''t outwardly show how much this suppression bothers us.]] Finding no humor in his younger brother''sment, Cynrik steeled himself and strode forward through the entryway of the Mansion and into what could only be described as a massive andvish parlor.

    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel The space was wide enough to amodate well over 300 people and was decorated from top to bottom in gold, red, and purple furniture, ornaments, and art pieces.

    At a nce, it didn''t take a genius to realize how expensive the objects in the parlor were, and to make matters worse; it led to arge staircase where at the top of the second floor was an oversized painting of who Cynrik surmised to be the Governor and his family.

    A battle-worn man with shortvender hair, a bombshell blond wife, and three children of various ages, the oldest in the painting appears to be around ten or eleven years old, whereas the youngest seemed to be three or four.

    The first and thirdborns were both young boys, while the middle child was a girl who looked to be the spitting image of her mother. Of the three children, she was the only one with blond hair, leaving her brothers to have simr shades ofvender hair as their father.

    [[Tsk, this ce is giving me shbacks to my Bitch of a mother''s horrible interior decorating taste.]] Mentally clicking her tongue, Selene gripped Cynrik''s forearm tightly and tried to ignore the ufortable feeling caused by the formation limiting her stats.

    [[What do you expect? This bastard clearly has what I call "Fuck you" money; however, how he spends it has nothing to do with us. I am more concerned about the hostile res we are receiving.]] As he said this, Cynrik slowly turned his head to the right and caught sight of Lithlen, Viktor, Len, and Jason, standing off in the corner, mingling with members of high society while holding wine sses.

    [[Hehe, well, what do we have here? Our beloved piece of shit Grandpappy has graced us with his presence today; oh, and would you look at that, not a single Anti-Formation pin to be seen on either our cousin or that fuckboi Jason, hehe.]] Looking at the group of four with a gaze not unlike a predator looking at its prey, Cynrik fought back the urge to cackle.

    [[Calm yourself, Darling~; Lithlen and Viktor both have one, so they are still at full power. I know how much you wish to toy with them, but as it stands, we must y nice today; the rumor is that Governor Samieer has reached the Peak of Tier-5 and will soon break through to Tier-6. ]] Selene chided after getting ahold of her emotions.

    [[Cynrik, heads up, the group of generals on the opposite side of the room are posturing as if they n toe to talk to us.]] Cutting off the nonsensical talk, Brance quickly informed the couple of what he spotted.

    [[Copy, for now, how bout we move to the left of the stairs? That seems to be where the social outcasts are hanging out.]] Tossing onest sneer at the group of four, Cynrik calmly flipped them his middle finger under the disguise of scratching his nose, causing a vein to bulge on Lithlen''s temple and mes to form in Viktor''s eyes.

    As MyrkLys cut a path to the opposite end of the room, everyone they passed could be seen sporting one of three expressions, fear, disdain, or interest. However, no matter what they showed, those in the way stepped aside without saying a word, either not wanting to be seen interacting on friendly terms with the known troublemakers or not wanting to deal with the inevitable trouble the group was bound to kick up. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    By the time they made it to the corner Cynrik had chosen on a whim, a clear no-fly zone had been created, with the nearest group of people being a full 10 meters away from MyrkLys.

    The majority of people at the G did not want to be associated with MyrkLys. However, some still had ill intentions or prerogatives of their own to make contact, especially with Cynrik, who became both team captain and mouthpiece of the team.

    The most notable of which was a group of eight older men in pristine Military Uniforms, who, upon seeing MyrkLys set up shop in the corner, began making their way over.

    [[Interesting, hey Brancie, did you notice their Ranks?]] Spotting the silver stars on the shoulder of four of the uniformed Men and the golden or Silver Leaf of the other four, Cynrik couldn''t help but find a simrity to the visible ranks on the men walking over and the ones he knew from Earth.

    [[Yeah, Three-stars, Four-stars, and two Two-Stars, not to mention the two Golden Leaf and two Silver Leaf; the question is if the title matches them, it would be pretty interesting if they were Majors and Lieutenant Colonels. Then there''s the designation between each General Star.]] Tossing a nce at the iing group, Brance replied.

    Although there were different lower officer ranks from various branches of the Military, unless you were in the Navy or Coast Guard, the designation of the stars was static across the board¡ªtwo Stars as Major General, Three as Lieutenant Generals, and Four as General.

    Regarding the Leaf emblems, if you were in either the Navy or Coast Guard, those ranks were recognized as Lieutenant Commander for Gold and Commander for Silver, and for the Stars, it all had to do with Admiral.

    Regardless, since the four generals were wearing different uniforms, there would likely be a discrepancy between the ranks; still, it was food for thought for the brothers, who were slightly curious if their knowledge applied to their Country''s Military powers.

    "Cynrik Jetlensr, color me surprised; I half expected someone of your illusive nature to avoid showing up to the G tonight." The first Military man, sporting Four Stars on each shoulder, said while stepping up and extending his left hand, which Cynrik firmly grasped.

    "Passing up the opportunity to experience the Governor''s Mansion in its full glory supersedes my illusive and anti-social nature, General Braddick." Taking a peek at the man''s name tag and attaching a title fitting of the stars, Cynrik''s left eye twitched slightly as the General exerted some force on his hand, causing the bones to pop audibly.

    Still, even though he was receiving multiple small damage notifications, Cynrik didn''t flinch and started applying some force of his own, only to reach a stopping point due to the limit on his stats.

    "Highly perceptive of you, young man; I find some humor in that aspect of your personality. Not only did you recognize my rank, but you even were keen on checking my namete, a sign that although you didn''t know who I am, you recognized the uniform and afforded me at least that much respect." Releasing his grip on Cynrik''s hand, General Braddick narrowed his eyes and noticed that not an ounce of fear was being shown by Cynrik or any member of MyrkLys, for that matter.

    --PPPST, READ The Conduit''s Requiem!!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 551 The Gala (7)

    ?

    ''Tobs, ima need some backup on this one. Can you hack into my Watcet and pull up what you can on these guys.''

    Manifesting at his call, Tobs plopped down on Cynrik''s shoulder in her fairy form and crossed her arms to pout.

    -What''s in it for me? You always demand shit from me but never reward me. Why should I help you out this time?-

    Heaving a sigh, Cynrik didn''t bother looking at her on his shoulder and mentally rolled his eyes.

    ''I promise no music for at least a month, plus you can take some Skill Points from me; I know you seem to like those. Oh, and I''ll supply you a bit more mana so you can fly around to hang out with anyone in the group except Kurza and Melody.''

    -HMPH, I wanna meet Gabby too.-

    ''UGH, Tobs, we''ve talked about this; that just isn''t possible; she can''t see you. If you could gain a physical form in the real world, that would be different, but you can''t.'' Cynrik countered while stopping his left eye from twitching at her childish behavior.

    ''Not to mention, Gabby and Benny don''t know you exist, let alone what you represent. I still don''t think having you interact with those two in the first ce is a good idea. Sure, they know bits and pieces about us since we halfway came clean to them, but knowing Gabby, you''d overload her brain.''

    -Nuh uh, there totally is a way; all I gotta do is drag her into either Yours, Selene''s, or Brance''s SOC.-

    Ignoring the second part of his statement, Tobs countered with some new information, causing Cynrik to almost recoil. Sure, he could and has brought Selene into his own SOC for COUGH smexy time, but until now, he figured it was only possible because of their connection as fellow Over-Break Hosts.

    This information was slightly overwhelming, and knowing he didn''t have time to argue with the AI fairy, Cynrik caved.

    ''Ugh, FINE, we will make it happen somehow, but there must be some ground rules to follow; regardless, help me out.''

    -WOOHOO, kay, no problem, alright, so the guy''s hand you are shaking is¡­-

    Feeling as if he got the short end of the stick in the negotiations, Cynrik absorbed all the information as Tobs said it before meeting the gaze of the imposing General standing before him.

    Less than a second had transpired, but in that time, Cynrik knew everything that Tobs could dig up, thanks to the instant transfer of their thoughts.

    Observing the man standing before him in a Silver camouge uniform, Cynrik smirked and thought carefully about his words before speaking.

    "You jest, although I am quite observant, that doesn''t mean I am ill-informed. General Kent Braddick, third General of the Amestrian Moor Army, graduated top of his ss as a Tier-4 individual early as a Year-5 student from Renson Military Academy thirty-one years ago and since has had an outstanding Military record." Tilting his head to the side, Cynrik began spitting out facts about the General before directing his gaze toward the second of the Generals.

    "Vice Admiral Harmon Rabb of the Third Airborne Fleet," Cynrik''s eyes fell on the man in a light blue uniform with Three Stars before looking over at the remaining two Generals, the first in a bright Orange Uniform.

    "Major General Tnd Armond, of the Fifth Brigade," jumping to the fourth and final General wearing a forest green uniform, Cynrik smirked because this was the man above Col. Hawthrone.

    "And Major General Bryce Lander, also known as the man in charge of operations at Renson Military Academy."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I know I am on the record saying this, but I may as well repeat it, the worst, and I mean absolute worst thing you can do when analyzing me as a person is make assumptions that I am a dumb and unlearned child, General Braddick."

    At his words, the four officers standing behind their respective Generals flinched and appeared to be close to blowing their top due to Cynrik''s tant disrespect, but to their surprise, not one of the Generals reacted in a hostile manner.

    "Well, I guess the rumors about you are true." General Braddick said while wearing a stony expression.

    "Oh? And which rumors are we talking about here? Because, frankly, there are too many to count." Cynrik retorted while taking a step forward, not to lose ground metaphorically and physically.

    "That youck respect for your elders and are fearless before those who could crush you like a bug on the windshield of a hover jet." Matching Cynrik in taking half a step forward and getting directly in his face, General Braddick replied with a smile that wasn''t a smile.

    "That and youck a sense of respect for those who hold authority." A second and gruff voice replied, this oneing from the man in the light blue uniform, Vice Admiral Rabb.

    "Well, ording to my shrink, it''s simply ack of fear that causes me to be the way I am, well that or some deep-rooted emotional trauma and damage, but who''s to say that guy isn''t full of hot air?" Untangling himself from Selene''s grasp, Cynrik crossed his arms over his chest and smirked.

    Although he wished for nothing more at that moment than to assert his dominance, the fact that each one of the eight men had on an Anti-Formation pin was enough to restrain his tongue.

    "Anyway, now that we''ve got the pleasantries out of the way, what can I do for you, fine gentlemen?" Taking a step back and causing the group of military men to smirk, Cynrik sniffled and adjusted the cufflink on his right wrist.

    [[Holy shit, you¡­you actually backed off; who are you, and what have you done with my older brother.]] Brance snorted with a slight smirk on his lips.

    Only, instead of getting a response, Cynrikpletely ignored him. However, that didn''t mean that his words went unheard by Selene, who swiftly delivered an elbow to his stomach.

    After making it to the corner, MyrkLys'' formation copsed. The weaker group was closest to the wall, and the strongest pushed forward, creating a body shield to protect the likes of Gabby, Melody, and Kurza. Benny and Brance filled in behind Selene and Cynrik, putting them in the perfect position for an attack from the not-so-happydy.

    "Come now, young man, if you are half as intelligent as you im to be, you should already know why the eight of us have singled your group out while everyone else is avoiding you." General Braddick stated as his eyes flicked to Geralt and Garrison, who were only now stepping into the parlor.

    "Hm, if I had to guess, there are only two reasons for you to practically ambush us without my chaperone here. The first is to test the waters and determine what we n to do after graduating."

    "Like, let''s say if any of the MyrkLys members n on serving in any of the four branches of the military, for example. To which I would have to say a resounding HA, yeah, right." Hearing this, the Generals sneered and postured up.

    "But¡­that is pretty unlikely, considering, as you''ve already stated, I have a tiny issue with authoritarian society. The most likely scenario is that you greedy fucks are attempting to bully me into delving into my secrets, or you want the Uchiha n Skills." Cynrik spat with a sneer.

    This time, instead of posturing, all eight of the men in uniform outwardly showed the purest of hostility toward him, yet unbothered by this, Cynrik continued speaking.

    --PPPST, READ The Conduit''s Requiem!!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 552 The Gala (8)

    ?

    **It''s Sunday, so 1500 Word Chapter.**

    ---

    "Since the more likely of the two options being presented is that you are attempting to bully me into handing over my knowledge and skills, I have to say two words, Fuck¡­Off." When the words left his lips, Cynrik felt the sensation of the world weighing his body down as all the military officers unleashed their Killing Intent.

    However, since it only amounted to around 12g of pressure, Cynrik calmly popped his neck and shed a sinister smile at the eight men, causing them to frown.

    "Tsk, tsk, things aren''t going your way, and you know you can''t assault me physically, so you resort to using your KIN. It''s fortunate that even if the pesky Formation on the building suppresses me right down to Tier-1, that won''t affect my Resistance, oh...or this."

    [[Selene, Brance, 4g each, now!]] Cynrik chirped into the mind link, causing the other two to act at hismand.

    SHOOOOOM

    In an instant, Cynrik, Brance, and Selene unleashed their Killing Intent in a restrained fashion, forcing the eight to their knees with precisely 12g.

    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel The scariest thing was this was only around half of what the three could release, considering Cynrik and Brance have an upper limit of 8.5g, while Selene''s KIN capped out at 7.25g.

    What''s more, if every member of MyrkLys stepped up, they could put out a whopping 49.5g, which by any other standard, would utterly pulverize anyone under Tier-6.

    Seeing the eight high-ranking officials drop to their knees before Cynrik, the G descended into silence; even the orchestra, which had been ying background music the entire time, halted their fingers and watched the scene in horror.

    "Heh, what is it with you High Tiers always having a week Resistance Stat. Shit, that was the first thing I had everyone train, and even the youngest of us, Gabby, has a Resistance that puts each of you to shame." Slightly increasing the pressure by 1g, Cynrik whispered so only those eight Officers could hear before stepping forward and crouching in front of General Braddick, whose face was bright red with a mixture of embarrassment and rage.

    "It''s kind of funny; you are three times my age and nearly three Tiers ahead of me in levels, yet here you are, kneeling like a servant to a monarch. I suppose I shouldn''t expect anything more from a fucking dog of the military." Cynrik''s hands hung limply in front of his body, with his fingers grazing the ground.

    "You¡­arrogant¡­snivling brat." General Braddick mustered up the strength to say while using a technique simr to that Cynrik used when Yennifer threw him through space not long ago.

    "Sigh, be more clich¨¦; while you are at it, why not add a few words about making me suffer or how I won''t get away with this? Listen, General, based on how your body is reacting, I assume your Resistance is somewhere between 9.5g to 11g, meaning if I wanted, I could have easily killed you with my KIN alone." Cynrik said as he curiously tilted his head to the side and watched the Mana swirl around the General''s body through his [Mana Sight].

    With how the Mana particles were reacting, he noted how the Man was using his Mana to create a thin protectiveyer over his body to reduce the force weighing him down. This was enough for Cynrik to toss out an approximate estimate of the General''s Resistance.

    "Frankly, if we weren''t in the public eye, I would have no quims with turning you into mush, regardless of the consequences, but luckily for you, there are too many eyes watching."

    "So take this moment andmit it to memory because the next fucking time that you or your cowardly masters decide to attempt some shit like this, or what you did the day of the opening ceremony, I will eradicate everyone they send, High Tier or not." Cynrik stated in a chilling tone, sending each of the eight men into a downward spiral of fear.

    Standing up, Cynrik was about to release them or move them away from his group, at the very least, when he remembered something important and extended his left arm forward.

    "Oh¡­and onest thing¡­" Clicking his tongue and finding it slightly difficult with the Formation suppressing him, Cynrik shot out eight tethers of Mana from his fingertips, one for each Officer, and snatched their Anti-Formation Pins.

    "I''ll be taking these since you clearly won''t be staying after getting your shit handed to you by a 14-year-old. The next time you see me will be when I mop the floor with your teams, followed by the Auction." Returning to his usual expression, Cynrik applied a pin to his tie and distributed five pins to his Faction members, excluding Selene, with a smirk.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    [[Sigh, Cyn, this will probably blow up in our facester; you know that, right?]] Brance said with a heavy sigh as he clipped the pin to his tie and felt a rush of energy course through his body due to his stats returning to normal.

    [[No, I don''t believe it will; check the staircase; they saw everything, and based on the look the Man in charge was giving me, I didn''t push things too far.]] Facing Selene, Cynrik then gently clipped the pin to the plunging neckline of her dress before spinning around and giving a short, curt bow to the family atop the staircase.

    [[This time, you didn''t push things too far THIS TIME, don''t leave out stuff important for your personal growth Darling~.]] Rolling her eyes, Selene snaked her arm around Cynrik''s and curtsied toward the staircase, matching the respect her boyfriend was affording the family there.

    Without hesitation, the other members of MyrkLys mimicked their leader in paying respects because the Man throwing this shindig had finally arrived at the party with his wife and children in tow.

    Standing atop the long andvish staircase stood a man whose physique rivaled Brance''s, Governor Samieer was imposing, to say the least, but even his title alone wasn''t enough to cause Cynrik to bow his head under normal circumstances.

    Instead, it was the insane Mana fluctuations radiating off the Man, indicating that the rumors about him had been wrong. Governor Samieer had unknowingly broken through the barrier of Tier-5 andpleted his Tier-6 Evolution.

    MyrkLys'' sudden respectful gesture roused the crowd, and they all noticed that, at some point, the Governor and his family had arrived. With all eyes on the family, the crowd soon took part in paying their respects, causing Governor Samieer to chuckle.

    "What''s with this tense atmosphere? Isn''t this supposed to be a party? Where''s the music, the camaraderie?" Using a booming voice filled with Mana that shook the hearts of those in attendance, Governor Samieer addressed the masses. Soon after, the orchestra began ying again, and quickly the G returned to how it had been before Cynrik picked a fight with every branch of the nation''s military.

    However, although no one said a word, everyone saw how the four generals and their subordinates fled the scene like dogs with their tails between their legs.

    As things returned to normal, Garrison and Geralt appeared beside Cynrik, with the Headmaster red in the face as he wanted nothing more than to tear into Cynrik.

    He had been away from the little asshole for five minutes, and the kid had somehow found a way to piss off one of the most influential organizations in the nation, if not the continent.

    "We will talk about this little stunt you''ve pulledter, Cynrik." Geralt snarled under his breath, but his words fell on deaf ears as the young man in question ignored him and tossed a small silver object toward Instructor Garrison.

    "Got you one; now you won''t be the oddball out stuck at Tier-1," Cynrik said aloud, putting a little sass on his words.

    Catching the object with his left hand and clipping the pin to his tie, Garrison had to stop himself from making strange sounds for everyone to hear as his power soared back up to its peak without the interference of the Suppression Formation.

    "Thanks, kid; also, good job, although I can think of one Dean who will probably have some words for you, aside from the Headmaster." Garrison shook his head and thought about a certain uptight Dean fascinated with Brance.

    "Meh, when isn''t someone pissed at me? If I had a credit for everyone I''ve turned into an enemy in my lifetime, I''d be so rich that I could do whatever I wanted without worrying about repercussions." As he spoke, Cynrik''s eyes never left the family not far away as they slowly made their way down the long staircase and merged into the crowd to mingle.

    [[Hm, would you look at that? He wants to talk to me¡­]] Cynrik thought aloud as he noticed the Governor''s eyes flick in his direction every few seconds as if he was giving a signal toe over.

    Hiding his smirk behind an expressionless mask, Cynrik straightened his back and ced his hand over Selene''s forearm before cutting through the crowd and heading toward the Governor.

    --PPPST, READ The Conduit''s Requiem!!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 553 The Gala (9)

    ?

    [[Hm, would you look at that? He wants to talk to me¡­]] Hiding a smirk behind his usual expressionless mask, Cynrik straightened his back and ced his hand over Selene''s forearm before cutting through the crowd and heading toward the Governor.

    [[Huh? How can you tell?]] Selene asked as she allowed herself to be escorted by her boyfriend.

    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel [[Same way as always, his bodynguage, specifically his eyes. The way he constantly keeps looking in our direction, although deep in conversation, is a sign that he wants something from us. If we take this observation one step further, his eyes flick rapidly between his oldest son, who ispeting, and us.]]

    [[If we analyze this situation, it can only mean one of two things, either he is sizing us up, thenparing our strength against his sons, or he has something to talk to us about.]] Cynrik assessed as he left Brance and the others behind while keeping his brother in the loop.

    [[And knowing you, you''ve already crossed off the idea that he is assessing us?]] Brance replied as he attempted to calm down Geralt.

    [[Why, of course I have little brother. There is no logic behind him doing something like that here when he could easily show up to the arena during our fights and get a good feel of our strength. It would be aplete waste of an opportunity.]]

    [[Thus, the only logical reason for him to be making signals at me is if he has something to say but doesn''t want to cause problems by initiating a conversation with us first.]]

    [[That¡­ tracks; please be on your best behavior. Remember, this guy runs the capitol, basically on the level of, say, the United States President, so don''t fuck around, or else things could get rough for Jessup and our family.]] Watching his brother walk past scores of fearful people, Brance sent up a silent Prayer to anyone listening, begging that his brother wouldn''t end up picking a fight with a Tier-6 being.

    However, when he and Selene got within 10 meters of the Governor and his family, Cynrik''s eyes narrowed as he spotted a thin threat of amethyst Mana extending out from the shoulder of the oldest son and connecting to the Governor.

    Upon spotting this thread, Cynrik watched it wiggle free and extend to him and Selene.

    Not sensing or seeing any hostile intentions from this thread, Cynrik allowed it to connect to them and soon formed a mental connection.

    ''Well, that''s new, never expected someone of your Authority to be such a mysterious person, Governor Samieer.'' Cynrik said with a bit of sarcasm when the connection was solidified.

    Thinking he would receive an off-handed and witty remark in response, Cynrik''s brain nearly shut down when he heard the following wordse into the Psychic Link.

    ''Young man, there is no time to exin; and I know I am asking a lot, especially since you don''t know them or me, but I need you to get your people and my children and leave.''

    ''I will reward you for itter, but right now, all you need to know is that not only are you in danger that even I am helpless to prevent, but so are my children.'' The frantic and gruff voice sent Cynrik on high alert and caused his pupils to constrict.

    ''Get them to Jessup Pinhurst''s; that ce is apound even Tier-6 beings can''t break into. I will create an opening for you to the best of my abilities, so please, do me this one favor, and I will owe you more than you can imagine.''

    For a second, Cynrik''s mask cracked as he surged Mana into his eyes, allowing him to get a full 360-degree view of the surrounding 50-meter area.

    What he saw sent a chill down his spine because hiding in the shadows and in multiple what could only be called pocket dimensions were hundreds of masked individuals, some with a power level as high as Peak-Tier-5.

    If that wasn''t enough, Cynrik spotted something on them that caused him to flinch as memories from the past flooded his head. The reason was each of these hidden people had a sickly grey and gross Mana Signature radiating off their bodies, one he hadn''t seen in almost eight years. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ''I have seen the CCTV footage, and I know you have a strange movement skill that is untrackable, please¡­I am begging you.''

    Cynrik weighed his options as his mind spun on all cylinders, and he listened to the pained and emotional words of a man who was clearly out of his league.

    *Fucking damn it, it would be these bastards, wouldn''t it.* Cynrik thought as he mentally noted each individual''s location before responding to the Governor.

    ''You sure know how to put a guy in an unfavorable position. Although I would normally never humor the idea of helping someone who has little to no value to me, you have given me valuable information which, if my n is followed to the letter, I will owe you as much as you owe me.''

    *Plus, I happen to have a bone to pick with these assholes.* Cynrik added silently, leaving only Tobs to hear.

    Reaching over, Cynrik double-tapped Selene''s arm, a signal to have her go and equip her version of the Assassins Tools.

    *Hey Tobs, can I manipte items in my inventory? I have several contracts simr to the one I had Kurza sign, and I need it folded up and small enough to hide in my palm.*

    -Technically, no, you can''t, but I can. It shouldn''t be hard for me to infiltrate the subspace you use as an inventory. How many do we need? You want it to be sticky-note sized, right?-

    *Uh, five should do, and yeah, so long as the sign here portion faces up, that size should work perfectly.*

    Coming up with an idea on the fly and passing the ball to Tobs, Cynrik didn''t watch as the tiny fairy on his shoulder vanished.

    After receiving confirmation that the task was done, Cynrik mentally nodded and noticed several square-shaped small papers in his inventory.

    ''Follow my lead; when I shake your hand, I will move to each of your children next. Each time I extend my hand, there will be a piece of paper; call it an insurance policy, but it is a Soul Binding contract.''

    ''Once you sign it, and your kids as well, I will take over from there, but they need to listen to every one of mymands if we are to make it out of here in one piece.''

    ''Given the drastic nature of our current predicament, you don''t have to worry about me slipping in anything detrimental to you in the contract. It is basic and ensures none of you will speak to anyone about what you see or learn from me, or else your Codex will shatter.

    ''I agree,'' instead of the Governor, the first person to speak was a light-hearted female voice, the middle child.

    ''We do as well,'' without hesitation, both sons also spoke up, causing Cynrik to look in their direction and smile as if he was pleased to meet them for the first time.

    ''All on you now, Governor¡­'' Cynrik said unhurriedly as he cleared his throat and stepped forward to introduce himself.

    --PPPST, READ The Conduit''s Requiem!!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 554 Introductions And Contracts

    ?

    ''All on you now, Governor¡­'' Cynrik said unhurriedly as he cleared his throat and stepped forward to introduce himself.

    [[ Brance, heads up, start making your way over to us; shit is about to pop off. Multiple hostiles are hiding at 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 10 o''clock. The Governor has alerted me to their existence, and if I hadn''t burned an excessive amount of Mana, I wouldn''t have been able to find them in the first ce.]]

    [[It''s those fucking ghouls again, only this time they brought the big guns. Keep on your toes, and when I signal, we are fucking out of here. Have Gabby teather to Garrison and Geralt to inform them. Odds are there is about to be a big ass battle here.]]

    Standing in ce and watching as the people talking to Governor Samieer stepped aside and shot weird looks at him, Cynrik took a split second to inform his brother of what had transpired in less than a second.

    [[Fuck me, Quack fucking QUACK!!!]] Brance cried as he started shooting micro gestures to the members of MyrkLys, filling them in on what was about to go down with strings of premade signals.

    As this was happening, Cynrik had gone into full-blown actor mode, first making himself known, then he and Selene paid their respects again to the Governor.

    "My my, if it isn''t the young and fearless VSFA Team Captain Cynrik Jetlensr, I didn''t expect you to be bold enough to greet this old man." Looking down at the full-head and a half shorter young man, the Governor greeted Cynrik with a booming voice, smile, and an extended hand.

    Seeing this, Cynrik flicked his wrist and withdrew a prewritten contract from his inventory before pping it into the Governor''s palm and feeling the warmth of Mana as the man signed it.

    ''I have no idea how the hell you found out the Shadow is here, but since they are, that can only mean they wish to kidnap as many of the powerful youth here as possible.'' Cynrik said through the Psychic link as he withdrew his hand and reced the contract with a fresh one.

    ''Under normal circumstances, I wouldn''t have known, but nothing escapes my eyes since I have this Formation in ce. The only problem is they came prepared and somehow have a way to avoid the restrictions the Formation Applies.''

    ''I was astonished when I noticed the arrival of so many half-undead beings. Unfortunately, the gap between Peak-Tier-5 and Tier-6 isn''t high enough for me tobat so many opponents simultaneously. Not if I wish to ensure the safety of my family.''

    ''When I saw you here, I remembered that not only do you have experience with these kinds of beings since you were involved in that incident, but thanks to my position, I also know that you and your brother brought them down.''

    "That would be me; it is humbling that someone of your Tier and authority knows of me, Mr. Governor." Keeping up appearances, Cynrikid ttering words for the public to hear.

    ''So you are privy to quite a bit of my information, it seems, alright, I have a grasp on what is going on; you should probably introduce me to your children now.'' Nodding in his mind, Cynrik used his peripheral vision to keep tabs on the motionless figures lying in wait.

    "Haha, young man, you are the one who has practically turned himself into a celebrity. Sure, my son, Suman, ispeting, and I know all his potential opponents'' names, but that doesn''t mean I am blind to social media; you are practically all the news outlets talk about these days. Come, let me introduce you to my family." Gesturing with a sweeping motion, Governor Samieer nodded for Suman to step forward first.

    Unlike the painting, where he was only a young child, the oldest of three siblings, Suman Samieer was the spitting image of his father, big and bulky, simr more so to Benny than Brance, withvender hair.

    Stepping forward, Suman put on apetitive expression as he closed the distance and shook Cynrik''s hand.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Well, if we weren''t bound to be opponents, I would say it was nice to meet you, Cynrik, but seeing as you tend to get a tad overaggressive with those you face, all I can say is let''s have a good and clean battle if we end up facing each other when thepetition starts back up."

    Suman immediately felt the paper between his and Cynrik''s hand. Without a second thought, he pushed Mana into it and felt something akin to his ears popping due to pressure, signifying he had signed it properly.

    When Suman spoke, everyone in the surrounding area held their breath; many were expecting a snide remark or backhandedment from Cynrik, but those many nearly fell over spitting blood when he finally replied.

    "Nah, I only treat those who don''t afford me a certain level of respect with hostility. I''m not as ck-hearted as to return the kindness and well words with asinine remarks. I wish you luck if we face each other on the battlefield because we won''t hold back." Wearing an unusual smile, Cynrik withdrew his hand and swapped out the contract for a fresh one.

    "Haha, as it should be," Suman said while tucking a loose lock ofvender hair behind his right ear and stepping aside so that his father could introduce his sister.

    "This is my second-born and only daughter, Shamaira." Nodding with approval that Cynrik was being courteous, Governor Samieer had his daughter step up.

    "Hello, although I have already finishedpeting since the Tier-2 Competition has closed, I hope to make it onto the Tier-3 team and face off against your team next year." The blond youngdy, who appeared to be 15 or 16 years old, said with a gentle smile as she took Cynrik''s hand in adylike fashion.

    Like with her brother and father, Cynrik quickly took her hand and waited until she had signed the contract and let go of hers.

    "Unfortunately, this may well be our only time entering. With the rate at which my group and I progress, we will most likely already be at Tier-4 by the time the next Competition rolls around. If not, I hope we both have a good future battle."

    Cynrik''s words went off like a bombshell for those who heard it.

    "Oh, ho, those are some lofty goals, young man; it isn''t easy to reach Tier-4, especially in only a year. I can count on one hand the number of people I''ve met in my lifetime who had that kind of speed." Governor Samieer felt his mouth go dry as he thought of the potential truth in Cynrik''s words.

    Maybe having his kids follow MyrkLys and learn from them wasn''t so bad an idea. Although he had broken through to the next Stage, and he could leverage his experience and resources to his children, even they wouldn''t have a leveling speed to that extent.

    Up next was the youngest Samieer, Salim. As with the other two, Cynrik quickly got the contract signed and, after a brief introduction,menced with some small talk while getting serious in the psychic link.

    ''Do you want me to take your wife as well? I have another contract¡­'' Cynrik asked but was soon dissuaded by Governor Samieer.

    ''There won''t be any need; she is close to reaching the Peak of Tier-5 and refuses to leave my side if it means being a final bastion against our attackers.''

    --PPPST, READ The Conduit''s Requiem!!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 555 The Shadow Moves

    ?

    **It''s Wednesday, you know what that means, 1500 Word Chapter.**

    ''Do you want me to take your wife as well? I have another contract¡­.'' Cynrik asked but was soon dissuaded by Governor Samieer.

    ''There won''t be any need; she is close to reaching the Peak of Tier-5 and refuses to leave my side if it means being a final bastion against our attackers.'' With a slight hesitation in his voice, the Governor peeked at his wife from the corner of his eye.

    While he had been introducing the children to Cynrik, the blond-haired bombshell Liandra Samieer stood like a perfect trophy wife. Never heard and only seen, but this was a fa?ade, as in reality, she was the one who wore the pants in the rtionship.

    However, in public, she yed the role expected of her, a tender, loving mother and wife who was innocent. Her actual personality was more like Cinyah''s, fiery and passionate.

    Feeling his gaze on her, Liandra smiled and introduced herself next.

    "Pleasure to meet the young man who has given the Competition a run for its money." Stepping forward and extending her hand to Cynrik as a queen would, Liandra said gently.

    [[Sel, don''t freak out about what ima do ok; I know how you can get, but I am ACTING, ACTING YOU HEAR!]] Bowing slightly, Cynrik took the Governess''s hand andid a soft peck on the top.

    But not before giving fair warning to his girlfriend, who was known to turn feral regarding such matters.

    "Lady Samieer, you give me too much credit. All I did was say a few words and create an imposing persona for those watching, nothing my rivals hadn''t done in the past." Releasing her hand and stepping back, Cynriky on the ttery but could feel a chilling sensation from his left side.

    He didn''t have to look to know Selene was ready to kill; however, as quickly as the chilling sensation appeared, it vanished as she controlled her emotions.

    Ignoring how petty his girlfriend was acting, Cynrik continued the small talk with the Samieer family while monitoring the movements of the group of ghouls hiding in in sight.

    *What are you bastards waiting for? Everyone is decked out in simr attire, and there appears to be no absolute deviation indicating leadership; I can only assume they are waiting for a signal¡­or worse, for someone stronger to appear.* Cynrik thought as his eyes flicked from one group to another.

    The oddest thing was the ghouls were broken down into groups of three, an unusual number considering they wereid out for an ambush. But that thought was brushed away as a sudden realization dawned on him.

    *Fuck¡­ they''re capture squads, two defenders, and a third to do the actual kidnapping, and they aren''t even restrained by the formation like their targets are. They are too prepared¡­too organized.*

    ''Governor, have you noticed the cement of these squads? Someone has nned this whole thing out. They are specifically set up in groups of three, meaning two will hold off any resistance, while the third proceeds to knock out the unsuspecting target before falling back and fleeing.''

    ''Indeed, that and they have been strategically ced throughout this room and the dining hall.'' The Governor''s eyes scanned the room while Cynrik conversed with Suman.

    ''I don''t know how many of them you''ve located, but it must have something to do with that skill from your mother''s bloodline. [Mana Sight], it''s a pretty impressive skill in your toolbox. But I''ve never heard of it being able to see through pocket dimensions. Has yours mutated or something?''

    Cynrik took a deep breath upon hearing the Governor''s statement and had to fight back a wave of panic as if he had been caught stealing from the cookie jar.

    ''No, I am just very experienced in using it. Although I have never met anyone from my Mom''s side of the family, I know she isn''t very adept at using the ocr skill, so I can only assume that my brother and I are better than them and have pushed it to a different extent.'' Repeating in his head multiple times that it was fine, the Governor had signed a contract, Cynrik eventually calmed down enough to reply.

    ''Interesting; regardless, the issue at hand is that they haven''t made their move, meaning they are waiting for something. If I had known this would happen, I would have increased security tenfold and had multiple Space Affinity Users on hand.''

    ''Doesn''t matter; not even Geralt spotted them, meaning whatever means they are using to hide isn''t as simple as using a skill, there is more to it, or my Headmaster wouldn''t be freaking out right now.'' As Cynrik said this, he thumbed over his shoulder toward Geralt, not far away.

    It appeared that the Headmaster was enjoying the G with the members of MyrkLys; he evenughed when Brance said something.

    ''He''s a pretty shitty actor, to be honest. The Man has too many tells in his bodynguage, he''s freaking out and has already tried calling in backup, but it seems the Shadow is about to move because we''ve already lost connection with the outside world.'' On cue, Brance lit up the mind link.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    [[Comms are down, Cyn, there is some kind of feedback interference on our Watcets, and we can''t get messages in or out.]]

    [[Yeah, I can see that; tell Geralt to stop fucking with his arm; he is being too obvious.]] Cynrik snorted as he rubbed the knuckles of his left hand with his thumb.

    [[Contracts have all been signed, and we are ready over here; when those creeps make their move, we blow this popsicle stand.]]

    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel [[Are you sure waiting until then is a good idea? Shouldn''t we go off somewhere, like, I don''t know, have the Governor''s kids give us a tour of the Mansion?]] Selene chimed in as she continued speaking quietly about nothing special with Shamaira.

    [[There''s no point; they''ve covered all the exits; if we leave now, all we will do is draw attention to ourselves, and considering we are guaranteed targets, you can count on a minimum of six groups of three following our asses. It''s a no-go; stay put and wait for mymand.]]

    While he spoke, Cynrik noticed a lot of movement in the Mana particles surrounding the room, and although it was the wrong color, one he didn''t recognize, he had a hunch about what was happening; someone was locking down the space.

    So without a second thought, Cynrik scuffed his shoe on the ground and opened up a micro tear in the fabric of reality, leading to the Shadow Realm. Upon realizing he still had ess to it, Cynrik smirked and widened the tear to the size of his foot.

    [[These idiots didn''t use a spatial distortion or cube-like Geralt does; whatever they did has boxed us in, but it doesn''t cut off my connection to the Shadow Realm, so we are good, start heading over.]]

    ''It''s almost go-time, folks; the Shadow is making their move and cutting us off from the outside world. I have a way to get us out, so there is no need to panic, but I will need everyone to link up physically when I give the signal.''

    ''Hold hands, grab someone''s shoulder; it doesn''t matter so long as you are physically linked to me somehow.''

    ---

    Fifteen Meters away from Cynrik and the Governor''s family, Brance tensed up and made eye contact with Geralt.

    ''Headmaster, the people nning their attack have made their move, my brother and I don''t recognize the color of the Mana they are using, but he says they''ve closed off the area.'' Brance stated as he motioned for everyone to start their approach to Cynrik.

    ''Fuck, Brance; I need to know what color it is right now; not only has it cut me off from using Space Mana, but my MP has begun declining.''

    [[Cyn, you know your color pallet better than me; what are we looking at here?]] Brance asked, hiding the nervousness in his tone as he, too, saw that his MP was steadily ticking down at a rate of 50 MP per second.

    [[It''s an off, muted grey, like what the germans wore for uniforms in World War Two; I think it was called Feldgrau, or Field Gray.]]

    Brance quickly ryed the information but didn''t expect to see a look of pure horror ster across Geralt''s face upon discovering the Mana particles'' color.

    ''WE NEED TO GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE NOW!!! THAT IS DEATH MANA, AND I ONLY KNOW OF ONE PERSON WHO IS STRONG ENOUGH TO LOCK DOWN AN AREA WITH IT, HAYLON!''

    Geralt didn''t stand on ceremony and caught Melody and Kurza by the arm before running over to Cynrik.

    His reaction was enough for Brance and the others to move as well.

    [[Cyn, get us out of here; we can''t wait, It''s Death Mana, and if it is here in such volume, that means Haylon himself has arrived!]] Brance shouted in a rushed voice as he arrived by his brother in half a second and grabbed his shoulder. He was already holding Gabby''s hand, and she was holding her brothers.

    ''Time to go,'' Cynrik said in a deathly serious tone as he reached forward, grabbed Suman by the shoulder, and extended out threads of Mana to everyone in the group, plus the other two Samieer siblings.

    --PPPST, READ The Conduit''s Requiem!!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 556 The Return Of Haylons Shadow

    ?

    ''Time to go,'' Cynrik said in a deathly serious tone as he reached forward, grabbed Suman by the shoulder, and extended out threads of Mana to everyone in the group, plus the other two Samieer siblings.

    Without being the least bit gentle, Cynrik yanked MyrkLys, Garrison, Geralt, and the three Samieer Siblings into the Shadow Realm before sinking in himself.

    Before his vision converted into the negative colors of the realm, Cynrik''s eyes met those of his Grandfather across the room. A mixture of terror, anger, and humiliation could be seen on Lithlen''s face, but more than that, the most prevalent emotion was confusion.

    Cynrik watched as the man mouthed, "how did he know" and smirked before sealing himself out of reality in the safety of the realm only he could ess.

    Feeling the familiar sense of weightlessness take over his body and gliding downward, Cynrik''s eyes flicked away from Lithlen, and he observed the rest of the building from underneath.

    Sucking his teeth and strengthening his [Mana Sight] with more MP, Cynrik watched as multiple, sickly gray, circr portals appeared before each group of Ghouls, and they went on the attack.

    A chaotic battle kicked off as chaperons from every Academy went on the defensive to protect their young proteges. Unfortunately, it was an almost impossible task for the weaker Academy Headmasters to fend off two or more of the Peak Tier-4 Ghouls.

    Within the first five minutes, over a dozen of over 100 formerly proud Competitors vanished into thin air after being dragged into the portals while unconscious.

    "Cyn¡­" Floating up beside his brother, Brance shakily said. Although he had seen atrocities in both lives, knowing what kind of future was in store for the captured young adults pulled at his conscious.

    "I know, Brancie¡­but there isn''t anything we can do. I can barely keep up with how fast those half-dead guys move, and they move with a purpose while using hit-and-run tactics. Tsk, and now the boss has arrived." Cynrik''s eyes narrowed as he balled his hands into tight fists, noticing a significantly darker cluster of Mana particles swirl and forming another portal.

    ---

    From the portal, a bald man wearing an expensive suit with pale yellow eyes stepped out and tugged at his sleeves before ncing around the room and locating the Governor.

    This man was the very same person responsible for the thousands of kidnappings and murders of Tier-0 Children all those years ago, Haylon Nightingale.

    However, unlike before, the short, round middle-aged man who had been atop the hotel when Cynrik and Brance were children was no more.

    Now, standing at 177.8 cm (5ft 10in) and trimmed down, Haylon appeared to be in histe thirties; however, he still kept the physical traits, such as his bald head and pale yellow eyes.

    The reason for this drastic change was simple: at some point during the Seven years after having his experiment destroyed, he had seeded in stepping into the next Stage.

    Taking it one step further, Haylon now not only radiated the power of a Tier-6 individual, but he was already pushing the Late Tier-6 barrier and was at the tail end of Mid-Tier.

    Stepping forward and closing off the portal, Haylon''s brows furrowed, and he took count of how many younglings were present in the Parlor. But when his number returned less than expected, and he noticed ack of a certain few, a vein bulged on his right temple.

    "Where are Cynrik and Brance Jetlensr?" Haylon spoke calmly, but each word wasced with hostile intent and Mana. His Aura instantly red, forcing everyone under Tier-5 to their knees, including hisckeys, who were still present.

    The room fell silent, and all battles ceased instantly at his words and outburst.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "You said they would be here, those grandchildren who thwarted my ns back then; I have invested time, and resources beyond yourprehension, now where are they, LITHLEN!" Haylon''s voice remained calm throughout, only changing tone when he spoke Lithlen''s name.

    ---

    "THAT PIECE OF SHIT, HE FUCKING SOLD US OUT!" Cynrik screamed at the top of his lungs, losing his cool. In response to his outburst, his Mana responded, surging out of his body in waves of tangible quad-color particles.

    "He never fucking nned on letting us progress further in thepetition; when we fucking escaped the kidnapping and ambush attempts, he went to the bastard who set up that murder ring when we were kids. Not just that, but he nned on selling us off for experimentation." Cynrik was fuming mad now. It was one thing to beat him in a game of wit, but this was cheating.

    It was bad enough that he was ying 4d chess against someone way older and stronger than himself, but now that bastard of a grandfather had even gone so far as to enlist the help of someone with power beyond his own.

    Spinning around, Cynrik red at Geralt and the others before his eyes fell on Garrison.

    "Garrison, take everyone and leave, bring them back to Jessups," holding up his hand and pointing in the direction where he knew the Mansion to be, Cynrik flicked the air and redirected his attention to Garrison, who was already in the process of gathering everyone and moving.

    "Geralt, Brance, you two stay behind."

    [[BUT CYNRIK!]] Selene began to protest but was immediately cut off.

    [[Stop and listen to me one goddamn minute, Selene, before you get pissy and fight back. I am fucking finishing this, and you being here will only hold me back. This has nothing to do with you, and if you care about me even a fucking little bit, you will do as I say.]]

    [[I am only keeping Geralt as a fallback; this is a battle that Brance and I must go about alone. If you are here, I will constantly be worried about you being in the line of fire, and I can''t have that, so just wait for me back at the Mansion, I''ve already opened a portal into the living room, and it will close the moment you step through, so be sure you arest.]]

    [[Selene, I won''t let him do anything drastic, such as fighting that Tier-6 bald guy, but Lithlen¡­that is another story, go.]] Feeling his brother''s way of handling thingscked critical info, Brance added.

    "I am not leaving you and Brancie behind." Gabby practically screamed as she tried rushing forward but was soon caught in a full nelson by Benny.

    "No, Gabrie, now isn''t the time; look at them; even Brance isn''t arguing with Cynrik." Benny''s voice was crystal clear, and even though his eyes showed hesitation, upon seeing the calm and collected bodynguage of Brance, Benny knew there was no arguing.

    So with his sister in his arms, he spun around in the air and propelled himself forward to follow Garrison and the Samieer siblings.

    Behind him, Kurza and Melody were hot on his tail; meanwhile, Gabby had already broken down into tears, but her eyes never left Brance.

    Now, the only one still under the Governor''s Mansion was Geralt, Brance, Cynrik¡­and Selene, who was hovering in ce with tears streaming down her cheeks.

    "You¡­you bettere back to me alive and in one piece or so fucking help me; I''ll kill myself to join you where ever we are meant to go." With that said, Selene brought up her arm and wiped her tears with her forearm before spinning around and bolting off at full speed to catch up with the others.

    --PPPST, READ The Conduit''s Requiem!!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 557 Breezing Through Tier-3 (1)

    ?

    "Cynrik, I hope you don''t n to pit yourself against Haylon. If you tell me, you do¡­I will knock you out and drag you away from here." Standing atop the ruins of what used to be a castle, Geralt stated while wearing a cautious expression.

    "I''m crazy, not stupid, Geralt, even I know that Haylon guy is pushing Late Tier-6; my targets are Lithlen and Viktor. I have a n, but I will need you on standby." Landing on the shattered remains of what was once an impressive drawbridge, Cynrik said while looking at his brother.

    [What''s the n?] Was all Brance said in response. He knew there was no talking Cynrik off the path of revenge, so instead, he was ready and willing to join him, even if it meant fighting till the bitter end.

    [Before I get into the n, we need to power up first. Viktor and Lithlen are both Peak-Tier-5 individuals, as we are now; aside from throwing our strongest attacks or ambushing them, we don''t stand much of a chance¡­even if we bombard them with KIN.] Not standing on ceremony, Cynrik opened his Status profile and looked at the impressive amount of SPN-XP he had amassed.

    At first, when hepleted his Relic-Totem, as per Brance''s prediction, Cynrik flipped out once he saw the abysmal exchange rate of 1000 XP to 1 SPN-XP.

    However, this alone already put the brothers leagues ahead of everyone else in the party except Selene. The reason is the Non-Legacy Charges all had an initial rate of 10k to 1 when it came to conversion rate.

    Unlike the native Gabby, Benny, Melody, and even Kurza, due to unlocking another one of their mysterious Divine Benefits after evolving to Tier-3, they had it way easier, and things only got better the longer they used their Relic-Totems.

    By the time Cynrik and Brance had converted half of their XP to SPN-XP, the rate dropped from 1k to 100, so now that they were ready to burn all they had converted, the brothers had around 1.2 Million SPN-XP. More than enough for powerleveling not only their ss and Sub-ss but also their Primary Level.

    Now, it wouldn''t be enough to cap out their Prestige, but shooting up to Peak-Tier-3 was more than enough for what Cynrik had in mind.

    "Geralt, Brance, and I are going to burn our XP and shoot up in levels, so if anything important happens above, get our attention." With that, Cynrik lifted his legs and hovered in ce while scrolling through his Status Profile and pressing the Allocate XP button.

    Like his brother, Brance followed suit, leaving Geralt stunned.

    ''Did I hear that brat right? He''s choosing NOW to level up¡­how much XP does he have? I didn''t even know that Cynrikpleted his Relic-Totem¡­'' Shaking his head to clear his thoughts and assuming the brothers must have enough to shoot up a couple of extra levels, Geralt paid them no mind.

    Looking up at the sky, Geralt saw a standoff between a flustered Lithlen and Haylon. Unlike Cynrik, whose senses weren''t blocked by the Shadow Realm, and thus he could even hear what was happening in reality, Geralt could only strain his eyes and try reading lips to understand what was being said.

    A one-sided argument ensued, with Haylon forcing both Lithlen and Viktor to the ground and eventually flinging them across the room, with Lithlen bouncing off the staircase and struggling to get back to his feet and Viktor embedded in one of the walls. Growing bored of them, Haylon then turned his sights on the Governor. After some verbal exchange, Governor Samieer and his wife squared off with Haylonmencing in hundreds ofbat exchanges where the once glorious parlor was eventually decimated.

    The spectators quickly became coteral damage, with the majority receiving grave injuries. There were even multiple fatalities, all of which were ghouls, who, unlike regr people, couldn''t move and simply epted death at the hands of their master.

    "TSSSSSSSS, mo..ther¡­fucker¡­!"

    A sharp hiss and swearing from Cynrik caused Geralt to divert his attention and notice that Cynrik''s muscles were pulsing and bulging, and his whole body was steaming up. Not to mention his skin had turned bright red; this was a clear sign he had overloaded himself.

    From where Geralt stood, he could even feel the heat the young man was radiating, and his eyes shot open wide as he knew what was happening.

    The human body wasn''t meant to increase rapidly in strength over a short time, and you would have to understand that doing so had consequences that would require a person to be eitherpletely insane or desperate. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He had no idea how Cynrik had gotten his hands on enough SPN-XP to increase his levels and subsequent stats to the point that his body was going intoplete system failure. Still, seeing the state his student was entering, Geralt immediately took out batch after batch of potions.

    Mind soothing, muscle rxing, HP, STAM, MP, you name it, and he had it, and with how deep his resources ran as a Headmaster, Geralt could put many pharmacies to shame.

    ---

    [DAMN IT, DAMN IT, WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING! TOBS!!!] Cynrik screamed as he gritted his teeth and tried to fight through the intense pain.

    -Fuck, Cynrik, you absolute idiot, why in the seven hells did you pump everything up simultaneously. YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO GO ONE AT A TIME, NOT FUCKING MAX OUT YOUR CLASSES AND PRIMARY LEVEL ALL AT ONCE!-

    Appearing in her fairy form, Tobs fluttered around Cynrik and thoroughly examined his body from top to bottom, and what she saw scared her.

    Beside Cynrik, Brance was frowning as he tried to work through the pain of only raising his Main ss, but hearing Cynrik''s and Tobs'' conversation, his eyes shot open, and he gave his brother a worried nce.

    [I¡­Got¡­this¡­pain¡­is¡­just¡­] Cynrik chanted as he took severalbored and deep breaths.

    -Weakness leaving the body, but that only applies if you aren''t a fucking MORON! Ugh, damn it, Brancie, you need to hurry up and startunching all your healing Skills on him. If not, his body may explode!-

    pping her wings and darting to Brance, Tobs danced around in his face while anxiously pointing at Cynrik.

    [NO! Brancie¡­do it too¡­trust me¡­sure it hurtssss like a mother fucker, but I am literally¡­watching my Stats break through¡­the cap right now!] Wearing a scrunched-up face and leaning forward with his hand''s death gripping his thighs, Cynrik''s eyes focused only on the slowly increasing numbers beside his DEX, AGI, INT, and MIND stats.

    These four stats had instantly capped upon leveling his ss, Sub-ss, and Primary Level and stopped at 7850; however, something miraculous happened soon after.

    -HUH? Whoa¡­what the actual fuck¡­this isn''t supposed to be possible¡­the only way to increase your cap is¡­holy shit CYNRIK YOU ABSOLUTE MAD GENIUS!-

    An array of emotions flooded the little fairy''s face as she looked from Brance to Cynrik multiple times before double-checking Cynrik''s status window.

    To her surprise, his four stats had already reached 8k and were steadily ticking up.

    -Brance, do as he says; unlike him, you can heal yourself in the worst case¡­but please¡­be careful; it is dangerous; look, even Geralt is trying to find a way to help, that should tell you how crazy this is.-

    After confirming what was happening, Tobs gave Brance the go-ahead, and soon enough, his bulky body inted and began steaming, too, causing Geralt to enter full panic mode.

    --PPPST, READ The Conduit''s Requiem!!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 558 Breezing Through Tier-3 (2)

    ?

    Hearing Tobs'' warning about Geralt, Cynrik''s eyes flicked up to the flustered Headmaster, and either because of his Will Power Stat, or the vast increase in his MIND Stat, he found the momentary respite to speak up.

    "G¡­Geralt, we know what we are doing¡­just sit back¡­fuuu¡­and watch the show." With that said, his focus returned to the stream of notifications appearing one after another in his line of sight.

    As the battle between monsters urred high above for the next few minutes, Cynrik and Brance were subjected to excruciating anguish as their bodies grew and shrunk like a water balloon constantly being filled and expelled.

    Together, the brothers, who sat in simr postures, watched as they steadily strengthened at the cost of their bodies. Whether or not what they were doing would substantially affect themter down the line was uncertain.

    Regardless, neither Cynrik nor Brance could think about it as, at the moment, it took every fiber of their being to stop themselves from screaming in pain and twitching on the ground as slugs with salt poured on their bodies.

    Essentially, what Cynrik had unknowingly stumbled upon was something so dangerous that if he had known it would happen, even he, as crazy as he was, wouldn''t have dared to attempt it. But there was no point in crying over spilled milk.

    With the knowledge that he had found a way to break the limits of his Stat Cap, of course, Cynrik wouldn''t hold back that information from his brother. Knowing that Brance was both of sound mind and had a neigh unshakable will, he knew it was in his brother''s best interest to join him in this endeavor.

    As such, despite feeling like they could die at any moment, Cynrik and Brance endured the pain and watched the notifications tick by until they resembled a trickle of water.

    -Due to severe strain on your body, mind, and Bloodline, your Stat Cap has increased by 23 points.-

    -Due to severe strain on your body, mind, and Bloodline, your Stat Cap has increased by 22 points.-

    -Due to severe strain on your body, mind, and Bloodline, your Stat Cap has increased by 18 points.-

    -Due to severe strain on your body, mind, and Bloodline, your Stat Cap has increased by 12 points.-

    -Due to severe strain on your body, mind, and Bloodline, your Stat Cap has increased by 7 points.-

    -Due to severe strain on your body, mind, and Bloodline, your Stat Cap has increased by 1 point.-

    -You have reached the Maximum Stat Cap.-

    -Your Will Power Stat has increased by 52 points.-

    Slowly Cynrik watched as the number of points dwindled until he stopped gaining additional points to his Stat cap. At that moment, several new messages appeared as his body began deting, the steam ceased, and his skin returned to its usual pale color.

    -Two New Lines of Information have been added to your Status Profile.-

    -You can now View your Regr Stat Cap and Limit-Broken Stat Cap.-

    -You have broken through the limit of your Bloodline. As a result, your, Dexterity, Agility, Intelligence, and Mind Stats have all increased significantly and hit the maximum Cap any being can have in Tier-3, 11,775.

    -You have received the Title: Limit-Breaker.-

    -Since your Strength and Vitality stats were not at your Regr Cap of 7850 upon breaking your limits, they will not be able to break their limits until you break through the Supernatural stage.-

    -You have reached the Level cap for your: Primary Level, ss Level, and Sub-ss Level, thus you have unlocked the SPN-Prestige Mode.-

    -Unlike Previous Prestige Modes, you will no longer have a set level to attain, and instead, you must increase the Potential Ratio to 100% to receive additional Benefits.-

    -Increasing one''s Prestige Potential is the same as increasing levels and requires Vast amounts of SPN-XP.-

    -Every increment of 10% will you a qualitative amount of Stat Points and increase your knowledge of your Affinity Maniptions.

    -The higher your Prestige, the more benefits you will receive upon Evolving to Tier-4.-

    "Holy¡­fuck," startled by what he was reading, Cynrik''s eyes shot wide open, and he looked over his right shoulder to find that Brance, too, had returned to normal and was staring at him with eyes as big as saucers.

    [Brancie¡­did we¡­did we do something supposedly impossible?] Although his MIND stat had reached its initial CAP, and Cynrik''s mind was crystal clear, his thoughts were hazy as he failed toprehend what he was reading.

    [Y..yeah, I think so. How many stats of yours increased? For me, it was Three, STR, INT, and VIT¡­ unfortunately the rest were too low at the time.]

    [Four¡­DEX, AGI, INT, and MIND, but that is because they got huge jumps due to my ss and Sub-ss capping out.]

    BOOOOMMM

    At that moment, before Cynrik and Brance could trade Status Profiles like usual, Cynrik heard a loud explosion, and he turned his face upward only to watch as Haylon, and Governor Samieer''s weapons collided.

    It was a massive club-like blunt for the Governor, and Haylon used what appeared to be a sinister ck, thorny Battle-Scythe. Ignoring the two beings well out of his perception, Cynrik then observed the situation of the Mansion, only to realize that it had been razed to the ground entirely, that is, until he locked onto his injured Grandfather and Viktor.

    Rolling his upper lip over his teeth like a wolf, Cynrik swiped the air and sent his Status to Brance before standing up and flexing his body.

    : Status :

    : Cynrik Ayke Jetlensr (Ivar the Boneless Ragnarsson):

    : Title - Perfect Clear Expert, Mana Heart, Masochist, Perfect Evolution, Skill Creator, Limit-Breaker :

    : Demi-Human Male (75% Human, 25% ?sir):

    : Age-14:

    : Tier-3 (PEAK) :<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    : Supernatural Stage :

    : Primary ss - Tier-3 Umbral de-Dancer : (+60 DEX, +60 AGI, +50 INT Distribution)

    : Sub-ss - Magik Runic Scribe : (+60 INT, +2 Dex, +60 MIND Distribution)

    : Level: 50/50 CAP: :

    : SPN Stage Essence Pool(SPN-XP): 421,355 :

    : Unconverted Essence Pool: 0 :

    : P-ss (Umbral de-Dancer): 50/50 CAP :

    : S-ss (Magik Runic Scribe) : 50/50 CAP :

    : Distribution: 3(0) STR, 3(62) DEX, 3(60) AGI, 3(110) INT, 3(0) VIT, 3(60) MIND :

    : Mana Codex & Veins Tier-3.5 :

    : Stage 6 :

    : Supreme Mana Body - Tier-3.5, 20g Resistance :

    : Credits: 80,000 :

    : Merit Points: 28664 :

    : Regr Stat CAP: 7850 : (STR, VIT)

    : Limit-Broken Stat CAP: 11,775 : (DEX, AGI, INT, MIND)

    : STATS :

    : HP 244,275/244,275 : 90 Per Point (+13,500)

    : Mana 362,238/362,238 : 50 Per Point (+166,100)

    : Stamina 131,250/131,250 : 50 Per Point (+7500)

    : Stat Points- 2200 : (30 per level) ss (3)

    : Skill Points- 915 : (4 per level) ss (3)

    : Strength- 3508 : (+150)

    : Dexterity- 7850 : (+1731)

    : Agility- 7850 : (+1632)

    : Intelligence- 7850 : (+3322)

    : Vitality- 3263 : (+150)

    : Mind- 7850 : (+3076)

    : Will Power- 175 : (+52)

    : Gem Cutting:0 , XP 10/100:

    : Luck- 45 :

    : PSN Resistance- 25 :

    : Killing Intent- 1123 - 8.25G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG) Tier-3.5 Umbra Maniption (Beginner):

    :(SAG) Tier-3.5 Lightning Maniption (Beginner):

    :(AG) Tier-3.5 Fire Maniption (Beginner):

    :(AG) Tier-3.5 Wind Maniption (Beginner):

    "Geralt, here''s the n; once we allocate our Free Stat Points, I will drag those two bastards down here. No matter what happens or what you see, I don''t want you stepping in and helping unless I ask."

    --PPPST, READ The Conduit''s Requiem!!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 559 Limit-Breakers

    ?

    Without looking back at Geralt, Cynrik examined Brance''s Stats and nodded. Although it wasn''t asrge of an increase as his own, that was mainly due to how many custom skills he had made. As such, with each skill, Cynrik had received many Stat points and Stats for each one, leaving his brother behind in that aspect.

    : Status :

    : Brance Athalos Jetlensr (Bj?rn Ironside Ragnarsson):

    : Title - Perfect Clear Expert, Skill Creator, Core Creator, Perfect Evolution, Cherub, Limit-Breaker :

    : Demi-Human Male (75% Human, 25% Lightbringer):

    : Age-13:

    : Tier-3 (PEAK) :

    : Supernatural Stage :

    : Primary ss - Tier-3 Enforcer of the Holy me : (+60 STR, +50 INT, +60 VIT Distribution)

    : Sub-ss - Tier-3 Adept Gemsmithing : (+60 DEX, +2 STR +60 INT Distribution)

    : Level: 50/50 CAP: :

    : SPN-Prestige Ratio: 0% :

    : SPN Stage Essence Pool(SPN-XP): 512,000 :

    : Unconverted Essence Pool: 0 :

    : P-ss (Enforcer of the Holy me) : 50/50 CAP :

    : S-ss (Adept Gemsmith) : 50/50 CAP :

    : Distribution: 3(62) STR, 3(60) DEX, 3(0) AGI, 3(110) INT, 3(60) VIT, 3(0) MIND

    : Mana Codex & Veins Tier-3.5 :

    : Stage 5 :

    : Supreme Mana Body - Tier-3.5, 20g Resistance :

    : Credits: 877,239 :

    : Merti Points: 26360 :

    : Regr Stat CAP: 7850 : (DEX, AGI, MIND) **NEW**

    : Limit-Broken Stat CAP: 11,775 : (STR, INT, VIT) **NEW**

    : STATS :

    : HP 592,375/592,375 : 90 Per Point (+234,000)

    : Mana 341,613/341,613 : 50 Per Point (+191,000)

    : Stamina 320,125/320,125 : 50 Per Point (+130,000)

    : Stat Points- 1800 : (30 per level) ss (3)

    : Skill Points- 740 : (4 per level) ss (3)

    : Strength- 7850 : (+2600)

    : Dexterity- 6069 : (+3150)

    : Agility- 2954 : (+150)

    : Intelligence- 7850 : (+3820)

    : Vitality- 7850 : (+2600)

    : Mind- 2954 : (+150)<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    : Will Power- 132: (+52)

    : Gem Cutting: 25 - XP 32,398/ 778,899 :

    : Grace- 1112 - 8.25G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG) Tier-3 Light Maniption (Beginner):

    :(BG) Tier-3 Terra Maniption (Beginner):

    :(AG) Tier-3 Wind Maniption (Initial):

    :(SEC) Tier-3.5 HolyFire Maniption (Beginner):

    Stunned by what he was hearing and feeling like he was dreaming, seeing that they had survived their Overloaded state, Geralt copsed onto his butt and stared at Cynrik and Brance incredulously.

    He didn''t even hear what Cynrik said; the two little freaks finally shattered his worldview. He had heard stories of people literally exploding into mist after overloading and not a single one of anyone actually surviving.

    Yet standing not even 10 meters away were two perfectly alive and healthy young men radiating a power strong enough topare to beings in the Early step of Tier-4.

    Having no idea of how insanely high their Stats had climbed, Geralt gulped down his saliva loudly and robotically began storing the potions he had brought out while keeping a watchful eye on the brothers as they made their final preparations.

    [You have 1800 Stat points, and as much as I would like to see you start raising the left-behind three Stats, it is practically useless at this point. It''s better to work on those three that have been Limit-Broken.] Cynrik finally said as he felt power course through his body due to his stats increasing further.

    Contrary to what he was telling Brance to do, the first thing Cynrik did was get nice, even whole numbers for his STR and VIT Stat, increasing both to 3550.

    For this, 42 points went to his STR Stat, and 287 went toward his VIT. Although negligible, he still had more points to use on his Limit-Broken stats than Brance since, to begin with, he had 2200 Free Allocation Points.

    Onceplete with his lower Stats and still having 1871 Allocation Points remaining, Cynrik proceeded to add 600 points to his DEX, AGI, and INT, ignoring his already high MIND stat since it wouldn''t help him in the uing battle.

    However, something miraculous happened when Cynrik added points to his newly Limit-Broken Stats. A gust kicked up as if standing in the middle of a hurricane, causing his clothes to flutter, and his eyes began glowing in quad-colored light along with a bright glow that lit up his body.

    For a moment, even the greyscaled Shadow Realm seemed to be filled with Vibrant color as his Stats ascended past their previous Cap and reached 8450 points.

    With this strange urrence, Cynrik felt lightheaded, and instead of the usual sensation that went along with increasing one''s stats, he felt as if he were invincible.

    He wasn''t alone in this either, as half a second after his ascension finished, Brance soon lit up simrly. Heeding his older brother''s advice, he had spent 600 points in his STR, INT, and VIT pushing them through their Cap and into uncharted Territory for a Tier-3 being.

    "That''s¡­how, huh, what the hell is GOING ON WITH YOU TWO?" From where Geralt sat, he saw two mystical projections manifest behind Brance and Cynrik.

    One was a Kind looking man with white hair, robes, and a Staff, while the other was a grizzled one eye man with hide clothing. The scariest thing about these projections was the insane strength he felt from them¡­they felt otherworldly, and in his heart, Geralt knew he wasn''t worthy of even looking at the two manifestations.

    Luckily, the two projections soon disappeared as the brothers'' bodies limated to their newly increased Stats, followed by a loud exhale from Cynrik and Brance.

    "What are you on about, Geralt?" Raising an eyebrow as he swapped out of the stuffy suit and into his battle gear, Cynrik asked while wearing a weirded-out expression.

    "Uh¡­nothing, nothing, that glow just now, did you two somehow break through your Stat Caps?" As Cynrik seemed unaware of the two mystical beings that had manifested momentarily, Geralt, wise in his years, chose to act as if it never happened, lest he earns the ire of those two beings, and instead proposed a question.

    "Yeah, we did. You see, the two of us had enough XP to Cap out both our sses and Primary Level, and in doing so at one time, we triggered that weird puffy mode. Along with that came an opportunity I didn''t know was possible, and somehow, we have be, uh, I guess the term is Limit-Breakers."

    Shrugging his shoulders as if what he was saying was run of the mill, Cynrik unsheathed his Kodachis and swung them around a few times to get used to his new AGI stat before returning them to their housings and throwing out several punches and kicks.

    Meanwhile, Brance had already changed into his te armor and was warming up with his shields in greatsword form.

    Upon feeling like he had gotten the hang of his new STR stat, Brance transformed the greatsword back into two shields and stored them on his back before looking up at the battle above.

    Unlike Cynrik, who had casually nced at the destruction, only momentarily focusing on his targets and the battle itself, Brance was horrified by what he saw.

    It hadn''t even been ten minutes since they had sat down to power up, and the sights above were as different as night and day. But what bothered him the most wasn''t the state of the mansion or even the fight; instead, it was the innocent casualties caused by the fighting.

    Clenching his fists, Brance appeared before Cynrik and caught him by the shoulder, holding him in ce.

    [What''s the n, I know we can''t do anything about the Tier-6 guys, but the sooner we kill off those two fuckers, Viktor and Lithlen, the sooner we can start evacuating the innocents.]

    --PPPST, READ The Conduit''s Requiem!!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 560 Patricide Of The Patriarch (1)

    ?

    **It''s Sunday Again, so no double Chapters, only a longer Chap today.**

    ---

    [What''s the n, I know we can''t do anything about the Tier-6 guys, but the sooner we kill off those two fuckers, Viktor and Lithlen, the sooner we can start evacuating the innocents.]

    Unable to contain himself any longer, Brance needed to know what was happening in his brother''s head.

    [Originally, I nned on buffing ourselves, using KIN to suppress Viktor and Lithlen, and fighting them together, but now¡­that n is obsolete. Instead, I will deal with Viktor first, then we tag-team Lithlen.] Shaking free of Brance''s grasp, Cynrik surged his Mana through his body and examined the speed at which he could form his skills'' Runic Inscriptions.

    Surprisingly, what he witnessed put his old Mana maniption speed to shame. Between the massive upgrade to his MIND and INT Stats, the ease at which he could channel Mana had increased by many Times.

    In fact, Cynrik went so far as to assess that his current speed was even faster than when he previously used his ?sir Mode. Using this thought as a springboard, he wondered how crazy it would be when using his Power Up mode, considering his Base Form was now stronger than when he activated the Bloodline Ability.

    "Geralt, we are making our move." Looking over at the Headmaster, who was still stunned as he examined the brothers, Cynrik tilted his head up and locked on to Lithlen and Viktor.

    ''Tsk nowes the hard part. Although Haylon and The Governor are amid a heated battle, beings at their level may pick up on the slight distortions manifested by opening the Shadow Realm.'' Cynrik thought as he stepped off the ground and shed into the sky, appearing 20 meters below the threshold between realms and 50 meters off the ground.

    -If Haylon didn''t notice you leaving initially, I don''t expect he will this time, either. Even I don''t fully understand this whole Shadow Realm business, and the fact that only you have ess to it still doesn''t make sense.-

    -Essentially, this is an ancient battlefield filling a pocket dimension of unknown size.-

    Resting on his shoulder, Tobs added while watching Brance appear in the sky beside them, both shields drawn and ready.

    ''Come now, Tobs, even you should have realized long ago that there is no point in trying to exin the impossible.'' Rolling his eyes and holding up his right hand to the sky while his left arm was cocked at a weird angle, Cynrik teased.

    Manipting the fingers of his left hand, Cynrik appeared to be rolling invisible objects around his palm. Still, to Brance, who had [Mana Sight] active, he could see the Fire and Umbra particles heeding Cynrik''s minute movements as they collected into two clusters of invisible yet solid orbs.

    [Holy shit¡­are you nning to nuke Viktor when you pull him down here.] Brance''s eyes widened momentarily as the image of what happened to thest guy to eat a UTTB to the face surfaced in his mind.

    [Killing off the annoying bastard before exacting our revenge sounds good. Plus, I have so much MP with the upgrades I hardly know what to do with it. Sure, it seems like an anticlimactic end to someone who has hounded us for a while, but his importance on the pecking order palespared to Lithlen.] Cynrik stated emotionlessly as he merged the two clusters of orbs and finalized his UTTB.

    [Are you sure you can one-tap him, though? I mean, the guy is at the Peak of Tier-5.] With a hesitant gaze on his brother''s hand, Brance asked.

    [192k MP should be MORE than enough to evaporate his body to nothing. He won''t get up from the attack even if it isn''t. Using the element of surprise to our advantage; I''d be shocked if he could even bring up any life-saving skills to protect himself. Not that it would matter either way.]

    [Regardless, both he and Lithlen are pretty banged up from getting bullied by Haylon, so they are already in bad shape, to begin with. On a good day, I have no doubt there would be some struggle involved, but ying all of these factors to our advantage, we should have plenty of leeway to deal with the two fuckfaces at our leisure.]

    Exhaling slowly, the middle and index fingers of Cynrik''s outstretched right hand twitched as two needle-thin strands of Umbra Mana shot out like a web, extending dozens of meters until they were positioned directly under his two targets.

    With everything in ce, all that remained was for Cynrik to time his extraction of the two targets at the optimal moment to avoid suspicion from the fighting Tier-6 individuals. As such, his eyes flicked away from Lithlen and Viktor, and he focused on the two fast-moving men as they fluttered through the sky at speeds faster than normal Tier-3 beings could even spectate.

    ---<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    On the ground where a once magnificent Mansion stood firm, Lithlen Jetlensr, a man once touted as a genius and the strongest of his generation, cut a sorry image.

    Everything had been going his way. When he first contacted Haylon before the start of the Competition, he was sure that he would finally be rid of those bastard spawns of his son.

    Initially, it had gone against everything he had spent his life building to reach out to a criminal with such a notorious reputation, but he had been pushed to do so after so many failures stacked up.

    Time and time again, Cynrik had thwarted his ns and weaseled his way out in one piece. Then there was the incident during the opening ceremonies, where he was utterly embarrassed by a brat a fraction of his age and strength.

    However, this was supposed to be his magnum opus; through careful nning and maniption, he had helped Haylon purchase the necessary, highly Illegal ck-Tech to infiltrate the Governor''s Mansion, spending nearly his entire wealth to do it.

    All that was left was for MyrkLys to fall into his trap. He could care less about the other contestants because even if a few were killed or kidnapped, the Competition would still continue, and his Grandson Lend would still win first ce.

    Be it when Cynrik one-upped the Military Officers or when he had a long conversation with the Governor, Lithlen couldn''t help but sneer and bide his time; the simple fact that the thorn in his side had made a grand appearance at the G sealed his fate in the mind of the old man.

    Knowing what Haylon''s n was and what the first step would be, Lithlen waited until he felt a steady but slight tug on his MP. This sensation caused him to break into a vast, twisted smile as his eyes fell on Cynrik.

    But much to his surprise, just as this urred, Brance, Geralt, Garrison, and the rest of MyrkLys rushed to Cynrik''s side, and the group, along with the Governor''s three children, began sinking into the ground.

    To his horror, Lithlen mouthed the words, ''How did he know,'' as Cynrik''s face turned, and he smirked before disappearing along with his group.

    From there, everything was a blur until he heard Haylon''s booming voice demanding answers. Like himself, Haylon had unfinished business with the Jetlensr Brothers, and with the promises Lithlen made not being met, Haylon had taken a massive loss once again when he didn''t find them present.

    Snapping out of his thoughts, Lithlen acted instinctually, thrusting his right hand forward into the frightened Len''s chest and sending arge chunk of Mana into his grandson''s body. Then, using every life-saving tool on hand, he equipped Len with all of his Spatial Artifacts before forcefully teleporting the boy from the mansion and back to their n''s fortress.

    It all happened so quickly that Len had no idea what was happening, one second, the n was set in stone, and the next, it all fell apart before he was sent off to safety.

    ''Even if I die by Haylon''s hand, at least the boy is safe¡­apart from some potions to keep myself alive, I gave him everything except my weapon and armor. I hope it will be enough, and since he has already been marked as the next Patriarch, the family will continue.''

    With that thought keeping him going, Lithlen faced Haylon bravely without backing down, only to be put in such a sorry state that he was struggling to get back to his feet.

    Even so, this was partially a fa?ade so that Haylon would leave him be, and after the man reeking of Death Mana had his fill of assaulting Lithlen, he left him to the side like trash on a busy highway.

    Sneakily readying some potions for when Haylon was preupied, Lithlen set about clearing the Death Mana from his body so that he would be able to make his escape when the time came.

    Unfortunately, that time would nevere, as right when he was about to make a move, something caught him around the waist, and he felt himself be ripped downward into the ground. Feeling his body go weightless, Lithlen attempted to force down his potions, but that''s when it happened.

    A horrifying and oppressively loud¡­BOOOOOMMMM!!!

    --PPPST, READ The Conduit''s Requiem!!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 561 Patricide Of The Patriarch (2)

    ?

    **Hey guys, I am currently on the road, vending at a Card Convention; thus, Today''s and Tomorrow''s only ones will be posted.

    **PS WN''s terrible uploaded screwed me hard and didn''t update when it was supposed to so this chapter ended up being shorter than it was supposed to be, so long chapter tomorrow I guess.**

    A few seconds before, Lithlen was pulled into the Shadow Realm by Cynrik.

    Like Lithlen, Viktor wasn''t doing so well. Unlike hisrade and fellow Headmaster, who effectively got off with a heavy-handed smack on the wrist, Viktor Opurn had been mercilessly beaten to such an extent that he was covered from head-to-toe with injuries.

    After sending off his son Jason like how Lithlen forcefully evacuated Len, Viktor was assaulted from all sides.

    Despite his peak level of Tier-5, Haylon ragdolled him like a child despite being at the mid-tier of Tier-6. Fluttering around him as if a ghost, Haylon brutally dismantled the weaker Viktor before tossing him away like a broken toy.

    One had to remember that instances where lower Tier beings hopped Tier were few and far between, and the fact that all of MyrkLys could do so was an example of how strange and otherworldly they were.

    At first, he had been smashed through the formerly prestigious grand staircase, but the battle between Haylon and the Governor had long since destroyed that fixture.

    Now, with the entire Mansion transformed into crumbling ruins, Viktor, unable to move, was buried under tons and tons of rubble. That is, until the moment he felt a tug on his wrists, neck, and ankles.

    Without being able to defend himself, Viktor, albeit unwillingly, sank into the ground. To his horror, the first thing he noticed in the weightless world of ck and white was Cynrik, floating in the air and covered by a terrifying skeletal Mana construct.

    Recognizing this Construct as one of the mysterious "Uchiha n" skills in the young man''s toolbox, The Susanoo, Viktor''s eyes moved toward the mass of spinning Mana in the Construct''s left hand.

    Realizing that whatever that spinning cluster of Mana in the Constructs hand was giving him a sensation no different than staring into the eyes of the Grim Reaper, Viktor red his Aura as Mana coursed through his veins, and his Codex whirled up like a steam engine.

    Unfortunately, due to the injuries he had sustained from Haylon and the abundant Death Mana eating away at his Codex and Circuits, Viktor soon found himself losing control of his Mana.

    That wasn''t all either; at some point, the inky ck tendrils holding him in ce had turned sharp enough to bite into his flesh. He felt a second, unknown Mana flowing into his body, further speeding up the deterioration of Mana Particles started by the Death Mana.

    "Viktor Opurn, I sentence you to death for your crimes against myself and my organization MyrkLys. Your foolhardy arrogance, and pigheadedness in aiding that idiotic Grandfather of mine, has been your undoing." Cynrik''s voice dropped on Viktor like a bombshell as an oppressive 15g of Killing Intent held him in ce along with the tendrils.

    "N¡­no¡­no, YOU CANT KILL ME; I REFUSE TO DIE BY THE HANDS OF A MERE TIER-3 INSECT!" Fear turned to rage as Viktor struggled against his bindings, but it was useless. Physically his body may be at the Tier-5 standard and several leagues above Cynrik; however, his chosen path was that of the Mage, and given his circumstances, one without ess to Mana.

    And as such, he was not only too weak to struggle but was being oppressed by both Killing Intent and the strange and dangerous Mana Types flowing freely and wreaking havoc in his body.

    "If that is all you have to say on death''s doorstep, so be it. No one will know how you died. No one will mourn your loss, and I want you to die with this final thought¡­."

    Manipting the massive UTTB in his Susanoo''s hand to begin its rotation, Cynrik sneered and brought his arm back like a baseball pitcher. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I will destroy everything you have ever held dear, yourpany, your legacy, even your lineage, starting with that piece of shit son of yours, Jason. UMBRAL-TAILED BEAST BOMB!"

    Heeding his call, Cynrik flung the attack at Viktor while dragging Lithlen into the Shadow Realm in two fluid movements. He was aware that, at best, his Grandfather would take some damage from the fall out of the attack, which would no doubt insta-kill Viktor Opurn; however, he wasn''t stupid enough to believe that it would be sufficient to kill Lithlen as well.

    WOOOOOUUUUUMMMMMM!!!!

    The trademark sound that generally apanied his attack triggered instantly as the four massive spheres mmed into each other, generating a miniature ck hole¡­right in the center of Viktor Opurn''s chest.

    Viktor didn''t even have enough time to release so much as a whimper as his chest cavity above center mass swirled around into the shrinking cluster of ck matter. At that moment, Lithlen appeared less than 30 meters away from Viktor, and that was when the implosion expanded outward into a massive EXPLOSION!

    BBBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!

    The initial impact was unlike anything Cynrik, Brance, or Geralt had ever witnessed. The first thing to happen was the rapid dpression of Viktor''s body.

    With a ck hole so close by, Cynrik knew it would suck the man''s body in, but he didn''t expect its continual rotation after detonation.

    He first witnessed the subtle twisting of Viktor''s chest, starting with his clothing and armor, but those were shredded almost instantly, followed shortly by his flesh, blood, and even bone; nothing was safe.

    This urred in the first nanosecond after impact, during the WOUM sound; what followed after was simply pure, unadulterated chaos.

    Following the massive and concussive BOOM, Viktor''s body swelled ten times his original size before¡­popping into particles, a huge step uppared to what happened the first time Cynrik had fired the Attack at a Tier-5 being, but that was because the factors in y were utterly different.

    Thest being was at full power and hadn''t suffered any injuries beforehand. In contrast, Viktor already had one foot in the grave, and the man waspletely helpless and unable to conjure any protective measures.

    What followed was hurricane-ss destructive winds generated by radiated Mana particles, which flew out so fast and so powerfully that it flung Lithlen away like a kite with its string broken.

    Cynrik, Brance, and Geralt weren''t any better off either; luckily, the brothers were prepared for this. By positioning himself in front of his brother, Cynrik blocked the effects of the attack, protecting him since Cynrik is technically immune to the impact of his attacks, radiation, and wind.

    What he wasn''t immune to, though, his Susanoo made up for by ring out its Mana before crossing its arms over its skeletal frame in an X-shape guard. Due to being a construct made from identical particles as the attack, it could quickly weather the storm.

    On the other hand, Geralt hurtled through the zero-g environment head over heels as he tumbled helplessly before mming into a massive stone structure, which halted his eventual unfettered flight.

    Meanwhile, entirely at the mercy of the radiated wind, Lithlen''s exposed flesh began dposing, and turning to ash almost instantly, worsening his already bad injuries and causing him to appear like an avocado¡­or a particr red-suited Merc with a foul mouth.

    --PPPST, READ The Conduit''s Requiem!!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 562 Patricide Of The Patriarch (3)

    ?

    **Hey guys, I am currently on the road, vending at a Card Convention; thus, Today''s chapter will be 1500 words, and only one will be posted. When I get back from the con, I promise I will get back on schedule...**

    Flipping through the air, Lithlen found himself unable to stop his momentum as wave after wave of radiated gust mmed into his body, each st snatching away over 10k HP.

    Soaring through the Shadow Realm like a missile, Lithlen eventually mmed into the ground, well over 10 kilometers away, creating an insanelyrge crater with a diameter of around 600 meters.

    Keeping a sharp and watchful eye on his Grandfather through [Mana Sight], Cynrik''s eyes flicked to the insane words floating before him.

    Cynrik had anticipated that the gains from killing Viktor would be good, but scrolling through the notifications popping up like fireflies in his vision one after another, caused his brain to freeze.

    Upon gazing at the spam, Cynrik''s jaw dropped open, and he was soon overwhelmed by a wave of insane energy, causing his body to tremble as not one, not two, but three of his stats rapidly increased.

    -You have Killed a Level 100 Peak-Tier-5 Demi-Human Viktor Opurn (Human/Red-Dragon).-

    -You have killed a being more than ten times your primary level and Two Tiers above your own; rewards will be multiplied by the new Maximum Multiplier, a Decuple (10 times).-

    -You have achieved something no one in the History of Vinestra has ever before seen, Killing a Being almost aplete stage above you; as such, you will receive extra rewards.-

    -Besides being on the verge of breaking through to the next stage and having a sliver of Divinity within him, Viktor Opurn was ssified as an INDIVIDUAL rather than a BEING, making this achievement much more impressive to the Central System Hub.-

    -You have received 20,000,000 SPN-XP.-

    -You will now receive personalized boosts to three of your highest stats.-

    -You have received 2000 points to your Dexterity Stat.-

    -You have received 2000 points to your Intelligence Stat.-

    -You have received 2000 points to your Mind Stat.-

    -You have received 1000 Stat Points.-

    -You have received 1000 Skill Points.-

    -Any equipment or items previously worn or held by Viktor Opurn have unfortunately been destroyed.-

    -You have absorbed half of the Whisp of Divinity previously owned by Viktor Opurn.-

    -You have received the Title, Legend-in-the-making.-

    -You have located and retrieved 20 Tier-6 Mana Codexes (Fire/Wind/Terra/Metal)

    -A Bloodline (Ancient Ruby Dragon) has been located.-

    -This Bloodline has been duplicated and stored in special Vials at no cost to you.-

    -You have received 20 Vials of Extracted Bloodline (Ancient Red Dragon)-

    Feeling the pain in his body receding, Cynrik quickly opened his status profile and shook his head incredulously.

    : STATS :

    : HP 270,105/270,105 : 90 Per Point

    : Mana 270,331/492,238 : 50 Per Point (+100,000)

    : Stamina 145,600/145,600: 50 Per Point

    : Stat Points- 2871 : (30 per level) ss (3)

    : Skill Points- 1915 : (4 per level) ss (3)

    : Strength- 3550 :

    : Dexterity- 10,450 : (+2000)

    : Agility- 8450 :

    : Intelligence- 10,450 : (+2000)

    : Vitality- 3550 :

    : Mind- 10,450 : (+2000)

    : Will Power- 175 :

    : Gem Cutting:0 , XP 10/100:

    : Luck- 45 :

    : PSN Resistance- 25 :

    : Killing Intent- 1123 - 8.25G :

    "Fuck me, if I had known killing that stupid bastard was this profitable, I would have long since conspired against him," Cynrik muttered loud enough for Brance to hear.

    ''Tsk, it''s a shame that my RNG is so fucking terrible; just thinking about how the CSH skipped over my AGI stat and increased my MIND stat instead bothers me, but oh well, no point in crying over spilled milk.'' Cynrik thought before looking over his shoulder at Brance, who appeared visibly shaken by what he had just read. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ''Sigh, new title, new benefits, I suppose, from the looks of it, so long as I have the "Legend-In-The-Making" title, I gain a 25% damage increase against opponents who are a full Tier stronger than me.''

    With his newly Limit Broken mind stat, Cynrik found it much easier to split his thought process, making it seem like he almost had a second brain that could be used alongside his usual storm of thoughts.

    ''Then there''s the matter of acquiring so many vials of Dragon Blood, hey Tobs, what is the primary use of this shit?'' He asked while thinking about how he had earned not one but 20 vials of the Bloodline.

    -Well, it has multiple uses, if I am honest. However, I predict you will attempt to ingest it to earn a second bloodline¡­which I highly advise against, by the way.-

    -You can also try using it in the crafting process of equipment to have a shot at earning increased effects or stat boosts.-

    -However, if you are asking me the best way to use it, I''d have to say rolling the dice and trying to give Gabby and Benny a bloodline.-

    -As it stands, you, Selene, and Brance all have bloodlines, but the Sanfords are basically ordinary people, so it would be beneficial for your group if,ter on down the line, those two get a handful of abilities simr to the ones you got from your Bloodlines.-

    ''Uh, huh, and if I were to say, chug or inject it into my body, what are the oues?'' Cynrik asked as he fought back the urge to pull out a vial of Dragon blood and examine it.

    -Insta-death. Your ?sir Bloodline is way too powerful to ever bend to having a partner bloodline housed in your body, so it would instantly attack the draconic cells, causing the prideful Dragon Bloodline to fight back, and in the end, POP GOES THE CYNRIK!-

    -Whereas, if you give it to Gabby and Benny, although there is only a 15% chance of them earning it, you have ten shots for each of them to try. Since neither of them has a Bloodline, there won''t be any negative consequences in trying either.-

    ''Got it, so what you''re saying is worry about itter, okay, cool, moving on, time for battle.'' Cynrik thought with a snort as he noticed his younger brother''s confused and anxious bodynguage.

    [On your toes, Brancie, we need to move,] Cynrik stated in the mind link as he shook his head and located Lithlen before expelling mes out the soles of his feet and flying in that direction.

    With a nod, Brance followed suit by mimicking his brother''s flight method, only instead of shooting mes from his feet, two thruster-like jets of HolyFire shot out from his shoulder des, simr to how a mobile suit would fly.

    As they approached Lithlen''s crash site, Brance pulled up his status profile and felt slightly helpless about where he wanted to spend his 1000 free points.

    So without putting more thought than necessary into the topic, he split the points between his STR and VIT since he was sure there would be an intense battle upon reaching his Grandfather.

    : STATS :

    : HP 871,375/871,375 : 90 Per Point (+225,0000)

    : Mana 471,613/471,613 : 50 Per Point (+100,000)

    : Stamina 475,125/475,125 : 50 Per Point (+125,000)

    : Stat Points- 0 : (30 per level) ss (3)

    : Skill Points- 740 : (4 per level) ss (3)

    : Strength- 10,950 : (+2500)

    : Dexterity- 6069 :

    : Agility- 2954 :

    : Intelligence- 10,450 : (+2000)

    : Vitality- 10,950 : (+2500)

    : Mind- 2954 :

    : Will Power- 132:

    : Gem Cutting: 25 - XP 32,398/ 778,899 :

    : Grace- 1112 - 8.25G :

    Basking in the sensations brought about by the additional free allocation Stat points, Brance steadied himself and followed closely as he and Cynriknded at the lip of the crater and looked down to where they spotted the broken image of their once powerful Grandfather.

    "Yo, old bastard, did that little explosion kill you, or are you still alive and kicking?" Drawing his kodachi and preparing himself, Cynrik did Cynrik things and started off with a taunt.

    [Really¡­leading with bullshit again?] Rolling his eyes and transforming his shields into Greatsword mode, Brance stepped up beside Cynrik andined.

    Unfortunately, his words fell on deaf ears as Cynrik narrowed his eyes and zoomed his vision in, only to see that Lithlen had a handful of empty potion bottles scattered around his head.

    [FUCK DON''T LET HIM HEAL!]

    Kicking off the ground and rushing into the crater, Cynrik charged both his kodachis with Mana and swung down on the motionless body of Lithlen.

    But right before his des could find their mark, his Grandfather blurred as he moved forward and delivered an intense palm strike at Cynrik.

    Fortunately, Brance was right there in a heartbeat and brought up his Greatsword to receive the attack.

    CLANNNNGGG!!!

    With a loud ng, the Greatsword was ripped from Brance''s grasp and embedded in the ground. Meanwhile, he flew backward into the crater wall.

    As this happened, the elderly man spun around and snarled at the brothers like a feral dog.

    "I SHOULD HAVE KILLED YOU YEARS AGO!" Lithlen screamed as his aura exploded forth.

    --PPPST, READ The Conduit''s Requiem!!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 563 Patricide Of The Patriarch (4)

    ?

    **Hey yall, sorry about the almost month Hiatus; things at home have been rough; partner that with the job I picked up for a few months, and it was a recipe for disaster. Things should be good now; anywho, back into the fight a long timeing.1500 words this weekend and back to normal Monday**

    "I SHOULD HAVE KILLED YOU YEARS AGO!" Lithlen screamed as his Aura exploded forth.

    With the explosion of Aura, a projection manifested behind Lithlen, that of a massive Green Wolf, and with his fingers curled inward in a w, the old man rushed forward to attack the Susanoo-d Cynrik.

    However, the young man was ready and instantly mmed his skeletal construct arm down in a chopping motion, pounding his grandfather into the ground like a hammer to a nail.

    [Brancie, you still alive,] Cynrik shouted into the mind link as he brought the skeletal arm up only to repeatedly m it into the ground several more times.

    Each movement brought earthquake-level tremors, and a loud concussive bang followed.

    [Ugh, yeah, I''m good; I only ate a 50k palm strike.] Digging himself out of the rocky terrain, Brance crawled to his feet and shook his head violently to clear the cobb webs.

    Then, although his mind was a little fuzzy, and he could swear a small bird was flying around his head, Brance extended his arm toward his weapon and summoned it back to his hand.

    He didn''t expect to see the unphased and calm image of his older brother raising and dropping his right arm in a hammer fist motion as if it were another training exercise.

    But even that wasn''t enough to throw Brance off his game. When he was fighting, Cynrik was known for ying a bit; why would his actions be any different now that he was facing a Tier-5 being?

    However, as Brance was about toment, Cynrik''s Susanoo arm stopped mid-motion and slowly began raising, fighting against the force being applied downward.

    "E¡­ENOUGH!" Lithlen practically howled as the fierce Wolf head tossed back the Susanoo arm before chomping down on it and shattering it into Mana particles.

    [Oh¡­shit!] Cynrik shouted as time seemed to slow, and he watched the old man kick off the ground, fly up from the arm-shaped hole, and attack the body of his construct with a headbutt from the wolf, causing the Mana ribs to cave in and shatter.

    In one swooping motion, Lithlen utterly decimated Cynrik''s Susanoo, causing his grandson to spit blood and fly up and out of the deep crater before rotating in a counterclockwise motion and sweeping Brance with his projections tail.

    Luckily for Brance, he was somewhat prepared and had barely enough time to bring his greatsword up to block the attack; thus, even though he was rocketed through the air and up into the zero-g environment, he could stabilize himself in the air.

    "You little bastards, how FUCKING DARE YOU!" Screaming at the top of his lungs and unleashing his full Tier-5 might, Lithlen ignored the rocks surrounding him as they tore away from the ground and levitated nearby.

    "Time and time again, you have thwarted my ns, and now, you two FUCKING INSECTS with lips still wet from their mother''s tits have the Gall to stand against ME, YOUR PATRIARCH!"

    "Anyone ever tell you that you talk too much old man?"

    Before Lithlen could continue ranting further, Cynrik''s chilling voice echoed through the surrounding Shadow Realm as he proceeded to rain down wave after wave of ckFire swordlight arcs.

    In an instant, the entire crater was filled with dangerous ck fire, and at the center of the bowl-shaped hole in the ground stood a 50-meter tall green hazy wolf construct.

    ''Tsk, of course, the old man''s construct has high defensive properties; my ckFire can''t eat through it like it should normally.'' Cynrik thought as he continuously shed with both kodachis.

    While Cynrik continued his assault, Brance wasn''t idle as he brought up a clever topic with Tobs.

    ''Tobs, question, since my tower can manifest weapons, would it be possible to bring them out, such as theser?''

    -Yes, all of the offensive measures manifested by your [Radiant Tower] fall under subsets of your skill. You only need to locate the proper runic inscriptions and activate them individually.-

    -Mind you, what you are attempting isn''t something easily done, and it will carry a high Mana cost, but it is possible. Unfortunately, as you are unlearned in the subject, you will require my assistance, and for that, I will need Skill points as a toll.-

    ''No problem, take what you need, Cynrik needs help, and I don''t exactly have anything apart from my [White Dwarf] that can rain down heavy artillery assault.''

    Suddenly shing into sight, the little fairy stood on Brance''s heavily armored shoulder before nodding and immediately setting to work, aiding him in locating the individual inscriptions. Soon enough, a colossal railgun took form to the right of his body through Brance''s Mana control. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    [Holy fuck, what in the shit are you doing? Is that your fucking Positron Cannon from the tower?] Cynrik cried without stopping his attacks. Although the heavy storm of ckFire swordlight couldn''t deal damage, it was doing a splendid job of rattling Lithlen and keeping him upied.

    Thanks to having [Mana Sight] active, Cynrik quickly noticed the surge of particles condensing beside his younger brother, and the massive Positron Cannon soon appeared.

    Understanding what was happening, Cynrik picked up the pace, utilizing the full extent of his AGI and DEX stats while breaking into a twisted and bitter smile.

    Watching as ample amounts of Mana Particles surged toward the barrel of the Positron Cannon, Cynrik and Brance''s eyes met for a second before Cynrik brought his legs up and rocketed himself backward.

    Knowing that a hell created of pure Light was about to erupt, Cynrik, being the Dark Affinity user he was, got the fuck out of there just as the Cannon finished charging, and a loud ZIPP sound could be heard, followed by a deafening explosion.

    For a moment, color was brought to the neverending grayscale world that was the Shadow Realm as the powerful Cannon erupted and a beam of pure Terra-Light-Wind Mana bore into the ground¡­it''s target, the giant green wolf.

    ---

    Meanwhile, several kilometers away, Headmaster Rivia stood in stunned silence as he noticed the horizon Light up with color. Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of Cynrik, flying at the fastest speed toward him.

    With a look of confusion in his eyes, Geralt lept into the air and glided forward to meet the young man, but when he came into earshot of Cynrik, his pupils constricted to pinpricks.

    His eyes looked beyond the panicked young man to an intimidatinglyrge dome of Light with a mushroom cloud at the top, and he turned in the opposite direction and took off.

    ---

    "MOTHER FUCKING BRANCE AND HIS MOTHER FUCKING LIGHT AFFINITY! AHH, AHH, IT FUCKING BURNS! AHHHI, SWEAR TO EVERYTHING UNHOLY, IMA GET HIM BACK FOR THIS!" Cynrik cried at the top of his lungs as he kicked on the afterburners and picked up speed.

    Unknown to him, smoke was pouring out of his back as he was still too close to the point of impact, and therge amount of Light Mana radiating from the st was beginning to burn him alive.

    Looking ahead, Cynrik caught sight of Geralt and angled himself downward in his direction.

    "DAMN IT. GERALT, YOU OLD BASTARD, HANG ON TO YOUR UNDERWEAR; WE ARE GOING SUPER SONIC!" Soon enough, he passed Geralt but not before catching the Headmaster by the back of his suit jacket, bringing him along for the ride.

    Zipping through the air faster than ever, Cynrik quickly broke the sound barrier, and a cone formed around him and Geralt as he tried to get them as far away from Brance''s attack as possible.

    The two went on like this for several dozens of kilometers until, finally, Cynrik believed it was far enough and began slowing down.

    From his left hand and both feet, jets of pure, transparent mes started to shorten as Cynrik felt he was far enough away¡­ unfortunately, he had miscalcted, and the instant the pair slowed below the speed of sound, the loud concussive¡­

    BBBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM

    caught up to them, sending Cynrik and Geralt tumbling through the open zero-g environment in an uncontrolled spin.

    ---

    At ground zero, things weren''t looking any better for Brance. Without having enough time to flee, Brance was instantly flung away from the st site and found himself thrown away from the point of impact much faster than Cynrik was running away.

    That wasn''t all; in contrast to his older brother, who couldn''t be near the explosion, Brance, was thriving. As he tumbled head over heels for dozens of kilometers in an uncontrolled spin, he noticed his MP steadily tick up.

    This fact was a first for him, considering the only abundant Mana particles here in the Shadow Realm was that of the Dark Variant, meaning any other Mana type could not be replenished.

    --PPPST, READ The Conduit''s Requiem!!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 564 Patricide Of The Patriarch (5)

    ?

    That wasn''t all; in contrast to his older brother, who couldn''t be near the explosion, Brance, was thriving. As he tumbled head over heels for dozens of kilometers in an uncontrolled spin, he noticed his MP steadily tick up.

    This fact was a first for him, considering the only abundant Mana particles here in the Shadow Realm was that of the Dark Variant, meaning any other Mana type could not be replenished.

    To understand why this was important, one needed to examine the Shadow Realm and how it worked. From the moment Cynrik first stepped foot in the realm all those years ago, he had constantly been observing and taking notes of any differences he spotted at a nce.

    Four main factors separated the Shadow Realm from reality.

    The first and most prominent was the thin yet unbreakable barrier between them. The reason for this was simple; the Shadow Realm existed outside reality as a separate dimension.

    Second was the gravitational force, which always seemed to be a static Zero-G, no matter where one traveled. Although Cynrik and the others hadn''t traveled far enough to im the title of explorers of the realm, this seemed to be the case no matter where theynded.

    The third difference was in the terrain as a whole. Be it the strange and eerie grayscale location devoid of life and color, the areas Cynrik and MyrkLys had visited held an ancient feeling and always took the image of old ruins.

    For example, the area under Valor City, from what Cynrik had observed, was once an olden city of some type or Imperial Captial. There was even a massive castle under the Governor''s mansion.

    That brings us to the fourth and arguably most important factor that Cynrik would at some point be forced to exin to everyone he dragged into the Shadow Realm: theck of naturally urring Elemental Mana Particles.

    It didn''t take a genius to understand why this could be potentially fatal to anyone who entered, as one of the key Elemental Particles required for life was Wind Mana, which supplied a steady and constant stream of oxygen, allowing beings to breathe.

    Sure, once a being reached a certain level of power, they could essentially live solely off of Mana, but without it, the best they could do is hold their breath until they asphyxiate and die.

    Luckily, Cynrik and Brance had learned a fundamental skill when they were infants, which could allow them to breathe without Wind Mana, the skill [Mana Breathing].

    Although it had evolved and gone rtively unused, this simple skill didn''t only grant them the ability to absorb Mana. It also allowed them to utilize Ambient Affinitiless Particles, thus, giving them a chance at breathing.

    Mind you, it wasn''t easy and took some practice. Once mastered, everyone in MyrkLys was no longer restrained by this potentially fatal afterthought, as they could substitute Affinitiless Mana instead of Wind.

    The only downside was that in doing so, they would end up in a situation simr to training at altitude, where the oxygen was thin. It wasn''t umon for one or more group members to end up lightheaded, dizzy, and incoherent if they stayed in the Shadow Realm for too long.

    This situation had yed out when Cynrik brought down the Governor''s children. Fortunately, the eldest son had a Wind Affinity and could temporarily alleviate this problem for himself and his siblings long enough for them to reach the Pinhurst Mansion.

    There was another ring issue, and it was the one that brought Brance to this topic in the first ce, and that was due to theck of Ambient Elemental Particles, there was no way to recharge any spent.

    Sure, everyone could recover MP, but the problem was the conversion of Ambient Particles into Elemental ones, which wasn''t necessary for reality since it was practically autonomous. This meant that it was something none of them knew how to do.

    As such, Brance was surprised when he felt new Light particles surge into his Codex. From memory and the never-ending lectures Cynrik subjected to him, he knew there were several Mana particles found in the Shadow Realm, namely, Dark, Shadow, Umbra, and several different shades of ck particles, which were left unidentified.

    However, one elementary particle floated around in abundance: Affinitiless Particles.

    While these thoughts bounced around his head, Brance eventually realized he could control his momentum and, after stabilizing himself, found he had been flung almost 20 kilometers from the st site. Without hesitation, he propelled himself forward again with HolyFire until he closed the distance, and what he saw caused him to gulp loudly.

    Where once a rtively small crater rested was now an open chasm no different from above than a bottomless hole. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    [Whew, damn Brancie, I thought it was my job to almost blow himself up with reckless moves. I would never have thought you had the balls to do it.] Around the time that Brance arrived at the gaping hole in the ground, Cynrik glided over after depositing Geralt somewhere not far away.

    [I¡­I didn''t think the Positron Cannon would have such a devastating st radius. Are you ok?] Wearing a sheepish smile and scratching the back of his head, Brance flew over and met up with his brother.

    [Meh, I''ve had worse, but I gotta say, fuck you, and fuck your Light Affinity bullshit.] Rolling his eyes and drawing his kodachis from their sheaths, Cynrik observed the massive, kilometer-wide hole in an attempt to spot Lithlen.

    [We didn''t get a kill notification, so that old fucker is alive, but where is he?] Cynrik stated as he descended into therge hole until he was forced to stop due to the turbulent storm of Light Mana Particles hovering in the vicinity.

    Like his older brother, Brance too began scanning the surroundings for any sign of Lithlen, only, unlike Cynrik, he could descend deeper into the hole. Soon enough, he spotted the old man floating two kilometers deep in the hole, unmoving and surrounded by what could only be described as the corpse of a once majestic Green Mana Wolf.

    [Got him, 2 klicks down, 250 WSW. His chest is rising, so he is still breathing, but it looks like that hit did a number on his HP and MP since both bars are well below 50% now.] Nodding his head in the direction of the injured old man, Brance glided toward Lithlen while Cynrik followed overhead.

    [Careful, cornered animal theory applies here, Brancie.] Narrowing his eyes and locating Lithlen, Cynrik reminded his brother that an animal is most dangerous when cornered before charging copious amounts of Mana into his des.

    ---

    Down below, floating in a semi-conscious state, Lithlen''s eyes struggled to stay open. He knew the brothers were dangerous, but he never imagined that he could be put in such a precarious situation, especially with his Bloodline abilities and manifestations on full disy.

    To make matters worse, no matter how many Mana Potions he drank, Lithlen couldn''t seem to recharge his Mana; it was as if the world was utterly void of Wind Mana.

    Being an intelligent man, he realized that there was something significantly wrong with this realm he had been dragged into by Cynrik when after downing the first batch of Mana Potions, all he replenished was Affinitiless Mana.

    With a few twitching motions and facing downward, he flicked the air and brought up his Status profile for a damage report and was horrified to see that his HP had fallen so low.

    Not only that, but his body had been oversaturated by Light, Dark, and Fire Mana, which was causing the few Wind Particles in his Codex to revolt.

    ''Fuck, had I not given everything on me to Len and not been dragged within an inch of life by Haylon, I wouldn''t be in this situation¡­I won''t fall like this¡­.'' With that thought in mind, Lithlen spun around and noticed Brance and Cynrik not far away.

    However, even that slight movement in Zero-G was enough for hundreds of minor wounds to open on his body and begin gushing blood.

    Ignoring the surge of pain flooding his brain, Lithlen raised his hands and cast tworge runic spell circles, which activated multiple different spells.

    Wind des, Bullets, Twisters, and several types of attacks Cynrik and Brance had never seen erupted from the spell circles sending the two brothers on high alert and causing them to make defensive maneuvers to avoid them.

    "Gah¡­you¡­fucking bastard children¡­" Watching how easily the two dodged his volley of spells, Lithlen coughed up a mouthful of blood with several chunks of flesh in the globs.

    Since the Shadow Realm was a Zero-G environment, the blood floated up around him as Lithlen struggled to continue his assault, unleashing every offensive spell in his toolbox one after another.

    "Is that all you''ve got, old man? I expected more from the mighty Patriarch of the Jetlensr Family. For you to fall to the shockwave of my attack and a direct hit from my brother''s Cannon, how pitiful you must feel." Cynrik''s voice traveled to Lithlen''s ears, sending a chill down the old man''s spine as the young man effortlessly cut through one attack after another.

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 Chapter 565 Patricide Of The Patriarch (6)

    ?

    "Is that all you''ve got, old man? I expected more from the mighty Patriarch of the Jetlensr Family. For you to fall to the shockwave of my attack and a direct hit from my brother''s Cannon, how pitiful you must feel." shing away several more iing spells, Cynrik sneered and spoke.

    Behind him, Brance struggled to deflect any stray attacksing his way but kept close enough to his brother to cut a path through the dense Light Mana cloud that had consumed the hole''s depths.

    "How¡­how is this possible? You are but a mere Tier-3 ant, and I¡­."

    BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM!

    Lithlen''s words were cut off by the sound of his spells crashing against the hole''s walls in the distance.

    "How? Well, that''s simple." With a flourish of his kodachis, Cynrik revealed the sinister ck glow coating the edges of his weapons.

    "Everyone is so quick to assume I have a Dark Affinity when long ago it evolved¡­mutating into something much more powerful, the negative element Umbra." As if to add cadence to his words, Cynrik stabbed his longer kodachi forward, and uponing in contact with a Wind de, the attack dissolved instantly.

    "You may be using a higher form of Wind Mana, but it must still yield to the suppression forced upon it by my Affinity. Tier-5, hell, even if you had Reached Tier-6, as long as you are still wielding that basic ass Element, it won''t be able to harm a single hair on my head."

    Lithlen''s face contorted in horror as he watched Cynrik rush forward. Although his MP was close to bottoming out, the old man channeled enough Wind Mana around his body to push backward faster than his grandson was moving toward him.

    And so a strange game of cat and mouse ensued, with Lithlen fleeing from Cynrik and Brance; however, the longer this charade ensued, the worse his state became.

    Eventually, he made it to the crater''s edge; running away didn''t work, and with less than 20% of his total MP remaining, Lithlen didn''t even have enough strength remaining to self-destruct his Codex.

    Thus he made a rash and split-second decision. With his back against the wall, he willed every ounce of Wind Mana in his body into the two Spell Circles to make his final stand.

    But it was all for naught; before he could even fire off his next volley of spells, he simultaneously felt a sharp pain in his abdomen and chest.

    Sqwelp Sqwelp.

    Lithlen''s eyes shot wide open as his vision blurred slightly; even so, he stared into the violet eyes of his grandson and saw the twisted smile painting his lips.

    He knew long ago it was a mistake allowing the brothers to live, but he never imagined this scenario ying out in his wildest dreams.

    Unfortunately, before he could even get a word out, two more squelching sounds could be heard as Cynrik released the hilt of his kodachis and stabbed Lithlen with both hidden des, one in his throat and the other in his heart.

    "I wish I could make you suffer more, torture you until you begged for death at my hands; however, time doesn''t permit it, so this will have to suffice." Drawing close and resting his chin on Lithlen''s shoulder, Cynrik spoke softly and without emotion.

    "There is no afterlife for you, only eternal darkness and suffering, Lithlen. Die knowing that without you present, I will single-handedly burn your entire family to the ground, starting with Len and moving on until the only remaining members of our blood are myself, my brother, and my father."

    Ignoring the tears leaking from his grandfather''s swiftly zing eyes, Cynrik continued.

    "You were a horrible parent, grandparent, and an even worse Patriarch. The day you decided to attempt to steal my brother from our family was when you sealed your fate¡­goodbye." And with that, Cynrik withdrew his hidden des, reached for the kodachis, and split Lithlen''s body into two uneven halves triggering a chain of notifications.

    -You have Killed a Level 100 Peak-Tier-5 Demi-Human Lithlen Jetlensr (Human/Aerial Wolf).-

    -You have killed a being more than ten times your primary level and Two Tiers above your own; rewards will be multiplied by the new Maximum Multiplier, a Decuple (10 times).-<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    -You have achieved something only you in the History of Vinestra has ever done, Killing a Being almost aplete stage above you; as such, you will receive extra rewards.-

    -Besides being on the verge of breaking through to the next stage and having a sliver of Divinity within him, Lithlen Jetlensr was ssified as an INDIVIDUAL rather than a BEING, making this achievement much more impressive to the Central System Hub.-

    -You have received 20,000,000 SPN-XP.-

    -You will now receive personalized boosts to one of your highest stats.-

    -You have received 2000 points to your AGI Stat.-

    -You have received 1000 Stat Points.-

    -You have received 1000 Skill Points.-

    -You have absorbed half of the Whisp of Divinity previously owned by Lithlen Jetlensr.-

    -You have located and retrieved 20 Tier-6 Mana Codexes (Wind)

    -A Bloodline (Ancient Aerial Wolf) has been located.-

    -This bloodline has been duplicated and stored in special Vials at no cost to you.-

    -You have received 20 Vials of Extracted Bloodline (Ancient Aerial Wolf)

    Taking note of the notifications and feeling the surge in power from his AGI stat, Cynrik decapitated his grandfather''s corpse before storing the head in his inventory and burning the body.

    As he did this, Brance floated not far away with a stunned expression. He knew Cynrik would be ruthless, but to say the things he had to Lithlen caused him to feel bitter inside instead of d that such a menacing threat had been removed from their lives.

    "That¡­was a little much; you already beat him, why break him mentally too?" Brance asked as he ignored the flood of notifications in his vision.

    "For all that man did to us, he didn''t deserve to die peacefully, Brancie¡­I don''t expect you to understand, but what is done is done. I knew it wouldn''t be easy for you to stomach me torturing him, so this was all I could do." Heaving a sigh, Cynrik tilted his head toward the sky and rocketed up and out of the hole, unable to stand the burning sensation caused by being surrounded by Light Mana any longer.

    Upon exiting the hole, Cynrik looked off to his right, located Geralt not far away, and headed in that direction, leaving Brance alone to stare at where his grandfather had perished.

    ''Tobs¡­was this the right thing to do?'' Feeling uncertain, Brance looked to his right shoulder where the small fairy sat perched, gripping tightly onto his pauldron.

    -Honestly¡­I don''t know. When ites to the thoughts and habits of your brother, even I find them difficult to navigate. What he said was the truth to him, however.-

    -He didn''t want to subject you to watching him dismantle Lithlen piece by piece¡­so even though he is a ball of rage right now and is highly unsatisfied with how things went, he still put you above his own selfish motives.-

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 Chapter 566 Operation Saving Asses (1)

    ?

    Hearing Tobs'' perspective on the whole thing caused Brance to fall into silent thought.

    Knowing nothing he could say to his brother would be the "right" thing, he gave up thinking and shook his head before closing his eyes to absorb the ambient Light Mana to fill his tank.

    On the other hand, outside the crater, Cynriknded on the ground before Geralt and sniffled loud enough to rouse the Headmaster from his thoughts.

    "You actually did it¡­holy shit." Speaking in a soft mumble, Geralt stared at the young man as if he were a total freak of nature.

    "What happened with Viktor¡­ I could somewhat understand, but you went toe to toe with a being pushing Tier-6 and came out in one piece as the winner." Feeling like his head was about to explode, Geralt realized he needed to reevaluate Cynrik and Brance''s strength from the ground up.

    To hold the two young men to the standards of normal society was an insane thing to do since they continuously pushed the boundaries of what was to be expected of them.

    Never before had he heard of something so ludacris as a Tier-3 killing a Peak-Tier-5 being, let alone two. Yet he had witnessed that very thing urring right before his eyes.

    "Sigh, Geralt, you are overthinking things a bit too much. Sure, Brance and I killed those two assholes, but the scale was heavily tilted in our favor." Crossing his arms and looking up to the sky, Cynrik watched what he assumed to be the tail end of the fight between Haylon and the Governor while he spoke.

    "From the get-go, the two of them were heavily injured and already knocking on death''s door. I don''t think you understand how banged up they were from the abuse they suffered at the hands of Haylon."

    "Nevertheless, I also had the element of surprise on my side. When I abducted them, neither knew what was happening, only that they were suddenly in a strangend. Then, factoring in bringing them onto my turf, on my terms, it was a recipe for disaster for those two."

    "All I needed at that point was time, the longer I could defend and keep them at bay, the moreplicated their situation would be since neither could replenish their Elemental Mana."

    "That¡­sigh, yeah, it still isn''t something you should be so dismissive about. I don''t even want to think about how their deaths will be exined; they are¡­er¡­were Headmasters of Top Academies." Looking away from Cynrik, Geralt watched as the Governor gained ground in the fight and zipped around the Mansion grounds while trading blows with Haylon.

    "Uh, Geralt, how the hell can you be that dense at your age." Tearing his eyes away from the fight he could barely follow, even with [Mana Sight], Cynrik looked at the Headmaster with dead eyes while pointing his left thumb to the sky above.

    "Huh¡­oh¡­that." In his confusion, Geralt looked from Cynrik to the sky several times before it clicked in his mind.

    "Uhhuh, thest anyone saw of Viktor Opurn and Lithlen Jetlensr, they got the shit kicked out of them by Haylon and were left for dead. Who''s to say that, since his beating practically paralyzed them during the battle, they didn''t get hit by a stray st and vaporized by Death Mana?"

    "Either way, it has nothing to do with us, our focus now will be saving as many people above as we can, or at least that''s what my brother is about to make us do, so for that, we need a solid n. Hm, well, that''s new." Looking over his shoulder and down into the hole, Cynrik noticed all the Light Mana swirling around Brance, who took long, deep breaths in an almost rhythmic pattern.

    Brance finished absorbing all the Light Mana in less than two minutes and was back to full MP. When he opened his eyes, a gold ring glowed around in them before fading away, and he flew up to meet Cynrik and Geralt.

    "So, little brother, what''s your grand idea on how to save those people still alive?" Ignoring that his brother had somehow drawn all the Light Particles he had initially expended back into his Codex for filtration, Cynrik nced at Brance as his brothernded beside him. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "d you asked Cyn since you are about to bus everyone to safety." Wearing a shit-eating grin, Brance pped his brother''s back twice before looking to the sky.

    "I''m what now?" Flinching from the sudden impact of his physically stronger not so little brother, Cynrik frowned.

    "Step one, we will require some help from the Headmaster." Turning to face Geralt, Brance began exining the idea he hade up with, ignoring the annoyed expression his brother was exhibiting.

    "I want you to open pocket-sized holes and allow the Headmaster to knock out anyone awake; then your task is to draw those people into the shadow realm to be deposited in a spatial cube."

    "Once everyone is out of harm''s way, we will move them through the Shadow Realm and to a safe location. It shouldn''t be difficult, and although many lives have been lost, many can be saved."

    Geralt nodded in approval after hearing the basic structure of the n Brance hade up with and began manifesting small orbs of Space Mana.

    Looking to the sky, he waited for one of the two brothers to give him an urate number of people he needed to render unconscious while ignoring the petty argument happening nearby.

    "Ugh, seriously, Brance, even I could have devised a better n. At this rate, all you are making us do is waste time." Uncrossing his arms and raising both hands to the sky, Cynrik started targeting every living being he could and manipted the barrier between Reality and the Shadow Realm.

    "Quit your bitching; you got what you wanted and killed Viktor and Lithlen, now suck it up and y the good guy role for once in your life." Brance shot back as he smacked Cynrik in the back of his head, nearly knocking his brother over.

    Then, he looked over at Geralt, who seemed to be waiting for him to say something. Brance was at a loss for a second, but then it registered that the Headmaster had no clue how many people he would be dealing with, so he took a quick headcount for the man.

    "Headmaster, there are 86 people above that you need to deal with first; the remaining ones are already out cold, so my idiot brother can just pull them down for you.

    "Got it," was all Geralt said before generating enough orbs and moving on to build a spatial cuberge enough to hold around 300 people.

    ----

    While all eyes were on the fight above, nearly a hundred golfball-sized holes began opening up in the ground, suspiciously close to any being injured or unconscious that wasn''t a Ghoul.

    Soon enough, slightly smaller orbs of Aqua-colored light flew out of these holes and merged with the horrified beings watching Haylon and the Governor fight.

    In an instant, these Aqua-colored lights would render them unconscious before the holes in the ground would widen enough to amodate the being swallowing them before closing as if nothing had happened.

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 Chapter 567 MyrkLys Side (1)

    ?

    **POV SELENE PRE-FIGHT**

    "You¡­you bettere back to me alive and in one piece or so fucking help me; I''ll kill myself to join you where ever we are meant to go." With that said, Selene brought up her arm and wiped her tears with her forearm before spinning around and bolting off at full speed to catch up with the others.

    With the sting of her tears blurring her vision, Selene shifted into her gaseous form so that no one could see or hear her sobbing. Although she knew Cynrik was right and that she would only hinder him and Brance in battle, it didn''t make their parting any more manageable.

    Compared to the monstrous brothers, she could only consider herself half, maybe 2/3rds, as strong as them, so in a battle with such heavily opposing odds, she had to trust that Cynrik''s n would be good enough.

    Still, Cynrik''s words yed a continuous loop in her mind as she scrambled to catch up to the rest of the group, who had already covered over 5 kilometers.

    Each time Cynrik''s words reyed, her heart felt as if someone were stabbing her.

    **[[ This has nothing to do with you, and if you care about me even a fucking little bit, you will do as I say.]]**

    After all this time, how could he still call into question her feelings for him? Selene thought as her anguish painted ck with depression.

    ''Am I not good enough? Do I not act like a proper girlfriend?'' These thoughts bounced around Selene''s head as her mood worsened, but that all changed when something urred off in the distance behind her¡ªit happened soon after reaching the 5-kilometer mark and catching sight of the group.

    WOOOOOUUUUUMMMMMM!!!!

    ''That sound¡­the fight has begun,'' shifting back to solid form, Selene spun around upon hearing the sound; however, her forward momentum kept her moving in the zero-g environment.

    BBBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!

    The second sound was so loud that even at the distance she had umted, Selene was forced to cover her ears with her hands and clench her jaw tightly to contract her tensor tympani *Muscle in the ear* in fear of shattering her eardrums.

    Far away, across the city of ruins below, an eerie ck light shed, bringing an incredible bubble in the form of a shock wave that sent Selene spinning through the air like a broken marite.

    Robbed of what little oxygen she could breathe, Selene tore through the air at speeds she could never achieve on her own as she was washed away by the shockwave spanning dozens of kilometers in length.

    Like a bullet shot from a naval railgun, Selene soared for an unknown distance until her eyes caught sight of the group of young adults and their guardian before passing them by while they looked back toward the source of the explosion with jaws dropped and wide eyes.

    Unfortunately for Selene, she could not catch her breath and, as such, couldn''t scream for help; instead, she looked down at them with fear in her eyes as she screamed internally.

    Luckily, someone caught sight of the streakinget she had be, causing hope to blossom in her heart.

    "SELENE!" Gabby screamed with horrified eyes as she caught sight of the red blur as it whizzed by. If it weren''t for her r skills increasing her vision and pure luck, Gabby would have never seen her roommate, but since she did, there was no way the young girl wouldn''t act.

    Pushing down the sorrow caused by leaving her beloved Brancie, Gabby moved into action, extending her arm toward Selene and shooting out a thick Psychic Mana constructed Chain, which quickly wrapped around Selene''s body.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Knowing that if she didn''t time things right, she could identally kill her roommate, Gabby allowed the Chain to fly with her while slowing down how quickly it lengthed until eventually, after half a kilometer, Selene finally came to a slow and gentle stop.

    No longer under the insane pressure caused by moving so quickly and the oppressive force emitted by the shockwave, Selene gasped for air like someone who had nearly drowned as the group swiftly arrived, and Gabby rushed forward to wrap her roommate in a tight and fearful embrace.

    "You¡­you¡­are you alright, Selly?" Gabby fought to speak through the gasps caused by her sobs.

    Shaken by the experience and her heart racing a million miles a second, Selene returned Gabby''s embrace and rubbed small circles on her back.

    "Yeah, sweetie, I am now, thank''s to you." Although her voice still had an edge of sorrow due to the interaction with Cynrik, and her eyes were wild with fright from the near-death experience, Selene stillforted her best friend.

    It took a few minutes before Selene could calm Gabby down. Still, when she finally did, the group cast one final look back toward where they knew Cynrik and Brance were fighting before continuing their journey, with Selene taking the lead now that she had reunited with them.

    Traveling for some time and using what she saw above in reality to pinpoint their location, Selene determined they were almost back to the Pinhurst Mansion and adjusted their forward heading.

    However, right before they were about to make their way toward the visible gaping hole in the surface, a second rumbling explosion urred behind them, causing everyone''s heads to snap in that direction.

    Unlike the first one, unknowingly caused by Cynrik, this explosion painted the distance in many colors before turning into a sizeable nuclear bomb-style mushroom cloud.

    "How in the fuck are those two so powerful?" Garrison muttered, stating what was on everyone''s mind, but they could not voice it.

    MyrkLys knew the Jetlensr brothers were powerful, but to be able to cause suchrge explosions shook their minds as they quickly realized they had never seen Cynrik and Brance use the full extent of their strength in battle.

    "We can''t stop; the aftershock will being soon; everyone through the hole!" Knowing it was only a matter of time and estimating this second st to be many times stronger than the first, Selene acted like a shepherd, rushing everyone through the temporal hole and into what Selene recognized as the Pinhurst Mansion''s training room.

    In groups of two, Everyoneunched themselves off the closest solid object and flew through the hole generated by Cynrik, which caused an instant issue.

    Upon breaking through the barrier between reality and the Shadow Realm, gravity took hold of their bodies and mmed them into the ground, robbing them of the oxygen in their lungs.

    To most, it felt as if they were jumping into a pool, only to m into a brick wall; the feeling in itself was unpleasant as can be.

    Fortunately, each and every person was an experiencedbatant, and acting on instinct, those whonded back in reality swiftly rolled out of the way in time for the next batch of people to make it into the training room.

    Two by two, the Governor''s children and Kurzanded safely, followed by Benny and Melody. Lastly, Garrison went solo as he dove through the hole,nding like a superhero on the padded Training Room floor; then, he jumped out of the way for the final two members of the group.

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 Chapter 568 MyrkLys Side (2)

    ?

    Two by two, the Governor''s children and Kurzanded safely, followed by Benny and Melody. Lastly, Garrison went solo as he dove through the hole,nding like a superhero on the padded Training Room floor; then, he jumped out of the way for the final two members of the group.

    Soon enough, only Selene and Gabby were left in the Shadow Realm, holding hands and watching the massive dome of light form into a mushroom cloud and growrger.

    The two knew that Brance must have caused this second attack, but neither said a word as they both sent silent prayers to no one in particr that their boyfriends would return to them safe.

    Then, ncing back one final time, Selene and Gabbyunched themselves through the hole in reality.

    The moment their feet cleared the barrier, it snapped closed with a soft popping noise, and the two found everyone had crawled to different spots in the room with pale faces and sweat coating their bodies.

    Having escaped danger by a razor-thin margin and having a chaotic storm of emotions running through their heads, everyone wanted toy there and rest, but the job was still unfinished.

    The first to move was Selene, who burst into motion, jumping to her feet and racing out of the Training room, down three twisting hallways, up the basement staircase, and into the living room, where she burst into looking like a crazy person, only to find the parents holding each other.

    Thedies had puffy red eyes and cheeks stained with tears, while the men wore stony expressions; only Jessup was on his feet, tapping away on his Watcet.

    However, the instant Selene appeared with her wild appearance, everyone''s heads snapped in her direction,pletely caught off guard that she was at the Mansion, over 70 kilometers from the Governor''s ce where the G was being held.

    "Mare, Protocol RED! Lock the whole ce down, seal every entrance, and bring up the shields." While everyone was stunned at Selene''s arrival, Jessup seemed to have been waiting for her to show up. As such, he immediately spoke calmly and clearly to the system AI which controlled every square inch of the Mansion and its grounds.

    His words drew the attention of everyone present as they looked at him with strange gazes.

    "Command Acknowledged, Protocol Red initiated." A sweet voice chimed through the entire Mansion, causing everyone to furrow their brow and look between Jessup and Selene.

    "Selene, where are the others, I felt a portal of some kind open in the training room, so I automatically assumed it was Cynrik''s doing. With this assumption in mind, I held off on entering a state of lockdown." Walking over to the frazzled young woman, who stared at him in confusion, Jessup ced a hand on Selene''s shoulder and guided her to a spot on the couch before withdrawing a high-grade Stamina potion from his inventory and forcing her to gulp it down.

    Being guided like a child, Selene followed the old man''s will, chugged down the potion, and took a second to organize her thoughts.

    It had been less than an hour since they left Cynrik and Brance, yet it seemed like an eternity to her; even so, it only took a few seconds for Selene to collect herself and look up at the old man, who seemed as if he were a mountain while standing less than a meter away.

    Even though the HoloTv was on, and a reporter was giving a livementary of the battle urring at the Governor''s Mansion from a safe distance, no one in the room paid it any mind as Selene began exining from start to finish what had transpired.

    Spewing information like a river that had flooded its banks, Selene detailed everything from when Cynrik realized they were walking into a trap, to the scuffle between him and the Military officials, before exining how they had taken the Governor''s children before sinking into the Shadow Realm.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Next, she exined that Cynrik had realized Lithlen was the one who set the brothers up by leaking their information and even joining hands with Haylon, setting up the ambush. With this information in hand, he had been ovee by rage, bing a manifestation of Wrath and setting a n to ambush Lithlen and Viktor in motion.

    Finally, she exined everything she knew about the battle between the brothers and the two Peak Tier-5 beings, which wasn''t much, but she still did it.

    During her exnation, Jessup realized the young girl was entering privileged information territory only he was privy to. Without missing a beat, the old man had enclosed himself and Selene in a soundproof barrier so that none of the parents present could overhear.

    Jessup''s heart skipped when Selene narrated that the brothers had initiated a fight to the death in a closed-off dimension outside of reality. With this thought in mind, he couldn''t help but pat himself on the back for having the quick wit to silence the girl from everyone outside himself.

    Jessup''s eyes shifted away from Selene as he nced at Rikard, whose muscles were twitching. Even though Rikard hated his father, the man was still the one who raised him. Thus, there was no doubt he would not only be distraught at the fact his children were in danger but that no matter who won, he would lose his kin in either oue.

    When Selene was finished with her story, she threw dozens of questions at Jessup, the tone of her voice wasn''t usatory, only confused since her mind was already halfway to shattering due to the growing fear in her heart.

    The cause was the multiple nces she kept shooting toward the HoloTv, which showcased the battle between the Governor and Haylon.

    Unlike everyone in the room, she had felt the oppressive and downright horrifying feeling of helplessness brought about by being in the presence of both Death Mana and a Mid-Tier-6 being.

    So even if the brothers won, that wasn''t the end. Knowing Brance''s personality, she had a feeling that they would then move to attempt evacuating any survivors under the nose of Haylon, the man who sought their heads.

    It didn''t take being a father of a young girl for Jessup to understand that the usually aloof and yful Selene was distraught due to the fight her boyfriend was partaking in.

    From her subtle bodynguage to the darting of her eyes, he could tell Selene, who was usually a fearless girl, was so deeply in love with a boy in danger that she didn''t care about anything else.

    Even the nces she kept shooting toward the Tv were all in the hope of seeing Cynrik appear; with this thought in mind, he grabbed Selene by both shoulders and forced her to look him in the eyes.

    "Listen to me, Cynrik would never walk into a fight without weighing the options and finding a path to sess; you and I both know this. Sure, he may be going up against two Peak-Tier-5 beings, but that brat is the toughest son of a bitch I''ve ever met.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 569 MyrkLys Side (3)

    ?

    "Listen to me, Cynrik would never walk into a fight without weighing the options and finding a path to sess; you and I both know this. Sure, he may be going up against two Peak-Tier-5 beings, but that brat is the toughest son of a bitch I''ve ever met."

    Jessup''s words resonated with Selene; even so, she could not curb the fear that had been flourishing in her heart.

    "I¡­I understand that, and I know Cynrik and Brance have fought powerful opponents ande out on top in the past, but this time, it''s different. You didn''t see or feel the destruction behind those two attacks they unleashed." As she spoke, a tremble ran through Selene''s body as she remembered soaring through the air uncontrobly.

    "Doesn''t matter; from what you have said, Viktor and Lithlen were already on death''s door at the beginning of the fight. With Haylon''s Death Mana invading their bodies, there is no quick way to recover from their sustained damage." Releasing Selene and crossing his arms, Jessup didn''t break eye contact with the young woman as he spoke.

    "At best, they should be able to output strength equivalent to a Peak-Tier-4 or Initial-Tier-5, especially in the case of Lithlen, a ranged SpellBreaker. You underestimate Death Mana''s devastating and invasive impact on a person''s Codex."

    "Then there is the case of the Shadow Realm itself, which cuts off the flow to outside Elements, which increases the chances of those knucklehead brothers when ites to victory."

    After hearing the old man''s exnation, Selene''s eyes widened in realization, but they sank again as she expressed her opinion about the brothers'' rescue mission. One that would more than likely be forced by Brance since Cynrik wasn''t the kind of person to give a flying fuck about outsiders.

    This time, Jessup fell silently into deep thought before speaking.

    "This is the more troubling matter, in my opinion; it is one thing to wipe out a couple of old fogies who can''t fight back properly, but if they end up doing something on that level¡­." Midway through his statement, Jessup noticed something strange on the HoloTV feed, which the reporter hadn''t picked up.

    "Those two¡­I hoped that Geralt could talk some sense into them, but it seems he is aiding them instead of stopping this careless farce from urring." Due to his age, Tier, or maybe his keen eyesight, Jessup noticed multiple people suddenly passing out in the far corner of the screen before vanishing from sight.

    With a loud sigh, he then dropped the noise canction barrier and turned to face the adults in the room, mainly Rikard, who wore a stony expression as he looked into the old man''s eyes.

    "We need to talk¡­alone." With that, Jessup didn''t say another word and turned to leave the room right as the rest of the members of MyrkLys, plus the Governor''s three children and Garrison, appeared in the living room short of breath.

    With the sudden arrival of their children, Gabby and Benny''s parents rushed forward and grabbed the two in a tight embrace, leaving Cinyah and Maeve to walk up to Selene with tears in their eyes.

    Meanwhile, Garrison walked up, ced a hand on Kurza''s shoulder, and observed the events happening on the HoloTv before shooting a worried nce at the three children whose eyes had tears threatening to spill over while they watched their father fight.

    Selene was at a loss when breaking the news to Cinyah; Maeve was a different story altogether. It was one thing to talk to her future mother-inw, but Selene felt she still had to say something to the other woman, who appeared just as heartbroken when it came to the missing Jetlensr brothers.

    "They¡­they stayed back to fight, not with Haylon, but instead the other two threats." Cinyah understood Selene''s words, although she had been vague; even so, the confirmation struck like a bomb.

    Feeling all the strength leave her body, Cinyah copsed to the ground on her knees, causing Selene to follow her and embrace the woman tightly on the floor, seekingfort that they were both upset.

    Suddenly, another pair of arms wrapped around their bodies as, somehow, Gabby extricated herself from her parents and joined them. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Those¡­idiots, why can''t they ever stay out of trouble¡­." Cinyah choked out between sobs, causing Gabby to burst into tears along with the woman.

    Meanwhile, Selene could not respond, as she buried her head into Cinyah''s shoulder to hide her tears from the world.

    BANGGG, CRASH, BOOOM!

    Suddenly, a cacophony of loud sounds came from the other room, where Rikard and Jessup had vanished, causing everyone in the living room to flinch and stare in that direction.

    Along with the noises came a wave of oppressiveness, which forced everyone present to shiver in fright.

    "KNOCK IT OFF, YOU STUPID FUCK! DO YOU WANT ME TO HURT YOU? WHAT''S DONE IS DONE, AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU OR I CAN DO ABOUT IT!" Jessup''s voice boomed loud enough to cause tremors throughout the house.

    Cinyah''s eyes moved away from the two girls in her arms and toward where she knew her husband was as a sorrowful mask slid onto her face.

    For Jessup to have such an outburst, only one thing could have happened. Upon learning his children were fighting against his father, Rikard must have lost his temper andshed out, demanding the protective array covering the house dropped so he could rush to the aid of his sons.

    This outburst must have caused the significantly stronger Jessup tosh out and restrain Rikard, stopping him from acting rashly and throwing his life away.

    Only then did something dawn on Selene¡­she hadn''t realized it immediately. Still, the words Jessup said finally dawned on her. Her head whipped away from Cinyah''s shoulder toward the HoloTV, where she watched it with narrowed eyes until she, too, noticed the strange disappearances happening on the feed.

    "They won?" Selene''s voice was faint, but due to her proximity to Cinyah and Gabby, the two turned toward the TV, and soon enough, they also noticed the strange incidents.

    However, unlike what one would expect, Cinyah wasn''t excited; instead, her heart broke for her husband. If what they saw was a sign that Cynrik and Brance were on the move, that could only mean that Lithlen Jetlensr was dead.

    No matter how much Rikard hated his father, he was still the man who raised him; his passing would be hard on the man. Not only that, but there would be a storm in the Jetlensr n when word got out, and Cinyah could only pray that Cynrik had a good enough n and hidden any traces of his involvement.

    The Jetlensr n was massive, with dozens of branch families, and if this information ever got out, there would be hell to pay, and the well over a thousand members of the n would be out for blood.

    Soon enough, the oppressive feeling being emitted by Jessup faded, and the old man appeared back in the living room. He then stopped and motioned for Cinyah to go to her husband; the man neededfort.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 570 Operation Saving Asses (2)

    ?

    Back in the Shadow Realm, things had been moving smoothly. One by one, Cynrik snatched the unconscious people. His timing coincided with the distance from the fight happening in the sky.

    So far, they had gone unnoticed, and since he was strategically picking off those furthest away from the fight first, he hadn''t drawn any attention yet.

    "OI, Geralt pick up the pace, we don''t have all day, and this fight is in the final stages." Cynrik''s annoyed and arrogant voice caused Geralt to grit his teeth and speed up the extraction of casualties from the battle between Haylon and the Governor.

    To his right was a translucent cube the size of a baseball field, where well over 50 unconscious people with varying injuries could be seen. That wasn''t all either. Moving from one person to the next was Brance, as he rapidly healed those with severe injuries while using abination of HolyFire and Light Mana to eradicate any Death Mana in their bodies.

    "Instead of bitching, why don''t you do something useful like your brother," Geralt grumbled under his breath as he peeked at Cynrik, who was high above monitoring the fight.

    "Oh, and what exactly do you expect me to do? I can only cause destruction; Brancie is thebat medic. Plus, it''s not like I am standing here picking my nose; I have to wait for you to knock out these asshats before dragging them down." Even from 50 meters away, Cynrik heard the remark and scoffed.

    "Fuck if I know?" Throwing up his hands in defeat, Geralt burned through his Space Mana while Cynrik casually waved his arms to toss more bodies into the spatial cube.

    "Knock out the Governor''s wife while you''re at it, she''s in bad shape, and if Brance doesn''t heal her soon, she''ll die next." Sniffling and opening a golfball-sized portal near the downed woman, Cynrik stated loud enough for the Headmaster to hear.

    "We can''t do that yet, Cynrik; she is too close to the battle. If she suddenly disappears, I have no doubt we will swiftly end up on Haylon''s radar, let alone the Governor, who is likely keeping tabs on his wife''s condition." Geralt counted, causing Cynrik to frown.

    Scanning the surrounding ruined grounds, Cynrik counted that there were only a few dozen people left, but more than that, he noticed more corpses were lying around than people they had saved.

    However, his pupils constricted as he noticed faint movementsing from these corpses, a twitching finger here, a moving leg there, and his brain spun on overdrive.

    ''Son of a bitch¡­'' Cynrik thought as his eyes darted toward Haylon, who had separated from the Governor and had his arms down and outstretched.

    Like a puppeteer, the man''s fingers rapidly moved in strange circles. Before long, all the corpses rose slowly and started looking around like mindless dolts in an attempt to get their bearings.

    Then, like predators who had locked onto their prey, all the moving corpses turned and looked at the Governor''s wife as she could be seen struggling to her feet and nursing a horrific injury on her abdomen.

    With their target found, the corpses began shambling in her direction before breaking into a sprint simultaneously.

    Above, Haylon smirked triumphantly before shooting forward with a ghastly scythe spinning in his hands and jumping back intobat with the Governor to keep him distracted while his puppetspleted their task.

    [BRANCIE, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD SCENARIO!] Cynrik shouted at the top of his lungs into the mind link as he mmed down his arms, expelling several long, inky ck tendrils.

    Down below, in the Spatial Cube, Brance flinched at his brother''s words and frantically looked above only to find around 40 what could be described as fresh zombies sprinting full speed at the injured woman.

    [Night of the living dead, my ass, that''s straight up twenty-eight weekster!] Brance replied while kicking off the Mana-constructed cube and shing into the sky beside his older brother. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    [What''s the n?] Without missing a beat, Brance drew his shields off his back andbined them into their Greatsword form.

    [Ima pull all the unconscious down together and then aid the Governess from down here. I need you to devise a way to take out all the zombies in one move since if we waste too much time dealing with them, Haylon will catch on.] Cynrik stated as he did exactly as he said and shot out all the tendrils through their predetermined portals, wrapping them around the bodies of the unconscious people and pulling them into the Shadow Realm before releasing them and allowing them to float helplessly.

    "Geralt, grab the floaters and shove them in your magic box; we have bigger problems to deal with," Cynrik stated as his eyes drifted side to side like a radar taking a tally of how many enemies there were.

    "Huh? Oh¡­fuck, has Haylon progressed so far in such a short time that he unlocked the Necromancy Skill tree?" Stunned only for a second due to Cynrik''s actions, Geralt quickly jumped into motion, grabbing anyone he saw floating in the zero-g environment while catching sight of the zombies.

    "It seems so; I feel dumb for not concluding it was possible earlier. As someone who can use Death Mana, I should have predicted this oue when I saw the corpses were left intact. Stupid¡­how could I have been so stupid." Berating himself aloud, Cynrik finished abducting everyone still alive and positioned himself directly under the Governess.

    [Cyn, I have an idea, but it''s risky.] Keeping pace with his brother, Brance held his Greatsword with one hand and waved his hand along the de.

    With the gesture, multiple small milky white orbs appeared one after another on the t Greatsword and hungrily started drawing in Mana from their creator.

    [Hm, oh, that''s not a bad idea; the timing has to be perfect, though.] Catching onto what his brother was thinking, Cynrik nervously scooted away from Brance since he was getting a sketchy vibe from the orbs thanks to the heavy contrast in their Affinities.

    Feeling he had put enough distance between himself and Brance, Cynrik raised his left hand and swiped at the air, causing 49 small portals to open in a ring around the Governess.

    Each portal was too small to notice since they were the same size as the marbles Brance created in batches.

    Cynrik finished his end of the n at the exact moment the Governess noticed the horde rushing at her.

    The poor woman gritted her teeth in agony as blood and pus oozed from the wound on her abdomen; even so, she exploded with visible Mana, prepared to go down swinging.

    [It''s now, or never, Brancie, you baseball those fucking scourges into the air, and I will pull the Governess down. Move on three.] Slowing his breathing, Cynrik focused heavily on two things, the movement of the zombies and the portals, which he expanded slightly, making themrge enough so Brance wouldn''t identally hit the edges of the barrier.

    [3,] time seemed to slow down as the zombies crossed the 40-meter mark.

    [2,] Feeling his Mana nearly empty out, Brance took a stance and slung his Greatsword over his shoulder, locking onto all 49 portals. He only had one shot, so it had to count.

    [1,] Crossing the 20-meter mark, several zombies lunged forward while emitting gurgling sounds that could be heard thanks to the portals.

    [NOW!]

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 571 Operation Saving Asses (3)

    ?

    **It''s Wednesday, so that means 1500 word Single Chapter; remember Wed and Sun I do single, longer chapters instead of two. **

    [NOW!] Cynrik shouted, causing Brance to swing his Greatsword like a loaded baseball bat.

    In response, all of the milky glowing marbles wereunched like fighter jets off an aircraft carrier, and if one looked closely, they would even be able to notice a faint burst of HolyFire trailing from the back of the marbles.

    Unlike Cynrik, whose Mana control and MIND stats were absurdly high, Brance had to rely on two external factors to hit his mark.

    The first was utilizing the momentum caused by swinging his Greatsword to get the marbles into motion, while the second factor was micro course corrections using his HolyFire.

    Releasing his weapon and allowing it to float in the air, Brance thrust both arms forward and manipted as many of the [White Dwarfs] as possible.

    Puppeteering over forty tiny orbs was a daunting task; without the high perception of his brother, nor the parallel thought processes, Brance struggled even to get the 49 orbs to separate enough to make their way toward the slightlyrger portals.

    But that was where Cynrik came in; having already anticipated this scenario, he controlled the Ambient Dark and Umbra Mana particles abundantly present in the Shadow Realm, generating make-shift tubes linked to the portals.

    Each tube connected on one end to one of the 49 portals before spiderwebbing down and sucking a marble in; this was the only way Cynrik could guarantee they went unnoticed since expanding the portals wouldn''t be necessary.

    Although he was using a contrasting Element, it was enough to create a strange phenomenon, simr to the opposite ends of a ma repelling each other.

    The tubes resembling ck snakes began breaking down as the marbles traveled through them; however, they served their purpose, and right before the zombies broke through the 5-meter mark, the WDs shed through the Barrier into reality and kicked off phase two of the n.

    Recapturing the Umbra Mana particles used to create the tubes, Cynrik pped his hands together, separating the particles in two. Then, sping his hands like you would if making a snowball, Cynrik suddenly tore the air apart, generating two effects.

    The first was a long inky ck tendril, and the second was a two-meter circr ring right under the injured Governess''s feet. Within a fraction of a second, the portal opened up like a hole into the abyss of hell, and the tendril snaked through the portal, wrapped itself around her waist, and yanked her down and into the Shadow Realm, causing the woman to yelp in fright.

    What startled her the most wasn''t suddenly falling downward; instead, what caused her pretty face to distort in confusion and terror was the multiple bright shes of Light that exploded in every zombie''s face.

    As the Governess sank into the Shadow Realm, she stared up and watched as the world seemed to lose all color due to the portal closing just in time to avoid the incredibly bright and powerful explosions.

    Brance had practically burned every ounce of Light Mana in his body preparing the [White Dwarfs], and as such, the explosions they caused were a sight to behold.

    Unfortunately, or rather fortunately, due to their proximity to the st site, thanks to the Barrier between realms, Brance, Geralt, and the Governess heard nothing and only saw a bright sh of Light followed by the disintegration of the moving corpses.

    The only person who could hear the deafening explosion was Cynrik, who, thanks to his strange connection with the Shadow Realm and its tangible Barrier, cupped his ears and flew downward.

    "FUCK ME! THAT''S LOUD!" He shouted as the tinnitus kicked in, loudly ringing his ears. Lowering his hands, Cynrik shook his head a few times as his Healing factor kicked in, and the damage to his eardrums swiftly repaired itself automatically.

    "What, huh, how?" the Governess mumbled as her attention was drawn to Cynrik, who was opening and closing his mouth like a fish to clear the pressure in his head.

    "Huff¡­huff, hello, Ma''am, I know you are in shock right now, but exnations can happenter; we must treat your injuries since your life is in danger." Floating up beside the Governess, Brance gently ced his hands on her shoulders, causing the woman to flinch like a scared kitten, and guided her toward the ground while attempting to catch his breath. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Burning so much Mana in one go was hard on him and left him struggling to breathe as Mana Sickness began setting in. ncing at his MP Bar, he estimated there was only 2% left in his tank, something that never happened, but given the fight and what he had just aplished, it made sense that he felt like he went through years'' worth of physical exercise in a short period.

    "You¡­you''re Brance Jetlensr." Landing on the ground, the Governess copsed onto her knees and watched as Brance chugged one Mana Potion after another.

    Meanwhile, Cynriknded beside them and shed the woman a charming smile.

    "Miss, this will sting a bit, but I must first eliminate the Death Mana in your body before we can use high-Grade Health Potions to close your wounds. Since there are only Dark Varient Mana particles in this Realm of mine, Brancie won''t be able to do it, so bear with me, and forgive me if I have to touch certain parts of your body." Cynrik scanned her body with [Mana Sight], trying to seem as casual as possible.

    Fighting back the urge to whistle at the ster and downright sexy body he saw as if the stunning woman was naked, Cynrik didn''t bother waiting for permission and ced his hand atop the Governess''s head before sending whisps of Umbra Mana through the crown of her skull.

    The sensation of his invasive Mana entering her body sent a cold shiver down the Governess''s spine. Before she realized it, the woman released a provocative moan because the cold feeling was quickly reced with lustful pleasure.

    [Cyn¡­don''t get any thoughts; she''s injured and, most of all, MARRIED.] Knowing his brother better than anyone could ever im to, Brance swiftly scolded Cynrik. He usually wouldn''t have said anything, but when Cynrik''s hand flipped over and gently caressed the woman''s cheek, Brance felt the need to step in and bring morals into the situation.

    [Shhhh, lemmie, do my thing, you cock blocker, this chick is too hot. Who gives a fuck if she''s married.] Cynrik stated with a scoff as he watched the Governess squirm under his touch.

    [Plus, the forbidden fruit tastes the best; help Geralt or something you pest, shoo, shoo.] Rolling his eyes, Cynrik trailed his hand down the woman''s pale neck and traced her corbone, under her chin, and to the other side.

    By this point, the Governess was practically panting and pushing her body against Cynrik''s hand as it explored her skin and made its way toward her cleavage.

    Either uncaring or having wholly given in to lust, thanks to the intense pleasure she was experiencing, the Governess felt no pain from her injuries.

    As time passed, her ragged breathing increased, and her pale milky skin flushed pink while she became aware of the dampness between her legs.

    Even so, she wasn''t embarrassed and had given in entirely to the young man, only barely restraining herself from stripping down then and there.

    Unfortunately, even though the woman was clearly not in the right state of mind, and Cynrik could practically have his way with her, even he knew now wasn''t the best time to push his luck, so he put some distance between his hand and her flesh while moving over her ample breast without physically touching the round mounds of fat.

    The sight was enough for Brance to rx. Even though Cynrik was pushing boundaries, he could see the Umbra Mana flowing in the Governess''s body as it attacked any Death Mana particles it came in contact with before moving on.

    Although the process was slow, Cynrik found his way to the woman''s Codex and frowned when he saw the effect Haylon''s Mana had on the organ and the Mana particles contained within.

    ''Fuck, this is going to be an annoying challenge.'' He thought as his right hand crept up to the back of the woman''s neck, and with a faint smacking sound, he chopped her hard enough to rob the Governess of consciousness.

    Catching her limp body, he gentlyid the woman down on her back and withdrew multiple Health potions. Realizing it was going to be a tricky task to remove all the swirling Death Mana eroding her Codex, Cynrik ced his hand firmly against the woman''s breast, not forgetting to cop a good feel of the spongy and stic mound, and forced arge amount of Umbra Mana into her chest.

    While his left hand gripped her breast, Cynrik isted her Codex, sent a pulse of Mana through every inch of her body, excluding the Codex, and instantly cleared any remaining Death Mana before opening her mouth and pouring the potions down her throat.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 572 Healing The Injured (1)

    ?

    If there was one ability that Cynrik excelled at and had carried over from his past life, if it could even be called that, it would have to be his ability to Multitask.

    With one hand controlling his Umbra Mana to keep the Death Mana isted and contained in its present location, Cynrik''s other hand went to work drawing the Health Potion down the Governess''s throat to her stomach.

    Next, he set about dumping the contents of multiple High-Grade healing potions into the air, where it stayed in the form of a giant orange blob thanks to the zero-g environment of the Shadow Realm.

    Once he had emptied the equivalent of 8 potions into the air, his left hand danced as Cynrik utilized the Affinitiless Mana particles to cover the liquid blob.

    When that was done, his eyes scanned the Governess from head to toe, and he formed a perfect scale replica of the woman using the blob. With that part finished, he lined the construct up with her, lowered his hand, brought the orange liquid clone down, andyered it over the woman''s body, leaving three spots clear, one for each nostril and then her mouth, allowing the woman to breathe.

    ''Hehe, it''s like making a bacta tank from SW, only instead of her getting into a tube, I brought the contents to her.'' Cynrik thought as a smile crept unto his lips.

    ---

    Not far away, in the spatial cube, Brance kept tossing nces at his brother, and a deep frown had set on his face the moment he saw Cynrik taking liberties with the Governess''s chest.

    Shaking his head and understanding there would be timeter to scold his older brother, Brance examined the multiple untreated and unconscious people.

    However, a problem soon cropped up: hisck of Elemental Mana. In saving the Governess, Brance had effectively emptied his reserves, and currently, after chugging multiple Mana Potions, the only particles in his Codex were Affinitiless.

    Although he could heal their bodies with potions, Brance had no feasible method to deal with the abundant Death Mana coursing through their Mana Circuits and Codexes.

    Without expelling or eradicating the Death Mana, even if he healed everyone into tip-top shape, it wouldn''t take long for them to be cripples unable to use Mana.

    And that was only scratching the surface of the problem. With [Mana Sight] active, Brance witnessed how the particles moving freely in their bodies outside the Codex would attack any living Cell, breaking it down like cancer.

    Blood, organs, bone, even cartge, the particles didn''t care, so long as it was tissue or matter, the Death Mana would eat it, strengthening themselves simultaneously.

    Gritting his teeth and feeling more helpless than ever, Brance began going from person to person, young and old, and feeding them Health Potions.

    ---

    As the brothers worked on their respective projects, Geralt flew around like a chicken without a head, scooping up three to four people at a time and racing toward the Spatial Cube to dump them off before grabbing another batch.

    He was so frantic due to one thing: theck of oxygen in the Shadow Realm. As a being at the Peak of Tier-5, he could easily handle the thin air, but the same didn''t apply to the unconscious and injured people.

    Essentially, it was no different than them being dumped in a body of water; the more time they spent floating in the Realm unconscious, the higher the chances of asphyxiating.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Luckily, he had the foresight to deal with the situation he was facing earlier. When Cynrik opened up the portals to reality, he took some time to send out hundreds of small cubes to trap as much Wind Mana as possible.

    The Spatial Cube he had created was good at not only keeping things from entering, but it was equally as good at keeping something such as Mana Particles inside; thus, he made a supply chain of fresh oxygen moving into the cube until Cynrik had cut off the source.

    By the time he had done so, Geralt had supplied enough breathable oxygen to the Spatial Cube to sustain well over 800 people for several hours, meaning that the less than 200 houses unconscious people stored inside would be perfectly fine.

    ---

    Crouched on one knee, Cynrik watched in amazement as the orange liquid surrounding the Governess faded rapidly. It wasn''t the quantity per se, but the potion quality that changed, starting with its color, and it only got worse the longer it stayed on her body.

    Initially, the High-Grade health potion was the color of a fresh tangerine; however, the longer it did its job healing the woman, the duller that color became.

    ''Interesting, as it heals her body, the potion continuously degrades, signified by the color change. The most basic Low-Grade Health potion is crystal clear, no different than the color of clean drinking water, but as the quality of the potion increases, the darker it bes.'' Cynrik thought as his eyes examined the liquid blob.

    ''The highest quality I''ve gotten my hands on potion-wise is these High-Grade ones, which are bright Orange. Low is Clear, Mid is a dark orange, and High is bright Orange. But whates after High-Grade? Would it start turning red next until it looks like blood or something?''

    Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Cynrik continued observing the liquid until it faded to a transparent color, signaling that the quality had dropped as low as possible.

    Understanding that the liquid no longer served a purpose, Cynrik flicked his free hand away from his body as if trying to get a bug off himself, causing the fluid to separate from the Governess and turn into tiny beads.

    ''I should store this stuff forter and run a couple of experiments to see what changes have urred,'' with that in mind, Cynrik caught hold of the loose and floating empty bottles with tethers of Umbra Mana and stored all the clear liquid in them, followed by stowing the full bottles back in his inventory.

    ncing over the Governess onest time, Cynrik double-checked that any physical and internal injury had been healed before directing his attention toward the quarantined Codex.

    From the get-go, he first noticed the size of the Codex. Unlike his own, which was several sizes smaller than any organ in his body, the Governess''s Codex looked 1.5 times the size of her heart, which had long since shifted around some of her internal organs to adapt to the extra size of the organ.

    There was a name for this; it was called Codexal Discement. As far as Cynrik knew, it was not only harmless but a good thing since having a strange object suddenly growing in the human body tended to end up badly 10 out of 10 times.

    Even though the body treated the Codex like any other organ, the arrangement of her organs was significantly different from what Cynrik knew of Human Anatomy.

    While the woman''s skeletal structure was the same as any other human skeleton he had seen in textbooks or online, the same couldn''t be said about her organs.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 573 Healing The Injured (2)

    ?

    While the woman''s skeletal structure was the same as any other human skeleton he had seen in textbooks or online, the same couldn''t be said about her organs.

    Upon stepping into the Fifth Tier, the organs generally associated with bodily functions would shrink, especially ones such as the lungs, liver, stomach, and intestines, which would be less effective as one grew in power.

    Their main reason being the body would be more dependent on utilizing Mana to sustain life instead of eating or breathing. As such, they became unnecessary and shrank, giving way to more important things such as the Codex and heart.

    Seeing as it was Cynrik''s first time getting an up-close and personal interaction with a being such as the Governess, it made sense that his Mad Scientist brain would want to study it.

    To him, this was no different from getting his hands on an alien species, and he wanted nothing more than to figure out how everything worked.

    Unfortunately, since time didn''t permit such things, he took a lot of mental snapshots for further observations and instead zoomed his vision in on the situation inside of her Codex.

    What he saw caused Cynrik''s face to darken.

    The Death Mana was highly active in attacking and destroying the two Mana particle types, in this case, Psychic and Terra.

    ''Tobs, what is the best way to do this?'' Getting a good view of the going ons of the Death Mana, Cynrik was stumped on how to move forward.

    Ideally, he wanted to brute force his Umbra Mana into the Codex and eradicate any trace of the Death Mana. However, if he did that, not only could he identally cause injuries to the woman, but if he was rash, Cynrik could potentially cripple the woman''s ability to utilize Mana, which was no better than killing her since her body relied on it to live.

    -Honestly, you only have two options here, Cyn. There is a third, but it would be impossible for you to achieve it.-

    -Option one is the brute force method, which, although dangerous, it''s the more straightforward way to meet your goal.-

    -The downside is, as you know, a high chance of disabling her ability to use Mana, or worse yet, killing her.-

    -Realistically, even if you were an expert on doing such a procedure, there is only a 20% chance of sess. From my understanding of your country''s technology and knowledge, only three Doctors have experience in simr situations.-

    -And that percentage is their own; I''d say you have a 3 to 5% chance of seeding.-

    ''Che, look''s like the easy method is off the table then. What is the second method?'' Scratching his chin with his free hand, Cynrik took the opportunity to squish the Governess''s breast again, savoring the feeling shamelessly.

    -The Second option is more time-consuming but safer at the same time.-

    -As you know, a beings Codex can only manipte and handle Mana particles of which the being has an Affinity: that or those of the Affinitiless variety. When external particles are introduced, the body''s natural response is to attack and cleanse the intruding particles.-

    -Option two consists of flooding your Umbra Particles into her Codex and coating the inside, trapping everything inside and forcing a war between opposing particles.-

    -With the Codex isted internally, no damage can be done to the organ itself, and you can snipe the Death Mana from time to time, but only to aid the Governess''s particles.-

    Ignoring Cynrik''s actions with the Governess, Tobs exined the second option, causing him to sigh loudly.

    ''Which is why it is time-consuming; I am essentially rendered as backup, only lending support when I see one side losing. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    -Indeed, but you must also remember that the moment you introduce your Umbra Particles to the Codex, it will treat you the same way as the Death Mana, splitting its resources between you and the Death Mana, weakening its battlefront since it has to deal with not one but two enemies.-

    -I can run some simtions on how long it will take, but I expect you will use the option for over an hour or two¡­that is, if nothing goes wrong.-

    ''I see¡­'' Looking over his shoulder, Cynrik watched Brance frantically move from one person to the next, burning all his Health potions on the injured people.

    ''And if Brance was to take over? What are his odds of sess with the first option?''

    -100 Percent. Although you can forcefully wrangle the particles into submission due to Umbra being a Superior Particle, Brance''s HolyFire is as much a healing Type Element as offensive, making them much gentler in this scenario.-

    -Unlike you, who would be forced into going in guns a zing, Brance can coax the Terra and Psychic Mana away from the Death, causing a cease-fire between them, before wiping out the Death Mana and leaving before the natives can attack him.-

    ''Sigh, and of course, right now, Brance is fresh out of Elemental Mana, quite the shitty situation we''ve found ourselves in this time.'' Sighing once more and looking back down at the Governess, Cynrik suddenly remembered the Third option Tobs had mentioned was impossible.

    ''Tell me about option three, I know you said it was outside the realm of possibility, but it doesn''t hurt to know what it is.''

    -Uh¡­give her an Umbra Affinity.-

    The moment the words left the little fairy''s mouth, Cynrik''s brain almost shut down, and he slowly turned to look at her on his shoulder with dead eyes.

    -H¡­hey now, don''t look at me with fish eyes; I said it was impossible for a reason, but that doesn''t make it any less viable of an option to heal the woman.-

    Jumping to her feet like a cat whose tail was stepped on, Tobs held her hands defensively and backed away from Cynrik''s face.

    -If her Codex recognized Umbra Particles, it wouldn''t attack, and you could take control of them temporarily to wipe out any traces of Death Mana in her body.-

    ''If she had an Umbra Affinity, I wouldn''t even have to do a thing to aid her, as the Umbra particles would have no trouble fighting back on their own. Tobs, why even bother telling me it was an option?''

    Hearing what his response was, Tobs dropped her hands and helplessly shrugged her shoulders, causing Cynrik to roll his eyes and look down at the Governess.

    ''Hold on¡­'' As he was about to write off option three entirely, Cynrik''s brain kicked into high gear as he remembered numerous situations in certain Anime and Novels he had read before.

    -Nope, not going to work, don''t try exining yourself or making bullshit sense out of things you don''t understand. You cant use fiction logic here; this isn''t something remotely on the same level as stealing techniques or skills from Anime Cyn; if you try what you are thinking, you will INSTANTLY KILL HER!-

    -Not only that, but the moment you attempt it, her Codex expands rapidly and explodes, making Brance''s Positron Cannon explosion look like child''s y.-

    Rushing forward and thumping Cynrik''s cheek with her tiny hand, Tobs freaked out as she read his thoughts and instantly stopped him from thinking in such a dangerous way.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 574 Revelations And Reactions To The Ambush

    ?

    Rushing forward and thumping Cynrik''s cheek with her tiny hand, Tobs freaked out as she read his thoughts and instantly stopped him from thinking in such a dangerous way.

    Unfortunately, no matter how intimidating and fierce Tobs acted, her attacks could barely be registered by Cynrik.

    ''Oi, calm down, Tobs; you didn''t even bother hearing me out on this one.'' Puffing out his left cheek in a pout, Cynrik reached across his body and snatched the small Mana Fairy by the back of her shirt before lifting her in front of his face.

    -CYNRIK, YOU PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT!-

    She howled while iling her arms and legs in every direction to free herself from the evil Cynrik''s clutches.

    ''Calm down squirt. It''s not like I can hurt you.'' Cynrik stated while rolling his eyes and releasing her.

    -HUFF, I know what goes on in that head of yours, and the first idea you came up with was flooding not only the Governess''s body but also her Codex with Umbra Mana so that you can force a chain reaction resulting in her obtaining the Affinity.-

    -LIFE ISNT ANIME CYNRIK! Shit like that doesn''t work in the real world. DUMB ASS!-

    Fluttering around like an angry wasp, Tobs continued bonking Cynrik all over his head until he looked at her, pursed his lips, and blew out a gust of air.

    In truth, it was just him exhaling normally; however, to Tobs, who was still unstable in her body, it felt like entering a hurricane. Not even a secondter, the tiny fairy had given up and suddenly appeared on Cynrik''s right shoulder again before sitting down, crossing her arms and pouting in protest toward her Tyrannical and mean host.

    ''Come on, I know you read the full breakdown and theory I came up with. Can you honestly tell me there is no basis for it working?'' Reaching up and gently poking Tobs'' arm, which ended up nudging her whole body to the side, Cynrik fought back the urge to tease the tiny fairy.

    It was simply too much fun.

    -HMPH, TAKE THIS, NOM!-

    In her anger, Tobsshed out and chomped down onto Cynrik''s finger in annoyance. However, to the person in question, it reminded him of catching small lizards as a kid.

    Back then, he and Brance would even have them bite down on their earlobes, making Lizard Earrings. It wasn''t like there was any force behind their bite, so it didn''t hurt; it just itched a little bit.

    Smirking at the memory, Cynrik wiggled his finger until Tobs finally let go and continued pouting.

    ''Instead of pouting and wasting time, how about you exin why it won''t work? I have a general idea of what could go wrong, but theoretically, it should be possible. All you would need is topletely flood the person''s Circuits and Codex, forcing a mutation and causing them to adapt to the presence and use of the new Particle.'' Scratching his cheek and looking down at the Governess''s Codex, Cynrik rattled off his fact-based theory.

    -No, there is no conceivable way that it would EVER work, Cynrik, because Affinities have nothing to do with the Body or the Codex and EVERYTHING to do with the Being''s SOUL!-

    This time, it was Cynrik''s turn to be stunned.

    ''Huh? You said WHAT NOW?'' His brain suddenly reached a screeching halt in an instant as he snapped his face away from the Governess and toward Tobs.

    It was the first time he heard a direct corrtion between Souls and Affinities. Every theory, experiment, and ounce of knowledge had him convinced Affinities were caused by some type of gic mutation within the Codex. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    But since he was well aware that Tobs would only embellish the truth but never lie, Cynrik felt his mouth go dry, and he realized very quickly that if he did, in fact, attempt to flood the Governess, the only oue would be a messy red mist covering him from head to toe.

    Well, that or an explosion that vaporizes him instantly.

    ---

    Meanwhile, while Tobs and Cynrik entered a staring contest, things, in reality, had gotten even more Chaotic than anyone could have imagined.

    Haylon''s jaw hung open as he stared at therge 100-meter crater on the ground, which had swallowed every one of his minion zombies.

    ''What the fuck was that light? Where is that Slut? What the FUCK IS HAPPENING?'' He screamed in panic while narrowly avoiding an onught of speedy sword stabs from the Governor''s rapier.

    One of the effects of locking down the area with his Death Mana was anything that died would be reanimated within a certain amount of time. At that point, they only needed Mana and amand from him, and Haylon could raise an entire army instantly.

    However, taking over 49 Tier-3 or higher Corpses took a toll on his MP, which after fighting for well over an hour, was starting to reach dangerous levels.

    In contrast, his HP was still well over 50%, but all that ensured was he wouldn''t be instantly killed. When it came to battles between Beings of Tier-5 or higher power, it wasplicated to kill them, and more often than not, they would end up with a severe injury that would take tens of years to heal.

    The reason was because of one thing, Divinity. When a being broke through the Second Stage and into the third, it Began condensing its Divinity, which had a numerical value.

    Even if their physical body were destroyed, as long as their Divinity Stat was high enough, all they would need was time and resources to rebuild their body since their Soul had been strengthened to Astronomical levels.

    Sure, the being would be left in a weakened state once their body was destroyed, but unless their opponent had a way to deal Soul Damage or capture their Soul, there was no quick and easy way to kill thempletely.

    So although Haylon and the Governor had been fighting for some time, all it amounted to was a war of attrition, with the best-case scenario being the other fleeing with serious injuries.

    Governor Samieer, on the other hand, was in bad shape. From the beginning, he was weaker than Haylon. Between Haylon''s superior Affinity and his higher Stats, it took everything the Governor had to stay in the battle.

    Even so, for the first half of the fight, things were rtively manageable, that is, until his Wife got injured and was put out ofmission. Once that urred, he was forced into a defensive position and was eventually caught unaware and off guard when Haylon made a move on his Wife.

    That all changed instantly, though, and it didn''t take a genius to understand who was the cause.

    The attacks hade from underground, and his Wife had mysteriously vanished before the explosion was triggered; this could only mean one thing. He had helpers aiding him in the shadows, and there was a single Dark Affinity user who could pull off the bait and switch he had seen under the noses of Two Tier-6 individuals.

    ''Good kid, see if I don''t shower you with praise and rewards when this is over; now I just have toe out of the fight in one piece.'' With renewed Vigor, Governor Samieer went on the offensive, unleashing every skill and technique at his disposal.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 575 Conclusion Of The Battle (1)

    ?

    The tide shifted faster than anyone could have predicted. With Haylon expending so much Mana to raise a group of undead, he had invested too many resources only to have them go up in smoke, thanks to Cynrik.

    Unable to figure out what went wrong, since he wasn''t present when Cynrik left the G in the first ce and thus didn''t know about the Shadow Realm or that Cynrik could break through his Domain Skill, he was grasping straws while fighting on his back foot.

    ''Damn, damn, what the hell went wrong, and what is with this bastard''s sudden surge of energy?'' Haylon thought as he weaved in and out of the flurry of attacks before batting several [Piercing Thrusts] with his War Scythe.

    Flourishing his weapon andshing out with several high dps attacks of his own, Haylon''s eyes darted around, looking for anything he could use to get him out of this situation, and that was the moment he realized two things.

    The first was theck of people, dead or alive; the second was therge crowds surrounding his [Decrepit Domain], otherwise known as the isted area of Death Mana.

    Tens of thousands of armedbatants ranging from Tier-4 to Peak-Tier Five had surrounded the one square-kilometer Governors Mansion Grounds. Since he had been in the heat of the moment since arriving, he hadn''t noticed the ce was surrounded.

    Looking to the sky, he was greeted by several fleets of High-Grade Battle Cruisers and knew he only had one option left, flee.

    The moment his Domain Skill came down, all hell would break loose, and there would only be one target these forces were directed toward, himself.

    Grinding his teeth in rage, Haylon''s Aura exploded and generated a shockwave, which he used to create distance between himself and the Haggard Governor.

    ''All is not lost; luckily, my minions captured around a hundred geniuses before teleporting to our headquarters; this should be enough for my ns; it is time to cut my losses and get the fuck out of here.'' ring at Governor Samieer with a strange glint, Haylon made up his mind and burned half of his remaining Mana, charging it into the de of his weapon.

    ''It''s a crying fucking shame that I couldn''t get my hands on those brats, and since I don''t see Viktor or Lithlen, they must have found a way to flee the scene.''

    ''Had they died by way of corrosion, I would have gotten a substantial boost in my stats along with a notification tsk; I will have my revenge on those rats. All that remains is to cover my tracks and wipe away any traces of the ghoul''s teleportation.'' With that thought in mind, Haylon began not so randomly sending out Death Mana de lights, targeting every spot he noticed the stench of ghoul, eradicating it along with the corpses of the dead ones.

    The sudden change in pace sent the Governor and everyone on standby outside of the Domain into a panic, especially the Governor, who struggled to dodge the iing waves of attacks.

    Everyone knew what woulde next, and other than Governor Samieer, who was the closest, no one had even a remote chance of stopping it from happening.

    "Can''t say it''s been fun, Abdul, but my goal has been achieved. Don''t think this is over; you will hear from me again." Haylon''s voice came out in a sinister snarl as his body began glowing in a bright blue and golden light.

    Upon the bright strobing lights manifesting, bulbous growths appeared all over Haylon''s body, creating a simr effect to being stabbed with thousands of airpressors, disfiguring his body.

    The first thing to go was his right eye, which expanded until it burst into a gory mist.

    "HAYLON! DO YOU THINK I WILL LET YOU LEAVE SO EASILY?" Governor Samieer roared and rushed forward with his Rapier at the ready and glowing with Mana. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    However, he was too slow to stop what was already urring. Right as the Governor drew down on Haylon, several powerful shockwaves, a consequence of the micro explosions the man was going through, connected with his body, sending him flying through the air before crashing into the ground.

    Unwilling to relent and realizing the man would flee unhindered if he didn''t stop Haylon then and there, Governor Samieer rolled on the ground, caught himself by stabbing his weapon into the terrain, and rushed forward again while pushing his Codex to the limit as he unleashed everything he had.

    Finding the Governor''s efforts futile, Haylon didn''t bother blocking or dodging and continued the process of self-destruction.

    Soon the man let loose a hideous cackle as his body inted like a balloon. Then, as if his flesh was made of fireworks, all his fingers exploded, followed by his right foot and left hand, which continued as his body engorged five times its original size.

    ---

    In the Shadow Realm, Cynrik heard the Governor yell and snapped out of his staring contest with Tobs, only to behold the sight of an obese human-shaped balloon, which was rapidly expanding and popping in certain ces.

    "What in the fuck is going on up there?" Wearing a strange expression of half intrigue and half creeped out, Cynrik gave the Governess''s tit onest squeeze before supplying enough Mana to her Codex to keep it isted from the rest of her body without his physical touch.

    -Something that makes every Masochistic act you''ve ever achieved pale inparison.-

    Standing up and tilting her head toward the sky, Tobs'' eyes zed over with a look of disdain as Cynrik kicked off the ground and flew up toward the Barrier between realms.

    Noticing his brother''s movement, Brance looked up, saw what was happening, and raced over to Cynrik''s side.

    The two stood in silence as they watched Haylon''s body erge to the size of a small airship, losing more body parts along the way.

    [Care to fill us in on what we are seeing here, Tobs? I don''t expect that Haylon is doing this without a sadistic and seemingly justifiable cause.] Sensing the arrival of his Brother, Cynrik swapped from talking in his head to using the Mind link so that Brance could join the conversation.

    However, the answer to his question came from a third party.

    "Be sure neither of you looks away from this. What you see is a rarity unseen by the public eye; you can even consider it a forbidden act. Even with my position and social standing, I have only seen something simr to this twice, and both times were during Wars."

    "When an individual reaches Tier-6, they unlock a special stat called Divinity. From Stage Three onward, Evolution and Tier advancement depend solely on this Stat, and Levels no longer exist."

    "The bright light and ergement is a sign that Haylon is burning abination of Vitality and Divinity Points¡­in doing so, he is sacrificing his body to escape in an intangible Soul Form." Geralt''s voice held a tone of amazement and fear as he gave the brothers ssified information.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 576 Conclusion Of The Battle (2)

    ?

    right light and ergement is a sign that Haylon is burning abination of Vitality and Divinity Points¡­in doing so, he is sacrificing his body to escape in an intangible Soul Form." Geralt''s voice held a tone of amazement and fear as he gave the brothers ssified information.

    While Brance was stunned into silence by this revtion, Cynrik, on the other hand, was filled with hundreds of questions, ones he knew once again wouldn''t be answered.

    "There''s a Divinity Stat, huh, interesting." Wearing a smirk Cynrik didn''t bother asking anything further and continued watching as Haylon''s body expanded to seven times its original size, resembling a particr yellow character from a Dragon Ball movie.

    "That''s it? You aren''t going to ask anything about how to acquire it or its use?" Cynrik''s words stumped Geralt, causing the man to look down at the slightly shorter young man beside him.

    "Heh, why bother? The best case scenario is you hit me with a "that''s privileged information," so anyway I see it, you wouldn''t tell me regardless of my curiosity." Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik waved his hand dismissively.

    "Brat, your sophistry and reverse psychology won''t work here. I expected you to ask, but you''re right; it IS privileged information, so I couldn''t tell you anything further, even if I wanted to." Geralt expertly avoided any potential questions with a scoff and simply voiced his thoughts aloud.

    Little did he know that Cynrik was already pestering Tobs for whatever information he could gather about this mysterious Divinity Stat.

    ''Spill it, Tobs, you can''t dangle a full course meal in front of me like this and feed me bread crumbs instead.''

    -Like Geralt, I am bound by the CSH not to release in-depth data about the Divinity Stat. It''s pretty much out of my hands this time. Your only choice is to either dig up the info on your own or reach the Peak of Tier-5 to unlock the information you want to know.-

    ''Tsk, as helpful as always. No matter, I will figure it out on my own then.'' Narrowing his eyes, Cynrik zoomed in using his second ocr skill and closely examined the strange blue and gold Aura on a microscopic level.

    However, the moment he did, his eyes began burning, and a wave of nausea flooded his nervous system.

    Luckily, in that short second, Cynrik observed the Aura; he gleaned some new info from what he saw before closing his eyes and deactivating the skill.

    From his observations, the Aura wasn''t built from the usual round, tiny orbs of condensed Mana particles like expected initially. Instead, the gold and blue Divine Aura was constructed of thick star-shaped particles that stirred something deep within his consciousness.

    These star-shaped particles were tightly packed together, manifesting in a gaseous state, and their sheer volume caused the physical phenomenon around Haylon''s body.

    [Fuck, Oi, Brancie, don''t look too closely at that Aura; although it isn''t formed of Mana particles and something different entirely, focusing on it is bad news.] Massaging his eyes, Cynrik was quick to fill Brance in on his findings, only to notice his little brother was also in a simr condition, rubbing his eyes and fighting the urge to throw up.

    [What the hell are they, Cyn? I can tell that Aura wasn''t made of Mana, but unlike you, I don''t have a weird zoomy skill for my eyes.] Brance replied as his head finally stopped spinning.

    [No clue; I can tell you the particles themselves are two-toned and star-shaped, unlike Mana particles, which are simple, single-colored balls of energy. But that''s pretty much all I''ve got.] <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Looking back up at the sky, Cynrik watched as bulbous chunks of flesh exploded one after another, generating visible ripples in the air, simr to the effect brought about by Geralt manifesting his Spatial Skills.

    Cynrik''s eyes widened slightly as inspiration struck him, causing him to formte several theories on the spot, the best of which he quickly told Brance.

    [From what I can tell, the cause of the intion and explosion is what I call Divine Particles; theytch onto the Mana particles in Haylon''s body and force them to expand till they copse.] Narrating everything he noticed, Cynrik went further into his analysis.

    [If I had to make an educated guess as to WHY this is happening, I''d have to say the Divine Particles carry significantly more energy, so when they attach to the Mana particles making up Haylon''s flesh, it supercharges them to the breaking point.]

    [What he is doing is either a skill, ability, or some type of masochistic maniption of the Divine Particles; regardless, there is only one singr goal here that I can surmise.] Cynrik paused and narrowed his eyes, focusing on a particr spot on Haylon''s body as it popped like a zit, gushing out blood.

    Instead of this blood being purely red, as with normal humans, along with the typical red coloring, it had a dingy grey and a golden blue tint, discoloring the blood entirely. With these two characteristics, Cynrik finished his theory.

    [Based on the little slip-up Geralt said, we now know that levels go away upon reaching Tier-6 and that one needs to increase their Divinity Stat points to a certain extent to advance to higher Tiers.]

    [Using this information as a foundation, I can only assume the difficulty in acquiring these points, making me believe there are only a handful of ways to gain them, including Killing someone with an Active Divinity Stat. In that case, what he is doing makes a lot of sense. Haylon knows he won''t make it out of here in one piece, and if he dies, his points will go to waste.]

    [Not only would he be losing them anyway, but they would go to strengthen the Governor; thus, he is burning them in the manner we are seeing as a giant middle finger to the Governor or anyone else looking to capitalize on his physical death.]

    [We already know the bastard wants to flee, and since the best way to do so is in Soul form, he wants to burn away any potential gains his opponent can obtain. How am I doing Tobsie?] Curling his lips into a smirk, Cynrik raised and lowered the shoulder that the tiny fairy used like a couch.

    Heaving a tired sigh as if she were an old man, Tobs stood up and sped her hands behind her back.

    -I don''t know if I should praise you or be worried that your deductive reasoning has advanced to such a level that you can gather so much from a few nces.-

    -Yeah, you are right, and as promised, I will fill in a couple of the gaps for you. You are correct in your assumption about the situation. Haylon is burning them to avoid handing over his points; however, the transfer isn''t nearly as lucrative as what happens with XP upon killing something.-

    -To put it into terms a nerd like you would understand, think of Divinity Points as more of an ELO rating system in ranked matches.-

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 577 Conclusion Of The Battle (3)

    ?

    *With thest chapter, we finally met one of my micro-goals for the series and passed through the 1 MILLION WORD COUNT!!! Couldn''t have made it here without yalls support. Also, don''t forget tomorrow is a Single yet longer chapter since it will be Sunday.*

    -To put it into terms a nerd like you would understand, think of Divinity Points as more of an ELO rating system in ranked matches.-

    -If a being wishes to break through into Tier-6, they must first meet specific requirements. Many of these are standard, and I don''t need to delve further into them, such as Level, stats, and so on; however, the most significant requirement is having unlocked your Divinity Stat.-

    -I am forbidden from exining how or when you should unlock the stat but know it is something that must be done.-

    -Moving along and ignoring the first bit, like any other Tier, the higher ones are also broken down with names, Initial, Low, Middle, High, and Peak, but these titles hold a particr value to them, much like how levels do in early Tiers.-

    -The corresponding titles indicate certain thresholds the beings Divinity Stat has crossed over, for example, 500 being the Middle indication. It doesn''t take a genius to figure out from that point the breakdowns.-

    -Now, I say that Divinity Points resemble an ELO rating system because depending on where a being is on the title chart determines how many points they would receive upon killing a stronger or weaker being.-

    -In the case of Haylon and Governor Samieer, since the Governor is only at the Initial State of Tier-6, he would receive a heavy chunk of Divinity Points upon the physical death of the opposite, meaning Haylon has a lot to lose.-

    -Whereas if the roles were reversed, Haylon would only receive a tiny fraction of points by winning. With such arge discrepancy between them, Haylon chose to burn his points, as you see above, making it so the number of points Governor Samieer receives will be SIGNIFICANTLY less.-

    -I wouldn''t be surprised if Governor Samieer only walks away from this victory with five or fewer new points.-

    Shrugging her shoulders, indicating it was a matter of fact, Tobs finished speaking and didn''t add anything further. Still, it was enough to satiate Cynrik for the time being.

    As if on cue, a massive chunk of the fat and disgusting Haylon exploded at once, cracking the surrounding Space and ripping multiple holes in the natural order.

    Surprisingly The shockwaves were strong enough to pass through the barrier between Reality and the Shadow Realm, albeit only causing slight tremors or gusts of wind. However, it was still enough to send a shiver down Cynrik''s spine, as up until now, he thought of the barrier as indestructible.

    [Fuck me¡­] Bringing up his left arm to shield his face out of habit, Cynrik''s breathing and heart rate elerated as he observed what could only be described as a spatial storm above.

    Multiple fissures formed as the Space surrounding the Governor''s mansion grew incredibly unstable, destroying the terrain. Trees were uprooted, and chunks of buildings turned weightless and flew through the air; there were even several multi-colored shes as strange, and unknown bolts of energy lightning tore through the air freely around the ce.

    Spotting movement out of the corner of his eye, Cynrik noticed the frantic movements of the people surrounding the area as they all moved back in fear while those in charge barked orders.

    "It¡­it''s like armageddon up there," Brance whispered, lowering his right arm from his face. Like his older brother, he had shielded his face instinctively upon feeling the winds. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "This is what happens when someone breaks the natural order of things. Divinity isn''t something meant for the mortal realm, and the devastating effects it can have on it are always like this, overly destructive. Ultimately, the long-term effects can be catastrophic for the environment." Geralt stated aloud.

    Even though the Shadow Realm was an isted spacepared to reality, he could still see how Haylon''s actions were folding and shattering the area above. Unlike Cynrik and Brance, who could only see particles, as a Space Affinity User, he was naturally in tune with Space as a whole; as such, what he felt when that brief gust of wind hit him, was utterly different from the brothers.

    To him, it was as if Vinestra was crying in pain¡­and the feelings he received instantly caused Geralt to grip his chest in agony as if it were him being injured.

    ---

    "HAHAHHAHA! THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU STAND AGAINST ME, ABDUL SAMIEER!" Haylon cackled as insanity seemed to take over his mind.

    By this point, his body had erged well over ten times his initial size, and along with each part of his body that sumbed to overintion, his Divinity Stat rapidly dropped.

    Frantic and knowing the end was near, Governor Samieer gave up his aggressive push. Instead, he put a considerable distance between himself and the humanoid BOMB that Haylon had transformed into.

    ''Can I even survive this¡­'' he thought while batting away Energy lightning every few seconds. Having only recently stepped into the Sixth Tier, Governor Samieer was still green regarding Divinity, so it wasn''t surprising that he was frightened and second-guessing his chances of survival.

    ncing at the ground, where he imagined Cynrik was watching, a sad smile crept onto his lips before the Governor turned and met the eyes of the thousands of men outside the Death Mana Domain.

    ''No, I can''t think in such a pessimistic way. I have more than enough life-saving treasures; all I need to do is contain the st''s radius; otherwise, the damage to Valor City will be immense.'' Steeling his resolve and making a decision, Governor Samieer erupted in Gold and Blue light. In contrast to what happened when Haylon did, instead of expanding, he seemed to form an armor-like barrier around his body.''

    Next, That armor slowly receded and condensed, moving like a shiny liquid until it amassed around his hands. Then, taking several long, slow deep breaths, the Governor thrust both arms forward, causing the Divine Aura to shoot on and transform into a hazy and transparent energy; its target was evident, and soon itpletely covered the horrendous mass that was Haylon.

    "WHAT? DO YOU THINK YOUR PITIFUL LACK OF DIVINITY IS SUFFICIENT TO STOP ME? ABDUL, I KNEW YOU WERE A FOOL, BUT EVEN THIS IS TOO IDIOTIC!" Stunned momentarily by the encapsting his body, confusion struck the man causing him to misinterpret the Governor''s actions.

    To him, who was practically crazy, Haylon viewed the Governor''s actions as a way to stop the impending explosion from happening. In actuality, the Governor only had one thought in mind, mitigating the damage.

    ---

    "Wow¡­he really just said that. Oi, Geralt, does someone intelligent be a durd the moment they unlock the Divinity Stat? This dumb ass doesn''t even realize that the Governor is trying to stop the city from going up in mes and views what is happening as Governor Samieer trying to stop him from exploding."

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 578 Conclusion Of The Battle (4)

    ?

    **Like Usual, Sunday Chapter Longer Chapter**

    "Wow¡­he really just said that. Oi, Geralt, does someone intelligent be a durd the moment they unlock the Divinity Stat? This dumb ass doesn''t even realize that the Governor is trying to stop the City from going up in mes and views what is happening as Governor Samieer trying to stop him from exploding."

    "Uh¡­not that I am aware of; why, what just happened?" Confused by Cynrik''s reaction, Geralt looked between the young man and the captured Haylon.

    "The idiot thinks that Governor Samieer is trying to stop the explosion and even stated such, but from what I can tell, the Governor wants to contain the st to a confined area." Scratching his chin in thought, Cynrik borated further.

    "Haylon is ranting and raving about how he can''t be stopped and that it is useless even to try, to which I agree entirely. How he jumped to that conclusion¡­I have no clue. Between the Governor''s actions and bodynguage, everything about the man says he is protecting his City, even if the cost to himself is high."

    "Selflessness is the sign of a good leader Cyn." Chiming in from the left, Brance almost smacked himself in the face because he knew what kind of response he would get in return.

    "Hardly; it''s a sign of weakness; he is too weak to protect what he holds dear and is vying for mutual destruction if need be; you know better than that, Brancie." Rolling his eyes, Cynrik watched as Haylon continued to expand while the Net began constricting his body, causing strange box-shaped protrusions on his body to burst through the Net.

    "Really, you two, you choose now to argue about philosophy. You are two sides of the same coin, and I personally believe that what Abdul is doing is honorable and brave, but my opinion doesn''t matter." Stepping in, Geralt broke up the potential argument before it could progress further.

    ---

    Back in the Pinhurst Mansion, everyone had found a spot on an open piece of furniture or were sitting on the ground, except for Cinyah and Rikard, who were still in a world of their own as the wife did her best tofort her husband.

    In the living room, Jessup was standing and frantically typing away on his Watcet; unlike everyone else, he fully understood what was going on over at the Governor''s Mansion, and the moment he saw the bright shes of Gold and Blue Light, he went to work¡­what he was doing, no one was sure, but based on the thin trail of sweat running down his temple, whatever it was, took a lot of effort.

    Being the most sympathetic of the group, Gabby was sitting on the floor, with the Governor''s three children circling her and acting as a pir of support for them.

    As a Psychic Affinity User, she was greatly affected by any strong emotions given off by other beings, so the grief and sorrow of the three children as they watched their home in ruins and their parents fighting to the death against a seemingly unbeatable foe was unbearable for her, and tears wouldn''t stop staining her cheeks.

    They had arrived a bitte, so they didn''t know their mother''s whereabouts, but the three feared for the worst. Their father, who had always been the most vital and caring figure in their lives, was in a haggard and bloodied state as he attempted to contain Haylon.

    Huddled around, everyone in the room watched as Haylon''s body''s growth slowed to a stop; even the Reporter had gone entirely silent, as the only sound that could be heard through the speakers was Haylon''s defiant roar, he became a ball of pure light, and then everything went silent¡­the TV feed was cut, and a be back soon screen appeared.

    "What¡­" Jumping to her feet in a flurry, Selene bellowed but was cut off.

    RRRRRUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMBBBLLLEEE

    Before Selene could get the words out, the entire Mansion shook as if a magnitude ten earthquake was starting. Pictures flew off the wall, and furniture tumbled over. Anything that wasn''t securely in ce, including those sitting down, was thrown about. It felt like the world was ending for the weakest people in the room.

    Turning her head and looking outside the big French-style windows, Selene noticed the sky had changed drastically. Staring out at the sideyard, she witnessed swirling clouds, and the sky had be shades of ck, green, and purple when it had been a bright and sunny day.

    "Everyone, TAKE COVER!" Maeve screamed as she threw herself on top of Aiden to protect her son from any falling debris.

    "That won''t be necessary." But before anyone else could move, Jessup spoke in a booming tone, making everyone look in his direction out of confusion; however, when they felt the tremors cease and saw the Gold and Blue Aura radiating off his body, not a single person in the room could stay calm.

    The Aura instantly shot out from his hands and engulfed the entire Mansion. It was now that Jessup showed his strength for the first time, even to Maeve, who always thought her father was a simple cksmith who was a retired military man. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "So long as I am here, no harm wille to anyone under my roof." The old man said with such confidence that there wasn''t a single person who didn''t believe him.

    ---

    In the Shadow Realm, Cynrik, Brance, and Geralt were pinned to the ground as massive amounts of wind and pressure flowed through the barrier between realms, knocking them from the sky and pressing them down with a weight equal to 22g of force.

    "HOLY FUCK, HOLY FUCK, HOLY FUCK!" Brance screamed three times, so everyone could understand how freaked out he was.

    "Shhhut UP, BRANCIE!" Gritting his teeth and forcing himself onto his feet, Cynrik nced down at Geralt and found him unconscious. Then, looking over to where the Governess was located, Cynrik kicked off the ground and appeared by her side, picked her up, and made a break toward the Spatial Cube housing the injured people.

    "BRANCE, GET GERALT!" He yelled while attempting to control as much Umbra Mana as possible to reinforce his body. Unlike Brance, who could easily brute force his way into moving, Cynrik had to rely on his acute Mana control to empower his body to move.

    "Ugh, ON IT!" Rolling onto his belly, Brance pushed himself up, feeling his muscles bulge from the effort, and picked up Geralt, tossed him over his shoulder, then chased after Cynrik.

    Upon reaching the Spatial Cube, which for some reason hadn''t disappeared when Geralt passed out, Cynrik and Brance walked through the construct''s wall. Surprisingly, the moment they did, the gravity returned to the Normal 1g seen in reality. With a loud exhale of relief, the brothers dumped the two unconscious fellows among the other unconscious people.

    Having gotten rid of the dead weight off their shoulders, Brance and Cynrik turned and looked toward the barrier, only to be greeted by the site of a ck, green, and purple sky filled with ominous clouds.

    "Woah¡­" was all Brance could muster to say; however, Cynrik, unlike his brother who was so stunned he voiced it, frowned and watched as the surrounding ruins of the Shadow Realm crumbled and sunk deep into the ground due to the intense gravitational force.

    "We need to move, Brance; use Affinitiless Mana to form makeshift restraints on everyone so they don''t move about when I do what I am about to do." As he spoke, Cynrik watched several micro cracks spider web throughout the Spatial Cube and knew they couldn''t stay under the suppressive force from above.

    Without needing any exnation, Brance did as asked while Cynrik stepped to the very edge of the Cube and rested his hands on the construct''s wall. Carefully, he pushed his hands through the Space Mana until only his palms were sticking outside by roughly two or three centimeters.

    "Alright, passengers, this is your Pilot Speaking; once flight attendant Golden Chicken ensures our Passengers here on MyrkLys Airlines are secure, we can begin the take-off procedures," Cynrik stated animatedly, causing Brance to shoot him a re due to the nickname he was given.

    Unfortunately, when he did so, Brance, too, spotted the cracks forming on the Spatial Cube, making his pupils constrict as the re turned into a frantic and hurried look.

    Brance knew that if push came to shove, he and Cynrik wouldn''t instantly die and be fine under 22gs of pressure, but the same couldn''t be said for the helpless injured people under his care. If the Cube shattered under the force, it wouldn''t be long until they were the only two alive.

    Those unconscious would quickly asphyxiate due to theck of oxygen; however, for that to happen, those with weak body cultivation would have to survive being turned into paste. Either way, they needed to somehow get the whole Cube out of the area of destruction.

    "Annnnnnddd AWAYYYYY WEEE GOOOO!!!"

    SSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

    A loud sound came from Cynrik''s hands and drew Brance''s attention, but that wasn''t what caused his eyes to widen; instead, the Rocket-sized mes shooting out the opposite end of the Cube did.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 579 Divine Destruction (1)

    SSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

    A loud sound came from Cynrik''s hands and drew Brance''s attention, but that wasn''t what caused his eyes to widen; instead, the Rocket-sized mes shooting out the opposite end of the Cube did.

    The sudden shift in movement forced Brance to lean forward and bend his knees to not end up on the floor.

    "Careful there, Brancie, can''t have you making a fool out of yourself. HAHA!" Cackling like a madman, Cynrik increased the flow of mes he emitted and changed their intensity.

    From bright red to orange, then blue, the rocket fire grew more potent as the Cube transformed into a speeding projectile. Cynrik then leaned forward, widened his stance, and fought against the force pushing against his hands.

    All the while, he constantly monitored the flow of the outside Ambient Mana particles, checking their density and how much pressure was applied to them, which gave him an urate assessment of how bad the Gravity was outside of the Spatial Cube.

    ''21g¡­20.7g¡­19.5, what the fuck? How wide is this grav field?'' Turning his head around like a bobblehead doll in every direction to glimpse the Mana Particles, Cynrik was at a loss for what he saw with [Mana Sight], and although it was only an estimate based on an algorithm he devised, he knew he wasn''t too far off on how much pressure there was.

    Initially, he thought the fallout from Haylon''s self-destruction would, at best, be a kilometer ring; however, the further away he drove the Cube from ground zero, the more he realized how wrong his original assessment had been.

    [Brance¡­I don''t mean to rm you here, but I think Valor City just took the brunt of what I believe to be the destructive equivalent of a nuke.] Not wanting to hide his findings from Brance and feeling it was better to prepare him for the worse, Cynrik caved and told him.

    As expected, Brance''s entire body tensed upon learning what Cynrik was anticipating. Instead of responding, his eyes shot to the sky, where he witnessed one City block after another being crushed under the immense gravitational force.

    [This isn''t real¡­right Cyn¡­what about the innocents? How can they possibly survive something of this magnitude?] Brance asked while struggling to catch sight of the blurring Cityscape.

    [Sigh, of course, that is where your mind goes¡­hey dipshit, fuck worrying about the general populous; I have yet to see a single corpse or struggling person. I assume all the Military and Enforcer personnel stationed outside the Cube Haylon Created must have evacuated the nearby buildings and surroundings long since.] Rolling his eyes, Cynrik slid his hands down the constructed wall and slightly angled them to the right, directing the Spatial Cube towards home.

    [The only question is how far they pushed the public back. Regardless, I am taking us to Jessup''s; hopefully, that old bastard is as powerful as the Governor says, and everyone is ok.]

    This time, Brance trembled in fright and felt stupid for having forgotten about everyone back at the Mansion. Well, to say he had forgotten about them may not be the proper thought; instead, it was more like he hadn''t thought the fallout from Haylon''s attack would reach over 20 km away, but if it had, they would be in danger too.

    [Pick up the pace Cyn¡­] was all Brance could muster as worry for his parents, and Gabby overwhelmed his mind.

    [Request acknowledged; you may wanna buckle yourself in, little brother; it''s time to go Hyperdrive. Hehe, cause Goin fast Makes me feel alive.] Smirking as he looked over his shoulder at the worried Brance, Cynrik didn''t miss the opportunity to throw in a casual anime reference and sang the beginning bars to his favorite card game theme, then activated his [?sir Mode].<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    With a bright sh of multicolored light, a thinyer of all of Cynrik''s Affinity types and Odinforce coated his skin, bringing a qualitative change to his Mana and Control over particles, which supercharged the jet of mes he was expelling.

    Brance had less than a second to respond after Cynrik''s snarky remark, but due to his quick reaction, he could root his feet in ce by creating two fall loops of Ambient Mana and sliding them under, along with two more, for hand grips. Funny enough, his position looked oddly simr to an Olympic sprinter preparing tounch.

    With the change brought about by Cynrik''s [?sir Mode], the size of the fire exploded with more potential and mass and changed from Blue to white with flecks of Odinforce particles.

    ''My heart beats in Hyperdrive. Do you think you can win? Heh, only if I lose¡­JUST LET DESTINY CHOOSE!''

    BOOOOMM

    Singing in his head, Cynrik channeled as much Mana into his hands as his body could withstand, causing the anti-aerodynamic Cube to break the sound Barrier, but only for a minute since he realized they were almost to the Mansion.

    **The Speed of sound is 343 meters per second, so traveling 20km, which is 20,000 meters, would only take 58 seconds. For you Americans, its 767 mph; by the way, 20km is roughly 12.4 miles**

    There was, however, a very unfortunate side effect of traveling at such speeds, and that was the damage to the Spatial Cube progressed so quickly that the ss-like structure now looked like a car windshield that a baseball bat had smashed in.

    "Tsk, well, that''s not good." Muttering under his breath, Cynrik pulled back on the mes, slowing the Cube down, and directed it right under the Pinhurst Mansion; however, when he brought the heavily damaged Spatial Cube to a halt, the sudden loss of momentum, albeit rtively small, was more than enough to shatter the construct into an array of ss-like shards.

    In an instant, the around 100 unconscious people were subjected to roughly 5.5g of pressure as they mmed into the ground like rocks. Luckily, Cynrik had enough brains to bring the Cube to rest only a few centimeters over the ground, so none of them was hurt too badly.

    "Meh, only a few broken bones are nothing that people of their level can''t handle." Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik ignored the condition of the unconscious people andunched himself into the air toward the Barrier between words with a serious expression on his face.

    "CYNRIK! WE CAN''T JUST LEAVE THEM!" Brance shouted, but when his eyes moved away from the people toward Cynrik and then the Barrier, they widened upon seeing the familiar Gold and Blue Aura covering the entire ce.

    "Ugh, what the hell just happened? My head feels like I drank for a whole month, huh? Where are we now? What happened to Haylon and Abdul?" a gruff voice said on the ground near Brance, causing the younger Jetlensr to look over and find Geralt awake and confused.

    "Geralt, quick, we need another Space Cube to keep everyone alive; I will exin thingster!" Rushing over, Brance helped the man up, and due to the tone of his voice, the Headmaster asked no questions before wrapping everyone up in a brand new Cube, which emptied his reserves of Space Mana.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 580 Divine Destruction (2)

    ?

    Copsing to the ground and feeling nauseous, Geralt double-checked that his construct could sustain itself by absorbing Ambient Mana particles before rolling over onto his back and looking up at Brance with questioning eyes.

    "Whew, fucking hell, that was close," Brance exhaled loudly before falling down onto his butt, inside the new Spatial Cube, and massaging his temples.

    With one problem out of the way, he tilted his head upward, with distress and worry painting his face.

    Unfortunately, no matter how much he wanted to go up and check out the situation at the Pinhurst Mansion, due to hisck of propulsion, Brance could only stay grounded and watch as Cynrik investigated the Barrier up close.

    ---

    ''Hm¡­ it''s different but the same, although I can''t be sure since I don''t have much experience with Divine Particles; there seem to be some slight differences in the shades of blue and Gold depending on the individual.'' Cynrik thought as he observed what was happening in reality.

    ''From what I can tell, though, this is a third Tier-6 being, which confirms what the Governor said; sheesh, it looks like that old bastard Jessup has been hiding in in sight; who would have thought he was so strong.'' Extending out his hand, Cynrik was about to touch the Barrier between Realms when he sensed a disturbance in the Mana particles below, drawing his attention.

    [Heh, see Brancie, you''re always such a worry wart; Geralt woke up, and now the dead weight lives to see another day.] Licking his lips, Cynrik didn''t miss the opportunity to tease his brother.

    [Shut up, you heartless fuck; what about everyone in the house. I can''t see through that Aura. Are they ok? Whose Aura is it?] Sputtering out questions frantically, Brance red at Cynrik for his indifference to other people and spoke about what he cared more about.

    [No idea, but I can say that Jessup is most likely at Tier-6, so the Governor''s words about him being strong were the truth. I am only making an educated guess here, but I can tell you there is a definitive difference between these Divine particles and those of Governor Samieer and Haylon.]

    Turning away from Brance, who had stood up and was looking at him, Cynrik moved from side to side, trying to see if he could look through any potential gaps in the bubble surrounding the Mansion.

    [I can''t see inside either; it''s like looking through murky ocean water. However, I don''t think we have to worry; the whole ce is locked down, and from what I have seen on the house''s exterior, all the defensive protocols have been activated, turning the Mansion into a literalpound.] Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik came up with several Ideas on the fly, but none of them were up to par with what he wanted to achieve.

    [Another thing to note, unlike Haylon''s particles, which were able to leak through the Barrier between Reality and the Shadow Realm, these ones don''t; it''s like they only serve the purpose of shutting off the entire Mansion from the outside world.]

    [Either that or they aren''t as powerful. If that is the case, then that makes Jessup somewhere between Initial and Early Tier-6.]

    Cynrik smacked his lips a few times before rolling out his shoulders and speaking.

    [Im going up; you stay down here.] He said, and before Brance could say otherwise, Cynrik slipped back into reality and appeared on the frontwn of the Pinhurst Mansion.

    Since he had already adjusted to the 5.5g of pressure in the Shadow Realm, and his resistance was SIGNIFICANTLY higher than that measly amount, Cynrik ignored the continuous force and observed the rest of the neighborhood.

    ''Well, at least the houses here are made of some sturdy shit; I see barely any structural damage, and everyone on the same street as us has some form of defensive protocols to lock their homes down tight.''

    ''Heh, can''t say the same for the vehicles and fauna, though; it looks like a hurricane came through here.'' Walking around and taking everything in, Cynrik remembered living in Florida on Earth, where Hurricanes and powerful storms frequently urred. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Hover Vehicles of all shapes and sizes were thrown about or flipped over before being smashed like soda cans; trees that once stood tens of meters tall now looked like stumps due to being buried in the ground, and those that weren''t lucky enough for that, couldn''t be seen since they had fallen over and sunk into the pavement, soil, or grass.

    Anything made of metal, from street lights to fences and gates, had folded on itself like aluminum foil. That was only scratching the surface of what he observed; there was still the dangerous and dark sky, filled with multi-colored lightning, storm clouds, and of course, Divine Particles.

    Entirely apathetic to what he saw, Cynrik continued walking around the Mansion grounds, with an uneasy feeling brought about by the strange Divine Particles abundantly swarming around.

    That is, until suddenly, he felt a strong pull on his body, and he shed away before appearing in the center of the living room, surrounded by shocked faces with puffy red eyes from crying.

    "URPPP, What the fuck," in an instant, Cynrik copsed on the ground and emptied his stomach all over the nice and frankly expensive carpet flooring.

    "BRAT, WHERE ARE YOU PUKING RIGHT NOW?" Jessup''s booming voice silenced everyone.

    "OI, Fuck you, old man! Warn a Guy before you suddenly teleport him with your annoying Mana." Spitting a couple of times on the ground before incinerating his vomit with ckFire, Cynrik flipped Jessup his middle finger and took an offensive stance.

    "CYNRIK!"

    "DARLING!"

    Before Cynrik and Jessup could continue their argument, he was assaulted from all sides, as Maeve and Selene threw themselves on him, not forgetting to squish their boobs against his body in their happiness.

    "Ladies,dies, please, there is plenty of me to go around," wearing a sleazy smile, Cynrik wrapped his arms around their waist and didn''t forget to get a good handful of their respective ass cheeks, something that went ignored by everyone in the room, except for Maeve, who blushed and smacked his hand away.

    Thankfully, she was too happy to see the young man alive and seemingly ok toment on the fact that he had once again copped a feel, taking liberties with her body, and decided to take sce in the thought that he was ok.

    After a full minute of getting to live out every man''s fantasy of having a beauty hanging on each arm, Cynrik, Maeve, and Selene separated.

    [[I want to know everything, Darling, don''t miss a single detail.]] Selene chimed in with a hint of venom in her voice. His wandering right hand hadn''t escaped her vision, but since she had already stated he could have a night of passion with Maeve if he wanted, she let it go.

    [[Don''t worry, I will fill you in when we get a moment, but there are more pressing matters right now.]] Shooting his girlfriend an understanding nce, Cynrik looked toward Gabby, who seemed erratic and downright horrified that Brance wasn''t with Cynrik.

    "He''s fine, Gabby, just down in the Shadow Realm; we both are ok. He isn''t with me because he didn''t have a way to get through the Barrier since he burned all his Mana during our fight."

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 581 Explaining The Situation

    ?

    "He''s fine, Gabby, just down in the Shadow Realm; we both are okay. He isn''t with me because he didn''t have a way to get through the Barrier since he burned all his Mana during our fight." While he spoke, Cynrik''s eyes met those of Benny, Melody, and Kurza before looking away and toward Maeve and the Sanford Couple.

    "I will exin in deeper detailter, but I''ve got a few things to do for now." Shaking off the ko-like grasp Selene had on his arm, Cynrik walked over to Jessup, who, for some reason, appeared younger, with better posture and more muscle definition.

    "You look good, Old Man; of everyone I interact with regrly, you were thest person I thought would be hiding the full extent of their strength." With a smirk, Cynrik suddenly threw a swift jab at Jessup''s face, only for it to be easily caught by the Old man, who now looked middle-aged.

    "Wow, it''s almost like I expected you to push your luck." Rolling his eyes, Jessup twisted Cynrik''s fist and pinned him to the ground easily before gently flinging him across the room, where he mmed into the wall.

    Then, with a loud thud, and an obnoxiousugh, Cynrik bounced back to his feet and dusted himself off.

    "Had to give it a shot; it''s not every day I get the opportunity to walk away from attacking a Great and Mighty¡­." However, as Cynrik was about to finish his statement by saying "Tier-6 being," a band of Bright Orange Mana sealed his mouth like a gag.

    "Enough; say anything more, and there will be consequences not even I can stop." Then, with a wave of his hand indicating Cynrik to follow him, Jessup turned and walked away, heading toward the stairway to the training room.

    When he sensed Selene wanted to follow, Jessup shook his head at her, causing the youngdy to pout.

    The interaction between the two stunned everyone in the room, especially Selene, who knew her boyfriend''s way of thinking well enough that she predicted his train of thought rtively quickly.

    From the moment Jessup erupted with the strange particles, she knew he was strong, but for the man to silence Cynrik when he was about to say it out loud was shocking.

    With a sigh, Selene understood she was pushing her luck by wanting to tag along. Even so, she didn''t let it bother her too much because although Cynrik''s mouth was physically sealed, that didn''t stop him fromining into the mind link.

    [[That heavy-handed old fogey, I can''t believe he shut me up. What the fuck is this shit made out of? It''s like Fire Mana, but not at the same time.]] Heined while following Jessup in silence. His hands constantly grabbed at the Mana construct, but the particles dug deeper into his flesh every time he pulled.

    [[Darling, what were you going to say?]] Sitting back down on the couch while crossing her left leg over her right, Selene spoke, causing Cynrik to stop messing with the band of Mana over his mouth. With the idea that Cynrik was about to leak some vital information, she knew it was better to ask in the mind link.

    [[Hm, oh, Jessup is Tier-6; my estimates were pretty much spot on too; he is just shy of reaching Mid-Tier-6. Those Gold and Blue particles are a side effect of using the Divinity Stat you unlock at Peak-Tier-5.]] Using a casual tone, Cynrik began spilling everything he had learned about the Sixth Tier, including his observations of the Divinity Particles.

    By the time he reached the training room, Cynrik had finished his in-depth analysis of the Divinity Stat and their subsequent particles, rendering Selene speechless at the same time.

    [[Gotta go, Ma Petite, I have to drag up a bunch of useless dead weight from the shadow realm so Brancie and I can heal them.]] With that said, Cynrik directed his attention toward Jessup as the man walked to the center of the room and spun around to face him.

    Meanwhile, in the living room, Selene''s body trembled in pleasure upon hearing Cynrik''s use of her beloved nickname. The youngdy even clenched her thighs together, today had been filled with a roller coaster of emotions, and now that he was back and out of harm''s way, Selene felt a rush of lust-filled endorphins surge through every inch of her body.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ---

    With a wave of his hand, Jessup spread new Divine Particles, isting the room from outsiders.

    "Lithlen and Viktor?" He asked.

    "Viktor ate a full power ckhole to the chest and was disintegrated instantly upon impact; there wasn''t even a speck of dust left afterward. As for Lithlen," pausing, Cynrik withdrew his grandfather''s decapitated head from his inventory and tossed it on the floor before Jessup, causing the man to frown.

    He had always known about how ruthless Cynrik could be, and the young man appeared apathetic to anything that wasn''t considered his family.

    "Take it back; I am not perverted enough to take trophies of those I fell in battle; that seems to be your thing."

    "Tsk," clicking his tongue, Cynrik slung out a string of Umbra Mana, caught the head, pulled it toward him, and stowed it back in his inventory.

    "I take it the disappearing bodies was you and Brance''s work? Where are they now, and how are the casualties?" Expertly controlling the conversation, Jessup brought up the reason he pulled Cynrik away from the living room.

    "That, well, you know how my brother is, Mr. Kind and Selfless. We knocked out anyone awake with Geralt''s assistance, and so long as they were breathing, I pulled them down into the Shadow Realm, where Geralt and Brance stored them in an isted Spatial Cube."

    "Everyone is in rough condition but alive for now, including the Governess. Due to the nature of the environment presented by the Shadow Realm, Brance could only do so much to help them since he burned all his Light and HolyFire Mana during the fight with Lithlen."

    Kneeling, Cynrik ced his outstretched left palm on the training room floor while continuing to speak.

    "I took care of the cleansing of the Death Mana and healing the injuries of the Governess; however, her Codex has been deeply infiltrated by those pesky Death Particles. Since I had no reasonable way of clearing it, I was forced to iste her Codex with my Umbra Mana, suppressing the particles into a paralyzed state for the time being. Still, it''s only a temporary fix, and why I left the Shadow Realm."

    "By the way, those Divine Particles seeped through the Barrier between realms and subjected us to 22g of pressure at ground zero. Luckily Brance and I both have a high enough resistance, 20g, so we were somewhat alright, albeit strained."

    "The problem is, the Spatial Cube couldn''t sustain that much pressure, so I took the liberty of flying it away, which was no easy task. The sheer amount of Mana I burned to have enough output thrust even to get the damn thing airborne and moving was ridiculous."

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 582 Operation Saving Asses (4)

    ?

    "The problem is, the Spatial Cube couldn''t sustain that much pressure, so I took the liberty of flying it away, which was no easy task. The sheer amount of Mana I burned to have enough output thrust even to get the damn thing airborne and moving was ridiculous." Cynrik stated before pointing at the ground and changing the topic.

    "Can you open a pocket big enough that I can bring up the Cube to the edge of the Barrier between Realms and evacuate everyone here? If so, Brance and I should be able to heal everyone up against my better judgment." Looking up at Jessup, he saw the man''s stunned expression, so Cynrik snapped his fingers a few times to bring the old man back to reality.

    "You two are some crazy little monsters, you know that, right? The way you talk about killing Peak-Tier-5 beings¡­." The instant Jessup said the word "beings," Cynrik interjected.

    "Individuals, not beings; Viktor and Lithlen had already earned the title, or so says the notification I received upon killing them."

    "Fucking hell, that''s insanity; the two of them had already unlocked their Divinity Stat and were about to push through into Tier-6, yet you killed them like insects; Cynrik, do you even understand the ramifications of your achievement? Never before in history has something like this transpired." Throwing his hands up, Jessup yelled.

    "Yeah, not the first time I''ve gotten a huge ego boost with lucrative rewards, and it won''t be thest. So I am guessing those whisps of Divinity I received are the key to unlocking the stat, noted, anyway open a pocket, chop chop, I''ll never hear the end of it if those weaklings die, so hurry up." Moving his head side to side dismissively, Cynrik grew agitated at how long it was taking Jessup toe to terms with what he heard.

    However, after discovering that Cynrik had received a Whisp of Divinity from each of his kills, Jessup felt his heart stop. He could tell from how dismissive Cynrik was acting; the kid had no clue about how necessary those resources were for growth. Still, the man knew better than to believe the brothers had unlocked the Divinity stat, so he decided to push those thoughts to the back of his mind.

    Realizing time was of the essence, Jessup nodded and walked over toward Cynrik before flicking away the young man''s hand and recing it on the ground with his own.

    Then, under Cynrik''s watchful gaze, the Divine Particles coating the ground in a 1.5-meter circle swirled like a whirlpool before opening up, creating a hole simr to what you would expect to see when fishing on the ice.

    Onceplete, Jessup exhaled slowly and moved to the side, where Cynrik reced him and opened a portal the exact size of the opening.

    Like when you burrow into a frozenke, the world under the Barrier is undisturbed, creating a strange contrasting sensation. Seeing this difference caused Cynrik to reach through the portal into the Shadow Realm, where he felt the drastic shift in g-force.

    To him, who had grown used to theck of Elemental Particles stored in the Shadow Realm and the sensations brought about by that, it was akin to dipping your hand in thick soup.

    [Oi, Brancie, have Geralt get control over the Spatial Cube so he can fly it up here. Things were as I predicted, Jessup is Tier-6, and everyone is okay, so now we have to worry about finishing your shitty, morally righteous Operation.] Utilizing the mind link, Cynrik reached out to Brance, who immediately jumped up and informed Geralt as told.

    Seconds went by as Cynrik looked down through the hole toward Brance; his younger brother seemed to be arguing with Geralt at that time, and Cynrik was on standby. Eventually, Brance grabbed his hair in annoyance and red up at Cynrik.

    [Geralt says he can''t. Because the outside pressure is at 5.5gs and his reserves of Space Mana are empty, hecks the strength and Mana necessary to link up the Cube with the Barrier.]<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    [Oh, for fuck sake, fine¡­] With a groan, Cynrik opened and closed his hand a few times, then thrust it downward, expelling a thick tether of Umbra Mana down toward the Spatial Cube.

    When it reached the Cube, like a finger, it tapped on the roof of the construct, asking to be let in.

    [Open up the Cube and let it wrap around you and Geralt. The two of you will be anchors while I have Jessup help me pull you guys up. Once I get yall up to the Barrier, I cantch onto it with multiple tendrils, holding it in ce, like the space shuttle docking to the ISS.] With that said, he activated his [?sir Mode], merging himself with the particles to prepare himself to fulfill his end of the n.

    Gripping onto the edge of the Barrier with one hand, Cynrik drew in the ambient Umbra Mana and, for the moment, turned himself into a ry for the Mana bypassing his Codex and transforming his arms into a Mana generator of sorts.

    The idea of utilizing Mana in this way had rattled around in his head since he read the description for his [?sir Mode] for the first time. In theory, all the mode did was bring him closer to the particles and merge them into his flesh.

    So long as he had a sufficient supply of the particles, there was no reason he couldn''t temporarily abuse his mode in such a way; however, caution was necessary, as if he held on for too long, or the strain was too much, it wouldn''t be surprising if the limbs channeling the overflowing Mana were destroyed.

    Drawing in a few slow, steady breaths, Cynrik looked over his shoulder and informed Jessup of his n.

    "Alright, so Geralt and Brance are dumbasses who burned all their Elemental Mana. As the only person right now able to channel Dark Varient Particles, it falls on yours truly to drag that hulking mass of stupid Space Mana up here."

    "The n is pretty simple; I will expand the tendril enough to bare the necessary weight of the Spatial Cube under 5.5g of g-force, then hand it over so you can pull them up. Once we get the Cube close enough to the Barrier between Realms, I will attach it to it, and we can begin the evacuation." As he spoke, Cynrik forced copious amounts of Umbra Mana into the tendril, thickening it to the width of a concrete pir.

    "As someone with an STR-based Stat build, I expect you shouldn''t have any issues with these arrangements." Tossing the old man a smirk, Cynrik tapered off the tendril and handed it over to Jessup.

    "Brat, what makes you think I am STR based?" With a frown, Jessup swiped the inky ck tendril from Cynrik and flinched on contact with the strange and ominous substance.

    "Dude, you''re a fucking cksmith; if you dare tell me you invested all your points into INT and DEX, I will call you the biggest idiot mankind has ever birthed." With widened eyes filled with disdain, Cynrik harassed Jessup, who only snorted and looked down the portal to see if Geralt and Brance were ready.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 583 Operation Saving Asses (5)

    ?

    **It''s Wednesday, so that means only one Chapter Today, 1500 words, yall know how it goes.**

    "Dude, you''re a fucking cksmith; if you dare tell me you invested all your points into INT and DEX, I will call you the biggest idiot mankind has ever birthed." With widened eyes filled with disdain, Cynrik harassed Jessup, who only snorted and looked down the portal to see if Geralt and Brance were ready.

    "You''re lucky that you can predict shit like people''s stats, brat; otherwise, you would be shit out of luck. Just be sure they stay unconscious when pulling those kids up and out of your Shadow Realm." Jessup stated while shaking out the ck before grabbing the tendril like a rope and wrapping it around his right wrist several times, causing the inky ck tendril to be taught.

    "I don''t want to end up dealing with the aftermath of your actions. It''s one thing to save everyone from a life-threatening event, but another entirely to let a bunch of random people know about our ever-growing list of secrets." Flexing his muscles several times, the old man stepped back a few paces and began pulling the Cube up with all his might.

    "Yeah, I know; I''ve already got Geralt on it. By my estimates, everyone hit by his skill should be rendered unconscious for a few more hours. During that time, we need toe up with a usible excuse as to how and why this batch of scrubs could survive being in close proximity to a Tier-6 battle and make it out of the 22g grav-zone."

    Sliding around Jessup as he pulled the Mana construct like drawing water from a well, Cynrik slid onto the floor andy beside the portal. Although he hade up with this whole "Docking Procedure" idea, he had no clue if it was even possible.

    After all, the Barrier between Realms wasn''t necessarily a physical object. When looking at its slimy appearance, one would believe it was a jelly of some type. However, even with this visage, the Barrier was extraordinarily sturdy and technically stronger than any steel or alloy Cynrik could imagine.

    Bearing that thought in mind, the theory he had developed should work, emphasizing SHOULD. Regarding things involving Mana, Cynrik had long since tried his best to throw any past notions he had about it out the window. To him, it was better if he assumed anything and everything was possible, given enough strength, and his current situation could be considered the perfect example of this fact.

    From the get-go, Cynrik had always been an opportunist, capitalizing on whatever advantages he could obtain and using them to meet his goal. Be it the fights he had against beings significantly above his pay grade or the dangerous stunts he''s used to get stronger, it was like this every time.

    Snaking both arms into the portal, Cynrik felt theckluster pressure of 5.5g pressing down on his arms, but he calmly ignored it and rested his palms on the inner surface of the Barrier between Realms.

    ''Blegh, it''s slimy. Whenever I pass through this thing, I always equate it to jumping into a pool of water, but up close and personal with the construct, it has a different feel to it, kind of like super wet molding y.''

    -Stop getting distracted, Cynrik; Jessup is steadily raising the Cube at a speed of 50 meters a minute. It''s roughly 1.2 kilometers to the ground from up here, so if the old man keeps this pace, you only have 25 minutes to work things out.-

    Stomping on his back in annoyance, Tobsined before giving her host some much-needed information.

    ''Tsk, 25 minutes, only 25 minutes¡­it should be doable, hold up, did you say it''s over a kilometer to the ground¡­Now that I think about it, the area under the Mansion seems to be in a bowl or valley. Ppft, I am sure Brance is shitting bricks right now; you know how bad he is with heights.'' With a shit-eating grin stering his face, Cynrik pulled himself further toward the edge until he dipped his upper body into the Shadow Realm with some adjustment.

    Bending at a perfect 90-degree angle and treating the Reality side of the portal like a ledge, Cynrik curled himself until his face rested right against the underside of the Barrier. Oncefortable, he activated his Zoom ocr skill and didn''t miss the chance to tease his brother along the way.

    [Hey Brancie, you''ve got a nice and slow 25-minute climb to the top of Candy Mountain; just don''t, you know, look down. We don''t need you soiling your drawers with so many witnesses. HAHA!] He said while examining the strange jelly-like Barrier.

    [FUCK YOU, HUFF, WHY WOULD YOU EVEN REMIND ME, YOU BASTARD!] Gripping the pauldrons of his armor so tightly the metal groaned from stress, Brance screamed.

    When talking about Brance, the young man really only had two actual weaknesses, one was his moralpass, and the other was his fear of heights. However, as odd as it may seem when fighting, that fear seemed to go out the window instantly, something Cynrik never understood because it meant he could ignore it if he wanted.

    But in moments like this, where there wasn''t anything to take his mind off the innate fear, Brance would panic. Like just now, when Brance screamed, unlike his usual angry voice, his words came out in a shrill and frantic screech, as if he was going through puberty.

    This thought caused Cynrik to chuckle to himself as he zoomed his vision in to examine the intricate framework of the runic inscriptions coating the Barrier. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    [Now now, little Golden Chicken Boy, you need to ovee this fear of heights at some point. If not, how can you expect to fly freely like the birdbrain you are?]

    [YOU''RE A BIRDBRAIN, YOUR WHOLE FAMILY IS A BIRDBRAIN!] Brance replied, only to be met with a bout ofughter from his older brother.

    [You are only insulting our parents at that point, Brancie; get it out of your system. But do keep it short; the more time you upy my attention, the higher the probability of me dropping your ass into a free fall when I fuck up the docking procedure.] Rolling his eyes and pulling his upper body further into the portal, Cynrik retorted.

    Upon hearing Cynrik''s mild threat, Brance shut up and was left to suffer in silence, earning him curious nces from Geralt.

    With the teasinging to a close, the minutes ticked by, and after roughly 15 had psed, Cynrik grunted and pulled himself out of the portal before sitting crosslegged and falling deep into thought.

    The quick study hadn''t been fruitless, and he had even increased his knowledge base on Runic Inscriptions; however, he was still at a loss for how to attach any kind of Mana Construct to the Barrier.

    Havingpleted a couple of quick experiments, the one thing Cynrik took away from his observations was that he could not attach anything to the Barrier, rendering his docking idea moot.

    ''Fuck, as the lord of the Shadow Realm, shouldn''t I have some kind of control over the Barrier?''

    -Not really; the only thing awarded to you with your skill level is the ability to traverse the Realm unhindered. When ites to manipting the veil of the Realm, that ispletely out of your hands.-

    -Unfortunately, if you start meddling with forces beyond your control, you can easily disrupt the intricate framework establishing the Barrier, inadvertently disconnecting the two realms entirely.-

    -If this happens, not only will you cause the copse of the space containing the Realm, but you will also lose ess to the Shadow Realm, trapping anyone left inside for eternity.-

    ''Shit¡­ and you are telling me this NOW after I spent thest 15 minutes experimenting on the damn thing? Are you trying to kill us all here, Tobs?'' Feeling a trickle of sweat run down the back of his neck, Cynrik wanted to grab the tiny fairy treating his shoulder like a couch and squeeze her till she popped into confetti.

    -Oh, quit your bitching, Cyn; you only have 10 minutes, so if you want to activate n B, now would be the time to go skydiving.-

    Ignoring the violent thoughts in her host''s mind, Tobs jumped off his shoulder and floated out of Cynrik''s reach, just in case he followed through and squished her.

    That was the problem with him; over time, Tobs had found it increasingly difficult to differentiate between his threats and jokes; now, she had no idea if he would grab her tiny fairy body and squeeze till she popped, so leaving nothing to chance, she put some distance between them, causing Cynrik to snort at her apparent actions.

    ''Sigh, n B it is then,'' heaving a tired sigh, Cynrik spun around, put his back toward the portal, and saluted Jessup.''

    "n A failed, so I gotta do some muscle man shit; see you in a few minutes, old man!" Then, ignoring the strange looks Jessup shot him, Cynrik bent backward, simr to a scuba diver going off a boat, and fell through the portal.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 584 Operation Saving Asses (6)

    "n A failed, so I gotta do some muscle man shit; see you in a few minutes, old man!" Then, ignoring the strange looks Jessup shot him, Cynrik bent backward, simr to a scuba diver going off a boat, and fell through the portal.

    The sudden sensation brought about by the drastic shift in gravitational pressure caused Cynrik''s stomach to churn. Still, it didn''t hinder him from arcing his body until he was in a downward dive position with his arms firmly by his side.

    ''Alright, Tobs, how many cables do I require to bear the Cube''s weight for a prolonged amount of time?'' Racing down, Cynrik stifled augh when he saw Brance and Geralt.

    Acting as anchors for the extremely heavy Cube was a task easier said than done, and upon having the tendrils wrapped around their waists like belts, the moment Jessup began pulling it up, the two were sent flying to the ceiling of the Spatial Cube.

    Then, falling into their role as if helping a mountain climber, Brance and Geralt braced their feet against the Cube''s ceiling and pulled against the tendril, creating a counterforce and stabilizing their ascent.

    ''Let''s give them a little help, shall we?'' Cynrik thought as he closed the distance between himself and the Cube during his free fall. Extending his left arm out and targeting the thinner portion of the tendrils wrapped around Geralt and Brance''s waists, he manipted the constructs until they took the form of a full-body harness.

    The sudden dispersal and equalization of weight caused the two anchormen to stumble for a second before regaining their wits and shooting thankful expressions at Cynrik as he streaked by the Cube like a meteor.

    -The answer to your question is eight; you will require eight Mana construct cables if you wish to distribute the weight of the Cube evenly.-

    -Since you already have a massive tendril being used to pull it up, that will suffice for holding the central part of the Cube; however, you can''t expect Jessup to hold out forever.-

    -By my estimate, due to the gravitational force caused by the Divine Particle interference, at present excluding the weight of the Spatial Construct, which is practically nothing, the beings inside have an estimatedbined weight of over 350 Tons or 317,515 kg. **700,000 pounds*.-

    ''Tsss,'' sucking in a sharp breath, Cynrik couldn''t help but observe the athletic bodies of the unconscious beings and be confused at how they were so heavy. Then again, thinking about how his weight shot up due to both Evolution and Mana saturation, he felt it made sense.

    ''Right, well, then I suppose I have to make these tendrils sturdy as fuck,'' clicking his tongue, Cynrik moved the Fire Mana he had collected when outside the Shadow Realm toward his feet, and two thin bursts manifested like jet trails.

    "HUPP," with a grunt, Cynrik angled his body, broke out of the free fall after passing the Cube, and came up to the underside of the construct with a little effort.

    Although it took him a couple of minutes, thanks to the rapid rise of the Cube, which caused him to mess up several times, Cynrik attached eight intricately woven, braided cords of pure Umbra Mana to the bottom of the Spatial Cube.

    To do this, he had required the help of Geralt, who had opened thick portholes at the positions Cynrik needed, allowing him to loop the braided cords through and tie them into dense triple knots.

    ''Hehe, it reminds me of the cable management necessary to make aputer look good when building them.'' Flying up around the base of the Spatial Cube, Cynrik nodded and appreciated his handy work.

    -Hey, dummy Cyn, I sure hope you don''t think securing the bottom of the Cube will be enough to do what you want. Get your ass moving and do the top half, too; if not, how do you n to secure them outside the portal.-<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Unwilling to allow her host to stay cocky, Tobs smacked his cheek several times to break him out of his revelry.

    ''Tsk, I''m going, I''m going; why do you have to be such a nag all the time, Tobs? I miss the days when you were all cute and Monotone.'' Rolling his eyes and ignoring the pouting tiny fairy angrily punching his shoulder, Cynrik didn''t allow himself to keep actingzy, and by the time Jessup had brought the Cube within 30 meters of the Barrier between Realms, the young man had finished the first step in n B, turning theckluster Spatial Cube into a neatly wrapped present of dead weight.

    Then,nding on top of the Cube, Cynrik held his arms outstretched, taking hold of the eight braided cords, thick as tree trunks, which floated freely like giant ck spaghetti noodles.

    With the Cube only 30 meters from the Barrier, Jessup slowed his progress until the construct was close enough that Cynrik could stand on his tippy toes to bonk his head on the barrier.

    "Hey, kid, what do you n on doing next? I hope you don''t expect me to keep holding this damn heavy thing until you evacuate the injured?" Gingerly stepping forward, Jessup spoke with a clear and annoyed tone.

    Covered in sweat and muscles twitching every few seconds, it was apparent to everyone present that it had taken him a lot of effort to raise the Cube, and it wouldn''t be surprising if his Stamina were ready to bottom out.

    "Sooo, this is the part you will probably hate me for, old man." Walking toward the portal and looking up at Jessup, Cynrik wore a wry smile as he spoke.

    "Fuck, let me guess, you n on having me widen the Divine Particle ring so you can bring those hulking things into the house and destroy the walls of my training room." With a grimace, Jessup shook his head and was about to work on widening the Divine Particles when Cynrik snorted and stopped his action by holding up his left hand, dragging along four braided cords of Umbra Mana with the gesture.

    "Wellll, you are half right. I don''t need to widen the portal; condensing these cords is simple. As for the second part, well, I need to anchor them somewhere, and since the training room walls are made of material strong enough to withstand Tier-5 attacks, ima needs you to punch some holes for me, eight to be exact, OH, and one in the ceiling too."

    "You little, ugh, FINE, but I damn well expect yourzy ass to repair the damageter." Chewing on his bottom lip till he tasted blood, Jessup felt a strong urge to beat the young man below.

    "Che, no shit, of course, I nned on fixing the damage; what do you think I am, a ¡­." Cynrik started to say, but suddenly three voices cut him off, all using derogatory phrases.

    "Sadistic Monster who loves causing irreparable damage," Geralt said with dead eyes.

    "A fucking Sociopath who likes breaking others'' objects because it gives him a sense of pleasure." Brance retorted with an equally dead expression.

    "A lunatic who doesn''t give a shit about anything other than his stupid ns and experiments," Stated Jessup as he struggled to shift the weight of the Cube to his non-dominant hand.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 585 Operation Saving Asses (7)

    ?

    "Sadistic Monster who loves causing irreparable damage," Geralt said with dead eyes.

    "A fucking Sociopath who likes breaking others'' objects because it gives him a sense of pleasure." Brance retorted with an equally dead expression.

    "A lunatic who doesn''t give a shit about anything other than his stupid ns and experiments," Stated Jessup as he struggled to shift the weight of the Cube to his non-dominant hand.

    With their hurtfulments'' three metaphorical arrows struck Cynrik''s chest, causing him to stumble back and grab at the point of impact.

    CRITICAL HIT! PSYCHOLOGICAL DAMAGE WAS TAKEN!

    "Why you gotta say such hateful and hurtful things¡­" Cynrik grumbled as he went through the motions of pulling out the metaphorical arrows from his body.

    "Tsk, yall bastards are really trying me. Do you truly believe I won''t sever the main cable and drop this fucking Cube to the ground and kill everyone inside?" Sucking his teeth and looking down at Brance, the left side of Cynrik''s mouth curled up in a twisted smile, causing a shiver to run down the youngest Jetlensr''s spine.

    "Ha¡­ha¡­haa, we are only joking with you, big brother, who is wise, strong, and handsome. We would never actually believe in the wrong things we said." Failing to hide the apparent fear leaking in his voice, Brance back peddled instantly, causing Geralt beside him to nod like a bobblehead doll in approval.

    "That''s what I thought," with a satisfied grin, Cynrik looked up at Jessup as if waiting for his response. Instead of a praiseworthy performance, strain and annoyance painted the old man''s face.

    BOOOM x-9

    Nine rapid and sequential explosions shook the house as Jessup ignored Cynrik and ruptured as many holes in the walls and one in the ceiling of the Training room as booms.

    "Kid, I can''t hold this thing forever, so knock off the petty bullshit and get up here."

    "Nuh-uh, not until you take back what you said. I have all day. In fact, I find the Shadow Realm quitefortable, so much so that I could probably even take a nice long nap here on the Cube." The smile dropped off his face, and a bored expression reced the twisted one previously exuded by Cynrik as he quicklyid down while using the braided cords like an Umbra Mana Bed.

    "Huh, oh for fuck sake, FINE, I take back what I said; you aren''t someone who doesn''t give a shit about anything other than ns and experiments, now hurry up and get this weight off my hands before my arm''s snap off."

    The distraction caused by opening the holes in the training room was enough to break Jessup''s focus on the Cube he was single-handedly holding up. His feet had even begun sliding on the ground, drawing him closer to the portal as the seconds ticked.

    "Meh, I guess that will have to be enough, ALRIGHT!" Cynrik bounced to his feet with a slight grunt, pulled the braided cords near his body, and clutched at the air.

    Instantly, all eight of the tree trunk-sized Mana constructs condensed while releasing an eerie ck glow. From their original size, they constricted and tightened as they rapidly transformed into the size of a thin piece of rebar. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    However, unlike the steel alloy bars, these eight thin braided cords were as flexible as a strand of hair, and in seconds, Cynrik gripped hold of each piece, collecting four in each hand, and lept through the portal, back into reality.

    Like before, when he fell into the Shadow Realm, the sudden change in G-force caused his stomach to churn; however, having expected this effect, Cynrik quickly ignored it and set about securing each of the cables into fixed positions around the room.

    Luckily, like the Spatial Cube, the training room was in the shape of a perfect square, so although a few sizes smaller than the massive Cube, it was plenty big to distribute the cords evenly.

    "Alright, together now, Jessup, we need to distribute the weight onto the cradle slowly, or else the cables will snap one after another like a rubber band pulled too far." Once the cords were secured, Cynrik shed to Jessup''s side and took hold of the main line, then floated up with a slow and steady st of fire.

    Below him, Jessup''s body shimmered in Blue and Gold light as his feet left the ground, and he rose to the air, slowly trailing behind Cynrik as he pulled the Cube along with him.

    For the next five minutes, things were tense for Cynrik, Brance, Jessup, and Geralt as the two people, in reality, closed thest couple of meters toward the barrier before securing the main line to the ceiling.

    Almost instantly, the entire training room seemed to bow inward as the immense weight of the Spatial Cube was pushed onto the metallic walls and ceiling. After a few heated seconds, everything stabilized, and Jessup and Cynrik copsed in exhaustion.

    "Heh, well, that was fucking tedious, sitting up and crossing his legs; Cynrik started meditating to restore as much Fire Mana as his body could hold, a process which would take some time to finish.

    Down below, Geralt and Brance undid the harnesses around their bodies and secured them to the ceiling of the Spatial Cube in opposite directions of the center of the construct.

    Happy to finally have this stressful endeavor over, Geralt exhaled loudly and beganughing as his eyes met Brance''s, and the two shared a moment.

    Unlike Cynrik, who had been rtively idle since the slow climb began, Geralt and Brance''s bodies were pushed to their utmost extreme. Being forced to bear a weight of 175 tons each, since it was equally distributed between them, was no easy task, and it left the two of them low on STAM and at around 65% HP.

    The second the Cube left the ground in the Shadow Realm, and the weight was put on their bodies by way of the Umbra tendrils, the two had watched their HP steadily decline slowly.

    The longer they found themselves in this awkward and ufortable situation, the more stress was put on their bodies. Muscles and ligaments tore, bones fractured, and if it weren''t for the two of them having such high VIT stats, making their Passive Regeneration so high, they would have been crushed before ever reaching the halfway point.

    Although they wanted to start the evacuation process as soon as possible, Geralt and Brance knew they needed to address their physical situation first, so for the next couple of minutes, the two downed a cocktail of HP and STAM potions until their resource stats were back at their maximum, before spreading out and picking out the people whose injuries were the most severe.

    "OI, the docking procedure isplete; what is taking you guy''s so long? Geralt, open the damn lid and allow the Ambient Elemental Particles to flood into the Cube. Brance needs time to get his HolyFire and Light Mana back charged up, so it''s up to you to Start bringing the dead weight to the surface so I can expel the Death Mana in their bodies." Having finished up his Meditation, Cynrik pressed his face against the Spatial Cube and shouted at his brother and Geralt.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 586 Operation Saving Asses (8)

    ?

    Everything progressed smoothly after the docking procedure waspleted; slowly and carefully, Geralt handed up one injured person after another, with the first being the Governess.

    When she was passed up to Cynrik, Jessup released an audible gasp. He had watched the brutal fight and knew just how injured the woman was before disappearing into the Shadow Realm, but now, as he looked down on her sleeping figure, he couldn''t find any semnce of the injuries she had sustained, apart from her torn battlesuit.

    "Don''t get all excited old man; this chick is closer to my age than you, hehe," Cynrik said as he made sure to cop one final feel of the squish melons barely being held in ce by the torn battlesuit.

    "You got some balls on you, kid, even though you saved her life; if Liandra knew you were taking advantage of her body while she was unconscious, it would be outside my scope of ability to save you." Deleting the scene of Cynrik molesting the woman from his memory, Jessup acted as if he hadn''t seen a thing while Cynrik swiftly found a spot toy the Governess downfortably.

    ''Sigh, it''s such a shame that ima one woman kinda guy. The things I could aplish with my good looks, strength, and intelligence, hehe, I could have been one of those Harem Anime protagonists.'' Wearing a sleazy smile and scanning every inch of the woman''s body with [Mana Sight] to get an excellent nude mental image, Cynrik thought while feeling a trail of saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth.

    The things that Jessup had said as a passing warning already went in one ear and out the other, and it was right as his lust was beginning to hit its peak that Tobs interjected.

    -Cyn¡­you''re drooling¡­you know what, how bout I go and tell Selene that you are thirsting after a woman three times your age. Oh, maybe I should casually mention you felt her up and pitched a tent in your pants too.-

    Using a tone not unlike the scary one Cynrik used against enemies, Tobs floated in front of her host''s eyes and grinned like a shark, her actions causing the young man to freeze on the spot.

    ''Nope, too much trouble, having more than onedy by my side is WAYYY too much trouble; I have such a loving and sadistic wifey at home, who needs more women, not this Lord of Darkness.'' Quickly changing his tune thanks to Tobs'' threat, Cynrik carefully examined the sturdiness of the Death Mana istion before moving back to the portal and grabbing the next person.

    For the next 30 to forty minutes, Cynrik, Jessup, and Geralt continued withdrawing everyone from the Spatial Cube until thest one inside was Brance, as he was still meditating.

    Crossing his arms and looking around the training room, Cynrik clicked his tongue loudly and noticed that more than 75% of the young adults were still chocked full of Death Mana, so he went to work, obliterating any trace from everyone''s body, excluding their Codex.

    Standing by the portal, Jessup was amazed at how well Cynrik had fit over a hundred people into the not-so-big room. Like a master of block stacking games, the young man had some people lying down, some propped against the wall in sitting positions, and as far as Jessup could tell, every possible space was filled with a body.

    However, there were more than a couple that Cynrik had taken special care of; for example, anyone who had been marked as a shit talker was ced face to face on top of another shit talker in an intimate manner, showing how petty the oldest Jetlensr brother could be when push came to shove.

    Nodding his head and returning to the portal to join the adults, Cynrik looked down into the Shadow Realm and snorted when he saw Brance still wasn''t finished refilling his Mana Pool.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    [Oi, what the hell is taking so long?] He chirped in a teasing tone.

    [Fuck off; unlike someone, who can abuse the flow of Umbra Mana freely, some of us take time to fill up our MP. I am not drawing in one, but Two Elemental Particles, plus I waspletely empty.] Opening his eyes and standing up, Brance flipped his middle finger at Cynrik and jumped through the portal,nding beside his brother and looking around the packed room with a dark expression.

    Before, when everyone was inside the Spatial Cube, the Death Mana was rtively contained since there weren''t any particles flowing freely into the isted space; however, now that they were back in the open, Brance couldn''t help but hold his nose as if smelling the sickly sweet aroma of death as the Mana particle became the most abundant in the area.

    Then, his attention was drawn to the stacked bodies across the room in random ces. Noticing the bulky men positioned in such a way they were practically kissing each other while asleep, Brance shot Cynrik an annoyed nce.

    [Really, you couldn''t let it go¡­I don''t know why I expect you ever to act maturely.] Shaking his head and smacking Cynrik in the back, Brance walked over to the Governess, who was separated from the bulk of the group and knelt beside her.

    [Holy shit¡­Cyn, I don''t know if I can fix this¡­] Using [Mana Sight], Brance quickly saw the situation inside the woman''s Codex and felt a trickle of sweat run down his neck.

    [I don''t see why not; sure, it will be a delicate procedure, but if any Element can pull it off, it''s that weird HolyFire of yours. Plus, if you direct your attention to the right side of the room, I even took the liberty of grouping up more than enough fodder for experimentation.]

    [Every one of that group of deadweight is in a simr situation as the Governess, with varying degrees of Codex Corruption.] Waving his hand and pointing at around ten young adults with sickly pale skin, Cynrik smirked and waited to see how Brance would respond.

    This was a small test, or more like a trap, to see how Brance would deal with the pressing matter. But it wasn''t like Cynrik threw his little brother to the wolves; no, instead, he had taken the time to pick and choose those with the lowest level of Codex Corruption and slotted them into the group at the tail end, until the final person''s Corruption was rtively close to the Governess''s.

    Knowing his brother wasn''t as stupid as he liked to act, Cynrik wanted Brance to learn how to deal with the issue, starting from easy mode until he reached Hell mode.

    The point was to condition Brance''s Mana control to an eptable level that could stack up to his own; unfortunately, thetter didn''t see it this way, mainly due to how Cynrik presented the situation and worded his phrases.

    [Cyn, you can''t expect me to be like you; how can you even consider the possibility that I would sacrifice lives for the sake of learning? What the hell is wrong with you?] Feeling something off about how things wereid out for him, Brance red at Cynrik, knowing there had to be more to what was happening than his brother was saying.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 587 Cynriks Willful Decision

    ?

    [Cyn, you can''t expect me to be like you; how can you even consider the possibility that I would sacrifice lives for the sake of learning? What the hell is wrong with you?] Feeling something off about how things wereid out for him, Brance red at Cynrik, knowing there had to be more to what was happening than his brother was saying.

    [Sigh, dumb, stupid, innocent Brancie, open your fucking eyes and observe that group''s situation. I have done all I can to help you; the only issue is whether or not you ept that help.]

    [Unlike me, Mana Control has ALWAYS been your biggest issue, causing you to fall behind me in the one thing you need most. Instead of ying the part of Dumb Meat-head Jock, use your fucking brain.]With a loud snort, Cynrik looked over at Jessup and Geralt before turning his face up to the first floor of the Mansion.

    [[Ma Petite,e down to the training room alone; it''s time I took you on a date; I know I have been harsh to you as ofte, so think of this as me saying sorry.]] With the tension of the life or death battle worn off, and his lust peaked thanks to seeing the Governess naked with [Mana Sight], Cynrik summoned his woman.

    [WHAT THE FUCK!] Brance shouted, but it was ignored by Cynrik, who stood there picking his ear with his left pinky.

    [I do what I want; I already got rid of the Death Mana stored in the deadweight''s bodies, and there is no point in me standing around idle, so the rest is up to you.] Cynrik replied with a snort as he flicked some earwax off his finger toward a stack of buff guys.

    ---

    In the living room, when Selene heard the honey-sweet words of her lover, she immediately jumped to her feet with a bright smile and sprinted toward the training room, startling those present and ignoring their questions.

    Less than a minuteter, the door to the training room slid open with a loud dpression hiss, and Selene, still in her G dress, appeared. Noticing the packed room chalked full of bodies, the youngdy didn''t even bat an eye, as they meant nothing to her.

    Paying the bodies nothing more than a passing nce, Selene quickly cleared them with a graceful leap andnded in Cynrik''s arms as he caught her in a princess carry.

    "Well, we got things to do, fuck the rules, and fuck the dead weight,ter nerds," Cynrik stated while nuzzling his cheek against Selene''s and stepping back toward the portal.

    Then, without waiting for a response from anyone, especially Brance, who looked like he had kicked him in the dick, Cynrik fell backward into the Shadow Realm with Selene in his arms and closed the portal with a thought.

    Since Geralt had already dispersed the Spatial Cube, the couple fell a few meters into the Shadow Realm and were wrapped up by theforting feeling of abundant Umbra and Shadow Mana.

    ---

    ''Sigh, I can only carry you along for so long, Brancie; you need to learn to walk on your own at some point.'' With that thought, Cynrik expelled a burst of mes from his feet and hovered in ce, looking at the bombshell woman head over heels for him and resting her head against his chest like a good little wife.

    "Woman, you better prepare yourself because once we get far enough away from the Mansion and to somecefortable, I n on railing you till you can''t walk for a week." Wearing a predatory expression, Cynrik''s hands slipped into the side of Selene''s dress and began massaging her breast, drawing a surprised moan from the youngdy.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I was wondering why you said fuck the rules, oh, darling, I have waited for far too long, take me, ravish me, mark me with your warm seed until no other man can stand being around me without jealousy feeding their ego." Excitement surged through her body as Selene felt a second heartbeating from her womb.

    Months of low-level physical intimacy with her beloved had left Selene feeling down, but it was finally time. Having thought she almost lost Cynrik in battle, Selene wouldn''t pass up this opportunity, no matter what she had to sacrifice.

    "Good answer, Ma Petite," Cynrik said as he leaned forward and kissed his woman passionately.

    He had already done everything he could above; what happened next, in reality, had nothing to do with him. Since he had no intention of facing his parents, especially his Father, Cynrik decided to throw any other responsibility to the others and follow his desires instead.

    ---

    Geralt, Jessup, and Brance were stunned into silence in the training room. None of them were new regarding the willful and wild Cynrik''s actions, but what he did shocked everyone present.

    "That little shit, he is pushing all responsibility onto us!" Geralt grumbled as he ran his tongue over his teeth in anger.

    "Sigh, that fucking brat, what does he expect us to do with all these children? Leave them here until the fallout zone recedes? He doesn''t even realize things won''t stabilize for two months at the earliest." Massaging his temples, Jessup extended his consciousness and felt the consequential aftereffects caused by the Governor and Haylon''s battle.

    "Fuck¡­it''s worse than I thought; well, we need to find some way to deal with these kids because if what I am sensing is correct, we will be stuck in the house for a while. Luckily I have plenty of food and resources stocked up for situations like this."

    "Hold on, how long is a while?" Geralt said with a severe expression. Although he knew a little bit about Divine Particles and the Divinity Stat, this was his first time in a situation like this; thus, his heart raced with panic upon hearing what Jessup said.

    Across the room, Brance looked away from the Governess and toward the two men with worry in his eyes. Having known Jessup for years, he knew how to the point the old man was, so if he was saying things were bad, then they were way worse than Brance or even Cynrik anticipated.

    "If it were just the grav-zone we were dealing with, things would be manageable, and this could even be considered a good opportunity for everyone in the house since it would allow them to get stronger."

    "But the problemys with the Divine Particles themselves. For a being that hasn''t unlocked their Divinity Stat, these particles are no better than a strong poison to the body, and prolonged exposure to them will dematerialize an average mortal body." Jessup continued speaking, crossing his arms and looking from Geralt to Brance with a worried look.

    "By my estimates, arge portion of Valor City has now be a no man''snd, and although evacuation procedures were carried out by the Enforcers and several branches of the Military, anyone within a certain distance from ground zero will be considered unsavable, as within a week they will be dead."

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 588 The Dark Truth

    ?

    **Hey Guys, I have a big tournament Today, so only one 1500-word chapter (One Piece TCG). That means that this weekend will be Two chapters instead of three.**

    "By my estimates, arge portion of Valor City has now be a no man''snd, and although evacuation procedures were carried out by the Enforcers and several branches of the Military, anyone within a certain distance from ground zero will be considered unsavable, as within a week they will be dead," Jessup said with a stony expression.

    "Tsss, Uncle Jessup, what constitutes being abandoned? How far away do we need to be from Ground Zero to be acknowledged as saveable." Sucking in a cold and sharp breath, Brance imagined families close to the Governor''s Mansion melting as if hit by an atomic st.

    For him, who came from Earth and had seen the devastation unleashed on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he couldn''t help but draw a parallel between then and now.

    "If there is a willful Tier-6 higher up leading the charge, I expect them to push onward past us in the 5.5g zone, at the very least; however, the odds of that happening are slim at best."

    "I wouldn''t be surprised if they write off anyone beyond the 3g ring. It''s not that they are forsaking anyone trapped inside the fallout zone, but things are just that dangerous."

    "There is a reason battles between Tier-6 and higher existences are forbidden byw unless under certain restrictions. Divine Particles are too destructive to the environment." Pausing his monologue, the old man turned around and seemed to be looking through the walls of the training room to the west.

    "Well, I guess that answers that¡­sigh, I had hoped it was Carleigh Mindsom in charge¡­but it seems we drew the short straw this time, folks." Shaking his head in disappointment at what he sensed, Jessup closed his eyes briefly before looking back toward Brance.

    "It seems the powers that be have decided against moving past the 2g zone, as the density of Divine Particles is considered too strong for their forces to withstand. As such, it has been decided that the ends don''t justify the means."

    BANG

    "WHAT THE HELL KIND OF CORRUPT POLITICAL BULLSHIT IS HAPPENING? THESE ARE LIVING AND BREATHING PEOPLE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, NOT LIVESTOCK." mming his fists into the ground hard enough to dent the flooring, Brance yelled, causing the air around him to shimmer.

    "Keep your emotions in check, Brance; whether you like it or not, this is how things are handled when the government is involved. It is no different than the strong sealing off ess to higher forms of knowledge; everything is done in such a way as to limit the growth potential of the average person."

    "Why else do you think so many people are interested in you and your brother? The two of you break the status quo. From the Government to the Military, hell, even the big corporations and underground organizations want a piece of you and the other members of MyrkLys." Walking toward Brance as the young man knelt on the ground, Jessup ced aforting hand on his shoulder to help calm him down.

    "I¡­I can''t ept this¡­Uncle Jessup, you know I''m afraid that''s not right; it''s unfair to those who can''t defend themselves¡­." Tasting something sour in his mouth, Brance looked down at his clenched fists leaking blood on the grey padded floor.

    "To those in power, fairness falls to the wayside when benefits are involved. The strong get stronger while the weak suffer; this has always been a fact we are forced to live by, and it''s one of the main reasons your brother differs so much from the average person."

    "Cynrik refuses to bend to anyone, which is a very umon characteristic, especially in someone his age. The world is a dark ce, young man, and it''s only when you get old enough to break passed some of that darkness that you realize it only gets darker the longer you live."

    "But you and your brother are different; I saw it when you and that knucklehead showed up on my doorstep with nowhere else to go. Unlike someone who had lost everything, the fire shining in both of your eyes burned hotter than any forge or even the suns in the sky."

    "What I saw that day wasn''t two crippled children unable to use Mana; no, I saw two warriors who were bound to do great things. And as the old guard, the generation ready to pass the torch, I knew that if more people like you existed, we would be fine, no matter what came next."

    "Now, your brother''s way of doing things may be ass-backward, but he believed in your ability to help these people, Brance. He already cleansed all those whose Codexes weren''t corrupted, but he knows his limits and has passed the job of saving the lives of the corrupted to you."

    Jessup continued speaking while standing up and motioning toward the ten unconscious and extremely pale young adults beside the Governess. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I won''t downy what he expects of you, as even to my knowledge, there have been zero sessful cleanse attempts when ites to Mana Corrupted Codexes; still, not a single of those old coot doctors has an Affinity on the level of your HolyFire."

    "If anyone can pull it off, I have no doubt it would be you. Leave the rest of these kids to me; I will ensure they leave the Divine Fallout." Pausing, Jessup then looked to Geralt, who was already condensing a new type of Mana construct, one Brance hadn''t seen before.

    "Heh, Space Affinity users are in a league of their own, don''t worry about what he is doing and get to work. It will be a tedious and thankless task, but it is still something you will learn from."

    VOOOOOOMMMMM~

    As if heeding some silent call to arms, a disk-shaped object formed of pure space Mana manifested above the heads of every healed, unconscious person.

    "Whew, damn, that was rough; I hate using this skill, [Compression Cyr] has the highest toll of any skill in my toolbox," Geraltined as a small disc in a deeper shade of Aqua than those floating over the heads of the unconscious hovered over his hand.

    "The worst part is the damn thing has a six-month cooldown, but on the upside, the disk can sustain itself for an indefinite amount of time thanks to its ability to draw in Ambient Mana." Wearing aplicated smile, Geralt noticed the curious eyes of Brance, so he exined that the disks were all linked to the one above his hand.

    When he gives the signal, all objects targeted by the smaller discs would be absorbed into the main one. What distinguishes this skill from the [Spatial Cube] is that he can control the dimension inside the disc, meaning it could be asrge or small as he wanted.

    "Woah¡­when my brother finds out about this, you do realize he won''t let you go, right Geralt," Brance said as his eyes zed over, and he pictured the scene of Cynrik flipping out about all kinds of theories from Earth that were impossible to bring to fruition.

    "Then it''s a good thing he isn''t here, and I have such a long cooldown on this skill, right?" Geralt responded with a shaky smile and a slight quiver in his voice.

    He knew how crazy Cynrik acted regarding his experiments, and Geralt had no intention of bing the young psycho''sb rat.

    "A.. anyway, let''s get this lot stored away for now, *SNAP*." Snapping his fingers loudly, Geralt activated the discs, causing them to spin and wobble until they took the form of an orb and sucked in their target into the pocket dimension stored within the smaller discs.

    Then, with a wave of his hand, the hord of discs flew toward therger, darker one and merged with it. The once full training room was almost empty in no time, as over 100 unconscious people seemingly vanished into thin air.

    Brance watched in amazement as the disc, norger than a dinner te, vibrated and spun until slowing to a stop and hovering silently, waiting for its followingmand.

    "Brance, time is of the essence; although Cynrik isted all their Codexes and pacified the Death Mana within, it was only a temporary fix, so you need to get a move on."

    Jessup''s stern tone pulled Brance from his thoughts, and with a nod, the youngest Jetlensr stood up and walked to the unconscious young man farthest away from the Governess.

    ''Sigh, leave it to Cynrik to even go so far as to organize a bunch of injured people in a pattern suiting his needs. Still, I can''tin too much since it gave me a starting point.'' Kneeling down beside a young man with orange hair and freckles, Brance ced his hand on the person''s chest and activated [Mana Sight].

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 589 Fine Tuning Mana Control (1)

    ?

    **Big Sadge, ced 66 out of 503, just missed out on the top 64, which was good prizing in the tournament. Anyway, today is Sunday, so as per our usual Schedule 1, 1500 word chapter for yall.**

    ''Sigh, leave it to Cynrik to even go so far as to organize a bunch of injured people in a pattern suiting his needs. Still, I can''tin too much since it gave me a starting point.'' Kneeling down beside a young man with orange hair and freckles, Brance ced his hand on the person''s chest and activated [Mana Sight].

    Slowly circling his hand over the young man''s Codex and taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Brance''s eyes zeroed in on the particle cloud of disgusting Mana in the young Ginger''s Codex; his face twitched slightly.

    When Haylon''s Death Mana was integrated into physical form, Brance noticed and had been fighting a queasy feeling in his stomach, an inherent revulsion of sorts.

    The reason was rtively obvious; technically, thanks to his Light and HolyFire Affinities, he came under the "Auxiliary" or "Creation" Affinity User, while Death Mana was part of the Destruction Category.

    One of the first things they learned in Mana Theory ss was that although there were potentially hundreds of different Elemental types, they all fell under one of three Primary Categories and one of the three Sub-Categories, Creation, Destruction, Neutral, Offensive, Defensive, and Auxiliary.

    As time has proven, the biggest downside to having a narrow ssification system was that many people would argue about certain Elements falling into specific categories. For example, the Light Element was one such topic of conversation.

    Between its ability to form solid and usable constructs easily, Light Mana could be used to strengthen the bodies of its wielder and Allies; plus, as Brance had proven on more than one asion, the offensive capabilities weren''t weak either.

    The problem was never about whether or not Light fell under Creation, but instead which Sub-Category it was part of. Luckily, since the Light Element was also the number 1 Mana type in medicine and healing, with Chloro taking a close Second, Light had firmly solidified its ce in the Creation Category.

    Offensive, Defensive, or Auxiliary, depending on the Affinity User, Light potentially fell into all three, and it was down to said Affinity User to choose which path they wanted to walk down since it was incredibly difficult to master all three forms; however, it was officially listed as part of the Auxiliary Sub-Category, something which had irked quite a few schrly beings.

    Especially those who firmly believed it fell under the Defensive Category, who made up thergest group of vocal objectors.

    Meanwhile, Death was solidly rooted as one of the Top, if not the best, Destruction Mana Type; thus, Brance''s aversion to the particles within the Ginger''s body.

    Compared to Brance''s Light Affinity, Cynrik''s former Dark and current Umbra Affinities were lumped together with Fire and Lightning in the Destruction Category, with thetter two being lower on the proverbial totem pole than Dark. It was why Brance and Cynrik became ufortable whenever they used their Primary Affinities around each other.

    At the same time, Wind, Ice, and Psychic were considered Neutral, leaving Water and Terra as part of Creation.

    As for why Brance was musing about the Categories, it came down to him trying to figure out the most efficient way of dealing with the Death Mana.

    Unlike Cynrik, who could simply overwhelm other particles with his mutated Dark Affinity, Brance needed to take a different approach, which was to pacify the natural Particles within the Ginger''s Codex. At the same time, it was vital that he simultaneously obliterated the Death particles before they couldtch on and cause damage to the organ.

    Still, the question at hand, and the reason he was taking so long to decide, was whether he should use Light Mana or HolyFire. Besides being extremely rare, borderline Mythical, Brance''s HolyFire could be considered one of the very, VERY few Mana Types which fell under both Creation and Destruction.

    Clutching his right hand slightly, Brance tapped his pinky finger and thumb against the Ginger''s chest, above his Codex, and expelled Light Mana from his pinky finger and HolyFire from his thumb.

    ''I will need both if I want to do this safely. I can''t rely solely on either, as HolyFire is intrusive, while Light is passive.'' Brance thought as he pushed two streams of razer-thin Mana into the young Ginger''s body.

    ''However, the first thing which needs to be done is dealing with Cynrik''s Umbra Mana. Luckily it seems he already predicted what course of action I would take, and at least in this instance, the barrier he erected is thin and barely strong enough to hold the Death Mana back.''

    Steadily controlling the flow of Mana, Brance allowed the two particle types to encircle the Umbra Mana, with the HolyFire taking the spot closest to Cynrik''s Mana and his Light, forming a simr barrier around both. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Like this, where there was once one ring surrounding the Ginger''s Codex, there were now three.

    ''Tobs, what I wanna do won''t trigger an all-out attack from the Death Mana, right?'' ncing at the tiny fairy sitting on his shoulder, Brance asked.

    -Eh, yes and no... had you attempted to push your Mana into the kid''s Codex before securing the perimeter, the guy would indeed have been killed in seconds. Still, since you decided to cordon off the area around Cynrik''s Mana, you should be fine.-

    -However, the moment you breach the kid''s Codex, the Death Mana will rush forward to attack, while his Natural Mana will move aside upon seeing your Light Mana.-

    -But the key thing to bare in mind moving forward is that you will need to supply two steady and equal streams of both Light and HolyFire, one for defensive reasons, the other Offensive.-

    -The trick is keeping the Natural Particles at bay without causing a Riot using your Light Mana while your HolyFire moves to eradicate the Death.

    -HolyFire and Light are both in direct opposition to Death, and, as natural enemies, you can expect an instant confrontation between the two. But¡­in contrast to Cynrik, who wanted to brute force his Umbra Mana in and take control, you have a significantly higher chance of sess than he could ever.-

    -That is¡­if you can keep control of your Mana. Brance, I don''t have to exin how Mana control is one of your weakest aspects, so I need you at the top of your game this time.-

    Giving him a worried look, Tobs walked to the edge of Brance''s shoulder and peered down at what was transpiring within the Ginger''s Codex.

    ''Un, got it, thanks¡­as always, Tobs, I really do appreciate that you exin things clearly versus how Cynrik zes over important subjects.'' With a smile creeping onto his lips, Brance secured the area around the Ginger''s Codex before moving his HolyFire in to wipe out the Umbra Ring created by Cynrik.

    -Well, you know how your brother is; he expects everyone around him to find their way toward the same conclusions as he makes. Since I can read his every thought, I understand why he does that; it''s his way of pushing you all to get stronger and improve your high-level calctive abilities; however, his method isn''t necessarily the best approach for everyone.-

    -Maybe only Gabby could keep up with his way of thinking, but even then, she is still, at best, around 20-35% as good with critical thinking as Cynrik in stressful situations.-

    -Anywho, be careful; line up both of your streams side-by-side, pick a point of entry, preferably where one of the many Mana Circuits connects to the organ, and move in as one unit.-

    Brance followed her instructions with a nod and controlled the two thin streams into a parallel holding pattern before navigating through the young Ginger''s body. Soon enough, his Mana was pressed against the outside of the main circuit hub point leading to the young man''s Codex.

    -Kay, good job so far, but now is the first obstacle; getting your Mana into someone elses body is easy; since this kid is only Mid-Tier-3, all you need to bypass is tissue and muscle; however, breaking into someone''s Mana Circuits is a different beast entirely.-

    Taking slow, shallow breaths, Brance retracted the two streams of Mana and, with steady movements, treated them like a battering ram, mming the two equal-sized streams against the clearish blue and vein-like Mana Circuit.

    Unfortunately, although things had gone well for Brance up until this point, the moment his streams came in contact with the Ginger''s Mana Circuit, they veered off, one going up the other down, and began dissolving, causing Brance to frown in confusion.

    -Sigh, Brance¡­I know you are a muscle-headed jock, but you should have known better than to try doing things with physicality. You are dealing with Mana, not a steel beam and a door. What you are attempting is a delicate procedure, not a fucking baseball game.-

    Smacking her face with an open palm, Tobs dragged her fingers from her forehead to her chin and groaned loudly, causing Brance to give her a look as if saying, "My bad."

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 590 Fine Tuning Mana Control (2)

    ?

    -Sigh, Brance¡­I know you are a muscle-headed jock, but you should have known better than to try doing things with physicality. You are dealing with Mana, not a steel beam and a door. What you are attempting is a delicate procedure, not a fucking baseball game.-

    Smacking her face with an open palm, Tobs dragged her fingers from her forehead to her chin and groaned loudly, causing Brance to give her a look as if saying, "My bad."

    -Don''t give me that look; get back to it; you need to rebuild the Mana streams and line them up again.-

    -When you get lined up, instead of treating the stream''s entrance like a battering ram, articte them as if you are threading a needle.-

    -Finely tune the two streams into pinprick-sized points, and stab them into the Codex.-

    ''A needle and thread¡­wouldn''t it be better to view it like getting a booster shot?'' Although Brance nodded his head, he still countered the tiny fairy with his own question.

    -I like that you are using your head, but you are incorrect. Injections are one-time stab push flush. What you want to go for is more like an IV.-

    -You need to continuously feed Mana to the stream while using it to attack the Codex, so think of yourself as a big, hunky IV Bag, the streams themselves as the tube leading to the vein, and the fine tip point of the streams as the needle.-

    As Tobs spoke, she tapped on her chin in thought while trying to find a good example that Brance could rte to. Luckily she gave him just that because when her young host lined up the HolyFire and Light Affinity Streams again, he breached the Ginger''s Mana Circuits with any issue the second time.

    Feeling sweat pooling on his forehead, Brance raised his forearm up and wiped it away. Havingpleted the first step in seconds this time, he had inadvertently made the task seem effortless. Unfortunately, It was anything but.

    Since he had always struggled with Mana Control, making such micro-sized artictions was an arduous task for him, one that saw his MP steadily dropping as he wasted a good majority of the points due to his inexperience.

    -Good job, Brancie; the first hurdle is out of the way; now I need you to follow the flow of the veins and ensure you don''t bump them; just float in the middle like you are rafting in a river.-

    ''Probably a dumb question, but what happens if my Manaes in contact with the Circuit Walls?'' Following her directions, Brance slowly navigated the narrow channel with his side-by-side streams of Light and Holy fire, careful not to touch or interact with the circuits in any way.

    -If you do, since you have an ipatible Mana Type, the veins will constrict and enter what I can only call "Panic Mode," where they forcefully eject the intruder.-

    -At that point, the Brain will send a signal to the rest of the body, effectively cklisting your Light and HolyFire, turning them into enemies that the entire body will attack upon sight.-

    Hearing how bad things would get if he did bump the walls, Brance felt his butthole pucker, and more sweat built up on his brow and the small of his back.

    The sudden tensing of muscles felt like a mini Earthquake to Tobs, and she had to clutch onto his shoulder to stop from falling off.

    -Stay focused, idiot; you are doing fine; just float thezy river until you find a prominent gate-like structure.-

    With a loud huff and crawling back to her feet, the little fairy ran over and thumped Brance''s cheek while admonishing him.

    It took roughly five minutes for Brance''s Mana streams to reach the so-called Gate, and when they did, he noticed the strange structure on the Codex looked more like a heart valve than a gate, as Tobs had described. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    However, with that realization, Brance frowned as he watched the Valve open and close half a secondter, simr to the beat of a heart.

    ''Tobs¡­don''t tell me I have to shoot the gap¡­didn''t you say I needed to supply a steady stream to the attack force? How am I supposed to do that if the Valve closes? Wouldn''t that cut off my flow?''

    Brance''s mind whirled as he counted the window between opening and closing.

    ''3 seconds; what the hell am I supposed to do with three seconds?''

    -Sigh, Brancie, you have got to be the dumbest intelligent person I''ve ever met. All those books and your Brain is still made of mush.-

    ''Hey¡­no need to be rude, Tobs,'' wearing a pout, Brance stared at the open and closing Valve, trying to figure out the best time to make a move.

    -Oh, for crying out loud, Brancie, what is one of the staples thate along with being a Light Affinity User.-

    Wearing a deadpan expression, Tobs hopped off his shoulder and floated directly in his line of sight.

    ''Uh¡­healing¡­no WAIT, CONSTRUCTS! Hold up, will that even work? I thought you said that I can''t touch anything; if I construct a box or something that will allow unhindered ess through the Valve, wouldn''t that trigger a response from the body?''

    -Nope, that only applies to the Circuits; that little Valve, as you keep calling it, is part of the Codex, so long as you don''t try and force the whole thing open for an extended period, there won''t be an internal attack.-

    ''Gotcha, so make a little box with grooves on all sides that allow the valve to open and close freely on top of it, and make two small holes to allow my Mana streams to pass through.'' With a nod, Brance''s fingers twitched as he broke off a piece of his Light Stream to construct the said manifestation, and within a couple of seconds, it wasplete.

    ''Now I just need to slot the box in ce¡­'' Sticking out his tongue unconsciously and pressing it against the top left corner of his upper lip, Brance willed the box to float forward and, with perfect timing, slotted it in ce right as the Valve closed.

    ''NICE!'' Brance cheered as he watched the box firmly stay in ce as the Valve opened back up and closed a few secondster.

    -Indeed, nicely done, Brancie; you are almost there; now for the final push. Remember, this is by far the process''s most delicate andplex part.-

    -From here on out, you can''t lose focus for even a microsecond because if you do, all hell will break loose. The biggest thing you need to watch out for is allowing the Death Mana to consume the¡­huh¡­well, that is interesting.-

    Halting her sentence and allowing it to trail off into incoherent mumbles, Tobs peeked into the Ginger''s Codex and located the young man''s Mana with a weird expression.

    ''Uh¡­Tobs, I don''t mean to sound needy or demanding, but since you are so good at helping me with visualization, can you give me another example to help beat the Death Mana without causing a riot?'' Holding back his Mana streams and not allowing them to pass through the Valve, Brance turned and looked at the tiny fairy who had returned to perch on his shoulder.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 591 Fine Tuning Mana Control (3)

    ?

    Asking for help and not hearing her incoherent mumbles, Brance noticed ack of response from the fairy, so he silently waited since she appeared deep in thought while wearing a weird expression on her cute little face.

    When he felt too much time had transpired, Brance lightly cleared his throat, startling the fairy on his shoulder.

    -Huh? Oh, sorry, I just noticed something that would make your brother lose his shit if he knew. Well, scratch that; he probably saw the rare Affinity that Ginger has, but he didn''t recognize the color.-

    ''Hm? What is wrong with his Affinity?'' Losing focus and causing the Mana streams to waiver momentarily, Brance quickly regained control of them before looking at the hazy greenish-blue Mana particles inside the young man''s Codex.

    -Heh, well, you know what they say about Gingers, right?-

    ''Uh¡­that they don''t have a soul?'' Thinking back to the saying from Earth, Brance didn''t understand what the phrase had to do with his current objective.

    -Yeah, that one, well, this kid has a Spirit Affinity¡­so hehe, the Ginger, who is said to have no souls, can control Spirit particles which are widely epted to be what Ghosts are made of.-

    Giggling lightly in a tone akin to a soft bell jingle, Tobs beamed brightly up at Brance, who gave her an expressionless, dead-eyed nce.

    -Oh,e on, you gotta admit, it''s both ironic and funny¡­tsk, party pooper.-

    ''Yes, yes, it is so funny, good joke, Tobs; now, can you please help me with an analogy that can solidify my visualization here?'' Rolling his eyes and resisting the urge to pinch her puffed-out pouty cheeks, Brance looked back at the Valve.

    -Sigh, yeah, how about this, the Spirit particles are Sports Team S, the home team, while Team D is the Death Mana. Now one of the members of Team A got a foul called in his favor, and Team B didn''t like that so much.-

    -Well, the guys over on Team D are ruffians and decided to throw a punch at Team S, creating a brawl. Now the only problem is there are no referees; that is where youe in. Your job is to red-card all the members of Team D and eject them from the game, giving Team S the win by disqualification.-

    -The only problem is, when you eject Team D, all their fans in the audience will storm the field in anger, so you need to protect Team S from the rioting fans.-

    -Your HolyFire, will fill in the role of Referee, while your Light Mana will be the security guards protecting the helpless members of Team S. Is that good enough?-

    Looking up at Brance, Tobs noticed the hesitation in his eyes, so she was about to give a different analogy when she saw him nod a couple of times.

    ''Although I am not good with ser terms¡­.''

    -Futbol!-

    Tobs corrected Brance the moment he spoke, causing him to roll his eyes before continuing.

    ''Sure, whatever you wanna call it; as I was saying, although I am not good with the game''s terminology, the example you gave is enough for me, so let''s do this.''

    Holding his right wrist with his left hand, Brance pushed more Mana into the streams, bolstering their solidity, and moved them forward into the Codex.

    ''Ok, just picture the particles as tiny people, and you got this, no pressure.'' Closing his eyes and unconsciously viewing the Codex with his [Mana Sight], Brance thought as his Light and HolyFire entered the mock sports stadium.

    In his mind''s eye, he imposed the mental image Tobs had given him. Instead of particle clouds, he envisioned two separate but equal-sized ser **Futbol, Bite me; I''m American. I will use ser instead.** Teams screaming and yelling at each other from across the pitch. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    What he saw was from a Bird''s eye view, as if he were ying a game on a video game console, only when the Referees and Guards ran in, the refs were, oddly enough, all clones of Cynrik, while all the guards looked like Brance in police riot gear.

    Upon entering the stadium, both teams and all the fans whipped their heads in his group''s direction, like something out of a horror movie, and started iling about in rage.

    Without hesitation, the two groups, guards and referees, raced into action, with the refs running between Team S and Team D while the guards moved to encircle Team S.

    With the teams separated, the refs held up little sheets of red paper and pointed at Team D, officially signaling that the match was over, and all of Team D was ejected from the game.

    However, that was where things took a strange turn; instead of a violent riot, as Tobs had stated, the members of Team D, who all looked like Haylon, suddenly had their flesh decay, and they transformed from ser yers into zombies.

    Seeing this, the Cynrik cloned referees pulled out rifles and began shooting each of the zombies, but this only riled them up, as the undead soon multiplied and drew crude shields and swords from out of nowhere.

    With the battle starting between the refs and Team D, the ''fans'' could no longer wait, and lept onto the pitch, transformed into zombies, and rushed toward the members of Team S with weapons drawn.

    -Sigh, and I thought Cynrik was strange. These two are brothers through and through.-

    Tobs thought as she watched the zombie movie-style yback urring in Brance''s head. It was one thing to imagine battles or even sports matches, but jumping straight into a horror movie from a ser game was a little tricky for her to fathom.

    But when she remembered that Brance secretly enjoyed scary movies, even if Gabby hated them, it made more sense, and a small smile brightened her face.

    Blinking several times to clear her vision, Tobs pulled out of Brance''s mind and observed what was happening inside the Codex, and what she saw made her smile widen.

    Although Brance''s visualization method was a little strange, he was moving quickly, perfectly, and steadily executing his objective.

    The particle cloud of Light Mana easily kept the Spirit Mana protected while asionallyshing out at bursts of Death Mana that tried attacking.

    Meanwhile, like silent assassins, the HolyFire swam through the sea of Death Mana, obliterating it effortlessly.

    -Mm, good job Brancie; it won''t be long now; keep it up; you are on the home stretch. Steady pace, you''ve got this.-

    Careful not to break his focus, Tobs gently spoke into Brance''s mind with words of encouragement, making the young man smile. Surprisingly, he was actually having fun ying out the little horror movie in his mind.

    ---

    Meanwhile, as Brance, under the careful guidance of Tobs, worked to clear out the Corrupted Codex, an entirely different scene was ying out in the Shadow Realm, one that had Forced Tobs to box away her view of Cynrik and Selene temporarily.

    "AHH, HAAA, HAAA, YESS DARLING, RIGHT THERE! OH GOD, I''M CUMMING, I''M CUMMING CYNRIK NGHHH AHHHHH!!!"

    **DAS RIGHT BOIS, GET YOUR HORNY PANTS READY, CAUSE WE GOIN IN NEXT CHAPTER!!!**

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 592 F*** The Rules (1)

    ?

    **Some Time Ago**

    Generating thin bursts of ckFire from the soles of his feet, Cynrik looked at the bombshell woman who was head over heels for him and resting her head against his chest like a good little wife.

    "Woman, you better prepare yourself because once we get far enough away from the Mansion and to somecefortable, I n on railing you till you can''t walk for a week." Bringing his face close to hers and brushing his nose against Selene''s, Cynrik''s eyes trailed down to the deep, plunging neckline of the sexy dress his woman had been wearing for some time now.

    "I was wondering why you said fuck the rules, oh, darling, I have waited for far too long, take me, ravish me, mark me with your warm seed until no other man can stand being around me without jealousy feeding their ego."

    "Good answer, Ma Petite," Cynrik said as he leaned forward and kissed his woman tenderly, to which she reciprocated with haste.

    After a heated airborne makeout session, the two separated slowly, creating a string of saliva between their lips, and they both smiled while out of breath.

    "So, date first, then fucking like rabbits; what do you have nned for me, Darling~?" Selene''s eyes practically had hearts forming in her iris as she spoke seductively, highlighted by her sexually appealing G Dress.

    "Hm, haven''t you noticed the G-force here differs from anything we have experienced so far?" Cynrik stated with a mysterious smile as his hands freely roamed around her body.

    "Ngh, Darrrling~ so lewd," feeling his dexterous fingers crawling around all of her sensitive bits, Selene''s face flushed with embarrassment, but still, she tried to answer his question.

    "It''s¡­ah¡­not just different, mmm. I got a notification from Tobs, Kyaaaa!." Before she could finish speaking, Cynrik''s left hand slid into the slit of her dress and began creeping toward her little sister, making Selene squeal in surprise.

    However, Cynrik''s fingers suddenly stopped, and the lust in his eyes seemed to calm down momentarily.

    "What kind of notification?" He asked, moving his hand from between her legs and allowing it to rest on her thick, soft thigh.

    "She said I have entered a zone filled with abundant Divinity Particles and that usually, it would be dangerous; however, since my soul has integrated high-level Divinity fragments, it is instead beneficial for me." Looking at the form of Cynrik''s hand slowly massaging her thigh under the dress, Selene answered without hesitation.

    "Oh¡­and where the fuck was my notification," grumbling, Cynrik asked Tobs, but instead of her usual voice, instead he got the old one, the monotone version she used as the "System AI."

    -Notifications were silenced previously; would you like to turn them on? (Y/N)-

    ''Yes, tsk, it looks like the little fairy couldn''t handle the impending sexy time I n on having, fufu.'' Cynrik thought upon noticing it was her old voice reading out the notifications; however, the smirk on his face disappeared as they continued appearing.

    -WARNING! YOU ARE ENTERING A ZONE FILLED WITH OVER-ABUNDANT DIVINE PARTICLES.-

    -WARNING! YOU ARE ENTERING A ZONE FILLED WITH HIGH-LEVEL DIVINE GRAVITATIONAL PRESSURE.-

    -CURRENT DIVINE GRAVITATIONAL PRESSURE: 5.5 DGP.-

    -The Whisp of Divinity and the Divinity Fragments merged with your soul are reacting to the outside Divinity Particles.-

    -Warnings have been canceled.-

    -Your Divinity Fragments and Whisp of Divinity have been strengthed ever so slightly.-

    -You have unlocked the prerequisite for obtaining your Divinity Stat.-

    -Divinity Stat: Status-LOCKED-

    -Divinity Stat will be unlocked when you reach 100% umted force.-

    - umted Divine Force: 1%-

    - umted Divine Force: 1.1%-

    - umted Divine Force: 1.11%-

    - umted Divine Force: 1.12%-

    ¡­<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ¡­

    ¡­

    - umted Divine Force: 1.42%-

    Cynrik''s eyes narrowed upon reading the notifications, and he quickly double-checked what he saw with the woman resting in his arms, only to realize she was in the same situation.

    "Um¡­Darling, care to exin what this Divinity stat is and what the particles are." A slight blush crept unto Selene''s cheeks as she watched Cynrik fall into deep thought.

    Although Selene was constantly mesmerized by her man and loved him deeply no matter what, his handsomeness peaked in her eyes when he wore his "thinking face," so when he brought that look out, she felt her body heating up.

    "Hm, sure, so¡­" quickly and with full detail, Cynrik brought Selene up to speed with everything he knew and understood about Divine Particles and the Divinity Stat, causing the youngdy''s mouth to drop open in shock, forming an O with her thin lips.

    Seeing her reaction, Cynrik couldn''t resist the temptation and gently brought up his hand before cing his index finger into her open and seductive mouth, which seemed to ignite a fire in her eyes as Selene quickly wrapped those lips around his finger and began sucking it gently.

    Sliding her tongue around his finger and releasing a slight moan, Selene showed tender care to this digit as if it were the most important gift he had given her, causing Cynrik to chuckle and kiss her forehead tenderly.

    "Ok, Ma Petite, that is enough; let''s go on an exploring Date." Extricating his finger from Selene''s mouth with a loud POP, Cynrik cupped her chin with his hand and ced a gentle peck on her lips, turning the wild and lust-filled womanpletely obedient.

    "Of course, Darling; where too?" She asked with adoration in her eyes.

    "Hm, well, we should try and figure out how to increase the Force meter the fastest, then locate afortable ce to rest, andstly¡­hehe, well, you know." The smirk returned to his lips as he spoke, and Cynrik flew down toward the ground beforending and releasing the reluctant Selene from her princess carry onto the ground below the Mansion.

    Unwilling to be separated, she quickly clutched onto Cynrik''s arm, pressing it between her breast, and looked up at him with loving eyes.

    "Hm, where too? Let''s head deeper into the fall-out zone; I want to see how far we canfortably get and how much we increase our Force Meters. We only get 0.01 percent per minute here in the 5.5g zone."

    "Since I am already at 1.46%, and you aren''t, we should try and level our numbers. This divine zone is both a blessing and a curse, and if it weren''t for the fact that we are LCs, I do not doubt that being outside of Jessup''s protective barrier would eventually be fatal." However, as he said that, Cynrik''s head snapped toward the sky, and his pupils constricted.

    "Scratch that; it would be and IS fatal for anyone other than you, me, and Brancie. Jessup just said as much. But that isn''t all¡­." Cynrik''s voice trailed off as his casual expression darkened, and he turned to face the opposite direction of Ground Zero.

    "Tsk, well, that''s quite annoying," Cynrik said, scoffing as he felt Selene tugging his arm.

    "What''s wrong? You look like you tried to eat a dozen lemons." Bringing attention to the sour face he was making caused Cynrik to return to his usual passive expression.

    "Jessup is exining to Brance the state of things above in reality. The Military and Government have pulled back their forces, leaving everyone within a certain radius of Ground Zero for dead."

    "As we expected, these Divinity particles are beneficial but also deadly to anyone without a means of handling them. OI, TOBS, GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE!" Suddenly shouting for her, Tobs, above and sitting on Brance''s shoulder, looked toward the ground.

    -What, Cynrik, can''t you see I am trying to help your brother, whereas you decided to leave and have hot, sweaty piggy sex with Selene?-

    "Holy fuck, the mouth on you¡­ anyway, I don''t care that you mute me while Sel and I do the do, but when I damn well need your help, you better pop down here." Sporting a deep frown because Tobs refused to Manifest on his shoulder, Cynrik scolded her before getting to the topic of discussion.

    "Give me an estimate on how long we have until the Divinity Zone disperses; I need to know how long I can take advan¡­train under the nurturing DGP *Divine Gravitational Pressure*." Scratching the back of his head, Cynrik spoke to the sky, where he noticed the tiny fairy ring down at him.

    -Seven months to a year. Unless an individual with a higher form of Divinity steps in to clear it out, that is the roughly estimated timeframe I have devised.-

    -However, several factors could potentially prolong or lessen that window, such as the rate at which you, Selene, and Brance absorb the particles.-

    "I get that our absorption could lessen the timeframe since we are clearing them from the world, but what do you mean the window could be prolonged." He asked while squinting his eyes.

    -Half the particle storm leaked into your Shadow Realm¡­so in theory, if you decided to be a menace to society and a master of genocide, you could potentially expel them from the realm, doubling the force in reality and, well¡­killing everyone outside Pinhurst Mansion with double the gravitational pressure.-

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 593 F*** The Rules (2) **

    ?

    ** BE ADVISED, THE MAJORITY OF THIS CHAPTER IS SFW AND IMPORTANT INFO! THE LAST QUARTER IS R18, and you can skip it if you so wish. However, THE FIRST PART IS NECESSARY INFO; there will be a marker when the split happens. Also, the next chapter will be 100% NSFW, and feel free to skip FUCK THE RULES PART 3 unless you''re a horny man/woman of culture.**

    -Half the particle storm leaked into your Shadow Realm¡­so in theory, if you decided to be a menace to society and a master of genocide, you could potentially expel them from the realm, doubling the force in reality and, well¡­killing everyone outside Pinhurst Mansion with double the gravitational pressure.-

    "Hehehehehehehe," upon hearing he could potentially earn a fuck ton of XP, Cynrik''s evil side came forward, and it wasn''t just him either.

    "KyuKyuKyu," even Selene was on the same page as him as she startedughing strangely with a sinister glint shing through her eyes.

    -STOP IT! The two of you are freaking me out, plus there is no way in hell Brance allows you to participate in a mass execution.-

    "Tsk,"

    "Tsk,"

    Simultaneously, the couple clicked their tongues in disappointment because they knew the tiny fairy was right. Once Brance learned about their XP farming venture, he would be the first to step in and stop them.

    -UGH, both of you are batshit crazy, you know that? No reasoning can be done; neither of you can be saved.-

    Tobsined as she began walking Brance through the steps necessary to clear corrupted Codexes.

    "Daw, little Tobsie, your words are so sweet," Cynrik teased, causing Selene to giggle.

    "Sigh, so upwards of a year, huh? That''s kind of annoying. I was expecting to return to school and power through the Tier-3 Obelisk. Hey, Tobs, next question, what happens if we unlock our Divinity Stat early? Like, are there any additional benefits to doing so?"

    -No clue; no one has ever done it before; even the children of Deity level existences are born at Tier-5; naturally, theye stock with the Divinity Stat due to their parents having it. To my knowledge, there has never been a being under Tier-5 who has obtained the Stat early.-

    -The reason is they have to subject their bodies to copious amounts of Divine Particles, plus it''s required to have some form of Divinity stored in their body, be it handed down or developed through one of the infinite methods devised by intelligent lifeforms.-

    "Eh, so basically, what we are about to do is the primary way of unlocking the Divinity Stat, noted." Nodding his head in understanding, Cynrik took a moment to observe his surroundings, specifically the heavy density of Divine Particles.

    -You need to understand something for an average person even to try absorbing Divine Particles; one of two objectives must be met; first, they have a body that can withstand the powerful nature of the particle, or second, they have a form of Divinity on hand, be it a shard, fragment, or whisp.-

    -In the case of you and Brance, you both obtained Whisps of Divinity from killing Lithlen and Viktor, while you have acquired multiple Divinity Fragments from your Turning Point Quests over time.-

    -Whereas Selene, whose Soul was restructured and healed by Freya, has multiple Divinity Fragments merged with her Soul; thus, if any of you were at Tier-5, you could quickly begin your Tier-6 Evolution since you are already part of the way to unlocking the Divinity Stat.-

    -Comparatively, if, let''s say, Gabby or Benny walked outside of the protective barrier created by Jessup, within 24 hours, they would look like radiation victims, with melted skin and soft bones, and there would be no way to save them from an excruciating death.-<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    -Mortal bodies, simply put, aren''t built to withstand the properties presented by Divine Particles, and as such, they will¡­melt. Then there is the DGP, which alone will crush anyone without a high resistance Stat.-

    "Tobsie, if you wanna say the three of us are special, there''s no reason for you to be so long-winded and beat around the bush. I get it, Divine Particles, bad, make mortal go st." Rolling his eyes and making a hand puppet gesture that pped while Tobs spoke, Cynrik smiled at Selene, making her cover her mouth to fight backughter.

    However, upon realizing something important, he suddenly stopped and shouted, making Selene flinch.

    "Hold up, if everyone inside the fallout zone is going to die anyway, why the fuck can''t I kill them all and earn some gubbins!" Waving his arms and pointing around at some of the nearby houses in reality, Cynrik cried.

    -¡­sigh, like I said, unsavable, whatever, I''m leaving. You two find a tree or hole in the ground so you can fuck like monkeys; I have more important things to deal with. I would say, "Use protection," but we both know you won''t.-

    Hearing this reaction, Cynrik raised his index finger above his face and started to defend himself against her usations, but soon, his mouth, wide open to speak, didn''t, and he slowly closed it before sporting a frown with his finger still raised.

    ***NSFW INBOUND, LET''S GET THIS PARTY ON THE ROAD!***

    "I mean¡­she has a point; even the one time we hooked up during the War, you refused to use a condom and even came inside me without hesitation."

    Releasing her boyfriend''s arm, Selene pped his chest yfully and ran forward before spinning around with her hands behind her back and leaning forward to expose her cleavage to tempt him into attacking.

    Seeing her temptation, Cynrik rolled his tongue over his teeth, rushed forward, scooped her up, and raced through the fallout zone until he found the hoveled ruins of an olden stone house.

    Selene could barely even breathe, thanks to how fast he moved, and although she wanted to squeal, the anticipation that she was about to lose her Vinestrian body''s virginity to the man she loved with every fiber of her being took over.

    The next few minutes were an absolute whirlwind for both Cynrik and Selene as they tore at each other''s clothing, shredding and ripping what came in contact with their fingers until they were both nude and making out in the ruined house.

    Breaking the kiss and huffing due tock of air, Cynrik ran his tongue along her neck down to her corbone before looking at his woman with hungry eyes.

    "Bed, floor, or table?" He asked.

    Although they had messed around quite a bit and even tasted each other back on Earth, this time was different. Before, their meeting was only about fleshly desires and primal needs, but now, there were actual emotions involved, and to make matters worse, having been reborn with a new body, Selene was now a virgin, hymen and all.

    Caught off guard and deep in the throws of lust, Selene blinked once, twice, three times before his words finally registered, and a deep blush took over her cheeks and ears.

    "B..bed, a bed would be nice. Since I will have to go through experiencing that¡­breaking again, and it will be worse since our bodies are multiple times stronger, I want to befortable at the very least." Looking down shyly, something entirely out of character for someone with experience like Selene, she said with a voice akin to a whisper.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 594 F*** The Rules (3) **

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    ***WARNING, THE LATTER HALF OF THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER IS NSFW R18; READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED! IF YOU WISH TO SKIP THIS CHAPTER, ALL YOU ARE MISSING IS CYNRIK AND SELENE''S FIRST TIME! Well, that and a pretty important Vow.**

    bed would be nice. Since I will have to go through experiencing that¡­breaking again, and it will be worse since our bodies are multiple times stronger, I want to befortable at the very least." Looking down shyly, something entirely out of character for someone with experience like Selene, she said with a voice akin to a whisper.

    Heartless as he is, Cynrik still put Selene above anything at that moment; he was already aware that a Vinestrian Woman''s first time was something excruciating, hell it wasn''t a cakewalk for most women on Earth, but when Stats and body evolution were factored in, the amount of force required to break through the thin membrane would be several times greater.

    So with a curt nod and picking her up with one arm and cradling Selene''s body to his, Cynrik brought his face to the jiggling D-Cup mounds of fat and breathed in her scent, while his free arm cleared the room with ckFire before withdrawing a king sized memory foam mattress.

    Loving the feeling of being in the arms of her beloved, Selene quickly wrapped her legs around Cynrik''s waist and caught hold of the band, holding his long hair in ce. Then, with a swift tug, Cynrik''s long, ck, Red, and Violet hair cascaded down his shoulders, causing Selene to hold her breath in amazement.

    A smile crept onto Cynrik''s lips as he heard his woman make a slight sound upon seeing the changes to his hair brought about by his increasing progress with his Affinities. Still, since he had decided today was the day, he wouldn''t let any of his time with her go to waste.

    Not to mention thanks to the whirlwind of intimate contact that led them to this point, his little brother was standing at full mast and sandwiched between his and Selene''s bellies.

    "Ma Petite, I will only ask you this a single time; after that,e what may." Bringing his head back and looking up into her eyes, Cynrik''s expression wavered between hesitance and lust.

    Being held up slightly, Selene looked down at Cynrik, and although she knew what he was going to ask, and her heart was beating a million miles a minute, she waited to hear what he would say next.

    That was when something strange urred; when she met his beautiful eyes, she noticed a thin, Royal Blue and Purple ring of Mana Light circling his Iris, and when the words came, her heart froze because she was hearing something unexpected.

    Her eyes widened, and a memory shed of something simr happening a long time ago, in a distant life, in a distant time and space.

    "Selene Nilsson, if you take this next step with me, you may never take another man for the rest of this life or any after; you will belong to me in mind, body, heart, and soul for eternity."

    "As is written in the ords passed down by the Great Hall, and written by the AllFather, when a Man and a Woman make this oath, they shall be linked forever, through time and space, and there is nothing that cane in between them."

    His voice was slightly different; it had a more primal edge and with each word, strange marks which Selene knew to be his [H¨²efl¨²r] lit up the dim room as they traveled from his fingertips on both hands up to his corbones.

    "The Oath I swear is to forever be by your side, to cherish and protect you, no matter what maye in the future. To be your warrior and husband, I can''t promise our future will be bright and filled with happiness, simply by nature of what we are involved in, but I swear, with everything I am, to be there for you, no matter what."

    Suddenly, his words changed, and he spoke in a differentnguage.

    "T¨² getur lyft hammanum m¨ªnum hven?r sem er, ef t¨² veist hvae ¨¦g meina."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    **You are my Valkyrie, and I would follow you across the nine realms and into eternity.**

    With tears misting her eyes, hoping to meet his expectations and show she understood him, Selene activated her [H¨²efl¨²r] in response, bathing the room in light.

    "My beloved Cynrik Jetlensr, you and I aren''t young children; we have lived two possibly more lifetimes; we both know our rtionship may have been something started caused by Divine interference, but fuck them, I love you, with everything I am, and I give myself to you in mind, body, heart, and soul, from this day forward, you are my Eiginmaeur (HUSBAND).

    With that, Selene leaned forward and sealed his lips. Tears trickled down her cheeks and stained his, as never before could she have thought she would be as happy as at that moment.

    In her eyes, Cynrik had never seemed like the kind of man to get married, let alone have children, yet he had surprised her by speaking the Norse wedding vows before taking her purity.

    As if Vinestra herself heard their Oath, the Dark Variant Mana, as well as the Divine Particles present in the Shadow Realm, thrummed mysteriously, and the two lovers, now husband and wife, didn''t separate as Cynrik slowly made his way toward the bed andid his woman down.

    Contrary to what one would expect from them, there was no heat, no firey passion, only love instead of pure lust.

    From the moment the Oath was sealed by a kiss, Selene and Cynrik were united, not physically, but on a higher level, and each kiss or touch caused their [H¨²efl¨²r] nowvender to pulse with power, something that was reflected by multiple notifications swarming in.

    However, Tobs, in her infinite wisdom, had already silenced them and would unleash the flood of spamter.

    "Ohhhh¡­" Selene moaned; Cynrik''s every caress sent electricity through her body, bringing a level of pleasure she had never experienced before.

    She wasn''t alone either because Cynrik''s body shivered at her touch, and he broke the kiss momentarily in surprise before trailing his lips to her cheek, down her neck, and eventually resting on the mounds of flesh before cupping them gingerly and bringing his lips to the hard pink buds.

    Giving her nipples a light nip, Cynrik relished in the taste as Selene''s back arched in pleasure while grasping his head and bringing him closer to smother him with her body.

    "Ahhh¡­NnN¡­Ohhh Cynrik¡­this feels amazing." She said as warm nectar flooded out of her little sister.

    While his right hand massaged and yed with her breast, the back of Cynrik''s left hand gently glided down her abdomen to her pelvis and hovered above the spot where her womb pulsated in excitement.

    Pressing with a bit of force, Cynrik relished in the shivers running through Selene''s body and knew if he weren''t careful, she would orgasm before he ever prated her with his thick and ready member.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 595 F*** The Rules (4) **

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    **Welp, the time has arrived, R18 for real reals, yall can skip this chapter unless you''re a normie and have no culture**

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    **AND SO IT BEGINS!!!**

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    "Ahhh¡­NnN¡­Ohhh Cynrik¡­this feels amazing." She said as warm nectar flooded out of her little sister.

    While his right hand massaged and yed with her breast, the back of Cynrik''s left hand gently glided down her abdomen to her pelvis and hovered above the spot where her womb pulsated in excitement.

    Pressing with a bit of force, Cynrik relished in the shivers running through Selene''s body and knew if he weren''t careful, she would orgasm before he ever prated her with his thick and ready member.

    The sudden pressure on her lower abdomen sent Selene into a tailspin as convulsions wrapped around her body, threatening to force her to climax.

    "Oh god¡­Eiginmaeur¡­it''s incredible!" Selene''s pleasure-filled moans seemed to supercharge Cynrik as his hand cascaded up and down her inner thigh without getting close to the final prize.

    Meanwhile, after readjusting his body beside hers, Cynrik''s lips hungrily devoured the hardened pink bud, and his tongue slid out top at her are lightly.

    "Nnng, that¡­huff¡­that''s the spot!" Selene said through her pants while running her fingers through his hair.

    As the moments passed, it became ever more apparent that a long and drawn-out forey was utterly unnecessary; still, since he was enjoying himself, Cynrik continued.

    But when Selene''s hand snaked down and her fingers wrapped around his cock, Cynrik''s entire body tensed up as a bestial groan escaped his lips.

    This groan was like music to Selene''s ears as she slowly rubbed the shaft of his member in a piston-like fashion.

    Unable or willing to hold herself back, Selene''s legs spread open, a detail that didn''t escape Cynrik, and without hesitation, he slipped over her right leg and positioned himself between them.

    At the same time, his lips began trailing away from the soft and jiggly breast he had turned into a toy; however, his hand stayed put and continued molding it into whatever form seemed to get the best reaction out of Selene.

    "AHH, AHNG, FUCK!" With a soft breath of cold air, Cynrik ignited one melodious moan after another like a professional conducting an orchestra.

    Until finally, he nted several soft kisses on Selene''s abdomen and moved her legs until the back of her knees rested on his shoulders.

    "Ah, My Eiginmaeur, you don''t need to¡­." Selene began saying, but her words were cut off as Cynrik soon dove face-first into her moist, warm cave.

    The instant his tongue ran across her Clit, a shiver ran through Selene''s body, and she subconsciously did two things; the first was grab Cynrik''s head with both hands, wrapping strands of hair around her fingers, and the second was clutching her legs together, trapping him in ce. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Mm, ahhh~ never¡­mind¡­do with me AHH, as you wish, my love, my Eiginmaeur!" Barely able to get the words out between intense moans of pleasure, Selene gave herself to the enjoyment only Cynrik could show her body.

    "Hah¡­hah¡­yes¡­deeper¡­drill your tongue into my pussy!" Selene screamed as she felt the orgasm building to untold heights.

    Slurp¡­Slurp¡­Schlick

    While Selene was screaming and her body heated up, Cynrik was experiencing something he couldn''t believe was possible. For some reason, with every lick, prod, or breath of air, he projected onto her body, a portion of the pleasure was returned to him. He had noticed this from the beginning; it was one reason he decided to go ahead with the forey instead of diving into the main course.

    Wanting to test this theory further, Cynrik moved his head side to side, a sign for Selene to loosen the death grip she had on his head, and with elegant expertise, spun her body around until she was resting with her face hovering above his throbbing cock, while her pussy above his face.

    Nothing needed to be said to her, as the moment Selene''s eyesnded on his rock-hard member, she gently took it in her hands and ran her tongue along its girthy length.

    Then, without hesitation, she began returning the favor and took the tip of his cock into her mouth as her tongue snaked around the fleshy ns.

    Soon, she picked up her pace and piston-like motion, bobbing up and down, sucking on Cynrik''s juicy dick as if it were the most delicious delicacy in the world.

    Moving her head down and opening her throat, Selene tried taking his entire length down since she knew this was one of Cynrik''s favorite things, and magically, she didn''t even Gag, as if her throat was explicitly made for this precise function, pleasuring her man.

    The instant she began giving him fetio, Cynrik felt as if lightning had struck his body, and Selene was no different; it was as if her mouth and throat had transformed into one giant erogenous zone.

    "Mmph¡­MPPPHH, *POP* AHHH, WHAT¡­HUFF¡­THE FUCK¡­.NNG HAH!" Pulling her head back without stopping her heavy suction, Selene generated a loud popping sound with Cynrik''s cock, drawing out a long, thick strand of saliva that connected her to him before spewing out more moans of ecstasy.

    However, before she could get answers, Cynrik thrust his hips up and shoved his dick back into her mouth, leaving Selene barely enough time to puff out her lips and ensure her teeth didn''t scrape him.

    Although startled, Selene wasn''t hindered and got payback on her beloved Eiginmaeur. The way she did was simr to how he had just thrust his body up, but rather, she ground her hips, making sure his nose and mouth were buried deep into her lower body.

    The battle of forey continued for 15 more minutes until theirvender [H¨²efl¨²r] began glowing brightly, and simultaneously they both orgasmed, with Selene spraying wave after wave of sweet nectar all over Cynrik''s face and him pumping ropes of thick semen down her throat.

    Funny enough, the two also had simr reactions, with Cynrikpping up as much of the nectar as possible and Selene gulping every drop of his sticky white fluid down.

    Only once both ejactions ceased did Cynrik move his face down so he could breathe again, and Selene released his cock from her tight, moist, warm throat.

    "I¡­ I¡­huff, I''ve never felt anything like that before¡­" Cynrik huffed while spinning Selene around until they were chest to chest, wrapping his arms around her in a warm, tight embrace.

    "It¡­huff¡­was like you were me, and huff, I was you¡­this connection¡­." Snuggling into her man''s chest, Selene did her best to speak but found it difficult, thanks to the thin air of the Shadow Realm.

    The two didn''t say anything for a solid minute and simplyy there on the bed, covered in sweat, until they could catch their breath again.

    Once they did, Cynrik went into action, and with a wave of his hand, and a snap of his fingers, four memory foam pillows and a nket appeared on the bed, which until now only had a single sheet covering the mattress.

    Next, as if he had been nning this day for some time, he flicked his wrist, and over forty red candles appeared in staggered positions around the room.

    With another snap, every candle ignited with ckFire, giving the room a romantic yet eerie feeling, one that was much appreciated by Selene, who looked around the small stone cottage in wonder.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 596 F*** The Rules (5) **

    ?

    **Obligatory R18 Warning, TIme for part two of doin'' the do.**

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    As if he had been nning this day for some time, he flicked his wrist, and over forty red candles appeared in staggered positions around the room.

    With another snap, every candle ignited with ckFire, giving the room a romantic yet eerie feeling, one that was much appreciated by Selene, who looked around the small stone cottage in wonder.

    Eventually tearing her eyes away from the multiple candles, Selene looked over at Cynrik, lying beside her with avender glow on his arms from his [H¨²efl¨²r].

    Reaching over, she traced her fingers along the intricate knotwork inscriptions with misty eyes. Never in a million years would she have thought that Cynrik could make such a gesture, and she had already resigned herself to losing her first time in a rough yet passionate flurry.

    During the time she had been with him, Cynrik had never shown many signs that he was the romantic type. If anything, it seemed as if he found being in a rtionship bothersome or a waste of time, yet as Selene caressed his forearm and met his loving gaze, she realized she had misunderstood him.

    This realization caused the first tear to slip down her cheek, and she understood he was doing this for her, for her first time with him to be memorable and special.

    "You did this for me, Maeur, sniffle." Unlike during forey, Selene used the shortened and more intimate form of Eiginmaeur.

    "Un, I did." Leaning over and nting a tender kiss on her forehead, Cynrik used his thumbs to wipe away the tears staining his woman¡­no, his Eiginkona''s cheeks.

    "I¡­I don''t know what to say¡­" Fighting back sobs of happiness, Selene scooted forward and wrapped her body around his, feeling the warmth he presented and resting her head on his left shoulder.

    ''Sigh, I didn''t think it would have this big of an effect on her¡­yet, why am I feeling so¡­happy right now.'' Rubbing his cheek affectionately on hers, Cynrik thought, sure, he had long since nned out what their first time having sex would be like, but he never thought that his actions would bring Selene to tears.

    ''Am I really that distant and horrible of a boyfriend that simple gestures like setting the mood were perceived in such a way?'' As he thought about what was happening, Cynrik subconsciously snuggled Selene''s body closer to his, igniting something within his soul, something that felt so¡­natural.

    Holding her like this, Cynrik couldn''t help but acknowledge that it was like he and Selene were meant for¡­no, created to be with each other. How their bodies fit together, how mesmerized he could be when caressing her soft, milky white skin, and the sensations he experienced with being intimate were all so different.

    Yet, it felt like nothing was out of the ordinary; it was too natural as if this is how things were meant to be.

    When he felt the steady dripping of Selene''s tears slow to a stop, only then did Cynrik gently adjust himself and ce her down on the bed before crawling between her legs and leaning forward to kiss her.

    Allowing Cynrik to move her where he pleased, Selene''s heart raced, and she knew it was time. She had been waiting for him to start, mainly due to how nervous she was, but now, as shey on her back, with her legs slightly spread and watching Cynrik creep forward between them, all the nervousness vanished, and all there was in her heart, was love.

    Love for this man, her husband, her soul mate, her Eiginmaeur. When he leaned forward and kissed her ruby and plush lips, Selene took some initiative from him and licked his bottom lip before intertwining her tiny pink tongue with his.

    While sucking on his lips, savoring their kiss, and running her fingers through his hair, Selene felt his warm and thick cock, twitching on her abdomen, drawing an exalted breath from her, one which separated their kiss with a soft muah sound.

    Sitting up slightly and using his right arm, ced slightly above Selene''s head, to hold himself up, Cynrik reached down and, using only the tips of his fingers, grazed her pussy from the bottom of her pink, moist slit to the top before using his thumb to massage her clitoris lightly.

    "Ahhhh¡­" Surprised at his actions, Selene couldn''t help but blush as a moan escaped her lips, and she looked into Cynrik''s eyes, which gazed at her with such tenderness and affection, that she felt her heart skip a beat.

    Blinking slowly, she understood that Cynrik was waiting for her permission before progressing, so she gave him a slight and bashful nod of approval.

    He returned her nod with a smile that shook Selene''s heart because it wasn''t fake; it was pure and elegant, one she had never seen before; Cynrik''s hand left her pussy, and went to his cock, which he then began rubbing softly against her moistbia.

    Then, using a little force and going slowly, the head of his cock slowly slid against her lower lips until he felt the tightness gripping him.

    "AH! HAH!" the instant he breached her walls, Selene gasped with a mixture of pleasure and pain. Only the head of his penis was in, but even that seemed too much for her narrow walls to handle.

    Still, Cynrik didn''t stop at first but instead guided himself inside her until he felt the thin membrane halting him from progressing.

    Fighting the urge to plunge instantly into her depths since he knew it would cause her excruciating pain, Cynrik stopped and leaned forward to kiss Selene again.

    Receiving his kiss like a drowning person and wrapping both her arms and legs around him, Selene''s body writhed in a mixture of agony and intense pleasure, and she could feel the faint beating of Cynrik''s heart through the throbbing protrusion that had invaded her defenses.

    It was too intense, too painful, fear gripped her immediately, and she almost wanted to ask him to pull out.

    Seeing the conflicting emotions shing across her face as he looked into her tightly shut eyes, Cynrik knew he had to say something, or else Selene would do something he knew she wouldter regret.

    Moving his hips slightly and propping himself on his knees so that he didn''t need to use his arms to hold his body up, Cynrik took Selene''s delicate and beautiful face in his hands and forced her to look into his eyes.

    Fluttering her eyelids open, Selene saw the worried look Cynrik was giving her, and although she was in pain and frightened, a warmth invaded her heart and soul.

    He had never looked at her so tenderly, with so much affection, and the fear hidden in the depths of those glowing Violet eyes melted her own.

    Opening her mouth, Selene tried to speak but was silenced by a finger pressing against her lips, making her flinch slightly.

    "I know I am not the best when ites to being in a rtionship, and it doesn''t take a genius to understand that I and emotions don''t mix well, but¡­." Cynrik paused, seemingly having an internal argument, before continuing.

    "But I love you, Selene, at first, I didn''t know what it was, if it was a fake affliction forced on me by Odin and Freya, but now I understand. Every fiber of my being wants to be with you and show the world that you, Selene Nilsson, are more than just someone I keep by my side; you are my Eiginkona from now until the day everything burns down."

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 597 F*** The Rules (FINAL)

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    **Alright, Last R18 for a while yall; let''s wrap up the lovey-dovey shit. Yes, it''s a longer chapter, that''s because I couldn''t wrap it up in 1200 or less words, ENJOY, THE TIME HAS FINALLY ARRIVED!**

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    "But I love you, Selene, at first, I didn''t know what it was, if it was a fake affliction forced on me by Odin and Freya, but now I understand. Every fiber of my being wants to be with you and show the world that you, Selene Nilsson, are more than just someone I keep by my side; you are my Eiginkona from now until the day everything burns down."

    Cynrik''s words stun-locked Selene''s brain; however, it was a calcted technique, as in doing this, he didn''t give her enough time to digest them, allowing her mind to ignore the paining from down below temporarily.

    Seeing how Selene''s face nked out, and tears misted her beautiful gem-like eyes, he dove forward, sealed her lips in a passionate kiss, and thrust his hips forward with enough force to push his cock through the thin membrane, tearing her hymen, and pumping his member through the tight warm tunnel until the tip of his dick bumped into something squishy yet solid, her cervix.

    When he felt those walls restricting him and clenching tightly around his cock, Cynrik released a moan of his own, one louder than Selene''s screams, into her mouth and deepened the kiss, sucking her lips and entangling his tongue with hers.

    Selene experienced the most excruciating pain when her purity was sullied, making all of her Tier Evolutions look like a day in the park.

    Digging her nails deep into the flesh of Cynrik''s back, deep enough to draw blood, Selene screamed in agony into his mouth, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

    Thinking quickly, Cynrik cradled her head with his right arm while his left hand snaked between their bodies until his fingers found the little bud filled with nerves, her clitoris.

    ''FUCK, she''s so damn tight,'' was the one phrase running through his mind as Cynrik fought against the absolutely insane levels of pleasure he experienced as the damp and tight cave coiled around his dick.

    He knew the first pration would be more painful than his Kona **Intimate Form of Eiginkona** had ever been subjected to, but he could do nothing to protect her from it; the only option he had was to try and help her through the seemingly never-ending agony.

    Little did Cynrik or Selene know, but the pain experienced during a hymen break was the primary reason for the Government and Academies age restricting sex.

    But it wasn''t always like this; back in ancient times, it wasn''t umon for women under Tier-3 to be killed while losing their virginity. Several factors could be pointed towards, but the most prominent two were shock and blood loss.

    Ignoring the abnormal amount of moisture he identally felt from her vaginal area, Cynrik began expertly massaging her clit, fully utilizing the extent of his abnormally high DEX Stat in an attempt to override the pain with pleasure.

    Meanwhile, he refrained from moving his hips even the most minuscule fraction of an inch. If they wanted to get to the good part, Cynrik needed to allow her body to recover and adjust to hisrger-than-average girth and length.

    It didn''t help that Selene was more narrow than average, so it was like shoving a train down a waterpark slide; it would take time to stretch her out. Her body could handle his length without issue, but the girth of Cynrik''s penis was what attributed to the majority of her pain.

    Clutching at Cynrik as if he were her only hope, Selene continued crying, but her screams slowed, allowing her to find sce in how he was tightly holding her and the deep kiss they shared.

    For another 20 minutes, the two didn''t move anything other than their heads, hands, and mouths until finally, Cynrik felt the tension in her walls cken as they fully adjusted to having something three sizes too big shoved inside.

    Even through the pain, thank''s to the swift and experienced left hand of Cynrik, Selene had orgasmed four times in that twenty minutes, each one sending her body into convulsions, but Cynrik was prepared.

    Whenever he felt the walls tighten around him more fiercely, Cynrik would immobilize Selene until they passed.

    The ridges of her moist tunnel slowly adapted, from constricting to massaging, and slithered around Cynrik''s cock, as if trying to milk him.

    Feeling this sensation, he knew she was ready, so he finally separated the kiss and stared down at Selene.

    Laying below him and covered in sweat, Selene nced up into his eyes while biting her lower lip, not in a flirtatious manner, but one which indicated she was still experiencing some pain.

    "Hah¡­my love¡­my¡­ Maeur¡­that was¡­nngh, rough¡­would it have killed you¡­ah¡­to go a little easier on a girl for her first time.." Struggling to speak due to thebination of overbearing pain and pleasure, Selene choked out with a warm smile.

    She wanted to say so many things, but when she went to speak, the words vanished, and it was like something else had taken over her mind for a second.

    "Sorry, my dearest Kona, we both know you had to experience that level of agony, but now, you are molded to me, and only me and we can get to the fun part." Cracking a joke which caused Selene to giggle, Cynrik reached up and cleared the smeared mascara and eyeliner from her eyes and cheeks before kissing her forehead lightly.

    "Un, you can move, and don''t forget¡­I want it inside¡­ if you shoot your¡­semen anywhere other than my womb¡­AHHH, I''ll NEvEr AHHHH NNNG FORGIVE YOU!" However, Cynrik had already begun slowly pumping and rolling his hips against hers, generating a moist smacking sound.

    Fwwap....fwaaap....fwapp

    Sounds simr to two fish bucking filled the small stone cottage, and it was only second to the loud moans of pleasureing from Selene''s mouth as she clung to Cynrik with her legs firmly wrapped around his hips.

    Without stopping his piston-like motion, Cynrik grabbed Selene''s D-Cup breast and brought it to his lips before sucking andpping at her nipple.

    "MmMmm~ AhH~ YES, YES CYNRIK!" Panting like a dog in heat, Selene grabbed both of his ass cheeks and pulled him deeper inside of her pussy.

    "Hyahnnn! HeHn!!! AMAZING, YOU ARE FUCKING AMAZING, YESS!"

    Cynrik wasn''t silent either, contrary to any time he had sex in the past; this time, he couldn''t hold back his own pleasure-filled moans.

    "Fuck¡­you''re so tight, Selene; you feel so fucking good; I can''t slow down, only go harder and faster!" His words came out in a husky and hungry tone.

    "God, yes, Do IT, GO HARDER, RAVAGE ME, CYNRIK! MARK ME SO NO OTHER MAN CAN STAND EVEN LOOKING AT ME!" She screamed before releasing his ass and grabbing his cheeks to engage in another heated makeout while he rammed her pussy.

    To say the two of them were on cloud nine would be an understatement; because of whatever strange connection had linked them, both Cynrik and Selene were experiencing ten times the usual pleasure associated with "normal" sex.

    It didn''t take long, maybe 15-20 minutes, before Selene shouted the words Cynrik had been waiting to hear. His pride as a man refused to allow him to be the first to cum, so when Selene finally shouted¡­

    "AHHnnNN AHHH, IM¡­IM COMING¡­CYNRIK IM COMING!"

    Cynrik loosened the muscles every man has, yet few can control. Wanting to experience the most intense orgasm of their lives together, he had bottled himself up for this moment.

    "Me Too, Hahhh, Fuuckk!! SELENE, I''M COMING TOO, TOGETHER, MY EIGINKONA!" Suddenly, Cynrik elerated, creating a loud and wet smacking sound as he made the final push.

    "INSIDE, DO IT INSIDE ME, FILL ME UP! MARK ME, PAINT MY INSIDES WITH YOUR CUM CYNRIK! DO IT!!!!" Knowing her Eiginmaeur was close, Selene even violently thrashed and ground her hips against his body, pushing his cock as deep as possible as she felt the odd yet lovely feeling of her womb descending, ready to catch every drop of his cum.

    Together they screamed and moaned while hanging onto each other for dear life as Selene thrashed wildly under him, then sprayed honey-like nectar all over Cynrik.

    Simultaneously with the waterfall shower of nectar and with a loud grunt of enjoyment, Cynrik ejacted thergest load of semen in his life directly inside her womb.

    ---

    Unknown to the two entangled on the bed, ejacting, a mysterious glow bathed the room as a mixture of Lavender and Royal Blue light erupted from their arms.

    With this bright sh, something strange happened outside the cottage; every single Particle of Mana within a 20-mile radius of them inside the Shadow Realm¡­suddenly stopped moving, as if frozen in time, and witnessing something magnificent and new to the world.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 598 Mind, Body, And Soul Imprint (1)

    ?

    **Partial NSFW inbound. HEHE, lemmie hear your guess on the changes they went through in the Discord.**

    Bathing in the glowing light emitting from both their Arms, Cynrik copsed face-first into the fleshy yet soft protrusions on his Kona''s chest, panting and out of breath, without removing his member from Selene.

    "Huff¡­.huff¡­amazing, simply amazing," he mumbled with a soft chuckle while Selene, who was in just as rough of shape, if not worse, wrapped her arms around Cynrik and felt the still flowing warm fluid pumping out of him and into her.

    "Yeah¡­it really was¡­ mmm," she said as she kissed the crown of his head and hugged him tightly without wanting to let go.

    Her body was still trembling as micro orgasms wreaked havoc one after another, causing frequent spasms in her lower body.

    Feeling his member pulsing repeatedly and expelling more semen than he ever imagined possible into Selene''s womb, Cynrik relished in the ecstasy as he finally finished ejacting after a solid minute.

    Meanwhile, although he still wished to continue making love to Selene, he knew she needed a break.

    However, as Cynrik pushed his body up and removed his member from Selene with a squelchy pop, allowing a flood of fluids to leak out of her, a wave of soreness overcame him, making him feel like he had undergone a round of gravity training.

    "AH!" Selene let out a surprised moan as the protrusion which had burrowed deep into her lower body for nearly an hour suddenly vanished, and a wave of exhaustion washed over her.

    Copsing beside her, Cynrik didn''t hesitate to pull Selene into his embrace and rest his chin atop her head while she nuzzled him like a sleepy kitten.

    Seeing her eyes fluttering and threatening to drift into thend of slumber, Cynrik reached down and caught hold of the nket, which had been kicked off the bed and balled into an unkept mess before covering himself and his Kona.

    "Cyn¡­I¡­mmm¡­love you." Half dazed and half exhausted, Selene spoke tenderly as her eyes finally shut, and she fell asleep in his warm embrace.

    "Un, I love you too¡­" Wearing a tired smile, Cynrik soon closed his eyes and fell asleep while holding Selene.

    ---

    While the two lovers drifted off, neither noticed the drastic changes urring with their [H¨²efl¨²r], which no longer glowed invender light, but their original Royal Blue color.

    The markings shifted and seemed alive, and they took turns moving from Selene''s arms to Cynrik''s and vice versa. Soon, a new pattern was formed, with a mixture of unique markings, until they shared the same style and knotwork as their partner.

    Following thebination of their [H¨²efl¨²r], the markings spread and expanded, breaching their owner''s arms, trailing down their cor bones, and down both Cynrik and Selene''s chest and back.

    What had once been only full-sleeve tattoos were now full body (from the hips up), even running up their necks and along the sides of their heads.

    The only space left open was their faces, as, for some reason, the markings didn''t travel there and settled on stopping at their temples once they finished trailing their jawlines.

    The instant their [H¨²efl¨²r] stopped moving and died down, returning to their original lighter skin tone shade, Tobs appeared in the air, floating above Cynrik and Selene while looking down at them with a knowing expression.

    -It''s earlier than I predicted¡­I still can''t believe these two went through having sex even while knowing the potential consequences.-

    Tobs thought as she floated around and observed the changes to their bodies. Once satisfied, the tiny fairy phased through the nket and arrived at Selene''s legs, which had intertwined with Cynrik.

    -Damn, he really did a number on her¡­tsk, reckless moron, he''s lucky the transfer between them went off without a hitch; if not, the amount of blood Selene lost would have otherwise been fatal.-

    -Luckily, her Healing factor has been strengthened¡­sigh, fucking idiots, both of them. Then there''s all this fucking goo sigh, fucking mortals and their gross bodily functions; I just gotta check onest thing.

    Pushing back her unhappy feelings and putting on a professional expression, Tobs locked onto Selene''s pelvic area, puffing out her cheeks with strain as her eyes glowed with her host''s Affinities.

    -Good, nothing to be worried about; it seems Selene was smart enough to handle birth control on her own, not that it is easy to conceive beyond Tier-1; it seems she understands they aren''t ready to try having children at this stage in their lives, either that or Cynrik told her about how he doesn''t want any.-

    Floating up and phasing through the nket again, Tobs nced at the two and summoned her tablet.

    -Jeeze, so many fucking notifications; these two love making me work overtime.-

    While grumbling discontentedly, her tiny hand swiped left and right, organizing all the numerous notifications before setting them to trigger when the two sleeping love birds decided to wake up.

    It took Tobs roughly half an hour to organize the seemingly neverending flood of notifications in the style Cynrik preferred. Still, once finished, she released a loud sigh, stretched her back, and disappeared, soon after appearing back on Brance''s shoulder.

    ---

    Back in the training room, Brance had been working for some time without rest and had only cleared the corruption in two of the ten young adults.

    Eventually, the mental stressbined with his MP and STAM Stats getting dangerously low proved too much for him to handle, and he was forced to take a break by Jessup.

    Seeing that Brance couldn''t heal the others quickly, Geralt stored away the two he had healed within his discs and sent enough Mana into the construct to keep those inside unconscious for a minimum of 24 hours.

    "Take your time, and get a good rest, kid; I can keep the corrupted Codexes stable by strengthening the barriers put in ce by your brother for a short period," Jessup stated as he fetched a warm meal for Brance and a cot for him to nap on from his inventory.

    With rest and food forced onto him, Brance could only yield to the older man and follow his idea.

    As hey down on the cot, Brance''s eyes never left the strained faces of those with corrupted Codexes; however, the exhaustion caused by today''s events finally caught up to him, and within 10 minutes after eating the meal provided by Jessup, he sumbed to sleep.

    ---

    When Jessup noticed Brance falling asleep, he motioned for Geralt to follow him, and the two left the training room, headed upstairs, and ended up in the living room.

    When the two arrived, Gabby raced forward and practically attacked Jessup and Geralt, demanding to know if Brance was ok and where he was.

    As an intelligent girl, when Gabby saw Selene leaving earlier, she understood Cynrik had called for her with the strange mental link Cynrik, Brance, and her share, and she couldn''t help but get upset.

    However, when she tried to enter the training room, the door wouldn''t budge, so Gabby could only return to the living room in defeat.

    Now, after practically an eternity in her eyes, Jessup and Geralt had arrived, and she wanted answers.

    As a father who raised both Maeve and even, to some extent Cinyah when they were Gabby''s age, Jessup knew there was no dealing with a teenager who was in her boy-crazy phase, so he took a deep breath and held up his hand to silence Gabby.

    "Listen, Brance is fine, but he has been working tirelessly to heal many severely injured victims from the attack. Since he is the only one who can deal with Codex Corruption, thanks to his HolyFire and Light Affinities, he has pushed himself too hard and is now asleep, resting quietly in the Training Room."

    "If you wish to see him, you can; however, I do not want you to, under any circumstances, wake him up. If you can abide by that one rule, you may go down and be with ¡­and she''s gone."

    Gabby didn''t even wait to hear the rest of what Jessup had to say, and the moment she heard the phrase, "If you can Abide," she took off running at her fastest speed out of the living room and to the training room.

    ---

    **Eight Hours Later**

    In the Shadow Realm, 2 kilometers away from Pinhurst Mansion, in a tiny stone cottage within what could only be described as a medieval neighborhood, Cynrik''s eyes fluttered open, and upon feeling the warm body trapped in his arms, he couldn''t help but peek under the nket.

    Attached to him like a ko, Selene was breathing slowly, clearly still asleep, but had a happy expression on her face.

    ''Heh, this girl is really something; she didn''t even bother cleaning herself up. My cum is dried all over her legs, and then there are the bed sheets.'' Wearing a pleasant smile, Cynrik shook his head and tried his best not to wake her on ident.

    ''Not sure what I did in my past life to deserve her, but now after everything¡­huh?'' Midway through that thought, Cynrik noticed the new skin-tone markings coating all of Selene''s upper body.

    ''HUH?'' he thought again as he soon saw the exact same markings covering his torso and arms.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 599 Mind, Body, And Soul Imprint (2)

    ?

    ''Not sure what I did in my past life to deserve her, but now after everything¡­huh?'' Midway through that thought, Cynrik noticed the new skin-tone markings coating all of Selene''s upper body.

    ''HUH?'' he thought again as he soon saw the exact same markings covering his torso and arms.

    With his mouth so wide open he could catch a horde of flies, Cynrik ran his fingers along the intricate yet delicate markings covering his entire chest in the form of a skin tone tattoo.

    ''What in the actual fuck¡­."

    DING

    DING

    DING

    DING

    With confusion clouding his thoughts, Cynrik was about to reach out to his not-so-friendly neighborhood System AI when a wave of Ding sounds triggered in his mind, followed by a never-ending stream of scrolling notifications.

    -You have achieved something once thought to be a wives tale or a topic from romance novels; you have sessfully found your Soul Mate.-

    -Having spoken the Ancient Oath of the ?sir, under the eyes of creation, you have sealed this Oath with Selene Nilsson, making her your wife for eternity.-

    -Your Wife has epted your Surname, Jetlensr, and her Status will now reflect her name as Selene Jetlensr.-

    -You have received the Title: Eiginmaeur of Selene Nilsson *Jetlensr*-

    -Your Wife, Selene Jetlensr, has received the title, Eiginkona of Cynrik Jetlensr.-

    -As an ?sir Warrior, customs forbid you from taking another Wife; however, you are not forbidden from taking an additional lover if your wife Allows such a thing. But only one, and only to continue your Bloodline, pleasure must not be the sole purpose behind your mating with the additional lover.-

    -As an established Eiginmaeur, the subject of your affection shall only be toward one, your Eiginkona, and thus, you must never allow her to y second fiddle to another woman.-

    -However, her status is sealed as the one and only wife, and even if your mistress bears you a child, she will never obtain the title or benefits associated with being an Eiginkona, especially if your mistress is of another race.-

    -There is an additional note from Admin Tobs'' (AIN''T NO HAREM SHIT HERE CYNRIK YOU ASSHOLE! IF YOU PLAN ON FUCKING MAEVE YOU BETTER IMPREGNATE HER! )-

    -In a physical expression of unyielding love, you have opened yourself up to another being, giving them your Mind, Body, and Soul.-

    -You have formed a Mind, Body, and Soul Imprint with Selene Jetlensr.-

    This was only the first batch of notifications; the longer he read through them, the more his mind became a hazy cloud as Cynrik began disconnecting from reality due to the absurdity of the previous messages.

    ''What in the hell, why did Maeve get dragged into this? Sure, I have my Milfy dream, but what in the ACTUAL FUCK! I NEVER WANTED TO BE A HAREM PROTAGONIST TO BEGIN WITH!'' Feeling wronged, Cynrik could only cry internally as he continued scrolling down and reading more of the notifications.

    -Congrattions, you have lost your Virginity and taken the Virginity of the Maiden who has be your Eiginkona.-

    -You have sessfully impregnated your Eiginkona, Selene Jetlensr.-

    -Your sperm has merged with Selene Jetlensr''s egg and is now in the process of animating life.-

    -Be aware the Average Gestation period of an ?sir female is One year and six months.-

    -During the Gestation period, an ?sir female will enter a weakened state, with all her stats falling to 25% of their initial value.-

    -As her Eiginmaeur, it is your duty to protect both your Eiginkona and unborn child, even at the risk of your own life.-

    -Due to having swapped vital bodily fluids through the natural mating method, you have received additional benefits, as well as given an equal amount of benefits to your Eiginkona.-

    -You have passed on your Limit Broken Status and helped your Eiginkona break through her limits in the same stats you have.

    -Due to having ejacted within the Vagina of Selene Jetlensr, her body has naturally absorbed your Male Essence, increasing her Limit Broken Stat to match your own.-

    -Your Eiginkona''s DEX, INT, AGI, and MIND Stats have increased drastically.-

    -The process has made you lose 2.5% of your DEX, INT, AGI, and MIND Stats.-

    Cynrik''s entire body tensed up as he read the notification stating he had knocked up Selene, and his head robotically turned toward the girl sleepingfortably in his arms.

    ''¡­sigh, I suppose this is how it is meant to be¡­what should I expect? I came inside her; of course, this was a possibility.'' Cynrik thought as he sighed lightly and reached over to tuck a lock of hair behind Selene''s ear.

    When he made this small yet tender gesture, Selene subconsciously recognized it, and a warm smile spread across her face as she nuzzled into his hand like a cat without waking up.

    ''If fate dictates that I am to have a child, no matter how much I am unwilling, so long as it is with her, I won''t fight it.'' Resolving himself to fate and fighting back the nerves threatening to overwhelm him, Cynrik''s eyes left the sleeping face of his Kona and continued reading through the notifications.

    However, the instant he read the following line, his heart dropped to his feet, and he felt a slight stinging sensation in his tear ducts.

    -Selene Jetlensr has taken notice of her status effect (Pregnant). Subsequently, she decided to terminate the pregnancy of her own volition by obliterating the impregnated egg within her womb with Mana.-

    -She hase to this decision on her own after weighing the potential detriments to both her health and the thoughts of her Eiginmaeur.-

    These two lines of text caused Cynrik''s heart to break for some reason that he couldn''t understand. One second he was on track to bing a father, then the next, Selene had made the obvious and more mature decision.

    Giving up the opportunity to be a mother when it was alreadyplicated to conceive in the first ce was a decision that he would never have forced her to make.

    However, he understood that apart from them both being too young even to consider the option as viable, Selene didn''t have a nurturing family like he and Brance had grown up with, so it was apparent there would be some fear involved, especially when she had such a bitch of a mother, to begin with.

    ''Still, if she had told me she wanted to keep it, I would have told her toe what may, and we would have dealt with things¡­together. I only hope this won''t have any adverse effects on her body; I remember things such as n b and abortions had all kinds of negative repercussions back on Earth, apart from the mental health issues generated by using such methods.''

    Laying down and pulling Selene closer to his body, Cynrik gently caressed her hair.

    ''Sigh, when did I be such an emotional sap¡­well, I suppose this is a side effect of the Mind Body Soul Imprint thing, or at least that''s what I n on ming if the topices up, not that I expect it to.'' With that final thought, he jumped back into the notifications and breezed through what was left.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 600 Mind, Body, And Soul Imprint (3)

    ?

    **Iing NSFW Scenes, nothing too graphic, but you''ll understand, considering the two of them are still naked.**

    Clinging to Cynrik, Selene''s stirred slightly, and her hands, one of which was ced on his chest, the other around his waist, began moving slowly as she unconsciously caressed his body.

    The sensation of her touch was just as soothing and warm as what she would receive from him, and it even distracted Cynrik as he read, so much so that he continued stroking her hair as the young woman in his arms eye''s fluttered and opened.

    "mm, I could get used to waking up like this," Selene mumbled in a sleepy voice.

    Adjusting her head and looking up at her beloved, Selene smiled warmly while trying to ignore the dull pain radiating from her lower body.

    "Hm, me too, my Kona," moving the notifications to the side, Cynrik returned her smile with a light kiss, causing Selene to wiggle in happiness.

    "How are you feeling?" not wanting to bring up the topic of children when his Eiginkona woke up, Cynrik deflected with a standard thought.

    "Sore but warm and happy. How long did we sleep?" Selene rolled onto her back and stretched in a feline posture, releasing her death grip on his body, expelling several loud pops from her lower back and shoulders.

    The alluring sight of the nude Selene stretching, the act of which caused her bountiful D-Cup breasts to jiggle freely, caused Cynrik''s sleeping dragon to twitch slightly. One time hadn''t been nearly enough, not for him, and technically it shouldn''t have been for Selene either.

    However, due to therge amount of physical and emotional changes they had undergone unknowingly, the couple had practically passed out, a failsafe function their Brains had triggered so their bodies could enter recovery mode.

    "Roughly¡­eight¡­hours," Cynrik''s eyes focused on Selene''s breast, and he could feel both his hands twitch as if begging to reach out and grab them, something that didn''t go unnoticed by Selene upon opening her eyes after the veryfortable stretch.

    "Why are you hesitating, my Maeur? My body is yours, all of me is yours, and you are free to do with it as you please. There is no reason to hesitate, especially when¡­" Selene''s voice trailed off as she noticed the slowly rising tent caused by Cynrik''s member waking up under the nket.

    "Don''t worry, I will; you can''t escape me now, my love. But first¡­we must address these and the other new things our Oath and act of unyielding passion bore." As he spoke, Cynrik reached out his left hand and casually yet gently caressed Selene''s cheek before sliding his hand down her neck to the valley between her ample and perky mountains.

    The act itself wasn''t sexual and was meant to bring her attention to the new markings of her expanded [H¨²efl¨²r], but for Selene, all she felt was electricity running through the point of contact.

    However, as her blood pressure rose and the soft pulse began between her legs, Selene''s eyes widened upon seeing what Cynrik had highlighted on her body.

    "My, [H¨²efl¨²r]¡­it''s changed? How?" Reaching up, Selene traced the intricate marks on her upper chest with a finger, yet before she could examine them thoroughly, Cynrik caught her hand and ced it on his chest while training her index finger with his hand, using it like a pencil.

    "Not just yours, mine too, it''s all in the notifications¡­there was a much deeper meaning than our Marriage alone when we spoke the Ancient Oath. We have truly be one, in Mind, Body, and Soul, Selene."

    Unable to contain herself, as Selene listened to his words, she first didn''t open the notifications but instead threw her leg over Cynrik''s body and mounted him before pressing him down and sucking on his lips.

    Cynrik didn''t sit still, and his hands immediately cupped her thick, juicy ass cheeks while making out with Selene. Still, he couldn''t let this go on too long because he could already feel the moist liquid forming on her little sister as Selene ground her hips against his lower body, and Cynrik knew that if he allowed things to progress, it wouldn''t be long before they were wrestling in the bed a second time.

    PAH, PAH!

    Two crisp ps rang out in the small stone cottage as Cynrik first got a good feel of her ass cheeks, then delivered two firm smacks onto the thick jiggly flesh, causing a shudder to run through Selene''s entire body and a soft moan to release from her lips as she broke off the kiss.

    "We have all the time in the world to make love, my Kona, but first, you need to read through the notifications¡­then¡­we need to talk." Speaking in a clear and firm tone, Cynrik caught Selene by the hips, spun her around, and sat up while cing her in hisp.

    "Hmph, can''t that wait? One time wasn''t enough; I want to feel you inside me again and your love." Puffing out her cheeks in a pout, Selene started toin, but when she felt a soft peck on her cheek and Cynrik''s chin resting on her shoulder, Selene took control of her lust and, although discontent, followed his words.

    Most of the initial notifications she read were the same ones he had seen. But when she read about the name change and new titles, Selene''s eyes brightened, and a dazzling smile painted her face.

    "Selene Jetlensr¡­teehee, I never knew how much I wanted this." She said with a giggle, causing Cynrik to reach up and cup her breasts from behind.

    "Un, you are now officially my wife, and we are Family now, a small one, but a family nheless." Cynrik retorted as he lightly flicked her nipples and settled for resting his palms on her meaty thighs.

    But soon, that happy expression changed when Selene got to the Status effect caused by Cynrik ejacting inside her vagina, a worried look crossed her beautiful face as she turned her head and looked back at Cynrik with uncertainty.

    To say she wanted to bare his children as soon as possible wouldn''t be a lie, but from how Cynrik told her to read before continuing their wrestling match, she knew this was likely the topic he wanted to discuss.

    The only question was, why? Hadn''t they talked about this topic at great length? Didn''t he say he didn''t want to have children? Although it made her sad at the time, Selene understood that was his personality, and if he didn''t want them, no matter if she did, she would follow his wishes; that was just how deeply in love with him she was.

    Looking into those beautiful eyes as they misted up and noticing Selene''s confusion and uncertainty, Cynrik sighed and spun her around in hisp to face him.

    However, the two of them sat in silence for a couple of tense minutes, and Cynrik wasn''t going to be the first to break it, as instead of speaking, he gently slid his fingers along Selene''s hips and legs.

    "I¡­I¡­I thought it would be bad if I got pregnant, and when I felt the sudden exhaustion, the notification about my pregnancy popped up, so I dealt with it¡­." Biting her bottom lip and ignoring the pleasant sensation of his touch, Selene stuttered through the statement.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 601 Mind, Body, And Soul Imprint (4)

    ?

    **Sheesh, I didn''t even realize until after I posted thest chapter that we hit 600; I''ll be damned, it seems like just yesterday we hit 100, and now we are only 400 away from 1k.**

    "I¡­I¡­I thought it would be bad if I got pregnant, and when I felt the sudden exhaustion, the notification about my pregnancy popped up, so I dealt with it¡­."

    Selene''s words caused Cynrik to draw in a deep breath before reaching up and wiping away a tear trickling down her cheek.

    "Cyn¡­I didn''t know¡­I didn''t know if you would be upset if I¡­." Selene started to say but was soon silenced as Cynrik cupped both cheeks and pulled her face forward to kiss her lips lightly.

    Pulling back slowly and looking into her eyes, Selene tried speaking a second time, but Cynrik repeated his actions.

    On the third attempt, she finally realized that he wouldn''t let her speak and sat silently with her legs wrapped around his waist.

    Sitting in this position, Selene in hisp, with their hips pressed together, and her legs wrapped around his body, naked, was a little too stimting for Cynrik, so after the third kiss, he had to control the natural reaction of his hardened dragon forcefully, or else no matter how serious his tone was when speaking, there would be no way for either of them to keep on topic.

    They were so close that all Selene needed to do if she wanted him inside her was raise her hips a little and angle him correctly, and boom, round two would begin easily.

    "I wouldn''t have minded," After what felt like an eternity to both of them, Cynrik spoke softly.

    "Huh?" Not believing what she had heard, Selene tilted her head to the side and did her best not to look at the throbbing hard protrusion pressed tightly against her abdomen.

    "If it were with you, I wouldn''t have minded... having a child. Sure, we are technically too young, but both of us could be considered as an uncle and aunty by Earth Standards. Not to mention physically, we are already in our early 20s thanks to the multiple evolutions we''ve undergone." Making sure to look his Kona in the eyes so that his own didn''t wander around her highly attractive, nude, and provocative body, Cynrik continued.

    "Would it have been difficult? Absolutely. Would we struggle for a while? Sure 100%. Would I have made a good father? Probably not, but that''s why I have you around."

    "As for the Country and Academy rules, haven''t we already said fuck them? My family, especially Brance, would probably throw a fit, but Cinyah and Rikard are too damn soft and loving when ites to us, so they woulde around and smother you rtively fast."

    While he spoke, Cynrik couldn''t help but feel a slight scratching around his pubic area, caused by the dried fluids on Selene and his legs and lower body, so without hesitation, he willed a certain amount of ckFire to burn it away, cleaning them up, an action which caused a soft moan to leak from Selene.

    "Honestly, when I read about you being pregnant, my heart fluttered, and although there was a lot of fear and hesitation, I epted that we would have a child." Giving her a weak smile and noticing the freely flowing tears mixed with happiness and sorrow, Cynrik reached to wipe them away with his thumbs.

    However, when he finished and was about to withdraw his hands, Selene swiftly caught them, kissed both, andced her fingers through his before cing them in their collectivep.

    "And I can''t say I wasn''t affected¡­emotionally when I read about your choice, but not for the reason you may be thinking. Although I epted we had a child on the way, I still am against it to some extent, but my primary focus was you."

    "We both know it is no walk in the park to conceive in this world, and the difficulty only increases the more your Tier increases, and I understand that it is an instinct to want to reproduce, but I was more worried about the potential consequences to your body in that instant."

    sping her hand in his, Cynrik ced their hands on the area above Selene''s womb.

    "You didn''t hurt yourself for my selfish prerogatives, right?" He asked in a voice not far off from a whisper.

    Looking into his eyes, Selene noticed a lot of new emotions were swirling around in them, the most prevalent being Fear and uncertainty, so she gave him a weak smile and leaned forward to kiss him gently before separating, and almost giggling as he gave her a look that indicated he wanted more.

    "The only thing I hurt was my ability to conceive when we try for real. The birth control method, or er¡­skill technically, I learned from watching that she-bitch who birthed me." She said confidently; however, Cynrik''s face practically copsed as he misunderstood.

    "Stop making that face, my love; it isn''t as bad as you think. Initially, it is a rough skill, considering its effect stacks, and it reduces your overall chance of conceiving a baby by 15% with each use."

    "But I have been using my skill points on it for a couple of months now in anticipation of our first time. So right now, it only reduces my chances by 0.1%."

    "Still, I never expected your swimmers to be so potent that you''d knock me up on the first shot!" Finishing her statement with a joke that even made the Stoney Cynrik smile, Selene leaned forward and hugged him tightly."

    "Besides, even if I found out tomorrow that I could never have a baby, I wouldn''t care because I have you, and you matter more to me than anything, your happiness, your sorrow, your pleasure; I want to share it all with you, even your burdens. That is why I so readily epted the Oath and even gave you my first time."

    "You are my everything Cynrik." Selene''s words triggered a strange reaction the moment they left her mouth.

    The markings on their arms suddenly began glowing in Lavender light and swirled in harmony, traveling from Cynrik to Selene and back as if they were dancing.

    Along with the visual effect, a couple of notifications appeared in both their eyes.

    -Selene Jetlensr has activated the Mind, Body, and Soul Imprint.-

    -For the next 30 minutes, your Health and Mana Pools will bebined.-

    -All stats have raised by 25%-

    -You can now read each other''s thoughts, and your bodies will move in perfect synchronicity.-

    -While the Imprint is active, you and your Eiginkona are one, and you can hide nothing from each other. However, that matters not because there is no existence in eternity, which you have a greater trust or love for than your Eiginkona.-

    -You may transfer skills, stat points, or any numerical value shown on the Status Profile between you and your Eiginkona, as everything she owns is yours, as with the reverse, everything you own is hers.-

    -When the Imprint is deactivated, you both will return to your normal states, and all transferred numerical values or skills will be returned, as the effects are only avable when the imprint is active.-

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 602 MBSI (5) / Operation Saving Asses (9)

    ?

    **Split chapter here, I didn''t want to jump back into an NSFW and had to go back to check in on Brance, so this chapter and the next one will be simr to each other. Don''t worry; we will get back to smexy time and finally read the remaining notifications Cynrik and Selene ignored in the heat of the moment.**

    The Notification caused Selene and Cynrik to freeze in ce as they suddenly became aware of everything in the other person''s mind, on top of the pleasant feeling of each other''s bodies.

    From the moment they began their conversation, the two of them had kept their urges in control, a task which proved to be incredibly difficult since the level of attraction between Selene and Cynrik was so high that their hunger for sex had reached new levels.

    Especially Selene, who not long ago experienced the most intense pain she had ever felt in her life, was burning inside to feel Cynrik press her down and ravage her again, to be shown more love.

    This hunger flooded Cynrik''s brain the instant their Imprint activated, and their markings began glowing invender. His body''s reaction was to be expected, as within seconds, his sleeping dragon was at full mast and pulsing against Selene''s pubic area.

    No sane or straight man would be able tost for long with such a stunning beauty sitting in hisp naked, and Cynrik, although mentally very strong, practically crumbled when waves of intense hunger and fear hit his mind.

    However, the fear wasn''t his own; the thoughts running through his head belonged to Selene, who didn''t want to disappoint her Maeur. She had experience in bed but didn''t feel confident about being with him in that respect.

    The pleasure she receivedst time, plus the unexpected pregnancy, had shaken her heart, and Cynrik now knew everything, resulting in fear.

    Still, there was one thing that overwhelmed everything in her mind: her unyielding love for him, and this was the trigger that pushed Cynrik to ignore the still unread notifications, pull her body against his until their chests touched and hungrily devour Selene''s lips.

    Meanwhile, Selene could feel the lust and tender affection Cynrik had for her. His mind was¡­different, to say the least, and she was almost lost in the storm of random chaos swirling around in there, but then as they embraced and their lips met, Selene could feel the overwhelming love he had in his heart and that love was directed only toward her.

    The emotions and feelings she received from the Imprint were too much, causing Selene to give in and allow the pleasure to wash over her, ignoring the pain radiating from her lower body.

    Since she could read her beloved''s mind now, she knew what he wanted at that moment, so without hesitation, Selene raised her hips slightly, snaked her right hand between their legs, and lightly wrapped her fingers around his cock.

    Then, to Cynrik''s surprise, Selene took the initiative, guiding his member''s fleshy ns to her lower mouth and slowly inserting him inside.

    This action caused them to separate their kiss and moan in unison as a higher form of pleasure than their first time took over, and thevender markings pulsed in the rhythm of their synchronized breathing.

    Thanks to their new connection through the Imprint, Cynrik, and Selene didn''t need to speak; instead, they simply understood what the other wanted, and needed, which frankly made sex far more intimate than they could have expected.

    After insertion, Selene sat impaled, without moving, allowing her body to adjust to the sudden girthy invasion of her little sister, and kissed Cynrik fiercely.

    Three words seemed to echo in their minds, I¡­Love¡­You¡­, and then round two officially began.

    ---

    While Cynrik and Selene began their second round, back at the Pinhurst Mansion, Brance''s eyes were still closed when he felt a light yet present weight on his chest.

    For a moment, he was confused, but when he felt the soft breathinging from this weight, a wry smile crept onto his lips, and his eyes slowly opened, revealing the sight of a sleeping Gabby on his chest and using him like a mattress.

    ''Sigh, I got so caught up in things that I neglected to tell her I was back. Crap, Cynrik had enough of a brain to grab Selene and Leave; why the fuck didn''t I have the mind to have Gabbye too.'' Beating himself up for being a bad boyfriend, Brance gently wrapped his arms around the sleeping youngdy resting on top of him and couldn''t stop himself from kissing the top of her head.

    The sudden warmth brought about by his arms entrapping her was highlyfortable to Gabby, and although asleep, she nuzzled into his chest like a small cat and brought up her hand to cup his cheek.

    ''Heh, this girl, sigh, I wish I could stay like this longer, but¡­'' Brance''s thoughts trailed off as he turned his head to observe the remaining people with corrupted Codexes.

    However, his eyes widened slightly as he noticed that each of them was now on simr cots. Unbeknownst to him, when Gabby arrived and saw the situation, she quickly set about transforming the training room into a makeshift triage, and with the help of her trusty kitty Milo, she had moved everyone to a bed, with a pillow and nket for theirfort.

    As he observed the situation in the training room, Brance became aware of another presence on the cot, curled up between his feet, and it didn''t take him long to realize it was Milo.

    ''So they both fell asleep with me, heh; I really don''t deserve their affection, I feel like I don''t do enough for the two of them, yet they give me this much attention.'' Brance thought.

    Laying on his back, Brance turned his face back toward the ceiling and fell deeper into thought; that was when a tiny fairy materialized above him and floated right in his face, startling Brance enough that he almost flinched.

    However, his unwillingness to identally wake up Gabby and Milo took hold, and he forced himself to remain still while ring up at Tobs.

    -Morning, sleepy head, I thought you would never wake up. Hey, now, don''t give me that grumpy look; you can only me yourself for not calling out to me first.-

    Seeing his reaction, Tobs puffed out her cheeks and ced her hands on her hips, giving him a pouty pose.

    -You''ve been out cold for almost 9 hours. As you can see, Gabby found out you were down here and did her best to take some of the burdens off you.-

    -And I gotta say, although she can''t see Mana, she''s a capable enough healer to understand what was wrong with those on the beds over there.-

    -Even though she couldn''t do anything about the Codex Corruption, Gabby went ahead and treated any prevalent ailments caused by the lingering Death Mana in their bodies which had progressed.-

    -Moving them to beds, tucking them in, and applying vital first aid, the girl ran herself to exhaustion, and she only fell asleep a couple of hours ago.-

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 603 Brance Finds Out About The Thing...

    ?

    Tobs soon finished filling Brance in on what happened when he was asleep, causing the young man to sigh while looking at the sleeping girl using him as a body pillow.

    ''And what about Cyn and Selene?'' thinking about how his brother had abruptly dove into the Shadow Realm without informing him of his objectives, Brance couldn''t help but ask.

    -Those two, ugh, I don''t even know where to begin. Well, for starters, you now officially have a Sister-In-Law.-

    ''Say what now? The fuck? They got married; how is that even possible?'' Brance''s breathing stopped upon hearing this new information, and his eyes widened.

    -I mean, at least in the eyes of the CSH, they are now Husband and Wife, or well, as their new titles state, Eiginmaeur and Eiginkona.-

    -As for the how, well, they boinked like horny monkeys after speaking a Norse Marriage Oath passed down by The Raven God.-

    -But that is beside the point; by losing their purity to each other, after getting hitched, the two formed a Mind, Body, and Soul Imprint, which will give you a headache if I exin all the benefits.-

    -The biggest takeaway is that they have an active skill that allows the transfer of stats between them.

    -Then there''s the fact that when they screwed, Selene''s stats increased to match Cynrik''s, although some of his stats fell slightly.-

    Shrugging her tiny shoulders, Tobs crossed her legs and sat floating in the air, not far from Brance''s face.

    ''I¡­what the hell am I supposed to say to all that¡­'' Brance was at a loss. He knew it was only a matter of time before those two crazies crossed the finish line, but it was still too soon.

    -To be fair, it was bound to happen sooner rather thanter, hormones and all, but what I didn''t expect was all the weird changes their bodies went through, like the fact that their Bloodlines increased from 25% to 45% without giving them any actual benefits.-

    -Er¡­ there will be some, but they won''t get them until they reach Tier-4. Not to mention their [H¨²efl¨²r] also merged and expanded, mirroring each other, which gives a massive upgrade to their Mana Maniption.-

    -Lastly, their Dark Varient Affinities have grown significantly¡­that''s pretty much all I can tell you for now, though. They haven''t seen anything else that pops up yet, so I can''t discuss it.-

    Thinking back to when the couple woke up earlier, only Cynrik had read ahead slightly in the notification spam, so because he knew but hadn''t paid any attention to the Bloodline or Affinity upgrade, Tobs was allowed to talk about it; however, any other changes were still considered confidential.

    ''Ugh, what in the hell kind of broken bullshit Protagonist Halo do those two have. Who the hell gets stronger by having sex¡­wait, TOBS, WILL THAT HAPPEN TO ME AND GABBY IF WE MAKE LOVE???''

    Suddenly bing aware of Gabby''s lithe and petite body pressed against his, Brance couldn''t help but let his mind wander.

    -I mean¡­.yes and no? Honestly, I am not confident in giving either answer. In theory, the only reason those two had such a profound "experience" was because of the Marriage Oath and forming the imprint.-

    -Selene has wholly given herself to Cynrik, and as surprising as it may be, he also reciprocated. Their entire being is linked, thus the imprint''s name, Mind, Body, and Soul.-

    -Also, don''t forget, technically, they are of the same race, or they have the same Bloodlines, all the way down to their percentage of human blood.-

    -If you chose to mate with Gabby¡­which I STRONGLY advise against you even considering for at least 4-5 years, I can''t say in confidence that you would be able toe out of it with such a power upgrade.-

    -Well, at least, so long as she is 100% Human. Luckily for you, the LightBringer Bloodline is considered "Compatible" with Humans; thus, the stories about Nephilim, well, I shouldn''t have to tell you since you are already considered one in the first ce because you aren''t a pure LightBringer.-

    -There''s also the fact that they had unprotected intercourse and Cynrik eja¡­-

    ''STOP, STOP, PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY, DON''T FINISH THAT STATEMENT! I sooo don''t need to hear about my brother and Selene''s bedroom habits.'' Gulping down a mouthful of saliva and feeling himself break out in a cold sweat, Brance quickly cut off the tiny fairy from speaking further on that forbidden topic.

    In response, Tobs crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side; the expression Brance was wearing made her want to tease him, but since Brance had only ever been polite and kind to her, the tiny fairy chose to let the topic go.

    If the roles were reversed and Cynrik was in Brance''s position, Tobs would have had some fun torturing him since the jerk constantly demanded things from her.

    ''So¡­so by you calling Selene my new Sister-In-Law, does that mean¡­''

    -Yeah, her name has been officially registered as Selene Jetlensr, thus myment about them being recognized by the CSH as an official Married Couple.-

    ''Interesting, I am unfamiliar with how marriage ceremonies are held here, but I guess ministers and whatnot aren''t necessary.'' Scrunching up his face and finding it challenging toe to terms with the fact that Cynrik had thrown caution to the wind and lived by his parting statement of "Fuck the Rules," Brance wiggled slightly in ce to getfortable on the hard cot.

    -Technically, no, things are pretty much the same here as they were on Earth, only instead of signing a marriage certificate and getting the government to recognize you officially, it''s all done through the CSH, even if the masses don''t fully understand that much.-

    -Otherwise, Marriages are pretty much all culture-based; you still see many people gathering their families and having a big wedding ceremony, especially high-ranking officials or, in other countries, Royalty.-

    -In fact, the Sanfords had a big wedding, one as you would recognize; however, your parents, on the other hand, went a route simr to Cynrik and Selene; well, actually, those two are freaks inparison.-

    -Cinyah and Rikard went to a government office to say their vows as people did on Earth. Instead of signing paperwork and going through a long and convoluted process, they went to an official representative of the CSH, who ensured their Name Changes were correctly applied.-

    "Mmh, Bran¡­Brancie, you''re awake?" before Brance could continue his conversation, the sleepy Gabby stirred and, in a disy of flexibility, pushed herself upright, straddling Brance with her legs on either side of his body, with her ass dangerously close to his member."

    She had long since changed out of her party dress and was wearing a thin pair of silk amethyst pajamas, ones that left VERY little to the imagination since they were thin enough to disy her every curve and the small, erect buds protruding from a pair of fleshy mounds.

    Like two mas, Brance''s eyes honed in on those mounds, which were a cup size smaller than Selene''s, and noticed how freely they swayed, indicating Gabby had forgotten to put on a bra¡­or did she.

    "Hm, good morning Gabby," Sitting up with her and Sliding Gabby over the waking hurdle in his pants, Brance positioned her on his thighs and lightly pecked her lips before attempting to move her aside so he could get up off the cot.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 604 Consoling Gabby (1)

    ?

    Like two mas, Brance''s eyes honed in on those mounds, which were a cup size smaller than Selene''s, and noticed how freely they swayed, indicating Gabby had forgotten to put on a bra¡­or did she.

    "Hm, good morning Gabby," Sitting up with her and Sliding Gabby over the waking hurdle in his pants, Brance positioned her on his thighs and lightly pecked her lips before attempting to move her aside so he could get up off the cot.

    However, contrary to what he wished, Gabby was having none of it, and like a spider monkey, she threw herself at him andtched her arms and legs around Brance''srge frame

    The sudden and unexpected shift in momentum caused Brance to lose his bnce. Not wanting to identally hurt Gabby by falling on her, Brance immediately hugged her to him and fell onto the floor,nding on his back, with Gabby on top.

    "You¡­you¡­you big Dummy stupid head!" Sitting up and once again mounting Brance provocatively, Gabby began smacking her small, balled-up fists on his chest in a mixture of sadness and anger.

    "You made me leave¡­*sniffle*¡­ and couldn''t even *sniffle* have themon decency to tell me that you were still alive and back home safe *sniffle*!" Half yelling and half sobbing, Gabby continued her assault, each hit causing a massive One point of damage.

    "Do you not love me? Is *Sniffle* is that it? Am I not good enough for you? *Sniffle*do you not want me anymore because I am too weak?" Unknown to Gabby, but with each hit, her thin pajama top was riding higher on her body, and after a few hits, her entire belly was exposed.

    From where he was positioned, Brance could now see directly up the front of her top, from underneath, and caught sight of her milky white skin, but most of all, the base of the round and soft melons hidden within.

    -You done fucked up this time, Brancie¡­-

    Sitting on the cot beside the awake Milo, who had no clue she existed, Tobs chimed in, earning a slew of frantic thoughts in her direction from Brance as hey on the ground with Gabby assaulting him.

    ''Tobs, what do I do? I''ve never been in this situation before. Sure, I was in a serious rtionship in the past, but this is nothing like that; I don''t know how to deal with a hormonal girl right now!'' Panicked and trying not to sneak a perverted peek up his girlfriend''s shirt, Brance felt the blood rushing to ces they shouldn''t.

    -I mean, if it were your brother, he would shut her up by pinning the girl down, and forcing a kiss on her lips to seal them, then his hands would probably start wandering¡­-

    ''I AM NOT CYNRIK! THAT LUNATIC THROWS CAUTION TO THE WIND!''

    Thump, thump, thump

    "Why aren''t you saying anything¡­*Sniffle*," Finishing her punches by mming both fists down on Brance''s chest, Gabby seemed to lose all strength in her body and finally broke down entirely into a sobbing mess.

    "I was so scared to lose you, Brance, when we heard the two explosions and then watched the devastation on Tv; I thought you were gone, forever, and that I would never meet my soulmate again in this life." Dropping face first onto Brance''s chest, Gabby vented all of her frustrations in tears, which stained Brance''s shirt.

    -Stop hesitating, or things will have gone too far to salvage. Make a move, do something, Brance, ANYTHING, it doesn''t have to be as physical as fucking her, but you need to act NOW!-

    For some reason, Tobs began getting overly excited and even jumped onto the floor beside Brance before practically screaming into his ear to wake him from his stupor and anxiety.

    Her words shocked him out of his thoughts, and Brance knew what he had to do, even if he wasn''t entirelyfortable with the idea.

    Reaching his arms around the much smaller frame copsed on his chest, Brance gripped the hem of Gabby''s silky pajama top resting just below her ribs and gently pulled it down before embracing her in aforting and warm hug.

    His sudden touch caused Gabby to stiffen like a frightened kitten, but she soon melted into it, and her sobs became louder. In response, Brance''s hands trailed up her petite back and lightly caressed it.

    The two stayed like that, with Gabby crying and Brance rubbing her back as if saying let it all out, for several minutes, until he noticed her falling silent.

    The only way he could tell she was still crying was the subtle quiver of her entire body, meaning she had fallen into a quiet sob, breaking his heart.

    Her reaction was his doing; he had fucked up big time this time. Unlike his brother, whose first action after doing what he could with the injured was to get Selene and leave, Brance had spent hours ving away while his worried girlfriend panicked not far away.

    Even worse, when he finished, he went to sleep right away instead of going upstairs to tell her he was ok. Leaving the worried Gabby to find out he had returned from a second party, Jessup.

    With a shaken heart and mind, Brance hand''s stopped rubbing Gabby''s back, and he sighed sorrowfully.

    "I''m an idiot." He said while looking at the ceiling woefully.

    "Un¡­" Gabby''s voice was quiet, like a whisper, but due to their proximity, it was loud and clear to Brance''s ears.

    "I should havee and told you I was safe the moment I returned."

    "Un¡­" again, Gabby said, only this time, she rested her right cheek above Brance''s heart and gripped his shirt with her left hand.

    "I am sorry¡­Gabrie¡­sorry that I am a bad boyfriend who worries the one woman who loves him so dearly." For the first time in a while, Brance used Gabby''s full name instead of her nickname, causing the youngdy to sit up slightly and look at him with strange eyes.

    When someone calls you a nickname all the time and then suddenly hits you with your full name out of the blue, it is a surprising thing, and for Gabby, it was like getting smacked in the back of the head since she could count on one hand the number of people who call her Gabrie.

    "And how do you n on making it up to me? I was so worried, Brance; I thought you died, or at the very least, were heavily injured, and that was why you hadn''t returned." Weary about his use of her full name, Gabby looked into Brance''s eyes with tears threatening to spill over her own again.

    Brance sat up and moved Gabby onto hisp, gulping down his saliva while making her face him.

    Next, his hands trailed to her hips, and he stared back into her eyes; although his mind was in turmoil, he knew it was time to make a move¡­something he was heavily hesitant to do.

    But with resolve, his fingers caught hold of the hem of her pajama top, and slowly, he raised it up, exposing the white jade skin underneath.

    Gabby''s eyes shot wide open when she felt her top rising, and her heart began racing so fast she thought it would burst at any second; still, she didn''t fight.

    Having long since made up her mind that Brance was who she would spend the rest of her life with if it was time to do¡­that¡­she was ready and willing.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 605 Consoling Gabby (2) ***

    ?

    **NSFW TIME! Get Ready, but don''t get your hopes up to high; sure the ship is bout to sail, but how farrrrrrr!!!**

    ---

    ---

    ---

    With his resolve set in ce, Brance''s fingers caught hold of the hem of her pajama top, and slowly, he raised it up, exposing the white jade skin underneath.

    Gabby''s eyes shot wide open when she felt her top rising, and her heart began racing so fast she thought it would burst at any second; still, she didn''t fight.

    Having long since made up her mind that Brance was who she would spend the rest of her life with if it was time to do¡­that¡­she was ready, and more than anything, Gabby was fully willing.

    Inch by inch, the silky pajama top raised, from below her waistline, to above her hips until her belly button was exposed to the cold air of the training room.

    However, as the base of Gabby''s ribs came into sight, there was a chuffing sound behind them, and Brance noticed an erratic tugging at his right sleeve.

    GAO¡­Gaooo, gaoo CHUFF, Gaooah.

    Pausing his actions, he looked over and found Milo had grabbed his shirt and was pulling on his arm while shooting frantic nces at the unconscious people with Corrupt Codexes.

    ''Mama, I don''t mind if you and Papa mate. My instincts tell me it is natural, but other people are around. Have Papa put up the tent at the very least so you two can have some privacy.''

    When Gabby heard Milo''s voice, her face turned bright red. As her rational brain kicked in, she narrated what he said, with some slight alterations, of course, because she didn''t want her boyfriend to be skittish.

    However, Brance''s reaction was priceless enough, so Gabby suddenly burst out in a giggle. He opened and closed his mouth like a fish while rapidly turning his head from Milo to Gabby, then toward the unconscious people, and repeated this cycle.

    "Rii..ight, the tent¡­sure, I''m on it; good looking out, Milo." Suddenly nervous and feeling as if he was caught red-handed, Brance pulled his right hand from the hem of Gabby''s pajama top and pulled out the four-person camping tent he had stored away in his inventory with a flick of his wrist.

    Then, to hide his nervousness, he scooped up Gabby in a princess carry and, within seconds, was hidden from sight within the silver tent.

    Once inside, he gently ced Gabby on the plush memory foam mat within the tent and spun around to zip the opening closed.

    Double checking the tent was sealed shut and pressing the auxiliary silencing runic inscription to ensure no sound would leak out, Brance wasn''t expecting that when he turned back around, Gabby was no longer wearing the silky pajama top.

    Her entire upper body was exposed to him, causing Brance''s brain to shut down.

    "Gulp¡­" Sitting on the opposite side of the tent from him, with her feet off to the side, Gabby seemed to be made of porcin.

    Her well-toned, petite, yet athletic body was a stark contrast to Selene''s curvy and alluring one, but to Brance, he had never seen a more beautiful sight. The slight curve of her hips, the unblemished and pristine milky white skin, Brance scanned his girlfriend from top to bottom, taking it all in slowly and making the girl blush bright red in embarrassment.

    Slowly trailing up from her navel to the small freckle atop her belly button, Brance''s eyes fell on her c-cup breasts, which, surprisingly for someone as pure as Gabby, weren''t hidden from his view.

    Moving to the center of those glorious breasts, Brance noticed her slightly irregrly shaped are. Although they were perfectly pink and looked delicious, instead of circles, they were somewhat oval and marginallyrger than what he remembered his ex''s on Earth looked like, but he didn''t care; in his eyes, they were beautiful.

    Not that Brance had seen that many pairs of boobs in either life; for Vinestra, it was the first pair, excluding his mothers, but back on Earth, Brance had only been in two serious rtionships, one of which hadsted well over ten years, so unlike Cynrik, who was practically a manwhore in their past life, Brance didn''t have such a wide variety topare to.

    Still, that didn''t mean hecked experience, only that he hadn''t tasted as many women as his brother.

    Seeing how stunned Brance was acting, Gabby couldn''t help but feel happy. If the way his eyes took in every square inch of her body didn''t indicate his attraction to her, then what else could it mean?

    What woman wouldn''t want her man to be attracted to her? Gabby was no exception. She had always been self-conscious about her looks, especially when being around two beauty goddesses in the form of Selene and Melody.

    Compared to them, Gabby felt like the ugly duckling of the group since she wasn''t super curvy, and although pretty girly, she was still a tomboy at heart.

    When herst Evolution gave her plump breasts, Gabby had been ecstatic, that was until she saw the massive honkers that Selene and Melody came out of their Passing Down with.

    It didn''t help that Brance was always so passive and seemed disinterested in doing the things lovers usually do, but here and now, she knew it was all in her head.

    "Beautiful¡­" Brance''s voice came out in a faint whisper, but since they were in a soundproof tent, where sounds would bounce off the walls and seem louder than usual, Gabby heard it clearly, causing a light smile to spread across her lips.

    Crawling forward on his knees, Brance arrived in front of Gabby and finally could tear his eyes away from her body to look deeply into her eyes.

    ''Tobs¡­is this ok? If I make a move, can her body handle it?'' To say Brance was easily controlling his impulses was an understatement.

    Although he appeared in control, it took every ounce of willpower he had not to jump on Gabby and pin her under him.

    But that didn''t mean his biggest fear was weak; it was the only thing keeping him from pushing Gabby down at that moment.

    This fear was the potential bodily injury he would cause the youngdy he had fallen so deeply for.

    Brance was well aware of the massive risk involved when it came to women losing their virginity, and that risk only gets more considerable the higher their Tier.

    -No, she can''t; your power difference is too significant. If you try having sex as she is now, you will cause substantial harm to her. Hemorrhaging, internal damage, and even Death are very likely oues if you attempt it.-

    ''But my brother and Selene, they¡­'' Brance started to say as he reached up and cupped Gabby''s cheek with one hand, causing the girl to close her eyes in enjoyment.

    -The only reason Selene came out on their end in one piece was that Cynrik is DEX-focused, so not only does he have better control over his muscles, but physically, Selene is actually stronger than him, with her STR stat being a full 1k points higher.-

    -In the case of you and Gabby, your STR stat is almost ten times higher than hers, so when you attempt to prate the thin membrane in her vagina, it will be like smashing an egg with a cannon.-

    -This is why I told you 4-5 years Brance, Gabby needs to increase her VIT and STR stats to the point that mitigates your physique difference, and she will more than likely require a Bloodline.-

    -As it stands, as you and Gabby are right now, the two of you arepletely ipatible physically, but that is something that can be remedied with time.-

    -But that doesn''t mean you can''t do other intimate things, just don''t cross the final line is all, or you know, break her hymen with like a finger..or three.-

    Inhaling deeply through his nose, Brance exhaled loudly to calm himself down and gently brought Gabby''s face toward his until their lips touched.

    Their gentle kiss soon heated up, and Brance felt Gabby''s hands grip the hem of his t-shirt before raising it. The only problem was, on her knees, Gabby couldn''t pull it entirely off, so she had to separate the kiss and stand up, identally bringing her breasts right to his eye level.

    Raising his arms, so Gabby could do as she pleased, Brance gently kissed her right nipple, causing Gabby to flinch as goosebumps coated every bit of her skin.

    "H¡­hey, that''s not fair," Gabby grumbled as she removed his shirt and tossed it to the side. However, her words didn''t stop Brance, as the moment his arms were free, he wrapped them around her lithe waist and pulled Gabby closer to get a mouthful of boobs.

    What started as a tender kiss soon became him licking and sucking gently. Eventually, Brance even nibbled on her tender flesh as if it were the most delicious delicacy he had ever tasted, all of his actions drawing sweet moans from Gabby as she wrapped her arms around his head.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 606 Consoling Gabby (3) ***

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    **Alright, time for some lovey-dovey between Brance and Gabby FUFU R18.**

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    What started as a tender kiss soon became him licking and sucking gently. Eventually, Brance even nibbled on her tender flesh as if it were the most delicious delicacy he had ever tasted, all of his actions drawing sweet moans from Gabby as she wrapped her arms around his head.

    Rolling his tongue around Gabby''s nipple, Brance carefully traced the outline of her are, tasting every inch, while his left hand came up and lightly grasped her right breast, molding it like soft putty with his fingers.

    "Ahn, B¡­Brancie¡­" With her heart beating frantically like a scared rabbit and feeling entirely embarrassed as she felt his moist and soft tongue gliding across her delicate nipple, Gabby didn''t know what to do.

    Ever since she began rooming with Selene, Gabby had been subjected to her lewd nature, and she was even coerced into watching lewd videos with the girl, on top of being the one to film some of Selene''s videos shot for Cynrik.

    So she had a base level of knowledge about the subject. Still, now that things were happening, her inexperience was showing, and although it felt incredible having her breasts yed with and sucked on by Brance, she was scared since it was her first time going this far.

    "Nngh¡­" Throwing her head back, Gabby released a pleasure-filled moan due to the sensation caused by Brance nibbling her nipple with his teeth and rolling it around in his mouth.

    Slurpppp, tssu, POP

    Opening his mouth wide, Brance filled as much of her breast as possible into it while forcefully sucking, causing the petite framed youngdy in his grasp to tremble fiercely. Then, with a loud pop, he released her now tender right boob and moved onto her left, giving it the same treatment.

    "Ohhh, be¡­ahhh¡­gentle¡­Brancie, I am¡­nghhh¡­sensitive there." Gabbyined as he fiercely attacked her left breast with his mouth and began ying with the pink bud of her right one like a switch.

    For roughly 15 minutes, Brance had his way with Gabby''s chest, treating it as gently as his hormones would allow and opening the world of pleasure to his beloved girlfriend.

    When he finally separated from them, Brance nted tiny kisses up her corbone and new cheeks, eventually reaching her plump lips, causing Gabby''s eyes, which had been happily forming crescents, to shoot wide open.

    It wasn''t the kiss that drew this reaction from her; instead, with was where Brance''s hands went after leaving her tender C-cups, and that was the fringe of her silky pajama shorts.

    She knew what woulde next; honestly, she wasn''t ready. It was in heavy contrast to the thousands of times she prayed and begged that Brance would make a move on her; so many times she had imagined something simr to this happening, but now that it was, she panicked.

    "Bbbb¡­Bran¡­Brancie, wait!" Breaking off the kiss as she felt her shorts pulling down, exposing a hint of her amethyst lingerie panties, Gabby fearfully ced her hands on his chest and pushed him away slightly, causing Brance to look at her in confusion.

    "I¡­ I''m sorry, I got ahead of myself," noticing how scared Gabby appeared to be, Brance felt a mixture of regret and disappointment, not in her, but in himself. He knew that although Gabby acted brave and confident, she was still a maiden, and it was her first time, so his actions may have been too hasty.

    Looking down in shame, Brance put a little distance between himself and Gabby before crossing his legs and patiently waiting to be scolded for moving too fast.

    ''Hearing her moan so sexually, I''ve misinterpreted it as a green light to move forward; damn it, I let my lower head take over¡­'' chastising himself, Brance couldn''t look up in fear of seeing that Gabby was ufortable and upset.

    However, a few seconds of silenceter, he felt movement from in front of him as Gabby crept forward and cupped his cheeks before kissing him gingerly.

    Gabby knew what he was thinking, it was practically written all over his face, and the way he held himself, it was clear to her that Brance regretted doing anything she was unready for. But this wasn''t what Gabby wanted.

    She didn''t want to see him beating himself up for wanting her bad enough that he lost control slightly. She simply didn''t want him to go too far; Gabby knew fully well about the dangers and risks involved with someone like her, who was well below Brance in Stat points, crossing the final line.

    Out of pure curiosity, she and Selene had browsed the inte, searching the topic thousands of times. After reading all the horror stories online about Early-Hymen-Penatration deaths, and injuries, the two were practically scared half to death.

    The two girls knew that if their STR and VIT stats weren''t high enough whenpared to their partners, there was a very likely chance they would end up severely injured.

    After some research, the two maidens learned the safest way to advance toward losing their virginities and formted specified "battle ns."

    For Selene, it was rtively easy; all she needed to do was increase her STR stat to the point that it was higher than Cynrik''s and add some more VIT.

    But when it came to the case of Gabby and Brance, things would be much more difficult. Due to Brance''s extreme STR stat, Gabby needed to find a way to counterbnce things and the way she found it was by having a VIT stat that was at the VERY MINIMUM, 60% of his STR Stat.

    Now that she knew Brance was open to having sex with her, Gabby was ecstatic and terrified of letting him down by telling him about the issue.

    And this was the primary reason she had Stopped Brance from moving forward and exposing her most precious area to him.

    She didn''t want her boyfriend and the love of her life to misunderstand that they would be having sex¡­ at least not now, so feeling it was necessary to say something and embarrassed greatly, Gabby led in with a kiss first.

    "Brance¡­listen to me for a minute¡­ok?" Pulling her face back slightly and ignoring the trail of saliva connecting them, Gabby caught Brance''s chin and lifted his face so he would look her in the eyes.

    "I want you¡­more than anything. I know I can''t be that helpful on the battlefield since you and Big Bro Cyn are growing rapidly, but I want you to know that I am always here tofort you and be there when you need to¡­uh¡­release your urges." Gabby''s words spewed rapidly, and when she finished that statement, she became highly aware that the two of them were half-naked right now.

    With cheeks as red as a ripe tomato, Gabby tried to ignore her difort and continued exining.

    "You are the only man for me, Brance; I am yours, ultimately, if you want my body, it''s yours; if you wish it, my everything, even my purity, all you have to do is ask, and I will willingly give myself over¡­but¡­."

    This time it was Brance''s turn to do something, and when she said that final line, he wrapped the standing Gabby in his embrace and kissed her lovingly.

    "I know¡­you don''t have to say it; I know it''s embarrassing to say aloud. We can''t cross the final line because of the danger involved. If that is why you stopped me, then I understand, Gabrie." Finishing the kiss with a loud Mwah sound, Brance spoke while Gabby basked in the taste and sensation of his kiss with fluttery eyes.

    However, hearing him talk about the dangers involved inpleting her first time, Gabby''s eyes shot wide open, and she looked at him with a questioning expression.

    "Hiya, my beloved, do you think me to be a fool? I would never do something so reckless as endanger your life for a moment of pleasure."

    "With my Stats being so much higher than yours, there was no doubt in my mind that if we did cross that line, I would lose you, so today, I only wanted to thank you for putting up with me, to give you something immaterial, to show how much I love, and appreciate you." Brance''s arms loosened as he spoke, and his hands went to the fringe of Gabby''s shorts again.

    "We can''t have sex, at least not now, but that doesn''t mean there aren''t other ways to express my adoration and thankfulness for having such a kind, gentle, and loving girlfriend in a physically intimate manner." With that said, before Gabby could react, Brance slid her silky pajama shorts down, passed her knees, and allowed them to fall to the floor, leaving Gabby standing in only her provocative, amethyst panties.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 607 Consoling Gabby (4) ***

    <h4>Chapter 607 Consoling Gabby (4) ***</h4>

    **R18 In bound....again, these chapters are so long because they are meant to be impactful and have meaning. Unlike Cynrik and Selene, Gabby ispletely innocent and a true maiden, so I wanted to take time to delve deeper into this. Not only that but this chapter and the next will showcase how insecure Gabby is about her body and how damaging that can be to someone''s mind.**

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    "We can''t have sex, at least not now, but that doesn''t mean there aren''t other ways to express my adoration and thankfulness for having such a kind, gentle, and loving girlfriend in a physically intimate manner." With that said, before Gabby could react, Brance slid her silky pajama shorts down, passed her knees, and allowed them to fall to the floor, leaving Gabby standing in only her provocative, amethyst panties.

    Suddenly feeling the cool air brushing against her lower body, Gabby stiffened, and her ears turned bright red, not to mention her cheeks. She was still reeling from the realization that Brance knew about the risks of losing her purity and understood the situation, but when she felt her shorts falling, her brain froze, and embarrassment took over.

    Brance, on the other hand, was in a world of his own as he stared at the plush milky white thighs, highlighted by raised, thong panties. Gulping down a mouth of saliva and reeling in his lust, Brance leaned forward and lightly kissed Gabby''s abdomen, creating a wring of tender butterfly kisses around her belly button.

    The sensation caused Gabby to shiver as she frantically looked down at him. Brance''s words were still ringing in her ears, "physically intimate" were the two that seemed to resonate the best, while her heart fluttered at his praises.

    Lost in the tender love he was showing her toned belly, Gabby didn''t know what to do with her hands, so she stood awkwardly, ying with her fingers while Brance trailed around her abdomen with gentle kisses.

    After a couple of minutes under his careful kisses, Gabby could feel something strange building between her legs, and she was soon horrified to find her panties had be moist.

    Gabby was no fool, she understood it was her body reacting and preparing itself for intercourse, but as a young maiden, who had never been touched in such a manner, it was so embarrassing that she forced herself to look away from Brance as he finally began moving lower.

    ''He¡­he won''t think I wet myself¡­right?'' She had no idea that this wasn''t technically Brance''s first time and automatically assumed that, like her Brother, Brance had no idea about the female body other than the basics.

    Her worries weren''t unfounded either; due to the danger involved in breaking a woman''s hymen, sex wasn''t a topic most, if not any, schools taught about.

    And since most people could skip puberty thanks to Tier Advancement, the only things taught were abstinence, without any in-depth information on the subject.

    The only form of Sex ED was passed down to young girls since they would suddenly get their period one day without further notice. However, boys were only taught the fundamentals of child conception.

    In contrast to Earth, where there are millions of movies with sex scenes to spice up the entertainment, that wasn''t a thing in their Country, or for most of the surrounding ones, as the first time could easily be thest for a youngdy.

    Even contracts and paperwork were required to bepleted upon entering the academy; however, that didn''t mean it happened asionally.

    Many horror stories circted online about young girls dying because their partner was stronger than them or moved too quickly. So, for the most part, Vaginal intercourse was vilified.

    BUT! With the existence of porn, many¡­alternative forms of intimacy could be found; it was just that Gabby couldn''t figure out which one to prepare herself for.

    ''Brancie¡­he wouldn''t be thinking of putting it in¡­there, right?'' Fear washed over Gabby''s overactive imagination as she subconsciously clenched her buttcheeks.

    ''Selly said¡­that it was also¡­supposed to feel good, or that''s what we found online...'' Remembering a couple of videos she had been forced to watch by her sadistic and overly horny roommate, Gabby''s mind spiraled out of control, until she was forced into focusing on the warm, wet kisses her belly was receiving.

    Expanding on that thought further, Gabby remembered the little tube of jelly-like product that Selene had forced her to put in her inventory; when her roommate had, she said, "It''s good to always be ready in case, just in case," and her already red cheeks pinkened even more.

    ''I¡­if he¡­if¡­if he wants to, so long as he''s gentle¡­'' Making up her mind, Gabby took a deep breath, but her resolve was instantly shattered the moment she felt Brance tug her panties down, exposing her most tender and secret ce to his eyes.

    "Eep," unable to control herself, Gabby made a squeaking sound, causing Brance to look up at her and give her a kind and worry-free smile.

    "B¡­Brancie¡­don''t look¡­don''t look so closely it''s embarrassing." Gabby''s frightened voice was barely audible, but it caused Brance to stop his advances momentarily before putting a little distance between them; his eyes were unwilling to look away from the moist, pink slit unseen or touched by anyone before him.

    Thinking about something briefly, Brance smiled and began pulling off his jogger pants, leaving him sitting in only his white boxer briefs.

    "I know this is silly to ask, but do you want to take them off for me?" Although slightly embarrassed himself, Brance was in a much better state of mind at the moment than Gabby, and when he said this, it was more so as a way to get her to loosen up and stop being so stiff.

    "Uh¡­un, ok," thankfully, it was enough for the youngdy to throw away her self-esteem issues, and she sat beside him. Creeping closer, Gabby took in his manly scent and could feel her body heating up even more than it presently had been.

    Drawing near, she saw the prominent bulge hidden under the thin fabric, and her curiosity took over her embarrassment. Before she realized what she was doing, Gabby took hold of his underwear and slid them down Brance''s thighs, releasing his fully erect penis, which shocked her.

    "Wo..oah, is it supposed to be that big?" Gabby whispered as she saw the awakened dragon standing at nine and a half inches long.

    Thisment caused Brance to force back a chuckle; he was indeed pretty big and girthy, too, at that; it was no wonder Tobs had said there was no way Gabby would survive.

    With her sizepared to his own, Brance couldn''t help but wonder if Gabby could even take all of him within her loins, but that thought was soon washed away when he noticed Gabby sitting on her hands and knees, staring at his member with curious eyes.

    "If you want to touch it, go ahead, Gabrie; I don''t mind, just don''t squeeze too hard." Reaching forward, Brance lightly held Gabby''s hand and noticed her head bobbing up and down to his words, so he guided her until her left hand was gently wrapped around him.

    "Warm¡­" was all Gabby said as she loosened her grip and ran her fingers along his length.

    Each light grazing touch sent electricity through Brance''s body, stunning him greatly since he had never felt something like this in his past experience.

    After ying with his cock for a few seconds, Gabby looked from it to Brance several times. When she noticed his expression of joy and pleasure, Gabby slowly steeled her resolve and, without experienced movements, began massaging him up and down.

    She had seen the pretty women in those Videos do something simr, so with those memoriesing to mind, Gabby tried her best to emte them, but when she felt a warm sticky fluid form at the tip of Brance''s urethra, Gabby stopped and tilted her head slightly in confusion.

    "That¡­that''s my pre-ejacte; it helps with lubrication¡­that way, I don''t get a friction burn or something of that nature. Its presence means you are making me feel Heh¡­good." Stifling a moan, Brance took a moment to exin that fluid''s purpose and assure her it meant she was doing well.

    "Can¡­can I touch yours too? I¡­I don''t want to be the only one enjoying this¡­" Not wanting to be the only one enjoying the intimacy, Brance asked with hesitation and nervousness, unbing of someone with sexual experience.

    Hearing his question, Gabby freaked out like a startled rabbit, and her hands stopped moving while her eyes darted side to side.

    "Uh¡­uhh¡­I mean¡­if you¡­want to¡­Brancie¡­I don''t mind since it''s you." With a quivering voice, Gabby, who waspletely startled and insecure about things, sat in ce, trembling like a leaf.

    ''What if he thinks I look weird¡­down there, my¡­mine seemed different than thedies in those videos, am I disfigured? Am I normal?'' Panic took over, thankfully, Brance noticed all of this, as he was rtively good at reading bodynguage, so he knew that he needed to be calm and reassuring.

    He was unsure what was causing Gabby to panic so much, but he knew it was never easy showing your body to someone else for the first time; there were a lot of useless and haphazard thoughts that would form in your mind when you did, and as he gently pulled Gabby''s waist, drawing her to his side, Brance knew that he needed to be careful with his words.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 608 Consoling Gabby (5) ***

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    **STANDARD R-18 Warning. Also, sorry about theck of content yesterday y''all; I was super busy and not feeling well, but I will find a way to make it up to everyone. For now, Let''s get into the good stuff.**

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    Brance was unsure what was causing Gabby to panic so much, but he knew it was never easy showing your body to someone else for the first time.

    Generally, in situations like these, many useless and haphazard thoughts would form in your mind when exposed to someone in such an open fashion.

    As he gently pulled Gabby''s waist, drawing her to his side, Brance knew he needed to be careful moving forward.

    Bringing her body closer to his, Brance felt Gabby''s hip brush past his knee, and soon they sat side by side.

    With one leg syed out to the side and the other tucked underneath her body, Gabby hid her moist and untouched cave with one hand between her legs.

    Meanwhile, Brance sat with his legs crossed and his member fully exposed and standing tall.

    Using her upper arm, Gabby shielded her breasts, and a flush of pink was so prominent that Brance worried her blood pressure was increasing too much.

    He half expected to see steam shooting from her cute little ears, but luckily this wasn''t an anime, and he certainly wasn''t "leaking blood" from his nose.

    Wearing a small smile, Brance looked at Gabby as she fidgeted ufortably and faced the opposite direction as him. Very carefully, to not startle her, Brance removed his hand from her waist and slid it to Gabby''s leg before resting it on her plump yet perfectly toned thigh.

    His touch caused Gabby to stiffen, but when she looked up at him with moist eyes, Gabby saw no lust, only the gentle, loving expression she hade to expect from Brance, so with that distinct reassuring look from him, Gabby took a slow, deep breath, and removed her hand from her most precious area, allowing a clear view to his eyes.

    In the process, she ended up grazing the breast which had been covered and caused it to jiggle slightly; however, Brance attention was entirely on Gabby''s eyes.

    Leaning down, he ced a light and tender kiss on her lips and moved his hand to hers before putting it on his cock, which she curled her fingers around and began making slow piston motions.

    The bold act from Gabby forced out a slight moan from Brance as the electric sensation returned to his lower body, and he moaned into her lips, exciting Gabby enough that she picked up her pace a bit.

    Although inexperienced, Gabby had a rough idea of what she should do, and seeing that her slightly awkward movements gave him pleasure, she felt a sense of satisfaction.

    Losing to the feeling of her delicate hand jacking him off, Brance momentarily forgot why he had brought her closer.

    He soon regained hisposure, slid his hand along Gabby''s thigh, down to the inner part, and started moving lower.

    Due to Gabby''s short stature, he didn''t have to go far, and soon, he could feel the heat radiating from her pussy, a sign that she was just as sexually excited at that moment as he was.

    Deepening their kiss further and sliding his tongue into her mouth, Brance''s fingers crawled against her inner thigh until he was met by wet, soft flesh and a gasp mixed with fright and pleasure from Gabby.

    Unable to stop himself from progressing and trailing the tips of his fingers along the slit, an inner battle was raging within Brance''s mind, one side screaming to pin her down and fuck Gabby senselessly.

    In contrast, the other, more rational side screamed about how he needed to take things slowly or he will hurt the woman he had chosen.

    Lust vs. Love.

    It was two sides of the same coin, and as Brance slowly and carefully began massaging the damp fleshy pink slit, he steeled himself and chose love over lust, instantly silencing the annoying and hungry voice in the back of his psyche.

    "AHN," breaking away from the kiss, a lovely and sensual moan escaped Gabby''s lips as her hand stopped moving on Brance''s cock, and a tremor ran through her legs.

    ''This is so different¡­it feels so good¡­it''s nothing like when I touched myself.'' On the other hand, Gabby''s mind was in turmoil, torn between wanting to experience the new sensations for the first time and pleasing her beloved Brancie.

    Unconsciously, her legs spread apart more than she was initiallyfortable with because she wanted to give Brance a clear view of the area she had decided long ago would belong only to him.

    Also, she wished to free up enough space so that if Brance so wished, he could make whatever move he wanted on her. In doing this, she had wholly given herself over to his whims, and if he wanted, she wouldn''t hesitate to cross that final line with him.

    No matter the risks involved.

    It was the first time he had been so intimate with her, so Gabby wanted him to do anything he wished, even if she was terrified and ufortable.

    Brance missed none of her bodynguage, no matter how subtle or obvious, and when her legs spread slowly apart, he fully understood what was happening; still, he could never imagine doing something that would put Gabby''s life at risk; all Brance wanted was for this to be a memorable and pleasure-filled experience for her; thus he reached over to Gabby''s immobile hand, which had stopped polishing his nob, and patted it twice.

    "Don''t worry about me; our present time together is all about you, not me." He said with what Gabby perceived as a dreamy tone. Then to her surprise, she felt her body moving against her will until she felt her headnd on one of the pillowsid out when Brance summoned the tent.

    Surprised at the rapid change of pace, Gabby helplessly watched as Brance carefully positioned her legs until both knees were bent and spread apart, exposing everything to his eyes.

    In a sudden bout of panic, Gabby tried closing her knees, but Brance was prepared for this reaction and firmly held them in ce while shooting her a look.

    "Please don''t, and I promise I would never do anything to hurt you, Gabrie; just let me do this for you," Brance stated in a clear, reassuring tone before he spun his body around andid on his stomach, with his shoulders and head between her legs.

    "Bbbbbbbb¡­Bra. Brancie, what are you¡­doing?" Utterly horrified by seeing Brance''s face between her legs, Gabby''s mind panicked, and her words came out in a nervous shudder.

    However, he ignored her pleas and crept forward until his face hovered above Gabby''s belly, where he nted light, butterfly kisses in a steady and even ring around her belly button.

    Each subsequent touch of his lips sent shivers through Gabby''s entire body, and her back arched upward in a silent plea to use more force, which Brance humbly obliged.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 609 Consoling Gabby (6) ***

    <h4>Chapter 609 Consoling Gabby (6) ***</h4>

    **Standard R-18 Warning, we goin in bois, well not all the way, but hehe, you know what I mean.**

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    Ignoring Gabby''s pleas and fright, Brance crept forward until his face hovered above her belly, where he nted light, butterfly kisses in a steady and even ring around her belly button.

    Each subsequent touch of his lips sent shivers through Gabby''s entire body, and her back arched upward in a silent plea to use more force, which Brance humbly obliged.

    Sliding his right hand under the small of Gabby''s back, Brance applied a small amount of upward force while pressing down with his face above her womb, generating a loud MWAH sound with each kiss he nted.

    "Ahh¡­ngh," small bell-like moans escaped Gabby''s lips as she felt fluid leak in abundance between her legs. Heavily aware that Brance was extremely close to the source of this fluid, Gabby''s anxiety peaked, worried about anything and everything, but when she saw that he didn''t slow down and only increased the frequency of his affection, Gabby''s eyes widened.

    Meanwhile, Brance was utterly excited by the reactions she was emitting. Poking out his tongue, he started licking and sucking on Gabby''s abdomen, not forgetting to pay extra attention to her cute belly button.

    When he felt the tenseness in Gabby''s lower back lessen, Brance removed his hand and caressed her body upward until he felt the soft, C-cup mounds of flesh.

    However, the first thing he noticed upon beginning his massage was that her nipple was rock hard. Feeling this, he couldn''t help but tease the fleshy bud with his fingers, rolling it back and forth, forcing a wave of pleasure-filled moans from his beloved.

    On the other hand, Gabby was in the midst of a full-blown meltdown. Her eyes darted back and forth between Brance''s hand, massaging her tender nipple to his head, tracing circles around her abs.

    ''It feels so fucking good; how can it feel so good?'' A haze had crept over her thoughts, and while it was enough to hold back the anxiety, Gabby knew it wouldn''tst long, especially since she was feeling something welling up deep within her lower body.

    ''Am¡­am I about to orgasm¡­what was it Selly and those prettydies online called it? Cumming? Am I about to cum from Brancie''s touch alone?'' Her overactive mind was freaking out.

    She had only heard and read about orgasms, and even when she had touched herself in the dead of night, Gabby had yet to experience it.

    However, now that she could feel a pressure building somewhere deep in her body, she oddly enough recognized it for what it was.

    Unaware of what was happening in her head, Brance felt that he had paid enough attention to the targeted area, and thought it was time to move lower, so he did.

    Trailing kisses down to Gabby''s right hip, Brance continued moving lower, and when he reached the connecting point, he lifted her leg up from under her knee and pushed his butterfly kisses down to her inner thigh.

    Melting under his touch at first, Gabby was enjoying the sensations her brain was receiving, but when she noticed he was creeping closer to her little sister, Gabby''s emotional brain stepped in as warning bells went off in her head.

    Putting together the subtle clues Brance had made, she finally understood that he was going to¡­to¡­taste her. This realization scared her almost as much as the thought of having sex.

    "Ahhh, no¡­noo, annnh¡­Brancie¡­it''s dirty¡­." Weakly and without confidence, her voice leaked out between moans as she watched his face move from her inner thigh¡­lower.

    When she was sure Brance was about to dive into her most protected ce, he suddenly stopped and looked up at her with a tender, loving gaze.

    "No, no, it isn''t; nothing about you is dirty, Gabrie, I love everything, your taste, the faint, white plum scent; everything is amazing and alluring to me," Brance said with confidence as he turned and finally got a clear view of Gabby''s moist cave of wonders, in all of its glory.

    What he saw¡­was something he never thought possible. From her tight yet thin pinkbia to the hood covering her clitoris, everything about Gabby''s pussy was to his taste, and only one word came to mind as he gazed at the moist flower, "perfect."

    "I¡­" Before she could reply to him, she felt a soft, warm protrusion invade her personal space as Brance''s tongue ran against the folds, sending an astronomical amount of pleasure through her body, which triggered a chain of spasms to run from the top of her head to the tips of her curling feet.

    Almost instinctually, her hands shot down to Brance''s head as her fingersced through his hair.

    Uncontrobly, moans leaked from Gabby''s mouth one after another as Brance trailed his tongue around her thin lower lips, running aplete circle around her entire pussy before eventually stopping on the small p of skin hiding her most sensitive bud.

    Using his tongue like a shovel, Brance poked his way under the hood and exposed her clit, then started sucking gently, drawing the bud out of hiding and into his mouth, which caused a physical reaction from Gabby, one that made Brance smile out of contentment.

    Feeling her hands running through his hair as she was franticly squirming under his actions, Brance showed extra care to the tiny bud, licking, sucking, and gently nibbling on it, thest part of which caused Gabby to practically buck against his face with her hips out of pure instinct and pleasure.

    Slightly caught off guard by this action, Brance ced his hand on the area above where he predicted Gabby''s womb was located and, with a little force, pushed Gabby down; he wanted to do more, but with how she was thrashing around, the difficulty in doing so was steadily rising.

    Feeling his hand pressing her down, Gabby tried to wrangle in her body so that Brance could do what he wanted with her, but the intense pleasure was almost too much for her mind to stay rational.

    "Sooo¡­.angh¡­so good, it feels AHH, too good, Brancie!" Gabby moaned out, and when she felt his lips curl up against her sensitive pussy, Gabby almost came right then and there.

    Wanting to explore this sensation more with him, Gabby bit her lip hard enough that she tasted the metallic taste of blood, which calmed her down enough to realize that Brance had stopped licking her, yet now she was experiencing the sensation of his warm breath grazing her most tender region.

    Sitting up slightly and resting his chin on Gabby''s pelvis, Brance smiled while licking her love juices off his lips and cheeks before shooting her a smile.

    "We are only just getting started, my love."

    Confusion filled Gabby''s misty eyes as she looked down at the brilliant smile, which disappeared a secondter as Brance dove back into her¡­ next¡­she felt a slight pain, followed by something warm and soft moving inside her lower region.

    This sensation was new¡­and came about because Brance had suddenly shoved his tongue between her lower lips, and for the very first time, Gabby understood what it felt like to have something foreign inside of her pussy.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 610 Consoling Gabby (7) ***

    ?

    **R-18 warning, Alright, almost on the home stretch.**

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    The sensationing from her pussy was new¡­and came about because Brance had suddenly shoved his tongue between her lower lips, and for the very first time, Gabby understood what it felt like to have something foreign inside of her pussy.

    The sudden intrusion was strange, as the pleasure and pain overwhelmed Gabby''s nerves. Covering her face with her left arm, Gabby half moaned, half yelped as Brance scooped and swirled his tongue around her squirming pink walls.

    When he pushed in a little deeper, his forward momentum was halted by the thin membrane sealing off Gabby''s purity. Since he knew he couldn''t break it with his tongue, Brance gave her hymen a couple of prods before returning to running his tongue along the grooved walls.

    "Bbb¡­bbb¡­BRANCIE! Ssstop for a second¡­it feels weird¡­." Gabbyined, unsure of how to react to what she was feeling. By this point, her toes werepletely curled up, her calves were tight, and every muscle in her body was rapidly clenching and unclenching.

    Understanding that Gabby was freaking out due to the new things she was feeling, Brance quickly ced his open palm on her pelvic area and gently pressed down, causing the young woman to tremble.

    However, his tongue never stopped snaking around inside Gabby''s vaginal walls. In fact, if anything, her reaction caused a hunger buried deep within his consciousness toe to the forefront as hepped and devoured the sweet yet sour love juices as they were excreted from Gabby''s body.

    ''She, she tastes so good.'' Brance couldn''t help but think as he finally withdrew his tongue from inside Gabby''s sugar walls and ran it along her outer lips before sucking gently on the thin extensions of skin.

    When he did so, Gabby''s body practically vibrated from the pleasure, and soon enough, a chorus of quick, short moans escaped her lips as she drew ever closer to her first orgasm.

    Wanting to speed the process along so that Gabby wasn''t too exhausted, Brance made up his mind and started massaging her lower lips with his fingers while his thumb rolled around the hidden bud near the top.

    As he did this, Brance''s tongue didn''t return to his mouth and instead aided his hand with swirling twister-like motions.

    "Ah! Ahn, y¡­yes¡­ha, ha, nh..nn..aa.mnph," Gabby''s sweet moans were like music to Brance''s ears as he made a move he had previously been unsure of.

    Spreading Gabby''s lower lips apart with two fingers, drawing a startled gasp from the youngdy, Brance slowly and carefully pushed his pinky finger inside her pussy.

    Having had his tongue inside her previously, he knew how tight his maiden was inside, so he opted to go with his smallest finger not to shock or hurt her.

    "Wh..what are you Doing?" Gabby''s voice was filled with hesitation and fear as she looked down her chest, between her legs, and saw Brance moving his hand in a slow, circr piston motion.

    Apanying this motion was the most intense yet strange feeling she had experienced yet. Brance curled his finger and scraped at the top of her vaginal walls from within before dragging his pinky to the edge of her opening and pushing deeper.

    "Uhgh, hnnn, mmn, Ahhh, Brrrannncieee! Hahhh, what hahhh something iss NNNggg Commming Braaaciiee, w¡­what do I dooo?" Having given herself over to Brance''s whims, Gabby screamed in pleasure. She had an inkling of what was happening but didn''t know what to do; she didn''t fully understand what she was experiencing, so Gabby looked to her beloved for answers¡­he always seemed to know what to do, and now, she prayed was no different.

    "Listen carefully, my love, what you are feeling, let it all out, no matter what happens, or how embarrassing it may seem, I ept it all, ok, so don''t hold your voice back, show me everything." Brance''s voice was firm as his free hand started massaging his cock; all the while, his other was fingering Gabby''s moist and tight hole.

    The slight movement of Brance pleasuring himself caught Gabby''s eyes through the haze of pleasure, and she knew things wereing to a close, so she didn''t want to be the only one feeling good.

    Steeling her resolve, Gabby twisted her upper body like a gymnast, fought against the intense feelingsing from below, and wriggled her way around to Brance, where she wrapped her small hand around Brance''s cock, pushing his aside and making quick, sharp movements, which oddly enough, matched the pace of his pinky and now ring finger, as the two digits scraped and shoved their way inside of her pussy.

    Feeling that whatever was building inside her lower body was about to explode, Gabby made a split-second decision; licking her lips slightly, Gabby opened her tiny mouth and took the head of his penis inside.

    Feeling the warm, wet sensation of Gabby''s mouth on the tip of his erect cock, Brance''s eyes shot wide open, and he looked down only to find that Gabby was trying her best to give him a blowjob.

    Where she learned this, he had no idea, but even though her movements were rough, and she asionally scraped him with her teeth, Gabby was trying her best to make him feel good, which made his heart melt.

    ''Why is she so damn precious? Even now, she is trying her best to please me.'' He thought, feeling the urges building inside. He had already brought himself rtively close because he had nned on cumming on Gabby so that she wouldn''t be freaked outter on down the line if they decided to do this again.

    He knew some girls were put off by semen due to something that had happened to them at one time or another, so Brance nned to introduce it to her slowly, but now that she had taken the initiative away and was blowing him, Brance changed his n slightly.

    "Hah, right there, Gabrie, you are doing wonderful!" Brance moaned as he sped up the movement of his hand; meanwhile, his now free hand caressed the top of Gabby''s head as she tried to take him down deeper into her throat, only to choke ande up for air with tears in her eyes.

    Hearing Brance praise her actions, plus the moans he was making, a bright and happy smile shed across Gabby''s face as she wiped the abundant mixture of saliva and precum from her face and dove back into his crotch before sucking and licking his member.

    Not even two minutester, the two of them practically vibrated with pleasure and excitement as moist, rough sounds echoed within the tent, and Brance moved first.

    "Together, Gabby¡­. let''s HAH,e together!" Brance groaned as he switched back to using her nickname and gently caught his woman by the chin before stopping the blowjob.

    With one swift movement, he repositioned Gabby on the pillows and moved between her legs.

    His actions freaked her out, as she genuinely believed that Brance couldn''t hold out any longer and was about finish things with intercourse.

    "BRANCIE, NO, YOU, We Can''t Have Sex Yet!" Gabby screamed in fright as she watched Brance position his throbbing cock against the lips of her pussy.

    "Gabby¡­do you trust me," With clear eyes, filled with yearning, Brance''s voice came out in a husky yet warm tone.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 611 Consoling Gabby (8) ***

    ?

    **R-18, bout to get pretty intense, just saying. *

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    "Gabby¡­do you trust me," With clear eyes filled with yearning, Brance''s voice came out in a husky yet warm tone.

    "I¡­," As Gabby met theforting smile and looked into his eyes, the words caught in her throat, and at that moment, she knew she wouldn''t and couldn''t stop him no matter what he wanted to do.

    "Yes, more than anything, I trust and love you with every fiber of my being, Brance." Taking a slow and steady breath to calm her nerves while feeling the juices freely leaking from her pussy, Gabby nodded before giving him a smileced with love and affection.

    If now was the time, then so be it; with that thought in mind, Gabby unclenched her legs, which had previously forced her knees to dig into Brance''s ribcage, and wrapped them around his waist, weing her boyfriend to her lower body.

    Seeing this, Brance couldn''t help himself, and he leaned forward, pressing his chest against her breasts, then tenderly kissed those cute lips of Gabby''s with such passion and adoration that he knew he could get addicted to the feeling if allowed.

    Separating the kiss with a soft Mwah sound, Brance pecked her nose and ced his forehead against hers before speaking.

    "I would never do something that would hurt you or put your life at risk. You mean the world to me, Gabrie Sanford, and all I want is for you to experience things, at a steady pace, without fear, and only enjoyment."

    "Having sex and making love are two separate things, and I want an act between you and me in its purest form, an expression of adoration that knows no bounds. I want to experience it all with you, but not so fast that it bes a distant memory."

    "Our time together will never be enough for either of us, and I know that in the future, it will only be more difficult to share intimate moments like this." Pulling back his head, Brance couldn''t help but smile weakly as he saw tears forming in Gabby''s eyes.

    "Right now, my world is only you, sharing this piece of fleeting time, and I want you to remember every detail because this is the day you and I confirmed our deep feelings for each other."

    "The very moment we stepped on the path which sees us spending the rest of our lives together¡­ok?"

    Hearing everything, Brance said, which tugged at Gabby''s heart in a way she never thought possible, she nodded with a smile and happy tears in her eyes.

    She had long since forgotten that the two of them were buck naked, pressed against each other''s bodies, covered in sweat and love juices, and all she saw was him, Brance Jetlensr, the man she pledged to give everything to.

    "I love you Brance¡­" Gabby whispered as she caught him by the back of the head and pulled him down to kiss his lips.

    The kiss wasn''t long, nor the most passionate one they had shared, but it was filled with meaning, with emotion, and when it ended, Brance felt a stinginging from his eyes.

    It wasn''t until Gabby used her thumbs to caress his cheeks that he realized tears trickled down his face.

    "I love you too, Gabrie Sanford," he said breathlessly, astounded that such an amazing woman was so willing to give her everything to him.

    "Do what you want; I am yours, no matter what, until thest of our days¡­" was Gabby''s reply, and it was chalked full of meaning that didn''t escape Brance.

    He knew what she wanted or was expecting, but he was ufortable giving her that final part, crossing thest line in her defenses. Tobs had told him there was no way; thus, he had tossed the idea outpletely.

    However, when he saw the willingness and yearning in Gabby''s eyes, he hesitated, especially when he felt the pulling motion of her legs against his waist as if goading him to make thest move.

    Brance could feel the soft, moist, and warm pulsations of Gabby''s pussy against the base of his shaft as it lined up parallel to her, resting his girth between her lower lips. The extent of his lengthy on her pelvic area, with the head of his penis nearly reaching her belly button.

    Making up his mind, Brance decided he would only go part of the way, with his level of control, if he focused and didn''t lose himself in the feeling¡­

    -Brance¡­don''t¡­I know you think you can pull off that "Just the tip" shit¡­but you can''t. The moment you are inside of Gabby, things that can''t be undone will begin and no longer be entirely in your hands.-

    Right when Brance was about to lose out to his hormones in the heat of the moment and toss rationality to the wayside, Tobs spoke up.

    She hadn''t been watching, but when she felt his mind veer in a dangerous direction, the tiny fairy knew she couldn''t sit back and let things stay on the course they were going.

    -Stick to your original n, there is nothing wrong with what you were doing, and although Gabby wants it as much as you do, that doesn''t make it the right decision.-

    Tobs'' voice was like a bomb going off in Brance''s mind as he slowly started thrusting his hips, allowing his cock to slide between Gabby''s lips like they were hotdog buns and his penis the meat.

    Brance knew that Tobs was right, and he silently thanked her for keeping him on track. Feeling a lump in his throat, he realized how close he hade to doing something stupid and threw out any previous thoughts.

    Meanwhile, as Brance slid his cock up and down Gabby''s slit, paying extra attention to her clitoris, his movement forced moans of pleasure to tear out of Gabby''s mouth as she felt the throbbing hard dragon rubbing her in so many different ces that her brain was going haywire.

    Writhing under him, Gabby felt the return of that explosive sensation deep within her loins, one which had calmed down for a short time as they had their little talk, but now that he was rubbing her in such a way, it came back with force greater than a thousand suns.

    Brance wasn''t any better, feeling the moist and soft sensation threatening to pull him in at a moment''s notice; he sped up his pelvis movements while a soft grunt of pleasure left his mouth.

    Hearing him moan, Gabby instinctively reached down and grabbed his hips before pulling him closer, trying to burrow his rod deeper into her pussy lips.

    Wanting to feel more, she began grinding her hips against him as the two lovers edged closer to release.

    "Y..yes, Brance, it feels so good; I have never felt like this, hah, hahhh, yes, more, faster, hahh."

    Thwap thwap thwap suurrp

    The moist sounds akin to two fish bucking radiated from Gabby and Brance''s hips as they moved in sync, squishing his penis against their bodies and forming a fleshy sandwich.

    "Nngh Gabrie, I''m about to cum!" Brance moaned as he reached up and grabbed hold of her tender breasts with both hands, making the young maiden spasm at his touch.

    "Ahn, me¡­me too hng¡­Brance, I¡­I think I am cumming too!" Remembering how the prettydies in the videos reacted at times like this, Gabby understood what she felt and knew she was close to orgasming.

    "UGhhh, GABBY, I¡­IM GOING TO CUM ALL OVER YOUR PINK PUSSY! HAH!" The filthy words left his mouth as he released her right tit and held his cock, aiming it between her legs after putting some distance between them.

    His left hand moved fast as light as he rapidly flicked the bean-like protrusion at the top of Gabby''s pussy, pushing her over the limit.

    "YES, DO IT, MY LOVE, AHHH, AHHH, IT''S COMING, I ''M CUMMING, AHHHHH!" Gabby screamed as her brain began malfunctioning, thanks to the immense pleasure coursing through her body.

    Dangerously on the edge of orgasm and wanting this to be special for Gabby since it was her first time doing anything this intimate, he shoved a Light Mana-d finger into Gabby''s vagina. With a thought, he sealed off the area right before her hymen, creating a blockage that nothing could get through unless he wished.

    Moaning loudly, Brance removed his finger from inside his woman, tilted his penis downward, aimed at her pussy, and ejacted all over the area between her legs.

    Since he was no longer worried about any mishaps such as pregnancy, he thrust forward, ced the head of his penis directly against her fleshy, moist cave, and sprayed the tail end of his semen inside her gaping hole.

    Meanwhile, overstimted by everything her man was doing to her body, Gabby''s back arched upward, and an intense shiver ran through her entire body, followed by a clear liquid spraying out from between her legs all over his lower body as Gabby climaxed with him.

    Feeling like she was floating, Gabby was aware of what he had just done but wasn''t against it in the least; in fact, it was the opposite. The fact that he was so willing to allow his fluids inside of her body sent her to heaven as the image of having a family with Brance flooded her endorphin-filled brain.

    She knew that all it would take was a slight push, and Brance would be inside her; so unable to hold herself back and feeling the need to get as much of his cum inside her body as possible, Gabby bucked her hips forward slightly, allowing the head of his penis to breach through her walls, and burrow in a few centimeters, catching Brance off guard, as he felt even more white sticky fluid shoot out thanks to the sudden stimtion.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 612 Consoling Gabby (Final) **

    ?

    **R-18**

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    Gabby knew that all it would take was a slight push, and Brance would be inside her, so she could not hold herself back and felt the need to get as much of his cum inside her body as possible.

    Bucking her hips forward slightly, she allowed the head of his penis to breach through her walls, and burrow in a few centimeters, catching Brance off guard as he felt even more white sticky fluid shoot out thanks to the sudden stimtion.

    ''Tight,'' that was the one thought running through Brance''s mind as he felt his cock gently slide forward under Gabby''s movement. Her lower lips seemed to coil and churn as they coaxed Brance''s head in deeper; all the while, it continued spewing the hot, white sticky goo inside.

    "Ohhhh, ahhh, ooww¡­." Gabby half screamed half moaned as Brance''s cockhead dug deeper, and she could feel the soft throbbing of his penis as his cum poured out in ropes.

    That is until there was no more space for the semen to gather; at that point, it swirled around inside the narrow, tight cavern, sloshed against the barrier Brance had manifested, and fought its way upstream until it bubbled out of her vagina and dribbled down toward her asscrack.

    Contrary to Earthling Human anatomy, the Hymen wasn''t positioned 0.8 inches deep inside of a young maiden. For Vinestrian Females, it was closer to three inches deep, something Brance realized earlier when he was fingering Gabby.

    Although he didn''t know for sure why Vinestrian females had taken this evolutionary path, he assumed it had something to do with Tiers and Mana, which he was unknowingly correct about.

    Mana particles had a natural tendency to erge or grow the things they fed; thus, the average length of a guy''s member tended to be a bit longer and more girthy.

    Setting that detail aside, due to constant fighting, and threats of unwanted and unwilling interspecies breeding thousands of years ago, Humans had adapted their bodies through evolutionary means, and as such, the Hymen was pushed back further through gic testing long ago.

    This internal shifting of things was one of the many reasons why it was so difficult for women to conceive as well, as with the shift, thedy bits, IE, the uterus, ovaries, and such, was slightly shrunken and moved higher in the abdomen.

    With this knowledge in hand, Brance found himself unable to hold back, and he eased his hips forward, slowly pushing his cock deeper inside of her.

    As he did so, Gabby squirmed under him, in a mixture of pain and pleasure, primarily due to her ongoing orgasm, which had increased in intensity when she made him enter inside her.

    Luckily, the pain was rtively tolerable since not only was she incredibly wet, but thanks to the added lubrication caused by his cum, there was almost no resistance aside from her natural virginal tightness.

    "Hahhhh, Brance¡­yes¡­ohhhh, nghhh!" Gabby moaned loudly while digging her nails into his asscheeks.

    When that wasn''t enough, she released him, gripped his broad back, and sunk her nails in, raking them down his shoulder des and leaving long red streaks down his flesh.

    Gabby''s sweet moans lit a fire inside Brance as he felt his dick bump against his Light Mana construct. Halting his hips and reaching down, he gently pushed Gabby''s hip down as she squirmed against him,pletely lost in the fantastic feeling of finally having her beloved inside her.

    While Gabby was practically floating, Brance was caught in a dilemma, to fuck her or not. The young maiden writhing under his body made it difficult for his rational brain to function correctly, as she had apparently gone into heat, giving her body over to him entirely and leaving the final decision up to her lover.

    ''Roughly three inches¡­I have roughly three inches to deal with, so long as I strengthen the Mana construct, I can essentially have sex with her¡­right?'' Slowly and carefully, he moved his hips back, putting a small amount of space between his cockhead and the Construct Hymen.

    ''I can''t be rough, but I can let her experience what it will feel like, kind of like a simtion¡­'' with that thought, Brance drew himself to the edge of her pussy and started making small maneuvers, pumping in and out of Gabby, with each thrust making her body spasm in excitement.

    In actuality, at his best guess, he hadn''t even pushed in a full third of his length inside of her, yet Gabby was already losing her mind as the moist, soft pink walls of her vagina massaged his cock after greedily excreting more fluid.

    It was as if her pussy had a mind of its own and was trying to milk him for more. At the same time, whenever he bumped against the Light Mana membrane, Gabby would groan in pain as pressure was applied to her Hymen.

    "Ah¡­Gabby¡­so good, it feels so good inside of you," Brance moaned as he began enjoying the sensation of her ribbed folds sucking his cock tightly.

    Falling to his lust, Brance hungrily kissed Gabby, forcing his tongue into her mouth to intertwine with hers without stopping his shallow pumps.

    Soon enough, way faster than he thought possible, Brance could feel the pressure building in his lower body, and he knew Gabby was getting close too, as her walls constricted tighter than ever before, squeezing him so hard that he almost started worrying about his blood cirction.

    "Fuck me, Brance, yes, yes, that''s it, YESSS, m your pppenis into my pppussyy, ahhh, make me cum, hahhh hahhh NGGGHHH!!" Losing control of her usually prim and proper vocabry, Gabby broke the kiss, screamed in pleasure as she threw her head back, and tightly closed her eyes, enjoying the experience to its fullest.

    Still, although feeling bolder than usual, she still studdered to say penis and pussy, which almost made Branceugh if he weren''t attempting to stay inplete control of the force he applied to her lower body.

    The hardest part he found was keeping Gabby in check, as the young woman seemed to be adamant about forcing his cock as deep as possible.

    However, due to the difference in stats, it was easily manageable, but as he felt himself reaching climax, Brance had to actively fight the instinctive urge to thrust as deep as his cock would go so that he could shoot his load deep into her womb.

    "Gabby¡­hah, hah, I''m cumming again!" Brance groaned as he sped up his shallow pration. The best part about doing things this way was the high level of pleasure his sensitive cockhead was exposed to, it was a feeling he had never experienced, and although he wanted to ram his cock as deep as possible, it was still enough to satisfy him¡­for now.

    "Me¡­me too, baby, I''m cumming too! LLET IT OUT WHERRRE EVER YOU WANT¡­AHNNN AHHHHH AHHHHGGGG!" Wrapping her legs tightly around his waist without hooking her ankles together so that if he wanted, he could easily pull out, Gabby screamed as she thrust her hips in an inexperienced attempt to make her lover feel as good as she was.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 613 Cleaning Up and Back to Saving Asses ***

    613 Cleaning Up and Back to Saving Asses ***

    **OK Final R-18 for a while; hope y''all horny fucks enjoyed.**

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    "Me¡­me too, baby, I''m cumming too! LLET IT OUT WHERRRE EVER YOU WANT¡­AHNNN AHHHHH AHHHHGGGG!" Wrapping her legs tightly around his waist without hooking her ankles together so that if he wanted, he could easily pull out, Gabby screamed as she thrust her hips in an inexperienced attempt to make her lover feel as good as she was.

    Partway through her statement, a stream of clear nectar shot out from her lower body as she came all over Brance''s dick and waist, while ripples ran through her muscles as the orgasm, which was several times greater than the first one she experienced, hit her like a truck;

    "ARGGG, AHHHH!" Brance grunted as he swiftly pulled his cock out from inside Gabby; then, with a bit of finesse, he spun Gabby around and began ejacting, his target, her face and tits.

    "EEEEP!" Gabby yelled out of surprise as she felt the thick protrusion leave her pussy, and her body spinning like a top.

    The next thing she knew, there was a warm sttering on her face and chest, and when she opened her eyes, she saw Brance hovering above her head, with his cock in hand and white goo splurting out from the tip.

    Due to her surprise at what was happening, her little mouth had opened slightly, and when she tasted the salty, bitter fluid, her eyes shot wide open as she stared up at Brance, unsure of how to respond.

    He couldn''t help himself; the moment he saw her mouth open, Brance fired a rope right in the open hole; it was too easy a target, and since he had already painted her upper body in white, why not give his beloved a taste?

    With a smile on his face, Brance leaned forward and, with his thumb, cleared a bit of semen off the area near her eyes, which brought Gabby back to reality as she quickly closed her mouth and rolled the small amount of fluid around with her tongue.

    "G..G¡­Gabby, you don''t have to¡­" But before Brance could stop her, he watched as Gabby''s throat moved, and she opened her mouth back up before sticking out her tongue to show him that she had swallowed everything.

    "Ehh¡­so bitter¡­ BBB, but if you like when I swallow¡­I can get usssed to iittt." Gabby''s stutter was so prominent that Brance couldn''t help butugh lightly as he nted a tender kiss on the top of her head, more specifically, her hair, since he had avoided jizzing there.

    "Sigh, you''ve been spending too much time with your roommate; what happened to my sweet innocent Gabby." Pulling out a pack of moist towelettes, Brance paused and took a mental image of his girlfriend covered in semen for a moment before taking out a wet wipe and cleaning her face tenderly.

    Like a small animal, Gabby allowed Brance to clean her up with a nervous smile on her face. Although they had shared an intimate session together, she was still very self-conscious and nervous as her eyes kept peeking toward the sleeping dragon, which had been inside her not even two minutes earlier.

    Meanwhile, once Brance finished cleaning the white fluid from her face, he moved down and started wiping down her chest before moving lower to begin cleaning between her legs, which Gabby was super nervous about, and even tried protesting.

    "I¡­I can clean down there myyy myself, Brancie." Her voice came out weak and helpless, but when she felt his soft lips graze her own, Gabby gave in and watched as he affectionally cleaned her up.

    "I contributed to our little mess, so let me at least do this much, okay?" He said with a smile after finishing the tender kiss and set about wiping the area between her legs until they were free of their love juices.

    When she saw that Brance had finished, Gabby quickly moved and swiped the box of wet wipes before returning the favor and cleaning his lower half, as he had done for her.

    Unfortunately, when she got to the twitching and sleeping penis, Gabby froze up for a second before steeling her resolve and giving it a small kiss on the tip, which shocked Brance.

    "Teehee, there, all clean," shooting Brance a cute giggle; Gabby sat up and leaned against him before getting awkwardly quiet for a second.

    "Hey¡­Brancie¡­" She said while looking up at him with eyes filled with worry.

    "Yes?" Noticing her facial expressions and practically seeing the gear turning in her head, Brance tilted his head to the side and responded.

    "Was I¡­did I do okay? Did you enjoy¡­" Her words trailed off as she looked down at the area hidden between her crossed legs.

    When she said this, Gabby couldn''t look up at Brance and unconsciously rubbed her thighs together nervously.

    Brance felt his heart tremble when seeing her like this, unguarded and vulnerable. From the beginning, he had wanted to make this first time memorable so that Gabby wouldn''t be afraid in the future when they did simr things.

    He knew that girls treated their first time very differently than guys did, so when he finally spoke, it came from the heart.

    Reaching down, he cradled Gabby''s chin with his hand and tilted her face up so he could look at her while caressing her cheek with his thumb.

    "You were amazing, Gabby, I loved every second of it, and I hope you did too. Don''t fall into those thoughts of inadequacy; you were perfect; our first time was perfect."

    "But¡­ we couldn''t cross that final line¡­" with a bright red blush that ran from her cheeks to her ears and down her neck, Gabby tried to look away, but Brance refused to let her and leaned forward to kiss her lips again.

    "I love you, Gabrie Sanford, and so what if we couldn''t go all the way, we basically did anyway, right? The rest can be done in the future; we both n on living long and happy lives¡­together." Shooting her a kind and bright smile, Brance ced his hand above where he estimated her Womb was located and rested his forehead on hers.

    Remembering the feeling of Brance pushing his way into her special ce, Gabby had imaginary steam shoot from her ears. Then there were the words he spoke, which caused her eyes to glisten with tears.

    ''Spending our lives together¡­he wants that too.'' She thought as she looked down at Brance''s hand before cing her own over it andcing her fingers through his.

    "It felt so good, Brance¡­and having your¡­uh¡­stuff splurting inside¡­it was dangerous and addictive. I almost lost my rationality¡­it was like something came over me."

    Bashfully, Gabby leaned all her weight against Brance, and he released her face to wrap his arm around her shoulders to hold her.

    "There will be a time for that¡­after we are married and settled down financially. The feeling you experienced is natural and special, something that, in my opinion, should only be shared between two people who truly love each other and want to bring life into this world."

    "Know something though, Gabby, although I may not be ready when the timees that you are¡­ if you ask¡­I will oblige because I love you with every fiber of my being."

    Hearing this, Gabby smiled and nestled against Brance''s warm chest before closing her eyes and enjoying the physical intimacy.

    Soon, her breathing slowed as she drifted off to sleep, and Brance smirked.

    ''This girl, falling asleep right away and forgetting we still have things to do¡­'' Brance''s thoughts drifted away from the young maiden sleeping in his arms and toward the state of those outside the tent.

    ''Sigh, as much as I want to continue enjoying my time with her; I need to help them first¡­" with one final kiss atop her head, Branceid Gabby down, tucked her in, and changed into his workout clothes before exiting the tent.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 614 Operation Saving Asses (10)

    614 Operation Saving Asses (10)

    ''Sigh, as much as I want to continue enjoying my time with her; I need to help them first¡­" with one final kiss atop her head, Branceid Gabby down, tucked her in, and changed into his workout clothes before exiting the tent.

    Upon stepping out of the tent p, Brance''s eyes fell on the expectant fluffy face of Milo, who jumped up and looked as excited as a kid on Christmas morning.

    Chuckling lightly, he reached down, scooped up the small cat, gave him a good couple of chin scratches, and ced him down inside the tent before zipping it up to allow Gabby some much-needed rest.

    Tossing one final nce at the tent, Brance''s face hardened, and he appeared beside one of the cots holding an injured person.

    Having cleansed the Codex of multiple people by this point and feeling fully refreshed, Brance made quick work of the remaining few people until he stood before the sleeping beauty of the Governess.

    ''Holy¡­fuck¡­how am I supposed to handle this? Sure, Cyn practically set me up with a tutorial to prepare me for working on her Codex, but none of those situations were this bad.''

    ''So far, everybody I''ve worked with has been below me in Tier and power, yet the Governess¡­ she''s at the Peak of Tier-5¡­, and this level of corruption is well beyond anything I''ve ever seen.'' Brance mused as he scanned through the damage on her Codex with [Mana Sight].

    The longer he examined the current state of her body, the deeper the crease lines on his forehead became.

    If before, Brance couldpare all of the other people''s Corrupted Codexes to a sports game, now, he had no other choice but topare what was transpiring in the Governess''s Codex to a full-blown Space Battle.

    Although Cynrik had calmed things down and effectively created a ceasefire of sorts, it was all he could do to stop the multiple warring fronts from constantly attacking each other with his Umbra Mana.

    Another issue that separated Brance''s previous work from what needed to be done with the Governess was the fact that she had not one or two but four different Affinities. In contrast, the most challenging case he has handled so far was two.

    Then there was the size of her Codex, which was five to six times asrge as the weak Tier-2 and Tier-3 people he had worked on; thus, him skipping over the analogy of a typical ground war andparing it to a full-blown space battle like something from a science fiction movie.

    -Not a badparison, Brancie; frankly, the situation in her body is way worse than even the most challenging clearing you''vepleted. So jumping from a Ser match to a Space Battle isn''t that far of a leap.-

    Reading his thoughts and appearing above Brance''s shoulder with a small sh of light, Tobs popped into existence and sat down in her favorite spot.

    -Then there''s the case of her Mana Veins, Circuits, and hubs; if it were anyone else attempting what you are trying, they would surely fail; however, with thebination of Light and HolyFire Mana, you can, at the very least, break into her Codex in the same manner as before.-

    ''Why do I feel a "but"ing up in your next sentence?'' Looking over at the tiny fairy perched on his shoulder, Brance gave her a weak smile before redirecting his attention back down at the Governess''s Codex.

    -I mean, you''ve already made the judgment yourself, so me saying, BUTTTTT, you cant y virtual ser anymore, is entirely irrelevant. If you want to go with the Space Battle analogy, you could always go with something simr to the one at the beginning of Revenge of the Sith.-

    ''Hm, that''s not a bad idea, it was one of the best space fights in my memory, and I''ve watched it a hundred times, so recreating it shoulde as second nature.'' Wearing a faint smile as he remembered the good old days of fighting on the trampoline with toy lightsabers with the Episode 3 soundtrack ring, Brance''s mind returned to that epic opening for the movie.

    ''Right, I''ve got a n¡­'' Taking a deep breath, Brance calmed his mind, closed his eyes, and ced his hand above the Governess''s Codex while trying his best to ignore the soft, bouncy mound under his palm.

    -Build your scenario and expect the retaliation to be many times stronger than before Brance, slow and steady, wins the race.-

    ALWAYS WANTED TO FLY LIKE THIS AWOOOOOOO!-

    09:54

    Mentally nodding his head, Brance''s vision spun as his imagination took over; aided by both Light and HolyFire Mana, he soon envisioned himself within a fighter-style spaceship, one simr to what he remembered Anakin flying, only instead of yellow; his ship was Silver with bright, golden ents.

    Wearing an adventurous smile, he couldn''t help but chuckle at what he had subconsciously created; he was even wearing the standard kaki Jedi robes like Obiwan would have.

    "Alright, Brancie, let''s begin our approach.." Suddenly, over his headset-likemunication device, Cynrik''s voice came through the ear muff-style speaker on his right ear.

    Looking over his left shoulder, he found Cynrik piloting a simr style Eta-2 Jedi Starfighter, only instead of Silver, like his own, Cynrik''s was pitch ck with red ents.

    ''Hah, of course, my brain puts him in an emo paint job.'' Rolling his eyes as he watched Cynrik execute a barrel roll before gliding beside him, Brance noticed his brother wearing an outfit befitting a Sith lord.

    "Our armies are two minutes out and en route¡­so what''s the n this time, little brother?" Cynrik asked as he looked over and rolled his eyes at the happy expression on his little brother''s face.

    "Oh? Letting me take the lead this time, Cyn? That''s quite out of character for you." Brance couldn''t help but chide as he watched Cynrik''s face devolve into a scowl.

    "You are the one who always bitches about meing up withplex flight patterns; just tell me where you want me, and I will bring hellfire down on those droid fucks." With a scoff, Cynrik sped up, causing Brance to match his speed or get left behind.

    Matching Cynrik''s pace, Brance was surprised by what happened next and broke into a massive grin.

    -Now ying "Battle over Coruscant- EPIC FANTASY" by Mikhail Lesogorov.-

    ''REALLY TOBS HAHAHAHA!'' Unable to contain his excitement at the background music, Brance gripped the flight stick positioned on the armrest with his right hand while his left arm rxed on the left armrest, with his hand not gripping the second stick.

    **THERE WILL BE A COCKPIT DISPLAY ON DISCORD**

    -I mean, why not? You hardly ever ask for background music, but you deserve some this time to keep your head in the game.-

    To his surprise, there was a small sh of light, and Tobs, in the form of an R2 droid, appeared on his ship''s left wing in her typical ck-and-white color scheme.

    -I can''t really do anything like a typical droid to help out, but my presence should be enough PLUS, I ALWAYS WANTED TO FLY LIKE THIS AWOOOOOOO!-

    Spinning her head around, Tobs emitted the standard howl R2-D2 was known for, and her mono eye shed in multiple colors, causing Brance to burst outughing.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD,

 Chapter 615 Battle Over Corus...CODEX PLANE (1)

    <h4>Chapter 615 Battle Over Corus...CODEX PLANE (1)</h4>

    **The entirety of this mini-arc will have "Battle over Coruscant- EPIC FANTASY"? by Mikhail Lesogorov as its soundtrack, so grab it from the discord and set it on loop for the best experience.**

    -I can''t really do anything like a typical droid to help out, but my presence should be enough PLUS, I ALWAYS WANTED TO FLY LIKE THIS AWOOOOOOO!-

    Spinning her head around, Tobs emitted the standard howl R2-D2 was known for, and her mono eye shed in multiple colors, causing Brance to burst outughing.

    "TZZZZT GOLD-LEADER, this is GS-7; we are beginning our approach." Brance''sughter was cut off by a gruff voiceing through thes, and he whipped his head around the cockpit until he spotted hundreds of Gold and Silver space-fighters off in the distance.

    All around him was pitch ck, and he recognized it as the vacuum of outer space; however, given the setting for this battle, he didn''t think it was weird.

    Then, shifting his vision off ahead, Brance spotted a massive, glowing Barrier protecting what could only be described as a colossal Gate of sorts.

    Recognizing the objective since it aligned with what he was attempting in real life, Brance knew what needed to be done and issued his order to therge army of battleships drawing closer from behind.

    "Gold-Leader here, I read you loud and clear GS-7, slot in behind me and err¡­." Brance paused for a minute, at a loss for what to call Cynrik, but then he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

    If he was considered Gold-Leader, then Cynrik could only be considered BR-1 or ck/Red One.

    "Slot in behind BR-1 and me; we will take point on this mission; our goal is to breach the gates and head through the lightspeed tunnel until we reach Coursan¡­uh¡­the Codex ne." Stumbling once again, this time on what to call the battlefield, Brance nearly called it the same name as the battlefield in the movie but changed it on the fly.

    Flying beside him, Cynrik didn''t miss this hup in speech and scoffed mockingly, making Brance flip him the bird before continuing to respond to his troops.

    "We will handle the shield generators blocking the Gate, and all you guys need to do is hold off the enemy forces until we can do so; then we will enter the battlefield; all weapons are hot."

    "Tzzt, copy that Gold-Leader; GS squadron will do asmanded, over and out." With that final statement, the Coms fell silent, and Brance rxed in his pilot chair while closing the distance between himself and therge shielded gate.

    Only then did he thoroughly examine his fighter''s cockpit. Scattered along the walls on both sides were multiple toggle switches, and buttons, while in front of him was a hologram disy indicating his speed, shield health, and what looked like two long lines, which seemed to show he was set to sters right now.

    ''Tobs, what kind of weapons loadout am I using here?'' Clutching the rightmost flight stick and looking down, Brance noticed a configuration of three buttons, lining up with his fingers, on the grip of both flight sticks.

    On the underside of the stick, Brance noticed a long button, which could only be the trigger mechanism to fire his weapons. The stick itself was anything but normal because a silver protrusion above his hand made it look like an upside-down "L."

    -First, you should understand what the two sticks do, Brance¡­so the left stick controls your Y-axis, while the right controls your X-axis. As you can see, both flight sticks can move forward and back, and each controls its respective side thrusters.-

    ''Got it; Left joystick is up and down, right is left and right, forward and back to go fast or slow. Since they have diagonal wiggle room, I assume I have full omnidirectional movement.'' Nodding his head, Brance started ying around with the sticks to get a feel for how to fly.

    Unfortunately, not only did the sticks refuse to move past a certain point, but the ship''s movements also felt stiff, causing Brance to frown; noticing his reaction, Tobs quickly informed him why.

    -You''re in cruise mode right now, so you can''t do aerobatics; for that, you need to drop your stabilizers, which will allow you to have a full range of movement.-

    -To enable your stabilizer wings, you''ll need to flip the toggle switch on the wall next to your elbows, one on each side¡­but don''t do it now, or your flight speed will drop drastically.-

    -Now, regarding what weapons you currently have, it''s a standard loadout, nothing too shy; you have three settings corresponding to what weapons are armed, each triggered by one of the buttons above the handgrips on the flight sticks.-

    -You have three buttons and, as such, three weapons settings, and by pressing the two thumb buttons together, you can arm every weapon simultaneously, allowing you to unleash a high-powered attack, but be mindful that there will be a long recharge once you do so.-

    -The button by your thumb switches you to the farthestzer sters positioned on the frontmost angled curvature of your wings. If you look directly before me, you will see what looks like a grey tube: these are what those buttons trigger, your short-range ster cannons.-

    -One on each side, and they have the shortest and almost non-existent cooldown time; however, their power is marginally weak. Don''t expect to shoot anything down using them alone unless you can stack up the damage on your opponent.-

    -The button under your index finger triggers the two long barrel cannons running the length of your ship''s nose; if you look ahead, you can see them easily.-

    -The extended barrel, or high power photon cannons, are your second most potent armament and have a longer cooldown than the short-range sters, but it isn''t too long, only a couple seconds, 2-3. By spinning the knob-like button slightly, you can increase or decrease their power and adjust their cooldown.-

    -Lastly is the button under your middle finger for your photon bombs; they are your most potent weapon. However, they have a full five-minute cooldown, and each time you use them, it will drain power from your shield generator, so be careful and only use them when necessary.-

    -When you fire your photon bombs, they willunch from the ck tube inside the short-range sters.-

    -Lastly, as I said, if you press and hold both thumb buttons, you can unleash all your weapons at the same time, which will ce a heavy drain on your shields, but can get you out of a pinch; other than that, you have a couple of minutes to y around before you need to drop the stabilizers.-

    -Oh, one more thing, if you hold the two ster buttons, you can firebination shots, but remember, everything you do reduces the power of your shields, so just be careful.-

    -Since everything runs off your Mana, you don''t need to worry about running out of power, per se, but you will eventually if you take too long. Everything you do in this illusion corresponds with what you are doing inside the Governess''s Codex¡­but I don''t need to tell you since this isn''t your first time clearing the corruption.-

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 616 Battle Over Corus...CODEX PLANE (2)

    <h4>Chapter 616 Battle Over Corus...CODEX PLANE (2)</h4>

    **Alright, Three chapters for today; Diablo 4 kidnapped me for a week, so I will make it up to yall by three chapters a day until we catch up to the monthly chapter goal.**

    **The entirety of this mini-arc will have "Battle over Coruscant- EPIC FANTASY"? by Mikhail Lesogorov as its soundtrack, so grab it from the discord and set it on loop for the best experience.**

    ---

    ---

    ---

    ''I see,'' was all Brance could say as his head spun from information overload. However, thanks to thebination of his INT and MIND stats, it wasn''t too bad, and he could memorize everything quickly.

    Still, it was nothingpared to if Cynrik were the one learning everything. Having wasted a good chunk of hisst life ying video games and flight simtors, Brance didn''t doubt that his brother wouldn''t need any help from Tobs.

    He would have instantly recognized everything before dropping his stabilizers and ying with the fighter ship.

    That led him to a strange thought¡­

    ''Hey Tobs, should I rey this all for Cyn¡­or is that a bad idea?''

    -Eh, he will probably get jealous and immediately start ordering all kinds of parts to build his own IRL ship. Unfortunately, I doubt he will be able to get his hands on everything, but he has memorized a few diagrams for the Eta-2 actis ss interceptor, uh, the thing you are flying now.-

    -It was with my aid and his memories that you could urately recreate the ship; the only problem is if he has the technological know-how to build one. Either way, he would eventually seed since he is stubborn as hell.-

    Spinning her head and shing her mono-eye, Tobs concluded, making Brance shiver at the potential destruction Cynrik could unleash if he made a ship like this in reality.

    ''It''s better not to bring it up then; knowing him, a project thatrge would eat up all his time, and that isn''t the best idea right now.'' Brance stated as he pictured his older brother covered in grease like a mechanic.

    -I mean, at least he won''t end up bored, plus you guys will be stuck in the house for a while, so it wouldn''t be a bad idea to give him a task to work on, or else you know how he gets.-

    "Look alive, Brancie, it''s almost time to drop our stabilizers and engage the enemy. Ehh, shit, that gate is fucking crawling with vulture droids," Cynrikined as he narrowed his eyes and focused on the weird bug-like ships spilling out of the housings on either side of therge gate.

    "I see them¡­oh, this will be easy." Wearing a smirk and speaking in a mocking tone, Brance quoted the movie alongside his imaginary brother and released the flight sticks to flip both toggles for his stabilizer wings.

    In unison, Cynrik also dropped his stabilizers before regripping his flight sticks.

    "Gs-7, do you copy?" ying out the dialog, Brance got the GS squad to mark his position and fall in behind him as they drew closer to the swarm of "vulture droids."

    BOOM, RUMMMMBLE BOOM, BOOM BOOM

    Catching sight of Brance andpany, the droids began unleashing a torrent of photon bombs andsers, which caused turbulence for them as they got closer.

    "Hehe, this is where the fun begins, little brother, WEAPONS ARE HOT. LET''S FUCK SOME SHIT UP!" Cynrik cackled as he pushed the throttles forward and did a spinning downward dive, causing some of the droids to follow suit.

    "Oh, for fuck sake Cyn, we were supposed to let them pass between us, not break off, REMEMBER?" Brance didn''t know whether tough or cry as he peeled off to the right, breaking up the formation of enemies and pulling the aggro of a batch while leaving the GS squadron to deal with the bulk of the swarm.

    BOOOOMMM RUMBLE BOOOM

    "BAH, this is our show now, not Anakin and Obiwan; we can do things our way Brancie, HAHAHA SHOCK ONE, DIE MOTHER FUCKERS DIEE HAHAHAHAH!" Loud booms and explosions added cadence to his words, causing Brance''s head to snap in the direction his brother had gone, and he saw multiple fireballs indicating Cynrik was destroying the droids like flies.

    However, it wasn''t the explosions but Cynrik''s manicughter which sent a chill down Brance''s spine, as he didn''t doubt that was precisely how Cynrik would react if this were real and not an illusion.

    TZZT TZZZT TZZT

    Letting loose his medium and short-ranged sters sequentially and spiraling downward to mirror his older brother''s maneuver, Brance began engaging the enemy.

    BOOM BOOM TZZT SHOOM BOOM!

    Colorful red and green explosions rocked his fighter left and right as the concussive sts ripped through space; however, Brance kept his ship stable while counter-attacking as he rapidly swapped between the two ster types.

    "Cyn, I need you to stop ying around and target the shield generators on the left of the gate; I will target the ones on the right!"

    Whipping his head all around to keep sight of the abundant enemies as his ship spun, flipped, and cut through the enemy, Brance gave his order.

    To his joy, he then saw his brother''s ship breaking off and heading toward the farthest bubble-like structure representing the shield generator.

    "TSK, killjoy," with verbalints, moving freely and zipping through the increasing swarm of enemies, which were a manifestation of Cynrik''s Umbra Mana; Illusion Cynrik destroyed everything before lining up andunching all his weapons on the bubble.

    BOOOM BOOOM BOOM

    It didn''t take even half a second for the bubble device to sumb to Illusion Cynrik''s onught, and a massive explosion ensued as Cynrik weaved in and out of the debris before re-engaging with the vulture droids.

    "Left shield gen is down; I am going back to y, have fun taking out your side Brancie!" Cynrik chirped as he jumped back into battle without helping Brance.

    ''Fucking asshole, hey Tobs, why is fake Cynrik just as annoying as the real one.'' Branceined as his cockpit shook violently, a sign that he had taken a few hits; luckily, his shields held, so there wasn''t any damage.

    -Don''t look at me, he''s a manifestation of your consciousness, and I had no hand in making him. All I did was nudge you in the right direction when it came to designing the venueyout and ships for the battle.-

    ''Sigh, greatttt, the way he is acting is no different than if he were actually here; I guess that means I can only rely on him for minor tasks.''

    -Pretty much, after all, it''s you working on clearing the Codex alone, err¡­ well, right now, you are still attempting to break into the Governess''s Mana circuits and Veins, but you get what I mean.-

    Narrowly avoiding a wave of photon bombs, which threatened to throw him off course, Brance spun his ship and made a B-line straight for the right shield generator.

    ''Damn, these fuckers are hot on my tail,'' Brance thought as he pushed both sticks to their forward maximum and picked up speed, which in turn mmed him into his seat.

    If there was one thing he noticed, it was the high g-force his body experienced when making evasive maneuvers, something that seemed to be overlooked by every science fiction novel and movie he had ever read or watched.

    If it weren''t for his high resistance, there was no doubt Brance would be struggling greatly against the forces applied to his body, but luckily that wasn''t the case.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 617 Battle Over Corus...CODEX PLANE (3)

    <h4>Chapter 617 Battle Over Corus...CODEX PLANE (3)</h4>

    **The entirety of this mini-arc will have "Battle over Coruscant- EPIC FANTASY"? by Mikhail Lesogorov as its soundtrack, so grab it from the discord and set it on loop for the best experience.**

    ---

    ---

    ---

    If there was one thing Brance noticed, it was the high g-force his body experienced when making evasive maneuvers, something that seemed to be overlooked by every science fiction novel and movie he had ever read or watched.

    If it weren''t for his high resistance, there was no doubt Brance would be struggling greatly against the forces applied to his body, but luckily that wasn''t the case.

    Brance''s eyes narrowed as he took sharp, short breaths and zoomed in toward the Shield generator at breakneck speeds.

    Keeping his hands locked in position so that he didn''t miss his target, he tapped both thumb buttons, held them to switch to all weapons, andunched a full power barrage onto the generator.

    BOOOM, BOOM, BOOM BOOM

    Knowing that he wasing in too fast, Brance immediately pulled back on both flight sticks while angling them to the right and, with near-expert precision, broke off from the gate before pulling back.

    Only once he was safely away from the gate did he look over his shoulder and out the cockpit to double-check his attack had worked.

    This simple act was utterly unnecessary, as the moment the generator was destroyed, the shields coating the gate blipped out of sight, and Ill-Cyn''s obnoxious voice threatened to deafen Brance''s right ear.

    "HAHA! WELL, I''LL BE DAMNED; IT LOOKS LIKE YOU''RE A CRACK SHOT, BRANCIE! Huh? What in the actual fuck, oi oi oi." Ill-Cyn was mid-shout praise when confusion took over.

    "OI, MOTHER FUCKING BRANCE, YOU TURNED OFF ALL THE VULTURE DROIDS!"

    Brance didn''t have to wait even a second or bother asking what was wrong because his illusionary older brother began cursing and screaming.

    "What the hell did you expect, Cynrik? The thing controlling the drones was located in the same spot as the shield generators; OF COURSE, THEY WOULD POWER DOWN!" Rolling his eyes and executing another shy flight maneuver, Brance lined up alongside Ill-Cyn.

    His eyes scanned the surrounding area, and he couldn''t stop himself from whistling loudly at the sight of tens of thousands of motionless hunks of metal.

    It was a surreal sight, as seconds earlier, all this floating space junk was moving around and shootingsers all over the ce; however, now they were no different than inanimate objects.

    "Plus, why are you getting your panties in a twist? We are heading to a warzone; I don''t doubt there will be more enemies; who knows, maybe we will get to fight something asrge as star destroyers." Brance chided as he decided to ignore Ill-Cyn and have the GS-squadron group up and get ready for sortie.

    "Tsk, there better be, or ima kick your ass when we get back." Illusionary Cynrikined as he gotfortable in his cockpit and adjusted his stabilizers to cruise mode.

    Since the battle was over, there was no need for either of them to be agile, especially since they were about to enter a lightspeed tunnel.

    Although their ships could enter lightspeed, if Ill-Cyn or Brance were dumb enough to leave their stabilizers down, they would be ripped off the wings, and the destruction to the ship would be irreparable, leaving them dead in space.

    It didn''t take long for what remained of GS-squadron to get into formation behind Brance and ILL-Cyn, and once Brance had locked his stabilizers back in, he took point and guided everyone toward the gate.

    "Sigh, how exactly am I supposed to open this thing now¡­is there a password, like open sesame¡­no that would be dumb." Drumming his fingers on the flight sticks, Brance lowered his ship''s speed to a crawl and examined the hulking metal gate.

    To his surprise, he did not need to take any further action because the instant he came within a certain distance from the gate, it trembled and opened wide enough that a group five times their size would be able to enter.

    "Well¡­I didn''t expect to see those here¡­hm¡­I guess it makes sense since we need to go hyperspeed to enter hyperspace." When the gate finally stopped moving, Ill-Cyn spoke up and flew his ship forward toward one of the two halo-like floating rings inside what could only be described as arge, grey tunnel.

    By Brance''s estimates alone, the tunnel appeared to be well over a kilometer wide and shaped like a giant hexagon; unfortunately, there wasn''t anything interesting about its interior.

    As far as Brance could see, it was never ending Grey walls; what was weird, though, was that the tunnel was dimly lit in warm yellow light.

    "Hey, get your head out of your ass Brancie; link up with your hyperspace transport ring so we can get the hell to the so-called WAR you told me about. The longer we stay here, the more bored I will get." Looking over his shoulder and spotting Brance staring absentmindedly at the never-ending tunnel, Ill-Cyn snapped while finishing up the docking procedure, quickly working on the necessary adjustments to his ship and readying his Hyperdrive engine.

    As stated, the Eta-2 Actis-ss light interceptor, IE the ship they were flying, came stock with a ss 1 hyperdrive rating, meaning with a few micro-adjustments to the ion engines and the addition of a hyperspace transport ring, they could easily make the jump to hyperspace.

    "Uh¡­yeah, got it," Lost in thought, Brance went through the motions of linking up to his Hyperspace transport ring, and with a few switch toggles, button presses, and some much-needed help from R2-Tobsie, his ship began vibrating softly, indicating the Hyperspeed engine was whirling up.

    "GS-Squadron, Ready your HS engines, and prepare to jump to hyperspace." Finishing up somest-minute adjustments under the aid of Tobs, Brance didn''t forget to give the propermands to the pilots flying behind him and Ill-Cyn.

    "Sigh, it''s jump to hyperspeed, Brance¡­not jump to hyperspace." Smacking his lips in disappointment, Ill-Cynzily red at his younger brother.

    "And that matters why?" Pulling up on his flight sticks, Brance questioned while turning them into horizontal throttles instead of vertically mounted sticks.

    "Because you need to go hyperspeed to enter the hyperspace dimension. Come on; this is basic fucking SW knowledge." Noticing his younger brother swapping the grips of his flight sticks, Ill-Cyn corrected Brance while mirroring his physical actions.

    "Well, excusssse me, Cynrik, since you''re so smart, why don''t you enlighten me on something? How fast are we supposed to go, oh so knowledgeable one?" Shooting Ill-Cyn a re, Brance rebutted.

    "Approximately 23,000 Mph¡­that is the estimated speed necessary to jump into the hyperspace dimension; at that point, we will break through the dimensions, er¡­ I guess in the same way we do when entering the Shadow Realm, and so long as we don''t drop below that threshold, we don''t need to worry about dropping out of hyperspace." Shrugging his shoulders, Ill-Cyn slowly pushed the dual throttles forward and began moving down the tunnel.

    "Of course you know the exact speeds and shit. Why wouldn''t you know the most insignificant details from a famous movie franchise," Brance grumbled, causing R2-Tobsie to giggle at his expense.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 618 Battle Over Corus...CODEX PLANE (4)

    <h4>Chapter 618 Battle Over Corus...CODEX PLANE (4)</h4>

    **The entirety of this mini-arc will have "Battle over Coruscant- EPIC FANTASY"? by Mikhail Lesogorov as its soundtrack, so grab it from the discord and set it on loop for the best experience.**

    ---

    ---

    ---

    With his ship synchronized and locked in ce onto the hyperspace transport ring, Brance pushed his throttles forward and soon caught up to Ill-Cyn as they began picking up speed rapidly.

    "GS-Squadron, move out," Brance uttered as he slowly pushed his throttles forward. Strangely enough, unlike when he had the sticks in their original position, the two seemed only able to move in sync, thus keeping both Ion engines at the same output.

    "Copy that Gold-Leader, GS-Squadron, making the jump to hyper speed and preparing to enter hyperspace." The gruff and oddly familiar voice of GS-7 came through the single headphone snuggly fixed on Brance''s ear, making him look back and spot the person flying at the head of the formation behind them.

    Raising an eyebrow out of curiosity, he noticed that the man, calling himself GS-7, resembled one of the clones from episodes 2 and 3 of the movie franchise.

    ''Sheesh, I even identally manifested the clone army¡­.'' Unfortunately, Brance''s thoughts were cut off by the annoying chirping of Ill-Cyn.

    "HA! Told you, Brancie," the terminology used by GS-7 didn''t escape Ill-Cyn, and he was quick to tease Brance.

    ''Gonna mute him if he doesn''t shut the fuck up soon.'' Branceined in his head, earning another fit of giggles from Tobs.

    -Hey now, he''s a literal figment of your imagination; you were the one who made him like that.-

    Spinning her droid head around a full 1080 degrees, Tobs chided, causing Brance to snort as he monitored his heads-up disy.

    ''Yeah, yeah, I know, but that doesn''t make him any more tolerable; plus, as much as I am bitching, it kinda rxes me seeing Illusionary Cynrik acting in a manner befitting the real one.'' He responded while continuing to increase his speed.

    "Alright, we are approaching the speed necessary, Brancie; once we hit 5000 mph, we need to m the throttles forward; that will trigger the shift to hyperspeed, be prepared for some G-force; I have no idea how bad it will be so ready yourself."

    "OH, onest thing, put on your helmet, and adjust the little nobby on your harnesses; that will keep the forces weighing you down at a manageable level." Adding thest bit in, Ill-Cyn smirked and quickly leaned forward, did something in his cockpit, and pulled out a specially designed helmet resembling an expensive motorcycle helmet.

    "HUH!" With an edge of panic in his voice, Brance frantically started twisting the small nobs on his racing-style belt harnesses, which were securely fastened over his shoulders and around his waist.

    Then, leaning forward, he reached back and found a small lever that reclined his seat enough to pull out a simr helmet.

    ''What the fuck, Tobs? I don''t remember any shit like this in SW!'' Branceined as he hooked up a small tube from his left and right shoulder harnesses to the sides of the helmet before shoving it onto his head.

    -Don''t ask me, Brancie; everything came from your brain, and if Ill-Cyn does something specific, ites directly from your imagination; just know that right now, your Mana has already entered the Governess''s Mana Circuits.-

    -This lightspeed tunnel, or whatever you call it, directly represents those Circuits and Veins, and your themed travel represents your HolyFire and Light Manas.

    R2-Tobsie shook in her droid seat and had no honest answer for Brance''s question. She, too, felt it was strange that Ill-Cyn was acting unexpectedly and not ording to Brance''s seemingly pre-written script, but she couldn''t figure out why.

    "GS-Squadron, On my mark, activate your HS engines, and make the jump." Slightly nervous and looking over at Ill-Cyn, who was holding up the fingers on his right hand for a countdown, Brance nervously spoke while clutching his throttles and doing his best to match his illusionary brother''s.

    5

    4

    3

    2

    1

    0

    When Ill-Cyn hit Zero on his finger countdown, he made a knife hand and pointed forward, indicating it was go time.

    "NOW!" Brance shouted as he jammed both throttles all the way forward. The instant he did so, Brance was thrust back in his seat as the grey hexagonal tunnel appeared to stretch and twist around him visibly.

    "HELL FUCKING YEAH, LETS GOOOO BABYYY!!! I FEEL THE NEEED¡­.THE NEED FOR SPEED!" Again Ill-Cyn made another movie quote as he excitedly flew faster and faster; however, Brance wasn''t nearly as excited, and instead, he could feel the sweat trickling down the back of his neck.

    His eyes were wide open, trying to decipher the crazy sights he was witnessing. The once firm and metallic walls seemed to liquefy all around him, and soon, Brance noticed strange shes of white light, until finally, after a few seconds, the world around him rapidly changed and was reced by an unknown swirling blue shadowy realm, one he had seen hundreds of times in SW.

    At the end of the mysterious blue swirling tunnel was a bright ball of white light, but no matter how long Brance stared at it, the ball didn''t appear to get any closer.

    Feeling mesmerized by the sight of the hyperspace dimension, Brance nearly forgot to set his ship''s autopilot. Thankfully, Ill-Cyn was present and doing the standard, weird shit only Cynrik could pull off without shame.

    "KKKRRSSST, This is BR-1 SPEAKING! We have reached our cruising speed of 23,000 MPH and havepleted our jump into the hyperspace dimension; remember to leave your throttles set to maximum, and most importantly, enjoy the ride!"

    Between Ill-Cyn''s giddy tone, and the outrageous antics he was performing, Brance was pulled out of his thoughts, and he swiftly flipped the switch near his right wrist, which engaged the ship''s autopilot before rxing his body.

    Strangely enough, when they jumped into hyperspace, the eleration of his ship no longer affected his body, and he could temporarily rx without any pressure weighing him down physically.

    Brance''s eyes slowly drifted around his cockpit window as he took in the mesmerizing sights he had only seen on TV or movie screens before finally resting on the slightlyrger metal ring his ship was fitted into.

    On either side of the ring were a total of 4 massive thruster engines and two smaller ones for six that he knew to be hyperdrive engines.

    ''Sigh, it''s a good thing this is all in my head, ''cause if not, I''d be shitting bricks right now. Like, I get that flying a ship in space is cool and all, but I would rather not be hurtling through the void strapped into a tin can like this in real life.''

    For what seemed like an eternity, Brance tried to calm his rapidly beating heart until his autopilot finally beeped several times, indicating they were about to arrive at their destination.

    "Gs-Squadron, be prepared for battle; get ready for evasive maneuvers when we drop out of hyperspace." Looking over at his illusionary brother, Brance nodded and took off his helmet before stowing it back in its spot behind his chair and readied himself.

    "Let''s do this shit, Brancie," Ill-Cyn said with a chuckle.

    "Dropping out of hyperspace¡­NOW!" Brance replied anxiously.

    All of a sudden, the blue realm disappeared, and a startling sight greeted the brothers, hundreds of thousands of different colored ships were amidst arge-scale battle; however their attention was locked onto something neither would have ever expected, causing them to scream aloud, with Ill-Cyn over the moon, and Brance horrified.

    "Holy¡­HOLY FUCK IS THAT THE GOD DAMN DEATHSTAR!!!" Ill-Cyn and Brance screamed in unison as the hulking behemoth of a metallicary weapon came into view.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 619 Battle Over Corus...CODEX PLANE (5)

    <h4>Chapter 619 Battle Over Corus...CODEX PLANE (5)</h4>

    **The entirety of this mini-arc will have "Battle over Coruscant- EPIC FANTASY"? by Mikhail Lesogorov as its soundtrack, so grab it from the discord and set it on loop for the best experience.**

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    ---

    ---

    "Holy¡­HOLY FUCK IS THAT THE GOD DAMN DEATHSTAR!!!" Ill-Cyn and Brance screamed in unison as the hulking behemoth of a metallicary weapon came into view.

    BOOOM, BOOM BOOM, TZZT BOOM!

    Before either of them could admire the fake, Brance and Ill-Cyn were instantly greeted by a barrage of sts, which took out two of the hyperspace engines on Brance''s ring and four on Ill-Cyn''s.

    "No time to think, move!" Ill-Cyn shouted as he disengaged from his hyperspace transport ring, locked his throttles back into flight sticks, dropped his stabilizers, and fired his engine on full power spinning away from his ring right as it blew up.

    Brance wasn''t any slower in his reaction and mimicked his brother as he, too, put distance between his ring and engaged in battle with a swarm of vicious-looking enemy spaceships.

    "DOWN, GO DOWN; GS-SQUADRON IS BREAKING OUT OF HYPERSPACE, DON''T GET HIT!" Ill-Cyn screamed as he spiraled down, weaving in and out ofser beams and explosions.

    "I FUCKING KNOW THAT, CYN!" Brance''s head was on a swivel as he shouted back and noticed a group of what he recognized to be Tie-fighters following him.

    High above, in the void of space, Brance watched as, in groups of three, GS-squadron suddenly blipped into reality one after another, but unfortunately, even after he had given hismand to be ready, multiple of the less than 100 ships were instantly vaporized by the enemy.

    ''Damn it,'' Branceined as he took out a handful of tie-fighters, only for another dozen to suddenly group up and chase him down.

    *EEeeEeeeeueuuughhhhhhhhhh*

    The iconic sound made by the Tie-fighter engines was no different than the sound of death to Brance as he frantically tried to throw them off his tail; however, just as he feared he was going to be swarmed, and overwhelmed, nearly all of the enemy ships exploded after being hit by a volley of green beams.

    "I got you Gold-Leader!" A familiar voice came through Brance''s headset, making his head snap in the direction the greenser sts originated.

    ''That¡­is that a fucking X-wing?'' With wide eyes, Brance executed multiple evasive rolls and flew up alongside a group of X-wings.

    "Thanks for the help Red-Five; what is the situation," slightly starstruck because he recognized the pilot as a particr main character from the franchise; Brance was quick to use the call sign the young man had used during the big battle in the movie.

    "Presently, there are fourrge squadrons, Red, Green, Hazel, and Purple; each one is designated a specific quadrant to handle; right now, we are in q4, or the northwest side of the D.Star." Red Five responded as he opened the iconic ded wings of his X-wing.

    "Make that Five; GS-Squadron, myself, and BR-1 are joining the fight. Has anyone attempted to push in on the D.Star?" Looking over his shoulder and seeing what remained of GS-squadron linking up with Red Squadron, Brance asked, until his eyes noticed someone missing from the group.

    As per usual, fake or not, Cynrik wasn''t one to be controlled and was off on his own, engaging the nearest enemy forces. Shaking his head and deciding to join his fake brother, Brance looked back at Red Five, awaiting a response.

    "No, we have sent multiple pilots over, but they get shot down before we can ever cause any damage; why, have any brilliant ideas we can use?" Red Five replied, gesturing to his squad to separate and fight the opposing force.

    "I''ve got a couple, but we need to thin the herd of tie-fighters and vulture droids before we can do anything else."

    "Although I''d like to rush in and try attacking the prime target, I see multiple star destroyers and other enemy forces, so we need to work on them before we go after the big boss."

    "Copy that Gold-Leader, stay frosty out there, and do try not to get trapped again; I can''t always swoop in to save the day, you know, I am only one guy. Red Five out!"? With that said, Red Five broke away from Brance and dove headfirst into battle.

    ''Che, only one guy with protagonist plot armor and force powers.'' Brance snorted before heading off to join Ill-Cyn; smiling bitterly, Brance angled himself away from the Red squadron and met up with Ill-Cyn, but wasn''t prepared for his cheeky fake brother''s antics.

    "Oh, lookie here, if it isn''t my little brother. Have you finally gotten your bearings ande to kill steal me? I''ll have you know, I''ve already wrecked 58 vulture droids and a dozen tie-fighters, so if you n on catching up to my kill count, you better hurry up!" Inverting his ship and flying over the top of Brance, Ill-Cyn flipped him the bird and then spun away while cackling like a madman.

    Feeling at a loss for words, Brance gritted his teeth and unleashed a mixture of short and medium-rangeser attacks on a nearby cluster of vulture droids.

    ''Tobs, remind me to punch Cynrik in the face when I get outta this battle.'' Brance thought while expertly navigating the void of space and taking down one enemy after another.

    -Uh¡­real Cyn, or Ill-Cyn¡­-

    Turning her round head to look at Brance through her mono-eye, Tobs asked with concern apparent in her voice.

    ''Yes.'' Was all he replied with, causing Tobs to frown mentally. She could understand wanting to hit Ill-Cyn since he had been nothing but annoying since the start of the fight, but if Brance randomly walked up and decked his brother in the jaw IRL, wouldn''t that be no different than a wife waking up after having a dream that her spouse cheated on her and beating her husband half to death?

    Deciding it was better to stay quiet instead of answering or, worse yet, asking a dumb question, Tobs spun her head in the opposite direction and chose to target nearby enemies so they would show up on Brance''s radar.

    It wasn''t much, but since she was severely limited in what she could do to help, she figured it was better than staying idle.

    For about an hour, the battle in Q4 was heated, and many incidents of Brance and Ill-Cyn nearly getting shot down urred, but somehow they came out in one piece.

    Strangely enough, as time passed, and the longer they fought, the better they both became at piloting their ships, until eventually, Red Five flew up alongside Brance and got his attention.

    Noticing the x-wing, Brance flipped a switch on the center console of his cockpit and changed the radio frequency to the one meant for Red Squadron.

    "Gold-Leader, we need you to disengage Q4 and head over to Q3; they are requesting assistance and are under heavy fire, so we are sending your group over." Red Five stated with a worried expression.

    "Copy¡­" pausing to swap channels to the one meant for Gs-Squadron, Brance started issuing orders as he noticed Red Five pull away and get back into the fight.

    "Gs-7, we need to head over to Q3, break away, and head over now."

    "Copy that Gold-Leader, breaking away and heading to Q3," GS-7 replied as he linked up with the rest of the multi-pilot ships Brance knew were from Episode three of the franchise, a stark contrast to the X-wings and ships he recognized from theter movies.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 620 Battle Over Corus...CODEX PLANE (6)

    <h4>Chapter 620 Battle Over Corus...CODEX PLANE (6)</h4>

    **The entirety of this mini-arc will have "Battle over Coruscant- EPIC FANTASY"? by Mikhail Lesogorov as its soundtrack, so grab it from the discord and set it on loop for the best experience. Of course, there is a special cameo song, so do y that one for a bit before switching back.**

    ---

    ---

    ---

    "Gs-7, we need to head over to Q3, break away, and head over now."

    "Copy that Gold-Leader, breaking away and heading to Q3," GS-7 replied as he linked up with the rest of the multi-pilot ships Brance knew were from Episode three of the franchise, a stark contrast to the X-wings and ships he recognized from theter movies.

    Breaking away from the fight, Brance shoved both flight sticks forward and soon reached his top-flight speed with the stabilizers down, but that didn''t mean he was out of danger because no sooner than did he head toward Q3 did arge mixed squadron of enemies followed suit.

    "Oi, Brancie, if you are going to drag us out suddenly, stay on your toes and expect to get followed," Flying up beside him and unleashing a barrage ofsers, Ill-Cyn saved Brance''s ass and took out arge chunk of the enemy forces, enough so that the ones following him thought twice about continuing their pursuit and turned back.

    "Sigh, isn''t that what you are here for, to be my wingman?" Brance snorted as he angled his ship at a 45-degree angle and whizzed through another battlefield without being touched by any attacks.

    "Nah, I''m not your wingman; you''re mine, don''t get it fucked up, little brother," Ill-Cyn, clearly unhappy with Brance''s words, quickly replied as he pulled up alongside him and red.

    "You know, ima needs you to stop cross-pollinating your movie references, TopGun or SW, pick one and stick to it; the sudden shifting quotes are getting on my nerves."

    "Bah, at least I don''t have Tobs ying the theme song from TopGun, hell I could use some Kenny Loggins right now; that would make this much more enjoyable."

    -Sigh¡­now ying "Danger Zone" By Kenny Loggins.-

    "HAHA, THAT''S MY GIRL; LETS GOOO!" Cheering obnoxiously, Ill-Cyn twisted both flight sticks and started a horizontal spiraling barrel roll whileying into hisser cannons.

    TZZT TZZT TZZT BOOOM BOOM BOOM

    "Oh, for fuck sake Tobs, why are you humoring him¡­." Shaking his head, Brance didn''t know whether tough or cry, especially since the actions of Ill-Cyn tracked perfectly with how his brother would react in real life.

    -I mean¡­he had a point; danger zone is the way to go, Brancie! WOOOOOOOOWWWWW!-

    Spinning her head, Tobs got into the upbeat song and even rattled about in her droid seat along with the music, causing Brance to smile bitterly as he rolled his eyes and engaged the vanguard forces of Q3.

    "Headin'' into twilight, Spreadin'' out her wings tonight!"

    ''Great, now he''s fucking singing along¡­'' Comining in his head, Brance didn''t realize he was subconsciously tapping his feet along with the beat and even ended up executing shy maneuvers as he tore through one enemy after another.

    Luckily, he was smart enough not to press too hard on the foot pedals, which were used for breaking, but he couldn''t help but admit the song did add a bit to the experience.

    "TOBSIE GOT ME JUMPIN'' OFF THE DECK, SHOVIN'' INTO OVERDRIVE HAHAHAHAHA! DIE YOU FUCKERS DIEEEE!" With Ill-Cyn having the time of his life, blowing up everything in sight, it didn''t take long for the brothers to take the strain off the allied Purple Squadron, and soon enough, they got word to move on to Q2, where their assistance was required.

    Like they had with Q3, Brance, Ill-Cyn, and what remained of GS-Squadron, made quick work of the enemy forces in Q2, relieving Hazel-Squadron, before heading over to the final quadrant, Q1.

    However, unlike their previous experiences, when they arrived at Q1, there wasn''t a friendly ship in sight, and what awaited them was a fleet of enemies with weapons charged and waiting¡­all of Green-Squadron had been eliminated. They unknowingly walked¡­or flew into an ambush.

    "FUCK, CYN, GS-7! EVASIVE MANUEVERS, IT''S A TRAP!" Brance shouted as he pulled hard on both flight sticks and shot vertically into the void of space, narrowly avoiding a massive red and blue energy beam.

    "SHIT!" Was all Ill-Cyn could say as his right-wing grazed the particle beam, tearing through his shields and causing arge amount of damage to the right side of his ship.

    BOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM

    "DAMN IT! CYN STATUS REPORT!" Snapping his head twice in his fake brother''s direction, Brance made a hard left turn and circled the enemy, a massive star destroyer, and two fleets of drone ships and tie-fighters.

    "I am fine; my ship, on the other hand¡­shields took a massive hit there, and I can only get them primed back up o 43%; they won''t charge passed that point." Ill-Cyn''s fingers tapped away on the multitude of buttons on his armrests as he diagnosed the damage aloud.

    "Both my vertical and horizontal stabilizers on the right side of my fighter are shot; I am limping here, Brancie!"

    "Fuck¡­FUCK! GS-7 REPORT!" Frantic and attempting to weave in and out of the fire, Brance dropped down alongside Ill-Cyn, released both flight sticks, and gripped his armrests while glowing with Mana.

    In half a second, a sh of White and Gold Light blotted out his vision, and all the damage to Ill-Cyn''s ship was instantly repaired; however, now, Brance was covered in sweat and gasping for air.

    What he had done was send a powerful pulse of HolyFire and Light Mana through his ship and directly into Ill-Cyns, and this was only possible because he had brought down his left wing onto the damaged right wing, forming a circuit between the two ships, allowing for the transfer of Mana between them.

    "KKKKKRRRRSSST! GOLD-LEADER, DO YOU COPY!"

    "I Read you give me a damage report GS-7." Catching his breath and regripping his flight sticks, Brance shot forward and engaged the fleet of attack ships.

    "We only have three Arc-370 starfighters, five z-95s, and three gunships left, Sir¡­everyone else was lost in the ambush," GS-7 stated in a dire tone filled with sadness.

    ''11 ships left in GS-Squadron, and then there is Cyn and me¡­it isn''t enough¡­we don''t have enough forces tobat an entire fleet.'' Brance thought as his eyes scanned the imposing space army before him.

    ''Then there''s the D.Star¡­everything is a metaphor for what I am doing with my subconscious¡­what am I supposed to do now¡­'' Feeling helpless and underpowered for the first time in a very long time, Brance didn''t know what to do.

    Usually, this was the point where Cynrik woulde up with a crazy n that would no doubt end up failing at some point but still put them in a decent position where recovery and victory were ensured.

    -Don''t panic; keep a level head and plot out what needs to be done, Brancie. Not all of the Governess''s Chloro Mana was destroyed by the Death Mana; there is still a lot lingering around on the fringes of her Codex; you need to coax it into joining you in the battle.-

    Reading his mind and understanding the helplessness her host was experiencing, Tobs refused to allow the dark thoughts threatening his mind to take over.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 621 Battle Over Corus...CODEX PLANE (7)

    <h4>Chapter 621 Battle Over Corus...CODEX PLANE (7)</h4>

    Reading his mind and understanding the helplessness her host was experiencing, Tobs refused to allow the dark thoughts threatening his mind to take over.

    -You built this scenario, and you know exactly how things are supposed to y out. You were never meant to wipe out all of the enemy forces one by one, hell the script has already been written.-

    -Focus on the main objective, the D.Star; it is constructed exactly as you remember, which means its fatal w is also in ce.-

    ''Fatal w¡­THE EXHAUST VENT!'' Brance''s eyes shot wide open as he locked onto the D.Star, floating menacingly off in the distance.

    "GS-Squadron, cover BR-1 and Me; we are going after the D.Star!" Steeling his resolve, Brance shot forward.

    "We are doing what now?" nking out for a second, Ill-Cyn was half a beatte but soon caught up with his brother.

    "The exhaust vent, we need to hit it as Red-Five did in the movie; that is the only way to stop this battle."

    "We were never meant to wipe out all the small fries and shouldn''t have gotten distracted." Beating himself up for wasting time, Brance pushed his Ion engines to their maximum speed.

    "We weren''t wasting time, Brancie; the whole point was to thin the herd; without taking out enough of the enemy ships, we couldn''t get in close enough to make our final run on the D.Star." Taking a deep breath, Ill-Cyn shook his head.

    ''Says you; it''s not your Mana being burned right now.'' Grumbling in his mind, Brance brought up his Status panel for the first time since entering the illusion.

    And what he saw caused his heart to drop into his stomach.

    ''No wonder I felt so drained after repairing Ill-Cyn''s ship; I only have 9% of my MP left¡­how the hell have I burned so much of my Mana, Tobs?'' Brance asked, but a startling thought popped up when the words entered his head, causing his pupils to constrict.

    ''Hold on¡­wait a second¡­how long have I been at it?'' Confused at his expenditure, Brance looked over at the droid perched on his left wing in confusion.

    -Three days, Brancie¡­you have been working on the Governesses'' Codex for three days straight, without rest, food, or a break. To the others in Pinhurst Mansion, you seem to be sleeping sitting up¡­.-

    -Gabby tried waking you dozens of times, but when Jessup found her doing so, he quickly kicked her out of the Training room. Right now, he is sitting beside you and feeding you potions one after another to keep your body from shutting down.-

    -Your stamina and Mp have already entered critical levels more than once, but luckily he was there to aid you¡­otherwise, you would have already passed out from mental and physical exhaustion.-

    Tobs'' words threatened to shut down Brance''s brain as overwhelming exhaustion suddenly washed over him.

    ''What¡­what is happening,'' he thought as his vision blurred.

    -Brance, don''t focus on how tired you are; if you pass out now, it''s all over, and you will suffer a heavy penalty!-

    ''Ugh, my head feels like it''s about to explode,'' tightening his grip on the flight sticks and leaning forward, Brance struggled against his bodily functions for a moment before regaining control.

    ''Final push, then you can pass out, don''t pass out, don''t pass out, DON''T PASS¡­OUT! YOU''VE GOT THIS,'' clutching the controls so tightly his hands lost all color, Brance saw the spherical D.Star erging as he got closer.

    -That''s it¡­-

    Afraid to speak, Tobs muttered softly as she watched Brance''s face pale.

    With Ill-Cyn hot on his tail, Brance arrived at the massive metal structure and dove toward its surface before entering one of the thousands of trenches.

    What he didn''t know was that he was already running on autopilot. Hence, as Brance navigated the trenches, he unconsciously sped toward where he needed to be as if everything was predetermined and he was only an actor in the movie.

    "Cyn¡­get in front of me; you need to¡­hah¡­ st the hatches open¡­ so I can sink a photon¡­ bomb down into the vent¡­." With some effort, Brance struggled to speak, but his words made it to his fake brother as he watched Ill-Cyn''s fighter pull ahead and line up a hundred meters ahead of him.

    Surprisingly, all the snark and characteristics which made Ill-Cyn so simr to the real Cyn disappeared, and he was utterly silent as they flew through the channels while explosions rocked their ships left and right from above.

    "Launching my attack in 30 seconds." Instead of the usual emotion Brance had expected, Ill-Cyn''s voice was robotic and didn''t sound like his older brother anymore.

    25 seconds

    20 seconds

    Slowly counting down in his head, Brance toggled his weapons armaments to the photon bombs as his eyes became heavy and his head started nodding down.

    15 seconds

    10 seconds

    ''I am¡­so tired¡­'' Brance thought as he hit the ten-second mark until Ill-Cyn was supposed to blow the hatches.

    5 seconds

    ''This is it,e on¡­heh¡­wake up Brancie, all you have to do is push the triggers, and then you can sleep.'' He thought while being faintly aware of Ill-Cyn''s ship going deeper into the trench, seemingly entering the final approach toward the exhaust vent.

    4 seconds

    3 seconds

    2 seconds

    1 second.

    WAAAP WAAAP WAAAP!

    BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

    Three distinct and unusual noises came from ahead, and Brance didn''t even think; he pushed the flight sticks down, angled his ship, and pulled the triggers.

    He had total faith in the fact that Ill-Cyn didn''t miss the shot and, subsequently, fired¡­but the moment he pulled the trigger, Brance''s eyes, which were only a quarter open, watched the two green ballsunch from the nose of his ship, and down the tube ahead¡­then¡­everything went ck, and he finally passed out.

    Thest thing he heard was the gentle voice of Tobs.

    -You did well, Brancie, you seeded; now get some rest; everything will be fine from here on out.-

    ***

    In reality, Jessup was frantically force-feeding one potion after another down Brance''s throat. It had been three days, and with Brance not showing signs of finishing the clearing of the Governess''s Corruption, he was panicking.

    Things had been touch and go several times, and more than once, he had been forced to clean Brance''s face to clear away the blood leaking from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

    ''He can''t keep this up; if he does, I don''t know what will happen.'' Multiple times over thest few days, he had been forced to step away and physically move Gabby, who was insistent on staying by her boyfriend''s side, but Jessup knew better.

    It was one thing to be a bystander or third party like he was, but if he were to recklessly allowed Gabby to see Brance covered in blood, he had no doubt the youngdy would lose her shit and try her best to stop her boyfriend from continuing.

    While Jessup was lost in thought and finishing up feeding Brance another set of potions, the situation rapidly changed suddenly, and there was a bright sh of light before the Governess''s body was bathed in tinum and Gold mes.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 622 Life In The Divine Zone (1)

    <h4>Chapter 622 Life In The Divine Zone (1)</h4>

    While Jessup was lost in thought and finishing up feeding Brance another set of potions, the situation rapidly changed suddenly, and there was a bright sh of light before the Governess''s body was bathed in tinum and Gold mes.

    Instantly jumping back and appearing across the training room, Jessup stared in awe as the mes spread from the Governess to Brance.

    "What the hell¡­" he said while feeling the heat and squinting his eyes against the blinding light.

    Luckily the shfire onlysted a few seconds before vanishing, and with a soft thump, Brance''s body slumped to the padded flooring, unconscious.

    "Did he¡­did he seed," appearing beside the Governess and Brance, he lifted the young man with one arm, ced him down on the open cot, and examined him ocrly to ensure he was still breathing.

    Once confident of the rhythmic rise and fall of Brance''s chest and ignoring how pale the young man had be, Jessup nodded his head, adjusted the Governess''s limp body in his arms, and shifted her into a princess carry.

    Pushing a minute amount of Mana into her body, Jessup quickly realized that she was free and clear of any Death Mana and broke into a warm smile before quickly leaving the room.

    Making his way through the winding hallway and appearing in the living room with the Governess in his arms, Jessup was met by the surprised gasp of the three Samieer children and Gabby, who hadn''t left the room other than to sleep, bathe and eat.

    "Gabby, Brance is unconscious and weak, but if you want to join him in the training room and nurse him back to health, you are free to do so." Speaking with amanding tone befitting his age and wisdom, Jessup stated before looking at the other three worried children.

    "As for your mother, she is ok now; Brance has¡­."

    WOOOOSHHH

    Before Jessup could finish speaking, a gust of wind interrupted him as Gabby, with Milo in her arms, rushed out of the room without another word and raced down to the training room.

    "Hem hem, as I said, your mother is fine now. I am bringing her upstairs to one of the guest rooms, and I want you three to take shifts by her side until she finally wakes up." Wearing an embarrassed expression thanks to the anxious Gabby''s actions, Jessup continued speaking before shooting the three Samieer children a warm smile and heading upstairs with them in tow.

    ***

    In the kitchen, Maeve and Cinyah were ving away, cooking enough food for everyone, while Aiden sat at the table tapping away on his Watcet.

    "Have you heard back from Headmaster Rivia and your husband?" Maeve asked as she stirred a pot of broth on the stovetop with a wooden spoon.

    "No¡­and I don''t expect to anytime soon either, thanks to the particle interference." Releasing a tired sigh, Cinyah stopped chopping vegetables and looked at her best friend.

    After learning about his father''s death at the hands of his children by way of Geralt, Rikard had practically shut down emotionally, bing a husk of his former self until Geralt learned about his moping and beat some sense into the poor man.

    Cinyah was in a much better state than her husband, especially after learning of the safety of both her children. Although Cynrik had disappeared with Selene, she knew he would be fine if they stayed within the Shadow Realm.

    Brance was a different story; although she was anxious because he had spent several days healing people, she knew he was working hard and had left him to Gabby, at Maeve''s advice, since she was such a smothering parent.

    But as she went back to chopping vegetables with expert precision, Cinyah''s mind wandered to the day Jessup and Geralt hade up to inform them that Brance had healed every one of the injured people from the G, except for the Governess, who he was at the time working on.

    That was when Jessup and Geralt informed everyone in the house that he would send Geralt to the city''s outer reaches to deliver those saved by Brance to the forces waiting outside of the Divine Zone.

    Keeping people stored in a stasis-like state for too long would eventually cause adverse effects, so after discussing it between themselves for a day, the two high Tiers had decided it was time to send those stored in Geralt''s skill away.

    The only downside was that Jessup would need to protect Geralt from the Divine Particles long enough for the man to meet up with the military and Government, which wouldn''t be too much of a problem at his Tier.

    Unfortunately, since he had to stay back at the Mansion to keep everyone safe from the radiation, he could only send a single person. However, upon learning about the evacuation mission, Rikard, who could no longer sit still waiting for help, pleaded with Geralt to store him in the spatial confinement and bring him along when he left.

    At first, Cinyah was entirely against this idea since she didn''t wish to part from her husband; however, when she saw life finally after days, returning to Rikard''s eyes, Cinyah knew he needed this trip; thus, she gave in.

    But when it was time for the two to leave, another problem soon cropped up, making the already dangerous mission moreplicated. The particle interference caused by the abundant and radioactive Divine Particles finally corroded and had finished destroying any iing or outgoing technological signals.

    With the loss of cellr capabilities or even so much as an inte signal, everyone in the Mansion was effectively cut off from the outside world. For Geralt and Rikard, it would be a one-way trip withoutmunication until the radiation died down or they found a way to return.

    Still, this didn''t deter either of them from leaving, and after storing Rikard inside his spatial skill, Geralt was coated in a thinyer of Divine Particles by Jessup and sent on his way.

    That was two days ago; without hearing from them, Cinyah could only pray that her husband was safe and sound. The only thing keeping her sane at the moment was that Maeve had been throwing one task after another in her path, all to keep her mind upied so that she wouldn''t end up harping on things.

    And it wasn''t just her that needed to keep active either; spending four days on lockdown was already beginning to wear on everyone in Pinhurst Mansion.

    As such, the adults began holding regr training sessions with the children and effectively started up a small tutoring program for them, which would take up most of the day.

    Luckily the Mansion wasrge enough to handle so many people, and surprisingly, Jessup had been ready for such an unlikely event; thus, there was enough food and water to sustain a small army for well over two years.

    With only Jessup''s estimation on how long they were stuck until the radiation cleared, everyone had to be prepared, from the oldest to the youngest, because they were stuck in the house for the foreseeable future.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 623 Honeymoon In The Shadow Realm (1)

    <h4>Chapter 623 Honeymoon In The Shadow Realm (1)</h4>

    Meanwhile, as everyone in Pinhurst Mansion was adapting to their new lives in quarantine¡­ in the Shadow Realm, Selene''s loud moans were the only sound for kilometers.

    For three full days, the two had been fucking like rabbits, and with their unknown numbered sessioning to a close, Selene copsed beside her man after finishing up riding him and feeling the warm goo swirling around in her womb.

    For three days, they had only taken a break to sleep or eat, and Selene and Cynrik were practically covered from head to toe in bodily fluids since the only activity they had been partaking in was coitus.

    "Huff¡­huff, babe, you are one hell of a woman; how did you even do that thing? You know, the weird gyration thrusty thing? It felt so awesome that I almost passed out then and there." Cynrik asked as he pulled Selene into his embrace while gasping for air.

    "Oh¡­hehe, did you like that? I assure you I am self-taught. Even so, a girl''s gotta have her secrets, but whenever you wanna try that again, just lemmie know, and I am at yourmand, my beloved husband." Selene stated proudly, happy that she found a special technique Cynrik seemed to enjoy.

    "Heh, well, given how high our stats are now, we could probably go on for a full week, but as much as I''d love to enjoy exploring your body until I know every square centimeter by heart, we have to get moving and training."

    nting a gentle kiss on her forehead, Cynrik waved his hand and cleansed their bodies of any crusty or still-moist fluid before sitting up and dragging Selene with him.

    "Aw, but I wanna keep feeling you inside me¡­." Wearing a pouty face, Seleneined, only to get her cheeks squished by Cynrik as he used Mana tendrils to gather their clothes and fold them at the foot of the messy bed.

    "I know, the feeling is mutual, and although I want to continue railing you and hearing those sweet, sexy moans of yours, we can''t be idle for too long." With a smirk, Cynrik picked up a pair ofcy thong underwear and spun them around his finger until Selene had seen enough and snatched them.

    "Jeeze, be more careful; those were expensive." She stated before grabbing her bra, and getting dressed, making Cynrikugh at her in the process.

    As Selene put on each article of clothing, Cynrik''s eyes wandered around her naked body, with sadness rising each time one of her sulent parts became hidden from his sight.

    "Do you n on peeking at me all day, or are you going to get dressed too, darling~." Selene teased as she caught him staring intently at her body.

    "Mm, in a second, I just wanna enjoy the view a little longer," he responded as Selene pulled a thin ck teeshirt over her bra and slid on matching leggings.

    "Silly, I am all yours for eternity; you can look at my body anytime. Didn''t you have ns for us?" Hopping off the bed and stretching out her sore body in a feline manner, Selene ced her hands on her hips and smiled at Cynrik.

    "Sigh, too beautiful, you''re simply too damn beautiful. If we hadn''t been screwing for days, I woulda popped a boner without being able to stop it in time. Anyway, yeah, I have some ns; I can''t let our honeymoon be boring."

    Rolling off the bed, Cynrik got dressed in a sh, cleansed all the fluids off the bed, sheets, nket, and pillows before storing them in his inventory, and pulled up his Status profile.

    "We''ve put it off for too long, so you should go through all the changes our first time brought about. Tobs silenced all the notifications we hadn''t read yet, so give them a good read-through after examining your new Stats."

    "Although our extra-curricr activity was an excellent way to get used to the changes in your body, we still need to get you up to par with the Stat differentials."

    As he spoke, Cynrik set about spending his 2000 Stat points earned from killing Lithlen and Viktor, recouping the 261 points in each of the Stats he had lost to Selene.

    Once that was finished, he then dumped the remaining 1k into his STR and VIT stats, raising them to 4050 points because he was ufortable allowing them tog behind by too much.

    Although it hurt his heart to do so, at the same time, he epted the 2.5% reduction since it hadn''t vanished but instead been used to strengthen Selene, closing the gap between them by a decent margin.

    In the grand scheme, losing a few Stat points, which could eventually be recovered, wasn''t too big of a deal, and it most certainly wasn''t a waste.

    With the points allocated, he moved on and examined all the changes to the new Status Profile.

    : Status :

    : Cynrik Ayke Jetlensr (Ivar the Boneless Ragnarsson):

    : Title - Perfect Clear Expert, Mana Heart, Masochist, Perfect Evolution, Skill Creator, Limit-Breaker, Eiginmaeur of Selene Jetlensr :

    : Demi-Human Male (55% Human, 45% ?sir):

    : Actual Age: 14:

    : Earthling Physical Age Comparison: 21:

    : Tier-3 (PEAK) :

    : Supernatural Stage :

    : Primary ss - Tier-3 Umbral de-Dancer : (+60 DEX, +60 AGI, +50 INT Distribution)

    : Sub-ss - Magik Runic Scribe : (+60 INT, +2 Dex, +60 MIND Distribution)

    : Level: 50/50 CAP: :

    : Prestige Potential Ratio: 0% :

    : SPN-XP Required For PPR- 1%= 100,000 :

    : SPN Stage Essence Pool(SPN-XP): 9,210,677: (-31,210,677)

    : Unconverted Essence Pool: 0 :

    : P-ss (Umbral de-Dancer): 50/50 CAP :

    : S-ss (Magik Runic Scribe) : 50/50 CAP :

    : Distribution: 3(0) STR, 3(62) DEX, 3(60) AGI, 3(110) INT, 3(0) VIT, 3(60) MIND :

    : Mana Codex & Veins Tier-4? :

    : Stage 6 :

    : OdinForce-Codex : Stage 0

    : Supreme Mana Body - Tier-4, 20g Resistance, Divine resistance 5.5g :

    : Credits: 80,000 :

    : Merit Points: 28664 :

    : Regr Stat CAP: 7850 : (STR, VIT)

    : Limit-Broken Stat CAP: 11,775 : (DEX, AGI, INT, MIND)

    : umted Divine Force: 15% :

    : STATS :

    : HP 315,105/315,105 :? 90 Per Point (+45,000)

    : Mana 492,238/492,238 :? 50 Per Point

    : Stamina 58,223/170,600:? 50 Per Point (+25,000)

    : OdinForce: 0/10 Units : (Passively gain 1 Unit every 6 hours)

    : Stat Points- 27 : (30 per level) ss (3)

    : Skill Points- 2915 : (4 per level) ss (3)

    : Strength- 4050 :? (+500)

    : Dexterity- 10,450 :? (-261)/(+261)

    : Agility- 10,450 :? (-261)/(+261)

    : Intelligence- 10,450 :? (-261)/(+261)

    : Vitality- 4050 :? (+500)

    : Mind- 10,450 :? (-261)/(+261)

    : Divinity- LOCKED :

    : SECONDARY STATS :

    : Will Power- 175 :

    : Gem Cutting:0 , XP 10/100 :

    : Luck- 55 :? (+10)

    : PSN Resistance- 25 :

    : Killing Intent- 1123 - 8.25G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG) Tier-4.5 Umbra Maniption (Adept):

    :(SAG) Tier-3.5 Lightning Maniption (Beginner):

    :(AG) Tier-3.5 Fire Maniption (Beginner):

    :(AG) Tier-3.5 Wind Maniption (Beginner):

    Although curious about how much she had grown, especially since he knew her gains were way more than the 2.5% he had lost, when he looked at her, debating on whether or not to ask, Cynrik opted for waiting so that Selene could tell him how much her Stats had increased.

    However, when his eyes picked up the discrepancy with the number indicating his SPN-XP, he quickly opened the unread notifications which had been waiting to be read for three days.

    And what he saw not only surprised him but also confused him to no end. He understood giving Selene his Stats, as that was a given considering they had physically merged their bodies, but his SPN-Xp dropping by a huge margine was shocking.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 624 Honeymoon In The Shadow Realm (2)

    <h4>Chapter 624 Honeymoon In The Shadow Realm (2)</h4>

    Scanning through his Status Profile, Cynrik''s eyes picked up the discrepancy with the number indicating his SPN-XP, and he quickly opened the unread notifications which had been waiting to be read for three days.

    -You have officially mated with a member of the opposite gender for the first time, and since this act has resulted in a Mind, Body, and Soul Imprint, and you have nted your seed in her body, you have given her a part of your Essence (SPN-XP).-

    -WARNING, Any subsequent ejaction within the vagina of a member of the opposite gender from here on out will result in a loss of SPN-XP instead of Basic XP.-

    -You have Ejacted inside of the vagina of your Eiginkona, Selene Jetlensr; since it is the first time, you have lost 25% of your SPN-XP-

    -You have received additional benefits due to taking the Virginity of Selene Jetlensr.-

    -Due to mating with a being of the same Bloodline and the merging and sharing of essence between you and your Eiginkona, your Mana Codex and Veins have Grown Significantly in strength and Size.-

    -Your Mana Codex has evolved to Tier-4.-

    -Your Mana Veins have swollen and strengthened to Tier-4.-

    -Due to mating with a being of the same Bloodline and the merging and sharing of essence between you and your Eiginkona, the purity of your Dark Varient Mana has drastically grown; as such, your Umbral Affinity has evolved.-

    -Your Umbral Maniption has reached the (Adept) Rank.-

    -Your Umbral Maniption has evolved from Tier-3.5 to Tier-4.5-

    -All of your Umbra Affinity Skills have evolved to Tier-4.5.-

    -Due to mating with a being of the same Bloodline and the merging and sharing of essence between you and your Eiginkona, the purity of your ?sir Bloodline has increased.-

    -Current Bloodlines: Human 55%, ?sir 45%.-

    -Your H¨²efl¨²r has merged with your Eiginkona''s, forming a unique and never-before-seen pattern that is only shared between you.-

    -Your H¨²efl¨²r has expanded, covering arger percentage of your body, giving you a massive upgrade to your Mana Maniption Capabilities when activated.-

    - Your New H¨²efl¨²r has been recognized as your new Family Crest and will be passed down to your Children and so on.-

    -WARNING, ALTHOUGH YOUR BLOODLINE HAS INCREASED, YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS AT THIS TIME.-

    -You got lucky; your LUCK Stat has increased by 10 points.-

    Thest notification caused Cynrik to smile bitterly, and if the point increase hadn''t been reflected on his Status Profile, he would have assumed it was a joke made in poor taste by Tobs.

    Pushing that thought aside and seeing the pitiful 9 million SPN-XP remaining in his pool, Cynrik quickly ran the numbers and realized each time he came inside Selene, he was losing 1% of the total XP, which ended up being around 200k each time.

    Since they had been going at it for three days straight, and he was pumping goo into her womb roughly 15-16 times a day, it wasn''t surprising that he had lost nearly the entire 40 million he had earned from killing Lithlen and Viktor.

    With a soft sigh, he turned his head to look at Selene, but when he did, he noticed that her face was so pale that she looked as though she had seen a ghost.

    "Hm¡­what''s wrong, babe?" He asked with concern, watching as she turned her head robotically and opened her mouth repeatedly like a fish out of water.

    "31,210,677 SPN-XP¡­huge stat boosts, titles, bloodline purity change¡­ evolved Codex and Vein Tiers, my Shadow Affinity evolved¡­ I got pregnant another four times¡­and¡­and¡­we are officially fam¡­family."

    Stumbling through her words like a little girl lost in the woods and tearing up from happiness at thest part, Selene couldn''t help but use the bed to keep standing; it was too much for her to handle.

    In the blink of an eye, Cynrik appeared beside Selene and caught her from falling by wrapping his arm around her waist.

    "Yeah¡­we are family now; you are my beloved wife, shield maiden, and Eiginkona. As for the rest of the stuff, now you know what it''s like being Brance and Me." Wearing a soft smile, he sat on the edge of the bed before pulling her into hisp, with her back against his chest, and rested his chin on her shoulder.

    "It''s¡­all just a little overwhelming. I knew my Stats jumped by a lot, but I had no idea that each time you let it out inside me, I would be leeching your XP¡­I''m¡­I''m sorry."

    Putting her head down and feeling ashamed because it was always her pleading for his semen inside, Selene didn''t know what else to say other than sorry.

    "Bah, it''s no big deal; I am already at the Peak of Tier-3, so the only thing my XP is good for is raising my prestige¡­you, on the other hand, need it to level up."

    "I would rather help you get stronger than have it sitting there until I decide to use it; at least that way, you won''t ever fall behind in Levels. So don''t pay it any mind; at the very least, this way, I can quickly help you power level; all we need is a little smexy time and BOOM, fast power up."

    Speaking reassuringly, Cynrik couldn''t help but smile at the thought of Selene practically turning into a Subus who used his "essence" to level up.

    She was definitely hot enough to be that fabled demonkin, so her having the chance to use his milk to get stronger was both ironic and hrious to him.

    Cynrik then started picturing Selene in a skimpy leather bikini with wings, a tail, and horns, and he could feel the blood rushing to his sleeping dragon down below, causing him to take a deep breath and calm down.

    "Uh¡­why do I feel like you are imagining something either super kinky or just in weird right now?" Looking over her shoulder and seeing the sleazy smile on her man''s lips, Selene''s eyes narrowed.

    And her gaze only deepened when she felt movement on her ass cheek, indicating that even after their three-day fuck-fest, Cynrik could still get horny with a simple mental image.

    "Uh¡­because I totally am¡­duh. Anyway, how about you send me your Status profile so we can review it together? I am curious about how much you gained from losing your virginity." Shameless at the fact he had been caught red-handed, Cynrik admitted he was a perv, and when finished speaking, he didn''t forget to whisper in Selene''s ear.

    "You should totally be my little Subus queenter¡­heh."

    Feeling the warm breath tickling her ear and falling into the provocative words her man was whispering, Selene felt her body begin heating up; however, since she was still very sore, and even with her high regeneration was still finding it difficult to move freely, she curbed her lust and took a mental snapshot of her Status Profile before sending it to Cynrik through the Mind Link.

    "HISSSS, holy fuck¡­HOW DOES 2.5% BECOME THAT??" When he began analyzing her numbers, Cynrik couldn''t stop himself from yelling in surprise.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 625 Honeymoon In The Shadow Realm (3)

    <h4>Chapter 625 Honeymoon In The Shadow Realm (3)</h4>

    "HISSSS, holy fuck¡­HOW DOES 2.5% BECOME THAT??" When he began analyzing her numbers, Cynrik couldn''t stop himself from yelling in surprise.

    Since she was sitting in hisp, Selene was subjected to the brunt of his shouts and flinched before looking over her shoulder and giving him a pouty re.

    "Can you not yell directly in my ear, please¡­" She pleaded before grinding her ass against his groin in protest, which mentally brought Cynrik back down to Vinestra as he began scrolling through her newly updated Status Profile.

    "Sorry about that; I was caught off guard by howrge an increase there was in your stats. I only lost 2.5% of my DEX, AGI, INT, and MIND, whereas the boost you got is WAY greater than the measly 2.5%.

    : Status :

    : Selene Jetlensr :

    : Maiden Name - Nilsson :

    : Title - Lost Soul, Svinfylking, Perfect Evolution, Limit-Breaker, Eiginkona of Cynrik Jetlensr :

    : Demi-Human Female (55% Human, 45% ?sir) :

    : Age-17 :

    : Earthling Physical Age Comparison: 21:

    : Tier-3 (Initial) :

    : Supernatural Stage :

    : Primary ss - Tier-3 Valkyrie of the Shadows : (+60 STR, +60 DEX, +50 VIT? Distribution) (INCREASED)

    : Sub-ss - Tier-3 Leather Artisan :(+60 STR, 60 DEX Distribution)? (INCREASED)

    : Level: 0/50 0/100: :

    : SPN Stage Essence Pool(SPN-XP): 31,210,677 :

    : P-ss (Valkyrie of the Shadows): 0/50 0/100 :

    : S-ss (Leather Artisan): 0/50 0/100 :

    : Distribution: 0(120) STR, 3(120) DEX, 3(0) AGI, 3(0) INT, 3(50) VIT, 0(0) MIND :

    : Mana Codex & Veins Tier-4? :? (EVOLVED)

    : Stage 5 :

    : OdinForce-Codex : Stage 0

    : Supreme Mana Body - Tier-4, 15g Resistance, Divine resistance 5.5g : (EVOLVED)

    : Credits: 12,000,000 :

    : Merit Points: 5841 :

    : Regr Stat CAP: 7850 : (STR, VIT)? (INCREASED)

    : Limit-Broken Stat CAP: 11,775 : (DEX, AGI, INT, MIND)

    : umted Divine Force: 15% :? (NEW)

    : STATS :

    : HP 149,320/149,320 :? 80 Per Point

    : Mana 187,555/187,555 :? 40 Per Point? (+104,480)

    : Stamina 74,660/74,660 :? 40 Per Point

    : OdinForce: 10/10 Units : (Passively gain 1 Unit every 6 hours)

    : Stat Points- 0 : (20 per level) ss (3)

    : Skill Points- 203 : (4 per level) ss (3)

    : Strength-? 4274 :

    : Dexterity- 6892 :? (+2612)

    : Agility- 5393 :? (+2612)

    : Intelligence- 4819:? (+2612)

    : Vitality-? 3002 :

    : Mind-? 2162 :? (+2612)

    : Divinity- LOCKED :? (NEW)

    : SECONDARY STATS :

    : Will Power- 100 :

    : PSN Resistance- 25 :? (NEW)

    : Killing Intent- 893 - 7.25 G :

    : Affinity- :

    :(SAG) Tier-4.5 Shadow Maniption (Adept):

    :(SAG) Tier-3 Abyss Maniption (Initial):

    Pursing his lips and gulping down a mouthful of saliva, Cynrik''s eyes narrowed while reading through the new information.

    For starters, aside from the noticeable name change and Bloodline increase, the first big thing he noticed was the change to her Mana body, which was only at the Advanced Rank before.

    Undoubtedly this was what caused the change to her Stat distribution, which was simr to his own now.

    Scrolling, Cynrik nodded as he saw that her Stat Cap had reached his, along with the addition of the Limit-Broken cap for the same Stats which he had unlocked.

    However, when he reached her actual Stat figures, he felt lost. Having only lost 2.5% of his stats to her, Cynrik couldn''t understand why she had obtained 25%, or 2612 points, to the four limit-broken stats instead of receiving the same amount.

    Sensing his confusion, Tobs finally appeared after ignoring them for four days.

    -Before you ask, yes, she got some significant benefits for losing her virginity; after all, a woman''s purity is something special, and by taking it, she is owed something of value in return.-

    -Think of it as a dowry since you two are now officially married.-

    ''Sigh, why do I feel that by sleeping with Selene and forming that Imprint, I have created a monster on par with Brance and Me?'' Cynrik thought ruefully as he could already foresee the shock and awe on everyone''s faces when Selene showed up in the Mansion.

    -Uh¡­because you did. Initially, Selene''s growth potential was quite a bit below that of yours and Brance''s, but now¡­well, now she has officially be as much of a freak as you both. ¨C

    Shrugging her shoulders and floating over to rest on top of Selene''s head, Tobs didn''t know what else to say. It wasn''t like she had a hand in deciding what got buffed for the two.

    The only hand she had in things was distributing the rewards and boosts based on the CSH''s judgment, meaning, at best, she was a middleman.

    "Whew, I gotta say, Sel¡­you really made off like a bandit this time." Finally epting everything he had read as fact, Cynrik stated, causing Selene to squirm in hisp happily.

    "It''s pretty surprising; if I had known it would be so beneficial making love with you, I would have pushed the topic harder in the past than I did."

    "Just think, if we had crossed the line back at the Academy, I could have been more helpful during your big fight." Starting her statement strong and filled with excitement, her words trailed off near the end, and she spoke them in a whisper.

    "Sigh, even if you were powered up, I still wouldn''t have allowed that; you know it was something Brance and I needed to do alone. I didn''t even allow Geralt to make a move throughout the fight, and if you had stuck around, although there wouldn''t have been much I could have done to stop you, I would have been agitated at your presence and lost myposure during the battle."

    "I''m sure you saw the aftermath caused by our ultimate attacks, and if you were too close when Brance''s went off, I would have been pushed to decide between saving you or Geralt, and we both know I would have chosen you 10 out of 10 times."

    "Without having enough time to save Geralt, he would have been killed, and who knows what the hell kind of damage that would have caused to our social lives, let alone VSFA." Reaching his arms around her, Cynrik squished her thighs with his hands and began kneading the plump flesh like dough with his fingers.

    "Anyway, let''s not think about that too much; we are on our honeymoon, so we shouldn''t bring up depressing topics like this. Plus,? you still have something important to do before we can go out and y, so you should get on that." Releasing her thighs from his clutches, Cynrik gave them a gentle pat before picking Selene up off hisp and cing her on the bed beside him.

    "Huh¡­OH, wait, are you telling me to power level all my Levels until I am at the Peak of Tier-3?" Feeling sad she couldn''t sit in hisp longer, Selene allowed Cynrik to ce her down without fuss and tilted her head in confusion before understanding what he was talking about.

    "Yep, with 31 million SPN-XP, you can shoot to the top instantly since you need less than one mil to cap all three levels. I wanna explore the Shadow Realm and Divine Zone; I need you in tip-top shape, so get to it, Ma Petite." Wearing a teasing smile, Cynrik got up and urged Selene to start distributing her XP.

    ''I wonder if there will be a phenomenon like with Brance¡­." Cynrik thought as Selene''s body started turning pink, then red, and soon enough, she began emitting a fierce heat.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 626 Honeymoon In The Shadow Realm (4)

    <h4>Chapter 626 Honeymoon In The Shadow Realm (4)</h4>

    ''Hm? Well, that''s unexpected; hey, Tobs, it seems my assumption that already having the Limit-Breaker title would reduce the strain of a mass stat boost was incorrect.'' Cynrik thought while stepping back and shielding his face from the heat radiating off Selene''s body.

    -Yes and no. You were correct in your assumption that Selene''s life wouldn''t be jeopardized; however, her body will still struggle to limate to such a significant increase in stat points.-

    -It is no different than overfilling a gas tank, only in this case, instead of petrol, you have Mana, and that excess Mana has to go somewhere, or at the very least get burned off.-

    -I will say there was absolutely zero hesitation in how Selene rapidly increased her levels. Starting first with her Primary, then ss, and even as we speak, she is allocating her free points.-

    ''I didn''t expect her to jump right into it, but I guess she is a bit over-excited about going out to explore.'' Understanding that it would take Selene a little while to finish up, Cynrik pulled out a chair from his inventory and sat down, waiting for her toplete the process.

    Meanwhile, Selene was sweating buckets, and although she was experiencing a lot of pain physically, thanks to the significant increase in power, it was tolerable thanks to her high Will Power Stat.

    As he waited patiently, a sudden thought popped into Cynrik''s mind, and he felt the need to address something he noticed while reading Selene''s info.

    ''Tobs, why did she get my PSN Resistance Stat? The other stuff makes sense, but the fact that she was able to get one of my Secondary Stats and even have it unlocked at 25% as mine seems like a bit of a stretch.

    -Fuck if I know; maybe if you didn''t continuously nut inside of her, there wouldn''t be weird after-effects.-

    Rolling her eyes and wearing a grossed-out expression, Tobs felt like crying. It was bad enough that she had to type out each notification before sending it to her hosts, but knowing about Cynrik and Selene''s sex life seriously grossed her out to no end.

    It was like walking in on her parents having sex, and she felt nothing except disgust every time the topic was brought up.

    ''Sheesh, no need to get all testy Tobs; it was just a question.'' Smirking bitterly, Cynrik looked out the hut''s window and activated [Mana Sight] to observe the situation outside.

    ''Sigh, as expected, there is absolutely no change in the particle density, I figured it would at the very least taper off a bit down here, but it seems that the Divine Particles will be sticking around for some time.''

    -It''s not that surprising, although there is a barrier separating the Shadow Realm and Reality, and there is ack of non-Dark Varient Mana down here; that doesn''t mean the Divine Particles will disperse any quicker than they would above.-

    Floating off of Cynrik''s shoulder, where she had been since Selene began her power leveling, Tobs flew over to the window sill, looked out over the vast ruinous area of the Shadow Realm, and scrunched up her face in thought.

    ''It sucks that we capped out at 15% here in the 5.5g zone, I was hoping that by staying here, we would be able to leach off the particles for a while, but s, of course, things nevere free, and easy.'' Cynrik mused as he examined the abundant Divine Particles in detail.

    -You should probably look behind you; that "phenomenon" you spoke of is about to trigger.-

    While Cynrik was lost in thought and staring out into the Shadow Realm, Tobs brought him back on track, causing him to spin around just as an overbearing Aura pulsated from Selene''s body.

    Starting with a swirl of Royal Blue and Purple Aura, therge Astral Form of a Beautiful Woman with tinum blond hair and crystal blue eyes manifested behind Selene, unmoving and with a gentle, loving expression as she looked down on Cynrik.

    "Freya¡­" Cynrik whispered under his breath as he felt a sense of sadness, no doubt attached to Odin''s divinity, wash over him.

    Her crystal blue eyes hid the sorrow and anguish she had experienced in her long lifetime, and as the astral form of Freya met Cynrik''s gaze, her smile broadened before she looked down at Selene.

    ''This feeling¡­'' Clutching at his chest, Cynrik could feel tears threatening to spill over, but he quickly reeled it in and offered the image of Freya a tender smile, akin to what a loving son would give his mother.

    "I don''t know if you are a fragment of her Soul or what you are, but thank you, Freya¡­thank you for saving my Selene and bringing her to me." Although he spoke in a whisper, Cynrik''s words were from the heart.

    Surprisingly, the Astral being seemed to have heard his words and looked back toward him and away from Selene before offering him a weak smile as a single tear drop rolled down her cheek, and she faded into nothingness, a sign that Selene had finished consolidating her new stats.

    Unfortunately, she was unaware that the act of her pushing both her STR and DEX passed their original cap and into the limit-break territory had manifested the Astral Projected phenomenon, so Cynrik quickly straightened himself up before Selene opened her eyes.

    "Fuck¡­that was rough¡­" Selene said with a voice filled with exhaustion as she fell onto her back on the bed.

    "Hubby~ fire bath, please. I feel so gross and sweaty." Lying on her back and swinging her legs back and forth while they hung off the edge of the bed, Selene spoke with a coquettish tone.

    "Heh, treating your beloved husband like a manservant now, are we, hmm¡­see if I don''t punish you in bedter for that." Shaking his head but still rattled from what he had seen seconds earlier, Cynrik snapped his fingers, and a thinyer of ckFire cleansed Selene''s body from head to toe.

    "Fufu, don''t promise me a good time and not follow through, my beloved Maeur. So, are you ready for my awesome new Stats? Although it hurt like a mother fucker, it was totally worth it." Sitting up quickly and slightly hyper, Selene quickly sent her new Status to Cynrik when she saw him nod.

    : STATS :

    : HP 361,320/361,320 :? 80 Per Point? (+212,000)

    : Mana 210,755/210,755 :? 40 Per Point? (+23,200)

    : Stamina 180,660/180,660 :? 40 Per Point? (+106,000)

    : OdinForce: 0/10 Units : (Passively gain 1 Unit every 6 hours)

    : Stat Points- 10 : (20 per level) ss (3) (+1300)

    : Skill Points- 553 : (4 per level) ss (3) (+350)

    : Strength-? 10,274 :? (+6000)

    : Dexterity- 11,775 :? (+4883)

    : Agility- 5973 :? (+580)

    : Intelligence- 4819:? (+580)

    : Vitality-? 5652 :? (+2650)

    : Mind-? 2592 :? (+430)

    : Divinity- LOCKED :

    Reading it through, Cynrik let out a sigh before speaking.

    "You know, I should have expected this¡­well, congrattions, you have finally surpassed me in something. Not only that, but you are the first of the three of us to reach the Tier-3 Limit-Break cap. Good job!" With a bitter smile, Cynrik walked over and gave Selene a soft peck on the lips before pulling her to her feet.

    "Now, let''s go explore!"

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 627 Honeymoon In The Shadow Realm (5)

    <h4>Chapter 627 Honeymoon In The Shadow Realm (5)</h4>

    Stepping out of the hut while hugging Cynrik''s arm between her breasts, Selene looked around curiously before turning her eyes toward him.

    "So, what''s the n? Combat Training? Grav Training? OH OH!!! Are we gonna roley archeologists and explore these ancient ruins for hidden treasures?"

    Thump

    "What goes on in that head of yours? Why does it seem that it''s only ever filled with either lewd thoughts or nonsense?" Wearing a faint smile, Cynrik reached forward, flicked Selene on the forehead, and rolled his eyes.

    "Owie¡­why did you flick meee¡­I totally didn''t deserve that!"

    Ignoring herint, wince, and pouty face, Cynrik allowed her to pull down a bit to rub the spot of contact.

    "I have something MUCH more entertaining in store for you, my dear; now, look to the sky and tell me what you see." Scooping her chin and pointing her face toward Reality, Cynrik noticed the confused expression that hade about after her pouty face dissolved.

    "Uh¡­I see Mansions, a shopping za¡­and many wrecked cars and stuff¡­am I supposed to see something outside of the box? Cause if so, I don''t think I follow you this time, darling."

    "Unfortunately, some of us don''t have cheat vision, so I can''t see things in multicolors and through walls." With a squint, Selene looked from the sky down to Cynrik and back.

    "Sigh, hm¡­of all the things you didn''t get from fucking me, it just had to be [Mana Sight] that was left out." Grumbling while ring at the fairy using his woman''s head like a throne, Cynrik reached down and scooped Selene into his arms in a princess carry before jumping into the air.

    "What lies before us is a fully stocked and dead City that only we can freely traverse." Expelling a burst of mes from the soles of his feet, Cynrik flew up toward the barrier between worlds and hovered in ce while using his free arm to wave toward the inner parts of Valor City.

    "Against my better judgment, we didn''t get to capitalize on all the people getting murked by the Divine Force¡­.HOWEVER, COMA, that doesn''t mean we can''t sneak in and do some piging, as our heritage so begs."

    "My beloved Kona, it is time¡­to go a VIKING!" Practically shouting in glee, Cynrik''s eyes gleamed with mischief for the first time in a long time.

    "You¡­you just wanted to use the word Viking as a verb¡­didn''t you." But unlike what he had expected for a response, Selene began teasing him over his proper use of the term Viking instead.

    "What¡­no..no, it simply was the most adequate word given our situation." Looking away with a scoff, Cynrik fumbled through the statement causing Selene to giggle.

    "Pige, loot, ransack, all three could have been used, but you went for Viking instead; teehee, my Maeur, you are so cute sometimes." Teasing him further, Selene wrapped her arms around Cynrik''s neck and gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

    "If you want to go a Viking, I, as your Eiginkona, am more than happy to join you. So how do we do this, are we just gonna jump into Reality in our stealth modes and sneak in, or do you have another idea?" Selene asked while rubbing her cheek against Cynrik''s.

    "There is no need for unnecessary steps; with my skill, we can easily jump into any space, so long as I can locate a proper entry point." Shrugging his shoulders and enjoying the sensation on the right side of his face, Cynrik smacked his lips and found his lust rising.

    Taking a deep breath and pushing that feeling down, he then began surveying the surrounding neighborhood until his eyes finally locked in on a particrlyrge mansion, specifically the massive cache of items in the basement vault below the four-story tall, 20-bedroom home.

    "Oh, now what do we have here..." Expelling a short burst of fire, Cynrik flew himself and Selene toward said Mansion, and while he examined the vault in detail, Selene got bored because all she could see was the concrete foundation of the building.

    "Care to fill in us lowly beings without cheat eye skills on what you have found under this p of concrete, darling~?" Sheined with pleading eyes that went unnoticed.

    "There''s a vault hidden in the basement of this Mansion, and from what I can tell, it is chalked full of goodies ripe for the taking."

    As he narrated his inspection, Cynrik was vaguely aware that Tobs had left Selene''s head and was looking up at the vault beside him, so when he caught the movement out of the corner of his eye, Cynrik nced at her before answering Selene''s question.

    -Hey, you do know that you can share your vision with her if you channel your Imprint¡­right?-

    The tiny fairy stated matter of factly, Causing Cynrik to flinch and Selene to look at them both with strange eyes.

    "Um¡­Tobs, I don''t mean to call you out, but if he does that, won''t we start making love again, only this time in the air? Not that I mind; it''s just I am still very sore and need a bit of a break before we can jump back into it." Subconsciously gyrating her hips, Selene furthered her exnation.

    "The couple of times we experimented with our Imprint over the past few days, everything became heated, and our bodies became hypersensitive. I am just worried that if we DO, we will lose more time."

    Unfortunately, Selene''s words were perceived strangely by Tobs, and since she didn''t want to acknowledge the human mating ritual her two hosts had partaken in for days, she quickly scolded her.

    -Don''t be dumb, Selene, the bond created by your Imprint far surpasses the need for direct physical intimacy; in fact, either one of you can trigger the activation of your Mind, Body, and Soul Imprint, with a simple thought without any gross bodily functions; however, it has to be a joint effort to sustain it.-

    Flitting over, Tobs quickly smacked Selene on the same spot which Cynrik had flicked earlier before returning to his shoulder and ignoring the pout and aggrieved bodynguage Selene was exhibiting.

    "Yeah, I know that we can share our senses; it''s not like I didn''t read your notification, it''s just that we haven''t had time to adapt to it yet, and until we have, I don''t want to willy nilly rely on the Mind, Body, and Soul Imprint." Rubbing Selene''s back forfort, Cynrik snorted at Tobs and tried shaking her off his shoulder to no avail.

    "Plus, there isn''t much to see right now, and if I push Selene into the deep end of the pool without allowing her a chance to adjust to the crazy shit [Mana Sight] does to your eyes, I won''t even consider it as a usible idea."

    "Brance and I have had years to adapt to the sudden influx of visual information, but Selene hasn''t; if she suddenly sees the world as we do, her brain won''t be able to register or even understand what she is viewing, so I have to formte a training regiment for her, which I haven''t had the time to do as of yet."

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 628 Honeymoon In The Shadow Realm (6)

    <h4>Chapter 628 Honeymoon In The Shadow Realm (6)</h4>

    **Hey, Yall, sorry about my absence the past few days. I have been in Florida for IRL Brance''s Bachelor Party. I will also be gone from July 5th to 11th because he''s GETTING MARRIED; THE CRAZY BASTARD IS ACTUALLY GETTING MARRIED. Anyway, I will try to build up enough chapters to get some out for both series during that time, but I make no promises.**

    ---

    ---

    ---

    "So I have to formte a training regiment for her, which I haven''t had the time to do as of yet," Cynrik stated while looking away from the pouting Selene back toward the sky.

    -True, she does need the full notebook of information you two havee up with over the years. At least that way, she won''t freeze up and be helpless due to the flood of visual info entering her brain.-

    "Regardless, I n on doing it when I get some free time, anyway, Sel, one hundred by hundred-meter squared room, thick reinforced Alloy and Concrete walls, and a big ass bank vault door." Releasing her legs so they could dangle, Cynrik''s right arm slid around Selene''s waist, and he held her beside him as the two hovered not far from the barrier between realms.

    "Contents?" She asked while squinting up at the Mansion''s foundation in an attempt to gleam any minute detail.

    "Not really sure what I am looking at, but based on their size and Mana signature, there are various materials, from creature parts to ores, for crafting, I even see a few weapons, nothing that is better than our gear, but still, they have value."

    "Since quite a few different Mana types are floating around in the Vault, I assume the homeowners must have had corresponding Affinities, Wind, Water, Ice, and Psychic, so at the very least, I can pick up some resources for the others."

    "I still have a few unanswered questions, so let me look around real quick." Looking down and waiting for her approval, Cynrik saw Selene nod before speeding around underneath the Mansion.

    After a couple of minutes of searching, he returned to the spot he picked underneath the Vault, and his left eye twitched slightly while Cynrik ran his tongue along the inside of his bottom teeth, which in turn caused his cheek muscles to constrict ever slightly.

    These small micro-actions would generally go unnoticed by anyone unless they were highly familiar with Cynrik; luckily, the person in his embrace was perfectly attuned to his small expression, so she spoke up.

    "What''s wrong?" Selene asked after identifying the small facial movements as abination of annoyance and deep thought.

    "Hmmm, well, good news and bad news. The good news is that I found a whole family of dead bodies across the house, so we don''t have to worry abouting in contact with hostiles upon entering the premises."

    "It wasn''t a small one either; I counted 28 squished bodies, young and old people who have been practically liquidized." With a shrug of his shoulders, Cynrik''s eye twitched again as his vision zoomed in on the area inside of the Vault.

    If Brance were around to hear his older brother casually talking about an entire family, with young children included, sttered on the ground of their home, dead due to the intense gravitational force brought about by the Divine Particle Zone, he would spit blood and fly off the handle in rage.

    "Tsk, no free XP then, sigh; it''s to be expected, though, we did spend three days going at it, and it has been four since the G; I doubt there would be anyone still alive this deep into the zone. And the bad news?" Completely uninterested in the family, only giving them a passing thought because she couldn''t get more XP from their Deaths, Selene ignored their existence and wanted to hear what was annoying her beloved.

    "Woman, didn''t that amazingly tight cave between your legs suck enough XP from my poor dragon¡­tsk?" ncing down at Selene with a strange expression, Cynrik scolded her, which in turn caused the youngdy to smile up at him and giggle.

    "Don''t act like you don''t absolutely love being inside my pussy for as long as possible, Darllling~. You were the one who gave in and continuously came inside me repeatedly, I may add." Selene teased while reaching down and taking a moment to pat his dick like a small animal.

    "HMPH! Anyway, the bad news is there is a metric fuckton of cameras and surveince devices positioned in nearly every avable ess point, so much so that there are absolutely zero blind spots, and every camera oveps with at least four others, creating a grid."

    "And the reason we can''t just stealth in with my Void form¡­is because there is some type of device that registers any iing Mana particles¡­right?" Finding it strange that he would be annoyed by cameras alone, Selene thought for a moment beforeing up with the only usible idea she could think of.

    "Correct, the grid is formed of multiple invisible light forms, which create a 3d model of the room on a microscopic level, which in turn allows the devices which monitor the iing information to determine if any unnecessary or unexpected Mana particles are entering the room."

    Raising the corner of his lips into a bitter smile, Cynrik didn''t forget to praise his Kona for her quick thinking in the form of a gentle kiss on the lips and a pat on the head, leaving Selene practically purring in happiness at the attention.

    "If it were just the cameras, you wouldn''t be annoyed, so I figured it had to be some advanced form of technology." Using a proud of herself tone, Selene puffed out her chest in pride, causing her melons to giggle slightly and attract Cynrik''s eyes.

    "Indeed, you did well in identifying the problem without actually seeing the situation. Because of this grid and its corresponding devices, we can''t recklessly rush in and start stealing everything, nor can I open a portal from below and drag it down because the instant my Manaes in contact with the grid, which covers every square inch of the room, rms will go off, or at least that''s what I suspect will happen."

    "Well, I don''t think the rms are the problem so much as we would be leaving visual proof we were there. Which means we can no longer enter from below the Vault and now have to go through the house," Selene added as she caught on and followed his train of thought.

    "Yep, frankly, I am surprised that the tech is still working correctly, and if I couldn''t see it for myself with [Mana Sight], I would have automatically assumed the G-force crushed everything because we are presently in the 8g zone."

    Pausing, Cynrik nced at the iing silent notification windows popping up to the left of his face, indicating he was once again progressing toward unlocking his Divinity Stat.

    "Although I don''t know for sure since I am not familiar with the devices themselves, it is safe to assume there are particle traps, which will draw in our distinct Mana Signatures and send them off to the proper authorities; it''s no different from leaving behind fingerprints at the scene of the crime."

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 629 Honeymoon in The Shadow Realm (7)

    <h4>Chapter 629 Honeymoon in The Shadow Realm (7)</h4>

    "Wait¡­that''s a thing? Mana scanners? I didn''t even know they existed¡­." Selene stated while looking up at Cynrik from his embrace.

    "Well, with the level of technology in our country, it isn''t too surprising, but as I said, I am only guessing about the function of these particr devices."

    "Realistically, they can serve no other purpose in my eyes. It would be too strange for something smaller than my fist to be a power source, and I have already located the transfer nodes and connecting circuit breakers." As Cynrik spoke, his left eye continuously twitched in annoyance.

    "From what I can tell, those little boxes, of which there are 12, two on the ceiling, floor, and each wall of the room, draw in particles in a thirty-second cycle."

    "So, kind of like a vacuum cleaner or something to that extent?" Nodding in understanding, Selene added her input as a sign that she understood his exnation, even if it was a bit more long-winded.

    "Un, and I can assure you they aren''t cleaning the room or even drawing the particles in to supply power to the vast and intricate Runic Arrays covering every square inch of the vault."

    "The reason I am so confident is theputer chips housed in each one of these boxes; however, without actually going inside the vault and breaking open one of the boxes, I can''t be certain, so we will go with what you said, and infiltrate the house first, then make our move down to the basement level vault, which should be around 100 meters under the ground."

    With that said, Cynrik didn''t wait for a response from Selene and flew across the floor n of therge Mansion toward one of the many entrance doors to the building.

    When the couple arrived at what Cynrik deemed an appropriate entrance point, he sniffled and activated his stealth skill before drawing all the Mana that generally coats the outer body inside instead.

    Selene did the same thing in his arms, as it was one of the first techniques he had taught her when she joined MyrkLys¡ªalthough not difficult, drawing your Mana in acted in such a way that it would conceal your presence to the extreme, eliminating your chances of having a sensible Mana Signature.

    Partner this concealing technique with their stealth skills; they would practically be invisible to any wandering eyes or machines attempting to monitor their advances.

    Yet, even with thisbo of stealth and concealment, Cynrik wasn''t entirely confident about breaking into the vault unnoticed in an untraceable way. Thus he had formed a n to ensure they got in and out of the Mansion without leaving so much as a single Mana particle behind.

    Floating up toward the house''s foundation, Cynrik extended his left arm toward the barrier between realms, adjusting Selene in his embrace, and opened a portalrge enough for them to return to reality.

    [[We are far enough away from Brance that he won''t be able to spy on us, so using the Mind link is fine; try not to make any noise since there are recording devices everywhere.]] Touching down on a soft, plush, and overly expensive area rug, Cynrik released Selene and looked around the room cautiously.

    [[Kay, ima go upstairs and see if thedy of the house has any expensive clothes I can swipe¡­steal¡­uh¡­borrow.]] sping her hands behind her back and shooting him a cute, teasing smile, Selene''s eyes drifted toward a sizeable grand staircase; however, Cynrik quickly reached forward and grabbed her hand, halting the youngdy''s movement.

    [[Unless you are a fat, middle-aged woman, there won''t be anything that fits you. Follow me, and you''ll understand.]] Cynrik said as he proceeded to drag Selene by the hand through the parlor and into arge sitting room where all the furniture had been ttened by the intense 8g of pressure.

    [[Ew¡­is that¡­]] When they entered the sitting room, Selene sneered and smacked her lips in disgust because all around the ttened furniture were puddles of gory goop.

    [[Yep, say hello to the bulk of the family that used to live here, and THAT¡­ enormous bulky puddle was the so-calleddy of the house.]] Pointing at the remains of a female skeleton surrounded by marginally more skin, fat, blood, and goo than the other puddles in the room, Cynrik smirked and continued speaking.

    [[Judging by how muchrger that puddle is whenpared to the others, it''s safe to say she was quite therge woman when alive. So yeah, raiding her closet will only you a bunch of oversized gaudy clothing.]]

    [[But hey, if you think you can fit in dresses the size of a refrigerator, more power to you.]]Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik poked out his bottom lip with his tongue and fought the urge tough.

    Standing beside her man, Selene looked away from the bloody mess of a scene back to Cynrik. Unbothered by his teasing, she was more amazed than confused that he could tell so much by looking at the bloody puddles.

    However, when she remembered that he could practically rebuild scenarios in his head, she didn''t find it too strange, and with a short nod, Selene crept closer and examined the nearest pile of goo in detail.

    [[Oh¡­that''s interesting, but not surprising¡­]] While Selene was lost in thought and admiring Cynrik''s overpowered brain, his voice brought her out of the thought fog, and she watched him gingerly pad over to one of the farthest puddles, one significantly smaller than the one that was once thedy of the house.

    Without any hesitation or signs of being grossed out, Cynrik bent down and swiped an object from the center of the puddle before giving it a few shakes to extricate any partictes, revealing a Watcet, undamaged and in apparent working order.

    Unlike the one on his wrist, or even Selene''s, the unbound device in Cynrik''s hand was no longer in its small smartwatch form and instead was the size of a Pip-boy (Watch-like device from the Fallout Series.)

    [[Since we never take ours off, I always knew they could handle a lot of g-forces, but I didn''t think they could survive without a host''s Mana; quite interesting if you ask me.]] He said with excitement in his otherwise emotionless voice.

    [[Nerrrrrrrd!]] Hearing this, Selene couldn''t help but curve her lips into a smirk and tease him, causing Cynrik to whip his head around and re.

    [[Listen here, woman, keep quoting Brance and see if I don''t punish you by taking a vow of celibacy for the next six months.]] Cynrik snorted before holding up his right arm and attempting to hack into the unlinked Watcet.

    [[WHAT!!!! There is no fucking way you can go that long, LET ALONE ME!]] Unlike Cynrik, who was perfectly calm when stating he wouldn''t have sex for six months, Selene, although knowing he was only teasing, felt panic set in at his words.

    [[Try me, babe; I can just throw myself into the never-ending backlog of projects and experiments I have; that will upy me just fine.]] Looking up from the device in his hand, Cynrik shot her a look that practically screamed, "Fuck around and Find out," shutting Selene up instantly.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 630 Honeymoon in The Shadow Realm (8)

    <h4>Chapter 630 Honeymoon in The Shadow Realm (8)</h4>

    **AYO, AS I WAS FINISHING THIS CHAPTER, Joe_jo_3480 DROPPED A FUCKING SPACECRAFT ON OUR HEADS!!! HYPE IN THE CHAT!!**

    [[Try me, babe; I can just throw myself into the never-ending backlog of projects and experiments I have; that will upy me just fine.]] Looking up from the device in his hand, Cynrik shot her a look that practically screamed, "Fuck around and Find out," shutting Selene up instantly.

    [[TSK, that''s fucking annoying]] after a couple of minutes of hacking, Cynrik clicked his tongue and thought aloud.

    [[What? Can''t break into the software?]] Tilting her head to the side as she walked up alongside him, Selene chirped.

    [[No, I got in, no problem, but there are no outgoing or iing signals. The Divine Zone and abundant particles seem to have shut down allmunication with the outside world.]]

    [[When we left the Shadow Realm, I had already found it weird that I didn''t have a signal or texts from Brance, but I paid that fact no attention; now I understand why.]] He said while opening his inventory and tossing the power down Watcet inside.

    [[Hold on, does that mean we don''t have to worry about the devices inside of the Vault sending out that signal you were talking about?]] Crossing her arms under her breasts, Selene watched as Cynrik went around to every one of the puddles around the room to retrieve, clean, and hack into all the unbound Watcets.

    [[Yes and no, although we won''t have to worry about them immediately sending our data to whatever uplink tform they use, it will still happen when the Divine Zone dissolves¡­ whenever the hell that is.]]

    [[So our objective stays the same as before I had this information, we need to locate the control room or security office, and deactivate all of the surveince gear, then we have unrestrained ess to the Vault,e on, there are still more people-puddles scattered around the house, and I have some ideas for the extra Watcets, especially since they are the most expensive and up-to-date versions on the market.]]

    Waving his hand to direct Selene to follow him, Cynrik left the sitting room and, with his woman in tow, navigated the Mansion to where he could see more people-puddles.

    While they explored the building and retrieved any Watcets they came across, neither missed the opportunity to steal anything of considerable value, from expensive-looking jewelry torge paintings.

    Not even the multiple Holo-Tvs, tablets, andputers were spared and ended up in their inventories since Cynrik could easily wipe their drives and make them good as new.

    Finally, after an hour of exploring and looting, Cynrik and Selene arrived before arge metal door on the third floor.

    [[Hm¡­well, I can''t say they don''t have brains; this family used a simr protocol to the one I put on our condo¡­]] Cynrik mused as he brought up his arm and hacked into therge touch-tablet wall panel.

    TSSSSSSSSTT

    And with a loud, depressurized hiss, the metal door slid into the wall, revealing a sizable room filled with monitors and disys.

    [[Holy shit, it looks like a spaceshipmand bridge in here,]] Selene stated in awe as she followed Cynrik into the room like a puppy.

    [[Meh, I''ve seen better¡­still, it''s a good thing outsidemunication is down because even with our stealth skills, our shadows still appear on camera if we get toocent; anyway, it''s going to take some time for me to break into the system, you are free to go rummage about and try to locate any swipeable gubbins.]]

    Sitting at the sizeable captain-stylemand chair, Cynrik linked his Watcet to the console and began typing swiftly on the multiple keyboards.

    [[Mmm, okay, I''ll also see if there is anything for me to cook up, we can only eat field rations for so long, and I am dying for a good meal. With how wealthy this family was, I am sure there is a bunch of decent Creature meat we can munch on.]]

    [[OH, we also found that wine cer earlier, so we can bev it up a little with dinner or, err¡­I guess lunch since it''s only 2 pm.]]

    Leaning around the captain''s chair, Selene gave Cynrik a peck on the cheek and ran out of the security office to begin her search.

    Watching her leave and run around the Mansion on one of the security cameras, Cynrik smiled lightly and couldn''t help but chuckle, seeing how hyper Selene was acting.

    ''Sigh, it''s going to take me some time to get used to being so physically affectionate with her; it has been a long while since I had a connection so deep. Still, I don''t hate it.''

    Reaching up and touching his cheek, part of his attention was directed to the events of thest couple of days with Selene.

    ''Never thought I''d get married, let alone be okay with having kids. Heh, I, who was always so against being tied down, have ended up settling down in my second life; maybe I am getting soft.''

    Cynrik thought, but soon he felt a gentle smack on his forehead, and he looked up only to find a pouting Tobs had just kicked him in the head.

    -It''s called growing up and maturing, you moron. I know your Earth love life was a series of failed long-term rtionships, followed by a never-ending string of short ones or one-night stands, but that doesn''t mean there isn''t room for you to grow as a person.-

    -Still, the you of now has grown so much from when we first met, hell you were practically an emotionless robot sh killing machine back then who only cared about Brance.-

    -I wouldn''t call the changes massive, but you have be less¡­burn the world and less stabby¡­ so I guess that can be considered an improvement.-

    With a shrug of her shoulders and a p of her tiny wings, Tobsnded atop Cynrik''s head and sat down cross-legged.

    ''Oi, what do you mean I was "burn the world"¡­I get the stabby part, but what are you on about Tobs? Are you trying to say I used to be a pyromaniac who wanted to burn everything in sight?''

    Rolling his eyes and looking back at the array of monitors, Cynrik''s hands never stopped moving, a perk of his multiple attention channels.

    -Pfft, it wasn''t that long ago when your first thought was to scorch everything around, lest we forget about how you set an ENTIRE HOTEL filled with trapped children on fire as a distraction.-

    ''And I would do it again tomorrow if it meant getting out of there in one piece; that was a valid and useful n, and you know that.''

    -Valid and useful doesn''t always morally align with the rest of your group Cynrik, especially Brance. Only Selene would go along with it because, like you, she doesn''t give a shit about anyone other than the members of MyrkLys, but even they pale inparison to you.-

    ''Heh, my little Yandere wifey. I can''t wait to see her fuck up any whore who tries getting close to me¡­whew that will be a scene for the ages.''

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 631 Honeymoon in The Shadow Realm (9)

    <h4>Chapter 631 Honeymoon in The Shadow Realm (9)</h4>

    While being lost in thought, Cynrik spent the better part of an hour breaking into the security Systems, and luckily it wasn''t something that took much brain power and only required time and a lot ofmand prompts.

    While wrapping up the final data-drive wipe and powering it all down, Selene walked in carrying multiple tes filled with expensive yet delicious-smelling food.

    "I''ve got early dinner piping hot and ready to be devoured, darling~," Selene said while sauntering over and cing down two tes filled with a perfect bnce of vegetables and meat onto an open spot on themand column to her husband''s Right.

    "It smells good; what is it," finishing up his task and shutting the surveince systems fully down before ensuring they were wholly wiped of evidence, Cynrik took the first of two tes and gave it a good sniff.

    "Although I know you aren''t fond of veggies, the greens are from a Tier-3 nt creature known for its beneficial effects such as increased resource stat regeneration." Pulling a chair from her inventory and sitting beside her man, Selene exined the meal''s contents.

    "I figured since we are going to be running around, having a resource stat buff will help us stay out longer; as for the meat, ites from Tier-4 creatures, a mix of a wingless bird called the Vaorian Roosting Crane and Mind Rinooxen."

    "The Crane meat gives an AGI buff, while the Rinooxen provides an STR with a STAM buff." As she finished detailing the contents of the food, Selene handed Cynrik a fork and knife while he brought out two cups and filled them with a light green soda.

    "Oh, an STR and STAM buff. Are you trying to tell me you wanna have some fun in between our raids?" Wearing a knowing smile, Cynrik stabbed into the poultry first and took a decent-sized portion before munching away while making a pleased grunt.

    "What¡­no..why would I everrrr~," However, Selene, knowing she had been caught red-handed, could only smirk and speak sarcastically.

    "It''s delicious as always, babe, and from what I am tasting, I can tell you used those spices I like." Giving Selene a wink, Cynrik chowed down before sipping his drink.

    "Well, of course, I did; what kind of wife doesn''t know what her husband likes to eat best? I always have a stock of your favorites in my inventory for situations like this." With a smile, Selene, too, dug in and made happy noises as she enjoyed the food.

    For the next few minutes, the couple chatted while eating, and when they were finished, Cynrik used ckFire to clean the dishes before storing them in his inventory.

    He then followed up by cleansing the security office of any trace evidence he may have left behind before ncing around and sniffling.

    "Alright, everything is in order; let''s do a final scan of the house, take whatever we please, and then head down into the basement." Stretching out his back, which released several loud pops, Cynrik guided Selene out of the security office and toward the sitting room where most of the family''s remains resided.

    Now that they no longer needed to worry about being seen on camera or heard on recording devices, Cynrik and Selene didn''t hold back and shed around the Mansion at full speed, collecting anything that caught their eye.

    Selene even went so far as to wreck the kitchen, taking the expensive appliances, dishes, and silverware before gathering the costly dining set, which she estimated to be well over 50 million credits.

    Meanwhile, Cynrik headed to the Mansion''s training room and stole all of the high-end, top-of-the-line workout equipment, from droids to weight training machines; nothing was safe as it entered his practically bottomless inventory.

    [[Don''t forget, there are a bunch of other houses I n on hitting, so don''t overload yourself; there will be plenty of expensive stuff to taketer on.]] Cynrik stated as he left the training room and headed up toward the master bedroom.

    [[I know, I am just finding things we can use in our future home; I am done in the kitchen, so I will try and find some furniture that isn''t bloodstained.]] Sprinting into the den (one of the many living rooms), Selene took some time sitting on all the different couches and recliners until she found a few she liked.

    [[That makes sense; these people were loaded, so all of their interior decorating is expensive as shit. If I had to guess, there are billions of credits worth of furniture.]] Nodding his head, Cynrik entered the master bedroom and found a nice bedroom set that he liked, so apart from the mattress and bedding, he took everything after emptying their contents.

    Endtables, the bedframe, which came with a massive ck head and footboard, dressers, boudoir, and chests, everything entered his inventory after the clothing stored inside was dumped in the center of the room, forming a messy pile.

    [[Right, that''s all for me; let''s meet up at the staircase leading to the basement; it''s time to get to the real treasure.]] Upon finishing his looting, Cynrik raced out of the room, down the multiple staircases and through the maze of corridors until he came to a big door leading to the basement.

    Half a minuteter, Selene appeared beside him, her hair a mess thanks to how swiftly she had been running around, causing Cynrik to chuckle and run his fingers through to straighten the tangles.

    This simple and tender act of affection caused Selene to blush, but she let him do as he pleased and enjoyed the rare yet pleasant moment they shared.

    When her hair was free of tangles and knots, Cynrik turned, looked at therge metal door, and began channeling ckFire into his left arm.

    "Since I''ve taken down all the systems, the only way in is brute¡­

    BOOOOM!!!!

    Before he could finish his statement, Selene punched forward and exerted the full extent of her over 10k STR points, catapulting the door out of its housing and sending it sailing into the wall on the opposite side.

    "FUCKING HELL, WOMAN! WARN A GUY BEFORE YOU GO FULL-BLOWN MEATHEAD ON THE APPLIANCES!" Cynrik howled as his heart felt like it would jump out of his chest.

    "Teehee, I wanted to test my new strength; plus, we would have had to wait a while for you to melt through the metal, and I am too excited to see what is in the vault to wait any longer."

    Rolling her eyes and giggling at the stunned expression Cynrik was giving her, Selene peeked her head into the hall leading to the basement, but when she noticed the door embedded in the wall like an arrow, she couldn''t help but whistle loudly.

    "I get it; I get it, you are strong now, sigh; you could have at the very least given me a heads up, Sel; you practically gave me a heart attack." Exhaling, Cynrik stepped forward and looked around the pitch-ck hall.

    Since he had perfect night vision, and so did Selene, the two were unhindered by the darkness, and less than a minuteter, they stood side-by-side in front of a colossal bank vault-style door.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 632 Honeymoon in The Shadow Realm (10)

    <h4>Chapter 632 Honeymoon in The Shadow Realm (10)</h4>

    Spanning from the 20-meter tall ceiling to the floor and extending 20 meters to both sides, the massive vault door was imposing and impressive to Cynrik as he thoroughly examined it from top to bottom.

    "Hm, it''s a tough nut to crack¡­if I could have left the systems up without fear of getting found out, I would have, but everything has been powered down, turning this door into a hunk of useless and heavy metal."

    Mumbling his thoughts aloud, Cynrik walked up, ced his open palm on thetch release wheel, and narrowed his eyes while observing its inner workings with [Mana Sight].

    "What is the vault door rated for?" Watching as Cynrik did his thing, Selene asked cautiously since she didn''t want to disturb him.

    "Tier-6, way above us; it was surprising that all of that furniture we found held up under this much g-force, but I guess that''s what you get with a lot of money."

    "Now¡­ the door is an entirely different ball game. Since it is meant to secure the dead families'' valuables, it had to be strong enough to withstand high impact and a lot of force."

    "When I was going through the vault''s information in the system, I found its manufacturing info, including its power rating, and well, even if I use my most potent attack, all I will do is blow the room to smithereens, leaving a big metal box underground."

    "So what are you going to do? There''s a giantbination lock, so I assume that is the final option if the power fails and the electronic locks no longer work. Should we try to crack it as a safe orbo lock?" Taking a step back and looking around the room for any clues, Selene, too, fell into deep thought as though attempting to find a solution to help.

    "That is our only option; unfortunately, the family was smart enough not to leave the code written down anywhere, even in the security office, meaning they had it memorized."

    "Yeah, that makes sense, so what is the standard way of getting into the vault?" Tilting her head to the side and following along, Selene asked.

    "Finger and iris scanners, plus a slew of other biological shit like saliva and blood. They didn''t make it easy to get in, and from the records I found, only the fatdy, Molly Houter, ever opened the door."

    ''Hm, I wonder if I can use echolocation to track the traveling Sound Mana particles through the chambers and locks until I find thebination.''

    Closing his outstretched hand, Cynrik balled his hand into a fist and knocked on the wheel three times while observing how the particles traveled through the metal.

    "Man, I fucking love this world, and Mana, it makes challenges like this so entertaining." Cynrik''s lips curled into a smile upon seeing the clear-colored particles with a silver outline flowing through the vault door.

    Each time he knocked, the particles would manifest at the point of impact and spread out before shrinking and vanishing from sight. Since he knew that Mana followed the principles of Matter, he didn''t believe for a second that the Sound Particles had disappeared.

    Instead, he understood that they had lost power and shrunk to a size unperceivable to the naked eye.

    "Hm? What happened?" Unaware of what he had done, Selene only witnessed him knocking on the door a few times before breaking into his signature smile.

    "Do you understand the principle behind echolocation?" Removing his hand from the door and looking over his shoulder at Selene, Cynrik''s smile deepened.

    "Uh, I learned it in elementary school, so it''s been a while, but I know that bats chirp at a high frequency creating ripples in the air that allow them to "See" with sound¡­oh shit, SOUND MANA. You can see the movement of the particles and, in effect, have a pseudo form of echolocation." With wide eyes and a dropped-open mouth, Selene fought the urge to rush up and shake Cynrik in her excitement.

    "Pretty much, heh, that is going to help a lot, so when cracking a safe in movies, you know how you always see the people using a stethoscope to listen to the vault door, well that is them trying to hear the clicking sound caused by mechanisms moving into ce."

    "Since I can see inside, I don''t need that, but you don''t know that unlike a standard vault lock, which can have a code between 5 and 10 digits, this one is much more difficult to deal with."

    "How so? Is thebination super long or something?" Not following, Selene looked back at therge spin nob filled with numbers starting at 01 and going to 500.

    "Well, yeah, thebo length is annoyingly long, somewhere between 30 to 50 digits, but that isn''t the problem; it''s how the tes ovep. Because they are the same in construction and Mana particle content, it all looks like a solid glowing brick in my [Mana Sight], so I can''t differentiate between the positions needed to open the lock."

    "Here, look, this is what I mean; I am sending you a diagram I have from back in my lockpicking days. It was a hyperfocus of mine for a few weeks when I was a teenager." Closing his eyes and remembering the diagram, he sent it over to Selene, and when she saw it, she clicked her tongue.

    **I will post a small four-minute video in the References channel on Discord for those visual learners out there.**

    In the image, she saw the standard numbered nob, of course, but an X-ray view of the inside of thebination lock followed it.

    Three round wheeled tes filled with rectangr holes lined up with the numbers of the nob, but there were also threerge notches. These notches were where therge pin attached to a metal arm and angled over the wheels was supposed to rest when the lock was unlocked after the properbination had been put in.

    However, this hammer pin wasn''t the primary focus; instead, it was the three small pieces of rectangr metal, which fit into as many of the small holes, only they were long enough to reach the next wheel.

    Only the first wheel te was attached to the nob, so when the nob was spun, that first wheel would rotate until the correct number was reached, and the metal piece connected with the one on the second wheel te. From there, it was necessary to spin the wheel in the opposite direction until all three tes lined up along with the notches allowing the pin to drop and lock in ce.

    That was the basics of abination lock, which was only for abination with three tes. Cynrik was saying there were between 30 and fifty tes, meaning out of 500 points or potentially more if the numbers fell on decimals, getting everything to line up would be annoying.

    Since he couldn''t see the individual moving metal pieces needed to get all the wheels spinning, he would have to rely on his new pseudo-echolocation and be on the lookout for when there is a faint burst of particles indicating a connection impact between the wheel tes.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 633 Raiding The Vault (1)

    <h4>Chapter 633 Raiding The Vault (1)</h4>

    "All right, let''s do this, I need to clear any previous attempts, and although I have no idea how many tes there are in the lock, 50 full spins should be enough to reset things." stepping forward and gripping the palm-sized dial indicating in white letters 01 to 500, Cynrik narrowed his eyes and focused.

    With a bit of finesse, he quickly and freely spun the dial counter-clockwise exactly fifty times and watched as multiple shes of clear yet outlined light; Sound Particles shed around the door.

    ''For this to work, I need to filter out all the unnecessary Mana Particles constructing every piece of matter, except for Metal and Sound, of course, but even that will be annoying and strain my eyes.'' he thought while slowing his breathing down, as calming himself down was the best concentration method.

    With each slow and deep breath, one vibrant color after another dulled, creating a visual spectacle not unlike what he would see within the shadow realm.

    It took him a couple of minutes to finish the filtration of Mana, but when he finally felt content, only then did Cynrik tap his index finger against the dial, triggering a wave of Sound Mana to course through the vault door.

    In doing so, he noticed no obstructions with the dial meaning his idea of spinning the dial 50 times was the perfect amount to wipe out the previousbination attempts, and a smirk lit up his face, which caused Selene to giggle.

    ''Why is he so handsome when concentrating¡­'' Selene mused while pulling out a round cushion and sitting on the floor nearby. Thest thing she wanted to do was interrupt Cynrik''s work, so she quietly observed his actions from the sidelines.

    ''Left first,'' he thought as he slowly turned the dial counter-clockwise using his wrist. As he did so, his eyes noticed faint pulses of sound triggered by the clicking of the dial until one was significantly more impactful than the previous ones, causing him to stop.

    Tearing his eyes away from the metal tes, Cynrik zoomed out his eyesight and noticed the first number of thebination was 107.5, causing his cocky smirk to transform into a deep frown.

    ''Tsk, fucking decimals. Had I tried crunching the numbers beforehand, I would have ended up in an infinite loop of possibilities.'' With that thought, he changed the rotation to clockwise and slowly spun the nob until the next click urred.

    ''Slow and steady wins the race Cyn, don''t get overconfident; spinning the dial Fifty times to wipe out anybinations means there are Fifty tes. Fifty tes mean fifty codes, and the more I rack up, the more difficult it bes to focus on the sound pulses.''

    Seconds turned to minutes, and as Cynrik surmised, the more tes which clicked in ce, the more static noise their movement created, making it harder to differentiate when a new pin clicked against the subsequent te.

    By the end of the first hour, Cynrik had his first mishap in the form of an idental reset. When he got to the tenth te while scrolling the dial, he identally passed the number, and to his dismay, all of the lined-up pins he had gotten in ce up till now separated, causing him to start back at the beginning.

    "Ugh, fucking fail-safes," Cynrik grumbled as he stepped back from the vault door and shook his stiff left arm.

    The moment he spoke, Selene, ying the part of a good wife, shed behind him and began massaging his stiff left arm and shoulder while using her Mana to hold up a bottle of water for him to drink.

    "What happened?" She asked with tender affection, watching Cynrik take the bottle for a couple of sips before putting the cap back on with one hand.

    "There''s a trigger mechanism inside the lock, where after nine codes are input, if you mess up and pass the 10th, it copses the connection between the tes causing you to start from the beginning."

    Closing his eyes and deactivating [Mana Sight] to allow his eyes a chance to rest, Cynrik sat down and enjoyed the touch of his Kona as she worked out the stiff kinks in his shoulder.

    "Luckily, I have enough of a brain to memorize the codes I got correct so that I won''t start from scratch on my second attempt."

    "Well, that much is obvious; you wouldn''t be you if you couldn''t remember a few codes," With a giggle, Selene gently leaned Cynrik back, giving him ap pillow while working on the front of his shoulder.

    However, when she saw his face, Selene paled but didn''t say a word. Knowing the personality of her Maeur, she knew it would do no good to call attention to his physical state, but she couldn''t stop the pain in her chest froming forward.

    The reason for her overreaction to seeing his face was the jagged red marks spanning Cynrik''s eyes, eyelids, temples, and forehead.

    They looked like tree roots to her, spreading out from the corner of his eyes all the way up to his forehead and down to his chin. Choking back silent tears, Selene looked at the tiny fairy floating above Cynrik''s chest and noticed she was wearing a frown while examining the lines.

    -This idiot is doing something crazy again, but don''t worry, the lines aren''t permanent, and other than giving him a slight stinging sensation and headache, I don''t see them causing any harm to his body.-

    -They are a direct effect of triggering a new ability with his [Mana Sight]; as usual, the numbskull thought up an insane n and somehow got it to work. In this case, he filtered out every Mana particle except for Sound and Metal, which put a heavy strain on his eyes.-

    -Think of the lines in the same manner as the bloodshot eyes you get from opening them underwater in a chlorinated pool. Basically harmless other than some slight difort.-

    -Simrly, what you see now, are the blood vessels connecting his eyes to his brain and his face rising to the skin''s surface.-

    ''So some rest and a good temple massage should do the trick?'' Selene asked with a hint of worry in her voice. It''s not that she didn''t trust Tobs'' words, but when it came to Cynrik, she was always cautious, even if it involved their shared System AI.

    -Yep, no biggy, but he definitely will have a splitting headache for several hours, especially since the difficulty level for cracking this 50-te safe is incredibly high.-

    Sighing internally, Selene allowed Cynrik to rest in herp until the lines on his face receded under his skin, which took around 30 minutes, before tapping his shoulder several times as a sign that he needed to return to work.

    Soon enough, he was back on his feet, and in the same position as before, only this time, he mumbled the numbers he had cracked, allowing Selene to hear.

    In an unspoken agreement, she began memorizing them not to feel useless in case he asked for themter, not that she expected him to.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 634 Raiding The Vault (2)

    <h4>Chapter 634 Raiding The Vault (2)</h4>

    Soon enough, he was back on his feet, and in the same position as before, only this time, he mumbled the numbers he had cracked, allowing Selene to hear.

    In an unspoken agreement, she began memorizing them not to feel useless in case he asked for themter, not that she expected him to.

    "107.5, 423.3, 221.2, 012, 339, 08, 297.5, 03, 444, 104.9," when he got to the final number, Cynrik crept to a crawl because he knew it was in the 104 range but didn''t know how high of a decimal he needed to reach.

    That was why he had passed it and ended up resetting everything originally, the decimals were annoying because initially, it wouldn''t make a sound as he passed the whole number, but the instant he hit a certain point, the click would ur.

    Up until now, the highest decimal he had hit was 0.5, so when he didn''t see any Sound Particles upon hitting the 0.5 mark, Cynrik instinctually continued to 105,pletely ignoring the fact that there could be a higher decimal, and thus, he passed 0.9 and screwed everything up.

    A careless mistake was caused by hiscency and ended up setting him back half an hour. Still, he didn''t worry about it too much because, at the very least, he got to enjoy getting a massage from his woman while resting his head in herp, so overall, it was two steps forward, one step back.

    te by te, Cynrik slowly and methodically worked through each spin of the dial until he reached the 20th te, where he paused before ticking away in such a way that each decimal point was observed until finally, Cynrik saw the cluster of Sound particles indicating he had connected te 19 to te 20 causing him to exhale.

    "te 20, 499.9, fuck, that was nerve-racking," he mused while ncing over at Selene, who was still sitting on her pillow.

    "Hey, at least you didn''t goof up this time, although I would have loved to give you another nap and massage; the quicker you crack into this vault, the faster we can get out of here and continue exploring." Teasing Cynrik, Selene stuck out her tongue and smiled, to which he rolled his eyes before getting back to work.

    25, 30, 35, 40, 45¡­49, by the time Cynrik got to the 50th and final te, he had been hard at work for over 4 hours, and thanks to the taxing use of his filtering ability, Cynrik''s vision was blurring, and the lines had extended across his entire face, making him look like a burn patient.

    ''Please be easy, please be easy, please be easy," Cynrik chanted in his head three times as he spun the dial for the final time; if he fucked up here, it was no different from getting blue-balled after hours of forey.

    The Code for te 49 was 326; however, as he spun the dial in the opposite direction and reached 325, there was a loud click, followed by the array of gears moving on top of a loud THUNK as the bar positioned above the tes mmed down and into ce.

    "LETS FUCKING GOOO!!! EASY WORK IS EASY WORK, SEE I KNEW SAYING THINGS THREE TIMES WAS THE FUCKING WAY!" Spinning around and revealing his horrendously marred face to Selene, Cynrik was all smiles and excitement as the gears inside of the Vault door moved, generating a faint rumbling through the basement.

    However, when he noticed the worried look in Selene''s eyes and her not joining him in his excitement, he knew he had fucked up somewhere.

    Unfortunately, he didn''t have the time to ask what was wrong, as his vision went ck¡­and he fell face first toward the ground, unconscious.

    -Sigh, I was worried about this¡­why must he always push his body to the limits to prove his stupid theories true.-

    Tobs stated while floating up and watching Selene race forward to catch Cynrik before he could hit the ground.

    "What''s wrong with him, Tobs?" as she spoke in a hurried tone, Selene retrieved a cocktail of all three Mana potions, rolled Cynrik onto his back with his head in herp, and began feeding them to him, starting with the Mana potion.

    -On the surface, nothing other than his Stamina and MP being low, internally¡­well, he won''t be able to use [Mana Sight] for a few hours until his eyes recover.-

    -By over-exerting his ocr nerves with that new filtration ability, he essentially destroyed every nerve ending in his eye, rendering himpletely blind temporarily.-

    -Other than popping his eyeballs like grapes, they are entirely shredded under the flesh. Frankly, I can''t help but be amazed that he didn''t react to the pain and probably doesn''t even realize how much damage he has done to himself.-

    "For fuck sake," Selene growled as she resisted the urge to beat up her unconscious Maeur.

    "All I ask is one day where he doesn''t somehow end up maiming himself for the sake of our Honeymoon, and he goes and does this." After finishing the first batch of potions, Selene took out some healing salve from her inventory and began rubbing it on Cynrik''s closed eyelids, hoping it would speed up the healing process.

    -To be fair, you never openly stated that and only thought it once yall left the Shadow Realm¡­plus you can''t fault him for his nature; you know as well as I that he has always been like this. So there is no point in trying to change him.-

    Shrugging her shoulders, Tobsnded on Cynrik''s chest and gave him a couple of pouty stomps on his sternum before crossing her arms in disdain.

    Although her actions were intended to get back at her host, in Selene''s eyes, it only came off as cute or adorable, so even though she was upset that her Maeur was in such a state, she still smiled and almost ended up giggling at the Fairy AI''s antics.

    That little incident aside, the two fell silent and patiently waited for Cynrik to wake up.

    "Will it be like this every time he uses his new ability?" After twenty minutes, Selene finally asked. Acknowledging there was nothing further she could do after using the salve and potions, Selene ended up sitting there with his head in herp, rubbing his cheeks.

    -Mmm, no, or at least I don''t think so¡­as you know, the two of you have your "Zenkai" boost, as Cynrik calls it, so his body will adapt to the strain quickly.-

    -Not only is that a thing, but the [Mana Sight] skill by itself works like a muscle, where the more it''s used, the stronger it bes, so between the stress of overuse, and his "Zenkai" boost, I have no doubt that he will be able to persist two to three times longer than he previously did when using the Mana Filter ability of his ocr skill.-

    -For now, let''s wait it out; you should probably make yourselffortable, though; I expect him to be unconscious for at the minimum 4 hours, while the max is 12.-

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 Chapter 635 Raiding The Vault (3)

    <h4>Chapter 635 Raiding The Vault (3)</h4>

    Contrary to what Tobs predicted, it only took Cynrik 2 and a half hours to wake up, but when he did, his eyes fluttered open; to anyone looking at them, it was apparent that they were absent of light and unfocused.

    "Ah¡­shit, looks like I fucked up this time¡­" he murmured while trying to understand his situation.

    From the plush pillow under his head, Cynrik could tell he was resting in Selene''sp, and by theck of response from her when he spoke and the faint breathing he could hearing from his woman, Cynrik determined she had fallen asleep while watching over him.

    ''So how bad is it, Tobs?'' Re-closing his eyes and trying his best not to move so that he didn''t wake Selene, Cynrik asked the only person who didn''t sleep.

    -Bad¡­if it were anyone else, they would be blind for the rest of their life.-

    -Not even Brance''s healing skills could do anything for your vision, although they could heal the immense physical damage you caused to the nerves in your eyes; none of his Light Affinity Skills, in their present form, can restructure something as delicate as the Oculus.-

    -One false move and boom, you can''t see the color green; the damage is so immense that apart from ripping your eyes out and growing new ones with High Tiered skills, there would typically be no fix for them.-

    -In overusing the new Filtration ability of your [Mana Sight,] you basically shredded the fleshy insides of your eyeballs, turning them into soup.-

    -Luckily, or unluckily since you''ll never learn your lesson, between your Supreme Mana Body, Zenkai boost, and high regeneration factor, you will be healed up in the next few hours as long as you keep your eyes closed and focus on repairing them.-

    ''Well, I suppose it was to be expected; the longer I held the Ability active, the blurrier my vision became, so I felt this would be the oue. Still, turning my eyes to soup, that''s a bit funny.'' Wearing a bitter smile, Cynrik rxed on Selene''sp and began running multiple applications for his new Ability through his mind.

    ''For starters, I should be able to track people''s Mana signatures, so long as I can see them once. The only question is how long the emitted particles stick around in the air.''

    -It depends on the strength of the being or Individual. The higher someone''s power is, the stronger and more invasive their Natural Mana is when introduced to ambient particles.-

    -Let''s take Geralt as an example; after activating a skill, his converted Mana will interact with the ambient Mana for some time, leaving a trail where ever he goes, for at the very least half an hour, whereas someone like Aiden who hasn''t even broken through to Tier-2, would at best have a Mana Signature that floated around for maybe 1-2 minutes.-

    -Since the youngd is only at the starting gate of power, his particles can hardly affect the surrounding and naturally urring Mana; thus, they will disperse rtively quickly, like taking a handful of ice cubes and tossing them into a warm pool.-

    -In contrast, think of Geralt''s Mana like dropping a big chunk of ice the size of your head into a pool, it will eventually dissolve, but it will take more time than, say, a scattering of cubes.-

    ''Makes sense, I think¡­honestly, I figured it would be the reverse, but how you exined it has merit.''

    Mentally nodding his head, and feeling the light brush against his shirt, indicating that Tobs hadnded on his chest and was no doubt gloating due to his praise, Cynrik continued formting different uses for his new Filtration ability until he felt Selene shifting in ce.

    "Morning, sleepy head," Tilting his face up to where he estimated Selene to be looking at him from, Cynrik kept his eyes close and shed her a small smile.

    "Would you look at that! If it isn''t my reckless and insane Eiginmaeur, who cares not about his body and seems to get joy from scaring his beloved Kona any chance possible?" Selene snorted with fake bravado.

    Although her words said one thing, the gentle and loving caresses on Cynrik''s cheek told him otherwise, so he caught her hand and kissed it lightly.

    "Better now than in the heat of battle; at least this way, I will get stronger; what are a few short hours of blindness in the grand scheme?" Releasing her hand so that Selene could continue caressing his cheeks, Cynrik teased, earning him a soft p on the face.

    "So, is the vault door open or just unlocked?" After sharing a moment of silence, Cynrik asked. To his knowledge, the door should have be slightly ajar when unlocked, but he figured he''d ask anyway.

    "No, it''s still closed, but it should be easy to open once you get your vision back; why?" Tilting her head to the side while her right hand yed with Cynrik''s ponytail, Selene responded while looking up at therge vault door.

    "Hm, in movies, it always opens when unlocked; I guess things are different here, especially since the Vault is more than likely pressurized and climate controlled.

    Knowing his Kona as well as he did, Cynrik didn''t bother asking if she had gone in to look at the items stored in the Vault because there was no doubt in his mind that the instant he passed out, Selene had made him her primary focus,pletely ignoring the Vault or treasures hiding inside.

    ---

    Two hourster, Tobs hopped off Cynrik''s chest and floated over to his face; under Selene''s watchful and protective gaze, shended on his forehead and bent down to examine his closed eyes.

    -You''re good to go; they''ve fully healed. Take it easy when you get up, though; because your [Mana Sight] has evolved to Tier-4, things will look slightly different, and even your natural vision has increased.-

    The inspection was quick and technically unnecessary, as Tobs already knew his state at a nce; however, having been with Cynrik for so long, she had gained his love of theatrics and decided to put on a little show for Selene.

    Hearing Tobs'' words, Cynrik''s eyes fluttered open, and he was greeted by the haughty fairy standing on his face with her hands on her hips and the loving smile of his Kona.

    "YAWN! What afortable nap I had, mmm, waking up seeing your face¡­that''s something I hope I never get used to, heh." Wearing a smirk, Cynrik spoke as if waking from a long night''s sleep while Selene brushed Tobs aside, leaned down, and stole his lips for a quick peck.

    "Such a dork, you weren''t sleeping; why act like you had been?" Leaning back and giggling, Selene asked.

    "Why not? There''s no harm in it, anyway; as much as I''d love to continue enjoying yourp pillow, we have gubbins to swipe, and I promise you, the things in that Vault are worth it." Sitting up and hopping to his feet, Cynrik quickly dusted himself off and fought a wave of nausea his new vision brought about.

    --PPPST, Go Read The Conduit''s Requiem !!! (My New Series) Also, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 636 Raiding The Vault (4)

    <h4>Chapter 636 Raiding The Vault (4)</h4>

    **Hey guys, I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for sticking around. I have long since made more than one announcement in the discord, but I will fill in those of you who don''t know here.

    *For thest two months, I have been MIA, and the series was on hiatus because I had yet another death in the family, this one happening the day of IRL Brance''s wedding, and this time it was the Aunt who raised us growing up.

    *With back-to-back deaths in my family (Uncle in FEB, now Aunt in JULY, partnered with IRL Brance''s wedding, my head was all over the ce, along with my mental state. However, We are back in business, and it''s time to get back on the grind, especially since our second Anniversary is rapidly approaching.

    *So once again, thank you all, from the bottom of my little decrepit ck heart, for sticking around, and now, without further ado, lets goo.**

    ---

    Sitting up and hopping to his feet, Cynrik quickly dusted himself off and fought a wave of nausea his new vision brought about. If the only thing he faced was restructuring his eyes, then it wouldn''t have been that disorienting.

    However, subconsciously, and through a habit he had formed over the past few years, Cynrik had automatically activated his newly improved [Mana Sight], in turn causing his vision to swim about for a moment as the once hazy yet colorful clouds dotting his sight representing the Ambient Mana had undergone a drastic and radical change.

    Before, his ocr skill allowed him to view the world in 480p; now, everything he saw was in a crisp 4k resolution, turning the once vibrant particle clouds into distinct colored orbs of pure energy.

    Due to the high levels of focus required to undergo thebination lock cracking, Cynrik hadn''t been affected upon increasing the Tier of his [Mana Sight]. However, now that he was in a calm state of rest, the images his brain received were overwhelming enough to cause him almost to hurl.

    Grunting in annoyance and swiftly deactivating the skill, Cynrik caught himself from falling and shook his head a few times to clear the dizziness.

    "That''s gonna take some getting used to¡­" He grumbled before patting the dainty hand which had caught his shoulder to bnce him.

    "Let me guess, you instinctively activated [Mana sight] and almost ate shit?" Rolling her eyes and stepping up beside Cynrik, Selene teased.

    "Tsk, me? Make such a mistake? Never, anyway, let''s get this big ass door opened." With a dismissive snort, Cynrik moved away from Selene and gingerly walked toward the massive Vault door.

    "So¡­what''s next? I assume shouting Open Sesame won''t work since there isn''t any power." Looking toward the top of therge door, Selene watched out of the corner of her eye as Cynrik calmly reached forward, caught hold of the protruding handle, and pulled.

    RUMMMBLE

    With little effort on Cynrik''s behalf, the door easily slid open a quarter of a meter before he stopped and tossed a cocky smile over his shoulder toward Selene.

    "Easy work is easy work, Ma Petite." He stated matter of factly before pulling the door open wide enough to release a gust of pressurized air.

    Stepping backward and pulling the door open, Cynrik created a spacerge enough for them to slip into the vault before releasing the handle and walking to the far right of the room, where the newly created entrance existed.

    Less than a minuteter, the married couple stood in the center of therge vault room and nced around, with Cynrik having a pensive expression stered across his face, while Selene was the spitting image of a kid on Christmas morning.

    Contrary to what Selene had expected to see, what she was observing wasn''t a standard bank vault or even what she had seen in movies; instead, she and Cynrik stood in what could only be described as a cross between a jewelry store and a department store.

    The walls of the Vault room were lined with a multitude of ss cases, ranging from long ones to tall ones, and the open space in the center was filled withrge racks like a department store.

    "Woah¡­" Selene couldn''t help but mutter as she quickly ran to the nearest ss-case before pressing her face on the surface and observing its contents.

    Meanwhile, Cynrik mosied around the vault, his hands sped behind his back, taking a mental inventory of his new wares. In doing so, he constantly gathered a wealth of information on each item that he didn''t instantly recognize by way of his [Inspect] skill, which was already at Tier-4 and thus would give him all the fine details of every item he inspected.

    ''Trash, trash, shy material, trash skill books,me weapons, sigh, when I saw the dense Mana Particles on everything in the room from within the Shadow Realm, I expected this shit to be a good haul.'' He thought while heaving an annoyed sigh.

    ''At best, this crap can only be used by the kids; not even Brance would touch any of this garbage. Since we are far too overpowered, half this shit would be broken the moment we used it.'' Pushing aside his apparent disappointment, Cynrik moved deeper into the vault beforeing to an abrupt halt upon hearing a loud¡­

    CRASH!

    "Hehehehehe, one for me, one for hubby, one for me¡­" But once he heard the greedy giggles that apanied the smashing sound, Cynrik merely shook his head and continued searching for the cluster of items that initially drew his attention from below.

    Unfortunately, due to his hesitation in using [Mana Sight], Cynrik''s task became boring and tedious as he found it necessary to go through each item one by one until finally, after around thirty minutes, he came upon a shelf housing several what could only be described as treasure chests made of valuable and shiny metals.

    ''Sigh, if they aren''t inside these boxes, then I guess this whole endeavor has wasted my time.'' He thought, then, with a flick of his wrist, his right hidden de extended, allowing him to pick the lock on the first of five chests.

    Within three breaths, a soft yet distinct "CLICK" was audible, and Cynrik flipped open the top of the chest, revealing its contents to the world.

    "Oh ho ho, now what is this¡­" Slightly surprised, Cynrik reached in and withdrew three identical-sized glowing stones; one had a metallic silver sheen, the second a golden metallic luster, and the final one, a dull bronze, which somehow still came off as shiny.

    Holding the three stones in his hand, Cynrik couldn''t help but break into a wide grin as he shuffled them around in a circle in his palm in a juggling manner.

    "Oh? Whatcha got there¡­hold up¡­are those what I think they are?" Seemingly appearing out of nowhere, Selene jumped toward Cynrik''s hand and brought her face down to examine the three shiny stones swirling around his palm.

    "Yep, it''s exactly what you think, three Metal Affinity Orbs¡­ Silver, Gold, and Bronze, kuekuekue, time to turn Brancie into a money printing machine kuekuekue." Releasing a creepyugh with eyes filled with greed, Cynrik confirmed Selene''s thoughts as she also began giggling in a strange apaniment.

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 Chapter 637 Raiding The Vault (5)

    <h4>Chapter 637 Raiding The Vault (5)</h4>

    For a time, the only sound that could be heard within the vault was the creepyughter, until as suddenly as it began, it was silenced.

    The reason is that Cynrik had activated [Inspect] and was busy nning how he would be rich with their addition to Brance''s repertoire.

    -Elemental Affinity Orb (Bronze)-

    -By absorbing this Orb, a system host has a 100% chance of developing an Affinity for the Basic and Evolved Terra Element of Bronze.-

    -Furthermore, ambient Bronze Mana particles will be steadily drawn towards the Orb during absorption, allowing the Host the opportunity to awaken the element within their Codex.-

    -This is considered an Evolved Basic Grade Element, so long as the user of this Orb is proficient in their Terra Affinity, there will be no chances of failing the assimtion, and they will automatically obtain the Affinity mentioned above.-

    Reading through the Bronze Affinity Orb description, Cynirk nodded twice in acknowledgment before moving on to the Silver Orb.

    -Elemental Affinity Orb (Silver)-

    -By absorbing this Orb, a system host has a 35% chance of developing an Affinity for the Advanced and Evolved Terra Element of Silver.-

    -Furthermore, ambient Silver Mana particles will be steadily drawn towards the Orb during absorption, allowing the Host a chance to awaken the element within their Codex.-

    -This is considered an Evolved Advanced Grade Element, and although the Mana stored within is considered stable, this element is difficult to assimte into one''s Codex if the user isn''t proficient in their Terra Affinity.-

    Unlike what he observed with the Bronze Orb, the description for the Silver Affinity Orb was slightly different. Unlike the weaker Bronze Orb, which guaranteed its assimtion, the Silver Orb only had a 35% chance of sess, which, although slightly worrying, was still within the bounds of Cynrik''s eptable expectations.

    However, when it came to the Gold Affinity Orb, deep wrinkles formed on Cynrik''s forehead as he read through the description, and he couldn''t help but click his tongue in annoyance.

    -Elemental Affinity Orb (Gold)-

    -By absorbing this Orb, a system host has a 5% chance of developing an Affinity for the Special Advanced Grade and Evolved Terra Element of Gold.-

    -Furthermore, ambient Gold Mana particles will be steadily drawn towards the Orb during absorption, allowing the Host a chance to awaken the element within their Codex.-

    -The Gold Element is extremely unstable and considered a Special Advanced Element. Due to its unstable nature and rarity in the abundant Mana of the World, the chances of sess when assimting and obtaining this Affinity are Drastically lower than many of the other Metal Affinities.-

    "5%? What kind of shit is that? I remember the Lightning Affinity Orb had a 15% chance of sess, yet this Gold one is 10% lower." Cynrik mumbled under his breath, drawing Selene''s attention.

    "Oh? Only 5% will be rough for Brancie to pull off¡­what about the Bronze and Silver?" She asked as she swiped the Gold Orb from Cynrik''s hand and rolled it around her palm, much like how she had seen him doing.

    Unperturbed by her snatching of the Affinity orb, Cynrik filled her in on the assimtion rates for the other two orbs.

    "Silver has a 35% chance of sess, whereas Bronze is guaranteed with a 100% sess rate. Sigh, of course, things aren''t simple. Regardless, I should be able to devise a method or two to ensure Brancie gets the Gold Affinity." Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik motioned for Selene to store away the Gold Orb while at the same time putting away the Silver and Bronze Orbs into his inventory.

    Without hesitation or saying another word, Cynrik picked the lock on the second of five chests and was surprised to find another batch of Affinity orbs, all three of which were for other Metal Varieties.

    "Hm, Adamant, Orichalcum, and Mithril¡­.all have disgustingly low sess rates. What the hell was this family trying to do? Create a money-printing puppet?" Voicing his concerns, Cynrik exined the rates on the three new Orbs.

    Mithril, which had a pale royal blue color, carried a 10% sess rate, along with an Advance Grade; Adamant, which shined with a deep emerald color, boasted a 5% rate like Gold and wasbeled as Special Advance Grade, and Lastly, Orichalcum, which had an abysmally low 1% sess rate, and wasbeled as a new Grade which Cynrik had yet toe across when it came to Affinities, Basic Mythic Grade.

    Strangely enough, the Orichalcum Orb was multi-colored and appeared tobine all the different Metal Affinities: Gold, Silver, Bronze, Royal Blue, and Emerald.

    Further setting it apart from the other orbs, as Cynrik moved it around, it seemed to change colors.

    "Whatever,e what may, let''s see what''s in the other three chests. I knew there were Affinity Orbs based on their size, shape, and Mana Signature, but if these three chests have what I hope, we should be in for a treat." Cynrik mused as he picked the lock on the three remaining chests in size order and rested his hand atop thergest of the three without opening it.

    This small action practically set Selene off, as she was patiently waiting to see the contents with imaginary dor signs in her eyes, something that didn''t go unnoticed by Cynrik, causing him to tease her a bit by putting on a show of unlocking the remaining three chests.

    Snickering to himself upon seeing her flustered and annoyed expression, Cynrik opened, put his hand into the third chest, and withdrew a cluster of small, metallic bars.

    "RICH, WE ARE RICH CYN!" Spotting and recognizing the multi-colored bars, Selene metaphorically jumped out of her skin before pushing Cynrik aside and dumping out the contents of the chest, which just so happened to be well over a dozen hand-sized bars¡­of pure Orichalcum.

    "Pppfft, HAHA, damn, I knew you were gonna freak out, but I never expected you to go ape shit over some metal bars, no matter their value." Bursting out in a boisterousugh, not unlike Rikards, Cynrik held his stomach while watching Selene arrange the 20 Orichalcum bars into a neat pyramid.

    "Che, what do you know? All women love shiny objects, and these glorious bars are irresistible. I am sure she will react simrly if you show them to Gabby, so don''t you dare tease me, Cynrik Ayke Jetlensr, or so help me, I will forbid you from sex for the next ten years." Selene snorted as she dragged 19 of the bars into her inventory before holding on to the final one as if it were the most valuable object in the world.

    "OI! Stop using our intimate time as a threat, and move your ass aside so I can empty the remaining two chests. Oh, and don''t get your hopes up because their contents will only matter to me if my guess is correct." Reaching out with lightning-fast reflexes, Cynrik pped Selene''s ass, making her yelp, before forcefully moving her to his left side and grabbing the second tost chest.

    Opening the lid with an excited expression, Cynrik rummaged about its insides before withdrawing a stack of papers, causing Selene to make strange noises in confusion.

    "Oh¡­ excellent¡­paper, hey Darling, please tell me they are like war bonds or something else valuable." She stated before peeking over his shoulder and widening her eyes in surprise.

    The papers themselves weren''t valuable per se, but what was written on them was definitely something only Cynrik would geek out over.

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 Chapter 638 Raiding The Vault (6)

    <h4>Chapter 638 Raiding The Vault (6)</h4>

    "Oh¡­ excellent¡­paper, hey Darling, please tell me they are like war bonds or something else valuable," Selene stated before peeking over his shoulder and widening her eyes in surprise as she realized what her man was holding.

    The papers themselves weren''t valuable per se, but what was written on them was definitely something only Cynrik would geek out over.

    "These papers, as you so inelequantly put it, are something I have long been trying to get my hands on. Unfortunately, due to numerous restrictions and miles of red tape, I have never been able to obtain them for myself." Wearing a rare expression of pure excitement, Cynrik thumbed through the thin stack of leather-like parchment.

    Each time he touched a new sheet of parchment, his vision was drawn away by the appearance of a new notification, indicating what these parchments were.

    -A Beginner Grade Engineering ss Blueprint (Basic Vehicle Fuel System) has been discovered. Would you like to learn it? (Y/N)-

    -A Beginner Grade Engineering ss Blueprint (Basic Vehicle Hydraulic Break System) has been discovered. Would you like to learn it? (Y/N)-

    -A Beginner Grade Engineering ss Blueprint (Basic Vehicle Electronics System) has been discovered. Would you like to learn it? (Y/N)-

    -A Beginner Grade Engineering ss Blueprint (Basic Vehicle Autopilot System) has been discovered. Would you like to learn it? (Y/N)-

    -A Beginner Grade Engineering ss Blueprint (Basic Vehicle Lifesupport System) has been discovered. Would you like to learn it? (Y/N)-

    -An Apprentice Grade Engineering ss Blueprint (Basic Hover Propulsion Engine) has been discovered. Would you like to learn it? (Y/N)-

    -An Apprentice Grade Engineering ss Blueprint (Basic Hover Bike Chassis) has been discovered. Would you like to learn it? (Y/N)-

    -An Apprentice Grade Engineering ss Blueprint (Basic Hover Car- (Two Door sedan Chassis) has been discovered. Would you like to learn it? (Y/N)-

    -An Apprentice Grade Engineering ss Blueprint (Basic Hover Truck- (Two Door sedan Chassis) has been discovered. Would you like to learn it? (Y/N)-

    -An Adept Grade Engineering ss Blueprint (Basic Interceptor-A Battleship) has been discovered. Would you like to learn it? (Y/N)-

    -An Adept Grade Engineering ss Blueprint (Basic Interceptor-B Battleship) has been discovered. Would you like to learn it? (Y/N)-

    -A Master Grade Engineering ss Blueprint (Basic Attackfighter Battleship) has been discovered. Due to your ss designation, ADEPT, you are unable to learn this Blueprint.-

    -A Grandmaster Grade Engineering ss Blueprint (Basic Frigate Battleship) has been discovered. Due to your ss designation, ADEPT, you are unable to learn this Blueprint.-

    -An Arch-Grandmaster Grade Engineering ss Blueprint (Basic Destroyer Battleship) has been discovered. Due to your ss designation, ADEPT, you are unable to learn this Blueprint.-

    Sucking in a sharp breath of air, Cynrik stared in amazement at the fourteen blueprints and subsequent notifications.

    "Fuck¡­" However, when he got to thest three blueprints, for Basic Attackfighter, Frigate, and Destroyer, Cynrik couldn''t help but swear softly, as he suddenly felt as if he were at the gates of the promisednd, but forbidden from stepping foot within the boundary.

    Heaving a sigh, Cynrik stored the three high-grade blueprints in his inventory and hit the yes option on all the other notifications.

    With each tap of his finger, one of the parchments would glow in golden light before dissolving into particles, indicating they were one-time-use items, which confused Selene but caused Cynrik to nod in understanding.

    As the parchments dissolved, the particle cloud would rise and enter Cynrik''s forehead, just above the bridge of his nose, and wave after wave of new information flooded his brain.

    -You have learned the Beginner Grade Engineering ss Blueprint (Basic Vehicle Fuel System).-

    -You have learned the Beginner Grade Engineering ss Blueprint (Basic Vehicle Hydraulic Break System).-

    -You have learned¡­

    -You have learned¡­

    -You have learned¡­

    Roughly 10 minutester, Cynrik stood rooted in ce, with eyes closed as he digested the abundant information formerly stored in the parchments. A smile crept onto his lips when he finished, and he began chuckling.

    "All that secrecy for something as simple as this, how annoying of the government and big corporations. It appears they only care about having a monopoly on such products, and unless you have their approval, good luck getting your hands on these blueprints."

    "Sigh, how is a poor, lowly peasant such as this great self supposed to make it in this harsh, money-driven world." Cynrikmented, only to be cut off by a loud snorting from his left.

    ncing to his side, Cynrik noticed Selene sitting on the ground admiring her Orichalcum bars while looking up at him with disdainful eyes.

    "If you''re a lowly peasant, does that not make me the wife of a peasant and, by proxy, a peasant? We are rich now and stop talking about yourself in the third person. It''s distracting me from counting my money." Dismissvly waving her hand in his direction, Selene returned to her bars with a greedy smile.

    "Whatever you say, Mr.Crabs," Rolling his eyes and shaking his head at her antics, Cynrik dusted off his hands and reached forward, moving on to the fourth treasure chest.

    Unsurprisingly, when he cracked open the lid and reached in, he found multiple storage devices, all housing hundreds and thousands of materials¡­the kind he would need if he ever wished to begin constructing the things he learned from the blueprints.

    Holding up one of the many Spatial Bracelets and pushing in a little Mana, he went through its contents and was disheartened at the quality of the materials; still, free gubbins were free, so he didn''t think much of it and threw all the storage articles into his inventory then opened the lid on the final chest.

    However, the instant he lifted the lid¡­.

    WOOOMM BOOOOM!

    A pulse of turbulent and mighty energy sted out from the fifth chest in the form of a blue energy beam, mming directly into Cynrik''s chest and sending him hurtling through the air before he violently smashed through a ss case and finally came to a stop thanks to the metal Vault wall.

    Still unfinished with the attack, the beam of energy pinned his body against the wall, like a giant arm holding down its prey, drawing a pained grimace from Cynrik as he willed his Mana through his body tobat the pressure of the attack.

    "CYNRIK!" Selene screamed as she moved into action, kicking away her Orichalcum bars and rushing behind the chest. In one swift move, she mmed the lid shut, cutting off the energy beam and allowing Cynrik''s body to smash through what remained of the ss case onto the ground.

    "Ugh¡­who¡­the fuck booby traps a treasure chest locked in a Vault¡­.bastards." Struggling to his feet while holding his chest, which was charred ck thanks to the attack, Cynrik withdrew a couple of HP potions and began chugging.

    Rushing over to help her man, Selene checked his body up and down to make sure he was okay, and it wasn''t until she saw his healing factor kick in that she allowed herself to calm down.

    "What the hell was that beam?" She finally asked as thest of the charred skin on Cynrik''s exposed chest disappeared.

    "Highly Condensed energy, a mixture of Light, Fire, and Wind Mana¡­honestly, the Light Mana hurt; the other two wouldn''t have done much to me."

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 Chapter 639 Raiding The Vault (Final)

    <h4>Chapter 639 Raiding The Vault (Final)</h4>

    **BTW, I''m Trying something new, guys; notifications from Tobs in the future will be Itialsized and Bold. I don''t know if it will work or not, though. Regardless, this was initially how I intended her text to look, but I was restricted by the tform WN used to post until recently.**

    ---

    Clicking his tongue, Cynrik quickly changed into a new ck shirt before swiping over the wave of floating notifications he had received while under attack.

    -You have received 5,000 points of Condensed Mana Damage (Light, Fire, Wind) from an unimed Photon Particle Generator.-

    -You have received 4898 points of Condensed Mana Damage (Light, Fire, Wind) from an unimed Photon Particle Generator.-

    -You have received 5344 points of Condensed Mana Damage (Light, Fire, Wind) from an unimed Photon Particle Generator.-

    -You have received 6572 points of Condensed Mana Damage (Light, Fire, Wind) from an unimed Photon Particle Generator.-

    -You have received¡­

    -You have received¡­

    -You have received¡­

    The notifications continued, detailing every second he was under siege from the attack. However, thetter part of the notifications caused Cynrik''s eyebrows to rise.

    "So it had a Photon Particle Generator inside¡­I guess that makes sense, considering it was the one thing I couldn''t find, and all of the blueprints for my ships require one to run." Cynrik mused while massaging his still sore chest.

    "What makes sense to you doesn''t necessarily make sense to the rest of us, Darling¡­it''s cool and all that you know what it is, but why did that thing attack you?" Walking alongside Cynrik as they returned to the shelves holding the final chest, Seleneined and shot him a confused re.

    "Putting it intoyman''s terms, the Photon Particle Generator acts like gasoline for the engines I n on building, only since I have no idea how to make one; it makes sense that there was one somewhere in the vault."

    "The way I see it, either this family was hoarding expensive Engineering items, or one of the kids had gotten the ss, and the Matriarch nned on nurturing future talent."

    "Regardless of their reasoning, all of the vehicle blueprints in my hands require a Photon Particle Generator, and since there was one present, I surmise they either nned on having the talented dead kid reverse engineer it or they had a way to get more." Scratching his cheek, Cynrik reached forward and stored away the treasure chest housing the Photon Particle Generator into his inventory. He stopped a secondter as he felt a sharp paining from his left hip.

    "You still haven''t answered my question¡­why did that thing attack you?" Selene growled while pinching and twisting the tender skin of his hip.

    "Ahh ahh, ok ok, jeeze¡­" After several failed attempts to bat her hand away, Cynrik finally relented and began exining.

    "Without proper housing, Photon Particle Generators are nothing short of an uncontrolled nuclear energy ball. The chest must have been lined with materials capable of containing this force, and the instant I opened it, it was like releasing the floodgates."

    "The oue is to be expected, and if my eyes weren''t bugging out, I would have noticed the concentration of energy and taken precautionary measures."

    "Either way, it was bound to happen since I couldn''t spy on the box''s contents thanks to evolving my [Mana Sight]." Shrugging his shoulders and feeling instant relief from the absence of Selene''s attack, Cynrik mused.

    -Oh yeah, surrre¡­ me your updated eyes for your poor nning andid-back attitude.-

    -Why can''t you just admit you fucked up and move on¡­-

    Fluttering into existence, Tobs ced her hands on her hips and scolded.

    "I am with Tobs on this one, Darling; if you had taken the time to adjust to your new eyesight instead of leaving it deactivated, we could have avoided you getting hurt." Matching the tiny fairy Tobs'' posture, Selene joined the scolding party.

    ''Tsk, she''s MY wife; why is she taking your side,'' Cynrik thought before ignoring the twodies and walking around the vault alone to ensure he didn''t miss anything.

    ---

    An hourter, Cynrik, Selene, and a floating Tobs stood near the vault door, observing thepletely empty room with content smiles.

    Everything was gone, from the smallest ss particle from the broken ss cases to the multitude of shelving units; every object was stored away in an inventory or Spatial item.

    Once that task wasplete, he and Selene had gone to great lengths to clear any trace evidence before finally stopping to admire their work, especially the scorch marks on the wall from where Cynrik was pinned.

    "Well, that wraps this ce up; let''s head out and tally our loot. We can take a few days off for rest, then it''s back to looting." Snapping his fingers, a two-meter wide portal to the shadow realm opened in front of the two, and Cynrik jumped in, followed by Selene with Tobs perched on her shoulder.

    ---

    One monthter, the newlywed couple stood on the frontwn of the Pinhurst Mansion. Physically, not much had changed, but based on the smirk on Cynrik''s lips and the happy expression on Selene''s face, it was apparent to anyone who saw them that they had a fortuitous honeymoon filled with looting every mansion in a 5-mile radius.

    Initially, Cynrik had nned on moving closer to ground zero. Unfortunately, at a certain point, the density of the Divine Particles became too much for his and Selene''s bodies to handle, so they were inevitably forced to cut things short without going into the wealthiest districts of Valor City.

    Still, from how swollen their inventories were at present, it wasn''t like it mattered much to the two of them, and as such, neither was dissatisfied; thus, they had collectively decided it was finally time to return home.

    Walking across the crunchy, dead, golden grass, which had been killed off due to the radioactive nature of the Divine Particles, Cynrik and Selene stepped onto the Mansion''s front porch, and Cynrik reached out to knock on the door.

    Knock knock kn knock knock¡­knock knock.

    yfully rapping the familiar tune from Earth, Cynrik sniffled and waited for Jessup to let down the barrier he had erected around the building.

    (Oh, you''re still alive, are you, d to see you remember where you live, you ungrateful fucking brat!) Jessup''s aggravated voice came through from the small speaker beside the door, causing Cynrik to fight backughter.

    "Yep, the two of us have finished our adventures and havee home to grace our loving family with our presence." Using a cocky and young masterish tone, Cynrik yfully retorted.

    "WE BROUGHT PRESENTS!" Beside him, Selene remarked as if presents made their absence worth it.

    (Let me guess, you n on gifting the things you stole from all those Mansions¡­whatever, I will open up a spot under the training room, so head over.) Standing on the other side of the door, Jessup rolled his eyes and walked away, heading toward the training room.

    With his level of strength, it was easy to observe the surrounding area, and on more than one asion, he had spotted the couple running around like bandits, breaking into houses and stealing what they could get their hands on.

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 Chapter 640 Unhappy Reunion, "Are you really my Brother?" (1)

    <h4>Chapter 640 Unhappy Reunion, "Are you really my Brother?" (1)</h4>

    With Jessup''s level of strength, observing the surrounding area was a simple task, and on more than one asion, he had spotted the couple running around like bandits, breaking into houses and stealing what they could get their hands on.

    At first, he had only looked for any sign of the two. Still, as the days ticked by and his field of searching grew, he eventually located them only to find Cynrik and Selene alive and well, looting everyrge home in the area like a pair of highly sophisticated thieves.

    Although he would have loved to run over and give the two a beating, it was impossible since his presence was required to keep the barrier around the Mansion stable and intact.

    Shaking his head as he walked into the main living room, Jessup spotted Aiden, Gabby, Brance, Benny, Melody, and the three Samieer siblings sitting at makeshift desks while Maeve taught them.

    It had be a regr sight in the Mansion, as it had been determined that they needed to continue their lessons as long as the kids were here. With her wealth of business knowledge, it made sense to have his daughter teach the kids math and financials, something they would require in their adult lives.

    "Cynrik and Selene are returning; everyone should head to the training room as we discussed. Suman, Shamaira, and Salim, I want you three to go up and spend some time with your mother; this is a family issue, so you shouldn''t interfere." Interrupting their lesson, Jessup spoke up, drawing everyone''s attention as he noticed malicious glints shining in the eyes of Gabby, Brance, and Maeve before walking toward the kitchen to inform Cinyah.

    As he was leaving, the kids all looked at each other and nodded before getting up and heading toward the training room, while the three Samieer children headed upstairs to check on their mother, who, although healed, had been in a weakened state since Brance cleared her body of Death Mana.

    ---

    Morning lessons were for Maeve to teach, while the afternoon ones were meant for Cinyah, who would teach Mana Theory and some basicbat lessons. However, before that, the woman would busy her mornings by making lunch and snacks for the kids.

    Hearing Jessup''s footsteps as he entered the kitchen, Cinyah ced down the rolling pin she was using to tten cookie dough and met his hardened gaze.

    "Your son and his girlfriend have returned and requested ess to the barrier. I directed them to the Training room and have already informed everyone to act ording to the n.

    CRACK, CRACK

    The moment the words left Jessup''s mouth, the audible sound of bones cracking noisily sounded off in the kitchen as Cinyah clenched her fists tightly.

    "Good, thank you, Uncle Jessup." Wearing a smile that clearly was anything but warm, Cinyah took off her messy cooking apron and followed the old man out of the kitchen toward the training room, where she met up with everyone else and stood front and center with her hands on her hips.

    ---

    Standing outside the Mansion''s front door, Cynrik and Selene looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.

    "That went better than expected; at least he didn''t say no to opening the barrier." Hopping off the front porch, Cynrik muttered while leaping into the Shadow Realm with Selene in tow.

    "True, but I have a bad feeling that we are about to be ambushed by everyone in the training room." Gracefully falling beside him into the portal, Selene mused while taking his hand so that he could guide her through the air.

    "There is no doubt our family and friends are lying in wait to knock some sense into us; I can already see everyone gathering¡­ hmm, just be ready to shower them with gifts to curb their anger, especially Mom; she looks oohhh so happy right now." Flying toward the training room, Cynrik observed the situation under the Mansion with [Mana Sight].

    It had taken him two weeks to adjust to using his evolved r skill. Still, now that he had, things were back to normal, with Cynrik constantly activating the skill to gather information on his surroundings.

    Using his Evolved [Mana Sight], he had also picked which of the many Mansions to raid, as they would hit the ones giving offrger Mana Signatures, finding the most expensive and best loot avable.

    With a frown cascading down his face, Cynrik angled himself and Selene under the training room and gazed up through the barrier between worlds, and what he saw annoyed him to no end.

    "Tsk, they are prepared to fight; everyone is wearing theirbat gear, even Mom and Maeve¡­but I don''t see Dad, Garrison, or Geralt anywhere¡­weird." Thinking aloud, Cynrik swapped into his battle gear and ced his right palm on the hilt of the kodachi positioned on his hip.

    "Uh¡­do they think we turned into one of those Mana zombies or something? Why would they be kitted out and ready to fight?" Noticing Cynrik''s posture and bodynguage as one ready for battle, Selene, too, swapped into her armor and drew her spear off her back.

    "Hm¡­honestly¡­ that''s probably what it is." Narrowing his eyes in understanding, Cynrik clicked his tongue as a memory from a week ago came forward.

    At the time, he and Selene were in the middle of bashing up another Vault when they were suddenly attacked by what could only be described as a Zombie¡­well, not so much in the literal sense, as this person wasn''t one of the infamous living dead, but they were by no means in their right mind.

    Acting instinctively, Cynrik had observed the person with his ocr skill, and what he saw was both intriguing and horrifying. From head to toe, the person had been thoroughly corrupted by Divine Particles, to the point where it could no longer be described as a human being but resembled one of the viral zombies like in that movie I Am Legend.

    A creature vaguely walking the line between vampire and zombie; however, there seemed to be a spark of rationality and cognizance within the person, meaning they weren''tpletely mindless. However, the Divine Particle corruption had driven the person mad and turned them into a semi-rabid beast that could converse and technically pass as a person.

    Since the appearance of the first "Mana Zombie," as Selene had dubbed them, the two had encountered them on multiple asions, and apart from being a lot stronger physically than someone at their tier should have been, they weren''t much of a threat as they had trouble controlling Mana based skills or techniques.

    Regardless, a handful of the Mana Zombies gave them a hard time, but otherwise, Selene and Cynrik had cleared the ones they came in contact with.

    "Tsk, I knew I should have contacted Brance sooner, damn it¡­" Cynrik cursed as he floated toward the barrier between worlds.

    "Due to the high levels of Divine Particles stored in our bodies, right now, we probably don''t look any different from what the Mana Zombies do¡­it''s just unlike them; we can utilize the particles and are rtively sane¡­er, well no less than normal I suppose."

    "Looking at things objectively, and from their point of view, we indeed may be corrupted and dangerous, so Jessup isn''t willing to take any chances."

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 Chapter 641 Unhappy Reunion, "Are you really my Brother?" (2)

    <h4>Chapter 641 Unhappy Reunion, "Are you really my Brother?" (2)</h4>

    "Looking at things objectively, and from their point of view, we indeed may be corrupted and dangerous, so Jessup isn''t willing to take any chances."

    "What''s the n? I don''t expect you want us to go in guns a-zing as that will only ensure they think we are zombied out¡­" Selene asked with concern on her face.

    "If they attack, we fight back, but our goal is only to disarm, not maim." Heaving a sigh and realizing things could go south very quickly, Cynrik steeled his resolve and looked up at Brance specifically.

    Apart from Jessup, who could single-handedly deal with them, he didn''t doubt that Brance would be the first one tosh out and attack, especially given the fact that when they were teenagers on earth, the two had made a vow that if the zombie apocalypse urred, one brother would put the other down without hesitation as they didn''t want to see their sibling be a zombie.

    With that vow in mind, Cynrik knew the one he would need to convince, first and foremost, was Brance, and the others would fall in line. But that still didn''t mean there was no need for a fight, as Brance would act first and ask questions second.

    If there were even a shred of doubt in Brance''s mind, he would move to put Cynrik and Selene down, and this fact wasn''t lost on the older brother.

    ---

    Above in the training room, tensions were high as Jessup began briefing everyone on the situation.

    "When I saw the two of them, I noticed they have absurdly high levels of Divine Particles in their bodies, indicating they have been corrupted. They may look and seem like Selene and Cynrik; however, with so much Mana stored in their bodies, there is a high likelihood that they have be Corrupted Divines." With a stern expression, Jessup swapped into a suit of heavy te armor, not unlike Brance''s, only it was leagues more potent than the youngest Jetlensr''s.

    "I will only step in if you can''t handle the situation; otherwise, it is up to you to use this as a training experience. And bear in mind, no matter what they say, the people you know are gone, and all that is left is a cheap imitation; they may have their memories, but that is where the simrities end."

    "Be on guard against any attacks or skills they use, as everything will beced with potent Divine Particles and yield higher and more dangerous forms of damage." With that said, Jessup nced around those in the room, and his eyes fell on Brance and Cinyah.

    Brance seemed to be fighting an internal battle with himself, and if it weren''t for the steely expression the young man was wearing, he would have never understood the turmoil swirling in his mind.

    Cinyah, on the other hand, was an open book filled with despair and sadness. It was clear to Jessup that the two were taking the situation hard and med themselves for not being there to stop Cynrik from leaving and getting himself into the current predicament.

    Pushing those thoughts aside, Jessup snapped his fingers, and a 3x3 meter ring opened in the floor''s barrier across the room, indicating that was where the two would appear.

    ''Tobs¡­why won''t you answer me¡­'' Brance asked with sorrow in his heart for the millionth time.

    Ever since he had woken up after healing the Governess, he was greeted by silence every time he attempted to converse with Tobs, as if the AI had vanishedpletely.

    Stricken with grief and concern, Brance didn''t know what to do and was exasperated to find his brother; however, Jessup refused to allow him to leave the Mansion, and it wasn''t until a couple of days ago when the old man called a meeting that he found out about the fate of his brother.

    Unknown to him, it wasn''t that Tobs didn''t want to respond but that she couldn''t; now that not one but two of her hosts had begun adapting and absorbing Divine particles, she could no longer sustain the connection with Brance since he didn''t have ess to the particr particle type.

    It was an unforeseen consequence that was entirely out of her control and outside her scope of knowledge since what was transpiring wasn''t something that had ever happened with a Being under Tier-5, especially not at the Peak of Tier-3.

    As such, she had unfortunately found herself cut off from her third host, thus spending all of her time dealing with Selene and Cynrik while worrying about Brance.

    She had wanted to bring the subject up to Cynrik time and time again; however, every time she did, he would shrug it off and say he would deal with the falloutter, but now that the "fallout" was about to ur, she couldn''t help but be concerned, especially with how Brance would react.

    ---

    Down below in the Shadow Realm, Cynirk was furious.

    "God damn it, they aren''t even going to listen to logic and n on killing us, FUCK!" He shouted, startling Selene.

    -I warned you, Cynrik, I told you that my connection with Brance had copsed, but you refused to listen to me and continuously put it off. Now look at where we are; everyone has turned on you two due to theirck of knowledge.-

    Franticly pping around and punching Cynrik''s cheek, the tiny Tobs screamed at the top of her lungs.

    "Shut up, I KNOW, OKAY, I FUCKED UP!" snatching Tobs out of the air and holding her by the back of her shirt, Cynrik shook her twice before tossing the tiny fairy over to Selene, who caught her and cradled Tobs to her chest like a mother.

    "Change of ns, Selene; you go down and stay out of the way. I am pulling Brance into the Shadow Realm and exining things to him," Cynrik stated with a chilling edge.

    "But won''t he try and fight you?" Selene whispered in concern. Although she knew full well that Cynrik was powerful, that didn''t mean he would befortable fighting full-out with his younger brother.

    Of anyone, she was fully aware of their bond, and Selene knew that this would cause a lot of unseen mental anguish on her Eiginmaeur.

    "There is no other choice, and I just hope I can get things through his thick skull without beating it into him." With a sigh, he released Selene''s hand and sent her away with a gentle wind.

    At that moment, Jessup opened the barrier enough to allow for a portal to be opened, and that was when Cynrik moved into action.

    With a snap of his fingers to open the portal, he punched the air, expelling a thick tendril of Umbra Mana, andunched it into reality and the training room.

    ---

    Everything happened too quickly for even Jessup to react; one second, the barrier was opened, and the next, a snaking-like construct of divine-infused Umbra Mana flew out from the portal, wrapped around Brance''s waist, and yanked him down into the Shadow Realm before the portal closed up.

    "NO!!! NO, NO, NO, NO!!!" The next thing anyone heard was the horrible screams of Cinyah as she rushed to the sealed ground where her youngest son had disappeared.

    However, when she arrived, she noticed something: a sheet of paper was resting where Brance had vanished; on it, three simple words that struck Cinyah''s heart like lightning.

    The note read¡­ "I''m Still Me."

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 Chapter 642 Unhappy Reunion, "Are you really my Brother?" (3)

    <h4>Chapter 642 Unhappy Reunion, "Are you really my Brother?" (3)</h4>

    Completely ignoring any reactionsing from inside the training room, Cynrik''s entire focus was on Brance because the moment he pulled his brother into the Shadow Realm, the youngest Jetlensr lit up with a dazzling golden light as he directly entered his [Nephilim Mode].

    Two sets of Mana construct wings burst from his shoulders and lower back as he broke free from Cynrik''s Umbral Tendril and put distance between them.

    "You¡­" Brance started to say with narrowed eyes as he frantically scanned Cynrik from head to toe with [Mana Sight], hoping to uncover if Cynrik was really a Corrupted Divine.

    "Sigh, ever the jumpy one, ain''t you, Brancie?" Using his left palm, Cynrik rubbed his forehead to ease his antsy nerves.

    Due to the conflicting nature of Brance''s HolyFire and his Umbra Affinity, the instant suppression Cynrik would feel upon looking at the Angelic-like form his little brother used gave him a splitting headache.

    "Look, I am not here to fight you, not that you would even stand a chance if I did since, ording to Jessup, my every attack utilizes Divine Particles now."

    "Not to mention, I am WAY faster than you, so odds are you wouldn''t even see meing." Dropping his left arm, Cynrik stood defiantly with his right hand resting on the hilt of his hip-sheathed Kodachi.

    "You aren''t him¡­your Mana signature is nothing like my brothers. Shit¡­Cyn¡­I am sorry, sorry that I couldn''t stop you¡­" Brance practically whispered as he no longer recognized the strange makeup of his older brother''s Mana Signature.

    Since a being Mana Signature was static from Birth, simr to how DNA or Fingerprints are, it wasn''t supposed to be changeable; as Brance observed Cynrik, he could tell how changed the once familiar swirls of Mana had be, indicating the person floating a dozen meters away was no longer the brother he had once known.

    However, what Brance didn''t know and had no way of knowing was that it wasn''t just Cynrik but Selene who had undergone massive changes the moment they became one.

    The Mind Body and Soul Link radically changed them, effectively creating a two-sided coin by merging not only their [H¨²efl¨²r] but also their Mana Signatures. Parts of their individually unique signatures were shared between them, creating a wholly original and new version, yielding a shared image which reflected the other persons.

    Partner that with the changes brought about by their current umted Divine Force stat, which, after spending over a month under the pressure of Divine Particles, had stopped at 50%, and the information obtained from Jessup, a person he trusted, it was no wonder that Brance was ready to end his brother.

    Steeling his resolve, Brance straightened his back, drew his shields, andbined them into their Greatsword Form before dropping into an offensive stance.

    "I will do what I must." Wholly focused and not wishing to see his brother''s body defiled by what it had be, Brance rushed forward and attacked, only to end up shing the air, as Cynrik easily dodged.

    "Really, Brancie¡­quoting Obi-Wan now? I didn''t even give the setup for those lines of dialog. At least let me talk about bringing Peace, Freedom, justice, and security to my new empire first before you give out the punchline OOP," Right as Cynrik finished his statement, he shed away from another flurry of sword strikes.

    "You really can''t hit me, little brother; my AGI is double yours. Sure, your STR is high, but what does that matter if you can''tnd a single strike?" Shaking his head while taunting his brother further, Cynrik drew his hip-sheathed Kodachi, sidestepped, and stabbed the broad side of Brance''s Greatsword, forcefully causing one of Brance''s attacks to deviate away and, in turn, crumpling his attack stance.

    ''Tobs, how long must he stay down here before he gets the Force umtion stat?'' Continuing his one-sided banter while dancing around Brance like a cat, Cynrik asked.

    -Four minutes and 18 seconds; I can reconnect and speak with him again once he gets it. Just don''t piss him off to the point where he no longer hears reason.-

    The tiny fairy, who perched herself on Selene''s shoulder, stated, causing Cynrik to nod in understanding.

    ''4 minutes, I can handle that,'' Cynrik thought as he rushed into Brance''s face and began deflecting the attacks with ease one after another.

    "You know, I knew you were always a fucking meathead, but I figured you wouldn''t ever allow other people to influence your perception to the point that you don''t even recognize your own brother." Ignoring the trickling sweat flowing down his face as he drew his second Kodachi to deflect Brance''s attacks, Cynrik taunted.

    "SHUT UP ASSHOLE!" That did the trick; his aggravating words forced Brance to erupt with abination of Light and HolyFire Mana, generating a pulse of energy that sent Cynrik wheeling through the air.

    "Tss fuck that stings, OI, Dickhead, why are you trying to burn me to death." Patting his body as if putting out mes with his hands, Cynrik righted himself before crossing both of his Kodachi over his chest andunching a wave of X-shaped Sword lights filled with Umbra Mana at his brother.

    BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM

    The impacts of the sword light smashing into Brance''s greatsword as he shed them to pieces created rumbling tremors, a testament to the fact that Cynrik wasn''t holding back.

    -Two minutes, Cynrik, hang in there.-

    Worried because she noticed how quickly Cynrik''s Stamina was draining as the fight progressed, Tobs felt the need to give an update.

    "Tsk, if it were anyone else, I wouldn''t be burning Resource stats at such an astronomical rate; just being in close proximity to that birdbrain naturally drains my STAM rapidly," Cynrikined in a hushed whisper while checking his Stamina.

    Noticing that it had dramatically fallen to 47%, Cynrik couldn''t help but huff in annoyance.

    Meanwhile, Brance''s head was currently in total disarray. Initially, he believed that if push came to shove, he would be able to deal with the Corrupted Cynrik since it shouldn''t haveplete control over his faculties and Mana, but as their fight dragged on, he soon realized how wrong that assumption had been.

    As the seconds ticked by, and he met face-to-face with the Corrupted version of his once older brother, Brance couldn''t help but feel a trickle of confusion taking over his brain.

    ''What if it really is him, and he wasn''t corrupted but instead found some way to mitigate the Divine Particles while utilizing them to get stronger?'' The instant that thought shed into his head, Brance pped his wings forcefully and put some distance between himself and Cynrik.

    "Huff¡­huff? Oh? What''s wrong, little brother? Did you finally realize that you can''t win this fight, and it''s a fruitless endeavor?" Practically gasping for air and converting the Ambient Mana around him into breathable oxygen, Cynrik let his arms droop as he shed a cocky grin to Brance.

    Silence descended on the two brothers as they floated with a dozen meters between them without breaking eye contact.

    Eventually, Brance broke this silence with hope and confusion in his eyes.

    "Are¡­Are You Really My Brother?"

    --PPPST, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 643 Unhappy Reunion, "Are you really my Brother?" (4)

    <h4>Chapter 643 Unhappy Reunion, "Are you really my Brother?" (4)</h4>

    "Are¡­Are You Really My Brother?" Brance asked with a slight quiver in his voice.

    However, without missing a beat and in very Cynrik-esk fashion, the answer Brance received caused him to frown.

    "Nope, I''m the Ghost of Christmas Past." Wearing his trademark cocky smile, Cynrik flourished his Kodachis before sheathing them.

    "Ohe on, how could I miss the opportunity, hehe OOFF AHHHH THE LIGHT IT BURNS USS AHHH BRANCE TURN OFF YOUR GOD DAMN NEPHILIM MODE!!!" Just as Cynrik confirmed he was indeed still himself, Brance rushed forward and embraced his older brother in a tight hug.

    Only, he forgot to turn off his Bloodline ability, and as a result, the moment he came in contact with Cynrik, smoke began rising off his older brother''s body as if he were on fire.

    Hearing theints and seeing the smoke, Brance quickly released Cynrik, stepped back, and deactivated his [Nephilim Mode] before rushing forward again and punching Cynrik directly in the chest, robbing him of the little oxygen he had in his lungs.

    "GAH, WHAT THE FUCK MAN! FIRST, YOU TRIED TO KILL ME, THEN YOU HUGGED ME AND TRIED TO KILL ME MORE, AND NOW YOU''RE BEATING YOUR POOR, DEFENSLESS OLDER BROTHER; HOW UNFILIAL!" Cynrik screamed as he wasunched toward the ground.

    "You bastard, What the fuck is wrong with you? Why couldn''t you tell me that you had found some way around being transformed into a Corrupted Divine!" Shooting forward andnding on the ground beside Cynrik as his brother was getting back to his feet, Brance verbally assaulted him.

    "Why didn''t youe back and tell everyone? Do you realize how damn worried Mom and the others are about you and Selene? Wait, where is Selene? Also, where is Tobs? Why can''t I talk with her? WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON, HOW IS ANY OF THIS POSSIBLE!" Ending his string of questions with a roar of aggravation and throwing his hands into the air, Brance relentlessly fired off one question after another.

    Hearing them, Cynrik stood in ce with his mouth slightly agape and his index finger held up, unsure where to begin. Luckily for Cynrik, though, he wouldn''t have to because, at that moment, several notifications blipped into Brance''s vision, causing him to flinch and stare at his brother incredulously.

    -WARNING! YOU ARE ENTERING A ZONE FILLED WITH OVER-ABUNDANT DIVINE PARTICLES.-

    -WARNING! YOU ARE ENTERING A ZONE FILLED WITH HIGH-LEVEL DIVINE GRAVITATIONAL PRESSURE-

    -CURRENT DIVINE GRAVITATIONAL PRESSURE: 5.5 DGP.-

    -The Whisp of Divinity and the Divinity Fragments merged with your soul are reacting to the outside Divinity Particles.-

    -Warnings have been canceled.-

    -Your Divinity Fragments and Whisp of Divinity have been strengthened ever so slightly.-

    -You have unlocked the prerequisite for obtaining your Divinity Stat.-

    -Divinity Stat: Status-LOCKED-

    -Divinity Stat will be unlocked when you reach 100% umted force.-

    - umted Divine Force: 0.10%-

    - umted Divine Force: 0.11%-

    - umted Divine Force: 0.12%-

    - umted Divine Force: 0.13%-

    ¡­

    ¡­

    ¡­

    - umted Divine Force: 0.99%-

    - umted Divine Force: 1.0%-

    -An adequate amount of Divine Force has been umted, and connection with System AI, designation Tobs, has been re-established.-

    "Oh, I guess those notifications finally came through." Smirking at the dumbfounded look on Brance''s face, Cynrik chuckled before signaling Selene that it was safe toe over.

    However, before anything else could be said, Brance rushed at Selene joyfully, Snatched the tiny fairy off her shoulder, and hugged her to his chest.

    "TOBS YOU''RE OKAY!" Brance practically cried as he hugged the tiny fairy and rubbed her against his cheek happily.

    "Wow¡­fucking wow¡­as his own flesh and blood, I didn''t get that kind of reaction; I don''t know if I should feel jealous or be emotionally wounded." Drooping his shoulders, Cynrikined while Selene stepped beside him and patted his shoulder forfort.

    "That''s rough buddy¡­"

    "FUCK OFF, SOKKA!" Swiping Selene''s hand away and shooting her an aggrieved re, causing her to burst outughing, the couple stood by and watched Brance and Tobs'' reunion.

    It took a few minutes for the heartwarming scene of Tobs and Brance reuniting to end. Still, when it finally did, he ced her on his shoulder and calmly walked over to Selene and Cynrik before observing them closely, especially Selene, who looked VERY different for some unknown reason.

    Sensing his confusion, Cynrik smirked, nced at Selene, and the two activated their [H¨²efl¨²r] at the same time, causing the markings covering their skin to light up and Brance''s eyes to widen as he recognized they seemed to match now.

    "Long story short, we are officially married, which had some unexpected benefits. If my theory is correct, it should also be the main factor in changing our Mana Signatures and, frankly, the most significant reason you were so sure we had be Mana Zombies." Shrugging his shoulders and deactivating his bloodline ability, Cynrik stated matter of factly.

    "The fuck is a Mana Zombie¡­hold up, DID YOU JUST SAY YOU TWO GOT MARRIED?" Starting his statement with confusion toward the strange terminology, Brance rapidly shook his head before yelling thetter with bloodshot, wide eyes.

    "Ow¡­that was my ears, yeah, wepleted an Ancient ?sir ceremony and ritual, obtaining specific titles, stat boosts, a new bloodline mode, and well¡­.the MBS Link¡­you know what, how about I just show you my Status profile." Not wishing to exin theplicated situation further, Cynrik swiped at the air and metaphorically tossed his data to Brance through the Mind link, with Selene following suit.

    It took some time for Brance to go through the copious amounts of information he had just received, and with a bit of aid from Tobs, he firmly grasped everything he had missed in thest month before ring at the twisted and sadistic married couple.

    -You don''t even know the half of it, Brancie; after I lost contact with you because you hadn''t umted any Divine force, I was stuck¡­alone with these two Crazies who continuously fuck like animals in heat.-

    -IT WAS HORRIBLE, THE SOUNDS, THE SIGHTS, THE BODILY FLUIDS, I HAVE BEEN TAINTED BY WHAT I''VE BEEN FORCED TO WITNESS! I MISSED YOU SO MUCH BRANCIE BOOHOO!-

    -Take me away from this lunatic couple¡­Boohoo.-

    Acting the part of an aggrieved child subjected to the mental trauma of walking in on her parents banging multiple times, Tobs sobbed crocodile tears while gently smacking her balled-up fists on Brance''s shoulder before pointing in anger at Cynrik and Selene, who stood there utterly unphased by her antics.

    "Tsk, so fucking dramatic," rolling his eyes, Cynrik had to control his twitching left hand, which seemed to have a mind of its own, and wished to squeeze the tiny fairy until she popped into Mana particles.

    "Now I know how you felt watching Brancie''s reaction to reuniting with Tobs¡­is this what betrayal is¡­" Looking down at her hands in defeat, Selene grumbled before looking up at her Maeur for support.

    "Pretty much¡­.sigh, we raise them with our heart and soul only to be tossed away at the first opportunity; remind me to keep a firm guiding hand with our kids in the future to avoid simr scenarios." Smacking his lips in discontent, Cynrik wrapped his arm around Selene''s waist and pulled her against his body.

    --PPPST, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 644 Unhappy Reunion, "Are you really my Brother?" (5)

    <h4>Chapter 644 Unhappy Reunion, "Are you really my Brother?" (5)</h4>

    Between Tobs'' overdramatic disy and the incredulous status profiles he was reading, Brance was stunned into silence. Especially when reading thetter part, it was one thing for Cynrik and Selene to vanish into the shadow realm over a month ago, but when he realized that the entire time he had been worrying about them, the two had been having sex and fraternizing around without a care in the world, he felt rage bubbling deep inside of him.

    Sure, Tobs had already informed him a month prior that the two hadpleted their first time, resulting in them getting married, and she had even partially exined the benefits the two had received, but he still felt as if he''d been pped in the face.

    However, hearing about something and reading the physical proof were entirely different stories.

    But when he remembered the intimate moments he had been having with Gabby over thest couple of weeks, he couldn''t wholly me his brother and new sister-inw, and that thought slowly quelled the rage that threatened to spill over.

    Physical intimacy was obviously going to ur at some point, especially in a couple whose actual age far surpassed their physical, and the only sce that Brance found was that Cynrik had taken "responsibility" before engaging in anything.

    However, he was astounded when Brance read through the changes in Selene''s profile. She had obtained a percentage of his stats and a powerful boost; this alone was astronomical and had even closed the wide gap between him and Cynrik and Selene.

    If before Selene was the unofficial 3rd strongest, it was now official. She barelygged behind them now, and that thought caused Brance to furrow his brow.

    ''Tobs¡­''

    -I know what you will ask, but my answer stays the same as it was a month ago. I am not confident in giving either a yes or no regarding something simr happening with you and Gabby.-

    -There were simply too many outliers in the case of those two crazies. The biggest one was the shared Bloodline; everything down to their percentage was precisely the same, and one side wasn''t notably stronger than the other in this aspect; thus, there was no internal strife.-

    -The same can''t be said between your LightBringer Blood and Gabby''s Human. So, as I said before, although your LightBringer Bloodline is considered "Compatible" with Humans, that doesn''t necessarily ensure she will receive any boost, aspatibility only refers to actual mating.-

    ''Sigh, I understand, so what do I need to know about this Divine Force umtion thing? Considering the addition of its presence in their Status Profile was why we thought they were Corrupted Divines, I assume it has something to do with absorbing and limating to Divine Particles.'' Crossing his arms over his chest and shooting a re at the crazy couple standing not far away, Brance asked.

    -Uh¡­well, it''s pretty straightforward. Once your percentage reaches 100 percent, your Divinity Stat will be unlocked, and you will have met one of the requirements for Tier-7 advancement.-

    -The fact that their bodies harbor so many Divine Particles is an unforeseen consequence. Until we have a method of resolving the leakage, they will continue to appear like Mana Zombies¡­er Corrupted Divines.-

    Nodding his head, Brance then addressed Cynrik and Selene.

    "So, who came up with the name Mana Zombie¡­let me guess, it was Cyn." He stated as if he knew the answer already.

    "Nope¡­that naming sense was all Sel, and I simply went along with it. I couldn''t care less what we called them, but the gains from killing them were pretty good, triple Xp even though they were technically a lower Tier than us and half a percent on our Divine Force percentage." Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik said what was on his mind but also continued.

    "The only downside is the two of us have reached the Cap for Tier-3 and 4, which I didn''t know was a thing. ording to Tobs, 50% is the highest we can achieve, then at Tier-5, it increases to 75%, and finally, at Tier-6, we can hit 100%."

    "Apart from killing Corrupted Divines, what is the standard method of increasing your umtion rate?" Brance asked aftering to terms with things being as they were; however, the answer from Cynrik caused Brance to scrunch up his face.

    "Hanging out in the DFZ, or as I call it, Divine Force Zone. Between training up your Grav Resistance, you also get minute increases in your Force umtion, but the percentage increase is qualitative to the pressure weighing you down."

    "The higher the Divine force, the quicker you can increase your percentage; if memory serves, we capped out at 15% down here, and even that took about a week. It wasn''t until we ventured closer to ground zero, or the Governor''s Mansion, that we saw a spike in our umtion."

    "Uh¡­huh, now tell me the real reason you two have been ghosting our family and friends to stay down in the Shadow Realm, and don''t you dare give me some crock of shit excuses." Getting to the next topic he wanted to address, Brance couldn''t help but remember a few conversations he had with Jessup about how the man had spotted Cynrik and Selene running amok around town, getting up to trouble of the not-so-legal variety.

    "That¡­well, you see, what had happened was¡­" Selene started exining their actions; however, Cynrik quickly cut her off and came clean, as he knew it would only make his brother more annoying if he lied.

    "We were looting all the empty houses of the deceased. I won''t sugarcoat it because there is no reason to. Every house we hit was of some cocky stuck-up family, who were too ignorant to leave their homes without adequate strength to protect themselves."

    "Also, before you ask, I feel no remorse for robbing them blind, especially since I found WAY more than enough evidence that these families were involved in multiple illicit and illegal activities."

    "So before you chastise Selene and me, understand we basically only stole from the assholes who suppress others and left the homes of those who could weigh on your conscious alone." Rolling his eyes and refusing to allow his brother a moment to interject, Cynrik spewed out plenty of information to throw Brance off their tails, primarily about certain families''w-breaking habits.

    From sex trafficking to drug trading or corrupt politicians or even murder plots, Cynrik had hundreds upon hundreds of documents detailing every single thing the rich and famous of Valor City had executed, leaving both Selene and Brance stunned as they watched a mountain of file folders dropping to the ground one after another.

    This was something Cynrik had done in the background and why he had always headed to whatever office he found inside a mansion. It wasn''t difficult to dig up this dirty information, and he knew that when it came time to reveal their loot to Brance, he needed a n.

    Initially, he had thought to just lie to Brance; however, around the time he and Selene had begun their raids, Cynrik was aware of a certain powerful presence constantly watching his every action, and he assumed this to be Jessup, which, in turn, cut off any opportunity of hiding their actions in Reality.

    --PPPST, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 645 Unhappy Reunion, "Are you really my Son?" (1)

    <h4>Chapter 645 Unhappy Reunion, "Are you really my Son?" (1)</h4>

    For a time, the Shadow Realm was quiet as Cynrik continuously dumped one file after another on the ground, many of which had twisted photos of serial killings or other illegal evidence until finally, he stopped and looked up at the stunned expression on Brance''s face.

    "What''s more, some of these assholes turned into Mana Zombies¡­" The moment the word left his lips, Brance flinched and corrected him.

    "Corrupt or Corrupted Divines, the official terminology is one of those, not Mana Zombie."

    "Sure, whatever, I could care less; regardless, some of them turned, and we put them down, so even in death, they could benefit myself and Selene nominally."

    Beside Cynrik, Selene nodded, instantly agreeing with everything he said not to put Brance onto the true reason for their actions, swiping all the free gubbins lying around.

    "Fuck¡­even though I know you are hiding the full truth, I can''t help but be lenient since you actually did something noteworthy for once; however, stealing is still wrong, Cyn¡­" Before Brance could finish his statement, the small mountain of documents vanished, and in its ce was one of the chests from the first vault Cynrik had cracked.

    "Say that after you see what''s in the box, Brancie." Wearing a confident smirk, Cynrik used a tendril of Umbra Mana to lift the box to chest level for his brother to open.

    As instructed, Brance hesitantly opened the treasure chest, but as he did so, his pupils constricted since he recognized the contents, and his mouth dropped open before his vision swam. He even released a strange yelping sound brought about by his surprise.

    Without hesitation, Brance quickly used his [Inspect Skill] and soon realized his initial thoughts were correct, and what he was observing was half a dozen rare, metal variant Affinity orbs.

    "Ho¡­how¡­in¡­the¡­fuck¡­" Brance managed to say, albeit with some effort, as he picked up the Orichalcum Affinity Orb as if it were the most precious item in existence.

    "Well, the fat bitch who owned the vault that came from was one of the worst offenders I had ever seen. Nicknamed the Queen of the underground Demi-human ve trade, she stuffed her face daily with delicacies earned from her illegal act while procuring rare and expensive items to boost the power of her children."

    "The entire power base of her family was built on the backs of many lost lives, so yeah, you don''t have to feel bad about taking these lovely and rare Affinity Orbs because, in our group, you are the only one who can effectively utilize them in the first ce."

    Unfortunately, Cynrik''s words were brushed aside as Brance gently ced the orichalcum orb down and picked up each Affinity orb in rarity order while muttering their names.

    "Adamant, Mithril, Gold, Silver, Bronze¡­holy shit¡­this is amazing. I didn''t even know these things existed, let alone that I''d ever have the opportunity to find them. I am sure they must cost an absolute fortune to procure if they even go up on the market."

    "Tsk, he turns into a kid in a candy store over some shiny rocks; sigh, what will I ever do with this brother of mine¡­how am I supposed to reveal the good shit we found."

    "Sure, this batch of Affinity orbs is nice, but they only scratch the surface of our vast wealth. Isn''t that right, my Kona?" Peeking at Selene, who had her eyes raised as she witnessed Brance fawning over the orbs, Cynrik teased.

    Absent-mindedly, Selene nodded, ignoring that she, too, had reacted like Brance on more than one asion; only Cynrik didn''t bother teasing her for it as he was doing his brother.

    "Hold up, what do you mean vast wealth? HOW MANY FUCKING HOUSES DID YOU GUYS RAID?" Suddenly snapping back to attention, Brance closed the chest, stored it in his inventory before Cynrik could take it back, and red at them.

    "*POP* ten¡­twenty¡­ seventy-three mansions, whose counting anyway, just know we gathered enough gubbins and wealth tost us multiple lifetimes with a life of frivolous expenses." Making a loud popping sound and refusing to look Brance in the eyes, Cynrik found a lovely ruinous building off in the distance to admire while casually stating the actual number of Mansions they had raided.

    "Sev¡­SEVENTY-THREE MANSIONS, how, what, who, HUH?" Copsing to his knees, Brance stared at Cynrik and Selene as if they were monsters.

    To have hit that many in such a short time meant they were averaging two to three a day, and with that level of efficiency, they would have little time to do anything else, or so Brance suspected.

    Little did he know that Selene and Cynrik had fallen into a rhythm after the eighth or ninth Mansion, and there were often days when they had hit as many as six Mansions at a time.

    Other times, they wouldn''t even bother going out of the Shadow Realm. Instead, they had a full day of smexy time activities, simply enjoying each other''spany, as their month-long absence was first and foremost supposed to be treated as their extended honeymoon period.

    As luck would have it, a particr tiny Fairy gently patted Brance''s cheek, drawing his attention, and spoke reassuring words to calm down his high-strung anxiety.

    -Brancie, don''t worry, they got stuff for everyone, not just themselves, and since I know the entire contents of their inventories, they can''t hide anything from you.-

    Unfortunately, her words only caused a ruckus with Selene and Cynrik, as they shouted words such as "Traitor, and Betrayal."

    -SHUT UP; YOU TWO SUBJECTED ME TO AN UNFATHOMABLE AMOUNT OF MENTAL TRAUMA WITH YOUR NUDE AND LASCIVIOUS ACTIONS. TAKE YO LUMPS AND DISH OUT THE GUBBINS TO YOUR BROTHER AND FRIENDS!-

    "NO! THE ORICHALCUM BARS ARE MINE AND MINE ALONE; AIN''T NO ONE STEALING THEM FROM ME!" Reacting like a cat whose tail got stepped on, Selene ran away, identally revealing her most prized takeaway from the excursion and causing Cynrik to facepalm, as he didn''t n on letting Brance know about those right away.

    "Holy fuck, you guys actually got your hands on pure Orichalcum Bars¡­" Thankfully, the impact of Selene''s reveal wasn''t as significant as Cynrik expected, allowing him to change the subject with finesse.

    "OK, enough about our gubbins, Brance; we need to think about how to deal with everyone above. Jessup has them all convinced we are Mana Zombies¡­"

    "Corrupt Divines," Brance interjected, causing Cynrik to roll his eyes before rebutting and continuing his statement.

    "Sure, that. Anyway, Jessup has them convinced we''ve been turned and are dead. In my quick thinking, I left a note for Mom, but even so, she hasn''t convinced everyone that things are fine." Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik nced at Cinyah, who was patiently kneeling on the ground and waiting for their return.

    "I knew she would believe my words, but it wasn''t enough to convince Jessup. Funny enough, Gabby isn''t even worried about you¡­which I find slightly strange."

    "Hm, oh, that''s easy; she knows I am not in danger since Jessup already exined it takes prolonged exposure to Divine Particles before turning into a Corrupted Divine."

    "At the worst, she probably expects us to fight before I win; however, she should still be worried about me returning to Reality¡­which reminds me, how would I have done so?"

    --PPPST, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 646 Unhappy Reunion, "Are you really my Son?" (2)

    <h4>Chapter 646 Unhappy Reunion, "Are you really my Son?" (2)</h4>

    **Two Long Chapters today,? I wanted to do a lil something extra today since y''all have been so supportive, so here''s one of the two 1500-word chapters.**

    ---

    "Funny enough, Gabby isn''t even worried about you¡­which I find slightly strange." Tilting his head to the side, Cynrik teased the strange urrence.

    Generally, Gabby was the first to overreact when anything happened to Brance; however, as he looked up and observed her bodynguage, she seemed totally rxed, as if Brance had gone to the grocery store and not into a potential life-or-death battle.

    "Hm, oh, that''s easy; she knows I am not in danger since Jessup already exined it takes prolonged exposure to Divine Particles before turning into a Corrupted Divine." Pausing to contemte his response for a second, Brance followed Cynrik''s gaze up to reality and smiled faintly at how well Gabby was taking things.

    If it had been a month prior, there was no doubt she would have flipped out after he got dragged into the Shadow Realm; however, now that they had gotten significantly closer through physical intimacy and strengthened their rtionship to such an extent, Gabby was more understanding and had total faith that Brance woulde back to her in one piece.

    But that wasn''t his only thought.

    "At the worst, she probably expects us to fight before I win; after all, I am the hard counter to 99% of your abilities; however, she should still be worried about me returning to Reality¡­which reminds me, how would I have done so?" The moment the words left his lips, Cynrik tensed up as he felt the piercing gaze of his younger brother threatening to bore a hole through his head.

    "Ima ignore that statement about her believing this would have been a one-sided beatdown. As for you leaving the Shadow Realm, I have no clue; we have no evidence if this ce will disappear if I die or open another portal. Hell, for all we know, my death could potentially drop the Barrier between realms and create a merger between it and reality." Shrugging his shoulders and ncing at Tobs, who mirrored his shoulder shrug, Cynrik continued.

    "Regardless, I''d rather not find out nor test any of those theories, so for argument''s sake, let''s assume you would have been stuck down here until you or Tobs came up with a n on breaking through the barrier to return."

    "In that case, we have already seen that Divine Particles can migrate through the Barrier. Theoretically, you would be stuck here until you reach Tier-7 or are so saturated with Divine Particles that you can punch a hole through the membrane-like Barrier."

    "That''s it?" Raising his left eyebrow out of concern, Brance asked.

    "That''s it¡­without me, I can''t honestly think of a more reliable method." After saying that, the two fell into a contemtive silence until it was disturbed by Tobs.

    -Not to break up this introspective moment you two are having, but there is another ring issue that neither of you has noticed.-

    pping her tiny fairy wings, Tobs flew off Brance''s shoulder and stopped, hovering between the brothers.

    -As your body adapts to the Divine Force, the Barrier is actually getting more robust, or so I have observed. I noticed this after every Tier advancement and Evolution Cynrik had undergone; however, the speed of its thickening has rapidly elerated with the addition of the Divine Force umtion.-

    -So technically, the odds of Brance leaving the Shadow Realm without Cynrik''s assistance are bing more skewed as time passes.-

    "Great¡­that''s EXACTLY what I wanted to hear; if anything happens to chuckle nuts over there while me and the party are down here, we end up trapped, then everyone dies a slow and agonizing death¡­Cyn, you''ve got to realize that the danger level of the Shadow Realm just increased 50-fold." With a huff, Brance began swaying side to side in anxiety.

    "I mean, you ain''t wrong, but at the same time, I could trap our opponents down here; after all, this ce DOES make the best prison due to itsck of Naturally urring Mana." With a slight chuckle, Cynrik sent a whisp of Umbra Mana toward Selene, who was hiding off in the distance like a dragon protecting her treasured Orichalcum, informing her toe back over.

    Once the whisp of Mana reached her, Selene''s head snapped in their direction, and she ruefully stomped over to them.

    "Brancie, it''s mine, and you can''t take it¡­" ring like some crazydy at her new brother-inw, Selene snarled, causing Brance to give her a weird look in response before shaking his head.

    "We have wasted enough time down here, guys, since Jessup left the hole in his Divine Barrier open, that means he is expecting you toe back¡­or me; either way, we have kept them waiting on pins and needles long enough, it''s time to go home." Taking charge, Cynrik looked to the sky and clicked his tongue.

    Only about 20 minutes had passed since he dragged Brance down into the Shadow Realm; however, everyone was primed forbat in the training room except Jessup, who was calmly waiting on standby.

    "Have you thought about what you are going to say yet? Because you can''t just waltz in and be like, "AYE, totally fine; see, same ol Cynrik here." What the three of us can achieve thanks to being LCs is beyond impossible in the minds of Native Vinestrans."

    "Staying under the Divine Particles, without protection, for over a month is SUPPOSED to turn you into a Corrupt Divine¡­" Wishing to speak further, Brance was suddenly cut off by Selene and Cynrik, who wore cheeky smiles.

    "Mana Zombies." The two said in unison with a slight chuckle.

    "Fuck off, you two know what I meant. Still, the fact that neither of you has turned after prolonged exposure isn''t supposed to happen, so you need to devise an actual, believable reason for that." Ignoring their ignorant use of "Mana Zombie" and using ambush tactics, Brance pushed for answers from his otherwise nonchnt older brother.

    "Ehhh¡­you gonna be mad if I say I n on just winging it? You know, fake it till you make it." Catching Selene by her waist and kicking off the ground, Cynrik expelled ckfire from the soles of his feet and shot into the air, up toward the Barrier between realms.

    "Yes¡­YES, I WILL BE MAD IF YOU SAY SOME BULLSHIT LIKE THAT!" Brance practically exploded as heunched himself into the air, following the two toward the Barrier.

    "Come on, Cynrik, take this seriously; you may be able to fight off our faction or even Mom and Maeve; however, Jessup would stomp you into the dirt like a bug, so unless you n on getting yourself killed over a misunderstanding, I suggest you take this shit seriously." In an exasperated tone, Brance chided as he worriedly looked between his brother and Jessup above.

    "You know, what I am about to say next maye as a total shock to you¡­But Brancie, did you ever think that I would¡­I don''t know, maybee clean and tell the truth this time?" Spotting his younger brother approaching out of the corner of his eye, Cynrik spat.

    "Bullshit, there is no conceivable way youe fully clean about everything." Not even bothering to entertain the motion, Brance dismissively shot past Cynrik and Selene and flew right to the edge of the Barrier between realms.

    "Ow¡­that stung a little bit; of all the people I expect to believe me, you would be in second ce." Rolling his tongue under his bottom lip, Cynrik gracefully came to a hover beside Brance and shot him a wounded expression.

    "Only second; I didn''t know I ranked so low." Rolling his eyes, Brance crossed his arms over his chest and waited to see what Cynrik had to say while already having an idea of the reason.

    "Well, I have a wife, an Eiginkona, now, so she gets the top believability spot. Anyway, I do have an idea of what to say to them, but whether or not ites off as eptable to Jessup is an entirely different story." Cynrik stated as he heard Selene giggle and felt her cuddling up to him in contentment at being given first ce.

    "Sigh¡­always gotta be difficult. Jessup already knows our skills and Stats since it was necessary information for creating our gear, plus he knows about us receiving the Divinity Whisps from Viktor and Lithlen."

    "Using the Whisps of Divinity as a foundation and our already unnatural abilities, it isn''t a stretch to give a convincing story to the old man; after all, in everyone''s eyes, we are already freaks of nature, so what is another random and weird urrence in our already strange existences." Shaking his head and exining things to Brance, Cynrik couldn''t help but feel he was forgetting something important.

    Luckily, or unluckily for him, Brance quickly pointed out the w in his exnation.

    --PPPST, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 647 Unhappy Reunion, "Are you really my Son?" (3)

    <h4>Chapter 647 Unhappy Reunion, "Are you really my Son?" (3)</h4>

    **And long chapter number 2 is here. Enjoy, folks; I appreciate everyone hanging in there while I was going through some tough times, anyway, back into the story.**

    ---

    Shaking his head and exining things to Brance, Cynrik couldn''t help but feel he was forgetting something important.

    Luckily, or unluckily for him, Brance quickly pointed out the w in his exnation.

    "Yeah, sure, that might work in the cases of you and me, but how do you exin Selene not being turned? She wasn''t present when we fought Lithlen and Viktor; how is it possible that she, too, has a Whisp of Divinity?"

    "It''s not like they grow on trees, and as of now, at the very best, we have only knowinglye in contact with three Tier-7 existences and less than a handful of Tier-6''s." As he spoke, Brance''s eyes darted between Selene''s non-caring expression and the annoyed look on Cynrik''s face after being called out in such a manner.

    "Uhh¡­yeah, got me on that one, tsk, well, I could just tell him we did an ancient mating ritual, where when I prate¡­"

    "STOP, STOP, STOP, DON''T WANNA HEAR THE DIRTY DETAILS, you know what, fuck it, do whatever you want, I ain''t saving your ass this time." Wishing he could implode his eardrums and wipe his memory of the vivid image Cynrik had begun painting, Brance immediately pointed toward Reality.

    "Can we get a move on? I hate being down here; it always makes me feel sticky, like a super hot and humid Florida day." Branceined as he continued to expunge the imagery his brother had forcefully injected into his brain.

    "Wo, who knew? All I gotta do is talk about our sex life, Sel, and Brancie gets all skittish; ain''t that cute, hehe." Cynrik teased, with Selene joining in on the fun.

    "Teehee, he''s so innocent, like a little cherry boy. HAHAHA!" She added, causing Brance to flinch as the tides had been turned against him in this verbal altercation.

    "Shut up, you uncouth assholes, can we PLEASE get a move on, don''t make me beg¡­" Without bothering to deny their ims and unwilling to talk about his progress with Gabby, Brance pushed right against the invisible Barrier between Realms as if he wanted to force his way into Reality to flee the insane couple.

    Meanwhile, a certain tiny fairy perched on Brance''s shoulder shivered as she had been forcefully present for more than one of the crazy pair''s escapades.

    -Now you know how I feel¡­they''re so...so¡­dirty¡­ BOOHOO!-

    Hearing Tobs'' sobs, Brance quickly scooped her off his shoulder and cradled her against his broad chest.

    "It''s ok, Tobs, I am here now; I will protect you from the two bad people; from now on, you can just escape to my side whenever they decide to go at it with their unholy union," Brance spoke in a soft, reassuring tone as he gently patted her glossy hair with his thumb.

    "Tsk, so fucking dramatic, it''s not like we forced you to stay and watch Tobs, yet you run to Brancie as if we are a couple of perverts with an exhibition kink." Rolling his eyes, Cynrik mentally prepared himself for what was about to ur and looked up at the ring Jessup had opened in his Divine Barrier.

    Extending his left arm out, since the right was firmly holding Selene in ce, Cynrik snapped his fingers and opened a matching portal to Reality before motioning for Brance to enter first.

    ---

    Meanwhile, as Cynrik and Brance argued in the Shadow Realm, the training room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop as no one moved even a fraction of an inch.

    Ever since Brance had disappeared, the members of MyrkLys, Maeve, and Jessup had been on high alert, ready for anything. Meanwhile, Cinyah hadn''t moved from where she sat, on her knees and staring intently at the spot she prayed her children would return from.

    As Cynrik had anticipated, the note was enough for her to doubt Jessup''s ims about how her eldest son was now a Corrupted Divine and the person she raised no longer existed.

    Still, that didn''t mean there wasn''t doubt in her mind, as she understood it could be an borate ruse generated by a twisted individual corrupted by the Divine Mana.

    However, the instant an inky ck portal blinked into existence, Cinyah moved on instinct, jumping back and manifesting two scimitars made of pure Fire Mana, one in each hand, with a sharp-looking curved meter and a half de.

    Like her, everyone readied themselves on the off chance that it wasn''t Brance appearing and instead Cynrik and Selene; strangely enough, not a single one of them had thought about the fact that a portal had been opened as usual and that the only person who could do such a thing was actually Cynrik, not Brance.

    Behind her, everyone readied themselves for battle when Brance shot out from the Portal, expelling golden mes from his feet beforending gracefully on the ground and observing everyone.

    "Hey¡­just me," he awkwardly stated while looking to the floor beside him, where he could see Cynrik and Selene through the Portal.

    Before anyone could move, Jessup spoke up, halting Cinyah and Gabby, who wished to rush forward and embrace Brance.

    "Where are Cynrik and Selene? As much as I can tell from the state of your body and theck of visible damage, it''s safe to assume either that you didn''t fight them or that you did and were utterly defeated."

    Stepping through the small crowd of people, Jessup walked a few paces closer to Brance and observed him with something called [Divine Sense], a natural ability an individual would receive upon reaching Tier-7.

    "You weren''t subjected to the Divine Particles long enough to be turned, but something still seems off," Jessup stated with a hardened gaze.

    "Well, I suppose you aren''t totally wrong or senile yet, old man." At that moment, the cocky voice which caused everyone who knew him a splitting headache came from the ground as Cynrik and Selene shot up from the Portal andnded beside Brance.

    Unfortunately, before Cynrik could start off with his witty banter, an insanely powerful pressure bore down on him and Selene, causing their knees to buckle, with Selene hitting the ground Belly first and Cynrik dropping down onto one knee.

    "YOU LET THEM COME BACK, ARE YOU INSANE BRANCE JETLENSR!" Jessup howled as he pressed Cynrik and Selene down with the full force of his Killing Intent, Aura, and Divine Force, three mystical pressures which, whenbined, brought down a power equivalent to 30g onto their bodies.

    "he¡­hehe¡­hehehehe¡­Damn¡­old man¡­way¡­tsss¡­to¡­over REACT!" Cynrik''s strained chuckles caused everyone to freeze in ce, as Jessup''s pupils constricted.

    However, What he saw was only scratching the surface as an equally suppressive force exploded out of Cynrik and Selene, countering and pushing against his three pressures.

    BOOOOOMMMMMMM

    Suddenly, a second wave of power manifested, generating a concussive explosion of invisible force that radiated from both Selene and Cynrik as they activated their [Mind, Body, and Soul Link], [H¨²efl¨²r], and [?sir Mode] in unison.

    In a split second, the pressure bearing down on their bodies released, and they quickly stood up and then stared down Jessup, a being FAR stronger than themselves, with mirroring cocky smiles.

    Before everyone, strange and borate knot-like markings brightly shined across every inch of Cynrik and Selene''s arms, upper body, necks, and faces as theirbined [H¨²efl¨²r] thrummed like a beating heart.

    Their eyes glowed with hazy Amethyst light as the couple angrily red at Jessup, united as a frightening force unseen by anyone other than Tobs.

    "At least give us a moment to exin ourselves before you jump the gun and attack. If we hadn''t spent thest month aggressively training our bodies in the DFZ (Divine Force Zone), you would have sttered us into meat paste." Speaking as a single unit, the voices of Selene and Cynrik ovepped, a sign that they were perfectly in sync thanks to the activation of their [Mind, Body, and Soul Link].

    "However, you are quite lucky, you old bastard, because today, we just so happen to be in a rtively good mood. Now withdraw your fucking Trinity of Pressures so we can have a fucking conversation in PEACE!"

    Speaking with a chilling tone, Cynrik and Selene rolled their upper lips and shed their pearly white teeth like hungry wolves to Jessup, startling the man immensely, as he never expected them to fight back, let alone threaten him in such a way.

    Gulping a mouthful of saliva, Jessup felt a chill run down his spine as he witnessed the defiant stance of the two young people standing before him, and strangely enough, although he was a full Four Tiers stronger than them, he felt a slight sense of danger emitting off their bodies in waves as if telling him that if he were to attack, things wouldn''t necessarily go as nned.

    But, before Jessup could make a move or even say another word, Cinyah broke past him and stood a few paces away from Cynrik and Selene while staring directly at Cynrik with eyes filled with concern.

    "Are¡­Are you really my son?"

    --PPPST, JOIN US, JOIN US IN THE DISCORD, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg--

 Chapter 648: Unhappy Reunion, "Are you really my Son?" (4)

    Before Jessup could make a move or even say another word, Cinyah broke past him and stood a few paces away from Cynrik and Selene while staring directly at Cynrik with eyes filled with concern.

    "Are¡­Are you really my son?" Her voice was shaky and unsure as Cinyah searched for signs of reason and rationale in Cynrik''s eyes.

    "Yeah, Mom, It''s us." Cynrik and Selene stated in one voice, causing Cinyah to break her gaze away from Cynrik and look at Selene.

    The two shed Cinyah a brief smile before returning their gaze to the still-stunned Jessup, who had a contemtive look on his face for a moment before withdrawing his Trinity Pressures.

    "How is this possible? You two were under the Divine Particles for a full month; this shouldn''t be humanly possible." Jessup muttered under his breath, making Cynrik and Selene suppress a fit ofughter.

    ''That''s because we aren''t fully human, duh.'' Cynrik heard her say in his head, nearly forcing him to sputter and fail to conceal hisughter.

    ''Knock it off you; we are in tough-guy mode right now,'' Cynrik scolded lightly. Since the two shared a mind when using their MBS-Link, the thoughts he heard were no different from his own, and as such, it was almost like reassuring oneself to scold Selene, but he didn''t pay it any mind.

    "Tell me something, old man, do the words "umted Divine Force," mean anything to you." Cynrik and Selene stated with a confident smirk.

    "umted Divine Force¡­wait then that means you two¡­" Jessup started to say, only to be cut off a secondter.

    "That the two of us have already fumbled our way into one of the requirements for Tier-7 advancement, yes.

    And at present, both of us are sitting at 50% umtion, which, for your knowledge, is the soft Cap for Tier-4." Halfway through his statement, the timer ran out for the MBS-Link, and Selene fell silent beside Cynrik as they deactivated their Bloodline Modes and Ability, returning to their base state.

    "As for how we did that, it''s pretty simple: we''re both already at the Peak of Tier-3 and have one foot into Tier-4.

    Thanks to the presence of Divinity, by way of the Whisp of Divinity I got from Lithlen, within my body, I was able to begin umtion early, or at least that''s what my System Promt Stated." Their words crashed upon everyone in the training room, Especially Maeve and Cinyah, who weren''t that far off from them in strength.

    "As for the reason I can start at the Tier-4 cap instead of something meant for Tier-3, I don''t have answers, only theories."

    "What I can tell you is that when the two of us returned back to the Shadow Realm after saving those idiot innocents, I got a bunch of System Notifications indicating the substat was unlocked, and it started increasing over time." Shrugging his shoulder, Cynrik reached over and took Selene''s hand in his, which didn''t go unnoticed by Jessup or Cinyah.

    "The same thing goes for Brance, as he''s already at like 2% or something like that. But Selene, on the other hand¡­is a bit of a different case."

    {{You''re nning on telling them here?}} Catching onto the narrative of the conversation, Brance frowned, but his words were disregarded.

    "As for the case of Selene¡­there''s something we need to tell you."

    ''Tobs, can we share an edited version of our Status profiles with Mom and Jessup.'' Cynrik quickly asked.

    -It''ll cost you 200 Skill points per head, so 400 skill points. Sharing Profiles generally requires a specific artifact, but it is possible if the individual has bonded closely with someone such as a parent or close friend. The skill points are the cost to hide confidential information, such as bloodlines and whatnot.-

    ''Take them from me; since I have 2915, losing 400 isn''t a big deal.'' Mentally nodding, Cynrik swiped in front of himself and Selene before flicking his wrist twice, once toward Cinyah and a second time toward Jessup.

    : Cynrik Ayke Jetlensr (Ivar the Boneless Ragnarsson):

    : Title - Perfect Clear Expert, Perfect Evolution, Skill Creator, Limit-Breaker, Divine Embryo, Eiginmaeur of Selene Jetlensr :

    : Demi-Human Male (55% Human, 45% ???):

    : Age: 14:

    : Tier-3 (PEAK) :

    : Supernatural Stage :

    : Primary ss - Tier-3 Umbral de-Dancer : (+60 DEX, +60 AGI, +50 INT Distribution)

    : Sub-ss - Magik Runic Scribe : (+60 INT, +2 Dex, +60 MIND Distribution)

    : Mana Codex & Veins Tier-4 :

    : Stage 6 :

    : Supreme Mana Body - Tier-4, 25g Resistance, Divine resistance 20Dg :

    : Credits: 80,000 :

    : Merit Points: 28664 :

    : Regr Stat CAP: 7850 : (STR, VIT)

    : Limit-Broken Stat CAP: 11,775 : (DEX, AGI, INT, MIND)

    : umted Divine Force: 50% :

    : Strength- 4050 :

    : Dexterity- 10,450 :

    : Agility- 10,450 :

    : Intelligence- 10,450 :

    : Vitality- 4050 :

    : Mind- 10,450 :

    : Divinity- LOCKED :

    : Selene Jetlensr :

    : Maiden Name - Nilsson :

    : Title - Perfect Evolution, Limit-Breaker, Divine Embryo, Eiginkona of Cynrik Jetlensr :

    : Demi-Human Female (55% Human, 45% ???) :

    : Age-17 :

    : Tier-3 (PEAK) :

    : Supernatural Stage :

    : Primary ss - Tier-3 Valkyrie of the Shadows : (+60 STR, +60 DEX, +50 VIT Distribution)

    : Sub-ss - Tier-3 Leather Artisan :(+60 STR, 60 DEX Distribution)

    : Mana Codex & Veins Tier-4 :

    : Stage 5 :

    : Supreme Mana Body - Tier-4, 25g Resistance, Divine resistance 20Dg :

    : Credits: 12,000,000 :

    : Merit Points: 5841 :

    : Regr Stat CAP: 7850 : (AGI, INT)

    : Limit-Broken Stat CAP: 11,775 : (DEX, STR, VIT, MIND)

    : umted Divine Force: 50% :

    : Strength- 10,274 :

    : Dexterity- 11,775 :

    : Agility- 5973 :

    : Intelligence- 4819:

    : Vitality- 5652 :

    : Mind- 2592 :

    : Divinity- LOCKED :

    Upon reading the impressive Status Profiles, Jessup stumbled backward, and Benny had to catch him to stop the old man from falling over. That was how unique the profiles of Cynrik and Selene were.

    Compared to any youth he had ever known, even himself, the contrast between them was like heaven and Earth; there was noparison to be had. Cynrik and Selene were by far too powerful for their age and Tier.

    Then there was the case of their Mysterious Bloodlines, which had a shared and matching percentage for both, and upon realizing that even at Tier-7, he was still unable to garner any information outside of the question marks, Jessup couldn''t help but feel a slight amount of fear toward the two youngsters.

    Meanwhile, Cinyah''s eyes hadn''t even made it past the first article of their Status, her gaze moving between Selene''s name and the shared Title the two had.

    As a mother, how could she not be excited that her firstborn had finally gotten married? However, in her mind, he was still too young. Or at least that would have been the case had the lines not appeared in their Status Profiles.

    This simple fact meant that the CSH had acknowledged their union. Although she didn''t understand what an Eiginmaeur or Eiginkona was, the fact that Selene''s Status showed her Maiden name and current was proof enough that under the watchful eye of the Central System Hub, they were now a married couple.

    The biggest worry in her mind at the moment, though, was that if the title change and name change had urred, that meant they had gone so far as to consummate their marriage, something she knew from experience wasn''t a pleasant thing to live through, no matter how flowery or romantic either of those participating had set the situation.

 Chapter 649: Welcoming Acceptance

    Taking a deep breath and raising her right hand to cover her mouth, Cinyah choked back tears and stepped forward, ignoring her son and standing in front of Selene.

    Then, to the surprise of everyone present, she pulled Selene into her embrace and kissed the top of the younger girl''s head. A knowing look spread across her face as she did so, understanding that it hadn''t been long since Selene had lost her maidenhood.

    Setting the loss of virginity aside, she knew that although Cynrik was rough around the edges, he cared greatly about this girl, so with eptance, at that moment, she took Selene as her daughter and vowed that no matter what, Cinyah would shower the girl with as much love as she does Cynrik and Brance.

    She was no stranger to Selene''s dark past and knew about how she had been treated by her bitch of a mother.

    On more than one asion, Cinyah had even gone so far as to try doing covert investigations on the woman, but not of her contacts had yielded any results apart from the woman''s strength.

    Theck of motherly attention from a young age painted a picture in Cinyah''s mind that Selene may not have known the potential consequences of losing her maidenhood, so she couldn''t help but pity the young girl and wanted to ensure that she knew everything was going to be alright, even if the girl didn''t seem traumatized.

    Above anything else, she wanted to convey that Selene was loved and that she would always have a pir of support standing by her side in the form of a mother.

    On the opposite side of the spectrum, Selene was utterly floored by Cinyah''s actions. She wasn''t a girl raised in a loving environment with tender care; that much was sure. Still, the moment that Cinyah embraced her she couldn''t help but melt into her new Mother-inw''s arms, lulled in by the sense of motherly affection and parental security she had desperately wanted her whole life.

    "From now on, just call me Mom, like the boys do, okay? There is no need for Mother-In-Law or even using my name; you are my daughter now." Breaking the embrace after a solid minute, Cinyah took half a step back and reached down to hold Selene''s hands while making eye contact with her new daughter.

    "Y¡­*Sniffle* yes¡­Mom." Fighting unwanted tears from spilling over, Selene weakly smiled, showing unprecedented vulnerability to Cinyah, who reached up and wiped the young girl''s tears with her thumbs.

    To her left, Cynrik couldn''t hide the tender smile on his face as he reached over and rubbed the small of Selene''s back forfort. He had a feeling that once Cinyah found out about their Marriage, his Mom would wholly embrace his woman, but he didn''t realize it would turn out so dramatically.

    But then he remembered that Cinyah knew most of Selene''s backstory and, piecing together the clues, could understand her reaction.

    {Hah, Mom''s being Mom again.} Not far away, Brance wore a cheesy smile as he looked over at Gabby, who, although confused, had apparent joy and longing in her eyes, making it clear that she couldn''t wait for the same interaction.

    Meanwhile, almost everyone was confused about what was going on at first. Still, when they heard Cinyah calling Selene her daughter, they understood that something crazy had happened in the month-long absence of Cynrik and Selene, and since none of them were stupid or slow, they pretty much got theplete picture.

    "Cynrik Ayke Jetlensr," Suddenly calling out his name, Cinyah released Selene''s hands and kissed her on top of her head before standing before her son.

    "Yes, Mom? How may I be of assistance?" Jumping to attention, Cynrik said in his usual smart-ass tone, albeit slightly more restrained.

    "I know I raised you better than to run off and elope with your girlfriend, and I am hurt that you didn''t think I would have been supportive. To make matters worse, your selfish actions have robbed your now wife of the dream of many young girls: to have a picture-perfect wedding." Cinyah stated with her sternest "Mom" voice filled with disappointment.

    Staring into his mother''s eyes, Cynrik didn''t break character for even a second as he stood perfectly still, waiting for whatever consequences came his way.

    "How do you n on remedying this? And don''t give me some half-assed remark like, "She said it was okay?" You have already messed things up in countless ways, and now it is time to take responsibility for your actions. The order of things is so out of whack, and I hope you know what to do." Although her voice was stern, her eyes betrayed her thoughts.

    She knew that Cynrik had already taken responsibility simply because of how Selene had taken their name. While she was curious about the Titles the two had, she didn''t pry into their personal information.

    With a stern expression, Cinyah did something that caught both Cynrik and Selene entirely off guard; in a fluid motion, she brought up her right hand before gently tugging off the silver wedding band perched on her left ring finger.

    Even Brance''s eyes shot wide open at this action, as he had NEVER ONCE seen his Mom take off her wedding ring in his entire life. In fact, he had even assumed it was an Artifact that couldn''t be removed as a sign of her unending love for Rikard.

    Yet, here and now, Cynrik, Selene, and Brance watched as Cinyah took off her wedding ring, grabbed Cynrik''s left hand, and ced it firmly in his palm.

    "In my family, it is customary that the Firstborn receives their mother''s wedding ring. Had you told me before you ran off like the reckless knucklehead you are known to be, I would have informed you and given you my ring beforehand." Cinyah''s facial expressions transformed from the stern parent scolding her child to one of a loving and proud mother.

    Leaning forward, Cinyah gently hugged Cynrik and whispered in his ear.

    "You know what to do, so do it already; also, we will talk about how you stole her virginity without heeding our warningster." The icy edge in her voice sent a shiver down Cynrik''s spine, but he ignored it and freed himself from his mother''s grasp before turning to Selene.

    ''I had a feeling she would react like this, but I never knew about this tradition. Sorry Sel¡­'' In a rare urrence, Cynrik actually apologized to someone; even though it could only be heard by Selene and Tobs, it was still a groundbreaking moment.

    Wearing a smile, Selene quickly forgave him and presented her left hand to him, her eyes practically glowing and filled with joy.

    Knowing what to do, Cynrik calmly grasped her hand and, using his left hand, ced his mother''s ring on Selene''s left ring finger.

    -DING-

    -An Artifact, Ring of Forever Promise, has been bestowed on your Eiginkona.-

    -As you have already undergone the Marriage ceremony and Ritual, the Artifact has been activated.-

    ''Oh, that''s interesting; look at you getting even more benefits from being Married to the most handsome and powerful Demon Lord ever known to Exist.'' Cynrik thought with a cocky smirk stered across his lips.

 Chapter 650: The Ring of Forever Promise

    **Since the Chapter iste by like a lot, this one is 1500 words instead of the normal 1200. I will still be posting two chapters after the reset at some point tomorrow or, er...today since it is currently 3:02 AM at the time of my writing this. Anywho, Shout out to ckwolf747 for dropping a castle on my head outta nowhere.**

    ---

    -DING-

    -An Artifact, Ring of Forever Promise, has been bestowed on your Eiginkona.-

    -As you have already undergone the Marriage ceremony and Ritual, the Artifact has been activated.-

    -Ring of Forever Promise (Female) *UNLINKED*-

    -Tier 3.5: Special Grade-

    - ssification: Small in Silver Ring ¨C

    - Status: Inactive until linked with a matching Ring of Forever Promise (Male).-

    - A custom-made wedding band and part 2 of a two-piece set. Formerly belonging to the set owned by Cinyah Jetlensr and Rikard Jetlensr, the ring has been passed down to the previous owner''s oldest son, Cynrik Jetlensr, and bestowed to his chosen life partner, Selene Jetlensr.-

    -As this Artifact has changed owners, it is no longer linked to the previous matching Artifact. This ring symbolizes the love its wearer has for the individual wearing the second piece toplete the set, "Ring of Forever Promise (Male)."-

    - +1000 DEF-

    -Durability: Scales to the Wearers HP Stat. 1/1 Ratio.-

    - Ability 1: If the Wearer''s HP falls to 1 point, this ability will activate, giving the individual the Status "Invincible" for 30 seconds.-

    -Status: Invincible. The individual with this Status will be impervious to physical, metaphysical, and psychological damage for the duration of the effect, and the wearer''s HP can not fall below 1 point.-

    - Ability 2: The Wearer of this Artifact can Teleport to the side of the owner of the corresponding "Ring of Forever Promise (Male)" one time a day.-

    ''Oh, that''s interesting; look at you getting even more benefits from being Married to the most handsome and powerful Demon Lord ever known to Exist.'' Cynrik thought with a cocky smirk stered across his lips.

    It was one thing for the wedding ring, which was a simple silver band without any gemstones, to be a physical representation that the individual wearing it was taken and married.

    But when said ring was instead an artifact with a life-saving option, now THAT was something extraordinary. The only issue is the ring itself was part of a couple''s set.

    One for the Wife, and one for the Husband, in this case Cinyah and Rikard. But now that the Ring of Forever promise was firmly on Selene''s finger, Cynrik couldn''t help but wonder how he would remedy this issue.

    "It''s beautiful¡­thank¡­thank you, Mom," While Cynrik was lost in his thoughts, Selene embraced Cinyah. Although she hadn''t put much thought into wearing a wedding ring, as she knew that Cynrik would eventually get around to crafting one for her, Selene was overjoyed to receive such a helpful tool.

    Especially since she knew her future and that of Cynrik would be filled with many crises, disasters, and dangerous events. Having one more n to fall back on and another trump card in her toolbox would never be a bad thing, and now that she essentially had an "extra life," she couldn''t be happier.

    "Hah, it is tradition, sweety; like I said earlier, if my knucklehead of a son had given me a heads up, I would have long since prepared it for you, as the moment he chose you, the ring ceased to belong to me." Returning her new daughter''s embrace, Cinyah couldn''t help but shoot an antagonizing nce at Cynrik, who flinched upon realizing he was still not out of hot water.

    "COUGH!" With the sugar level in the training room rising rapidly, Jessup could no longer stay silent as he loudly cleared his throat, earning himself a smack from his daughter Maeve, who had tears running down her cheeks.

    "Knock it off, Dad. I know you are still upset that Cynrik ignored you and ran off into a dangerous area, but give them a couple of minutes to enjoy the fact that they''ve announced their marriage." Maeve hissed as she reached up, grabbed Jessup''s fleshy side, pinched and twisted.

    Anyone who knew Maeve knew that the woman was a hopeless romantic, who, when she wasn''t manning the shop she owned with her father, could be found on the couch watching sappy romance movies on the HoloTv.

    Some people build model kits or have strange hobbies as their guilty pleasure, however; Maeve''s was Romance movies, especially RomCom (Romantic Comedy) ones, so seeing the plot of one of her movies ying out in real-time, she couldn''t stop the waterworks, not giving a damn that the image she had carefully crafted in front of MyrkLys was crumbling in seconds.

    "Hisssss, they are too young to be married legally, Maeve; even if the CSH has acknowledged it, that won''t fly with the Government; scratch that, Selene is old enough, but Cynrik is still two years shy." Swatting away Maeve''s hand with practiced expertise, a sign that her actions were amon urrence, Jessup rebutted, earning him the ire of a pissed-off MILF.

    "Who gives a damn about the government''s approval, anything the Central System Hub does and acknowledges supersedes what those old fogeys running the country think or do." With a huff, Maeve tried to attack her father''s waist again but stopped instantly upon hearing his following words.

    "Watch your tongue; you never know who is listening. Thest thing we need is for the Enforcers to kick in the door and haul you off as a terrorist." Breaking the wordy they were having, Jessup suddenly got serious, causing Maeve to step back and frown.

    "Yeah, sure, like they would bother dealing with the abundant Divine Particles coding half of Valor City just to abduct me; let''s be real, Dad, they have bigger fish to fry, like I don''t know, hunting down the person who caused this whole issue." Maeve ced her hands on her hips and fought back verbally since there was no way she could even move a single hair on her father''s head if he didn''t allow it.

    "For crying out loud, Rikard, Geralt, and Garrison left over a month ago and have yet to return, which, in itself, is a problem, yet the one time we get good news that Cynrik and Selene are back in one piece and even better they GOT MARRIED UNDER THE EYE OF THE CSH, you wish to sully the moment by dragging your idiotic old school thoughts into the room." By the end of her statement, Maeve was out of breath and red in the face as her emotions fluctuated wildly.

    "Well, that''s news to me; care to fill in the loving married couple who triumphantly returned out of the blue as to why those three left the Mansion in the first ce?" Chiming in teasingly, Cynrik appeared between the furious Maeve and the flustered Jessup, his arms crossed and his left hand holding his chin as if he were a schrly man inquiring about important philosophical information.

    Unfortunately, he had chosen the absolutely WRONG time to do so, as his act of pseudo-teleporting between them caught Maeve off guard, startling her and resulting in the Milfy blond throwing a savage haymaker toward Cynrik''s head at full strength.

    WOOOSH

    "Fuck woman, watch where you''re throwing those Gorri-sized hands around; shit, what would you have done if it was someone weaker." Leaning back out of harm''s way with ease, Cynrik dodged the attack; however, due to his taunting words, three more attacks wereunched toward his head.

    "THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME CYNBRAT!" With a furious roar, Maeve went on the offense, thinking she was required, as Cynrik''s elder, to teach the brat a lesson in etiquette.

    But as she soon found out, the days of her easily beating Cynrik into submission had long since expired, as within 10 seconds, she was pinned to the ground, face first, with the young man kneeling on the small of her back in a police-style hold.

    Of course, since this was Cynrik we were talking about, and he already had the green light from Selene, he made sure to take a few liberties with Maeve and cop a good feel or two in the process, pissing the MILF off even further.

    Due to his dexterous abilities, speed, and ability to use shadows to his advantage, Cynrik could perfectly hide his actions from everyone¡­well, almost everyone.

    The only exception was Brance, who had his [Mana Sight] Active to watch his brother''s movements and, as a result, spotted his brother getting a handful of Maeve''s plump, perky right breast, as well as him sliding a hand into the back of her jeans to grasp her fleshy ass.

    {{YOU TWO-TIMING BASTARD, CYNRIK WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING??? YOU ARE MARRIED; HOW COULD YOU DO THAT IN FRONT OF SELENE?}} Brance howled angrily into the mind link, causing Cynrik to smirk in response and nce at Selene, who tossed him a loving smile and then looked toward Brance.

    {{Don''t worry, Brancie, if it were anyone else, I would be furious; however, I have already given him a free pass with Maeve; he can even knock her up if it is within his abilities. Oh, Tobs, can you send Brance the notification Cyn and I got after our Marriage Ceremony so he can see why I am not worried?}}

 Chapter 651: Maeve (1)

    {{Don''t worry, Brancie, if it were anyone else, I would be furious; however, I have already given him a free pass with Maeve; he can even knock her up if it is within his abilities. Oh, Tobs, can you send Brance the notification Cyn and I got after our Marriage Ceremony so he can see why I am not worried?}}

    The following 60 seconds were some of the most confusing and awkward of either of Brance''s lifetimes, as he had to listen to Tobs exining that Cynrik was technically allowed a single concubine for breeding purposes.

    This fact alone caused Brance''s brain to essentially shut down for a full minute as he tried to wrap his head around the fact that Cynrik was going to not only make a move on Maeve, for real, but also put a baby in her, as he was banned from having a casual, sexual rtionship with the woman, or even a deeply romantic one.

    At that moment, every fiber of his being screamed at the absurdity of this scenario, one where his older brother not only banged their mom''s best friend but only had a single purpose: to knock her up and further sew the seeds of his bloodline.

    To make matters worse, Tobs proceeded to expand on the topic, exining the existence of a sub-use where if Maeve birthed a healthy child of the ?sir Bloodline, she would be given¡­certain liberties, such as more action and whatnot, turning her into a breeding ve for his older, sadistic brother.

    Part of him understood the reasoning behind such a use because it was difficult to conceive after a certain point; however, that didn''t mean that Brance was about to be okay with what he had just learned.

    {{For Fuck sake¡­Cyn, please tell me you aren''t seriously nning on going through with this¡­}} Brance said, only to spot his brother casually feeling up Maeve''s voluptuous body under the guise of holding her down so she couldn''t hurt him.

    While Brance spoke, Cynrik''s hand sneakily snaked into the front of Maeve''s shirt, and he was pleased to find the type of undergarment his future woman wore.

    ''Hm, I wonder what color it is, and if the bottoms match the top, tsk, if we were alone, just the three of us, I would strip her bare right here and have my way.''

    ''Patience darling, patience is key.'' Selene chided as she drew a little more attention to herself and Cinyah, protecting Cynrik from anyone paying too much attention to his actions with Maeve.

    Running his fingertips across Maeve''s navel, under her shit, Cynrik fought the urge to devour the woman he''d had his eye on from the moment he met her.

    This MILF checked all the boxes that Selene couldn''t, the kind of boxes that exist only in the realm of fantasy. Her perfectly toned body was a mixture of just the right amount of fat and muscle, with lightly chiseled abdominal muscles zed with a healthy amount of flesh, unlike his own, which appeared as if cut out of marble.

    From the silky smooth skin underneath her shirt to thecy lingerie, Cynirk was beyond pleased with what his senses painted in his mind''s eye, making it difficult to hold himself back from peeking at her nude figure with [Mana Sight] as that would take away from the mystery.

    Meanwhile, Maeve was fighting for her life as Cynrik held her down with gentle yet forceful pressure; the worst part wasn''t being held down, but that each gentle graze of Cynrik''s fingers on her flesh sent icy yet pleasant chills from the tips of her toes to the top of her head.

    Rage, confusion, excitement, embarrassment, shame all these emotions shed through Maeve''s mind as Cynrik practically had his way with her body, rendering her incapable of fighting back.

    {{Hm? You were saying something?}} Acting ignorant to Brance''s question, Cynrik made sure to y with Maeve for another second before releasing her and stepping back with a smug smile.

    In heavy contrast, Maeve''s face was bright red, a sign of her rage and embarrassment. Not only had she been efficiently dealt with and pinned down, but the lingering feeling of Cynrik''s dexterous hands touching her here and there caused her body to heat up, much to her dismay.

    ''What is wrong with me? I can''t seriously be having thoughts about a kid half my age. I USED TO CHANGE HIS DIAPERS FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!''

    Ignorant of Maeve''s internal dilemma, Cynrik sighed loudly before cing his hands behind his head and walking back to Selene''s side.

    ''Had enough fun for now? As someone who''s been on the opposite end of your hands, I can tell you that is likely all she can think about right now. Good move, darling; soon enough, you will have her in bed with us.'' Filling in the role of a supportive cheerleader, Selene thought through their special connection.

    ''Hardly, she''s fun to tease. Tack on my magical hands, and she was like putty; frankly, I am surprised that she didn''t start moaning, hehe; anyway, as you said, it won''t be long now until I capture her.'' Cynrik spoke his mind to Selene without shying from his dark thoughts, causing a warm smile to grace her beautiful face.

    ''Just remember that when ites time for you to make her yours and take her, I demand to be present. Openness is the key to a healthy rtionship, darling.'' Tossing in thest bit, Selene ensured that Cynrik knew better than to do anything without her nearby, then looked over at Jessup, who wore a hardened expression as he tried to wrap his head around everything that had transpired.

    "So, anyone gonna fill me in on why Dad, Geralt, and Garrison left the mansion, or do I need to get physical like I did with our Dearest Maeve." Cynrik chirped with a strange chill in his voice; although his words were yful, the chilling edge in his tone was anything but.

    With this sudden action, the entire room''s attention was on him as a strange and heavy feeling descended on those in the Training room.

    "Sigh; after you left and Brance finished healing the injured, Geralt was practically stir-crazy being locked up in the Mansion. So, with much consideration, it was jointly decided that I would aid him and Garrison in retreating from the, as you put it, DPZ."

    "From there, they would leave Valor City entirely andmit themselves to controlling the fall out of the battle and mitigating its effects on VSFA." Gathering himself, Jessup spoke up, making everyone turn their heads away from Cynrik and toward him.

    "The urgency brought about by taking care of all those extricated from the fight between Governor Samieer and Haylon took precedence, and as such, Geralt decided that instead of attempting to put everyone up here in the Mansion, which would have been difficult, but possible, it would be better to travel to the security checkpoint in the outskirts of Valor City and leave them with the joint military forces."

    "Once this topic was brought up, it was natural that Garrison would join Geralt, but after the death of Lithlen, your father was distraught and took it upon himself to act like a guard of sorts for the two, joining them on their journey out of Valor City."

 Chapter 652: Moving Forward in the DPZ "Divine Particle Zone" (1)

    "Once this topic was brought up, it was natural that Garrison would join Geralt, but after the death of Lithlen, your father was distraught and took it upon himself to act like a guard of sorts for the two, joining them on their journey out of Valor City."

    Jessup''s voice echoed throughout the training room, causing Cinyah to sp her hands and ce them against her chest in worry.

    After Lithlen''s death, something changed in Rikard, and he shut her out entirely as if he had made a difficult decision without asking for her input.

    Noticing the change in Cinyah''s bodynguage, Jessup decided not to speak about the reason Rikard had given him before leaving, as the man first had to convince him why he should be allowed to leave.

    Unlike Geralt and Garrison, who had a school to run, Rikard only had personal reasons for leaving everyone behind. However, once Jessup heard Rikard''s exnation and understood the seriousness of the matter at hand, he reluctantly allowed the man to go with the other two against his better judgment.

    "They left not long after Brance finished healing the Governess, and outsidemunication ispletely moot with the current state of Valor City. Due to the interference of the abundant Divine Particles, there is no way for electronics to receive a signal, and even the other non-electronic means ofmunication have been rendered useless."

    "As it stands, the only information I can give is that the three of them made it to the security checkpoint in one piece, but outside of that, I have no idea what has happened, and without leaving the Mansion grounds, which isn''t possible if I wish to keep the barrier established, I have no usible way of finding out what has happened." Finishing his statement by shooting Cynrik, Selene, and Brance a pensive gaze, Jessup exhaled slowly, almost sighing.

    "Initially, I had nned on asking you to go out in your unique Realm to gather information for me, but now, I feel like you would only end up drawing unnecessary attention since I don''t doubt that you wouldn''t be able to hold yourself back from acting on those annoying invasive and intrusive thoughts you seem to form constantly."

    "Heh, I mean, you ain''t wrong there. I don''t see myself NOT popping into reality and dealing with some undesirable Military personnel." Shrugging his shoulders and epting the statement from Jessup as apliment, Cynrik thought about the wasted XP that could have been consumed if he chose to attack the forces put in ce by those old fogeys who attempted to ambush him during the G.

    ---

    For some time after Jessup finished filling Cynrik in on what had transpired in his absence, idle small talk spread around the room as MyrkLys moved forward to congratte Cynrik and Selene before it was time to head back upstairs.

    Like this, the potential tragedy that failed toe about passed, and since time waits for no one, the days ticked by, turning into weeks.

    The first change to ur was that Selene was now allowed to share a bedroom with Cynrik; however, all of the adults made it abundantly clear that so long as they lived under the Mansion''s roof, there would be no¡­ extracurricr activities allowed in the house, causing the newlyweds to seek alternative means to relieve themselves, IE, escaping to the Shadow Realm where they could fuck like rabbits in heat.

    The Second change, albeit most important to Cynrik and Selene, was that Cynrik was actively on the prowl regarding Maeve. Although he had cornered her several times and teased her slightly, leaving her flustered and confused each time, he never made any REAL moves and would simply walk away with a knowing smirk, leaving Maeve hot and bothered.

    The third change was that, like Cynrik and Selene, Brance sessfully capped his Divine Force umtion at 50% shortly after the Married Couple''s return, and the three began training under Jessup.

    This was the most significant change to ur within the Mansion in months, as one day, Jessup got fed up with constantly being forced to shield the radioactive particles emitted naturally from the three young adult''s bodies from corrupting everyone living in the Mansion.

    On a whim, the old man took it upon himself to teach the three, in the most brutal manner, how to contain the Divine Particles without leaking them like a cracked oil pipeline, a task which by no means was easy for the three Peak Tier-3 individuals, as the technique he taught them, was meant to be used at Tier-6.

    Conceptually, this ancient yet practical technique was used by anyone working toward breaking through to Tier-7, and as such, it was not meant for those with weaker constitutions.

    However, after a lot of tweaking and some expert maniption on Cynrik''s part, a suitable version of the technique, [Internal Divine Shielding], was established and implemented.

    The technique was rtively simple in theory and acted like a light switch that effectively turned off their Divine Particles by storing them away from the world within the depths of their Codex.

    By using the organ as a specialized bank vault, there would no longer be a risk of leakage; as such, no one would be the wiser that Three Peak-Tier-3 kids had obtained something that, until they came around, was considered impossible.

    But don''t let the simplicity of the exnation fool you into thinking that learning and utilizing the [Internal Divine Shielding] technique was easy.

    It wouldn''t be wrong to say that the trio were put through hecious training, which saw their bodies nearly breaking down or exploding regrly.

    Frequently, when night rolled around, Cynrik, Selene, and Brance could be found unconscious on the ground of the training room, covered in blood and sweat.

    But as the saying goes, no pain, no gain, and in the case of the married ?sir couple, their bodies continuously grew at an astronomical rate, with their Mana bodies, Codexes, and Mana Veins surging in strength to Peak-Tier-4.

    The same could be said for Brance, but the changes he underwent were a different story entirely.

    As someone who had a natural "Divine" bloodline, instead of abusing the rapid deconstruction and subsequent reconstruction of his body, the biggest takeaway from the training under Jessup wasn''t in the form of an increase to his body or Codex, but instead in the form of a newfound talent at manipting Divine Particles.

    From temporarily boosting his stats to increasing his damage output or defense, Brance naturally manipted the particles. To him, it felt natural, increasing his lethality in battle.

    So while the two ?sir got stronger bodies, Brance actually BECAME stronger, as Cynrik and Selene still found themselves unable to cause the Divine particles to wiggle slightly even after three months of training.

    In contrast, Brance could coat his body in the form of Divine Particle armor, but he could also wrap every single one of his skills in the strange and mythical Particle, utilizing it to attack with them.

    Cynrik had even gone so far as to call his brother Divinity''s fuckbuddy, since it was clear to him that as a Dark Varient Mana wielder, it would be a difficult task to coax the Divine particles into bending to his will.

    ---

    Finally, after six months of being trapped in Valor City, the first signs of weakening came from the bubble of Divine Particles surrounding the territory. Still, unfortunately, it was negligible at best, and in the end, the DPZ only ended up contracting a total of 30 meters from where it originally sat.

 Chapter 653: Meanwhile, As the DPZ Recedes (1)

    *Remember, remember the 5th of November, the gunpowder, treason, and plot. I know of no reason why the gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.*

    *Welp, we made it to the second anniversary, ALBEIT, way behind schedule. Initially, the n was to be around chapter 800 by now, but due to my mental health and the loss of two family members, I''ve fallen behind, and for that, I apologize.*

    *Still, moving forward, I will try my best to adhere to the schedule I set up back at the beginning of the year, and maybe, by the time we hit the 3rd anni, TOBS will have breached the 1k mark and moved toward the 1500 checkpoint.*

    *As usual, I can''t thank every one of you enough for taking the step into the lives of Cynrik and Brance alongside me. And I hope, with volume 6 ending in the next couple of chapters, I can throw you for a loop more than once because Vol 7 will be a wild rollercoaster of a trip.*

    -Year 2: 653 Chapters, 1.1 Mil Words, 1.53 Mil Views.-

    ---

    ---

    ---

    Meanwhile, as the DPZ recedes at the pace befitting a snail in a distant region, filled with mountains, forests, howling winds, and powerful creatures, the likes that would even cause Cynrik and Brance to shiver thanks to the intense Mana waves, their bodies emitted, lie a small town, enveloped in a massive futuristic wall.

    The architecture of this vige contrasted heavily with the futuristic materials, which cobbled together into a mix of organic and non-organic items and formed this multi-kilometer-wide wall.

    Reaching toward the sky for an impressive 500 meters, unless one could fly or utilize vehicles, it would be impossible to see the strange buildings reminiscent of olden-style Japanese architecture.

    Yet another contrasting feeling to this olden-style vige, full of active people andrge vis rivaling the Pinhurst Mansion, rested a sizeable open runway-style field, where multiple battle cruisers idled, prepared at a moment''s notice to defend the vige.

    One cruiser, slightlyrger than the others and boasting a familiar coat of arms, had its entry open, and a beautiful and curvy middle-aged woman with features reminiscent of Rikard moved with purpose toward arge group of men and women wearingbat uniforms, who could be seen standing at attention and weing this woman.

    As the woman drew closer, three men and two women stepped forward, all sharing simr physical traits, clearly siblings, as they knelt before the now-stopped woman and greeted her in unison.

    "We greet the Matriarch Mother." These five said with enthusiasm; however, the woman, Da Rosalee Jetlensr, said nothing and practically ignored their existence for several seconds.

    This woman was the mother to not only each of the five kneeling before her but also Rikard and the grandmother of Cynrik and Brance.

    Contemting her words carefully, the only sound that could be heard close by was of the wind as the group of uniformed men and women awaited their Matriarch''s information.

    She had left the homestead several months back, not long after the battered and beaten body of her grandson randomly teleported into her Vi.

    Her eyes scanned the crowd before falling on the young man in question, and subconsciously, her tense body seemed to loosen slightly.

    Thinking back to the moment all those months ago, a sh of sorrow momentarily glinted in Da''s eyes, and she couldn''t help but think back to the horrible day¡­

    -Several months back, during the G Incident-

    As Da went about her daily life, multiple warning formations were triggered in her Vi, indicating someone had intruded on her privacy. Soon enough, she located the intruder but stopped in her tracks upon finding the bloodied visage of someone she had personally trained since he was only three years old.

    Someone of her stature instantly knew something was terribly wrong. The young man''s sudden appearance, the Token clutched in his right hand, and theck of her husband joining soon after caused the woman to copse in a sign of momentary weakness.

    She knew then and there that her husband, Lithlen, had passed on, and it took her several minutes of grief before she hurriedly collected herself, along with her grandson, and made her way toward the recovery room.

    Upon depositing the injured and unconscious young man in one of the recovery pods, Da swiftly called for a family meeting before shing away to the metaphorical throne room, which, although it had two giant ornate thrones, was more of a long and open church setting than an open meeting hall.

    Half an hourter, the entire family of well over 300 people had taken their positions, with the elders and more powerful standing before the front pews while the weaker and younger members filled in behind their respective lineage.

    Soon after the arrival of thest youngster, Da entered the room from a hidden entrance and, much to the surprise of everyone present, didn''t sit upon the throne, which had been hers for over a century, but instead took her ce on the throne which had once belonged to her husband.

    Without giving anyone a moment to speak, Da spoke up, using an authoritative and icy tone for which she was known.

    "Let me start this meeting by announcing that Lithlen¡­my husband and the Patriarch of the Jetlensr Family, has fallen; as such, I shall be filling in for the foreseeable future as the Current Matriarch of the Family."

    Contrary to how one would expect this group of people to react, an eerie silence fell on the throne room as shock and grief were stered across the faces of many.

    However, if one paid closer attention to the faces of a select few individuals, it wouldn''t be hard to pick up on the malicious glint in their eyes, a sign that the Jetlensr Family wasn''t nearly as united as they affronted.

    "Before you get it in your heads that there will be apetition or battle for the throne, let me nip those thoughts in the bud. Before his passing, the Patriarch had already chosen his sessor." Da''s eyes fell on those select few known for causing internal strife in the family and red daggers at each of them.

    "Although his present state and age leaves much to desire and doesn''t fit the title bestowed upon him, Len is in possession of the Token and, upon reaching the proper Tier and strength, will be the next Patriarch."

    "As such, if I find any of you plotting or up to sinister means, I will personally see to it that your life bes forfeit, and you will not see another day on this." At her words, her might as a Peak Tier-5 radiated from her body, filling the room with abination of her dense Killing Intent and Aura, which bore down on everyone present.

    With that said and done, Da made a few othermands and requests of her people, including for those closest to her to protect Len explicitly, before gathering her battle squad, boarding her cruiser, and leaving for Valor City.

    Taking charge of the battlecruiser, which once belonged to her husband, Da Jetlensr swiftly left the familypound to gather whatever information she could on the death of her Husband.

 Chapter 654: Meanwhile, As the DPZ Recedes (2)

    Taking charge of the battlecruiser, which once belonged to her Husband, Da Jetlensr swiftly left the familypound to gather whatever information she could on the death of her Husband.

    However, since the distance between the Jetlensr Familypound and Valor City was several thousands of Kilometers, it would take time before she could arrive.

    Time, which she desperately required so that she could grieve the loss of her beloved Husband. Although on the outside, they would appear to not be close nor intimate, behind closed doors, it was the opposite, and Da had been very much in love with Lithlen from the time they were young children.

    Unfortunately, due to their position in the family, they were forced not to show any outward affection toward each other, thus creating the stigma that their marriage was convenient instead of the love it had been built upon.

    And contrary to what she expected to be a trip without trouble, an hour into her flight, unexpectedly, Da received word about the situation in the capital.

    Between the attack on the G by Haylon and the intense Tier-6 battle that tore the governor''s mansion asunder to the newly formed DPV, Da found herself at a loss for what to do. On the one hand, her mind and the family demanded answers.

    At the same time, on the other, her arrival would be seen as a potential support to both the government and the military, two bodies that she, unlike her deceased Husband, had no intention of aiding.

    Still, with the need to understand what happened to her Husband, Da decided to move forward and even went so far as sending word back to the family to move a handful of the family''s resources, such as battlecruisers and relief supplies, toward Valor City.

    ---

    -Present day-

    Standing before the family, Da turned and looked over her shoulder before shouting with authority.

    "Bring the disgraced prisoner to the underground punishment chambers. I will handle things on my own." Her words confused to rise in the minds of those present, but soon, apanied by the sound of rattling changes, the image of a broken, bloodied, muscr man was escorted down the walkway of the ship, revealing his identity to everyone.

    Some gasped, while others sneered, but only one person present red with pure hatred in their eyes as he quickly recognized his uncle, who he believed to be directly tied to everything that had happened, along with the death of Lithlen.

    With bloodshot eyes, clenched fists, and teeth-a-grid, Len''s upper lip rolled up as he struggled to stay in control.

    "Rikard¡­" Len growled under his breath.

    Even if Len had zero proof of his thoughts about the involvement of his cousins Cynrik and Brance in the death of his grandfather, there was zero evidence that it had been Haylon who killed Lilthlen.

    After the previous spectacles that Cynrik had put on during thepetition, he knew that his cousin was sinister and could have capitalized on his grandfather''s situation.

    He would have even brought this information to his grandmother; however, Len was stuck at an impasse on moving forward without proof and only spection backing up his theory.

    Still, because Rikard had been brought back to the family in a battered state and chains, Len felt that his grandmother had found something out¡­something that could potentially seal the deal on Cynrik and Brance''s fate.

    Little did he know that Da had not only stumbled upon her wretched and disowned son, captured him, and obtained valuable information along with the remains of her Husband, which had been received from Rikard.

    But she was also the one who had left the man in his present state out of pure rage upon seeing the head of her deceased Husband.

    Unwilling to listen to anything her son had to say, she vented everything on the significantly weaker man before locking him up in the ship''s brig. Unfortunately, it would be several months before she could leave Valor City.

    The fact that it had taken her so long to return to the familypound was simple; although she wished to leave immediately, it wasn''t as simple as packing up and going.

    The first factor which slowed down her return was all the bureaucratical bullshit and red tape involved in pulling back her forces after arriving to aid in the relief efforts, something that proved to be extremely challenging for the woman.

    But that wasn''t all; upon retrieving her Husband''s remains from Rikard, Da still took it upon herself to gather as much critical data as possible, scanning through all the avable footage frame by frame until she located the moment her Husband vanished from the camera''s sight.

    She had evenbed through all the satellite footage. Still, at the end of her investigation the only thing she could uncover was that upon sending away Len, Lithlen suddenly disappeared. Yet, somehow, Rikard hade upon her Husband''s head, which made things even more confusing, leading to his beating as the man refused to reveal that it was his children who killed the man.

    Instead, he cultivated an borate story about how Jessup had found it in the DPZ. It was rtively believable since it was well-known that Jessup Pinhurst had Tier-6 power, especially since Da was aware of how close her disowned son was with the man.

    Ignoring the looks of disdain thrown at her disowned son, Da made her way through the crowd. She stopped just behind Len before motioning for him to follow and headed toward her vi, where she would soon delve into her findings with the future patriarch.

    ---

    Meanwhile, as this was urring, on the opposite side of the country, nearly equidistant from Valor city as the Jetlensr Familypound, only to the east instead of south, unlike the previously mentionedpound, this expanding territory was surrounded by a vast open in, filled with lush green grass.

    In contrast to the above-ground vige, which was the territory of the Jetlensr Family, the Opurn family lived like dwarves in a colossal underground city.

    As one of the most wealthy, old, and expansive families, they had long since moved underground to hide from prying eyes, unlike the Jetlensr Family, who stuck to ancient traditions and built up a town their forefathers had created.

    Their location and housing facilities aside, unlike the organized situation in the Jetlensr Family, it was absolute chaos here. Upon the activation of Jason''s life-saving teleportation device and his subsequent arrival in the City, Warning rms went off, signaling the life signs of Viktor had stopped being sent out, indicating the man was dead.

    To make matters worse, unlike Da''s firm grasp on the Jetlensrs, Viktor''s first wife, Patricia, the one who was supposed to be in charge, was quickly killed off by Viktor''s fourth Wife, Alicia effectively kicking off a power struggle between the dead mans eight wives along with their multiple children and backers.

    As such, civil war akin to what happened in kingdoms when the monarch died was presently taking ce, and Jason, who had control over the Patriarch Token, was quickly plotted against and found himself fleeing like a scared rat from the various family members who had once praised him, turning his life into a living hell.

 Chapter 655: Meanwhile, As the DPZ Recedes (3)

    **On the homestretch now, guys; there is only one real chapter left in Volume 6 before everyone''s favorite End of Volume Tradition! The Next chapter is the Epilogue and then, OF COURSE, TOBS CORNER!!!!**

    ---

    ---

    ---

    Meanwhile, back in Valor City, things moved more leisurely than they had after the G Incident.

    As chaos ensued at the underground City of Opurnium, and Da Jetlensr informed her family of the findings, half a mile outside of the DPZ, in a mobilemand center shaped like a building but made from pure Terra Mana, the four Military officials who had attempted to coerce Cynrik during the G sat around arge oak circr table.

    They weren''t alone; in the room as well were all of the Academy Headmasters, present in the form of life-sized holograms. This group of advisors included the newly appointed ones from Finwan Academy and Supremacy University.

    The new Finwan Headmaster was a well-built man with features simr to Rikard''s; only his skin was pristine and free from battle scars.

    Rond Jetlensr, Len''s father and the second to youngest of Da''s children, is only three years older than Rikard; however, you would never know it as he physically looked at least 15 years older than his brother, thanks to his wisened and slightly grizzled visage.

    Like Rikard and nearly every member of the Jetlensr Family, Rond had bright Aqua hair, sharp brows, and glittering emerald eyes, which aesthetically went well with the hair and a chiseled jawline.

    From Supremacy University was Viktor''s oldest son, Inodis, a man who, if gic testing hadn''t been done, no one would believe he was rted to the previous headmaster since he physically looked utterly different.

    With tan skin, hazy grey eyes, and sandy brown hair, Inodis was far from the Caucasian Viktor or Jason. Adding to the ever-expanding list of differences, Inodis seemed physically frail, even sickly; however, this was due to his advancements in his Affinities, Poison, and Decay.

    At a nce, unless you were physically present, it would even be challenging to tell that Inodis was alive since his breathing was extremely shallow; however, don''t let his appearance fool you because of all those present in the room, he was by far the most sinister, cunning and above all dangerous.

    ncing around the table, in his stunning silver uniform, sporting four stars on each shoulder, General Kent Braddick cleared his throat and spoke up.

    "The recession of the DPZ has begun, as we had previously surmised, the rate of dispersal of the Divine particles is as predicted, slow and steady. As it stands, the dome is currently breaking up between 25 and 30 meters a day."

    "Fortunately, it seems to be slightly elerating as each day goes by, so if things stay as they are and the growth rate persists, within six months, we should be able to reim Valor City." General Braddick stated, causing those present to nod in understanding, well, everyone except for the ever-inert Inodis.

    "So until the DPZ finally disperses, I request the aid of each of your academies. I know that since the G incident, which saw you losing most of your backers and several of your greatest talents, times have been hard, and money is bing scarce, but now is not the time to cease operations." Before General Braddick could continue his speech, a creepy voice cut in.

    "Now, General Braddick, have we not already given enough aid? With the early ending of the Competition and the distribution ofckluster rewards due to its early termination, we are already running low on funds to continue aiding your efforts." Inodis''s voice matched his appearance, and his words struck a chord with the other Headmasters, including Geralt.

    Contrary to what was initially believed, with the loss of so manybatants, the Competition was cut short, and the points were tallied early by the CSH, generating a mere 5% of the rewards that had be a standard in past iterations of the Competition.

    The Academy that came in first ce wasn''t even from a native Nation, and 5 of the six Main Academies failed to secure a spot in the top 25; only VSFA obtained that title, thanks to the efforts of MyrkLys, even though they only ended uping in 18th ce, a far cry from what Cynrik had been pushing for.

    Still, since it was the CSH who put on the Competition, no one had a say in what happened, and all the Academies could do was suck it up and cut their losses.

    "It was¡­after all, partly, the Military''s fault that this incident urred. Had you all done your job correctly securing the area, we wouldn''t have been subjected to this attack from Haylon. And not a single one of the youngpetitors would have perished."

    "As such, I will formally state my withdrawal from the relief efforts and pull my force back effective immediately as there is no benefit from continuing." With that said, the hologram of Inodis vanished, and off in the distance, the soft rumble of several battle cruisers taking off could be heard, causing General Braddick and every other Military official to frown.

    "I, too, am pulling out of this farce; you have milked enough of our Academies resources." Before General Braddick could recover from the loss of Supremacy University, the self-proimed most prosperous institution present, Rond, too, spoke up before cutting off his hologram and ordering his forces to return.

    Soon enough, two more holograms, those of the Headmasters from Banes College and Quest Combat Academy, withdrew their stationed forces from the DPZ, leaving only Col. Hawthorne from Renson Military Academy and Geralt present in the meeting.

    The presence of Col. Hawthrone was a given, considering thergest source of both resources and funds came from the Military and Government, but what surprised those present was the fact that VSFA''s Geralt had chosen to stay.

    "VSFA will continue to aid in the border control for Valor city and the relief efforts so long as the DPZ stays standing. However, I do hope to request something in the form ofpensation." Geralt stated upon feeling, all eyes fall on him.

    "Sigh, and what would that be? You know we are already stretched thin, so the amount ofpensation we can give out palespared to what you deserve for staying." Massaging his temples and reeling in his budding rage at the four Academies who had left the meeting, General Braddick sighed tiredly.

    "Worry not, General Braddick; what I am requesting is something that shouldn''t be much of an issue. I only wish for ess to a certain number of Egresses to help train my students faster¡­" Wearing a smile that wasn''t a smile and imagining a particr confident, annoyingughter echoing in the back of his head (CLEARLY CYNRIK''S), Geralt threw out his offer.

    "How many and what Grade of Egresses are we talking about here?" Confused at the request from Geralt but willing to hear the man out, General Braddick soon felt as if he had been smacked in the face by the answer and couldn''t believe his ears when he heard the response from Geralt.

    "Well¡­all of them under your collective control..."

 Chapter 656: Volume 6 Epilogue

    **Here we are, guys; WE MADE IT TO THE END OF VOLUME 6!!**

    ---

    ---

    ---

    Time waits for no man, and as the days passed, the DPZ recession elerated, as General Braddick foretold.

    Within the first month, the dispersal of the Divine Particles was excruciatingly slow, staying within 25-30 meters per day. As such, by the end of the first thirty days, the dome of particles had only shrunk by less than a kilometer, to be exact, 825 meters.

    The dispersal rate soon drastically increased upon reaching the 5th week, elerating to double that pace, with the most significant gain being 75 meters in one day.

    By the end of the 2nd month, the DPZ had shrunk by three kilometers, allowing the relief teams to move in and begin cleaning up the damage left behind by the particles.

    Partway through the 3rd month, Geralt stood before the Pinhurst mansion wearing a worried expression. Knowing it was time to reveal some information to the family living there, Geralt shifted back and forth outside the front door.

    The reason for his hesitation and ufortable mindstate was he had no clue where Rikard had vanished during the past few months since the man had up and left upon reaching the checkpoint.

    He hadn''t even waited to ensure that the injured stored within Geralt''s spatial cube were cared for. Instead, he dashed straight to the edge of town on foot before pulling out a hover vehicle from his spatial device and leaving Valor City entirely.

    Unfortunately for Geralt, he didn''t have long because within two minutes of his arrival at the Mansion, the door swung open, and he came face to face with a worried Cinyah.

    Soon after, her sobs filled the halls of the once-bustling Pinhurst Mansion as Brance sat beside his mother, cradling her in his arms and rubbing circles on her back forfort.

    Wanting privacy, Brance, with Gabby and Maeve in tow, soon moved Cinyah from everyone''s sight; however, her sobs could still be faintly heard.

    With their leaving, it didn''t take long before only Geralt and Jessup remained in the living room.

    "Where are Cynrik and Selene? They are the only two I haven''t seen yet." Geralt asked with concern while attempting to push the guilt weighing down his mind to the back of his head.

    "That¡­well, I am sure they will show up sooner orter¡­" Shaking his head in disappointment since he knew what those two were presently up to, Jessup filled Geralt in on the marriage and went as far as to exin part of the training everyone had gone through without skipping out on any details.

    During this time, the two System hosts in question could be heard in a broken-down building near the Governor''s Mansion as Selene''s loud, pleasure-filled moans echoed through the ruins of the Shadow realm.

    Three dayster, they would finally emerge only to get ambushed by a pissed-off Geralt and Jessup, who scolded them for not being present and dying their departure back to VSFA, where all members of MyrkLys were required to return to now that the Competition was over.

    However, Cynrik and Selene simply shrugged it off before checking on Cinyah after hearing what happened.

    Twenty-four hourster, MyrkLys was forcefully removed from Valor City and shipped back to VSFA. Even so, this went about as smoothly as one would expect, as Cynrik was adamant about staying, so much so that he went on a long-winded rant about how it was vitally important he stayed in Valor City. Basically, he threw a temper tantrum.

    So, with a flick of his wrist and a chop to the back of Cynrik''s neck, Jessup rendered him unconscious before leaving him in Geralt''s care.

    When he finally woke up, he was in his bedroom back at VSFA, where he proceeded to pitch another fit and rush to Geralt''s office to give him a piece of his mind.

    As time ticked by, there were a couple of changes, like how, unlike before the Competition, when Cynrik quickly ignored her calls whenever Cinyah dialed his number, he now would unhesitantly and swiftly answer and then chat with her before transferring the call to Selene so she could have her time with the woman.

    It didn''t take long for life to go back to normal for MyrkLys as they started sses back up; still, there was one significant change, and that was the way the students and teachers viewed the group, especially Cynrik, who was either red at by those jealous, avoided by those scared of his presence, or shot lustful nces from the female student body.

    Hell, there were even teachers fiending for a piece of him.

    And those lustful eyes were swiftly dealt with by Selene, who would need to be forcefully held back as she was prone to attack anyone going after her Husband, something she wouldn''t miss the opportunity to shout at those harlots pining for a piece of Cyn-D.

    Of course, some practically worshiped the ground he walked on, but overall, the Members of MyrkLys were almost viewed as celebrities within the grounds of VSFA.

    ---

    With life moving on and more ground being captured by the Military thanks to the recession of the DPZ, a handful of survivors were located within the wreckage of several homes, astonishingly enough.

    Like this, time continued to tick by, and the DPZ continued shrinking at an agonizing pace.

    It wasn''t until the fourth month that the subsequent significant increase in particle dispersion kicked off, yielding a massive 200 meters a day.

    By the end of the fifth month, only a few kilometers remained until Valor City was free from the DPZ. As such, Jessup brought along the Governess and her children and waited on the edge of the zone, moving closer to what remained of their home, hoping that somehow¡­the Governor had survived, even though the odds were slim.

    One weekter, thest of the Divine Particles disappeared. Still, contrary to what everyone present expected, it was at that moment that everyone under Tier-6 understood where these particles went, as with a bright sh of light, a multi-colored cocoon was revealed on the ce where the once magnificent Governors Mansion stood.

    From the moment the DPZ began disappearing, the Divine particles weren''t disappearing; instead, this cocoon was steadily absorbing them.

    Until now, only Jessup understood what was happening, but even so, since it was not information that could be easily told, he had stayed quiet about it. The only ones present were Geralt, the Military Generals, and the Governor''s family.

    But Jessup moved into action when thick spiderweb-like cracks began appearing on the cocoon.

    "Everyone retreat one Kilometer." His booming voice, whichmanded respect, triggered a wave of fright as he took hold of the members of the Samieer family and rushed backward right as the cocoon began pulsating like a beating heart, indicating something was about to happen.

    Then, with a loud, low-pitched rumble, a massive pir of multi-color light erupted forth and shot vertically toward the sky as the cocoon finally shattered.

    From where he stood, Jessup couldn''t help but smirk, as with his level of power, he quickly spotted the image of a man crouched on the ground and brimming with power.

    "Well, ain''t that something¡­" Jessup muttered while looking over at the Governess.

    "Your husband has made it through this tribtion with stunning finesse¡­and based on what I am seeing, he has reached the Peak of Tier-6."

    END OF VOLUME 6

 Chapter 657: TC-06: Tobs Corner Volume 6

    - Initiating Recap Protocol.-

    - Setting up Data Log.-

    - Compiling avable information to date.-

    - Acquiring Community questions.-

    - Disregarding all ignorant, stupid, or unsightly questions.-

    - Scanning for the nickname "Tobsie" to ensure it is still cklisted.-

    - Scanplete, cklisted word holding.-

    - Acknowledging newly submitted System Hosts who have posed valid questions.-

    - Initiating subtle nod toward The Reaper, Lesneo, and Siavash.-

    - Proper questions acknowledged.-

    - Shattering dimensional Fourth Wall.-

    - WARNING WARNING: THE FOLLOWING MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR VOLUME 6!-

    -WARNING, IF YOU ARE NOT UP TO DATE ON VOLUME 6 (Beginning with Chapter 540 Volume 6 Prologue), READ ALL OF IT BEFORE CONTINUING THIS SEGMENT!-

    ---

    ---

    ---

    Contrary to every time you''ve been in this situation, something feels wrong. As you float about in a strangend with your vision flickering in and out like a damaged light bulb, a sense of dread unlike any you''ve ever felt before washes over your body.

    ''What is this feeling,'' you can''t help but think as you feel your feet touch down on what feels like mud. The strange sensations under your shoeless and sockless toes cause you to shift back and forth, only to realize that the semi-solid ground you are standing on appears to bear your weight, even if it technically shouldn''t.

    Looking around with squinted eyes, you try to spot anything familiar, like mountains, lightning, or even the tinum sun you witnessedst time; however, none of that is present in the dreary, dark, and eeriendscape.

    Letting your eyes, which have, up until now, been assaulted by the blue light emitted by whatever screen you''ve been reading Volume 6 on, adjust to the sudden darkness, you slowly begin to catch faint blood-colored whisps of what can only be described as energy flickering about every few seconds.

    Attempting to focus on these flickers of energy and noticing that although they appear pretty close, they are, in fact, infinitely far away,pletely out of reach, you eventually give up and squish your toes on the strange mudlike ground underfoot forfort.

    Taking in a deep, shaky breath and remembering how this all goes, you know it won''t be long until your guide to all things Magical should be arriving any moment; thus, you reel in your fear and do your best to ignore the subtle unease creeping into your psyche.

    As if on cue and manifested by your thoughts, off in the distance, you hear the faint *TAP, TAP, TAP* of light, dainty footsteps drawing near, and although you still can''t see anything in the void of ckness, you find sce in knowing who is heading your way.

    "YOO, how goes it, Reader?

    Been a long while, like eight months or something, in your time¡­ uhhh, unless there is some strange timey whimey shit happening, and you magically binged the whole series at some random point in a different timeline." The sweet and melodious voice you havee to enjoy hearing as it brings knowledge every time it enters your earses from off to your right, making you turn and look in that direction.

    Lit up by the dim glow of her tablet¡­er¡­ Clipboard, a young woman with monochromatic hair and eyes that are white and ck, looking to be in herte teens or early twenties, is waving at you, the reader, as she heads over, utterly unaffected by the eerie sensations or the strange ambiance of the area.

    As she pads over in your direction happily, showing WAY more emotion than you''ve ever seen before, you can''t help but smile upon remembering your first interaction with this strange youngdy.

    After six volumes, what used to be an emotionless robot in your eyes has be a youngdy filled with emotion, intelligence, and, most of all, a WHOLE LOTTA SASS!

    Giving her a look over, you notice that Tobs, who once wore a clean suit, is instead in somefy ck and white sleep pants and an oversized hoodie in the same shade and pattern as her cascading hair, which is now tied up in a messy bun.

    If you didn''t know who this youngdy was, you wouldn''t be able to differentiate between her and any ordinary college girl lounging around her home on break from university.

    "So¡­quite a contrasting realm we''ve met up in this time, aye? Wee to Selene''s SOC; I figured you needed a change of pace for once instead of constantly bouncing between Cyn and Brancie''s." Tobs cheerfully says as she taps on her Tab¡­ Clipboard twice and slides her finger on the screen, causing the sky above to glow with a sinister crimson hue.

    "Oh, don''t freak out about that; it''s just how the sky looks, thanks to Selly''s Abyss Affinity." Waving her hand dismissively, Tobs shoots you a teasing smirk, causing you to flinch back as you know damn well there are never good intentions when someone like her or Cynrik smirk at a person.

    "Right, into the customary intro, even though I don''t really need to at this point, but meh, it''s be habit after so many volumes. Anywho¡­wee back to the auxiliary chapter known as Tobs'' Corner. *waving bow*.

    In this section, I, Tobs, answer any non-idiotic questions posed by themunity of knuckleheads¡­er readers and delve into several bits of information that may need further exnation to allow the plot to continue smoothly." Still tapping away on her Clipboard, Tobs continues.

    "I will again advise anyone reading this data log; if you have not read the contents of the Sixth Volume, please close this auxiliary chapter and begin at the beginning of Volume Six."

    "Whates next, ah, that''s right¡­ h h, introduction, I am the 8th Generation Dimensional Deity Power System, The Over-Break System¡­ h, h, you know the deal by now; this totally isn''t necessary anymore. SOOOO MOVING ALONG!"

    **Suddenly, a swirling vortex of ck gas appears not far away and takes a humanoid form with its arms on its hips while ring at Tobs.**

    This gaseous figure you know to be Author-San is clearly displeased with Tobs'' non-professionalism, but what can he do? She''s basically uncontroble at this point.

    "Oh fuck off Author-Dick, if you want me to be professional, then give me a valid reason. The sheer amount of my delicious SP I spend on this is¡­" Before Tobs can continue speaking, Author-San smacks her upside the back of the head, causing a fight to break out between them and honestly scaring the shit out of you in the process.

    Between the vulgarities spewing from the youngdy''s mouth and the shing lights brought about by their attacks, you shrink back and contemte running to safety, only to realize there is nothing to hide behind.

    For several tense minutes, the two beings flit about, dishing out one powerful attack after another until, at some point, the violence stops, and you notice Tobs has appeared in front of you, who is curled up on the ground in the fetal position.

    Under her arm is a limp and lifeless Author-San, who she tosses away like a sack of potatoes before smirking and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

    "Huff, now that the pest has been dealt with, let''s see what happened in Volume 6; ok, from the get-go, the Members of MyrkLys were thrown into a chaotic situation¡­IE the party known as the G, but as usual, trouble, which seems to follow Cynrik specifically, reared its ugly head, and we saw the reintroduction of our Antagonist from Volume 1, Haylon, who is now EVEN MORE powerful."

    "We learned about a plot, devised by Lithlen Jetlensr, the grandfather of Cyn and Brance, which sought to eliminate the two thorns in his side, but OH BOY did that backfire quickly." Chuckling to herself as she remembered the epic showdown between Cynrik, Brance, and Lithlen, Tobs took a second to collect her thoughts and continued.

    "After killing that shitty old man, the situation in Valor City hit a breaking point, as Governor Samieer squared off against Haylon, resulting in a MASSIVE dome of Divine Particles turning the city into a no man''snd for everyone but my hosts."

    "Uh, then Cynrik and Selene did the nasty; Brance heroically healed a bunch of people before doing a half-assed version of the nasty with Gabby, and they spent months trapped in Valor City.

    I think that covers everything, and since I gave you the cliff notes version, you can go back and read it again because I am FAR toozy to detail everything." Smacking her lips and rolling her eyes, Tobs brings up Discord on her Clipboard, where themunity has posted several questions, and scrolls through them before choosing a few.

    "So, let''s get into the real reason youe to the Auxiliary chapter every volume, THE COMMUNITY Q AND A!!!" Surprisingly, a small fanfare ys, and with a snap of her fingers, several party poppers manifest over your head and shower you with colorful paper confetti.

    ---

    Q: Can Gabby and Milo merge at some point, like temporarily, or will they not be able to unmerge if they merge?

    A: If you remember back when she obtained the Huntress ss, she did, in fact, learn a skill specifically for this, however¡­.

    -Tier-3 Huntress Skill: [Beast Partner Fusion] (LOCKED)-

    As you can see, it is currently locked, and that is because of a straightforward use, the requirement.

    -Requirements: Beast Partner must be within the same Tier, and a gap of no higher than 10 Levels can be between you both.-

    Presently, Gabby is at Tier-3, and little Milo isn''t, so the skill will be locked until he reaches the same Tier.

    ---

    Q: Will Brance''s light ever be upgraded?

    A: The Light Affinity is one of the hardest to mutate and Evolve; whether or not Brance can pull it off is still to be seen. It''s not like the Dark Affinity, which has multiple different variations; there is only one singr option to obtain that mutation, and there are a lot of convoluted requirements. So the best answer is, Maybe someday.

    ---

    Q: Can Brance and Cynrik keep limit-breaking their stats for each Tier, or is there a side effect?

    A: Technically speaking, it is possible; however, they must continuously push their boundaries. The Limit of Stats is something the CSH sets, and that Limit is created on a Tier to Tier basis. Everyone technically has the same starting point, but if enough effort is put in, they should be able to keep breaking their stat cap.

    ---

    Q: Why don''t people fully max out their stats like they did the first couple of times?

    A: Well, some people, like those from therge ns or Families, do; there are even some Academic institutions that specifically require students to do so, but the general populous doesn''t put forth the effort, especially in the Country Cynrik and Brancee from, because they technically live in a semi-peaceful area, not a war-torn battlefield; thus something as crucial as high Stat numbers falls to the wayside due tocency.

    ---

    Q: how rare are bloodlines? Cause how did those old fucks get them, or is it like a higher-tier requirement

    A: Great question, so bloodlines are both rare andmon. Higher Bloodlines, such as the Lightbringer or ?sir, are extremely rare on Vinestra, and although I don''t know for sure, I wouldn''t be surprised if my Hosts are the only ones on the entire with them.

    The Bloodlines we saw from Litheln and Viktor can be obtained by ying mighty creatures as a reward from the CSH. Think of bloodlines as a Gacha drop, which can be obtained in Egresses; the rarity, strength, and Tier cap of these bloodlines are all determined by the CSH, but something like a generic Wolf Bloodline can be obtained in a lot of stores since it is prettymon to find.

    Expanding further since thest three questions pertain to bloodlines¡­

    Q: Rted to the question above, are bloodlines something that everyone has, and is it just suppressed until they reach tier 5, or is it unique to some individuals?

    Q: Do the bloodlines have anything to do with the whisps of divinity that you eventually gather at peak tier 5? Also, Can other people, if they kill a peak tier 5, gain the bloodlines like the brothers did?

    Q: What would happen if two people with different bloodlines were to have a child together?

    A: Technically speaking, unless someone at a high Tier, IE above Tier-4, has a highly pure Bloodline, there is a very slim chance of them passing it down to their children, something like ? chance.

    A: Some Bloodlines are directly tied to Whisps of Divinity, but not all, and YES, there is a percentage chance of getting it as a drop from a person, with a higher percentage if the person in question is stronger than you.

    A: If a child is born from two parents with bloodlines, and the ? chance happens to ur, then the higher quality bloodline will be the one that gets passed on; it''s as simple as that.

    ---

    CLAP!

    Loudly pping her hands, Tobs startles you out of your thoughts, and you realize that the Auxiliary chapter ising to a close, so you stand up and thank her.

    "Bah, no need for thanks, but yeah, there were a bunch of bloodline questions this time, and honestly, it''s too be expected since we have now seen them start cropping up." As she finishes speaking, you notice a strange glint in Tobs'' eyes, and you take a step back because you can tell she is up to no good.

    "Hehehehe, now Reader-kun, you know how this goes; I''ve gotta send you back where you came from somehow, right? Take Yo lumps like a big kid and suck it up."

    With fear stered across your face you try turning to run away, since you know what ever she is about to do will no doubt hurt, but you suddenly realise you cant move, and all you can do is watch on in horror, trapped in your own body.

    BAM!

    In a sh of light, Tobs jumps at you and smacks you atop the head with her Clipboard before delivering a violent spinning kick to the gut, flinging you through the air like a ragdoll.

    Flying through the air, just before you lose consciousness, the same thought you hadst time you saw her appears on the fringe of your mind¡­

    ''I miss the sweet little cinnamon roll Emotionless AI.''

 Chapter 658: Volume 7 Prologue

    **And So the Chaos Beings, GET READY, VOLUME 7¡­.START!!**

    ---

    ---

    ---

    -Initiating 4 Year Time Skip-

    From every angle I could conceive, the sounds of battle flooded my senses. Explosions, cold weapons crashing against each other, Skills formed from almost any Element conceivable mming into bodies, and most of all, blood-curdling screams.

    War wasn''t something that neither myself nor my brother were inexperienced with; you could even say that he is even more ustomed to it than I am, considering my only involvement came during WW3 back on Earth, whereas his service in the Marine Corps saw him fighting against foes for years.

    Hell, even my Wife had fought during one of the bloodiest Wars to ur on Earth.

    However, no matter how ustomed to it we were, neither myself, Cynrik, my brother Brance, or my Wife Selene had any forewarning that we would be suddenly thrust into a conflict that was partially¡­okrgely our own doing.

    Still, as blood seeped through the cracks of my heavily damaged armor and my left arm hung limply by my side, I couldn''t say I didn''t expect something like this to be possible.

    For years, I had actively antagonized beings initially far stronger than myself and my group of Overpowered Misfits named MyrkLys. Sooner orter, my actions were bound to cause all those parties who hated my guts to band together and attack.

    Still, never once did I think that in the modernwful age we live in, an allied force formed of multiple academies, military officials, and shadow organizations would tantly and boldly attack the main campus of our school, Vesemir School for Affinities, VSFA, like a bunch of hooligans and criminals.

    All around me, the bodies of students I had seen around the VSFA campusy motionless, some with signs of fright painted against their pale and lifeless faces, others appearing to have died with peaceful resolution.

    Yet, for every dead VSFA Student, there were 3-4 times more from other institutions and even adults. The odds were heavily stacked against us, and VSFA was outnumbered 20-1; still, we continued fighting.

    Gritting my teeth and pushing my body back intobat, my eyes darted to the sky, where, in my opinion, the real battle transpired. High above, blurs of color crashed against each other, creating ripples in space and generating shockwaves powerful enough to rattle my bones, even 500 meters below.

    That¡­was where I had hoped to be¡­and if myself and the other members of MyrkLys hadn''t been COCK BLOCKED, *cough* resource cklisted by the government, we all would have been, considering we were already 5th-year students.

    Had things gone ording to n, all of my group would have at the very least been at the initial stages of Tier-5, but no, after reaching the Peak of Tier-3 over four years ago, here I was, capped out on every stat, level, and skill I could be.

    Years of grinding in Egresses had given the rest of MyrkLys and me enough free points to max out everything; however, the handful of resources we required the most was something we couldn''t get our hands on due to the stringent and overly strict regtions based on age and multiple other red tape factors.

    As such, even if I was technically strong enough to contend with those at the Peak of Tier-5 due to my innate abilities, bloodline, high stats, and conspiring tactics, here I was, stuck as a grunt in this war on the battlefield filled with beings SIGNIFICANTLY weaker than myself.

    Or at least, that was how it was supposed to go. Had that Bitch ire and my Slut of a Mother-in-Law not ambushed me and the others, we would have quickly decimated things down here on the plebian battlefield.

    But right as we caught our stride, the two whores sprung a trap, leaving us all severely wounded and running low on resource stats, so much so that even if we wanted to escape to the Shadow Realm to recover, I am not sure it would have made much of a difference, considering the massive blockade ced around VSFA.

    I did not doubt for a second that the satellites above were tracking my every move, and if Myself and MyrkLys were to vanish from sight, we would no doubt be hunted to the ends of the world.

    I had no conceivable way of knowing just how far the blockade went nor how many bodies surrounded the campus; however, in the absolute worst-case scenario, I could go with the nuclear option and brute force my way out.

    Unfortunately, all that would do is leave my Mana tank empty and see my group fleeing for thousands of kilometers on foot in the Shadow Realm, so technically speaking, it was out of the question and my final option.

    ''Tsk, from fucking Genius Idols to the Nations Villians, in no time t¡­I must have set a new world record.'' I grumbled as I tried to keep my Mana Body Active to continue recovering my wounds.

    Tearing my eyes away from the battle above and looking over my shoulder, I caught sight of Melody as she supported her fianc¨¦ and my childhood friend-turn Brother-in-Law Benny; the words spoken by my alternate self from the Passing Down quest echoed in my mind for the hundredth time.

    **"Think things through; our actions have consequences, some heavier than others. When shit hits the fan *COUGH*, and it will very soon, think things through before you act. Not everyone is an enemy, even if it may seem that way¡­.be careful¡­.good luck."**

    Thest part, in particr, had me overanalyzing everything that had happened since the beginning of the war¡­ ''not everyone is an enemy, even if it may seem that way.''

    That part was clearly about Melody, who had so much evidence backing up the fact that she was a traitor yet was innocent for all intents and purposes. It was a tough pill to swallow, especially when Selene and I hade to terms with this and even actually set up several ns if she betrayed us.

    We could never have predicted how deep the brainwashing went¡­and if it weren''t for Gabby''s quick thinking, Brance holding me back physically, and the words from my Alternate self echoing in my mind¡­maybe I would have turned into that version of myself and been forced to watch everyone I care about die around me.

    Luckily, that wasn''t the case, and a cooler head prevailed. Still, it did make me think back to M-Cyn, more specifically, the markings coating his skin; that was when it dawned on me. In that timeline, I hadn''t married Selene¡­

    ''I guess that makes sense; I''ve noticed how much my inner rage has calmed since we got married; heh, maybe all that sex really did change my mental health a bit.'' This thought caused my lips to curl up, but that was when an already lousy situation became ten times more chaotic.

    "Cyn¡­.above." Rushing to my side and grabbing my hand, Selene''s voice woke me up, and I followed her line of sight, where an absolutely colossal crack began forming in the sky above, forcing the fighting to cease.

    "Oh, for fuck sake¡­" I swore aloud as the crack opened up, revealing an incrediblyrge¡­Egress Portal.

    "Of all the fucking times that a mother fucking GAMMA Egress CAN FUCKING OPEN UP, IT HAD TO BE NOW!" I screamed before issuing orders to MyrkLys and the remaining still-standing students.

    The purple hue of the newly forming round whirlpool of stormy mana caused me to shake my head.

    "Well, If we are lucky, this will be our ticket to Tier-4 guys, MYRKLYS, VSFA STUDENTS, READY UP!" I screamed loud enough to be heard for hundreds of meters, triggering a chain reaction of Aura and Killing Intents to swirl out and engulf the entire battlefield.

 Chapter 659: Year One Post Collapse Of The DPZ (1)

    -Roughly One Year after the Copse of the DPZ-

    Cesar Romero: "Words can not describe what we are witnessing, folks!"

    Cesar''s voice echoed throughout the stadium as the in-person crowdpletely lost their minds.

    Exactly one year after the incident at the G, which saw the loss of a good majority of thepetitors, this year''s Competition was filled with an immense amount of hype, especially after it was announced that VSFA would be bringing their previous year''s Tier-3 team, MyrkLys, who surprisingly hadn''t lost a single member during the now dubbed "The G Incident" a fact that had shocked everyone expect those close to the members of the group.

    Not only did they survive Haylon''s attack and months in the DPZ, as told by Cynrik during an interview, but every group member had seemingly grown stronger.

    To the outsiders looking in, MyrkLys''s showcase this year was filled with heart-pounding action, teamwork, and shy one-liners, making it difficult to tear your eyes away from the screen anytime one of them stepped foot on stage.

    The Now Second Year members of MyrkLys had be overnight sensations inst year''s Competition, and their legend grew more than ever as the capsules they hadpeted in expelled gas. The Seven capsules systematically opened, revealing five smiling faces and two smug grins.

    Cesar Romero: " AND THAT''S ALL SHE WROTE FOLKS, AFTER NOT BEING ABLE TO FINISH THE LAST YEAR''S EVENT, WE HAVE OUR COMPETITION GRAND CHAMPION, FROM VESEMIR SCHOOL FOR AFFINITIES, MYRKLYS!!!!"

    Standing on his feet and screaming into his microphone with gusto and excitement befitting a professional, Cesar sealed their victory for the masses as Cynrik andpany nodded at the team led by a familiar catgirl¡­er lioness, who had been on the opposite end of a one-sided beatdown.

    "You did well, Ka Ovend," Walking over to the opposite team Captain, Cynrik stood before the petite yet athletic girl and smirked, causing Katie to shrink back in fear.

    As per usual, Cynrik didn''t hold back just because he was facing a girl and had knowingly left a bit of mental trauma on his opponent, as was to be expected any time he used his Susanoo.

    The matches between themselves and Banes College were riveting for the audience but horrific for thepeting team, as from the get-go, they were apparently at a severe disadvantage.

    It was a sweeping victory, which saw each team member, even Melody, and Kurza, snubbing out their opponents with rtive ease¡­or at least that''s how things went in their minds.

    Cynrik had long since known he had created a group of horrifically terrifying genius monsters. Still, he had also gone out of his way to give everyone stringent instructions and even acting sses so that they could "Put on a good show" for the audience watching around the country.

    So, while to each member of MyrkLys, this Competition was a walk in the park, the Members of Banes College''s Tier-3 team came away from their match feeling satisfied and believing they had put up a good fight.

    With those thoughts in mind, Ka clutched the hem of her uniform, summoned her courage, and snapped her head up toward Cynrik, locking eyes with the young man who had instilled a level of fear and caution previously unknown to her since the moment she met him.

    "I will win Next year¡­Ivar¡­" The first part of her statement went smoothly; however, when she said his name, there was a slight quiver in her voice, which didn''t go unnoticed by Selene or Cynrik.

    She knew what wasing next and was embarrassed, scared, and nervous all at the same time.

    "You will try." Breaking out into a wide grin, Cynrik finally did something that he had wanted to do from the moment heid eyes on the young beast girl; with pre-nned uracy, he swiftly reached up and gave her a good scratch behind her feline-like fluffy ears, before taking one between his fingers and giving it a good rub until he was satisfied.

    As expected, Ka locked up the instant he touched her ears, and although venomously against her body''s reaction to him, she couldn''t help releasing a soft, throaty purr.

    "Ah¡­I knew it; they''re soft, and now our bet has beenpleted¡­LATER~!" with that, he spun around and walked off, leaving a rigidly shaking young beast girl with a blushing redness spanning her entire face and down her neck to her corbones.

    Seeing her cute reaction, the crowd went absolutely bonkers, as up till now, the young beast girl had put on a tough show and beaten down almost every opponent she came up against; however, in contrast to that visage, they now saw the fierce lioness acting like a maiden, which in turn made every girl in the audience squeal excitedly.

    At the same time, the boys all couldn''t help but admit how cute she was in this situation.

    ''Was it everything you hoped it would be, Darrrling~'' As they walked out of the room and towards the podium to begin the awards ceremony, Selene chimed in with a teasing tone.

    ''Absolutely, they are soft and fluffy, hehe,'' unable to contain his giddiness, Cynrik chuckled while wrapping his arm around Selene''s waist and walking with her pressed against his body.

    ''Hmmmmm, so mayyyybe I should wear some cat ears in bed tonight, since it''s a special red panty night, to celebrate our victory.'' The lust oozed out of Selene''s voice, causing Cynrik''s loins to heat up as he imagined his woman wearing sexy red lingerie and cat ears.

    ''Yes, a million times yes. While it was fun to tease her, I am not sexually attracted to the catgirl at all; HOWEVER, if my sexy Kona were to do such a thing, heh, well, I wouldn''t be able to hold back from doing my best to breed you.'' The words spewed out of Cynrik, who could already smell the pheromones radiating off Selene''s body, causing his lust to rise.

    ''Oh ho ho, you want to breed me, nning to knock your Kona up so soon, my love¡­hm, I should prepare myself to be filled with cumter than teehee.'' Although the two of them were clearly teasing each other, neither was ready for children, so of course, they would take appropriate measures; however, the two of them had long since continued having unprotected sex ever since the beginning, so the sultry bedroom talk was just to set a mood.

    After a year of marriage, the two of them had long since realized they each had a breeding kink and yed around with the knowledge.

    {{WILL YOU TWO STOP BEING GROSS IN PUBLIC!}} Meanwhile, while walking behind the married couple, Brance''s right eye twitched as he watched Selene rubbing herself against Cynrik.

    {{Butt out, Brancie, just because you and Gabby can''t have sex doesn''t mean the two of us have to be celibate. Go fuck her already and get it over with! Her Stats have been increased enough, yet you''re too much of a pussy to follow through!}} Offended that her brother-inw was stepping on her metaphorical toes, Selene Snapped.

    {{YEAH! What she said!}} Ever the supportive husband, Cynrik joined in, and soon enough, they tag-teamed poor Brance with a verbal assault that left him fuming enough that Gabby took notice and caught his hand forfort.

    "Are they picking on you again, Brancie?" Gabby whispered so that only Brance could hear.

    "Tsk, the two of them are out of hand¡­" he grumbled, causing Gabby to chuckle. Since that first genuinely intimate moment, they hadn''t gone any further than second base, both too nervous to take the final step, but that didn''t make either of them ufortable, and they knew it would happen in the future at some point.

 Chapter 660: Year One Post Collapse Of The DPZ (2)

    -Roughly One Year after the Copse of the DPZ-

    Shuffle¡­BANG!

    "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME GERALT! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN YOU STILL CAN''T ALLOCATE US THE RESOURCES FOR OUR TIER-4 ADVANCEMENT!" Cynrik''s furious voice bounced off the walls of the Headmaster''s office as he mmed his hands down on the desk, leaving two fist-shaped dents on the hardwood.

    "YOU SAID THAT IF WE WON THAT STUPID COMPETITION, WE WOULD GET THE RESOURCES WE DESPERATELY NEED! AFTER COMING THROUGH WITH OUR END OF THE DEAL, YOU ARE FOR THE 5TH TIME BACKING OUT!" Cynrik howled as Brance jumped up and grabbed his brother in a full nelson to restrain him so he didn''t attack Headmaster Rivia.

    "Cynrik, listen to me, this isn''t my doing! At first, the other board members were against giving a group of first years such expensive resources, as they don''t think much of you, but even now, as second years and Competition champions, they still voted against it."

    "That''s not all either; as per policy, we sent the request to the Government, only to be rejected. IT''S NOT SOMETHING I CAN DO ANYTHING ABOUT!" Frustrated that he couldn''t keep his end of the deal with Cynrik for the umpteenth time, Geralt thought back to the conversation he had with the Resource department of the Government for the first time.

    Back then, he was looked down on by the Resource Minister and dismissively sent away as if he viewed Geralt as an untouchable scourge.

    He was just as upset about the situation as Cynrik was, but there was a plot going on behind the scenes to stop the Members of MyrkLys from advancing to the 4th Tier; Geralt just didn''t know WHY.

    "That''s it, I am going to Valor City and nuking the fucking city hall!" Slipping out of his brother''s grasp, Cynrik spat as he radiated killing intent and Aura.

    "Oh yeah, GREAT fucking Idea, Cyn; bing a terrorist will TOTALLY get you what you want; WHAT THE FUCK GOES ON IN THAT HEAD OF YOURS!" Grabbing Cynrik''s shoulder, Brance forced his brother to sit down and wasn''t the least gentle, snapping Cynrik''s cor bone in the process, which wentpletely unnoticed by the injured one.

    Instinctively, a royal blue and amethyst glow shrouded Cynrik''s shoulder, and with another loud pop, his Supreme Mana Body healed the broken bone good as new.

    "Someone is working behind the scenes to stop us, and the moment I find out who, I will gut them and string up what remains of their corpses for the masses to see," Cynrik growled, sending a chill down Geralt''s spine.

    Over thest year, Cynrik''s overall Killing Intent had grown to an astronomical level, having cleared dozens of Egresses of different types, and the thousands of corpses he had amassed showed.

    "Look, I know you are frustrated and basically at a standstill with advancing. Each of you has maxed out your stats, so I don''t doubt you could stand on par with a High to Peak Tier-4, but I can do nothing about this Cynrik." Geralt stated, causing Cynrik''s rage to build even more.

    "I have exhausted nearly every avenue avable to me as a Headmaster, and just getting you ess to all those Egresses you''ve been in required me to call in every favor I had amassed over thest twenty years."

    "With that in mind, the only thing I can do is put in a request for MyrkLys to tackle a Purple Alpha Egress(Tier 4-5 perm dungeon.), but even then, the odds of you acquiring the necessary resources are slim.

    But bing a terrorist will make that impossible; the only advice I can give you as your Headmaster is to continue biding your time." Massaging his temples and releasing a shaky sigh, Geralt pulled up the holographic disy of his Watcet to put in the Acquisition order for an open slot in for a Purple Egress.

    *** In case y''all forgot, here''s the Egress Grading.***

    Alpha Scale-

    Green: Tier-1

    Blue: Tier-1-2

    Orange: Tier-2-3

    Purple: Tier-4-5

    Red: Tier-6-8

    ck Egress: Tier-10-15

    However, as Geralt finished the application, he was instantly notified of rejection, causing the man to frown heavily, which didn''t go unnoticed.

    "Let me guess, those bureaucrats shut down that avenue too." Cynrik snarled while clutching the armrests of his chair so tightly they crumbled into sawdust.

    "What¡­why would they? It''s not like this is the first time we''ve cleared a Purple Egress; why now?" Shuffling in his seat, Brance said to no one in particr.

    "I¡­I don''t know, the resource Minister is one thing, but the Defense Department should be a non-biased organization¡­" Geralt was utterly confused as to why the request was instantly denied.

    "Non-bias, my ass; those old fuckers are specifically targeting us!" Narrowing his eyes, Cynrik crossed his arms since he no longer had armrests on his chair and leaned back, falling into thought.

    "There are only three possible reasons¡­scratch that, four, as to why we are being cklisted like this. The first is our meteoric rise to the top and victory in the Competition. This is the second most usible reason for what is happening." Curbing his rage to the best of his ability, Cynrik delved deeper.

    "The second is unlikely but still usible, and that is the Jetlensr and Opurn Families know about what we did. I know that our Dad''s side of the family has been quiet, but we can''t turn on the news without hearing about the civil war in Opurnium."

    "Hm, I doubt it. You guys left zero trace evidence, and as far as the official story goes, Haylon killed Viktor and Lithlen¡­still, it''s food for thought." With a curt nod, Geralt added before his thoughts drifted to the still-missing Rikard, who hadn''t been heard from in over a year.

    "That''s why I said it was unlikely yet still usible. The third reason is the Military. I know I pissed them off, but I doubt those individuals are petty enough to strike out over a rejection. You bullying them into allowing us to abuse their Egresses is a more valid reason." Brance and Geralt nodded this time, considering this to be a decent reason.

    It was well known that the Government and Military worked together hand in hand, so if a resource and Egress ckout were triggered, it wouldn''t be a stretch to find the Military involved.

    "What about this fourth option you came up with, Cyn¡­The other three are obvious, but I can''t determine what else could be happening for the life of me." Brance said as he waited to hear what else his brother had to say.

    "The fourth¡­is a toss-up. I have yed around with this idea, and ever since we got ambushed for the first time, I have considered it a possibility. And that is that either Haylon or another Third-Party Shadow Organization is gunning for us."

    "I lean more heavily toward Haylon''s involvement since we have thwarted his ns not once but twice, but I can''t write off the possibility of a deeply rooted org plotting and working to snub us out." Uncrossing his arms, Cynrik stood up and noticed the concerned expressions on Geralt and Brance''s faces.

    "Option four is the one I must consider the most because there are too many ringly obvious groups plotting against us.

    This may very well be the source of our problems, and if ites to fruition, a Tier-6 is headhunting us and stomping our growth so we won''t continue being a thorn in his side." Finished with his statement, Cynrik turned and left the room, leaving a shocked Brance and Geralt to mull over his words and theories.

 Chapter 661: Year Two Post Collapse Of The DPZ (1)

    -Roughly Two Years after the Copse of the DPZ-

    "Breaking news as wee on the air this morning: President Lallinstien will unexpectedly address the nation in a few short minutes.

    While we don''t know for sure what our President will be speaking about, the announcement came as a surprise, and ording to our sources in the Presidential Manor, we believe it may have something to do with changes in the Incident during this year''s Competition Award Ceremony." An average Caucasian middle-aged news anchor stated while sitting at a typical news desk.

    "Fuckers," Cynrik grumbled as he threw himself onto his recliner in the living room.

    Adding to their Papa''s evident disapproval, Sie and Vii chirped their opinions, joining him in the sentiment beforending on either side of the recliner''s back, on what they had long since imed as their spots.

    "I wonder what that old bastard is going to say this time," joining her Maeur on the recliner by gracefully falling into hisp; Selene mused while reaching up and petting her two bird children under their cute yet fierce beaks.

    "If the anchor''s sources are correct, it may have to do with us¡­ I don''t know how to feel about that." Having received a call from their mother, Brance quickly notified all of MyrkLys about the special broadcast.

    "Oh, I see Big Bro Cyn set up the second trophy on the opposite side of the holo-tv; it looks good!" Being the bright ray of sunshine in the group, Gabby quickly diverted the depressing mood by drawing everyone''s attention to the newly ced Championship trophy from this year''s Competition.

    "Not gonna lie, I saw iting after the stunt Big Bro pulled during the award ceremony. I''m shocked they even let us walk out of the arena with the trophy at all." Making his way into the room while holding Melody''s hand, Benny stated before falling in line and finding his usual spot with his now fianc¨¦ on the couch.

    After over two years of dating, Benny had finally manned up and popped the question, much to the excitement of Melody, who had long since been madly in love with the beefy boy.

    "Tsk, listen, all I did was shed some light on how we are being proverbially attacked by the higher-ups and forbidden from growing stronger. How was I to know that it would piss everyone off?" ncing at the shiny ring on Melody''s finger, Cynrik''s eyes narrowed before ncing at the naked finger of Gabby''s left hand.

    ''Funny how Benny-boi beat Brancie to asking his girlfriend to marry him.'' Cynrik thought, causing Selene to pinch his side.

    ''You know he will get around to it; I mean, with how thin the walls are here, you know they mess around every night; although they are both still virgins, they sure are frisky." Selene replied as she watched a sleepy Kurza emerge from the kitchen with several floating mugs of coffee behind him.

    "Morning¡­" he groaned before using his Mana to hand everyone their specific mugs. While Gabby had gotten way better at waking up, thanks to sharing a room with Brance now, Kurza had be the team''s residential "Sleepy Head" who had a tough time waking up in the morning.

    "Thanks, Kurz; like I was saying, Big Bro, you are probably to me; no one told you to up and punch the Minister of Resources in the face on live TV." Taking a sip of his coffee, Benny thought back to that moment and cringed.

    Initially, things were going as per the previous year. MyrkLys steamrolled through every team they faced, broke as many records as possible, even the ones they put up the year before, and ended up back on the podium for the award ceremony.

    That was where things shifted for the worse, as the present of awards this year was the man who had been blocking the necessary resource allocation that MyrkLys desperately required to reach Tier-4.

    If his presence alone wasn''t bad enough, fitting of his previous actions, the Minister, who felt totally untouchable thanks to his Early-Tier-5 strength, title, and office, took several apparent digs at Cynrik during his speech and ended up pushing things too far when it came time to hand over the trophy.

    Between the smug look and his cocky words, Minister Yaavin hit one too many wrong buttons and ended up getting sucker punched so hard that his ocr bones shattered, along with his nose and several of his teeth.

    Frankly, he got off easy as if it weren''t for Cynrik holding back, there was no doubt the Early-Tier-5 Minister''s head would have popped like a fruit, especially since Cynrik had a knack for reinforcing his attacks with both Divine Particles and Multiple Elements.

    His advancement in Divine Particle control had taken him two whole years to master. Still, after much Hecious self-training and experimentation, Cynrik had finally begun gaining ground on Brance when it came to dealing with Divine Particles.

    Of course, Selene quickly shared his achievements; however, they still had a long way to go if they wanted to catch up with the LightBringer.

    "No one told him to be so weak. If you are going to talk shit, you better have a way to back it up. Clearly, that moron''s Tier is all for show." Receiving Selene''s coffee mug first, then his own, Cynrik snapped his fingers, retrieved some homebaked snacks from his inventory, and gave a morning treat to his birds before sipping at his coffee.

    His words caused an audible sigh to release from the other members of MyrkLys'' lips, well, minus one person.

    "The fat fuck deserved it. How dare he talk down to my Darling as if he was some higher being. I still say you should have killed him, HMPH." Selene''s words turned the other members of MyrkLys'' sighs into groans of displeasure.

    "You know, for someone who always calls Benny and I meatheads, the two of you sure resort to violence more frequently than we do," Brance muttered.

    He had long since given up trying to change the two crazies and instead took more of a damage-control approach to their actions. If the past three Competitions had taught Brance anything, it was sympathy for Geralt, who was constantly forced to clean up after Cynrik.

    "Tsk," Sucking his teeth, Cynrik ignored Brance and focused on the Holo-Tv as a ticker tape scrolled across the screen, and the image changed to the empty Presidential podium.

    "Hmph, says the guy who is too scared to do something that Even Benny was brave enough to pull off," Selene whispered, causing Brance to re at her and generate a collective giggle chirp from Sie and Vii.

    "GAO," at that moment, a sleepy cat lumbered into the room, causing Brance''s frown and embarrassment to shift rapidly.

    "Morning, Milo," Gabby cheerfully greeted her now housecat-sized pet as he shed across the room and stretched out between his parents, demanding good morning scratches.

    At that moment, the sound of multiple camera shes came from the Holo-Tv, as an impressive-looking man in a sharp blue suit stepped up to the podium before staring directly into the camera and inadvertently at the Members of MyrkLys watching from their dorm living room.

 Chapter 662: Year Two Post Collapse Of The DPZ (2)

    -Roughly Two Years after the Copse of the DPZ-

    "GAO," at that moment, a sleepy cat lumbered into the room, causing Brance''s frown and embarrassment to shift rapidly.

    "Morning, Milo," Gabby cheerfully greeted her now housecat-sized pet as he shed across the room and stretched out between his parents, demanding good morning scratches.

    At that moment, the sound of multiple camera shes came from the Holo-Tv, as an impressive-looking man in a sharp blue suit stepped up to the podium before staring directly into the camera and inadvertently at the Members of MyrkLys watching from their dorm living room.

    The man, who everyone knows to be President Lallinstien, cut an image of strength, wisdom, and authority. Under that tailored suit, nobody could doubt that he was chiseled muscle with that almost seven-foot height frame.

    His clean-cut crimson hair and matching eyes gave him a striking and unapproachable appearance, and as he stepped up to the podium, a hush fell over the crowd.

    Evander Lallinstien was a war hero, champion of the people, and the Elected President. More than that, he was also at the Peak of Tier-6, or so the rumors stated. No one had seen the President fight in decades, but as Cynrik analyzed the man''s body on screen, he quickly surmised that there was more to those rumors than the general public knew.

    Unfortunately, without seeing the man in person, there was only so much Cynrik could observe through a screen, and as such, he didn''t bother delving further to satiate his curiosity.

    "People of our great Nation, Ie to you this morning with a few important announcements that will no doubt cause some of our people frustration. But before I speak, please keep an open mind and hold back your judgment, as everything I do is for the prosperity of our Nation''s people."

    "After the unseemly event which urred during this year''s Competition¡­I have decided to make some referendums and amendments to our constitution, all of which have been approved by Congress and the Senate."

    "Yep, he''s pissed at Big Bro." Benny was the first to vocalize his opinion¡­

    "Yeppers, he''s not happy at all." Followed swiftly by Gabby¡­

    "Just had to sucker punch the Minster of Resources." Brance¡­

    "Oh no, I hope things aren''t too bad for us." Melody¡­

    "Fuck that guy." And, of course, Selene.

    Kurza and Cynrik stayed quiet, one because he was too tired to care about what was happening and already passed out on his couch and the other because his brain was working on all cylinders.

    "The act of attacking a prominent member of the Government, would any other time, be considered an act of treason, warranting a death sentence; however, given the extenuating circumstances, I have decided to overlook the harshest of consequences which I could have passed down." President Lallinstien stated as if he were taking a walk in part,pletely unbothered, about having potentially put a teenager to death.

    "Tsk, not like you could ever catch me if I went on the run, but you know that, and that''s why you are using other means," Cynrik murmured as his focus trained thoroughly on the President''s following words.

    "However, the actions of Cynrik Jetlensr, team leader of the Faction known as MyrkLys, go beyond that of attacking a government official."

    "In the past, due to their impressive performance in the Competition Three years ago, I had overlooked their previous transgressions of Falsifying Documents, using a false identity to enroll in an official, Licensed Institution, the list goes on; as such, I, Evander Lallinstien hereby cklist, Cynrik Jetlensr, and the rest of his Faction MyrkLys from Competing in any further Academy Competitions."

    The living room of the MyrkLys dorm was silent enough that a pin-drop could be heard as the verdict was passed down. However, contrary to what Evander Lallinstien would have expected, none of the members of MyrkLys looked even the slightest bit upset.

    "Ehhhh? That''s it? He just pped a ban on us; wow, I guess we got off lighter than we thought." Snapping wide awake suddenly, Kurza blurted out, making everyone in the room flinch as they watched him just as quickly fall back asleep as if he hadn''t said a word.

    Ignoring the outburst from Kurza, the members of MyrkLys were unbothered by the deration of being Banned from the Yearly Competition; in fact, they seemed not to care in the least, and the reason was simple: it had already been decided by Cynrik that they wouldn''t bepeting anymore moving forward because¡­well, it had be too easy to win.

    With every member having Maxed out their stats and now focusing on improving the proficiency of their Affinity Control and Skills, partnered with theckluster rewards, which otherwise would have been fantastic for anyone else, Cynrik simply felt it was unnecessary to continuepeting.

    Sure, there were abundant awards foring out on top, but they were targeted at Students between Initial to Peak Tier-3 and no longer held any value apart from mary for MyrkLys.

    Thus, before their Third Competition even began, he had told everyone it would be theirst, which surprisingly went over well because everyone had the same issue¡­how annoying Garrison and Geralt would be in the months leading up to the Competition every year.

    With the stressful nagging and awkward training bing a thing of the past, the members of MyrkLys were more than happy to give up on their chance at subsequent Yearly Competitions.

    "Setting aside the matters about the Competition, I want to announce two crucial bits of information.

    The first is one that many of the youngergeneration of our Nation will no doubt be unhappy with, and first and foremost, from this moment onward, I am announcing that I will be increasing the legal age for allocation of Tier-4 advancement resources from 17 to 21." sping his hands together on top of his podium, President Lallinstien leaned forward while wearing a serious expression.

    "WHAT THE FUCK DID THIS BASTARD JUST SAY!" the moment the words came across the Holo-Tv speakers, Cynrik''s unbridled rage manifested in the form of Killing Intent and Aura.

    "I want you all to understand, as time has passed, it has be increasingly more challenging to mine and gather the yearly allotments of Tier-4 advancement resources; as such, some changes needed to be made as we are currently hemorrhaging funds and resources at an unsustainable rate. That is the primary reason the other governing bodies and I have decided on this change."

    "THIS IS A BLATANT DECLARATION OF WAR AGAINST US!" Cynrik howled with so much power behind his voice that the entire room vibrated with Mana.

    "But I ask for the Younger Generation to worry not, as I havee together with all of the Nation''s Academies and our Allied Nation''s academy leaders toe up with a secondary solution, and that leads me to the final topic of today''s gathering, and that is the formtion of what we are calling¡­The Advancement Strife."

    "The Advancement Strife will be a CSH Certified Event that any non-cklisted Academy Student who has reached the Peak of their Tier can enter to earn the proper resources to continue growing their strength. This event will be hosted at the end of Every school year and will take ce in a realm created by the strongest of each Nation in a joint effort to promote Fairness and Unity."

    "Mother¡­fucking¡­bullshit¡­ I''LL KILL HIM; I WILL FUCKING TAKE DOWN THE ENTIRE ESTABLISHMENT IF I HAVE TO TO PAY BACK THIS TRAVISTY!"

 Chapter 663: Year Three Post Collapse Of The DPZ (1)

    -Roughly Three Years after the Copse of the DPZ-

    Wearing his impressive golden zer, indicating he was presently a Year Four Student, Cynrik burst into the Headmaster''s office, startling the in-progress meeting and earning him the ire of the Dean of Year Four.

    "YOU! HOW DARE YOU UGHHH AHHHHH!" Jumping to his feet, the burly Dean of Year four, Henry Ettom, roared, ready to attack, but before he could even scold Cynrik, the pissed-off young man unleashed an astounding amount of Killing Intent on the Dean, which forced him belly-first to the ground, shattering his entire ribcage, and multiple other bones.

    "Silence worm, if I gave a single fuck about your shitty opinions, I would ask for them." Walking past Dean Ettom, Cynrik didn''t forget to unleash a savage kick to the man''s already damaged torso, hurling him out of the room, unconscious and in bad shape, before mming the door shut with an inky ck tendril.

    "Sigh, for fuck sake Cynrik; I know you believe him to be a spy, but was it really necessary to be so heavy-handed." Clutching his balled-up left fist with his right hand, Geralt red at Cynrik long enough to cause him to click his tongue and look away.

    If it were a year ago, Cynrik would have stood his ground. However, after fifteen years of training, anguish, and manifestation, Geralt finally broke through the barrier separating The Supernatural and Ascended Stage.

    If it were anyone else, Cynrik wouldn''t have humored them, Tier-6 or not. Still, unsurprisingly, he held a certain level of respect for the Headmaster, especially since it was apparent to him to what great lengths the man had put his neck on the line for not only Cynrik but every member of MyrkLys.

    The faint Divine Particles radiating off Geralt''s body would usually put a sense of unease in everyone, but having spent much time surrounded by them after the G Incident, Cynrik was unbothered.

    "I don''t even need to know why you''ve shown up and rudely interrupted my meeting, and the answer is still no, Cynrik." Geralt''s stern tone caused Cynrik to look back at the Headmaster with an unsatisfied expression.

    "Being the first year for the Advancement Strife, and considering that you are BANNED from all official events, I refuse to let you or any member of MyrkLys step foot anywhere remotely close to the venue."

    "Like everyone else, you are to watch it on TV or Online."

    "I''ve devised a n to break into the realm hosting the event, Geralt. All I need is a method to get to theunching zone, and I will get my Faction in." Clenching his fists, Cynrik shot back, causing a deep frown and dark lines to cover Geralt''s face.

    "Even so, I can''t allow you to do so, at least not yet. Since this is the first Advancement Strife, security will be extremely tight. Not to mention, I am constantly being watched, especially after my Ascension to Tier-6."

    "Thanks to your little stuntst year after the President''s announcement, I have been in hot water¡­" Shaking his head, Geralt shed back to the video Cynrik and MyrkLys had put out after being formally cklisted.

    In the video, he chastised the Government heavily, something usually unheard of since the bulk of society believed in their Voted Officials'' words and generally approved of their actions.

    However, Cynrik, having originallye from not only Earth but the United States, which is widely known for its distrust of anything involving the Government, went on the attack, at least in a verbal sense.

    He called out the Minister of Resources, the President, and multiple other Government officials for their actions in attacking the geniuses of the younger generation and stunting their growth.

    His words were in the form of a thoughtful and sophisticated speech that roused the masses to his aid, as would be expected when a celebrity spoke out against a topic. For a time, things seemed to be moving in the right direction as multiple petitions cropped up online with the hashtag #freeMyrkLys.

    With his wealth of knowledge from Earth as a weapon, Cynrik pressured the Government until the President made another speech. However, contrary to the call to arms massed online by public sentiment, President Lallinstien veered in the opposite of the expected oue by announcing further sanctions against MyrkLys and Cynrik, doing all butbeling them as Criminals.

    And like that, things calmed down, and MyrkLys got away with a p on the wrist, which infuriated Cynrik further, forcing him to take drastic measures.

    Seeing how things were handled, Cynrik once again went on the offensive, in typical Cynrik fashion; three monthster, he took it even further by ndering their names and releasing a slew of unsightly data to the world, only this time, not under the name of Cynrik Jetlensr, Leader of MyrkLys but instead under the guise of a masked man, named Char Aznable from the Organization known as Zeon.

    Unlike the vindictive and cocky Cynrik that the nation hade to know, Char was vastly different; with his short blond hair, imposing half mask, and shy red and ck outfit, Char was extremely well-spoken, and his every wordmanded both attention and caution.

    He oozed charisma and nobility, something that Cynrik severelycked, and it further served to separate his two identities.

    However, the appearance of this mysterious and charismatic Char Aznable didn''t go over well with a certain younger brother.

    Sure, Brance was on board with most if not all of Cynrik''s actions the past couple of years; however, when he saw his older brother''s outfit and heard the name he was using, Brance, who quickly recognized what was happening, didn''t let Cynrik off without hours upon hours of scolding.

    The reason was simple: Cynrik had once again pulled a Weeby Cynrik move.

    That''s right, Cynrik had hacked his way into a long list of dirtyundry about the bulk of the Government Officials and leaked it all to the masses while using hisrgest Anime Reference to date.

    With expertise befitting thergest Earth Hacker groups, he trickled the information without leaving a single crumb of evidence that he had done so, incapacitatedrge organizations by bringing down their online infrastructure, and even started gaining traction with his newlybeled Terrorist group.

    Within a span of three months, he had nearly brought the entire country to its knees, a feat that would have been legendary had they not fought back, denounced his actions, and manipted the narrative against him.

    While none were the wiser and a country-wide witch hunt was started with a massive billion-dor bounty ced on the head of Char Aznable, Cynrik continued his daily school life as if it had nothing to do with him.

    Geralt was in the know about Cynrik''s alter ego, and to some extent, he agreed with what he had done so far; still, it wasn''t nearly enough for him to put everything on the line and help infiltrate the Advancement Strife.

    "It''s not happening, and if you make me, I have no problem putting you and the rest of MyrkLys on lockdown, with round-the-clock 24-hour surveince." Putting his foot down, Geralt passed his judgment before shooing a pissed-off Cynrik out of his office.

 Chapter 664: Year Three Post Collapse Of The DPZ (2)

    -Roughly Three Years after the Copse of the DPZ-

    Today was the final day of sses for the School year, and instead of the VSFA Campus being abuzz with activity, everyone was in their dorms, huddled around their Holo-Tvs, or if they didn''t have one, on their Watcets or Computers, because today was the big day, the day of the inaugural Advancement Strife.

    It had been several months since Cynrik''s blowout with Geralt about allowing him to infiltrate the event, and much to his dismay, like everyone else, he too was plopped down in his recliner angrily watching the prestigious event on TV.

    Around him, the other members of MyrkLys took their ces while wearingfortable lounge clothing and munching on snacks.

    In Cynrik''sp, her favorite spot to rx, Selene did her best to calm down her fuming husband. She had been by his side through everything, giving her support and even making a handful of appearances in his Zeon videos as the mysterious yet sexy Nanai, a sandy blond woman with piercing hazel eyes and a medium-sized bust.

    Like Char, she wore a half mask with a red and ck outfit and stood beside him as a pir in the Zeon organization. Her prim and proper image caused her to be a quick heartthrob for any young man who watched the videos, much like her partner, Char, did for the youngdies of the nation.

    With fanfare, everyone''s attention moved away from their snacks and idle chatter toward the Holo-Tv, where the intimidating image of President Lallinstien came into view.

    As he stepped onto the prebuilt stage, the camera drones swarmed around him before panning out to the crowd of over three thousand young adults and back to him.

    "Youth of my Nation, I wee you to the inaugural Advancement Strife."

    Apuse from the crowd resounded briefly until President Lallinstien held up his hand to cut it off.

    "The event you are about to take part in has been the subject of much anticipation, and until now, I haven''t announced what exactly it is. And there is a good reason to put on the best showcase of your talents possible." ncing around the crowd, President Lallinstien appeared to look at the youthful excitement with a warm and endearing expression.

    However, to Cynrik, instead of warm eyes, he viewed the disy as that of a predator looking at its prey, which caused him to lean forward slightly, bringing Selene up with him.

    "This event will be a modified version of a ssic event called Battle Royal, wherepetitors will be brought into the Spatial Realm aboardrge drop ships in groups of 100." As he said this, a faint murmur fell over the crowd; however, back in the MyrkLys dorm, Brance and Selene gasped.

    "No way¡­" Brance said as he leaned forward; he was familiar with the term Battle Royal; however, to his understanding, on Vinestra, the event had a different structure.

    Brance and even Selene couldn''t help but draw a parallel to a game type from Earth because the President had announced the participants'' entry into the event by way of the dropship.

    "Each one of you will receive a single token; this token is your lifeline, and if your life is at risk, it can be crushed to teleport you instantly to safety, where a medical team will be on standby to heal any life-threatening injuries you have sustained." At hismand, a small coin-sized item was disyed in front of over three thousand young adults, giving them enough time to secure it.

    "Getting stronger in our world is no easy task; it is something wrought with danger, pain, suffering, and sorrow; as such, the Advancement Strife is no different." If he didn''t have everyone''s attention, President Lallinstien for sure did now.

    "While I have given each of you a life-saving artifact that by no means ensures you will make it through this event unharmed, there is a valid reason as to why.Myself and the other national leaders have decided that in this event, killing is absolutely allowed."

    "Many of you have lived cushy lives, ones where everything has been handed to you on a silver tter, your strength is not your own, and you have been nurtured in environments which, if not dealt with, will make you weak."

    Panic had set in for most of thepetitors by this point in his speech. Some were even nning on trying to back out and leave out of pure terror.

    "But with riskes reward, for if you make it out of the Advancement Strife, wealth, power, and fame will be within your grasp.

    For one week, every one of you will brave the harsh wilderness we have created, fighting against nature and beasts, and I don''t need to tell you all how great of an opportunity this is." Wearing a warm smile, President Lallinstien noticed a drastic shift on the faces of the young adults.

    "Since this is apetition, there will be a point-based system, which will be determined by your actions, along with how good of a show you put on for those watching."

    From terror to excitement and resolve, with a few simple rewards as a carrot, the overall attitudes change at the drop of a hat.

    "That isn''t all; within the Spatial realm, which is over a thousand kilometers wide, are tens of thousands of resources necessary for your advancements to Tier-4, and maybe even onward." Speaking with an air of mystery, if the youth before him weren''t excited before, now they were practically frothing at the mouth.

    Evolution materials were hard toe by, and since most of those present weren''t of age to receive them by ordinary means, this was their singr chance at finally obtaining what they needed to break through Tier-3.

    "Apart from the Evolution materials, scattered around the territory are numerous caches of supplies, from weapons to food; everything you could possibly require will be in these caches, and they will vary in Rarity. The tinum Caches have the potential to house High-Grade Tier-4 weaponry, while the stic Caches could have wooden or training weapons."

    "The points I mentioned earlier can also be cashed in by using the artifact I gave you, as it has simrmunication abilities as a Watcet; by cashing these points in, you can call down a care-package cache which, depending on how many points you spend, will determine the Rarity, and contents of the cache."

    "I should also mention that the viewers nationwide can also support their respective favorites by sponsoring Care package Caches; however, there will need to be certain requirements filled out before that is allowed."

    "Overall, Ites down to luck¡­or how crafty you can be for some of you. There is only one rule you must be aware of before entering your dropships: all outside equipment, resources, or materials are strictly forbidden."

    "Upon entering your dropship, the event staff will scan you from top to bottom, and all external items will be confiscated until you leave the Spatial Realm. That includes your clothing and armor; however, we will supply you with a basic outfit."

    With this announcement, the bulk of those youth present became agitated, and some even voiced concerns, throwing around family names or titles.

    Unfortunately, those bratty youngsters were all ignored, and soon enough, the President closed his speech before ushering the youths toward their respective dropships.

 Chapter 665: Year Three Post Collapse Of The DPZ (3)

    -Roughly Three Years after the Copse of the DPZ-

    "Upon entering your dropship, the event staff will scan you from top to bottom, and all external items will be confiscated until you leave the Spatial Realm. That includes your clothing and armor; however, we will supply you with a basic outfit."

    With this announcement, the bulk of those youth present became agitated, and some even voiced concerns, throwing around family names or titles.

    Unfortunately, those bratty youngsters were all ignored, and soon enough, the President closed his speech before ushering the youths toward their respective dropships.

    {{Guys¡­is it just me, or does the Advancement Strife seem eerily simr to a fusion of the Hun***-Games and Pu*-G.}} Leaning back on his couch before pulling Gabby into his arms, Brance found himself unable to shake the thought from his mind.

    {{Darling¡­you don''t think the President is¡­}} Selene''s words trailed off, and soon, her fears were confirmed.

    {{There is a strong possibility that President Lallinstien is a Legacy Charge, and one from Earth at that. However, that isn''t a conclusion we can make just yet. There is still a chance that he has a staff member from Earth who helped design the event.}}

    {{Hold up, if that''s the case, doesn''t that mean that it''s not outside the realm of possibility that he has already recognized you, at the very least, as a Reincarnator from Earth?

    I mean, you have a habit of ripping off Anime techniques, and even your Alter-Ego as Char could have been picked up on by him.}} Coming to a startling realization, Brance shot Cynrik a worried nce only to be met by his older brother''s usual passive gaze.

    {{Wow, usually you leave jumping to conclusions to me, Brancie; this is oddly refreshing. Anyway, the answer to your question is not necessarily. Since the President is significantly older than us, even if he knows something as big as the Hun***-Games and Pu-G, which were considerably mainstream in thete 2010s onward, the odds that he gets the abundant anime references I make are slim at best.}}

    Cynrik mulled over his thoughts for a few seconds, running through every potential situation and scenario that could out his identity as a reincarnator and LC.

    {{I think it is more likely that he has a staff member organizing the event instead of himself doing it. Such as either Jason or Len; rumor has it, Jason Opurn has been extremely interested in my Uchiha skills, which leads me to believe he may be our leak.}}

    {{The fact that he and his team did so well in this year''s Competition is proof enough that he is more than capable of getting onto the President''s Radar, and from what I''ve sniffed out, he is a pretty introverted nerd, so signs point to him.}}

    While the three conversed using their Mind Link, the TV scenes rapidly changed as thepetitors boarded their Dropships, changed clothes, relinquished any items they had, and prepared to move out.

    {{Either way, our talking about it can''t change anything; the best thing to do is watch and wait. Unlike us, Jason and Len don''t have an ocr skill allowing them to spot oddities in the world easily, so apart from the Anime references, they technically shouldn''t be assured that we are Charges, or they would have long since made a move against us.}}

    {{Besides, it''s almost time for my little Presidential Surprise to kick in.}} As Cynrik spoke, his lips curled into a sinister smile, and he brought up his Watcet before tapping away for a few seconds.

    {{Presidential surprise?... Cyn¡­tell me you didn''t do something that could potentially kill a bunch of innocent people¡­again¡­}}With confusion and hesitation, Brance''s eyes quivered. In his stunned state, he unconsciously pulled Gabby closer for support, much to her enjoyment.

    ''Hehe, Brancie is more affectionate than usual today; maybe we can get frisky tonight; hm, should I wear that new thing I bought a couple of weeks ago and have been hiding.'' Wearing a sheepish smile, Gabby tucked herself into Brance and breathed in his scent happily.

    {{I mean...}} Refusing to meet his brother''s gaze, Cynrik didn''t give a definitive answer, causing Brance''s nerves to fray as the seconds ticked by.

    {{Darling, stop teasing our little brother; one day, you may give him an aneurysm; just look at that bulging vein in his temple; what if a blood vessel bursts from the constant stress you give him.}} Coming to Brance''s defense in name alone, Selene yfully pped Cynrik''s shoulder, earning herself a chuff in the process.

    She was already in on the n and had even dawned her persona to aid her Eiginmaeur in his endeavor.

    Contrary to the rest of the nation, Cynrik had long since hacked his way into the proper databases, which would give him specific amounts of information about the Advancement Strife. Hence, he knew weeks ago about the dropships since there were multiple acquisition orders for them to begin with.

    Due to the size of the order and the oddly specific requirements each ship needed to work within the Spatial Realm, along with beingrge enough to hold thepetitors, each ship was Brand spanking new.

    Because of these factors, it was nearly impossible for the President and his cab to hide the paper trail from Cynrik. As such, with some clever plotting, a lot of spending, and some espionage, "Char" had left a few presents through his organization.

    {{It''s beginning,}} Cynrik stated with an ominous tone, causing Brance to flinch.

    Funny enough, he had chosen to speak in the mind link instead of aloud for a reason. Because he was still suspicious of a certain Fiance, even after having her around for several years, Cynrik had yet to tell Benny, Gabby, Melody, and Kurza about his alter ego. As such, they were left in the dark regarding his n, much like Brance was at present.

    GOOONG, DOOOOM, GOOONG, DOOOM!

    At Cynrik''smand, two distinct sounds came through the Holo-Tv sound system. The first was a loud, gonging, profound bell toll, and the other was a resounding echo.

    With the two chimes, every one of thepetitors and event staff went entirely still, fear evident on the younger generations'' faces, and the camera panned away from the dropships to President Lallinstien, who could be seen gritting his teeth through a deep frown.

    "Heh, well, isn''t this surprising? It seems the Usurper false President has chosen to make quite the show this time." The charismatic and noble voice belonging to Char Azanable seemed to appear from every direction.

    This effect was brought about by Cynrik hacking into not only the broadcasting software used by the new outlets but also the stage speakers¡­not even the dropship speakers were left alone, making it so those outside the Spatial Realm could hear his every word.

    "Char¡­" President Lallinstine found himself unable to refrain from uttering his adviser''s name as a giant hologram projection screen appeared over the open field housing the dropships.

    On this screen, Charzily sat upon a gothic-style throne in a room that appeared to be an ancient vampiric-style throneroom. Slightly behind and off to his right stood the beautiful Nanai, silently guarding over him.

 Chapter 666: Year Three Post Collapse Of The DPZ (4)

    -Roughly Three Years after the Copse of the DPZ-

    "Char¡­" President Lallinstien found himself unable to refrain from uttering his adversary''s name as a giant hologram projection screen appeared over the open field housing the dropships.

    On this screen, Charzily sat upon a gothic-style throne in a room that appeared to be an ancient vampiric-style throneroom. Slightly behind and off to his right stood the beautiful Nanai, silently guarding over him.

    Wearing his signature tinum half mask and regal red and ck outfit, Char propped his chin on his balled-up fist and smirked at the camera.

    "Imagine my surprise when I found the acquisition orders for all these expensive and new ships, my; I couldn''t believe the sheer amount of money you burned all for such a shy and petty reason," Char stated wistfully.

    "But for the life of me, I can''t understand why, when your nation is starving for resources, going hungry, living in poverty, and stricken by a crime pandemic, you, as their President, have wasted years'' worth of budget allocation for a means of transportation which could be solved with several simple, cheap teleportation formations."

    "Fuel, the ships themselves, the pilots, all of these are expenses that could have been used to better your nation, yet instead, you selfishly decided to put on a y for the billions of eyes watching to satisfy your own ego and boost your numbers."

    By this point, multiple murmurs washed over thepetitors and staff as they did their best not to look away from Char toward their President.

    Leaning to his right, the President growled through clenched teeth to his cab, "Cut the feed; I don''t care how you do it but cut it NOW!" before straightening himself and ring up at the projection.

    "Flowery words, Char Aznable; I do not need to exin myself to a terrorist such as yourself. What I have done with this event is¡­" President Lallinstien, unable to contain his frustration, began speaking, only to get cut off and have his sentence finished by the golden-haired masked man.

    "Allow the younger generation an opportunity like no other for growth and experience; yes, I am well aware of the falsities you use to justify your actions. However, all you are doing is attempting to cull the herd." Wearing a smirk vastly different from the one usually sported by Cynrik, Char continued.

    "Your actions serve a singr purpose, to have these spoiled young masters fight tooth and nail over a handful of scraps left over from years of resource abuse. At the same time, hiding the fact that you have a surplus in storage for your and your cabs'' personal use."

    "You, Evander Lallinstien, have failed your Nation and are a weak, petty, and selfish man whose only goal is to satisfy his greed while leaving his nation to wither and be a husk of its former glory."

    "For hundreds of years, I have heard such preposterous words of justificatione from one monarch or another while they satisfy their greed in ways which can only harm the very people they pledge to serve and protect."

    "I, Char Aznable, Leader of the Zeon Movement and the rightful ruler of Amestria Moor, will no longer stand by and allow your destructive and maniptive actions to steer the Nation at your own narrative."

    CLICK!

    After snapping his fingers with a muffled gloved click, loud mechanical sounds echoed from the Dropships'' inner workings, and secondster, as therge vernier thrusters were activated on each ship''s underbelly, hatches came up to seal each ship, trapping everyone inside and causing a panic.

    "CHAR! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!" ring his Aura and Killing Intent, President Lallinstien tried rushing forward to control the situation; unfortunately, as he did, a cacophony of explosions was triggered under the stage, igniting it in bright Royal Scarlet mes and destroying everything within a hundred meters.

    BOOOOOMMMM

    However, the sound of the explosion was swept away by the chorus of rumbles emitted by hundreds of eruptive Vernier thrusters from the over forty dropships as they took to the skies, moving steadily toward the massive Spatial portal, which was the entrance to the Spatial Realm.

    But right as the dropships left the ground, a wave of silver light cut through the mes, coating the stage, revealing President Lallinstien and the injured bigwigs in charge of the event.

    With a wild look in his eyes, Evander Lallinstien rapidly fired more silver lights in the direction of the Hologram image of Char, only to watch in anger as they phased through.

    He knew it was a long shot, but President Lallinstien couldn''t find the projectors, so he attacked the hologram.

    Frustration was evident, and the President rapidly scanned his surroundings. Before long, he had given up searching before directing his attention toward the dropships as they moved closer to the portal of his Spatial Realm.

    Gritting his teeth and refusing to allow Char to see his ns to fruition further, President Lallinstien made a split decision that he would regret secondster.

    Channeling copious amounts of Divine Particles and Mana, he unleashed a cloud of attacks, targeting each dropship and writing off all thepetitors and staff as coteral damage.

    Formting a plot to turn public opinion against Char and solidify the man''s image as a radical terrorist, Evander Lallinstien meant to destroy all those hopeful youngsters and turn them into martyrs.

    Unfortunately, Cynrik had long since expected this oue and was wholly prepared for the worst-case scenario. Although he himself couldn''t be present and could not stand against an individual at the Peak of Tier-6, that didn''t mean he didn''t know someone who could.

    In the moment before the President''s attacks could obliterate the dropships, a bright sh of light appeared between the man and his targets.

    When the sh diminished, it revealed a man in a simr uniform to Char''s, only in green and ck, with the same intricate golden embossments.

    With a wave of his hand, this new masked man deflected the hundreds of attacks and sent them harmlessly toward the sky, saving the dropships and allowing them unhindered entrance into the Spatial Realm.

    "WHO DARES!" President Lallinstien howled in rage as this new masked man''s cape fluttered behind him.

    "Thank you, Casaval Deikun. Your aid has allowed me to pull back the mask of the man Evander has proven to be." A charming smile spread across Char''s hologram as he saluted Casaval, the new masked man.

    With a brief acknowledgment of his leader, Casaval channeled mana into his throat before following the script given to him by Char.

    "SIEG ZEON!" Casaval shouted with a booming voice before vanishing from sight as if he were never there to begin with.

    Sieg Zeon¡­the deration hung in the air for everyone to hear, leaving asting impact on those Casaval had saved for the rest of their lives.

    However, Char wasn''t finished; once Casaval had left, he turned his attention back toward the furious and flustered President before his gaze sharpened, addressing those watching nationwide.

    "People of Amestria Moor, I urge you to open your eyes; these are the true colors of the man you have given the title of War Hero and President to. This man, supposed to be invincible and stand above all others, is a feral dog that has outlived his purpose."

 Chapter 667: Year Three Post Collapse Of The DPZ (5)

    -Roughly Three Years after the Copse of the DPZ-

    "People of Amestria Moor, I urge you to open your eyes; these are the true colors of the man you have given the title of War Hero and President to. This man, supposed to be invincible and stand above all others, is a feral dog that has outlived his purpose."

    Standing up from his throne and walking toward the camera, Char''s cape fluttered to his waist as Nanai followed him down the stairs.

    "Today, I have shown you all just how low this man will sink into depravity to satisfy his means, and if it weren''t for my foresight in sending my subordinate to protect thepetitors, I don''t doubt he would have shifted the me unto me, ming not only myself but also Zeon for their deaths."

    "Young people, from all across our great nation, came to this event in hopes of progressing and forging their path to the future with their own hands; however, they were nearly snuffed out by the hands of a President who cares little about their needs, wants, or even lives."

    Stopping a few feet from the camera and striking a noble pose, with his hands crossed behind him and back straight, Char continued his address.

    "If he is capable of doing this to your Children, brothers, sisters, lovers, and friends, what makes you believe he has the best interest in mind for the Nation? Why would you EVER put your faith and lives in the hands of a madman like Evander Lallinstien?"

    "Burn this fact into your memories, and never forget the type of person your Elected President is." Finished with his statement, Char noticed movement from below and ignored it as a furious ant in his eyes kicked off the ground in his direction.

    "Char, your words are useless; I''ve cut the feed to the masses; the people of Amestria Moor will not acknowledge anything you say. YOU HAVE LOST!" Flying up toward the hologram, President Lallinstien snarled through clenched teeth, causing the giant hologram to turn its eyes downward toward him in disdain.

    "How foolish can you be, Evander? Do you genuinely think that I, someone who is more than capable of hacking into and taking control over not only your dropships but also the mediapanies broadcasting software, have not put in ce hundreds of roadblocks to stop that very thing from happening?"

    "Are you indeed so naive?" Shaking his head as if looking at a pitiful puppy left in the rain, Char waved his hand in turn, creating thousands of smaller hologram screens all around the President, each one showing a different news anchor and, in the background, the live video of what he was currently doing.

    At that moment, President Lallinstien''s face paled, and he slowly descended to the ground, terror in his eyes as he knew things hadn''t gone even remotely close to n.

    He had wholly believed irrationally that his staff had cut the feed, and for all of a second, that staff member had seeded; however, Cynrik, from the leisure of his recliner, using his Watcet, instantly brought the feedback up, making Holo-Tvs around the nation blip for a second before resuming like nothing had happened.

    "Sigh, I don''t know why I expected anything other than foolishness from you, Evander, as you are a mere puppet being strung along by arger and more sinister organization."

    Dropping this sudden bit of information sent the Country into a frenzy, as no one had even believed it to be possible their President was a puppet.

    To be honest, even Cynrik wasn''t entirely sure of the existence of a shadow government controlling the President, but he had found enough evidence to support this theory as a possibility.

    Since he was frankly running out of things to say, with his original goalplete, he decided to stoke the fires as much as possible before finishing things off.

    And the effect of his words was instantaneous; President Lallinstienshed out in unbridled fury at the mention of being a puppet,unching hundreds of silver lights at the holograms surrounding him. It was a futile task, as the instant the attack blurred through the holograms, they reassembled good as new.

    "I AM NO ONES PUPPET, CHAR AZNABLE!" He screamed while continuing his attack, in the process killing several key members of society who hade to watch the ceremony leading to the Advancement Strife.

    "Puppet or not, you are a fool; look at what you are doing; you have killed hundreds on live TV. Do you understand the consequences of your actions, or have you lost your mind, Evander?"

    ncing away, Char faintly mumbled his following sentence as if attempting to hide his feelings from those watching; however, it was a constructed plot, and the microphone picked up his every word.

    "This is such a sad day in the history of our Nation. From the highest high to the lowest low in no time at all." Clutching his mask with the tips of his left-hand fingers, Char appeared distraught at what he had seen and seemed to be mourning.

    However, after a few seconds of this, he appeared to steel his resolve, dropped his hand, and stood imposingly over the angry and mindbroken President.

    "Evander Lallinstien, your actions today have proven you are unfit to lead our Nation; as such, I denounce you as the leader of Amestria Moor and call for the people to bear witness as I, Char Aznable, cleanse ournds of the disease which has corrupted our lives on the highest level." Holding up his hand, Casaval again appeared imposingly and drew his weapon, arge, futuristic battle axe.

    Soon, a brief and one-sided battle began, with Casaval swiftly bing the victor. In his rage, the President had exhausted too much energy and could not defend himself properly, resulting in him kneeling before the still-fresh Casaval.

    Then, looking up at Char''s hologram for confirmation, which came in the form of a nod, Casaval brought his glowing battle axe down on the neck of the President, cleaving off his head with a single strike.

    However, since it wasn''t nearly that easy to entirely kill someone at the Peak of Tier-6, Casaval reached out with his free hand in the air, grasping hold of something intangible, Evander''s soul, and crushed it before absorbing all the Divine Particles in the corpse, retrieving his items, and finally standing at attention before Char.

    "Commander, it is done," Casaval stated with a deep and gruff voice, unlike any the members of MyrkLys were familiar with.

    "Good work, Casaval; I want you to stay and guard the portal until all the Academy Headmasters appear, and we shall leave the rest of this event to them." Briefly giving his orders, Char again addressed those watching on their devices.

    "As those born in this great Nation, we can no longer allow the filth that has seeped into the cracks of our government to continue its corrosion and corruption."

    "I do not wish to generate a hostile takeover; from the start, my only goal was to open your eyes to what is happening behind the scenes; for too long, our people have been restricted from knowledge and resources. I hope you heed my words and make a systematic change, or else¡­I will one day return. Sieg Zeon!" With that, the hologram disappeared.

 Chapter 668: Year Three Post Collapse Of The DPZ (6)

    -Roughly Three Years after the Copse of the DPZ-

    Sieg Zeon, the words heard around thends, lit a fire in the bellies of anyone who heard them. President Lallinstien''s death and subsequent actions would be written in the annals of history as a dark day in the history of Amestria Moor.

    But as Char had requested, the face of the Government radically changed almost overnight, as multiple riots began all over Valor City and every major city in the country.

    Their goal was to uproot the diseased beings who threatened their lively hood in one fell swoop, and by the end of the one week allocated for the Advancement strife, an entirely new staff was formed, with a new figurehead put in ce, a man named Issac Noa.

    Like his predecessor Evander, Issac Noa was a well-known military man who had defended the nation''s borders and had an impressive unblemished service record.

    Although he wasn''t at the Peak of Tier-6, he was still within the realm of Tier-6 at the middle rank, and upon taking office, began following through with the cleansing Amestria Moor desperately required, or at least that''s how it appeared on the surface.

    Unfortunately, things were about as Cynrik had expected, with the corruption so deep that no matter who was put in charge, it would only be a matter of time before things reverted to how they were previously.

    Still, this didn''t bother him in the least because, from the beginning, all he wanted to do was exact a satisfying revenge against those who had directly had a hand in wronging him.

    Even so, temporary relief is still a relief, and with thergest offender dead, Cynrik returned to his dull life of training and tinkering with new Engineering toys.

    Meanwhile, the horrors of the Advancement Strife came to light during the live stream duration of the event. Fights broke out betweenpetitors over resources and points, and many had to watch as their loved ones were killed because they couldn''t activate the lifesaving artifact in time.

    From the original 4392 young adults who entered, 2855 returned alive, and even if they were all significantly stronger than the day they entered the Spatial realm, the loss of so many young lives was felt by the nation.

    For an entire week, Amestria Moor was on the edge of their seats as new celebrities were crowned, many young geniuses fell, and for the first time on live television, the Tier-4 evolution was shown.

    All the while, Cynrik and MyrkLys sat in their dorm living room, watching the event unhappily, as they felt the bite of jealousy.

    Three days into the event, Cynrik and Selene had seen enough and decided to give up watching with the group and entered the Shadow Realm.

    "So, I guess he wasn''t a Charge like us," on the fourth day, as Selene and Cynriky in bed, naked after a fierce bedroom battle, Selene spoke up about the past few days for the first time.

    "Mm, it was only a 20% chance that he was from the get-go; I was more concerned about someone on his staff being a charge," Cynrik grumbled while ying with his Kona''s perky and exposed breast.

    "Really? How you talked about it led me to believe it was at least around 45-60 percent." Calmly reaching over, Selene took Cynrik''s testicles in his hand and rolled them around her fingers much in the same way he was doing with her boob.

    It wasn''t an inherently sexual act for either of them, but instead more of aforting thing, kind of like ying with one''s long hair, more of a fidget than anything.

    And since the two of them were sofortable naked around each other, things had eventually progressed to this point, where they found sce andfort in each other''s bodies without feeling the need to get all hyper-sexualized by it.

    "I admit, initially, my theory had the percentage around that window; however, the more thought I put into it, and the more I hyperanalyzed the data, the lower the percentage fell. In the end, had Evander been a Charge, Abe would have had a more difficult time dealing with him."

    Abe, the nickname Cynrik had given Governor Samieer, whose first name was Abdul, was precisely the man who had taken the stage during the Opening Ceremony of the Advancement Strife and had been the Peak Tier-6 who not only dawned the guise of Casaval Daikun but also put down Evander Lallinstien like it was easy.

    "You know how it is with us, Charges. We are all freaks who can punch above their tier to some extent, and ording to what Abe told me after he took out Evander, the man was an ordinary Tier-6, with nothing excessive to note." Cynrik stated matter of factly.

    "Hmm, this conversation is boring, so can I request something for round two Darling~?" Uncaring about how the conversation was going, Selene changed topics and put on a mischievous smile, causing Cynrik to roll his eyes as he already had a feeling about what she would say.

    "Sigh, the things I do for the woman I love, finnnne, I''ll wear the Char cosy for round two, but only if you wear the Nanai one." Givin into her willful fetish, Cynrik leaned over, nted a kiss on her lips, and hopped out of bed.

    "Yeayyy, you know me so well, teehee, ok on three, we change." Hopping to her feet while still on the bed and striking a pose in the nude, Selene cheerfully channeled her mana top to bottom in her body and got ready to activate the Shifter skill Cynrik had developed for the two of them.

    As far as skills went, it was a rtively simple yet effective one so long as you had ess to Divine Particles; however, that was the trick; you needed to be able to manipte the High form of Mana particles in order to do so.

    Still, even though Cynrik and Selene could do it, Brance was severelycking in this respect, which was surprising considering he was the best at utilizing the particles in the trio.

    The Science Behind, the Shifter Skill was something Cynrik had been toying with for years, only it wasn''t something possible with Normal Mana particles, and one day, on a whim, he decided to change the properties of a cluster of Divine particles only to discover it actually worked.

    From there, he created a skill that would mold the Particles, making up living and non-living matter so they would receive a surface-level change, and BOOM, the Shifter skill, was born.

    However, it wouldn''t do if only Cynrik could do it, so after rigorous testing, he went ahead and passed it on to his Kona.

    It was only because of their connection through the Mind Body and Soul link that Selene learned the skill, thanks to sharing part of Cynrik''s Mana maniption ability, and after a bit of training, she too could change her outer appearance, height, and even bust size albeit only shrinking them.

    Using the theory of Equivalent exchange, Cynrik and Selene needed a medium to flood with Divine particles first, so things like clothes were necessary, and after some preparation and a sh of light, Nanai Stood on the bed in her uniform while Char stood beside the bed.

    "My beloved Char, take me, make a mess of me, make me yours," Changing her voice to the one she heard in Cynrik''s memories, she seduced her man, and soon enough, the sounds of pleasure-filled moans filled the Shadow Realm.

 Chapter 669: The Beginning Of Year Five at VSFA (1)

    -Roughly Four Years after the Copse of the DPZ-

    The day had finallye; after a longyoff for summer vacation, Cynrik and the members of MyrkLys exited the teleportation tform and, for the first time in four months, stepped back on the VSFA Campus.

    Gone were the golden zers they wore for an entire year, indicating they were Year four Students, and in its ce was an impressive ck zer with golden runes and trim showcasing their status as Fifth Year Seniors.

    As they walked through therge City just outside of the main campus, the eyes of the passersby seemed to linger on the members of MyrkLys, who had gone from the height of poprity to practically untouchable within a few short years.

    However, by now, Cynrik and Company had grown used to the mixture of res and snarky remarks.

    While they walked, Brance and Gabby held hands and showed their intimacy to anyone who noticed, with the shiny silver ring on the youngdy''s left ring finger drawing the most attention.

    That''s right, after an entire childhood and four academy years, Brance had at longst popped the question and be engaged to his childhood sweetheart.

    When it happened over summer break, the Pinhurst Mansion had transformed into a festive party house for a whole week in celebration, embarrassing Brance to no end as he was assaulted on all sides by friends and family alike, making simr remarks that boiled down to one statement, "About damn time."

    In retrospect, to him, who felt that he, at 17 years old, was far too young to be getting married, it wasmon practice for young couples to get engaged as young as 12 in Amestria Moor, like when Benny and Melody had gotten engaged, no one batted an eye. Even though they were both rtively young, the heat came down on Brance to do the same thing.

    Hell, even Cynrik was only 14 when he got married to the then 16 Selene, so after a lot of introspection, Brance decided it was time, took Gabby to a beautiful flower garden, and asked her to marry him.

    Of course, her answer had zero hesitation, but thinking back to the teary sobs, Brance was amazed she could even eke out the word "Yes."

    Smiling warmly at the thought, Brance rubbed his thumb on her hand while they walked, relishing how soft it was and ignoring the childish banter from his sister-inw and brother flying into his head.

    {{Da, look at them, Darling~, isn''t it just the cutest damn thing you''ve ever seen.}} Selene chirped while walking arm-in-arm with her Eiginmaeur.

    {{For so many years, he was soooo antsy about showing any PDA (Public disys of Affection), but just look at him now; I couldn''t be more proud, Sel; look, I have a single tear forming in my eye.}} Reaching up with his free hand, Cynrik made a point to poke his eye and generate a fake tear while continuing to make fun of his brother.

    {{I kno, it took forever, but hey, at least you didn''t make me wait too long, hehe,}} Looking up at the fake tear dripping down her husband''s cheek, Selene went up on her tippy toes and licked the single drop away before nting a small peck on the same spot.

    {{Huuurgehh *Gagging sound*, you two are fucking disgusting, LEAVE US BE DAMN IT!}} Brance snapped while leaning down and kissing the top of Gabby''s head.

    Behind the two Jetlensr Couples, Melody and Benny calmly walked while holding hands; by this point, both of them were well ustomed to the antics urring not far away, and they had long since treated it as if not happening at all.

    So, instead of wasting their breath toment, the two walked and enjoyed their simple school life together, even stopping at a few stands or shops to buy little trinkets or snacks.

    Bzzzzt, Bzzzzt, Bzzzzt

    ''Hm, tsk, we can''t even step foot on campus for an hour without that bastard calling.'' Cynrik grumbled through his connection with Selene, causing her to chuckle as he answered the call in privacy mode.

    "You need toe to my office¡­now, don''t dawdle, and bring the others. CLICK" The moment Cynrik answered the call, Geralt''s voice came through the Watcet, and without waiting for any type of response, the Headmaster hung up the call, indicating things were severe this time.

    "Time to go. It looks like something''s happened." Without turning to look back at the other members of MyrkLys, Cynrik kicked off the ground with Selene and vanished from sight.

    Half a beatter, Brance, Gabby, Melody, and Benny did the same, as if they had trained for this exact thing thousands of times. None of themined or asked questions; they simply blindly followed Cynrik.

    shing through the City unseen, MyrkLys moved like trained assassins, jumping silently from one rooftop to another until they finally reached the impressive tower that housed the Headmaster''s office on the top floor.

    Since Brance was constantly bending the light around them so the whole group was invisible, Cynrik gave themand to take to the sky, and everyone lept up before rushing to the top of the skyscraper, which was almost a hundred floors tall.

    Roughly 3 minutester, all six of them touched down on the balcony outside the Headmaster''s office and noticed therge ss door was already open, indicating Geralt had expected them to enter the room this way.

    However, they didn''t go into the office immediately; instead, Cynrik halted everyone outside upon noticing that Geralt wasn''t alone. But what they saw in therge office was enough for everyone to struggle with controlling their Killing Intent.

    There, lying on the ground, missing one arm and both legs and in a puddle of his own blood, was the seventh member of MyrkLys, Kurza Reed Bralley. Behind him was a group of people bearing a strikingly simr appearance to the young man on the ground, indicating they were his blood rtives.

    One was an older, thin man with a long grey goatee who had taken up an imposing and regal position on a chair with his feet propped up on Kurza''s back.

    "Headmaster Rivia, imagine my surprise when I was informed that my Grand¡­former Grandson wouldn''t be joining our faction after his graduation four months ago, and instead would be enrolling as a Teaching aid staff member at VSFA."

    "Being raised and nurtured by the Bralley familyes with strings attached, and mandatory service in our Faction, Holy-de Union, is not only expected of our younger generation but also required."

    "Up until he met those undesirables from MyrkLys, Kurza was an upstanding member of the family and showed great promise, but the moment he was stripped of the right to be the Competition Team Captain and forced into servitude by that Brat Cynrik Jetlensr, he has undergone a radical change."

    "Talking back to elders, rebelling against the family, and now refusing to enter the service of our great faction, tell me, Geralt Rivia, what kind of fucking ORGANIZATION ARE YOU RUNN¡­"

    BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!

    Before the older man, Taileek Bralley could finish his rant, a loud concussive boom rattled the room as the goateed man was sent flying into the opposite side and embedded in the thick, cemented structure.

    "How about you shut your fucking mouth, old man!"

 Chapter 670: The Beginning Of Year Five at VSFA (2)

    BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!

    Before the older man, Taileek Bralley could finish his rant, a loud concussive boom rattled the room as the goateed man was sent flying into the opposite side and embedded in the thick, cemented structure.

    "How about you shut your fucking mouth, old man!" Seemingly appearing out of nowhere, Cynrik stood with his left leg held up, indicating the attack he had dished out was that of a rolling sidekick to the man''s chest.

    "CYNRIK JETLENSR?" One of the bodyguards shouted in confusion after recognizing the young man with his leg raised in the air.

    "HOW DID THIS BASTARD GET IN?" A second cried in fright.

    "Quit your squabbling; we must protect Patriarch Bralley!" The third of four bodyguards, one with a calmer disposition, stated while rushing forward to attack Cynrik.

    Meanwhile, the final bodyguard, a lithe woman, rushed to the aid of her Patriarch, who was embedded in the wall of Geralt''s office, struggling to move.

    Although Patriarch Bralley was at the Peak of Tier-5, Cynrik held nothing back when heunched his sneak attack, shattering Patriarch Bralley''s sternum and all of his ribs and copsing the man''s lungs.

    "Call me a brat or Bastard one more time, and I will forgo crippling your bodies and reap your lives instead." Slowly lowering his leg, Cynrik unleashed hisbination of Killing Intent and Aura, ttening every bodyguard in the room and the now extricated and injured Patriarch.

    "It seems that my absence from the public eye and stagnation at the End of Tier-3 has left you asshats believing me to be weak and a pushover, yet you show up here today with a member of my faction in such a dismembered state and believe I will allow you to leave in one piece?"

    "Youuu¡­youuu¡­Headmaster Rivia¡­dooo¡­something about this Bra¡­ACK!" Coughing up blood and struggling to re at Cynrik, Patriarch Bralley reached out his hand and demanded assistance from Geralt, but when he began calling Cynrik a Brat for a second time, five pitch-ck spikes shot from the ground and toward the ceiling, unhindered by the arms, legs, and torso in their path from the floor.

    "The fuck did I say about calling me a brat again, you stupid bitch?" Walking over and crouching down beside Kurza, Cynrik twitched his left index finger and had the Umbral Spikes hang Patriarch Bralley by his limbs in the air.

    At the same time, he flicked his wrist and withdrew several high-grade health, stamina, and mana potions from his inventory before rolling Kurza onto his back and forcing the liquids down his faction member''s throat.

    {{Sending him your way, Brance, work on stabilizing his body before attempting to fix any of the problems you see; none of that matters if his life isn''t ensured first.}} Without ncing at his brother, Cynrik gently lifted Kurza''s unconscious body and handed him off as the youngest Jetlensr stopped hiding himself and appeared in the room.

    {{I don''t need you to tell me that, moron, sigh, don''t worry, I got this.}} Feeling his right eye twitch, Brance received the limp body of Kurza and immediately began administering several of his Light Affinity skills to assess how deep the damage ran in Kurza''s body.

    Unfortunately, when he did so, horror painted Brance''s face as he realized the scope of what the Bralley family had done to Kurza.

    {{C¡­Cynrik his¡­}} Brance started but was swiftly cut off by his brother.

    {{I know, and I will do something about itter; for now, stabilize him; we can deal with the rest when I have time.}} Having been the first to observe the room, Cynrik had noticed a significant problem with Kurza''s body long before Brance, and it was due to how far his [Mana Sight] had advanced.

    Crippled Mana Circuits, separation of soul and Mana Body, partially destroyed Mana Codex, the damage was so extensive that even Cynrik felt a shiver down his spine as he knew a few potions and healing sessions from Brance would be far from enough to heal Kurza, and that was excluding any psychological or mental damage the young man had received at the hands of his own family.

    "Geralt, you will do nothing to stop me; they have harmed one of my own, not to mention the level of disrespect they have shown VSFA, you and Myself." Cynrik''s words came out as a demand instead of a request, causing Geralt to sigh heavily.

    Funny enough, Geralt could have handled things on his own and had, in fact, nned on it since Kurza was now a member of the staff and technically under his protection, however when he saw the state of the young man''s body, the Headmaster of VSFA knew that Cynrik would tear him a new asshole the moment he stepped in, Tier-6 or not, thus, he decided it better to call the little psychopath instead of dealing with things on his own.

    "Sie, Vii,e out." Sniffling slightly, two meter-and-a-half tall ravens appeared out of thin air and pped their wings twice beforending on Cynrik''s shoulders.

    Having finally reached Tier-3, they were vastly stronger than an average human. From their sharp beaks to their long, dagger-like talons, they cut a terrifying image for everyone except Cynrik and Selene, who found the two young N¨¢tt Hrafn adorable.

    "You get two each, but don''t touch the guy with the grey facial hair."

    ''Ahh, really, Papa? I can eats them?'' the voice of a young boy entered Cynrik''s mind first, and half a secondter, another one followed.

    ''Ok Papa! Ohhh oh, brother, I want the girl; she looks tasty!'' A sweet young girl''s voice followed the first, causing Cynrik to reach up and scratch both his children under their chins.

    Upon Reaching Tier-3, both Sielu and Viisaus finally unlocked the ability tomunicate mentally with words, which Milo hadpleted at Tier-2.

    "Yes, you may both feast, but be sure to save their Codexes forter; you know they take time to digest." Wearing a chilling grin, Cynrik shrugged his children off their perches and allowed them to go to work.

    Terror and realization that this was the end for them dawned on the four bodyguards, and thanks to Cynrik''s intense Killing Intent, they were rendered entirely helpless.

    All they could do was watch as the two birds plopped down on their chests and tore out their eyes, followed by other small fleshy bits until¡­nothing.

    What ensued for those watching was a horrific chorus of blood-curdling screams, squelching sounds, and happy coos from the two N¨¢tt Hrafn.

    The worst part for the bodyguards was from where they were on the ground; they witnessed everything the two birds did to theirrades, knowing they would soon be following.

    "Tsk, couldn''t even bring other Tier-5s as backup and cheaped out by bringing Peak Tier-4ckies; how am I supposed to nurture my children if the idiots whoe up against us don''t throw everything our way?" Sighing ruefully, Cynrik cradled his chin with his right hand while making his way to the hung Patriarch Bralley.

    However, as he was about to begin torturing the old man, several coughs from behind and a weak voice tore Cynrik''s attention away.

    "C¡­Cyn¡­don''t¡­kill the girl¡­please¡­" A weak and feeble Kurza choked out while looking at thedy Sie had set her eyes on.

 Chapter 671: The Beginning Of Year Five at VSFA (3)

    As Sie finished her first target and readied herself to munch on the girl lying beside the Patriarch, she was forced to hesitate.

    "C¡­Cyn¡­don''t¡­kill the girl¡­please¡­" A weak and feeble Kurza choked out while looking at thedy Sie had set her eyes on.

    This single broken sentence was enough for Cynrik to stop Sie from eating the person she was looking forward to and chirp unhappily.

    ''Sie, my darling daughter, it''s okay; there will be more feasts like this in the future; for now, leave the girl be; there is a deeper connection to her for Kurza than I expected.

    Hearing her Papa''smand, Sie pped her wings a few times andnded beside the third immobilized person, and her intelligent eyes flicked from the person to Vii and then back to her Papa.

    ''Sissster, he''s mine.'' Taking note of his sister''s actions, Vii swiftly finished his meal, only picking out the important bits while leaving a mauled corpse behind and flying over to the third person.

    ''y nice, you two; if you share the final meal together like good children, Mama will give you extra cuddles tonight after dinner time.'' Stepping in yet staying hidden under Brance''s light bending, Selene took charge and offered apromise so that her two children didn''t begin fighting over scraps.

    ''You both get one eye and five fingers each. I am sure your Papa can also figure out how to split the Codex evenly.'' She said with a loving smile, gracing her beautiful, unblemished face.

    ''CUDDLE TIME WITH MAMA!'' The easily pleased Vii squawked and happily gave way to his sister as the two N¨¢tt Hrafn jointly tore the third Tier-4 man to shreds while ignoring his screams of agony.

    ''Hehe, Mama is the best Mama ever; I call herp today!'' The girlish voice of Sie brought a loving chuckle to both Cynrik and Selene, even though Cynrik was slightly jealous that his beloved children preferred their "Cuddle time" with Selene more than him.

    ''Mmmmm, fine, you can have Mama''sp, but you owe me two fingers from this food, deal?'' Vii stated as he swiftly dissected the man''s chest, ignoring the under armor and clothing to tear out his internal organs.

    ''One finger and you can have his tongue,'' Chuffing at her greedy brother, Sie nudged Vii''s head aside and went after the liver, as it was her favorite organ to munch.

    ''epted, om nom nom nom,'' Since the tongue was his favorite, Vii quickly gave in to his bossy sister and tore at the man''s face, breaking his jaw and exposing the fleshy tongue to the open air.

    As the silent and graphic conversation transpired, the other members of MyrkLys didn''t bat an eye at the tworge ravens as they mutted the bodies of the Bralley Family''s bodyguards, leaving only Geralt to be appalled by the sight.

    ''Fuck¡­remind me to avoid those birds at all costs. Seeing how excited and happy they are tearing apart a human being gives me the heebies.'' Making a vow to no one in particr, Geralt gulped down his saliva and watched as Cynrik motioned for the Umbral Spikes toe closer until he was face to face with the Bralley Family Patriarch.

    "You¡­do you even ARG, understand what you have ACK done." Struggling against the Mana constructs pierced in his limbs and torso, Taileek Bralley was torn between the horror of watching his men turning into bird food and rage at the young man standing before him.

    "It''s cute that you believe I give a shit about you or your status in society. The moment you turned your hand against one of my faction members, the fate of you and the entire Bralley Family was sealed in a bloody script." Chuckling, Cynrik flicked his left wrist and unsheathed a hidden de coated in Omnipoison.

    "As a father, it would be unbing of me to allow my two children to be the only ones having fun, so how about we take part in my favorite pastime, yeah?" Wearing a sinister and twisted grin, Cynrik shed at Taileek Bralley''s chest, cutting away his entire upper clothing with a few swift movements, and gently ran the outer edge of the hidden de along the man''s skin, sending a chill across the Patriarch''s entire body.

    "No, nooo, please, anything but this! ¡­ AHHHHH!" Turning into a prattling pussy the instant Cynrik took action, The Bralley Family Patriarch''s mind shed back to the oddly simr situation he had seen young adults subjected to during the Competitions MyrkLys had taken part in, and knew he was in for hell, especially when he noticed the strange multi-colored liquid coating the de.

    With Cynrik beginning his torture session, Brance, with the aid of Melody, set about working on stabilizing Kurza. After waking up and seeing Sie about to kill someone he had watched grow up, Kurza had struggled against Brance''s grasp, inadvertently undoing a lot of the work Brance hadpleted and making him start from scratch.

    "Kurz, listen to me; I know things aren''t good, but you must stop fighting my Mana and allow it to heal you." Brance chided gently as he pumped copious amounts of Mana into his friend''s body.

    "My¡­little¡­sister¡­" Kurza managed to say before his body began convulsing due to the extreme amount of pain he was experiencing.

    "She''s fine, Cyn already called off Sie, so she has been knocked out instead," Melody stated while using potions to close the wounds and form stumps where Kurza''s limbs used to be.

    "That¡­that''s¡­good, she¡­isn''t bad¡­only¡­misguided." With that final sentence said, Kurza finally sumbed to the waves of pain and passed out.

    ---

    Forty-five minutester, Kurza had been stabilized, and Cynrik could be seen using a dirty rag to clean the gore from his hands, sleeves, and hidden des.

    Hanging limply on the spikes was the now-deceased Patriarch of the Bralley family, and his state was like something out of a horror film.

    Through the process of Cynrik''s torture, fingernails had been removed, while the digits themselves were severed at every knuckle. Carvings of various runes coated the entirety of the man''s chest, arms, and back, and the corruption from Cynrik''s Omnipoison coating had long since festered the wounds on the Patriarch''s body.

    Boils, pus, blood, you name it, and the man had it, and the inflictions made him look like a mutated zombie.

    SNAP, WOOSH!

    Since he was finished with his work and hadpleted his notes pertaining to his experimenting with putting runes to flesh, Cynrik ignited all the corpses in the room with ckFire, burning away any evidence they had ever been present before turning and noticing that his children were settled on Selene sleeping. At the same time, she sat in one of the many chairs in Geralt''s office.

    As for the other members of MyrkLys, they had left not long after Cynrik''s torture session began, not because they had weak stomachs, but because they knew he would fill them inter on what he had found out.

    Plus, with Kurza in critical condition, bringing him back to the MyrkLys Dorm, where Brance had what could only be described as a mini-hospital setup, was necessary.

    With how dangerous Cynrik''s training could get, Brance and the others had long since decided it was best to have a medical facility of their own so that the staff of VSFA didn''t ask too many questions when going to the infirmary.

 Chapter 672: The Beginning Of Year Five at VSFA (4)

    "Look at those two; could they be bigger gluttons? Devouring their favorite parts of the three bodyguards then falling asleep on their Mama sigh, they''ve got it so good." Cynrik grumbled before kissing his Kona on the cheek and sitting down in front of Geralt''s desk.

    "Now, darling~ you can''t me them for loving me so much, considering that was how we raised them," Selene chided while petting the silky feathers between Sie and Vii''s wings.

    "Che, if memory serves, it''s you who spoils them the most," Wearing a smile, Cynrik turned his attention to the pale-faced Geralt.

    "Hell of a first day of school, amirite Headmaster?" The way Cynrik waspletely unbothered by his borderline evil and nefarious previous actions, Geralt couldn''t help but look at the young man in a slightly different light.

    It was one thing to torture an enemy, that much he was ok with since extracting information was never a morous act; however, the way that Cynrik had not only enjoyed inflicting pain on the man but also using him as ab rat for experimentation didn''t settle well with Geralt''s stomach.

    "Kid, you need to get those urges in check, one day¡­I fear your mental stability will be questioned¡­well, more so than it already is. It''s like you have multiple personalities." Thinking back to the warmth and kindness Cynrik had shown the two birds and his wife, then back to how he acted when torturing the Bralley Family Patriarch, Geralt had difficulty believing they were the same person.

    "I have many faces, Geralt, some of which you''ve seen and others that you haven''t; as for my mental stability, well, didn''t that shrink four years ago put that notion to rest? I thought we already epted; ima a tad bit touched in the head." Cynrik stated with a mysterious smirk.

    "Anyway, we need to get prepared for what is toe. As unfortunate as it is, it appears my theory about an underground organization cutting us off at every turn was correct."

    One of the first things Taileek Bralley exposed within the first minute of torture was the existence of a Shadow Government esk organization that ran things behind the scenes.

    This Organization, which Taileek named Sancaster, was many millennia years old and had been the guiding hand for Amestria Moor since its founding.

    From the background, they manipted therge families, ns, organizations, military, and government, modeling the narrative to their own political and moral views, and were the ones who had initiated the extreme restrictions on information.

    Every single group, being, individual, and governing body who had gone against them since their founding had been eradicated from history, fromrge and influential families to Geniuses that broke the mold; it didn''t matter; they were destroyed.

    And given the hard time Cynrik and MyrkLys had been having since the end of the third Competition, it seemed this Sancaster group had set their sights on them this time around.

    "It is more impressive that you have no knowledge of this Sancaster Organization, Geralt. Being the Headmaster of an illustrious Learning Institution, I''d have expected you to be in the know, but considering your backing, I suppose it isn''t too illogical." Cupping his chin with his left hand, Cynrik mused while remembering the old man and CSH admin who called Geralt Son.

    "No¡­it runs deeper than that, Cynrik; I believe more than 50% of the Board of Directors for VSFA may be part of this Organization. Every time decisionse to a vote, there is a selection of Directors who venomously oppose anything about you and MyrkLys, and as such, I suspect them to be part of Sancaster potentially." Exhaling loudly, Geralt continued.

    "The only question is how deep their influence runs in my Academy. How many Professors, Instructors, and staff members are on their payroll? That is where the true problem lies." Leaning back in his chair, Geralt attempted to scan through his memories and pick out anyone under Sancaster''s influence.

    "Indeed, depending on their numbers, it is no different from allowing the fox into the henhouse. It also means that we have been monitored at every avenue, which further exacerbates my decision to keep everything in-house within the Faction and residence, from weapons and armor smithing to our personal healthcare."

    "MyrkLys ispletely self-sufficient, and apart from attending our weekly lessons, nothing we do in our daily lives can be monitored. Even the way we exit the Dorm and head to train in the many Egresses is under wraps since I transport everything through the Shadow Realm." Uncupping his chin, Cynrik crossed his arms and found a potential w.

    "However, thanks to that, I believe we can consider Sancaster in the know about my means of transportation. If they know they can''t track our movements because of it, they must have worked out a method to counter it long since."

    "It''s doubtful; not even at Tier-6 am I able to notice the disturbances in the fabric of space when you open your portals. Due to it being a unique skill, I doubt it can ever be replicated, so setting up any type of failsafe may be extremely difficult, if not impossible." Feeling uneasy, Geralt attempted to work out for the umpteen time how Cynrik''s skill worked.

    "Not necessarily; with the nation''splete resources and then some at their disposal, I wouldn''t be surprised if Sancaster had aplexwork of monitoring in ce; with the wide enough, it would be possible to catch me exiting the Shadow Realm at some point, and that is something I have long since prepared for, even with extensive satellite surveince, unless they throw everybody avable at us, I doubt I couldn''t punch a hole through their lines and make an escape, especially if I nuke the area." Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik seemed passive about the situation.

    "Either that, or we could just live for some time in the Shadow Realm and go exploring; the only downside is without sufficient preparations, we would be traveling on foot with limited supplies, but I will work to fix that issue this week."

    ''Oh? Are you making bug-out bags?'' Mentioning a typical military term, Selene spoke of an escape bag filled with essentials such as cash, passports, and the like, which some military members on Earth prepared in case shit hit the fan one day.

    ''Basically, except you and I will store enough food tost us years in our inventory and Spatial Items.'' Confirming her thoughts, Cynrik began formting a mental checklist of all the necessary resources for daily life in the Shadow Realm while splitting his mind to continue conversing with Geralt.

    "So, with the information about Sancaster in hand, I suppose it''s time we address the fact that Melody''s Mom works for them.

    Her disappearance several years back surprised most of you but not me, considering that I''ve been cautious and suspicious of her since we met her." Sniffling and tilting his head to the side to release the pent-up stress in the form of a loud pop, Cynrik gazed at Geralt with emotionless eyes.

    "Previously, I thought you were being ridiculous¡­but now¡­it seems to align perfectly. If ire were a member of Sancaster, I don''t doubt she would be the one to let the spies into VSFA during your first year, nor acting to leak information about MyrkLys. Still, I ask you, Cynrik, what do you n on doing with Melody now that you know her origin?

 Chapter 673: The Beginning Of Year Five at VSFA (5)

    "Previously, I thought you were being ridiculous¡­but now¡­it seems to align perfectly. If ire were a member of Sancaster, I don''t doubt she would be the one to let the spies into VSFA during your first year or act to leak information about MyrkLys. Still, I ask you, Cynrik, what do you n on doing with Melody now that you know her origin?"

    Geralt''s words hung in the air while Cynrik and Selene made eye contact momentarily before turning to look at the Headmaster.

    "Whether or not we act now or at ater date will solve nothing in the short term. I have long since treated Melody as if she is a spy looking to gather any potential information possible." Cynrik stated matter of factly.

    "Although there is some info that she is privy to, most of my operations have been kept secret from everyone except my Wife and Brother. Things such as my projects are rtive data that I don''t necessarily mind being leaked due to their oddity and incongruity."

    "However, my alter ego¡­that is something only the three of us and our powerful helper know. Anything that cane back to bite us in the butt has been kept from the other members of my Faction, except for my Wife." Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik stood up, indicating to Selene that it was time to leave.

    "I trust you will be able to handle things with the Bralley family?" Stopped a few meters from the office door, Cynrik looked over his shoulder at the Headmaster.

    "Sigh, yeah, but there is only so much I can do, Cynrik. The family knows their group wasing here, and since they are part of Sancaster, it won''t be long before word reaches them as well."

    "All the eyes hiding in the shadows will be directed at VSFA and us now." Massaging his temples, Geralt pulled up all the data logs, CCTV footage, and entry logs for the Bralley Family Patriarch and his bodyguards before quadruple checking they had already been erased.

    "When aren''t they? From the moment I took center stage during the exams, eyes were on me¡­no, probably even earlier than that; regardless, let them watch; I will be sure to give a hell of a performance, as usual." Waving his hand over his shoulder at the Headmaster, Cynrik left before opening a portal to the Shadow Realm and standing under the tower housing the Headmaster''s office.

    Floating mid-air, Cynrik observed every nook and cranny in the building with [Mana Sight] before swiftly locating and destroying thousands of monitoring devices as easily as scratching his nose.

    "There''s an awful lot of those things this year¡­" Selene grumbled while adjusting her two sleeping children intofortable positions for her to hold.

    "It''s to be expected; this was all the firstrge-scale trapid by Sancaster to see how we would react, and now that we have triggered it, trouble will soon follow," Cynrik grumbled while pulling all the fragmented machinery into his realm and storing it away forter use.

    "True, trouble does seem to follow you like stink on shit, heh, such a rascal of a husband I''ve acquired for myself." Giggling while leaning over to peck Cynrik''s cheek, Selene stated, utterly unbothered by their situation since she had total trust and faith in her man.

    "Oi, you act like I actively seek it out! It''s not my fault the arrogant old fogeys are set in their ways and have turned Amestria Moor into a dictatorship." Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik took hold of Selene and flew toward the dorms, but when they drew near to their targeted location, the view changed drasticallypared to the rest of the Shadow Realm.

    Since the start of year Two, Cynrik had been working on arge-scale project that only Selene and Brance were privy to.

    What started as an attempt at cleaning the ruins under their dorm eventually became arge-scale project, turning into a massive plot ofnd being wiped clean of debris, leveled, and built upon.

    Where once sat a small vige''s ruins was now a massive fortress-stylepound rivaling the size of the Valor City Governor Mansion. Consisting of a 12-room Mansion, tworge warehouses, a ship hanger, and several smaller buildings, Cynrik had practically created his own high-tech, Gothic town.

    And this was where he, Selene, Vii, and Sie called home. Sure, they would regrly appear in the dorms; however, more than 85% of their daily lives urred in what Cynrik dubbed H¨¢raueur-Virki or the Crimson Fortress.

    Flying past all the defensive measures, such as gun towers and minefields, Cynrik and Selene flew toward the front door of their home and walked inside,pletelyfortable and rxed.

    The home Cynrik and Selene had built would otherwise be considered creepy to anyone other than them, as the Gothic-style architecture was reminiscent of a vampire''sir; however, to them, it was cozy.

    Adding the aesthetics of the H¨¢raueur-Virki to the ambiance of the Shadow Realm''s natural properties, you had a ce only a Dark Affinity user would love.

    The same could be said for Vii and Sie, who woke up and began chattering gleefully when they were carried past the front door threshold.

    Not even the two young ravens were left out when it came time to construct their new home, as Cynrik had put them both to work, carrying lumber and other objects to give them a sense of belonging.

    However, to Sie and Vii, it was all a big game since they were mentally too young to understand the gravity of their actions.

    ''Home, home, home!'' Vii chirped as he leaped from Selene''s arms and flew around the parlor. With knowledge and precision, he swooped around the massive chandelier, then up and down therge staircase before leaving and traversing the mansion.

    All the while, his wings nor the gusts of wind they generated ever so much as moved a spec of imaginary dust. Simr to how an Owl can silently fly, both Vii and Sie had a simr flight ability, and thus, they were able to leave their surroundings untouched, no matter how fast or frantically they flew around.

    Like a shadowy bullet, he flitted around the parlor and nearby rooms without getting the least bit tired while continuously chirping the word "Home."

    "Yes, my baby boy, we are home," Selene stated with an endearing expression and tone. Her love for the two N¨¢tt Hrafn was second only to her love with Cynrik.

    "What about you, baby girl? Are you going to y with your brother or stay here with Mama and Papa?" Walking up beside his Wife, Cynrik reached over and gently tickled under Sie''s chin.

    ''Mmm, Mama warm, toofy.'' Nestling into Selene''s embrace and snuggling her head between the glorious mounds of her Mama''s breast, thezy Sie couldn''t be bothered to keep up with her high-strung brother and opted to stay napping in her Mama''s embrace.

    "Heh, as you wish, my beloved daughter," Shaking his head and rolling his eyes, Cynrik didn''t bother hiding or masking the lingering smile on his lips as he shared a gentle kiss with his Wife before heading toward his workshop, the ce all his best toys in thest few years had been created.

 Chapter 674: Years Of Tinkering and Engineering

    Navigating through the winding yet well-nned andid-out blueprint of the Mansion, Cynrik headed toward the basement and eventually came to a halt before an enormous circr vault-style door.

    Stepping up and cing his outstretched right palm on the highly technological lock, a faintser light scanned his palm before a robotic voice started speaking.

    "Palm print and fingerprints verified; please proceed to Ocr Scan." Going through the motions, Cynrik moved on from the palm and finger scanner by cing his eye on an object that looked like something from an optometrist''s office.

    "Ocr Scan verified; please proceed to DNA Scan." The same robotic Female voice spoke clearly and directly, prompting Cynrik to bite the tip of one of his fingers, draw blood, and ce a drop on a third device.

    "DNA Scan Verified, please move to the Cipher Code panel." This time, Cynrik smirked because this was one of his favorite inventions to date.

    If somehow someone could get to this step of unlocking the vault, good for them; however, breaking the ever-changing Cipher Code was only possible if the individual understood theplex arrays of Ciphers that would be randomly generated.

    He had allowed Selene to attempt to break the coded passwords time and time again; however, even after two years, she was utterly stumped when she got to this stage, to the point that Cynrik ended up making her a unique entrance key that would only unlock the door if her DNA, prints, and special password would be entered.

    Even so, since the Code was in Norse, the odds of anyone figuring it out were negligible at best, and even then, there was a physical key she required to open the lock.

    Of course, someone would first have to Break into the Shadow Realm, pass all the security measures, and then FIND the vault door in the first ce, but still, with the things Cynrik was creating and his high level of paranoia, it was all par for the course.

    Chuckling to himself, Cynrik wasted no time breaking the randomly generated Code, and with a loud his, multiple green lights shed in the hallway, and the vault door unlocked, revealing an expansive and well-lit room.

    At first nce, theyout of the Workshop was precisely what one would expect from someone suffering from OCD, such as Cynrik. Everything had its proper ce, hanging on wall mounts or neatly ced on one of the hundreds of shelves.

    Frankly, the ce looked more like one of the vaults Cynrik and Selene had raided several years back, except for a massive work area filled with a wide assortment of tools and materials.

    ncing around therge 400 by 400-meter underground Workshop, Cynrik''s eyes flicked from one shelf to the next, observing multiple different "Projects" that could be observed in various stages of development.

    From weapons attachments that could be used with everyone in MyrkLys'' equipment to all sorts of gadgets that served different purposes and functions, the wares on disy would be enough to make even the richest of people feel faint at heart due to the apparent expenditures that Cynrik had made.

    They would have no way of knowing that nearly every bit of technology and resource in the Workshop once had a previous owner who graciously left it to him.

    That''s right, the hoard of treasures that Cynrik and Selene had stolen years ago was still around and being used without reserve by him. Everything, from the tools and equipment to the Mansion itself, had been lifted by him and Selene before being repurposed as they saw fit.

    Chuckling to himself as he remembered there were still hundreds of billions of credits worth of resources, treasures, artifacts, and materials still resting in his enormous inventory, Cynrik nced around the room, observing its present state after not having been able to set foot in the area for months.

    "Well, at least I know the venttion system kept this ce free of dust while I was on summer break." Nodding his head while running his fingertips across one of the shelves, Cynrik was pleased to see that it was free and clear of dust or partictes.

    "Sigh. There are so many projects and insufficient time for them. s, I will crack the Runic Inscriptions for time dtion someday, and then all that will be fixed, but for now, let''s work on the new Hidden de mechanism."

    With that thought in the open, Cynrik mosied toward a shelving unit housing dozens of replicas of his Assassin''s Tools before picking one up and heading to his workbench.

    ---

    Several hourster, while Cynrik was fully immersed in his work, the door to the vault opened, and Selene, with Sie perched on her shoulder, walked in carrying a tray of food.

    She knew how her husband got once he began working on something, so she spent the dayzing around with her children, watching movies, and ying before dinner before eventually fixing something for the kids before she and her husband.

    With the exhausted Vii out cold in his bedroom and Sie refusing to leave her side, Selene ticked away at the entrance procedures for the Workshop and soon enough stood behind her husband with an abundant amount of Mac n cheese and dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets.

    In the beginning, Selene teased Cynrik, saying he had the appetite of a six-year-old; however, it was all in good fun, and she quickly got some cooking lessons from Cinyah.

    After all, there was no way she would let her man survive off of processed foods. Instead, everything on the tray was made from scratch; she even got the cookie cutters Cinyah used when Cynrik and Brance were little to make the proper Dinosaur Nuggie shapes.

    "Darlinng~ dinner." Calmly walking up behind Cynrik, Selene watched as he ced down the tools he was working with and cleared up space on his bench.

    "Mmmmm smells good," He said while spinning around in his chair and greeting Selene and Sie.

    "Well, I made it from scratch, just how you like it. Six cheese Mac and homemade dino nuggies, hehe." Giggling as she ced the food down in front of Cynrik, Selene pulled out a chair and sat beside him before portioning out the food for herself and him and withdrawing some soda from her inventory.

    As this urred, a certain little girl watched the food''s movement with hawk-like¡­er¡­raven-like vision. Although she had already eaten, like the little glutton she was, Sie seemed to have a second stomach specifically for her Mama''s cooking, something which was WELL known by her parents.

    Noticing his daughter''s eyes trained on a stegosaur-shaped nuggie, Cynrik smirked and calmly picked it up.

    "Sie, what do we say when we want something others have?" Cynrik remarked without looking up at Sie.

    ''UNHAND MY NUGGIE, YOU DASTARDLY FIEND!'' Sie Chirped loudly in response to her Papa''s provocations.

    "ATTA GIRL, Here you go." Laughing loudly, and strangely enough, exactly like his father, Cynrik tossed the nuggie into the air and saw the sh of Sie gulping it down with an ecstatic expression.

    Thwack!

    "Darling, stop teaching the kids to act like hoodlums; you know how Mother reacts to them when they follow your teachings." Unable to hide the buddingughter creeping onto her face, Selene fake-thumped and scolded Cynrik.

    {{Ppfft, at least she doesn''t swear like us, hahaha!}} And like that, another day passed as the small yet strange young family bonded over Dino nuggies and mac n cheese.

 Chapter 675: The Beginning Of Year Five at VSFA (6)

    Two weeks had passed since the brutal ying of the Bralley Family Patriarch, yet time moved on as if nothing had happened. In those days, the members of MyrkLys set about their new schedules, attending lessons like good students and acing any tests or quizzes given.

    This was to be expected, however, as nothing on the tests was something they hadn''t already learned.

    During their time in lockdown at the Pinhurst Mansion, the joint lessons they were forced to endure by Cinyah, Maeve, and Jessup had exponentially pushed them far ahead of their peers in the same School Year, and to date, not a single ss had taught them something they hadn''t known.

    sses during the Fourth Year and previous ones were, forck of a better word, meaningless for the members of MyrkLys, as the primary objective for years One to Four was to nurture and mold students into beings able to break through to Tier-4.

    Having reached the Peak of Tier-3 by the time they had settled into the lockdown on Valor City, Cynrik, Selene, and Brance had nothing further to do; thus, they worked to increase their proficiencies on Skills and abilities and bolster their foundation.

    By the time Year Two began, the three set about power-leveling the rest of the group to the same point, and from there on, it was just a matter of getting everyone''s Stats capped and turning Gabby, Benny, Kurza, and Melody into monsters, which had been achieved by the end of Year Two at the Academy.

    Speaking on the purpose of years One through Four, Brance had been the one to devise aparison to those four years. As he put it, "Year one is like the equivalent of American 5th grade, where you are adapted to changing sses and having multiple teachers for the first time."

    "Year Two is like Middle School, serving the purpose of getting you limated and ready for higher forms of learning, IE, High School."

    "And years Three and Four are basically abination of all four years of American High School, where you are driven to prepare for college, only in this case it was all for the Tier-4 evolution."

    At first, Selene was pretty surprised that it was Branceing up with theseparisons, but upon further introspection, she realized that Cynrik simply didn''t give a flying fuck about school.

    To him, he would much rather lock himself in his workshop for hours on end since sses at VSFA were useless and, as such, ignored by him because they did practically nothing to curb his boredom anymore.

    The Fifth Year at VSFA was generally the most difficult to reach as if you hadn''t progressed to the Peak of Tier-3, you would be recycled back a year and forced to begin Year 4 all over again.

    Even that had a limit, as someone could only repeat Year Four a total of 5 times before earning a Separation Diploma, which in the eyes of Cynrik, Brance, and Selene was nothing more than a Participation trophy.

    When it came time for them to finish Year Four, the Members of MyrkLys hit a slight snag in the road, as they were almost forcefully given Separation Diplomas due to not having evolved to Tier-4.

    Luckily for them, and unluckily for the VSFA Board of Directors, MyrkLys was subjected to a battery of exams and practical tests, which, after proving multiple times over that they held a strength higher than Tier-4, were begrudgingly allowed to progress to Year Five.

    In the previous two weeks of ss, Cynrik had high expectations only toe up empty-handed as he could not learn anything he hadn''t devised on his own or had been taught by Jessup.

    The first two sses he attended were an Introduction to Divine Particles and the second was another Advanced Affinity Maniption ss, so both were written off as useless.

    Thankfully, there was a loophole offered by VSFA: special tests given by the Academy that, if passed, allowed someone to earn the potential credit they would have otherwise earned by taking the ss all year.

    Recognizing these tests as simr to Clep Tests on Earth, *Aprehensive college test that if passed goes down on paper as if you took the ss and passed,* Cynrik greedily "Clepped" his way through all but a few sses, and apart from practicalbat sses, and some other ones that piqued his interest, he was the only member of MyrkLys who no longer needed to attend daily lessons.

    When Cynrik went on his spree, Selene had wanted to join her husband on his "Clepping"; however, when she failed two consecutive tests, she was barred from taking more, and as such, she ended up stuck going to ss every day.

    Apart from them, no other member of the Faction wanted to skip out on lessons, and after four years at VSFA, they had somewhat be social butterflies. They were wholly integrated into the Campus Society by hanging with friends during and after sses,going to lunch together, etc.

    So, since Brance, Gabby, Benny, and Melody were happy with their School life, they went about things as usual: interacting with other students and experiencing everything VSFA had to offer.

    The only exception was Kurza, who, having already passed the battery of tests before the other group members, had advanced through Year six and, although not Evolving to Tier-4 since he was a prominent member of the Academy Medical Students, still Graduated.

    Uponpletion of his courses and his unique position as a core member of MyrkLys, Kurza had been offered a teaching assistant position directly by Geralt and was supposed to be joining the staff as a member of the Medical Department before getting derailed by injuries.

    As it turns out, those injuries were significantly more difficult to heal than Brance had first expected.

    Although Kurza could no longer be teased with cringe-worthy nicknames by Cynrik since he had all his lopped-off limbs back, the damage to his Mana Circuits, Mana Body, and Codex were so extreme that for the time being, Brance could only take it slow in hopes that the damage could be fixed over time.

    For now, all Brance, or Cynrik for that matter, could do is theorize and work to find a solution, so in the meantime, with his ess to Manapletely cut off and stuck in a Coma, Kurza was down for the count, as waking him up would be seen as a form of torture for the young man due to the intense amount of pain his body and mind would be subjected to.

    But all of that was now in the past, as today was the first day in years Cynrik had been excited for ss. Waking up early, having some fun with his wife, then waking up Sie and Vii, Cynrik appeared in the kitchen of the MyrkLys dorm, dressed and ready for school before cooking up a hearty breakfast for everyone.

    "Well, this is surprising. Do my eyes betray me? Is that myzy older brother cooking Breakfast for us with a chipper attitude?" Brance, dragging along a half-asleep Gabby, stated after greeting Selene, Sie, and Vii before sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee for himself and his fianc¨¦.

 Chapter 676: Year Five Class: Introduction to Bloodlines (1)

    "Well, this is surprising. Do my eyes betray me? Is that myzy older Brother cooking Breakfast for us with a chipper attitude?" Brance, dragging along a half-asleep Gabby, stated after greeting Selene, Sie, and Vii before sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee for himself and his fianc¨¦.

    "Tsk, fuck you too, Brancie, I guess you don''t want breakfast," Cynrik remarked with venom as he dished out a te of bacon, eggs, french toast, and grits for Selene, Sie, Vii, Gabby, and even thezy Milo, who lumbered in alongside his parents silently.

    "HEY, HEY, I DIDN''T SAY THAT, HOW COULD YOU SERVE EVERYONE BUT ME?" Brance cried as he eyed Gabby''s te, saliva dripping down the corner of his lips.

    Although it didn''t happen frequently, whenever Cynrik cooked, it was noteworthy as he was an expert in the kitchen. No doubt, at some point, cooking had be one of hispulsive ADHD-driven urges, and thus, like with everything else Cynrik did, there was a level of OCD-controlled perfection involved, demanding only excellence in the craft.

    Cheesy Eggs cooked to not only perfection but everyone''s individual taste, perfectly spiced grits and bacon, even the French toast Cynrik made was extraordinary.

    In his hands, an otherwise simple and ordinary meal was turned into a 5-star dining experience, of which most people would die to get a single bite. To be excluded, Brance fought back the urge to cry, curse, and attack his older Brother.

    The reaction of the youngest Jetlensr didn''t go unnoticed. After basking in his younger Brother''s sorrow for a few moments like the sadist he was known to be, Cynrik served up Brance''s food before taking his ce at the head of the table beside Selene and began chowing down.

    Soon enough, the kitchen became noisy as the amazing-smelling food roused Melody and Benny, who bolted toward the kitchen upon realizing the situation.

    It was a once-in-a-blue-moon scenario, and having tasted the previous meals Cynrik had cooked up, the two of them refused to be left out.

    Soon enough, everyone''s tes were wiped clean, and they leaned back in their chairs with gleeful, full expressions, the three non-humanoids included, as they basked in the afterglow of their fantastic Breakfast.

    "Alright, everyone, go get ready for the day. It is a big one, and our only ss is why I was so keen on cooking for y''all." With a loud belch, Cynrik picked up his wife''s and children''s tes before dumping them in the dishwasher and sitting back down.

    "Oh, so that''s why we got the red carpet treatment. I suppose that makes sense; you''ve been waiting for this ss since the moment you heard it was on the sybus for Year Five." Gabby was the first to recover from the hearty meal and spoke while taking care of Milo and Brance''s dishes.

    "Yep, Introduction to Bloodlines is a big one and the primary reason I fought so hard not to get knocked back to Year Four. It''s the only ss that drew my interest, as no matter what I do, or who I ask, I can''t gather any data on Bloodlines apart from my own experience." Cynrik added while watching Benny clean up after himself and Melody.

    "Depending on how the course goes, I should be able topletely finalize some of the theories I''ve worked on for years, so of course, I am excited." A faint glimmer could be seen in the eyes of Cynrik, who still wore his usual emotionless expression.

    This glimmer was a cross between obsession and excitement, and as the others in the room hade to know¡­, it was usually followed by something crazy, or worse yet, bloodshed.

    Even so, that glimmer was enough for the members of MyrkLys, who have grown used to his expressions, to falter for a moment.

    "Oh shit, Big Bro is actually excited about something¡­Brancie, should we be worried?" Benny was the first to voice his fears.

    "Uhhh¡­no one''s going to die this time, right? Thest time he was this excited, Big Bro Cyn was ughtering hundreds of beasts in an Egress." Melody chimed in¡­hurriedly grasping Benny''s hand and stepping behind her wall of a fianc¨¦.

    "Shit¡­" was all Brance could say as he was more worried than anyone else that his Brother was about to do something crazy again.

    "Sigh, I guess we better call Headmaster Rivia and have him prepare for damage control; with Big Bro Cyn so far gone, I fear we are in for a long day today." Reaching down to scoop up Milo, Gabby looked toward the ceiling with a thousand-yard stare and spoke to no one in particr, drawing a reaction from thezy cat in her arms.

    "Yeowwl," matching the tone his Mama used, Milo too joined in while staring at the ceiling as if looking toward the sky.

    "Heh, darllling~ it seems you are in good form today." Sliding her hand under the table and gently patting Cynrik''s inner thigh, Selene spoke up, too.

    However, in contrast to the reactions emitted by the other members of MyrkLys, instead of worry, there was an exuberant amount of excitement for what was toe.

    "Kawwchiip. (Are we gonna kill baddies again? Woohoo, kill, kill, kill!)" Hearing how everyone was reacting and seeing the sparkle in his Papa''s eye, Vii hopped onto the table and spread his wings while his head darted between Selene and Cynrik for answers.

    "Cheepkaww, kaoo, (No stupid brother, Papa is going to have fun with idiots again, why must it always be killing with you?)," the calmer of the two N¨¢tt Hrafn practically tackled her Brother, batting his head with her wings as a form of punishment for even considering that her Papa didn''t have an intricate nid in ce.

    "The fuck¡­why do you guys always jump to such radical and drastic conclusions¡­" Frowning as he watched how everyone in the room reacted to his words, Cynrik fought his itching left hand and struggled to restrain from bashing everyone''s heads in.

    "I even cooked for everyone, yet this is the thanks I get." Giving up, Cynrik mmed his head on the kitchen table hard enough to fling Vii and Sie into the air a few centimeters.

    "Well, in our defense, you usually have a tendency to go a bit overboard¡­when you get excited¡­" Being the nicest in the group, Gabby wasn''t one to make others feel bad, so she immediately tried to calm things down, only to fail miserably when Brance exploded incredulously beside her.

    "A TENDENCY, MY ASS, CYN IS A FUCKING LUNATIC 99% OF THE TIME!" Brance cried upon hearing Gabby''s response.

    "Here, here," Benny snorted while leading Melody away from the kitchen to get ready for the day.

    "Tsk, it''s ok darling, the ungrateful can''t be changed," shaking her head while watching Gabby forcefully drag Brance to their bedroom, Selene ran her fingertips along the sides of her husband''s head, making him lean into her touch forfort.

    Noticing this, Vii and Sie hopped onto their Papa''s shoulders and nibbled his ears, a sign of endearingfort from the two N¨¢tt Hrafn.

    For two minutes, no one said anything else, as the bond between them didn''t require words, until eventually, an eerie sound came from Cynrik''s throat.

    "Kuekuekue, It''s fine, we will get them back¡­kuekuekue." In a manner, unbefitting the loving and warm expression between the odd family, Cynrik''s sadistic chuckle broke through the silence, and soon enough, all four of them wereughing simrly, something which could chill even the mes of hell in an instant.

 Chapter 677: Year Five Class: Introduction to Bloodlines (2)

    Around 45 minutes after Breakfast had been devoured and cleaned up, the Couples of MyrkLys walked side by side, presenting one form of PDA or another as they made their way into the building housing the ssrooms for Year Five Students.

    Some minutester, after navigating the crowded hallways, the six of them stood outside a doorbeled "Introduction to Bloodlines" and waited patiently among their peers, or at least this was the case for Brance, Gabby, Benny, and Melody, who took their time greeting those students they recognized.

    Meanwhile, Selene and Cynrik stood off in the corner of the hallway in loanerish fashion, like their antisocial personalities dictated, with their matching hoods covering their heads.

    ''Sigh, it''s always so fucking noisy around here. If it weren''t necessary for us to show up, and the topic wasn''t interesting, we could have stayed in bed messing around all day instead.'' Cynrik grumbled, earning him a muffled giggle from Selene.

    ''Come now, Darling, we all have to do things we don''t necessarily enjoy; take me, for example, although I am not fond of butt stuff, I still let you do as you please, do I not?''

    ''GASP, Lies and nder, woman, your mind may say you don''t enjoy the butt stuff, but your body sure says otherwise!!'' Widening his eyes ever so slightly in a sign of shock, Cynrik quickly disputed his Kona''s ims.

    ''Mmm, let me rephrase, I am not fond of the "Toys" you like using; I much prefer your natural self over some cheap imitation.'' Rolling her eyes and admitting her feelings, Selene waspletely unbothered by the raunchy talk.

    ''Hem duly noted, my beloved Kona, I shall keep your likes and dislikes cataloged in my mind for as long as I live.'' That was what he said, whereas, in the far separated reaches of his twisted mind, Cynrik was already devising several kink ys to change her mind.

    Fortunately, since they were talking using their MBS Imprint, their raunchy talk was kept from the others. Still, even that was short-lived, as Cynrik and Selene seemed to gravitate toward each other intimately, drawing the attention of the other members of MyrkLys.

    Upon seeing their lovey-dovey bodynguage, Brance scoffed and hoped their new teacher would show up and open the ssroom before the two crazies started going at it in public¡­again.

    Luckily, like a blessing from an unknown deity, as Cynrik began feeling up Selene in the shadowy corner, the door to the ssroom burst open with a flourish and a chime sound akin to a chorus of bells, indicating ss would be starting in less than five minutes.

    Between his innate fear of identally seeing something he dreaded and his perfect attendance record on the line, Brance quickly rushed everyone into the ssroom, but not without shooting a scolding re toward the corner hiding his Brother and Sister-In-Law.

    Soon enough, only the Crazy Couple were left alone in the hall, and upon noticing this, they quickly vanished from their position and reappeared in the back right corner of the sizeable auditorium-style ssroom.

    Housing enough space, in the form of theater chairs, for well over 300 students, theyout of the room was simr to many of the other ones they had been in during their time at VSFA, with the seating rising several levels and at the ground floor level, a semi-circr cut out with a single podium for the Professor.

    {{Will you two keep your hands to yourselves? WE ARE IN PUBLIC!}} Noticing that neither Cynrik nor Selene was bothered by anyone witnessing their physical affection for each other, Brance snapped at them.

    Meanwhile, sitting on his left, Gabby reached over and patted her Fiance''s leg forfort. How could she not know why Brance was upset? Heck, it had taken her years to get Brance to hold her hand and show any form of PDA with her when they weren''t behind closed doors.

    She didn''t even need to see her best friend and future Brother-In-Law to know what they were up to; Brance was just that obvious in her eyes. She could even tell by the subtle way her Fiance was twitching that he was currently yelling at them with his special telepathic connection.

    So, being the good Fiance that she was, Gabby did what she always did and reinforced that she was always there for Brance when it came to emotional support, which was never lost on him.

    Although¡­ more than once, she had imagined having her rtionship on disy in the same way Cynrik and Selene usually did. Still, at the end of the day, Gabby was perfectly content with what she had with Brance and understood that he had a different mindset and principles whenpared to his older brother.

    Across the room, Cynrik and Selene flinched heavily as their metaphorical eardrums rang from Brance''s yelling, so much so that they found themselves unable to continue their flirting, lest they wanted to be subjected to the irate Brance''s temper tantrum more than once today.

    Giving up and sighing loudly enough to draw curious looks from the peanut gallery, Cynrik, and Selene mirrored each other as they crossed their arms over their chests and leaned back in their chairszily.

    It was so in sync that some nearby students felt slightly creeped out and figured it was better not to associate with the two. When it came to MyrkLys, for the most part, they had a spotless and impable record, that is, so long as Cynrik and Selene weren''t considered.

    The two loaners refused to interact with any students outside of their group. When they weren''t flirting with each other, it wouldn''t be seen as umon if they were spotted beating up or bullying random passerby students who had unluckily pissed them off in one way or another.

    To put it in simpler terms, Cynrik and Selene had a reputation at VSFA for being rowdy and, forck of a better word, hooligans.

    They were practically untamed beasts in the eyes of the ordinary student body, and it was well known that if you saw theming, either ignore them or get the hell out of their way because nothing good came from associating with the "Psycho-Couple" as they were dubbed by the general VSFA populous.

    DONG DING DING DONNNNG, DONG DING, DING DONGGGG!

    Soon enough, the typical school bell chimed, indicating the ss period had begun, and as with seemingly every Professor at VSFA, their Intro to Bloodlines Professor felt the urge to show off a bit for her new ss.

    HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSS~

    Unlike any other Professor they had had before, this ss was bound to be led by someone a little off their rocker because the moment the final bell chimed, a loud snake hiss reverberated through the room, generating an unsettling rumble in the student''s chests.

    {{Oh fuck¡­is our teacher a giant Snake? INNNTERESTING!}} Unable to contain his excitement at the prospect of learning from a different species, the ever-scientific Cynrik couldn''t contain himself from swearing, all the while utterly unintimidated by the massive scaley creature dropping down from the ceiling toward the podium and its Peak Tier-4 Mana signature.

    If he had to guess, the creature was as thick as a sewer tunnel and at least 30 meters long, covered in vibrant purple and gold scales, while sporting a mouth full of dagger-shaped and sized teeth.

    {{Hmm, a constrictor species; I half expected it to have enormous fangs, but nope, one, two¡­three rows of impressive teeth.}} Continuing to observe the creature, Cynrik spoke his thoughts to the group chat, causing Brance and Selene to give him strange looks.

    {{You know what, Ima leave that one¡­Cyn used to watch way too much Animal back on Earth, so I''m not even surprised he could tell it was a nonvenomous snake species.}} Shaking his head, Brance gave the Snake Professor his undivided attention.

    But what happened next drew loud gasps from the majority of the ss, apart from MyrkLys, who had seen enough weird shit in their lives to be unaffected.

    Before the eyes of the packed ssroom, the giant snake began molting its scales, which fell off in clumps before shattering into particles of Purple and Gold light.

    Within seconds, the snakepletely broke down into particles, revealing a beautiful young woman in herte 20s or early 30s with long purple hair and golden eyes.

    Strangely enough, those two golden eyes were extremely reptilian in nature, and anyone, even an unlearned child, could discern there was something different about this pretty woman.

    Her pasty pale white skin was unblemished, and her pearly white smile perfectly matched her tiny nose and sharp, angr face. Overall, if Cynrik gave her a grade on his universal beauty scale, she would be less attractive than Selene and even Maeve but still above the likes of Melody and Gabby.

    So she got a solid 6.5 in his book, but that wasn''t the case for the young men in the ss, who saw her as a Goddess of Beauty.

    "Hello Students, I am your Professor for Year Five Introduction to Bloodlines; my name is¡­ Annika Wallin."

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